The Revived Tolkien Trivia

[Narkalui]

Wasn't it Maeglor who was strung up by his wrist?

edit:

Blast!
Or the son of Feanor who took one of the Silmarils after Morgoth's defeat and it burnt his hand....?

 

[farntfar]

I think it was Maedhros who was hung by the wrist and he and his brother Maglor who took the last 2 silmarils.
But no, I'm afraid it was neither of those two elves who sang the song, but a man.
Sam spoke of him to Frodo at one point.

But don't forget the answer sought relates to the object of the song, not to the singer.

 

[Grimward]

Apologies; the 75-worder drove this clean out of my head. As far suggests, I think you were on the right track with the hands (or lack thereof!), Narkalui. Here's my stab at it...

Thanks Grim!

Hmm.
This should be fairly straight forward.

If the world were dissolved, why would its making yet be good?

...for this, the dusk, the dawn, the earth, the sea-
that Lúthien for a time should be.

Though I suspect you are referring specifically to Lúthien, far, as Tolkien and Beren really were.

The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XIX, Of Beren and Lúthien

 

[farntfar]

That's the one.
Sung by Beren on his approach to Angband, in despair for his "certain" failure and loss of Luthien.
I always found that song so romantic, and know it by heart.

Though all to ruin fell the world
and were dissolved and backward hurled
unmade into the old abyss,
yet were its making good for this
the dusk, the dawn the earth, the sea
that Luthien for a time might be.


One hand bell to you Grim.
And the next question.

 

[Grimward]

Thank you Mr. far, sir. I don't believe I have a one-hand bell in the collection prior to this one.

Who are the Outsiders, and where don't they go?

 

[farntfar]

Maybe if we get another Beren question you could get one for the other hand. (And then nine questions about Frodo for the fingerbells. )

 

[Grimward]

Maybe if we get another Beren question you could get one for the other hand. (And then nine questions about Frodo for the fingerbells. )

Thanks for the chuckle. It was a Thursday that felt like a Monday, and I apparently needed it!

 

[Grimward]

OK, time for a correction, and a clue. Correcting my earlier challenge:

Who are the Outsiders, and who doesn't visit them?

(with apologies for my erroring synapses!).

As to the clue, decency and prosperity suggest that they'd make good hosts?

 

[hopewrites]

I want to think it was a group of elves, who chose to live outside --- what's it called, that elven paradice they moved out of when coming to middle earth, but not the off planet one.

Only I can't remember if they moved all the way to middle earth, or just lived outside and down the coast.
As to who would not visit them, I can only think it would be the elves who live in... that place whose name I can't remember.

This in no way counts as an answer, as it's far too vague.

 

[Grimward]

Very reasonable, hope. Would offer, though, that while Tolkien used a lot of adjectives to describe the elves, decency wasn't one of them (as Sam said, "they seem a bit above my likes and dislikes", or something to that effect!). You're definitely onto something with other members of that same OTHER race not visiting the Outsiders, however...

 

[farntfar]

No. I think it's hobbitses. And I think it was something someone said at Bree. (Nob or Bob or someone). But I haven't time to look. So I'll let someone else take it from there, and probably prove me completely wrong.

 

[Grimward]

I think far has some Insider information.

 

[Narkalui]

If it's Hobbitses, is it the Tooks during Sharkey's dominion?

 

[farntfar]

I'm afraid I was nearly right.
At the beginning of At the Sign of the Prancing Pony, the shirefolk are shown to be the most appalling xenophobes.

The Shire-hobbits referred to those of Bree, and to any others that lived beyond the borders, as Outsiders, and took very little interest in them, considering them dull and uncouth.


It goes on to descibe how lots of non-Shire hobbits (and particularly Breelanders) are perfectly decent but that the shirefolk will have nothing to do with them, and certainly don't visit (except for the occasional adventurous Took.)
SHREXIT would have gone through without a vote.

 

[hopewrites]

Excellent trivia! I always forget that bit about hobbits. Well played both of ya.

 

[Grimward]

'Tis indeed.

A bell for you (left Outside, of course, in hopes that you'll visit it), and the honors of the next challenge, Sir far.

*Takes a seat next to hope and Narkalui in the gallery and awaits the next test*

 

[Grimward]

*Wonders if far decided to visit The Prancing Pony to make up for the poor graces of those standoffish Shirefolk*

 

[hopewrites]

*wanders into the Prancing Pony looking for @farntfar *

*finds Pippin and ends up staying for karaoke*

 

[Grimward]

Just don't let Frodo get up and sing a song about the cow and the moon...

 

[hopewrites]

Isn't that the long version of the nursery rhyme where the dish runs away with the spoon?

I'm no dog, but that does make me laugh.