Tolkien Gateway - User contributions [en]

Denethor

2008-04-15T15:16:45Z

Ted C: /* Portrayal in Adaptations */

''(For other characters see [[Denethor|Denethor (disambiguation)]])''
{{gondorian
| image=[[Image:Catherine Chmiel - Father (Denethor).jpg|250px]]
| name= Denethor II
| othernames=
| position=[[Ruling Steward]]
| birth= [[Third Age 2930|T.A. 2930]]
| rule= [[Third Age 2984|T.A. 2984]]-[[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]]
| death= March 15, [[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]], aged 89 years
| gender= Male
| parentage= [[Ecthelion II]]
| spouse= [[Finduilas of Dol Amroth]]
| children= [[Boromir son of Denethor II|Boromir]], [[Faramir son of Denethor II|Faramir]]
| ref= ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]]
|}}
{{quote|Denethor looked indeed much more like a great [[wizard]] than [[Gandalf]] did, more kingly, beautiful, and powerful; and older.|''[[The Two Towers]]'', [[Minas Tirith (chapter)|Minas Tirith]]}}
'''Denethor II''' was the twenty-sixth and last [[Ruling Steward]] of [[Gondor]]. He succeeded his father [[Ecthelion II]] at his death in [[Third Age 2984|2984]]. Denethor was described as appearing noble and powerful, even to rival the lordliness of Gandalf. He was proud, tall, wise, far-sighted, and valiant; "more kingly" than any of his predecessors for a long time. He proved a masterful lord and a great ruler, seeing to all things large and small under his command.[[#References|1]]

==History==
===Pre-Stewardship===
Denethor was born the third child[[#References|2]] and first son of Ecthelion II, [[Ruling Steward]] of [[Gondor]], in [[Third Age 2930|T.A. 2930]].

Denethor was a masterful man, but also a proud one. When a northerner named [[Thorongil]], a year younger, came to Gondor and won Ecthelion's trust and affections, Denethor grew jealous. Thorongil, a war genius and one who looked enough like Ecthelion to be his close kin, won the love of the people, so that Denethor's envy grew. It is possible that he figured out that Thorongil was really [[Aragorn II]], and with [[Mithrandir]] wished to supplant him. He was not sorry when Thorongil vanished to the east.[[#References|1]]

[[Image:Catherine Chmiel - Denethor and Finduilas.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Denethor and Finduilas'' by [[Catherine Chmiel]].]]In [[Third Age 2976|2976]] he married [[Finduilas of Dol Amroth]], whom he loved deeply, daughter of Prince [[Adrahil]] of [[Dol Amroth]]. She gave birth to two sons: [[Boromir son of Denethor II|Boromir]] and [[Faramir son of Denethor II|Faramir]]. He doted upon his eldest son, Boromir, while Faramir, his second son, could never please his father nor be seen as Boromir's equal.[[#References|1]] In the mean time, he studied the lore of Gondor, including the archives that only he and his father could access. Part of his studies were devoted to the lore of the ''[[palantíri]]''.[[#References|3]]

===Early Stewardship===
Nine years after his marriage, Ecthelion died and Denethor became Ruling Steward. Denethor was not viewed very highly in the eyes of his people in comparison to Thorongil, and moreover there were already dark rumors of power rising in the east. For these reasons, Denethor looked into the long-forbidden [[Anor-stone]], seeking to surpass Thorongil and Gandalf in wisdom, and to keep an eye on them.[[#References|3]] Because of the manner of his viewing,[[#References|3]] he was greatly strained and aged prematurely.[[#References|1]]

Only three years after the death of Ecthelion, Finduilas died as well. Denethor was grief-stricken, and became more grim and silent.[[#References|1]]

The palantír showed him much of what he wanted to see, and his knowledge grew exceedingly, so that he was wondered at by the people. But eventually Sauron, looking into the captured [[Ithil-stone]], discovered that Denethor was using the palantír.[[#References|3]] Sauron attempted to wrench the Anor stone to his will, but failed due to Denethor's strength of will, his integrity, and his right to the use of the stone.[[#References|3]] But this caused even greater stress upon the steward's already weakened body, coupled by the apparent invincibility of Sauron shown him by the stone. Denethor, meanwhile, looked not only at Mordor, but also probably to [[Saruman]], and extracted information from the wizard to his benefit, which Sauron was helpless to prevent.[[#References|3]]

He became blind to all struggles save that of him and Sauron, his people and Sauron's [[orcs]]. He mistrusted all others who resisted Sauron but were not under his own rule.[[#References|1]] He wore mail under his robes, to prevent himself from getting soft in his old age.[[#References|4]]

===Stirring of Trouble===
Faramir, his youngest, began to have dreams, speaking of [[Imladris]] and [[Isildur's bane]]. He disliked Faramir, who although shrewd as himself, was more gentle than Boromir, and furthermore was a friend of Mithrandir, whom Denethor thought wished to remove him from his seat. Boromir shortly after had the same dream, and convinced his father and brother to let him journey northward and find the meaning. Boromir did not return from his quest; he was shot by [[Uruk-hai]] on [[Amon Hen]]. His horn was cloven in two, and was found by watchers below the [[Entwash]], and brought to Denethor. Denethor nearly went mad with grief, and his anger was turned to Faramir, the original recipient of the dream, who in his mind should have gone rather than Boromir.[[#References|1]]

Knowing of the coming stroke of [[Mordor]], Denethor called in the [[Captains of the Outlands]] to defend [[Minas Tirith]]. [[Nazgûl]] began to fly over the city, out of view but still casting shadows of fear.[[#References|5]]

Thirteen days after Boromir's death, Mithrandir arrived with the [[hobbit]] [[Peregrin Took]]. Denethor openly vented his rage at first, but at the same time was curiously attracted to the hobbit, a witness of his son's death, questioning him closely and suspiciously. When Peregrin offered his service in return for Boromir's sacrifice, Denethor was pleased and amused. After examining Pippin's [[barrow-blade]], he accepted the hobbit's service courteously. He then confronted Gandalf. While they supped, Gandalf told of the fall of Isengard. Denethor hinted at his own abilities to see what happened in the world. He racked the hobbit with questions for an hour, and then gave his guests lodging.[[#References|5]]

===Siege of Gondor===
Soon after the [[Rammas]] was surrounded and Gondor placed under siege. Faramir Denethor's son returned from errands in [[Ithilien]], and told the story of his encounter with [[Frodo Baggins]], who carried the [[One Ring]] on the [[Quest of the Ring]]. Denethor fell into a cold, grim mood, and remained aloof toward Faramir and Gandalf. He let known his feelings about the episode, which were set up against Faramir letting Frodo continuing on the quest, but then moved on to matters of strategy. He decided that while he could not risk sending more men to [[Cair Andros]], he would strengthen the garrison of [[Osgiliath]], leaving his son in charge. Faramir tried to reason with Denethor's strategy and his elevation of the dead Boromir, but it was no use. Denethor admitted coldly and openly that he wished that Faramir was dead and Boromir still lived, and released his son to do his bidding without fondness or farewell.[[#References|4]]{{Pronounce|Denethor.mp3|Ardamir}}

Faramir recovered the lost ground all the way back to the [[Anduin]], but was soon faced with fresh troops from [[Minas Morgul]] and [[Harad]], led by the [[Witch-king]], a master strategist and one of terrible presence. Faramir was driven back to the [[Causeway Forts]], but these fell, and Faramir was forced to retreat having lost a third of his men. The retreat was dogged by the [[Nazgûl]], and Faramir was wounded almost to the death by a poisoned dart.[[#References|4]]

[[Image:Anke Eissmann - Pyre of Denethor.jpeg|thumb|right|300px|''The Pyre of Denethor'' by [[Anke Eissmann]].]]Denethor, as the outer defenses of the [[Pelennor]] collapsed at many points, looked into his ''palantír'', where he found the Enemy stronger than ever on all fronts, and feared that the Ring was in his hands. Denethor suddenly seemed years older, and his will snapped. He abandoned leadership of the city to Gandalf and [[Imrahil]], staying by his son's side in the [[White Tower]], and bitterly regretting what he had done. Bad news came up from below. [[Rohan]] was cut off and could not come to their aid. The first circle was in flames. As this information came up to him, Denethor gave up hope and chose to commit suicide beside his son.[[#References|4]]

As [[Grond]] pounded on the gates of the city he prepared a pyre for him and Faramir in the [[Rath Dínen]]. He was hampered in his aim by [[Beregond]] and Gandalf, who removed Faramir from the pyre. At this, at first Denethor seemed willing to abandon his suicidal designs, but suddenly he raised up the ''palantír'' and prophecied the doom of Gondor. He cursed Gandalf and Aragorn, and then he seized a torch and hurled it on the bier. He took the white rod of his office and broke it on his knee, casting it into the flames, symbolizing the end of his stewardship and the end of the rule of the Stewards. He then laid himself down on the table with the ''palantír'' on his breast and so perished.[[#References|6]]

===Afterward===
Faramir did survive, and the city did not fall due to the miraculous coming of the [[Rohirrim]] and the [[Dúnedain]] with [[Aragorn II]].[[#References|7]] Faramir kept the title of Steward, but not of Ruling Steward, for he allowed [[Aragorn II]] to take the throne, whom Denethor had cursed.[[#References|8]] Faramir's reaction to his father's death is not recorded.

==Etymology==
''Denethor'' was named after the [[Denethor (Nando)|Nandorin chieftain]] of the [[First Age]]. The name is [[Nandorin]] fit into the [[Sindarin]] sound range, and is said to mean "Lithe and lank" [[#References|9]].

== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
[[Image:Denethor from Rankin-Bass' The Return of the King.jpg|thumb|left|Denethor as portrayed in [[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]]]]
[[Image:Denethor, Steward of Gondor.jpg|thumb|[[John Noble]] as Denethor in [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]]]
In the [[Rankin/Bass]] animated version of ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]'', [[William Conrad]] is the voice of Denethor.

In [[Peter Jackson]]'s [[Lord of the Rings|movie trilogy]], Denethor was played by [[John Noble]]. In [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]], Denethor appears completely irrational; he sends his remaining son on a suicidal mission to enemy-captured [[Osgiliath]] and refuses to light the [[warning beacons of Gondor]] to call for the aid of [[Rohan]]. In the book, the danger of his madness is that it seems to follow a certain logic; Sauron ''does'' have vastly superior forces, all of which he has surely shown to the Steward in the ''palantír''. His actions, however, do not immediately proclaim his insanity; the Osgiliath mission is less obviously suicidal, as the city has not yet been overrun, and the warning beacons have indeed been lit, although Denethor expects little help.

In the film adaptation, when Faramir is brought into the throne room, seemingly dead, Pippin attempts to stop Denethor from cremating his son, who he is sure is still alive. After Denethor knocks Pippin away, he falls onto the fire, and, in flames, runs out of the throne room and off the highest ledge of Minas Tirith, killing himself.

==See Also==
* [[:Category:Images of Denethor|Images of Denethor]]
{{sequence
|prev=[[Ecthelion II]]
|next=[[Faramir son of Denethor II|Faramir]] (titular only)
|list=26th [[Ruling Steward|Ruling Steward of Gondor]] <code>III</code> 2984 – 3019
}}
{{rulingstewards}}

==References==
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]]
# ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', [[The Heirs of Elendil]]
# ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[The Palantíri]]
# ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Siege of Gondor]]
# ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[Minas Tirith (chapter)|Minas Tirith]]
# ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Pyre of Denethor]]
# ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]
# ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Steward and the King]]
# ''[[The War of the Jewels]]'', [[Quendi and Eldar]]

[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Gondorians]]
[[de:Denethor II.]]
[[fi:Denethor II]]

Southrons

2007-11-21T18:20:53Z

Ted C:

#REDIRECT[[Haradrim]]
[[Category:Races]]

Rings of Power

2007-04-20T17:50:37Z

Ted C: /* The Final Disposition of the Rings of Power */

'''The Rings of Power''' or '''Great Rings''' were twenty Rings of Power. The [[Elves]] of [[Eregion]] made nineteen of the Rings of Power (and many other lesser rings) with knowledge obtained from [[Sauron]], and several of them with Sauron aiding the creation. Sauron forged the twentieth Great Ring, called the [[One Ring]] or the Ruling Ring, secretly in the fires of [[Mount Doom]].

A verse that summarizes the Great Rings and their ownership is an important part of the lore of Middle-earth. It translates as follows:

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them. One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

== The Creation of the Rings of Power ==
According to Appendix B of [[The Lord of the Rings]], in approximately S.A. 1500 the Seven and Nine were created first, in Eregion by an alliance of the Elven smiths led by [[Celebrimbor]] and Sauron. Sauron departed, and Celebrimbor went on to forge the three, finishing around S.A. 1590, using the knowledge he had gained from Sauron but without his involvement. The one, created around S.A. 1600, was finally completed by Sauron, alone, in the heart of Mount Doom. Sauron created it to rule over all the other rings, and he put a great part of his power into the One. The Elves, upon creation of the One, heard Sauron speak the closing lines of the preceding poem's verse, and realized they had been betrayed. They defied Sauron, and though they fought valiantly, Sauron gained all the rings still in their posession save the Three.

== The Three ==
The Three Rings of the Elves of Eregion were forged by [[Celebrimbor]] alone, and were never touched by Sauron. They were called [[Narya]], the Ring of Fire, worn by [[Gandalf]]; [[Nenya]], the Ring of Water, worn by [[Galadriel]]; and [[Vilya]], the Ring of Air, borne by [[Elrond]]. They remained hidden, and the whereabouts of two were not revealed until the end of the Third Age, after the One Ring was destroyed, and the [[Dark Lord]] Sauron was overthrown (Galadriel reveals her posession of one of the rings to [[Frodo]] in [[Fellowship of the Ring]]).

== The Seven ==
Sauron gave the Seven Rings to the Dwarf-kings (although according to Dwarvish tradition the Elves gave one of them to the Dwarf [[Durin III]]) and the Nine Rings to Mortal Men. The Dwarves used their Rings to establish their treasure hoards, but Sauron, according to portions of the [[Silmarillion]], was unable to force the Dwarven bearers to submit. Indeed, the rings did not even turn them invisible; they were immune to some of the more detrimental effects of the rings. It is believed that the dwarves natural hardiness, and the fact that it was only the more powerful dwarf lords who possessed them, made them resistant to Sauron's control, yet allowed them to accumulate treasure. Of the Seven the dwarves now possess none. The final ring to leave the possession of the dwarves occured when Thráin II was captured, and imprisoned by Sauron (in the guise of the necromancer) in 2845 of the Third Age.

== The Nine ==
''Main article: [[Nazgûl]]''

The nine rings for mortal men were those divided amongst those evil-hearted men doomed to become the Nazgûl, the [[Ringwraiths]]. None are mentioned specifically throughout [[The Lord of the Rings]] save their leader, the [[Witch-king of Angmar]]. His second-in-command is named in the [[Unfinished Tales]] as [[Khamûl]], the Black [[Easterlings|Easterling]].
The early Middle-earth Role Playing games name the eight other Ringwraiths, Er-Murazor (the Witch-king, of Númenórean race), Dwar, Ji Indur, Akhorahil, Hoarmurath (Númenórean), Adunaphel (female Númenórean), Ren and Uvatha, but none of these names are considered canon, and especially the idea of a female Ringwraith is extremely unlikely within the context of Tolkien's work.

== The One ==
''Main Article: [[One Ring]]''

The one ring, secretly forged by Sauron in the heart of Mount Doom, had the power to dominate all nineteen other rings. His domain over the other rings was incomplete, but the force Sauron could bring to bear with the Ring was amazing nonetheless. This was due in part to his placing a large amount of his own power into it at its forging; a necessity that later led to his downfall at Frodo's hands.

== The Power Of The Rings ==
The Rings of Power all had certain abilities, shared amongst them; the only different ones were the three. Below are some of the abilities they granted.

=== The Nine and the Seven ===
* '''Invisibility''' - According to Tolkien, all the rings save the Three made the wearer invisible. Note that, though the Seven did presumably grant invisibility, it did not do so for any dwarf. Dwarves are largely immune to the Rings of Powers effects in this area; prevention of invisibility in this case also defended them from the fate of those Men who wore the Nine.
* '''Ability Enhancement''' - All these rings granted the bearer an increased ability in his innate talents; the Dwarves specifically are made mention of having used their rings to increase their treasure troves; arguably the ring's corruption can be seen even here. The treasure hoards of these dwarves drew the mightiest of dragons and opponents.

=== The Three ===
The Three do not do as the other rings. They do not make one invisible (though they themselves can be made so, as Galadriel showed Frodo), and they have the ability enhancement, but it is largely secondary to the main effect the Elves achieved - that of stasis. A wearer of one of the Rings of Three gains the power to preserve, in many different ways, whatever they control. Galadriel's allows her to fend off Sauron and preserve [[Lothlorien]]. Elrond's allows him to do much the same in his domain.

=== The One ===
* '''Control''' - Control, over the other rings and in a limited sense the bearers was gained by whomever controlled the power caged inside the One Ring.
* '''Power''' - In its forging, to give it the ability of control, it was necessary for Sauron to allow a fatal amount of his power into the One Ring. Any bearer could use this power, though it would take time, determination, skill, and knowledge to do so.
*'''Invisibility''' - As is seen many times the One confers invisibility upon the wearer.

== The Final Disposition of the Rings of Power ==
[[Dragons]] destroyed four of the Seven Rings, and after [[Sauron|Sauron's]] return he recaptured the remaining three (the last from Thrain, father of [[Thorin Oakenshield]], just before or during the action of ''[[The Hobbit]]''). At the end of the [[War of the Ring]], they were presumably buried in the ruins of [[Barad-dûr]].

The Nine he took back from his [[Ringwraiths]], and they were still in his possession at the time of his fall. These, too, probably lie in the ruins of Barad-dûr.

The Three were hidden from him, and their bearers eventually took them to [[Aman]].

The One was destroyed in the [[Crack of Doom]] in [[The Return of the King]]. With its destruction, the remainder of the Seven, the Nine, and the Three Elven rings all became powerless.

[[Category:Rings and Jewels]]

Rings of Power

2007-04-20T17:47:27Z

Ted C: /* The Final Disposition of the Rings of Power */

'''The Rings of Power''' or '''Great Rings''' were twenty Rings of Power. The [[Elves]] of [[Eregion]] made nineteen of the Rings of Power (and many other lesser rings) with knowledge obtained from [[Sauron]], and several of them with Sauron aiding the creation. Sauron forged the twentieth Great Ring, called the [[One Ring]] or the Ruling Ring, secretly in the fires of [[Mount Doom]].

A verse that summarizes the Great Rings and their ownership is an important part of the lore of Middle-earth. It translates as follows:

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them. One ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.

== The Creation of the Rings of Power ==
According to Appendix B of [[The Lord of the Rings]], in approximately S.A. 1500 the Seven and Nine were created first, in Eregion by an alliance of the Elven smiths led by [[Celebrimbor]] and Sauron. Sauron departed, and Celebrimbor went on to forge the three, finishing around S.A. 1590, using the knowledge he had gained from Sauron but without his involvement. The one, created around S.A. 1600, was finally completed by Sauron, alone, in the heart of Mount Doom. Sauron created it to rule over all the other rings, and he put a great part of his power into the One. The Elves, upon creation of the One, heard Sauron speak the closing lines of the preceding poem's verse, and realized they had been betrayed. They defied Sauron, and though they fought valiantly, Sauron gained all the rings still in their posession save the Three.

== The Three ==
The Three Rings of the Elves of Eregion were forged by [[Celebrimbor]] alone, and were never touched by Sauron. They were called [[Narya]], the Ring of Fire, worn by [[Gandalf]]; [[Nenya]], the Ring of Water, worn by [[Galadriel]]; and [[Vilya]], the Ring of Air, borne by [[Elrond]]. They remained hidden, and the whereabouts of two were not revealed until the end of the Third Age, after the One Ring was destroyed, and the [[Dark Lord]] Sauron was overthrown (Galadriel reveals her posession of one of the rings to [[Frodo]] in [[Fellowship of the Ring]]).

== The Seven ==
Sauron gave the Seven Rings to the Dwarf-kings (although according to Dwarvish tradition the Elves gave one of them to the Dwarf [[Durin III]]) and the Nine Rings to Mortal Men. The Dwarves used their Rings to establish their treasure hoards, but Sauron, according to portions of the [[Silmarillion]], was unable to force the Dwarven bearers to submit. Indeed, the rings did not even turn them invisible; they were immune to some of the more detrimental effects of the rings. It is believed that the dwarves natural hardiness, and the fact that it was only the more powerful dwarf lords who possessed them, made them resistant to Sauron's control, yet allowed them to accumulate treasure. Of the Seven the dwarves now possess none. The final ring to leave the possession of the dwarves occured when Thráin II was captured, and imprisoned by Sauron (in the guise of the necromancer) in 2845 of the Third Age.

== The Nine ==
''Main article: [[Nazgûl]]''

The nine rings for mortal men were those divided amongst those evil-hearted men doomed to become the Nazgûl, the [[Ringwraiths]]. None are mentioned specifically throughout [[The Lord of the Rings]] save their leader, the [[Witch-king of Angmar]]. His second-in-command is named in the [[Unfinished Tales]] as [[Khamûl]], the Black [[Easterlings|Easterling]].
The early Middle-earth Role Playing games name the eight other Ringwraiths, Er-Murazor (the Witch-king, of Númenórean race), Dwar, Ji Indur, Akhorahil, Hoarmurath (Númenórean), Adunaphel (female Númenórean), Ren and Uvatha, but none of these names are considered canon, and especially the idea of a female Ringwraith is extremely unlikely within the context of Tolkien's work.

== The One ==
''Main Article: [[One Ring]]''

The one ring, secretly forged by Sauron in the heart of Mount Doom, had the power to dominate all nineteen other rings. His domain over the other rings was incomplete, but the force Sauron could bring to bear with the Ring was amazing nonetheless. This was due in part to his placing a large amount of his own power into it at its forging; a necessity that later led to his downfall at Frodo's hands.

== The Power Of The Rings ==
The Rings of Power all had certain abilities, shared amongst them; the only different ones were the three. Below are some of the abilities they granted.

=== The Nine and the Seven ===
* '''Invisibility''' - According to Tolkien, all the rings save the Three made the wearer invisible. Note that, though the Seven did presumably grant invisibility, it did not do so for any dwarf. Dwarves are largely immune to the Rings of Powers effects in this area; prevention of invisibility in this case also defended them from the fate of those Men who wore the Nine.
* '''Ability Enhancement''' - All these rings granted the bearer an increased ability in his innate talents; the Dwarves specifically are made mention of having used their rings to increase their treasure troves; arguably the ring's corruption can be seen even here. The treasure hoards of these dwarves drew the mightiest of dragons and opponents.

