Riddles in the Downs

[Pervinca Took]

I thought of Kheled Zaram, but not the rest!

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Numenor was a darn good guess... Thinking of other stars in waters, how about - between Kheled Zaram and the Mirror of Galadriel, you have the Nimrodel stream - ie Nimrodel for answer?

Correct on all points - well done! Over to you.

hS

[Urwen]

Bump?

[Urwen]

Bump?

[Galadriel55]

My apologies. I've had a busy time of late and haven't really come up with anything. If someone else has a riddle ready, you can have the turn.

[Huinesoron]

It's been a while, so I'll chuck in a quick one:

Volumes bound in Elder Ages,
Halfling sisters, jewelled rings,
Tribes and Ents and record pages,
What sums up these several things?

hS

[Urwen]

Tolkien's works, possibly?

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Urwen

Tolkien's works, possibly?

The first two words refer to (a) Tolkien work(s). And of course the whole thing is Tolkien themed.

hS

[Urwen]

The number three?

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Urwen

The number three?

Quite right! The stage is yours.

hS

[Urwen]

I am the first
Known as Shepherdess
I married out of spite
To deny them what was mine by right.

I am the second
Fickle like a moon
During my life rose the Lord of the Gifts
Some say I accepted his boon.

I am the third
I refused to do what I hate
My dislike paved his path
And sealed my child's fate

We three share a phrase
We're described by
Some say there is one more
Say the phrase if you know our lore.

[Huinesoron]

"Shepherdess" was the big opening hint here. Does anyone other than Tar-Ancalime actually interact with sheep in the Legendarium? Someone *must*, but I can't bring them to mind. Pretty much everything the Princess Shepherdess did was out of spite, including her marriage.

I'm in Verse 2. At least I think I'm still the main proponent of Tar-Telperien the Witch-Queen of Numenor.

I remember Tar-Vanimelde less than I do the others, basically because she did nothing. I think "his path" here refers to her husband usurping the sceptre - not that that set a terrible precedent or anything!

You are the Ruling Queens of Westernesse, and Tar-Miriel deserves to be counted alongside you.

hS

[Urwen]

That is correct.

[Huinesoron]

Rent with iron from the forest's bones,
Bound by iron-slain heifer's hide,
Scarred with iron by the gander's barbs,
Stained like iron-death; who am I?

hS

[Urwen]

Boromir's horn?

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Urwen

Boromir's horn?

I'm afraid you're not even close. :-/

hS

[Urwen]

Rent with iron from the forest's bones, - Angrist?
Bound by iron-slain heifer's hide,
Scarred with iron by the gander's barbs,
Stained like iron-death; who am I? - Gurthang?

[Galadriel55]

"Forest's bones" makes me think trees, and therefore something wooden. I agree with Urwen that "iron-death" soubds very much like Gurthang, so possibly painted black. To be honest if it wasn't for the "likely black" part, I would lean to Earendil's ship - a boat of timber felled. Equally though, the second line makes it sound like it's bound in leather.


Oh! Black leather bindings! Is it the book of Mazarbul? Paper made of trees, bound in leather, presumably 3rd line refers to arrow holes and other tears, and black colour?

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

"Forest's bones" makes me think trees, and therefore something wooden. I agree with Urwen that "iron-death" soubds very much like Gurthang, so possibly painted black. To be honest if it wasn't for the "likely black" part, I would lean to Earendil's ship - a boat of timber felled. Equally though, the second line makes it sound like it's bound in leather.


Oh! Black leather bindings! Is it the book of Mazarbul? Paper made of trees, bound in leather, presumably 3rd line refers to arrow holes and other tears, and black colour?

This is so close! You're right on paper and leather, though not on the arrow-holes, and you're even right that "iron-death" indicates a colour... but it has nothing to do with Gurthang, and the colour is not black.

hS

[Urwen]

Red book of Westmarch, then?

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Urwen

Red book of Westmarch, then?

Correct. I don't know that it was dyed with iron (some red dyes use mercury ores instead), but the death of iron is rust-red.

The ink, however, would have been iron-based, which is the meaning of the third line: it's just a grisly description of writing with a quill pen.

Over to you!

hS

[Urwen]

Wait, they wrote in that book with blood?

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Urwen

Wait, they wrote in that book with blood?

What, did you think Bilbo took a pen and inkwell along to write his diary with?

Nah, so the Magna Carta exhibit at Salisbury Cathedral had this whole thing about how the ink is made from oak galls and iron salts. Wikipedia's "ink" article has a big block quote about ink recipes which are all iron-based too, so I figure it's likely what the Hobbits used.

hS