MovieChat Forums > Mio min Mio (1987) Discussion > Mio min Mio vs. Lord of the Rings

Mio min Mio vs. Lord of the Rings

posted 19 years ago by XarabellaX
19 replies | jump to latest

There are several similarities between these two (ok, LotR - 3 books althougher) books/movies. For example:

1. Astrid Lindgren published Mio min Mio 1954 - JRR Tolkien published the three LotR-books between the years 1954-55.

2. In both books there are many things that are the same:
- Kato vs. Sauron: even though you defeat Kato/Sauron, they have the ability to resuract.
- Bread that can soothe all hunger
- A cloak that can make you invisible: Mio has a cloak that can make you invisible (Harry Potter someone?), and Frodo rescues Sam from being noticed by Sauron's soldiers with the cloak that the elfs gave him.
- Mio has a close friend, Jum-Jum, and Frodo also, Sam. Jum-Jum/Sam have promised to stay with Mio/Frodo.
- Mio is a child, and not an obvious hero. Although he's now a prince, he has not lived a good life earlier, being adopted by bad foster parents. It is the same with Frodo. He is a short young man, not the typical hero we are used to. On the other hand he had a good life. Both Mio and Frodo are brave.
- Mio has a role model in his father, the king. The king is dressed in all-white. Frodo has a role model in the magician, Gandalf the grey, who turns out to be, Gandalf the white - all dressed in white.
- Kato has his warriors (men dressed in dark clothes), who do everything for their leader. Saruman has his orcs and uruk-hais (they don't wear that much, but their clothes are also dark), who do everything for their leader.
- In Mio min Mio there is a well, that talk about what have happened. In LotR Garadriel let Frodo know the future with the help of water.
- Mio has to rescue the children that Kato have turned into birds. Frodo has to rescue everyone from the terror of Sauron.

Etc...

There are several things that are the same, and they are very common in the fantasy world. I'm just a bit amazed that two authors published their books at the same time, and the theme in both books are the same. I have not read any analyses about these books, but it must have something to do with how the world changed due to World War I and II. I have to find some analyses about why Lindgren and Tolkien wrote their books.

As a final note... It's quite interesting that Christopher Lee (I read that he lived in Stockholm, Sweden, in the 50's) were the bad guy in both movies, Kato and Saruman.

[–] kennykensson 19 years ago

I've just finished reading Mio min Mio, and noticed the same similarities, including one I think you've missed. Mio and JumJum are rescued by the trees in the deadforest, and in the Lord of The Rings it's the Ents who help out. Anyway, I assumed one of the books was published after the other and sort of borrowed, and was surprised to find out they were printed at the same time. There MUST be more of a story here. The only other factor I can think of is that if I remember correctly, Tolkien researched scandinavian languages in order to help create his Elvin runes. Perhaps he knew Astrid Lindgren? Perhaps he got her drunk one night and stole her ideas!

[–] XarabellaX 19 years ago

Yes! Of course! How could I forget about the tree-similarities!

I thought about the fact that Tolkien must have done loads of research for his books. How much research Lindgren made I don't know. She didn't for example make a completely new language.

Anyway...

What I wanted to say with this is that you are probably right - they must have met. Or... She was so impressed with the book "The Hobbit" and wanted to write her own fantasy book in the same genre?

It's great that there are more people like I that are interested know how these two authors, from two different countries, were able to write two stories so similar.

[–] Tanager73 19 years ago

There's no need for them to have met. All of the things you mention are mythological or fairy tale archetypes that go back hundreds (or thousands) of years before either author was born. And both authors are, of course, heavily influenced by northern European (that is, Germanic and Nordic) folk traditions. Read some non-fiction scholarship on the subjects of fairy tales and on the use of archetypes in Tolkien and modern fantasy fiction in general.

[–] XarabellaX 19 years ago

Yes, I'm aware of that. :)

>> There are several things that are the same, and they are very common in the fantasy world. <<

[–] gopau96 16 years ago

That Astrid Lindgren read and was inspired by "The Hobbit" sounds like the most plausible argument to me.

[–] steffen-mcinerney 19 years ago

Just thought of some more similarities:

The castle of Kato vs. the fortress of Sauron in Barad-Dür both have the Eye that sees everything.

