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Uncommon words

2009-12-26T02:24:19Z

ElfMaven: /* T */ ~~~~

Within [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s works, there are many ''uncommon'', archaic, obsolete and dialectal words (especially from the dialects of the United Kingdom) which might cause confusion to readers and may make a passage of text appear unwieldy.

This article attempts to list as many of these words as possible in alphabetical order. If you feel a particular word is missing, please feel free to [{{SERVER}}{{localurl:{{NAMESPACE}}:{{PAGENAME}}|action=edit}} edit this page] and add it in yourself.

==A==
* '''abide''' - put up with, tolerate; await;
* '''abjure''' - renounce, turn away from
* '''abroad''' - in the open, at large
* '''adamant''' - diamond, or (more generally) any very hard substance
* '''afield''' - away, especially from home
* '''aforetime''' - in earlier times
* '''aghast''' - terrified, amazed
* '''agin''' - a dialect word meaning "against", "next to"
* '''aloof''' - hanging over ones head
* '''amiss''' - not as things should be
* '''an''' - if
* '''anon''' - soon; ever and anon often
* '''apace''' - quickly
* '''argent''' - silver
* '''arrassed''' - covered with arras (rich figured tapestry)
* '''assuage''' - soften, lessen, soothe
* '''astonied''' - stunned, astonished
* '''aught''' - anything
==B==
* '''bade''' - old past tense of "bid", pronounced "bad"
* '''baldric''' - a shoulder-belt for carrying horns, swords, etc
* '''bannock''' - flat bread-cake
* '''barrel''' - the long, cylindrical part of a key
* '''baseborn''' - ignoble, illegitimate
* '''bason''' - formerly a common spelling of basin
* '''bay''' - (of a dog) bark or howl
* '''bebother''' - bring trouble upon
* '''befall''' - happen, occur
* '''belie''' - give a false impression
* '''benighted''' - in, or overtaken by, darkness
* '''bent''' - open place covered with grass
* '''beset''' - attacked, assaulted by enemies
* '''besom''' - a stiff broom made out of sticks and twigs
* '''besotted''' - made drunk
* '''besotted'''2 - obsessed, entranced
* '''besought''' - old past tense of beseech
* '''bier''' - platform for carrying a coffin or body
* '''billow''' - (large) wave
* '''bivouac''' - temporary camp, without tents
* '''blazoned''' - painted or inscribed (an heraldic term)
* '''bond''' - storage of wine, etc, until duty has been paid; out of bond released from this
* '''booby''' - stupid person
* '''boon''' - favour, gift
* '''brakes''' - thickets
* '''brazen''' - made of brass
* '''brood''' - children
* '''brood'''2 - related creatures
* '''brook''' - tolerate, accept
* '''buckler''' - a small round shield, held in one hand
* '''bulwark''' - a defensive structure
* '''burg''' - walled and fortified town<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''burgeon''' - come forth, bud, begin to grow quickly
* '''burnished''' - polished
==C==
* '''cairn''' - a mound of stones or rocks, used as a marker, memorial or tomb
* '''carcanet''' - jeweled necklace
* '''carouse''' - drink heavily
* '''carven''' - old form of 'carved'
* '''cataract''' - waterfall
* '''cesspool''' - a pool of waste-water or sewage
* '''chalcedony''' - a precious form of quartz onyx, agate and cornelian are all types of chalcedony
* '''champ''' - (of a horse) munch on the bit, showing eagerness
* '''charger''' large dish
* '''chime''' - agree with, be in harmony with
* '''circlet''' - a thin band of precious metal, worn on the head
* '''clamant''' - clamorous, noisy
* '''clave''' - old past tense of cleave, in the sense 'stick, adhere'
* '''clomb''' - old past tense of climb
* '''cloven''' - split into two
* '''cob''' - spider (the name survives in the term 'cobweb')
* '''coëval''' - born at the same time
* '''coffer''' - strongbox, especially for holding valuables
* '''comely''' - pleasant-looking
* '''commons''' - shared food; short commons insufficient food
* '''compass''' - accomplish, achieve
* '''conclave''' - a meeting, or the place where a meeting is held
* '''concourse''' - large group of people; crowd
* '''confines''' - borders; borderlands
* '''confusticate''' - a nonsense word, probably not intended to have a meaning (though its Latin roots can be interpreted "beat with a cudgel")
* '''constellate''' formed into a constellation
* '''cony''' - rabbit
* '''cools''' - coolnesses
* '''coomb''' - short valley in the side of a hill or mountain
* '''coop''' - cage, imprison
* '''corbel''' basket
* '''corslet''' - a piece of armour covering the body, but not the arms or legs
* '''cot''' - a small cottage<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''counsels''' - words of advice
* '''covet''' - be jealous of, desire
* '''covetice''' - (inordinate) desire, covetousness
* '''cozen''' - lie to, cheat, deceive
* '''craven''' - coward
* '''crocks''' - items of crockery plates, dishes, etc.
* '''culvert''' - a channel carrying water beneath a thoroughfare
* '''cumbrous''' - awkward, inconvenient
* '''cunning-handed''' - deft, artful, dexterous
* '''curdle''' - turn sour
==D==
* '''dainty''' - morsel, delicacy
* '''damask''' - steel and iron specially welded to make a serpentine pattern
* '''darkling''' - dark (poetical)
* '''daunt''' - intimidate
* '''declaim''' - speak or recite passionately
* '''deem''' - consider, conclude
* '''defile''' - ruin, corrupt
* '''defray''' - pay for
* '''dell''' - small valley
* '''descry''' - catch sight of, especially something difficult to see
* '''devices''' - things, especially situations, devised or engineered
* '''dingle''' - deep hollow, usually shaded with trees
* '''dissemble''' - hide one's true intentions
* '''divers''' - numerous and various
* '''dolven''' - delved, dug out
* '''doom''' - fate (as opposed to modern usage, doom in this sense is not necessarily bad)
* '''dotard''' - a person who has lost their wits, especially through old age
* '''doughty''' - strong, powerful
* '''draught''' - drawing or pulling force
* '''draught'''2 - a drink drawn from a barrel or storage jar
* '''drear''' - dismal, gloomy
* '''dregs''' - sediment found at the bottom of wine, tea, etc. To "drink to the dregs" is to completely drain a cup or (metaphorically) fully involve oneself
* '''dry''' - (of bricks or stone) laid without mortar
* '''durstn't''' - dare not
* '''dwimmer-crafty''' - skilled in the arts of magic
==E==
* '''eaves''' - the fringe of a forest (from the resemblance of the overhanging forest canopy to the eaves of a house)
* '''eld''' - old age
* '''ell''' - a measure of length, usually equivalent to 45 inches or 114 cm
* '''embattled''' - of a fortress, having battlements
* '''embattled'''2 - of an army, fortified against attack (this is the dictionary definition, but in ''The Lord of the Rings'', Tolkien's usage seems to mean simply "in battle")
* '''embrasure''' - beveled door or window frame cut into a wall
* '''encompass''' - surround
* '''ere''' - before
* '''errantry''' - journeying in search of adventure
* '''espy''' - catch sight of
* '''essay''' - attempt
* '''esteem''' - consider to be of worth; esteem too lightly underestimate
* '''et''' - a variation of "ate", common in British rural dialects
* '''etten''' - eaten - see "et"
* '''ewer''' - pitcher for water<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''eyot''' - a small island<ref name="LT2"/>
==F==
* '''faggot''' - bundle of sticks used as firewood
* '''fain''' gladly; disposed, desirous; fain of well-pleased with
* '''falter''' - waver, lose courage
* '''fane''' temple
* '''fare''' - travel, go on a journey
* '''fastness''' - secure fortress
* '''fawn''' - cringe, grovel
* '''fealty''' - allegiance and service to a lord
* '''feign''' - pretend
* '''fell''' - merciless, terrifying
* '''fell'''2 - animal's hide
* '''fell'''3 - moorland hill
* '''fender''' - a metal frame placed around a fireplace
* '''fetter''' - chain, shackle
* '''fey''' -The old senses were ‘fated, approaching death; presaging death’. It seems very unlikely that the later sense ‘possessing or displaying magical, fairylike, or unearthly qualities’ (O.E.D. Supplement) was intended.
* '''field''' - background color on a flag or shield in heraldry.
* '''figured''' - marked with drawings or writing
* '''firth''' - An inlet of the sea at a wide river estuary
* '''flagon''' - large jug or mug, usually used to hold wine or beer
* '''flammifer''' - in Latin, flammifer means "fiery", but Tolkien's usage is likely meant to suggest "flame-bearer", as a reference to the blazing Silmaril borne by Eärendil.
* '''flank''' - the exposed side of an attacking or marching army
* '''flittermice''' - [[bats]]
* '''flotsam''' - floating wreckage; flotsam and jetsam items washed up by the sea, or a flood (also used figuratively)
* '''flummoxed''' - bewildered, disconcerted
* '''footpad''' - a thief (historically, a "footpad" was a highwayman who had no horse)
* '''forbear''' - hold back from
* '''forebode''' - foresee (especially something that is evil)
* '''forespeak''' - foretell, predict
* '''foreswear''' - swear not to do something
* '''forgo''' - let go, do without
* '''forlorn''' - abandoned, desolate
* '''forsake''' - desert, turn away from (the past tense is forsook)
* '''forsooth''' - in truth, actually
* '''fortnight''' - a period of two weeks
* '''fosse''' - a defensive trench or ditch; pit<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''founder''' - sink, after taking on water
* '''fraught''' - full (of)
* '''freshet''' - a stream, or (strictly) a flood of fresh water
* '''furlong''' - one eighth of a mile (220 yards), or about one fifth of a kilometre
==G==
* '''gaffer''' - a word meaning both "old man" and "foreman"* its use as the nickname of Hamfast Gamgee is probably mean to combine both meanings.
* '''gainsay''' - contradict
* '''gallop''' - boil and bubble
* '''game''' - crippled
* '''gammer''' - old woman
* '''garth''' - an enclosed garden or yard
* '''ghyll''' - deep ravine
* '''gibbet''' - A gallows built to display the body of an executed criminal
* '''gimlet''' - A sharp boring tool, similar in general design to a corkscrew; see like gimlets see sharply
* '''girdle''' - belt or cord used especially to confine clothing
* '''girdle'''2 - something which surrounds or encircles; girdle of Arda the central regions of Arda, equidistant from the far north and south
* '''girt''' - bound or attached with a belt
* '''glede''' - burning coal or cinder
* '''gloaming''' - the twilight of evening
* '''glower''' - scowl, frown
* '''goggle''' - stare with round eyes
* '''gorcrow''' - carrion crow
* '''graven''' - engraved, carved
* '''greened''' - made green from the mosses and lichens on a tree's trunk
* '''grot''' - old form of "grotto"; an ornamental or picturesque cavern
* '''guileful''' - treacherous, deceitful
* '''gunwale''' - the top edge of a boat's side, pronounced (and sometimes spelt) 'gunnel'
==H==
* '''habergeon''' - a mail-coat without sleeves
* '''hale''' - robust, strong of body
* '''hame''' - hide, pelt
* '''hang''' - to leave food, especially game, in the open until it becomes "high" or tender
* '''harbour''' - succor, assistance
* '''hardly''' - with great difficulty
* '''hardly'''2 - only just
* '''harry''' - ravage
* '''haste''' - hurry, rush
* '''hauberk''' - mail-coat
* '''headstall''' - a covering for a horse's head, used as an alternative to bridle and bit
* '''hearken''' - listen, pay attention
* '''heed''' - thought, consideration
* '''heedless''' - careless of danger
* '''hence''' - from here
* '''hew''' - chop, slice
* '''hither''' - to here, to this place; hither and thither in various directions
* '''hither'''2 - nearer, closer
* '''hoar''' - grey- or white-haired
* '''hobble''' - limp, walk with difficulty
* '''hock''' - the middle joint of a horse's or pony's leg
* '''houseleek''' - a fleshy plant that grows on the walls and roofs of houses
* '''hue''' - form or shape
* '''hummock''' - a small hill or knoll (in The Lord of the Rings, "hummock" is used metaphorically to describe the shape made by the [[palantír]] beneath Gandalf's cloak)
* '''hundredweight''' - the pun in Tolkien's description of Bilbo's 112th birthday as a "Hundredweight Feast" is based on the fact that in Britain a hundredweight is 112 pounds. <ref>[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', p. 74.</ref><ref>[[Mark T. Hooker]], ''[[The Hobbitonian Anthology]]'', pp. 160-164.</ref>
* '''hunter's moon''' - the full moon of mid- to late October
* '''hythe''' - a small harbour or haven, especially on a river
==I==
* '''ill''' - evil, wrong
* '''inaureoled''' surrounded with a halo, (the word is only recorded in the O.E.D. in a poem by Francis Thompson, 1897).
==J==
* '''jacinth''' - blue<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''jetsam''' - items thrown overboard from a ship, and later washed ashore
==K==
* '''keen''' - sharp
* '''kerb''' - a raised edge to a road or path
* '''kindle''' - set fire to, begin to burn
==L==
* '''lampads''' - The word is only recorded in the O.E.D. (first used by Coleridge) of the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne of God in the Book of Revelation, chapter 4 verse 5.
* '''lave''' - wash, bathe
* '''lay''' - a poem that is meant to be sung
* '''league''' - a measure of distance, about three miles<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''leaguer''' - an encampment or encampments, especially for defensive purposes
* '''leave''' - permission
* '''lee''' - shelter, especially from wind and weather
* '''leech''' - healer
* '''leechcraft''' - the practice of magical medicine. The name is based on the Celtic word for ''stone''. The animal leech (Latin: ''sanguisuga'', literally: ''blood sucker'') is named for the healer (leech), rather than the other way around. <ref>[[Mark T. Hooker]], ''[[The Hobbitonian Anthology]]'', pp. 165-172.</ref>
* '''[[legendarium]]''' - term coined by Tolkien to mean [[Arda]], in all of its mythological entirety
* '''lets upon''' gives on to, opens on to
* '''lief''' gladly, willingly
* '''liever''' more gladly, more willingly, rather
* '''lissom''' - lithe, supple
* '''loath''' - reluctant
* '''lob''' - spider (seen, for example, in the name [[Shelob]])
* '''loth''' - reluctant [a variation on loath above]
* '''louver''' - a domed structure built on a roof with side-openings to allow smoke to escape
* '''lustihead''' vigour
==M==
* '''malefactor''' - one who commits an evil act
* '''mantle''' - cloak, cover
* '''mar''' - spoil or damage beyond repair
* '''march''' - share borders
* '''marchwarden''' - border guard
* '''mark''' - notice, detect
* '''marshal''' - place in proper order
* '''mattock''' - a primitive weapon, originally a farming tool, perhaps best described as a double-headed battle-hoe
* '''maw''' - jaws and throat, especially of a ferocious animal
* '''mayhap''' - perhaps
* '''mead''' - an alcoholic drink made from honey
* '''mead'''2 - meadow
* '''meed''' - requital
* '''mere''' - lake or pond
* '''mew''' - a type of gull
* '''midge''' - tiny airborne biting insect; not unlike a mosquito, but much smaller
* '''minished''' reduced, diminished
* '''mischance''' - accident
* '''misgive''' - fill with doubt or suspicion
* '''moonshine''' - fantastic ideas
* '''muster''' - collect, assemble
==N==
* '''nethermost''' - lowest, deepest
* '''nicety''' - precision, exactness; weigh to a nicety measure exactly
* '''nigh''' - near; well nigh, wellnigh almost, very nearly
* '''nightshade''' - probably simply "darkness" (the literal use of this word appears to be unique to Tolkien - in * historical English, it is only used figuratively as the name of a poisonous plant)
* '''noisome''' - foul-smelling, poisonous
* '''nook''' - corner, recess
==O==
* '''obeisance''' - bowing or kneeling in submission
* '''oft''' - often
* '''or ... or''' - either ... or<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''or yet''' - apparently means "already",
* '''ostler''' - stable-keeper
* '''ousel''' blackbird, 43 (now spelled ouzel, in Ring-ouzel and other bird-names).
* '''oust''' - take possession of another's lands, property, title, etc.
* '''outworn''' - exhausted
* '''overbear''' - defeat by weight of numbers
==P==
* '''pallid''' - pale
* '''panoply''' - full suit of armour
* '''parapet''' - defensive wall built to protect troops
* '''parley''' - discuss terms of peace or cease-fire
* '''passward''' - something granting passage of a guard
* '''pate''' - head, mind
* '''pent''' - restricted, confined
* '''penthouse''' - the area beneath a sloping roof, especially as a later extension to an existing building
* '''perforce''' - having no choice, being forced
* '''pinion''' - a bird's wing, and especially the tip
* '''plash''' - splash
* '''pleasance''' - "A pleasure-ground, usually attached to a mansion; sometimes a secluded part of a garden, but more often a separate enclosure laid out with shady walks, trees and shrubs..." (O.E.D.)
* '''pled''' old past tense of plead, 186
* '''plenilune''' - the time of full moon (see ''[[Letters]]'' p. 310).
* '''portage''' - transporting a boat overland
* '''portent''' - omen, sign
* '''postern''' - a back- or side-entrance
* '''pricks''' - (spurs his horse), rides fast. [[Oromë]] pricks over the plain echoes the first line of The Faerie Queene, A Gentle Knight was pricking on the plaine.
* '''profound''' - deep
* '''prosy''' - dull, contented with the commonplace
* '''provender''' - food
* '''puissant''' - powerful<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''purloin''' - steal
==Q==
* '''quaff''' - drink deeply
* '''quail''' - give way to, be intimidated by
==R==
* '''raiment''' - clothing
* '''rearguard''' - that part of an army set to cover its rear ranks, especially in retreat
* '''recked''' - troubled, cared
* '''rede''' - counsel, advice; plan; redes counsels
* '''redound''' - contribute to, advance
* '''redress''' - setting right
* '''reft''' - past tense of the old word reave, to take by force
* '''rent''' - past tense of rend, to tear or split
* '''repair''' - make one's way, go<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''respite''' - relief, calm interval
* '''revelry''' - merrymaking
* '''rick''' - a stack, especially of hay
* '''rill''' - a small stream
* '''rondured''' - (in '''golden-rondured'''). Rondure "circle, rounded form"; rondured is not recorded.
* '''rude''' - simple, primitive
* '''rue''' - regret, repent of
* '''rumour''' - sound
* '''ruth''' - matter of sorrow, calamity; distress, grief; remorse
==S==
* '''sable''' - heraldic term for black
* '''sallow''' - having yellow or pale brown skin
* '''saps''' - deep diggings
* '''sate''' - old past tense of sit
* '''save''' - except
* '''seamews''' - seagulls
* '''selenites''' - inhabitants of the [[Moon]]
* '''semblance''' - appearance
* '''shade''' - ghost or phantasm
* '''shallop''' - This word had precise applications to particular kinds of boat, but here apparently means "open boat propelled by oars and sail".
* '''shank''' - leg; especially that part between the knee and ankle
* '''share''' - share=ploughshare, but used here of the blade of a scythe.
* '''sheaf''' - bundle or cluster of stalks
* '''shoal''' - a particularly shallow part of a river- or sea-bed
* '''shore''' - slice, tear (an old past tense of "shear")
* '''shun''' - refuse
* '''sister-son''' - nephew
* '''sledge-blows''' blows as of a sledge, a large heavy hammer
* '''slot''' - track of an animal<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''slowcoach''' - someone who moves slowly, or is often late
* '''sluggard''' - slow or lazy person
* '''smite''' - strike, attack (the past tense is smote)
* '''snuff''' - sniff deeply
* '''sojourn''' - temporary stay
* '''sooth''' - true, truthful
* '''sortie''' - an attack launched by a besieged force
* '''spinney''' - group of trees, or small wood
* '''sprent''' - past participle of the lost verb sprenge "sprinkle, scatter"
* '''sprite(s)''' - spirit(s)
* '''stead''' - place, position
* '''stem''' - block, hold back
* '''stock''' - the trunk or stump of a tree; stock and stone inanimate things
* '''stoop''' - in falconry, to swoop on prey
* '''straightway''' - immediately, directly
* '''strait''' - narrowly confining
* '''straitly''' - narrowly, tightly
* '''strand''' - shore, shoreline, especially a beach
* '''stricken''' - struck, beaten;<ref name="LT2"/> (as an adjective) damaged, broken
* '''suaded''' - persuaded
* '''succour''' - give aid
* '''sunder''' - divide, separate
* '''surname''' - an additional name indicating some quality or ability (as distinct from modern usage, surname in this context has no connection with family)
* '''sward''' - region of short grass, lawn
* '''swart''' - dark-skinned
* '''swarthy''' - dark-skinned
* '''swath''' - a strip of grass that has been flattened or mown
* '''swoon''' - faint
==T==
* '''tarn''' - mountain lake
* '''tarry''' - pause, wait
* '''thanksgiving'''- festival of giving thanks, as in a prayer
* '''thenceforward''' - from that time on
* '''thither''' - to or in that place
* '''thraldom''' - slavery
* '''thrall''' - slave
* '''thrawn''' - twisted, misshapen
* '''thrawn'''2 - obstinate, stubborn
* '''throe''' - violent agony
* '''throve''' - old past tense of 'thrive'
* '''thwart''' - foil, stop
* '''tidings''' - news
* '''tipsy''' - slightly drunk
* '''tithe''' - tenth part<ref name="LT2"/>
* '''toils''' - trap, snare
* '''toothsome''' - pleasantly appetising
* '''tors''' - rocky hill-tops
* '''toss-pot''' - drunkard
* '''tracery''' - complex interlinked ornamentation
* '''traffic''' - trade
* '''trammels''' - nets, traps
* '''traverse''' - travel through or across
* '''trillups''', '''trillaping''' - Unknown
* '''trove''' - found treasure
* '''truncheon''' - a wooden shaft used as a weapon, or part of a weapon
* '''tryst''' - a prearranged meeting; '''break tryst''' fail to appear at the agreed upon time and place
* '''tumult''' - noisy disturbance
* '''tunic''' - a loose, short-sleeved garment
* '''tuppence''' - two pence, a very small amount of money; not care tuppence have no interest
* '''turnkey''' - jailer
* '''tussock''' - clump of grass
* '''twine''' - twist strands together into a rope

