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Oliphaunts

2008-11-24T14:32:16Z

79.130.102.55: /* Etymology */

[[Image:Alan Lee - An Oliphaunt.jpg|thumb|250px|An Oliphaunt by [[Alan Lee]].]]

'''Oliphaunts''' were animals similar to -- but larger than -- [[Elephants|elephants]]. In [[Westron]] they were called ''mûmakil'' (singular ''mûmak'') by the [[Men]] of [[Gondor]].

==The animal==
Oliphaunts lived during the [[Third Age]] in the southern land of [[Harad]], and were notably used in the [[Siege of Gondor]] and the subsequent [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] on March 15th, 3018 of the Third Age. They were big enough to carry structures similar to towers on their backs.

Mumakil came from somewhere in jungles of Far Harad, off any known maps of middle earth. Massive, often ferocious beasts, the Haradrim somehow tamed them to use as beasts of war; and the result was possibly the most brutally effective beast of war the Middle Earth ever saw.

The Haradrim strapped a massive, carriage-like tiered tower the the backs of these beasts, and from here expert Haradrim archers and spearmen hurled these projectiles down upon their enemies. The mumak itself, enraged and goaded by its cruel Haradrim masters, would charge through the enemy, trampling archer, swordsman and horse beneath its massive feet and sweeping aside men in its way with scything strokes of its great tusks.

Killing a ''mûmak'' was almost impossible - its rough, leathery hide made arrows realtively harmless, and any archers standing to take a shot would be an easy target for the archers on top of the Haradrim. Horses had a natural fear of the Mumak's so even the most skilled horsemen could not get close enough to strike at its great, trunk-like legs. The only known way to kill an Oliphaunt was to shoot it in the eye, which typically meant standing in front of it as it charged the archer, and thus a very difficult task to perform.

==Etymology==
The word "oliphaunt" was only used by [[Hobbits]]. [[Gandalf]] mentions [[elephants]] once in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' so perhaps 'oliphaunt' is a [[Hobbitish]] corruption of this original word. But whether these two creatures are the same, can not be said with certainty.

Oliphant/olifant/olifaunt had been archaic words for elephant and the ivory. The most famous use of the oliphant (as in horn) is in The Song of Roland "The oliphant is set to Roland's Lips"; Roland fails to call for help at the Battle of Roncevaux in 778 until it is too late for him and his comrades.

==Portrayals in adaptations==
* '''2002: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers]]'':'''
:Two oliphaunts appear in the ambush in [[Ithilien]]. They are CGI created, and they are much, much bigger than today's elephants; furthermore, they have 2 sets of big tusks and one set of tiny tusks.

* '''2003: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]]'':'''
:A horde of Oliphuants shows up at the [[Battle of Pelennor Fields]], mounted with towers and decorated with deadly spikes on their tusks. The [[rohirrim]] charge headlong into battle, and even pass under them<! -- an oversight on [[Peter Jackson|Jackson]]'s behalf probably -->. Several oliphaunts were killed.

:[[Weta]] made a large prop ''mûmak'' (which [[Richard Taylor]] incorrectly called ''a mûmakil'') for background purposes. This prop became a favourite picnic destination for crew members.

[[category:animals]]

Oliphaunts

2008-11-24T14:15:32Z

79.130.102.55: no explanation why this is an oversight

[[Image:Alan Lee - An Oliphaunt.jpg|thumb|250px|An Oliphaunt by [[Alan Lee]].]]

'''Oliphaunts''' were animals similar to -- but larger than -- [[Elephants|elephants]]. In [[Westron]] they were called ''mûmakil'' (singular ''mûmak'') by the [[Men]] of [[Gondor]].

==The animal==
Oliphaunts lived during the [[Third Age]] in the southern land of [[Harad]], and were notably used in the [[Siege of Gondor]] and the subsequent [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] on March 15th, 3018 of the Third Age. They were big enough to carry structures similar to towers on their backs.

Mumakil came from somewhere in jungles of Far Harad, off any known maps of middle earth. Massive, often ferocious beasts, the Haradrim somehow tamed them to use as beasts of war; and the result was possibly the most brutally effective beast of war the Middle Earth ever saw.

The Haradrim strapped a massive, carriage-like tiered tower the the backs of these beasts, and from here expert Haradrim archers and spearmen hurled these projectiles down upon their enemies. The mumak itself, enraged and goaded by its cruel Haradrim masters, would charge through the enemy, trampling archer, swordsman and horse beneath its massive feet and sweeping aside men in its way with scything strokes of its great tusks.

