Family Tree Trivia

[Urwen]

The only speculation inside the books is the Primula/Drogo deal, but that's not what it is about. Unless you count appendices?

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Urwen

The only speculation inside the books is the Primula/Drogo deal, but that's not what it is about. Unless you count appendices?

Primula and Drogo were related - they shared a great-grandparent. Didn't know it was in the text of the book though (I should've checked rather than tracing family trees!).

The question makes me think of the "fairy wife" Took legend, but I don't think it's specific enough. Tolkien at one point considered the possibility of Eol being part-Noldor, which would make him distantly related to Aredhel, but it's not an in-universe speculation.

It's not Finrod and Gildor Inglorion ("Son of Inglor" = Finrod), is it?

hS

[Urwen]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

Primula and Drogo were related - they shared a great-grandparent. Didn't know it was in the text of the book though (I should've checked rather than tracing family trees!).

That's because it wasn't. The speculation was about the drowning.

[Galadriel55]

The speculation comes from the main texts. You don't need to dig into appendices or HOME or such. For "Inglorion", it would still be the audiience speculating about the relationship to Finrod. This speculation is in the text - and as an audience, we know it to be entirely wrong. And Urwen, the speculation is about two characters being related, not about anything they did.

[Urwen]

I suspect it comes from LOTR, so time to start digging.

[Urwen]

Okay, so I found this:

'It is true all the same,' replied Gandalf. 'About their origins, at any rate, I know more than hobbits do themselves. And even Bilbo's story suggests the kinship. There was a great deal in the background of their minds and memories that was very similar. They understood one another remarkably well, very much better than a hobbit would understand, say, a Dwarf, or an Orc, or even an Elf. Think of the riddles they both knew, for one thing.'

I might be grasping at straws, though, but I won't stop trying.

[Huinesoron]

Is it Bilbo and the rabbits Gollum catches? The trolls and eagles certainly think he is one...

I feel like the 'speculation' is likely quite insulting, and possibly relating to an animal. Sort of like Treebeard saying that he thought Merry and Pip were little Orcs, but again he doesn't get specific.

hS

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Urwen

Okay, so I found this:

I might be grasping at straws, though, but I won't stop trying.

But we actually trust Gandalf's assessment that Gollum's people were likely related to hobbits. So no.

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

Is it Bilbo and the rabbits Gollum catches? The trolls and eagles certainly think he is one...

I feel like the 'speculation' is likely quite insulting, and possibly relating to an animal. Sort of like Treebeard saying that he thought Merry and Pip were little Orcs, but again he doesn't get specific.

hS

These are all very good thoughts that I haven't thought of. No, the instance I have in mind is actually complimentary, and is about two specific characters.