==U==
* '''umbel''' - long flower, as in hemlock or parsley
* '''unblazoned''' - an heraldic term, plain, undecorated
* '''umbraged''' - (in '''wide-umbraged''') Umbraged "shaded, shadowed", but here in the sense "shadowing", "casting a shade".
* '''ungentle''' - rough, coarse
* '''unquiet''' - anxious, concerned
* '''unsated''' - unsatisfied
* '''unsullied''' - pure, uncorrupted
* '''upbraid''' - criticise
* '''upheave''' - push or force upwards
==V==
* '''vale''' - the valley of a river
* '''varmint''' - pest, bothersome person or animal
* '''vassal''' - servant, bondsman
* '''vie''' - struggle with, be rival to
* '''vigil''' - watchfulness; hold vigil make devotion
* '''viol''' - an old instrument, usually with six strings, similar to a violin but held in a vertical position like a 'cello
==W==
* '''waif''' - homeless person
* '''wain''' - wagon; The Wain the constellation of the Plough or Big Dipper
* '''wan''' - pale
* '''wards''' - the "teeth" of a key
* '''ware''' - old form of aware
* '''waver''' - shimmer, flicker
* '''waver'''2 - show indecision
* '''wax''' - grow stronger; increase
* '''waylay''' - intercept, prevent from going forward
* '''wayward''' - uncontrollable, unpredictable
* '''web(s)''' - woven fabric
* '''wellnigh''' - almost, very nearly
* '''weregild''' - a payment in compensation for a death (literally "man-money")
* '''wheedle''' - coax, persuade
* '''whelm''' - engulf, cover
* '''whence''' - from where
* '''whereat''' - for which reason
* '''wherefore''' - for what (or which) reason
* '''whet''' - sharpen
* '''whickering''' - The verb whicker meant to laugh or titter, or of a horse to whinny, but the O.E.D. cites a line from Masefield ''the wall-top grasses whickered in the breeze'', and the 1920 Supplement to the Dictionary gives a meaning "to make a hurtling sound", with a single citation where the word is used of a thunderbolt "whickering through the sky". In the 1962 version of ''[[The Man in the Moon]]'' the word flickering occurs in this verse.
* '''whitethorn''' - hawthorn
* '''whither''' - to which place
* '''wildered''' - perplexed, bewildered
* '''wile''' - trick, deceit
* '''wizened''' - of shriveled appearance
* '''wold''' - an upland region of moorland
* '''wont''' - customarily, regularly; wont to err thus regularly make mistakes of this kind
* '''worrit''' - worry
* '''worst''' - defeat
* '''wrack''' - devastation, downfall, ruin, (compare with [http://www.askoxford.com/concise_oed/rack_3?view=uk rack and ruin])<ref name="LT2">{{HM|LT2}}, "Short Glossary of Obsolete, Archaic and Rare Words"</ref>
* '''wrack'''2 - clouds being driven by a strong wind?
* '''wraith''' - ghost, apparition
* '''wreathe''' - engulf, surround (especially of vapour or fire)
* '''wrest''' - take by force
* '''writhen''' - writhing, twisting
* '''wroth''' - angry
==Y==
* '''yammer''' - wail, weep
* '''yoke''' - wooden harness for oxen; under the yoke under complete control
* '''yonder''' - over there
* '''yore''' - long ago
==Z==
* '''zenith''' - highest point
==External Links==
[http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/words.html Old and Rare Words] at the [http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.asp Encyclopedia of Arda], from where many of the words on this list have originated.
{{references}}
[[Category:Languages (real-world)]]

Talk:Uncommon words

2009-12-25T01:57:39Z

ElfMaven: /* EoA */

Whose opinion is expressed in this article with some of the explanations? --[[User:Earendilyon|Earendilyon]] 16:12, 5 April 2006 (EDT)

:Hm, not sure. I compiled them from various sources a while ago. Are you disagreeing with the fact that a word is listed or the actual explanation? Feel free to change anything :) --[[User:Hyarion|Hyarion]] 16:19, 5 April 2006 (EDT)

::I was wondering whether some were your opinion, or maybe CT's from HoMe. I saw with at least one of the words 'I think that ...', so I though I'd ask. --[[User:Earendilyon|Earendilyon]] 16:24, 5 April 2006 (EDT)

:::I'll double check when I get home, "I" should probably be removed, even if it is [[Christopher Tolkien|CT]].

== Cleanup ==

Im not sure why it hasnt been done before, maybe someone can tell my why these arent broken down my letter. I was about to do it myself, but thought there must have been a logical reason why one of the more seasoned editors hadnt done it yet.--[[User:Quidon88|Quidon88]] 02:45, 26 April 2008 (EDT)

== Bootless ==
I was wondering why the word ''bootless'' is mentioned in this list. It seems to have another meaning besides the obvious 'without boots', but that meaning is from the Shakespearean era and moreover, I came here through a link from [[The Stone Troll]], where the word is used with its obvious meaning. In my opinion a bit bootless to have it in this list. ~ [[User:Earendilyon|Earendilyon]] 20:15, 15 September 2009 (UTC)

:In this sense, I agree. -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 20:42, 15 September 2009 (UTC)

== EoA ==

As I brought up over in the discussion for the Standards page, most of these definitions are copied exactly word for word from ''The Encyclopedia of Arda''. I don't think Tolkien Gateway is authorized to lift material directly from EoA.

Should the plagiarized entries be deleted?

[[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 22:15, 24 December 2009 (UTC)

: The problem is we have no record of which entries have been copied. Whenever I come discover one I re-write it, but as I don't use the ''Encyclopedia of Arda'' I'm not the best at discovering which articles have been repeated. As far as I'm concerned, every editor ''should'' make sure they re-write any article they know has been copied.

:With regards to being "authorised", the ''Encyclopedia of Arda'' says the following:

{{quote|You're free to reproduce maps or images from the site, as long as you stick to a few guidelines. In this situation, we do insist on an acknowledgement and a link back to the ''Encyclopedia of Arda'' (let us know if you do this, and we'll normally link back to your site too). You can also quote from the text if you like, within reason. This ''only'' applies to non-profit, non-commercial sites. If you want to use elements of the Encyclopedia on a commercial site, please contact us for permission.|[http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/faq/use.html Encyclopedia of Arda - Conditions of Re-use]}}

:As such, I am going to stick a link to the ''Encyclopedia of Arda'' at the bottom of this article until such a time it's been re-edited enough to no longer require it. Incidentally, many of the words in this list do not originate from the ''Encyclopedia of Arda'' but come from sources such as ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'' (and it's debatable whether you can own the copyright on deciding which words count as rare or unusual!). --{{User:Mith/sig}} 23:05, 24 December 2009 (UTC)

:: That's appropriate. You don't think an email to EoA would help too?

:: Yes, I recognize that there are many definitions (and whole articles) that are not copied from EoA. In fact I was very interested to read here the correct definition of leechcraft. [[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 01:57, 25 December 2009 (UTC)

Talk:Uncommon words

2009-12-24T22:15:49Z

ElfMaven: /* EoA */

Talk:Uncommon words

2009-12-24T22:15:22Z

ElfMaven: /* EoA */ new section

Talk:Witch-king

2009-12-22T23:39:19Z

ElfMaven: /* added hobbit again */ new section

== Motion Picture Picture ==

Can we get a picture of The Witch-King in the film adaptation of The Return of the King? -[[User:Lord Aragorn1414|Lord Aragorn1414]] 14:39, 18 July 2006 (EDT)

:Having added a movie adaptation section, I second the motion. --[[User:Ted C|Ted C]] 11:53, 20 October 2006 (EDT)

Definitely need a new picture, this one is way to childish. [[Pand.]]

== Featured Article? ==
This article is surprisingly good. It's good raw material for an FA, maybe with a little more segmentation. --[[User:Theoden1|Theoden1]] 15:41, 1 June 2008 (EDT)

:It's very good. And sourced! 3 more votes to go. -- [[User:Ederchil|Ederchil]] 15:57, 1 June 2008 (EDT)

== added hobbit again ==

The WK was not killed "by a woman" but by two creatures who were not "man": a woman AND a hobbit, so I added hobbit back into the specific reference to Macbeth.

Witch-king

2009-12-22T23:36:15Z

ElfMaven: /* Inspirations */added hobbit

{{evil infobox
| image= [[Image:Melissa Hitchcock - The Black Captain.jpg|300px]]
| name= Witch-king of Angmar
| othernames= [[Black Captain]], [[Lord of the Nazgûl]], [[Chief of the Nine]], [[Lord of Minas Morgul]]
| created= [[Second Age|S.A.]] 1800-2200, probably [[Númenor]]
| years= [[Second Age 2251|S.A. 2251]]-[[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]]
| age= 4200+
| destroyed= [[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]], [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]
| realm= [[Angmar]], [[Minas Morgul]]
| gender= Male
| race= [[Men]]/[[Nazgûl]]
| appearance= (Later) Cruel, pale king with gleaming hair and a crown, invisible to most eyes
| accomplishments= [[Arnor#The Fall of Arthedain|Fall of Arnor]], fall of [[Minas Ithil]] and [[Osgiliath]], deaths of [[Eärnur]] and [[Théoden]]
|}}
The '''Witch-king of Angmar''' was the chief of the [[Nazgûl]], King of [[Angmar]], and [[Sauron]]’s great captain in his wars. A [[wraith]], the Witch-king of Angmar was nearly indestructible, a terrible warrior, and a cunning strategist.

==History==
Some time after Sauron seized the [[Nine Rings]] in the [[Fall of Eregion]], [[Second Age 1697|S.A. 1697]] he gave them to mortal kings, sorcerers, and other warriors.[[#References|1]] With these rings the Nine achieved glory and grew wealthy, with the ability to turn invisible at will, not aging, but hating life as they were slowly drawn under Sauron’s dominion.[[#References|1]] Eventually all became [[Ringwraiths]], the dreaded Nazgûl.

The one later known as the Witch-king was one of these, likely one of the unnamed three lords of [[Númenor]] to take the rings.[[#References|2]] [[#References|3]] He first appeared in the histories as a Ringwraith in [[Second Age 2251|S.A. 2251]]. Being the most powerful of the Nazgûl, he became their chief, the most dreaded servant of his master Sauron.

When [[Mordor]] fell in [[Second Age 3441|S.A. 3441]], the Nazgûl vanished into the shadows, and were not heard of again for a long time.[[#References|4]]

===Early Power in Angmar===
More than a thousand years later, in c. [[Third Age 1050|T.A. 1050]] of the [[Third Age]], [[Sauron]] began to rebuild his power in [[Dol Guldur]]. In c. [[Third Age 1300|T.A. 1300]] his Nazgûl also reappeared, and the Witch-king established his realm, [[Angmar]], in the north.[[#References|4]] His capital was [[Carn Dûm]], on the northernmost peak of the [[Misty Mountains]]. He summoned men, [[orcs]], and other creatures of evil inclination to his banner. No one knew that he was actually a servant of the long-dormant [[Sauron]], and few that he was a wraith.[[#References|5]]

In the north, disunity plagued the [[Dúnedain]] of [[Arnor]]. They had divided into three kingdoms, [[Cardolan]], [[Rhudaur]], and [[Arthedain]], and were constantly at war with one another.[[#References|5]] The Witch-king saw the North-kingdom of Arnor as more vulnerable than the South-kingdom of Gondor.[[#References|6]] He played upon their opposition, sending in infiltrators and taking over the hearts of the men of that land. By [[Third Age 1349|T.A. 1349]] the government of Rhudaur was controlled by men secretly in his service,[[#References|6]] and he secretly aided them in their wars against the other kingdoms.[[#References|7]] He then struck at a time of great hostility among the three, in [[Third Age 1409|T.A. 1409]]. Rhudaur in the east fell first, and most of the Dúnedain there were hunted down and slaughtered by sorcerers.[[#References|8]] Cardolan was ravaged, and the [[Tower of Amon Sûl]], held by the men of Arthedain, was placed under siege. King [[Arveleg I]] was slain, and the tower was destroyed, but the coveted ''[[Amon Sûl-stone|palantír]]'' escaped in the hands of the surviving men of Arthedain and was brought to [[Fornost]].[[#References|9]]

The Witch-king continued to press the men of Arthedain, laying siege to Fornost, and he might have taken over all of Arnor in that one offensive. But [[Araphor]], the 18-year-old son of Arveleg, came to leadership and, with the help of the ancient elf [[Círdan]] of [[Lindon]], repelled the Witch-king’s forces at Fornost and the [[North Downs]].[[#References|10]] [[Elrond]] brought an army of [[Elves]] from [[Rivendell]] and [[Lothlórien]], and the Witch-king was pushed back and subdued.

===Twilight of Angmar===
The Witch-king sat silent in Carn Dûm, rebuilding his armies and preparing for a final assault on [[Arthedain]], last of the Arnorian kingdoms. The [[Dark Plague]] came and went in [[Third Age 1636]], taking with it the last of the Dúnedain of [[Cardolan]]. The Witch-king sent [[barrow-wights]] to inhabit the barrows in [[Tyrn Gorthad]].[[#References|10]] In [[Third Age 1974|1974]], he felt that his power was sufficiently restored to begin the advance.

