The Black Squirrel of Mirkwood. - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Nerwen · 10-21-2010, 07:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Me

Also... you're not suggesting we're about to be visited by the chat... you-know-what?

How meta.

I really don't get what you're talking about. If you mean that I've reported this thread, then no, I didn't. I don't even know how to do this yet.

These forums are haunted by a vicious monster known as the Chat Squirrel (or Skewrl, to some). Beware!

Estelyn Telcontar · 10-21-2010, 10:10 AM

Two thoughts I'd like to share:

1. Tolkien needn't have seen or even known of real black squirrels to write about them - this is fantasy, remember, and the forest that went dark would naturally have animals that went dark as well. Weren't there black butterflies too?

Yes, I just looked Mirkwood up in the Hobbit, and Tolkien describes

Quote:

a kind of "purple emperor", a butterfly that loves the tops of oak-woods, but these were not purple at all, they were a dark dark velvety black without any marking to be seen.

So if he could change the colour of butterflies to suit their surroundings, he could easily do the same with squirrels.

2. The "skwerlz" are various warning pictures that I have used when necessary to remind posters of proper forum behaviour. Since members have been quite good about staying on topic for the most part, I haven't needed any recently. Here they are, just for your enjoyment:

Estelyn Telcontar · 10-21-2010, 10:11 AM

...and here are the rest:

These delightful images were created by The Barrow-Wight Himself.

Pitchwife · 10-21-2010, 12:20 PM

ad 1. Oh, but there actually are black butterflies; see e.g. here. No idea though whether any of these occurred in Britain in Tolkien's lifetime.

ad 2. Oh yes, the Green Squirrel, fiercest of all variants, feared by the forces of darkness. When Mirkwood was cleansed after the War of the Ring and became Eryn Lasgalen again, it repopulated its ancient haunts in the forest and drove the Black ones out, scattering them all over the rest of Middle-earth... or so the rumour goes

.

10-21-2010, 10:11 AM	#3
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	...and here are the rest: These delightful images were created by The Barrow-Wight Himself. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

10-21-2010, 12:20 PM	#4
Pitchwife Wight of the Old Forest Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Unattended on the railway station, in the litter at the dancehall Posts: 3,329	ad 1. Oh, but there actually are black butterflies; see e.g. here. No idea though whether any of these occurred in Britain in Tolkien's lifetime. ad 2. Oh yes, the Green Squirrel, fiercest of all variants, feared by the forces of darkness. When Mirkwood was cleansed after the War of the Ring and became Eryn Lasgalen again, it repopulated its ancient haunts in the forest and drove the Black ones out, scattering them all over the rest of Middle-earth... or so the rumour goes. __________________ Und aus dem Erebos kamen viele seelen herauf der abgeschiedenen toten.- Homer, Odyssey, Canto XI