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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Oct 1 2021, 1:05pm
Post #1 of 40
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TIME - October 1
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Today in Middle-earth
October 1, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. It was nearing time to leave.
(determined from text-no text)
...Bilbo was finally over his cold. While Thorin and the Dwarves seemed in no rush to get underway, he grew restless to finally leave for the Lonely Mountain forever looming in the distance. He longed for the comfort of his hole under the hill and familiar surroundings.
October 1, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Gandalf leaves Bree.
(from the appendices)
..."'So I stayed there that night, wondering much what had become of the Riders; for only of two had there yet been any news in Bree, it seemed. But in the night we heard more. Five at least came from the west, and they threw down the gates and passed through Bree like a howling wind; and the Bree-folk are still shivering and expecting the end of the world. I got up before dawn and went after them....
......it seems clear to me that this is what happened. Their Captain remained in secret away south of Bree, while two rode ahead through the village, and four more invaded the Shire. But when these were foiled in Bree and at Crickhollow, they returned to their Captain with tidings, and so left the Road unguarded for a while except by their spies. The Captain sent some eastward straight across country, and he himself with the rest rode along the Road in great wrath.'"
2. But where's he leadin' us? [Aragorn makes for Weathertop]
(not from the appendices)
..."Whether because of Strider's skill or for some other reason, they saw no sign and heard no sound of any other living thing... ...they began to steer a steady course eastwards; and still all was quiet and peaceful."
October 1, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The hobbits rest with Bilbo in Rivendell.
(not from the appendices-no text)
...Bilbo never tired of watching the hobbits' awe with every new discovery as he guided them to another garden or workshop. Sam was delighted to finally learn how to make elven rope.
October 1, 3021 (S.R. 1421)
1. The Hobbits ride home from the Havens.
(not from the appendices)
..."...they rode slowly homewards and spoke very little; but each took great comfort in his friends on the long grey road."
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Oct 2 2021, 12:13pm
Post #2 of 40
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Today in Middle-earth
October 2, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. The hobbits and Strider leave Chetwood.
(not from the appendices)
..."...they came out of the Chetwood. The land had been falling steadily, ever since they turned aside from the Road, and they now entered a wide flat expanse of country, much more difficult to manage. They were far beyond the borders of the Bree-land, out in the pathless wilderness, and drawing near to the Midgewater Marshes.
...The ground now became damp, and in places boggy... ...and wide stretches of reeds and rushes filled with the warbling of little hidden birds. They had to pick their way carefully to keep both dry-footed and on their proper course. At first they made fair progress, but as they went on, their passage became slower and more dangerous. The marshes were bewildering and treacherous, and there was no permanent trail even for Rangers to find through their shifting quagmires. The flies began to torment them, and the air was full of clouds of tiny midges that crept up their sleeves and breeches and into their hair.
...'I am being eaten alive!' cried Pippin. 'Midgewater! There are more midges than water!'
...'What do they live on when they can't get hobbit?' asked Sam, scratching his neck."
October 2, 3020 (S.R. 1420)
1. Sam enjoys being home in his Shire.
(not from the appendices)
..."All things now went well, with hope always of becoming still better; and Sam was as busy and as full of delight as even a hobbit could wish. Nothing for him marred that whole year, except for some vague anxiety about his master."
October 2, 3021 (S.R. 1421)
1. Sam's long ride home from the Havens.
(not from the appendices-no text)
...Sam's mind wandered as he rode silently next to Pippin. He thought of the time that had passed since their return from Rivendell. Frodo seemed healed and at peace during their long stay with Bilbo in Imladris, but since they left that realm, Sam knew he suffered from unrest. Why would Frodo hide from him the depth of his wounds? There must have been something he could have done to ease his burden.
October 2, 1980
Tolkien's Unfinished Tales first published.
[40th Anniversary of publication in 2020]
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Oct 3 2021, 1:50pm
Post #3 of 40
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Today in Middle-earth
October 3, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. He (Gandalf) is attacked at night on Weathertop.
(from the appendices)
..."'I galloped to Weathertop like a gale, and I reached it before sundown on my second day from Bree—and they were there before me. They drew away from me, for they felt the coming of my anger and they dared not face it while the Sun was in the sky. But they closed round at night, and I was besieged on the hill-top, in the old ring of Amon Sûl. I was hard put to it indeed: such light and flame cannot have been seen on Weathertop since the war-beacons of old.'"
[He left clues:]
..."'...I should say,' answered Strider, 'that [the marks] stood for G3, and were a sign that Gandalf was here on October the third... ...It would also show that he was in a hurry and danger was at hand, so that he had no time or did not dare to write anything longer or plainer. If that is so, we must be wary.'
...'I wish we could feel sure that he made the marks, whatever they may mean,' said Frodo. 'It would be a great comfort to know that he was on the way, in front of us or behind us.'"
2. Into the wild...and into the marshes.
(not from the appendices)
..."...They spent a miserable day in this lonely and unpleasant country. Their camping-place was damp, cold, and uncomfortable; and the biting insects would not let them sleep. There were also abominable creatures haunting the reeds and tussocks that from the sound of them were evil relatives of the cricket (wetas?). There were thousands of them, and they squeaked all round, neek-breek, breek-neek, unceasingly all the night, until the hobbits were nearly frantic....
......Though the neekerbreekers had been left behind, the midges still pursued them. As Frodo lay tired but unable to close his eyes, it seemed to him that far away there came a light in the eastern sky: it flashed and faded many times. It was not the dawn, for that was still some hours off.
...'What is the light?' he said to Strider, who had risen, and was standing, gazing ahead into the night.
...'I do not know,' Strider answered. 'It is too distant to make out... ...like lightning that leaps up from the hilltops.'
...Frodo lay down again, but for a long while he could still see the white flashes, and against them the tall dark figure of Strider, standing silent and watchful. At last he passed into uneasy sleep."
October 3, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. Sam and Frodo feel the call to leave Rivendell.
(not from the appendices)
..."'Well, Mr. Frodo, we've been far and seen a deal, and yet I don't think we've found a better place than this. There's something of everything here, if you understand me: the Shire and the Golden Wood and Gondor and Kings' houses and inns and meadows and mountains all mixed. And yet... ...I feel we ought to be going soon. I'm worried about my gaffer, to tell you the truth.'
...'Yes, something of everything, Sam, except the Sea,' Frodo had answered; and he repeated it now to himself: 'Except the Sea.'"
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Oct 4 2021, 1:40pm
Post #4 of 40
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Today in Middle-earth
October 4, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Gandalf leaves Weathertop and rides to Rivendell.
(from the appendices)
..."'At sunrise I escaped and fled towards the north. I could not hope to do more. It was impossible to find you... ...and it would have been folly to try with all the Nine at my heels. So I had to trust to Aragorn. But I hoped to draw some of them off, and yet reach Rivendell ahead of you and send out help. Four Riders did indeed follow me, but they turned back after a while and made for the Ford, it seems. That helped a little, for there were only five, not nine, when your camp was attacked.'"
October 4, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The hobbits reach the end of their rest in Rivendell.
(not from the appendices)
..."When nearly a fortnight had passed Frodo looked out of his window... ...suddenly he knew that he must go, and say good-bye to Bilbo.... ...He had a feeling that it was time he went back to the Shire. Sam shared it....
