More on Tolkien and Wapentake

My aside on Tolkien's use of wapentake has led to some really interesting and substantive posts at Gypsy Scholar and Wormtalk and Slugspeak. In an academic atmosphere that derides philology, we can easily forget its value. I wonder how much of that derision is a considered theoretical position, and how much of it is bravado obfuscating insecurity about philological ignorance?

That's why I'm thankful guys like Drout and Hodges are around -- it's nice to have company.