The Hobbit - Chapter 04 - Over Hill and Under Hill - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

mormegil · 02-13-2006, 02:27 PM

My problem isn't that they are singing it's the actual song they are singing. It's too light, too whimsical for orcs/goblins. It sounds reminscant of the elves singing in Rivendell.

Another thing to note is that Bilbo understood what was sung. So these goblins were specifically singing in the common toungue. This is interesting because Tolkien points out later that they couldn't understand the Warg toungue, with the exception of Gandalf. Also in LotR we note how Tolkien takes the time to explain that though the orcs from different clans have different languages they speak the common toungue with each other and thus Merry and Pippin could understand them. Now what does this mean? To me it indicates that it wasn't just ritious singing and reveling on the goblins part but singing such riduculous things to their captives was on purpose and to be frank this is one of the reasons I don't enjoy The Hobbit as much.

02-13-2006, 02:27 PM	#13
mormegil Maundering Mage Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Texas Posts: 4,651	My problem isn't that they are singing it's the actual song they are singing. It's too light, too whimsical for orcs/goblins. It sounds reminscant of the elves singing in Rivendell. Another thing to note is that Bilbo understood what was sung. So these goblins were specifically singing in the common toungue. This is interesting because Tolkien points out later that they couldn't understand the Warg toungue, with the exception of Gandalf. Also in LotR we note how Tolkien takes the time to explain that though the orcs from different clans have different languages they speak the common toungue with each other and thus Merry and Pippin could understand them. Now what does this mean? To me it indicates that it wasn't just ritious singing and reveling on the goblins part but singing such riduculous things to their captives was on purpose and to be frank this is one of the reasons I don't enjoy The Hobbit as much. __________________ “I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo. "So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”