=== The Three ===
The Three do not do as the other rings. They do not make one invisible (though they themselves can be made so, as Galadriel showed Frodo), and they have the ability enhancement, but it is largely secondary to the main effect the Elves achieved - that of stasis. A wearer of one of the Rings of Three gains the power to preserve, in many different ways, whatever they control. Galadriel's allows her to fend off Sauron and preserve [[Lothlorien]]. Elrond's allows him to do much the same in his domain.

=== The One ===
* '''Control''' - Control, over the other rings and in a limited sense the bearers was gained by whomever controlled the power caged inside the One Ring.
* '''Power''' - In its forging, to give it the ability of control, it was necessary for Sauron to allow a fatal amount of his power into the One Ring. Any bearer could use this power, though it would take time, determination, skill, and knowledge to do so.
*'''Invisibility''' - As is seen many times the One confers invisibility upon the wearer.

== The Final Disposition of the Rings of Power ==
[[Dragons]] destroyed four of the Seven Rings, and after [[Sauron|Sauron's]] return he recaptured the remaining three (the last from Thrain, father of [[Thorin Oakenshield]], just before or during the action of ''[[The Hobbit]]'').

The Nine he took back from his [[Ringwraiths]], and they were still in his possession at the time of his fall.

The Three were hidden from him, and their bearers eventually took them to [[Aman]].

The One was destroyed in the [[Crack of Doom]] in [[The Return of the King]]. With its destruction, the remainder of the Seven, the Nine, and the Three Elven rings all became powerless.

[[Category:Rings and Jewels]]

Barrow-downs

2007-04-09T16:00:44Z

Ted C: +link

''See also [[barrowdowns.com]]''

[[Image:Paul_Raymond_Gregory_-_Fog_on_the_Barrow_Downs.jpg|right|thumb|250px|''Fog on the Barrow Downs'' by [[Paul Raymond Gregory]].]]
'''Barrow-downs''' or '''Tyrn Gorthad''' were a series of low hills east of [[The Shire]], behind the [[Old Forest]], and west of the village of [[Bree]]. Many of the hills were crowned with megaliths and [[barrows]], whence their name.

The Barrow-downs were first inhabited by [[Men]] related to the [[Edain]] in the [[First Age]], together with the [[Hills of Evendim]] to the north. They fled east as [[Easterlings]] invaded [[Eriador]] and passed on to [[Beleriand]], but after these had left or been killed in the [[War of Wrath]] the Edain returned to their old homes.

During the [[Second Age]] they were fairly numerous, and when they met with the [[Númenórean]]s the Barrow-downs were the first places where the [[Dúnedain]] emigrees from [[Númenor]] settled. When [[Elendil]] returned to [[Middle-earth]], the Barrow-downs were incorporated in the kingdom of [[Arnor]].

After the split of Arnor the Barrow-downs became the capital of [[Cardolan]]. After [[Rhudaur]] fell to [[Angmar]], the Dúnedain of Cardolan entrenched themselves here, but eventually the realm fell. The [[Barrow-wights]] were now sent there by the [[Witch-king of Angmar|Witch-king]]. After [[Arthedain]] once again claimed the kingship over all of Arnor the Dúnedain tried to recolonize Cardolan, but this failed because of the Barrow-wights.

A possible real-life inspiration for Tolkien were the Barrow Downs of [[Warwickshire]], near the village of Long Compton.

What follows is from Tolkien's the book [[The Fellowship of the Ring]].

During the [[War of the Ring]] [[Frodo Baggins]] and company were trapped in the downs by a wight, probably in the same [[cairn]] which held the grave of the last prince of [[Cardolan]]. They were rescued by [[Tom Bombadil]], and there got their [[Daggers_of_Westernesse|swords]].

==External link==
*[http://www.cv81pl.freeserve.co.uk/rollright.htm Warwickshire Barrow Downs: Rollright Stones, The King Stone, The Whispering Knights]

[[Category:Hills]]
[[Category:Eriador]]

Samwise Gamgee

2007-04-04T17:11:23Z

Ted C: de-stubbed

[[Image:Peter Jackson's Samwise Gamgee.jpg|thumb|[[Sean Astin]] as Samwise Gamgee in [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] trilogy]]
'''Samwise Gamgee''' ([[Third Age]] April 6, 2983 — [[Fourth Age]] 61; [[Shire Reckoning]]: 1383 — 1482; 99 years old when he sailed into the [[West]]) was [[Frodo Baggins]]' servant and the only original member of the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] to remain with him till the very end of the journey to [[Mount Doom]].

== History ==
A gardener by trade, Sam seemed to be a simple [[Hobbit]] of plain speech. However, his love for [[Elves]], his gift for poetry, and his belief that the world contains greater wonders than most hobbits are aware of (all nurtured by his tutor [[Bilbo Baggins]]) set him apart from the beginning. It was Sam who first introduced the theme of the Elves' sailing from [[Middle-earth]], a subtle foreshadowing of Bilbo and Frodo's final journey across the Sea. He lived with his father, Hamfast Gamgee, better known as "[[The Gaffer]]", on [[Bagshot Row]] in the [[Shire]], close to [[Bag End]]. Sam's mother was [[Bell Goodchild]]; he had five siblings: [[Hamson Gamgee|Hamson]], [[Halfred Gamgee|Halfred]], [[Daisy Gamgee|Daisy]], [[May Gamgee|May]], and [[Marigold Gamgee|Marigold]].

As "punishment" for eavesdropping on [[Gandalf]]'s conversation with [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] regarding the dangers of the [[One Ring]], Sam was made Frodo's first companion on his journey to [[Rivendell]] in the beginning of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Sam saved Frodo's life more than once during the quest to destroy the Ring, and he accompanied him all the way to [[Mount Doom]].

After [[Shelob]] attacked and seemingly killed Frodo, Sam took the Ring, intending to complete the quest. Because he held the Ring for a time, he is considered one of the [[Ring-bearers]].

After the [[War of the Ring]], he married [[Rose Cotton|Rose "Rosie" Cotton]] back in the Shire. They had thirteen children: [[Elanor Gardner|Elanor the Fair]], [[Frodo Gardner|Frodo]], [[Rose Gardner|Rose]], [[Merry Gardner|Merry]], [[Pippin Gardner|Pippin]], [[Goldilocks Gardner|Goldilocks]], [[Hamfast Gardner|Hamfast]], [[Daisy Gardner|Daisy]], [[Primrose Gardner|Primrose]], [[Bilbo Gardner|Bilbo]], [[Ruby Gardner|Ruby]], [[Robin Gardner|Robin]], and [[Tolman Gardner|Tolman]]. After [[Will Whitfoot]] resigned his post as [[Mayor of Michel Delving]] (the largest town in the Shire and the "unofficial capital"), in Fourth Age 7, Sam was elected Mayor of the Shire for seven consecutive 7-year terms.

After his wife died in Fourth Age 61, Sam entrusted the [[Red Book of Westmarch|Red Book]] to Elanor and left Middle-earth to sail across the Sea and be reunited with Frodo in the [[Undying Lands]], (though it should be noted that as they were both born mortals, they would still eventually die a mortal death).

== Name ==
[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] took the name from ''Gamgee Tissue'', a surgical dressing invented by a 19th century [[Birmingham]] surgeon called Joseph Sampson Gamgee. "Gamgee" became the colloquial name in Birmingham for cotton wool. Here, Tolkien describes why he had chosen that name for his character:
{{quote|The choice of Gamgee was primarily directed by alliteration; but I did not invent it. It was caught out of childhood memory, as a comic word or name. It was in fact the name when I was small (in Birmingham) for 'cotton-wool'. (Hence the association of the Gamgees with the Cottons.) I knew nothing of its origin.|''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]''}}

It is possible that Tolkien may have subconsciously recalled Dr. Gamgee (who died in 1886 but is commemorated by a plaque at the Birmingham Medical Institute, only yards from Tolkien's childhood home) but he claimed to be genuinely surprised when, in March 1956, he received a letter from one Sam Gamgee, who had heard that his name was in ''The Lord of the Rings'' but had not read the book. Tolkien replied on March 18:
{{quote|Dear Mr. Gamgee,It was very kind of you to write. You can imagine my astonishment when I saw your signature! I can only say, for your comfort, I hope, that the 'Sam Gamgee' of my story is a most heroic character, now widely beloved by many readers, even though his origins are rustic. So that perhaps you will not be displeased at the coincidence of the name of this imaginary character of supposedly many centuries ago being the same as yours.|''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]''}}

He proceeded to send Mr Gamgee a signed copy of all three volumes of the book. However, the incident sparked a nagging worry in Tolkien's mind, as he recorded in his journal:
{{quote|For some time I lived in fear of receiving a letter signed 'S. Gollum'. That would have been more difficult to deal with.|''[[J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography]]''}}

In [[Appendix F]] of ''The Lord of the Rings'', it is mentioned that the [[Westron]] form of Sam's name is '''Banazîr Galbasi''' (''also spelled Galpsi''). ''Banazîr'' comes from elements meaning "halfwise" or "simple". ''Galbasi'' comes from the name of the village ''Galabas''. The name ''Galabas'' uses the elements ''galab-'', meaning "game", and ''bas-'', corresponding somewhat to "-wich" or "-wick". Tolkien's English translation, ''Samwís Gamwich'', could have come to ''Samwise Gamgee'' in modern English.

== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
[[Image:Rankin-Bass' Samwise Gamgee.jpg|thumb|left|Samwise Gamgee as portrayed in [[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]]]]
In [[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]], released in 1978, [[Michael Scholes]] was the voice of Sam. [[Roddy McDowall]] voiced the character in the 1980 animated short of ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]]''.

In the 1981 BBC radio [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|serial of ''The Lord of the Rings'']], Sam is played by [[William Nighy]].

In ''[[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]'', Sam is played by [[Sean Astin]]. It is not clear whether Astin had heard Nighy's radio performance, but both actors bring very similar characterisations and accents to the role.

== Commentary ==
Sam Gamgee is by many regarded as the "true hero" of Tolkien's story. Tolkien himself expressed this view in one of his letters: Sam is referred to as the "chief hero", and special emphasis is placed on Sam's "rustic love" for Rosie.1 The quest to destroy the Ring only succeeds because of Sam, who repeatedly saves Frodo from disaster (such as rescuing him at [[Cirith Ungol]] and carrying him up [[Mount Doom]]). He was one of three Ring-bearers strong enough to surrender the Ring voluntarily.

The relationship between Frodo and Sam is, in many respects, at the center of ''The Lord of the Rings''. To the modern reader, it seems archaic, as it is extremely class-oriented. Sam's humbleness and "plain speaking" is frequently emphasised in contrast to Frodo's "gentility", and he often shows deference to Frodo, calling him "Mister Frodo" or "Master". At the same time, a strong bond of love and trust grows between them, portrayed most poignantly during the events of Cirith Ungol, where Sam vows to return to his (apparently) dead master, to be reunited with Frodo in death.

[[Tolkienists]] regard Sam as Frodo's ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_%28army%29 batman]''. In the British Army, a batman was an orderly who acted as the personal servant of an officer. It was a role with which Tolkien (who served as an Army officer in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I First World War]) would have been extremely familiar. Sam undertakes all of the typical roles of a batman — he runs errands for Frodo, he cooks, he transports him (or at least carries him), and he carries his luggage. Tolkien confirmed this interpretation when he wrote in a private letter that:
{{quote|My Sam Gamgee is indeed a reflexion of the English soldier, of the privates and batmen I knew in the 1914 war, and recognized as so far superior to myself|''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]''}}

Compare to the relation between [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Quixote Don Quixote] and his squire [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sancho_Panza Sancho Panza], and the gradual "Quixotization" of Sancho.

== Notes ==
# In the long summary-letter sent to Milton Waldman, published in ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'' as #131.

{{fellowship}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Gamgee]]

Peregrin Took

2007-04-04T17:10:43Z

Ted C: de-stubbed

{{hobbit infobox|
|image=[[Image:Sarah Zagacki - Pippin.jpg|250px]]
|name=Peregrin Took
|othernames=Pippin, "Fool of a Took", [[Ernil i Pheriannath]] (Prince of the Halflings), Guard of the Citadel, Knight of Gondor, Thain Peregrin I, Counsellor of the North-kingdom, [[Razanur Tûk]]
|birth=[[Third Age|T.A.]] 2990
|death=After [[Fourth Age|O.A.]] 64
|mother=[[Eglantine Banks]]
|father=[[Paladin Took II]]
|race=[[Hobbits]]
|gender=Male
|height=Taller than 4'-5"
|hair=Almost golden
}}

<blockquote>
''There must be someone with intelligence in [[Fellowship of the Ring|the party]].'' [said Pippin] 
''Then you certainly will not be chosen, Peregrin Took! said [[Gandalf]]'':— [[The Ring goes South]], [[The Fellowship of the Ring]]
</blockquote>

'''Peregrin Took''' was one of the [[Hobbits]] in the [[Fellowship of the Ring]]. He was the youngest of the Company, being in his tweens, but grew up quickly and eventually became a Knight of Gondor. [[Elrond]] at least seemed to doubt his capability for the quest, but Pippin proved to be a loyal and courageous friend.

==History==

===Name & Heritage===

He was born in the [[Third Age]] 2990 to [[Paladin Took II]] and [[Eglantine Banks]], thus heir to the title of [[Thain]]. He had three older sisters, [[Pearl Took]], [[Pimpernel Took]], and [[Pervinca Took]]. His true [[Westron]] name was '''Razanur Tûk'''.

===Actions during the War of the Ring===

He was a part of the [[Conspirators]], and eventually joined [[Frodo Baggins]] on his quest to destroy the One Ring, along with his friends [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] and [[Samwise Gamgee]]. At [[Bree]], his 'Tookish' qualities got the group into trouble, when he inadvertantly caused the One Ring to fall upon Frodo's finger.

After reaching [[Rivendell]], he, with Merry, insisted on not being left behind on the Quest of the Ring. Therefore they were chosen as the eighth and ninth members of the [[Fellowship of the Ring]].

In [[Moria]], Pippin carelessly dropped a stone down a well, possibly alerting the orcs which had inhabited the mines of the Company's presence.

Captured along with Merry upon [[Amon Hen]] by a band of [[Uruk-hai]], Pippin displayed a keen sense of intelligence by leaving a trail of footprints and dropping his [[Lórien]] brooch for Aragorn to find. They eventually escaped to become the first mortals for many centuries to encounter the [[Ents]] of [[Fangorn Forest]].

Pippin was also present at the destruction of [[Isengard]], but was soon taken by Gandalf to [[Minas Tirith]], after looking into the palantir of [[Orthanc]] and being mistaken by Sauron for the Ringbearer. There he pledged allegiance to [[Denethor]] and became a Guard of the Citadel. During the [[Siege of Gondor]], he helped save the life of [[Faramir]], and at the [[Battle of the Morannon]] he slew a troll in defense of [[Beregond]].

===After the war===

Along with Merry, he led the victory at the [[Battle of Bywater]], and eventually married Diamond of Long Cleeve. They had a son named Faramir.

Pippin retired to [[Gondor]] in the year 64 of the Fourth Age, and when he died his bed was laid beside that of Merry and the King [[Elessar]].

==Portrayal in adaptations==
Peregrin Took was played by [[Billy Boyd]] in [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]. [[Peter Jackson]] has been accused of making his character seem foolish and bumbling.

{{fellowship}}

==See also==
* [[:Category:Images of Peregrin Took|Images of Peregrin Took]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Took]]

Meriadoc Brandybuck

2007-04-02T20:10:41Z

Ted C: /* Actions during the War of the Ring */ grammar cleanup, +links

{{hobbit
| image=[[Image:John Howe - Merry.jpg|300px]]
| name=Meriadoc Brandybuck
| othernames="Merry", "the Magnificent"
| birth=1382 [[SR]]/2683 [[TA]]
| death=Sometime between SR 1486-1495
| mother=[[Esmeralda Took]]
| father=[[Saradoc Brandybuck]]
| location=[[Buckland]]
| gender= Male
| height= Taller than average Hobbit
| hair= Brown
| eyes=
}}

'''Meriadoc Brandybuck''', called 'The Magnificent', was a [[Hobbit]], the son of [[Saradoc Brandybuck]]. Merry (as he was often called), was the heir of the [[Brandybucks]] to [[Brandy Hall]], and eventually became the Master there.

==His life==

===Character===

He was a good friend of [[Frodo Baggins]], who eventually became the [[Ringbearer]], and [[Peregrin Took]], a young relative. He was one of the few (if any) who saw [[Bilbo]], Frodo's uncle, actually use the [[One Ring]]. He also managed to read, at least in part, Bilbo's book: ''[[There and Back Again]]'', where he learned about the Ring.

He can easily be recognized as a very sharp Hobbit, and his tone throughout the [[Lord of the Rings]] depicts him as practical, loyal, resourceful, and the best able to cope with the sudden happenings that drew him out of his peaceful home. He was also praised by [[Aragorn II]] as having a 'stout heart'. He was apparently much trusted by Frodo, who sent him along with [[Fatty Bolger]] to [[Crickhollow]] to prepare his newly-bought home.

===Actions during the War of the Ring===

He was a part of and apparently led the [[Conspirators]], a group of Frodo's friends (namely [[Samwise Gamgee]], [[Peregrin Took]], [[Fredegar Bolger]], and himself) who sought to protect him (and [[One Ring|the Ring]]). Eventually, they revealed themselves to him, and demanded to be taken along when Frodo left [[Crickhollow]]. Merry had already arranged for provisions and ponies, so they were able to start right away.

During the following trip to [[Bree]], Merry seemed to have a greater knowledge of the [[Old Forest]] than any of the other Hobbits, and with them encountered [[Old Man Willow]], a [[Barrow-wight]], and [[Tom Bombadil]].

Upon reaching [[Bree]], Merry had an encounter with the [[Black Riders]], and bravely followed them until he passed out from exposure to the [[Black Breath]]. During the trip through the wild with [[Aragorn]], then known as Strider, he often saw the most deeply into the others. After Frodo was wounded on [[Weathertop]], he became the one who consulted most with Strider, and in a way became the spokesman for the Hobbits.

After reaching [[Rivendell]], he, with Pippin, insisted on not being left behind on the [[Quest of the Ring]]. Therefore they were chosen as the eighth and ninth members of the [[Fellowship of the Ring]].

At the gate of [[Moria]], he was commended by [[Gandalf]] for being "''of all people''" on the right track with the riddle (though this was hardly his fault). His impetuosity in Moria was such that he nearly fell into an ancient well running ahead with Pippin.

Captured with Pippin by [[Uruk-hai]], they were separated from the rest of the Fellowship. Merry aided Pippin in an attempt to deceive [[Grishnákh]] into thinking they had the One Ring, and he could have it. During the attack by [[Éomer]] and his [[Outriders]] they escaped into [[Fangorn Forest]], meeting [[Treebeard]]. They thus became the first mortals for many centuries to encounter the [[Ents]] of Fangorn Forest. They were present at the [[Entmoot]], and the resulting destruction of [[Isengard]].

While Pippin and Gandalf headed away to [[Minas Tirith]], Merry stayed with Aragorn and the Rohirrim, developing a close friendship with King [[Théoden]]. Out of love for him, Merry offered the King his service, which Théoden warmly accepted. "''As a father you shall be to me''", Merry said at that time, and Théoden responded "''For a little while''".

Merry was forbidden -- firmly but gently -- by the King to ride with them to the aid of Minas Tirith because he could not ride the mighty horses of the Rohirrim so fast and so far. Merry was disappointed until a young rider named [[Dernhelm]] offered to bear him on his horse. In this manner he rode to the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], having a secret understanding with [[Elfhelm]] and several others of the Rohirrim.

During the charge and the commencement of the battle he was almost useless, hiding behind Dernhelm and shaking with fright and nausea. However, Dernhelm's steed, [[Windfola]], threw them both upon the coming of the [[Witch-king]]. Affected by the [[Black Breath]], Merry lay almost senseless on the ground, hearing the voice of Dernhelm standing over the body of Théoden -- who had been mortally wounded by the Witch-king -- defying the Nazgûl. He was startled as he opened his eyes to find that Dernhelm was really [[Éowyn]], the King's niece. After Éowyn was thrown down, perhaps mortally wounded, Merry rose to attack the Witch-king to protect her. He stabbed the Witch-king through the calf with the [[Daggers_of_Westernesse|Barrow-blade]] he still bore, thus breaking the spell of invulnerability surrounding the Wraith. He fainted as Éowyn finished off the Witch-king with a thrust into the head.

Almost killed by the Black Breath, he was revived with Éowyn by Aragorn in the [[Houses of Healing]]. Because of his condition he was unable to go to the [[Battle of the Morannon]], but attended afterwards the burial of [[Théoden]], at which he wept greatly. Upon his departure for the Shire, he was given a special horn by Éomer and Éowyn as a parting gift.

Upon the return to the Shire, he was, with Pippin, the primary leader of the uprising against [[Sharkey]] and his [[Ruffians]]. He was afterwards known as '''Meriadoc the Magnificent''', and lived to be [[Master of Buckland]]. He lived to a ripe old age, coming down to Rohan (presumably after the death of his wife [[Estella Bolger]]) at the request of King Éomer, having lived 102 years. After the King died, he went to Gondor with his likewise aging friend Pippin, where they both died several years later, and were laid in [[Rath Dínen]]. It was said that they were laid beside [[Aragorn II | King Elessar]] upon his death.

==Portrayal in adaptions==

Merry was played by [[Dominic Monaghan]] in [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]. Many book-readers believe that, like Pippin, he was made far less competent in the movie than he was in the books: instead of a clever "Conspirator" who helped orchestrate Frodo's escape from the Shire, he was frequently a bumbler who had no idea what he was getting into.

{{fellowship}}

[[Category:Hobbits]]
[[Category:Brandybuck]]

Shelob

2007-02-08T22:59:47Z

Ted C: /* Movie Adaptation */

'''Shelob''' was a child of [[Ungoliant]], a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].
{{quote|There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.|[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Shelob's Lair]]}}

==Shelob in ''The Lord of the Rings''==
[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]Shelob was a huge creature in spider form, apparently the spawn of [[Ungoliant]] and some lesser spider of [[Arda]]. She dwelled high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], having established her lair there before [[Sauron]] claimed Mordor as his own. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men, but as elves and men became scarce in the area, she fed upon [[orcs]]. Sauron would sometimes send her captured prisoners for whom he had no further use and amuse himself watching how she played with her prey. Even though they did not communicate, Sauron and Shelob understood each other. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and she served as a secure guardian of the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.

