I have actually read that book (The Father Christmas Letters)… it was one of the ones the library had on display at Christmas time many years ago, with the note “These books are available to be checked out; ask a librarian”, and of course I saw Tolkien’s name, and did ask the librarian, and checked it out. But that said, I can’t remember any substantive details from it.
Since you’ve opened up the field for non-Middle Earth Tolkiana, though…
Roverandom?
Shroud of?
Sorry… much busy at work. Roac, as has been pointed out previously, was the correct answer to my Q112. And, doing this by memory, as also has been pointed out is hard - - Wingfoot, Lightfoot. Of course, now I’ll never confuse the two.
Probably another easy one:
[QUOTE=Ivorybill
Probably another easy one:
A certain variety of pipe-weed used by Hobbit tweeners.
Alternatively, thick hedge protecting the Shire from the Old Forest.
Very good!
Swish-tail, white socks, wise nose and bumpkin.
What did young Isildur steal?
Who was afraid he was going to be sent away with the maidens?
An old pair of Isildur’s socks?
Arwen’s training bra?
Let’s see, the Sword-that-was-Broken wasn’t broken yet.
How about the ring of Barahir? or a Palantir? Although Aragorn would have needed the Palantir before he set out from Dunharrow.
Did I mangle another question, or did I just legitimately stump the Mercotan?
I assume you are speaking of the dog from Farmer Giles of Ham. I don’t remember the Pup’s name. When I saw QtM’s answer I thought that sounds right.
Jim
Yeah, I’m really weak on JRRT’s non-middle earth stuff.
Well, your shotgun approach got you the right answer. It was a palantir, buried by the Stone of Erech.
Wow! This is far and away the longest thread I’ve ever started. Glad everyone’s having so much fun with it.
Some new questions (remember, per the OP: no more than five at a time):
Bethenial (?) and cats
Beren and Luthien
How did the Woses signify that they accepted King Elessar’s bestowal of lands upon them?
Their drumming stopped.
What did JRRT consider the only actual religious reference in all of LOTR?
The Standing Silence in Gondor?
On what day, noteworthy for another reason in modern times, did the Fellowship leave Rivendell?
November 22?
I have this nagging urge to change that to Beruthiel.
Close; it’s Beruthiel.
The religious reference is a toughie, since I can think of quite a few contenders.
a) Gandalf says that Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its master.
b) The Elves sing about Elbereth, who is (by the standards of Men, at least) a goddess.
c) Gandalf identifies himself to the Balrog as “a servant of the Secret Fire”, which is a Middle-Earth term for the Holy Spirit.
d) After that battle, Gandalf was “sent back”, but none of the Valar had the authority to send him back.
e) One of the songs of the Rohirrim mentions Orome, another god (by the same standards as Elbereth).
f) Men of Gondor look to the West before meals. Even though there’s no divinity mentioned in the practice, this seems rather religious.
g) In the Appendix on Aragorn and Arwen, Arwen refers to death as “the gift of the One to men”, the One being of course God.
The last of these is, I think, the most obvious, but being in the Appendices, I’m not sure it counts. Of the rest, Gandalf’s mention of the Secret Fire is the only direct reference to God. And looking to the West is the only practice on that list, and Tolkien might have been making a distinction between theology and religion. So I’m going to guess that it’s one of those three.
Oh, and
December 25.