...In the evening they went to say good-bye to Bilbo. 'Well, if you must go... ...I am sorry, I shall miss you. It is nice just to know that you are about the place. But I am getting very sleepy.' Then he gave Frodo his mithril-coat and Sting, forgetting that he had already done so; and he gave him also three books of lore that he had made at various times, written in his spidery hand, and labelled on their red backs: Translations from the Elvish, by B. B.
...To Sam he gave a little bag of gold. 'Almost the last drop of the Smaug vintage... ...May come in useful, if you think of getting married, Sam.' Sam blushed.
...'I have nothing much to give to you young fellows,' he said to Merry and Pippin, 'except good advice.' And when he had given them a fair sample of this, he added a last item in Shire-fashion: 'Don't let your heads get too big for your hats... ...you are going to find hats and clothes expensive.'
...'But if you want to beat the Old Took,' said Pippin, 'I don't see why we shouldn't try and beat the Bullroarer.'
...Bilbo laughed, and he produced out a pocket two beautiful pipes with pearl mouth-pieces and bound with fine-wrought silver. 'Think of me when you smoke them... ...The Elves made them for me, but I don't smoke now.' And suddenly he nodded and went to sleep for a little; and when he woke up again he said: 'Now where were we? Yes, of course, giving presents. Which reminds me: what's become of my ring, Frodo, that you took away?'
...'I have lost it, Bilbo dear,' said Frodo. 'I got rid of it, you know.'
...'What a pity!' said Bilbo. 'I should have liked to see it again. But no, how silly of me! That's what you went for, wasn't it: to get rid of it? But it is all so confusing...'"
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 5 2021, 12:28pm
Post #5 of 40
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Today in Middle-earth
October 5, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. The Elven King suspected the Dwarves' intentions.
(determined from text)
..."[Thranduil] knew now the dwarves' errand, or thought he did, and he said to himself:
..... "Very well! We'll see! No treasure will come back through Mirkwood without my having something to say in the matter. But I expect they will all come to a bad end, and serve them right!" He... ...did not believe in the dwarves fighting and killing dragons like Smaug, and he strongly suspected attempted burglary or something like it—which shows he was a wise elf and wiser than the men of the town, though not quite right... ...He sent out his spies about the shores of the lake and as far northward towards the Mountains as they would go, and waited."
October 5, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Gandalf draws the Nazgûl away from Weathertop.
(not from the appendices)
..."'I hoped to draw some of them off... ...Four Riders did indeed follow me...'"
2. Day six in the Wild
(not from the appendices)
..."'... they left the last straggling pools and reed-beds of the marshes behind them... ...Away in the distance eastward they could now see a line of hills. The highest of them was at the right of the line and a little separated from the others. It had a conical top, slightly flattened at the summit.
...'That is Weathertop,' said Strider. 'The Old Road, which we have left far away on our right, runs to the south of it and passes not far from its foot. We might reach it by noon tomorrow, if we go straight towards it. I suppose we had better do so.'
...'What do you mean?' asked Frodo.
...'I mean: when we do get there, it is not certain what we shall find. It is close to the Road.'
...'But surely we were hoping to find Gandalf there?'
...'Yes; but the hope is faint... ...it is not safe for him or for us to wait there long... ...there are many birds and beasts in the country that could see us, as we stand here, from that hilltop. Not all the birds are to be trusted, and there are other spies more evil than they are.'
...The hobbits looked anxiously at the distant hills. Sam looked up into the pale sky, fearing to see hawks or eagles hovering over them with bright unfriendly eyes. 'You do make me feel uncomfortable and lonesome, Strider!' he said."
October 5, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. Gandalf and the Hobbits leave Rivendell.
(from the appendices)
..."...Gandalf and the hobbits took leave of Bilbo in his room, for it was cold out of doors; and then they said farewell to Elrond and all his household.
...As Frodo stood upon the threshold, Elrond wished him a fair journey, and blessed him...
...'I think, Frodo, that maybe you will not need to come back, unless you come very soon. For about this time of the year, when the leaves are gold before they fall, look for Bilbo in the woods of the Shire. I shall be with him.'
...These words no one else heard, and Frodo kept them to himself.
...At last the hobbits had their faces turned towards home. They were eager now to see the Shire again; but at first they rode only slowly, for Frodo had been ill at ease...'"
October 5, 3021 (S.R. 1421)
1. The Grey Havens are left behind, the Shire lies ahead.
(not from the appendices-no text)
...The hobbits were in familiar lands now coming to their last evening of travel. While Pippin and Merry prepared camp for the night, Sam wandered down to a nearby stream. He was still troubled and thought a splash of cold water would clear his mind. As he washed his face and the back of his neck, he raised up and caught his reflection on the water's surface. Lingering, he found himself studying the small scar near his hairline. It stirred thoughts of Frodo lying stricken for days in Rivendell; bound in a darkened filthy room high in the tower; lifeless below the cliff; struggling through Mordor's brutal lands under the torment of the Eye and the Ring, and Sam suddenly understood that there was nothing he could do to change what had happened or what was happening. He realized Frodo's choice was the only one left for him.
...He stood for a moment and sighed while looking at the glowing image of the moon and stars reflected on the calm water. Then he turned and walked back to join the others.
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 6 2021, 11:35am
Post #6 of 40
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Today in Middle-earth
October 6, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. Thorin requests supplies
(determined from text)
..."At the end of a fortnight Thorin began to think of departure. While the enthusiasm still lasted in the town was the time to get help. It would not do to let everything cool down with delay. So he spoke to the Master... ...and said that soon he and his company must go on towards the Mountain.
...Then for the first time the Master was surprised and a little frightened; and he wondered if Thorin was after all really a descendant of the old kings. He had never thought that the dwarves would actually dare to approach Smaug... ...He was wrong. Thorin, of course, was really the grandson of the King under the Mountain, and there is no knowing what a dwarf will not dare and do for revenge or the recovery of his own.
...But the Master was not sorry at all to let them go. They were expensive to keep, and their arrival had turned things into a long holiday in which business was at a standstill. "Let them go and bother Smaug, and see how he welcomes them!" he thought. "Certainly, O Thorin Thráin 's son Thrór's son..! ...You must claim your own. The hour is at hand, spoken of old. What help we can offer shall be yours, and we trust to your gratitude when your kingdom is regained.""
October 6, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Gandalf heads for Rivendell after escaping Weathertop.
(not from the appendices)
..."I hoped to draw some of them off, and yet reach Rivendell ahead of you and send out help. Four Riders did indeed follow me, but they turned back after a while and made for the Ford, it seems. That helped a little, for there were only five, not nine, when your camp was attacked.'
2. The camp under Weathertop attacked at night. Frodo is wounded.
(from the appendices)
..."Well, here we are!' said Merry. 'And very cheerless and uninviting it looks! There is no water and no shelter. And no sign of Gandalf. But I don't blame him for not waiting—if he ever came here....'
......They stood for a while silent on the hill-top, near its southward edge. In that lonely place Frodo for the first time fully realized his homelessness and danger. He wished bitterly that his fortune had left him in the quiet and beloved Shire. He stared down at the hateful Road, leading back westward—to his home. Suddenly he was aware that two black specks were moving slowly along it... ...and looking again he saw that three others were creeping eastward to meet them. He gave a cry and clutched Strider's arm.
