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Data Graham
Dec 28, 2009

📈📊🍪😋



skasion posted:

also Sauron was never a cat. The Book of Lost Tales precursor to Sauron is Tû/Tûvo from Gilfanon’s Tale, not Tevildo. Tevildo’s role in Tale of Tinuviel was later taken (in Lay of Leithian) by Thû/Sauron, but this corresponds with a shift in emphasis from “cats vs dogs” to “wolves vs dogs”

Olsen characterizes this as "the role in the story that is later occupied by Thû/Sauron was once occupied by Tevildo the giant cat; it is not that Sauron was once a cat"

But one of the things that sort of annoys me about him sometimes is that he does not take an elements-of-drama angle with it, but rather is more English-major about it, focusing on details of execution rather than the big picture; i.e. he does not spell out what that role in the story is. He could say outright: "The story beat that is taken up by Tevildo and then later by Sauron is that Beren is imprisoned and held captive and helpless away from Tinúviel, who has to come and rescue him, which establishes her as an action hero in her own right and on an equal footing with Beren. This is a key part of the story outline regardless of what form the captor of Beren takes"

Don't get me wrong, I love the close-reading details and all, but I rarely see an analysis of the high-level drama arc and the components that feed into it as part of various characters' development and what kind of story it's telling, the lesson it's teaching, the commentary on the human condition, etc

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Arc Hammer
Mar 4, 2013

Got any deathsticks?
I want to see Sauron the cat pawing at a Palantir

zoux
Apr 28, 2006

A red eye, wreathed in flame, blinking slowly

Data Graham
Dec 28, 2009

📈📊🍪😋



It's a cat's eye in the movies at least

Vanadium
Jan 8, 2005

quote:

So terrible was it that Frodo stood rooted, unable to cry out or to withdraw his gaze. The Eye was rimmed with fire, but was itself glazed, yellow as a cat’s, watchful and intent, and the black slit of its pupil opened on a pit, a window into nothing.

Rereading Fellowship, there's a ton of neat details in there that I had zero memories of, it's great.

Tom Smykowski
Jan 27, 2005

What the hell is wrong with you people?
Cat Sauron confirmed

theysayheygreg
Oct 5, 2010

some rusty fish

Arc Hammer posted:

I want to see Sauron the cat pawing at a Palantir

denethor didn’t lose his sanity just from staring into the palantir itself, in truth it was because cat sauron was batting the orb all around barad dur unendingly. it’s not like cat sauron sleeps or anything like normal cats. like getting the spins from VR googles, but you know, dark lord style. you get EVIL disorientation

reignonyourparade
Nov 15, 2012
"Denethor, please just stop looking through the crystal ball that makes you violently ill"
"No."

Runcible Cat
May 28, 2007

Ignoring this post

Cat Sauron glaring into palantir, chattering teeth at the sight of eagles.

webmeister
Jan 31, 2007

The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us. In the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go. I want to see those ashen-faced performances; I want more of them. I want to be encouraged. I want to see you squirm.

reignonyourparade posted:

"Denethor, please just stop looking through the crystal ball that makes you violently ill"
"No."

Food 200g
Army 150g
City walls 800g
Palantirs 3,600g
Servants 150g

someone who is good at the economy please help me budget this. my empire is dying

Arc Hammer
Mar 4, 2013

Got any deathsticks?
Spend less gold on Palantiri

zoux
Apr 28, 2006

reignonyourparade posted:

"Denethor, please just stop looking through the crystal ball that makes you violently ill"
"No."

https://twitter.com/kendrawcandraw/status/1498023144325582850?lang=en

euphronius
Feb 18, 2009

That is a very good point

webmeister
Jan 31, 2007

The answer is, mate, because I want to do you slowly. There has to be a bit of sport in this for all of us. In the psychological battle stakes, we are stripped down and ready to go. I want to see those ashen-faced performances; I want more of them. I want to be encouraged. I want to see you squirm.

Arc Hammer posted:

Spend less gold on Palantiri

no

YaketySass
Jan 15, 2019

Blind Idiot Dog

Denethor and Saruman fell to Sauron Derangement Syndrome

soviet elsa
Feb 22, 2024
lover of cats and snow
Denethor fell because he spent so long listening to Sauron yell at the Palantir despite his food bowl being still half full.

Tom Smykowski
Jan 27, 2005

What the hell is wrong with you people?
Never appreciated until my current read through that even Tom Bombadil had respect for farmer maggot, drat

Safety Biscuits
Oct 21, 2010

This is obvious, but I haven't seen it before: maybe eagles are always saving people in Middle-earth as an allusion to the Exodus.

Exodus 19:4 posted:

Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself.


Context is God telling Moses what to say to the Israelites.

Judgy Fucker
Mar 24, 2006

Nm

Judgy Fucker fucked around with this message at 19:58 on Mar 19, 2024

Arc Hammer
Mar 4, 2013

Got any deathsticks?
I'm not sure how Celeborn would count as one of the Trees. Galadriel is light, but both of the trees produced light, and Celeborn doesn't have the same association. It's more the kinship of the Noldor and the Sindar through their pairing. I'm struggling to think if a dichotomy between the two that is applicable to the Trees.

He shares his name with the White Tree of Tol Eressea, however.

Arc Hammer fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Mar 19, 2024

Tom Smykowski
Jan 27, 2005

What the hell is wrong with you people?
In fellowship when they're waiting to have the council, Elrond's sons come back with some info they're only willing to tell him alone.

I can't remember, does that come up again?

skasion
Feb 13, 2012

Why don't you perform zazen, facing a wall?

Tom Smykowski posted:

In fellowship when they're waiting to have the council, Elrond's sons come back with some info they're only willing to tell him alone.

I can't remember, does that come up again?

IIRC they traveled to Lothlorien and presumably checked in with Galadriel and Celeborn.

When the Fellowship arrives at Caras Galadhon they’re expected. Celeborn says something like “nine were to set out, or so the messengers said, why’s there only eight of you, did Elrond change his mind or what” so that Galadriel can be all wise and say that Gandalf set out but did not arrive. It’s a bit ambiguous but I think that was probably the idea.

Ravenfood
Nov 4, 2011

Tom Smykowski posted:

In fellowship when they're waiting to have the council, Elrond's sons come back with some info they're only willing to tell him alone.

I can't remember, does that come up again?

I assumed they were acting as messengers to/from Lothlorien during that time. They go to a "strange country down the Silverlode", iirc, which can pretty much only be lorien. Later either Celeborn or Galadriel say something about hearing rumors of the Fellowship's coming and mention messengers from Elrond asking that they aid the Fellowship, but Galadriel/Celeborn are vague. Minor fun fact, Elladan and Elrohir are also Galadriel and Celeborn's grandchildren.

euphronius
Feb 18, 2009

I love the lothlorien section of the book. It might as well be Doriath

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Tom Smykowski
Jan 27, 2005

What the hell is wrong with you people?
Ah ya, that all makes sense.

I just finished the lothlorien section in my re-read. I enjoy all the elves being like "magic??? This is just elf poo poo, bro"

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