Also LOTR copied things aswell... Everything in this day and age copies from everything else, because it's been done already.

The phrase 'Simpsons did it' springs to mind with these things.

Erm, it said "fantasy stories" in that post. Not mythology. Different animal.

Actually, the most notable "copy" from LotR is the name "Orc" which was literally invented by Tolkien, although they've been reused in almost every fantasy setting since. Surprised no one has brought that up yet!

DP. Sorry.

Guys, come on.

Nothing was COPIED from anything (at least in the span of what we're talking about). The simple fact that one story or legend was based on another is just HOW IT WORKS. Since the days we passed down our stories orally to the days we print books, none of it is necessarily RIPPING OFF anything else.

You guys against this thread aren't even a little bit curious and intrigued by people discussing this? I don't see any arguing, only valid points and conversation. Why are some people so sour about this? It's a neat discussion topic.

Daedric princes are generally supposed to be considered demons. Azura and Meridia are exceptions. Sanguine is considered more of an annoyance than a threat. Mehrunes Dagon, Vaermina, Peryite, and (on occasion) Hermaeus Mora? They're threats.

The Nine Divines, however, are very much the opposite. They're generally considered benevolent gods, but don't mess around with mortals as often as the Daedric princes.

I think it balances out fairly well. For example, there's no doubt Talos was a hero, but he did commit evil deeds, and killed LOTS of elves.

Edit: And I wouldn't call the elves being 'demonized'. They're given just as many flaws, weaknesses, and problems as the races of Man. And because of that, I find them MUCH more interesting in TES than in LotR.

Its inspired by LOTR.

My friend and I were discussing this the other day. I told him about TES and he was hellbent on pointing out in how many ways that TES is a rip-off of LoTR. I disagree but I noticed so many similarities once he pointed them out.

Again, "stories" are something different from "myths". And I wouldn't call TLOTR a false mythology. Because it isn't. It's a novel. The mythology part is the Silmarillion and the other additional books about ME lore. As for the false part... all mythology is equally true, because myths don't explain the world, they explain us as human beings, as creatures of culture. And he didn't make up the word "elves". The word comes from Germanic/Northern mythology and describes a different sort of people, living mostly in forests or underground. But they don't really have anything to do with the fey people. Different mythology.

Yeah, but as you said, everybody and their dog used them - so they are now part of our culture, I guess...

Dawnbreaker glows brightly when there are Undead nearby.

If I only remembered where I've seen that before!

Nobody copied from the lotr books because they weren't that popular until the movies came out, and elder scrolls was around long before the movies.

tolkien wasn't exactly original either
dragons goblins and all that stuff existed in some form or other before he started writing about them
in fact they're sort of a pre-requisite for western fanasy
if they were to come up with completely different made up characters and settings it wouldn't really be fantasy but sci-fi or something
it doesn't really matter though
I'd just judge things by how well they're done
and in that respect I have no problem with the falmer


are you mad?
ofcourse the movies did a lot to inspire a new enthusiasm for the lotr series, especially among younger people
but the books were very well known and praised withing the fantasy genre years before peter jackson even thought about making it into a movie
It's one of the reasons the movie did so well, well known quality source material

Every fantasy based game is based on the lotr, because lotr created the fantasy we know. Elves, dwarves, giants and such has been in old folklore long before lotr of course, but their apperance and "culture" is heavily based off of the lotro lore.

Why does no one post sources? I come to these threads hoping to learn something but all I get is speculation and fanboyism.

Falmer use swords and bows.
The goblins in LOTR used swords and bows.

You can't explain that.

WHAT? Sorry, but I'm calling BS. Tolkien was and has been immensely popular world-wide since his Lord of the Rings books came out.

EDIT: Sorry someone beat me to it, but still- WHAT?

What you've said was on the level with a statement like "The Star Wars original 3 movies were little known, until the prequels starting coming out."

Wait, what? TLOTR was the second most sold book in the world ever (after the Bible) *before* the films came out. Not popular, huh? Nah, only translated (and avidly read) in over 20 languages. D&D was heavily influenced by Tolkien, and most American fantasy in turn is inspired by D&D. Please get your facts straight.

That is the first thing I thought when I realized they were blind.

What doesn't copy from Lord of the Rings? (except Worm Ouroboros )

That's incorrect (reference the comment above). Lord of the Rings has been popular 60 to 70 years* (incredibly so later on, yet still prior to the 90's).

*If you count 'the Hobbit'. 'The Fellowship of the ring' was published in1954.

What, you can't find Wikipedia? And I'm quite sure there's a Tolkien wiki around.

Most literature from the last couple of hundred years has been influenced by what came before. As that was influenced by prior mythos or tales.
Tolkien created a wonderful reality with his books but even they were influenced heavily from things that already existed. If you look over most fiction in the last 20 years you will notice a lot of similarity with the prior 20 years, but each tale usually has it's own take / spin on the ideas in play.
Completely new and original things just simply don't happen very often, if at all.

Yeah, no, this is totally wrong. Lord of the Rings, the book series, invented "western fantasy" as a genre, and is and has been the best known fantasy book / series of all time since well before the movies were ever made. The Peter Jackson movies are actually the second movie adaptation.

Only incredibly well-known and popular fantasy novels ever get movie adaptations, movie studios don't just pick things at random. The reason those movies were a big deal was because they were LotR, not the other way around.

Prove it

Whiterun DOES remind me of Rohan, I'll admit.

But I <3 LOTR, so it doesn't matter.