They walked across an entire continent and never met a single woman? It doesn’t matter whether that’s a reflection on the characters or a reflection on the world they lived in; both were the creations of J.R.R. Tolkein. Women apparently had no place in his world, even as background.
At the other end of the spectrum, in “Watership Down,” Richard Adams remarks on at least 200 different types of vegetation (what wild rabbits eat, what they avoid, what kind of fields they scamper through on their journey) without a repeat (it’s possible he did, it just doesn’t seem like it; I had to start looking up plants I hadn’t heard of.).
I guess Glóin has to be male, as he is named as Gimli’s father. And I’d like to remind everyone that Gimli’s grandfather is named Gróin.
Mirkwood was full of entwives!
Some people like to say that GRRM is obsessed with food or something because of his elaborate descriptions of meals. The people who claim this have obviously never read any of the Redwall books as like 5% of the text is descriptions of damson puddings or whatever.
The Hobbit or There and back again with an unopened box of condoms.
A lot of it was what we call rough country.
Let’s see: There were certainly female elves in Rivendell, though the only named character we meet there is Elrond.
There were doubtless female goblins under the Misty Mountains, but we’re told almost nothing about the goblins, beyond the fact that they’re attacking the party, and it’s not really relevant the sex of the folks that are trying to chop you up.
Some of the wargs and/or eagles might well have been female, but Bilbo and the dwarves might not have even known how to tell the difference.
The spiders of Mirkwood were probably mostly female, but again, it doesn’t matter much.
I’m pretty sure there were females seen at the Elf-feasts in Mirkwood, but none of the elves there were named (at least not in that volume, but Legolas was probably among them). The rest of the party’s interactions with the Elves of Mirkwood were with jailers and soldiers.
There were women in Laketown, but the only Laketown characters of any relevance were the Master of the Town and Bard.
And there were women among the relatives of Bilbo’s dividing up his possessions when he got back, but they’re all referred to in whole families at once.
Actually they hardly met any humans. Middle earth was pretty desolate than the party avoided meeting anyone that might have it in for them or reveal their plans.
However, in LotR Galadrial,Eowyn and others have major parts.
Clearly the book would have been much improved if Tolkien had written in a sexy she-elf warrior who throws over Legolas for one of the dwarves.
Was he friends with [del]Celeborn[/del] Teleporno?
No, Galadriel & Eowyn are really it for major female characters in LOTR. The only other females who speak are :Rosie Cotton who marries Sam at the end, Ioreth tells her kinswoman about a king’s hands being healer’s hands, jogging Gandalf’s memory, and Arwen marries Aragorn at the end & gives Frodo some jewelry to replace what he lost in a violent mugging.
ETA: Forgot about Shelob. OK, two humanoid & one arachnid female characters.
So i have to pander to envisionary bullshit that exists only in the mind of the beholder?
In no order of importance
Belladonna Took
Lobelia Sackville-Baggins
Elanor Gamgee
Rosie Gamgee (nee Cotton)
Adaldrida Bolger
Lobelia Bracegirdle
Lady Eowyn of Rohan
Lady Celebrían
Lady Arwen
Lady Galadriel
Lady Haleth
Idril Celebrindal
Lady Nimrodel
Aredhel Ar-Feiniel
Queen Melian
Lúthien Tinúviel
Morwen Eledhwen
Ancalimë Queen of Numenor
Elwing
Yavanna
Varda
Dis mother of Fili and Kili
Ungoliant
Shelob
These are all women
While we’re at it, as far as I know the Blue Wizards are only referred to by “they”, not “he”, and neither of their names have gendered endings. Nine out of ten of Finrod’s companions don’t have given genders either, just sayin’…
Are we not men ?
And most of them are only mentioned in passing. The only female character I missed who has actual dialog is Lobelia Sackville-Baggins.