Physiques

[Kuruharan]

...lets be honest about it, if one is ponderously overweight it tends to inhibit one's battle prowess just a bit.

While I would probably enjoy reading the saga of James the Morbidly Obese as he waddled about the field of glory during the Battle of Hind Quarters...my enjoyment of it would probably not be based on the heroic achievements of our rotund hero.

And what Mithalwen said.

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by skytree

I guess Tolkien's idea or image of a powerful warrior was tall and athletic like Elendil.

In modern fighting, like MMA or Boxing, size and weight certainly is an advantage, but only up to a certain point. A champion heavy-weight boxer typically weighs in at around 90-100 kilos (190-220 lbs) and is almost never heavier than 115 kilos (255 lbs). Beyond that point the added power that comes with weight is overcome by the loss of mobility and stamina that also comes with the weight.

I would assume that this is also true when it comes to armed battle, man to man; perhaps even more so. Big is good, but too big is a problem.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by skip spence

Big is good, but too big is a problem.

It's not sumo wrestling.

[Galin]

Here's some (of my) ideas on relative tallness with respect to the period of the War of the Ring (the Numenoreans will have dwindled from 1150 TA when 'halfling' was coined). Please quibble if you like! I haven't set them all in stone for myself.

Good guys and bad guys

Hobbits: between 3 and 4 feet (Bullroarer and other notable hobbits excepted)

Dwarves: about 4 feet high at least (JRRT, late note)

Lesser orcs (snaga-types): 3.5 feet to 4.5 feet

Uruks: 4.5 to 5.5 feet and above -- that is, say a 5 foot 8 to 5 foot 10 inch Uruk being exceptionally huge for an orc (the 'huge' Orc-chieftain in Moria was almost 'man-high')

Gandalf: '... even bent must have been at least 5 ft. 6... Which would make him a short man even in modern England, especially with the reduction of a bent back.' (JRRT, late note)

Men in general, and Goblin-men or 'half-orcs': around 5 feet 10 to 6 feet, or 'man-high' (but not according to the measure of the Dunedain and the Men of old)

Men of high Numenorean lineage (includes Boromir): 6 feet 4 or 'man-high' according to the measure of the Dunedain and the Men of old. Includes Galadriel as well, and arguably Celeborn too.


The Rohirrim: '... were generally shorter, for in their far-off ancestry they had been mingled with men of broader and heavier build. Éomer was said to have been tall, of like height with Aragorn; but he with other descendants of King Thengel were taller than the norm of Rohan, deriving this characteristic (together in some cases with darker hair) from Morwen, Thengel's wife, a lady of Gondor of high Númenórean descent.' (Unfinished Tales)

I assume this means shorter than man-high according to the measure of the Dunedain -- but also I note what is said here of Éomer compared to text published years before: 'Éomer was like his fathers before him; but Éowyn was slender and tall, with a grace and pride that came to her out of the South from Morwen of Lossarnach, whom the Rohirrim had called Steelsheen.' (Appendix A) Éomer was Éomund's son of course, and Morwen's blood is traced through Théodwyn. I think 'his fathers before him' refers to Éomund's line (noting too that Théodwyn's father is Thengel, Morwen's husband). And seemingly in comparison -- interestingly, with mention of her physique -- it is rather Éowyn who gets noted traits from Morwen.


Aragorn: at least 6 foot 6 (noted by JRRT in reaction to an illustration)

Eldarin men: no less than 6 foot 6, and taller for some kings and leaders (noted by JRRT in reaction to an illustration)

Eldarin women: seldom less than 6 feet (noted by JRRT in reaction to an illustration)

Thingol, Turgon, and Argon seem be the tallest of the Children of Eru, despite that the Numenoreans, at their peak, were very tall of course. Maedros is nick-named the Tall, as well as Elendil -- but for Elendil there appears to be two variant (IMO) late descriptions regarding just how tall he was.





For the Eldar I chose a late note where Tolkien reacts to an illustration made by Pauline Baynes -- over another late description in Of Dwarves And Men where the Eldar appear to be generally taller. I have no real evidence as to which text came after the other, so my choice is rather based on my opinion: that I think one description better allows for more of Tolkien's late statements to fit together.

Compared to the height of Eldarin men noted above, for example, Of Dwarves and Men notes that: 'They were called 'Halflings'; but this refers to the normal height of Men of Numenorean descent and of the Eldar (especially those of Noldorin descent), which appears to have been about seven of our feet.'

[Firefoot]

Originally Posted by Galin

Aragorn: at least 6 foot 6 (noted by JRRT in reaction to an illustration)

Eldarin men: no less than 6 foot 6, and taller for some kings and leaders (noted by JRRT in reaction to an illustration)

Eldarin women: seldom less than 6 feet (noted by JRRT in reaction to an illustration)

Compared to the height of Eldarin men noted above, for example, Of Dwarves and Men notes that: 'They were called 'Halflings'; but this refers to the normal height of Men of Numenorean descent and of the Eldar (especially those of Noldorin descent), which appears to have been about seven of our feet.'

Anyone want to play some basketball?

[Galin]

The Eldar did not play basketball, because they could not stand anything 'foul'.

Ahem. sorry.

[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Galin

The Eldar did not play basketball, because they could not stand anything 'foul'.

Sure they did. Nobody could ring a three-pointer like ElRond.

I always thought Gandalf to have been around "average" height for Men in Middle-earth, say about 5'11.

[blantyr]

Originally Posted by Galin

The Eldar did not play basketball, because they could not stand anything 'foul'.

I would think they could play, they would just have to play very conservatively in order to avoid violating any rules.