The Revived Tolkien Trivia

[pdurrant]

Where are the best rooms found?

Off the top of my head, I'd say on the ground floor at the rear of "The Prancing Pony" in Bree. Now to check....

Well, it'd be "the north wing", but I can't find a quote, and thinking about it a bit further, I seem to remember something that's more likely.

As I recall, the best rooms are on the left as you go into Bag-end, as they have windows looking out. Now for a quote. Ah, here it is, from "The Hobbit":

The best rooms were all on the left-hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden, and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river.

I think this must be right. If so, do I need to come up with a puzzle now? (OK, I suppose I should read the start of the thread and find out but...)

 

[Grimward]

The quote is indeed the one I am looking for, pdurrant. Well Done!

To you goes one (1) bell resembling a room key (unless you're a hobbit, would advise ducking when you enter, or you're likely to suffer the same injury Ian did as Gandalf in The Fellowship movie).

"The floor" for setting the next challenge is also yours. If I may, would suggest that you reference the first page of this thread for the allowable sources, noting that we've relaxed the rule that ALWAYS requires a quote so that the person issuing the challenge can require one or not, as they choose.

Good Job again, and now comes the hard part.....

 

[pdurrant]

Frodo is an elf-friend, well-read and knowledgeable. What causes him to feel that he's an ignorant countryhobbit?

I'll accept a general description of the event and place, although a quote would be good.

 

[pdurrant]

Frodo is an elf-friend, well-read and knowledgeable. What causes him to feel that he's an ignorant countryhobbit?

I'll accept a general description of the event and place, although a quote would be good.

How long should I wait before offering hints? I thought this was an easy one, but I suppose it's easy to think that when one knows the answer!

 

[Pyan]

About a week, pdurrant - don't forget, members are scattered all over the world, and some can't get to the place as often as they might wish...

Don't worry, someone will have a go...

 

[pdurrant]

Frodo is an elf-friend, well-read and knowledgeable. What causes him to feel that he's an ignorant countryhobbit?

I'll accept a general description of the event and place, although a quote would be good.

OK, the event I'm thinking of happens in "The Two Towers".

 

[Grimward]

I thought this might be it before, and with the additional clue will give it a fling....

Faramir and his men turned and faced West in a moment of silence. Faramir signed to Frodo and and Sam that they should do likewise. 'So we always do, he said, as they sat down: we look towards Númenor that was, and beyond to Elvenhome that is, and to that which is beyond Elvenhome and will ever be. Have you no such custom at meat?'
'No,' said Frodo, feeling strangely rustic and untutored. 'But if we are guests, we bow to the host, and after we have eaten we rise and thank him.'
'That we do also,' said Faramir.

The Two Towers, Book IV, Chapter V, The Window on the West

 

[pdurrant]

I thought this might be it before, and with the additional clue will give it a fling....

]feeling strangely rustic and untutored

The Two Towers, Book IV, Chapter V, The Window on the West

Spot on. Obviously rustic -> countryhobbit and untutored -> ignorant.

Over to you of for the next question...

 

[The Judge]

Ooh - no handing over of the bell in any of its many guises... Is this the death knell for it? Has it lost its appeal? Is it all clapp[er]ed out?

 

[Clansman]

pdurrant, her Ladyship has made a point. There is a tradition of bell-passing on this thread. In the case of your last question, a rustic bell, perhaps from a forlorn schoolhouse with a poor teacher, or no teacher at all (hence "untutored"), would have been heaved in Grimward's general direction.

 

[The Judge]

As a matter of interest, whence did the bell thing come? And why?

 

[Grimward]

Ah, milady, the tradition of the bell precedes me, and this particular thread, even, if my understanding is correct. I am told that Mme. Nesacat in her infinite wisdom did establish a practice of awarding a bell to the poster who tendered the correct answer in a previous similar Tolkien Trivia thread (which may even have been on one of the predecessor forums, but here my vision into the origins grows dim indeed). I think, if you look back through the thread, you will see Ms. Cat wander in with a basket of bells, perhaps in re-affirmation, perhaps coincidence. Marky of course has gone, and none can say if he'll return, but Pyan might know more.......

I'll leave the bell to your imagination for the next round, Pd, and thank you; it was a good challenge. I also like that passage about Númenor that was, Elvenhome that is, and that beyond Elvenhome which shall ever be. On to current business, then:

Where in the whole wide world of Middle Earth might one find guns? While there might be another reference to guns, I am thinking of one quote in particular, and it occurs within the story; don't bother looking thru Letters!

 

[Pyan]

IIRC, Marky's avatar at the time was wearing a jester's hat, a cap of bells - he got one of the Cat's questions right, so Nesa awarded him another bell for it. It sort of grew from there.

October, 2006, it was, in the original Trivia thread, now closed...

 

[Pyan]

I think that you may be referring to the line from the Hobbit, Grim -

The roar of his voice was like drums and guns:and he tossed wolves and goblins from his path like straws and feathers

"He" is, of course, Beorn; and the event is the Battle of the Five Armies. The whole passage is told by the narrator, JRRT himself, as Bilbo was unconscious when Beorn arrived. The reference to guns may be explained by this, as JRRT is talking to the reader as if it's an historical event, couched in terms that a modern reader would be able to picture.

The Hobbit - Chapter 18 - The Return Journey

 

[pdurrant]

Over to you of for the next question...

Apologies - this untutored rustic neglected the correct form.

Grimward, please accept this old schoolbell handbell, now sadly neglected after the installation of an electronic bell system... hopefully I'm still in time...

 

[Clansman]

Apologies - this untutored rustic neglected the correct form.

Grimward, please accept this old schoolbell handbell, now sadly neglected after the installation of an electronic bell system... hopefully I'm still in time...

Not to worry, pd. We are something of a collection of pedants around here, so please forgive us, instead.

Is that the bell from Little House on the Prairie?!? My brother always had a thing for Miss Beadle...

 

[The Judge]

And the bell lives to ring another day...

We are something of a collection of pedants around here, so please forgive us, instead.

Hmmm. What is the collective noun for pedants? A perfection of pedants? A precision of pedants? A finicality, perhaps?

 

[Clansman]

Perhaps a procession of pedants? It must be alliterative, of course.

 

[Grimward]

Why, a Pride of Pendants, of course....could there be any other kind?

*Calls the collective TT assemblage back to business*

As before, not to worry, PD. Some of the previous awards were merely announced with a "ring" (indicating the sound, that is, and not to be confused with "The Ring")!

That is the quote indeed, Mr. Pyan sir, and thank you for completing my feeble attempt at the origin of the bells (the jester's hat would have been pretty difficult, as I wasn't even aware of this place until 2 years after the tradition was christened!). Since we're not into violence 'round these parts, a bell in the shape of a water pistol is yours, and the floor too.

*Hands the bell to Py, accidentally squirting Clanny in the process.....*

Ooops! Sorry chief!

*Creates a couple thermals and dries his Lochaberness off*

 

[Pyan]

My thanks, GrimOne! *stows the new bell among his collection, labelled "Caution: Loaded!"*


What was the ultimate fate of Shelob's infamous progenitor, according to what some say?
(Quote, please)