New answers tagged tolkiens-legendarium
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Some people would say that Isildur was already a great man long before he became a king, and thus he became a great king when he founded his kingdom. And of course founding a kingdom makes Isildur one of the greatest kings of that kingdom.
When Isildur was a young man, and merely the oldest grandson of Amandil, the last lord of Andunie in the island Kingdom ...
3
Italicizing foreign words is a very common practice.
MLA
In general, italicize foreign words used in an English text:
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Isildur remained in Gondor for two years, instructing his nephew, Meneldil in being a king. This due to the fact Isildur's brother, Anarion died earlier, in the siege of Barad-dur. Isildur's death came when he finally decided to return to the northern kingdom of Arnor. He, like Elendil was technically high king of both kingdoms. It was only after his ...
2
There is a time gap, but not for the reason you state.
Isildur was already the king. According to the Tale of Years, the realms were founded in SA 3320, and the battle was over 100 years later in SA 3441.
(As for the actual time gap, as you will learn later in the book, Isildur spent some time in Gondor between the battle and his death.)
0
The 'foreign language' answer seems to be correct, and is listed here, where it says:
Use italics for "isolated words and phrases in other languages". In
terms of Tolkien-related articles, this would include anything in the
Languages (e.g. Quenya, Sindarin, Rohirric, Khuzdul, etc.) as well as
Old English (e.g. "a rope made of hithlain").
4
The White Council's attack on Dol Guldur is one of the most mysterious events of the third age, so it's hard to give a definitive answer to some parts of your question. However, the motivations are known.
Saruman wanted to prevent Sauron seaching the Gladden Fields, where
he thought the ring might still lie hidden. This is made clear by the
Tale of Years ...
0
In the books/canon, this never happened.
Simply because there was no open war between Rohan and Saruman until the point where Gandalf freed Theoden from Wormstongue's influence. Only Eomer was fighting orc raids on his own, but this wasn't sanctioned by the King and it was just skirmishes, like when Eomer accidentally saves Merry and Pippin from the orcs.
At ...
0
It is allegory for human nature. Somebody has to be "a bigger man", swallow his pride and do what is right, despite all the personal misgivings. It is a mark of greatness to do that and change your mind for the greater good.
Although, the point of the scene is not that he changed his mind. The point is that he has already made a decision (it being &...
13
Different members of the Council may have various reasons for expelling the Necromancer (known to be Sauron) from Dol Guldur. Some may suggest that Sauron had planned to leave, however I disagree that he would've done so willingly, certainly not abandoned it to then have to be recaptured.
1Firstly, it is important to set the context. In 2063 (Around 1000 ...
3
In addition to the Istari, the council also had Galadriel, Elrond and Cirdan (and 'other Lords of the Eldar') as members. Galadriel mentions calling the Council and intending Gandalf to be the head; other members are mentioned in Unfinished Tales.
the Council put forth its strength and drove the evil out of Mirkwood
Then he gave way before us, but only ...
6
The evidence suggests that the line was always "that line was broken" and the "alternate version" explanation was invented around the time of release after fans came out of the theater disagreeing about what the King of the Dead actually said. Keep in mind that IMDB trivia and quotes are user submitted and edited, and that the IMDB of ...
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The idea that the Council and Gandalf were distracted by the Ring and had not entirely thought out the true power of the Palantíri is suggested by Tolkien in his essay titled "The Palantíri"
But, although Gandalf had in latter years enlarged his own and the Council’s knowledge of Gondor’s history by study of its documents, his and their chief ...
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As for the Palantiri there was no one else to dominate. The Osgiliath stone had been sitting in the Anduin since the Kin-Strife (Gondor’s civil war). Two of the Arnor stones were sitting in the ocean, lost when Arvedui died in his shipwreck. The last one in Arnor only looked to the West and was used by the Elves of Lindon.
The Orthanc and Minas Tirith ...
12
The Nazgûl are quite the enigma in Tolkien's Legendarium. They are spoken about in a multitude of ways and things are kept rather ambiguous. A few things are however clear. The Nazgûl have not died, meaning they hadn't followed the path of Men who die (separation of fëa from hröa and the spirit going to the Halls of Mandos before departing from the circles ...
16
Yes, Sauron knows a halfling found and bore the ring. But he also knows there are several halflings in play, and he has learned something of their ability to keep hidden. Given the skills to hide and avoid detection, Sauron has come to believe halflings are also being used as spies.
Weighing the lack of the Ring, plus Aragorn's challenge via the Palantir, ...
