A hundredth re-read of the LotR - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

alatar · 10-20-2008, 01:36 PM

Speaking of the Nazgul, why does everyone after the hobbits' example call them 'the Black Riders' and yet know that these are 'THE' Black Riders? Hasn't any other group of humans ever ridden garbed in black? Had the Nazgul always ridden thus?

When Frodo and the hobbits meet with Gildor and the elves, everyone speaks of the Black Riders like the words have only one universal meaning. It's as if they are saying 'dragons' - a specific threat of known form. But the words black riders are too generic to carry the same specificity.

What if Frodo et al had called them the 'Saddled Snufflers?' Would Gildor have been taken aback at hearing that the snufflers rode again?

And speaking of sniffing, why does Tolkien via mostly Pippin make such a big deal that the creatures hunt by smell, and yet later on this becomes a pretty boring detail?

10-20-2008, 01:36 PM	#11
alatar Doubting Dwimmerlaik Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Heaven's basement Posts: 2,466	Speaking of the Nazgul, why does everyone after the hobbits' example call them 'the Black Riders' and yet know that these are 'THE' Black Riders? Hasn't any other group of humans ever ridden garbed in black? Had the Nazgul always ridden thus? When Frodo and the hobbits meet with Gildor and the elves, everyone speaks of the Black Riders like the words have only one universal meaning. It's as if they are saying 'dragons' - a specific threat of known form. But the words black riders are too generic to carry the same specificity. What if Frodo et al had called them the 'Saddled Snufflers?' Would Gildor have been taken aback at hearing that the snufflers rode again? And speaking of sniffing, why does Tolkien via mostly Pippin make such a big deal that the creatures hunt by smell, and yet later on this becomes a pretty boring detail? __________________ There is naught that you can do, other than to resist, with hope or without it.