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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jun 1 2017, 9:05am
Post #51 of 70
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Today in Middle-earth
June 1, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. The Company tries to cover some distance.
(from Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."[Gandalf, Bilbo and the Dwarves] leave early and make haste. They enter the woods and continue east on road through the trees. Their road and the woods run into the valley on north as they pass an out-thrust 'toe' of a hill. They make camp near the valley from the north."
Since this is so short, let's see how hobbits like to camp... for a moment of Tolkien-zen From Three Is Company: The Fellowship of the Ring
... "Leaving the road they went into the deep resin-scented darkness of the trees, and gathered dead sticks and cones to make a fire. Soon they had a merry crackle of flame at the foot of a large fir-tree and they sat round it for a while, until they began to nod. Then... ...they curled up in their cloaks and blankets, and were soon fast asleep... ...A few creatures came and looked at them when the fire had died away. A fox passing through the wood on business of his own stopped several minutes and sniffed.
... 'Hobbits!' he thought. 'Well, what next? I have heard of strange doings in this land, but I have seldom heard of a hobbit sleeping out of doors under a tree. Three of them! There's something mighty queer behind this.' He was quite right...
... ...The morning came, pale and clammy. Frodo woke up first, and found that a tree-root had made a hole in his back, and that his neck was stiff. 'Walking for pleasure! Why didn't I drive?' he thought, as he usually did at the beginning of an expedition... '...Wake up, hobbits!' he cried. 'It's a beautiful morning!'
... 'What's beautiful about it?' said Pippin, peering over the edge of his blanket with one eye. 'Sam! Get breakfast ready for half-past nine! Have you got the bath-water hot?'
... Sam jumped up, looking rather bleary. 'No, sir, I haven't, sir!' he said.
... Frodo stripped the blankets from Pippin and rolled him over, and then walked off to the edge of the wood... ...When he returned Sam and Pippin had got a good fire going. 'Water!' shouted Pippin. 'Where's the water?'
... 'I don't keep water in my pockets,' said Frodo.
... 'We thought you had gone to find some,' said Pippin, busy setting out the food, and cups. 'You had better go now.'
... 'You can come too,' said Frodo, 'and bring all the water-bottles.' There was a stream at the foot of the hill. They filled their bottles and the small camping kettle at a little fall where the water fell a few feet over an outcrop of grey stone. It was icy cold; and they spluttered and puffed as they bathed their faces and hands.
... When their breakfast was over, and their packs all trussed up again, it was after ten o'clock, and the day was beginning to turn fine and hot. They went down the slope, and across the stream where it dived under the road, and up the next slope, and up and down another shoulder of the hills; and by that time their cloaks, blankets, water, food, and other gear already seemed a heavy burden."
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
6th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observations List - November 28, 2013
4th draft of TH:DOS Geeky Observations List - May 15, 2014
5th draft of TH:BotFA Geeky Observations List - January 30, 2015
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists for LotR and The Hobbit
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jun 2 2017, 2:39pm
Post #52 of 70
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Today to Middle-earth
June 2, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. The Company begins to feel the pressure.
(determined from text)
..."The road now runs due east. With few provisions, they hurry along and can see ruins on hilltop to the north. South of the Road, a ravine of the Bruinen comes close. The Road then turns NE as they pass a valley from the north and camp.
...They did not sing or tell stories that day (May 30), even though the weather improved; nor the next day (June 1), nor the day after (June 2). They had begun to feel that danger was not far away on either side. They camped under the stars, and their horses had more to eat than they had; for there was plenty of grass, but there was not much in their bags, even with that they had got from the trolls."
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
6th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observations List - November 28, 2013
4th draft of TH:DOS Geeky Observations List - May 15, 2014
5th draft of TH:BotFA Geeky Observations List - January 30, 2015
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists for LotR and The Hobbit
(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Jun 2 2017, 2:41pm)
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jun 3 2017, 11:04pm
Post #53 of 70
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Here is part 4 of a 5-part Book Spoiler look at the Hobbits' perception of the Old Forest… for a moment of Tolkien-zen. From The Old Forest: The Fellowship of the Ring
... "After an hour or two they lost all clear sense of direction though they knew well enough that they had long ceased to go northward at all. They were being headed off and were simply following a course chosen for them--eastwards and southwards, into the heart of the Forest and not out of it.