...'Look,' he said, pointing downwards.
...At once Strider flung himself on the ground behind the ruined circle, pulling Frodo down beside him. Merry threw himself alongside.
...'What is it?' he whispered.
...'I do not know, but I fear the worst,' answered Strider...
[later]
......Sam and Merry got up and walked away from the fire. Frodo and Pippin remained seated in silence. Strider was watching the moonlight on the hill intently. All seemed quiet and still, but Frodo felt a cold dread creeping over his heart, now that Strider was no longer speaking. He huddled closed to the fire... ...Sam came running back from the edge of the dell.
...'I don't know what it is,' he said, 'but I suddenly felt afraid. I durstn't go outside this dell for any money; I felt that something was creeping up the slope....'
...'Keep close to the fire, with your faces outward!' cried Strider. 'Get some of the longer sticks ready in your hands..!'
......Over the lip of the little dell, on the side away from the hill, they felt, rather than saw, a shadow rise... ...Soon there could be no doubt: three or four tall black figures were standing there on the slope, looking down on them. So black were they that they seemed like black holes in the deep shade behind them... ...Then the shapes slowly advanced.
...Terror overcame Pippin and Merry, and they threw themselves flat on the ground. Sam shrank to Frodo's side. Frodo was hardly less terrified than his companions; he was quaking as if he was bitter cold, but his terror was swallowed up in a sudden temptation to put on the Ring. The desire to do this laid hold of him, and he could think of nothing else... ...He could not speak. He felt Sam looking at him, as if he knew that his master was in some great trouble, but he could not turn towards him. He shut his eyes and struggled for a while; but resistance became unbearable, and at last he slowly drew out the chain, and slipped the Ring on the forefinger of his left hand.
...Immediately, though everything else remained as before, dim and dark, the shapes became terribly clear. He was able to see beneath their black wrappings. There were five tall figures; two standing on the lip of the dell, three advancing... ...Their eyes fell on him and pierced him, as they rushed towards him. Desperate, he drew his own sword, and it seemed to him that it flickered red, as if it was a firebrand. Two of the figures halted. The third was taller than the others: his hair was long and gleaming and on his helm was a crown. In one hand he held a long sword, and in the other a knife; both the knife and the hand that held it glowed with a pale light. He sprang forward and bore down on Frodo.
...At that moment Frodo threw himself forward on the ground, and he heard himself crying aloud: O Elbereth! Gilthoniel! At the same time he struck at the feet of his enemy. A shrill cry rang out in the night; and he felt a pain like a dart of poisoned ice pierce his left shoulder. Even as he swooned he caught... ...a glimpse of Strider leaping out of the darkness with a flaming brand of wood in either hand. With a last effort, dropping his sword, Frodo slipped the Ring from his finger and closed his right hand tight upon it.
...When Frodo came to himself he was still clutching the Ring desperately. He was lying by the fire, which was now piled high and burning brightly. His three companions were bending over him.
...'What has happened? Where is the pale king?' he asked wildly....
......Sam plainly was beginning to have doubts again about Strider; but while they were talking he returned, appearing suddenly out of the shadows. They started, and Sam drew his sword and stood over Frodo; but Strider knelt down swiftly by his side.
...'I am not a Black Rider, Sam,' he said gently, 'nor in league with them. I have been trying to discover something of their movements… …I have found nothing. I cannot think why they have gone and do not attack again. But there is no feeling of their presence anywhere at hand.'
...When he heard what Frodo had to tell, he became full of concern, and shook his head and sighed... ...he got up and walked away, and called Sam to him. 'I think I understand things better now,' he said in a low voice. 'There seem only to have been five of the enemy. Why they were not all here, I don't know; but I don't think they expected to be resisted... ...They will come again another night, if we cannot escape. They are only waiting, because they think that their purpose is almost accomplished, and that the Ring cannot fly much further. I fear, Sam, that they believe your master has a deadly wound that will subdue him to their will. We shall see!'
...Sam choked with tears. 'Don't despair!' said Strider. 'You must trust me now. Your Frodo is made of sterner stuff than I had guessed, though Gandalf hinted that it might prove so. He is not slain, and I think he will resist the evil power of the wound longer than his enemies will expect. I will do all I can to help and heal him. Guard him well, while I am away!' He hurried off and disappeared again into the darkness.'"
October 6, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. They cross the Ford of Bruinen; Frodo feels the first return of pain.
(from the appendices)
..."When they came to the Ford of Bruinen, [Frodo] had halted, and seemed loth to ride into the stream; and they noted that for a while his eyes appeared not to see them or things about him. All that day he was silent. It was the sixth of October.
...'Are you in pain, Frodo?' said Gandalf quietly as he rode by Frodo's side.
...'Well, yes I am... ...It is my shoulder. The wound aches, and the memory of darkness is heavy on me. It was a year ago today.'
...'Alas! there are some wounds that cannot be wholly cured,' said Gandalf.
...'I fear it may be so with mine,' said Frodo. 'There is no real going back. Though I may come to the Shire, it will not seem the same; for I shall not be the same. I am wounded with knife, sting, and tooth, and a long burden. Where shall I find rest?'
...Gandalf did not answer."
October 6, 3020 (S.R. 1420)
1. Frodo is again ill.
(from the appendices)
..."One evening Sam came into the study and found his master looking very strange. He was very pale and his eyes seemed to see things far away.
...'What's the matter, Mr. Frodo?' said Sam.
...'I am wounded,' he answered, 'wounded; it will never really heal.'"
October 6, 3021 (S.R. 1421)
1. Samwise returns to Bag End.
(from the appendices)
..."At last they rode over the downs and took the East Road, and then Merry and Pippin rode on to Buckland; and already they were singing again as they went. But Sam turned to Bywater, and so came back up the Hill, as day was ending once more... ...there was yellow light, and fire within; and the evening meal was ready, and he was expected. And Rose drew him in, and set him in his chair, and put little Elanor upon his lap.
...He drew a deep breath. 'Well, I'm back,' he said."
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 7 2021, 11:25am
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Today in Middle-earth
October 7, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. The Company flees Amon Sûl.
(not from the appendices)
..."As soon as the daylight was full, they had some hurried food and packed. It was impossible for Frodo to walk, so they divided the greater part of their baggage among the four of them, and put Frodo on the pony... ...the poor beast had improved wonderfully; it already seemed fatter and stronger, and had begun to show an affection for its new masters, especially for Sam. Bill Ferny's treatment must have been very hard for the journey in the wild to seem so much better than its former life.
...They started off in a southerly direction. This would mean crossing the Road, but it was the quickest way to more wooded country. And they needed fuel; for Strider said that Frodo must be kept warm, especially at night, while fire would be some protection for them all. It was also his plan to shorten their journey by cutting across another great loop of the Road...
......There was no sign of the Riders. But even as they were hurrying across they heard far away two cries: a cold voice calling and a cold voice answering. Trembling they sprang forward, and made for the thickets that lay ahead.
......It was a cheerless land, and their journey was slow and gloomy. They spoke little as they trudged along. Frodo's heart was grieved as he watched them walking beside him with their heads down, and their backs bowed under their burdens. Even Strider seemed tired and heavy-hearted.
...Before the first day's march was over Frodo's pain began to grow again, but he did not speak of it for a long time."
