Journeys discussion thread

[Rían]

Originally Posted by Eärniel

True, some -somewhat rather fundamental at times- issues Tolkien never mentioned. I'm often reminded of Elven agriculture that way. They've got to have some, but somehow the idea of Elves tending to fields and harvesting corn and hay, just doesn't ring true. It somehow doesn't quite fit with the image Tolkien created of the Elves.

Michael Martinez had a good essay on this - he had the elves of Mithlond as fisherman gutting fish in the market and other things that had to be happening, but just don't fit, somehow ... it's hard to picture elves doing laundry 'n stuff like that.

I would totally agree with this view in time of need or war. But on a leasurely trip around the 'known' world? It sounds like a very uncomfortable way of travel, especially considering Rivendell is a looong way off on foot. I could see some level of hunting/gathering, but to leave with barely the bare minimum seems so unpractical. (I tend to plan and prepare extensively for trips and such, so the idea of just winging it feels totally alien. But eh, these are Elves, not me going on a trip. I'm sure they can handle all this just fine.)

I thought of a compromise to get me over my aversion to elves and pack-horses. How about Cirdan sending some books and other things to Elrond? That would be a good reason for a pack-hor ... er, a horse-helper ...

I got the impression the Elves weren't camped too far away from the Thangorodrim at the time. But maybe Fingon took his harp along as diversion. So that when his disappearance was noticed, the Elves would say: "Naah, Fingon wouldn't go looking for trouble, he's got his harp with him, he's probably under some tree composing."

LOL! I never thought of that - his harp as cover to hide where he's going!

Why send Cirdan Lembas, the one guy in Middle-earth who's never going anywhere? Lembas isn't like birthday cookies, it's specifically designed to sustain long-time travel.

Yes, but people take off from Cirdan's place, like Gandy ... and our travellers. Maybe it's a kind of way-station for other places as well as sailing West. Or maybe the people that sail need the lembas!

Then why didn't she stuff Aragorn's pockets full with the stuff? Or do you mean he had it all along and didn't want to share? Naughty, naughty Aragorn.

Good thought - maybe they had a lover's quarrel before he left? Or maybe she just wanted to make darn sure that Gimli didn't get it?

Personally, I'd go with waybread. (Cram is, I thought, a human word, so our Elves probably didn't call it that way anyway.) There are several ways we can make Lembas for our five travellers plausible, like Willow's suggestions (I like the Gil-galad's mother idea).

How 'bout both? I seem to remember one Sil person who had an emergency pack of lembas for dire need. So they could have lots of waybread, and because of their rank/age, have a small amount of lembas.

But personally I think Lembas is over-rated, you see it everywhere, in almost every fan fic or RPG, at least one character has Lembas just like that. I'd like to be a little more original. Unless of course the majority overrules me, I'm perfectly fine with that.

Oh, I didn't know that - I guess I haven't read a lot. Waybread's fine with me, with some emergency lembas if we need to pull it out of our hats (or pockets). Is that ok, everyone?