Riddling III

[Keith K]

Originally Posted by Valandil

I guess I'm quite guilty of being forgetful. I figured the ship would be white - once transformed into a star. Although we know it to technically be a planet, I've always thought this 'star' in ME lore is Venus - known as both the morning star and the evening star.

Wow - lots of riddling posts today. This is great!

Keith K: maybe my mind is just not active enough for me to be the solver I used to be.

In that case, you will just have to look it up in the archives, old friend.

[Keith K]

Originally Posted by EllethValatari

Another off the top of my head:

Standing solemn and tall
In a forest now small
Slaughtered by a White Hand
Whose power none could withstand.

I think I know this. I think I'll let it ride for some others to play with, though.

[Keith K]

Originally Posted by Wilhelm

This is officially my first attempt at a Tolkien riddle...


Two heroes this blade has known
Malice and dread it has sown
One blade that could iron cut
Stabbing upwards from a rut
Enemy’s end it brought with pain
Wielders bane, wielders bane

Thanks for contributing, Wil! And welcome to the Riddling thread!

I know this one, too. Does anybody else???

[Noble Elf Lord]

My heart sings with joy to see this thread revived!

Let's see. No correct answers to my riddle yet. And thanks very much for the praise.

Wielder's bane... the sword Beleg took when he set out to find Túrin?

Mayhaps.

[Wilhelm]

Originally Posted by Keith K

A gift to Dwarves,
yet spurned them by,
teeth that cannot bite.
As time went by it came to be
the cause of bitter enmity.

I attempted an answer to this one on the previous page but think it got buried with the flurry of activity that went through last night. At this point the riddle itself may be buried as well.

It's a good riddle so I won't repeat my answer here in case others would like to noodle it for a bit - just don't look at the previous page and my reply shouldn't spoil it for you.

Keith K: Please let me know if I got it right...

[Wilhelm]

Originally Posted by Noble Elf Lord

My heart sings with joy to see this thread revived!

Let's see. No correct answers to my riddle yet. And thanks very much for the praise.

Wielder's bane... the sword Beleg took when he set out to find Túrin?

Mayhaps.

Officially, I will need specifics - like it's name...

A little too easy a riddle for this crowd I'd say. I was just happy I got it to rhyme.

NEL: I'm pretty sure I know the answer to yours as well but, will let others play with it for a bit.

[Keith K]

Originally Posted by Wilhelm

Officially, I will need specifics - like it's name...

A little too easy a riddle for this crowd I'd say. I was just happy I got it to rhyme.

NEL: I'm pretty sure I know the answer to yours as well but, will let others play with it for a bit.

I think it's good to post easier riddles among the harder ones. It keeps our memories sharp, and gives greener Tolkien fans an opportunity to riddle if they are so inclined.

Also, and I personally feel it is kinda important, Wilhelm is quite correct in demanding the exact name before he declares his riddle solved. If riddle writers are going to take the time to create, then riddle solvers should be prepared to look it up if need be.

Nothing wrong with feeling around a riddle as a group trying various ideas. But the final answer needs to be correct!

Anyway, that's my bent, thanks for reading.

[Keith K]

Oh yeah, I almost forgot. See if y'all can wrap yer brains around this one:

A tiny weapon in several great wars
was not used in battle
yet moved men by the scores.


Yes, wil. You got the right answer.

[EllethValatari]

Standing solemn and tall
In a forest now small
Slaughtered by a White Hand
Whose power none could withstand.

Any guesses?

KeithK: Is it the One Ring?

[Keith K]

Originally Posted by EllethValatari

Standing solemn and tall
In a forest now small
Slaughtered by a White Hand
Whose power none could withstand.

Any guesses?

KeithK: Is it the One Ring?

I'll take a shot at it, Elleth. Could it be Treebeard in the remains of Fangorn Forest that the orcs had cut down?


A tiny weapon in several great wars
was not used in battle
yet moved men by the scores.

The one ring was used in battle I think. Surely Sauron used it against the Noldor in Eregion. Plus he used it in against the Last Alliance. Anyway, the answer remains hidden. The One Ring is incorrect.

