Book 2

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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 II The Ring Goes South, Chapter 1 Many Meetings:

“The braids of [Arwen’s] dark hair were touched by no frost, her white arms and clear face were flawless and smooth, and the light of stars was in her bright eyes, grey as a cloudless night; yet queenly she looked, and thought and knowledge were in her glance, as of one who has known many things that the years bring. Above her brow her head was covered with a cap of silver lace netted with small gems, glittering white; but her soft grey raiment had no ornament save a girdle of leaves wrought in silver.” GARMENTS; JEWELRY; RIVENDELL; ELVES; 3A

“Next to Frodo on his right sat a dwarf of important appearance, richly dressed. His beard, very long and forked, was white, nearly as white as the snow-white cloth of his garments. He wore a silver belt, and round his neck hung a chain of silver and diamonds.” CULTURAL; GARMENTS; MATERIALS; JEWELRY; EREBOR; DWARVES; 3A

“‘Glóin had much to tell of events in the northern regions of Wilderland. …Grimbeorn the Old, son of Beorn, was now the lord of many sturdy men, and to their land between the Mountains and Mirkwood neither orc nor wolf dared to go. 'lndeed,' said Glóin, ‘if it were not for the Beornings, the passage from Dale to Rivendell would long ago have become impossible. They are valiant men and keep open the High Pass and the Ford of Carrock. But their tolls are high…and like Beorn of old they are not over fond of dwarves. Still, they are trusty, and that is much in these days. Nowhere are there any men so friendly to us as the Men of Dale. They are good folk, the Bardings. The grandson of Bard the Bowman rules them, Brand son of Bain son of Bard. He is a strong king, and his realm now reaches far south and east of Esgaroth.”” CULTURAL; TRAVEL; ECON; RHOVANION; BEORNINGS; DALE; MEN; DWARVES; 3A

“'Nonsense, Lindir,' snorted Bilbo. 'If you can't distinguish between a Man and a Hobbit, your judgement is poorer than I imagined. They're as different as peas and apples.'” FOOD; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book II The Ring Goes South, Chapter 2 The Council of Elrond:

“`I feel ready for anything,' answered Frodo. `But most of all I should like to go walking today and explore the valley. I should like to get into those pine-woods up there.' He pointed away far up the side of Rivendell to the north.” TREES; ERIADOR; RIVENDELL; 3A

“There was also a strange Elf clad in green and brown, Legolas, a messenger from…the Elves of Norhern Mirkwood.” GARMENTS; MIRKWOOD; ELVES; 3A

“[Boromir] was cloaked and booted as if for a journey on horseback; and indeed though his garments were rich, and his cloak was lined with fur, they were stained with long travel. He had a collar of silver in which a single white stone was set; his locks were shorn about his shoulders. On a baldric he wore a great horn tipped with silver that now was laid upon his knees.” GARMENTS; TRAVEL; MATERIALS; JEWELRY; PHYSICAL; ARTIFACTS; GONDOR; MEN; 3A


The Lord of the Rings, Book II The Ring Goes South, Chapter 3 The Ring Goes South:

“'Also there is this!' said Bilbo, bringing out a parcel which seemed to be rather heavy for its size. He unwound several folds of old cloth, and held up a small shirt of mail. It was close-woven of many rings, as supple almost as linen, cold as ice, and harder than steel. It shone like moonlit silver, and was studded with white gems. With it was a belt of pearl and crystal... 'Very well, I will take it,' said Frodo. Bilbo put it on him, and fastened Sting upon the glittering belt; and then Frodo put over the top his old weather-stained breeches, tunic, and jacket. 'Just a plain hobbit you look,' said Bilbo.” ARMOR; MATERIALS; JEWELRY; GARMENTS; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

“The Company took little gear of war, for their hope was in secrecy not in battle. Aragorn had Andúril but no other weapon, and he went forth clad only in rusty green and brown as a Ranger of the wilderness. Boromir had a long sword, in fashion like Andúril but of less lineage and he bore also a shield and his war-horn.” GARMENTS; WEAPONS; ARMOR; GONDOR; MEN; 3A

