Second-guessing and Misunderstanding Tolkien

[Vorondil]

Nag, nag, nag ... 🤓
That's not quite correct, Ent is a tree-shepherd ... 😏

I bow-down in humble mortification.

 

[Olorgando]

My dear @Well-aged Ent , being more than half-way through my re-read of HoMe vol. X (following re-reads of vols. IV and V), I fully realize that names in JRRT's world are liable to frequent change. But is that a thing to be emulated? It may be a major source of misunderstanding even for dedicated bookworms ...

 

[Ent]

Sir @Olorgando of Curmudgeon fame.. here is my story and I’m sticking to it.
I came aboard initially under an assumed Human name. I’d never been on a Forum before, but liking what I saw here in a very Hasty review after the disasters of some Facebook pages and previewing a couple other Forums, I joined thinking I needed to be human.

Within a week, a certain well-intentioned Admin changed me to Well-Aged Enting.
This reflected my knowledge and understanding of Tolkien at the time.
After awhile, having learned at least his name and his sons, it was time to grow to The Enting.
Soon it was followed by Enting, and then Ent as I learned more.

I have come to understand at last, in the world of Tolkien there is a book called The Hobbit, one called The Lord Of the Rings, and one called The Silver-Ilian.(or something similar.)

So at last, it’s time to transition again… to Well-aged Ent.
I know the name changes are dramatic and difficult to follow.
I can only hope Members of the Forum will be both understanding and forgiving as they struggle with the associated difficulties.

 

[Olorgando]

Sir @Olorgando of Curmudgeon fame.. here is my story and I’m sticking to it.

At least every iteration included the same three-letter monosyllable ... 🤓
But what of your "passport-photo"? 🤔

p.s. I suppose everything's fine, unless you decide to change to {something} Huorn {something} ... 😱

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

No link, as I'm sure it was a troll question (well, almost sure -- nothing is 100% sure on the Internet), but from Reddit:

"Why couldn't the moth take the Ring to Mordor?"

And now, for those masochists who enjoy such things, from the deepest catacombs of TTF:

https://thetolkien.forum/threads/stupidest-things-non-tolkien-fans-have-said-about-lotr.5410/

 

[Ent]

Wow. Quickly read a few posts/a couple pages of your great dredge out of the catacombs.
I do think I saw one person actually try to provide an answer for the OP's question asked.
But it was pretty well drowned out by the rest of the posts, which were just....stuff.
Thanks for.... well.... thanks. (i think.)

 

[Olorgando]

Wow. Quickly read a few posts/a couple pages of your great dredge out of the catacombs.

I actually went through all 31 pages ...
... in the late single digits I thought "good thing that breathing is controlled by the automated part of the brain!"
...
...
...
...
... roughly around the half-way point the thought crept up "is that really a good thing?" 😈

 

[Radaghast]

If Arwen’s necklace makes Aragorn immortal, then why did Arwen have it considering she was naturally immortal? Also, where did she get the necklace from and do all elves have those?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I actually went through all 31 pages ...
... in the late single digits I thought "good thing that breathing is controlled by the automated part of the brain!"
...
...
...
...
... roughly around the half-way point the thought crept up "is that really a good thing?" 😈

To be fair, if you checked some profiles, you'd have seen that most of the posters in that thread were in their early-to-mid teens back then. A few weren't even "TTF-legal" by today's rules -- though I don't know when that took effect. It was before "members-only posting".

Wild times. 😄

 

[Olorgando]

To be fair, if you checked some profiles, you'd have seen that most of the posters in that thread were in their early-to-mid teens back then. A few weren't even "TTF-legal" by today's rules -- though I don't know when that took effect. It was before "members-only posting".

Wild times. 😄

I wasn't referring to the actual posters in that thread. They were reporting what non Tolkien fans were blathering about. Hardly likely that any of those would show up here. I've been shaking my head for decades at people running off at the mouth about things where you notice after half a sentence, a whole sentence max, that they don't have the foggiest notion about a topic.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

Ah, OK, I misunderstood your point.

There were some pretty silly posts in there, though, I think you'll agree. 😁

 

[Ugluk]

Even the authors had stated the JRRT's works were one of their biggest source of inspiration, I don't what's their deal

Or role playing games, which I think is the only fantasy some of these people have ever encountered....

 

[Ent]

I have to confess: This thread just gave me some GREAT assistance.
"How?" you might ask. (or not.)

I just got another of those completely inane scam emails into my queue. I was momentarily pondering whether scammers could "really think people could be this dumb."

Then, I remembered this thread.

Thank you for reminding me...oh yes they can!

 

[Radaghast]

And the Stupid Question of the Day award goes to...

Why didn't Gandalf call the Eagles to kill Smaug?

 

[Radaghast]

Runner-up...

Did Gandalf kill Drogo and Primula?

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

I did like the succinct answer.

 

[Deimos]

Can you mods make this into a medal-like badge?
Just imagine being awarded it .... it would impart 100 times the stigma that the Curmudgeon Badge carries.

And just for the record, I'm not at all embarrassed by my Curmudgeon Badge.
There's only been two, count 'em, TWO awarded, in a forum that has hundreds of members.
We two distinguished recipients inhabit rarefied heights indeed. 😁

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

We're glad you're proud of your Grump badge! 🙂

But TTF's philosophy is generally "No stupid questions", so creating a badge is doubtful.

 

[Ent]

We two distinguished recipients inhabit rarefied heights indeed.

I must ponder whether this is rarefied heights, or unfortunate depths.
Personally I’ve not considered the badge one for aspiration.
The really great news: we’re all different, and each is rewarded according to who they determine themselves to be.

(Determine themselves highlighted, because I don’t believe in the ‘victim mentality’ but in the ‘determined choice’ of each person to be precisely who they are. But I philosophize, sorry.)

 

[Deimos]

I must ponder whether this is rarefied heights, or unfortunate depths.
Personally I’ve not considered the badge one for aspiration.
..

You are obviously suffering from "Grump Badge Envy", but also living in Egypt (the Land of Denial), in that you are hindered from admitting your true desire to ascend the aforementioned rarefied heights.
Therefore you speak disparagingly of our illustrious station.
I direct your attention to Aesop's ancient fable The Fox and the Grapes... (nihil sub sole novum)