LotR -- Book 1 - Chapter 11 - A Knife in the Dark

[Boromir88]

I am finally back from my long, wonderful vacation to Lake Tahoe. Anyway...

Encaitare

There's the one definition of stride, which is just to walk at a fast pace. But think about it; when someone walks at a stride they're feeling pretty confident,

Aragorn back in Chapter 10 comes off as a confident man to me. He pulls out the Shards of Narsil, explains himself, and about the sword, which showed me he was "confident" in becoming the King of Gondor.

Also Mark your quote with Butterbur and Aragorn I think also forshadows what is to come to Bree. Butterbur realizes things aren't right and it's only about to get worse, as we get into the closing chapters we find much evil has happened in Bree.

I also think there are comparisons/similarities between Maggot, Bombadil, and Butterbur. I believe the reason for why Maggot acted the way he did, with the whole defying of the riders, was because he actually met Bombadil. And from Bombadil learned people will live in the Shire after all the Hobbits are gone. Maggot learned from Bombadil that there is a much bigger world out there then The Shire, and that is why Maggot acted the way he did with the Black Riders. When I think of Maggot and Butterbur, I picture two pudgy men. Maggot offers his home to the hobbits, and gives them food, lets them rest, and defies the Black Riders. Butterbur is an innkeeper, he has the hobbits stay in Bree, gives them food rest, and like Maggot, defies the Black Riders. So, I think there are definately parallels between Maggot and Butterbur.

Also, I wanted to know about Gandalf's nickname for Butterbur, Barley. When I think Barley, I think wheat-food, there you have it Butterbur an innkeeper.

The poem of Gil-galad is one of my favorites. Just saying "Gil-Galad was an elven-king, of him the harpers sadly sing...his sword was long his lance was keen," I mean just saying that makes me want to sing it in the Gulligan's Island tune. You know "Gulligan a sailor's...." whatever can't remember the rest.