IHOP - The International House of Panacea

[Rumil]

Hi all,

excellent ad Alatar, can I book online?

perhaps Switzerland is the second-choice holiday destination (dunno if Elrond accepts Mastercard)

so, interesting pic of Rivendell by JRRT and explanation of its possible inspiration here-

Rivendell Switzerland

and some quotes from that site-

"not only the similarity between Tolkien's painting of Rivendell and the Lauterbrunnen, Valley, but also:
a) that Tolkien had visited Lauterbrunnen in 1911
b) that he had come down into the valley by an unusual route that extactly mirrors the rather perverse route his charaters insist on taking into Rivendell
c) That Lauterbrunnen essentially means the same as Greyflood & Hoarwell
d) That Tolkien mirrored the sound of the name Lauterbrunnen itself in the English and Elivsh names for the Rivendell river: ie Loudwater & Bruinen.

Notice the 'perverse route' into Rivendell, that was, in The Hobbit, only possible to follow by looking for small white marker stones that were often overgrown.

It seems strange that Elrond held out against Sauron's Second Age army in what is essentially a large unfortified country house in a valley. However I think there must have been some peculiarities of geography going on here, for example the cliffs dominating Rivendell being inaccessible from the 'outside' due to sheer drops or raging torrents or somesuch. Also the route into the Valley must have passed some 'choke points' where a company of good bowmen could effectively hold off an army indefinitely.

On hospitality, I think there are traditional rules in many cultures that a guest should be treated most generously, even should they be a rival or enemy. I'm sure this was heavily linked with social status, so a wandering knight might be feasted and given a seat at the lord's table, whereas a ruffianly vagabond would be given some scraps and allowed one night in the stables.

I think unrelated elves would be very welcome at Rivendell (and I'm pretty sure that Thranduil, for example, was regularly in touch with Elrond. Galadriel and Cirdan definitely were). I'd also think that the elves would have had sufficient social grace to limit their stays to a reasonable length, though I bet Elrond had a few Osanwe-ish tricks up his sleeve to give those who overstayed their welcome 'itchy feet'. In our history young noblemen often joined the household of an allied lord, partly fostering (perhaps partly as a hostage) moving on to join the Hearth-Troops of their host to gain military experience.

Meanwhile hobbits in Bree, I guess the ideal for Sam would have been to find a long-lost relative and be put-up by them. I guess otherwise some hobbits took in lodgers, or did a B&B (or as Ibrin says B&B&B&B) though with hobbit generosity it'd be like two grannies refusing to let each other pay for tea when the guest offered some payment.