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Second-guessing and Misunderstanding Tolkien
Had to update the title of this thread because it's not always the questions that are off.

Question: Who is the Necromancer in The Hobbit?

Answer:
This answer got 141 upvotes 😖
 
The random, chaotic firing of synapses.
 


This was the fox that passed by Frodo and Sam and Pippin their first night in the Green Hill country, and (talking to itself) thought three hobbits sleeping out of doors was odd.

OK... to answer the question: They didn't, you moronic fugitive from the sandbox. It's the author taking the POV of the fox. It's fantasy, it's a bit of light-heartedness on the part of the author. And btw, not meaning to overwhelm your peanut size brain, Sponge-Bob isn't a real person, either.
 
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Actually, if one takes JRRT's pose as translator of The Red Book of Westmarch seriously (ahem ... 😬), the question is quite reasonable.

Story-external I'd guess this authorial intrusion is a residue of The Hobbit, for which JRRT at this point was still struggling to write a sequel.
 
I don't follow you.... well sort of.... maybe... but the question (as I saw it) was hinged on "the Hobbits" i.e., These Three Particular Hobbits.
If the question had been presented as "How could Hobbits have known..." I [probably] wouldn't have gone off like I did.
And if that is the way you saw the question (applying to all Hobbits' common knowledge) , then your answer does make sense.

Folks need to phrase their questions clearly ...
"I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."
 
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I agree and I think I can see why Tolkien left it in. Thematically, it marks the end of the "kid stuff" and the beginning of something serious.
 
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Deimos said:
And it came about when Deimos read these words, that he tore his garments and shaved his head, and went about despondently.
And he put on sackcloth and fasted, and he lay many days and nights in sackcloth.
Click to expand...
What about adding: 'And there was wailing and gnashing of teeth, and dust and ashes where cast upon heads'
 
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