Personally I'm very curious on how some of you started here (though, I could probably find out myself, but this way it's much better).
Six: Now, Six! Judging from this post, it should've been
you playing the young fanboy/Tolkien geek in the last WW...
Lommy: Wow, what an... (seeks a good word)
unexpected start from you... (at least from my point - I wonder now, this is for the second time I see you speaking of MERP in the last day - and never seen you speaking about that before - I never knew you had anything to do with it..?)
Well, to my first post - many of you will probably still remember it, but I'll post it here... (I pondered for a moment if I should post it or just link, since it's quite long, but then I said to myself that if I sent just a link, it might cause it to be skipped by potentional reader, so here it is.) Like Lommy, I started a
thread in the Books with it (and in contrary to Lommy's, the matter was not completely solved yet!):
Quote:
About Saruman and the Shire
Hi there, I just have one question which I'd like to get answered. I don't seem to figure the answer out by myself, so I'd be happy if you offer any assistence  The topic is: When actually did Saruman start to care for the Shire? And, (continuingly) when did he start to smoke?
The thing is (to what I have come so far, up to now), according to Appendix B in LotR, Saruman started to watch the Shire regularly from 2953 TA on (the last White Council meeting). He appointed spies there and so on. This corresponds with the second text in Unfinished Tales (About Gandalf, Saruman and the Shire) where it is said that he started to visit (or appoint others to visit) the Shire "before the shadow of uncertainity fell on that land and it was scarcely guarded..." (which would start around 3000, when the Shire was more guarded by the Rangers).
But nowhere it's said he couldn't have started to care of the Shire earlier in 2953, let's say, for example once or twice visited it in secret (as he did later, before he appointed spies) - perhaps to check out "what does that Gandalf see on that no-mans-land?" or to buy some of the Ol'Tobby  In the text about Gandalf, Saruman and the Shire (UT) there is that story of Saruman seeing Gandalf smoke - and talking about it - on the 2851 White Council meeting. But in Appendix B there is no word (and it seems very unlikely) that Saruman started to act in the Shire right after. But...
...the thing is, the first text from "About Gandalf, Saruman and the Shire" seems (at least to me) not to be narrative, but explaining: there is not distinct chronology in the text. But there are parts which confuse me:
"...when Saruman noticed Gandalf's love for the pipe weed (...) he tried it himself and soon he started to use it..." (sorry I'm translating back to English, I don't have the original) It seems to me, that Saruman first tested it some shord period after he saw Gandalf - which would be in 2850, right? (or short after) What do you think then? Did it take until 100 years later that he started to operate in the Shire, or perhaps until then he visited the Shire by himself once or twice, and obtained something to smoke? But if he did, wouldn't he smoke it regularly, and so start to require regular supplies? (according to UT: "...for this, the Shire continued to be important for him..." Again, sorry for the quotations, they are attempts to translate back to English since I don't have them in original, so maybe I even misinterpretated something because of translation  )
But anyway, anyone any opinions about that? Any suggestions welcome.
|