Ghosts, myths and legends of Middle-earth

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Bombadil. Tom Bombadil.

But Bombadil is cool, he's quite cute and sort of cuddly. I agree his singing is horrific, enough to make the ears bleed, though that's not a lot different to most of the popstars around these days, is it?

He'd probably go down a storm on the X-Factor.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Gotta admit, those Mewlips can freak you out,
JRRT seems to have a Darth Vader side!

Btw, you want scary, how about being in a
long term relationship with Ioreth!

[Morthoron]

Legolas and Gimli holding hands in a boat on the way to Valinor.

The horror.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

But Bombadil is cool, he's quite cute and sort of cuddly.

Is it possible that parenting young Alfred has got to you? You must be referring to the Bombadil toy the Tolkien children had.

Esty, I bow to your argument about the Mewlips in the Bombadil poems. They are as creepy as any boggart (exceptin' Lalwende) or spriggan or malevolent spirit in folklore, if not more so.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Esty, I bow to your argument about the Mewlips in the Bombadil poems. They are as creepy as any boggart (exceptin' Lalwende) or spriggan or malevolent spirit in folklore, if not more so.

I agree. I don't know at all where my copy of the book is right now, but I seem to recall that the "authorial conceit" was that Bilbo and/or Frodo wrote the poems in The Adventures of Tom Bombadil -- and if so, one does have to wonder what nightmare was responsible for "The Mewlips."

[Groin Redbeard]

Barrow Wights! I was reading Mist on the Barrow Downs, very late at night by candle light for extra effect. They are probably the closest thing to a ghost in Tolkien's world. I don't think that he gave any special references about spirits of people lingering around in Arda after they died.

Another thing that creeps me out is the part in the Silmarillion where Luthien and Beren guise themselves in the manner of a giant bat and a were wolf (at least I think it was a were wolf).

[MatthewM]

Indeed the scariest part of The Lord of the Rings has to be The Barrow-Downs. Just read that chapter up until Bombadil's rescue and try not to feel cold, abandoned, and just plain scared. Definitely The Barrow-Downs. There are a lot of other scary things, no doubt, such as The Paths of the Dead (the dead followed you for goodness sake) and The Old Forest. Minas Morgul and the lonliness of Shelob's Lair. All scary...but The Barrow-Downs has to take the cake for me.

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

if so, one does have to wonder what nightmare was responsible for "The Mewlips."

They're sort of like the Wights and the Dead Marshes put together, but worse.

I shiver every time I read that Mewlips thing. And you can just hear water dripping, slowly, drop by drop, cold onto bare stone, where nothing can grow.

[Elmo]

If I remember my long lost (stolen) copy of Morgoth's Ring, Elves can come back as a ghost if they refuse the summons of Mandos. I think that was why Sauron was called the Necromancer. These ghost Elves weren't nice I recall.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Is it possible that parenting young Alfred has got to you? You must be referring to the Bombadil toy the Tolkien children had.

Esty, I bow to your argument about the Mewlips in the Bombadil poems. They are as creepy as any boggart (exceptin' Lalwende) or spriggan or malevolent spirit in folklore, if not more so.

No, seriously, I think Bombadil is a cute, cuddly character! I mean, he's like a big old bear but in yellow boots and a blue coat, and sounds anything but creepy.

I'm creepy though, especially when I get up in a morning. Forget your Mewlips, you really don't want to encounter a grumpy Lalwende first thing in the morning