The Revived Tolkien Trivia

[Pyan]

I’m serious. The above post was not a joke. I felt really stupid when I saw the answer was Beorn.

Don't fret about it, @Boaz - I can absolutely see where your mind would go scampering after a three-Ring circus...

 

[paranoid marvin]

In many ways it's heartening to know that in a world as brutal and fraught with danger as Middle-earth, such things as circuses did exist. Perhaps with oliphaunts, and of course with a Ringmaster.

 

[Pyan]

Apropos of absolutely nothing...

 

[Pyan]

Just a reminder:

A nice easy one. Quote, please.

Who were the King under the Mountain and the King in Dale when the King of the West was crowned?

 

[HareBrain]

Thorin III Stonehelm and Bard II respectively.

"Then Bard II, Brand's son, became King in Dale, and Thorin III Stonehelm, Dain's son, became King under the Mountain. They sent their ambassadors to the crowning of King Elessar..."

LOTR Appendix B.

(I read the account of the coronation a couple of times, trying to find it there, before remembering the appendices!)

 

[Pyan]

Useful things, the appendices!

You're correct, of course. A set of coronation bells for you, and it's your turn.

 

[HareBrain]

Thank you

Who was given a seemingly very inappropriate name at birth, but grew into it? No quote needed.

(For avoidance of doubt, this isn't Aragorn.)

 

[Pyan]

When you say 'inappropriate name', I can't help but think of Teleporno, the Quenya name of Celeborn, and the Hill of Tuna, in Valinor. Not the answer, but amusing...

 

[CupofJoe]

Ring of Silvianus
Who knew...

 

[HareBrain]

I can't help but think of Teleporno, the Quenya name of Celeborn,

In the original draft, Frodo looked into the Mirror of Galadriel and saw her greeting a washing-machine repair man.

 

[Boaz]

I have two thoughts on this one. First, hobbits have names that feature plants and geographic features. (For instance, Robin Smallburrow… Was he born homeless? And then was able to later acquire a small burrow of his own?)

My second thought on this is regarding elves. The elves like to give it names with significance in regard to a person’s character. (For example, Gandalf. I know he’s not an elf, but the elves named him Mithrandir. The Gray Wanderer. The Gray Pilgrim.)

Yet, my official guess is… Peregrin Took, son of Paladin. It is a hobbit name, yet it has character significance like the elf names. (I first became aware of the word, peregrine, in Latin, about 20 years ago. It is most commonly used today for a peregrine falcon. But peregrine means a wanderer or traveler in Latin. After the fall of the western Roman empire, it was Irish Catholic monks who spread the gospel the British Isles. One of the hallmarks of these Irish Christians was to load themselves into a boat, maybe a coracle, and let the wind and the waves take them away. They vowed to spread the word of God wherever the wind, the waves, and the spirit took them. They were called peregrinati.) The Tooks were always considered an adventurous a lot, but the name had to have been strange even for them.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Samwise?

 

[HareBrain]

Neither of those. Boaz's Peregrin Took is pretty close.

 

[Boaz]

Boy, I actually thought I had gotten this one on the first try. I really like these logic and middle-earth knowledge based questions. I like trying to link one bit of knowledge to another in order to find the answer.

Some hobbit names are actual names in summer nicknames. I think Sam actually named his daughter Goldilocks. And I cannot imagine that he would’ve done so if she was not born with golden locks. And I don’t think that Fatty Bolger‘s parents named him Fatty, I think his actual name is Fredegar.

I also want to take Maeglin off of the board. Eol did not name him until after he was weaned oe maybe even came of age, I sort of forgot.

So, my new official guess is… Feanor… aka Curufinwe. His father named him Curufinwe, the skill of Finwe. He grew up to be the greatest craftsman of the Noldor. His mother named him, Feanor, spirit of fire. He grew up to be the most passionate of all the Noldor.

 

[HareBrain]

Boy, I actually thought I had gotten this one on the first try.

Yeah, I forgot to say it was very good.

By the name being "very inappropriate" at birth, I mean not just non-applicable, but ridiculously unfitting. I guess Curufinwe is getting there, because a baby can't have skill (or wisdom, as in PM's Samwise), but I mean more stupid than that.

Also remember I said you were quite close with Peregrin Took.

 

[paranoid marvin]

His father Paladin Took?

 

[Pyan]

Meriadoc Brandybuck?
Meriadoc translates as 'Great Lord', which he wasn't as a baby (except to his mother, of course) but he ended up as the Master of Buckland.

 

[HareBrain]

Meriadoc translates as 'Great Lord', which he wasn't as a baby (except to his mother, of course) but he ended up as the Master of Buckland.

Good logic, but nope, it's more diametrically opposed rather than neutrally wrong, if that makes sense.

Peregrin is also close in another way than I was thinking: the answer draws on a Classical language.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Meriadoc supposedly means 'great lord' in Welsh. Not a classical language though!

 

[Boaz]

Diametrically opposed to a baby’s name… Or a baby… Or a mortal creature.

So sometimes authors, use words, in tails that are semi-legendary or mythic, like talking, as a name… But the word is actually a title or a position.

I think we’re looking for a word, like traveler, that is a title of something that is opposite of a baby.

For example… My own name, Doak, comes from an old Brithonnic name commonly associated with Welsh… Cadwgan or Cadogan. It means battle glory. I’ve read theories on how the front and back of the name was dropped until only the nickname was left. And the nickname was more acceptable to the British of the middle ages. Of course, there’s also the theory that it comes straight from Latin… Dux… the leader. From which we get the Italian words, doge and duce, the Frech duc, and English duke and duchy.

We may be looking for a name that means king or queen, or wise one.

Also, I think the hint of classical language means Greek or Latin.

My official guess is Fortinbras Took. I don’t know what it means. But I see the FORT in the name and I know that means strength in Latin. How can a baby be strong?