The Letter of the Law

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

...I am pretty much convinced that when Tolkien said the Nazgûl were "Men", he meant "men"...

It is for example also heavily implied that they were some nobility, some of them of the Númenorean stock, but likely NOT Númenorean kings...

Is this where I get to push Tar-Telperiën as a candidate again?

The counter argument to 'men' is that Tolkien wrote "Three Rings for the Elven-Kings under the sky" at a time when the Three were held by the Lady of Lorien, the master of the Last Homely House, and a wizard whose best claim to 'elven' is that some rural bumpkins used to think he was one. "Mortal Men" could easily include "and woMen", and it's not like anyone writing the Red Book would know.

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

...female characters in such positions in Middle-Earth are rare...

brb, off coming up with an excuse to time-travel Artanis, Aredhel, Luthien, Haleth, Eowyn, and Belladonna Took together for some exciting adventures.

~

Actually, that's another one that straddles the line between 'suggested' and 'suggested against'. Did Bilbo's mother have any adventures? She's called 'remarkable' (along with her sisters), and the best The Hobbit says is "Not that Belladonna Took ever had any adventures after she became Mrs. Bungo Baggins." So... before, then? Did Gandalf lead the three Took sisters off into the Blue for mad adventures, climbing trees and visiting elves and sailing off to other shores, facing dragons and goblins and giants, rescuing princesses and hanging out with widows' sons?

I bet he did.

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

Thinking of it, it is not even said that the Nine were always the SAME Nine, was it? As in, maybe the Ring #9 was for instance worn by one person the first two hundred years, then he was killed, Sauron gave it to another, who became the wraith then...

>_> You've not been playing Shadow of War, have you?

hS