The Revived Tolkien Trivia

[HareBrain]

Hmm, I did suspect that might not be the whole answer.

Anyone else feel free to jump in and grab it, because I'm not sure where to go from here.

 

[Boaz]

I was thinking just as HB, but with Far's decline of the answer... I remembered.

The Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age

...the Seeing Stone of Emyn Beraid was set Elostrion.... Thither Elendil... would gaze out over the sundering seas.... thus he would at whiles see far away even the Tower of Avallone upon Eressea, where the Master Stone abode, and yet abides.

 

[HareBrain]

Ah, got it. Reading that they were made by the Noldor triggered a vague memory, and via Unfinished Tales I at last came to this:

Thither Elendil would repair, and thence he would gaze out over the sundering seas, when the yearning of exile was upon him; and it is believed that thus he would at whiles see far away even the Tower of Avallone upon Eressea, where the Master-Stone abode, and yet abides.

(Silmarillion, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age)

ETA: bah! Pipped at the post!

 

[Boaz]

I'm a faster typer!!!!!

Far, give it to HB. He did all the work.

 

[HareBrain]

I could probably have got away with a shorter quote. And those brackets around the source added at least a second. I shall learn for next time!

 

[HareBrain]

Far, give it to HB. He did all the work.

Nope -- you said you were thinking along those lines anyway.

Congrats, Boaz (there, made it final), and nice question, Farny.

 

[farntfar]

Congratulations both of you. Both posted in the same minute, either one of you could have made your entry a bit shorter and thus have won.

So an Avallone bell to Boaz, and a Roxy Music album to HB.

Over to you Boaz, for the next question

 

[Boaz]

Okay... of Firsty, Hairy, and Starry, which one had the most (at least half-elven) descendants using their root name?

Edit: All the information you need is in The Silmarillion.

 

[Boaz]

I'll be gone for the weekend. Let me give a hint....

These are alternate interpretations... First-man, Hair-man, and Star-man. Who had the most descendants (of at least one half elven blood) who used first, hair, or star in their names?

 

[Boaz]

No interest in elven genealogy. I can post something else after I take a nap...

 

[farntfar]

Well 1 point, Boaz, was that you say star-man etc.
Could it be Star-woman, becaif so, a,d if,as is not made clear, the el part of Miriel refers to Star, it's got to be her.
Mir is jewel, as pointed out in the Names index, but not necessarily Star-Jewel in total.

She has one son, Feanor, who has seven sons, at least one of whom has a son, Celebrimbor, making a total of 9, which I think clinches it.

 

[HareBrain]

No interest in elven genealogy.

Elven?! I was looking at the houses of men. Can't remember what put that idea so firmly in my head.

 

[Boaz]

In Quenya, the names of the three ambassadors (the kings of the elves) Ingwe, Finwe, and Elwe each share the -we ending... meaning male or possessing qualities of the prefix. The prefixes Fin and El mean Hair and Star respectively. What I am was trying to ask (believing that Ingwe, Finwe, and Elwe would be easy to deduce) is whether Finwe or Elwe has more descendants of at least half elven blood using their names of Hair and Star... i.e. Fin and El.

For example, Celebrimbor fathered Celebrian. They are not elves, but Eomund fathered Eomer and Eowyn.

If I am being completely unclear, just say so... don't be so polite.

 

[Hugh]

I'm afraid I've read the Silmarillion just the once and, other than an interest in Ungoliant, am only vaguely aware of much except for the overall picture. So I hadn't even begun to assay this puzzle.
Full respect to you @farntfar!

 

[Boaz]

Yes. All information is contained in The Silmarillion.... or it could easily be pulled from JEA Tylyer's The New Tolkien Companion.

 

[Boaz]

Alright...

Finwe fathered Curufinwe, Fingolfin, and Finarfin.
Curufinwe fathered Curufin.
Fingolfin fathered Fingon.
Finarfin fathered Finrod and Orodreth.
Orodreth fathered Finduilas.

Elwe fathered Luthien.
Luthien birthed Dior.
Dior fathered Elwing, Elured, and Elurin.
Elwing birthed Elrond and Elros. (Called the Half-Elven, though they were 9/16 Elf)
Elrond fathered Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen.
Arwen birthed Eldarion... who I now realize is not exactly half-elven. Doing some quick math, I think Eldarion is only 25/64 Elf, 19/32 Human, and 1/64 Maiar.

So the answer is at tie, at seven each for Finwe and Elwe, and not 8 for Elwe (as I mistakenly thought when I posted the question).

No bells... all around.

The floor is open to whoever can post some trivia...

 

[HareBrain]

I'm pretty happy to get a Nobells award.

I'll throw one in, then. Hopefully not too hard.

Who recalls instructing someone in a skill they should (according to folkloric wisdom) already have known?

 

[Pyan]

Ioreth? She takes the credit (or so she tells her kinswoman from Imloth Melui) of reminding Aragorn, Gandalf et al that:

'“The hands of the king are the hands of a healer”, I said; and that was how it was all discovered. And Mithrandir, he said to me: “Ioreth, men will long remember your words”, and-‘
But Ioreth was not permitted to continue the instruction of her kinswoman from the country...

ROTK, Book 6, Chapter 5. The Steward and the King

 

[Boaz]

pyan, what about the Master of the Houses of Healing reciting his encyclopedic knowledge to Aragorn?

 

[HareBrain]

Sorry, Py, that's not it. This rephrasing might help a bit:

Who recalls instructing someone in a skill they should (according to one of our common traditional sayings) already have known?