Questions tagged [tolkiens-legendarium]
For questions about any works in J.R.R. Tolkien's Legendarium - The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, and other works set in the same universe - or about that universe as a whole. Questions about movies, games, or other media set in the same universe should also use this tag. Questions about Tolkien himself or works by him which are not part of the Middle-earth universe should NOT use this tag use [j-r-r-tolkien] instead.
3,215
questions
7
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Did Bag End have a second door?
This is a map of Bag End from The Atlas of Middle-earth (found here.)
There's a door at the end of the tunnel. Is it mentioned in the books? Or is the map not accurate?
- 2,201
1
vote
1
answer
382
views
Is this the Elostirion?
In this clip at the very beginning in the first seconds there are towers seen high up the hill.
Are they or one of them intended to be the White Towers or do they belong to the Grey Havens already? I ...
- 495
17
votes
1
answer
4k
views
What is the criteria of inclusion in the Big Jubilee Read that caused the Lord of the Rings book not to be included?
The Times reported that a panel of Commonwealth experts, academics, booksellers and librarians, assembled by the Reading Agency has decided not to include The Lord of the Rings (as well as Harry ...
- 1,587
-4
votes
1
answer
236
views
How big is the Gulf of Lune, actually?
When you look at this image from the end of Return of the King it seems the Gulf of Lune isn't as large as the Encyclopedia of Arda claims, namely that it would span more than two hundred miles.
It's ...
- 495
4
votes
1
answer
878
views
Why do they keep talking about important things with open windows in Lord of the Rings?
In Bag End, Gandalf and Frodo are talking about extremely sensitive topics with the window wide open. Anyone could have listened in to their conversation and ran off to gossip about it all over ...
- 73
14
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What do the family relations between the Valar mean?
TL;DR:
Some of the Valar are described in the Silmarillion as husband and wife, and others are described as siblings. But it seems that the Ainur don't procreate, and it's unclear what marriage means ...
- 271
5
votes
1
answer
563
views
Why did Frodo not bring a lot of money with him on his very possibly one-way escape out into the unknown?
When they first meet Strider in the Pony Inn, and he starts talking about wanting a "reward", Frodo, believing that he's referring to a monetary such, thinks about the fact that he only ...
- 59
17
votes
2
answers
9k
views
What is the significance of Denethor eating the tomato?
The scene in which Faramir is leading a battle and Denethor is eating the tomato while Pippin sings. What is the significance of that? Ostensibly it's to show that Denethor isn't interested or has ...
- 8,324
13
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Was it confirmed by anybody that an orc was modeled after Harvey Weinstein?
I just stumbled upon the story from 2021 that one orc in The Lord of the Rings from director Peter Jackson was modeled after Harvey Weinstein:
One orc among many in the Lord of the Rings movies was ...
- 16k
14
votes
2
answers
7k
views
Why does Frodo keep referring to the party as if he were alone? (In the first book.)
Frodo keeps saying that he ("I") am going to take this or that way, even though they are four Hobbits and as many ponies. They are a whole little party/fellowship already before Rivendell.
I ...
- 157
14
votes
1
answer
2k
views
What type of writing did the Hobbits use?
In the books, is there any information on what type of letters the Hobbits used when writing or printing? The Elvish scripts, runes, or something else?
Thanks!
- 742
17
votes
1
answer
6k
views
Why did Merry (apparently) not get to experience the first adventures with the other three hobbits?
I feel like an idiot for asking about this, since I'm currently and carefully (or so I thought) reading The Fellowship of the Ring. I'm at the chapter where they are just at the ferry with Merry ...
- 195
1
vote
3
answers
651
views
Why didn't the Valar make a Ring of Power?
Sauron made the One Ring to rule them all by transferring some of his essence into it as a power amplifier.
Morgoth also did this in a different way, using the whole of Arda as a Ring.
Why didn't the ...
- 20.1k
41
votes
5
answers
12k
views
Why not march over Rivendell and take the ring?
After the battle on Weathertop the Nazgûl learn Frodo has the one ring and follow him to Rivendell, where Glorfindel defeats them.
They have however by that time acquired the knowledge about the one ...
- 14.5k
5
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Why was this speech by Bilbo added to the Hobbit movie?
After the goblin ordeal, when the dwarves and Gandalf are waiting and wondering where Bilbo is, in the movie, he shows up after taking off the Ring and gives a great speech something along the lines ...
- 61
1
vote
1
answer
288
views
Did the eagles from Tolkien's works have other appearances where they saved the day?
The eagles play a pivotal deus ex machina role in both The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings. I have not read any of the background works about Middle Earth and would like to know if they played any ...
- 2,436
25
votes
3
answers
4k
views
How can the bear-man refer to a "Jack-in-the-box" in The Hobbit?