His attack was sudden, but not unexpected. King [[Arvedui]] sent a message to King [[Eärnil]] of [[Gondor]] the year before, but help did not arrive in time. [[Fornost]] fell, and the Witch-king took up residence there in the palace.[[#References|11]] Arvedui held out as best as he might on the [[North Downs]], but at last fled north with the treasured ''[[palantíri]]'' of [[Amon Sûl-stone|Amon Sûl]] and [[Annúminas-stone|Annúminas]]. He would not return, for he perished in a shipwreck in [[Third Age 1975|1975]]. With him the ''palantíri'' were lost forever in the icy seas of [[Forod]]. The already-diminished North-kingdom ended, and [[Arnor]] fell.[[#References|10]]

Meanwhile, a coalition in the south had formed. Eärnil sent his son, [[Eärnur]], north with a great fleet, all that Gondor could spare. They arrived at [[Lindon]], and joined with the folk of Círdan. Círdan summoned all that would come: surviving Dúnedain of Arnor and elves of Lindon.[[#References|11]] Even a company of [[hobbit]] archers went to their aide.[[#References|10]] The Witch-king had grown overconfident, and instead of staying behind his fortifications initiated the attack. The [[Battle of Fornost]] was fought on the plain between [[Nenuial]] and the North Downs. The Witch-king may not have anticipated the strength brought against him, but for whatever reason the alliance gained the upper hand. His army began to fall back toward Fornost, but Eärnur’s magnificent horsemen struck from the north, and the Witch-king was routed.[[#References|11]]

He decided to flee to Angmar and the safety of Carn Dûm, but the cavalry, with Eärnur himself in the lead, overtook him. Moreover, the ranks of the allies swelled, as an army of elves from [[Rivendell]] came led by the mighty hero of old, [[Glorfindel]]. Angmar was purged of men and orcs, and all seemed lost for the Witch-king in the face of such numbers. But the Witch-king himself came at the last, robed and masked in black and riding a black horse, and attempted to kill Eärnur with his own hands. But Eärnur’s horse shied away and fled, and the Witch-king laughed. But Glorfindel came on his white horse, and faced with such power the Witch-king fled. He vanished into the shadows, and no-one marked where he had gone.[[#References|11]]

Eärnur wanted to pursue, but Glorfindel held him back, and made his famous prophecy.

{{quote|He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of man will he fall.|Glorfindel, ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iv)}}

===Lord of Minas Morgul===
The Witch-king escaped to [[Mordor]], and gathered the other Ringwraiths about him in [[Third Age 1980|1980]].[[#References|4]] Angmar and Carn Dûm were lost, and so in [[Third Age 2000|2000]] the Witch-king began a two-year siege of [[Minas Ithil]], eventually capturing the place and turning it into his residence. It was renamed [[Minas Morgul]], and the ''[[Ithil-stone|palantír]]'' was sent to Sauron. The Witch-king sent an aura of fear in [[Gondor]], and much of [[Ithilien]] was deserted.[[#References|11]]

Eärnur succeeded his father as King of Gondor, and still held the Witch-king in especial hostility due to his humiliation at the Battle of Fornost. The year of his coronation the Witch-king sent him a taunting challenge, but [[Mardil]] the steward restrained Eärnur from rash action. Seven years later the challenge was repeated, and Eärnur rode with a small escort to Minas Morgul. None that rode thither ever returned, and there was no longer a King in Gondor.[[#References|11]]

After this the Witch-king bided his time. He and the Nazgûl built up their armies, including the terrible new orc-race of [[uruks]]. In [[Third Age 2475|2475]] he sent them out to capture [[Osgiliath]], which they did successfully. They were driven out by [[Boromir I]], but Osgiliath now lay completely in ruins. Boromir went on to retake Ithilien, so that even the Witch-king feared him. But he was killed by a Morgul-wound, and so his rule was but twelve years.[[#References|12]]

===Hunt for the Ring===
Sauron declared himself openly in [[Third Age 2951|2951]], and sent three of his Ringwraiths to [[Dol Guldur]] (though the Witch-king was left in Minas Morgul). Then, by lucky chance, the creature [[Gollum]] was captured and interrogated. Under torture, the wretched creature revealed the tale of the [[One Ring]] and how it came to be in his possession. But he had the daring to trick Sauron into thinking that the land of the hobbits who stole the Ring was on the banks of the [[Gladden River]].[[#References|13]] Under the leadership of the Witch-king, Sauron sent the Nine unclothed and invisible to search for the Ring after the assault of Osgiliath.

[[Image:Marc Holmes - Nazgul.jpg|thumb|left|350px|''Nazgûl'' by [[Marc Holmes]].]][[Khamûl]], the Witch-king’s lieutenant, reported that he was unable to find the “[[Shire]]” in the vales of [[Anduin]]. The Witch-king was determined to search north and west until Gollum was found, or the Shire. But plans were halted when Sauron received word of the prophecy in Gondor and the doings of the turncoat [[Saruman]], and concluded that the Wise did not yet have possession of the Ring. He sent the Ringwraiths to [[Isengard]] in the form of [[Black Riders]], too late to prevent the escape of the captured wizard [[Gandalf]], but had words with Saruman. Saruman, already a traitor to both sides due to his transparent lust for the Ring, fortified himself in Isengard. The Witch-king did not have enough power with him to assault Saruman in his great fortress, but had words with him. Saruman convinced the Witch-king that Gandalf alone knew where the Shire and the Ring was, and so the Nine passed into [[Rohan]] in search of him.[[#References|13]]

They came upon the traitor called [[Wormtongue]] and questioned him. The terrified man told them everything he knew; that Gandalf had passed through Rohan, where the Shire was, and even that Saruman had lied to them. The Witch-king spared Wormtongue’s life, foreseeing that Wormtongue would bring ruin to Saruman. He divided his wraiths into four pairs, and went with the swiftest to [[Minhiriath]]. Along the way they captured several spies of Saruman, and found to their delight charts and maps of the Shire. They sent along the spy to [[Bree]], warning them that they now belonged to Mordor, not Saruman.[[#References|13]]

They came to [[Sarn Ford]], but the [[Dúnedain]] [[Rangers of the North|Rangers]] prevented them from crossing. They sent for their great captain, the chieftain [[Aragorn II]], who alone could well resist the wraiths, but he was away, and the Ringwraiths captured the ford and killed many of the Rangers.[[#References|13]] The Witch-king sent three Ringwraiths under Khamûl into the Shire while he went east with the others.[[#References|4]] But they had come too late: the Ring had moved on in the hands of a hobbit, [[Frodo Baggins]].

===Pursuit of the Ring===
[[Image:Ted Nasmith - Fire on Weathertop.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''Fire on Weathertop'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]Khamûl was unsuccessful, but brought word from the spy they had spared in Bree. The man had witnessed a vanishing act on Frodo's part, and had organized an attack on the inn. The Witch-king guessed that Frodo would head east, and sent four wraiths to [[Weathertop]], the ruins of the tower he had destroyed long ago. He went south along the [[Greenway]] and discovered nothing. Gandalf followed them, but the Witch-king let him slip ahead, and attacked him on Weathertop. Gandalf escaped at dawn, and again the Witch-king divided his force and sent four after the wizard.

The Ring walked almost right into his hands. The captain of the Dúnedain, Aragorn II, had become the guide of the hobbits, and led them to Weathertop, where they were spotted and attacked. The Witch-king advanced on Frodo, and the terrified hobbit put on the Ring, seeing them as they truly were. When Frodo resisted, and invoked the name of [[Elbereth]], the Witch-king stabbed Frodo in the shoulder. The tip of his blade broke off and sent poison through the hobbit’s veins. Then Aragorn counterattacked with flaming brands. The Witch-king fled at his mighty presence, confident that the poison of the blade would do its work and bend Frodo's will to his purpose. But he was shaken by the encounter; Gandalf and Aragorn were people of immense power, and even the Ring-bearer, who was not an especially strong person, had dared to resist him. He feared that Frodo might have some elvish power. Moreover, he knew that Frodo’s weapon, a [[blade of Westernesse]], was wrought for his undoing and if it had struck him would have done him damage. He was thus distressed, and Aragorn, Frodo, and their little company eluded him.[[Image:Ted Nasmith - The Attack of the Wraiths.jpg|thumb|left|200px|''Attack of the Wraiths'' by [[Ted Nasmith]].]]

He resumed the pursuit quickly, though, and found the Khamûl had been driven from the [[Last Bridge]] by his old enemy [[Glorfindel]]. The Witch-king, who only had one companion with him, was likewise unable to confront him openly. They regrouped and went south, rejoining with the other four. They managed to pick up the trail of the company of the Ring, and despite hindrance from Glorfindel and Aragorn managed to pursue Frodo alone on [[Asfaloth]]. The pursuit came to the [[Ford of Bruinen]], and there Frodo compelled the horse to stop. The Witch-king saw his defiance and laughed, breaking his sword with a movement of his hand. But the waters of the [[Bruinen]] rose at [[Elrond]]'s command, sweeping the Nine downstream.[[#References|14]]

===War of the Ring===
The Witch-king took the only surviving horse back to [[Mordor]], arriving there in December. He then sent aid to the other eight Nazgûl, and they returned in secret. In [[Minas Morgul]] they prepared for a grand invasion of [[Gondor]] at the order of their master. The Witch-king was given by Sauron added "demonic" force.[[#References|15]] On March 10, [[Third Age 3019|3019]], the signal was given and Minas Morgul was emptied. The Witch-king rode at the head of the army in black, upon a black horse, as he had in the time of the wars of Angmar. As the Witch-king passed out of the gates of the dead city, he sensed the presence of Frodo. He was disturbed, but continued on through Ithilien.

With the Witch-king in command, [[Osgiliath]] soon fell.[[#References|16]] The defeat was attributed to his superior numbers, and his terrible presence which made all hearts to quail. The [[Rammas Echor]] was breached, and the [[Pelennor Fields]] were overrun. Other wraiths he sent out mounted on [[Fell Beasts]]. [[Faramir]], [[Ruling Steward|Steward]] [[Denethor II]]'s son, was wounded by a dart and the [[black breath]], but his company was saved by a sortie. Then the Witch-king laid siege to [[Minas Tirith]] itself, sending fire and the heads of the dead Gondorians into the city via catapults. Then he launched the assault.

[[Image:Angus McBride - Gandalf facing Witch-king.gif|thumb|right|250px|''Gandalf facing the Witch-king'' by [[Angus McBride]].]]He sent [[Grond]] out first, accompanying it in person so as to be the first to enter the city. Three times Grond struck the gate, empowered by the sorcery of the Witch-king. The third time the Gate shattered in a flash of fire. The Witch-king passed into Minas Tirith, but was confronted by Gandalf on [[Shadowfax]]. Gandalf forbade him entry, but the Witch-king laughed and put on a show of power.

{{quote|The Black Rider flung back his hood, and behold! he had a kingly crown; and yet upon no head visible was it set. The red fires shone between it and the mantled shoulders vast and dark. From a mouth unseen there cam a deadly laughter. 'Old fool!' he said. 'Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!' And with that he lifted high his sword and flames ran down the blade.|''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Siege of Gondor]]}}

But as Gandalf stood resolute, the [[Rohirrim]] came. The Witch-king departed, mounting a fell beast and descending upon King [[Théoden]] who led the attack. [[Snowmane]], the King's horse, collapsed with a dart in the side, and Théoden was crushed beneath him. But the rider [[Dernhelm]] defied the Witch-king. The Witch-king threatened Dernhelm with a terrible death, but the rider revealed that she was a woman, [[Éowyn]], and the Witch-king remembered the words of Glorfindel. The Witch-king hesitated, but then moved forward. Éowyn decapitated the fell beast, but the Witch-king rose and struck her down with his mace, breaking her shield-arm. Then the hobbit [[Meriadoc Brandybuck]] stabbed him in the sinew of his leg with the [[blade of Westernesse]], as he drew back to kill the woman. Then Éowyn rose and drove her sword through where his invisible head was, and the sword broke as his crown toppled. The Witch-king gave a great and horrible wail, and perished at last.[[#References|17]][[Image:Michael Kaluta - Eowyn and the Witch-King of Angmar.jpg|left|300px|thumb|''Éowyn and the Witch-king'' by [[Michael Kaluta]].]]

So the prophecy of Glorfindel was fulfilled, for the Witch-king did not fall at the hands of a man, but at the hands of a woman and a hobbit. With his death, and the coming of Aragorn II in the black ships, the [[Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] was lost.

==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, 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 other Tolkien scholars say that although the Witch-king's return at an unspecified time in the future is possible, another possible solution is that Merry's stroke destroyed the Witch-king's invulnerability allowing Éowyn's non-magic blade to end his existence forever. Also, because of the perishing of the [[One Ring]], the nine other rings which kept the Nazgûl would probably have lost their power.

==Names==
* Witch-king of Angmar - "Witch" most likely coming from his background in sorcery, and "king" after his establishment of the realm of Angmar in 1300.
* Witch-lord of Angmar - A variant of the above title.
* Lord of the Nazgûl
* Lord of the Ringwraiths
* Chieftain of the Ringwraiths
* Lord of the Nine Riders
* King of the Nine Riders
* Wraith-lord
* Wraith-king
* High Nazgûl
* Lord of Morgul
* Morgul-lord
* King of Minas Morgul
* Black Captain
* Captain of Despair
* [[Dwimmerlaik]]
* Lord of Carrion

==Etymology==
While in modern English ''witch'' has mostly female connotations, referring to a hag or sorceress, in middle-English ''wicche'' had no gender distinction; the preference of ''witch'' for female persons (the males referred more usually as ''wizzards'') evolved later through the centuries.

Tolkien uses the archaic, gender-unspecific meaning of the term; of course, the word [[Wizard]] refers exclusively to the [[Maiar]] [[Istari]].

==Inspirations==
An undead witch-king named [[Thrain|Þráinn]] appears in ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hrómundar_saga_Gripssonar Hrómundar saga Gripssonar]''. It is possible that this was Tolkien's source of inspiration.

The prophecy that the Witch-king would fall "not by the hand of man" and the fulfillment of the prophecy occurring as a technicality (being slain by a hobbit and a woman) bears a striking resemblance to the prophecy regarding the title character's death in Shakespeare's Macbeth, where it was foretold that Macbeth will be slain "not by man born of woman" and is then killed by Mcduff, born by caesarian section. Tolkien it seems was familiar with the play, having reputedly taken inspiration for the Last March of the Ents from the same source (See article ''[[Ents]]'' for details).

==Portrayal in Adaptations ==
<center><gallery>
Image:Witch-king from PJ's LotR - Armored.jpeg|<center>The Witch-king in [[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King]]</center>
Image:Witchking ea rotk.jpg|<center>In ''[[EA's The Return of the King]]'', with different helmet.</center>
Image:The Lord of the Rings online Shadows of Angmar - Witch-king 1.jpg|<center>The Witch-king in [[The Lord of the Rings Online]].</center>
</gallery></center>

'''1956: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1955 radio series)]]'':'''
:The Black Captain is played by [[Felix Felton]].<ref name="RT1727">Radio Times, Volume 133, No. 1727, [[December 14]], [[1956]]</ref>

'''1978: ''[[Ralph Bakshi's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:The Witch-king is shown with no distinction from the other Ringwraiths; all are robed in brown and black, and none seem to be able to talk clearly.

'''1980: ''[[Rankin/Bass' The Return of the King]]'':'''
:The Witch-king is portrayed as a humanoid figure with no head. Red eyes glare under a golden crown. His dialogue is more or less as in the books, albeit in a strange and somewhat unfitting electronic voice. After a stab from behind by Merry, Éowyn beheads him. It is worthy of note that the Witch-king is seen with the [[Red Eye]] of [[Barad-dûr]] as his emblem and faction, rather than the grim moon of [[Minas Morgul]].

'''1981: ''[[The Lord of the Rings (1981 radio series)|BBC Radio's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:The role of the Witch-king is expanded with material from ''[[The Hunt for the Ring]]''. He is the second speaking character in the series: he is the one who captures [[Gollum]], though he is not identified as such until the credits. [[Philip Voss]] provided the voice for the Witch-king.

'''2002: ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (video game)|Vivendi's The Fellowship of the Ring]]'':'''
:The Witch-king is shown without distinction of the other Nazgûl.

'''2001-3: ''[[Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings]]'':'''
:The Lord of the Nazgûl is only named the "Witch-king of Angmar" in ''[[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 [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] while in Minas Tirith that the Dark Lord has not yet revealed his greatest servant: the Witch-king, the one that "stabbed Frodo on Weathertop". This is a curious statement, as Weathertop was not named in the first movie, 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 (battering-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 (son of Denethor II)|Faramir]], and the Witch-king intercepts them. Unlike in the book, 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.

:Eight actors are known to have played some part of the Witch-king.
# An unidentified extra portrayed the "King of Men" in the prologue. He was chosen to be the Witch-king simply because he was the smallest of the nine.
# [[Shane Rangi]] did the horse chase.
# [[Fran Walsh]] provided the "Ringwraith scream".
# Effects technician Ben Price played the Witch-king in "many scenes"<ref>http://www.decipher.com/content/2004/07/072904lotrwetaprops.html</ref>
# [[Brent McIntyre]] is officially credited as the Witch-king in ''[[Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring]]''. He stabbed Frodo.
# [[Lawrence Makoare]] filled the robe of the Witch-king in ''[[Peter Jackson's The Return of the King|The Return of the King]]''.
# [[Mark Ferguson]] filled the heavy armoured costume when Makoare felt claustrophobic.<ref>http://www.markferguson.net/articles/interview_Nautilus20.html</ref>
# [[Andy Serkis]] provided the voice of the Witch-king. It was layered thrice to give it a ghastly effect.

'''2003: ''[[EA's The Return of the King]]'':'''
:The Witch-king's role and voice are similar to that of the film, but his appearance is different. An early helmet design, that had been removed from the film because it resembled [[Sauron]]'s helm too much, was used here, presumably because there was no time to make a new character model.