October 7, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The hobbits head for home, leaving Rivendell behind.
(not from the appendices)
..."By the end of the next day the pain and unease had passed, and Frodo was merry again, as merry as if he did not remember the blackness of the day before."
October 7, 3020 (S.R. 1420)
1. The day after Sam found Frodo stricken by his old wounds.
(not from the appendices)
...[Frodo]"got up, and the turn [pale and distant] seemed to pass, and he was quite himself the next day. It was not until afterwards that Sam recalled that the date was October the sixth. Two years before on that day it was dark in the dell under Weathertop."
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(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Oct 7 2021, 11:26am)
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 8 2021, 12:50pm
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Today in Middle-earth
October 8, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. It's time to depart Lake-town.
(determined from text-no text)
...Bilbo and the Dwarves prepare to leave Lake-town and lay plans for their trip to the mountain.
October 8, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. The Company continues south through the wild.
(not from the appendices - no text - a drabble)
...Frodo's tolerance of the pain drew all his strength. As his friends continued to follow Strider through the wild, they struggled to keep up the pace he set. As the second day after leaving Amon Sûl dragged on, they labored to distance themselves from the last known location of the Nazgûl and reach the safety of Rivendell. The skill of this enigmatic Ranger and perceptive manner of the pony were their only chance to avoid the horror of the Black Riders.
October 8, 3083 (S.R. 1483)
1. Frodo and Sam in Valinor
(not from the appendices - no text - a drabble)
...Sam stood in the open doorway looking out at the pouring rain. The air smelled fresh and brilliant, untouched by living breath. He marvelled at the flowers lining the path. Indescribable colours and scents filled his mind as he remembered a similar rain-washed day long ago.
... Suddenly, Frodo came jogging across the yard waving his arms above his head. Sam stepped back as he sprang through the door, stopping short next to his friend, smiling triumphantly with only a few drops of the sweet rain on his shoulders.
..."I'll never get used to that," said the gardener shaking his head.
October 8, 2006
We get word that MGM wants Peter Jackson for The Hobbit!!
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Oct 9 2021, 4:33pm
Post #9 of 40
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Today in Middle-earth
October 9, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. The company departs from Lake-town.
(from Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."...although autumn was now getting far on, and winds were cold, and leaves were falling fast, three large boats left Lake-town, laden with rowers, dwarves, Mr. Baggins, and many provisions. Horses and ponies had been sent round by circuitous paths to meet them at their appointed landing-place. The Master and his councillors bade them farewell from the great steps of the town-hall that went down to the lake. People sang on the quays and out of windows. The white oars dipped and splashed, and off they went north up the lake on the last stage of their long journey. The only person thoroughly unhappy was Bilbo."
October 9, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Glorfindel leaves Rivendell.
(from the appendices)
..."'Elrond received news that troubled him. Some of my kindred, journeying in your land beyond the Baranduin, learned that things were amiss and sent messages as swiftly as they could. They said that the Nine were abroad, and that you were astray bearing a great burden without guidance, for Gandalf had not returned. There are few even in Rivendell that can ride openly against the nine; but such as there were, Elrond sent out north, west, and south. It was thought that you might turn far aside to avoid pursuit, and become lost in the Wilderness."
2. The Company makes its way through the Wild.
(not from the appendices-no text)
...The freezing pain in Frodo's shoulder slowly grew and felt as if it was spreading, like roots stretching through soil; but he did not speak of it and sat bowed on the pony's back as the blur of the long days passed.
October 9-10, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. Gandalf and the hobbits make their way home from Rivendell.
(not from the appendices)
..."...the days went quickly by; for they rode at leisure, and often they lingered in the fair woodlands where the leaves were red and yellow in the autumn sun..."
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Otaku-sempai
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Oct 10 2021, 2:25am
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October 9, 1964 (Common Era)
1. Guillermo del Toro born in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Hola! Happy fifty-seventh birthday to Guillermo del Toro who wrote for Peter Jackson's Hobbit films and nearly directed them before Jackson took the reigns.
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 10 2021, 2:06pm
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Today in Middle-earth
October 10, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. Row upstream against current. Camp for the night.
(from Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."In two days going they rowed right up the Long Lake and passed out into the River Running, and now they could all see the Lonely Mountain towering grim and tall before them. The stream was strong and their going slow."
October 10, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Strider presses them on.
(not from the appendices)
..."Four days passed, without the ground or the scene changing much, except that behind them Weathertop slowly sank, and before them the distant mountains loomed a little nearer.
...Yet since that far cry they had seen and heard no sign that the enemy had marked their flight or followed them. They dreaded the dark hours, and kept watch in pairs by night, expecting at any time to see black shapes stalking in the grey night... ...but they saw nothing, and heard no sound but the sigh of withered leaves and grass. Not once did they feel the sense of present evil that had assailed them before the attack in the dell. It seemed too much to hope that the Riders had already lost their trail again. Perhaps they were waiting to make some ambush in a narrow place?"
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 11 2021, 12:49pm
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Today in Middle-earth
October 11, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. Third day in boats. Camp on west shore.
(from Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."At the end of the third day, some miles up the river, they drew in to the left or western bank and disembarked. Here they were joined by the horses with other provisions and necessaries and the ponies... ...that had been sent to meet them. They packed what they could on the ponies and the rest was made into a store under a tent, but none of the men of the town would stay with them even for the night so near the shadow of the Mountains.
..."Not... ...until the songs have come true!" said they. It was easier to believe in the Dragon and less easy to believe in Thorin in these wild parts. Indeed their stores had no need of any guard, for all the land was desolate and empty. So their escort left them, making off swiftly down the river... ...although the night was already drawing on.
...They spent a cold and lonely night and their spirits fell."
October 11, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Strider and the hobbits have travelled for five days since their attack at Weathertop.
(not from the appendices)
..."At the end of the fifth day the ground began once more to rise slowly out of the wide shallow valley into which they had descended. Strider now turned their course again north-eastwards."
2. He (Glorfindel) drives the Riders off the Bridge of Mitheithel.
(from the appendices)
..."'It was my lot to take the road, and I came to the Bridge of Mitheithel, and left a token there... ...Three of the servants of Sauron were upon the Bridge, but they withdrew and I pursued them westward. I came also upon two others, but they turned away southward. Since then I have searched for your trail.'"
October 11, 1999
1. Principal photography begins for The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand a la Peter Jackson.
...*So it begins…*
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 12 2021, 12:30pm
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Today in Middle-earth
October 12, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. They leave the river and ride to the Lonely Mountain.
(from Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."The next day they set out again. Balin and Bilbo rode behind, each leading another pony heavily laden beside him; the others were... ...picking out a slow road, for there were no paths. They made north-west, slanting away from the River Running, and drawing ever nearer... ...to a great spur of the Mountain that was flung out southwards towards them.
...It was a weary journey, and a quiet and stealthy one. There was no laughter or song or sound of harps... ...the singing of old songs by the lake died away to a plodding gloom. They knew that they were drawing near to the end of their journey, and that it might be a very horrible end. The land about them grew bleak and barren, though once, as Thorin told them, it had been green and fair. There was little grass, and before long there was neither bush nor tree, and only broken and blackened stumps to speak of one long vanished. They were come at the waning of the year...
... ...They made their first camp on the western side of the great southern spur, which ended in a height called Ravenhill."
