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From: Gds%MIT-XX@sri-unix.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: SF-LOVERS Digest   V8 #17
Message-ID: <3448@sri-arpa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 25-Jul-83 22:49:00 EDT
Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.3448
Posted: Mon Jul 25 22:49:00 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 26-Jul-83 23:47:50 EDT
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From:  Greg Skinner 

    Subject: Thomas Covenant

         I hate to disillusion people, but Stephen Donaldson took A LOT
    from Tolkien. There is the people from whom Gandalf takes a prize
    horse (I can't remember their name); Covenant takes one of the Ranyhyn
    from the Ramen. Ravers are like mobile Balrogs. Sauron has the
    Palantir, and can keep track of the Ring like Foul kept track of
    Covenant through his boots. And at least one word (that I could find)
    is taken directly from Quenya, the language of the High Elves: "orc"
    is Quenya for "heart"; "orcrest" is the word for Earthstone.

         I had read the First Thomas Covenant trilogy before I read LotR,
    and liked it a lot. Then I read the Ring trilogy and realized how much
    was snarfed. I don't know enough Quenya to do a serious study of the
    elements of the language that Donaldson took, but I think that was the
    most unfair thing he did.

I agree totally.  The Ranyhyn reminded me of the Mearas (Horses of
Rohan) too.  The griffin seems to be what the Nazgul rode (winged
beasts).  

One correction.  Sauron couldn't actually locate Frodo with the
palantir.  (Or he didn't try.)  Instead, he used the palantir to
deceive Denethor, to communicate with Saruman in Orthanc and to survey
his armies.  I don't believe he could actually locate the Ring, or he
would have seen it in Cirith Ungol or somewhere between there and
Mount Doom.  
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