... The afternoon was wearing away when they scrambled and stumbled into the fold that was wider and deeper than any they had yet met. It was so steep and overhung that it proved impossible to climb out of it again, either forwards or backwards, without leaving their ponies and their baggage... ...All they could do was to follow the fold--downwards. The ground grew soft, and in places boggy; springs appeared in the banks, and soon they found themselves following a brook that trickled and babbled through a weedy bed. Then the ground began to fall rapidly... ...the brook growing strong and noisy, flowed and leaped swiftly downhill. They were in a deep dim-lit gully over-arched by trees high above them.
... After stumbling along for some way along the stream, they came quite suddenly out of the gloom. As if through a gate they saw the sunlight before them. Coming to the opening they found that they had made their way down through a cleft in a high steep bank, almost a cliff. At its feet was a wide space of grass and reeds... ...in the distance could be glimpsed another bank almost as steep... ...sunshine lay warm and drowsy upon the hidden land between. In the midst of it there wound lazily a dark river of brown water, bordered with ancient willows, arched over with willows, blocked with fallen willows, and flecked with thousands of faded willow-leaves....
... '...Well, now I have at least some notion of where we are!' said Merry."
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
6th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observations List - November 28, 2013
4th draft of TH:DOS Geeky Observations List - May 15, 2014
5th draft of TH:BotFA Geeky Observations List - January 30, 2015
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists for LotR and The Hobbit
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jun 4 2017, 12:08pm
Post #54 of 70
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Here is part 5 of a 5-part Book Spoiler look at the Hobbits' perception of the Old Forest… for a moment of Tolkien-zen. From The Old Forest: The Fellowship of the Ring
... "'We have come almost in the opposite direction to which we intended. This is the River Withywindle....'
... ...there was fairly solid ground between the cliff-foot and the river; in some places firm turf went down to the water's edge. 'What's more,' he said, 'there seems to be something like a footpath winding along on this side of the river. If we turn left and follow it, we shall be bound to come out on the east side of the Forest eventually.'
... '...Who made the track, do you suppose, and why? I am sure it was not for our benefit. I am getting very suspicious of this Forest and everything in it...'
... ...There being nothing else for it, they filed out, and Merry led them to the path that he had discovered. Everywhere the reeds and grasses were lush and tall, in places far above their heads... ...once found, the path was easy to follow, as it turned and twisted, picking out the sounder ground among the bogs and polls. Here and there it passed over other rills, running down gullies into the Withywindle out of the higher forest-lands, and at these points there were tree-trunks or bundles of brushwood laid carefully across.
... The hobbits began to feel very hot. There were armies of flies of all kinds buzzing round their ears... ...At last they came suddenly into a thin shade; great grey branches reached across the path. Each step forward became more reluctant than the last. Sleepiness seemed to be creeping out of the ground and up their legs, and falling softly out of the air upon their heads and eyes.
... Frodo felt his chin go down and his head nod. Just in front of him Pippin fell forward on to his knees.... '...It's no good,' he heard Merry saying. 'Can't go another step without rest... ...It's cool under the willows. Less flies!'
... Frodo did not like the sound of this. 'Come on!' he cried. 'We can't have a nap yet. We must get clear of the Forest first.' But the others were too far gone to care. Beside them Sam stood yawing and blinking stupidly."
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
6th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observations List - November 28, 2013
4th draft of TH:DOS Geeky Observations List - May 15, 2014
5th draft of TH:BotFA Geeky Observations List - January 30, 2015
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists for LotR and The Hobbit
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jun 5 2017, 11:59pm
Post #55 of 70
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Here's part 1 of a 3-part Book Spoiler that looks at how Ents embark on relationships… for a moment of Tolkien-zen. From Many Partings: The Two Towers
... "After some time the hobbits heard [Treebeard] murmuring again. He seemed to be counting on his fingers. 'Fangorn, Finglas, Fladrif, aye, aye,' he sighed. 'The trouble is that there are so few of us left,' he said turning towards the hobbits. 'Only three remain of the first Ents that walked in the woods before the Darkness: only myself, Fangorn, and Finglas and Fladrif—to give them their Elvish names; you may call them Leaflock and Skinbark if you like that better… … What a pity there are so few of us!'