October 12, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Strider and the hobbits make their way to Rivendell.
(not from the appendices)
..."I am afraid we must go back to the Road here for a while,' said Strider. 'We have now come to the River Hoarwell... ...It flows down out of the Ettenmoors, the troll-fells north of Rivendell, and joins the Loudwater away in the South. Some call it the Greyflood after that. It is a great water before it finds the Sea. There is no way over it below its sources in the Ettenmoors, except by the Last Bridge on which the Road crosses.'
...'What is that other river we can see far away there?' asked Merry.
...'That is Loudwater, the Bruinen of Rivendell... ...The Road runs along the edge of the hills for many miles from the Bridge to the Ford of Bruinen. But I have not yet thought how we shall cross the water. One river at a time! We shall be fortunate indeed if we do not find the Last Bridge held against us.'"
2. Glorfindel pursues three of the Black Riders then continues his search for the Company.
(not from the appendices-no text)
...Glorfindel raced behind the specters. Asfaloth's speed could easily have overtaken the enemy as they fled before the force they felt pursuing them, but the Elf sensed the urgency to return to his search for the Company. He felt the distressing call to go back; that time was running out. Asfaloth tossed his head and whinnied in protest as Glorfindel eased back and turned aside, loathe to break from the chase. Slowly he made his way along the road, searching the ground for a sign of Aragorn and his charge.
3. Gandalf makes his way to Rivendell.
(not from the appendices-no text)
...It was six days since the Black Riders broke off their pursuit of the Wizard. Gandalf made straight for Rivendell.
October 12, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The remaining Fellowship moves on.
(not from the appendices-no text)
...Gandalf and the hobbits make their way to Bree. King Éomer and King Elessar guide their respective cities and their inhabitants through the aftermath of the War. Legolas and Gimli travel the lands after visiting Fangorn Forest. Saruman is busy remodelling the Shire.
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 13 2021, 12:48pm
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Today in Middle-earth
October 13, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. Bilbo, Fili, Kili and Balin scout up to River Running and go part way toward the Front Gate.
(from Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."Before setting out to search the western spurs of the Mountain for the hidden door, on which all their hopes rested, Thorin sent out a scouting expedition to spy out the land to the South where the Front Gate stood. For this purpose he chose Balin and Fili and Kili, and with them went Bilbo. They marched under the grey and silent cliffs to the feet of Ravenhill. There the river, after winding a wide loop over the valley of Dale, turned from the Mountain on its road to the Lake, flowing swift and noisily.... ...they could see in the wide valley shadowed by the Mountain's arms the grey ruins of ancient houses, towers, and walls.
..."There lies all that is left of Dale," said Balin. "The mountain's sides were green with woods and all the sheltered valley rich and pleasant in the days when the bells rang in that town." He looked... ...grim as he said this: he had been one of Thorin's companions on the day the Dragon came.
...They did not dare to follow the river much further towards the Gate; but they went on beyond the end of the southern spur, until lying hidden behind a rock they could look out and see the dark cavernous opening in a great cliff wall between the arms of the Mountain. Out of it the waters of the Running River sprang; and out of it too there came a stream and a dark smoke. Nothing moved in the waste, save vapour and the water.... ...The only sound was the sound of the stony water, and every now and again the harsh croak of a bird. Balin shuddered.
..."Let us return!" he said. "We can do no good here! And I don't like these dark birds, they look like spies of evil."
..."The dragon is still alive and in the halls under the Mountain then---or I imagine so from the smoke," said the hobbit.
..."That does not prove it," said Balin, "though I don't doubt you are right. But he might be gone away some time, or he might be lying out on the mountain-side keeping watch, and still I expect smokes and steams would come out of the gates... ...the halls within must be filled with his foul reek."
...With such gloomy thoughts, followed ever by croaking crows above them, they made their weary way back to the camp."
October 13, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Frodo crosses the bridge.
(from the appendices)
..."...Next day, early in the morning, they came down again to the borders of the Road. Sam and Strider went forward, but they found no sign of any travellers or riders. Here under the shadow of the hills there had been some rain. Strider judged that it had fallen two days before, and had washed away all footprints. No horseman had passed since then...
......They hurried along with all the speed they could make, and after a mile or two they saw the Last Bridge ahead, at the bottom of a short steep slope. They dreaded to see black figures waiting there, but they saw none. Strider made them take cover in a thicket at the side of the Road, while he went forward to explore.
...Before long he came hurrying back. 'I can see no sign of the enemy... ...and I wonder very much what that means. But I have found something very strange.'
...He held out his hand, and showed a single pale-green jewel. 'I found it in the mud in the middle of the Bridge,' he said. 'It is a beryl, an elf-stone. Whether it was set there, or let fall by chance... ...it brings hope to me. I will take it as a sign that we may pass the Bridge; but beyond that I dare not keep to the Road, without some clearer token.'
...At once they went on again... ...Strider turned aside, and soon they were lost in a sombre country of dark trees winding among the feet of sullen hills... ...As they went forward the hills about them steadily rose... ...they caught glimpses of ancient walls of stone, and the ruins of towers: they had an ominous look. Frodo, who was not walking, had time to gaze ahead and to think. He recalled Bilbo's account of his journey and the threatening towers on the hills north of the Road, in the country near the Troll's wood where his first serious adventure had happened. Frodo guessed that they were now in the same region...."
2. Glorfindel backtracks from his pursuit of the Black Riders searching for the Company.
(not from the appendices-no text)
3. Gandalf makes his way to Rivendell.
(not from the appendices-no text)
October 13, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. Gandalf and the hobbits make their way to Bree.
(not from the appendices - no text - a drabble)
... Gandalf found a soft nest of moss under the tree he rested against. He sat quietly smoking in the evening's camp and delighted in the humorous banter between Merry and Pippin as they debated whatever topic that appeared. He marvelled at Sam's intuitive care for preparing the camp and meal while keeping a subtle eye on Frodo who sat wrapped in a blanket quietly watching the campfire. Softly blown smoke rings rode the night air as he pondered Sam's devotion to Frodo. He shook his head to himself.
..."Their return to the Shire will decide much. Who can know what will follow?"
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 14 2021, 12:08pm
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Today in Middle-earth
October 14, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. The camp is moved to the western valley.
(from Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."Now strange to say Mr. Baggins had more [spirit] than the others. He would often borrow Thorin's map and gaze at it, pondering over the runes and the message of the moon-letters Elrond had read. It was he that made the dwarves begin the dangerous search on the western slopes for the secret door. They moved their camp then to a long valley... ...and walled with lower spurs of the Mountain. Two of these here thrust forward west from the main mass in long steep-sided ridges that fell ever downwards towards the plain. On this western side there were fewer signs of the dragon's marauding feet, and there was some grass for their ponies."
October 14, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Strider and the hobbits continue through the wild of the Trollshaws Forest.
(not from the appendices)
..."'Who lives in this land?' Frodo asked. 'And who built these towers? Is this troll-country?'
...'No!' said Strider. 'Trolls do not build. No one lives in this land. Men once dwelt here, ages ago; but none remain now. They became an evil people, as legends tell, for they fell under the shadow of Angmar. But all were destroyed in the war that brought the North Kingdom to its end... ...though a shadow still lies on the land.'
...'Where did you learn such tales, if all the land is empty and forgetful?' asked Peregrin. 'The birds and beasts do not tell tales of that sort.'