The Hobbit is supposedly set waaay back in our world. Yet, Beorn refers to "jack-in-the-box" as in the toy, when the dwarves show up in pairs.
How can this be? How can anyone in that world/...
- 277
0
votes
0
answers
148
views
Why didn't Helm's Deep have a trebuchet? [duplicate]
I am wondering if there is a reason why Helm's Deep did not have a trebuchet(s).
There were trebuchets mounted at numerous locations throughout the city of Minas Tirith in Gondor, so the Gondorians ...
user143126
41
votes
1
answer
7k
views
Looking for a picture of the doll that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien to invent Tom Bombadil
English Literature Professor Jane Beal, in her article "Who is Tom Bombadil?: Interpreting the Light in Frodo Baggins and Tom Bombadil's Role in the Healing of Traumatic Memory in J.R.R. Tolkien'...
- 7,318
11
votes
3
answers
812
views
Would it be possible to sail from Aman to Middle-earth in the Fourth Age?
Following Ilúvatar's intervention in the Second Age, we know that no ship sailed by men could ever again reach Aman in the West. By implication, then, the ship leaving the Grey Havens at the end of ...
- 113
10
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Did Sauron have a sword?
In J. R. R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings lore there were present the common types of weapons as bows, arrows, spears, axes, pikes, maces, swords, etc.
In high fantasy, swords have played a preponderant ...
- 7,318
49
votes
1
answer
9k
views
Do dwarf women have beards?
In light of Amazon's recent depiction of a non-bearded dwarf woman, and some of the recent controversy around this, the question is what exactly did Tolkien say about bearded dwarf women?
Popular ...
- 94.8k
1
vote
0
answers
491
views
How did Sauron withstand the seven-year siege of Barad-dûr?
We all know that the Siege of Barad-dûr, a key event of the War of the Last Alliance, lasted seven years (S.A. 3434-3441). During that period of time the Last Alliance of Elves and Men kept the bulk ...
- 7,318
4
votes
1
answer
322
views
What did Tolkien write about the beard style of male dwarves other than of Thorin and Co (and Gimli)?
In The Hobbit, the Dwarves' beards are described quite explicitly. The convoluted history of how Tolkien thought about Dwarf women and their facial hair over is not something I want to raise here, but ...
- 2,807
4
votes
0
answers
416
views
Why does Glorfindel have a saddle?
In FotR I, ch. XII, Glorfindel mentions his saddle:
'You shall ride my horse,' said Glorfindel. 'I will shorten the stirrups up to the saddle-skins, and you must sit as tight as you can.
Later in ...
user128845
1
vote
2
answers
1k
views
Why did Peter Jackson add Aragorn's line "Let's hunt some orc"?
In the final sequences of the film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), Aragorn says the phrase "Let's hunt some Orc". Was Aragorn referring to a particular Orc?
The ...
- 7,318
8
votes
1
answer
908
views
Why didn't Bilbo see what Frodo saw when he put on the ring?
When Frodo put on the ring at Amon Hen, he could see telescopically for hundreds of miles. And when he put it on at Weathertop, everything became dim and dark except the Ringwraiths.
Yet the first ...
- 375
4
votes
2
answers
495
views
Were Isildur's traces of the ring in the right order?
Copied from this answer, as I don't have an English copy of LotR:
Already the writing upon it, which at first was as clear as red flame, fadeth and is now only barely to be read. It is fashioned in ...
- 16k
8
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What's with the Red Arrow?
In The Lord of the Rings, Book V, chapter 3, "The Muster of Rohan", Hirgon brings the Red arrow from Denethor, as a sign that Gondor desperately needs Rohan's help in the coming battles.
He ...
user128845
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Why didn't Eru Ilúvatar trip Isildur?
Eru tripped Gollum, according to the LOTR wiki, thus destroying the One Ring. If he wanted it destroyed, why didn't he do something earlier, when Isildur took the Ring for his own when he was at the ...
- 305
14
votes
1
answer
1k
views
If Frodo had put on the One Ring in Moria, would he have been invisible to the Balrog?
I am wondering if a Balrog would have been able to see someone who was wearing the One Ring.
Smaug was unable to see Bilbo when he was wearing the One Ring, so it makes me think that if Frodo had put ...
user143126
-1
votes
1
answer
504
views
What’s the threshold of power for a wielder of the one ring to defeat Sauron?
Through the series I recall there are different implications (or at least that’s my recollection of it) on who could use the ring to obtain enough power to defeat (and replace as Dark Lord) Sauron and ...
- 14.5k
2
votes
0
answers
154
views
Was Saruman truly a puppet? [duplicate]
This quote got me thinking:
The world is changing. Who now has the strength to stand against the armies of Isengard... and Mordor? To stand against the might of Sauron and Saruman... and the union of ...