... 'Why are there so few, when you have lived in this country so long?' asked Pippin. 'Have a great many died?'
... 'Oh, no!' said Treebeard. 'None have died from inside, as you might say. Some have fallen in the evil chances of the long years, of course; and more have grown tree-ish. But there were never many of us and we have not increased. There have been no Entings--no children, you would say, not for a terrible long count of years. You see, we lost the Entwives.'
... 'How very sad!' said Pippin. 'How was it that they all died?'
... 'They did not die!' said Treebeard. 'I never said died. We lost them, I said… …and we cannot find them.' He signed. 'I thought most folk knew that. There were songs about the hunt of the Ents for the Entwives sung among Elves and Men from Mirkwood to Gondor. They cannot be quite forgotten.'
... 'Well, I am afraid the songs have not come west over the Mountains to the Shire,' said Merry. 'Won't you tell us some more, or sing us one of the songs?'
... 'Yes, I will indeed,' said Treebeard, seeming pleased with the request…"
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
6th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observations List - November 28, 2013
4th draft of TH:DOS Geeky Observations List - May 15, 2014
5th draft of TH:BotFA Geeky Observations List - January 30, 2015
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists for LotR and The Hobbit
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jun 6 2017, 10:54am
Post #56 of 70
(3049 views)
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Today in Middle-earth
June 6, 2942 (S.R. 1342)
1. Gandalf and Bilbo retrace their journey.
(determined from text)
..."At each point on the road Bilbo recalled the happenings and the words of a year ago—it seemed to him more like ten—so... ...he quickly noted the place where the pony had fallen in the river, and they had turned aside for their nasty adventure with Tom and Bert and Bill.
...Not far from the road they found the gold of the trolls, which they had buried, still hidden and untouched. "I have enough to last me my time," said Bilbo, when they had dug it up. "You had better take this, Gandalf. I daresay you can find a use for it."
..."Indeed I can... ...But share and share alike! You may find you have more needs than you expect."
...So they put the gold in bags and slung them on the ponies.... ...After that their going was slower, for most of the time they walked. But the land was green and there was much grass through which the hobbit strolled along contentedly. He mopped his face with a red silk handkerchief—no! not a single one of his own had survived. He had borrowed this one from Elrond—for now June had brought summer, and the weather was bright and hot again."
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
6th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observations List - November 28, 2013
4th draft of TH:DOS Geeky Observations List - May 15, 2014
5th draft of TH:BotFA Geeky Observations List - January 30, 2015
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists for LotR and The Hobbit
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Jun 6 2017, 1:14pm
Post #57 of 70
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After all, even Wizards need to eat. And Gandalf must have had to periodically acquire materials and supplies in order to make his famous fireworks. Where do you suppose he manufactured those? Saruman must have had an alchemical laboratory at Orthanc. Might there have been a similar space set aside for Gandalf's use at Minas Tirith or Dol Amroth? Or perhaps he had such equipment at Rivendell, though Tolkien hints that the wizard was not a frequent visitor to the Last Homely House (if he was, one might think that Gandalf would know the way better).
