The Revived Tolkien Trivia

[The Judge]

A question I've got,
Though brain cells creaked:
Who, or what,
Inebriated, squeaked.
​

(I have no doubt you'll find this with ease
But I'd like discrete lines to be quoted, please.)

 

[The Judge]

No guesses yet? Should I give another clue?

 

[Pyan]

I was wondering if it was the ostler's cat and fiddle:

The ostler has a tipsy cat
that plays a five-stringed fiddle;
And up and down he saws his bow
Now squeaking high, now purring low,
now sawing in the middle.

From "The Man in the Moon Came Down Too Soon", sung by Frodo in the Prancing Pony at Bree.

TFotR, Book I, Chapter 9, At the Sign of the Prancing Pony

 

[The Judge]

It is indeed the ostler's cat! I was hoping for the exact quote for the "squeaked" which is in verse 9...

So the cat on his fiddle played hey-diddle-diddle,

a jig that would waken the dead:​

He squeaked and sawed....​

... but I'm happy to accept the "squeaking".

And a slightly befuddled but very merry bell for you together with responsibility for the next question!

 

[Pyan]

Ni'lassui, i vadhron...

What's maybe the oldest artifact made by Men still existing in Middle-earth? Quote, please. No veren!

 

[farntfar]

My first thought was the stone of Erech, which came from Numenor (*), but there's nothing I can find to say it's the oldest.
Still. I suppose that puts some sort of an age to it. Numenorean or before.

*Not entirely sure whether it's actually an artefact either.

 

[Pyan]

It has internal verification - ie JRRT says it in the text somewhere...

 

[The Judge]

I was going to say the palantiri -- but they would be artefacts and I'd forgotten your question wanted "made by Men" so forget I spoke!

 

[The Judge]

Time for more clues?

 

[Pyan]

It's an heirloom..

 

[The Judge]

Is it a weapon?

 

[farntfar]

You're thinking of Narsil, I think TJ, as was I, as it must come from Numenor.
But I'm thinking now of the ring of Barahir, which Elrond gave to Aragorn in the Appendix, and came from even before that; Barahir being the father of Beren.
But actually the ring came originally fron Finrod, so was presumably of elven origin.
Aaarghhhhh!

 

[The Judge]

I was indeed, not that I can recall anyone saying it's the oldest thing made by men or even Men. Hmmm. Can we get confirmation whether it is in TLotR, or should we be looking further afield, pyan?

 

[hopewrites]

Honestly all I can think of are the ruins that the party passes along the way.
Kinda hard for ruins to be heirlooms.

Oh Oh! Something out of the barrow downs????
*runs to check, though she's probably wrong*

 

[hopewrites]

Yeah I think I'm wrong because there isnt anything in the quote where they're found.
there's that lovely broach that Bombadil keeps for himself and Goldberry, which he says was last worn on the sholder of a lovely lady they will not forget, along with the swords (knives) that he encourages the hobbits to keep.
"forged many long years ago by Men of Westernesse: they were foes of the Dark Lord, but they were overcome by the evil king of Carn Dum in the land of Angmar." ~Fellowship of the Ring, Fog on the Barrow Downs, p143 in my all in one~

I tried hopping back to the appendices to see when that might have been to let me know just how old the items were... but ether I couldnt find it, or it was too minor an event to be noted and remembered by anyone but Tom.

 

[Pyan]

I was indeed, not that I can recall anyone saying it's the oldest thing made by men or even Men. Hmmm. Can we get confirmation whether it is in TLotR, or should we be looking further afield, pyan?

Yes, it's in TLotR, and it's mentioned at least three times. Farntfar has got closest, so far, so to speak...

 

[hopewrites]

man made jewelry then. that's what we're after.

 

[farntfar]

I thought also of the Sceptre of Annuminas, which I thought was the same as the sceptre of the kings of Numenor.
But Annuminas is a city in Arnor where Elendil lived. So it can't be that, because Narsil would be older.

 

[Keldaris]

I thought also of the Sceptre of Annuminas, which I thought was the same as the sceptre of the kings of Numenor.
But Annuminas is a city in Arnor where Elendil lived. So it can't be that, because Narsil would be older.

I'm pretty sure the scepter of Annuminas was brought from Numenor, in fact i was dead set on this being the answer but i can't find a quote after many hours searching...

 

[farntfar]

The sceptre can't be the sceptre of the kings of Numenor, surely. Elendil would never have managed to steal that.
So I've changed my mind.
I'm starting to think it's the Pukel-men.

before ever a ship came to the western shores, or Gondor of the Dúnedain was built; and now they had vanished, and only the old Púkel-men were left, still sitting at the turnings of the road.