It’s actually very classic - Tolkien, as someone who was deeply read in Germanic mythology, understood that “words have power” is an ancient trope there.
To ancient peoples, where the world was poorly understood and things happened for seemingly no reason, words do have power.
It’s actually very classic - Tolkien, as someone who was deeply read in Germanic mythology, understood that “words have power” is an ancient trope there.
To ancient peoples, where the world was poorly understood and things happened for seemingly no reason, words do have power.
I think it’s not just an ancient thing. The ruler needs to be able to speak like a ruler.