Tolkien Jeopardy!

[Erionor]

What was the Music of the Ainur? (It took place before Time began, from which Ea, the material Universe, was created.)

Almost there; looking for an individual...

[Rielthiere]

Who is Eru, the creator?

[Erionor]

Who is Eru, the creator?

You got it - the jeopardy stick (or lebethron staff ) is yours!

[Rielthiere]

thanks!


an easy one: the wearer of luck

[Boraxxe]

thanks!


an easy one: the wearer of luck

Who is Bilbo Baggins?

While he was riddle-speaking to Smaug, one of the titles Bilbo gave to himself was "Luckwearer".

[Rielthiere]

Who is Bilbo Baggins?

While he was riddle-speaking to Smaug, one of the titles Bilbo gave to himself was "Luckwearer".

exactly right!

the stick is yours

[Boraxxe]

exactly right!

the stick is yours

OK, next one:

This person's name could be rendered "Climbing-vine Sufficient".

[Boraxxe]

OK, next one:

This person's name could be rendered "Climbing-vine Sufficient".

OK, this one may be tough beyond the pale.

She is only mentioned in the LotR Appendix.

She may be related to our own Bingo Boffin (by marriage).

[Wolfhelm]

Who was Ivy Goodenough (Boffin)?

[Boraxxe]

Who was Ivy Goodenough (Boffin)?

That's it!

I'll try to more obscure next time....grin.

Your turn.

[Wolfhelm]

That's it!

I'll try to more obscure next time....grin.

Your turn.

Founded early in the first age, this Elf-realm stood for almost four centuries.

[Boraxxe]

Founded early in the first age, this Elf-realm stood for almost four centuries.

What is Doriath?

The Hidden Kingdom, The Fenced Land.

[Wolfhelm]

What is Doriath?

The Hidden Kingdom, The Fenced Land.

Doriath was established during the Years of the Trees, not in the First Age.

Very close though

[Erionor]

What is Gondolin?

"Fenced" in by mountains and near-impossible to find?

[Wolfhelm]

What is Gondolin?

"Fenced" in by mountains and near-impossible to find?

Correct!!

It was established (circa)116 of the First Age, and was the last of the great Elf-realms of Beleriand to fall in 510 of that age.

All yours Artilleryman

[Erionor]

Correct!!

It was established (circa)116 of the First Age, and was the last of the great Elf-realms of Beleriand to fall in 510 of that age.

All yours Artilleryman

Great!

Let’s see if anyone else has read the same book I’ve been reading:

They were inspired by a Shakespearean plot device Tolkien didn’t like...

[Wolfhelm]

Great!

Let’s see if anyone else has read the same book I’ve been reading:

They were inspired by a Shakespearean plot device Tolkien didn’t like...

I recall reading some years ago how much Tolkien loved this line in Shakespeare: “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.”

Tolkien imagined walking trees marching in line, but was bitterly disappointed when Shakespeare had soldiers with leaves in their hair pretending to be trees. This apparently inspired Tolkien to invent Ents and Huorns, to do real justice to the idea of an army of trees.

So my answer is, Who are Ents?

[Erionor]

I recall reading some years ago how much Tolkien loved this line in Shakespeare: “Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill shall come against him.”

Tolkien imagined walking trees marching in line, but was bitterly disappointed when Shakespeare had soldiers with leaves in their hair pretending to be trees. This apparently inspired Tolkien to invent Ents and Huorns, to do real justice to the idea of an army of trees.

So my answer is, Who are Ents?

You got it! Easier than I thought. The following is from Humphrey Carpenter's biography of Tolkien:

“... teaching of English literature. This subject scarcely featured in the curriculum, and when taught it was confined chiefly to a study of Shakespeare’s plays, which Ronald soon found that he ‘disliked cordially’. In later years he especially remembered ‘the bitter disappointment and disgust from schooldays with the shabby use made in Shakespeare of the coming of “Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane hill”: I longed to devise a setting by which the trees might really march to war.' ”

Take the stage, Mr Wolfhelm.

[Wolfhelm]

Take the stage, Mr Wolfhelm.

Thanks Artilleryman.

Ok, on a similar note, Tolkien also (reportedly) based another of his characters on a Shakespearean villain. Once again it was his dissatisfaction with a plot device that Shakespeare used to prophesise the demise of said villain that caused Tolkien to come up with a much more satisfying and fitting end.

Who is that character and which Shakespearean villain is he/she based on. Bonus points for giving the plot devise connecting the two.

[Polymachos]

Now that one is tricky. But the hints 'villain, prophesy of his demise, and a more elegant version' make me think.

Who is Eowyn?

If I am right, he took the MacBeth theme, where the protagonist - according to the witches - would not be killed by someone who is born by a woman. This made him believe that he was invulnerable, yet this person (MacDuff) existed. MacDuff was not born (the natural way), but cut from his mothers womb, by a caesarean operation.

Tolkien would have turned this motive into the famous 'I cannot be killed by a man' theme, which turned out to provide insufficient safety for the Witch King of Angmar, because he was killed by a combo of a Hobbit and a woman.


Greetings, Polymachos

[Wolfhelm]

Now that one is tricky. But the hints 'villain, prophesy of his demise, and a more elegant version' make me think.

Who is Eowyn?

If I am right, he took the MacBeth theme, where the protagonist - according to the witches - would not be killed by someone who is born by a woman. This made him believe that he was invulnerable, yet this person (MacDuff) existed. MacDuff was not born (the natural way), but cut from his mothers womb, by a caesarean operation.

Tolkien would have turned this motive into the famous 'I cannot be killed by a man' theme, which turned out to provide insufficient safety for the Witch King of Angmar, because he was killed by a combo of a Hobbit and a woman.


Greetings, Polymachos

The character I was looking for was the Witch King of Angmar himself, not his killer, but I have to admit my clue was a little convoluted, and your reasoning was correct almost to the letter, so I'm going to pay Eowyn as the correct answer.

The riddle-stick is yours Polymachos

[Polymachos]

Âlright, let's try something.

This one is, as far as I know, not mentioned in LotR, but another text. It provided a temporary path from Aman to Middle Earth, which cost many lives.


Greetings, Polymachos

[Wolfhelm]

Âlright, let's try something.

This one is, as far as I know, not mentioned in LotR, but another text. It provided a temporary path from Aman to Middle Earth, which cost many lives.


Greetings, Polymachos

What is Helcaraxe (The Grinding Ice)?

[Polymachos]

Correct. It is your turn again.


Greetings, Polymachos

[Wolfhelm]

Correct. It is your turn again.


Greetings, Polymachos

Sorry about the delay, I went away for the weekend and had quite forgotten about our puzzles.

Ok, according to one old hobbit, this is an insult guaranteed to anger an arachnid.