Killing a ''mûmak'' was almost impossible - its rough, leathery hide made arrows realtively harmless, and any archers standing to take a shot would be an easy target for the archers on top of the Haradrim. Horses had a natural fear of the Mumak's so even the most skilled horsemen could not get close enough to strike at its great, trunk-like legs. The only known way to kill an Oliphaunt was to shoot it in the eye, which typically meant standing in front of it as it charged the archer, and thus a very difficult task to perform.

==Etymology==
The word "oliphaunt" was only used by [[Hobbits]]. [[Gandalf]] mentions [[elephants]] once in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' so perhaps 'oliphaunt' is a [[Hobbitish]] corruption of this original word. But whether these two creatures are the same, can not be said with certainty.

The most famous use of the oliphant is in The Song of Roland "The oliphant is set to Roland's Lips"; Roland fails to call for help at the Battle of Roncevaux in 778 until it is too late for him and his comrades.

==Portrayals in adaptations==
* '''2002: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers]]'':'''
:Two oliphaunts appear in the ambush in [[Ithilien]]. They are CGI created, and they are much, much bigger than today's elephants; furthermore, they have 2 sets of big tusks and one set of tiny tusks.

* '''2003: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]]'':'''
:A horde of Oliphuants shows up at the [[Battle of Pelennor Fields]], mounted with towers and decorated with deadly spikes on their tusks. The [[rohirrim]] charge headlong into battle, and even pass under them<! -- an oversight on [[Peter Jackson|Jackson]]'s behalf probably -->. Several oliphaunts were killed.

:[[Weta]] made a large prop ''mûmak'' (which [[Richard Taylor]] incorrectly called ''a mûmakil'') for background purposes. This prop became a favourite picnic destination for crew members.

[[category:animals]]

Oliphaunts

2008-11-24T14:07:08Z

79.130.102.55:

[[Image:Alan Lee - An Oliphaunt.jpg|thumb|250px|An Oliphaunt by [[Alan Lee]].]]

'''Oliphaunts''' were animals similar to -- but larger than -- [[Elephants|elephants]]. In [[Westron]] they were called ''mûmakil'' (singular ''mûmak'') by the [[Men]] of [[Gondor]].

==The animal==
Oliphaunts lived during the [[Third Age]] in the southern land of [[Harad]], and were notably used in the [[Siege of Gondor]] and the subsequent [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] on March 15th, 3018 of the Third Age. They were big enough to carry structures similar to towers on their backs.

Mumakil came from somewhere in jungles of Far Harad, off any known maps of middle earth. Massive, often ferocious beasts, the Haradrim somehow tamed them to use as beasts of war; and the result was possibly the most brutally effective beast of war the Middle Earth ever saw.

The Haradrim strapped a massive, carriage-like tiered tower the the backs of these beasts, and from here expert Haradrim archers and spearmen hurled these projectiles down upon their enemies. The mumak itself, enraged and goaded by its cruel Haradrim masters, would charge through the enemy, trampling archer, swordsman and horse beneath its massive feet and sweeping aside men in its way with scything strokes of its great tusks.

Killing a ''mûmak'' was almost impossible - its rough, leathery hide made arrows realtively harmless, and any archers standing to take a shot would be an easy target for the archers on top of the Haradrim. Horses had a natural fear of the Mumak's so even the most skilled horsemen could not get close enough to strike at its great, trunk-like legs. The only known way to kill an Oliphaunt was to shoot it in the eye, which typically meant standing in front of it as it charged the archer, and thus a very difficult task to perform.

==Etymology==
The word "oliphaunt" was only used by [[Hobbits]]. [[Gandalf]] mentions [[elephants]] once in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' so perhaps 'oliphaunt' is a [[Hobbitish]] corruption of this original word. But whether these two creatures are the same, can not be said with certainty.

The most famous use of the oliphant is in The Song of Roland "The oliphant is set to Roland's Lips"; Roland fails to call for help at the Battle of Roncevaux in 778 until it is too late for him and his comrades.

==Portrayals in adaptations==
* '''2002: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers]]'':'''
:Two oliphaunts appear in the ambush in [[Ithilien]]. They are CGI created, and they are much, much bigger than today's elephants; furthermore, they have 2 sets of big tusks and one set of tiny tusks.