Her lair was along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] took while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Their guide, [[Gollum]] (whom the orcs of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak"), had reached some sort of understanding with her, and he led the hobbits directly into her trap.

While put off by the [[Phial of Galadriel]] in the tunnels, she intercepted them again outside and attacked Frodo, stinging him into a death-like coma. Sam managed to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon [[Sting]] when she tried to crush him under her massive body. Wounded, she fled to her lair and was never seen again.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam took the [[One Ring]] from him and left his body behind, but discovered by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom was not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

==Early History and Associations==
Before moving to [[Terech Ungol]] beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], Shelob lived in [[Beleriand]], in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's descendants (upon whom she would often feed) included the smaller, but still giant, spiders of Mirkwood, who captured [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies during the [[Quest of Erebor]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb". It is doubtless an Anglicization of the original Westron/Sindarin word, according to the [[Translator conceit]].

==Movie Adaptation==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]], Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosidae Lycosidae], which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Shelob

2007-02-08T22:58:40Z

Ted C: /* Shelob in the ''Lord of the Rings'' */

'''Shelob''' was a child of [[Ungoliant]], a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].
{{quote|There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.|[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Shelob's Lair]]}}

==Shelob in ''The Lord of the Rings''==
[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]Shelob was a huge creature in spider form, apparently the spawn of [[Ungoliant]] and some lesser spider of [[Arda]]. She dwelled high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], having established her lair there before [[Sauron]] claimed Mordor as his own. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men, but as elves and men became scarce in the area, she fed upon [[orcs]]. Sauron would sometimes send her captured prisoners for whom he had no further use and amuse himself watching how she played with her prey. Even though they did not communicate, Sauron and Shelob understood each other. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and she served as a secure guardian of the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.

Her lair was along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] took while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Their guide, [[Gollum]] (whom the orcs of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak"), had reached some sort of understanding with her, and he led the hobbits directly into her trap.

While put off by the [[Phial of Galadriel]] in the tunnels, she intercepted them again outside and attacked Frodo, stinging him into a death-like coma. Sam managed to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon [[Sting]] when she tried to crush him under her massive body. Wounded, she fled to her lair and was never seen again.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam took the [[One Ring]] from him and left his body behind, but discovered by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom was not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

==Early History and Associations==
Before moving to [[Terech Ungol]] beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], Shelob lived in [[Beleriand]], in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's descendants (upon whom she would often feed) included the smaller, but still giant, spiders of Mirkwood, who captured [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies during the [[Quest of Erebor]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb". It is doubtless an Anglicization of the original Westron/Sindarin word, according to the [[Translator conceit]].

==Movie Adaptation==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] based on the books, Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosidae Lycosidae], which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Shelob

2007-02-08T22:58:23Z

Ted C: /* Shelob in the Lord of the Rings */

'''Shelob''' was a child of [[Ungoliant]], a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].
{{quote|There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.|[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Shelob's Lair]]}}

==Shelob in the ''Lord of the Rings''==
[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]Shelob was a huge creature in spider form, apparently the spawn of [[Ungoliant]] and some lesser spider of [[Arda]]. She dwelled high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], having established her lair there before [[Sauron]] claimed Mordor as his own. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men, but as elves and men became scarce in the area, she fed upon [[orcs]]. Sauron would sometimes send her captured prisoners for whom he had no further use and amuse himself watching how she played with her prey. Even though they did not communicate, Sauron and Shelob understood each other. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and she served as a secure guardian of the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.

Her lair was along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] took while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Their guide, [[Gollum]] (whom the orcs of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak"), had reached some sort of understanding with her, and he led the hobbits directly into her trap.

While put off by the [[Phial of Galadriel]] in the tunnels, she intercepted them again outside and attacked Frodo, stinging him into a death-like coma. Sam managed to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon [[Sting]] when she tried to crush him under her massive body. Wounded, she fled to her lair and was never seen again.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam took the [[One Ring]] from him and left his body behind, but discovered by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom was not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

==Early History and Associations==
Before moving to [[Terech Ungol]] beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], Shelob lived in [[Beleriand]], in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's descendants (upon whom she would often feed) included the smaller, but still giant, spiders of Mirkwood, who captured [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies during the [[Quest of Erebor]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb". It is doubtless an Anglicization of the original Westron/Sindarin word, according to the [[Translator conceit]].

==Movie Adaptation==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] based on the books, Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosidae Lycosidae], which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Shelob

2007-02-08T22:57:12Z

Ted C: /* Shelob in the Lord of the Rings */

'''Shelob''' was a child of [[Ungoliant]], a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].
{{quote|There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.|[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Shelob's Lair]]}}

==Shelob in the Lord of the Rings==
[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]Shelob was a huge creature in spider form, apparently the spawn of [[Ungoliant]] and some lesser spider of [[Arda]]. She dwelled high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], having established her lair there before [[Sauron]] claimed Mordor as his own. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men, but as elves and men became scarce in the area, she fed upon [[orcs]]. Sauron would sometimes send her captured prisoners for whom he had no further use and amuse himself watching how she played with her prey. Even though they did not communicate, Sauron and Shelob understood each other. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and she served as a secure guardian of the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.

Her lair was along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] took while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Their guide, [[Gollum]] (whom the orcs of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak"), had reached some sort of understanding with her, and he led the hobbits directly into her trap.

While put off by the [[Phial of Galadriel]] in the tunnels, she intercepted them again outside and attacked Frodo, stinging him into a death-like coma. Sam managed to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon [[Sting]] when she tried to crush him under her massive body. Wounded, she fled to her lair and was never seen again.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam took the [[One Ring]] from him and left his body behind, but discovered by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom was not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

==Early History and Associations==
Before moving to [[Terech Ungol]] beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], Shelob lived in [[Beleriand]], in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's descendants (upon whom she would often feed) included the smaller, but still giant, spiders of Mirkwood, who captured [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies during the [[Quest of Erebor]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb". It is doubtless an Anglicization of the original Westron/Sindarin word, according to the [[Translator conceit]].

==Movie Adaptation==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] based on the books, Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosidae Lycosidae], which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Shelob

2007-02-08T22:05:45Z

Ted C:

'''Shelob''' was a child of [[Ungoliant]], a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].
{{quote|There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.|[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Shelob's Lair]]}}

==Shelob in the Lord of the Rings==
[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]Shelob was a huge creature in spider form, apparently the spawn of [[Ungoliant]] and some lesser spider of [[Arda]]. She dwelled high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], having established her lair there before [[Sauron]] claimed Mordor as his own. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men, but as elves and men became scarce in the area, she was fed upon [[orcs]]. Sauron would sometimes send her captured prisoners for whom he had no further use and amuse himself watching how she played with her prey. Even though they did not communicate, Sauron and Shelob understood each other. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and she served as a secure guardian of the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.

Her lair was along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] took while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Their guide, [[Gollum]] (whom the orcs of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak"), had reached some sort of understanding with her, and he led the hobbits directly into her trap.

While put off by the [[Phial of Galadriel]] in the tunnels, she intercepted them again outside and attacked Frodo, stinging him into a death-like coma. Sam managed to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon [[Sting]] when she tried to crush him under her massive body. Wounded, she fled to her lair and was never seen again.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam took the [[One Ring]] from him and left his body behind, but discovered by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom was not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

==Early History and Associations==
Before moving to [[Terech Ungol]] beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], Shelob lived in [[Beleriand]], in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's descendants (upon whom she would often feed) included the smaller, but still giant, spiders of Mirkwood, who captured [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies during the [[Quest of Erebor]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb". It is doubtless an Anglicization of the original Westron/Sindarin word, according to the [[Translator conceit]].

==Movie Adaptation==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] based on the books, Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosidae Lycosidae], which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Shelob

2007-02-08T22:05:11Z

Ted C: /* Shelob in the Lord of the Rings */

'''Shelob''' was a child of [[Ungoliant]], a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].

{{quote|There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.|[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Shelob's Lair]]}}

==Shelob in the Lord of the Rings==
[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]Shelob was a huge creature in spider form, apparently the spawn of [[Ungoliant]] and some lesser spider of [[Arda]]. She dwelled high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], having established her lair there before [[Sauron]] claimed Mordor as his own. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men, but as elves and men became scarce in the area, she was fed upon [[orcs]]. Sauron would sometimes send her captured prisoners for whom he had no further use and amuse himself watching how she played with her prey. Even though they did not communicate, Sauron and Shelob understood each other. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and she served as a secure guardian of the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.

Her lair was along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] took while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Their guide, [[Gollum]] (whom the orcs of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak"), had reached some sort of understanding with her, and he led the hobbits directly into her trap.

While put off by the [[Phial of Galadriel]] in the tunnels, she intercepted them again outside and attacked Frodo, stinging him into a death-like coma. Sam managed to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon [[Sting]] when she tried to crush him under her massive body. Wounded, she fled to her lair and was never seen again.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam took the [[One Ring]] from him and left his body behind, but discovered by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom was not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

==Early History and Associations==
Before moving to [[Terech Ungol]] beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], Shelob lived in [[Beleriand]], in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's descendants (upon whom she would often feed) included the smaller, but still giant, spiders of Mirkwood, who captured [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies during the [[Quest of Erebor]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb". It is doubtless an Anglicization of the original Westron/Sindarin word, according to the [[Translator conceit]].

==Movie Adaptation==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] based on the books, Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosidae Lycosidae], which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Shelob

2007-02-08T22:03:43Z

Ted C: moved pic, any way to format the TOC better?

'''Shelob''' was a child of [[Ungoliant]], a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].

{{quote|There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.|[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Shelob's Lair]]}}

==Shelob in the Lord of the Rings==
[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]Shelob was a huge creature in spider form, apparently the spawn of Ungoliant and some lesser spider of Arda. She dwelled high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], having established her lair there before Sauron claimed Mordor as his own. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men, but as elves and men became scarce in the area, she was fed upon [[orcs]]. Sauron would sometimes send her captured prisoners for whom he had no further use and amuse himself watching how she played with her prey. Even though they did not communicate, Sauron and Shelob understood each other. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and she served as a secure guardian of the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.

Her lair was along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] took while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Their guide, [[Gollum]] (whom the orcs of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak"), had reached some sort of understanding with her, and he led the hobbits directly into her trap.

While put off by the [[Phial of Galadriel]] in the tunnels, she intercepted them again outside and attacked Frodo, stinging him into a death-like coma. Sam managed to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon [[Sting]] when she tried to crush him under her massive body. Wounded, and she fled to her lair and was never seen again.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam took the [[One Ring]] from him and left his body behind, but discovered by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom was not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

==Early History and Associations==
Before moving to [[Terech Ungol]] beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], Shelob lived in [[Beleriand]], in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's descendants (upon whom she would often feed) included the smaller, but still giant, spiders of Mirkwood, who captured [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies during the [[Quest of Erebor]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb". It is doubtless an Anglicization of the original Westron/Sindarin word, according to the [[Translator conceit]].

==Movie Adaptation==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] based on the books, Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosidae Lycosidae], which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Shelob

2007-02-08T22:01:39Z

Ted C: /* Film version */

'''Shelob''' was a child of [[Ungoliant]], a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]

{{quote|There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.|[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Shelob's Lair]]}}

==Shelob in the Lord of the Rings==
Shelob was a huge creature in spider form, apparently the spawn of Ungoliant and some lesser spider of Arda. She dwelled high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], having established her lair there before Sauron claimed Mordor as his own. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men, but as elves and men became scarce in the area, she was fed upon [[orcs]]. Sauron would sometimes send her captured prisoners for whom he had no further use and amuse himself watching how she played with her prey. Even though they did not communicate, Sauron and Shelob understood each other. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and she served as a secure guardian of the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.

Her lair was along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] took while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Their guide, [[Gollum]] (whom the orcs of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak"), had reached some sort of understanding with her, and he led the hobbits directly into her trap.

While put off by the [[Phial of Galadriel]] in the tunnels, she intercepted them again outside and attacked Frodo, stinging him into a death-like coma. Sam managed to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon [[Sting]] when she tried to crush him under her massive body. Wounded, and she fled to her lair and was never seen again.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam took the [[One Ring]] from him and left his body behind, but discovered by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom was not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

==Early History and Associations==
Before moving to [[Terech Ungol]] beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], Shelob lived in [[Beleriand]], in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's descendants (upon whom she would often feed) included the smaller, but still giant, spiders of Mirkwood, who captured [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies during the [[Quest of Erebor]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb". It is doubtless an Anglicization of the original Westron/Sindarin word, according to the [[Translator conceit]].

==Movie Adaptation==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] based on the books, Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosidae Lycosidae], which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Shelob

2007-02-08T22:01:19Z

Ted C: /* Shelob in the books */

'''Shelob''' was a child of [[Ungoliant]], a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]

{{quote|There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.|[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Shelob's Lair]]}}

==Shelob in the Lord of the Rings==
Shelob was a huge creature in spider form, apparently the spawn of Ungoliant and some lesser spider of Arda. She dwelled high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], having established her lair there before Sauron claimed Mordor as his own. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men, but as elves and men became scarce in the area, she was fed upon [[orcs]]. Sauron would sometimes send her captured prisoners for whom he had no further use and amuse himself watching how she played with her prey. Even though they did not communicate, Sauron and Shelob understood each other. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and she served as a secure guardian of the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.

Her lair was along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] took while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Their guide, [[Gollum]] (whom the orcs of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak"), had reached some sort of understanding with her, and he led the hobbits directly into her trap.

While put off by the [[Phial of Galadriel]] in the tunnels, she intercepted them again outside and attacked Frodo, stinging him into a death-like coma. Sam managed to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon [[Sting]] when she tried to crush him under her massive body. Wounded, and she fled to her lair and was never seen again.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam took the [[One Ring]] from him and left his body behind, but discovered by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom was not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

==Early History and Associations==
Before moving to [[Terech Ungol]] beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], Shelob lived in [[Beleriand]], in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's descendants (upon whom she would often feed) included the smaller, but still giant, spiders of Mirkwood, who captured [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies during the [[Quest of Erebor]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb". It is doubtless an Anglicization of the original Westron/Sindarin word, according to the [[Translator conceit]].

==Film version==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] based on the books, Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosidae Lycosidae], which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Shelob

2007-02-07T15:30:55Z

Ted C: sp

'''Shelob''' was a child of [[Ungoliant]], a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]

{{quote|There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliant to trouble the unhappy world.|[[The Lord of the Rings]], [[Shelob's Lair]]}}

==Shelob in the books==

Shelob was a huge creature in spider form, high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], the last of the spawn of [[Ungoliant]]. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men. Later on when elves and men no longer traveled to [[Mordor]] on regular occasions, she was fed [[Orcs]] by [[Sauron]]. Sauron would often feed her captured prisoners that he had no further use for. Even though they could not communicate, they both understood eachother. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and it was good because she guarded the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.(She may have been a form of evil spirit, possibly a [[Maia]] or with Maiar blood, instead of an actual spider). Her lair was along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] take while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Apparently she has some sort of understanding with [[Gollum]], whom the [[Orcs]] of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak".

She attacksed and stung Frodo, who lapsed into a death-like coma. Sam managed to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon Frodo's sword while trying to crush him, and she fled to her lair, wounded.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam took the [[One Ring]] from him and left his body behind, but discovered by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom was not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

Shelob occupied [[Terech Ungol]] beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], and may have once lived in [[Beleriand]], possibly in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's brood (upon whom she would often feed) included the giant (but relatively smaller) spiders who captured [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies in [[Mirkwood]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb". It is doubtless an Anglicization of the original Westron/Sindarin word, according to the [[Translator conceit]].

==Film version==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] based on the books, Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycosidae Lycosidae], which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Shelob

2007-02-05T16:57:12Z

Ted C: +quote

'''Shelob''' is a Giant Spider-like creature, she appears at the end of the second volume of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', where her attack leads to [[Sam Gamgee]]'s key decision to take over the quest to destroy the [[One Ring]].

:''There age-long she had dwelt, an evil thing in spider-form, even such as once of old had lived in the Land of the Elves in the West that is now under the Sea, such as Beren fought in the Mountains of Terror in Doriath, and so came to Lúthien upon the green sward amid the hemlocks in the moonlight long ago. How Shelob came there, flying from ruin, no tale tells, for out of the Dark Years few tales have come. But still she was there, who was there before Sauron, and before the first stone of Barad-dûr; and she served none but herself, drinking the blood of Elves and Men, bloated and grown fat with endless brooding on her feasts, weaving webs of shadows; for all living things were her food, and her vomit darkness. Far and wide her lesser broods, bastards of the miserable mates, her own offspring, that she slew, spread from glen to glen, from the Ephel Dúath to the eastern hills, to Dol Guldur and the fastnesses of Mirkwood. But none could rival her, Shelob the Great, last child of Ungoliath to trouble the unhappy world.''
:-- [[Shelob's Lair]]

==Shelob in the books==
[[Image:John Howe - Sam and Shelob.jpg|right|thumb|300px|[[Sam]] battles ''Shelob'' by [[John Howe]]]]

Shelob is a huge creature in spider form, high in the mountains of [[Mordor]], the last of the spawn of [[Ungoliant]]. Shelob spent her early days feeding off elves and men. Later on when elves and men no longer traveled to [[Mordor]] on regular occasions, she was fed [[Orcs]] by [[Sauron]]. Sauron would often feed her captured prisoners that he had no further use for. Even though they could not communicate, they both understood eachother. Shelob was like a pet to Sauron, and it was good because she guarded the pass of [[Cirith Ungol]] to prevent any intruders from entering the dark land.(She may be a form of evil spirit, possibly a [[Maiar|Maia]] or with Maiar blood, instead of an actual spider.) Her lair is along the path that [[Sam Gamgee]] and [[Frodo Baggins]] take while seeking [[Mount Doom]]. Apparently she has some sort of understanding with [[Gollum]], whom the [[Orcs]] of the Tower of [[Cirith Ungol]] call "Her Shelob's Sneak".

She attacks and stings Frodo, who lapses into a death-like coma. Sam manages to defeat her by letting her impale herself upon Frodo's sword while trying to crush him, and she flees to her lair, wounded.

Thinking Frodo dead, Sam takes the [[One Ring]] from him and leaves his body behind, but discovers by listening to a party of Orcs that Shelob's venom is not intended to kill its victims but only to render them unconscious and keep their meat fresh.

Shelob occupies Terech Ungol beneath [[Cirith Ungol]], and may have once lived in [[Beleriand]], possibly in the [[Ered Gorgoroth]].

Shelob's brood (upon whom she would often feed) include the giant (but relatively smaller) spiders who capture [[Bilbo Baggins]]' Dwarf allies in [[Mirkwood]].

The name ''Shelob'' is derived from "lob", an archaic English word for spider. A variation, "cob" is the derivation of the word "cobweb".

==Film version==
[[Image:Shelob's face.jpg|thumb|left|Shelob's face from [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]].]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] based on the books, Shelob's appearance is held over until the middle of the third movie, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.

In the movie, Shelob can be seen to have a retractable venomous sting at the rear end between the spinnerets, resembling a wasp's sting. This is very much unlike real spiders which inject venom with their fangs but accurate relative to the novel. Shelob also appears to have a gaping mouth, whereas real spiders can ingest only liquid. In the book, on the other hand, "clusters" of eyes are mentioned, which may suggest compound eyes like those of insects; the Shelob in the movie does ''not'' have compound eyes, which is appropriate. A hunting spider of the family Lycosidae, which Shelob most closely resembles, would have two large eyes facing forward, and a few smaller ones almost hidden below. The only spiders that can reasonably be said to have "clustered" eyes (though not true compound eyes) are the daddy long-legs spiders of the family Pholcidae, but Shelob does not resemble these rather spindly and fragile spiders in other aspects of her physique.

===See also===
* [[:Category:Images of Shelob|Images of Shelob]]

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Creatures]]

Witch-king

2007-01-26T18:22:46Z

Ted C: /* See Also */ fmtg

{{royalty infobox
| image=[[Image:Melissa Hitchcock - The Black Captain.jpg|300px]]
| name=The Witch-king
| othernames=(true name unknown) the Black Captain, Chief of the Nine
| birth=Unknown, possibly sometime in [[Númenor]]
| rule=[[TA 1300]]-[[TA 1975]]
| death=[[TA 3019]]
| age= Unknown; over 3000 years
| realms=[[Angmar]]
| gender=Male (presumably; is referred to as "he")
| race=[[Men]] (unknown beyond that)
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
|}}
The '''Witch-king of Angmar''' was the chief of the [[Ringwraiths]] of [[Middle-earth]].

The Witch-king was originally a human king. In the [[Second Age]], he was given one of nine [[Rings of Power]] to help rule over his realm. He and eight others were already in the service of [[Sauron]], the [[Dark Lord]] of [[Mordor]]. The Rings gave them incredible power, which they used to further their own ambitions, but eventually the Rings completely corrupted them and turned them into the ghostly, undead [[Nazgûl]].

==The Second and Third Ages==
The first sighting of the Nazgûl in [[Middle-earth]] was reported in 2251 of the Second Age. For the next 1200 years, the '''Lord of the Nazgûl''' would serve Sauron as his second in command. He fought in the war against the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]] between 3434 and 3441 of the Second Age. It was in 3441 that Sauron was defeated by [[Isildur]] and the nine Nazgûl disappeared from Middle-Earth.

One thousand years into the [[Third Age]], Sauron took a new form as the [[Sauron|Necromancer]], and founded the fortress of [[Dol Guldur]] in southern [[Mirkwood]] in 1050 of the Third Age. This signaled the return of the Nine Nazgûl to Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Nazgûl reappeared in 1300 of the Third Age in the north near the lost realm of [[Arnor]]. There he founded the kingdom of [[Angmar]]. It is after the formation of Angmar and several conflicts with the [[Dúnedain]] of the North that the Lord of the Nazgul received the title of Witch-king, Lord of Angmar.

He then began his open war campaign with the three divided kingdoms of Arnor ([[Arthedain]], [[Rhudaur]] , and [[Cardolan]]). In 1409 of the Third Age, the Witch-king invaded the kingdom of Rhudaur and Cardolan and eventually destroyed both kingdoms. Soon, the only resistance against the Witch-king's forces was the western kingdom of Arthedain. The Witch-king continued his war for hundreds of years. In 1636, the Witch-king sent [[Barrow-wights|wights]] to the [[Barrow-downs]] in Cardolan in order to prevent the rebirth of the kingdom. The Witch-king claimed ultimate victory in the north in 1974 of the Third Age, when his forces captured [[Fornost Erain]], the capital of Arthedain. With its capture, the final kingdom collapsed, and with it, the last remnants of the lost realm of Arnor were destroyed.

