|
Do you enjoy the 100% volunteer, not for profit services of TheOneRing.net? Consider a donation!
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
N.E. Brigand
Half-elven
Jan 27 2008, 9:46pm
Views: 245
Shortcut
|
Just kidding. Visualweasel is quite right that The J.R.R. Tolkien Companion & Guide and The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion overlap very little, but while the latter is easier to use (and shorter), it also contains much less new information. Regular participants on this board are probably already familiar with at least 75% of its contents. I think the LotR Reader's Guide is aimed at people who have read only LotR and want to know more about it; most people here will not need the book's references to the "Silmarillion" backstory, nor its defintions of uncommon words or even many of its historica/literary source identification. That said, the book does include probably several thousand words of previously unpublished Tolkien writings, including notes from "Hunt for the Ring" papers that were not used in Unfinished Tales; details from a "Time Scheme" that Tolkien used to keep track of his heroes and their enemies, definitions from an unfinished Index, and some pages from Letter #131 that were cut from Letters. A lot could be made of that material, by the careful reader.
But judge for yourself. Here's what Hammond and Scull provide for this chapter.
1. Textual history:
-- a. Page citations to the chapter’s drafts in The History of Middle-earth.
-- b. In 2004, “Far-away answering horns” changed to “Far away answering horns”.
-- c. Note on capitalization policy for “Elvish”.
-- d. Draft version of Strider’s remarks at Weathertop, more explicit on the distance to Rivendell.
-- e. Some editions print “bride-piece” for “bride-price”.
-- f. Frodo didn’t drop his sword in the first edition.
2. Previously unpublished material from the “Hunt for the Ring” MSS.:
--a. 500 words on the attack at Crickhollow.
--b. 260 words on attack at Prancing Pony.
--c. 250 words on Gandalf at Weathertop.
--d. 390 words on Frodo at Weathertop.
3. Literary models and sources:
--a. The hour before dawn and Hamlet.
--b. Eärendil and Old English earendel.
4. Middle-earth and story-internal history:
--a. Talking birds (The Hobbit).
--b. The history of Arnor (LotR Appendices).
--c. Gil-galad, Elendil and the Last Alliance (The Silmarillion and The Peoples of Middle-earth).
--d. Strider’s interpretation of the signs at Weathertop is correct (“The Council of Elrond”).
--e. The fading of the elves (“The Tale of Years” and Letter #131).
--f. Beren and Lúthien (The Silmarillion). Lots of details from the poem and synopsis explained.
--g. Morgoth, Feanor and the silmarils (The Silmarillion).
--h. The importance of Beren and Lúthien to Aragorn.
--i. Eärendil (The Silmarillion).
--j. Why Frodo sees the wraiths when he puts on the Ring (“Many Meetings”).
--k. Frodo’s invocation of Elbereth (The Road Goes Ever On).
5. Speculation about the story:
--a. Darkness at Crickhollow suggests skies had clouded over.
--b. Frodo’s dream of wind and hoofs may be of Crickhollow attack.
--c. Elves may use birds as messengers.
--d. Strider apparently didn’t set a watch before Oct. 4th.
--e. The cairn on Weathertop may have been piled by Gandalf.
--f. The Forkaken Inn may be deserted.
--g. The glint of water seen from Weathertop is probably the Hoarwell.
--g. The “elven-flowers” in the Tinúviel poem may be niphredil.
6. Other Tolkiena:
--a. The J.R.R. Tolkien Audio Collection includes Tolkien performing songs of Gil-galad and Tinúviel.
--b. Tolkien drew Gil-galad’s emblems.
--c. The story and name “Lúthien” had personal significance for Tolkien.
--d. The probable meaning of ann-thennath, by C. Hostetter and P. Wynne.
--e. P. Kocher on effect of “Silmarillion” history on first-time readers.
7. Historical analogues:
--a. Wolves crossing frozen Brandwyine (Rhine in A.D. 406).
--b. The name “Longshanks” (Edward I).
--c. The Weather Hills fortifications (Hadrian’s Wall).
--d. The term “bride-price” (Anglo-Saxon customs).
