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doug*platypus · 02-06-2003, 05:51 AM

Judging from past Guy Fawkes' Days (sorry to the Americans out there for any obscurity), fireworks would be the perfect weapon to use against an eye!

I've always wondered how exactly Gandalf did make his fireworks. Tolkien referred to his fireworks as one of his innate abilities as an Istar and as the holder of Narya (the Ring of Fire), the Kindler. The FOTR movie seemed to portray them as something like fireworks in our world, although the fact that Gandalf can send one shooting off the back of his cart for the kids hints at something special.

The other (or possibly the only) use of gunpowder in the books is by Saruman at Helm's Deep. Devilry of Orthanc, they call it, and rightly enough. Chivalrous knights like Aragorn and Éomer would have been none too keen to see the development of gunpowder. It is a technology which is shown as having evil connotations. For the good guys to use it would undermine their credibility - they may as well have just used the Ring.

02-06-2003, 05:51 AM	#11
doug*platypus Delver in the Deep Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Aotearoa Posts: 960	Judging from past Guy Fawkes' Days (sorry to the Americans out there for any obscurity), fireworks would be the perfect weapon to use against an eye! I've always wondered how exactly Gandalf did make his fireworks. Tolkien referred to his fireworks as one of his innate abilities as an Istar and as the holder of Narya (the Ring of Fire), the Kindler. The FOTR movie seemed to portray them as something like fireworks in our world, although the fact that Gandalf can send one shooting off the back of his cart for the kids hints at something special. The other (or possibly the only) use of gunpowder in the books is by Saruman at Helm's Deep. Devilry of Orthanc, they call it, and rightly enough. Chivalrous knights like Aragorn and Éomer would have been none too keen to see the development of gunpowder. It is a technology which is shown as having evil connotations. For the good guys to use it would undermine their credibility - they may as well have just used the Ring. __________________ But Gwindor answered: 'The doom lies in yourself, not in your name'.