Gimli's forgetfulness? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

The Mouth of Sauron · 03-21-2014, 05:54 AM

At Helm's Deep Gimli tells Eomer: "till now I have hewed naught but wood since Moria". And yet when Boromir died Legolas told Aragorn that he and Gimli had killed many Orcs around Parth Galen.

Explanation?

William Cloud Hicklin · 03-21-2014, 06:36 AM

Yep, a slip. Even Homer nods occasionally.

Mithalwen · 03-21-2014, 06:37 AM

People do forget things, or an uncorrected typo, or maybe gimli grabbed them from behind while. Legolas slit their throats

William Cloud Hicklin · 03-21-2014, 06:41 AM

Or maybe Gimli was being a bit disingenuous with the "we" part, when really he was just trying to catch up while shield-surfing Leggy mowed 'em down with his machine-bow.....

Mithalwen · 03-21-2014, 06:46 AM

Snork... more seriously, surely an axe ia more of a melée weapon and less suited to the stealth that hunted suggests. Could be a sniper spotter arrangement save that a dwarf's eyes aren't going to improve on an elf's. So yep WCH is probably right. At best Gimli held Leggy's coat and covered his back.

Inziladun · 03-21-2014, 04:25 PM

The actual quote from Legolas was:

Quote:

'We have hunted and slain many Orcs in the woods.'

Maybe both hunted, Legolas did the slaying, and he just didn't want to be pedantic.

That, or Gimli thought Orcs were made of wood.

Belegorn · 03-21-2014, 04:42 PM

Gimli's a damnable liar! Never trust a Dwarf.

Morthoron · 03-21-2014, 04:48 PM

Gimli's forgetfulness? Pipeweed induced.

jallanite · 03-21-2014, 04:50 PM

This is a well-known discrepancy. See http://www.google.ca/search?q=till+n...iw=904&bih=507 for numerous comments.

It has not been corrected because mostly Christopher Tolkien and Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull have only corrected discrepancies where the change is minor. Wayne G. Hammond and Chistina Scull mention in “NOTE ON THE 50ᵀᴴ ANNIVERSARY EDITION” in current publications of Fellowship:

But those inconsistencies of content, such as Gimli’s famous (and erroneous) statement in Book III, Chapter 7, ‘Till now I have hewn naught but wood since I left Moria’, which would require rewriting rather than than simple correction, remain unchanged.

William Cloud Hicklin · 03-22-2014, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Inziladun

That, or Gimli thought Orcs were made of wood.

Well, Eomer's Riders did burn them.....

But more than that- you can build a bridge out of them! "Driven onward in madness, they.....bridged the dike with their dead."

But to my knowledge nobody ever conducted an Orc/duck weigh-off

Mithalwen · 03-25-2014, 04:11 PM

But has anyone tried to float an orc? Are they waterfunks like the Nazgûl?

Belegorn · 03-26-2014, 11:24 AM

They don't sink like Hobbits.

03-21-2014, 05:54 AM	#1
The Mouth of Sauron Wight Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Barad-Dur Posts: 196	Gimli's forgetfulness? At Helm's Deep Gimli tells Eomer: "till now I have hewed naught but wood since Moria". And yet when Boromir died Legolas told Aragorn that he and Gimli had killed many Orcs around Parth Galen. Explanation?

03-21-2014, 06:36 AM	#2
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,301	Yep, a slip. Even Homer nods occasionally. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.

03-21-2014, 06:37 AM	#3
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,916	People do forget things, or an uncorrected typo, or maybe gimli grabbed them from behind while. Legolas slit their throats __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace

03-21-2014, 06:41 AM	#4
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,301	Or maybe Gimli was being a bit disingenuous with the "we" part, when really he was just trying to catch up while shield-surfing Leggy mowed 'em down with his machine-bow..... __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.

03-21-2014, 06:46 AM	#5
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,916	Snork... more seriously, surely an axe ia more of a melée weapon and less suited to the stealth that hunted suggests. Could be a sniper spotter arrangement save that a dwarf's eyes aren't going to improve on an elf's. So yep WCH is probably right. At best Gimli held Leggy's coat and covered his back. __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace

03-21-2014, 04:42 PM	#7
Belegorn Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Henneth Annûn, Ithilien Posts: 462	Gimli's a damnable liar! Never trust a Dwarf. __________________ "For believe me: the secret for harvesting from existence the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment is - to live dangerously!" - G.S.; F. Nietzsche

03-21-2014, 04:48 PM	#8
Morthoron Curmudgeonly Wordwraith Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Ensconced in curmudgeonly pursuits Posts: 2,528	Gimli's forgetfulness? Pipeweed induced. __________________ And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision.

03-21-2014, 04:50 PM	#9
jallanite Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Toronto Posts: 479	This is a well-known discrepancy. See http://www.google.ca/search?q=till+n...iw=904&bih=507 for numerous comments. It has not been corrected because mostly Christopher Tolkien and Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull have only corrected discrepancies where the change is minor. Wayne G. Hammond and Chistina Scull mention in “NOTE ON THE 50ᵀᴴ ANNIVERSARY EDITION” in current publications of Fellowship: But those inconsistencies of content, such as Gimli’s famous (and erroneous) statement in Book III, Chapter 7, ‘Till now I have hewn naught but wood since I left Moria’, which would require rewriting rather than than simple correction, remain unchanged. Last edited by jallanite; 03-21-2014 at 04:58 PM.

03-25-2014, 04:11 PM	#11
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,916	But has anyone tried to float an orc? Are they waterfunks like the Nazgûl? __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace

03-26-2014, 11:24 AM	#12
Belegorn Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Henneth Annûn, Ithilien Posts: 462	They don't sink like Hobbits. __________________ "For believe me: the secret for harvesting from existence the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment is - to live dangerously!" - G.S.; F. Nietzsche