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#1 |
Wight
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 204
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I don't think of those Bree ruffians as characters who would "freeze your heart". Somehow I mostly thought of much more evil and dangerous being from the north, for example up near Deadman's Dike. There is a reference in the Tale of Years about the time when wolves threatened the Shire and Eriador, and it is said that they are still a threat today. Others could be Orcs perhaps from the north, or Trolls. Anyway, this sort of relates to my earlier question of why so much of Eriador is deserted. The suggestion is that much of it is haunted...
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`These are indeed strange days,' he muttered. `Dreams and legends spring to life out of the grass.' |
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#2 |
Gruesome Spectre
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Heaven's doorstep
Posts: 8,039
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It seems clear there were various mailicious things roaming around the North; at least Trolls, maybe as far west as Weathertop, possibly some wolves, etc. But Aragorn's statement seems to indicate an organised settlement of evil beings of some sort, when he talks about then being 'a day's march' from Bree.
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Music alone proves the existence of God. |
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#3 | |
Wight
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 204
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Quote:
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`These are indeed strange days,' he muttered. `Dreams and legends spring to life out of the grass.' |
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#4 | |
A Voice That Gainsayeth
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In that far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 7,431
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That's an interesting topic. Anyway, as to what's been said, I think you can rule the North out: Deadman's Dike had bad reputation only because of the Breelanders' superstition. Gandalf told Butterbur that Rangers are regularly visiting the place, and he said it in a way that did imply rather a pilgrimage to a place bringing sweet memories of forgotten realm than to some haunted dungeon.
The words about "freezing one's heart", to me, imply something more than just "regular" brigands or wild animals (wolves etc.), but it could be Trolls or something like that, although I really doubt that they will be one day's march from Bree. Actually, there is this thing during Barliman's discussion with Gandalf when the Hobbits are returning home. Barliman says: Quote:
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"Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories |
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#5 | |
Ghost Prince of Cardolan
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I don't think you're supposed to fully know what the threats to Bree were. As JRRT says in one of his Letters (something like), it's the hint of barely glimpsed vistas that give verisimilitude to a tale and a created world. Even PJ's movie uses this concept to good effect in the beginning of FOTR when Bilbo says:
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Not unlike some other Tolkien throwaway comments, like the one about hobbits wandering off to have adventures and (I think) some never returning. And is it that hard to freeze Butterbur's heart? Regular brigands might do so, but I'm thinking more of something like the giant insects, etc. that unsettled Thorin and Co. in Mirkwood.
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#6 | |
Wight
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 204
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I myself did not necessarily interpret Gandalf's report of the Rangers visiting Deadmen's Dike as anything having to do with sweet memories. To me it seemed to be another part of their regular tour for the purposes of protecting Eriador. Admittedly probably not as sinister as Barliman's idea of it, which is presumably an old wife's tale, but perhaps as dangerous as other regions.
In the end, you have to go with the reports of where the Rangers were found. Somewhere close to Rivendell, one assumes, since Halbarad got the message that Aragorn needed help. Their presence close to Weathertop is also noted, since they left the firewood that the Aragorn and the hobbits found. And down near Tharbad, since they were driven off by the Nazgul. Bombadil certainly knows about them, since he talks of the Quote:
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`These are indeed strange days,' he muttered. `Dreams and legends spring to life out of the grass.' |
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#7 | |
A Voice That Gainsayeth
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: In that far land beyond the Sea
Posts: 7,431
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I assume the Rangers were simply wandering all over the former Arnor, and I see no reason to change this idea. Anyway, the thing about Fornost seems to me that it is something different. I mean: there is nobody to protect there, but it's the place of "pilgrimage" to remember the forgotten times when Arnor was still a powerful kingdom. Just like Weathertop. The Rangers also go there, as Aragorn says, and he has this half-sighing tone of "it used to be a mighty tower, now it's a pile of rock".
And as for Fornost, the way Gandalf says it: Quote:
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"Should the story say 'he ate bread,' the dramatic producer can only show 'a piece of bread' according to his taste or fancy, but the hearer of the story will think of bread in general and picture it in some form of his own." -On Fairy-Stories |
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