6
The quotes are fairly accurate and so I think you can give Jackson a pass.
Here is the larger context for the quote in the book. As mentioned in the comments, Denethor is speaking to Gandalf, not Faramir
'Comfort yourself!' said Gandalf. 'In no case would Boromir have brought it to you. He is dead, and died well; may he sleep in peace! Yet you deceive ...
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According to my copy of the theatrical edition, the line is the same:
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In the book, it's not Gandalf who says those lines, but Faramir speaking to Frodo.
The context and meaning are a little different in the book. Instead of Gandalf, the outside critic, you have Faramir, the now heir-apparent, lamenting the state of Gondor. The specific lines your asking about are more a critique of how the old kings failed and how the stewards ...
42
It's very likely that Sauron was actively searching for the Hobbits within Mordor, but the only perspective that we get is that of Frodo and Sam, so any search efforts would be happening off-screen or off-page. But, assuming that a search was happening, Sauron had one big problem. He had just recently committed most of his forces, including the Nazgul, to ...
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Sauron could not fathom that a stronger person being in the company of the ring wouldn't wrest it from the halfling. So while he knew up until Amon-Hen it was on the finger of the halfling, Aragorn showed himself to Sauron and in doing so dragged his attention away from the Morgul Vale and onto himself, Minas Tirith and the Host of the West.
Now Sauron ...
8
Gandalf describes the use of the Orthanc stone before Saruman communicated with Sauron:
But alone it could do nothing but see small images of things far off and days remote.
Even with great control of where to focus, Sauron would have needed to already know what to look for to see evidence of the Fellowship plan. Randomly looking around would be ...
1
The line which the other answers use to date Bilbo's departure is:
And Thrain your father went away on the twenty-first of April, a hundred years ago last Thursday.
However, this date doesn't make sense according to Tolkien's standard calendrical conventions for Lord of the Rings, as described in the Appendices.
Normally, when Tolkien gives a date, it's in ...
36
The primary reason would be that Gollum resented the Ring, and to an extent hated it.
Gollum used to wear it at first, till it tired him; and then he kept it in a pouch next to his skin, till it galled him; and now he hid it in a hole in the rock on his island, and was always going back to look at it. And still sometimes he put it on.
The Hobbit, Chapter V: ...
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UPDATE
As pointed out in the comments, I seemed to have missed one part of the text in which the slight alteration suggested below is in fact false, and the alteration is rather significantly minor or non-existent. The answer at the time of updating had 13 upvotes for the below stunted and, in hindsight, incomplete answer
The Ring was indeed drawn to the ...
45
This is covered in the same source you quote, in the essay titled "The Istari"
At the time of this Tale, however, we find Gandalf always called Mithrandir in Gondor (by men of rank or Númenórean origin, as Denethor, Faramir, etc.). This is Sindarin, and given as the name used by the Elves; but men of rank in Gondor knew and used this language. The ...
9
A palantir has to be placed in the right position for it to work
Pippin, it's noted in Unfinished Tales, by sheer "coincidence" sat the Orthanc Stone in its right position, facing it towards Mordor in the East while he himself sat on the West.
So it was "by chance" as Men call it (as Gandalf would have said) that Peregrin, fumbling with ...
8
In 'Unfinished Tales' it is explained that the Palantir needs to be in the correct orientation to function. It is stated that it is pure luck that had Pippin hold it the right way to see Sauron; the first time it must have been held incorrectly. In their original settings, they would be mounted so that they were always ready to use.
But the minor Stones, ...
30
The short answer is we don't know, because Jackson doesn't show us and Tolkien doesn't tell us.
We never read or see Gollum wearing the Ring in The Hobbit. And by the time of LotR, he's long lost it.
I am sure that Frodo is enjoined to never wear the Ring because by that time it's known already that Sauron is back and looking for it. No such injunction was ...
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In The White Rider, chapter 5 of The Two Towers we are shown the meeting between Gandalf and Aragorn et al. They see an old man in dirty grey rags and jump to the conclusion that it is Saruman (after all, they know that Gandalf is dead, so who else is it going to be?). Gimli urges Legolas to shoot him, but Aragorn and Legolas refuse to kill an old man who ...
3
I can only offer a little bit of explanation. In The Hobbit, pp.56-7 of my 1965 Ballantine edition, there is a discussion of the slowness of finding the way to Rivendell because of the need to find one's way by white stones, some of which are difficult to see. It's hard to say why Gandalf should struggle more than Aragorn, but I can guess that Rivendell may ...
