#tolkien lore

From the Facebook page: Tolkien's Amazing Middle Earth: The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion

ÉOWYN, LADY OF THE SHIELD-ARM

"Not by the hand of man was the Lord of the Nazgul doomed to fall, and in that doom placed his trust. But he was felled by a woman and with the aid of a halfling, and I heard the fading of his last cry borne away by the wind."

- Gandalf (The War of the Ring, HoME vol. 8 )

Art by Dmitry Sivakov

But I would draw your attention to an interesting tidbit from The Return of the King. Aragorn comes into Minas Tirith, without yet revealing his full identity, to heal the many injured after the battle. It's specifically noted that he was accompanied by the sons of Elrond, and together they worked long into the night.

That strikes me as interesting. Almost one could extrapolate from the little lore on Elladan and Elrohir that these twins were kinda violent people, craving vengeance on the orcs. Yet there must have been something that preserved their healing powers. It's not directly stated that they inherited their father's abilities in that area, but it seems implied.

So if the sons of Elrond can be fierce warriors and yet also healers, it leads one to wonder how it all adds up. Did they retain a measure of healing abilities but compromise them by their participation in violence? Was the belief of the Eldar just a theory or a bit of folklore? And if it was an incorrect belief, what other things did they believe that weren't completely accurate and correct?

Something I don't think I've ever seen discussed in the Silm fandom is that Nerdanel must have had skills in painting as well as sculpting. I mean, the History of Middle-Earth says people often mistook her sculptures as real people, and, well... I don't think I'd ever mistake an unpainted white marble statue for a real person, no matter how realistically it was carved. Realistically, they would have most likely been painted. Statues in real life were often painted in antiquity anyway, and the paint was worn off or forcibly removed over time.

And yet, I don't believe I've ever seen fanart or anything of Nerdanel painting her statues, and her works are typically in plain white marble. But I think it would be really cool to show how she has a masterful understanding of color as well as 3D space.

Where did the Hobbits get the glass for their windows?

now I’m not going to say that Hobbits are incapable or unwilling of making their own glass, but from the vibe they give I don’t imagine there being all that many glass workers in Hobbiton.

so, is this mentioned anywhere in books or other media? did they receive it in trade with the other races? do Dwarves make the glass? or is it the Men?

"O master dear, will you not hear my voice before we die?"

That last stanza! 💔

Did you know Tolkien wrote an earlier version of Sam’s song in the Tower of Cirith Ungol that is more angsty?

I like how the song shifts toward the version we know, turning grief into stubborn hope instead.

The eventual last lines become:

"above all shadows rides the Sun

and Stars for ever dwell:

I will not say the Day is done,

nor bid the Stars farewell."

Stark contrast to "will you not hear my voice before we die", right? 💀