Picked up my copy today for a re-read and spotted a little gem that sparked a small amount of discussion on the old fac-e-book. It's a small point but may be slightly amusing.
The Dwarves, upon arrival, are expecting food. Balin and Dwalin are having cakes and tea and beer and the rest come along for more, including scones and so on. Now, the Dwarf famous for his love of food, or at least the consumption of it in vast and unhealthy quantities, is, of course, Bombur. However, take a look at what he requests...
Quote:
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Originally Posted by An Unexpected Party
"And pork-pie and salad!" said Bombur
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My first thought was that this was a joke on Tolkien's part. He's already established that Bombur is fat and after a long list of food from the other dwarves it is this fat one that asks for the salad - the healthy option. Albeit with some pork pies. Can't be too healthy I suppose.
But perhaps there is more to this? Were salads considered healthy in medieval times, or not? Do Dwarves have different notions of healthy foods? Or did Bombur simply not stick to his diet and this is why he ends up requiring teams of young dwarves to lift him to the dinner table by the time of the Lord of the Rings?
A small point, I know.
