The Black Arrow used by Bard the Bowman to kill Smaug?

Horders fear me ... - It's victim, Smaug, was a hoarder.

My final battle I have seen - Smaug's attack on Laketown was its last battle.

My enemies' weakness discovered - Bilbo discovered Smaug's weak spot, which was coinveyed to Bard via Thrush messenger and it hence became the Black Arrow's target.

This time I do not recover / For as my enemy dies / with him I lie - The Black Arrow lies with Smaug's remains at the bottom of the Long Lake.

of course sir:smokin:

Thank you Morsul. :)

Next up ...

My first may be felt but cannot be touched.
My second is fed but tastes nothing much.
My third are your opposites, so you might say.
My fourth is what’s done at the start of the day.

To find me complete, I suggest that you trace
The deeds of the one in the Ringbearer’s place.

Old man Willow?

He feels threatening...
He "feeds"
third something about Tom Bombadil
and then the hobbits wake up...?

No, not Old Man Willow.

Just thinking aloud...

Can be felt but not touched: some kind of feeling like fear, hunger, cold, warmth, etc.

Is fed but has no taste: ambition, curiosity, desire, fire?

Your opposites: thumbs (your opposable digits).

Done at the start of the day: wake, rise.

The one in the Ringbearer's place: one of the residents of Bag End, I suppose. Perhaps Sam, who worked there. His deeds... he was a gardener.

So... "Warm fire thumbs awake" -- nah, that's not it. Not a description of gardening, anyway. Sam warming his hands by the fire? :confused:

Nah, it doesn't sound that bad, Mugwump. Personally I had no idea when I saw the riddle and didn't feel like starting to think about something deeply for an hour. However, why not to make a little brainstorming, as long as it may give anybody a hint.

Your conclusions here made me think of Gaffer, for that matter. He was warming his hands by the fire, but that was in the Scouring of the Shire - when it comes to that, nobody says that the answer itself has anything to do with the Ringbearer at all. I didn't get it if the "one" is supposed to be "the one" (whom we know from somewhere before, for example from the first four hints) or if it is a new one, who is defined only by being "one in the Ringbearer's place". Which could be Bilbo, Gandalf, Frodo, also basically any silly Sackville-Baggins or young hobbit knocking on the floor, or even a Dwarf. (For that matter, even though I think the place is supposed to be Bag End, nobody says the Ringbearer needs to be Bilbo/Frodo. But most likely it is.)

Also, the initial impression I have is that we get something (four first letters?) from the start and we need to complete it with the rest.

Somehow, Samwise could fit there, but not completely. Once again the question is if the final answer is related at all to the riddle's theme (but it probably should).

No time to give it much thought, but some parts of that riddle makes me think of Fatty Bolder.

His fear is felt, hunger is fed etc. obviously in the ringbearer's place in Crickhollow. But I'm shooting from the hip here mind you...

Oh, you are all so close, particularly Mugwump, but you are not quite there yet ...

Well, I'm stumped; there's no more to go on. How about a wee hint: Is it a person, place, thing, action/activity, or a saying? Or something else?

Yes, it's one or more of those things. :p ;)

Take a look at some of the words that you came up with and then combine them with skip's ideas ...

Fear! Fire! Foes! Awake!

I can't really take credit for this though. Most of the heavy lifting had been done.

Aha, a direct quote from the text! I would never have gotten that. Good work, Lalaith!

Bingo!

Although I kind of like Mugwump's alternative ... "Warm! Fire! Thumbs! Awake!" :D

Well, heavy lifter or not, Lalaith, you get the credit for finding the answer, so the thread is yours. :)

This is probably too easy for you clever people. Sorry.

One is black and nine are white,
Unloved as she that gives us sight
Furtive in darkness, your secrets we spied
Cursed and remembered, unfinished we hide.

It is indeed*. The Cats of Queen Beruthiel. Sorry too;).
*But nicely rhymed nevertheless!

EDIT: Aarrgh! Just looked it up and saw that nine were black and one was white! Which of us got it wrong?

In that case, my guess is a negative of a photo of the Cats of Queen Beruthiel! :cool:

That will teach me to try to set riddles late at night.
1. Preposterously easy
2. Wrong

Nine are black and one is white is how that first line should have gone....

Does that mean I've solved it? Or should we say Mugwump has, as his answer fits the riddle as originally posted?

Don't be silly -- you're the winner, Pitchwife!