The Witch-king gladly took his seat of power in the newly captured [[Fornost]]. But his glory did not last long, for in 1975, general [[Eärnur]] of [[Gondor]] landed at the harbors of [[Mithlond]], leading an army of Gondorians. His army was joined by the Elves of [[Lindon]] and the remnant of the northern [[Dúnedain]] and marched on the Witch-king.

They did not meet the Witch-king at Fornost, but on the plains east of it toward [[Lake Evendim]], home of the ancient kings of Arnor, [[Annúminas]]. The battle would forever be known as the [[Battle of Fornost]]. Earnur's army was later joined in the mists of battle by [[Glorfindel]] and his Elven army from [[Rivendell]]. The combined forces of Elves and Men brought utter defeat to the Witch-king and his forces. After the battle, the Witch-king fled south to Mordor and his kingdom of Angmar without an able leader, was destroyed. It was when the Witch-king fled and Earnur attempted to follow that Glorfindel stopped him and made his famous prophecy,
:''"Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of Man shall he fall."''
The Witch-king finally returned to Mordor in the year 1980 of the Third Age.

When the Witch-king returned, his wrath of defeat still burned within. In 2000, the Witch-king lead the Nazgûl on a siege of [[Minas Ithil]]. They finally captured it in 2002, in the name of Sauron and renamed it Minas Morgul, the Tower of Black Sorcery. It was at Minas Morgul that the Witch-king made his stronghold, giving him the title of Lord of Morgul.

No more than twelve years after the siege of Minas Ithil, [[Osgiliath]] was next in the Witch-king's line of sight. He led hordes of [[Orcs]] and [[Haradrim]] against the city. The city had already been devastated centuries before by a plague, and the Witch-king's forces ruined what remained of the city and destroyed the great bridge linking the east and west banks of the [[Anduin]] river. This was a devastating blow to the morale of Gondor.

In 2043, King [[Eärnil II]] of Gondor passed away and his son, the Witch-king's old enemy, Eärnur inherited the throne. Upon his coronation, the Witch-king challenged him to combat, but Eärnur refused. However, seven years later in 2050, the Witch-king again challenged him, this time he accepted. Eärnur rode out of [[Minas Tirith]] to meet the Witch-king in Minas Morgul. He entered the city's gates and was never seen again, thus ending the reign of the Gondorian Kings and causing the beginning of the ruling [[Stewards of Gondor]].

In 2941, the Necromancer was finally expelled from Dol Guldur when [[Gandalf]] confirmed that he truly was Sauron in disguise. Sauron returned to Mordor and began preparations to find his [[One Ring]]. He began the reconstruction of his dark tower, [[Barad-dûr]], in 2951 and sent three Ringwraiths to re-capture Dol Guldur. And in 3018, with the capture of [[Gollum]], Sauron learned the location of the Ring from two words uttered by Gollum, "[[The Shire|Shire]]...[[Baggins]]." Sauron opened the gates of Minas Morgul and sent forth the Witch-king and the other Nazgul disguised as [[Black Riders]] to fetch his Ring.

The [[War of the Ring]] had begun.

==The War of the Ring and Downfall==
The Witch-king and the other eight Nazgûl rode swiftly from Mordor to the lands of the Shire. They continued to search for "Baggins" until they tracked him to [[Buckland]]. The Nine Riders raided Buckland but could not find the Ring.

The Witch-king led four other Nazgûl to [[Weathertop]] where they discovered [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], [[Aragorn|Strider]], and the other [[hobbit]]s. The Ringwraiths attacked the party and the Witch-king wounded Frodo with a [[Morgul blade]]. Though successfully driven off by [[Aragorn|Strider]], Frodo's wound threatened to turn him into a wraith like the Nazgûl. [[Elrond]] of [[Rivendell]] sent [[Glorfindel]] ([[Arwen]] in the film) to guide Frodo to Rivendell where Elrond could heal his wound. Glorfindel's race to Rivendell lured the Ringwraiths into the [[Bruinen]]. Here, Elrond and Gandalf the Grey released a great flood in the form of horses made out of water. This flood killed the horses of the Ringwraiths and sent them back to their master in Mordor, buying the [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] time to plan an attack.

With their return to Mordor, Sauron bestowed the Nazgûl with [[Fell beasts]], great winged beasts as their new mounts. Sauron used the lesser eight Nazgûl for reconnaissance work and the occasional shock troop. The Witch-king, however, returned to Minas Morgul and reassumed the role of commander of Sauron's forces. He then began battles to capture Osgiliath.

The final [[Battle of Osgiliath|battle for Osgiliath]] was fought on March 13, 3019 of the Third Age against [[Faramir]]'s rangers. Faramir's forces could not hold the Orc hordes under the control of [[Gothmog, Lieutenant of Morgul|Gothmog]]. Faramir pulled his forces back to [[Minas Tirith]] assailed by flying Nazgûl, losing nearly all of his forces in the retreat. Faramir was returned to Minas Tirith gravely wounded. With Gondor's defeat at Osgiliath, nothing stood in the way of Sauron's ambitions of destroying Minas Tirith and the Free People's hopes.

On March 14, Orcs, Haradrim, and Easterling forces numbering over 200,000 marched on the gates of Minas Tirith. Sauron had bestowed the Witch-king with newfound strength, making his might the greatest it ever had been. Equipped with new armor, he rode in, leading the army to the gates. Before dawn on the 15th, the great battering-ram [[Grond]] was used to break the city's main gate, and the Witch-king rode into the city unchallenged, save by Gandalf. Before Gandalf's strength was put to the test, however, the cock crowed and the horns of [[Rohan]] were heard as around 6,000 of their riders joined the battle. This forced the Witch-king to ride out to face this new threat.

The Witch-king mounted his fell beast and began slaughtering the Rohirrim. [[Théoden]] attempted to rally his troops to form a resistance against him. The Witch-king responded by personally intervening in the fray involving the Rohirric King. Flying on the back of his fell beast, he drove upon Théoden. The advancing Rohirrim's horses panicked as his beast attacked. Théoden's horse, [[Snowmane]], became frightened and was struck by an arrow and fell upon its master.

[[Image:Ted Nasmith - Éowyn and the Nazgûl.jpg|thumb|left|300px|''Éowyn and the Witch-King'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]As the Witch-king hovered over Théoden, [[Éowyn]] and the hobbit [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] stood in his way.
:''"Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!"''
:''"Come not between the Nazgul and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."''
:''"Do what you will, but I will hinder it, if I may."''
:''"Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!"''
:''"But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Eomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him."''
Éowyn slew his fell beast in a single strike. The Witch-king arose filled with malice and attacked. Though a powerful warrior, Éowyn was no match for the Witch-king's might. With a single strike of his mace, he shattered her shield and broke her left arm.

As he towered over her, preparing to deliver the final blow, Merry rushed behind him and plunged his [[Dagger of Westernesse|enchanted dagger]] into the back of Witch-king's knee. Éowyn took the opportunity to strike. As he fell to his knees, Éowyn rose. She then thrust her sword into the face of the Witch-king, causing him to wither and pass away from this world.

The prophecy of [[Glorfindel]] so many centuries before had finally come to pass. For not by the hands of a "man" had he fallen, but by those of a woman and a hobbit. With his death, the turn of the battle had changed and ultimately the outcome. No more than ten days later, Sauron himself was finally destroyed when the [[One Ring]] was finally cast back into the fires of [[Mount Doom]].

==Early Life==

The Witch-king's true name is never given, and therefore among [[Tolkien fandom|Tolkien fans]], the Witch-king is often simply called ''Angmar'', after the name of the realm he founded and led. Many fans also identify him as one of the three [[Black Númenóreans]] Tolkien stated had become Nazgûl, or possibly [[Isilmo]], a Númenórean prince and father of Tar-Minastir. In the now defunct [[Middle-earth Role Playing]] game, he was named ''Er-Murazor'', a Númenórean prince, though this is strictly [[Canon|non-canonical]] and does not appear outside of the role playing material. It is also a popular belief among some fans, particularly those who are more fans of the book because of its action and characters than its depth, that the Witch-king was not dead as Éowyn had not an enchanted sword, and cite the passage that says that his wail was not heard again ''In this age of the earth''. But those who are less fan and more [[Tolkienist]] say that though this is possibly so the more probable solution is that Merry's stroke destroyed the Witch-king's invulnerability. Also, because of the perishing of the [[One Ring]], the nine other rings which kept the Nazgûl would probably have lost their power.

In the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], [[Éowyn]] challenges the Witch-king with the words: ''"Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!" ''. It is supposed that the word "dwimmerlaik" is formed from the Old English words "gedwimer" (sorcery), and "lic" (corpse).

==Roots in Norse mythology==
An undead witch-king named Þráinn appears in ''[[Hrómundar saga Gripssonar]]''. It is probable that this was Tolkien's source of inspiration.

== Movie Adaptation ==
[[Image:Witch-king from PJ's LotR - Armored.jpeg|thumb|right|150px|The Witch-king in [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]]]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]], the Lord of the Nazgûl is only named the [[Witch-King of Angmar]] in the third installment, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''. In that film, there is no mention of [[Glorfindel]]'s prophecy; there is only a claim among the enemy that "no man can kill" the Witch-King. Like the other Nazgûl, he is depicted as a humanoid figure shrouded in a hooded black robe; his only distinguishing feature is a mask-like spiked helmet with a huge mouth. His first mention is when [[Gandalf]] tells [[Pippin]] while in Minas Tirith that the Dark Lord has not yet unleashed his greatest weapon: the Witch-king, the one that "stabbed Frodo on Weathertop". This is a curious statement, as Weathertop was not named in the first book, and confusion would probably have resulted had there not been a flashback.

During the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], the Witch-King's army uses the ram Grond to break through the city gates early in the battle (after the failure of a lesser ram), and the Witch-King is not present to confront Gandalf as he is in the book. The confrontation takes place later, as Pippin and Gandalf race to the tombs to save [[Faramir]], and the Witch-King intercepts them. Unlike the book version, this meeting decisively favors the Witch-King, who breaks Gandalf's staff and throws the wizard to the ground before leaving to deal with the arrival of the [[Rohirrim]]. Gandalf's face shows obvious fear in this scene, in comparison to the resolution (for "victory or death") in the books.

The Witch-King's destruction on the battlefield occurs with less dialogue than in the book, and the weapons used to destroy him are both mundane: Merry's sword is not a [[Daggers of Westernesse|dagger]] from the [[Barrow-downs]], but rather the Rohirric sword that Théoden had as a child.

==See Also==
* [[:Category:Images of the Witch-king]]
* [[Ringwraiths]]

[[Category:Nazgûl]]

Witch-king

2007-01-26T18:17:37Z

Ted C: /* The Second and Third Ages */ sequencing

{{royalty infobox
| image=[[Image:Melissa Hitchcock - The Black Captain.jpg|300px]]
| name=The Witch-king
| othernames=(true name unknown) the Black Captain, Chief of the Nine
| birth=Unknown, possibly sometime in [[Númenor]]
| rule=[[TA 1300]]-[[TA 1975]]
| death=[[TA 3019]]
| age= Unknown; over 3000 years
| realms=[[Angmar]]
| gender=Male (presumably; is referred to as "he")
| race=[[Men]] (unknown beyond that)
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
|}}
The '''Witch-king of Angmar''' was the chief of the [[Ringwraiths]] of [[Middle-earth]].

The Witch-king was originally a human king. In the [[Second Age]], he was given one of nine [[Rings of Power]] to help rule over his realm. He and eight others were already in the service of [[Sauron]], the [[Dark Lord]] of [[Mordor]]. The Rings gave them incredible power, which they used to further their own ambitions, but eventually the Rings completely corrupted them and turned them into the ghostly, undead [[Nazgûl]].

==The Second and Third Ages==
The first sighting of the Nazgûl in [[Middle-earth]] was reported in 2251 of the Second Age. For the next 1200 years, the '''Lord of the Nazgûl''' would serve Sauron as his second in command. He fought in the war against the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]] between 3434 and 3441 of the Second Age. It was in 3441 that Sauron was defeated by [[Isildur]] and the nine Nazgûl disappeared from Middle-Earth.

One thousand years into the [[Third Age]], Sauron took a new form as the [[Sauron|Necromancer]], and founded the fortress of [[Dol Guldur]] in southern [[Mirkwood]] in 1050 of the Third Age. This signaled the return of the Nine Nazgûl to Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Nazgûl reappeared in 1300 of the Third Age in the north near the lost realm of [[Arnor]]. There he founded the kingdom of [[Angmar]]. It is after the formation of Angmar and several conflicts with the [[Dúnedain]] of the North that the Lord of the Nazgul received the title of Witch-king, Lord of Angmar.

He then began his open war campaign with the three divided kingdoms of Arnor ([[Arthedain]], [[Rhudaur]] , and [[Cardolan]]). In 1409 of the Third Age, the Witch-king invaded the kingdom of Rhudaur and Cardolan and eventually destroyed both kingdoms. Soon, the only resistance against the Witch-king's forces was the western kingdom of Arthedain. The Witch-king continued his war for hundreds of years. In 1636, the Witch-king sent [[Barrow-wights|wights]] to the [[Barrow-downs]] in Cardolan in order to prevent the rebirth of the kingdom. The Witch-king claimed ultimate victory in the north in 1974 of the Third Age, when his forces captured [[Fornost Erain]], the capital of Arthedain. With its capture, the final kingdom collapsed, and with it, the last remnants of the lost realm of Arnor were destroyed.

The Witch-king gladly took his seat of power in the newly captured [[Fornost]]. But his glory did not last long, for in 1975, general [[Eärnur]] of [[Gondor]] landed at the harbors of [[Mithlond]], leading an army of Gondorians. His army was joined by the Elves of [[Lindon]] and the remnant of the northern [[Dúnedain]] and marched on the Witch-king.

They did not meet the Witch-king at Fornost, but on the plains east of it toward [[Lake Evendim]], home of the ancient kings of Arnor, [[Annúminas]]. The battle would forever be known as the [[Battle of Fornost]]. Earnur's army was later joined in the mists of battle by [[Glorfindel]] and his Elven army from [[Rivendell]]. The combined forces of Elves and Men brought utter defeat to the Witch-king and his forces. After the battle, the Witch-king fled south to Mordor and his kingdom of Angmar without an able leader, was destroyed. It was when the Witch-king fled and Earnur attempted to follow that Glorfindel stopped him and made his famous prophecy,
:''"Do not pursue him! He will not return to these lands. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of Man shall he fall."''
The Witch-king finally returned to Mordor in the year 1980 of the Third Age.

When the Witch-king returned, his wrath of defeat still burned within. In 2000, the Witch-king lead the Nazgûl on a siege of [[Minas Ithil]]. They finally captured it in 2002, in the name of Sauron and renamed it Minas Morgul, the Tower of Black Sorcery. It was at Minas Morgul that the Witch-king made his stronghold, giving him the title of Lord of Morgul.

No more than twelve years after the siege of Minas Ithil, [[Osgiliath]] was next in the Witch-king's line of sight. He led hordes of [[Orcs]] and [[Haradrim]] against the city. The city had already been devastated centuries before by a plague, and the Witch-king's forces ruined what remained of the city and destroyed the great bridge linking the east and west banks of the [[Anduin]] river. This was a devastating blow to the morale of Gondor.

In 2043, King [[Eärnil II]] of Gondor passed away and his son, the Witch-king's old enemy, Eärnur inherited the throne. Upon his coronation, the Witch-king challenged him to combat, but Eärnur refused. However, seven years later in 2050, the Witch-king again challenged him, this time he accepted. Eärnur rode out of [[Minas Tirith]] to meet the Witch-king in Minas Morgul. He entered the city's gates and was never seen again, thus ending the reign of the Gondorian Kings and causing the beginning of the ruling [[Stewards of Gondor]].

In 2941, the Necromancer was finally expelled from Dol Guldur when [[Gandalf]] confirmed that he truly was Sauron in disguise. Sauron returned to Mordor and began preparations to find his [[One Ring]]. He began the reconstruction of his dark tower, [[Barad-dûr]], in 2951 and sent three Ringwraiths to re-capture Dol Guldur. And in 3018, with the capture of [[Gollum]], Sauron learned the location of the Ring from two words uttered by Gollum, "[[The Shire|Shire]]...[[Baggins]]." Sauron opened the gates of Minas Morgul and sent forth the Witch-king and the other Nazgul disguised as [[Black Riders]] to fetch his Ring.

The [[War of the Ring]] had begun.

==The War of the Ring and Downfall==
The Witch-king and the other eight Nazgûl rode swiftly from Mordor to the lands of the Shire. They continued to search for "Baggins" until they tracked him to [[Buckland]]. The Nine Riders raided Buckland but could not find the Ring.

The Witch-king led four other Nazgûl to [[Weathertop]] where they discovered [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], [[Aragorn|Strider]], and the other [[hobbit]]s. The Ringwraiths attacked the party and the Witch-king wounded Frodo with a [[Morgul blade]]. Though successfully driven off by [[Aragorn|Strider]], Frodo's wound threatened to turn him into a wraith like the Nazgûl. [[Elrond]] of [[Rivendell]] sent [[Glorfindel]] ([[Arwen]] in the film) to guide Frodo to Rivendell where Elrond could heal his wound. Glorfindel's race to Rivendell lured the Ringwraiths into the [[Bruinen]]. Here, Elrond and Gandalf the Grey released a great flood in the form of horses made out of water. This flood killed the horses of the Ringwraiths and sent them back to their master in Mordor, buying the [[Fellowship of the Ring|Fellowship]] time to plan an attack.

With their return to Mordor, Sauron bestowed the Nazgûl with [[Fell beasts]], great winged beasts as their new mounts. Sauron used the lesser eight Nazgûl for reconnaissance work and the occasional shock troop. The Witch-king, however, returned to Minas Morgul and reassumed the role of commander of Sauron's forces. He then began battles to capture Osgiliath.

The final [[Battle of Osgiliath|battle for Osgiliath]] was fought on March 13, 3019 of the Third Age against [[Faramir]]'s rangers. Faramir's forces could not hold the Orc hordes under the control of [[Gothmog, Lieutenant of Morgul|Gothmog]]. Faramir pulled his forces back to [[Minas Tirith]] assailed by flying Nazgûl, losing nearly all of his forces in the retreat. Faramir was returned to Minas Tirith gravely wounded. With Gondor's defeat at Osgiliath, nothing stood in the way of Sauron's ambitions of destroying Minas Tirith and the Free People's hopes.

On March 14, Orcs, Haradrim, and Easterling forces numbering over 200,000 marched on the gates of Minas Tirith. Sauron had bestowed the Witch-king with newfound strength, making his might the greatest it ever had been. Equipped with new armor, he rode in, leading the army to the gates. Before dawn on the 15th, the great battering-ram [[Grond]] was used to break the city's main gate, and the Witch-king rode into the city unchallenged, save by Gandalf. Before Gandalf's strength was put to the test, however, the cock crowed and the horns of [[Rohan]] were heard as around 6,000 of their riders joined the battle. This forced the Witch-king to ride out to face this new threat.

The Witch-king mounted his fell beast and began slaughtering the Rohirrim. [[Théoden]] attempted to rally his troops to form a resistance against him. The Witch-king responded by personally intervening in the fray involving the Rohirric King. Flying on the back of his fell beast, he drove upon Théoden. The advancing Rohirrim's horses panicked as his beast attacked. Théoden's horse, [[Snowmane]], became frightened and was struck by an arrow and fell upon its master.

[[Image:Ted Nasmith - Éowyn and the Nazgûl.jpg|thumb|left|300px|''Éowyn and the Witch-King'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]As the Witch-king hovered over Théoden, [[Éowyn]] and the hobbit [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] stood in his way.
:''"Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!"''
:''"Come not between the Nazgul and his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will bear thee away to the houses of lamentation, beyond all darkness, where thy flesh shall be devoured, and thy shrivelled mind be left naked to the Lidless Eye."''
:''"Do what you will, but I will hinder it, if I may."''
:''"Hinder me? Thou fool. No living man may hinder me!"''
:''"But no living man am I! You look upon a woman. Éowyn I am, Eomund's daughter. You stand between me and my lord and kin. Begone, if you be not deathless! For living or dark undead, I will smite you, if you touch him."''
Éowyn slew his fell beast in a single strike. The Witch-king arose filled with malice and attacked. Though a powerful warrior, Éowyn was no match for the Witch-king's might. With a single strike of his mace, he shattered her shield and broke her left arm.

As he towered over her, preparing to deliver the final blow, Merry rushed behind him and plunged his [[Dagger of Westernesse|enchanted dagger]] into the back of Witch-king's knee. Éowyn took the opportunity to strike. As he fell to his knees, Éowyn rose. She then thrust her sword into the face of the Witch-king, causing him to wither and pass away from this world.

The prophecy of [[Glorfindel]] so many centuries before had finally come to pass. For not by the hands of a "man" had he fallen, but by those of a woman and a hobbit. With his death, the turn of the battle had changed and ultimately the outcome. No more than ten days later, Sauron himself was finally destroyed when the [[One Ring]] was finally cast back into the fires of [[Mount Doom]].

==Early Life==

The Witch-king's true name is never given, and therefore among [[Tolkien fandom|Tolkien fans]], the Witch-king is often simply called ''Angmar'', after the name of the realm he founded and led. Many fans also identify him as one of the three [[Black Númenóreans]] Tolkien stated had become Nazgûl, or possibly [[Isilmo]], a Númenórean prince and father of Tar-Minastir. In the now defunct [[Middle-earth Role Playing]] game, he was named ''Er-Murazor'', a Númenórean prince, though this is strictly [[Canon|non-canonical]] and does not appear outside of the role playing material. It is also a popular belief among some fans, particularly those who are more fans of the book because of its action and characters than its depth, that the Witch-king was not dead as Éowyn had not an enchanted sword, and cite the passage that says that his wail was not heard again ''In this age of the earth''. But those who are less fan and more [[Tolkienist]] say that though this is possibly so the more probable solution is that Merry's stroke destroyed the Witch-king's invulnerability. Also, because of the perishing of the [[One Ring]], the nine other rings which kept the Nazgûl would probably have lost their power.

