Tolkien Imponderables

[Scrooge]

Originally Posted by Wally

In Moria, what were the Drums in the Deep. i.e., what made the sound? And what made the sound of the hammer tapping that Gimli heard?

Signals. In deep quiet, taps can travel a great distance through hard stone. Most likely, a goblin heard the pebble and the tapping was code for "Possible intruders. Wake Balrog."

Originally Posted by mithrand1r

Sauron was able, though, to influence what Denethor was able to see with the palantir. (How I am not sure.)

Maybe he held the palantir out the window of Barad-Dur so that Denethor could see the vast armies Sauron was building? Denethor's despair was caused by seeing Sauron's armies and believing that there was no way to defend against them, and trying to ignore it instead of preparing.

Originally Posted by Olmer

The whole point of Aragorn's journey was to USURP the kingship.
The crown and the throne are not things to be handed over to a bum with a dubious origin. He needed a lot of luck and a help which only a wizard could provide. Particulary, Gandalf.

It is not usurping if he is indeed the rightful heir. However dubious you believe his origin to be, commanding the army from the Paths of the Dead means his blood was true and his claim to the throne valid. The line of Stewards had no right to withhold it.

Originally Posted by Olmer

Yeah! This is what hobbits were saying in theirs Red Book.
But this is only hobbit's point of view, which is, naturally, could be quite incomplete and inconsistent.

You know, if you don't accept what is in the canon as, well, canon, there is a limit to how profitable the discussion can be.