...'The heirs of Elendil do not forget all things past,' said Strider; 'and many more things than I can tell are remembered in Rivendell.'
...'Have you often been to Rivendell?' asked Frodo.
...'I have,' said Strider. 'I dwelt there once, and still I return when I may. There my heart is; but it is not my fate to sit in peace, even in the fair house of Elrond.'"
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 15 2021, 2:55pm
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Today in Middle-earth
October 15, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Strider and the Hobbits struggle on through the Wild.
(not from the appendices)
..."They had been two days in this country (near the Troll's woods) when the weather turned wet. The wind began to blow steadily out of the West and pour the water of the distant seas on the dark heads of the hills in fine drenching rain. By nightfall they were all soaked, and their camp was cheerless, for they could not get any fire to burn."
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 16 2021, 2:49pm
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Today in Middle-earth
October 16, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Strider and the hobbits make their way through the wild.
(not from the appendices)
..."...the hills rose still higher and steeper before them, and they were forced to turn away northwards out of their course. Strider seemed to be getting anxious: they were nearly ten days out from Weathertop, and their stock of provisions was beginning to run low. It went on raining.
...That night they camped on a stony shelf with a rockwall behind them, in which there was a shallow cave... ...Frodo was restless. The cold and wet had made his wound more painful than ever, and the ache and sense of deadly chill took away all sleep. He lay tossing and turning and listening fearfully to the stealthy night-noises... ...He felt that black shapes were advancing to smother him; but when he sat up he saw nothing but the back of Strider sitting hunched up, smoking his pipe, and watching. He lay down again and passed into an uneasy dream, in which he walked on the grass in his garden in the Shire, but it seemed faint and dim, less clear than the tall black shadows that stood looking over the hedge."
2. Glorfindel marks where Strider and the hobbits returned to the road and made for the bridge.
(not from the appendices)
..."...I have searched for your trail... ...I found it, and followed it over the Bridge..."
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 17 2021, 1:39pm
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Today in Middle-earth
October 17, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. The Company searches for the Hidden Door.
(determined from text – referencing Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."...day by day they toiled in parties searching for paths of the mountain-side, if the map was true, somewhere high above the cliff at the valley's head must stand the secret door. Day by day they came back to their camp without success."
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 18 2021, 1:55pm
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addendum Pre-TIME - October 18
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Here's a prelude to a special meeting...
Pre-October 18, 3018 (S.R.1418)
1. From Flight to the Ford: is a precursor to October 18 extended post
...""As quickly as they could they scrambled off the beaten way... ...until they peered out from among the bushes [and] they could see the Road... ...some thirty feet below them. The sound of hoofs drew nearer. They were going fast, with a light clippety-clippety-clip. Then faintly, as if it was blown away from them by the breeze, they seemed to catch a dim ringing, as of small bells tinkling.
...'That does not sound like a Black Rider's horse!' said Frodo, listening intently. The other hobbits agreed hopefully that it did not... ...They had been in fear of pursuit for so long that any sound from behind seemed ominous and unfriendly. But Strider was now leaning forward, stooped to the ground, with a hand to his ear, and a look of joy on his face.
...The light faded... ...Clearer and nearer now the bells jingled, and clippety-clip came the quick trotting feet. Suddenly into view below came a white horse, gleaming in the shadows, running swiftly. In the dusk its headstall flickered and flashed, as if it were studded with gems like living stars the rider's cloak streamed behind him, and his hood was thrown back; his golden hair flowed shimmering in the wind of his speed. To Frodo it appeared that a white light was shining through the form and raiment of the rider, as if through a thin veil.
...Strider sprang from hiding... ...leaping with a cry through the heather; but even before he had moved or called, the rider had reined his horse and halted, looking up towards the thicket where they stood. When he saw Strider, he dismounted and ran to meet him calling out: "Ai na vedui Dúnadan! Mae govannen!" His speech and clear ringing voice left no doubt in their hearts: the rider was of the Elven-folk... ...But there seemed to be a note of haste or fear in his call, and they saw that he was now speaking quickly and urgently to Strider.
...Soon Strider beckoned to them, and the hobbits left the bushes and hurried down to the road. 'This is Glorfindel, who dwells in the house of Elrond...'"
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(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Oct 18 2021, 1:56pm)
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 18 2021, 1:59pm
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Today in Middle-earth
October 18, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. Bilbo, Fili and Kili find the Hidden Door
(from Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."...at last unexpectedly they found what they were seeking. Fili and Kili and the hobbit went back one day down the valley and scrambled among the tumbled rocks at its southern corner. About midday, creeping behind a great stone that stood alone like a pillar, Bilbo came on what looked like rough steps going upwards. Following these excitedly, he and the dwarves found traces of a narrow track... ...that wandered on to the top of the southern ridge and brought them at last to a still narrower ledge, which turned north across the face of the Mountain. Looking down they saw that they were at the top of the cliff at the valley's head and were gazing down on to their own camp below. Silently, clinging to the rocky wall on their right, they went in single file along the ledge, till... ...they turned into a little steep-walled bay, grassy-floored, still and quiet. Its entrance which they had found could not be seen from below because of the overhang of the cliff, nor from further off because it was so small that it looked like a dark crack and no more. It was not a cave and was open to the sky above; but at its inner end a flat wall rose up that in the lower part, close to the ground, was as smooth and upright as mason's work, but without a joint or crevice to be seen. No sign was there of... ...threshold, nor any sign of bar or bolt or key-hole; yet they did not doubt that they had found the door at last.
...They beat on it, they thrust and pushed at it, they implored it to move, they spoke fragments of broken spells of opening, and nothing stirred. At last tired out they rested on the grass at its feet, and then at evening began their long climb down."
October 18, 3018 (S.R. 1418) [continued]
1. Glorfindel finds Frodo at dusk.
(from the appendices)
..."'Hail, and well met at last!' said the Elf-lord to Frodo. 'I was sent from Rivendell to look for you. We feared that you were in danger upon the road.'
...'Then Gandalf has reached Rivendell?' cried Frodo joyfully.
...'No. He had not when I departed; but that was nine days ago,' answered Glorfindel.... '...today I marked where you descended from the hills again. But come! There is no time for further news. Since you are here we must risk the peril of the Road and go. There are five behind us, and when they find your trail... ...they will ride after us like the wind. And they are not all. Where the other four may be, I do not know. I fear that we may find the Ford is already held against us.'
...While Glorfindel was speaking the shades of evening deepened. Frodo felt a great weariness come over him. Ever since the sun began to sink the mist before his eyes had darkened, and he felt that a shadow was coming between him and the faces of his friends. Now pain assailed him, and he felt cold. He swayed, clutching at Sam's arm.
...'My master is sick and wounded,' said Sam angrily. 'He can't go on riding after nightfall....'
...Glorfindel caught Frodo as he sank to the ground, and taking him gently in his arms he looked in his face with grave anxiety.
...Briefly Strider told of the attack on their camp under Weathertop, and of the deadly knife. He drew out the hilt... ...and handed it to the Elf. Glorfindel shuddered as he took it, but he looked intently at it.
...'There are evil things written on this hilt,' he said; 'though maybe your eyes cannot see them. Keep it, Aragorn, till we reach the house of Elrond! But be wary, and handle it as little as you may! Alas! the wounds of this weapon are beyond my skill to heal. I will do what I can—but all the more do I urge you now to go on without rest.'