In the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], [[Éowyn]] challenges the Witch-king with the words: ''"Begone, foul dwimmerlaik, lord of carrion! Leave the dead in peace!" ''. It is supposed that the word "dwimmerlaik" is formed from the Old English words "gedwimer" (sorcery), and "lic" (corpse).

==Roots in Norse mythology==
An undead witch-king named Þráinn appears in ''[[Hrómundar saga Gripssonar]]''. It is probable that this was Tolkien's source of inspiration.

== Movie Adaptation ==
[[Image:Witch-king from PJ's LotR - Armored.jpeg|thumb|right|150px|The Witch-king in [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]]]]
In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]], the Lord of the Nazgûl is only named the [[Witch-King of Angmar]] in the third installment, ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''. In that film, there is no mention of [[Glorfindel]]'s prophecy; there is only a claim among the enemy that "no man can kill" the Witch-King. Like the other Nazgûl, he is depicted as a humanoid figure shrouded in a hooded black robe; his only distinguishing feature is a mask-like spiked helmet with a huge mouth. His first mention is when [[Gandalf]] tells [[Pippin]] while in Minas Tirith that the Dark Lord has not yet unleashed his greatest weapon: the Witch-king, the one that "stabbed Frodo on Weathertop". This is a curious statement, as Weathertop was not named in the first book, and confusion would probably have resulted had there not been a flashback.

During the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]], the Witch-King's army uses the ram Grond to break through the city gates early in the battle (after the failure of a lesser ram), and the Witch-King is not present to confront Gandalf as he is in the book. The confrontation takes place later, as Pippin and Gandalf race to the tombs to save [[Faramir]], and the Witch-King intercepts them. Unlike the book version, this meeting decisively favors the Witch-King, who breaks Gandalf's staff and throws the wizard to the ground before leaving to deal with the arrival of the [[Rohirrim]]. Gandalf's face shows obvious fear in this scene, in comparison to the resolution (for "victory or death") in the books.

The Witch-King's destruction on the battlefield occurs with less dialogue than in the book, and the weapons used to destroy him are both mundane: Merry's sword is not a [[Daggers of Westernesse|dagger]] from the [[Barrow-downs]], but rather the Rohirric sword that Théoden had as a child.

==See Also
* [[:Category:Images of the Witch-king]]
* [[Ringwraiths]]

[[Category:Nazgûl]]

Gandalf

2006-12-15T22:16:03Z

Ted C: /* Powers & Abilities */ +special equipment

{{Istari infobox
| image=[[Image:Roger Thomasson - Gandalf.jpg|250px]]
| name=Gandalf
| othernames= The Grey, The White, Olórin, Mithrandir, Incánus, Tharkûn, The White Rider, Gandalf Greyhame, Stormcrow, [[Gandalf#Wand-elf|Wand-elf]]
| birth= Entered [[Middle-earth]] in III 1000
| death= III 3018 (later resurrected); after the War of the Ring he passed to [[Valinor]]
| gender=Male
| robes=Grey, White
| height=
| hair= Grey, White
| eyes=
|}}
{{quote|Gandalf was shorter in stature than the other two; but his long white hair, his sweeping beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend. In his aged face under great snowy brows his eyes were set like coals that could suddenly burst into fire.|[[The Fellowship of the Ring]], "[[Many Meetings]]"}}

'''Gandalf the Grey''', later '''Gandalf the White''', was a [[Wizard]] of the [[Third Age]] and the greatest force of good of his time. His tireless work against the Dark Lord [[Sauron]] saved [[Middle-earth]] from his malice and was the basis for ''[[The Hobbit]]'' and ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.

== Inspiration ==
[[Image:Der_Berggeist_(Origin_of_Gandalf)_by_J._Madelener.gif|left|thumb|250px|This painting on a postcard is rumored to be how [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] got his inspiration for the character known as "Gandalf"]]

''Gandalfr''
appears in the list of dwarves in the ''[[Völuspá]]'' of the [[Elder Edda]], the name means "Cane-elf". Tolkien took the name along with the other dwarves' names when he wrote ''The Hobbit'' in the 1930s. He came to regret the creation of this "rabble of eddaic-named dwarves [...] invented in an idle hour" ([[The Treason of Isengard|HoME 7]]:452), since it forced him to come up with an explanation of why Old Norse names should be used in [[Third Age]] Middle-earth. He solved the dilemma in 1942 by the explanation that Old Norse was a ''translation'' of the language of [[Dale]]. The figure of Gandalf has other influences from Germanic mythology, particularly Odin in his incarnation as "the Wanderer", an old man with one eye, a long white beard, a wide brimmed hat, and a staff: Tolkien states that he thinks of Gandalf as an ''"Odinic wanderer"'' in a letter of 1946 (''Letters'' no. 107).

Tolkien had a postcard labelled ''Der Berggeist'' ("the mountain spirit"), and on the paper cover in which he kept it, he wrote "the origin of Gandalf" at some point. The postcard reproduces a painting of a bearded figure, sitting on a rock under a pine tree in a mountainous setting. He wears a wide-brimmed round hat and a long cloak and white fawn is nuzzling his upturned hands.
[[Humphrey Carpenter]] in his 1977 biography said that Tolkien had bought the postcard during his 1911 holiday in Switzerland. However, Manfred Zimmerman (1983) discovered that the painting was by German artist Josef Madlener and dates to the late 1920s. Carpenter concluded that Tolkien was probably mistaken about the origin of the postcard himself. Tolkien must have acquired the card at some time in the early 1930s, at a time when ''The Hobbit'' had already begun to take shape.

The original painting was auctioned at Sotheby's in London on July 12, 2005 for 84,000 GBP. The previous owner had been given the painting by Madlener in the 1940s and recalled that he had stated the mountains in the background of the painting were the Dolomites.

The first description of Gandalf, then, is preserved in the first pages of ''The Hobbit'',
dating to the early 1930s. Gandalf's fame is alluded to even before his physical description ("Tales and adventures sprouted up all over the place wherever he went, in the most extraordinary fashion"), directed by the author to the reader, while the protagonist's ("unsuspecting Bilbo") impression is that of:
<blockquote>
''...an old man with a staff. He had a tall pointed blue hat, a long grey cloak, a silver scarf over which a white beard hung down below his waist, and immense black boots.
</blockquote>

== J.R.R. Tolkien's Gandalf ==

=== Origins ===
{{Pronounce|Gandalf.mp3|Ardamir}}
[[Image:John Howe - Gandalf.jpg|thumb|300px|This is one of the most well known illustrations of ''Gandalf'', by [[John Howe]]]]
Gandalf is the best-known of the [[Maiar]] of the people of [[Valinor]]. He was known as '''Olórin''' who dwelt in the gardens of [[Irmo]] and was the pupil of [[Nienna]]. When the [[Valar]] decided to send the order of the [[Wizards]] to Middle-earth, Olórin was proposed by [[Manwë]], in order to counsel and assist all those in Middle-earth who opposed [[Sauron]]. He is said to be one of the wisest of that order, rivalling [[Saruman]], with whom he had a strained, competitive relationship.

=== Role in ''The Hobbit'' ===
In ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Gandalf the wizard appears to the [[Hobbits]] of the [[Shire]], where he spent a great deal of time, as little more than a vain, fussy old conjurer who entertained children with fireworks during festivals and parties. He (partially) reveals his true nature and power to [[Bilbo Baggins]], when he arranges and partially accompanies a band of thirteen [[Dwarves]] to regain the Dwarvish treasure of the [[Lonely Mountain]] that was stolen many years before by the [[Dragons|dragon]], [[Smaug]]. It is on this quest that Gandalf finds his sword, ''[[Glamdring]]'', and that Bilbo finds the [[One Ring]] (though at the time it is mistaken for a lesser ring).

Unknown to the Dwarves or Bilbo, Gandalf had joined the quest in order to investigate what he suspected to be Sauron's resurgence in [[Mirkwood]]; he frequently vanishes to "attend to other pressing business"—the nature of which he refuses to discuss. Some years before, he had encountered [[Thráin II]], father of the quest's leader, [[Thorin Oakenshield]], dying in [[Dol Guldur]], and the Dwarf king entrusted him with a map to Erebor. As Dol Guldur had once been one of Sauron's strongholds, Gandalf feared that Sauron's agents were at large again. He met Thorin years later and agreed to go on the quest as a way to investigate further. He insisted, however, on bringing Bilbo along as a "burglar", someone who could sneak into places Dwarves couldn't access and gather information.

When Bilbo finds the One Ring, Gandalf is immediately suspicious of the Hobbit's story of evading the [[Goblins]] through "being invisible." He privately confronts Bilbo and forces the truth out of him, and is deeply troubled by his story of the ring's powers, as they seem eerily familiar.

He disappears when the company reaches Mirkwood, and does not reappear again until the [[Battle of Five Armies]] breaks out, when he brings an army of [[Eagles]] to help save the Dwarves and Bilbo. He accompanies Bilbo back to the Shire.

=== Pre-War of the Ring ===
Gandalf spends the years between Third Age 2941 and 3001 travelling [[Middle-earth]] in search of information on [[Sauron]]'s resurgence and Bilbo's mysterious ring. He spends as much time as he can in the Shire, however, strengthening his friendship with Bilbo and befriending Bilbo's heir, [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]. It is also at about this time that he first begins to be suspicious of Saruman.

In 3001 he attended Bilbo's "Eleventy-First" (111th) birthday party, bringing many fireworks and a giant flying firework 'dragon', indicating his knowledge of chemistry as well as magic. At the end of the party Bilbo puts on the ring and disappears at the end of his speech, as a prank on his neighbors. Troubled by this, Gandalf confronts his old friend and tries to persuade him to leave it to Frodo. Bilbo becomes hostile and accuses him of trying to steal the ring—which he calls "my precious," much as [[Gollum]], the creature Bilbo had taken the ring from, had. Horrified, Gandalf stands to his full height and almost orders Bilbo to leave it behind. Bilbo returns to his senses, and admits that the ring had been troubling him lately. He then leaves, the only Ring-bearer in history to have left it voluntarily.

Over the next seventeen years, Gandalf travels extensively, searching for answers. Having long sought for Gollum near Mordor, he meets with [[Aragorn II|Aragorn]] in Mirkwood, who had captured the creature. Gandalf interrogates the wretched creature and learns that Sauron had forced him to tell what he knew about the ring under torture, adding to his suspicions that Bilbo carried The One Ring.

=== Role in ''The Lord of the Rings'' ===
[[Image:Enis Cisic - Gandalf and Frodo.jpg|thumb|left|''Gandalf and Frodo'' by [[Enis Cisic]]]]
Upon returning to the Shire, in Chapter 2 of ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', he confirms his suspicions by throwing the Ring into Frodo's hearth fire and reading the writing. He tells Frodo the full history of the Ring, urging him to leave with it and make for [[Rivendell]], the home of the elves, knowing he is in grave danger if he stays at home.

Gandalf, while riding near the Shire, is requested by Radagast the Brown to seek out Saruman because the [[Nazgûl]] had come forth and crossed the River [[Anduin]]. Gandalf leaves a note for Frodo with Butterbur, an inn-keeper in [[Bree]], and heads towards [[Isengard]]. Once there, he is betrayed and held captive by Saruman, who had already come under the influence of Sauron due to his use of the [[palantíri|palantír]]. Eventually rescued by Gwahir the eagle, he only reaches the Shire after Frodo has set out and does not meet up with him until Frodo reaches Rivendell on October 20.

Taking leadership of the Fellowship (nine representatives of the free peoples of Middle-earth "set against the Nine Riders"), he and Aragorn lead the hobbits and their companions on an unsuccessful effort to cross Mount Caradhras in winter. Then they take the "dark and secret way" through the Mines of [[Moria]], which '''Gandalf''' had visited once before, looking for Thraín. they fought with Goblins and a Troll in the [[Battle of the Chamber of Mazarbul]]. They defeated the force and fled for the [[East-gate]], when they met met an ancient demon, a [[Balrogs|Balrog]], one of the Maiar corrupted by [[Melkor]] in the [[First Age]].

[[Image:Danny Staten - Gandalf's Triumph.jpg|thumb|''Gandalf's Triumph'' by [[Danny Staten]]]]
Since Gandalf and the Balrog were both Maiar, they were beings of the same order. As they faced each other, Gandalf broke the Bridge in front of him, but as the Balrog fell it wrapped its whip around Gandalf's ankle, which dragged him down to hanging onto the edge. As the Company looked in horror, Gandalf cried, "Fly, you fools!" and let go. Neither he nor the Balrog was killed by the fall, and Gandalf pursued the creature for eight days until they climbed to the peak of Zirakzigil. Here they fought for two days and nights in what was called the [[Battle of the Peak]]. In the end, the Balrog was cast down and it broke the mountain-side as it fell. Gandalf himself died following this ordeal.

Gandalf is "brought back" (either resurrected or reincarnated), returning as a more imposing white-clad figure, '''Gandalf the White'''. In [[Fangorn]] forest he encounters the Three Walkers (Aragorn, [[Gimli]], and [[Legolas]]) who were tracking Fellowship members (and Frodo's cousins) [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]]. Arriving in [[Rohan]], Gandalf finds that its king, [[Théoden]], has been weakened by Saruman's agent, [[Gríma Wormtongue]]. He breaks Wormtongue's hold over Theoden, and convinces the king to join them in fighting Sauron. They then go on to prosecute the war against Isengard and [[Barad-dûr]] ([[The Two Towers]]).

After the overthrow of Saruman, Gandalf breaks his staff and banishes him from the Order of Wizards. He then takes Pippin with him to Gondor to aide in the defense of the city. Gandalf buys the city precious time by facing off against the [[Witch-king of Angmar]], the Lord of the Nazgûl, giving the Rohirrim enough time to reach the city during the [[Battle of Pelennor Fields]].

Gandalf leads the final battle against Sauron's forces at the [[Black Gate]], waging an all-out battle to distract the [[Dark Lord]]'s attention away from Frodo and [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]], who were at the very same moment scaling [[Mount Doom]] to destroy the Ring. Without his efforts, Sauron may well have learned where the two Hobbits were and killed them before they could complete their task.

Three years later, Gandalf, now having spent over 2,000 years in Middle-Earth, departs with Frodo, [[Galadriel]], Bilbo, and [[Elrond]] across the sea to the [[Undying Lands]].

== Appearance ==
Gandalf initially appears as an old man with a grey beard, a grey cloak and a large, pointed blue hat. Although some of the Wise know his true nature, others mistake him for a simple conjuror. After he is resurrected the change of his signature colour from grey to white is significant, for he has been sent back to replace the corrupt Saruman as the chief of the Wizards. In the book he says that he has himself become what Saruman should have been.

[[Círdan]] the Shipwright seemed to have foreseen this, for he entrusted the care of [[Narya]], the ring of Fire, one of the [[Rings of Power|Three Rings]] of the Elves to Gandalf rather than Saruman.

== Powers & Abilities ==

In [[The Hobbit]], Gandalf demonstrated extensive knowledge of the land and an assortment of magical abilities. He could blow glowing smoke rings that moved around a room at his direction, and [[Bilbo]] remembered him for his fantastic fireworks displays. More usefully, he created blinding flashes and other pyrotechnics to distract the [[goblin]]s of the [[Misty Mountains]], aiding the dwarves in their escape from [[Goblintown]]. On the eastern slopes, he turned pine cones into flaming projectiles that threw hot sparks and started fires that would not easily go out. He was also able come and go from the presence of [[Thorin and Company]] without anyone noticing.

In [[The Lord of the Rings]], he again displayed his proficiency with pyrotechnics at [[Bilbo's Farewell Party]]. He was also able to start fires under blizzard conditions, create light of varying intensity for the journey through [[Moria]], magically secure doors, and break the [[Bridge of Khazad-dûm]]. When angered or aroused for battle, he seemed to grow in height and assume a terrifying aspect. He also fought the [[Durin's Bane|Balrog of Moria]] and killed his opponent, although he did not survive the battle himself.

Sent back to [[Middle-earth]] as Gandalf the White, he possessed greater charisma and a limited degree of clairvoyance, although he was unable to peer into the land of [[Mordor]] to see the progress of [[Frodo]] and [[Sam]]. His power and authority had increased so that he could break [[Saruman|Saruman's]] staff with a spoken command, showing his authority to throw the treacherous wizard out of the order.

===Special Equipment===

Like all wizards, Gandalf carried a staff which sometimes served as a focus for his powers (like creating light). Exactly how much it aided him in the use of magic is unknown, but [[Grima Wormtongue]] tried to forbid Gandalf from bringing it into [[Edoras]].

When he arrived in Middle Earth, Gandalf received the Elven ring [[Narya]] from [[Cirdan the Shipwright]].

In 2941, Gandalf acquired the sword [[Glamdring]] from the treasure horde of a band of trolls.

== Names and Titles ==
* '''''Olórin''''', his name in [[Valinor]] and in very ancient times. "Olórin was my name in my youth in the West that is forgotten." It is [[Quenya]] and its meaning is associated with dreams (perhaps "dreamer" or "of dreams"), from the root ''ÓLOS''-
* '''''Mithrandir''''', his [[Sindarin]] name, used in [[Gondor]] and meaning "Grey Pilgrim"
* '''''Incánus''''', his name in the South, of unclear language and meaning. Tolkien several times changed his mind about it, varying between the Latin word Incanus meaning Grey, a possible [[Westron]] invention meaning Greymantle, or even an [[Elvish]] word ''Ind-cano'' meaning "Mind Ruler"
* '''''Tharkûn''''', his name to the Dwarves, probably meaning "Staff Man"
* '''The White Rider''', his name while riding the great horse [[Shadowfax]]
* '''Gandalf Greyhame''', given to him by [[Gríma Wormtongue]]
* '''Stormcrow''', a reference to his arrival being associated with times of trouble
===Wand-elf===
Within the legendarium, "Gandalf" translates an unknown name of the meaning "Elf-of-the-wand (or cane/staff)", or more literary "Wand-elf", in old northern Mannish. Most denizens of Middle-earth incorrectly assumed Gandalf was a [[Men|Man]] (human), although he was really a Maia spirit (approximately equivalent to an angel). However, a less common misconception that occurred during the beginning of his career in Middle-earth was that for someone to be [[immortal]] and use as much magic as he did, he must have been an Elf. Although it soon became apparent to all that he couldn't be an Elf, as he was old and Elves don't generally age, the nickname stuck with him. He later gave it as his name to others he met who didn't know its original meaning.

== Portrayals in Adaptations ==
<gallery>
Image:Gandalf from Rankin-Bass' The Hobbit.jpg|Gandalf as portrayed in [[Rankin/Bass' The Hobbit]]
Image:Gandalf from Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings.jpg|Gandalf as portrayed in [[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]]
Image:Peter Jackson's Gandalf.jpg|[[Ian McKellen]] as Gandalf in [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]
</gallery>
[[John Huston]] provided the voice of Gandalf in two animated television features by [[Rankin/Bass]].

In [[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]] Gandalf was voiced by [[William Squire]]. It is not known whether Squire played him in the live-action filming used for rotoscoping.

In the BBC radio dramatisations, [[Heron Carvic]] played him in ''The Hobbit'' and Sir [[Michael Hordern]] played him in ''The Lord of the Rings''.

[[Ian McKellen|Sir Ian McKellen]] was Gandalf in ''[[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings|The Lord of The Rings]]'' movie trilogy directed by [[Peter Jackson]]. McKellan was also nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of Gandalf in [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]].

Sean Connery was initially approached to play Gandalf in [[Peter Jackson]]'s movie trilogy; allegedly he was rejected when he professed ignorance of the books!

== See Also ==
* [[:Category:Images of Gandalf|Images of Gandalf]]

== References ==
* Manfred Zimmerman, ''The Origin of Gandalf and Josef Madlener'', Mythlore 34 (1983).

== External Links ==
* [http://www.tolkiensociety.org/news/gandalf-painting.html The painting from which Tolkien drew inspiration for Gandalf]

{{istari}}
{{Thorin and Company}}
{{fellowship}}

[[Category:Characters]]
[[Category:Maiar]]
[[Category:Wizards]]

Bilbo's Farewell Party

2006-12-06T22:44:05Z

Ted C: grammar

'''Bilbo's Farewell Party''' was a grand celebration held by [[Bilbo Baggins]] on his 111st birthday in the [[Party Field]]. It was coincidentally also the 33rd birthday of his nephew [[Frodo Baggins]]. As recounted in ''[[A Long Expected Party]]'', it was a huge and expensive celebration attended by most hobbits in the area, but a portion of the party was "invitation only" with 144 guests. The party included copious amounts of food and drink, and [[Gandalf|Gandalf the Grey]] provided fireworks for entertainment.

The occasion was notable in [[Hobbiton]] for Bilbo's abrupt disappearance (he used the [[One Ring|Ring]] to disappear at the end of his birthday speech), but the most historically important event was Bilbo leaving the Ring in Frodo's keeping when he departed.

[[Category:Events]]

Elendil

2006-12-04T20:20:40Z

Ted C: Portrayal in Adaptations

{{royalty infobox
| image=[[Image:Elendil.jpeg|250px]]
| name=Elendil
| othernames=Elendil the Tall, Elendil the Fair
| birth= II 3119
| rule= II 3320
| death= II 3441
| age= 322 years
| realms= [[Gondor]], [[Arnor]]
| race=[[Men]]
| gender=Male
| height=7'11"
| eyes=
| hair= Brown
|}}
'''Elendil''' was the father of [[Isildur]] and [[Anárion son of Elendil|Anárion]], a survivor of the [[Downfall of Númenor]], and the founder and first king of [[Arnor]] and [[Gondor]]. Elendil was also known as '''Elendil the Tall''' ([[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien]] put his height at a lofty 7'11" or 2.41 meters) and '''Elendil the Fair''',

Elendil was born in [[Númenor]], son of [[Amandil of Andúnië|Amandil]], [[Lord of Andúnië]] and leader of the "[[Faithful]]", who maintained a strong friendship with the [[Elves]] and preserved the old ways against the barbarous practices of [[Ar-Pharazôn]] and [[Sauron]]. Elendil's name means "Devoted to the Stars" in [[Quenya]].

Elendil, his sons Isildur and Anárion, and their supporters fled to [[Middle-earth]] at the Downfall of Númenor, sailing east in seven ships and founding the realms of Arnor and Gondor in Second Age 3320. With them they took the ''[[palantíri]]'', the "Seeing Stones" that were given to the Lords of Andúnie by the Elves of [[Tol Eressëa]], and a seedling of [[White Tree of Númenor|Nimloth]], the [[White Tree]] of Númenor.

