# This week's Tolkien thread: how could the Ringwar have been won if Frodo had died ? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 27, 2008, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855 "2008-10-27T22:44:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855/81 "2008-11-03T19:29:54Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > 1. Manwë: please wire me a little money out petty cash. Chuck’s skills at five-card-draw astound even me. Chuck doesn’t play draw. He only plays stud. AFA Gandalf is concerned, I think he could get whacked again, although only by the big red S, and if he _did_ get sent back, it’ll be as The Octarine. RR ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855/82 "2008-11-03T21:52:56Z")
He could have sailed by sea or river to the Bay of Belfalas, or maybe the Sea of Rhun. To the front Door or Backdoor of Mordor. A river route straight in. Would have been fun to see Tolkien write Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn with Middle Earth River Culture. Aquatic beasties and Orc Pirates. What this has to do with the OP Ihave no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2008, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855/83 "2008-11-03T21:55:39Z")
> [@RiverRunner](#): > > Chuck doesn’t play draw. He only plays stud. Fool of a Took! He’s CHUCK NORRIS! He can play any game he feels like! ---
**Author:** ![BMax](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bmax/32/4267_2.png) [@BMax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMax)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855/84 "2008-11-04T00:55:31Z")
Could a swallow have carried the ring? ---
**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:** [November 4, 2008, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855/85 "2008-11-04T01:26:04Z")
> [@BMax](#): > > Could a swallow have carried the ring? Arnorian or Gondorian Swallow? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855/86 "2008-11-04T13:15:06Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Fool of a Took! He’s CHUCK NORRIS! He can play any game he feels like! And _doesn’t_ play any game he doesn’t feel like, which was the assertion under discussion UIVMM. Six books. The Book itself says so. The author refers to the books by number in the foreword. _Ipse dixit._ > [@What Exit?](#): > > Arnorian or Gondorian Swallow? Well, I don’t… AAAARGGGGH!!! ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855/87 "2008-11-04T15:24:20Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > And _doesn’t_ play any game he doesn’t feel like, which was the assertion under discussion UIVMM. What’s UIVMM? Also, Chuck might decide to go ahead and play draw rather than stud poker, the better to assert his dominance. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2008, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855/88 "2008-11-04T23:09:46Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > What’s UIVMM? [Here](http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/UIVMM) ya go. > [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Also, Chuck might decide to go ahead and play draw rather than stud poker, the better to assert his dominance. Better assert his…? And risk the universe imploding? Let’s be grateful that His Chuckness mercifully refrains. ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855/89 "2008-11-05T12:44:07Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Scenario #2: Frodo buys it in Moria. Sam carries the ring, gets beguiled in Lothlorien, Galadriel succumbs to temptation, takes ring from Sam with his permission, she arises in might for a time, eventually does battles against Sauron’s forces in Mordor, Sam tags along, intervenes in confrontation between Sauron and Galadriel, mediates truce, becomes ring-bearer for the wedding of Sauron and Galadriel (Celeborn having been slain aforehand) but substitutes fake ring, runs off, destroys One Ring during the wedding night. Sams slips in while Galadriel and Sauron are doin’ the nasty, takes the Ring off the washbasin, and throws it into the fires of Doom. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-weeks-tolkien-thread-how-could-the-ringwar-have-been-won-if-frodo-had-died/469855.md?page=4)