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FarFromHome
Valinor
Jan 17 2008, 5:12pm
Views: 5963
Shortcut
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A. Wouldn’t there be a construction road from the days of the tower that allowed an easier ascent than “plodding tired and breathless” up a steep and rocky slope?
The construction road would have been much shorter-lived than the tower, I'm sure. And the construction road would have been destroyed by the occupants themselves if it would have given attackers any advantage. Not much point building on an inaccessible rock if you're going to make it accessible with your own construction road!
B. Where are the rest of the stones from the tall tower that once was here?
In the case of most ruins in England, at least, the stones were used as a handy quarry by anyone who came along. Barns and walls might have been built with the stones.
C. At this point do you have to drive from your head by an act of will the image of some coin-operated binoculars and a colorful interpretive sign by the Eriador Park Service? I do.
That's one of the things I like about the way things are done here in Ireland. You don't get that intrusively "helpful" and instructional Park Service approach that you often do in North America. There's one place here that has become Weathertop in my mind - the Rock of Dunamase, which bears the ruin of a medieval castle (although fortifications on this site go back much further than that). There's a little map of the site down in the car park, but there's a steep scramble up to the ruins (don't know what happened to that construction road....) and once you're up there, there's no tourist paraphernalia at all. Just you and the wind and the view.
D. Why is it that I can see this entire prospect so clearly in my mind? What is his trick?
It's probably because you have seen this prospect many times in the real world. It's an "ideal" prospect, with the generic names of all the obvious features (woodland, distant water, winding Road, ridge of dark land) all mentioned but not described in any unique detail. You can summon up an image of each of these things direct from your own experience. I believe it's the very fact that he doesn't get all specific about the landscape that allows us all see it so clearly (although we presumably each see our own "ideal" landscape, based on our own experiences).
...and the sails were drawn up, and the wind blew,
and slowly the ship slipped away down the long grey firth;
and the light of the glass of Galadriel that Frodo bore
glimmered and was lost.
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Subject
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User
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Time
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**A Knife in the Dark** 8. Weathertop
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squire
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Jan 17 2008, 1:05pm
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Thoughts.
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Curious
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Jan 17 2008, 4:33pm
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Shh! Don't tell anyone on Main!
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squire
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Jan 18 2008, 12:57pm
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LOL!//
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Finding Frodo
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Jan 18 2008, 4:57pm
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Ruins with a view
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FarFromHome
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Jan 17 2008, 5:12pm
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Stoned
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dernwyn
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Jan 18 2008, 5:02am
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The hill is too low.
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N.E. Brigand
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Jan 27 2008, 7:25am
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Uncertainty in LOTR...
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weaver
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Jan 17 2008, 5:36pm
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Rangers versus Hobbits
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Beren IV
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Jan 18 2008, 3:03am
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Strider only added 2 days
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Elizabeth
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Jan 18 2008, 8:52am
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Ruins
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Elizabeth
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Jan 18 2008, 9:13am
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“G for Grand!”
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N.E. Brigand
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Jan 28 2008, 2:18am
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I never noticed this riddle before!
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sador
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Mar 16 2011, 8:14am
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