'''2007: ''[[The Lord of the Rings Online]]'':'''
:The Witch-king is a non-playable character that the player sees in various scenes.

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

{{references}}
# ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', [[Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age]], p. 289
# ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', [[Akallabêth]], p. 267, [[Ballantine Books]] p. 320
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', p. 20
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix B]]
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iii), [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 320
# ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', [[The Heirs of Elendil]], entry for [[Malvegil]], [[HarperCollins]] p. 193-194
# ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', [[The Heirs of Elendil]], entry for [[Argeleb I]], [[HarperCollins]] p. 194
# ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'', [[The Heirs of Elendil]], entry for [[Arveleg I]], [[HarperCollins]] p. 194
# ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[The Palantíri]], note 16, [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 413
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iii), [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 321-322
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 331-332
# ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', [[Appendix A]] (iv), [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 333
# ''[[Unfinished Tales]]'', [[The Hunt for the Ring]], [[Houghton Mifflin]] p. 338-341
# ''[[The Fellowship of the Ring]]'', [[Flight to the Ford]]
# ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 210]], p. 272
# ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Siege of Gondor]]
# ''[[The Return of the King]]'', [[The Battle of the Pelennor Fields]]

[[Category:Nazgûl]]
[[Category:Characters in The Lord of the Rings]]
[[Category:Featured Articles]]
[[de:Der Hexenkönig von Angmar]]
[[fi:Noitakuningas]]

Forums:Tom Bombadil, Man or Maia?

2009-12-22T02:23:02Z

ElfMaven:

<div style="background: #eee; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 5px">'''[[Main Page|Tolkien Gateway]] > [[Forum:Council|Council]] > {{PAGENAME}}'''</div> [[Category:Council]]


I have read numerous articles about Tom Bombadil and who exactly he is. But there are SO many different opinions, I still can't figure it out. I am a Tolkien fan under 20, and would really like a good strong opinion using facts to help me figure out who he really is. Below are some opinions i have heard:

1. Tom Bombadil is a "retired" Maia.

2. Tom Bombadil is just a crazy man.

3. Tom Bombadil was a fictional character from bedtime stories that Tolkien would make up for his children. Then he was later added to LoTR for no reason, just as an enigma.

Please help me out here. Thanks.

:Well, young fan. First off, our article on ol' Tom is a wreck - I'm planning to rewrite that. As for the opinions - #3 is the right one. -- [[User:Ederchil|Ederchil]] 03:21, 19 July 2008 (EDT)

:He's not a Maia or indeed a Vala because he says he was in Middle Earth before even Melkor. Obviously he's not a man, for a start he's immune to the ring's effects (which since Gandalf and Saruman aren't would be another reason he's not a Maia) and he's many thousands of years too old. Number 3 is correct, but that doesn't mean he can't be placed in Middle earth's cosmology. The way I see it, since we can't fit him in to any other categories and because of his unequivocal claim to being "Oldest" he is an integral part of the Music of the Ainur; a natural force of Middle earth, a [[hröa]] without a [[fëa]]. --[[User:Aule the Smith|Aule the Smith]] 13:42, 7 August 2008 (EDT)
::Can't agree more. It's exactly my opinion about Tom since years. Nice going, Aule. [[User:Sage|Sage]] 17:27, 7 August 2008 (EDT)
::::Yes, I also agree with Aule. Tom Bombadil could be part of the Music of the Ainur. He could be made with Arda at the beginning of Time. However I'm not completely sure, because the assumption don't clarify why Tom, made together with Arda, is free to the Ring's evil effects, whilst the Ainur (like the Maiar) made by Ilúvatar before the Creation are not free. We can't forget that Arda is not immune from the evil effects of Morgoth's (and Sauron's) power. So the supposition that Tom Bombadil is part of the Middle-Earth and at the same time immune from the Ring's power could be a little paradox. [[User:Finrod Felagund|Finrod Felagund]] 13:09, 6 September 2008 (UTC)

:::Could it possibly be that Tom B. is an avatar of Illúvatar? I have seen this tossed around by a few Tolkien scholars. In many forms of myth, some avatars of greater gods are not even aware that this is what they are. Japanese Myth for instance is replete with characters who are the avatars of great spirits who have no idea that this is their origin. Joseph Campbell talks about this in relation to primitive societies where the avatars must live among mankind in order to understand their suffering before they are allowed to enter into "Heaven" to take their place among the motive forces of the universe.

:::Maybe this is what Tom B. is. I am pretty sure that he would have been unaware of Campbell (due to Campbell not yet having written most of his works and just being a student of Jung at the time. Being such a creature would give him the insights into the world and a flighty short attention span.

:::Of course, it is just another theory, and it is far more likely that Tom is just an accident in the writing of ''The Lord of the Rings'' when he still had a vision of it as a more thorough children's story than ''The Hobbit''. As such, he is the mystery of the far off towers in the mist which hold the promise of adventure for some and peril for others.

:::[[User:Matthew|Matthew]] 17:21, 24 August 2008 (UTC)

:::::I reckon Tom is basicaly a god. I think that he's the creator of everything natural, hence his power over trees. As he is a 'god' he is not affected by age or the ring.
:::::--[[User:Pand.|Pand.]] 21:50, 20 September 2008 (UTC)

::::Another suggestion I have heard is that he is a personification of Middle-earth: the ring doesn't affect him because the Ring affects people and not the land itself. This also might help to explain Goldberry's connection with him as she comes from Middle-earth itself (the Withywindle).

::::But, ultimately, as Tolkien said in Letter 144, "''And even in a mythical age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. Tom Bombadil is one (intentionally).''" (In fact, Letter 144 is probably the most interesting and important with regards to Tolkien's thinking on Bombadil).

::::With regards to the article on Tom, I think we should just state all the relevant points of view, with evidence and leave it at that. --[[User:Mith|Mith]] 14:20, 2 September 2008 (UTC)

:::::I don't know what you think,but I believe that he is some form or avatar of Iluvatar himself stationed to watvh over Arda.{{unsigned|Beres}}

::::::This explanation - while attractively logical - is not consistent with Tolkien's intent. As a staunch Catholic, this couldn't be what he envisioned about Tom.[[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 02:23, 22 December 2009 (UTC)

:::::: My preferred solution to the enigma of Tom is that he is the author incarnate, the creator of the legendarium who has taken bodily form to enter and live inside his own creation. In other words, he is Tolkien himself. This interpretation is consistent with most of the textual references, and flows naturally from Tolkien's strong Christian beliefs. As the creator he is of course older than anything in his created world, and because he actually has an existence outside his creation in a wholly different dimension the powerful evils of Middle Earth do not hold sway over him. Finally, the author of a story generally tries to let his characters run their own lives and make their own decisions, rather then forcing them to act according to his own wishes. This explains why Bombadil chooses to live an isolated life, away from and unconcerned with all the important persons and events of Middle-earth, and can not be relied upon as the solution to the problem of the One Ring.{{unsigned|Faded Glory}}

Something I've heard is the possibility of Tom being the reader. This would explain how he can see Frodo and know that everything will turn out okay. He is the reader of the book put into the book. The ring doesn't affect the reader, nor can the reader affect the ring. Finally, the reader doesn't have any power in the world in the bok, explaining why Tom can't help them anymore.[[User:LotRfan01|LotRfan01]] 05:12, 15 December 2009 (UTC)

:I never really understood Bombadil, but I suppose he can represent the reader. My explanation is that he was the first Maia sent into the world, possibly to help build Alamaren or the Lamps. He may have been unassigned to any Ainur (or assigned to Melkor, then fled from him) and therefore not bound to any task. He may have found a love for the Shire, like Gandalf, and settled there early in the history of Arda. Choice No. 3 is also correct.--[[User:Galdor of the Havens|Galdor of the Havens]] 21:34, 17 December 2009 (UTC)

::An interesting point is that, although he was created to be an enigma, since he was in the books there must be a logical explanation. Everything in the books must be explainable because the world has to make sense. [[User:LotRfan01|LotRfan01]] 05:29, 19 December 2009 (UTC)

Talk:Alex Lewis

2009-12-18T16:26:47Z

ElfMaven: New page: Because of the close association of the name "Lewis" with that of "Tolkien," I believe it would be appropriate to add a comment to the page about whether Alex Lewis is related to C. S. Lew...

Because of the close association of the name "Lewis" with that of "Tolkien," I believe it would be appropriate to add a comment to the page about whether Alex Lewis is related to C. S. Lewis (I can't add it, because I don't have the information). [[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 16:26, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

Talk:Nameless things

2009-12-18T16:09:51Z

ElfMaven: my typo

How do we know that these nameless things create tunnels? This is, I think, an unsupported assumption. They may simply use the caves and cracks below the earth, mightn't they?

Perhaps this possibility should be included? (as a newcomer, I didn't want to start changing content)

[[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 19:16, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

:Perhaps the assumption is based on the quote that says the nameless things "gnaw" on the earth? But I could also imagine that these creatures use underground caves and cracks, as you say, and the delvings by Morgoth of the [[Underdeeps]]. --[[User:Morgan|Morgan]] 19:26, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

Tolkien Gateway talk:Manual of Style

2009-12-18T14:28:21Z

ElfMaven: /* Plagiarism? */

== Fair Use ==

It would certainly be helpful if [[Template:fairuse]] actually existed. We '''do''' need it. --[[User:Theoden1|Theoden1]] 16:30, 13 July 2008 (EDT)

:I certainly agree. It's kind of nagging me that certain things (like the "fact" template) "must" be inserted while they don't even exist. All images need a good going over anyway - copyrights, correct names, descriptions, categories. That'll take ages, but it can be done. -- [[User:Ederchil|Ederchil]] 16:42, 13 July 2008 (EDT)

==Rename==
To be consistent with other wiki's, shouldn't this be renamed (and remolded if necessary) to "Tolkien Gateway: Manual of Style"? -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 11:57, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

== Plagiarism? ==

Sorry . . . I'm new. What are the rules here about duplicating text from other sites? Does the wiki have authorization from some site owners (Encyclopedia of Arda, for example) to use their material word for word? [[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 21:33, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

:Better not copy anything. There still are a lot of articles in the database that are partial or complete rips from EoA or Wikipedia from way back when the site just started. These should be changed (but I'll admit, it's not something actively pursued). -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 21:43, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

:: Thanks for responding. Much of your uncommon or unusual words list is still word for word from EoA, only with some significant additions. Also some of the articles, e.g., "Evrard Took" are the same with only minor differences, not enough to avoid copyright infringement.

::(I have read EoA extensively, and I was just re-reading the "Old & Rare Words" section last week. I started trying to research the phrase "stock and stone" and found this site.) [[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 14:27, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

Tolkien Gateway talk:Manual of Style

2009-12-18T14:27:58Z

ElfMaven: /* Plagiarism? */

== Fair Use ==

It would certainly be helpful if [[Template:fairuse]] actually existed. We '''do''' need it. --[[User:Theoden1|Theoden1]] 16:30, 13 July 2008 (EDT)

:I certainly agree. It's kind of nagging me that certain things (like the "fact" template) "must" be inserted while they don't even exist. All images need a good going over anyway - copyrights, correct names, descriptions, categories. That'll take ages, but it can be done. -- [[User:Ederchil|Ederchil]] 16:42, 13 July 2008 (EDT)

==Rename==
To be consistent with other wiki's, shouldn't this be renamed (and remolded if necessary) to "Tolkien Gateway: Manual of Style"? -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 11:57, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

== Plagiarism? ==

Sorry . . . I'm new. What are the rules here about duplicating text from other sites? Does the wiki have authorization from some site owners (Encyclopedia of Arda, for example) to use their material word for word? [[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 21:33, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

:Better not copy anything. There still are a lot of articles in the database that are partial or complete rips from EoA or Wikipedia from way back when the site just started. These should be changed (but I'll admit, it's not something actively pursued). -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 21:43, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

:: Thanks for responding. Much of your uncommon or unusual words list is still word for word from EoA, only with some significant additions. Also some of the articles, e.g., "Evrard Took" are the same with only minor differences, not enough to avoid copyright infringement.

(I have read EoA extensively, and I was just re-reading the "Old & Rare Words" section last week. I started trying to research the phrase "stock and stone" and found this site.) [[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 14:27, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

Tolkien Gateway talk:Manual of Style

2009-12-18T14:27:22Z

ElfMaven: /* Plagiarism? */

== Fair Use ==

It would certainly be helpful if [[Template:fairuse]] actually existed. We '''do''' need it. --[[User:Theoden1|Theoden1]] 16:30, 13 July 2008 (EDT)

:I certainly agree. It's kind of nagging me that certain things (like the "fact" template) "must" be inserted while they don't even exist. All images need a good going over anyway - copyrights, correct names, descriptions, categories. That'll take ages, but it can be done. -- [[User:Ederchil|Ederchil]] 16:42, 13 July 2008 (EDT)

==Rename==
To be consistent with other wiki's, shouldn't this be renamed (and remolded if necessary) to "Tolkien Gateway: Manual of Style"? -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 11:57, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

== Plagiarism? ==

Sorry . . . I'm new. What are the rules here about duplicating text from other sites? Does the wiki have authorization from some site owners (Encyclopedia of Arda, for example) to use their material word for word? [[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 21:33, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

:Better not copy anything. There still are a lot of articles in the database that are partial or complete rips from EoA or Wikipedia from way back when the site just started. These should be changed (but I'll admit, it's not something actively pursued). -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 21:43, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

:: Thanks for responding. Much of your uncommon or unusual words list is still word for word from EoA, only with some significant additions. Also some of the articles, e.g., "Evrard Took" are the same with only minor differences, not enough to avoid copyright infringement.

(I have read EoA extensively, and I was just re-reading the "Old & Rare Words" section last week. I started trying to research the phrase "stock and stone" and found this site.)

[[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 14:27, 18 December 2009 (UTC)

Tolkien Gateway talk:Manual of Style

2009-12-18T14:27:01Z

ElfMaven: /* Plagiarism? */

== Fair Use ==

It would certainly be helpful if [[Template:fairuse]] actually existed. We '''do''' need it. --[[User:Theoden1|Theoden1]] 16:30, 13 July 2008 (EDT)

:I certainly agree. It's kind of nagging me that certain things (like the "fact" template) "must" be inserted while they don't even exist. All images need a good going over anyway - copyrights, correct names, descriptions, categories. That'll take ages, but it can be done. -- [[User:Ederchil|Ederchil]] 16:42, 13 July 2008 (EDT)

==Rename==
To be consistent with other wiki's, shouldn't this be renamed (and remolded if necessary) to "Tolkien Gateway: Manual of Style"? -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 11:57, 18 February 2009 (UTC)

== Plagiarism? ==

Sorry . . . I'm new. What are the rules here about duplicating text from other sites? Does the wiki have authorization from some site owners (Encyclopedia of Arda, for example) to use their material word for word? [[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 21:33, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

:Better not copy anything. There still are a lot of articles in the database that are partial or complete rips from EoA or Wikipedia from way back when the site just started. These should be changed (but I'll admit, it's not something actively pursued). -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 21:43, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

:: Thanks for responding. Much of your uncommon or unusual words list is still word for word from EoA, only with some significant additions. Also some of the articles, e.g., "Evrard Took" are the same with only minor differences, not enough to avoid copyright infringement.

(I have read EoA extensively, and I was just re-reading the "Old & Rare Words" section last week. I started trying to research the phrase "stock and stone" and found this site.)

Talk:Nameless things

2009-12-11T19:16:59Z

ElfMaven: New page: How do we know that these nameless things create tunnels? This is, I think, and unsupported assumption. They may simply use the caves and cracks below the earth, mightn't they? Perhaps t...

How do we know that these nameless things create tunnels? This is, I think, and unsupported assumption. They may simply use the caves and cracks below the earth, mightn't they?

Perhaps this possibility should be included? (as a newcomer, I didn't want to start changing content)

[[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 19:16, 11 December 2009 (UTC)

Canon

2009-12-10T17:25:57Z

ElfMaven: /* Reasons */ typo

{{cleanup}}
'''Canon''' is a term to refer to consistent "absolute truth" in literature, religion and fiction, in contrast to apocryphal tales of "lesser" significance and value (but not necessarily of lesser quality). Nowadays, many sophisticated works of fiction have some "canon" that refers to the corpus of the officially released works and mostly (but not always) it aims to internal consistency.

On the other hand some works or traditions don't have any canon. For example some myths and legends don't have a fixed truth, and alternate versions of tales and genealogies exist, all considered equally significant; for example in Greek mythology there are two versions about the birth of goddess Aphrodite. There are also works directed to children, such as animated series or arcade games, that have no aim to create a consistent and sophisticated backstory, giving preference to the viewing experience itself.

It is remarkably difficult to speak of what is "true" in the context of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]]'s [[legendarium]], or which texts should be considered part of the '''canon'''. Perhaps no clear canon can be defined. Or it may be that a legendarium for its very nature does not need any kind of canon.

==Reasons==
There are various reasons that make the idea of a Tolkien canon problematic:

* Tolkien worked on Middle-earth over the course of decades, making substantial changes. Readers may remember, for example, the differences between ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' with regard to [[Gandalf]] and the [[Elves]]. Moreover, toward the end of his life the focus of his writing shifted from pure storytelling to more philosophical concerns, which led to a considerable shift in tone and content.

* Tolkien's writing is laden with details and hints, which can be contradictory, especially in the posthumously published work. Such information should not take precedence over more explicit statements elsewhere, but it can help to flesh out our understanding of Middle-earth (even if it does at times add confusion). In general, the '''revised''' versions of ''The Hobbit'' and the ''Lord of the Rings'' are considered canon, but with ''The Silmarillion'' and other posthumous texts the matter is more complex.

