Book 6

The following passages have been ‘tagged’ based on the following categories:

• GARMENTS, JEWELRY, ARTIFACTS (such as common tools, tableware, containers, belts, pouches, &c.), LIGHTING, FURNITURE, Warfare-related (WEAPONS, ARMOR, TACTICS, other MILITARY matters—troop strength &c.), FOOD (cooked) & DRINK, ARCHITECTURE, ECONOMICS &LIVELIHOODS (including LIVESTOCK), FLORA (including herbs & foraged foods), FAUNA (including non-working animals), MATERIALS (fabrics, metals, & wood—including TREES), CULTURAL/SOCIAL, TRAVEL & TRANSPORTATION, PHYSICAL descriptions

The Lord of the Rings, Book VI, Chapter 1 The Tower of Cirith Ungol:

“[Shagrat] put the bundle on the floor and with his right claw drew out a long red knife and spat on it.” WEAPONS; MORDOR; CIRITH UNGOL; ORCS; 3A Is Shagrat’s knife red because of its material (copper or bronze), paint, or the reflected red light of Orodruin?

“…one of the sprawling bodies was moving. It was crawling. It put out a claw and clutched the bundle. It staggered up. In its other hand it held a broad-headed spear with a short broken haft. It was poised for a stabbing thrust.” WEAPONS; MORDOR; MINAS MORGUL; ORCS; 3A

"He opened the bundle. Frodo looked in disgust at the contents: … There were long hairy breeches of some unclean beast-fell, and a tunic of dirty leather. He drew them on. Over the tunic went a coat of stout ring-mail, short for a full-sized orc, too long for Frodo and heavy. About it he clasped a belt, at which there hung a short sheath holding a broad-bladed stabbing-sword. Sam had brought several orc-helmets. One of them fitted Frodo well enough, a black cap with iron rim, and iron hoops covered with leather upon which the evil Eye was painted in red above the beaklike nose-guard." ‘The Morgul-stuff, Gorbag's gear, was a better fit and better made,' said Sam.” “‘This will hide some of the tell-tales’ He put a large black cloak round Frodo's shoulders.” “They picked up two shields to complete their disguise and then went on.” GARMENTS; MATERIALS; ECON; WEAPONS; ARMOR; MORDOR; ORCS; 3A

“‘Indeed they did not take everything. I've found my food-bag among some rags on the floor. They've rummaged it, of course. … But they've taken Faramir's food, and they've slashed up my water-bottle.'” TRAVEL; ARTIFACTS; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A Frodo's water bottle was ‘slashed’—so, probably leather (hard flacket or soft bota-type?)

The Lord of the Rings, Book VI, Chapter 2: The Land of Shadow:

“At length they stopped, and sat side by side, their backs against a boulder. Both were sweating. 'If Shagrat himself was to offer me a glass of water, I'd shake his hand,' said Sam.” ARTIFACTS; MATERIALS; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A It seems that not only do hobbits ‘drink out of clay’(Thorin), but glass as well!

“…all seemed ruinous and dead, a desert burned and choked. They wondered how the Lord of this realm maintained and fed his slaves and his armies. Yet armies he had. As far as their eyes could reach, along the skirts of the Morgai and away southward, there were camps, some of tents, some ordered like small towns. One of the largest of these was right below them. Barely a mile out into the plain it clustered like some huge nest of insects, with straight dreary streets of huts and long low drab buildings. About it the ground was busy with folk going to and fro; a wide road ran from it south-east to join the Morgul-way, and along it many lines of small black shapes were hurrying. 'I don't like the look of things at all,' said Sam. 'Pretty hopeless, I call it – saving that where there's such a lot of folk there must be wells or water, not to mention food. And these are Men not Orcs, or my eyes are all wrong.' Neither he nor Frodo knew anything of the great slave-worked fields away south in this wide realm, beyond the fumes of the Mountain by the dark sad waters of Lake Núrnen; nor of the great roads that ran away east and south to tributary lands, from which the soldiers of the Tower brought long waggon-trains of goods and booty and fresh slaves. Here in the northward regions were the mines and forges, and the musterings of long-planned war…” ARCHITECTURE; ECON; MORDOR; ORCS; MEN; 3A

“After a mile or more they saw, huddled in a hollow at the cliff's foot, the orc-hold that they had guessed was near at hand: a wall and a cluster of stone huts set about the dark mouth of a cave.” ARCHITECTURE; MORDOR; ORCS; 3A

“Presently two orcs came into view. One was clad in ragged brown and was armed with a bow of horn; it was of a small breed, black-skinned, with wide and snuffling nostrils: evidently a tracker of some kind. The other was a big fighting-orc, like those of Shagrat's company, bearing the token of the Eye. He also had a bow at his back and carried a short broad-headed spear. As usual they were quarrelling, and being of different breeds they used the Common Speech after their fashion.” GARMENTS; WEAPONS; CULTURAL; MORDOR; ORCS; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book VI, Chapter 3: Mount Doom:

