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noWizardme
Half-elven
Jan 10 2013, 2:55pm
Views: 1246
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Married gods and single heroes
[In reply to]
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Can't Post
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That seems to hit the nail on the head - Tolkien seems determined to marry off his gods (that is, he does this far more than the needs of his plot seem to dictate, including making up "filler wives"). By comparison, The Hobbit and LOTR are full of bachelors, widowers, and males whose romantic status is never touched upon. For example, if Legolas or Boromir or Thorin Oakenshield has a picture of his love to sigh over during nights camping in the wilderness, it is not important enough to the story to relate. While the Valar seem very deliberately paired-off, I'm quite sure if we can say that LOTR and Hobbit have single males "far more than the needs of his plot seem to dictate". Two reasons might reduce WAG-count. Firstly, Tolkien is from a time and society where ladies would usually be strictly non-combatants, and kept away from physical danger where possible. Secondly, single people are often a staple for stories - one less tie to keep them at home ("Goldberry is waiting"), and the opportunity to introduce a romance sub-plot for them. Indeed, the "romance breaking out during the quest" sub-plot is now hackneyed enough to prompt Evil Overlord Rule #98:
"98. If an attractive young couple enters my realm, I will carefully monitor their activities. If I find they are happy and affectionate, I will ignore them. However if circumstance have forced them together against their will and they spend all their time bickering and criticizing each other except during the intermittent occasions when they are saving each others' lives at which point there are hints of sexual tension, I will immediately order their execution." http://www.eviloverlord.com/lists/overlord.html Also, I agree that LOTR needs lots of strong relationships, but that romantic relationships aren't the only ones strong enough for his purposes. For example, from a plot point of view, Frodo needs to be accompanied by someone who will never desert him no matter what. That can be his loyal gardener-batman-friend Sam as compellingly as it could have been is loyal wife/girlfriend. Perhaps one difference is that the gods can either do their stuff at a distance, or at least be magically back home for tea. So married life is less of a handicap to their role in the plot? Amazorcs! Love it. My own guess is that JRRT did not need to consider the problem of orc family life for his story, & so did not work anything out. We're left free to imagine. So the Uruk-hai as an equal-opportunity horde is an arguable solution (who's to say what is under all that armour? ). So is the idea that Orcs are sterile clone troopers and new batches must be hatched- or something similar - as required. There is a "hatching scene" in Peter Jackson's film to suggest that is the line his script-writers went for. Or we could posit that orc-girls are a downtrodden domesticated lot at home, well away from the army encampments of Mordor. Or there are many other solutions, I expect.
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Subject
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User
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Time
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The Silmarillion discussion: Valaquenta
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noWizardme
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Jan 7 2013, 12:58pm
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No turning back
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CuriousG
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Jan 7 2013, 1:35pm
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thank you!
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telain
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Jan 7 2013, 2:45pm
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link to our earlier discussion of Ainulindale
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noWizardme
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Jan 7 2013, 2:54pm
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just posted there... and thank you!//
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telain
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Jan 8 2013, 6:12pm
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I look forward to your discussion post...
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telain
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Jan 7 2013, 2:43pm
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Experts definitely not needed!
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CuriousG
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Jan 7 2013, 3:24pm
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A note on book "Arda Reconstructed" by Voronwe the Faithful
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CuriousG
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Jan 7 2013, 4:36pm
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"DO keep up, Samwise Gamgee!" :)- Nah, you've been great//
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noWizardme
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Jan 7 2013, 4:39pm
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I have that book as well.
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Ardamírë
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Jan 7 2013, 5:50pm
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That makes me quite happy!
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Voronwë_the_Faithful
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Jan 8 2013, 4:32pm
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Oops, I seem to have started....
