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Aerin
Gondor
Feb 18 2007, 9:51pm
Views: 199
Shortcut
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were warriors, but this was regarded as "one of the strangest of their practices." I'd forgotten about this group, which Tolkien presents as quite alien from other humans.
It's true that in a *strictly* monogamous society, excessive male mortality could depress birth rates. But the solution is not to kill women -- that would simply reduce reproduction even further, hastening the collapse of the population. In real human societies, the solution has generally been polygyny, though I guess Tolkien would not have gone for that!
Interestingly, research with other species has shown that too high a ratio of adult males to females also can be dangerous, because it leads to increased aggression of males towards females, resulting in decreased fecundity and a positive feedback situation eventually resulting in population collapse. I wonder if there's any evidence for this in human societies.
Modern warfare is indeed different, both for the reasons you cite, and because modern technology has greatly reduced the effect of of sexual dimorphism on effectiveness as a soldier. In pre-modern times, women were *on average* of less value as warriors because of their smaller average size and strength. (That's another thing that makes Eowyn's story so powerful, as well as Merry's: their relatively small size and seeming frailty make a striking contrast with the size and power of the Witch-King). Together with the reproductive considerations, it makes perfect sense that women soldiers would have been quite rare and anomalous in pre-modern times.
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Subject
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User
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Time
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Tolkien Artists, The Bros. Hildebrandt: Loose Ends and That's All Folks
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drogo
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Feb 17 2007, 10:04pm
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Arwen Joins the Quest
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Reera the Red
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Feb 18 2007, 12:11am
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Well, that does explain
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Aerin
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Feb 18 2007, 12:20am
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Oh, I like that one!
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Ainu Laire
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Feb 18 2007, 12:27am
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No story that I know of.
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Reera the Red
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Feb 18 2007, 12:38am
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Re: [Reera the Red] No story that I know of.
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drogo
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Feb 18 2007, 12:55am
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Re: [drogo] No story that I know of.
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Nerdanel
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Feb 18 2007, 11:58pm
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"breathes life into Tolkien"
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N.E. Brigand
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Feb 23 2007, 11:23pm
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The cover of the original Grotta bio!
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dernwyn
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Feb 20 2007, 3:56pm
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mine has two Hildebrandts on the cover
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a.s.
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Feb 21 2007, 1:10am
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Yes, yours is a decade newer
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dernwyn
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Feb 22 2007, 4:56am
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mine has an Epilogue chapter
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a.s.
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Feb 22 2007, 12:17pm
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Tolkien the time-traveller?
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N.E. Brigand
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Feb 23 2007, 11:19pm
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Re: [drogo] Tolkien Artists, The Bros. Hildebrandt: Loose Ends and That's All Folks
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Sandicomm
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Feb 18 2007, 12:28am
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Re: [drogo] Tolkien Artists, The Bros. Hildebrandt: Loose Ends and That's All Folks
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a.s.
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Feb 18 2007, 12:31am
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dang I keep forgetting to change my subject line!! [nt]
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a.s.
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Feb 18 2007, 12:31am
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Alas for the loss of Mod... loved it.
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Cirdan the Shipwright
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Feb 19 2007, 9:06pm
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thanks, originally
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a.s.
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Feb 19 2007, 11:29pm
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Re: [drogo] Tolkien Artists, The Bros. Hildebrandt: Loose Ends and That's All Folks
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Beren IV
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Feb 18 2007, 12:47am
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This of course has been much discussed,
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Aerin
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Feb 18 2007, 1:17am
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Re: [Aerin] This of course has been much discussed,
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Beren IV
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Feb 18 2007, 1:39am
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That's another good point, as well.
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Aerin
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Feb 18 2007, 6:40am
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Not completely unique
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Beren IV
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Feb 18 2007, 6:56pm
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True, women of Haleth
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Aerin
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Feb 18 2007, 9:51pm
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Another historical note
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Beren IV
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Feb 18 2007, 11:51pm
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Re: [Beren IV] Another historical note
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Elizabeth
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Feb 19 2007, 12:43am
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See Elizabeth's note, plus
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Aerin
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Feb 19 2007, 6:45am
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More Arwen in the books than most readers catch.
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N.E. Brigand
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Feb 23 2007, 11:40pm
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Re: [Aerin] This of course has been much discussed,
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Sandicomm
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Feb 18 2007, 6:16pm
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I think the movies came close to
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Aerin
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Feb 18 2007, 10:09pm
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Some unexpected brilliance
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linkin-artelf
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Feb 19 2007, 3:09am
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"Journey in the Dark" is the chapter title
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dernwyn
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Feb 20 2007, 4:07pm
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Orcs did wear cloaks.
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N.E. Brigand
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Feb 23 2007, 11:34pm
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Unexpected Joy!
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Daughter of Nienna
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Feb 19 2007, 11:19am
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"a heavy front plane"
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N.E. Brigand
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Feb 23 2007, 11:44pm
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