Hidden Nuggets we see all the time...

[Cleitanious]

Well, I bought the first half of HoME in a box set at Barnes & Noble but haven't yet searched for the second half because I'm still reading through the first....I hope I won't have any problems finding it :-S

What is it? Another unfinished writing of Tolkein, a set of Unfinished writings? A Collectin of other works put together by Christopher, something else different entirely?

[Arasilion]

It's a mixture of all kinds, really. It's been awhile since I've read the first two books of the series (Book of Lost Tales I and II), so forgive me if the details are fuzzy. The first two books are very strange, but in a good way. If you didn't know, LOTR was made so that England could have a mythology of its own, something that it has been lacking. The Book of Lost Tales I and II take this a step further by describing an Englishman that sails far from home and actually stumbles upon the Lonely Isle and is instructed by the Elves on the history of Beleriand and such. The Englishman is renamed Eriol Elfwine by the Elves and he translates their stories into Old English. Also surprising is that England is revealed to be, in alternate versions of the story, none other than the Lonely Isle abandoned by the Elves or some other piece of land near Valinor.

You also have unfinished poems and stories along with alternate versions of those that we know from The Silmarillion before it matured into what it is now. But you also have full stories such as The Fall of Gondolin. Listen to me: The Fall of Gondolin is so powerful and EPIC, that it's worth the full purchase price of the series alone. My brain must have exploded thirty times as I was reading it (but in a good way :-D )

I'm currently reading The Shaping of Middle-Earth, the fourth book of the series, so I can't help you with the following books.

[Isil0320]

I have found abebooks.com a wonderful source of inexpensive new or used books with a virtually endless array of choices. You can search by author's name and most likely have access to everything by Tolkien. Be prepared, though, it will take time to go through all the entries, since there will be multitudes of them. abebooks is a source of bookstores all over the world that carry new and used books for low prices. Heck, some of the books are less expensive than the cost of shipping. And they have rare volumes, too. Great source for the dedicated bibliophile.

Happy hunting!
Isil

[Cleitanious]

It's a mixture of all kinds, really. It's been awhile since I've read the first two books of the series (Book of Lost Tales I and II), so forgive me if the details are fuzzy. The first two books are very strange, but in a good way. If you didn't know, LOTR was made so that England could have a mythology of its own, something that it has been lacking. The Book of Lost Tales I and II take this a step further by describing an Englishman that sails far from home and actually stumbles upon the Lonely Isle and is instructed by the Elves on the history of Beleriand and such. The Englishman is renamed Eriol Elfwine by the Elves and he translates their stories into Old English. Also surprising is that England is revealed to be, in alternate versions of the story, none other than the Lonely Isle abandoned by the Elves or some other piece of land near Valinor.

You also have unfinished poems and stories along with alternate versions of those that we know from The Silmarillion before it matured into what it is now. But you also have full stories such as The Fall of Gondolin. Listen to me: The Fall of Gondolin is so powerful and EPIC, that it's worth the full purchase price of the series alone. My brain must have exploded thirty times as I was reading it (but in a good way :-D )

I'm currently reading The Shaping of Middle-Earth, the fourth book of the series, so I can't help you with the following books.

Got Lost Tales Part II from my Library

Thanks for the suggestion!

[Arasilion]

Did you buy them or merely check them out of the library?

And you're welcome :-)

And here's another tip: don't skip the introduction or the commentary provided by Christopher Tolkien. He does a FANTASTIC job helping the reader make sense of the changes of the story and what his father was thinking at the time, how it fits into LOTR and the published Silmarillion, along with other clarifications. If you decide to skip them, you miss out on half the good stuff

[Cleitanious]

Did you buy them or merely check them out of the library?

And you're welcome :-)

And here's another tip: don't skip the introduction or the commentary provided by Christopher Tolkien. He does a FANTASTIC job helping the reader make sense of the changes of the story and what his father was thinking at the time, how it fits into LOTR and the published Silmarillion, along with other clarifications. If you decide to skip them, you miss out on half the good stuff

Libraried em, they have several volumes of the illusive "History of Middle-Earth" I never noticed before. I always read ALL of the text

[MataTahu]

Oh yeah, the Fall of Gondolin is definitely worth taking the time to go get them!

I remember reading that, but I hadn't read the Silmarillion for a long time....When I went back to read Silmarillion, I was like, ###, where's Ecthelion and his fountain battle? Then I remembered I was in the wrong book...

[thinkingbear]

A question for those of you who have read some of HoME 1-5......

were the Númenoreans merely mariners, or did their vessels traverse the skies of Middle-earth as well?

[Lathspellgrey]

They were mariners, they sailed the oceans of Middle Earth and were quite the explorers and such. The only ship to sail the skies as it were was Vingilot, Earendil's ship that he had sailed to the utter west to plee for help from the Valar against Morgoth. The ship was hallowed and placed in the sky with Earendil at its helm with a Simaril on his brow. He also flew it during the great battle that destroyed much of Beleriand alongside the great eagles and Earendil slew Ancalagon the Black, who I seem to recall was the largest of all dragons in Middle earth. Now Earendil sails the skies guarding the Door of Night where Morgoth was banished beyond and can be seen from afar.

[Arasilion]

Well, I'm still reading through the HoME series, but I haven't come across any mention of sky-flying ships besides Earendil's (or the Sun and Moon). I haven't even seen mention of Numenorians yet. However, it is stated elsewhere (don't remember quite where I saw this) that the Numenorians were so skilled at sailing ships, that they sailed even so far to see the Gates of Night, which is where the Moon enters at night time and exits during the day.

