Notions that dispel a lot of the romantic ideas in Middle-Earth

[doug*platypus]

Interesting point, Lyta! It goes in, but it never comes out seemingly! Tolkien's frequent mentioning of food and drink (not just for the hobbits, either) is one of the most endearing qualities of the book, I think. All used very thoughtfully, as well. You are what you eat in Middle-Earth, and there's plenty of discussions in the forum on the topic. Orc food is horrible, nasty stuff for instance, because so are Orcs, not just physically but morally and spiritually as well.

But it seems a shame that the other end of business never gets a mention. I don't know about the rest of you, but I always feel especially cleansed after a good dump. It's a fact of life and nothing to be embarassed about. I'm sure the wall at Helm's Deep probably reeked of urine by the end of that battle, and I can't see any harm in mentioning that to add to the realism of the story. But then, Tolkien's writing just isn't in that style. I don't think it matters much either way.