“...Gimli the dwarf alone wore openly a short shirt of steel-rings, for dwarves make light of burdens; and in his belt was a broad-bladed axe. Legolas had a bow and a quiver, and at his belt a long white knife. The younger hobbits wore the swords that they had taken from the barrow; but Frodo took only Sting; and his mail-coat, as Bilbo wished, remained hidden. Gandalf bore his staff, but girt at his side was the elven-sword Glamdring… All were well furnished by Elrond with thick warm clothes, and they had jackets and cloaks lined with fur. Spare food and clothes and blankets and other needs were laden on a pony, none other than the poor beast that they had brought from Bree.” WEAPONS; ARMOR; CULTURAL; GARMENTS; TRAVEL; HOBBITS; ELVES; DWARVES; 3A

“...all the things that [Sam] had stowed...: his chief treasure, his cooking gear; and the little box of salt that he always carried and refilled when he could; a good supply of pipe-weed (but not near enough, I'll warrant); flint and tinder; woolen hose; linen; various small belongings of his master's that Frodo had forgotten and Sam had stowed to bring them out in triumph when they were called for....'No rope!'” ARTIFACTS; MATERIALS; GARMENTS; FOOD; SHIRE; HOBBITS; 3A

“…west of the Mountains…the country was much rougher and more barren than in the green vale of the Great River in Wilderland on the other side of the range…” ECON; PHYSICAL; RHOVANION; 3A

“Though the Company was well clad, they seldom felt warm, either moving or at rest. They slept uneasily during the middle of the day, in some hollow of the land, or hidden under the tangled thorn-bushes that grew in thickets in many places. In the late afternoon they were roused by the watch, and took their chief meal: cold and cheerless as a rule, for they could seldom risk the lighting of a fire. In the evening they went on again…” TRAVEL; FOOD; 3A

“There came a cold clear dawn at the end of a long stumbling night-march. The travelers reached a low ridge crowned with ancient holly-trees whose grey-green trunks seemed to have been built out of the very stone of the hills. Their dark leaves shone and their berries glowed red in the light of the rising sun.” TREES; EREGION; 2A; 3A

“With that [Legolas] sprang forth nimbly, and then Frodo noticed as if for the first time, though he had long known it, that the Elf had no boots, but wore only light shoes, as he always did, and his feet made little imprint in the snow.” GARMENTS; CULTURAL; MIRKWOOD; ELVES; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book II: The Ring Goes South, Chapter 4 A Journey in the Dark:

“While the others were unrolling blankets and making beds against the walls of the chamber, as far as possible from the hole in the floor, [Pippin] crept to the edge and peered over.” ARTIFACTS; TRAVEL; 3A

“‘The wealth of Moria was not in gold and jewels, the toys of the Dwarves; nor in iron, their servant. Such things they found here, it is true, especially iron; but they did not need to delve for them: all things that they desired they could obtain in traffic.” ECON; MATERIALS; MORIA; DWARVES; 2A; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book II: The Ring Goes South, Chapter 5 The Bridge of Khazad-dum:

“By both the doors they could now see that many bones were lying, and among them were broken swords and axe-heads, and cloven shields and helms. Some of the swords were crooked: orc-scimitars with blackened blades.” WEAPONS; ARMOR; MORIA; DWARVES; ORCS; 2A; 3A

“…a huge orc-chieftain, almost man-high, clad in black mail from head to foot, leaped into the chamber; behind him his followers clustered in the doorway. His broad flat face was swart, his eyes were like coals, and his tongue was red; he wielded a great spear. With a thrust of his huge hide shield he turned Boromir's sword and bore him backwards, throwing him to the ground. Diving under Aragorn's blow with the speed of a striking snake he charged into the Company and thrust with his spear straight at Frodo. The blow caught him on the right side, and Frodo was hurled against the wall and pinned. Sam, with a cry, hacked at the spear-shaft, and it broke. But even as the orc flung down the truncheon and swept out his scimitar, Andúril came down upon his helm. There was a flash like flame and the helm burst asunder. The orc fell with cloven head.” CULTURAL; WEAPONS; ARMOR; ORCS; 3A Based on this fellow’s description, ‘almost man-high’ is ‘huge’ for an orc. How high is a man?…the Dunedain were taller than lesser Men.