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noWizardme
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Jan 7 2013, 5:22pm
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...and well, one thing led to another... (not for serious readers)
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noWizardme
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Jan 7 2013, 5:34pm
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Great post! ; mnemonic
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CuriousG
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Jan 7 2013, 8:16pm
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An org chart for the Valar
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noWizardme
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Jan 7 2013, 9:18pm
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Ok, this is just me quite at random entering the world of the Reading Room, but..
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Xanaseb
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Jan 12 2013, 1:01pm
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I see what you mean
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noWizardme
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Jan 12 2013, 5:23pm
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Ah! of course. Sorry, thought the lines meant that they came about -by- Eru ;) //
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Xanaseb
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Jan 12 2013, 8:58pm
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every time I see "org chart", I read "orc chart!"//
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telain
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Jan 13 2013, 11:42pm
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Nice mnemonics, curiousG //
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noWizardme
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Jan 8 2013, 6:36pm
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Mandos: Hand of Fate
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telain
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Jan 10 2013, 1:38am
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*mods up* //
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Aunt Dora Baggins
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Jan 12 2013, 5:29am
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"The Valaquenta underneath the bough, a squishy chair, Corvoisier, and thou, lurking beside me in the Reading Room."
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squire
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Jan 7 2013, 9:09pm
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...this forum is world enough?
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noWizardme
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Jan 7 2013, 9:35pm
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First of all...
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Eldineth
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Jan 7 2013, 11:11pm
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Eldineth, I would never have guessed from your post that you were not a native English speaker! Well-written post.! //
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noWizardme
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Jan 8 2013, 6:34pm
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Thank you, noWizardme!
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Eldineth
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Jan 9 2013, 1:11am
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Your English is terrific! //
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CuriousG
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Jan 10 2013, 4:38am
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Thank you!
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Eldineth
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Jan 10 2013, 4:26pm
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I agree with Squire about the Melkorina
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Ardamírë
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Jan 7 2013, 11:21pm
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I think this is where I gave up on my first reading…
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Mim
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Jan 7 2013, 11:29pm
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The Shadow of Your Posts
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noWizardme
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Jan 8 2013, 1:56pm
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Hello! I'm new here and am quite happy to find that I managed to arrive when an electronic Silmarillion-reading party is getting started!
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Gwenhwyfar
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Jan 9 2013, 6:33am
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Neat idea about Nienna and Melkor
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squire
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Jan 9 2013, 11:23am
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Evil bachelors
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CuriousG
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Jan 9 2013, 1:50pm
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"obsidian bunker" and other matters...
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noWizardme
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Jan 9 2013, 5:43pm
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No evil women
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Mim
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Jan 9 2013, 5:49pm
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There was also Thuringwethil
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DanielLB
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Jan 9 2013, 6:04pm
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Females at large
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noWizardme
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Jan 9 2013, 6:22pm
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Sure...
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Mim
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Jan 9 2013, 7:10pm
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Sorry, I'm probably dragging you off subject...
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noWizardme
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Jan 9 2013, 8:13pm
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Amazorcs?
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telain
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Jan 10 2013, 12:53am
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No beards, but . . . .
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Gwenhwyfar
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Jan 10 2013, 2:48am
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Married gods and single heroes
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noWizardme
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Jan 10 2013, 2:55pm
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Good point.
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Eldineth
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Jan 10 2013, 4:56pm
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Surely Orcs are a construction of Sauron?
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The Gardener
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Jan 10 2013, 10:40am
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Perhaps...
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Mim
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Jan 10 2013, 1:35pm
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You assume wrongly...
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Otaku-sempai
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Jan 10 2013, 4:16pm
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Young goblins as a gollum-snack; good point. Though just to be awkward....
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noWizardme
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Jan 10 2013, 4:37pm
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Orc sex
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CuriousG
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Jan 10 2013, 5:59pm
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You probably just greatly increased the number of hits this thread will get from search engines :) //
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noWizardme
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Jan 10 2013, 6:11pm
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Orc domesticity
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Gwenhwyfar
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Jan 10 2013, 7:54pm
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Great point: "really evil of heart" = incompatible with babies
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noWizardme
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Jan 10 2013, 10:08pm
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Yay for electronic magic!
