The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum


Visit The *EVEN NEWER* Barrow-Downs Photo Page

Go Back   The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum > Middle-Earth Discussions > The Books
User Name
Password
Register FAQ Members List Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 09-10-2014, 06:06 PM   #1
Alfirin
Shade of Carn Dûm
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 435
Alfirin has been trapped in the Barrow!
As for Thorin being buried with the Arkenstone, I've always interpreted this as being less about Thorin being able to have it through all eternity and more about acknowledging that it is better if NO ONE living has the Arkenstone; that it represents too much of a temptation not to be likely to start more squabbles in the future, that, given the bloodshed already caused, it is far better to put the thing out of everyone's reach.
As for Orchrist, why shouldn't he have been buried with it? It's his sword. He found it he claimed it. The fact it was made in Gondolin doesn't mean the Wood elves (who would be the only elves at the funeral, Elrond isn't there) have any claim to it, or that they accorded him any particular honor by not yanking it out of his cold dead fingers. It's never accounted as a royal treasure, so it's not like Dain has any claim on it either*. If he really want's a Gondolin blade, he can simply take one of the ones in the Troll cache (the Dwarves said they were planning to come back and pick up the rest of it, and I see no reason why they wouldn't once things were settled). Burying a king or warrior with his weapons is the NORMAL thing to do in ME. Had Ganadalf fallen in the battle of the five armies, there is no doubt he would have been buried with Glamdring, had Bilbo, with Sting. There's no more extra honor in the decision to bury Orchrist with Thorin than with putting Boromir's weapons and cloven hunting horn in the boat with him. They're his, so they stay with him.



*Though I do not doubt that, had the fighting in the War of the Ring ever gotten bad enough to make such a desperate action necessary (and for some reason the troll cache had been lost or destroyed), Dain might have ordered, Thorin's tomb opened and Orchrist retrieved, if he thought that a Gondolin blade, with its proven history of being particularly effective against orc-kind would be a game changer in his battles (sort of like my theory that, had the Shadow returned in later years (as Tolkien one started to write), and King Eldarion had been aware of their existence,he might have sent men to the Barrow downs to exhume them in hopes of uncovering MORE shadow killing weapons of Cardolan, in hopes hey might provide an edge in the fight)
Alfirin is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 09-11-2014, 01:32 AM   #2
Tar-Jêx
Wight
 
Tar-Jêx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Armenelos, Númenor
Posts: 205
Tar-Jêx has just left Hobbiton.
Tolkien

Interesting point about the Arkenstone.

It was probably written so it could be interpreted in any way, but still have sort of the same meaning.

I disagree that Bard was motivated by greed when in conflict at the beginning of the Battle of the Five Armies, however, as even when he had the Arkenstone, he didn't want to keep it, but instead use it as a bargaining tool, as Bilbo suggested, to get what was best for his people. Bard acknowledged Thorin's greed and tried to work with it, but Bard's diplomatic skills aren't quite as sharp as his skills as a bowman, and the tension between them rose until the goblins came and started the battle.
Tar-Jêx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-12-2014, 11:02 PM   #3
Tar-Jêx
Wight
 
Tar-Jêx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Armenelos, Númenor
Posts: 205
Tar-Jêx has just left Hobbiton.
Tolkien

Currently in the process of writing an essay on this topic. Should have it finished in a few weeks.
Tar-Jêx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2014, 06:28 AM   #4
Morthoron
Curmudgeonly Wordwraith
 
Morthoron's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Ensconced in curmudgeonly pursuits
Posts: 2,515
Morthoron is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Morthoron is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Morthoron is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Morthoron is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Morthoron is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tar-Jêx View Post
Currently in the process of writing an essay on this topic. Should have it finished in a few weeks.
Due to my prescient ability, I am currently writing a scathing rebuttal to confute your essay on this topic.
__________________
And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision.
Morthoron is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2014, 05:45 PM   #5
Tar-Jêx
Wight
 
Tar-Jêx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Armenelos, Númenor
Posts: 205
Tar-Jêx has just left Hobbiton.
Tolkien

Quote:
Originally Posted by Morthoron View Post
Due to my prescient ability, I am currently writing a scathing rebuttal to confute your essay on this topic.
Ah! A battle! This shall become very interesting within a short amount of time. I will be sure to include an opposing view to my own in my essay as to make your job more difficult.
Tar-Jêx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-13-2014, 09:57 PM   #6
Morthoron
Curmudgeonly Wordwraith
 
Morthoron's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Ensconced in curmudgeonly pursuits
Posts: 2,515
Morthoron is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Morthoron is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Morthoron is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Morthoron is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.Morthoron is a guest of Galadriel in Lothlórien.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tar-Jêx View Post
Ah! A battle! This shall become very interesting within a short amount of time. I will be sure to include an opposing view to my own in my essay as to make your job more difficult.
Ah, but I shall confound your opposing view by agreeing to your original assertions, thus assuming the points of your essay without wasting time doing the research. It is lazy....but diabolical!

P.S. Oh, by the way, I've just reached 2000 posts with one of my more pointless points.
__________________
And your little sister's immaculate virginity wings away on the bony shoulders of a young horse named George who stole surreptitiously into her geography revision.
Morthoron is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-14-2014, 02:28 AM   #7
Tar-Jêx
Wight
 
Tar-Jêx's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: Armenelos, Númenor
Posts: 205
Tar-Jêx has just left Hobbiton.
Tolkien

Quote:
Originally Posted by Morthoron View Post
Ah, but I shall confound your opposing view by agreeing to your original assertions, thus assuming the points of your essay without wasting time doing the research. It is lazy....but diabolical!

P.S. Oh, by the way, I've just reached 2000 posts with one of my more pointless points.
I don't think post milestones are really anything to care about.
Tar-Jêx is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:25 PM.



Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9 Beta 4
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.