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I was actually reading up on the history of orcs recently. Tolkien didn't invent them, there are plenty of related and similarly named creatures appearing in mythology over the last 1000 years.

Tolkien's usage of "orc" was borrowed from an Old English word for a type of monster. It appears in Beowulf in the form "orcneas." In Beowulf, humanoid monsters like Grendel, giants, orcneas, etc. are said to descend from the cursed line of the biblical Cain.

Separately, old timey racists often claimed that blacks were descendents of Cain cursed by God, justifying racism. The early Mormon leader Brigham Young is well known for teaching this, and it also appeared in the Southern Baptist tradition.

So if you go back far enough, orcs ARE black people... sort of. At least, the same story was sometimes used to explain both of them.

This is of course overthinking it, but I figure a true dramatard is always seeking the next layer of contrarianism.

!bookworms !writecel


The idea of an estranged branch of humanity who've lost the favor of God and deteriorated into pseudo-human creatures makes for a good story. But while you could use it in an innocent way, it's still fundamentally opposed to the Christian message. Or more accurately, it's consistent with the Christian message if we see ourselves in Cain. After all, he's the one who survived. He's the farmer, not the herder. He founded the first city. And Christians are supposed to believe that all of humanity is separated from God because of sin. So maybe we're the line of Cain. And maybe we're the orcs. But fortunately, God loves orcs. :marseybufflove::marseybufflove::marseybufflove:

!christians

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Only semi-related but i recently read Beowulf and the Christian add ins are so absurd and out of place. Just 150 pages of fun saxon pagan hijinks with a few "and then everyone said they loved jesus" thrown in every now and again to remind you that Christian God is real. Very strange text.

You know that Heorot was absolutely vibe city though.

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Separately, old timey racists often claimed that blacks were descendents of Cain cursed by God, justifying racism. The early Mormon leader Brigham Young is well known for teaching this, and it also appeared in the Southern Baptist tradition.

This was mostly an American thing used to justify slavery along with the curse of canaan. Genesis 9:21-25

Noah, a man of the soil, began to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of the wine, he got drunk and uncovered himself inside his tent. 22 Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness and told his two brothers who were outside. 23 Shem and Japheth took the garment and placed it on their shoulders. Then they walked in backwards and covered up their father's nakedness. Their faces were turned the other way so they did not see their father's nakedness.

24 When Noah awoke from his drunken stupor he learned what his youngest son had done to him. 25 So he said,

"Cursed be Canaan!

The lowest of slaves

he will be to his brothers."

You can see how the talk of being a slave would be applied to slavery claiming Africans are the decedents of Canaan.

I know like Dostoyevsky criticized this line of thinking in some of his non fiction stuff as did other non American reactionaries of the day

!chuds !christians

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"I got me slaves and slave-girls." You are condemning to slavery human beings whose nature is free and characterised by free will. You are making laws that rival the law of God, overturning the law appropriate for humankind. Human beings were created specifically to have dominion over the earth; it was determined by their creator that they should exercise authority. Yet you place them under the yoke of slavery, as though you are opposing and fighting against the divine decree.

Have you forgotten the limits of your authority? Your rule is limited to control of irrational creatures. In scripture we read: "let them rule over birds and fish and four-footed creatures". (Gen 1.26) How then do you go beyond what is subject to you and exalt yourself against a nature which is free, counting people like you among four-footed or footless creatures. "You subjected everything to humankind" declares the scripture through prophecy and it goes on to list what is under human control: domestic animals, cattle and sheep. (Psalm 8/7.8) Surely human beings have not been born to you from domestic animals? Surely cattle have not given birth to human offspring? Irrational creatures alone are subject to humankind. "He makes grass grow for animals and green plants for people's slaves". (Psalm 104/103.14) . But you have torn apart the nature of slavery and lordship and made the same thing at one and the same time enslaved to itself and lord of itself.

!Catholics !Christians the first recorded abolitionist was the Cappadocian Father St. Gregory of Nyssa (now a Doctor of the Church) in his 4th homily on Ecclesiastes. I think it's quite interesting that he linked slavery to the cardinal sin of Pride. The full excerpt is short and worth a read. :marseyandjesus:

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Tolkien's usage of "orc" was borrowed from an Old English word for a type of monster. It appears in Beowulf in the form "orcneas." In Beowulf, humanoid monsters like Grendel, giants, orcneas, etc. are said to descend from the cursed line of the biblical Cain.

Separately, old timey racists often claimed that blacks were descendents of Cain cursed by God, justifying racism.

:#marseyshook: !chuds

So black people really are orcs..

:#chudsmug:

But that means the criticism from libtards is right!!!

:#chudseethe:

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GOOD comment

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HI GRUE :marseyfluffyannoyed:

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Hey starry! You should post about your BMs again

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With Sauron and Mordor representing industrialisation and the BLACK country being called that because it was an industrial hellscape we have to read the original intent from Tolkien not as God hating black people but God rightfully despising brummies.

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look im gunna have 2 ask u 2 keep ur giant dumps in the potty not in my replys 😷😷😷

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There are black people in LOTR, the Haradim and Southrons. They're specifically said to be men capable of good and not orcs, but that they did not have the opportunity to have the Ñoldor (who had seen the light of the Two Trees) guidance and teaching and had been an easy target for Sauron's manipulation. However they were men and always able to be redeemed.

