what is an oliphaunt - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Road Dog22 · 05-21-2002, 06:14 PM

is it just an elephant and which side was it on(two towers, herbs and stewed rabbit)

Lothiriel Silmarien · 05-21-2002, 06:36 PM

Oliphaunt is elephant just oliphaunt by them. Well, Sam. And the Haradrim controlled the Oliphaunt, so it was on Sauron's side because that's what side the Haradrim were on. So I guess you could say the Oliphaunt is bad, but maybe he didn't choose to be bad. He was just on the bad side. Hope that helps [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

Kuruharan · 05-21-2002, 06:46 PM

Make that a really, REALLY, big elephant.

05-21-2002, 07:28 PM

Oliphaunt is afrikaans(a language of South Africa) which does mean elephant.

Tarthang · 05-21-2002, 07:43 PM

Thanks for the fact Laurealin (hope I got the name right). I always thought they were just a larger than normal species of elephant. Sort of a pre-historic giant variety. By way of comparissen, I once visited a museum with the skeleton of a pre-historic sloth, it's body was close to the size of a washer or dryer, in circumfrence.

Calencoire · 06-28-2002, 09:33 AM

An oliphant is an elephant, but I thought they could fly. Hmmm... I'll have to read that part again.

Aldagrim Proudfoot · 06-28-2002, 10:58 AM

no they're just humongous (sp?) elephants. Literally "as big as a house"

Kuruharan · 06-28-2002, 11:22 AM

Ah-ha! A new mystery to befuddle Tolkien scholars for years to come. Did oliphaunts have wings?! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

Shadow of Udûn · 06-30-2002, 05:08 AM

Oh, god, no. I'll be old and grey before they've finished with the balrog's wings. In the book, it says that the haradrim put towers on top of the oliphaunts, so they must have been pretty big. Bigger than todays elephants certainly. Then again, the north african elephants which hannibal's army used when they crossed the alps are now extinct.

Aldagrim Proudfoot · 06-30-2002, 01:54 PM

The towers were probably like the tent-like things the Persians used.

Evenstar1 · 07-01-2002, 08:36 PM

Didn't Tolkien live in Africa until he was about 4 years old? The elephants/oliphaunts he saw at that age of his life must have looked enormous to him!

Aldagrim Proudfoot · 07-02-2002, 07:52 AM

He lived in South Africa, and I'm not sure if they have eliphants in South Africa. Besides, I don't think he would remember much about when he was four. I don't remember much of Hawaii. (I lived there when I was three and my dad was in the Navy)

05-21-2002, 06:14 PM	#1
Road Dog22 Pile O'Bones Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 16	what is an oliphaunt is it just an elephant and which side was it on(two towers, herbs and stewed rabbit)

05-21-2002, 06:36 PM	#2
Lothiriel Silmarien Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: New York Posts: 829	Oliphaunt is elephant just oliphaunt by them. Well, Sam. And the Haradrim controlled the Oliphaunt, so it was on Sauron's side because that's what side the Haradrim were on. So I guess you could say the Oliphaunt is bad, but maybe he didn't choose to be bad. He was just on the bad side. Hope that helps [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] __________________ Si vanwa na Romello vanwa Valimar!~~ ~~Now lost, lost to those from the East is Valimar! My LotR page

05-21-2002, 06:46 PM	#3
Kuruharan Regal Dwarven Shade Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: A Remote Dwarven Hold Posts: 3,589	Make that a really, REALLY, big elephant. __________________ ...finding a path that cannot be found, walking a road that cannot be seen, climbing a ladder that was never placed, or reading a paragraph that has no...

06-28-2002, 09:33 AM	#6
Calencoire Haunting Spirit Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Rivendell Posts: 89	An oliphant is an elephant, but I thought they could fly. Hmmm... I'll have to read that part again. __________________ Where there is life, there is hope

06-28-2002, 10:58 AM	#7
Aldagrim Proudfoot Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hobbiton Posts: 328	no they're just humongous (sp?) elephants. Literally "as big as a house" __________________ I do not suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it!

05-21-2002, 07:28 PM	#4
Laureaelin Guest Posts: n/a	Oliphaunt is afrikaans(a language of South Africa) which does mean elephant.

05-21-2002, 07:43 PM	#5
Tarthang Wight Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Paths of the Dead Posts: 108	Thanks for the fact Laurealin (hope I got the name right). I always thought they were just a larger than normal species of elephant. Sort of a pre-historic giant variety. By way of comparissen, I once visited a museum with the skeleton of a pre-historic sloth, it's body was close to the size of a washer or dryer, in circumfrence.

06-28-2002, 11:22 AM	#8
Kuruharan Regal Dwarven Shade Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: A Remote Dwarven Hold Posts: 3,589	Ah-ha! A new mystery to befuddle Tolkien scholars for years to come. Did oliphaunts have wings?! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] __________________ ...finding a path that cannot be found, walking a road that cannot be seen, climbing a ladder that was never placed, or reading a paragraph that has no...

06-30-2002, 05:08 AM	#9
Shadow of Udûn Animated Skeleton Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Sydney Posts: 32	Oh, god, no. I'll be old and grey before they've finished with the balrog's wings. In the book, it says that the haradrim put towers on top of the oliphaunts, so they must have been pretty big. Bigger than todays elephants certainly. Then again, the north african elephants which hannibal's army used when they crossed the alps are now extinct. __________________ What it was could not be seen: it was like a great shadow...

06-30-2002, 01:54 PM	#10
Aldagrim Proudfoot Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hobbiton Posts: 328	The towers were probably like the tent-like things the Persians used. __________________ I do not suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it!

07-01-2002, 08:36 PM	#11
Evenstar1 Wight Join Date: May 2002 Location: Colorado (just east of the Misty Mts.) Posts: 111	Didn't Tolkien live in Africa until he was about 4 years old? The elephants/oliphaunts he saw at that age of his life must have looked enormous to him! __________________ - Eve

07-02-2002, 07:52 AM	#12
Aldagrim Proudfoot Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Hobbiton Posts: 328	He lived in South Africa, and I'm not sure if they have eliphants in South Africa. Besides, I don't think he would remember much about when he was four. I don't remember much of Hawaii. (I lived there when I was three and my dad was in the Navy) __________________ I do not suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it!