Top Ten Middle-earth Misconceptions

How many Middle-earth myths do you know?

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#Lordoftherings
#Lore
#Tolkien
#Middleearth

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Melodic/Celtic/Fantasy → Fjörður (Full Album) // Royalty Free Music - Royalty Free Music - Alexander Nakarada

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Much love, stay groovy, and navaer melyn nin!

[PhattyBolger]

After being a Lord of the Rings fan for many years, I was absolutely shocked when I read the appendices and discovered that while Tolkien portrays the stories as being in English, they are done so only for our benefit.
The description he gave about how the term "Hobbit" came from "Holbytla", similar to "Hole builder" only works in English. In Westron, Hobbits are called "Kuduk" coming from "Kûd-dûkan".
In fact, Tolkien styles the origin of the stories as a collection of old texts that he found and translated into English. The very same texts that Bilbo and Frodo wrote. I found that amazing.

[FaeFemboi]

Something I love about the deeper lore of Middle Earth is that Morgoth didn't originally want to destroy or corrupt anything. He just wanted to genuinely create stuff from nothing like Eru did, and got mad that he couldn't. Hence that great quote from Eru about "Even in my possible defeat I will have won because you are proving my own creations to be great by using them to your own ends"

[katerbiller]

You glanced over something in the council.Bilbo was the one who at first was saying that since he was responsible for finding the ring, it was up to him to destroy it. This to me is crucial as it is what compells Frodo our of care for Bilbo, his father figure to break the silence and find his courage.

[Motofiend]

Some one probably mentioned this: in translations we use accents as cultural short cuts. The Scottish accent is used through out adaptions, translations, and Shakespeare as a cultural short hand for being a warrior (it is why romans speak Posh english, and the Spartans speak in a Scottish brogue).

I believe that is why dwarves sound scottish in the common adaptation

[ClockworkWyrm]

The moment Frodo says he will take the Ring gives me chills every time. Doesn't matter if I'm reading the book or watching the movies, it's just such a powerful moment.

[lucasholmberg]

The fact Sauron tortured or at least spoke to Gollum face to face is quite possible, probable even. I would imagine Sauron would want to be sure he knew everything Gollum knew. After all it was Gollum who knew most about the rings whereabouts and Sauron would not want to risk not finding out everything.

[kuhluhOG]

Here a small fun fact: In the german version Tolkien made the choice to NOT name elves Elfen (like the translation would be) but Elben (while Tolkien didn't translate the book himself, he was in contact with the translator; originally he wanted Alb but there was already an author who did this out of the same reasons about a century earlier who chose Elb). He did this to further differentiate them in name too from the elves from e.g. Peter Pan.

[crichtonbruce]

Another reason that the Arkenstone cannot be a Silmaril (at least to me) is that it was never recognize as such by the elves. At it's discovery, and though it's subsequent history, there were still in Middle Earth many elves (Galadriel in particular for the elves, plus Saruman, Gandalf, etc.) who had lived before the destruction of the Two Trees and had seen the Silmarils before Morgoth stole them. The idea that a Silmaril could re-surface and be unrecognized by these Elves (and most other elves) is to me absurd.

[guidoferri]

From what I understood, Frodo, Bilbo and the others didn't die after a short time in Valinor, because they stayed in Tor Elessea, an island near it. They lived "for a limited time", limited in the literal sense of the word: they didn't become immortal, but they could decide when to die, after a short or long length of time. So it is possible that they got to see each others again.

[steakismeat]

Pippin: Hey can we stop and celebrate Christmas?
Aragorn: We already did that.

Pippin: We’ve had one yes, but what about 2nd Christmas?

[lib-center]

LOTR isn't fantasy. It's the history of an alternate universe. Tolkien had a secret window into it and rather than just being amused he decided to share it with everyone.

Edit: I'm pretty fed up with all the people who think I'm serious. Whoosh

[conanedogawa]

In terms of whether or not Tolkein is fantasy, he definitely re-defined the fantasy genre. These days, authors either write something inspired by tolkein's style, inspired by something that was inspired by tolkein's style, or if you want to get really different and break the mold, then you will write something that's inspired by tolkien's methodology and actually do the work to make your own historically inspired invented mythology.

[BambiTrout]

For me, I definitely understand how the Undying Lands would be a perfect place for the Ringbearers to heal. In my own life, after experiencing traumatic events, my biggest desire was always for life to just pause for a bit. For time to freeze and everything to stop changing for a while, so that I could have my chance to breathe and process what I had gone through before getting back on the ladder - before having to confront the consequences of whatever had just happened. I expect it was, as with much of his work, heavily influenced by his traumatic experiences in the First World War, and the desire for respite from the terrors of a rapidly changing and increasingly violent world.

For Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam, who had lived through such traumatic events as the War of the Ring, or the held the malice of Sauron around their neck for so long, I can imagine a time in an unchanging land of eternal peace, surrounded by music and laughter and light, would have been the most perfect healing they could have ever wished for - a spiritual cleansing. A refuge from the world, and a peace that their own minds would have been unable to provide. I think it's just beautiful.