Please try again.

[CAB]

A few attempts at answers:

Wilhelm – Gurthang/Anglachel? (to make it official)

NEL – Could it be the flooding of Isengard?...with Orthanc being the rock and the river Isen being the umm...gown maker?

Elleth – The killing of Quickbeam's trees?

Keith K – I can't think of anything better than the answer Elleth has already given.



Would anyone care to take a stab at the riddle I posted earlier? It seems to have been lost in the shuffle.

Alive signaling death
Hot as dragon's breath
Not always moving, sometimes downing
In the days ere Numenor's drowning

[CAB]

Originally Posted by Keith K

A tiny weapon in several great wars
was not used in battle
yet moved men by the scores.

The one ring was used in battle I think. Surely Sauron used it against the Noldor in Eregion. Plus he used it in against the Last Alliance. Anyway, the answer remains hidden. The One Ring is incorrect.

Please try again.

We posted at the same time. If it isn't the Ring, how about the Red Arrow?

[Keith K]

Originally Posted by Thurin

We posted at the same time. If it isn't the Ring, how about the Red Arrow?

You are quite good at this, Thurin! I thought that would stump you guys for a bit. The Red Arrow it is. Well done!

Alive signaling death
Hot as dragon's breath
Not always moving, sometimes downing
In the days ere Numenor's drowning

Could it be the Meneltarma after Sauron built his alter? Doesn't seem quite right, but it's a guess none the less.

[Keith K]

What?

First, slow, then a-sudden fast
Then comes crashing down
The thing that forms this
Rocks' gown?

What things come crashing down around a rock?
-The rammas echor came down, but only in places here and there.
-The circles of Minas Tirith are a gown around Mt. Mindolluin. The great gate came down in the Witch Kings attack.
-The falls of Rauros comes crashing down
-Ooooh! Could it be the Great River? It forms sort of a gown around Mt. Mindolluin.

[Keith K]

While trying to figure out Thurin's Alive riddle, I came up with this:

Life sprung from death.
As hot as dragons breath.
Now always moving, upping and downing
Until the last days when there'll be an accounting.

[Wilhelm]

Originally Posted by Thurin

A few attempts at answers:

Wilhelm – Gurthang/Anglachel? (to make it official)

NEL – Could it be the flooding of Isengard?...with Orthanc being the rock and the river Isen being the umm...gown maker?

Elleth – The killing of Quickbeam's trees?

Keith K – I can't think of anything better than the answer Elleth has already given.



Would anyone care to take a stab at the riddle I posted earlier? It seems to have been lost in the shuffle.

Alive signaling death
Hot as dragon's breath
Not always moving, sometimes downing
In the days ere Numenor's drowning

For my part... Gurthang/Anglachel is the correct answer.

[EllethValatari]

Originally Posted by Keith K

I'll take a shot at it, Elleth. Could it be Treebeard in the remains of Fangorn Forest that the orcs had cut down?

Sorry it took me so long to get back here...I have to be at school and tennis all day . Yes, Keith, that's correct!

[EllethValatari]

In the East it sits,
where hope will not linger
it captures all courage
but fools it can't finger
all the confident it siezes
but on the edge of a sword
one may enter, invisible,
without hearing one word
from the Mouth, who dwells
by this entrance to hell.

Longer riddle, good luck!

[Noble Elf Lord]

The Falls of Rauros is correct!
I think I know the answer to Elleth's riddle, but let others try.

[CAB]

Originally Posted by Keith K

While trying to figure out Thurin's Alive riddle, I came up with this:

Life sprung from death.
As hot as dragons breath.
Now always moving, upping and downing
Until the last days when there'll be an accounting.

Haha! I think we are talking about the same thing. You must have done that on purpose.

The Sun. The Sun sprung from the death of one of the Two Trees / signaled the begining of the mortal years. It used to pause in Valinor before the destruction of Numenor and Valinor's removal. I must admit that I don't recall its role in the "last days".

Elleth - Do you mean Minas Morgul?