* To add to the confusion, in some cases, Tolkien intentionally left some gaps in his works. In [[Letter 144]] he provided both an explanation and an example of this, writing that ''"even in a mythical Age there must be some enigmas, as there always are. [[Tom Bombadil]] is one (intentionally)."'' Giving an incomplete picture in this way can be frustrating, but it also makes the invented world feel more natural.

{{quote|I am doubtful myself about the undertaking. Part of the attraction of the [[The Lord of the Rings|L.R.]] is, I think, due to the glimpses of a large history in the background: an attraction like that of viewing far off an unvisited island, or seeing the towers of a distant city gleaming in a sunlit mist. To go there is to destroy the magic, unless new unattainable vistas are again revealed. Also many of the older legends are purely 'mythological', and nearly all are grim and tragic: a long account of the disasters that destroyed the beauty of the Ancient World, from the darkening of [[Valinor]] to the Downfall of [[Númenor]] and the flight of [[Elendil]].|''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'', [[Letter 257]]}}

As only ''[[The Hobbit]]'', ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'', and ''[[The Road Goes Ever On (book)|The Road Goes Ever On]]'' were published during Tolkien's lifetime, only those works should be considered "true" canon with respect to Tolkien's publication history. Tolkien himself considered the published works as "fixed" and tried not to introduce new concepts that would contradict or alter them, while elements he left unpublished, he continued to experiment on.

But ''The Hobbit'' was revised twice, and ''The Lord of The Rings'' once. There is no general consistency across all of these books, although the most agreement between sources may be found with the second (1950) edition of The Hobbit, the first (1954-5) edition of ''The Lord of The Rings'', and ''The Adventures of Tom Bombadil'' and ''The Road Goes Ever On''.

[[Christopher Tolkien]] compiled an approximation of what his father might have produced when ''[[The Silmarillion]]'' was published. However, he warned readers not to look for consistency between this book and those published by his father. Throughout his commentaries in ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'', Christopher has pointed out many discrepancies between his final editorial selections and alterations and what he later believed would have been his father's true intentions.

Furthermore, the chapters in the published ''Silmarillion'' about the ruin of [[Doriath]] and the fall of [[Gondolin]], especially the former, were largely written by Christopher Tolkien and [[Guy Gavriel Kay]], to fill in gaps in the available story, and therefore do not represent J.R.R. Tolkien's own ideas about how those stories should be handled.

''[[Unfinished Tales]]'' consists of essays and stories composed after ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' which were generally consistent with The Lord of the Rings. The book reveals parallel traditions regarding the history of Galadriel and Celeborn, the nature of the [[Istari]], and a few minor sub-plots. Although some people argue that the book is generally acceptable as canon, readers must bear in mind the fact that no true consistency exists between these unfinished tales and the earlier works.

The various texts published in ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' date from all periods of Tolkien's life and generally exclude the more finished sections used for the published works.

An example of the canon question is the lineage of [[Gil-galad]]. In the published ''Silmarillion'' he is said to be the son of [[Fingon]], but as disclosed in ''[[The War of the Jewels]]'' Tolkien considered many arrangements before apparently deciding that he was the son of [[Orodreth of Nargothrond|Orodreth]], who would then also be displaced as a son of [[Finarfin]] and turned into Finarfin's grandson instead. Also, most people think [[Finwë]] had three children, all sons; [[Fëanor]] by his first wife [[Míriel]], and [[Fingolfin]] and [[Finarfin]] by [[Indis]]. However, this is incorrect, since he also had two daughters, [[Findis]] and [[Irimë]], by his second wife (Findis was in fact Finwë's first child by Indis), thus Finwë had five children. If the published ''Silmarillion'' is taken as canon all later material must be discarded, but if the later writings by Tolkien are taken as canon the ''Silmarillion'' must be rewritten, a task which Christopher Tolkien has stated he will not do as he is now retired. So we are left with a ''[[Quenta Silmarillion]]'' which contradicts the original author's intentions, but which is the only authoritative narrative in existence for most of the traditions. The latter third of the ''Quenta Silmarillion'' in particular was never rewritten by Tolkien as a whole after the early narrative of his youth.

A further problem is reconciling ''The Hobbit'' with ''The Lord of the Rings''. In 1947, Tolkien suggested to his publisher, [[Allen and Unwin|George Allen & Unwin]], that ''The Hobbit'' required revision to make it more consistent with the then nearly finished sequel. In 1950, Tolkien was surprised to be informed that the publisher had incorporated his 1947 suggestions into a new edition of ''The Hobbit''. When he received the proofs for this update he subsequently altered some of the as-yet unpublished material in ''The Lord of the Rings'' to more fully conform to the changes Allen & Unwin had made to ''The Hobbit''.

Among inconsistencies which survived into the second edition, [[Bilbo Baggins|Bilbo]] and the [[Dwarves]] took far too long to reach [[Rivendell]] when a map from ''The Lord of the Rings'' was used to gauge the distance, which can only be explained with great difficulty if at all. There are additional problems as well, such as the exact location of the [[Trolls|Troll]] encounter. When he began writing ''The Hobbit'' Tolkien did not intend for it to be part of his Middle-earth mythology, but was simply populating an imaginary landscape with characters and locations for a children's adventure story. Nonetheless, for his own amusement, Tolkien borrowed several references to his unpublished mythology to give the story a sense of depth. Thus Gandalf and [[Thorin Oakenshield]] wield swords from [[Gondolin]], and [[Elrond]], ruler of Rivendell, is [[Half-elven]].

==Canon and Tolkien Gateway==
For the sake of consistency, in this encyclopedia ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings'' are considered fully canon, but the status of ''The Silmarillion'' and other posthumous writings is more complex. In general, ''The Silmarillion'' and ''Unfinished Tales'' are treated as canon, but corrections published in ''The History of Middle-earth'' generally take precedence. Late writings by Tolkien published in ''The History of Middle-earth'' that do not contradict more established texts are also generally treated as canon.

This choice of canon means that this encyclopedia includes a number of corrections to the information in ''The Silmarillion'' as published. For example, the article on Gil-galad states that he is the son of Orodreth, the article on [[Amras]] mentions his death in the burning of the ships of the Teleri, and [[Argon]], [[Findis]] and [[Irimë]] have articles of their own. Details of the history of the [[Nauglamír]] and the fall of [[Doriath]] are treated as uncertain, and the story of the ''[[Wanderings of Húrin]]'' is accepted as accurate. Information on earlier or alternate versions of the stories is provided when possible.
===On Canon and Mythology===
[[Image:Catherine Chmiel - Boromir Lothiriel Imrahil.jpg|thumb|right|300px| ''Boromir, Lothiriel, and Imrahil'' by [[Catherine Chmiel]]]]In treating Tolkien's work as a derived mythology, it must be taken into account that the material presented is done so in such a manner that it represents only one possible telling of a story. While the readers of Tolkien often take all of the material as being a "factual" accounting of what transpired in the various ages of Middle-earth, it must be remembered that he himself knew that he was constructing a mythology. As such, different versions of a story could be held as true by various peoples or tellers of those myths.

Thus, Bilbo's account of ''The Hobbit'' may be coloured by his perceptions and personality; while Frodo, Sam, and the other hobbits' accounts in ''The Lord of the Rings'' will have a completely different feel and quality to them. Tolkien may not have been completely conscious of this at the time of the earliest conceptions of his writings. But later in life, when he had begun to explore the more distant and remote past of Middle-earth and the various themes that run through it, he was almost certainly aware of this.

When looked at in this light, it is quite easy to reconcile the various versions of the stories and canon of Tolkien's work as being simply the cultural variations of the peoples of Middle-earth in their retelling of these stories.

===Canon status of various writings===
While readers often differ in their opinions of which writings to treat as canon, this encyclopedia uses the following choices:

*''[[The Hobbit]]'' (third edition — canon, author's final intent)
*''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' (second edition — canon, author's final intent)
*''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'' (preface is canon, poems are treated as Hobbit folklore)
*''[[The Road Goes Ever On (book)|The Road Goes Ever On]]'' (poems, thus irrelevant to the canon question)
*''[[Bilbo's Last Song]]'' (poems, thus irrelevant to the canon question)
*''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien]]'' (canon when not in conflict with later writings)

*''[[The Silmarillion]]'':
**''[[Ainulindalë]]'' (canon, author's final intent)
**''[[Valaquenta]]'' (canon, author's final intent)
**''[[Quenta Silmarillion]]'' (mostly canon, except for editing errors and where contradicted by later writings)
**''[[Akallabêth]]'' (canon, author's final intent; note that Christopher Tolkien has removed references to [[Ælfwine]])
**''[[Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age]]'' (canon, author's final intent)
*''[[Unfinished Tales]]'' (mostly canon, except where specifically contradicted by later writings or noted as contradictory in the text)
*''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' (some parts are canon, especially late writings — but see individual parts)

Grey points are concepts such as [[Enerdhil]], [[Pengolodh]] or [[Ælfwine]]; the latter was a joint point between real history with Tolkien's legendarium, and existed for the most part of Tolkien's conceptual progress until even in Tolkien's late works and personal writings; Christopher Tolkien removed all references to him in the published ''[[Silmarillion]]'' and for this reason he is considered non-canon by some readers although it's debatable whether Tolkien also dropped him.

[[Category:Tolkien Gateway]][[Category:Fandom]]

An Introduction to Elvish

2009-12-10T00:39:13Z

ElfMaven: /* Writing systems */ typo

{{book|
title=An Introduction to Elvish|
image=[[Image:Intro.png|225px]]|
author=[[Jim Allan]] (ed)|
isbn=0905220102|
publisher=Bran's Head|
date=[[January]] [[1978]]|
format=Paperback|
pages= 303|
amazon=http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Middle-Earth-Published-Writings-Professor/dp/0905220102|
}}
'''''An Introduction to Elvish and to Other Tongues''', Proper Names and Writing Systems of the Third Age of the Western Lands of Middle-Earth as Set Forth in the Published Writings of Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien'' was a book by [[Jim Allan]] that discussed the [[Languages|languages]] of [[Middle-earth]].

The book comprises various articles written by members of the [[Mythopoeic Society]] and its publication was authorized by the [[Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship]] (a forerunner of the [[Elvish Linguistic Fellowship]]).

==Structure==
===Eldarin tongues===
The first articles offer analyses of the [[Elvish]] texts published. Extrapolation of a sketchy grammar is offered based on the available data, as well as meaning of the names found in the books.

There is also a chapter that goes on to discuss the relationship of [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]] and analyze a possible [[Primitive Quendian|Proto-Eldarin]]; the ''[[Etymologies]]'' and other works where Tolkien clearly discusses Primitive Quendian and [[root]]s were not published until 10 years later.

These chapters are followed by glossaries pointing at possible real-word similarities.

An article written from Tolkien's [[secondary world]] perspective, explains how [[Elvish]] possibly influenced the Indo-European languages.

===Other tongues===
More obscure languages like [[Khuzdul]], [[Black Speech]], "[[Adunaic]] tongues" and more obscure ones ([[Westron]], [[Mannish]], [[Entish]], "[[Valinorean]]") are also briefly discussed. Their sources are primarily information as given in the [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|Appendices]].

===Personal names===
A part of the book is dedicated to [[tolkiennymy]] and provides etymologies of the [[Old English]], [[Gothic]] and [[Norse]] names and other words which represent [[Mannish]] languages ([[Westron]] and [[Rohirric]]); possible influences from British and Celtic folklore are pointed out.

There is also a "Baby-book" with all the known real-world ("translated") Hobbit names by category and gender, along with their etymologies.

===Writing systems===
An extensive section with analyses of the [[Tengwar]] and [[Cirth]] in which aims to be more clear and readable presentation of the information of [[Appendix E]], followed by theoretical and structural background, with a possible history of their evolution through time.

Examples of English-tengwar texts used by fans are given, with analyses and commentaries.

Also, a chapter compares [[Wikipedia:Francis Lodwick|Francis Lodwick]]'s "Universal Alphabet" with Tengwar.

==Sources and validity==
The book was compiled shortly before the ''[[Silmarillion]]'' was published therefore its material was only the works published during Tolkien's lifetime: ''[[The Hobbit]]'', The ''[[Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'', ''[[The_Road_Goes_Ever_On_(book)|The Road Goes Ever On]]'' and ''[[Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings]]''

The book was complete in [[1977]] but publication was halted for a year. The ''[[Silmarillion]]'' was published in the meantime which included new material that (in few points) obsoleted the theories of the book. A year later, and while the book was still in a hiatus, Jim Allan wrote about those points in the postscript of his Foreword; he points out that updating the text by incorporating the new information would not be possible, and encourages critical comparison by the reader.

Since 1977, a great amount of material was published in the ''[[History of Middle-earth]]'' series, not to mention magazines such as [[Vinyar Tengwar]] and [[Parma Eldalamberon]]; while the fans consent that the book is one of the best and more serious works<ref>http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0905220102/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R2TPR6UGA05XID</ref>, new material renders the theories incomplete or outdated. In reality some of its parts, like the one concerning real-world names and the writing systems, still provide useful information.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Books]][[Category:Languages]]

An Introduction to Elvish

2009-12-10T00:37:44Z

ElfMaven: /* Eldarin tongues */ grammar

{{book|
title=An Introduction to Elvish|
image=[[Image:Intro.png|225px]]|
author=[[Jim Allan]] (ed)|
isbn=0905220102|
publisher=Bran's Head|
date=[[January]] [[1978]]|
format=Paperback|
pages= 303|
amazon=http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Middle-Earth-Published-Writings-Professor/dp/0905220102|
}}
'''''An Introduction to Elvish and to Other Tongues''', Proper Names and Writing Systems of the Third Age of the Western Lands of Middle-Earth as Set Forth in the Published Writings of Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien'' was a book by [[Jim Allan]] that discussed the [[Languages|languages]] of [[Middle-earth]].

The book comprises various articles written by members of the [[Mythopoeic Society]] and its publication was authorized by the [[Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship]] (a forerunner of the [[Elvish Linguistic Fellowship]]).

==Structure==
===Eldarin tongues===
The first articles offer analyses of the [[Elvish]] texts published. Extrapolation of a sketchy grammar is offered based on the available data, as well as meaning of the names found in the books.

There is also a chapter that goes on to discuss the relationship of [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]] and analyze a possible [[Primitive Quendian|Proto-Eldarin]]; the ''[[Etymologies]]'' and other works where Tolkien clearly discusses Primitive Quendian and [[root]]s were not published until 10 years later.

These chapters are followed by glossaries pointing at possible real-word similarities.

An article written from Tolkien's [[secondary world]] perspective, explains how [[Elvish]] possibly influenced the Indo-European languages.

===Other tongues===
More obscure languages like [[Khuzdul]], [[Black Speech]], "[[Adunaic]] tongues" and more obscure ones ([[Westron]], [[Mannish]], [[Entish]], "[[Valinorean]]") are also briefly discussed. Their sources are primarily information as given in the [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|Appendices]].

===Personal names===
A part of the book is dedicated to [[tolkiennymy]] and provides etymologies of the [[Old English]], [[Gothic]] and [[Norse]] names and other words which represent [[Mannish]] languages ([[Westron]] and [[Rohirric]]); possible influences from British and Celtic folklore are pointed out.

There is also a "Baby-book" with all the known real-world ("translated") Hobbit names by category and gender, along with their etymologies.

===Writing systems===
An extensive section with analyses of the [[Tengwar]] and [[Cirth]] in which aims to be more clear and readable presentation of the information of [[Appendix E]], followed by theoretical and structural background, with a possible history of their evolution through time.

Examples of English-tengwar texts used by fans are given, with analyses and commentaries.

Also, an chapter compares [[Wikipedia:Francis Lodwick|Francis Lodwick]]'s "Universal Alphabet" with Tengwar.

==Sources and validity==
The book was compiled shortly before the ''[[Silmarillion]]'' was published therefore its material was only the works published during Tolkien's lifetime: ''[[The Hobbit]]'', The ''[[Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'', ''[[The_Road_Goes_Ever_On_(book)|The Road Goes Ever On]]'' and ''[[Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings]]''

The book was complete in [[1977]] but publication was halted for a year. The ''[[Silmarillion]]'' was published in the meantime which included new material that (in few points) obsoleted the theories of the book. A year later, and while the book was still in a hiatus, Jim Allan wrote about those points in the postscript of his Foreword; he points out that updating the text by incorporating the new information would not be possible, and encourages critical comparison by the reader.

Since 1977, a great amount of material was published in the ''[[History of Middle-earth]]'' series, not to mention magazines such as [[Vinyar Tengwar]] and [[Parma Eldalamberon]]; while the fans consent that the book is one of the best and more serious works<ref>http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0905220102/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R2TPR6UGA05XID</ref>, new material renders the theories incomplete or outdated. In reality some of its parts, like the one concerning real-world names and the writing systems, still provide useful information.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Books]][[Category:Languages]]

An Introduction to Elvish

2009-12-10T00:30:30Z

ElfMaven: grammar

{{book|
title=An Introduction to Elvish|
image=[[Image:Intro.png|225px]]|
author=[[Jim Allan]] (ed)|
isbn=0905220102|
publisher=Bran's Head|
date=[[January]] [[1978]]|
format=Paperback|
pages= 303|
amazon=http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Middle-Earth-Published-Writings-Professor/dp/0905220102|
}}
'''''An Introduction to Elvish and to Other Tongues''', Proper Names and Writing Systems of the Third Age of the Western Lands of Middle-Earth as Set Forth in the Published Writings of Professor John Ronald Reuel Tolkien'' was a book by [[Jim Allan]] that discussed the [[Languages|languages]] of [[Middle-earth]].

The book comprises various articles written by members of the [[Mythopoeic Society]] and its publication was authorized by the [[Mythopoeic Linguistic Fellowship]] (a forerunner of the [[Elvish Linguistic Fellowship]]).