Thank you sir, may we have another! ;)

bump... Pitchie You're up I believe as Mugwump relinquished the thread to you

Yes, yes... I just need a little time to think...

OK, let's try this - short and easy, as my riddles tend to be.

Daggers wrenched from owner's hold
Dearer bought than jewels or gold
Seed of hatred, gift of scorn
Still we sting, a wreath of thorn

Bee stingers?

Barrow Wight Blade?

The knife Angrist?

Daggers wrenched from owner's hold - Beren took it from Curufin's hand
Dearer bought than jewels or gold - He won it, but Curufin's arrow struck him in the chest
Seed of hatred, gift of scorn - Curufin cursed Beren after he (Beren) took the knife
Still we sting, a wreath of thorn - It tore a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown (the 'wreath of thorn')

If that's not right I don't know what is Good Job!

None of the above, sorry. (Although Lottie's solution would have been very neat - but it's daggers, plural.)

No new answer for nine days? And I thought this was easy...:confused: Legate, Might, Rumil - where are you?
Anybody want a hint?

Oh go on then... ;)

Having more or less finished work and Xmas shopping...

Cool riddle by the way PW, I'm hoping its a little metaphorical...

Daggers wrenched from owner's hold - dangerous items taken from their owners (hold being hands or caverns I guess)
Dearer bought than jewels or gold - more valuable indeed
Seed of hatred, gift of scorn - caused much trouble, poisoned gifts
Still we sting, a wreath of thorn - still causing heartache

So is the the seven rings of the Dwarves?

All reclaimed by Sauron, very valuable, caused dissention and conflict by increasing the dwarven gold-lust and given by Sauron in hope of corrupting the wearers, still causing trouble by contributing to Balin's doomed re-occupation of Moria.

Or not?

Rumil may well have it. But, if not, his answer prompted a thought in my head, so if my arrow meets its mark, I have him to thank.

The Teeth of Scatha, the Dragon?

Daggers wrenched from owner's hold - Sharp as daggers, they were prised by Fram from the dead Dragon's mouth.
Dearer bought than jewels or gold - Purchased by the slaying of a Dragon.
Seed of hatred, gift of scorn - Scatha's hoard was the source of dispute between Fram's people and the Dwarves of the Grey Mountains and Fram's scornful gift to them of the Teeth prompted war.
Still we sting, a wreath of thorn Hmm, not sure about this one. Possibly, it refers to Fram's death at the Dwarves' hands.

Hi Saucie,

great to see you back!! I think you must have the right of it, sounds a much better answer to me, waiting or PW to confirm.

I haven't read this bit about Scatha the Worm in an age, is it in UT or elsewhere?

All the best

R

Sokath, his eyes uncovered!
 

Oops - wrong mythology.
Anyway, Saucepan Man has it, it's Scatha's teeth (from LotR Appendix A II, Rumil) - and very nicely explained, too! As for the stinging bit, my thought was that Fram's gift stung the Dwarves' pride, metaphorically speaking, but Fram's death is another valid connotation; and wreath of thorn was meant as a metaphor for the necklace made of the teeth.
Well done, SpM - the thread is yours!

I want to join.

Can I write a new riddle?

Hi Urwen, welcome to the Downs, and I'll hope you'll enjoy yourself being dead!
The usual procedure 'round here is that whoever solved the last riddle gets to post the next, but as SpM has been silent for nearly two months, I'd say the thread is up for grabs, so if you want to, take it. I suggest you just repost your riddle here instead of creating an extra thread for it - or post another one, as you like it.

Here's my riddle:

Three were we
reduced to none
the first one
was slain alone
the second one
was slain for thing that shone
the third one
forever was gone.

Nice riddle, couldn't come up with anything smart so far, but I'll keep looking. :D

Elvorama
 

Hi Urwen,

welcome to the Downs!

It's been a bit slow on Riddles recently, hasn't it. Hopefully we can get people going with a few guesses.

Ok, not sure this is the answer, many possibilities!

Three were we - The three elven ambassadors to the Valar
reduced to none - in Middle Earth
the first one
was slain alone - Finwe, slain by Morgoth
the second one
was slain for thing that shone - Elwe (Thingol), slain for the Nauglamir (Silmaril)
the third one
forever was gone. - Ingwe, stayed in Valinor, so forever gone from Middle Earth

So Finwe, Elwe, Ingwe, are my guesses

Yes,they are the answer. Go on.