• lolcatnip@reddthat.com
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    13
    ·
    edit-2
    9 months ago

    The way Tolkien-style dwarves embody stereotypes about Jews makes me really uncomfortable. I’m glad I’m not the only one who sees it.

    • turmacar@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      16
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      It’s a mostly standard view of Tolkien scholarship. They’re much more a medieval view of jewishness then something straight racist like say, JK Rowling’s goblins. As makes sense for an Old English scholar like Tolkein.

      Ancient people, separated into familial tribes, outcast from their ancestral home, not really welcomed anywhere but tolerated some places, warrior poet tradition, noble ‘in their way’, beards, gold, noses.

      Sprinkle on some Norse/Germanic for flavor and there you go. Though then you can get into the side conversation of Yiddish being a Germanic dialect/language.