Orcs aren't Black people but some evil peoples' actions mirror that of Orcs.

Tolkien had hypothesized that even the orcs themselves were not beyond redemption but that it was beyond the abilities of anyone in Middle Earth.

He wondered what the man's name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lies or threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace – all in a flash of thought which was quickly driven from his mind.

Aragorn also spent time wandering in Africa, Asia and the Middle East

he passed out of the knowledge of Men of the West, and went alone far into the East and deep into the South, exploring the hearts of Men, both evil and good, and uncovering the plots and devices of the servants of Sauron.

More backstory Men were created in Hildorien (Eden) and were spoken to directly by Eru (Abrahamic God), every human could hear his words directly, however Morgoth came in fair form bearing gifts and men being impaitent and eager to bend the world to their will took him as their teacher. He told them to abjure the voice and worship him as their God. Men were a fallen race, unlike the Elves. They were also kept closer to God than the Elves (Eru never spoke to any Elves directly, he spoke to all Atani) so the sin was more grave because they had more knowledge.

We understood the Voice in our hearts, though we had no words yet. Then the desire for words awoke in us, and we began to make them. But we were few, and the world was wide and strange. Though we greatly desired to understand, learning was difficult, and the making of words was slow. In that time we called often and the Voice answered. But it seldom answered our questions, saying only: 'First seek to find the answer for yourselves. For ye will have joy in the finding, and so grow from childhood and become wise. Do not seek to leave childhood before your time.'

But we were in haste, and we desired to order things to our will; and the shapes of many things that we wished to make awoke in our minds. Therefore we spoke less and less to the Voice.

Then one appeared among us, in our own form visible, but greater and more beautiful; and he said that he had come out of pity. 'Ye should not have been left alone and uninstructed, he said. 'The world is full of marvelous riches which knowledge can unlock.Ye could have food more abundant and more delicious than the poor things that ye now eat.Ye could have dwellings of ease, in which ye could keep light and shut out the night.Ye could be clad even as I.'

Then we looked and lo! he was clad in raiment that shone like silver and gold, and he had a crown on his head, and gems in his hair. 'If ye wish to be like me,' he said, 'I will teach you.' Then we took him as teacher. He was less swift than we had hoped to teach us how to find, or to make for ourselves, the things that we desired, though he had awakened many desires in our hearts. But if any doubted or were impatient, he would bring and set before us all that we wished for. 'I am the Giver of Gifts, he said; and the gifts shall never fail as long as ye trust me.' Therefore we revered him, and we were enthralled by him; and we depended upon his gifts, fearing to return to the life without them that now seemed poor and hard.

And we believed all that he taught. For we were eager to know about the world and its being: about the beasts and birds, and the plants that grew in the Earth; about our own making; and about the lights of heaven, and the countless stars, and the Dark in which they are set.

All that he taught seemed good, for he had great knowledge. But ever more and more he would speak of the Dark. 'Greatest of all is the Dark,' he said, 'for It has no bounds. I came out of the Dark but I am Its master. For I have made Light. I made the Sun and the Moon and the countless stars. I will protect you from the Dark, which else would devour you.'

Then we spoke of the Voice. But his face became terrible; for he was angry. 'Fools!' he said. 'That was the Voice of the Dark. It wishes to keep you from me; for it is hungry for you.'

Then he went away, and we did not see him for a long time, and without his gifts we were poor. And there came a day when suddenly the Sun's light began to fail, until it was blotted out and a great shadow fell on the world; and all the beasts and birds were afraid. Then he came again, walking through the shadow like a bright fire.

We fell upon our faces. 'There are some among you who are still listening to the Voice of the Dark,' he said, 'and therefore It is drawing nearer. Choose now! Ye may have the Dark as Lord, or ye may have Me. But unless ye take Me for Lord and swear to serve Me, I shall depart and leave you; for I have other realms and dwelling places, and I do not need the Earth, nor you.' Then in fear we spoke as he commanded, saying: 'Thou art the Lord; Thee only we will serve. The Voice we abjure and will not hearken to it again.' 'So be it!' he said. 'Now build Me a house upon a high place, and call it the House of the Lord. Thither I will come when I will. There ye shall call on Me and make your petitions to Me.'

Ever after we went in great dread of the Dark; but he seldom appeared among us again in fair form, and he brought few gifts. If at great need we dared to go to the House and pray to him to help us, we heard his voice, and received his commands. But now he would always command us to do some deed, or to give him some gift, before he would listen to our prayer; and ever the deeds became worse, and the gifts harder to give up.

The first Voice we never heard again, save once. In the stillness of the night It spoke, saying: 'Ye have abjured Me, but ye remain Mine. I gave you life. Now it shall be shortened, and each of you in a little while shall come to Me, to learn who is your Lord: the one ye worship, or I who made him.'

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Sorry to make you type/copy all that. My point was more about classic "monsters," where a pseudo-Christian mythology might posit they came from, and a connection between that and certain historical racial rhetoric. I of course do not think that Tolkien's orcs "stand for" black people. I also don't think that using humanoid monster characters is inherently bad, but Christians should be careful around the topic (an issue which also bothered Tolkien).

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I just wanted to talk about Tolkien tbh

:#gigachadautist:

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