“All would long ago have been spent, if they had not dared to follow the orc-road. For at long intervals on that highway cisterns had been built for the use of troops sent in haste through the waterless regions.” TRAVEL; MORDOR; 3A

“He came back to Frodo, and then of his elven-rope he cut a short piece to serve his master as a girdle and bind the grey cloak close about his waist. The rest he carefully coiled and put back in his pack. Beside that he kept only the remnants of their waybread and the water-bottle, and Sting still hanging by his belt; and hidden away in a pocket of his tunic next his breast the phial of Galadriel and the little box that she gave him for his own.” ARTIFACTS; FOOD; WEAPONS; GARMENTS; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

“'Down, down!' he gasped, clutching his hand to his breast, so that beneath the cover of his leather shirt he clasped the Ring." CLOTHING; MORDOR; ORCS; 3A This is the 'tunic of dirty leather' from Cirith Ungol.

The Lord of the Rings, Book VI, Chapter 4: The Field of Cormallen:

“When Sam awoke, he found that he was lying on some soft bed, but over him gently swayed wide beechen boughs, and through their young leaves sunlight glimmered, green and gold. All the air was full of a sweet mingled scent.” TREES; GONDOR; ITHILIEN; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book VI, Chapter 5: The Steward and the King:

“And the City was filled again with women and fair children that returned to their homes laden with flowers; and from Dol Amroth came the harpers that harped most skilfully in all the land; and there were players upon viols and upon flutes and upon horns of silver, and clear-voiced singers from the vales of Lebennin.” CULTURAL (Music); GONDOR; MEN; 3A

“As yet no gates had been set up again, but a barrier was laid across the entrance to the City, and there stood men at arms in silver and black with long swords drawn.” GARMENTS; WEAPONS; GONDOR; MINAS TIRITH; MEN; 3A

“…before them came walking slow the Lord Aragorn. He was clad in black mail girt with silver, and he wore a long mantle of pure white clasped at the throat with a great jewel of green that shone from afar; but his head was bare save for a star upon his forehead bound by a slender fillet of silver.” GARMENTS; JEWELRY; GONDOR; MEN; 3A

“Then forth from the Gate went Faramir with Húrin of the Keys, and no others, save that behind them walked four men in the high helms and armour of the Citadel, and they bore a great casket of black lebethron bound with silver.” ARMOR; ARTIFACTS; MATERIALS; TREES; GONDOR; MEN; 3A

“Then the guards stepped forward, and Faramir opened the casket, and he held up an ancient crown. It was shaped like the helms of the Guards of the Citadel, save that it was loftier, and it was all white, and the wings at either side were wrought of pearl and silver in the likeness of the wings of a sea-bird, for it was the emblem of kings who came over the Sea; and seven gems of adamant were set in the circlet, and upon its summit was set a single jewel the light of which went up like a flame.” Tolkien included a drawing of the crown in Letter 211. PHYSICAL; ARMOR; JEWELRY; GONDOR; MEN; 2A; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book VI, Chapter 6: Many Partings:

“Then Éowyn gave to Merry an ancient horn, small but cunningly wrought all of fair silver with a baldric of green; and wrights had engraven upon it swift horsemen riding in a line that wound about it from the tip to the mouth; and there were set runes of great virtue. 'This is an heirloom of our house,' said Éowyn. 'It was made by the Dwarves, and came from the hoard of Scatha the Worm. Eorl the Young brought it from the North.” ARTIFACTS; ROHAN; MEN; DWARVES; 3A

“The Dunlendings fled and hid themselves, for they were afraid of Elvish Folk, though few indeed ever came to their country; but the travellers did not heed them, for they were still a great company and were well provided with all that they needed; and they went on their way at their leisure, setting up their tents when they would.” CULTURAL; TRAVEL; DUNLAND; ELVES; 3A

“Next day they went on into northern Dunland, where no men now dwelt, though it was a green and pleasant country.” ECON; DUNLAND; MEN; 3A

“…[Bilbo] added a last item in Shire-fashion: 'Don't let your heads get too big for your hats! But if you don't finish growing up soon, you are going to find hats and clothes expensive.'” GARMENTS; CULTURAL; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

“Bilbo laughed, and he produced out of a pocket two beautiful pipes with pearl mouth-pieces and bound with fine-wrought silver. 'Think of me when you smoke them!' he said. 'The Elves made them for me, but I don't smoke now.'” ARTIFACTS; MATERIALS; RIVENDELL; ELVES; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book VI, Chapter 7: Homeward Bound:

“When they had called many times, at last the Gate-keeper came out, and they saw that he carried a great cudgel. He looked at them with fear and suspicion; but when he saw that Gandalf was there, and that his companions were hobbits, in spite of their strange gear, then he brightened and wished them welcome. ‘Come in!’ he said unlocking the gate. ‘We won’t stay for news out here in the cold and the wet, a ruffianly evening.” … “‘I’ll learn them,’ came Butterbur’s voice, and out he came with a rush, and he had a club in his hand.” WEAPONS; BREE-LAND; MEN; 3A

“'Well, if you'd called for anything else, I'd have been happier,' said Butterbur. 'That's just a thing that we're short of, seeing how we've only got what we grow ourselves, and that's not enough. There's none to be had from the Shire these days. But I'll do what I can.' When he came back he brought them enough to last them for a day or two, a wad of uncut leaf. 'Southlinch,' he said, 'and the best we have; but not the match of Southfarthing, as I've always said though I'm all for Bree in most matters, begging your pardon.'” ECON; BREE-LAND; MEN; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book VI, Chapter 8: The Scouring of the Shire:

“‘In the meantime, we want a lodging for the night, and as you seem to have pulled down the Bridge Inn and build this dismal place instead, you’ll have to put us up.’” ECON; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A An inn for travelers on the west bank of the Brandywine just past the Bridge.

“‘There isn’t no pipe-weed now,’ said Hob; ‘at least only for the Chief’s men. All the stocks seem to have gone. We did hear that waggon-loads of it went away down the old road out of the Southfarthing, over Sarn Ford way. That would be the end of last year, after you left. But it had been going away quietly before that, in a small way.’” ECON; SHIRE; ISENGARD; HOBBITS; 3A

“There they meant to stay the night; The Floating Log at Frogmoton was a good inn. But as they came to the east end of the village they met a barrier with a large board saying NO ROAD; and behind it stood a large band of Shirriffs with staves in their hands and feathers in their caps…” “…the leader of the Shirriffs, a two-feather hobbit…” WEAPONS; ECON; GARMENTS; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

“‘You know how I went for a Shirriff seven years ago, before any of this began. Gave me a chance of walking round the country and seeing folk, and hearing the news, and knowing where the good beer was.’” CULTURAL; ECON; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A Shirriff is a volunteer position? Do they serve for a set term?

“Sam hurried to the house. By the large round door at the top of the steps from the wide yard stood Mrs. Cotton and Rosie, and Nibs in front of them grasping a hay-fork. 'It's me!' shouted Sam as he trotted up. 'Sam Gamgee! So don't try prodding me, Nibs. Anyway, I've a mail-shirt on me.'” ARTIFACTS; ARMOR; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

“When Sam got back he found the whole village roused. …more than a hundred sturdy hobbits were assembled with axes, and heavy hammers, and long knives, and stout staves: and a few had hunting-bows.” WEAPONS; ARTIFACTS; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A Compare to: “In the morning from Hobbiton and Bywater and round about there were about 100 fullgrown hobbits gathered together with sticks, staves, knives, pitchforks and mattocks and axes and scythes.” (HoME Vol 9, IX – The Scouring of the Shire) WEAPONS; ARTIFACTS; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

“‘It takes a lot o’ believing,’ said the gaffer, ‘though I can see he’s been mixing in strange company. What’s come of his weskit? I don’t hold with wearing ironmongery, whether it wears well or no.’” GARMENTS; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

“As they crossed the bridge and looked up the Hill they gasped. Even Sam's vision in the Mirror had not prepared him for what they saw. The Old Grange on the west side had been knocked down, and its place taken by rows of tarred sheds. All the chestnuts were gone. The banks and hedgerows were broken. Great waggons were standing in disorder in a field beaten bare of grass. Bagshot Row was a yawning sand and gravel quarry. Bag End up beyond could not be seen for a clutter of large huts.” ECON; TREES; FOOD; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book VI , Chapter 9: The Grey Havens:

“'You would have done better to come with us after all, poor old Fredegar!' said Pippin, as they carried him out too weak to walk. He opened an eye and tried gallantly to smile. 'Who's this young giant with the loud voice?' he whispered. 'Not little Pippin! What's your size in hats now?'” GARMENTS; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

“The fruit was so plentiful that young hobbits very nearly bathed in strawberries and cream; and later they sat on the lawns under the plum-trees and ate…” “The Northfarthing barley was so fine that the beer of 1420 malt was long remembered and became a byword…” FOOD; DRINK; TREES; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 4A

“Sam Gamgee married Rose Cotton in the Spring of 1420…[Frodo] resigned the office of Deputy Mayor at the Free Fair that mid-summer…” ECON; CULTURAL; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A Previous recent fairs would've been held in 2978, 2985, 2992, 2999, 3006, 3013.

“It was evening, and the stars were glimmering in the eastern sky as they passed the ruined oak and turned and went on down the hill between the hazel-thickets.” FOOD; TREES; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A