The Revived Tolkien Trivia

[Grimward]

Thanks Hope! And sorry Grim.

Thinking obliquely of Ged's boat in Earthsea,(just to distract you) which king looked far?

No worries, Far; you're better with names than I am, anyway. As a matter of fact, the magic system of Earthsea was the first thing that came to my mind after your very first challenge here. I remember thinking "I bet he'd love EarthSea."

So, knowing this penchant for names, I've more than a bit of doubt about my answer, which seems too obvious...

But when Inziladûn acceded to the sceptre, he took again a title in the Elven-tongue of old, calling himself Tar-Palantir, for he was far-sighted both in eye and mind, and even those that hated him feared his words as those of a true-seer.

The Silmarillion, Akallabêth

and

Tar-Palantir Twenty-fourth King of Númenor, who repented of the ways of the Kings, and took his name in Quenya: 'He who looks afar'.

The Silmarillion, Index

 

[farntfar]

Well done Grim. Tar-Palantir is who I was thinking of.. Just browsing through the LOTR after Isengard and Aragorn looking in the Palantir, and thought of it.

So a longsighted bell to you, and the next question.

And you're right. I did love Earthsea, but never went further than the Tombs of Atuan. I must read Tehanu one day.

 

[Grimward]

And possibly The Farthest Shore before that, but I've not read Tehanu either.

Thanks for the bell (kind of looks like a Palantir...if I look into it, will I see Pyan? ).

What rattles mournfully in the night breeze?

 

[farntfar]

Yes Grim. I have read the Farthest Shore. (Got them in the wrong order, thinking of Tenar )

Oh, that's a good question. I remember the phrase, but where was it?

 

[Corbier]

What rattles mournfully in the night breeze?

The leaves of a tree to camp under!

A little way beyond the battle-field they made their camp under a spreading tree: it looked like a chestnut, and yet it still bore many broad brown leaves of a former year, like dry hands with long splayed fingers; they rattled mournfully in the night-breeze.

The Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, The Riders of Rohan.

 

[Grimward]

It is indeed, Corb! And sorry for the punny choice, but with a bell at stake something that rattled was too good to pass up!

A mournful, leaf-shaped bell to you, with the privileges of the floor to present the next challenge!

 

[Corbier]

Thanks. The next one up then:

When Treebeard has taken Merry and Pippin to the roots of the Last Mountain, how far has he brought them?

 

[farntfar]

About seventy thousand entstrides, but what that comes to in the measurement of your land I do not know.

 

[Clansman]

'lo.

 

[Grimward]

Clanny! I thought perhaps you'd been swallowed by jurisprudence.

 

[Corbier]

About seventy thousand entstrides, but what that comes to in the measurement of your land I do not know.

That's what I was looking for! Tingaling and you're to go.

 

[farntfar]

Thanks Corbier.

When will Eowyn return?

 

[Boaz]

After Theoden's burial. "...but when one whom I long loved as father is laid at last to rest, I will return." The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Book VI, Chapter V.

 

[farntfar]

Well done Boaz.
I offer you a simbelmyne covered bell, and look forward to your question.

 

[Boaz]

If I shake the bell, won't the flowers fall? And how did you get simbelmyne? Do you live in Rohan or are you of royal lineage?

Okay... here goes...

How does the legend of Horatius Cocles fit into Middle-earth?

 

[Grimward]

OK, 'fessing up.

I don't usually use the internet to answer these questions (just bad form, if nothing else, and other participants have noted that one of the points of this thread is to revisit these books that we love in pursuit of answers, quotes, etc.). In this case, however, I have to ask for an exception, as I am sadly, completely ignorant as to the legend of Horatius Cocles; any objections amongst you worthy folks, especially you as the "speaker on the floor" Boaz?

 

[farntfar]

Horatio was a Roman hero.
I can't remember the dates or anything.
The Etruscans were trying to invade, and they arrived too early for the Roman reinforcements to be there.
So Horatio, and 2 of his mates, whose names I can't remember either, stood and fought off the Etruscan army at the gates of the bridge over the river Tiber.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Romans knocked the bridge down, it being the only way to get to Rome.
Eventually, the 2 others had to jump across the last gap, before the bridge fell, leaving our hero to hold off the Etruscans.
Once the bridge fell, Horatio jumped into the swirling waters, and swam across, bearing his armour and the pride and safety of Rome with him.
By the time the Etruscans had built some boats the 7th Cavalry had arrived and Rome was saved.
There is a long and frightfully jingoistic poem, by Lord Macauley, which was popular with certain kinds of English teacher when I was young.

 

[Grimward]

Ah, I have heard of that Horatio, but only by the first name (have never read the poem, never seen Cocles attached to Horatio, etc....as noted...IGNORANT here ). Clearly, my English teachers were never of that kind (or possibly I paid less attention than was due?).Thanks for the enlightenment, far!

 

[Boaz]

Yes, in sixth grade english class we read Horatio at the Bridge.

Excellent job, farntfar. Horatio held off the Etruscans until the bridge was destroyed behind him and then he turned, dived, and safely swam to the opposite shore... and putting off the Etruscans for a few more years. Cocles was a nickname... One Eye... that's a minor detail.

Writers of fantasy can be inspired by other fantasy, but should not just plagiarize. <cough> <Terry> <cough> <Brooks> <cough> But they can and should feel free to draw upon actual history, legend, and mythology.

Sooooo.... how does the legend of Horatio/Horatius Cocles relate to The Lord of the Rings?

By the way, tell me if this is unfair trivia or not.

 

[farntfar]

Thanks, Boaz.
Gods that poem. I can still quote you the last three verses verbatim after more than 40 years.

2 things.

Might you be referring to Galdalf on the bridge of Khazad Dum? (You shall not pass! and all that)
He took a rather longer time to swim across.

Thing the second.
Boaz.
References to other things have certainly been done before. (The green stone and all that, for instance)
Grim!
Can I suggest that we make a rule that you can look up references to other things on the internet with impunity, but still frown on looking up Tolkien or his works there?