The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post - Legolas' and Gimli's contest at Helm's Deep

Olorin_TLA · 01-01-2004, 06:38 PM

Pre-modern warriors actually had quite a thing about counting kills.

Medieaval warriors counted how many they killed, and compared; Native AMericans scalped people to keep score and prove their braveness; Celts colected HEADS...(or, in Asterix, helmets (since nobody gets killed in war in Asterix [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ) ) it seems to have been a bravery competition in older time, a way of "proving" your manhood.

Gimli and Legolas aren;t so stupid as to try to "prove they're brave/manly" by killing, but I guess they're just trying to see who can kill the most in a light-hearted competition - isnce they know they could die in the battle, I suppose this "game" as Legolas called it after, was a way of staving off despair - note that when Legolas hears that Gimli's whereabouts are unknown, and that they hope he made it to the caves, Legolas responds that it's a shame as he wanted to tell Gimli his score! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

01-01-2004, 06:38 PM	#7
Olorin_TLA Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Gardens of Lórien, Valinor. Posts: 420	Pre-modern warriors actually had quite a thing about counting kills. Medieaval warriors counted how many they killed, and compared; Native AMericans scalped people to keep score and prove their braveness; Celts colected HEADS...(or, in Asterix, helmets (since nobody gets killed in war in Asterix [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ) ) it seems to have been a bravery competition in older time, a way of "proving" your manhood. Gimli and Legolas aren;t so stupid as to try to "prove they're brave/manly" by killing, but I guess they're just trying to see who can kill the most in a light-hearted competition - isnce they know they could die in the battle, I suppose this "game" as Legolas called it after, was a way of staving off despair - note that when Legolas hears that Gimli's whereabouts are unknown, and that they hope he made it to the caves, Legolas responds that it's a shame as he wanted to tell Gimli his score! [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] __________________ "For I am Olórin! And Olórin means me!" ELENDIL! - Join "Forth Tolkiengas!"