As he landed on Middle-earth he proclaimed in Quenya: "''Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien. Sinome maruvan ar Hildinyar tenn' Ambar-metta''" ("Out of the [[Great Sea]] to Middle-earth I have come. In this place I will abide, and my heirs, unto the ending of the world"). His heir and great-grandson by 39 generations [[Aragorn II]] spoke these words again when he took up the crown of Gondor as King [[Aragorn II|Elessar]] at the beginning of the [[Fourth Age]].

Elendil lived in Arnor, where he founded the city of [[Annúminas]]. His son Anárion founded the city of [[Minas Anor]] in [[Anórien]], and his son Isildur founded Minas Ithil in [[Ithilien]]. Across the [[Anduin]] the city of [[Osgiliath]] was built. In both realms were built towers for the ''palantíri'', with which the lords kept contact.

In time the evil lord Sauron returned to Middle-earth, establishing a stronghold in [[Mordor]], next to Gondor. In 3428 Sauron attacked, seizing Minas Ithil. Isildur fled north to his father, leaving Anárion in charge of Gondor. In 3434, King Elendil and Isildur returned south together with the Elven High King [[Gil-galad]] and their combined armies, in the [[Last Alliance of Elves and Men]]. At the end of the long siege of [[Barad-dûr]], in the year 3441 of the Second Age, Sauron came out to personally do battle. Gil-galad and Elendil fought Sauron and cast him down, but were both slain, and Elendil's sword [[Narsil]] was broken when he fell. His son Isildur used the broken sword to cut the [[One Ring]] from Sauron's hand. However, despite the urgings of [[Elrond]], Isildur chose not to destroy the Ring at [[Mount Doom]] and was eventually betrayed by the Ring in the [[Disaster of the Gladden Fields]], slain by [[Orcs]].

Elendil was a great warrior, a wise king, and a heroic figure among the [[Dúnedain]] and other [[Men of the West]]. Isildur built a hidden tomb for his father on the summit of the beacon hill of [[Halifirien]].

Aragorn's battle-cry was "Elendil!"

==Portrayal in Adaptations==

In the opening exposition of [[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring]], Elendil is played Peter McKenzie.

{{sequence
|prev=none
|next=[[Isildur]]
|list=1st [[King of Arnor]] <code>II</code> 3320 – 3441
}}
{{sequence
|prev=none
|next=[[Isildur]]
|list=1st [[King of Gondor]] <code>II</code> 3320 – 3441
}}
{{sequence
|prev=none
|next=[[Isildur]]
|list=1st [[High King]] of the [[Two Kingdoms]] <code>II</code> 3320 – 3441
}}

[[Category:Númenóreans]]
[[Category:Dúnedain]]
[[Category:Rulers of Arnor]]
[[Category:Rulers of Gondor]]

Talk:Balrog

2006-12-04T20:13:42Z

Ted C:

Since their name is translated on the [[Balrogs]] page, does anyone object to deleting this page? --[[User:Quidon88|Quidon88]] 14:20, 4 December 2006 (EST)

Or, more specifically, just make it into a redirect. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 15:13, 4 December 2006 (EST)

Talk:Treebeard

2006-12-01T22:30:01Z

Ted C: Yet another PJ rant

The outcome of the Entmoot in the movie was one of the worst changes PJ made, IMHO. On a [http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/ BBS] I frequent, board owner Mike Wong said that after seeing the Ents refuse to act, he concluded that they deserved to die. Hard to disagree with that sentiment. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 17:30, 1 December 2006 (EST)

Treebeard

2006-12-01T22:27:53Z

Ted C: /* Portrayal in Adaptations */ - tweaks in the final paragraph

{{Pronounce|Fangorn.mp3|Ardamir}}
[[Image:John Howe - Treebeard.jpg|thumb|250px|''Treebeard'' by [[John Howe]]]]
'''Treebeard''', also known as '''Fangorn''', was the oldest of the [[Ents]], a tree-like being who was a sort of "shepherd of trees". Very tall and stiff-limbed, with bark-like skin and leafy hair, he befriended [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] ("Merry") and [[Peregrin Took]] ("Pippin") after they escaped from [[Orcs]]. He lived in [[Fangorn Forest]], which was named after him (or he after it).

Like most Ents, Treebeard took a long time to make up his mind. He repeatedly spoke of not "being hasty". Treebeard is described as the oldest being in Middle-earth, which is the cause of some confusion as [[Tom Bombadil]] is also called "Oldest". Treebeard however said that there were trees in Fangorn that were "older than he." The general consensus is that Treebeard was the oldest ''living thing'' in Middle-earth, as Tom Bombadil is not exactly a member of any race.

It has been theorized that many of Treebeard's mannerisms were based on Tolkien's friend [[C.S. Lewis]], a loud, bombastic man known for his powerful stride and overwhelming presence.

== Etymology ==
Treebeard is the direct translation of the [[Sindarin]] name Fangorn (from ''[[fang]]'' = "beard" and ''[[orn]]'' = "tree").

== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
In [[Ralph Bakshi]]'s 1978 animated adaptation of ''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings|The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[John Westbrook]] provides the voice of Treebeard. [[Stephen Thorne]] voices the character in [[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC Radio's 1981 serialisation]].

[[Image:Treebeard.jpeg|thumb|left|''Treebeard'' in [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]]]
In ''[[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers]]'' (2002) and ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]'' (2003), Treebeard is a combination of a large animatronic model and a CGI construct; his voice is performed by [[John Rhys-Davies]], who also plays [[Gimli]].

In the movie ''The Two Towers'', the Ents at the [[Entmoot]] initially decline Merry and Pippin's request for help. Treebeard is carrying the hobbits through the forest, when Pippin gets an idea. He asks Treebeard to carry them towards [[Isengard]], because that is the last place [[Saruman]] would look for them. When Treebeard gets close to the forest's edge, he sees the devastation wrought by Saruman's orcs. The trees have all been chopped down to serve as fuel for Saruman's war machine. Treebeard then makes a momentous decision, and calls for the other Ents. They attack Isengard and manage to flood it.

In the book, Merry and Pippin speak at the Entmoot, helping Treebeard convince the other ents to attack Saruman without any such trickery.

=== See Also ===
* [[:Category:Images of Treebeard|Images of Treebeard]]

[[Category:Ents]]

Talk:Lembas

2006-12-01T19:42:39Z

Ted C: Inclusion in extended cut of FOTR

From the article: "Lembas is a brownish colour on the outside and a cream colour on the inside." Is this from JRRT's writings? I don't recall that, but that can be a memory failure, of course. --[[User:Earendilyon|Earendilyon]] 08:55, 10 March 2006 (EST)

:I too do not recall this statement, I went through [[The Hobbit]], [[The Lord of the Rings]], [[The Silmarillion]], and [[The History of Middle-earth]] but to no avail. I have yet to go through [[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]] and will do so before I call the text false. I did however find an interesting page in The History of Middle-earth which detailed [[Lembas]], primarily the growing of it which I did not remember. Maybe we should have a "Source?" category that we could place articles like this into that require further verification. --[[User:Hyarion|Hyarion]] 11:23, 10 March 2006 (EST)

== Where's the Creme Filling? ==

About three or four years ago, I stumbled across a website that made a very interesting comparison of lembas to Twinkies. Has anybody heard of such a site?--[[User:Quidon88|Quidon88]] 01:54, 1 December 2006 (EST)

:Hm, off the top of my head I don't recall such a site. [http://www.council-of-elrond.com/forums/showpost.php?p=192833&postcount=7 Here's a post] from about 3-4 years ago comparing them however. That seems to be about all I can find. While humorous, I don't think Tolkien was inspired by them :p --[[User:Hyarion|Hyarion]] 02:07, 1 December 2006 (EST)

I don't believe it either, its just that on the site that I remember, there were some other funny, however incorrect comparisons that I was wanting to relay to a couple of younger LotR fans. Thanks for the link, though, I forgot about that "quote".
PS Tolkien was inspired by hard-tack, wasn't he? That was what I always heard.--[[User:Quidon88|Quidon88]] 12:42, 1 December 2006 (EST)

== Portrayal in Adaptations ==
As I recall, the extended version of FOTR did include Galadriel supplying the Fellowship with Lembas, with Legolas explaining what it was. In their standard comic relief role, Merry and Pippin admitted to eating more than one whole piece each after being told one bite was enough to sustain a grown man for a day.

Lembas

2006-12-01T19:39:38Z

Ted C: Added "Portrayal in Adaptations" heading

{{quote|Lembas, [[Elvish]] waybread. One small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man.|[[Legolas of Mirkwood|Legolas]]}}
[[Image:Lembas bread with Mallorn leaves.jpg|thumb|200px]]
'''Lembas''', also called '''waybread''' in the [[Common Speech]], is a special food made by the [[Elves]]. The cakes are very nutritious, stay fresh for months when wrapped in leaves, and are used for sustenance on long journeys. Lembas is a brownish colour on the outside and a cream colour on the inside. The secret of lembas is closely guarded, and only on rare occasions is it given to non-Elves. Like other products of the Elves, it is offensive to evil creatures; [[Gollum]] refuses outright to eat of it.

[[Melian]], the queen of [[Doriath]], was the one who originally held this recipe. Later it was passed to [[Galadriel]] and other [[Elves]].

[[Galadriel]] gives a large store of it to the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] upon its departure from [[Lothlórien]]. One of the elves comments "[...] we call it lembas or waybread, and it is more strengthening than any food by men, and it is more pleasant than [[Cram]], by all accounts." [[Frodo Baggins]] and [[Samwise Gamgee]] subsist on it through the majority of their journey from there into [[Mordor]].

[[Image:John Howe - Lembas.jpg|thumb|left|''Lembas'' by [[John Howe]].]]
Tolkien most likely based lembas on bread known as ''hard tack'' that was used during long sea voyages and military campaigns as a primary foodstuff. This very un-magical bread was little more than flour and water which had been baked hard and would keep for months as long as it was kept dry. However, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa wrote in his book ''Libri tres de occulta philosophia'' (Book 3, Chapter 13) of a herb from Scythia that allowed people to go for twelve days afterward without any need for food or water. It is also possible that Tolkien based lembas on this description in Agrippa's writings.

== Portrayal in Adaptations ==

In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]], the term "lembas bread" is occasionally used. This is incorrect usage; but because the gift of lembas at Lothlórien is not included in the theatrical release of ''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', the redundant term "lembas bread" was probably chosen in order to immediately identify the substance to filmgoers at the beginning of ''[[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers|The Two Towers]]''.

[[Category:Food]]

Sting

2006-11-23T14:01:08Z

Ted C: italicized book titles

[[Image:John Howe - Sting.jpg|thumb|''Sting'' by [[John Howe]].]]
'''Sting''' was an [[Elvish]] knife that was probably made in [[Gondolin]] in the [[First Age]]. Its maker and original bearer are unknown.

In ''[[The Hobbit]]'', [[Thorin and Company]] found Sting in a [[Troll]]-hoard along with the other Elvish blades [[Glamdring]] and [[Orcrist]] (which went to [[Gandalf]] and [[Thorin Oakenshield]], respectively). Although it was just a dagger by the standard of [[Men]] or Elves, it made an excellent sword for a [[Hobbit]]. [[Bilbo Baggins]] bore the weapon for the remainder of the quest, first using it to keep [[Gollum]] at bay under the [[Misty Mountains]]. Later, Bilbo gave it the name ''Sting'', after killing a [[Giant Spider]] in [[Mirkwood]].

In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Bilbo gave Sting to his nephew, [[Frodo Baggins]], just before the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] set off from [[Rivendell]]. Fear of Sting helped Frodo to tame Gollum (temporarily). It also helped Frodo and [[Samwise Gamgee]] escape from Shelob's lair, and Sam used it to seriously wound Shelob in combat. After the defeat of Sauron at the end of the [[Third Age]], it remained with Sam. He may have taken it with him to the [[Undying Lands]], or it may have remained as an heirloom of the [[House of Gardener]].

==Special Properties==

Sting had the (apparently) magic ability to detect the presence of [[Orcs]] in its vicinity. When Orcs were nearby, it glowed blue, as it did when the Fellowship encountered Orcs in the mines of [[Moria]]. Sting also glowed in the presence of the giant spider descendants of [[Ungoliant]], such as the spiders of [[Mirkwood]] in [[The Hobbit]] and [[Shelob]] in [[The Two Towers]].

Sting also performed better than ordinary weapons in combat and against odd materials; it cut through the webs of giant spiders easily, whereas the [[Daggers of Westernesse|blade]] that Sam brought from the [[Barrow Downs]] failed to cut through Shelob's webs.

==Portrayal in Adaptions==

In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]], Sting is leaf-shaped. Upon its crossguard are engraved the [[Sindarin]] words:

''Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im''

Which is translated "[[Maegnas]] is my name, I am the spider's bane".

{{weapons}}

[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:Swords]]

Fanon

2006-11-22T22:20:31Z

Ted C: sp

'''Fanon''' is a term used to refer to "fan [[canon]]" (of which the term is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/portmanteau portmanteau]). It applies to certain "facts" that may have been accepted as a truth by a large number of fans, and thus either replaces an established canonical fact in the minds of those fans, or fills a plot-hole. Frequently, these fanonical facts arise due to screen adaptions (esp. [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]).

''When writing a fanon article, be sure to use the [[Template:Fanon|Fanon Template]]''

==Examples of fanon==

===Definition of First Age; Third Age "of the Sun"===

*The [[First Age]] began with the first sunrise over [[Middle-earth]] and the events of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' took place in the ''Third Age of the Sun''.
**Actually, Tolkien never described his ages as being linked to the Sun and specifically wrote that the "First Age of the [[Children of Ilúvatar]]" began with the [[Awakening of the Elves]], long before the first sunrise. Despite this, many fans believe the 'Ages of the Sun' version is ''correct'' because it has been repeated so often. For example, it is found in ''[[Tolkien: The Illustrated Encyclopedia]]'' by [[David Day]], whose books are generally considered unreliable by Tolkien scholars on the internet such as Conrad Dunkerson and Steuard Jensen.

===Homosexuality===

*[[Fingon]] and [[Maedhros]] were lovers.
**This concept, which frequently appears in slash fan fiction (where writers explore homosexual pairings), derives from their close friendship in the book, but would most likely have been rejected by Tolkien, a devout Roman Catholic. The less detailed nature of the ''[[The Silmarillion|Silmarillion]]'' narrative in comparison to ''The Lord of the Rings'' gives fan fiction writers more leeway for developing a Fingon-Maedhros romance and its possible historical significance than exists with respect to a [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]-[[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] or [[Aragorn]]-[[Legolas]] relationship.
*The friendship of Frodo and Sam had homoerotic overtones.
**This concept, which has generated a great deal of slash fan fiction, derives from a modern interpretation of a book written in a different era, and would also have been likely rejected by Tolkien. (In an amusing nod to this idea, when TBS aired the film trilogy, some of their ads implied a homosexual relationship between Frodo and Sam, with the song "Secret Lovers" being played during the commercial.)
*The friendship of Aragorn and Legolas had homoerotic overtones.
**As with Frodo and Sam, this idea has produced a large amount of slash and would most likely have been rejected by Tolkien. However, this case is slightly different in that the idea largely derives from the films rather than the books, since the films emphasize the Aragorn-Legolas friendship more than the books do.

===The Arkenstone was a Silmaril===

*The [[Arkenstone]] was a [[Silmaril]], probably the one thrown into a fiery pit by Maedhros, and found its way (geologically?) to the north, to be rediscovered by the [[Khazad]] of [[Erebor]].

===Elrond visits Elros in Númenor===

*Late in the life of [[Elros]] his brother [[Elrond]] visited him in [[Númenor]] and was shocked to see how old he had grown, having chosen the mortality of [[Men]].
**An obscure note published in ''[[The Lost Road and Other Writings]]'' implies that Tolkien considered the possibility that Elrond and Elros originally sailed to Númenor together and that Elrond later returned to Middle-earth. However, there is no reference in Tolkien's writings to Elrond visiting Elros in his old age.

===Arwen's brothers are mischevious===

*[[Elladan]] and [[Elrohir]], the twin sons of Elrond, are jokesters and tricksters.
**This is a common characterization of them in fan fiction and may have been inspired by the depiction of the Weasley twins in J.K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' books as well as that of Merry and Pippin in Peter Jackson's films.

===Celebrian was raped by Orcs===

*[[Celebrían]], the mother of [[Arwen]], wife of Elrond and daughter of [[Galadriel]], was raped by the [[Orcs]] who captured her.
**According to this theory, Tolkien intended to convey the fact of the rape obliquely when he wrote that Celebrían received a "poisoned wound". This idea may or may not be contradicted by Tolkien's statement (in the notes to "[[Laws and Customs Among the Eldar]]" in ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'') that [[Elves]] passed directly to [[Mandos]] (i.e. die) if they were raped, since that statement seems to refer specifically to rape committed by an Elf.

===Aragorn's illegitimate children===

*Aragorn may have become the biological father of [[Boromir]] and/or [[Faramir]] during his time in [[Gondor]] as "[[Thorongil]]".
**According to Appendices A and B of ''The Lord of the Rings'', "Thorongil" departed from Gondor in T.A. 2980; Boromir was born in 2978 and Faramir in 2983. Thus Aragorn was apparently in Gondor at the time of Boromir's birth (but not Faramir's). However, there is no evidence whatsoever in Tolkien's writings for an affair between Aragorn and [[Finduilas]] (the wife of [[Denethor]]). Such an occurrence would contradict Tolkien's devout Catholic viewpoint and the fact that Aragorn was raised among the Elves, for whom adultery was unthinkable.

===Faramir, Raven of Gondor===

*[[Faramir]] was known as "the Raven of [[Gondor]]" due to his status as the guardian of [[Ithilien]].
**This concept apparently derives from Tolkien describing Faramir's ''hair color'' as "raven". The designers of ''[[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers|The Two Towers]]'' film used ravens as a visual motif for Faramir. However, the title "the Raven of Gondor" is never used in Tolkien's writings or in the films.

===Arwen, the lastborn of the Elves===

*Arwen was the last Elf born in Middle-earth.
**This concept derives from publicity for the films, but is never stated in the films or the books.

===Legolas is 2931===

*Legolas is 2931 years old during the [[War of the Ring]], and thus was born in T.A. 87.
**This information also comes from film publicity and is never stated in the films or books. It may derive from the fact that ''Aragorn'' was born in the ''year'' T.A. 2931. The date of T.A. 87 for Legolas' birth agrees with another common fan theory, namely that Legolas was born during the period of peace at the beginning of the [[Third Age]]. This is neither confirmed nor denied by Tolkien, who never reveals Legolas' birthdate.

===Legolas is blond===

*Legolas is blond.
**This is a visual tradition dating back to the works of the [[Brothers Hildebrandt]] in the 1970s and followed in both the [[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings|animated]] and [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings|live action]] LotR films. However, Tolkien never specifies Legolas' hair color (although ''[[The Hobbit]]'' mentions that [[Thranduil]], Legolas' father, was blond). Legolas' hair color is one of the most enduring controversies in [[Tolkien fandom]].

===Legolas the abused child===

*Thranduil, Legolas' father, was an abusive parent.
**This characterization appears frequently in fan fiction and is proposed as an explanation for Legolas being sent to Rivendell and for his referring to Thranduil as "my Elven lord" rather than "my father". However, ''The Hobbit'' depicts Thranduil in reasonably positive terms, especially given his status as the [[Dwarves]]' antagonist for part of the story.

===Names of the Nazgûl===

*The names of all nine [[Nazgûl]] are known: Er-Murazor (the [[Witch-king of Angmar]]), [[Khamûl]], Dwar of Waw, Ji Indur Dawndeath, Akhorahil, Hoarmurath, Adunaphel the Quiet (female — see below), Ren the Unclean and Uvatha the Horseman.
**In fact Tolkien recorded the name of only one Nazgûl: Khamûl, the [[Black Rider]] who barely missed catching the [[Hobbits]] at [[Bucklebury Ferry]]. Even the personal name of the [[Witch-king of Angmar]] was not given by Tolkien, although some fans refer to him as "[[Angmar]]". The names for the eight Nazgûl other than Khamûl which some fans think were coined by Tolkien were actually invented for the [[Middle-earth Role Playing]] game (MERP) published by [[Iron Crown Enterprises]] (ICE).

===A female Nazgûl===

*One of the nine Nazgûl was female.
**This concept also comes from MERP. Tolkien's texts seemingly contradict this idea with their consistent references to the Nazgûl as "Men" and "kings", although it could be argued that "Men" includes women and "kings" includes queens. Unsurprisingly, the film version of ''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' contradicts this idea by showing all nine Nazgûl as men when they received their [[Rings of Power]].

===Elf extras with fan-made names===

*There is an Elven-archer in [[Mirkwood]] named Silindë, described as a tall, blond Sinda. Also, the infamous [[Figwit]] has a Elvish name, Melpomaen.
**''Silindë'' is [[Quenya]] and should not be used to name an Elf in Mirkwood. Nor is it likely that a Sinda would be blond. Silindë is one of the more prominent characters in a large group of Elves in the films whose names are in use on the Internet despite not being established by Tolkien. Some of these Elves (including Silindë) were named in [[Decipher Inc.]]'s [[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]; others were simply assigned names by Internet fandom. The Elf named Silindë by Decipher appears at the [[Council of Elrond]] in the film of ''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', and is played by [[Sam Kelly]]. Figwit (standing for "Frodo Is Great! Who Is That?), played by [[Bret McKenzie]], has no official name in the cast list for ''The Return of the King'', and is credited as "Elf Escort". ''Melpomaen'' is completely fabricated, and does not resemble any of Tolkien's authentic Quenya and Sindarin names.

===Mrs. Thranduil===

*The name of Legolas' mother is known.
**In fact a name was coined for her for MERP, but never by Tolkien.

===The War in the North===

*The [[War of the Ring]] included a "War in the North", which involved fighting in [[Eriador]] and around [[Rivendell]].
**This has been stated as fact by the writers of the films in a DVD commentary and has formed the basis for parts of the 2006 computer game ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]''. However, although Tolkien mentions violent incidents around [[Bree]] during the War (not to mention the [[Scouring of the Shire]]), no extensive military campaign in Eriador is mentioned in the [[Tale of Years]] in Appendix B of ''The Lord of the Rings''. Since the Tale of Years does mention the [[Battle of Dale]] and the fighting around [[Lothlórien]], it is clear that it would also have mentioned the "War in the North" if it had been part of Tolkien's conception. Moreover, the section of Appendix A on the Dwarves includes comments by [[Gandalf]] to the effect that extensive, destructive fighting in Eriador was averted by the death of [[Smaug]] and the Battles of [[Battle of Five Armies|Five Armies]] and of [[Dale]].