==Structure==
===Eldarin tongues===
The first articles offer analyses of the [[Elvish]] texts published. Extrapolation of a sketchy grammar is offered based on the available data, as well as meaning of the names found in the books.

There is also a chapter that goes on to discuss the relationship of [[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]] and analyze a possible [[Primitive Quendian|Proto-Eldarin]]; the ''[[Etymologies]]'' and other works where Tolkien clearly discusses Primitive Quendian and [[root]]s were not published until 10 years later.

These chapters are followed by glossaries pointing at possible real-word similarities.

An article written from Tolkien's [[secondary world]] perspective, explain how [[Elvish]] possibly influenced the Indo-European languages.

===Other tongues===
More obscure languages like [[Khuzdul]], [[Black Speech]], "[[Adunaic]] tongues" and more obscure ones ([[Westron]], [[Mannish]], [[Entish]], "[[Valinorean]]") are also briefly discussed. Their sources are primarily information as given in the [[The Lord of the Rings Appendices|Appendices]].

===Personal names===
A part of the book is dedicated to [[tolkiennymy]] and provides etymologies of the [[Old English]], [[Gothic]] and [[Norse]] names and other words which represent [[Mannish]] languages ([[Westron]] and [[Rohirric]]); possible influences from British and Celtic folklore are pointed out.

There is also a "Baby-book" with all the known real-world ("translated") Hobbit names by category and gender, along with their etymologies.

===Writing systems===
An extensive section with analyses of the [[Tengwar]] and [[Cirth]] in which aims to be more clear and readable presentation of the information of [[Appendix E]], followed by theoretical and structural background, with a possible history of their evolution through time.

Examples of English-tengwar texts used by fans are given, with analyses and commentaries.

Also, an chapter compares [[Wikipedia:Francis Lodwick|Francis Lodwick]]'s "Universal Alphabet" with Tengwar.

==Sources and validity==
The book was compiled shortly before the ''[[Silmarillion]]'' was published therefore its material was only the works published during Tolkien's lifetime: ''[[The Hobbit]]'', The ''[[Lord of the Rings]]'', ''[[The Adventures of Tom Bombadil]]'', ''[[The_Road_Goes_Ever_On_(book)|The Road Goes Ever On]]'' and ''[[Guide to the Names in The Lord of the Rings]]''

The book was complete in [[1977]] but publication was halted for a year. The ''[[Silmarillion]]'' was published in the meantime which included new material that (in few points) obsoleted the theories of the book. A year later, and while the book was still in a hiatus, Jim Allan wrote about those points in the postscript of his Foreword; he points out that updating the text by incorporating the new information would not be possible, and encourages critical comparison by the reader.

Since 1977, a great amount of material was published in the ''[[History of Middle-earth]]'' series, not to mention magazines such as [[Vinyar Tengwar]] and [[Parma Eldalamberon]]; while the fans consent that the book is one of the best and more serious works<ref>http://www.amazon.com/review/product/0905220102/ref=cm_cr_dp_synop?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=0&sortBy=bySubmissionDateDescending#R2TPR6UGA05XID</ref>, new material renders the theories incomplete or outdated. In reality some of its parts, like the one concerning real-world names and the writing systems, still provide useful information.

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Books]][[Category:Languages]]

Possible inconsistencies in the legendarium

2009-12-09T23:59:36Z

ElfMaven: /* Galadriel's mind-reading */

[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] paid a great deal of attention to detail in his [[Secondary world]] to preserve a realistic consistency.

However his work has been admired, studied and analyzed by "[[Tolkienist]]s" over the years in various aspects and levels; unavoidably, some more or less obvious '''inconsistencies seem to have slipped the author's attention'''. Most are revealed after more than one reading of the book and possibly thorough study.

Fans of Tolkien usually accept that in any work there are usually plot holes. In a larger, far more detailed and realistic book we expect fewer (if any) plot holes, when in reality there is a far greater chance because of its complexity.

Any inconsistency can be blamed on the fictitious Tolkien who adapted ancient sources such as the ''[[Red Book]]'' or on the characters who wrote and compiled those sources. Tolkien himself mentioned in [[Appendix D]] that he might have made many errors on the calendar while "translating" the "ancient sources", a comment written as a fail-safe for any narrative mistakes the author possibly made.

Such explanations attributing the mistakes to the "translator Tolkien" are easy and unenlightening. Therefore many fans prefer to explain those inconsistencies with some internal explanation. The explanations below of are this type. For example, at least some of the logical mistakes can be attributed to the characters themselves who said a contradicting phrase, since none of them is supposed to have the "omniscience" of the author.

==Character mistakes==
===The Eldest===
Possibly the most noticeable inconsistency in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' is that both [[Tom Bombadil]] and [[Treebeard]] are referred to as the [[eldest]] being in [[Middle-earth]]. Tom says that about himself,<ref>{{FR|I7}}, "Eldest, that's what I am.... Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn." </ref> and [[Elrond]] mentions that the Elves knew Tom as "oldest and fatherless".<ref name="CofE">{{FR|II2}}</ref> However, [[Gandalf]] tells [[Théoden]] that Treebeard is "the oldest of all living things",<ref name="Isengard">{{TT|III8}}</ref> and Celeborn addresses Treebeard as "Eldest".<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[Many Partings]]"</ref>

;Explanation: Maybe Tom is not "alive" as Treebeard is<ref>Tom Shippey, ''The Road to Middle-earth: Revised and Expanded Edition'', p. 107</ref> (though he seems to be). On this subject, Gandalf, [[Saruman]], and [[Sauron]] have existed far longer than Treebeard, as they are [[Maiar]], but they haven't been alive (in a physical body) as long.

===Sam's spying===
[[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] tells [[Frodo]] that as a result of [[Sam Gamgee|Sam]]'s eavesdropping, he and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] "know most of what Gandalf has told you about the [[One Ring|Ring]]".<ref name=ACU>{{FR|I5}}</ref> But most of what Gandalf told Frodo was in one long conversation, at the end of which Gandalf caught Sam,<ref>{{FR|I2}}</ref> and Merry says that after Sam was caught, he "seemed to regard himself as on parole, and dried up".<ref name=ACU/>

;Explanation: Maybe Sam's information was what he learned before he was caught, though that's not what Merry says.

===A choice of dangers===
[[Aragorn]] tells the hobbits, as they prepare to leave [[Bree]], "After [[Weathertop]] our journey will become more difficult, and we shall have to choose between various dangers."<ref name=Strider/> The ridges they have to climb after Weathertop may be more difficult than the [[Midgewater Marshes]], but they encounter no dangers on the route Aragorn chooses, and Aragorn doesn't warn the hobbits of any dangers, except the chance that the Nazgûl will find them as they cross the [[Last Bridge]]).<ref name="Flight">{{FR|I12}}</ref>

;Explanation: Aragorn does cite two other possible courses. One is going north through the [[Ettenmoors|Ettendales]] instead of crossing the [[Ford of Bruinen]], but in addition to the danger of [[trolls]], that route would take too long and the Company would run out of food. The other is finding the Ford without following the Road, but that's impossible.<ref>{{FR|I12}}, "'We cannot hope to find a path through these hills. Whatever danger may beset it, the Road is our only way to the Ford.'"</ref> Maybe although he describes these alternatives as impossible when he faces them, in Bree they only seemed to present the danger of taking too long or getting lost.

===Aragorn's knowledge===
Aragorn tells the hobbits in Bree, "I know all the lands between the [[Shire]] and the [[Misty Mountains]], for I have wandered over them for many years."<ref name="Strider"/> But later, speaking of the Ettendales, he says, "That is troll-country, and little known to me," and "I do not know the way" to Rivendell by detouring through them.<ref name="Flight"/> The Ettendales or Ettenmoors are on a line between the Shire and the northern part of the Misty Mountains.
;Explanation:If we take Aragorn's line "wandered over them" literally, we can accept that Aragorn has also wandered over the Ettendales. Of course that doesn't necessarily means that Aragorn should know ''everything'' about those lands, or even know ''all'' ways (e.g., to Rivendell) through them. He does say that he knows those lands a "little".

===Possession of the [[Nine Rings]]===
In ''[[The Council of Elrond]]'' [[Gandalf]] says that the [[Nazgûl]] kept their Rings by saying "The Nine the Nazgûl keep"<ref name="CofE"/>. However in most other references, it is mentioned that Sauron had taken them.<ref>{{FR|I2}}, "the Nine [Sauron] has gathered to himself; the Seven also, or else they are destroyed."</ref><ref>{{FR|II7}}, "You saw the Eye of him that holds the Seven and the Nine."</ref> Furthermore, Frodo doesn't see any Rings on them on [[Weathertop]], and it is believed that if they did wear the Rings, they would have been fully [[Unseen|invisible]] (including their cloaks).<ref>http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#Q0-InvRiders</ref>

The line in the Council of Elrond represents Tolkien's earlier intention that the Nazgûl should still be wearing their Rings, but he later changed his mind and simply missed revising that sentence.

;Explanation: The phrase can be also interpreted as "The Nine keep the Nazgûl [in Sauron’s thralldom]"; or as the Nazgûl are Sauron's slaves, his owning the Rings may be equivalent to the Nazgûl's keeping them.
:Additionally, perhaps Gandalf was mistaken.

===Feeling the [[Mithril#The_Mithril_Coat|''mithril'' coat]]===
The mithril coat that Bilbo gives Frodo is "almost as supple as linen",<ref name="Ring">{{FR|II3}}</ref> and Aragorn carries Frodo in Moria (after the orc chieftain spears Frodo) without noticing the coat.<ref>{{FR|II5}}</ref> However, when Bilbo slaps Frodo on the back after giving him the coat, he says, "Ow!... You are too hard now to slap!"<ref name="Ring"/>
;Explanation: Perhaps Bilbo is joking.

===Galadriel's mind-reading===
Galadriel tells Frodo and Sam that she knows Sauron's thoughts that concern the Elves.<ref name="Mirror">{{FR|II7}}</ref> It seems strange that they don't ask her whether she has any information they might find useful and she doesn't offer them any. Also, she doesn't seem to have known about [[Saruman]]'s betrayal some nineteen years earlier, though the defection of a member of the [[White Council]] might be thought to concern the Elves. At least, she didn't warn Gandalf in the messages he got from Lórien after reading the [[Scroll of Isildur]], the year before he trustingly entered [[Orthanc]].<ref name="CofE"/> (Also, when Aragorn was serving in Gondor under the name [[Thorongil]], he "often warned [[Ecthelion II|Ecthelion]] not to put trust in Saruman".<ref>{{HM|AA}}</ref> It's strange that he knew not to trust Saruman but Gandalf didn't.)
;Explanation: Conceivably Galadriel gained the ability to read Sauron's mind sometime after the messages went to Gandalf.

===[[Galadriel]]'s role===
Galadriel tells the Fellowship, "I will not give you counsel, saying do this, or do that. For not in doing or contriving, or in choosing between this course and another, can I avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what shall be.<ref>{{FR|I6}}</ref> Later she tells Frodo, "I do not counsel you one way or the other. I am not a counsellor."<ref name="Mirror"/> However, the rhyme she sends Aragorn advises a specific course: the [[Grey Company]] should come out of [[Rivendell]], and Aragorn should take the [[Paths of the Dead]].<ref>{{TT|III5}}</ref> Likewise [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] conclude that Galadriel sent the message to the Grey Company telling them to join Aragorn in [[Rohan]]; this seems to be "contriving" and "choosing between one course and another". Incidentally, it is odd that the Grey Company got this message without knowing who it was from.<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[The Passing of the Grey Company]]"</ref>

;Explanation: One could imagine that someone else (Celeborn?) made the decisions and Galadriel only sent the messages. Legolas and Gimli may have erred in thinking she was the source.

===Tales of hobbits===
Pippin tells [[Théoden]], "I have wandered in many lands, since I left my home, and never till now have I found people that knew any story concerning hobbits."<ref name="Isengard"/> But hobbits live in [[Bree]], [[Tom Bombadil]] knows many stories about hobbits, one would think the [[Rangers]] (who guard the [[Shire]] and Bree) and the Elves of Rivendell (where Bilbo has been living) would know some, and the Elves of Lórien have at least heard of hobbits.<ref>{{FR|II6}}, "We had not heard of—hobbits, of halflings, for many a long year...."</ref>

;Explanation: Pippin has just woken up from a nap, after a lunch that included wine, and is talking to a king for the first time in his life; he may not be thinking clearly.

===Knowledge of the ''Palantíri''===
After Gandalf learns that the crystal ball he has recovered is the ''[[palantír]]'' of [[Orthanc]], he tells [[Pippin]] the [[White Council]] didn't know any of the ''palantíri'' (presumably those of [[Gondor]]) survived disaster in Gondor (presumably the [[Kin-strife]]).<ref name="Palantir">{{TT|III11}}, "It was not known to us that any of the ''palantíri'' had escaped the ruin of Gondor."</ref> However, after [[Denethor II|Denethor]] reveals his ''palantír'', Gandalf claims to have known all along that the [[Stewards of Gondor|Stewards]] had it.<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[The Pyre of Denethor]]", "Though the Stewards deemed that it was a secret kept only by themselves, long have I known that here in the White Tower, as at Orthanc, one of the Seven Stones was preserved."</ref>
;Explanation: Gandalf could have learned about Denethor's ''palantír'' by himself, after the last time the White Council met.

===The peril of deep arts===
In connection with the ''palantír'' of Orthanc, Gandalf observes to Pippin, "Perilous to us all are the devices of an art deeper than we possess ourselves."<ref name="Palantir"/> However, never in ''The Hobbit'' or ''The Lord of the Rings'' does he warn [[Thorin Oakenshield|Thorin]] or the hobbits against using their magic swords, and he returns the [[Phial of Galadriel]] to Frodo and [[Gifts of Galadriel|Galadriel's box of earth]] to Sam. Also, there is no apparent danger in characters' using other products of elven arts (cloaks, ''[[hithlain]]'' ropes, ''[[lembas]]'').
;Explanation: How [[magic]] works is not clear. Parts of the books indicate that the some arts of the Elves despite appearing so, are not "magic". However maybe the ''palantíri'' are "devices" in a sense in which the other things named are not.
:Furthermore, it's possible that Gandalf only attempted to discourage Pippin from his curiosity, knowing that this could connect him with Sauron (as he finally did).

===[[Mouth of Sauron]]===
[[Aragorn II|Aragorn]] mentions that the name "[[Sauron]]" (meaning "Abominable") is the name used by his enemies, and Sauron himself does not permit it to be pronounced.<ref>{{TT|III1}}</ref> Therefore it would be problematic, if not logically impossible for a servant of Sauron to have a title or name that includes the word "Sauron".

;Explanation: It could be that Aragorn was mistaken.

==Factual mistakes==
===[[Doors of Durin]]===
The name ''[[Moria]]'' means "Black Chasm" and was a derogatory description of the place which the [[Dwarves]] did not like much; it was given after [[Durin's Bane]] took over the city and it was overrun by [[Orcs]]. It is therefore a paradox why that name appears on the [[Doors of Durin]] (''Ennyn Durin Aran Moria''), made in the [[Second Age]], and with the consent of the Dwarves.

;Explanation: An "external" explanation is that since the translated [[Norse]] names [[Durin]] and [[Narvi]] are seen in the inscription, ''Moria'' may also be a "translated" name.

===[[Eagles]]===
One of the best-known alleged plot holes is why the Eagles came to carry Frodo and Sam back from [[Mount Doom]] but did not help them to fly the [[One Ring]] there. While there are many counter explanations, it is a logical gap why this idea was not proposed in the [[Council of Elrond]].
;Explanation: See [[Eagles#Flying_the_Ring_to_Mount_Doom|here]] for a more detailed discussion.

===Distances===
The distances of the Dwarves' travel to [[Rivendell]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' seem to have different proportions than those in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Tolkien tried to reconcile the ''Hobbit'' description with the scale of the ''LotR'' map but couldn't find an appropriate solution.<ref>{{HM|RS}} p. 204</ref>

While Frodo and his companions needed 28 days from [[Hobbiton]] to [[Rivendell]] (10.7 miles/day)<ref name="atlas">[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref>, [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] calculated that Bilbo and [[Thorin and Company]] needed 38 days (17.5 miles/day)<ref name="atlas"/>. [[Andreas Moehn]] goes further and supposes that Thorin and Co. wanted two weeks from the [[Trollshaws]] till Rivendell (a distance which [[Glorfindel]] covered in two days), resulting in c. 48 days total.<ref>http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Durin%27s_Day.html</ref>.
;Explanation: The distances and days are not described in the narrative and can be measured only by references such as the moon phases and other fan calculations; therefore there can be a margin of miscalculation.
:In general, perhaps the Dwarves are by nature slower travelers than the Hobbits.

===Moon phases===
Tolkien was particularly careful about the phases of the [[Moon]] in the ''LotR''. Yet some mistakes did elude him. See for example [[January 13]], [[January 16]], [[February 22]], [[September 22]].

In general, it is possible that Tolkien consulted a modern almanac to model the moon phases, and also possible that he confused the meanings of "New Moon": the astronomical (the moment when the moon is darkest) and the colloquial (appearance of the new crescent moon).<ref>http://shire-reckoning.com/moon.html</ref>

Another mistake appears in ''The Hobbit'': [[Bard I]] killed [[Smaug]] "at the rising of the moon"<ref>{{H|15}}</ref> when "the moon rose above the eastern shore and silvered his [Smaug's] great wings... the waxing moon rose higher and higher". Also the [[thrush]] tells Bard, "Wait! Wait!... The Moon is rising." <ref>{{H|14}}</ref> However, according to astronomy<ref>http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Durin%27s_Day.html</ref> a waxing moon rises only in the morning, after the sun.

;Explanation: The moon could have been waning and setting in the ''west'' (not rising from the east), thus helping Bard kill Smaug.

