View Single Post
Old 04-17-2004, 08:22 AM   #186
mark12_30
Stormdancer of Doom
 
mark12_30's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June under the stars
Posts: 4,407
mark12_30 has been trapped in the Barrow!
Send a message via AIM to mark12_30 Send a message via Yahoo to mark12_30
Tolkien Gypsies, or what-did-Tolkein-Call-them...

Nuru,

What an interesting idea. I'm not aware that Tolkien ever mentioned "gypsies" as such; perhaps because (if I recall correctly) gypsies were originally a particular strain of nationality...? I seem to connect them vaguely with the Hungarians somehow, not sure if that is correct.

However, Tolkien spoke plenty about wanderers, loners, and nomadic sorts of people. Roads were dangerous, and not just because of the trolls.

The Rohirrim generally strike me as a clannish people. But you could develop a case for the Rohirrim way out on the fringes of Rohan (beyond Fangorn!) being more separated from Rohirric society, and absorbing a little more culture from everyone who comes their way-- elves, dwarves, Gondorians, and... whoever. They'd have a variety of songs, woundn't they?

I'll go check my indexes (indices, only it sounds funny) and see what I can find.

Letters: No mention of Gypsies; Wanderers: one mention (unexplained) of Wainriders. I googled it; Here's what this page says about Wainriders:
Quote:
Wainriders
The Wainriders were a confederation of Easterling tribes who were united by their hate of Gondor, fueled by the dark lord Sauron. Following the Great Plague which weakened Gondor, they started their attacks in 1856 (T.A.), defeating the Gondorian army and killing king Narmacil II. They rode in great wagons and chariots (which gave them their name), and raided the lands of Rhovanion, destroying or enslaving its people. Gondor gradually lost all of its possessions east of Anduin to them. The thirtieth king of Gondor, Calimehtar son of Narmacil, defeated the Wainriders at the plain of Dagorlad, buying some rest for his land. However the Wainriders struck back in 1944, allying themselves with the Haradrim of Near Harad and the Variags of Khand. They managed to kill king Ondoher and all his heirs, but instead of riding on to Minas Anor and taking the city, they paused to celebrate. Meanwhile, general Eärnil of Gondor's southern army had defeaten the Haradrim, and rode north to defend his king. He came too late to rescue Ondoher, but managed to totally defeat the Wainriders. Eärnil was crowned king. After this defeat the might of the Wainriders was broken, and they retreated east. They still held Rhovanion, but never troubled Gondor again. It later turned out that their attacks were staged by Sauron, and allowed him to reclaim Mordor while Gondor's watch was diverted.
Interesting; sounds quite gypsy-ish. I wonder if a few of their ancestors still lingered in Mirkwood around Dol Guldor, and perhaps mingled with the folk across the Anduin. Now, that really might make them outcasts!
From the same page:

Quote:
Balchoth
The Balchoth were a fierce race of Easterlings, who attacked Gondor while under orders of Dol Guldur. In 2150 they overran the plains of Calenardhon and almost destroyed the army of the Ruling Steward Cirion, but were defeaten by the Éothéod under Eorl the Young. Like the Wainriders they rode in chariots and wagons, and they may have been descendants of this people.

Variags
The Variags were the people of Khand, and they first appeared in the West in 1944 of the Third Age, fighting alongside the Wainriders. They later appeared during the battle of the Pelennor Fields. Little was known about them, but they appeared to be a race of horse-men much like the Rohirrim, although they were fiercely loyal to Mordor.
Either way, I *love* the idea of songs floating past on the breeze. Very, very nice.

You know... my husband's computer has a microphone on it, too... (glances at her pennywhistle lying next to the keyboard.) Disk storage, we need disk storage.
__________________
...down to the water to see the elves dance and sing upon the midsummer's eve.

Last edited by mark12_30; 04-17-2004 at 08:59 AM.
mark12_30 is offline