* '''2003: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]]'':'''
:A horde of Oliphuants shows up at the [[Battle of Pelennor Fields]], mounted with towers and decorated with deadly spikes on their tusks. The [[rohirrim]] charge headlong into battle, and even pass under them: an oversight on [[Peter Jackson|Jackson]]'s behalf probably. Several oliphaunts were killed.

:[[Weta]] made a large prop ''mûmak'' (which [[Richard Taylor]] incorrectly called ''a mûmakil'') for background purposes. This prop became a favourite picnic destination for crew members.

[[category:animals]]

Forgoil

2008-11-24T14:02:48Z

79.130.102.55:

The '''Forgoil''' ("[[Strawheads]]") were the enemies of the [[Dunlendings]], who "invaded" their land in [[Third Age 2510|T.A. 2510]] and drove them out to the dreary hills of [[Dunland]]. For this, they still hated the Strawheads - known in [[Gondor]] as [[Rohirrim]]. Five hundred years later, as they attacked the [[Battle of the Hornburg|Hornburg]], they still hated the Strawheads. Among their cries was what [[Gamling]] translated as "Death to the Forgoil! Death to the Strawheads!".

''Forgoil'' is the only known word in the language of the Dunlendings.

It's possible that the final part of the word, ''-il'', is a plural marker, such as in the case of [[Westron]] (cf. [[mûmakil]])

==References==
* ''[[The Two Towers]]'', [[Helm's Deep (chapter)|Helm's Deep]].
* [http://www.uib.no/people/hnohf/mannish.htm Various Mannish Tongues]] at [[Ardalambion], by [[Helge Kåre Fauskanger]].

[[Category: Dunlendings]]
[[Category: Rohirrim]]
[[de:Rohirrim#Beschreibung]]
[[fi:Forgoil]]

Vanyar

2008-11-24T13:58:39Z

79.130.102.55: /* Description */

{{expansion}}{{sources}}
{{race
|image=[[Image:Jenny Dolfen - Fields of Gold.jpg|300px]]
|name=Vanyar.
|dominions=[[Oiolossë]]
|languages=Vanyarin [[Quenya]]
|height=Tall
|length=
|skincolor=Pale
|haircolor=Golden
|feathers=
|distinctions=Most revered of the [[Elves|Elven]] kindreds, loved by [[Manwë]].
|lifespan=Immortal.
|members=[[Ingwë]], [[Indis]], [[Elemmírë (Elf)|Elemmírë]], [[Amarië]], and others.
}}

The '''Vanyar''' are one of the three groups of [[High Elves]], along with the [[Noldor]], and some of the [[Teleri]]. They comprise most of those who did not leave Aman.

== Origins ==

The Vanyar are the highest of the High Elves. According to legend, the clan was founded by [[Imin]], the first [[Elf]] to awake in [[Cuiviénen]], his wife Iminyë, and their twelve companions. However it was [[Ingwë]], the first Vanya to travel with [[Oromë]] to [[Valinor]], who became their king.

Ingwë is called ''High King of the Elves''. He lives on [[Mount Taniquetil]] beneath the halls of [[Manwë]]. All of the Vanyar journeyed to [[Valinor]] before the beginning of the [[First Age]], and remained there. They are said to have the greatest skill in poetry of all the Elves, and Manwë loves them for it.

Another notable Vanya was [[Indis]], the second wife of [[Finwë]] and grandmother of [[Galadriel]]. It is from her Vanyarin blood that Galadriel gained her famous silver-gold hair.

== Description ==

The Vanyar were the first and smallest clan of the Elves. They typically had blonde hair. Few of them were ever seen in [[Middle-earth]], as they only returned for the [[War of Wrath]].

Their smiths were renowned in the crafting of spears. The skill was on par with the sword-smiths of the [[Noldor]] and the bowmakers of the [[Teleri]]{{fact}}

==Etymology==
The name ''Vanyar'' means "the Fair" in [[Quenya]], referring to their golden hair.

The Vanyar called themselves '''''Minyar''''', "the Firsts", their ancient name.

Another name was '''''Ingar''''' or '''''Ingwer''''' which means "Chieftains" (etymologically related to the name [[Ingwë]]).

== Other Versions of the Legendarium ==
In the earliest versions of [[J.R.R. Tolkien|Tolkien's]] [[legendarium]] (see: ''[[The Book of Lost Tales 1]]''), they were called '''''Teleri''''', while the Elves known as [[Teleri]] in the published version of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' were called ''Solosimpi''.

[[Category:High Elves]]
[[Category:Vanyar]]