"He who lies artistically, treads closer to the truth than ever he knows." -- Favorite proverb of the wizard Ningauble of the Seven Eyes
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jun 7 2017, 1:10pm
Post #59 of 70
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Here's part 2 of a 3-part Book Spoiler that looks at how Ents em"bark" on relationships… for a moment of Tolkien-zen. From Many Partings: The Two Towers ... '…It is rather a strange and sad story,' [Treebeard] went on after a pause. When the world was young, and the woods were wide and wild, the Ents and the Entwives--and there were Entmaidens then: ah! the loveliness of Fimbrethil, of Wandlimb the lightfooted, in the days of our youth!--they walked together and they housed together. But our hearts did not go on growing in the same way: the Ents gave their love to things that they met in the world… …the Entwives gave their thought to other things, for the Ents loved the great trees, and the wild woods, and the slopes of the high hills; and they drank of the mountain-streams, and ate only such fruit as the trees let fall in their path; and they learned of the Elves and spoke with the Trees… …the Entwives gave their minds to the lesser trees, and to the meads in the sunshine beyond the feet of the forests; and they saw the sloe in the thicket, and the wild apple and the cherry blossoming in spring, and the green herbs in the waterlands in summer and the seeding grasses in the autumn fields. They did not desire to speak with these… …but they wished them to hear and obey what was said to them. The Entwives ordered them to grow according to their wishes, and bear leaf and fruit to their liking; for the Entwives desired order, and plenty, and peace (by which they meant that things should remain where they had set them)… …the Entwives made gardens to live in. But we Ents went on wandering, and we only came to the gardens now and again. Then when the Darkness came in the North, the Entwives crossed the Great River, and made new gardens… …and we saw them more seldom. After the Darkness was overthrown the land of the Entwives blossomed richly, and their fields were full of corn. Many men learned the crafts of the Entwives and honoured them greatly; but we were only a legend to them, a secret in the heart of the forest. yet here we still are, while all the gardens of the Entwives are wasted: Men call them the Brown Lands now."
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
6th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observations List - November 28, 2013
4th draft of TH:DOS Geeky Observations List - May 15, 2014
5th draft of TH:BotFA Geeky Observations List - January 30, 2015
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists for LotR and The Hobbit
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jun 8 2017, 10:44am
Post #60 of 70
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Here's part 3 of a 3-part Book Spoiler that looks at how Ents em"bark" on relationships... for a moment of Tolkien-zen. From Many Partings: The Two Towers ..."'I remember it was long ago—in the time of the war between Sauron and the Men of the Sea—desire came over me to see Fimbrethil again. Very fair she was still in my eyes, when I had last seen her, though little like the Entmaiden of old. For the Entwives were bent and browned by their labour; their hair parched by the sun to the hue of ripe corn and their cheeks like red apples. Yet their eyes were still the eyes of our own people. We crossed over Anduin and came to their land; but we found a desert: it was all burned and uprooted, for war had passed over it. But the Entwives were not there. Long we called, and long we searched... ...we asked all folk that we met which way the Entwives had gone. Some said they had never seen them; and some said that they had seen them walking away west, and some said east, and others south. But nowhere that we went could we find them. Our sorrow was very great.... ...For many many years we used to go out every now and again and look for the Entwives, walking far and wide and calling them by their beautiful names. But as time passes we went more seldom and wandered less far... ...now the Entwives are only a memory for us, and our beards are long and grey. The Elves make many songs concerning the Search of the Ents, and some of the songs passed into the tongues of Men. But we made no song about it, being content to chant their beautiful names when we thought of the Entwives. We believe that we may meet again in a time to come... ...perhaps we shall find somewhere a land where we can live together and both be content. But it is foreboded that that will only be when we have both lost all that we now have... ...that time is drawing near at last. For if Sauron of old destroyed the gardens, the Enemy today seems likely to wither all the woods.”
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
6th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observations List - November 28, 2013
4th draft of TH:DOS Geeky Observations List - May 15, 2014
5th draft of TH:BotFA Geeky Observations List - January 30, 2015
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists for LotR and The Hobbit
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Jun 10 2017, 3:32am
Post #64 of 70
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I have them staying in Rivendell for a nice long rest arriving on June 11 and leaving June 21 or 22 (Midsummer's Day). I don't know about you... but I'd hang out in that Last Homely House as long as I could after the journey so far!!! :)
The difference between our calendar and the Shire Reckoning and the Calendar of Gondor is that in Middle-earth, Midsummer's Day falls between the end of June and the beginning of July. For Bilbo, it would have been the second of the three Lithe days; also called Midyear's Day:
June 30
1 Lithe
Midsummer's (Midyear's) Day
2 Lithe
July 1.
There is a fourth Lithe day (Overlithe) in leap years. Elrond would have examined the swords and Thorin's map on 1 Lithe, Midsummer's Eve, and the company would have set out on the morning of Midyear's Day.
