Eagle Size

webwizard333 · 06-25-2002, 04:43 PM

Just how large do you visualize the eagles in the Hobbit to be? It's little surpirse that they can carry a hobibt or a dwarf as both races are small, but they could carry Gandalf too. I think of them without their wings to be roughly the size of a horse.

Radagast The Brown · 06-26-2002, 01:52 PM

ammm...actually, I never tried to imagine how ther eagles looked like....

I think the size of them was - lets see. I thought they were smaller then what you said but now. Without the wings, they had to be as a horse or bigger, because if they would be smaller the weren't able to carry Gandalf. So I guess they were as a cow, just less fat...

webwizard333 · 06-26-2002, 02:05 PM

And minus the legs.

The Warden of the Keys · 06-27-2002, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by webwizard333
Just how large do you visualize the eagles in the Hobbit to be?

We are given Thorondor's wingspan as 30 fathoms (roughly 180 feet).

Celandine · 06-27-2002, 12:17 PM

When I was reading The Hobbit I always imagined the eagles to be huge. I imagined the wingspan would be about 200 feet.

The Warden of the Keys · 06-27-2002, 12:47 PM

The American Bald Eagle (at its largest) is 3 feet long, has a 7' wingspan and weighs 12lbs.

We know that Thorondor's wingspan was 180 feet.....

Based on that ratio (7 to 180), Thorondor's body length would have been 78 feet and his weight would have been 308lbs.

Any eagles that the Bilbo or the Fellowship saw would have been smaller than these measurements. Thorondor was the King of Eagles and called the mightiest bird that ever lived.

Radagast The Brown · 06-27-2002, 02:46 PM

Quote:

And minus the legs.

You are probably right.

Quote:

When I was reading The Hobbit I always imagined the eagles to be huge

And you were right... they were huge, if The Warden of the Keys is right.

Spock · 06-27-2002, 07:30 PM

Big birds, big birds, don't look up.

SamwiseGamgeeOTS · 06-29-2002, 04:48 PM

If any of you have seen Jurassic Park 3, then you will know what I'm talkin about. I pictured the eagles (during a re-read) about the size of the terodactils ( spelling.) B/c those where pretty large. but, if the warden of the keys is right about the 30 fathoms, then I'm gonna need to chage my image of the eagles.

The Warden of the Keys · 07-01-2002, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SamwiseGamgeeOTS
but, if the warden of the keys is right about the 30 fathoms, then I'm gonna need to chage my image of the eagles.

This is directly from the Silmarillion.....The Return of the Noldor

Quote:

Thorondor, King of Eagles, mightiest of all birds that have ever been, whose outstretched wings spanned thirty fathoms]

barrelrider110 · 07-01-2002, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Spock
Big birds, big birds, don't look up.

LOL

My thoughts precisely!

Radagast The Brown · 07-01-2002, 03:32 PM

Quote:

originally posted by SamwiseGamgeeOTS
but, if the warden of the keys is right about the 30 fathoms, then I'm gonna need to chage my image of the eagles.

I didn't imagine the eagles so big too. it looked too big to me... but if Tolkien said so, we have to agree and to "change our minds".

Ñólendil · 07-01-2002, 08:07 PM

Folks, you can't base it on First Age Eagles. Gwaihir would be a better idea. Gwaihir had a wingspan of 30 feet, which is much smaller that that of Thorondor's.

Not all the Eagles of the Hobbit need even be this large, however.

Tolkien drew an Eagle picture for the Hobbit once, it depicts the Eagle who carried Bilbo and Dori: Click here to view it.

***Khamûl*** · 07-01-2002, 11:10 PM

I've never really thought about it. I guess that I picture them with a wingspan of about 15 - 20 feet. I think that that might be large enough to carry some dwarves and a hobbit, with the largest and strongest eagle carrying Gandalf.

Radagast The Brown · 07-02-2002, 02:40 PM

Quote:

I think that that might be large enough to carry some dwarves and a hobbit, with the largest and strongest eagle carrying Gandalf.

I think that two dwarves are heavier then one Gandalf. Gandalf wasn't so heavy, he was little for a man or an elf.
now I have to imagine even bigger eagles... Do anyone know what was the wingspan of the eagles from the first age?

Christiana · 07-05-2002, 09:55 PM

Quote:

In the TA, Gwaihir the Windlord ruled over the Eagles of ME. Though he was not the size of even the least of the Eagles of the FA, by the measure of the TA he was the greatest winged being in that day.

Radagast The Brown · 07-06-2002, 03:43 PM

This mean nothing. I knew all this. I meant: do anyone knows what was the wingspan of them? how many feet?

***Khamûl*** · 07-13-2002, 12:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Radagast The Brown
I think that two dwarves are heavier then one Gandalf. Gandalf wasn't so heavy, he was little for a man or an elf.

Yeah, but in my imagination it's so much cooler to have Gandalf riding the biggest and most majestic eagle.

