Thread: One-word Tolkien Trivia

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OK, here is an easy one:

Rapunzel


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Lúthien Tinúviel.

My guess is Galadriel - her hair was long and yellow and coveted.

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Originally Posted by Galthonviel

Lúthien Tinúviel.

Absolutely

I was referring to the growing of her hair by singing to use it as a ladder to escape. Another valid question would be "Rubadeh" (روباده) from the Persian epic Shahnameh with a slight difference: She uses her hair to help his lover Sām climb up to her
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It's told Tolkien modeled Lúthien in his own wife Edith

This one should be a bit tricky

Friendship

Originally Posted by Galthonviel

This one should be a bit tricky

Friendship

There are of course a lot of tales of friendship in Tolkiens works. In LoTR the whole idea of the fellowship and its members centers pretty much on friendship. Also the friendship/understanding between Frodo and Smeagol/Gollum is notable. My guess is none of these - it is the first thing that came to mind when thinking about Tolkien and friendship:

The friendship between Beleg Cúthalion and Túrin Turambar.

In my opinion that is one of the most remarkable tales of friendship in all Middle-Earth. Beleg really goes out on a limb for Túrin, but the story ends sadly for both of them, as we all know.

That is indeed a beautiful tale Gadmur, feel like re-reading it now that you brought it up.

And you were remarkably close to the answer.

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Originally Posted by Galthonviel

It's told Tolkien modeled Lúthien in his own wife Edith

"It's told" would be a huge underestimation:




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Originally Posted by Urwendil

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"It's told" would be a huge underestimation:




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Ha! Indeed, pardon me.

Originally Posted by Galthonviel

This one should be a bit tricky

Friendship

Mayhaps the first (I recall) elf-friend Hador and Fingolfin the king?

Still fairly close.

hint: wearable.

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The ring of Barahir?
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Precisely.

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I can scarcely come up with good riddles, so here's another easy one:

Oidipus
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Originally Posted by Urwendil

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I can scarcely come up with good riddles, so here's another easy one:

Oidipus
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im probably wrong,but i'll try with Turin, just cause incest is the common thing (if ur Oidipus is really Edipo in my language xD)

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I preferred the transliteration of the original Greek Οἰδίπους rather than the more common Oedipus which is the Latinized form

You're absolutely correct

The tragedy of Túrin often strikes me harder than that of Oidipus in the telling of Sophocles but such excellent interpretations as this in which we see Christopher Plummer and Orson Welles help even out
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As this thread has lain dormant for over a month, I shall take it upon myself to try and keep it from extinction.

New riddle:

Disgusting

Originally Posted by CarsontheSage

As this thread has lain dormant for over a month, I shall take it upon myself to try and keep it from extinction.

New riddle:

Disgusting

Thanks Carson, I was getting ready to do the same.

Disgusting -> the odor exuding from Shelob's lair.

I agree with Boraxxe that Shelob's lair would be a very disgusting smelling place. However, I will try an alternate solution: Saruman arranging the breeding of half-orcs, which seems quite disgusting when you think about the details.

While those are certainly both rather disgusting, neither are correct. Try looking at it slightly differently.

Originally Posted by CarsontheSage

While those are certainly both rather disgusting, neither are correct. Try looking at it slightly differently.

OK, I'll look at it differently. This will be wrong, but it's another take anyway.

If we split the clue up into 2 parts we have "dis" and "gusting".

Dis is the Roman god of the underworld and the Middle-earth equivalent is Melkor.

Gusting is wind blowing in bursts or it could mean bursts of emotion also.

So now we have strong bursts of wind blowing Melkor around.

I submit that the answer is Tulkas.

Quote from the Silmarillion; ”So came Tulkas the Strong, whose anger passes like a mighty wind, scattering cloud and darkness before it, and Melkor fled before his wrath and his laughter, and forsook Arda, and there was peace for a long age.”

Wow. I would never have even thought of looking at it like that. I don't think I'm clever enough to come up with a riddle like that. Kudos for that answer, Boraxxe.

You still aren't looking at it quite right, however.

OK, so far we have tried a disgusting location (smell), a disgusting act, and even breaking down disgusting to come up with a very unique answer. Assuming we were not on the right track with any of those, I will guess a character: Gollum. It is mentioned a few times when Frodo and/or Sam are disgusted with Gollum’s actions, eating habits, etc. It is also stated that when Frodo offers Gollum some lembas bread, Gollum is disgusted by the smell of the elves on it.

Still not on the right track, though Gollum is certainly very disgusting.

Well then, having tried a location, an act, a character, and an out of the box break-down of the word, all to be told we are not on the right track, the only other track I can think to go down is to find a disgusting object, but none spring to mind. Evil objects, sure. But disgusting…can’t think of any.

Anyone else have a different ‘track’ they can think to try?

Well, here's another bit of behavior:

From The Hobbit, 3 trolls, sitting around a campfire; "He took a big bite off a sheep's leg he was toasting, and wiped his lips on his sleeve."

Well, the Sackville-Baggins were hoping to get Bag End after the departure of Bilbo. Once they read the will, seeing the ownership would belong to Frodo, I'm sure they found that to be somewhat disgusting.



/a stretch, I know.

Disgusting can also mean loathsome, revolting or nauseous, so perhaps the fell beasts of the winged Nazgul? They were pretty disgusting.

"And behold! It was a winged creature: if bird, then greater than all other birds, and it was naked, and neither quill nor feather did it bear, and its vast pinions were as webs of hide between horned fingers; and it stank."

Galthonviel's answer is in the right general area of the books, and the more that I look at it, the closer it seems to what I'm looking for.

StrideColossus's answer isn't correct, but how he got there is close.

the name Lotho comes to mind. His name resembles loathesome, which is fairly disgusting.

Originally Posted by CarsontheSage

Galthonviel's answer is in the right general area of the books, and the more that I look at it, the closer it seems to what I'm looking for.

StrideColossus's answer isn't correct, but how he got there is close.

What about the state of Bag End when the hobbits return in The Scouring of the Shire? I haven't got the text to hand (at work!) but if memory serves the place was decrepit and full of rats, that's pretty disgusting.