“…hundreds of orcs…brandished spears and scimitars which shone red as blood in the firelight. …Legolas turned and set an arrow to the string, though it was a long shot for his small bow.” WEAPONS; MORIA; MIRKWOOD; ORCS; ELVES; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book II: The Ring Goes South, Chapter 6: Lothlorien:

“Gently he stripped off Frodo's old jacket and worn tunic, and gave a gasp of wonder. Then he laughed. The silver corslet shimmered before his eyes… There was a dark and blackened bruise on Frodo's right side and breast. Under the mail there was a shirt of soft leather, but at one point the rings had been driven through it into the flesh. Frodo's left side also was scored and bruised where he had been hurled against the wall.” GARMENTS; MATERIALS; ARMOR; HOBBITS; 3A

“Out of the shadows a ladder was let down: it was made of rope, silver-grey and glimmering in the dark, and though it looked slender it proved strong enough to bear many men. Legolas ran lightly up, and Frodo followed slowly; behind came Sam trying not to breathe loudly. The branches of the mallorn-tree grew out nearly straight from the trunk, and then swept upward; but near the top the main stem divided into a crown of many boughs, and among these they found that there had been built a wooden platform, or flet as such things were called in those days: the Elves called it a talan. It was reached by a round hole in the centre through which the ladder passed. When Frodo came at last up on to the flet he found Legolas seated with three other Elves. They were clad in shadowy-grey, and could not be seen among the tree-stems, unless they moved suddenly. They stood up, and one of them uncovered a small lamp that gave out a slender silver beam. He held it up, looking at Frodo's face, and Sam's. Then he shut off the light again, and spoke words of welcome in his elven-tongue.” ARCHITECTURE; GARMENTS; LIGHTING; LOTHLORIEN; ELVES; 3A

“…soon afterwards Merry and Pippin clambered up on to the high flet. They were out of breath and seemed rather scared. `There!' said Merry panting. `We have lugged up your blankets as well as our own. Strider has hidden all the rest of the baggage in a deep drift of leaves.' `You had no need of your burdens,' said Haldir. `It is cold in the tree-tops in winter, though the wind tonight is in the South; but we have food and drink to give you that will drive away the night-chill, and we have skins and cloaks to spare.' The hobbits accepted this second (and far better) supper very gladly. Then they wrapped themselves warmly, not only in the fur-cloaks of the Elves, but in their own blankets as well, and tried to go to sleep. But weary as they were only Sam found that easy to do. Hobbits do not like heights, and do not sleep upstairs, even when they have any stairs. The flet was not at all to their liking as a bedroom. It had no walls, not even a rail; only on one side was there a light plaited screen, which could be moved and fixed in different places according to the wind.” MATERIALS; CULTURAL; ARCHITECTURE; ARTIFACTS; TRAVEL; LOTHLORIEN; SHIRE; HOBBITS; ELVES; 3A


The Lord of the Rings, Book II: The Ring Goes South, Chapter 7: The Mirror of Galadriel:

“Beside it a broad white ladder stood, and at its foot three Elves were seated. They sprang up as the travellers approached, and Frodo saw that they were tall and clad in grey mail, and from their shoulders hung long white cloaks. …One of the Elf-wardens then blew a clear note on a small horn, and it was answered three times from far above.” ARMOR; GARMENTS; CULTURAL; ARTIFACTS; LOTHLORIEN; ELVES; 3A

“As he climbed slowly up Frodo passed many flets: some on one side, some on another, and some set about the bole of the tree, so that the ladder passed through them. At a great height above the ground he came to a wide talan, like the deck of a great ship. On it was built a house, so large that almost it would have served for a hall of Men upon the earth. He entered behind Haldir, and found that he was in a chamber of oval shape, in the midst of which grew the trunk of the great mallorn, now tapering towards its crown, and yet making still a pillar of wide girth. The chamber was filled with a soft light; its walls were green and silver and its roof of gold. Many Elves were seated there. On two chairs beneath the bole of the tree and canopied by a living bough there sat, side by side, Celeborn and Galadriel. They stood up to greet their guests, after the manner of Elves, even those who were accounted mighty kings. Very tall they were, and the Lady no less tall than the Lord; and they were grave and beautiful. They were clad wholly in white; and the hair of the Lady was of deep gold, and the hair of the Lord Celeborn was of silver long and bright…” ARCHITECTURE; CULTURAL; PHYSICAL; GARMENTS; MATERIALS; LOTHLORIEN; ELVES; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book II: The Ring Goes South, Chapter 8: Farewell to Lorien:

“…gifts of food…was mostly in the form of very thin cakes, made of a meal that was baked a light brown on the outside, and inside was the colour of cream. Gimli took up one of the cakes and looked at it with a doubtful eye. `Cram,' he said under his breath, as he broke off a crisp corner and nibbled at it. His expression quickly changed, and he ate all the rest of the cake with relish. … `I thought it was only a kind of cram, such as the Dale-men make for journeys in the wild,' said the Dwarf. `So it is,' they answered. `But we call it lembas or waybread, and it is more strengthening than any food made by Men, and it is more pleasant than cram, by all accounts.' `Indeed it is,' said Gimli. 'Why it is better than the honey-cakes of the Beornings, and that is great praise, for the Beornings are the best bakers that I know of; but they are none too willing to deal out their cakes to travellers in these days. You are kindly hosts! '” FOOD; TRAVEL; CULTURAL; RHOVANION; LOTHLORIEN; DALE; BEORNINGS; ELVES; MEN; 3A

“The Elves next unwrapped and gave to each of the Company the clothes they had brought. For each they had provided a hood and cloak, made according to his size, of the light but warm silken stuff that the Galadhrim wove. It was hard to say of what colour they were: grey with the hue of twilight under the trees they seemed to be; and yet if they were moved, or set in another light, they were green as shadowed leaves, or brown as fallow fields by night, dusk-silver as water under the stars. Each cloak was fastened about the neck with a brooch like a green leaf veined with silver.” GARMENTS; MATERIALS; JEWELRY; LOTHLORIEN; ELVES; 3A

“By it were moored many boats and barges. Some were brightly painted, and shone with silver and gold and green, but most were either white or grey. Three small grey boats had been made ready for the travellers, and in these the Elves stowed their goods. And they added also coils of rope, three to each boat. Slender they looked, but strong, silken to the touch, grey of hue like the elven-cloaks. `What are these? ' asked Sam, handling one that lay upon the greensward. `Ropes indeed! ' answered an Elf from the boats. 'Never travel far without a rope! And one that is long and strong and light. Such are these. They may be a help in many needs.' 'You don't need to tell me that! ' said Sam. `I came without any and I've been worried ever since. But I was wondering what these were made of, knowing a bit about rope-making: it's in the family as you might say.'” TRAVEL; ARTIFACTS; MATERIALS; ECON; LOTHLORIEN; SHIRE; ELVES; HOBBITS; 3A

“‘Here is the gift of Celeborn and Galadriel to the leader of your Company,' she said to Aragorn, and she gave him a sheath that had been made to fit his sword. It was overlaid with a tracery of flowers and leaves wrought of silver and gold, and on it were set in elven runes formed of many gems the name Andúril and the lineage of the sword. …Then she lifted from her lap a great stone of a clear green, set in a silver brooch that was wrought in the likeness of an eagle with outspread wings…” WEAPONS; JEWELRY; LOTHLORIEN; ELVES; MEN; 3A

“The Lady bowed her head, and she turned then to Boromir, and to him she gave a belt of gold; and to Merry and Pippin she gave small silver belts, each with a clasp wrought like a golden flower. To Legolas she gave a bow such as the Galadhrim used, longer and stouter than the bows of Mirkwood, and strung with a string of elf-hair. With it went a quiver of arrows. JEWELRY; WEAPONS; LOTHLORIEN; MIRKWOOD; ELVES; 3A

`For you little gardener and lover of trees,' she said to Sam, `I have only a small gift.' She put into his hand a little box of plain grey wood, unadorned save for a single silver rune upon the lid. `Here is set G for Galadriel,' she said; `but also it may stand for garden in your tongue.” ARTIFACTS; MATERIALS; LOTHLORIEN; ELVES; 3A

“Then the Lady unbraided one of her long tresses, and cut off three golden hairs, and laid them in Gimli's hand.” ARTIFACTS; LOTHLORIEN; ELVES; 3A (what did she use?—a knife? scissors?)