===Shadow over Eregion===
While the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] traverses [[Hollin]], they see and feel a flying shadow over them.<ref name="Ring"/> Since no other such phenomena occur, when the [[Fell Beast]]s are introduced, the reader makes such a connection. However later we learn that Sauron did not permit the Nazgûl to traverse west of the [[Anduin]] after their accident at [[Bruinen]].

;Explanation: Possibly it was a "lost" or "disobeying" Nazgûl who despite orders found himself prematurely west of the Anduin, or simply something wholly unexplained and unrelated to the Fell Beasts. Perhaps it was some feeling of foreboding as they would eventually have to go to Moria.

===Beater and Biter===
The swords [[Glamdring]] and its "mate" [[Orcrist]] are found in a [[Troll]] hoard, said to belong to King [[Turgon]] of the [[First Age]]. They never appeared much in battle (Turgon fought only in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]]) and they were witnessed only by the Orcs of Beleriand.

After the fall of Gondolin, the swords somehow were carried from the ruin of [[Beleriand]] to [[Eriador]]. It is however questionable how the [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]] did recognize them by their names.

The Orcs don't seem to react similarly in the sight of Glamdring in ''LotR'', nor do they seem to recognize [[Narsil]]/[[Andúril]], which is much more "recent".

;Explanation: There can be several theories and explanations of how the swords and their fames reach Eriador. The only problem is the narrative of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', which doesn't justify their significance to the extent of being remembered and recognized by the Goblins of the Third Age, even by tradition.

===The elf-king's favorite gems===
The narration of ''The Hobbit'' says the [[Thranduil|elf-king]]'s favorite gems are "white."<ref>{{H|8}}, "If the elf-king had a weakness it was for treasure, especially for silver and white gems...."</ref> However, after the [[Battle of Five Armies]], the narration says, "To the Elven-king he <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Bard]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> sent the emeralds of [[Girion]], such gems as he most loved...."<ref>{{H|18}}</ref>

;Explanation: The sentence is somewhat ambiguous: "he" could refer to Bard or Girion instead of the elf-king. However, the elf-king's preference in gems, not the others', would be relevant to Bard's choice of what to give him.

===Walda's death===
King [[Walda]]'s death date is recorded in [[Appendix A]] as [[Third Age 2851]] but in [[Appendix B]] as [[Third Age 2861]].

===The date of Gandalf's letter===
The letter Gandalf leaves for Frodo at the ''[[Prancing Pony]]'' is dated "[[Midyear's Day]], Shire Year, 1418."<ref name="Strider">{{FR|I10}}</ref> However, Appendix B says Gandalf met [[Radagast]] on June 29, and Gandalf says he left [[Bree]] at dawn of the following day,<ref name="CofE"/> which would be June 30, two days before Midyear's day (as 1 [[Lithe]] comes between).
;Explanation: Possibly someone made a mistake involving the different calendars, though Bree uses the [[Shire-reckoning]] (aside from the number of the year). Perhaps more likely is that Gandalf, who was in a hurry, and traveling for days, confused the passage of time.

==Corrected mistakes==
Several mistakes were simply remnants of earlier concepts of Tolkien, which later escaped his attention when revising the book. Some of them were corrected in the [[The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)|50th Anniversary Edition]].
===Bandobras' parentage===
The ''[[Prologue]]'' mentions that [[Bandobras Took]] was the son (not grandson) of [[Isengrim Took II]]. This has been corrected in the 50th Anniversary edition.

===Sam's birth===
In the second edition of ''LotR'', [[Sam Gamgee]]'s year of birth was added to ''[[The Tale of Years]]'' as [[Third Age 2963]]. This contradicts both a later entry in ''The Tale of Years'' and the [[Appendix C]] given as [[Third Age 2980]].<ref>[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', page 716</ref>
===[[Gimli]]'s Axe===
Upon arrival in [[Edoras]], Gimli mentions his axe has touched nothing but firewood since they left Moria. Yet he also claims he and [[Legolas]] killed several Orcs at [[Amon Hen]].
;Explanation: This discrepancy was noted by [[Wayne G. Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', where they explained why they left it unchanged in the [[The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)|50th anniversary edition]]. Amon Hen was a week before the Battle of the Hornburg; even for a stout Dwarven warrior, lamenting not killing an Orc for that short period would make him look too bloodthirsty.
{{references}}
[[category:debates]]

Possible inconsistencies in the legendarium

2009-12-09T23:51:56Z

ElfMaven: /* Aragorn's knowledge */ typo;mechanics

[[J.R.R. Tolkien]] paid a great deal of attention to detail in his [[Secondary world]] to preserve a realistic consistency.

However his work has been admired, studied and analyzed by "[[Tolkienist]]s" over the years in various aspects and levels; unavoidably, some more or less obvious '''inconsistencies seem to have slipped the author's attention'''. Most are revealed after more than one reading of the book and possibly thorough study.

Fans of Tolkien usually accept that in any work there are usually plot holes. In a larger, far more detailed and realistic book we expect fewer (if any) plot holes, when in reality there is a far greater chance because of its complexity.

Any inconsistency can be blamed on the fictitious Tolkien who adapted ancient sources such as the ''[[Red Book]]'' or on the characters who wrote and compiled those sources. Tolkien himself mentioned in [[Appendix D]] that he might have made many errors on the calendar while "translating" the "ancient sources", a comment written as a fail-safe for any narrative mistakes the author possibly made.

Such explanations attributing the mistakes to the "translator Tolkien" are easy and unenlightening. Therefore many fans prefer to explain those inconsistencies with some internal explanation. The explanations below of are this type. For example, at least some of the logical mistakes can be attributed to the characters themselves who said a contradicting phrase, since none of them is supposed to have the "omniscience" of the author.

==Character mistakes==
===The Eldest===
Possibly the most noticeable inconsistency in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' is that both [[Tom Bombadil]] and [[Treebeard]] are referred to as the [[eldest]] being in [[Middle-earth]]. Tom says that about himself,<ref>{{FR|I7}}, "Eldest, that's what I am.... Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn." </ref> and [[Elrond]] mentions that the Elves knew Tom as "oldest and fatherless".<ref name="CofE">{{FR|II2}}</ref> However, [[Gandalf]] tells [[Théoden]] that Treebeard is "the oldest of all living things",<ref name="Isengard">{{TT|III8}}</ref> and Celeborn addresses Treebeard as "Eldest".<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[Many Partings]]"</ref>

;Explanation: Maybe Tom is not "alive" as Treebeard is<ref>Tom Shippey, ''The Road to Middle-earth: Revised and Expanded Edition'', p. 107</ref> (though he seems to be). On this subject, Gandalf, [[Saruman]], and [[Sauron]] have existed far longer than Treebeard, as they are [[Maiar]], but they haven't been alive (in a physical body) as long.

===Sam's spying===
[[Meriadoc Brandybuck|Merry]] tells [[Frodo]] that as a result of [[Sam Gamgee|Sam]]'s eavesdropping, he and [[Peregrin Took|Pippin]] "know most of what Gandalf has told you about the [[One Ring|Ring]]".<ref name=ACU>{{FR|I5}}</ref> But most of what Gandalf told Frodo was in one long conversation, at the end of which Gandalf caught Sam,<ref>{{FR|I2}}</ref> and Merry says that after Sam was caught, he "seemed to regard himself as on parole, and dried up".<ref name=ACU/>

;Explanation: Maybe Sam's information was what he learned before he was caught, though that's not what Merry says.

===A choice of dangers===
[[Aragorn]] tells the hobbits, as they prepare to leave [[Bree]], "After [[Weathertop]] our journey will become more difficult, and we shall have to choose between various dangers."<ref name=Strider/> The ridges they have to climb after Weathertop may be more difficult than the [[Midgewater Marshes]], but they encounter no dangers on the route Aragorn chooses, and Aragorn doesn't warn the hobbits of any dangers, except the chance that the Nazgûl will find them as they cross the [[Last Bridge]]).<ref name="Flight">{{FR|I12}}</ref>

;Explanation: Aragorn does cite two other possible courses. One is going north through the [[Ettenmoors|Ettendales]] instead of crossing the [[Ford of Bruinen]], but in addition to the danger of [[trolls]], that route would take too long and the Company would run out of food. The other is finding the Ford without following the Road, but that's impossible.<ref>{{FR|I12}}, "'We cannot hope to find a path through these hills. Whatever danger may beset it, the Road is our only way to the Ford.'"</ref> Maybe although he describes these alternatives as impossible when he faces them, in Bree they only seemed to present the danger of taking too long or getting lost.

===Aragorn's knowledge===
Aragorn tells the hobbits in Bree, "I know all the lands between the [[Shire]] and the [[Misty Mountains]], for I have wandered over them for many years."<ref name="Strider"/> But later, speaking of the Ettendales, he says, "That is troll-country, and little known to me," and "I do not know the way" to Rivendell by detouring through them.<ref name="Flight"/> The Ettendales or Ettenmoors are on a line between the Shire and the northern part of the Misty Mountains.
;Explanation:If we take Aragorn's line "wandered over them" literally, we can accept that Aragorn has also wandered over the Ettendales. Of course that doesn't necessarily means that Aragorn should know ''everything'' about those lands, or even know ''all'' ways (e.g., to Rivendell) through them. He does say that he knows those lands a "little".

===Possession of the [[Nine Rings]]===
In ''[[The Council of Elrond]]'' [[Gandalf]] says that the [[Nazgûl]] kept their Rings by saying "The Nine the Nazgûl keep"<ref name="CofE"/>. However in most other references, it is mentioned that Sauron had taken them.<ref>{{FR|I2}}, "the Nine [Sauron] has gathered to himself; the Seven also, or else they are destroyed."</ref><ref>{{FR|II7}}, "You saw the Eye of him that holds the Seven and the Nine."</ref> Furthermore, Frodo doesn't see any Rings on them on [[Weathertop]], and it is believed that if they did wear the Rings, they would have been fully [[Unseen|invisible]] (including their cloaks).<ref>http://oakroadsystems.com/genl/ringfaq.htm#Q0-InvRiders</ref>

The line in the Council of Elrond represents Tolkien's earlier intention that the Nazgûl should still be wearing their Rings, but he later changed his mind and simply missed revising that sentence.

;Explanation: The phrase can be also interpreted as "The Nine keep the Nazgûl [in Sauron’s thralldom]"; or as the Nazgûl are Sauron's slaves, his owning the Rings may be equivalent to the Nazgûl's keeping them.
:Additionally, perhaps Gandalf was mistaken.

===Feeling the [[Mithril#The_Mithril_Coat|''mithril'' coat]]===
The mithril coat that Bilbo gives Frodo is "almost as supple as linen",<ref name="Ring">{{FR|II3}}</ref> and Aragorn carries Frodo in Moria (after the orc chieftain spears Frodo) without noticing the coat.<ref>{{FR|II5}}</ref> However, when Bilbo slaps Frodo on the back after giving him the coat, he says, "Ow!... You are too hard now to slap!"<ref name="Ring"/>
;Explanation: Perhaps Bilbo is joking.

===Galadriel's mind-reading===
Galadriel tells Frodo and Sam that she knows Sauron's thoughts that concern the Elves.<ref name="Mirror">{{FR|II7}}</ref> It seems strange that they don't ask her whether she has any information they find useful and she doesn't offer them any. Also, she doesn't seem to have known about [[Saruman]]'s betrayal some nineteen years earlier, though the defection of a member of the [[White Council]] might be thought to concern the Elves. At least, she didn't warn Gandalf in the messages he got from Lórien after reading the [[Scroll of Isildur]], the year before he trustingly entered [[Orthanc]].<ref name="CofE"/> (Also, when Aragorn was serving in Gondor under the name [[Thorongil]], he "often warned [[Ecthelion II|Ecthelion]] not to put trust in Saruman".<ref>{{HM|AA}}</ref> It's strange that he knew not to trust Saruman but Gandalf didn't.)
;Explanation: Conceivably Galadriel gained the ability to read Sauron's mind sometime after the messages went to Gandalf.

===[[Galadriel]]'s role===
Galadriel tells the Fellowship, "I will not give you counsel, saying do this, or do that. For not in doing or contriving, or in choosing between this course and another, can I avail; but only in knowing what was and is, and in part also what shall be.<ref>{{FR|I6}}</ref> Later she tells Frodo, "I do not counsel you one way or the other. I am not a counsellor."<ref name="Mirror"/> However, the rhyme she sends Aragorn advises a specific course: the [[Grey Company]] should come out of [[Rivendell]], and Aragorn should take the [[Paths of the Dead]].<ref>{{TT|III5}}</ref> Likewise [[Legolas]] and [[Gimli]] conclude that Galadriel sent the message to the Grey Company telling them to join Aragorn in [[Rohan]]; this seems to be "contriving" and "choosing between one course and another". Incidentally, it is odd that the Grey Company got this message without knowing who it was from.<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[The Passing of the Grey Company]]"</ref>

;Explanation: One could imagine that someone else (Celeborn?) made the decisions and Galadriel only sent the messages. Legolas and Gimli may have erred in thinking she was the source.

===Tales of hobbits===
Pippin tells [[Théoden]], "I have wandered in many lands, since I left my home, and never till now have I found people that knew any story concerning hobbits."<ref name="Isengard"/> But hobbits live in [[Bree]], [[Tom Bombadil]] knows many stories about hobbits, one would think the [[Rangers]] (who guard the [[Shire]] and Bree) and the Elves of Rivendell (where Bilbo has been living) would know some, and the Elves of Lórien have at least heard of hobbits.<ref>{{FR|II6}}, "We had not heard of—hobbits, of halflings, for many a long year...."</ref>

;Explanation: Pippin has just woken up from a nap, after a lunch that included wine, and is talking to a king for the first time in his life; he may not be thinking clearly.

===Knowledge of the ''Palantíri''===
After Gandalf learns that the crystal ball he has recovered is the ''[[palantír]]'' of [[Orthanc]], he tells [[Pippin]] the [[White Council]] didn't know any of the ''palantíri'' (presumably those of [[Gondor]]) survived disaster in Gondor (presumably the [[Kin-strife]]).<ref name="Palantir">{{TT|III11}}, "It was not known to us that any of the ''palantíri'' had escaped the ruin of Gondor."</ref> However, after [[Denethor II|Denethor]] reveals his ''palantír'', Gandalf claims to have known all along that the [[Stewards of Gondor|Stewards]] had it.<ref>{{HM|RK}}, "[[The Pyre of Denethor]]", "Though the Stewards deemed that it was a secret kept only by themselves, long have I known that here in the White Tower, as at Orthanc, one of the Seven Stones was preserved."</ref>
;Explanation: Gandalf could have learned about Denethor's ''palantír'' by himself, after the last time the White Council met.

===The peril of deep arts===
In connection with the ''palantír'' of Orthanc, Gandalf observes to Pippin, "Perilous to us all are the devices of an art deeper than we possess ourselves."<ref name="Palantir"/> However, never in ''The Hobbit'' or ''The Lord of the Rings'' does he warn [[Thorin Oakenshield|Thorin]] or the hobbits against using their magic swords, and he returns the [[Phial of Galadriel]] to Frodo and [[Gifts of Galadriel|Galadriel's box of earth]] to Sam. Also, there is no apparent danger in characters' using other products of elven arts (cloaks, ''[[hithlain]]'' ropes, ''[[lembas]]'').
;Explanation: How [[magic]] works is not clear. Parts of the books indicate that the some arts of the Elves despite appearing so, are not "magic". However maybe the ''palantíri'' are "devices" in a sense in which the other things named are not.
:Furthermore, it's possible that Gandalf only attempted to discourage Pippin from his curiosity, knowing that this could connect him with Sauron (as he finally did).

===[[Mouth of Sauron]]===
[[Aragorn II|Aragorn]] mentions that the name "[[Sauron]]" (meaning "Abominable") is the name used by his enemies, and Sauron himself does not permit it to be pronounced.<ref>{{TT|III1}}</ref> Therefore it would be problematic, if not logically impossible for a servant of Sauron to have a title or name that includes the word "Sauron".

;Explanation: It could be that Aragorn was mistaken.

==Factual mistakes==
===[[Doors of Durin]]===
The name ''[[Moria]]'' means "Black Chasm" and was a derogatory description of the place which the [[Dwarves]] did not like much; it was given after [[Durin's Bane]] took over the city and it was overrun by [[Orcs]]. It is therefore a paradox why that name appears on the [[Doors of Durin]] (''Ennyn Durin Aran Moria''), made in the [[Second Age]], and with the consent of the Dwarves.

;Explanation: An "external" explanation is that since the translated [[Norse]] names [[Durin]] and [[Narvi]] are seen in the inscription, ''Moria'' may also be a "translated" name.

===[[Eagles]]===
One of the best-known alleged plot holes is why the Eagles came to carry Frodo and Sam back from [[Mount Doom]] but did not help them to fly the [[One Ring]] there. While there are many counter explanations, it is a logical gap why this idea was not proposed in the [[Council of Elrond]].
;Explanation: See [[Eagles#Flying_the_Ring_to_Mount_Doom|here]] for a more detailed discussion.

===Distances===
The distances of the Dwarves' travel to [[Rivendell]] in ''[[The Hobbit]]'' seem to have different proportions than those in ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''. Tolkien tried to reconcile the ''Hobbit'' description with the scale of the ''LotR'' map but couldn't find an appropriate solution.<ref>{{HM|RS}} p. 204</ref>

While Frodo and his companions needed 28 days from [[Hobbiton]] to [[Rivendell]] (10.7 miles/day)<ref name="atlas">[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]], ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]''</ref>, [[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] calculated that Bilbo and [[Thorin and Company]] needed 38 days (17.5 miles/day)<ref name="atlas"/>. [[Andreas Moehn]] goes further and supposes that Thorin and Co. wanted two weeks from the [[Trollshaws]] till Rivendell (a distance which [[Glorfindel]] covered in two days), resulting in c. 48 days total.<ref>http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Durin%27s_Day.html</ref>.
;Explanation: The distances and days are not described in the narrative and can be measured only by references such as the moon phases and other fan calculations; therefore there can be a margin of miscalculation.
:In general, perhaps the Dwarves are by nature slower travelers than the Hobbits.