8. Running chronology, e.g. “He opened his eyes – it is now 30 September”. Also moon phases.
9. Terms defined from Tolkien’s “Nomenclature of The Lord of the Rings” and unfinished Index:
--a. Nomenclature: Midgewater, Neekerbreekers
--b. Index: Midgewater Marshes, Old Road, Forsaken Inn, Ford of Bruinen, Northern lands
10. Elvish and uncommon English words defined: longshanks, stick-at-naught, short commons, Amon Sûl, helm, cairn, Bruinen, umbels, Lúthien, Tinúviel, raiment, Beren, mantle, linden, darkling, Barahir, Thingol, Angband, Dior, Elwing, Eärendil.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
We're discussing The Lord of the Rings in the Reading Room, Oct. 15, 2007 - Mar. 22, 2009!
Join us Jan. 21-27 for "Flight to the Ford".
|
|
|
|
Subject
|
User
|
Time
|
**A Knife in the Dark** 1. The House at Crickhollow stood silent
|
squire
|
Jan 14 2008, 11:30pm
|
I'll try
|
Millican
|
Jan 15 2008, 12:12am
|
|
The Omniscient Narrator steps silently out from the shadows.
|
Elizabeth
|
Jan 15 2008, 12:19am
|
|
you guys know too much (said nicely)
|
Millican
|
Jan 15 2008, 12:29am
|
|
Nah, it's all in knowing where to look.
|
Elizabeth
|
Jan 15 2008, 12:36am
|
|
The movements of the Nazgul are quite complicated.
|
Curious
|
Jan 16 2008, 6:22pm
|
|
Some of the notes cited there...
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 17 2008, 5:41am
|
|
Some answers
|
SilentLion
|
Jan 15 2008, 12:46am
|
|
rendition
|
Finding Frodo
|
Jan 15 2008, 5:50am
|
|
well
|
elostirion74
|
Jan 15 2008, 7:13am
|
|
Thoughts.
|
Curious
|
Jan 15 2008, 10:42am
|
|
If a blow falls on a door...
|
FarFromHome
|
Jan 15 2008, 11:29am
|
|
And we would have gotten the Ring, too,
|
Curious
|
Jan 16 2008, 11:24pm
|
|
Aren't the Nazgûl less active in the later books?
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 17 2008, 5:47am
|
|
Precisely.
|
Curious
|
Jan 17 2008, 1:44pm
|
|
Tolkien used your explanation, though Aragorn did not.
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 17 2008, 3:42pm
|
|
Really? Cool! If you can give me a cite,
|
Curious
|
Jan 17 2008, 3:57pm
|
|
"The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion", pp. 180-181.
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 17 2008, 4:08pm
|
|
I am referring to the 2-volume set.
|
Curious
|
Jan 17 2008, 4:38pm
|
|
Yes!
|
visualweasel
|
Jan 17 2008, 4:57pm
|
|
Maybe for my birthday.
|
Curious
|
Jan 17 2008, 5:01pm
|
|
No!
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 27 2008, 9:46pm
|
|
A couple of replies
|
visualweasel
|
Jan 15 2008, 5:19pm
|
|
Busted doors, crowing roosters, and wild horns.
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 16 2008, 10:39pm
|
|
Very perceptive! Thanks for that link. //
|
visualweasel
|
Jan 16 2008, 10:56pm
|
|
As it happens,
|
Elizabeth
|
Jan 17 2008, 6:21am
|
|
Is this the proof people talk about so much
|
sador
|
Jan 17 2008, 9:40am
|
|
Ferny doesn't know the hobbits have taken up with Strider.
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 17 2008, 3:54pm
|
|
Thanks
|
sador
|
Jan 17 2008, 9:20pm
|
|
Well,
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 17 2008, 10:02pm
|
|
crowing roosters who drive away ghosts
|
a.s.
|
Jan 17 2008, 11:15am
|
|
For cockcrow limits our holiday - the dead of the night's high-noon!
|
squire
|
Jan 17 2008, 12:30pm
|
|
Tolkien says the Riders' map was incomplete.
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 17 2008, 5:17am
|
|
The Riders "can sense that the Ring is or *was* there" - was?
|
squire
|
Jan 17 2008, 12:23pm
|
|
Magic blew the door down.
|
Curious
|
Jan 17 2008, 1:25pm
|
|
And here I thought you had deliberately...
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 17 2008, 3:46pm
|
|
Catching up, somewhat late
|
sador
|
Jan 17 2008, 9:22am
|
|
"Truly the light is sweet..."
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 21 2008, 5:50pm
|
|
Shut and locked.
|
N.E. Brigand
|
Jan 22 2008, 2:16am
|
|
|
|
