The Revived Tolkien Trivia

[Marky Lazer]

Brothers we though half by birth
Separated at the firth

Who am I talking about?

Okay, half-brothers: Elrond and Elros? Half-brother because Elrond chose to be counted among the Elves and Elros among Men?

...and with him was Elrond Half-elven, who chose, as was granted him, to be numbered among the eldar; but Elros is brother chose to abide with Men.

Silmarillion, 24 Of the voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath

And firth is the middle English word for forest, isn't it?

The infants were not slain, but left like 'babes in the wood', in a cave with a fall of water over the entrance. There they were found: Elrond within the cave, and Elros dabbling in the water.

Letter 211 To Rhona Beare

If not, I might have another idea, but that's more work...

 

[Grimward]

Well considered, good sir, but not what I have in mind....

 

[Marky Lazer]

Okay, I've got another idea, but that takes some more time. Maybe tomorrow

 

[Grimward]

Go firth boldly, Marky....

 

[Marky Lazer]

We can do without your punes or plays on words

 

[Grimward]

Where's the fun in that?

Oh, all right.

*Sulks momentarily, then....*

Is another clue necessary?

 

[Grimward]

A clue, then.

Building on Marky's offering, these brothers are truly half-brothers, not symbolic or inferred.

 

[HareBrain]

The half-brothers are Feanor and Fingolfin, the firth being the Firth of Drengist, where Feanor burnt the ships

And the landing of Feanor was at the mouth of the firth which was called Drengist and ran into Dor-Lomin.

... Feanor caused fire to be set to the white ships of the Teleri. So in that place which was called Losgar at the outlet of the Firth of Drengist ended the fairest vessels that ever sailed the sea, in a great burning, bright and terrible. And Fingolfin and his people saw the light afar off, red beneath the clouds; and they knew that they were betrayed. This was the firstfruits of the Kinslaying and the Doom on the Noldor.

Both from Silmarillion, ch9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"

Finwe
=(i) Miriel ..............................=(ii) Indis
/ ................................................./
Feanor .....................................Fingolfin

From Silmarillion, family trees (if you need a text quote to prove their half-brotherhood I can try to find one)

 

[Grimward]

Hmmm, I originally had a 2-quote answer in mind, but never specified such. You found the harder of the two quotes, Sir Hare, and have correctly established the origins of the brothers' relationship to each other (poor Finarfin, always a third wheel; even his kids bolted on him!). If you give me Míriel's full name (or the quote, of course), the firth-shaped bell is yours.

(And good luck ringing it, if the map is any indication of the shape of said firth!)

 

[HareBrain]

Given my avatar, it should be a Frith-shaped bell


It seems JRRT made it rather easier than I'd thought.

The sons of Finwe were Feanor, and Fingolfin, and [some other dude]; but the mother of Feanor was Miriel Serinde, whereas the mother of Fingolfin and [his brother] was Indis of the Vanyar.

Silmarillion, ch5: "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalie"

 

[Grimward]

*Sighs* And I'd heard it said that Finarfin was quite fond of rabbits, too....

Told you I thought it an easy chestnut, good sir.

Well done, the floor is yours, and may you never need to ring that bell in a situation where you want someone to hear it.

*Returns to asbestos seat in the gallery next to Clanny and waits patiently for next question*

 

[HareBrain]

What I think you meant to say, Lord Grim, rather than "easy chestnut", was that my answering that question was a titanic achievement, worthy of a thousand years of song!

Anyway, I thank you for the useless bell ...

"A door, a door, my kingdom for a door" - who literally, it would seem, made that rather unwise exchange?

 

[Grimward]

*With considerable difficulty, refrains from singing the praises of the Titanic (caps intended) achievement, and also pretends to notice a spider web in the corner of the TT....*

 

[Grimward]

*Coughs, which sounds suspciously like "Rohan"*

 

[Pyan]

I'm pretty sure I know, but am on holiday far from my copies...

Perchance, has the answer turned up in the "ABC" thread recently, Grimmy?...

 

[The Judge]

I'm pretty sure I know, but am on holiday far from my copies...

You are logging into Chrons while you are on holiday?

You do know that this may be grounds for divorce??

At least you didn't take all your Tolkienania with you...

J

 

[Grimward]

*Takes the presiding one aside*

Er, didn't you get a reply in your Introduction thread that indicated the lack of possibility where escape from The Chrons is concerned, your honorableness? To not have received such would be balder-dash....

*Resumes studying the spider web, but begins tapping his foot....*

 

[HareBrain]

*Pushes Grim closer to spider's web, which then conflagrates*

 

[Grimward]

OK, my good rabbit, since we just torched Shelob VIII (formerly known as "the Deathless"), should I stop dropping hints, potentially misleading or otherwise?

 

[HareBrain]

C'mon, does nobody know this apart from Grim? I'm not going to give any more clues than he's already dropped, and he's gone away now so somebody has to answer it.