...He searched the wound on Frodo's shoulder with his fingers, and his face grew graver, as if what he learned disquieted him. But Frodo felt the chill lessen in his side and arm; and a little warmth crept down from his shoulder to his hand, and the pain grew easier. The dusk of evening seemed to grow lighter about him, as if a cloud had been withdrawn. He saw his friends' faces more clearly again, and a measure of new hope and strength returned.
...'You shall ride my horse... ...I will shorten the stirrups up to the saddle-skirts, and you must sit as tight as you can. But you need not fear: my horse will not let any rider fall that I command him to bear.'"
2. Gandalf reaches Rivendell.
(from the appendices)
..."'I reached here at last by a long hard road, up the Hoarwell and through the Ettenmoors... ...It took me nearly fourteen days from Weathertop for I could not ride among the rocks of the troll-fells, and Shadowfax departed. I sent him back to his master; but a great friendship has grown between us, and if I have need he will come at my call. But so it was that I came to Rivendell only three days before the Ring, and news of its peril had already been brought here—which proved well indeed.'"
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Oct 19 2021, 10:58am
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Today in Middle-earth
October 19, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. The camp is moved to the hidden bay.
(from Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
... "...they made their third camp [in the evening], hauling up what they needed from below with their ropes. Down the same way they were able occasionally to lower one of the more active dwarves, such as Kili, to exchange such news as there was, or to take a share in the guard below... ...Bombur would not come up either the rope or the path.
..."I am too fat for such fly-walks... ...I should turn dizzy and tread on my beard, and then you would be thirteen again..."
... ...meanwhile some of them explored the ledge beyond the opening and found a path that led higher... ...but they did not dare to venture very far that way... ...up there a silence reigned, broken by no bird or sound except that of the wind... ...They spoke low and never called or sang, for danger brooded in every rock. The others who were busy with the secret of the door had no more success... ...too eager to trouble about the runes or the moon-letters... ...tried without resting to discover where exactly in the smooth face of the rock the door was hidden. They had brought picks and tools... ...from Lake-town, and at first they tried to use these. But when they struck the stone the handles splintered and jarred their arms cruelly, and the steel heads broke or bent like lead. Mining work, they saw clearly was no good against the magic that had shut this door; and they grew terrified, too, of the echoing noise."
October 19, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Glorfindel leads the Company towards the Ford of Bruinen.
(not from the appendices)
..."There was neither star nor moon. Not until the grey of dawn did he allow them to halt. Pippin, Merry, and Sam were by that time nearly asleep on their stumbling legs; and even Strider seemed by the sag of his shoulders to be weary. Frodo sat upon the horse in a dark dream.
...They cast themselves down in the heather a few yards from the road-side, and fell asleep immediately. They seemed hardly to have closed their eyes when Glorfindel, who had set himself to watch while they slept, awoke them again....
...'...Drink this!' said Glorfindel to them, pouring for each in turn a little liquor from his silver-studded flask of leather. It was clear as spring water and had no taste, and it did not feel either cool or warm in the mouth; but strength and vigour seemed to flow into all their limbs as they drank it. Eaten after that draught the stale bread and dried fruit (which was now all that they had left) seemed to satisfy their hunger better than many a good breakfast in the Shire had done.
......the Road bent right and ran down towards the bottom of the valley, now making straight for the Bruinen... ...there had been no sign or sound of pursuit that the hobbits could see or hear; but often Glorfindel would halt and listen for a moment, if they lagged behind, and a look of anxiety clouded his face. Once or twice he spoke to Strider in the elf-tongue.
...But however anxious their guides might be, it was plain that the hobbits could go no further that night. They were stumbling along dizzy with weariness... ...Frodo's pain had redoubled, and during the day things about him faded to shadows of ghostly grey. He almost welcomed the company of night, for then the world seemed less pale and empty."
2. Gandalf waits for word of the company in Rivendell.
(not from the appendices-no text)
...In all his long years the wizard has never felt so helpless. He knew time was running out and the delays that separated him from Frodo while Black Riders hunted him in the wild could spell doom for the hobbit and all of Middle-earth. His only hope rested on his faith in Aragorn. Fear was ever in his heart as he brooded over the fate of the travellers.
NOTE / ADDENDUM:
October 19, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
Supplemental: J.R.R. Tolkien's estimated date for Durin's Day
(from John D. Rateliff, The History of The Hobbit)
Tolkien made the calculation that October 19 was the date of Durin's Day in the year T.A. 2941, although it's not known if this estimate was made before his construction of the Shire Reckoning calendar. So we will continue to use our "determined from text" date of October 22.
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Otaku-sempai
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Oct 19 2021, 10:04pm
Post #23 of 40
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NOTE / ADDENDUM:
October 19, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
Supplemental: J.R.R. Tolkien's estimated date for Durin's Day
(from John D. Rateliff, The History of The Hobbit)
Tolkien made the calculation that October 19 was the date of Durin's Day in the year T.A. 2941, although it's not known if this estimate was made before his construction of the Shire Reckoning calendar. So we will continue to use our "determined from text" date of October 22.
I know this has come up before, but I do wonder if Thorin and Balin could have been referencing the Calendar of the Longbeards and not the Shire Reckoning when they were discussing the first day of the last week of autumn. October 19 could work as Durin's Day in the Reckoning of Durin's Folk (as opposed to October 22 in the context of the Shire Calendar). It's an easy workaround for what is otherwise a bit of a problem.
Also, I'm certain that Tolkien was not using the Shire Reckoning (as it hadn't been invented yet) when he was calculating the date of the last new moon of autumn, or for the date of Midyear's day for that matter. It seems as though, in The Hobbit Midyear's Day fell on either June 23 or June 24, not within the Lithedays between 1 Lithe and 2 Lithe.
#FidelityToTolkien
#ChallengeExpectations
(This post was edited by Otaku-sempai on Oct 19 2021, 10:06pm)
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grammaboodawg
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Oct 20 2021, 4:36am
Post #25 of 40
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Today in Middle-earth
October 20, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. Bilbo and the Dwarves think of what to do next at the Hidden Door.
(determined from text – referencing Karen Wynn Fonstad, The Atlas of Middle-earth)
..."Bilbo found sitting on the doorstep lonesome and wearisome—there was not a doorstep, of course, really, but they used to call the little grassy space between the wall and the opening the "doorstep" in fun, remembering Bilbo's words long ago at the unexpected party in his hobbit-hole, when he said they could sit on the doorstep till they thought of something...
......Their spirits had risen a little at the discovery of the path, but now they sank into their boots; and yet they would not give it up and go away. The hobbit was no longer much brighter than the dwarves. He would do nothing but sit with his back to the rock-face and stare away west through the opening... ...If the dwarves asked him what he was doing he answered:
... "You said sitting on the doorstep and thinking would be my job, not to mention getting inside, so I am sitting and thinking." But I am afraid he was not thinking much of the job, but of what lay beyond the blue distance, the quiet Western Land and the Hill and his hobbit-hole under it.
...A large grey stone lay in the centre of the grass and [Bilbo] stared moodily at it or watched the great snails. They seemed to love the little shut-in bay with its walls of cool rock, and there were many of them of huge size crawling slowly and stickily along its sides."