And inside the mountain of the black smith reminded me of Moria.

[–] TheSqueee 19 years ago

I'm sorry, but you have GOT to get yourself a hobby! ;c)

This is a classic Astrid Lindgren book, one that I have grown up reading... and you can compare anything with everything if you put your mind to it. Why not compare Harry Potter with LotR? Star Wars with LotR? Wheel of Time with LotR? The X-Files with LotR? Coronation Street with LotR? (I bet there are similarities if you try hard enough!)...

There might be similarities, but like someone said, both are full of archetypes / fairytale stereotypes. Nothing more than that...

---
[DON'T PANIC]
http://www.SNeill.net

[–] Ting_13 18 years ago

Well, yeah, you can compare any book with any other book, but the reason why it's interesting to compare Mio to LotR is that they were published around the same time. JK Rowling has been sued for stealing from other authors and has had to pay up, the similarities between her books and others are probably not coincidence. And most authors borrow from other authors, often as a form of homage. But with these two books being published at the same time it is very unlikely that either author borrowed from the other. Which is why it's interesting to compare the similarities and wonder how they occurred.

[–] Chirpish 17 years ago

This is off-topic and quite old, but I thought I'd mention that J. K. Rowling has certainly been sued, but has won her lawsuits, and has never had to pay up. The person who said she stole things was proven to be making up a bunch of evidence and ended up having to pay JK's lawyers. So, I know it's off topic, but you're wrong on that one line.

However, it is quite interesting that the Mio and LotR were published around the same time and had many similarities. I agree with others that it is just archetypes, and that we can find this same similarities anywhere. Star Wars is a great choice, and was written using some of the ideas from the Heroes Journey. Many myths and most fantasy utilize this set of ideas for their stories. I don't think Mio and LotR are so similar that it is striking. It is just a coincidence because they are using similar source materials.

[–] martichoras 19 years ago

Many similarities indeed
But you're wrong about Frodo being a young man..He is about 50 (I think) when he leaves the shire in the quest for the ring..
This is due to the fact that Hobbits turns very old..

[–] SvartaKatten 19 years ago

Actually it's because Frodo has the ring which is like the elixir of life.
I love both books, maybe Mio min Mio more because I'm Swedish, and I agree; the similarities are both Nordic archetypes. Both authors were heavily influenced by Nordic language and tales, which is probably why they wrote such similar stories. Also many people compare fantasy books to LOTR because LOTR is filled with fantasy stereotypes which makes it similar to other books.

[–] XarabellaX 18 years ago

Well, isn't Frodo 33 years old? Like Jesus? Or something... If I remember my LotR-reading... :)

And Bilbo is like 144 y old?

[–] Kazchjack 18 years ago

I've thought about the similarities to, but I didn't know they were printed the same year.
Another similarity is the dagger that lights up when enemies approach, though it's in The Hobbit and not LOTR.

[–] lizwiz10 18 years ago

Frodo is 33 years old when Bilbo leaves. Many years pass before he goes on his own jurney.

[–] Chirpish 18 years ago

Frodo is 33...which is a teenager in Hobbit years. They seem to hit their teens in their late twenties/early thirties. It's a coming of age story. So even though he's in his thirties, he's certainly not an old man.

cb

when I'll take her out and get her drunk and possibly let's face it, you know, try and shag her.

[–] Conspirator_Slash 15 years ago

interesting. Maybe they were really soul kins. :D

Of course, Mio min Mio has many similarities to The Magic Flute too (Realms of sun and night, magical instrument, helping animals). Especially the film (it's maybe the sweet and innocent Swedish children faces?)

Starry Vere, God bless you!

[–] erik_alke 14 years ago

another funny thing (even though it has nothing to do with the story) Christopher Lee, playing Kato in this movie, also has the part as Saruman the White in LOTR The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

[–] the_cableguy 12 years ago

i cba to go through the whole thing,
just apropå subject i wanna mention that i think Howard Shore should take notes on this great score.

[–] Darknessviking 12 years ago

i thought the same thing!
maybe astrid and tolkien had a secret love affair? they shared it all - even their stories?

the similarities is very big,i wholly agree on this.
he probably contacted her since she was a big writer in sweden and asked her about nordic book-history etc,and that led astrid to write her own story .