Sport in Middle-Earth - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

The Silver-shod Muse · 08-12-2002, 09:17 AM

I don't think that there's much reference to games and sport in LotR because of the times: the Dark Lord is rising, threatening to consume all of Middle Earth, the free peoples are scrambling to accrue armies and throw up defences, the attention of the wise is bent on the East, where the last hope is journeying deep into enemy territory on a "fool's mission". The focus is on the monumental and pivotal. All in all, not the time to play a friendly game of darts on a Sunday afternoon.

I imagine that there may be references in the HoME books, but as I haven't read most of those yet, I'm afraid that I can't help much there.

It's easy enough to picture the Hobbits playing games. What sports did Bilbo provide at his eleventy-first birthday?

[ August 12, 2002: Message edited by: The Silver-shod Muse ]

08-12-2002, 09:17 AM	#3
The Silver-shod Muse Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: The shoulder of a poet, TX Posts: 388	I don't think that there's much reference to games and sport in LotR because of the times: the Dark Lord is rising, threatening to consume all of Middle Earth, the free peoples are scrambling to accrue armies and throw up defences, the attention of the wise is bent on the East, where the last hope is journeying deep into enemy territory on a "fool's mission". The focus is on the monumental and pivotal. All in all, not the time to play a friendly game of darts on a Sunday afternoon. I imagine that there may be references in the HoME books, but as I haven't read most of those yet, I'm afraid that I can't help much there. It's easy enough to picture the Hobbits playing games. What sports did Bilbo provide at his eleventy-first birthday? [ August 12, 2002: Message edited by: The Silver-shod Muse ] __________________ "'You," he said, "tell her all. What good came to you? Do you rejoice that Maleldil became a man? Tell her of your joys, and of what profit you had when you made Maleldil and death acquainted.'" -Perelandra, by C.S. Lewis