`And you, Ring-bearer,' she said, turning to Frodo…. She held up a small crystal phial: it glittered as she moved it, and rays of white light sprang from her hand.” ARTIFACTS; LOTHLORIEN; ELVES; 3A

The Lord of the Rings, Book II: The Ring Goes South, Chapter 9: The Great River:

“Legolas laid down his paddle and took up the bow that he had brought from Lórien. Then he sprang ashore and climbed a few paces up the bank. Stringing the bow and fitting an arrow he turned, peering back over the River into the darkness. Across the water there were shrill cries, but nothing could be seen.” WEAPONS; TRAVEL; 3A As is proper, Legolas does not travel with his bow strung, but instead strings it when needed. Hammond and Scull agree, see RC p 346.

“‘Boats of the Elves would not sink, maybe,' he said, `but that does not say that we should come through Sarn Gebir alive. None have ever done so yet. No road was made by the Men of Gondor in this region, for even in their great days their realm did not reach up Anduin beyond the Emyn Muil; but there is a portage-way somewhere on the western shore, if I can find it. It cannot yet have perished; for light boats used to journey out of Wilderland down to Osgiliath, and still did so until a few years ago, when the Orcs of Mordor began to multiply.’” TRAVEL; RHOVANION; GONDOR; MORDOR; MEN; 3A

“In the mid-morning the clouds drew own lower, and it began to rain heavily. They drew the skin-covers over their boats to prevent them from being flooded, and drifted on….” TRAVEL; MATERIALS; LOTHLORIEN; ELVES; 3A

“Frodo peering forward saw in the distance two great rocks approaching: like great pinnacles or pillars of stone they seemed. Tall and sheer and ominous they stood upon either side of the stream. A narrow gap appeared between them, and the River swept the boats towards it… As Frodo was borne towards them the great pillars rose like towers to meet him. Giants they seemed to him, vast grey figures silent but threatening. Then he saw that they were indeed shaped and fashioned: the craft and power of old had wrought upon them, and still they preserved through the suns and rains of forgotten years the mighty likenesses in which they had been hewn. Upon great pedestals founded in the deep waters stood two great kings of stone: still with blurred eyes and crannied brows they frowned upon the North. The left hand of each was raised palm outwards in gesture of warning; in each right hand there was an axe; upon each head there was a crumbling helm and crown…” ARCHITECTURE; WEAPONS; GONDOR; MEN; 2A The outwardly-raised-palm gesture seems likely Gothic motifs in carvings (such as those seen on Chartres Cathedral's west facade), with the hand held only a short distance from the body—which would be entirely practical to carve, unlike Jackson’s massive Argonath whose arms would have long ago collapsed under their own weight.

The Lord of the Rings, Book II: The Ring Goes South, Chapter 10: The Breaking of the Fellowship: “Frodo sat for a moment with his head bowed. Sam, who had been watching his master with great concern, shook his head and muttered: 'Plain as a pikestaff it is, but it's no good Sam Gamgee putting in his spoke just now.'” WEAPONS; HOBBITS; SHIRE; 3A

“For some while he climbed, not caring which way he went, until he came to a grassy place. Rowan-trees grew about it, and in the midst was a wide flat stone.” TREES; GONDOR; AMON HEN; 3A

“But everywhere he looked he saw the signs of war. The Misty Mountains were crawling like anthills: orcs were issuing out of a thousand holes. Under the boughs of Mirkwood there was deadly strife of Elves and Men and fell beasts. The land of the Beornings was aflame; a cloud was over Moria; smoke rose on the borders of Lorien. Horsemen were galloping on the grass of Rohan; wolves poured from Isengard. From the havens of Harad ships of war put out to sea; and out of the East Men were moving endlessly: swordsmen, spearmen, bowmen upon horses, chariots of chieftains and laden wains. All the power of the Dark Lord was in motion.” WEAPONS; RHUN; HARAD; MEN; 3A