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Gwenhwyfar
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Jan 10 2013, 11:41pm
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Sam vs. the Valaquenta (stylistically I mean)
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noWizardme
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Jan 11 2013, 1:27pm
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I meant "the word 'valar' appears only 3 times in the text ( not inc. appendices)" //
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noWizardme
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Jan 11 2013, 4:47pm
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Out of which, only two are clear references.
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sador
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Jan 17 2013, 12:54pm
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"The Elder King"
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CuriousG
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Jan 17 2013, 1:09pm
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Actually, Bilbo.
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sador
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Jan 27 2013, 10:11pm
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"light-years" away from the subject, but...
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telain
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Jan 11 2013, 4:29pm
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Wow! I did start something there!
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The Gardener
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Jan 11 2013, 6:48am
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There's a lively discussion of Orc origins on this thread: http://newboards.theonering.net/forum/gforum/perl/gforum.cgi?post=562557#562557 //
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noWizardme
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Jan 27 2013, 2:54pm
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I just don't think
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Rostron2
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Jan 10 2013, 10:23pm
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You still have Bolg Azog's son. //
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sador
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Jan 17 2013, 12:51pm
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Wait...
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Eldineth
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Jan 10 2013, 4:25pm
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The reserves
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Mim
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Jan 10 2013, 1:29pm
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Arien and Galadriel
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Plurmo
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Jan 9 2013, 6:31pm
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Female evil...
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Mim
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Jan 9 2013, 7:18pm
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On Lists...
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beren_boy
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Jan 9 2013, 10:01am
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List of kings
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acheron
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Jan 9 2013, 1:30pm
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Male - Female - and Melkor
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The Gardener
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Jan 9 2013, 4:46pm
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Yes, I always think Elves call out to Varda the way Catholics do to Mary.//
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CuriousG
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Jan 10 2013, 4:38am
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How did you feel the first time you ever arrived at this chapter and discovered it was a long list?
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Rostron2
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Jan 9 2013, 6:19pm
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Varda, not starry-eyed for Melkor; on being a single Vala/ier
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telain
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Jan 10 2013, 1:26am
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Beware the lonely
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CuriousG
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Jan 10 2013, 4:36am
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Hmmm
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Gwenhwyfar
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Jan 10 2013, 5:30am
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the importance of being social
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telain
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Jan 11 2013, 4:51pm
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Fab discussion! Valar Rhyme for Hobbit Children
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hanne
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Jan 14 2013, 1:18pm
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Excellent! //
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noWizardme
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Jan 14 2013, 1:26pm
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Truly beautiful and excellent--thanks for posting it.//
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CuriousG
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Jan 14 2013, 1:56pm
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thank you both - am happy you enjoyed! //
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hanne
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Jan 15 2013, 2:43am
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Mods up.
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sador
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Jan 17 2013, 12:56pm
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Doesn't it bother anyone else...
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Etarre
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Jan 22 2013, 10:17pm
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Post away- we have no "last posting date" :) //
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noWizardme
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Jan 22 2013, 10:26pm
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A picture of the Valar in all their might and glory? Got it. It ain't beautiful, but it is fan art
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squire
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Jan 23 2013, 2:08am
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Pre-feminist Tolkien
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CuriousG
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Jan 23 2013, 4:57pm
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Still within a fortnight of your post...
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sador
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Jan 20 2013, 4:27pm
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the Secret Fire
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acheron
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Jan 8 2013, 12:27am
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The "V" Chapter--get ready for "F"s; and, more on Olorin
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CuriousG
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Jan 10 2013, 4:53am
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M for Bad?
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The Gardener
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Jan 10 2013, 10:57am
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when do you want to start the next chapter?
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noWizardme
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Jan 10 2013, 3:42pm
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Ready for the next chapter?
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noWizardme
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Jan 14 2013, 4:31pm
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