01-18-2009, 04:04 PM | #1 |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 401
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Gnomes?
I was recently re-reading The Shaping of Middle Earth and came across a charcter that I had no knowledge of existing in Middle Earth. Christopher T. places an exerpt of a writing of Tolkien's; about the Gnomes of the mountains, the sorrow of Ulmo, and their helping him only to die at the hands of Melkor. Are these Gnomes just an idea of Tokien's left out of his great masterpieces? Or are they mentioned elsewhere and I am just too stupid to notice?
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Elleth Valatari "We have come from God, and inevitably the myths woven by us, though they contain error, will also reflect a splintered fragment of the true light, the eternal truth that is with God. Our myths may be misguided, but they steer however shakily towards the true harbour, while materialistic 'progress' leads only to a yawning abyss and the Iron Crown of the power of evil." — J.R.R. Tolkien |
01-18-2009, 05:57 PM | #2 |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 306
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Welcome to the Moot, Elleth.
As I recall, Gnomes is simply an earlier version of Noldor. Maybe a resident Tolkien language expert (and that certainly isn't me ) or someone with more knowledge of Tolkien's earlier work could give us a more in-depth answer. I have noticed before that both words start with the sound "no". I would guess that this is not a coincidence. |
01-20-2009, 09:30 AM | #3 |
Elf Lord
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 987
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I don't have the evidence at hand but I think CAB is right. Gnomes were an early word for Elves in Tolkien's writings. They may even predate the idea of the three families, but I'm not sure of that, either.
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01-20-2009, 09:47 AM | #4 |
Lady of the Ulairi
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Minas Morgul
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IIRC Gnomes were the word used for only one family of the Elves: those who became the Noldor (as CAB said). Tolkien changed the term after considering the popular meaning of "gnomes" (Garden gnomes etc.)
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01-20-2009, 02:17 PM | #5 | ||
Princess of the Noldor (and Administrative Empress of the Lone Islands)
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Imladris (and sometimes Norway)
Posts: 3,304
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Quote:
Quote:
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01-20-2009, 02:40 PM | #6 |
Salt Miner
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: gone to Far Harad
Posts: 987
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We are Lawn Gnomes!
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01-20-2009, 03:41 PM | #7 |
Lady of the Ulairi
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Minas Morgul
Posts: 2,783
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Sure you are not Lawn Noldor? |
01-23-2009, 03:40 PM | #8 | |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: Sep 2008
Posts: 222
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From Vinyar Tengwar 19 (the following is only a small part of an editorial response, further edited here for brevity by me):
Quote:
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01-23-2009, 04:13 PM | #9 |
Lady of the Ulairi
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Minas Morgul
Posts: 2,783
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So good to have you here, Galin, with your Vinyar Tengwar and Parma quotes. Very insightful.
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