[chrisvanlaarhoven]

Here’s one train of thought I enjoy as a fan of languages: A well know name of a river in Tolkien’s works River Running or “Running River”, translated into Norwegian: Rennende Elf. Put a few centuries on that it would probably become something like Rennendelf or perhaps even Rinnendelf. Perhaps morphing to Rivendel? Tolkien must have had quite some enjoyment with his knowledge of language.

[Troels_T_Kjoeller]

This is a very, very good list. About Gollum and Sauron: In “The Unifinished Tales”, part 3, chapter IV, there’s a text by Tolkien explaining how Sauron, after torturing and questioning Gollum, lets him go because he senses something indomitable in him, and has Gollum tracked because he expected Gollum to lead him to the Ring. But his spies loses him. There follows something I’ll quote: “Now Sauron had never paid heed to the ‘halflings’, even if he had heard of them, and he did not yet know where their lands lay. From Gollum, even under pain, he could not get any clear account, both because Gollum indeed had no certain knowledge himself, and because what he knew he falsified. Ultimately indomitable he was, except by death, as Sauron guessed, both from his hafling nature, and from a cause which Sauron did not fully comprehend, being himself consumed by lust for the Ring. Then he became filled with a hatred of Sauron even greater than his terror, seeing in him truly his greatest enemy and rival. Thus it was that he dared to pretend that he believed that the land of the Halflings was near to the places where he had once dwelt beside the banks of the Gladden.” Since finding the Ring was paramount to Sauron, it makes sense that Sauron was personally involved in the questioning and torture of Gollum. It also story-wise makes Gollum a direct link between Frodo and Sauron. I suppose that Gollum also called Sauron “Master”, grovelled, begged and made promises, all the while keeping his true intentions locked away deep inside. There’s something interesting about Gollum being caught between Frodo and Sauron: Two poles, both using Gollum to their own ends, both being his competitors regarding the Ring, and therefore paths to his ruin, but being opposites regarding their methods and objectives.

[cocogoat]

The one about the Undying Lands is indeed bittersweet. I wasn't really sure about the specifics on that one, but I think it's more poignant and beautiful that Frodo and Bilbo earned the privileged to be able to heal in peace before passing on. Just as beautiful and heartbreaking as Gandalf accomplished his mission and is now leaving the world in the hands of men to set up a new age. It's might seem sad, but it's not tragic. Everything has to end and that is not a bad thing.

[Kayem]

On the note of number 2. There's far more to it, you'll notice that Tolkien says first that they will grow 'weary' sooner. This is the same word that Tolkien uses when describing Elves in Middle Earth. Tolkien is very particular with his words, and there's a meaning there. A mortal will find that all the other creatures hardly change over his life span. This is because the Undying Lands are static, they do not change. Elves, designed with their immortality in mind, do excellently in the Undying Lands, where things don't change. They grow 'weary' in Middle Earth because of how rapidly things change. Even long-lived Numenorean Kings were too short for them, and caused immense stress on those elves familiar with them. The first time that a man died among Elves they were confused, and incredibly hurt as they didn't understand what it meant.

Similarly, mortals can't live in the Undying Lands without growing weary of nothing changing. The land is not meant for them, and they are to move beyond Arda. They need change to exist. This is also why mortals were not allowed in the Undying Lands. For while looking upon it would make a mortal always long to return, living there would cause Man to destroy it just for the sake of change.

Though it is important to note that while the Ringbearers go to the undying lands, it doesn't tell how long it would take for their spirits to heal. Bilbo described himself as feeling stretched thin. This is because the ring does the same thing it did to the Ringwraiths, it bound his spirit to the world. The ringwraiths have no physical form, and must inhabit their robes because they are naught but spirit now, forcibly bound to remain in Arda despite being called to venture beyond as is the 'Doom' of Man. Who knows how long it would take for their spirits to be healed enough of the damage caused by the Ring for them to move on as they are supposed to.

[ghouling]

I think you made the issue with the two towers sound more simple then it was, Tolkien himself wasn't sure which two towers he meant, he changed his mind a few times. There wasn't a definitive answer.

I can't express how happy I was the see my notification for this video. Miss your videos.

[volbla]

I haven't read the books, but my favourite moments of Gimli's in the films is when he comes across as experienced and urbane.

_"Give me your name, horse master, and i shall give you mine."_

There are only a few moments like these, but to me they convey a greater sense of wisdom than any other cast member.

[Tacklepig]

Little correction - Rumpelstiltskin is NOT a dwarf. Nor is he any kind of humanoid.

He is a Schrat, a sort of... Germanic nature spirit. Think Kodamas from japanese folklore, or Leshen from slavic. Usually these are actually spirits that inhabit a constructed totem, rather than having their own body - that's also why Rumpelstiltskin can tear himself apart in the end of the story, he's literally a spirit inhabiting a wooden doll.