trolls and light

The Wizard from Milan · 01-13-2006, 10:24 PM

We learnt in the Hobbit and it is repeated in the LotR that trolls turn to stone when the sun rises if they are caught into the light.
Yet when the Fellowship is attacked in the Chaber of Marzabul, sun is shining directly on Balins tomb from the shaft and the troll is breaking through anyway until Frodo stabs him/her/it

Curubethion · 01-13-2006, 10:44 PM

Hmm...first of all, I think that the sunlight requirement would have been full, direct sunlight-such as full daylight. So the shaft of light, which might not have directly hit him, might not have done much. Also, perhaps there had been some degree of adapatation. In the LOTR Movie "Weapons and Warfare of Middle-Earth" book, there was mention of a stony crust forming on the cave troll. Perhaps this was the extent of "Stonification"?

katya · 01-14-2006, 01:56 AM

There was a question like this in that crossword puzzle...

Spock · 01-16-2006, 04:47 PM

IT WAS A MOVIE......the light source could have been a kleg lamp

Landroval · 01-19-2006, 01:14 PM

There are, apparently,many races of trolls; in the "Black gate opens" chapter, there is mentioning of mountain trolls, half-trolls and hill-trolls (and there also are the Olog-hai, the great Trolls who appeared at the end of the Third Age). In letter #153 to Peter Hastings, Tolkien comments that:

Quote:

I am not sure about Trolls. I think they are mere 'counterfeits', and hence (though here I am of course only using elements of old barbarous mythmaking that had no 'aware' metaphysic) they return to mere stone images when not in the dark. But there are other sorts of Trolls beside these rather ridiculous, if brutal, Stone-trolls, for which other origins are suggested.

To conclude, I would say that not all trolls turn to stone.

The Wizard from Milan · 01-19-2006, 08:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spock

IT WAS A MOVIE......the light source could have been a kleg lamp

Nope, it is in the book too, and the book esplicitely says 'sunlight from shaft'

Spock · 01-19-2006, 08:25 PM

well even 'a shaft' is a narrow beam.........thus I'll have to agree with those before that it wasn't enough sunlight to do real damage.

The Wizard from Milan · 01-19-2006, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Landroval

There are, apparently,many races of trolls; in the "Black gate opens" chapter, there is mentioning of mountain trolls, half-trolls and hill-trolls (and there also are the Olog-hai, the great Trolls who appeared at the end of the Third Age). In letter #153 to Peter Hastings, Tolkien comments that:

To conclude, I would say that not all trolls turn to stone.

Very interesting, thanks!

01-13-2006, 10:44 PM	#2
Curubethion Fenway Ranger, Lord of Red Sox Nation Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: College! Posts: 1,976	Hmm...first of all, I think that the sunlight requirement would have been full, direct sunlight-such as full daylight. So the shaft of light, which might not have directly hit him, might not have done much. Also, perhaps there had been some degree of adapatation. In the LOTR Movie "Weapons and Warfare of Middle-Earth" book, there was mention of a stony crust forming on the cave troll. Perhaps this was the extent of "Stonification"? __________________ Adventure...betrayal...heroism... Atharon: where heroes are born. My wife once said to me—when I'd been writing for ten or fifteen years—that I could always go back to being a nuclear engineer. And I said to her, 'Harriet, would you let someone who quit his job to go write fantasy anywhere near your nuclear reactor? I wouldn't!' (Robert Jordan)

01-14-2006, 01:56 AM	#3
katya Elven Maiden Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 3,309	There was a question like this in that crossword puzzle... Last edited by katya : 01-14-2006 at 02:24 AM.

01-19-2006, 08:25 PM	#7
Spock An enigma in a conundrum Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 6,476	well even 'a shaft' is a narrow beam.........thus I'll have to agree with those before that it wasn't enough sunlight to do real damage. __________________ Vizzini: "HE DIDN'T FALL?! INCONCEIVABLE!!" Inigo: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

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01-13-2006, 10:24 PM	#1
The Wizard from Milan Elven Warrior Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 421	trolls and light We learnt in the Hobbit and it is repeated in the LotR that trolls turn to stone when the sun rises if they are caught into the light. Yet when the Fellowship is attacked in the Chaber of Marzabul, sun is shining directly on Balins tomb from the shaft and the troll is breaking through anyway until Frodo stabs him/her/it

01-16-2006, 04:47 PM	#4
Spock An enigma in a conundrum Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 6,476	IT WAS A MOVIE......the light source could have been a kleg lamp