1
Isn't it because they are Gundabad orcs? Orcs who breed and live and fight of their own volition in the north and not made in Mordor.
Also the gloom and darkness Mordor brings is literal, to block the sun to ease his troops in battle.
Same goes for the Bats at the Battle of the Five armies, they were used to shield the army from the sun and as an anti eagle ...
23
No. It was simply impossible for Sauron.
In the context of your question, Galadriel is implying that Sauron return to the "nothingness" that exists outside Eä (the Universe), which is where he, a follower of Morgoth and abhorrently evil in his own right, belongs.
Among those of his servants that have names the greatest was that spirit whom the ...
9
NO
He neither had the power or will to do so.
The Barrier to the Void was sealed by the Valar , and let's not forget that Sauron is a Maia ( junior to the Valar ). This suggests that he did not have the power. Perhaps it might have been possible with the One Ring, but I seriously doubt this ( as the Ring contains Sauron's Maia power, which is still ...
0
While Aragorn is still a Ranger, he is distinguished as wearing a silver star on his cloak. This is mirrored by the other Rangers in that RotK passage. They are Dunedain. The "star" that Aragorn wore then is probably the one he gave Sam.
This would be really cool to Sam as Aragorn wore it when they first met, and makes sense for him to give away, ...
1
"Do we really have to go through?" groaned the hobbit.
"Yes, you do!" said the wizard, "if you want to get to the other side."
Gandalf isn't just talking about the other side of the forest he's also talking about the journey. Without Bilbo going through Mirkwood he wouldn't have had the courage to talk to Smaug.
3
In "The Return of the Shadow," it's stated that Sauron:
made many rings, and he dealt them out lavishly, so that they might be spread abroad to ensnare folk.
Although he forged the One Ring in secret, according to "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age", he was in Mordor, wherein lies Orodruin, when he did his forgings.
Indeed for ...
33
You might be remembering this scene in Mordor as Sam and Frodo start on their crossing after coming down from the Tower of Cirith Ungol
He shivered a little. 'What I really need is something warm,' he said. 'It's gone cold, or else I've caught a chill.'
'You can have my cloak, Mr. Frodo,' said Sam. He unslung his pack and took out the elvencloak. 'How's ...
10
I can't find a specific mention of using the cloak to stay warm when sleeping, but while they are walking through Mordor, Frodo has to remove much of his armour and heavy gear due to his fatigue. He mentions being cold, and Sam gives Frodo his cloak, implying that it will keep him warm.
‘What I really need is something warm,’ he said. ‘It’s gone cold, or
...
2
Another Possible Answer:
In LoTR the general understanding is that forging the Great Ring involved a heat level greater than or equal to that of Ancalagon the Black. The only thing hotter than Ancalagon is Mount Doom; since Ancalagon wasn't available, the Ring had to have been forged there.
0
Actualy at least one may have survived and many games uses this hypotesis
Whe know there were 7 of then.
Gothmog was killed by Ectelion.
Another was kiled by Glorfindel.
And another one, Durin's Bane, was kllled by Gandalf in the third age.
Finally Tolkien writes that most of the Balrogs were killed in the War of Wrath.
So in the War of Wrath there were 5 ...
0
In Middle-earth Gimli says “some people say there are no dwarf women” so probably dwarf women look like dwarf men.
5
At about 2:57 you can see that Theoden loses the "crazy white" beard, after Saruman had left him
It doesn't appear that this was part of the original books. Grima had originally only been an advisor
In Tolkien's writings, Saruman had Grima give Theoden bad advice and sketchy drugs. There's no indication of any actual ...
10
As the quote states, the One in question "sits in the Dark Tower," i.e., Barad-dûr. Sauron meets this criterion, but Balrogs do not.
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Possible Answer;
When Sauron put on the One Ring, the Elves were "aware" of him. There was a connection between the Rings, and the elves might have been aware of him through this.
5
Probably Not.
Smaug might be capable of destroying Dol Guldor but not The Black Tower of Baradur . This because this tower was made from the power of the Ring and the Ring Must be destroyed to destroy Barad Ur.
Now , at the end of the second age The Elves and Men did manage to destroy the tower but not its foundations. How the elves managed to do that I ...
12
It would be unlike Frodo to express his emotion outwardly.
Frodo remains a very reserved character throughout the books and tends to keep his emotional struggle to himself. Frodo is seen pitying Boromir after he is attacked:
Terror and grief shook him, seeing in his thought the mad fierce face of Boromir, and his burning eyes.
The Fellowship of the ...
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