# Amazon Lord of the Rings series; The Rings of Power **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** middle-earth, amazon-prime, tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [March 3, 2019, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497 "2019-03-03T20:01:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 31
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/602 "2022-09-11T17:56:51Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > An amusing tweet I stumbled upon today; "Meanwhile, there’s an entire episode where an elf cries because he has to cut down a tree. " More like an entire two minutes. But it was cool. > [@mordecaiB](#): > > With all the hoopla about having black actors I guess pretty much all the characters in Tolkien’s world were white? Nope. Most/Many of the hobbits were “brown skinned”. So, the Harfoots are pretty realistic. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/603 "2022-09-11T17:58:11Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > The Noldor were the great knowledge seekers. Better at crafting than even the Dwarves. I recently learned that in early drafts Tolkien referred to what he later dubbed the noldor as gnomes. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/604 "2022-09-11T18:02:32Z")
Correct, but not meaning the little Garden Gnomes or D&D Gnomes but as in those of Deep Knowledge. Here I found the reasoning he was using: > The word _gnome_ belongs to late XVI century and is derived from the Greek word _gnōmē_ (from the Proto-Indo-European root \*_gno_ – ‘to know’) meaning ‘intelligence, thought’. [https://middleearthreflections.com/2019/02/19/2555/](https://middleearthreflections.com/2019/02/19/2555/) * * * * * * In terms for Middle Earth, I equated the Petty Dwarves with D&D Gnomes. A fairly good match especially for first edition. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/605 "2022-09-11T18:04:22Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > The Elves of the Light or Calaquendi were the 3 groups that traveled west on the Great Journey and crossed the seas to Valinor to see the light of the Two Trees. Thanks for all your in depth knowledge. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/606 "2022-09-11T18:35:58Z")
I just thought it was interesting, and gave some insight into the sound of the word “Noldor”, i suspect. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/607 "2022-09-11T20:12:39Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Most/Many of the hobbits were “brown skinned” But the hobbit _characters_ (not the general population) are mostly [of the larger Took clan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hobbit#Types), and hence, as Fallohides, fairer of skin and hair than the general population (and taller, even before two of them started juicing): > Bilbo and three of the four principal hobbit characters in The Lord of the Rings (Frodo, Pippin, and Merry) had Fallohide blood through their common ancestor, the Old Took. The one physical description given for Frodo matches this, as Gandalf identifies him as “taller than some (hobbits), and fairer than most” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/608 "2022-09-11T21:05:28Z")
Yeah. As best as i can tell, Tolkien was a decent fellow, and probably treated actual human beings he met well enough. But he wasn’t “woke”, and the prejudices of his time poke out of his writings here and there. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/609 "2022-09-11T21:09:48Z")
Professor Tolkien was a good man, especially for his time. Did you ever read his letter to the Nazis? > **[In 1938, Nazis demanded to know if ‘The Hobbit’ author was Jewish. He...](https://www.good.is/articles/jrr-rolkien-nazi-letter)** > > J.R.R. Tolkien hated Nazi “race doctrine” and no problem telling his German publishing house about it. Yes, his writings were very Britain-centric, but consider the time. ---
**Author:** ![Tfletch1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tfletch1/32/5340_2.png) [@Tfletch1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tfletch1)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/610 "2022-09-11T21:52:09Z")
> [@mordecaiB](#): > > I don’t know if the Galadriel part is poorly written or the actress is not very good, but I’m having a hard time believing she’s a warrior elf. She barely seems like the elves from the movies at all. I was thinking the same thing and I’ve decided that it’s the actress. I tried to imagine some of her scenes with just some authority or at least some emotion. Something. I pretty much enjoy every other scene without her. I liked Arondir fighting skills. They weren’t too outrageous but definitely bad-ass. At first I thought Adar was Sauron, but if Sauron is already in Eregion with Celebrimbor, then he can’t be in Mordor at the same time. Plus, I think that white-haired, white-eyed dude in the trailers is Annatar. Adar is some completely made-up character. Old, confused, mysterious guy has to be a wizard and he might as well be Gandalf. This would explain why Gandalf put so much stock in hobbits. It’s too bad Galadriel is such a weak link considering her importance in this series. ---
**Author:** ![mordecaiB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mordecaib/32/7725_2.png) [@mordecaiB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mordecaiB)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/611 "2022-09-11T22:01:26Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Did you ever read his letter to the Nazis? Couple of extra words in that link. [This](https://www.good.is/amp/jrr-rolkien-nazi-letter-2639606054) one works. Thanks for that. > [@Tfletch1](#): > > I was thinking the same thing and I’ve decided that it’s the actress. I tried to imagine some of her scenes with just some authority or at least some emotion. Something. I pretty much enjoy every other scene without her. She definitely needs to ramp it up some. For me, she’s the low point of the show. Still plenty of time to pull it out. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/612 "2022-09-11T22:30:35Z")
I did. And i agree that he was a good man for his time. And probably a good man by any standards. But he was a man of his time, and he often used “white=good, black=bad” and similar code that hasn’t aged well. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/613 "2022-09-11T22:38:10Z")
Fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/614 "2022-09-11T22:50:15Z")
Except that these are Noldor not Sylvan elves, I think they would chop down a tree or two when building their cities (Nevrast, Gondolin, etc) ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/615 "2022-09-11T22:55:20Z")
Nevrast probably, but Gondolin was largely stone IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/616 "2022-09-11T22:58:11Z")
I would think that at leat one tree grew there but fair enough, the rest of the cities and fortresses the Noldor built in Beleriand must needs have implied the felling of many trees, not to mention the wood for firing the forges for their weapons and armor. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/617 "2022-09-11T23:09:00Z")
Who was Isildur’s sister? I couldn’t catch the name. Have they gender switched Anárion? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/618 "2022-09-11T23:11:03Z")
No, she’s a completely new character for the show. Name is Eärien. I think they mentioned Anárion is on the other side of the Island. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2022, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/619 "2022-09-11T23:35:02Z")
And they mentioned that the west side of the island was off-limits or something? ---
**Author:** ![Coriolanus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/coriolanus/32/18769_2.png) [@Coriolanus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coriolanus)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/620 "2022-09-12T00:14:37Z")
I dinna know SD had “cake days” Cheers, **What\_Exit** May you live as many years as your post count! ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2022, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497/621 "2022-09-12T00:25:38Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I recently learned that in early drafts Tolkien referred to what he later dubbed the noldor as gnomes. In the earliest drafts of what would become the Silmarilion he also referred to the elves in general as “Fairies”. It’s a little jarring reading the Book of Lost Tales and hearing him write about fairies and gnomes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497.md?page=30) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazon-lord-of-the-rings-series-the-rings-of-power/830497.md?page=32)