Rhymes of Lore

[Chris Russo]

When Gandalf is riding with Pippin to Minas Tirith, he recites the poem about what the tall kings brought from Numenor over the sea. ("Seven stars and seven stones and one white tree.") He mentions that it's one of the Rhymes of Lore that are kept by "Aragorn's people."

Treebeard, too, references lore-rhymes when trying to figure out what the hobbits are. And Aragorn describes the Rohirrim as "writing no books, but singing many songs..." Songs are great mnemonics to help you remember things, especially in a culture without writing like Rohan (or the ancient Celts).

Which is by way of saying: what rhymes of lore should we, as Rangers, remember when in the woods? What things would it be useful to know but hard to remember, so the Dunedain would put into song?

I'm thinking of things as simple as the rhyme we all know to help us avoid poison ivy: "Leaves of three, let them be."


These hardwoods burn well and slowly,
Ash, beech, hawthorn, oak and holly.
Softwoods flare up quick and fine,
Birch, fir, hazel, larch and pine.
Elm and willow you'll regret,
Chestnut green and sycamore wet


When crickets’ chirps grow loud and strong, a storm will rage before too long.


Mackrel sky, mackrel sky, dry turns wet and wet turns dry.


What others are there, either historical folklore or new ones we can write, that will help us on our treks? Rhymes to help us identify useful plants? Avoid poisonous ones? Select good campsites?

[Greg]

Fascinating!

I don't know of any off the top of my head, but I'll think about it.

[Willrett]

really cool and could be very helpful, but i have no idea.

[Peter Remling]

Not much of a poet but here's two I just made up:

Look for North in overcast or night
Watch for moss it's always right.


When fleeing from hot burning fire
Follow not the birds that fly higher
Follow instead four legs and furry
They'll take you to safety in a hurry.

[Peter Remling]

Here's one more:

Step in the morning all wet with dew
Afternoon wet step, Wipe off thy shoe!




Sorry couldn't resist!

[Greg]

Step in the morning all wet with dew
Afternoon wet step, Wipe off thy shoe!

Brilliant.

[Mirimaran]

What a great idea, and I think would make perfect sense, especially to train young Rangerlings.

[Peter Remling]

If the Ranger's Apprentice is very young:

Birds fly South for a reason
It indicates a big change of Season

I'm terrible at this, but it's fun and a great idea,

While checking prints on ground or snow
On prints of large cats, no claws will show
For bear, look high at coarse tree bark
Both there and on prints you'll see claw marks

[Greg]

"Pointy end goes into the other man."

[Chris Russo]

*grin* Some great ones so far, keep 'em coming!


I just remembered two from the books:

"The wolf that one hears is worse than the orc than one fears."

"Where the wolf howls, there the orc prowls."

[dwayne davis]

red sky at nite is a traveler's delight, but a red sky in the morning traveler take warning.

When winters frost falls and north wind blows, shelter not in the feild where the wind does blow, follow the beast into the trees, there to take sheter from the cold and breeze.
make not youre bed uppon the cold ground, but rather lay boughs ere you lay down.


take not youre sword lest you take youre sheild. for it guards not only your life but the edege of youre steel. ( no im not a poet either lol)

[Cleddyf]

jolromir,
we have a version of the same rhyme here, substitute Shepard for traveler

[David]

Here's one that came out of medieval Europe:

A wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard.
Why can't we all be like that wise old bird?

[Willrett]

there are a bunch of these in the new backwoodsman magazine they are all weather related but still helpful.

[Cleddyf]

rain before seven,
fine before eleven