The creature Gothmog at the Siege of Minas Tirith

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by Formendacil

Perhaps, given that naming is a creative act, and given that Tolkien denies that evil can create, there is a point being made here? Elves, the paragons of creativity, are expected to come up with new and original names, whereas Orks/Evil generally are not.

Also, even more speculatively, naming something is part of what we do to individualise people or things, part of what we do to give them unique worth. It strikes me as typical of Melkor and his ilk to not, for those very reasons, name anything. And, on that note, "Gothmog" is Sindarin, not Black Speech, so it's almost certainly a name given by either the Elves or the Dúnedain--unless Sauron was deliberately evoking the Balrog when he or the Witch-king gave Gothmog II his name.

Men seem to like to reuse names too in JRRT's work; both Aragon and Denethor are technically the second members of their lines to bear those names, though to my knowedge no one in the stories seems to call them the Second (as a bonus Denethor's father, Ecthelion is the second Ecthelion in the steward line as well). We're used to kings bearing the same names for many generations in our own real world history, so it doesn't really jump out at one as much as the Gothmog naming does. Now that I think of it, wasnt there also a Minas Tirith in the first age as well, wasn't that the name of the fortress on Tol Sirion?

[narfforc]

Originally Posted by Alfirin

wasnt there also a Minas Tirith in the first age as well, wasn't that the name of the fortress on Tol Sirion?

Yes it was built by Finrod and where he died defending Beren, Tol-in-Gaurhoth was the island when Sauron inhabited it.

[Boromir88]

Alfirin, and Fellowship Boromir was actually Boromir II. There was the Steward Boromir, who was also a famed 'warrior,' but life was ended too soon suffering a fatal blow from the Witch-King.

[Alfirin]

Originally Posted by Boromir88

Alfirin, and Fellowship Boromir was actually Boromir II. There was the Steward Boromir, who was also a famed 'warrior,' but life was ended too soon suffering a fatal blow from the Witch-King.

Oh yeah, forgot about that one. What's a bit creepy is that Boromir I is the son of Denethor I son of Ecthelion I and Boromir II is the son Of Denthethor II son of Ecthelion II. Actually Faramir's a II as well, there was a Farmir I according to the ROTK appendix (youngest son of King Ondoher, was supposed by law to stay in Gondor when his father and older brother Artamir rode off to war, but followed them in secret and was slain in battle (as were they))

[LadyBrooke]

Also Denethor and Ecthelion were elves in the first age and there was Boromir son of Boron, also in the first age. Now what did Tolkien mean about not reusing names?

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Alfirin

Actually Faramir's a II as well, there was a Farmir I according to the ROTK appendix (youngest son of King Ondoher, was supposed by law to stay in Gondor when his father and older brother Artamir rode off to war, but followed them in secret and was slain in battle (as were they))

At least Faramir II was wise enough not to follow in his predecessor's footsteps- who knows what would have happened if he had tried to go to Rivendell too?

[Galin]

Well, for clarity perhaps, Tolkien himself did not say that Elves or Men did not reuse names, and in general they did reuse them.