[EvilDevil]

That's a nod to The Hobbit there... where the eagles rescued Bilbo, Gandalf, and the dwarves when they were up in the pine trees surrounded by orcs and wargs I believe... been a while since I read the hobbit.
Can you tell me where that is located? Would love to go check it out.

dont forget the fire, Gandalf started a forest fire!

[BlackFrances]

I just recently revisited Goblin Town after a 4 month hiatus, and believe that this painting is new to the Gollum Cave area -> I do not believe it was there before, when GT was originally released.

Recently found this while soloing in GT. Pardon if someone already found it. The thread is very..very long.

[TheGoldenSun]

Is it gollum?

[gildhur]

Is it gollum?

It's always looked to me like Gollum as he wants to picture himself, wielding the Ring with mighty power, with dozens of goblins (or people) prostrate at his feet. It's clearly him who painted the picture since the goblins wouldn't know of the Ring, which is what the gold band on the left is.

[MysterX]

Took this screenshot of the interior of a tent in Waymeet:

<img src="http://dustandshadow.org/Lhee/gallery/6_28_05_08_2_01_46.jpg" />

I wonder what the story is here.

[ilikeham49]

ok one nugget i found(i dont know if any one said this or not but..) if you go to west bree to the smith that is haveing cash problems and stole the dwarf blade look at the wall behind him go to the left to the other part on the other side. look down. and youll see a hammer. not a smithy hammer but a wepon hammer. you cant pick it up idont remember any book stuff on it. and the wargs we kill are from the hobbit in detail they look like what he wrote

[Berephon]

Took this screenshot of the interior of a tent in Waymeet:

<img src="http://dustandshadow.org/Lhee/gallery/6_28_05_08_2_01_46.jpg" />

I wonder what the story is here.

Got me on that one!

[BlackFrances]

There's a rabbit hiding in the Bird and Baby, the same room as the "inklings". Any hidden nuggest explaining this?

Hey Ho! Reading up on the Bird and Baby/Eagle and Child pub, saw this interesting post:

It has become the destination for literary pilgrimages because of its reputation as the haunt of the Inklings from 1939 to 1962. The Inklings was a writers' group which included J. R. R. Tolkien (of Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fame) and C. S. Lewis. They met there every Monday or Friday before lunch, to drink and talk, usually in an area at the back of the pub, which was then a private sitting room and is now known as the Rabbit Room. Contrary to popular impression (and also contrary to the plaque posted in the pub), the Inklings did not read their manuscripts to each other in the pub: these readings took place at evening meetings usually in Lewis's college rooms. The Inklings changed allegiance in 1962 by moving across St Giles' to the Lamb & Flag pub, but it is the Eagle and Child's Rabbit Room that attracts visitors.

My first finding of a hidden nugget not yet mentioned?? No idea, haven't made it through all 68+ pages of thread - btw best thread evah!

[dennisconrad]

While exploring the Shire a bit I found a door at the back of the Mathom House in Michel Delving. "Someone" tried to cover it with bushes:



(Very low quality so you can see the door through the bushes, the building in the background is the town hole.)

Now the style of Mathom House doesn't really fit in the Shire, you would probably think it stands somewhere in Bree if you saw it on its own, so my first idea was that the designers simply re-used a piece of graphics from Bree, likely from the Prancing Pony, as it has its own entrance for Hobbits. But no - the entrance to the Pony looks entirely different. So... why is there a door? There certainly is no room inside the house...

[TheScyphozoa]

Has anyone seen those silly hobbits at the bree north gate? One of them is stuck in the wall!! LOLOL!

[Shilling]

Took this screenshot of the interior of a tent in Waymeet:
<i>see pic above...</i>

I wonder what the story is here.

My guess is that this is just proof that the furniture hooks are placed improperly for Tent Houses. A painting on the ground? ### Turbine!?!?




(yes, I am kidding...)

[Silverlocket]

It's always looked to me like Gollum as he wants to picture himself, wielding the Ring with mighty power, with dozens of goblins (or people) prostrate at his feet. It's clearly him who painted the picture since the goblins wouldn't know of the Ring, which is what the gold band on the left is.

Yeah, that was my take on it, too. I have only seen it in screenshots, though. Can a Burglar make it to that place solo?


SL

[Silverlocket]

Took this screenshot of the interior of a tent in Waymeet:

I wonder what the story is here.

Looks like an art thief's hideout.


SL

[Khevin]

Hey Ho! Reading up on the Bird and Baby/Eagle and Child pub, saw this interesting post:


My first finding of a hidden nugget not yet mentioned?? No idea, haven't made it through all 68+ pages of thread - btw best thread evah!

I've read all the pages and I do believe you are the first to figure this nugget out. Congratulations and good find BTW.

That door on the Mathom house is odd. And just who is the sneaky snake who istrying to hide that entrance.

Those hobbits at the north Bree gate are so funny. If you stand around a bit and then read what they are saying to each other its pretty funny.

That picture in the tent is odd indeed. Is that a man or an elf it is hard to tell? And what are those letters on the ground. Could a lovely hobbit lass have a love crush on that man/elf in the picture?

[Khevin]

Yeah, that was my take on it, too. I have only seen it in screenshots, though. Can a Burglar make it to that place solo?


SL

A lvl 48-50 Burgler should be able to make it. I made it to his cave as a lvl 50 hobbit hunter. I was able to stealth through most of it though there were several places were I did have to kill the goblins in my way.