- 383
14
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Is there any solid evidence that Sauron was originally called Mairon?
It's common knowledge now that Mairon was a smith of Aule and one of the greatest smiths to be known before he became corrupted and commonly known as Sauron. I want to know if anyone knows any ...
- 243
13
votes
3
answers
978
views
Did Tolkien actually use asterisms in the Lord of the Rings?
I own a version of The Fellowship of the Ring that I'm enjoying a lot, and now that I'm nearing the end I thought I might as well buy an ebook on Amazon containing all three books so I can go on with ...
- 231
18
votes
2
answers
3k
views
Was Tolkien's concept of an Oliphaunt borrowed from Afrikaans?
The Afrikaans word for an Elephant is an 'Olifant' which is phonetically similar if not identical to the mythical elephant-like creatures called the Oliphaunt. There is even a scene in the movie where ...
- 315
9
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How do spells work in Middle-earth?
Here are a few instances where spells (or something similar) appear in the books.
Gandalf's fire spells: "Naur an edraith ammen", "Naur dan i-ngaurhoth".
The spell or password ...
- 2,201
12
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Meaning of a passage from "The Battles of the Fords of Isen"
See below a passage from Unfinished Tales (The Battles of the Fords of Isen, Note 2, page 364). (I recommend you re-read the first section of The Battles of the Fords of Isen to refresh your memory.)
...
- 259
2
votes
1
answer
405
views
Are the Istari speaking the langauge of Eru Iluvatar when speaking spells?
Eru Illuvatar and the Ainur express 'magic,' or their godly powers, through the usage of song and words. Is the magic we see in Middle-Earth a translation of Eru's language, or is it vaguely ...
- 31
5
votes
1
answer
527
views
Since the Mirror of Galadriel could show what might happen in the future, could it have shown Frodo that he would succeed at destroying the One Ring?
I am wondering that if the Mirror of Galadriel could show Frodo what might take place in the future, could it have shown him that he would succeed in his quest to destroy the One Ring?
user143126
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Similarities between The Wheel of Time and Tolkien's Legendarium
Did Robert Jordan ever remark on the similarities between The Wheel of Time and Tolkien's Legendarium? Especially names from The Silmarillion (Hurin, Huan &c.) and characters/themes (not names, ...
user128845
9
votes
1
answer
422
views
What are the differences in the description of Meduseld, the Golden Hall at Edoras?
I recently read that the description of the Golden Hall I am familiar with might be incomplete.
In The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Book Three, Chapter 6, "the King of the Golden Hall"...
- 42.1k
7
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Any significant textual differences between the 1954-5 Lord of the Rings and later editions?
I know that Tolkien made meaningful changes to the content of The Hobbit — both in the 1955 second edition and the 1966 third edition — to align it better with the world and plot depicted in The Lord ...
- 71
12
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Does the German movie translation of Lord of the Rings intentionally use 'du' in this way?
Over on the German Language StackExchange, RDBury asks Is Gandalf really on 'du' terms with the Balrog? (Odd 'duzen' example)
I don't speak German, but I get the impression from their question:
...
- 82.2k
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
What did the Valar think of Eru Ilúvatar sending Gandalf back to Middle-earth?
I would like to know if there is anything written in LOTR canon about what the Valar had thought about Eru Ilúvatar sending Gandalf back to Middle-earth as Gandalf the White.
For example, did all of ...
user143126
11
votes
2
answers
3k
views
How fast did the Three Hunters go?
In LOTR book 3, Éomer comments on the Three Hunters' speed:
'It is now the fourth day since he was slain,' answered Aragorn, 'and since the
evening of that day we have journeyed from the shadow of ...
user128845
0
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Why were the Easterlings and Haradrim fighting for Sauron? [duplicate]
Sauron's army contained a mixture of Orcs, Easterlings and Haradrim. From my understanding of the books and films the Orcs are created by Sauron and act as his slaves. So the Orcs don't have much of a ...
- 279
-4
votes
1
answer
356
views
In Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings Films, what is the eventual fate of Samwise? [closed]
Reference this related question for context.
In the film adaptation, the ship that Frodo and Bilbo took was the last ship to leave for the Undying Lands.
So, in-universe of the films, what eventually ...
- 10.6k
6
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Why were they called the Corsairs of Umbar?
In Tolkien's Middle-earth, the region of Umbar is some distance almost due south of Gondor. It's inhabited by a fierce seagoing people, descendants of evil Númenóreans and Haradrim, feared for their ...
- 3,813
8
votes
1
answer
962
views
Are elves born in Valinor after the year of the trees Calaquendi?
Calaquendi are the group of elves in Tolkien’s Legendarium that beheld the light of the two trees in Valinor. It consists of the Vanyar, Noldor, Falmari, and Thingol out of all Umanyar.
Can the status ...
- 361