lol, the secret lives of Hobbitses. GOLLUM WAS RIGHT
The shire was founded under the rule of the king of arnor, as a semi independent shire. So aragorn was technically king of the shire.
The line of stewards were kings in all but name as a hereditary monarchical position with all the duties and authority of the king. They theoretically had to give up power if a member of the royal family ever came back to claim the throne, but Aragorn wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to do so and only took over after Denethor killed himself with his two heirs being either dead or too injured to lead. The stewards had ruled Gondor for over a thousand years and a well liked one could have easily gotten the people behind them to reject Aragorn’s claim and formally taken the title of king.
The people rejecting a rightful claim to the throne is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a pure bloodline and a big sword, not from some farcical democratic ceremony.
Only if the big sword was hurled by a watery tart
Every time I see this meme, I’m reminded of this, which basically argues that the shire is just a specific type of feudal system, that looks like a place of rulerless plenty because the main characters are mostly that systems informal equivalent of nobility.
Full disclosure: I have not read your link yet, but I intend to.
How can a gardener be nobility? Frodo, definitely could see. But then there are the Tooks and Brandybucks going out and stealing produce and foraging for mushrooms? Not exactly nobility activities.
But then there are the Tooks and Brandybucks going out and stealing produce and foraging for mushrooms? Not exactly nobility activities.
Another way of looking at it is that they don’t have to work and is using their past time doing crime just for kicks. That kind of dickishness sounds very much like that of the spawn of nobles.
And to add to this, yea Sam is the only one in the Fellowship who isn’t a Maia, heir to the king/steward, heir in a noble family or just rich enough not to have to work, and actually has a normal job.
And he has to carry the guy who’s supposedly doing all the work
This made me sad.
dont be! Tolkien was an anarcho-monarchist. Something like monarcho-socialism but more radical, with highly symbolic but powerless monarchs and lots of good ritual, combined with anarcho-federalism and Mutualism
with highly symbolic but powerless monarchs
That’s not exactly what it means: http://wikibin.org/articles/anarcho-monarchism.html
Given that definition we wouldn’t exactly call them powerless.
Edit: This Reddit thread shines light on both ‘Anarcho-Monarchism’ and J.R.R Tolkien’s beliefs: https://reddit.com/r/monarchism/comments/pvkkjy/what_is_anarchomonarchism/
from that thread , see emperor norton or notes on Tolkienism
Tolkien’s anarchism was a decentralized voluntary association where one would swear fealty to a king and issues became common and local among people. This system was reminiscent of the Shire in his books. He supported monarchy because it acted as an involuntary position based on the catholic principle nolo episcopari. He believed this would avoid the cutthroat nature of party politics and leave the king as a figurehead that has respect and authority through voluntary exchange and respect for the monarchs position in the tradition of the country.
Look Tolkein liked monarchy, what can you do about it. The Shire is still an anarchist commune, when it’s not on fire
