The Gift of Speech

[burrahobbit]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

The Hobbit and LotR but also the Silm with both of them. So I do feel that, if one is to be treated as presenting the 'facts' about a particular period in Middle-earth's history, then the others should (in the absence of any inconsistencies) be treated in similar fashion.

Truly, but there do seem to be certain inconsistencies, in relation to each other and with the Real World that they are explicitly set in, though in a fictional and more magical time period. In the real Real World swords don't talk. How can the two be reconciled? The certain strived for "realness" and the pure fantasy of talking things? A reasonable idea or two has come up in the topic (houseless spirits) but there are some others that could be put forward (see THE DRUEDAIN in UT).

noncomprehensive list of Things that talked:
eagles
thrush
gurthang
Ring
spiders
fox (thought)
trolls
William's purse
orcs

You may think that orcs is a strange addition to that list, but it goes right to the point of the topic. What is it that let's a Thing talk?