===Aragorn and Arwen's daughters===

*In addition to their son [[Eldarion]], Aragorn and Arwen had as many as four or eight daughters.
**Tolkien's only reference to their children other than Eldarion is a mention of Arwen's "daughters", which could refer to as few as two. Moreover, Elves tended to have few childbirths (the six births of [[Fëanor]] and [[Nerdanel]]'s seven children were unparallelled), and Arwen was [[Half-elven]].

===The shape of Middle-earth===

*The whole continent of [[Middle-earth]] resembles Europe with respective continents for Asia and Africa, while [[Valinor]] is in the place of the United States and has a crescent shape.
**This derives from ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', which tried to composite a map of [[Arda]] based on a drawing by Tolkien (made in the late 1930s or early 40s and published in ''[[The Shaping of Middle-earth]]'') and the later well-known maps of [[Beleriand]] and the coasts of Middle-earth. Although this old map generally fits the descriptions of the canonical ''Silmarillion'', it is a matter of debate whether earlier concepts of Tolkien's can be used to fill the gaps of later works such as LotR.

===Pointed ears===

*Elves and Hobbits have pointed ears.
**This is nowhere stated in ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'' and in ''The Silmarillion'', though Tolkien implied that Hobbit ears were pointed in a letter he wrote later about illustrations, and that Elven ears were pointed in the "[[The Etymologies (Tolkien)|Etymologies]]" published in ''[[The Lost Road]]''. See [[Elves]], [http://www.tolkiensociety.org/faq01.html#pointed_ears Tolkien FAQ].

===Hobbit feet===

*Hobbits have huge feet.
**Tolkien wrote: "their feet had tough leathery soles and were clad in a thick curling hair, much like the hair of their heads". The idea that they have very large feet, as depicted in the movies, probably derives from illustrations by the [[Brothers Hildebrandt]].

===Déagol/Sméagol relationship===

*Déagol is Sméagol's cousin.
**Tolkien only calls him Sméagol's ''friend'' in ''The Lord of the Rings'', though in ''The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien'' he writes that Déagol was "evidently a relative (as no doubt all the members of the small community were)" of Sméagol’s. This fanon probably dates from ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth]]'' by [[Robert Foster]] and ''[[Tolkien: The Illustrated Encyclopedia]]'' by [[David Day]]. [http://greenbooks.theonering.net/questions/files/020101.html]

===Runes on Sting===

*The [[Sindarin]] words ''Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im'' are engraved on the blade of [[Sting]]. The worlds translate as "Magenas is my name, I am the spider's bane".
**Tolkien describes Sting as a rather plain weapon with a simple leather sheath. Unlike [[Glamdring]] and [[Orcrist]], it bears no runes for [[Elrond]] to translate in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. It first receives a name from [[Bilbo Baggins]] after he uses it against the giant spiders of [[Mirkwood]].
**The origin of the runes appears to be the prop department for [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]].

==Other kinds of fanon==
Due to the nature of the work, much pseudo-scientific speculation is encouraged in order to explain motivations, facts, reactions and generally fill some gaps. This differs from proper fanon since such study does not invent new elements from scratch, but rather attempts to reveal ''how'' canon is. See also [[Tolkienology]].

Fanon can also take the form of personal beliefs held by individuals. In this case, an individual may create an expansive backstory, possibly a fan fiction, which they accept as "true." These have less standing than even the fanon mentioned above, and thus are not included on [[Tolkien Gateway]].

Sting

2006-11-22T20:21:05Z

Ted C:

[[Image:John Howe - Sting.jpg|thumb|''Sting'' by [[John Howe]].]]
'''Sting''' was an [[Elvish]] knife that was probably made in [[Gondolin]] in the [[First Age]]. Its maker and original bearer are unknown.

In [[The Hobbit]], [[Thorin and Company]] found Sting in a [[Troll]]-hoard along with the other Elvish blades [[Glamdring]] and [[Orcrist]]. Although it was just a dagger by the standard of [[Men]] or Elves, it made an excellent sword for a [[Hobbit]]. [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo Baggins]] used the weapon for the remainder of the quest. In ''[[The Hobbit]]'', Bilbo used it to keep [[Gollum]] at bay under the [[Misty Mountains]]. Later, Bilbo gave it the name ''Sting'', after killing a [[Giant Spider]] in [[Mirkwood]].

In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Bilbo gave Sting to his nephew, [[Frodo Baggins]], just before the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] set off from [[Rivendell]]. Fear of Sting helped Frodo to tame Gollum (temporarily). It also helped Frodo and [[Samwise Gamgee]] escape from Shelob's lair, and Sam used it to seriously wound Shelob in combat. After the defeat of Sauron at the end of the [[Third Age]], it remained with Sam.

==Special Properties==

Sting had the (apparently) magic ability to detect the presence of [[Orcs]] in its vicinity. When Orcs were nearby, it glowed blue, as it did when the Fellowship encountered Orcs in the mines of [[Moria]]. Sting also glowed in the presence of the giant spider descendants of [[Ungoliant]], such as the spiders of [[Mirkwood]] in [[The Hobbit]] and [[Shelob]] in [[The Two Towers]].

Sting also performed better than ordinary weapons in combat and against odd materials; it cut through the webs of giant spiders easily, whereas the [[Daggers of Westernesse|blade]] that Sam brought from the [[Barrow Downs]] failed to cut through Shelob's webs.

==Portrayal in Adaptions==

In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]], Sting is leaf-shaped. Upon its crossguard are engraved the [[Sindarin]] words:

''Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im''

Which is translated "Magenas is my name, I am the spider's bane".

{{weapons}}

[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:Swords]]

Sting

2006-11-22T20:18:59Z

Ted C: qualification of origins

[[Image:John Howe - Sting.jpg|thumb|''Sting'' by [[John Howe]].]]
'''Sting''' was an [[Elvish]] knife that was probably made in [[Gondolin]] in the [[First Age]]. Its maker and original bearer are unknown.

In [[The Hobbit]], [[Thorin and Company]] found Sting in a [[Troll]]-hoard along with the other Elvish blades [[Glamdring]] and [[Orcrist]]. Although it was just a dagger by the standard of [[Men]] or Elves, it made an excellent sword for a [[Hobbit]]. [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo Baggins]] used the weapon for the remainder of the quest. [[Gollum]], who disliked anything made by Elves, was afraid of Sting. This fear helped Bilbo when confronting Gollum under the mountain in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. Later, Bilbo gave it the name ''Sting'', after killing a [[Giant Spider]] in [[Mirkwood]].

In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Bilbo gave Sting to his nephew, [[Frodo Baggins]], just before the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] set off from [[Rivendell]]. Fear of Sting helped Frodo to tame Gollum (temporarily). It also helped Frodo and [[Samwise Gamgee]] escape from Shelob's lair, and Sam used it to seriously wound Shelob in combat. After the defeat of Sauron at the end of the [[Third Age]], it remained with Sam.

==Special Properties==

Sting had the (apparently) magic ability to detect the presence of [[Orcs]] in its vicinity. When Orcs were nearby, it glowed blue, as it did when the Fellowship encountered Orcs in the mines of [[Moria]]. Sting also glowed in the presence of the giant spider descendants of [[Ungoliant]], such as the spiders of [[Mirkwood]] in [[The Hobbit]] and [[Shelob]] in [[The Two Towers]].

Sting also performed better than ordinary weapons in combat and against odd materials; it cut through the webs of giant spiders easily, whereas the [[Daggers of Westernesse|blade]] that Sam brought from the [[Barrow Downs]] failed to cut through Shelob's webs.

==Portrayal in Adaptions==

In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]], Sting is leaf-shaped. Upon its crossguard are engraved the [[Sindarin]] words:

''Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im''

Which is translated "Magenas is my name, I am the spider's bane".

{{weapons}}

[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:Swords]]

Fanon

2006-11-22T20:17:50Z

Ted C: the runes on Sting listed as an example of fanon

'''Fanon''' is a term used to refer to "fan [[canon]]" (of which the term is a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/portmanteau portmanteau]). It applies to certain "facts" that may have been accepted as a truth by a large number of fans, and thus either replaces an established canonical fact in the minds of those fans, or fills a plot-hole.

==Examples of fanon==

===Definition of First Age; Third Age "of the Sun"===

*The [[First Age]] began with the first sunrise over [[Middle-earth]] and the events of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' took place in the ''Third Age of the Sun''.
**Actually, Tolkien never described his ages as being linked to the Sun and specifically wrote that the "First Age of the [[Children of Ilúvatar]]" began with the [[Awakening of the Elves]], long before the first sunrise. Despite this, many fans believe the 'Ages of the Sun' version is ''correct'' because it has been repeated so often. For example, it is found in ''[[Tolkien: The Illustrated Encyclopedia]]'' by [[David Day]], whose books are generally considered unreliable by Tolkien scholars on the internet such as Conrad Dunkerson and Steuard Jensen.

===Homosexuality===

*[[Fingon]] and [[Maedhros]] were lovers.
**This concept, which frequently appears in slash fan fiction (where writers explore homosexual pairings), derives from their close friendship in the book, but would most likely have been rejected by Tolkien, a devout Roman Catholic. The less detailed nature of the ''[[The Silmarillion|Silmarillion]]'' narrative in comparison to ''The Lord of the Rings'' gives fan fiction writers more leeway for developing a Fingon-Maedhros romance and its possible historical significance than exists with respect to a [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]]-[[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]] or [[Aragorn]]-[[Legolas]] relationship.
*The friendship of Frodo and Sam had homoerotic overtones.
**This concept, which has generated a great deal of slash fan fiction, derives from a modern interpretation of a book written in a different era, and would also have been likely rejected by Tolkien. (In an amusing nod to this idea, when TBS aired the film trilogy, some of their ads implied a homosexual relationship between Frodo and Sam, with the song "Secret Lovers" being played during the commercial.)
*The friendship of Aragorn and Legolas had homoerotic overtones.
**As with Frodo and Sam, this idea has produced a large amount of slash and would most likely have been rejected by Tolkien. However, this case is slightly different in that the idea largely derives from the films rather than the books, since the films emphasize the Aragorn-Legolas friendship more than the books do.

===The Arkenstone was a Silmaril===

*The [[Arkenstone]] was a [[Silmaril]], probably the one thrown into a fiery pit by Maedhros, and found its way (geologically?) to the north, to be rediscovered by the [[Khazad]] of [[Erebor]].

===Elrond visits Elros in Númenor===

*Late in the life of [[Elros]] his brother [[Elrond]] visited him in [[Númenor]] and was shocked to see how old he had grown, having chosen the mortality of [[Men]].
**An obscure note published in ''[[The Lost Road and Other Writings]]'' implies that Tolkien considered the possibility that Elrond and Elros originally sailed to Númenor together and that Elrond later returned to Middle-earth. However, there is no reference in Tolkien's writings to Elrond visiting Elros in his old age.

===Arwen's brothers are mischevious===

*[[Elladan]] and [[Elrohir]], the twin sons of Elrond, are jokesters and tricksters.
**This is a common characterization of them in fan fiction and may have been inspired by the depiction of the Weasley twins in J.K. Rowling's ''Harry Potter'' books as well as that of Merry and Pippin in Peter Jackson's films.

===Celebrian was raped by Orcs===

*[[Celebrían]], the mother of [[Arwen]], wife of Elrond and daughter of [[Galadriel]], was raped by the [[Orcs]] who captured her.
**According to this theory, Tolkien intended to convey the fact of the rape obliquely when he wrote that Celebrían received a "poisoned wound". This idea may or may not be contradicted by Tolkien's statement (in the notes to "[[Laws and Customs Among the Eldar]]" in ''[[Morgoth's Ring]]'') that [[Elves]] passed directly to [[Mandos]] (i.e. die) if they were raped, since that statement seems to refer specifically to rape committed by an Elf.

===Aragorn's illegitimate children===

*Aragorn may have become the biological father of [[Boromir]] and/or [[Faramir]] during his time in [[Gondor]] as "[[Thorongil]]".
**According to Appendices A and B of ''The Lord of the Rings'', "Thorongil" departed from Gondor in T.A. 2980; Boromir was born in 2978 and Faramir in 2983. Thus Aragorn was apparently in Gondor at the time of Boromir's birth (but not Faramir's). However, there is no evidence whatsoever in Tolkien's writings for an affair between Aragorn and [[Finduilas]] (the wife of [[Denethor]]). Such an occurrence would contradict Tolkien's devout Catholic viewpoint and the fact that Aragorn was raised among the Elves, for whom adultery was unthinkable.

===Faramir, Raven of Gondor===

*[[Faramir]] was known as "the Raven of [[Gondor]]" due to his status as the guardian of [[Ithilien]].
**This concept apparently derives from Tolkien describing Faramir's ''hair color'' as "raven". The designers of ''[[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers|The Two Towers]]'' film used ravens as a visual motif for Faramir. However, the title "the Raven of Gondor" is never used in Tolkien's writings or in the films.

===Arwen, the lastborn of the Elves===

*Arwen was the last Elf born in Middle-earth.
**This concept derives from publicity for the films, but is never stated in the films or the books.

===Legolas is 2931===

*Legolas is 2931 years old during the [[War of the Ring]], and thus was born in T.A. 87.
**This information also comes from film publicity and is never stated in the films or books. It may derive from the fact that ''Aragorn'' was born in the ''year'' T.A. 2931. The date of T.A. 87 for Legolas' birth agrees with another common fan theory, namely that Legolas was born during the period of peace at the beginning of the [[Third Age]]. This is neither confirmed nor denied by Tolkien, who never reveals Legolas' birthdate.

===Legolas is blond===

*Legolas is blond.
**This is a visual tradition dating back to the works of the [[Brothers Hildebrandt]] in the 1970s and followed in both the [[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings|animated]] and [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings|live action]] LotR films. However, Tolkien never specifies Legolas' hair color (although ''[[The Hobbit]]'' mentions that [[Thranduil]], Legolas' father, was blond). Legolas' hair color is one of the most enduring controversies in [[Tolkien fandom]].

===Legolas the abused child===

*Thranduil, Legolas' father, was an abusive parent.
**This characterization appears frequently in fan fiction and is proposed as an explanation for Legolas being sent to Rivendell and for his referring to Thranduil as "my Elven lord" rather than "my father". However, ''The Hobbit'' depicts Thranduil in reasonably positive terms, especially given his status as the [[Dwarves]]' antagonist for part of the story.

===Names of the Nazgûl===

*The names of all nine [[Nazgûl]] are known: Er-Murazor (the [[Witch-king of Angmar]]), [[Khamûl]], Dwar of Waw, Ji Indur Dawndeath, Akhorahil, Hoarmurath, Adunaphel the Quiet (female — see below), Ren the Unclean and Uvatha the Horseman.
**In fact Tolkien recorded the name of only one Nazgûl: Khamûl, the [[Black Rider]] who barely missed catching the [[Hobbits]] at [[Bucklebury Ferry]]. Even the personal name of the [[Witch-king of Angmar]] was not given by Tolkien, although some fans refer to him as "[[Angmar]]". The names for the eight Nazgûl other than Khamûl which some fans think were coined by Tolkien were actually invented for the [[Middle-earth Role Playing]] game (MERP) published by [[Iron Crown Enterprises]] (ICE).

===A female Nazgûl===

*One of the nine Nazgûl was female.
**This concept also comes from MERP. Tolkien's texts seemingly contradict this idea with their consistent references to the Nazgûl as "Men" and "kings", although it could be argued that "Men" includes women and "kings" includes queens. Unsurprisingly, the film version of ''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' contradicts this idea by showing all nine Nazgûl as men when they received their [[Rings of Power]].

===Elf extras with fan-made names===

*There is an Elven-archer in [[Mirkwood]] named Silindë, described as a tall, blond Sinda. Also, the infamous [[Figwit]] has a Elvish name, Melpomaen.
**''Silindë'' is [[Quenya]] and should not be used to name an Elf in Mirkwood. Nor is it likely that a Sinda would be blond. Silindë is one of the more prominent characters in a large group of Elves in the films whose names are in use on the Internet despite not being established by Tolkien. Some of these Elves (including Silindë) were named in [[Decipher Inc.]]'s [[The Lord of the Rings Trading Card Game]]; others were simply assigned names by Internet fandom. The Elf named Silindë by Decipher appears at the [[Council of Elrond]] in the film of ''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', and is played by [[Sam Kelly]]. Figwit (standing for "Frodo Is Great! Who Is That?), played by [[Bret McKenzie]], has no official name in the cast list for ''The Return of the King'', and is credited as "Elf Escort". ''Melpomaen'' is completely fabricated, and does not resemble any of Tolkien's authentic Quenya and Sindarin names.

===Mrs. Thranduil===

*The name of Legolas' mother is known.
**In fact a name was coined for her for MERP, but never by Tolkien.

===The War in the North===

*The [[War of the Ring]] included a "War in the North", which involved fighting in [[Eriador]] and around [[Rivendell]].
**This has been stated as fact by the writers of the films in a DVD commentary and has formed the basis for parts of the 2006 computer game ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II]]''. However, although Tolkien mentions violent incidents around [[Bree]] during the War (not to mention the [[Scouring of the Shire]]), no extensive military campaign in Eriador is mentioned in the [[Tale of Years]] in Appendix B of ''The Lord of the Rings''. Since the Tale of Years does mention the [[Battle of Dale]] and the fighting around [[Lothlórien]], it is clear that it would also have mentioned the "War in the North" if it had been part of Tolkien's conception. Moreover, the section of Appendix A on the Dwarves includes comments by [[Gandalf]] to the effect that extensive, destructive fighting in Eriador was averted by the death of [[Smaug]] and the Battles of [[Battle of Five Armies|Five Armies]] and of [[Dale]].

===Aragorn and Arwen's daughters===

*In addition to their son [[Eldarion]], Aragorn and Arwen had as many as four or eight daughters.
**Tolkien's only reference to their children other than Eldarion is a mention of Arwen's "daughters", which could refer to as few as two. Moreover, Elves tended to have few childbirths (the six births of [[Fëanor]] and [[Nerdanel]]'s seven children were unparallelled), and Arwen was [[Half-elven]].

===The shape of Middle-earth===

*The whole continent of [[Middle-earth]] resembles Europe with respective continents for Asia and Africa, while [[Valinor]] is in the place of the United States and has a crescent shape.
**This derives from ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', which tried to composite a map of [[Arda]] based on a drawing by Tolkien (made in the late 1930s or early 40s and published in ''[[The Shaping of Middle-earth]]'') and the later well-known maps of [[Beleriand]] and the coasts of Middle-earth. Although this old map generally fits the descriptions of the canonical ''Silmarillion'', it is a matter of debate whether earlier concepts of Tolkien's can be used to fill the gaps of later works such as LotR.

===Pointed ears===

*Elves and Hobbits have pointed ears.
**This is nowhere stated in ''The Hobbit'', ''The Lord of the Rings'' and in ''The Silmarillion'', though Tolkien implied that Hobbit ears were pointed in a letter he wrote later about illustrations, and that Elven ears were pointed in the "[[The Etymologies (Tolkien)|Etymologies]]" published in ''[[The Lost Road]]''. See [[Elves]], [http://www.tolkiensociety.org/faq01.html#pointed_ears Tolkien FAQ].

===Hobbit feet===

*Hobbits have huge feet.
**Tolkien wrote: "their feet had tough leathery soles and were clad in a thick curling hair, much like the hair of their heads". The idea that they have very large feet, as depicted in the movies, probably derives from illustrations by the [[Brothers Hildebrandt]].

===Déagol/Sméagol relationship===

*Déagol is Sméagol's cousin.
**Tolkien only calls him Sméagol's ''friend'' in ''The Lord of the Rings'', though in ''The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien'' he writes that Déagol was "evidently a relative (as no doubt all the members of the small community were)" of Sméagol’s. This fanon probably dates from ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth]]'' by [[Robert Foster]] and ''[[Tolkien: The Illustrated Encyclopedia]]'' by [[David Day]]. [http://greenbooks.theonering.net/questions/files/020101.html]

===Runes on Sting===

*The [[Sindarin]] words ''Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im'' are engraved on the blade of [[Sting]]. The worlds translate as "Magenas is my name, I am the spider's bane".
**Tolkien describes Sting as a rather plane weapon with a simple leather sheath. Unlike [[Glamdring]] and [[Orcrist]], it bears no runes for [[Elrond]] to translate in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. It first receives a name from [[Bilbo Baggins]] after he uses it against the giant spiders of [[Mirkwood]].
**The origin of the runes appears to be the prop department for [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]].

==Other kinds of fanon==
Due to the nature of the work, much pseudo-scientific speculation is encouraged in order to explain motivations, facts, reactions and generally fill some gaps. This differs from proper fanon since such study does not invent new elements from scratch, but rather attempts to reveal ''how'' canon is. See also [[Tolkienology]].

Fanon can also take the form of personal beliefs held by individuals. In this case, an individual may create an expansive backstory, possibly a fan fiction, which they accept as "true." These have less standing than even the fanon mentioned above, and thus are not included on [[Tolkien Gateway]].

Talk:Gimli

2006-11-22T20:05:19Z

Ted C: seed of a rant

Should we expand on the movie depiction of Gimli, which I think was pretty bad. How many dwarf-tossing jokes did we have to endure? --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 15:05, 22 November 2006 (EST)

Sting

2006-11-22T19:02:24Z

Ted C: rearranging some content

[[Image:John Howe - Sting.jpg|thumb|''Sting'' by [[John Howe]].]]
'''Sting''' was an [[Elvish]] knife made in [[Gondolin]] in the [[First Age]]. Its maker and original bearer are unknown.

In [[The Hobbit]], [[Thorin and Company]] found Sting in a [[Troll]]-hoard along with the other Elvish blades [[Glamdring]] and [[Orcrist]]. Although it was just a dagger by the standard of [[Men]] or Elves, it made an excellent sword for a [[Hobbit]]. [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo Baggins]] used the weapon for the remainder of the quest. [[Gollum]], who disliked anything made by Elves, was afraid of Sting. This fear helped Bilbo when confronting Gollum under the mountain in ''[[The Hobbit]]''. Later, Bilbo gave it the name ''Sting'', after killing a [[Giant Spider]] in [[Mirkwood]].

In ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', Bilbo gave Sting to his nephew, [[Frodo Baggins]], just before the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] set off from [[Rivendell]]. Fear of Sting helped Frodo to tame Gollum (temporarily). It also helped Frodo and [[Samwise Gamgee]] escape from Shelob's lair, and Sam used it to seriously wound Shelob in combat. After the defeat of Sauron at the end of the [[Third Age]], it remained with Sam.

==Special Properties==

Sting had the (apparently) magic ability to detect the presence of [[Orcs]] in its vicinity. When Orcs were nearby, it glowed blue, as it did when the Fellowship encountered Orcs in the mines of [[Moria]]. Sting also glowed in the presence of the giant spider descendants of [[Ungoliant]], such as the spiders of [[Mirkwood]] in [[The Hobbit]] and [[Shelob]] in [[The Two Towers]].

Sting also performed better than ordinary weapons in combat and against odd materials; it cut through the webs of giant spiders easily, whereas the [[Daggers of Westernesse|blade]] that Sam brought from the [[Barrow Downs]] failed to cut through Shelob's webs.

==Portrayal in Adaptions==

In [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]], Sting is leaf-shaped. Upon its crossguard are engraved the [[Sindarin]] words:

''Maegnas aen estar nin dagnir in yngyl im''

Which is translated "Magenas is my name, I am the spider's bane".

{{weapons}}

[[Category:Weapons]]
[[Category:Swords]]

Talk:Sting

2006-11-22T17:36:36Z

Ted C: /* Maegnas */

I added a note that Sting glows in the vicinity of giant spiders. In the Hobbit, the spiders were able to track Bilbo while he wore the Ring, because they could still see the light shed by Sting. Sting also glowed when [Frodo] and Sam faced Shelob in her cave, and when Sam later fought Shelob in the pass.

Sting also cut through Shelob's webs and the webs of the spiders of Mirkwood without difficulty, while Sam's blade from the Barrow Downs (made in Arnor for use against Angmar) wouldn't cut Shelob's webs.

==Maegnas==

What is the origin of the name ''Maegnas''? I was not aware that Sting had any name before Bilbo gave it one; there was no mention of runes on the blade when Thorin and Company had Elrond read the runes on Glamdring and Orcrist during their stopover in Rivendell. It seems a tad convenient that runes on the blade (that no one noticed in ''The Hobbit'') just happen to have almost the same meaning as the name Bilbo gave the blade. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 13:20, 21 November 2006 (EST)

:My best guess is, that this came out of one of those money-sucking producs accompanying PJ's "adaptation" of the LotR. --[[User:Earendilyon|Earendilyon]] 13:36, 21 November 2006 (EST)

::'Maegnas' sounds [[Sindarin]]. "''[[maeg]]''" means "sharp" (as in ''[[Maeglin]]'', "sharp glance"). I'll have to look up ''[[nas]]'', but I've seen it before. --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 18:01, 21 November 2006 (EST)

:::Oh, the article says that already. Anyway, I should be back. . . --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 18:03, 21 November 2006 (EST)

::::''[[Nass]]'' means "point". So I guess "''Maegnas''" simply means "sharp point". --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 18:16, 21 November 2006 (EST)

:My problem is not with the translation; is there any legitimate source for the name, or was it made up to help peddle merchandise like "Sting" replicas? As I said, there was no mention of runes on this dagger in ''The Hobbit'' or ''The Lord of the Rings'', so where is this Elvish name coming from? It seems to me that the authenticity of the whole first paragraph is dubious. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 09:53, 22 November 2006 (EST)

Talk:Sting

2006-11-22T14:55:15Z

Ted C:

I added a note that Sting glows in the vicinity of giant spiders. In the Hobbit, the spiders were able to track Bilbo while he wore the Ring, because they could still see the light shed by Sting. Sting also glowed when [Frodo] and Sam faced Shelob in her cave, and when Sam later fought Shelob in the pass.

Sting also cut through Shelob's webs and the webs of the spiders of Mirkwood without difficulty, while Sam's blade from the Barrow Downs (made in Arnor for use against Angmar) wouldn't cut Shelob's webs.

==Maegnas==

What is the origin of the name ''Maegnas''? I was not aware that Sting had any name before Bilbo gave it one; there was no mention of runes on the blade when Thorin and Company had Elrond read the runes on Glamdring and Orcrist during their stopover in Rivendell. It seems a tad convenient that runes on the blade (that no one noticed in ''The Hobbit'') just happen to have almost the same meaning as the name Bilbo gave the blade. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 13:20, 21 November 2006 (EST)

:My best guess is, that this came out of one of those money-sucking producs accompanying PJ's "adaptation" of the LotR. --[[User:Earendilyon|Earendilyon]] 13:36, 21 November 2006 (EST)

::'Maegnas' sounds [[Sindarin]]. "''[[maeg]]''" means "sharp" (as in ''[[Maeglin]]'', "sharp glance"). I'll have to look up ''[[nas]]'', but I've seen it before. --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 18:01, 21 November 2006 (EST)

:::Oh, the article says that already. Anyway, I should be back. . . --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 18:03, 21 November 2006 (EST)

::::''[[Nass]]'' means "point". So I guess "''Maegnas''" simply means "sharp point". --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 18:16, 21 November 2006 (EST)

:My problem is not with the translation; is there any legitimate source for the name, or was it made up to help peddle merchandice like "Sting" replicas? As I said, there was no mention of runes on this dagger in ''The Hobbit'' or ''The Lord of the Rings'', so where is this Elvish name coming from? It seems to me that the authenticity of the whole first paragraph is dubious. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 09:53, 22 November 2006 (EST)

Talk:Sting

2006-11-22T14:53:40Z

Ted C: /* Maegnas */

I added a note that Sting glows in the vicinity of giant spiders. In the Hobbit, the spiders were able to track Bilbo while he wore the Ring, because they could still see the light shed by Sting. Sting also glowed when [Frodo] and Sam faced Shelob in her cave, and when Sam later fought Shelob in the pass.

Sting also cut through Shelob's webs and the webs of the spiders of Mirkwood without difficulty, while Sam's blade from the Barrow Downs (made in Arnor for use against Angmar) wouldn't cut Shelob's webs.

==Maegnas==

What is the origin of the name ''Maegnas''? I was not aware that Sting had any name before Bilbo gave it one; there was no mention of runes on the blade when Thorin and Company had Elrond read the runes on Glamdring and Orcrist during their stopover in Rivendell. It seems a tad convenient that runes on the blade (that no one noticed in ''The Hobbit'') just happen to have almost the same meaning as the name Bilbo gave the blade. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 13:20, 21 November 2006 (EST)

:My best guess is, that this came out of one of those money-sucking producs accompanying PJ's "adaptation" of the LotR. --[[User:Earendilyon|Earendilyon]] 13:36, 21 November 2006 (EST)

::'Maegnas' sounds [[Sindarin]]. "''[[maeg]]''" means "sharp" (as in ''[[Maeglin]]'', "sharp glance"). I'll have to look up ''[[nas]]'', but I've seen it before. --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 18:01, 21 November 2006 (EST)

:::Oh, the article says that already. Anyway, I should be back. . . --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 18:03, 21 November 2006 (EST)

::::''[[Nass]]'' means "point". So I guess "''Maegnas''" simply means "sharp point". --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 18:16, 21 November 2006 (EST)

:My problem is not with the translation; is there any legitimate source for the name, or was it made up to help peddle merchandice like "Sting" replicas? As I said, there was no mention of runes on this dagger in ''The Hobbit'' or ''The Lord of the Rings'', so where is this Elvish name coming from? --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 09:53, 22 November 2006 (EST)

Talk:Sting

2006-11-21T18:20:31Z

Ted C: Maegnas?

The Hobbit (film series)

2006-11-21T14:42:40Z

Ted C: Grammar fixes and article cleanup

[[Peter Jackson]] has confirmed that [[New Line Cinema]] has let him go, and he will not be taking part in a film version of [[The Hobbit]] due to legal disputes. [http://www.theonering.net/perl/newsview/8/1163993546 Read the letter].

==Original Rumors==
{{quote|Please leave my email anonymous as I have some very exciting news to report. I was in New Line's NY offices to discuss upcoming projects when I clearly saw something very intriguing on a year planner. 'The Hobbit' was clearly marked on what looked like July 2007. I couldn't exactly take a moment to investigate the calendar with my audience in the room, but it definitely said 'The Hobbit'. Lets hope this is a PJ project!|Anonymous}}

{{quote|Over the next few years, MGM is planning to release half a dozen films, some in the $150 million to $200 million-plus range. Studio is ready to unveil such high-profile projects as "Terminator 4"; one or two installments of The Hobbit, which Sloan hopes will be directed by Peter Jackson; and a sequel to The Thomas Crown Affair with Pierce Brosnan. ... The Hobbit" will be produced in partnership with New Line, which Sloan says shares the rights to the property with MGM.|Variety.com}}

==See also==
* [[The Hobbit screenplay]]

==External links==
* [http://tvnz.co.nz/view/news_national_story_skin/479050%3Fformat=html Jackson states The Hobbit is 3 or 4 years away]
* [http://tolkiennews.net/article.php?story=20060910160007605 Variety.com spreads more rumors on The Hobbit] (TolkienNews.net)
* [http://www.ew.com/ew/report/0,6115,1538494_1_0_,00.html Entertainment Weekly interviews PJ]
* [http://www.aintitcool.com/node/30085 AintItCoolNews.com interviews PJ]

[[Category:Film adaptations]]

Talk:John Boorman's The Lord of the Rings

2006-11-20T14:22:18Z

Ted C:

This thing sounds even more horrendous than what PJ did. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 12:09, 16 November 2006 (EST)

:Click the link for the onering forum discussion. Go to the third page of the thread. It's down near the bottom. A post with a thorough recounting. You'll be amazed. --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 14:51, 16 November 2006 (EST)

Reading... the very ideas being thrown out there are just... so... I'm not sure if there's a word... Abysmal? Horrifying? Demeaning? Evil? Abusive?

Ick! --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 16:12, 16 November 2006 (EST)

:I actually thought it was hilarious. I mean, I'm certainly glad the project never saw the light of day, but it's so ridiculous it parodies itself. —[[User:Tar-Telperien|Tar-Telperien]] 19:17, 16 November 2006 (EST)

::It's easy to look back and laugh, now, but -- knowing how much grief some of us give PJ today -- can you imagine the screaming if this had actually been made? --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 09:22, 20 November 2006 (EST)

Talk:Balrogs

2006-11-16T21:41:49Z

Ted C:

== Different Image ==
I don't particularly like Steve Hidook's Balrog image. I'd like to replace it with an image by Daniel Govar or John Howe. Is there a system for changing images of popular entries? Thanks. --[[User:Ebakunin|Ebakunin]] 01:05, 30 May 2006 (EDT)

[[Image:Steve Hidook - A Balrog.jpg|thumb|left|Steve Hidook]]
[[Image:Daniel Govar - Balrog.jpg|thumb|left|Daniel Govar]]
[[Image:John Howe - Balrog 04.jpg|thumb|left|John Howe]]
 

:Thanks for bringing this to our attention Ebakunin as this was definitely something that would arise and we need to have a system for. At the moment because of the amount of activity on the encyclopedia one is free to edit and change out any images one likes. Sometimes a fresh image is needed. I definitely agree that especially the [[John Howe]] image would make a great replacement. In the future however I think it would be preferred to vote on changing the primary image of an article, as it truly needs to be the best representation of the article and this can cause hostility and edit wars when the choice of the image differs among editors. In short, do as you please as the encyclopedia is as much yours as it is anyone else's :) --[[User:Hyarion|Hyarion]] 01:13, 30 May 2006 (EDT)

Can we please NOT have ''any'' of the three images above? Because none of them remotely represent the Balrog. The John Howe one which is the current image shows a Balrog as having horns and fangs! I can't bear to look at it. Balrogs look somewhat like MEN, people, not huge horned, tailed monsters, and none of these images do justice to the Balrog's dark aura. I'm deleting the image. If you do a Google Image search for 'Balrog', not one of the finds is even close to a real Balrog. The movie Balrog has misguided many people, and these images only serve to misguide people further. Better to have no image than a misguiding one. I myself am a pitiful artist, but if someone could draw or find a good textually correct image of a Balrog, please do post it.--[[User:Barnikel|Barnikel]] 00:20, 5 June 2006 (EDT)
::I'm leaving the movie image at the bottom, because it is clearly demarcated as a portrayal in an adaptation. The other Howe images were posted like they were authoritative Balrog images, in the middle of an argument about wings.--[[User:Barnikel|Barnikel]] 00:28, 5 June 2006 (EDT)

:::I agree with Barnikel that the image from [[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]] should be kept for the sake of all the movie-fans. While we also need to make sure the images at least remotely resemble a Balrog, I also think its important to at least display ''some'' images even though they may not be accurate, otherwise all our articles would be imageless save the ones drawn by [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] himself. Maybe if we list what is inaccurate about the image when displayed. That being said I'm fine with leaving the above images off of the article for now until we can find some more appropriate ones. Thanks for your input! --[[User:Hyarion|Hyarion]] 01:18, 5 June 2006 (EDT)

::::Unfortunately Hyarion is right. I have yet to see an artist draw a balrog with no wings (debatable - wouldn't reject their image for that), about twice the height of a man (see Lost Tales 2), and the rest. John Howe's do look more beast-like than man-like. I have heard, however, than an image by Rob Alexander came close, though I can't confirm that. --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 07:53, 5 June 2006 (EDT)

::: Hyarion, I am not saying that all articles be imageless. There are many cases where even, shudder, movie images won't do much harm (although here artist images would be better). Like, Gandalf, for example. But the Balrog is a special case. In the absense of authoritative images, people tend to imagine Balrogs as artists have erroneously portrayed them for decades. But at a place like this, where there should be consistent and correct information about Tolkien's world, we shouldn't be posting images just to make articles look less bland, especially in cases like Balrogs or Ents. So I don't think it would be a problem not to have images for some articles like this one.--[[User:Barnikel|Barnikel]] 11:06, 5 June 2006 (EDT)

:::::'''Narfil''', I assume you meant this picture?

:::::[[Image:Rob_Alexander_-_The_Balrog_of_Moria.jpg]]

:::::I think this picture portrays the Balrog rather decent. The quality of the pic itself isn't ''that'' decent, unfortunately. --[[User:Earendilyon|Earendilyon]] 11:15, 5 June 2006 (EDT)

== Wings ==

Could we put in the "''For'' Wings" Section that it is possible that the Balrogs had wings, but never used them [like penguins, maybe? ;)]? -[[User:Lord Aragorn1414|Lord Aragorn1414]] 14:44, 17 July 2006 (EDT)

:I definitely think that is worthy of mentioning and was surprised to find it is not already listed. Though I'm not sure Balrogs should be compared to penguins :p --[[User:Hyarion|Hyarion]] 14:48, 17 July 2006 (EDT)

::This is mentioned in passing in the ''against wings'' section: "Obviously, it is possible that the wings could not be used for flying." --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 16:37, 16 November 2006 (EST)

::Related: Did anyone besides me get the impression that the movie Balrog's wings were basically composed of smoke, making them useless for flight? --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 16:41, 16 November 2006 (EST)

Talk:Balrogs

2006-11-16T21:37:47Z

Ted C: non-flying wings

Talk:John Boorman's The Lord of the Rings

2006-11-16T21:12:58Z

Ted C: The HORROR!

Talk:John Boorman's The Lord of the Rings

2006-11-16T17:09:54Z

Ted C:

This thing sounds even more horrendous than what PJ did. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 12:09, 16 November 2006 (EST)

Talk:Arwen

2006-11-16T15:23:12Z

Ted C: /* General Griping */

===Portrayal in Adaptations===
The point is made in here that Arwen turns back for Rivendell after seeing a vision of her future child, but that this is unlikely to have been a major surprise to her. I always took this as a reference to the idea that elves had fewer children than humans, so it was not automatic that Arwen should bear a child at all in her lifetime. I know that LOTR and Silmarillion mention the relative fertility somewhere, can't remember where right now!

:See the following quote:

{{quote|Also the Eldar say that in the begetting, and still more in the bearing of children, greater share and strength of their being, in mind and in body, goes forth than in the making of mortal children. For these reasons it came to pass that the Eldar brought forth few children; and also that their time of generation was in their youth or earlier life, unless strange and hard fates befell them. But at whatever age they married, their children were born within a short space of years after their wedding. . .|[[Morgoth's Ring]]|}}

===General Griping===
My problem with Arwen's role in the movie was not that she replaced Glorfindel, which was a perfectly reasonable thing to do, but that she stole screentime from other characters who were more important to the story. Instead of Frodo making a brave-but-futile stand against the Black Riders at the Ford of Bruinen, he just becomes baggage for Arwen. Her dream-sequence appearance in ''The Two Towers'' is completely contrived, and the time could have been better spent developing the Ents or including the final confrontation with Saruman. Her scenes in ''The Return of the King'' were not '''as''' bad, but her best role would have been delivering Anduril instead of the contrived "Arwen will die if the ring isn't destroyed" plot thread. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 15:10, 6 November 2006 (EST)

:Be glad she didn't go to Helm's Deep as was originally planned! But I agree with you on most of your points. It would have been, in my opinion, good if there were scenes of her weaving the banner of Elendil, and then the triumphant unfurling of it. The significance of this event was either overlooked or rejected by PJ. Then again, perhaps it would be considered too "anti-feminist" for this modern generation. . . --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 17:53, 6 November 2006 (EST)

Indeed, she could have defied Elrond by having the sword reforged herself and taking it to Aragorn, which would have tied her into the story much more neatly. Of course, that would create the problem of her and Eowyn having a chance to meet, but I'm not sure that would work so badly, as it would handily explain Eowyn's reckless desire to go get killed in battle. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 11:17, 7 November 2006 (EST)

:This would be at the further expense of Elrond's character. I disagree with the whole sword-comes-late idea anyway, though it is not as big a change as some others. As I said, I think if PJ had stuck to the book (and the Appendixes) he would have had plenty of material. --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 12:45, 7 November 2006 (EST)

::Do people really accuse such books as LotR as sexist for lack of female characters? I've heard of the ridiculous charges of racism (because of the violation of political correctness), but does this charge of sexism really happen? --[[User:Narfil Palùrfalas|Narfil Palùrfalas]] 07:56, 16 November 2006 (EST)

:::I certainly don't hear charges of sexism aimed at Tolkien. He was actually quite liberal for someone of his generation. I haven't heard such charges aimed at PJ, either, but of course he pushed Arwen and Galadriel into the story in every film, which would probably deflect that sort of criticism. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 10:23, 16 November 2006 (EST)

Fredegar Bolger

2006-11-15T15:34:08Z

Ted C: added link to Conspirators

[[Category:Hobbits]][[Category:Bolger]]
[[Fredegar Bolger]] was one of the [[Conspirators]], a small group of [[Hobbits]] who knew that [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] had the [[One Ring|Ring]]. Fatty was a descendant of [[Hildibrand Took]] ([[Third Age|T.A.]] 2849–2934), one of the many sons of the [[Took Family#Famous Tooks|Old Took]]. He was the son of [[Odovacar Bolger]] and [[Rosamunda Took]].

When [[Frodo Baggins]], [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]], [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin I Took|Pippin]] set out to take the Ring to [[Rivendell]], Fredegar stayed behind in an attempt to keep up appearances and delay news of their departure. He was frightened half out of his wits by the arrival of the [[Nazgûl]] but escaped unharmed. Fredegar could have gone with Frodo and his companions into the [[Old Forest]], but was terrified of the stories about it. Though Merry tried to persuade him that the Old Forest would be nothing compared to meeting the Ringwraiths, Fatty was adamant, so the other Hobbits went into the forest with only the knowledge of [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] to aid them.

Fatty was born in 2980. He had a younger sister, '''[[Estella Bolger]]''' (2985–?), who married [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]].

During [[Saruman]]'s rule of [[the Shire]] he led a group of partisans fighting against the Ruffians around the hills of Scary, before eventually being captured. He was imprisoned and starved, meaning that after his release nobody could call him Fatty any more.

In earlier drafts of The ''Lord of the Rings'', Fatty Bolger played a much larger role, but this was later abandoned. His role survives as a minor anomaly in the book — before the Hobbits go into the [[Old Forest]], they have five ponies prepared — but only take four. Bolger was originally supposed to go with them.

Fredegar Bolger

2006-11-15T15:33:17Z

Ted C: spelling and grammar corrections

[[Category:Hobbits]][[Category:Bolger]]
[[Fredegar Bolger]] was one of the small group of [[Hobbits]] who knew that [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]] had the [[One Ring|Ring]]. Fatty was a descendant of [[Hildibrand Took]] ([[Third Age|T.A.]] 2849–2934), one of the many sons of the [[Took Family#Famous Tooks|Old Took]]. He was the son of [[Odovacar Bolger]] and [[Rosamunda Took]].

When [[Frodo Baggins]], [[Samwise Gamgee|Sam]], [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] and [[Peregrin I Took|Pippin]] set out to take the Ring to [[Rivendell]], Fredegar stayed behind in an attempt to keep up appearances and delay news of their departure. He was frightened half out of his wits by the arrival of the [[Nazgûl]] but escaped unharmed. Fredegar could have gone with Frodo and his companions into the [[Old Forest]], but was terrified of the stories about it. Though Merry tried to persuade him that the Old Forest would be nothing compared to meeting the Ringwraiths, Fatty was adamant, so the other Hobbits went into the forest with only the knowledge of [[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] to aid them.

Fatty was born in 2980. He had a younger sister, '''[[Estella Bolger]]''' (2985–?), who married [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]].

During [[Saruman]]'s rule of [[the Shire]] he led a group of partisans fighting against the Ruffians around the hills of Scary, before eventually being captured. He was imprisoned and starved, meaning that after his release nobody could call him Fatty any more.

In earlier drafts of The ''Lord of the Rings'', Fatty Bolger played a much larger role, but this was later abandoned. His role survives as a minor anomaly in the book — before the Hobbits go into the [[Old Forest]], they have five ponies prepared — but only take four. Bolger was originally supposed to go with them.

Conspirators

2006-11-15T15:31:26Z

Ted C: Added Freddy Bolger to the group

Consisting of [[Samwise Gamgee]], [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]], [[Peregrin Took]], and [[Fredegar_Bolger|Freddy Bolger]], the Conspirators were friends of [[Frodo Baggins]] who discovered that he was making plans to leave the [[Shire]] in order to escape some danger related to the [[One Ring|Ring]] and conspired to assist him without his knowledge. Without their preparations, Frodo would likely have been captured by the [[Black Riders]] before he even escaped the Shire.