October 20, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. Escape across the Ford of Bruinen.
(from the appendices)
..."'Our peril will be greatest just ere we reach the river,' said Glorfindel; 'for my heart warns me that the pursuit is now swift behind us, and other danger may be waiting by the Ford....'
......In the late afternoon, they came to a place where the Road went suddenly under the dark shadow of tall pine-trees, and then plunged into a deep cutting with steep moist walls of red stone.... ...here at the bottom of a sharp incline they saw before them a long flat mile, and behind that the Ford of Rivendell...
......There was still an echo as of following feet in the cutting behind them; a rushing noise as if a wind were rising and pouring through the branches of the pines. One moment Glorfindel turned and listened, then he sprang forward with a loud cry.
...'Fly!' he called. 'Fly! The enemy is upon us!'
...The white horse leaped forward. The hobbits ran down the slope. Glorfindel and Strider followed as rearguard. They were only half way across the flat, when suddenly there was a noise of horses galloping. Out of the gate in the trees that they had just left rode a Black Rider. He reined his horse in, and halted, swaying in his saddle. Another followed him, and then another; then again two more.
...'Ride forward! Ride!' cried Glorfindel to Frodo.
...He did not obey at once, for a strange reluctance seized him. Checking the horse to a walk, he turned and looked back. The Riders seemed... ...dark and solid while all the woods and land about them receded as if into a mist. Suddenly he knew in his heart that they were silently commanding him to wait. Then at once fear and hatred awoke in him. His hand left the bridle and gripped the hilt of his sword, and with a red flash he drew it.
...'Ride on! Ride on!' cried Glorfindel, and then loud and clear he called to the horse in the elf-tongue: 'noro lim, noro lim, Asfaloth!'
...At once the white horse sprang away and sped like the wind along the last lap of the Road... ...the black horses leaped down the hill in pursuit, and from the Riders came a terrible cry, such as Frodo had heard filling the woods... ...It was answered; and to the dismay of Frodo and his friends out from the trees and rock away on the left four other Riders came flying. Two rode towards Frodo: two galloped madly towards the Ford to cut off his escape. They seemed to him to run like the wind and to grow swiftly larger and darker, as their courses converged with his.
...Frodo looked back for a moment over his shoulder. He could no longer see his friends. The Riders behind were falling back: even their great steeds were no match in speed for the white elf-horse of Glorfindel. He looked forward again, and hope faded. There seemed no chance of reaching the Ford before he was cut off... ...He could see them clearly now; they appeared to have cast aside their hoods and black cloaks, and they were robed in white and grey. Swords were naked in their pale hands; helms were on their heads. Their cold eyes glittered, and they called to him with fell voices.
...Fear now filled all Frodo's mind... ...No cry came from him. He shut his eyes and clung to the horse's mane. The wind whistled in his ears and the bells upon the harness rang wild and shrill. A breath of deadly cold pierced him like a spear, as with a last spurt, like a flash of white fire, the elf-horse speeding as if on wings, passed right before the face of the foremost Rider.
...Frodo heard the splash of water. It foamed about his feet. He felt the quick heave and surge as the horse left the river and struggled up the stony path... ...He was across the Ford.
...But the pursuers were close behind. At the top of the bank the horse halted and turned about neighing fiercely. There were Nine Riders at the water's edge below, and Frodo's spirit quailed before the threat of their uplifted faces. He knew of nothing that would prevent them from crossing as easily as he had done; and he felt that is was useless to try to escape... ...he felt that he was commanded urgently to halt. Hatred again stirred in him, but he had no longer the strength to refuse.
...Suddenly the foremost Rider spurred his horse forward. It checked at the water and reared up. With a great effort Frodo sat upright and brandished his sword.'
...'Go back!' he cried. 'Go back to the Land of Mordor, and follow me no more!' His voice sounded thin and shrill in his own ears. The Riders halted, but Frodo had not the power of Bombadil. His enemies laughed at him with a harsh and chilling laughter. 'Come back! Come back!' they called. 'To Mordor we will take you!'
...'Go back!' he whispered.
...'The Ring! The Ring!' they cried with deadly voices… …immediately their leader urged his horse forward into the water... .
...'...By Elbereth and Lúthien the Fair,' said Frodo with a last effort, lifting up his sword, 'you shall have neither the Ring nor me!'
...Then the leader, who was now half across the Ford, stood up menacing in his stirrups, and raised up his hand. Frodo was stricken dumb. He felt his tongue cleave to his mouth, and his heart labouring. His sword broke and fell out of his shaking hand. The elf-horse reared and snorted. The foremost of the black horses had almost set foot upon the shore.
...At that moment there came a roar and a rushing... ...Dimly Frodo saw the river below him rise, and down along its course there came a plumed cavalry of waves. White flames seemed to Frodo to flicker on their crests and he half fancied that he saw amid the waters white riders upon white horses with frothing manes. The three Riders that were still in the midst of the Ford were overwhelmed: they disappeared... ...Those that were behind drew back in dismay.
...With his last failing senses Frodo heard cries, and it seemed to him that he saw, beyond the Riders that hesitated on the shore, a shining figure of white light; and behind it ran small shadowy forms waving flames, that flared red in the grey mist that was falling over the world.
...The black horses were filled with madness, and leaping forward in terror they bore their riders into the rushing flood. Their piercing cries were drowned in the roaring of the river as it carried them away. Then Frodo felt himself falling, and the roaring and confusion seemed to rise and engulf him together with his enemies. He heard and saw no more."
2. Gandalf and Elrond perceive the Black Riders at the Ford of Bruinen.
(not from the appendices-no text & text)
...Sitting in the great hall before the fire still gripping the arms of the great chair, Gandalf sighed and relaxed, returning to his pipe and gazing into the flames.
[Later, he described to Frodo:]"'The river of this valley is under [Elrond's] power, and it will rise in anger when he has great need to bar the Ford. As soon as the captain of the Ringwraiths rode into the water the flood was released. If I may say so, I added a few touches of my own; you may have noticed, but some of the waves took the form of great white horses with shining white riders... ...For a moment I was afraid that we had let loose too fierce a wrath, and the flood would get out of hand and wash you all away.'"
3. Frodo is brought to Rivendell.
(not from the appendices)
..."'The Elves brought you from the Ford on the night of the twentieth, and that is where you lost count. We have been very anxious, and Sam has hardly left your side, day or night, except to run messages. Elrond is a master of healing, but the weapons of our Enemy are deadly. To tell you the truth, I had very little hope; for I suspected that there was some fragment of the blade still in the closed wound...'"
October 20, 1955
1. The Return of the King is published.
...The third of 3 volumes of The Lord of the Rings was published in the United Kingdom. This volume contains the final 2 of Tolkien's 6 "books" of his epic tale and an extensive appendices. It introduces us to a history of Middle-earth, the main characters, the tale of the Ring of Sauron, the creation of the Fellowship, and the launch of the Quest to destroy the Ring.
October 20, 2005
50th Anniversary of The Return of the King publication on 10/20/1955
October 20, 2015
60th Anniversary of The Return of the King publication on 10/20/1955
October 20, 1958
1. Viggo Mortensen born in New York City.
...Danish-American Viggo Mortensen's birthday falls on the Anniversary of The Return of the King's publication. How poetic is that? :)
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