Tolkien trivia: how deep does your knowledge go?

[DavidLC]

For fellow Tolkien devotees, here are some questions that test beyond the surface. I've been putting together a collection and some of these tripped me up badly.
How old was Aragorn when he was crowned King? 87. The Dunedain live far longer than ordinary men. He made it to 210. Most people guess somewhere around 40 because Viggo Mortensen looked about that age in the films.
What's the Elvish word for "friend" that opens the Doors of Durin? Mellon. But here's what catches people: the inscription isn't a riddle at all. "Speak, friend, and enter" just means say the word "friend." Gandalf overthinks it for hours before Merry figures it out.
Who actually killed Smaug? Not Bilbo. Bard the Bowman of Lake-town, with a black arrow forged by the Dwarves of Erebor. Bilbo found the weak spot in Smaug's diamond waistcoat and told the thrush, who told Bard. So Bilbo gets the assist, but Bard gets the kill.
And one that stumps even hardcore fans: how many rings of power were made? Most people say 20 (three, seven, nine, one). That's correct for the count, but the Three were made by Celebrimbor alone, without Sauron's direct hand. They were never touched by him. That's why they don't corrupt their bearers the same way.
What was Gandalf's name in Valinor? Olorin. He had different names everywhere he went. Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkun among the Dwarves, Incanus in the South.

What Tolkien question do you think most fans get wrong?

 

[Amalcarin]

Here is a quiz from me that I think may be challenging even for those with decent knowledge of the books.
1. What were the only four metals that had cognate names in all Eldarin languages?
2. In how many languages did Eärendil pronounce his plea before Manwë?
3. Which Eldarin loremaster developed the phonetic classification of Quendian consonants?
4. What was the self-proclaimed title that Fëanor took in token of his possession of the Silmarils?
5. Which race of the Incarnates is said to have never harboured animals?
6. What was the proper Quenya name for the fleet of Elendil?
7. Which Eldarin loremaster is credited as the author of the word menel?
8. What kind of animals gave the name to Rhovanion?
9. Where did the seven stars on the emblem of Elendil and his house originate from?
10. What Quenya phrase is said to have been the usual formula used in greeting?
11. Which dialect of Sindarin did Beren speak?
12. What was the name used to refer to all the Elves of Beleriand allied in the War of the Jewels?

 

[Ricardo]

hmmm, they are tough

1) No idea
2) I think 2?
3) Rumil?
4) can't remember
5) Ents?
6) no idea
7) no idea
8) no idea
9) weren't they made by Varda?
10) don't know the spelling, meia gobana melanin?
11) No idea
12) don't know. I think the exiles but that only applies to the noldor.

 

[Amalcarin]

hmmm, they are tough

1) No idea
2) I think 2?
3) Rumil?
4) can't remember
5) Ents?
6) no idea
7) no idea
8) no idea
9) weren't they made by Varda?
10) don't know the spelling, meia gobana melanin?
11) No idea
12) don't know. I think the exiles but that only applies to the noldor.

Spoiler: Answers

1. Iron, copper, gold and silver (The Peoples of Middle-earth, p. 366).
2. Four: Sindarin, Quenya and the Mannish tongues of Hador and Bëor (The Peoples of Middle-earth, p. 370).
3. Rúmil (Parma Eldalamberon 18, p. 30).
4. The Lord of the Lights (Concerning... “The Hoard”, p. 9)
5. Dwarves (The Peoples of Middle-earth, p. 323 n. 29)
6. Rámannerte “ship-ennead” (Parma Eldalamberon 23, p. 142).
7. Quennar (Parma Eldalamberon 21, p. 84).
8. Sindarin rhovan, “a large beast, especially applied later to the great red deer of the Vales of Anduin and western Mirkwood” (Parma Eldalamberon 23, p. 136).
9. The seven stars on the emblem of Elendil “originally represented the single stars on the banners of each of seven ships (of 9) that bore a palantír” (The Lord of the Rings: A Reader’s Companion, p. 436).
10. (Hara) máriesse “(stay) in happiness” (Parma Eldalamberon 17, p. 162).
11. Northern (The Peoples of Middle-earth, p. 369, p. 372 n. 6).
12. The Dúnedhil (The War of the Jewels, pp. 378, 386).

 

[TokingTolkien]

Here is a quiz from me that I think may be challenging even for those with decent knowledge of the books.
1. What were the only four metals that had cognate names in all Eldarin languages?
2. In how many languages did Eärendil pronounce his plea before Manwë?
3. Which Eldarin loremaster developed the phonetic classification of Quendian consonants?
4. What was the self-proclaimed title that Fëanor took in token of his possession of the Silmarils?
5. Which race of the Incarnates is said to have never harboured animals?
6. What was the proper Quenya name for the fleet of Elendil?
7. Which Eldarin loremaster is credited as the author of the word menel?
8. What kind of animals gave the name to Rhovanion?
9. Where did the seven stars on the emblem of Elendil and his house originate from?
10. What Quenya phrase is said to have been the usual formula used in greeting?
11. Which dialect of Sindarin did Beren speak?
12. What was the name used to refer to all the Elves of Beleriand allied in the War of the Jewels?

Thank you for humbling me... I don't know half of it half as well as I should like; and I know less than half of it half as well as it deserves

 

[Amalcarin]

One more question that I should have certainly included, but did not think of at that time:

13. Which letter of the Fëanorian alphabet was called “the ill-omened letter”?

And I may share more questions here in the future if something new comes to mind.