The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum - View Single Post

Kalimac · 03-14-2002, 12:35 AM

Wasn't Frodo/Froda related to an Old English word for heroic or manly? Something along those lines anyway.

As for Kalimac (you knew I had to talk about this one [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]) I actually had wondered about that one, but I'm not sure that Tolkien intended the etymology there; Kali was plain nasty and almost a demon herself, nothing remotely admirable about her. The followers of Kali's cult were the Thugs, whose main ritual activities consisted of waylaying travelers "while making every pretense of friendship" as Fraser said, and then at a prearranged signal setting on them, killing them and stealing their goods. It's quite the opposite of Merry and Eowyn; although they do kill the Witchking as a team effort (like the Thugs) they're doing it in self-defense and had also declared their intentions openly (at least Eowyn had). It's kind of a leap from that to garroting a defenseless traveler on the sly. Didn't Tolkien give the Westron meaning of "kali" as "cheerful"? That would be a little sick if he was really playing on the Kali/kali dual meaning like that.

OTOH maybe he did do it on purpose; Merry was at least partially responsible for the death of an old and terrible being and the image of the fierce woman holding the demon's vanquished head would work for Eowyn (though how you could hold a Nazgul's head is another matter).

OK, enough lecturing. Are there any other etymologies out there? [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[ March 14, 2002: Message edited by: Kalimac ]

03-14-2002, 12:35 AM	#10
Kalimac Candle of the Marshes Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Flyover Country Posts: 780	Wasn't Frodo/Froda related to an Old English word for heroic or manly? Something along those lines anyway. As for Kalimac (you knew I had to talk about this one [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]) I actually had wondered about that one, but I'm not sure that Tolkien intended the etymology there; Kali was plain nasty and almost a demon herself, nothing remotely admirable about her. The followers of Kali's cult were the Thugs, whose main ritual activities consisted of waylaying travelers "while making every pretense of friendship" as Fraser said, and then at a prearranged signal setting on them, killing them and stealing their goods. It's quite the opposite of Merry and Eowyn; although they do kill the Witchking as a team effort (like the Thugs) they're doing it in self-defense and had also declared their intentions openly (at least Eowyn had). It's kind of a leap from that to garroting a defenseless traveler on the sly. Didn't Tolkien give the Westron meaning of "kali" as "cheerful"? That would be a little sick if he was really playing on the Kali/kali dual meaning like that. OTOH maybe he did do it on purpose; Merry was at least partially responsible for the death of an old and terrible being and the image of the fierce woman holding the demon's vanquished head would work for Eowyn (though how you could hold a Nazgul's head is another matter). OK, enough lecturing. Are there any other etymologies out there? [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] [ March 14, 2002: Message edited by: Kalimac ] __________________ Father, dear Father, if you see fit, We'll send my love to college for one year yet Tie blue ribbons all about his head, To let the ladies know that he's married.