Besides, gramma, The Hobbit tells us that the company stayed at Rivendell for fourteen days at least, and you don't even have them there for that long.
"He who lies artistically, treads closer to the truth than ever he knows." -- Favorite proverb of the wizard Ningauble of the Seven Eyes
(This post was edited by Otaku-sempai on Jun 10 2017, 3:34am)
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jun 10 2017, 9:48am
Post #66 of 70
(2800 views)
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Today in Middle-earth
June 10, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. The Company espies the Mountains.
(determined from text)
..."The road begins to run gently downhill with much grass on sides. Hills are still on the north as the road drops through a cutting of red stone topped with tall pines, then crosses a long flat mile toward the river. The Company finally reach the Ford of Bruinen and they can clearly see the Misty Mountains as they make camp."
..."...they saw that the great mountains... ...and behind its shoulders the tips of snow-peaks gleamed.
..."Is that The Mountain?" asked Bilbo in a solemn voice, looking at it with round eyes. He had never seen a thing that looked so big before.
..."Of course not!" said Balin. "That is only the beginning of the Misty Mountains, and we have to get through... ...somehow before we can come into Wilderland beyond. And it is a deal of a way even from the other side of them to the Lonely Mountain in the East where Smaug lies on our treasure."
..."O!" said Bilbo, and just at that moment he felt more tired than he ever remembered feeling before. He was thinking once again of his comfortable chair before the fire in his favourite sitting-room in his hobbit-hole, and of the kettle singing. Not for the last time!"
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
6th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observations List - November 28, 2013
4th draft of TH:DOS Geeky Observations List - May 15, 2014
5th draft of TH:BotFA Geeky Observations List - January 30, 2015
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists for LotR and The Hobbit
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Otaku-sempai
Immortal
Jun 10 2017, 2:45pm
Post #67 of 70
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So would you have Midsummer's Day on our July 1 (which is what I previously had)? I was going over notes you and I exchanged before, and I thoughts Midyear's Day was closer to our Summer Solstice. I'm Confused!!! Which doesn't take much ;) Which of our calendar days would you think Midsummer's Day should be posted? There's a BUNCH of stuff to be posed on Midsummer's Day.
I think you might have misunderstood a part of our earlier discussion. Tolkien wrote that there is approximately a 10-day difference between the Shire Reckoning and our modern calendar so that the summer solstice falls round June 20 or 21 for us and in the Shire Reckoning it occurs around the Lithedays between the end of June and the beginning of July.
Similarly, the winter solstice falls on the Shire Calendar about the time of the Yuledays between the end of December and the beginning of January. The Hobbits seem to have counted the beginning of June as the start of summer and the beginning of November as the start of winter.
"He who lies artistically, treads closer to the truth than ever he knows." -- Favorite proverb of the wizard Ningauble of the Seven Eyes
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Jun 11 2017, 2:25pm
Post #69 of 70
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Here's a Book Spoiler of Bilbo inspired to prose when his home is in sight... for a moment of Tolkien-zen. From The Last Stage: The Hobbit
..."...a day came at last when they were in sight of the country where Bilbo had been born and bred, where the shapes of the land and of the trees were as well known to him as his hands and toes. Coming to a rise he could see his own Hill in the distance, and he stopped suddenly and said: Roads go ever ever on, Over rock and under tree, By caves where never sun has shone, By streams that never find the sea; Over snow by winter sown, And through the merry flowers of June, Over grass and over stone, And under mountains in the moon.
Roads go ever ever on Under cloud and under star, Yet feet that wandering have gone Turn at last to home afar. Eyes that fire and sword have seen And horror in the halls of stone Look at last on meadows green And trees and hills they long have known."
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 283 Hobbit)
We have been there and back again.
TIME Google Calendar
6th draft of TH:AUJ Geeky Observations List - November 28, 2013
4th draft of TH:DOS Geeky Observations List - May 15, 2014
5th draft of TH:BotFA Geeky Observations List - January 30, 2015
TORn's Geeky Observations Lists for LotR and The Hobbit
(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Jun 11 2017, 2:25pm)
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TIME - June 1
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***June TIME & BS undergoing edit***
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