Riddles in the Downs

[Ardent]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Well, The Witch-King I realise I wasn't very exact there...

Hmm, a fine bit of misdirection I'd say. Good riddling talk.

Originally Posted by Morsul the Dark

Ardent the thread is yours.

Like I said pury easy

Not sure what pury means but I get the gist. No, it was a good riddle 'cos my first thought was one of the banes: Isildur, Durin or Glaurung's.

I don't know if you'll see this one quickly or not. I think it's easy but I know the answer:

Left right, left right
Two are marching
Down up down up
In their searching.
Without hinges
Turning, turning
Without teacher
Learning, learning.
Ever heads are bowing to us
Ever thus do you behold us.

From Anor’s gloom with secrets found
To Black Pit where one is bound,
Among leaves that never were green
There we are seen.

Men, dwarves and Elves
Our treasures delve.
Red am I ‘neath Northern sky
I say to you; “twice red am I.”



._ ._. _.. . _. _

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

At least not on first sight, for sure. My first thoughts were something like "stars" (some particular ones? Borgil. But that would not do, since they are supposed to be two), or maybe some precious stones (again, I thought Silmarils, but there are three of them, and only one is performing some motion worth mentioning, the two others are lost somewhere). The "learning" part does not make sense with either of them, though, so I am pretty sure it must be something else.

Ever heads are bowing to us
Ever thus do you behold us.

Is this supposed to mean that when I bow my head, I see the thing(s)? That would basically rule out the stars, unless one has eyes on the back of his head. It really looks like some sort of gems or somesuch (which one could see when looking at the ground). Especially with the "delving" part.

Though it says "our treasures delve", so we are not the treasures. "We" could be, for instance, caves in which treasures are found, but not the treasures themselves. Unless it is, again, completely metaphorical.

What confuses me also is that while at the start there are "two", in the last part, there is certainly only "one" (twice red am "I", not "we").

The most logical answer would be Sun (the two being Sun and Moon, or Arien and Tilion, or what have you), we know how they get up at the Gates of Morning and set down at the Doors of Night (Black Pit?). The leaves part could refer to the (dead) Two Trees out of whose blossom/fruit the Sun and Moon were made. Sun could be red, of course, why not, but what does not really fit there is the "learning" (unless it's there just to rhyme), the "delving" (Dwarves and Elves and Men don't really dig the Sun), and also the part I quoted above, with the eyes on the back of one's head...

And certainly does not explain the "twice red".

I guess the answer is elsewhere, but right now I can't think of anything more.

[Ardent]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

...What confuses me also is that while at the start there are "two", in the last part, there is certainly only "one" (twice red am "I", not "we")...

Well 'I' am speaking for 'us' my precious, and without 'me' you wouldn't know 'us'.

[Morsul the Dark]

Originally Posted by Ardent

Hmm, a fine bit of misdirection I'd say. Good riddling talk.



Not sure what pury means but I get the gist. No, it was a good riddle 'cos my first thought was one of the banes: Isildur, Durin or Glaurung's.

I don't know if you'll see this one quickly or not. I think it's easy but I know the answer:

Left right, left right
Two are marching
Down up down up
In their searching.
Without hinges
Turning, turning
Without teacher
Learning, learning.
Ever heads are bowing to us
Ever thus do you behold us.

From Anor’s gloom with secrets found
To Black Pit where one is bound,
Among leaves that never were green
There we are seen.

Men, dwarves and Elves
Our treasures delve.
Red am I ‘neath Northern sky
I say to you; “twice red am I.”



._ ._. _.. . _. _

I meant "purty" like pretty easy

...As for your riddle. makes me think of waves and water...

[Ardent]

Originally Posted by Morsul the Dark

...As for your riddle. makes me think of waves and water...

What is it that reminds you of water?
I can tell you it's not fishesess.


._ ._. _.. . _. _

[Morsul the Dark]

I know water isn't the answer just the whole first verse sounds like waves updown up down left righ left right, always learning always searching.

Water always finds the easiest path between two points aand can make its way anyware even into the depths of the earth.

and reflects the sky red sky at dusk and dawn equals red water...

Still trying to think of a real answer that was just my first impression is all.

[Galadriel55]

The first verse kind of reminds me of Frodo and Sam's twists and turns in the Emyn Muil. Walking in circles, doubling back the way they came, trying to find a path that would lead them to Mordor. And they're hobbits, so to see them you have to look down.

The other two verses don't fit at all, though.

[Ardent]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

The first verse kind of reminds me of Frodo and Sam's twists and turns in the Emyn Muil. Walking in circles, doubling back the way they came, trying to find a path that would lead them to Mordor. And they're hobbits, so to see them you have to look down.

The other two verses don't fit at all, though.

Ah, hobbitses are among the worst for looking down on us.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Ardent

Ah, hobbitses are among the worst for looking down on us.

Hobbitses looking down on you? Then it can't be gems or precious metals. What else does a Hobbit look down on? Something one can "delve"?

Taters.



But really, no clue.