I don't really know what the average size was for eagles of the First Age, but according to The Warden of the Keys, Thorondor, who lived during the First Age and was the greatest of all eagles, had a wingspan of about 180 feet.

Radagast The Brown · 07-13-2002, 02:12 AM

Thorondor wasn't the greatesr eagle in the First age. He was the greatest in the third age.

And Gandalf did rode on the biggest eagle. he did rode on Thorondor, no? I think so, if I remember right.

Spock · 07-13-2002, 06:09 PM

Aerodynamics and such have no hold on works of fantasy.

06-25-2002, 04:43 PM	#1
webwizard333 Elf Lord Join Date: May 2001 Location: myob Posts: 587	Eagle Size Just how large do you visualize the eagles in the Hobbit to be? It's little surpirse that they can carry a hobibt or a dwarf as both races are small, but they could carry Gandalf too. I think of them without their wings to be roughly the size of a horse. __________________ Boo!

06-26-2002, 01:52 PM	#2
Radagast The Brown Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Israel Posts: 6,975	ammm...actually, I never tried to imagine how ther eagles looked like.... I think the size of them was - lets see. I thought they were smaller then what you said but now. Without the wings, they had to be as a horse or bigger, because if they would be smaller the weren't able to carry Gandalf. So I guess they were as a cow, just less fat... __________________ Lalala... poof! AboutNewJersey.com - New Jersey Travel and Tourism Guide

06-26-2002, 02:05 PM	#3
webwizard333 Elf Lord Join Date: May 2001 Location: myob Posts: 587	And minus the legs. __________________ Boo!

06-27-2002, 07:30 PM	#8
Spock An enigma in a conundrum Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 6,476	Big birds, big birds, don't look up. __________________ Vizzini: "HE DIDN'T FALL?! INCONCEIVABLE!!" Inigo: "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

06-29-2002, 04:48 PM	#9
SamwiseGamgeeOTS Elven Warrior Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: A quaint little hole which last time I checked was somewhere near Ohio, Middle-Earth. Posts: 165	Eagles.... If any of you have seen Jurassic Park 3, then you will know what I'm talkin about. I pictured the eagles (during a re-read) about the size of the terodactils ( spelling.) B/c those where pretty large. but, if the warden of the keys is right about the 30 fathoms, then I'm gonna need to chage my image of the eagles. __________________ "...Eragon recoiled in shock. Standing in front of him, licking off the membrane that encased it, was a dragon."

06-27-2002, 12:17 PM	#5
Celandine Elven Warrior Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Seattle Posts: 168	When I was reading The Hobbit I always imagined the eagles to be huge. I imagined the wingspan would be about 200 feet.

06-27-2002, 12:47 PM	#6
The Warden of the Keys Hobbit Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 19	The American Bald Eagle (at its largest) is 3 feet long, has a 7' wingspan and weighs 12lbs. We know that Thorondor's wingspan was 180 feet..... Based on that ratio (7 to 180), Thorondor's body length would have been 78 feet and his weight would have been 308lbs. Any eagles that the Bilbo or the Fellowship saw would have been smaller than these measurements. Thorondor was the King of Eagles and called the mightiest bird that ever lived.

07-01-2002, 08:07 PM	#13
Ñólendil Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: California Posts: 60,865	Folks, you can't base it on First Age Eagles. Gwaihir would be a better idea. Gwaihir had a wingspan of 30 feet, which is much smaller that that of Thorondor's. Not all the Eagles of the Hobbit need even be this large, however. Tolkien drew an Eagle picture for the Hobbit once, it depicts the Eagle who carried Bilbo and Dori: Click here to view it. __________________ Falmon -- Dylan Last edited by Ñólendil : 07-01-2002 at 08:09 PM.

07-01-2002, 11:10 PM	#14
*Khamûl* Slacker Warrior Admin Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Alabama Posts: 2,759	I've never really thought about it. I guess that I picture them with a wingspan of about 15 - 20 feet. I think that that might be large enough to carry some dwarves and a hobbit, with the largest and strongest eagle carrying Gandalf. __________________ "If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you." Gandalf to Pippin Psalm 107:31

07-06-2002, 03:43 PM	#17
Radagast The Brown Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Israel Posts: 6,975	This mean nothing. I knew all this. I meant: do anyone knows what was the wingspan of them? how many feet? __________________ Lalala... poof! AboutNewJersey.com - New Jersey Travel and Tourism Guide

07-13-2002, 02:12 AM	#19
Radagast The Brown Elf Lord Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Israel Posts: 6,975	Thorondor wasn't the greatesr eagle in the First age. He was the greatest in the third age. And Gandalf did rode on the biggest eagle. he did rode on Thorondor, no? I think so, if I remember right. __________________ Lalala... poof! AboutNewJersey.com - New Jersey Travel and Tourism Guide

07-13-2002, 06:09 PM	#20
Spock An enigma in a conundrum Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 6,476	Aerodynamics and such have no hold on works of fantasy. __________________ 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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