If there is one thing that is well known about the writing of J.R.R. Tolkien, it’s that he spent decades building up the lore of his world. From in-depth maps to creation stories for every race and culture, from languages to entire kingdoms, Tolkien spared no effort in creating his canon, formerly known as the Tolkien Legendarium. When adapting his works for the big screen Peter Jackson really delved into the lore entrenched in the pages of the books, and tried to add and incorporate as much of it as possible into his trilogy adaptations ofThe Lord of the RingsandThe Hobbit. However, Jackson also took a lot of creative license, changing scenes, adding whole new characters, and expanding massive chunks of the narrative into something that deviates from Tolkien’s original concepts.
Now, with the release of the recentRings of Powertrailer, questions have arisen over whether the Amazon TV Series will do the same. It has been made abundantly clear that the series will be focusing on some of the lesser-known stories from Tolkien’s Silmarillion, which details the creation of Middle Earth,the Trees of Valinor, thequest for the Silmarils, and other major events that occurred in the First and Second Ages of Middle Earth, before the quest for Erebor and the War of the Ring took place in the Third Age. But will theRings of Powerseries stick to Tolkien’s content, or will it embellish and exaggerate, until the on-screen version becomes more known and believed than the original books?
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There are lots of very promising depictions in the latest trailer that look as though they will incorporate the law already existing in Tolkien’s legendarium. For example, the appearance of Gil-galad in the elven kingdom of Lindon leads promisingly into the events of the Last Alliance, the great stand against Sauron’s evil that is championed by elves and men, briefly touched upon inThe Lord of the Ringswhen Frodo and Samwise and being led throughthe Dead Marshes.
The exploration of Galadriel’s story, and how she was involved in the great battles of the earlier ages, as well as her relationship with Elrond, has also appeared in both trailers, which suggests that the creators will stick to her story also. And the introduction of the Harfoots, one of the3 types of hobbitswho later come to inhabit The Shire, and the ancestry from which both Bilbo and Frodo are famously from, all suggests so far that the creators of the show are drawing as much as possible on Tolkien’s original wishes and intentions for the lore of his world.
However, there are definitely some discrepancies that have already come to light, which suggests that they may take on a similar approach toThe Hobbitmovies, whereby the core narrative thread of the piece sticks largely to Tolkien’s concept and cannon, but then is added to and built upon in order to create the sort of tension, action and exploration needed for such a high budget, high stakes program.
For example, Arondir and his enslavement, presumably at the hands of the orcs, is an interesting twist that hasn’t been seen before, and the politics between Tar Miriel and her cousin Ar Pharzon looks as though they will also play out differently than his book alter-ego’s do. There is lots of exciting scope for these characters, and if done well, they could reallyenhance the relationships expressed, and all right and versatile layers to the story. However, if not done well, they could unravel some of Tolkien’s best lore.
Another quintessential example of this is in the depiction in the trailers of the dwarves. Criticisms arose after Princess Disa’s image and her lack of hair, going againstTolkien’s original visionthat “dwarven women are almost unrecognizable from the men”. Similarly, in the recent trailer, there were some interactions between Durin 3rd and his son Durin 4th, but according to Tolkien’s lore, there could never be more than one in existence at the same time, because they were essentially a long line of the same one spirit, reincarnated into different bodies, only when they die.
All of these things have come about due to theRings of Power’s use of a compressed timeline, allowing them to explore several crucial events that happened across the First and Second Ages, but without having to have them thousands of years apart. By compressing the timeline and seeing the events coincide with one another, they are sticking to Tolkien’s lore, but cleverly shifting the perspective around it to make it gripping and alluring for these already well-known and well-loved characters. Now the only concern left is how far they will change things, and whether they will accidentally override Tolkien’s lore completely.
