The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Hobbit:
''Precursor''?!



Paulo Gabriel
Lorien

May 25 2021, 11:35am


Views: 5309
''Precursor''?!
I am from Brazil, so I came across this Brazilian podcast, which had the following headline:

''Which is the best movie trilogy? The precursor to Tolkien's universe or the saga which introduced us to the story of Bilbo? Which do you think it's the best? Share with us, after listening to another episode of our beloved SBN [podcast]''.

Translated from:

https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/sbn-podcast/48-duelo-de-sagas-o-hobbit-x-6QhD7pvSCIT/

That headline has left me confused. Would it be correct to state that LOTR is the ''precursor to Tolkien's universe''? A phrase like ''the pioneer trilogy of Tolkien's universe'' would not be better?

Do you also think that this text is confusing?


(This post was edited by Paulo Gabriel on May 25 2021, 11:41am)


Hasuwandil
Lorien


May 25 2021, 1:33pm


Views: 5273
Forerunner
Arguably, "the saga which introduced us to the story of Bilbo" could be the LOTR trilogy, as we are introduced to Bilbo and how he found the Ring in that trilogy. But if they mean something like "the first adaptation of The Hobbit any of us saw", then obviously they must be referring to the Rankin/Bass television special. I don't know what "the precursor to Tolkien's universe" could mean. Naffarin? The Voyage of Éarendel the Evening Star? That would be kind of apt.
Hêlâ Auriwandil, angilô berhtost,
oƀar Middangard mannum gisandid!


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


May 25 2021, 2:08pm


Views: 5271
Bad Phraseology
If we truly want to identify a precursor to Tolkien's Middle-earth then we might want to look at something like his translation of "Beowulf" or other literary works that inspired him.
#FidelityToTolkien
#DiversityWithFidelity


Paulo Gabriel
Lorien

May 27 2021, 1:54am


Views: 5242
LOTR vs. Hobbit.
In Reply To
Arguably, "the saga which introduced us to the story of Bilbo" could be the LOTR trilogy, as we are introduced to Bilbo and how he found the Ring in that trilogy.
You mean that it's in LOTR that we find out how Bilbo found the ring? As I recall, this is told in ''flashback'' at the Council. But in ''The Hobbit'' we see the event first-hand. So how can we have seen that in LOTR first?


Paulo Gabriel
Lorien

Jun 1 2021, 1:32pm


Views: 5183
But isn't the post talking about the movies?
In Reply To
If we truly want to identify a precursor to Tolkien's Middle-earth then we might want to look at something like his translation of "Beowulf" or other literary works that inspired him.
There was no mention of ''literary works'' anywhere. Wouldn't that be the point?


(This post was edited by Paulo Gabriel on Jun 1 2021, 1:33pm)


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Jun 1 2021, 2:35pm


Views: 5172
Point Taken!
In Reply To
In Reply To
If we truly want to identify a precursor to Tolkien's Middle-earth then we might want to look at something like his translation of "Beowulf" or other literary works that inspired him.
There was no mention of ''literary works'' anywhere. Wouldn't that be the point?
You're right, but that makes the question as phrased even worse, even nonsensical: ''Which is the best movie trilogy? The precursor to Tolkien's universe or the saga which introduced us to the story of Bilbo?"

precursor n. Somebody or something that comes before, and is often considered to lead to the development of another person or thing.

What movie trilogy could be called a precursor to the Peter Jackson films?
#FidelityToTolkien
#DiversityWithFidelity


Paulo Gabriel
Lorien

Jun 10 2021, 10:23am


Views: 4948
OK...
In Reply To
In Reply To
In Reply To
If we truly want to identify a precursor to Tolkien's Middle-earth then we might want to look at something like his translation of "Beowulf" or other literary works that inspired him.
There was no mention of ''literary works'' anywhere. Wouldn't that be the point?
You're right, but that makes the question as phrased even worse, even nonsensical: ''Which is the best movie trilogy? The precursor to Tolkien's universe or the saga which introduced us to the story of Bilbo?"

precursor n. Somebody or something that comes before, and is often considered to lead to the development of another person or thing.

What movie trilogy could be called a precursor to the Peter Jackson films?
Do you also agree that the question is confusing in the sense that, even if ''precursor to Tolkien's universe'' is referring to LOTR, chronologically speaking, in-universe, that would be wrong since The Hobbit is prior to LOTR (in the story sense)?

Or that stretching it too much?


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Jun 10 2021, 1:07pm


Views: 4944
Wrong on more than one level.
In Reply To
Do you also agree that the question is confusing in the sense that, even if ''precursor to Tolkien's universe'' is referring to LOTR, chronologically speaking, in-universe, that would be wrong since The Hobbit is prior to LOTR (in the story sense)?

Or that stretching it too much?
Yes, that. But also because both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit are part of Tolkien's sub-creation. A precursor would necessarily have to appear before the creation of Tolkien's fictional universe.
#FidelityToTolkien
#DiversityWithFidelity


Paulo Gabriel
Lorien

Jun 13 2021, 7:23am


Views: 4913
Thanks for answering all my questions.
So, indeed, I think we can all agree that the headline's author should have phrased what he wanted in a different way.


Otaku-sempai
Immortal


Jun 13 2021, 2:43pm


Views: 4899
Unless...
In Reply To
So, indeed, I think we can all agree that the headline's author should have phrased what he wanted in a different way.
Might the problem not be with the original text, but with the translation?
#FidelityToTolkien
#DiversityWithFidelity


Paulo Gabriel
Lorien

Jun 18 2021, 1:02pm


Views: 4752
Well...
the link to the original is in the OP, in case anybody wants to check for themselves.