Any Tolkien fans get pissed when they found that J.K. Rowling took the Ringwraiths and made them Dementors?

Question

Alright, this is not a condemnation of Harry Potter. Just want honest opinion about popular influences.

Pink, swear to me that you're joking.

I realize it's not an exact carbon copy. But the Dementors bear more than a fleeting resemblance to Tolkien's idea, enough for me to see it as a direct crib.

And while I like both series, it still rubs me that Rowling can be considered so innovative when she has in fact pulled from so many obvious sources.

Answer 1

I don't see the too being that much alike to be honest with you. The Nazgul were the nine men to whom Sauron gave the nine rings of man.

"Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky,
Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone,
Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,
One for the Dark Lord on his dark throne."

Dementors were never men, they were always creatures.

Answer 2

They really should not be compared. I absolutely adore both series of books and neither author writes the same. I have never heard that Rowling used the ringwraiths as a prototype for dementors. And I have read a lot on her and her interviews.
There are only so many original ideas one can come up with. The dementors are really not like ringwraiths except for their theatrical appearance and their dark nature. Ringwraiths are creatures (for lack of a better term) that were once human that became obsessed with power and the rings that each bent their will to the one ring. They became dark beings, following the will of the one ring as long as it survived.
Dementors ARE creatures and they were never human. They live and breed off of fear and negativity and depression. They cause insanity because they cause their victims to experience all the worse parts of their lives. They have the power to suck out a soul but leave the person alive.
There is not any other similarity but what I already mentioned.
Don't insult or assume things about one author just because you feel one is better then the other. Each author writes their own stories and yes things will seem to mirror other things especially when newer authors want to pay homage to older authors or explore some of the their ideas.
Tolkein wrote an amazing series and so did Rowling. THey shouldn't be compared in this manner.
Sorry if I took it to another level but I get mad at unfair treatment of anyone. Not that you were so mean about it. Sorry if I "hurt your feelings" or anything. ;o) LOL

Answer 3

Not too irritated...if you look at a lot of writers, many of them have borrowed (and in some cases, outright stole) ideas from other authors and books.
In the case of fantasy, dealing with the basic witches and fairies and goblins, etc. there's sometimes not a lot you can do with those ingredients (for lack of a better word)...a good writer would "reinvent" them in a way.
While Tolkien's Ringwraiths and Rowling's Dementors do sound an awfully lot alike, both of them do have a couple of major differences, in the fact that both of their purposes are different. The Nazgul are the corrupted 9 kings of men who serve the Dark Lord always, hunting for the One Ring and destroying those who get in their way; while the Dementors are fear itself, soul-sucking opportunists.
So in a way Rowling reinvented the Nazgul for HP, or at least took some of their characteristics for the Dementors.
Also, Tolkien is one of the biggest fantasy writers...perhaps THE biggest, and he and his novels have definitely influenced a lot of authors and readers.
Anyways, I love both writers :)

Answer 4

Did she admit to that? I mean, JKR has been fairly honest on where she got her ideas. Anyway, if she was influenced by LOTR's Ringwraiths (remember, she thought of the books way back in the late 90's before the LOTR movie adaptations came out), I think it would be an indirect praise for Tolkien. You might be affected by both movie adaptations because of the similar depictions in the films.

Not all of JKR's ideas are original, remember Fluffy? It was surely from three-headed Cerebus (the guard of Hades). A number more can be gleaned from other books. But we have to give her credit for bringing these borrowed ideas into something worth reading.

I am both a Tolkien and JKR fan and I wasn't pissed with the similarities. It only proves that JKR was a wide reader and what she read greatly influenced her in her writing.

I just read Pink's answer. Well, Tolkien cannot complain, can he? He's been dead for what, 2, 3 decades already? But I agree with you, die hard Tolkien fans need not insult JKR for what they think was borrowed or stolen ideas. Where do they think Tolkien got his ideas in the first place? I bet Tolkien himself "borrowed" ideas for LOTR from books he read himself. Let's not be pissed with some other people's success.

Answer 5

There are very few original ideas in fantasy and science fiction genre any more. Most are just variations of each other and since to some extant Tolkien created the fantasy genre I don't see a problem in it. I have no opinion on if the Dementors are similar or not since I have not read Harry Potter.

Answer 6

There is some superficial similartities in their appearances. Other than that I don't find them at all similar.

As to authors "borrowing" ideas from other sources, its a pretty common practice. In fact Tolkien had many sources that influenced him. For instance, the Ring of the Nibelung, Norse mythology, Celtic myths, the World Wars.

Being influenced by another author is not a crime and in fact can be a compliment.

Answer 7

I think one can be influenced without saying that it was stolen.
Ring wraiths were after the ring... dementors after the soul and happiness. Similar but not the same. To me personally its kinda like saying all rock and roll music was stolen from Elvis. I can see how the books can be compared they are same theme. But they are very different. And I am a fan of both!

Answer 8

Yes, It was a little annoying to read the striking resemblance, but on the other hand there's not much you an do with spooky that hasn't already been done by someone

Answer 9

If you go to Mugglenet, there's a whole lot of Tolkien fans who insult JKR and her books because they feel that she stole more than just that from Tolkien. I think that they're just being silly. I mean, if Tolkien were really mad, he could complain, and he hasn't, so if he doesn't have a problem with it, why should his fans.


I'm sorry, is Tolkien dead or something? I didn't realize. I;'ve never researched him. I'm sorry. But really, why do his fans make such a big deal? I mean, as long as they know who the better author is, then why bend down to pick on others? It's just childish.

Answer 10

Meh... Tolkien fans know who the better writer is.