===Moon phases===
Tolkien was particularly careful about the phases of the [[Moon]] in the ''LotR''. Yet some mistakes did elude him. See for example [[January 13]], [[January 16]], [[February 22]], [[September 22]].

In general, it is possible that Tolkien consulted a modern almanac to model the moon phases, and also possible that he confused the meanings of "New Moon": the astronomical (the moment when the moon is darkest) and the colloquial (appearance of the new crescent moon).<ref>http://shire-reckoning.com/moon.html</ref>

Another mistake appears in ''The Hobbit'': [[Bard I]] killed [[Smaug]] "at the rising of the moon"<ref>{{H|15}}</ref> when "the moon rose above the eastern shore and silvered his [Smaug's] great wings... the waxing moon rose higher and higher". Also the [[thrush]] tells Bard, "Wait! Wait!... The Moon is rising." <ref>{{H|14}}</ref> However, according to astronomy<ref>http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Durin%27s_Day.html</ref> a waxing moon rises only in the morning, after the sun.

;Explanation: The moon could have been waning and setting in the ''west'' (not rising from the east), thus helping Bard kill Smaug.

===Shadow over Eregion===
While the [[Fellowship of the Ring]] traverses [[Hollin]], they see and feel a flying shadow over them.<ref name="Ring"/> Since no other such phenomena occur, when the [[Fell Beast]]s are introduced, the reader makes such a connection. However later we learn that Sauron did not permit the Nazgûl to traverse west of the [[Anduin]] after their accident at [[Bruinen]].

;Explanation: Possibly it was a "lost" or "disobeying" Nazgûl who despite orders found himself prematurely west of the Anduin, or simply something wholly unexplained and unrelated to the Fell Beasts. Perhaps it was some feeling of foreboding as they would eventually have to go to Moria.

===Beater and Biter===
The swords [[Glamdring]] and its "mate" [[Orcrist]] are found in a [[Troll]] hoard, said to belong to King [[Turgon]] of the [[First Age]]. They never appeared much in battle (Turgon fought only in the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]]) and they were witnessed only by the Orcs of Beleriand.

After the fall of Gondolin, the swords somehow were carried from the ruin of [[Beleriand]] to [[Eriador]]. It is however questionable how the [[Orcs of the Misty Mountains]] did recognize them by their names.

The Orcs don't seem to react similarly in the sight of Glamdring in ''LotR'', nor do they seem to recognize [[Narsil]]/[[Andúril]], which is much more "recent".

;Explanation: There can be several theories and explanations of how the swords and their fames reach Eriador. The only problem is the narrative of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', which doesn't justify their significance to the extent of being remembered and recognized by the Goblins of the Third Age, even by tradition.

===The elf-king's favorite gems===
The narration of ''The Hobbit'' says the [[Thranduil|elf-king]]'s favorite gems are "white."<ref>{{H|8}}, "If the elf-king had a weakness it was for treasure, especially for silver and white gems...."</ref> However, after the [[Battle of Five Armies]], the narration says, "To the Elven-king he <nowiki>[</nowiki>[[Bard]]<nowiki>]</nowiki> sent the emeralds of [[Girion]], such gems as he most loved...."<ref>{{H|18}}</ref>

;Explanation: The sentence is somewhat ambiguous: "he" could refer to Bard or Girion instead of the elf-king. However, the elf-king's preference in gems, not the others', would be relevant to Bard's choice of what to give him.

===Walda's death===
King [[Walda]]'s death date is recorded in [[Appendix A]] as [[Third Age 2851]] but in [[Appendix B]] as [[Third Age 2861]].

===The date of Gandalf's letter===
The letter Gandalf leaves for Frodo at the ''[[Prancing Pony]]'' is dated "[[Midyear's Day]], Shire Year, 1418."<ref name="Strider">{{FR|I10}}</ref> However, Appendix B says Gandalf met [[Radagast]] on June 29, and Gandalf says he left [[Bree]] at dawn of the following day,<ref name="CofE"/> which would be June 30, two days before Midyear's day (as 1 [[Lithe]] comes between).
;Explanation: Possibly someone made a mistake involving the different calendars, though Bree uses the [[Shire-reckoning]] (aside from the number of the year). Perhaps more likely is that Gandalf, who was in a hurry, and traveling for days, confused the passage of time.

==Corrected mistakes==
Several mistakes were simply remnants of earlier concepts of Tolkien, which later escaped his attention when revising the book. Some of them were corrected in the [[The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)|50th Anniversary Edition]].
===Bandobras' parentage===
The ''[[Prologue]]'' mentions that [[Bandobras Took]] was the son (not grandson) of [[Isengrim Took II]]. This has been corrected in the 50th Anniversary edition.

===Sam's birth===
In the second edition of ''LotR'', [[Sam Gamgee]]'s year of birth was added to ''[[The Tale of Years]]'' as [[Third Age 2963]]. This contradicts both a later entry in ''The Tale of Years'' and the [[Appendix C]] given as [[Third Age 2980]].<ref>[[Wayne G. Hammond]], [[Christina Scull]], ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', page 716</ref>
===[[Gimli]]'s Axe===
Upon arrival in [[Edoras]], Gimli mentions his axe has touched nothing but firewood since they left Moria. Yet he also claims he and [[Legolas]] killed several Orcs at [[Amon Hen]].
;Explanation: This discrepancy was noted by [[Wayne G. Hammond]] and [[Christina Scull]] in ''[[The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion]]'', where they explained why they left it unchanged in the [[The Lord of the Rings (50th Anniversary Edition)|50th anniversary edition]]. Amon Hen was a week before the Battle of the Hornburg; even for a stout Dwarven warrior, lamenting not killing an Orc for that short period would make him look too bloodthirsty.
{{references}}
[[category:debates]]

Forums:Middle Earth/Europe geography

2009-12-09T23:21:18Z

ElfMaven:

<div style="background: #eee; border: 1px solid #aaa; padding: 5px">'''[[Main Page|Tolkien Gateway]] > [[Forum:Council|Council]] > {{PAGENAME}}'''</div> [[Category:Council]]


After looking for a map of Middle Earth on Google, I found this, which I think is really interesting:
[http://strangemaps.files.wordpress.com/2007/06/middle-earth.jpg]
I would post the actual image, but I don't know if it's copyrighted or anything, so it's better to be safe. Anyways, I would like to know if this is really how Tolkien intended it to be, or just some fan making something up. {{unsigned|Aragorn47}}

:This is made by a fan. It's a well known map, but sadly, not very accurate. Here's another attempt, by [[Andreas Moehnke]]: [http://lalaith.vpsurf.de/Tolkien/Grid.html], and one by [[Ronald Kyrmse]]: [http://www.geocities.com/otsoandor/WasM-eE.htm]. Both are considerably better argued than this copy paste job. -- {{User:Ederchil/sig}} 22:31, 11 March 2009 (UTC)
::I don't think it's a copy paste job. I do like it. The maps of Moehn and Kyrmse are simply overlays. That mystery map is a mixture, and it seems well researched to me. It's Middle-earth of say, Fifth Age. [[User:Sage|Sage]] 14:06, 8 October 2009 (UTC)
:::The problem with this map is not that it's a copy/paste job, it's that it changes the geography of Middle-earth. The Northwest of Middle-earth was a single continent, so there is no reason why, for instance, Bree would be north of the Shire. In fact, not much was farther north than the Shire - just look at one of the *true* maps of Middle-earth in the books. This is just a piece of fanon, and not a particularly good one at that. [[User:Eldorion|Eldorion]] 9 October, 2009

::::Tolkien did not intend his works to be based on Earth at all! Only when he first created his works did he even consider the notion, but he later denied it. Earth may have influenced the works, but this is a falsity.--[[User:Galdor of the Trees|Galdor of the Trees]] 18:17, 5 December 2009 (UTC)
:::::What I read in ''[[The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien|Letters]]'' says rather the opposite. So I'd be interested in what sources you have for your statement. -- [[User:Mithrennaith|Mithrennaith]] 02:50, 7 December 2009 (UTC)
::::::Exactly what I wanted to say. Letters seems to make it quite obvious that he based the geography and even the chronology on Earth (at least, he actually stated that we would now be in the Seventh Age in the RW). [[User:ElfMaven|ElfMaven]] 23:21, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

Tolkien Gateway:Manual of Style

2009-12-09T21:35:47Z

ElfMaven: /* References */ ital

This '''Manual of Style''' is a standard that should be across all of [[Tolkien Gateway]].

:''See also: [[Help:Contents]]''
==General rules==
===Canon===
{{main|Canon}}

===Terminology===
* ''The Lord of the Rings'' is not a trilogy, and is arguably (and according to Tolkien himself) not a novel either. Use the words "legendarium" (for the story as a whole), "book", "books" (both for LotR, its volumes and the 6 books — but make clear which you are referring to), "volume", "volumes" (for the three volumes of LotR).
* Abbreviations of names of books, movies, series, people, etc. should not be used in articles or lists (e.g. write out ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', not LotR).
* Take note of correct spellings, including diacritical marks, e.g. [[Éomer|'''É'''omer]], not '''E'''omer. Accents are not optional and if you are unsure of the alt code to insert the character just click the proper character below the editing box. An easy way to verify the correct accents is to type the non-accented version of the word into the search box and you will be redirected to the correct term, which you can then copy and paste.
*Take note of correct singular and plural forms of terms: e.g. an [[Uruk-hai|Uruk]] ''or'' one of the [[Uruk-hai]], ''not'' an Uruk-hai; "Uruk-hai" means "Orc-folk")
*Italicize non-English terms for objects and creatures (e.g. ''[[palantír]]'', ''[[crebain]]''), but not for peoples (e.g. [[Eldar]]). In general, follow the books.
*When referring to adaptations, label them clearly as to avoid confusion with works of the same name (e.g. "''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers]]''" or "''[[Peter Jackson's The Two Towers]]''" rather than just "''[[The Two Towers]]''".
* Avoid adaptation-derived terms to describe the ''original versions'' of characters, concepts, etc. Only use those terms to refer to ''their counterparts in adaptations'', and point out that the terms are original to the adaptation (e.g. "Army of the Dead" should only be used in an adaptation context; use "[[Dead Men of Dunharrow]]" elsewhere).
* Use capital letters when writing about the races of Middle-earth, but lower-case when writing about individuals or groups of individuals i.e. Elves, Dwarves, Men, Hobbits, Orcs, Istari, Valar, etc. (e.g. "the hobbits walked down the road", "Hobbits have hairy feet", "the hobbit jumped over the fence", "the Elf lord bowed before them", "the orcs were running over the plain").
===Dates===
*Use <nowiki>[[Third Age 3019|T.A. 3019]]</nowiki> when linking to years.
*If an article contains several dates from the same reckoning period then include the sentence, "Dates are given in years of the <nowiki>[[Third Age]]</nowiki>, unless otherwise noted." Subsequent references to this reckoning can then be simply numeric (e.g. '2918') with no identifying label. This system can also be used for article sub-sections which contain several dates from the same reckoning period.
*For articles with only a few dates (or only a few differing from the stated standard reckoning for the article) it is easiest to just spell out the reckoning period in full; '[[Fourth Age 37]]'.

===Categories===
* Before creating a category, please check to see if there is a same existing category or subcategory.
* Generally, do not categorize things twice (e.g. Since [[:Category:Dúnedain]] is the parent category of [[:Category:Dúnedain of the North]], only the latter should be used in the [[Aragorn II]] article). However, if two or more categories from different sub-branches apply, then it would be proper to use both.

===Italics===
* Always use italics for titles of books, series, movies, game, etc. (e.g. ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', ''The Lord of the Rings'', etc.)
* Use italics for "isolated words and phrases in other languages". In terms of Tolkien-related articles, this would include anything in the [[Languages]] as well as [[Old English]] (e.g. [[Quenya]], [[Sindarin]], [[Rohirric]], [[Khuzdul]], etc.)

===Punctuation===
*For quotations, use "double quotes" and 'single quotes' for nesting quotations; thus "quotations 'within' quotations".
*Write formally. Avoid using contractions such as ''don't, can't, won't, would've, they'd,''.
*Avoid using slashes to join words. Instead, spell it out.

===Tense===
* All articles that cover in-universe material must be in ''past tense''.

===Wikilinking===
* Create links ONLY if they are '''relevant to the context.'''
* Generally, there should not be duplicates of the same links. However, if you have made a link in captions or the infobox, it is a good idea to make the same link in the article.
* The following ''should'' be linked: dates, places, people that have a major connection with the subject, technical terms, etc.
*Make sure you link to the intended article rather than the disambiguation page; there are more than one "[[Minas Tirith]]", "[[Aragorn]]" and "[[Faramir]]". See also: [[Tolkien Gateway: Disambiguation]]

==Article layout==
===Naming===
*Most article titles are plural, e.g. [[Elves]], unless a plural is disputed (e.g. [[Balrog]], [[Mallorn]])
*Avoid overusing parentheses in titles of articles, unless there is [[Tolkien Gateway: Disambiguation|disambiguation]].
*Avoid the definite article ("the") and the indefinite article ("a"/"an") unless addressing the titles of a books, series, movies, etc.

===Introduction===
* The first occurrence of the [name of the] subject of the article at first mention must be '''bolded''', preferably in the first sentence in the article.
* The lead section should be about one to three paragraphs long, dependent on the overall size of the article. Often, a single sentence suffices.

===Body===
* The "History" section is to represent a chronological, in-universe history of the subject.
* The "Etymology" section is written either in or out of universe (or both if needs be), and should be well sourced. Avoid the generic term "[[Elvish]]".
* In the "Inspiration" section, elements which have or may have influenced Tolkien in the forming of the character or event can be placed.
* For the "Genealogy" section, use the [[:Template:Familytree|familytree]]-template.
* "Other Versions of the Legendarium" is a section for information about the changes made during writing, or for matters of questionable canonicity.
* "Portrayal in Adaptations" is a section for out-of-universe information about the subject. See [[Tolkien Gateway:Projects/Adaptations]] for a list.
* "See Also" is a section where the reader can be pointed at related articles, or a gallery of images of the subject.

===References===
{{main|Help:References}}
* For all articles, notes and references/sources are combined under the same subsection: References. For this, simply type <nowiki>{{references}}</nowiki> at the bottom.
* Do not cite secondary sources or tertiary sources UNLESS there are valid conclusions drawn based on primary sources; this includes the [http://www.glyphweb.com/ARDA/ ''Encyclopedia of Arda''], ''[[The Complete Guide to Middle-earth]]'' and ''[[The Atlas of Middle-earth]]'', among others. Instead, use primary sources (reliable sources) such as published texts by Tolkien or secondary sources of ''[[The History of Middle-earth]]'' edited by Christopher Tolkien.

===External links===
*'''Remember that the External links serves as further reading, not advertisement'''. Tolkien Gateway is not a link farm nor a web directory. Do not link to ten or more sites. There are exceptions to this case, but a vast quantity of external links are usually frowned upon. Three to four links are usually enough.
*The following sites '''should be linked''': Official sites (that ''majorly'' relate to the topic), articles about the subject of article on other encyclopedias or vast resources (e.g. [http://www.glyphweb.com/Arda/ Encyclopedia of Arda], [http://www.tuckborough.net/ The Thain's Book], [http://en.wikipedia.org Wikipedia], and sites that contain neutral and accurate information that has not been mentioned in the article. On controversial articles that contain multiple points of view, have at least equal amount of sites presenting each POV with a detailed explanation.
*The following sites that are '''occasionally acceptable''': professional reviews reviewing books, movies, etc. (e.g. [http://www.imdb.com/ IMDb]), '''ONE very informative fansite''' about the subject of article, web directory full of '''informative fansites'''.
*The following should be '''avoided''' and are generally '''not acceptable''': fanlistings (because they are not generally informative), multiple fansites, web directories (for exceptions, see above).
*The following should '''not''' be linked on articles under any circumstance: sites with unverified original research, any form of advertising (whether it's a site or a product), any social networking sites, etc.

==Images==
{{main|Help:Images}}
* Uploaded images must be related to J.R.R. Tolkien and his works, the one exception being if you want to upload an image for your userpage, usually of yourself, that is acceptable.
* We are currently fairly lenient on the file size of images. If the image is above our maximum file size limit (you will see this after clicking the upload button) simply click save anyway. Keep in mind there is no need for extensive quality as our images are used primarily in articles. However we would prefer too high of quality opposed to too low of quality as we can always reduce the quality later.
*'''Always tag the image you're uploading with image copyright tags.''' If you are not sure of the copyright, then it is best not to upload it.
*'''Always include a description of the image: where the image came from, what it is, etc.'''
*If available, place book illustrations first in the article, especially in infoboxes. Screenshots and other images from adaptations properly belong in an Adaptations section.
*Do not change the images in the Infoboxes without discussing it on the talk page.
*If the image is of an illustration, attempt to find the artist's title of the image and upload it as "Artist Name - Title of Illustration.jpg"
*Categorize the image properly. These include "Category:Images by (artist's name)", and categories for all characters, objects and events.
*If you're an artist yourself and you like your work featured on this website, it's advisable to upload images of minor characters only. We have sufficient pictures of [[Aragorn II]], but NONE of [[Aragorn I]].

[[Category:Tolkien Gateway]]

Tolkien Gateway talk:Manual of Style

2009-12-09T21:33:22Z

ElfMaven: /* Plagiarism? */ new section

User talk:ElfMaven

2009-12-09T21:29:30Z

ElfMaven: Adding welcome message to new user's talk page