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The New Hobbit Hole

Posted on 03/14/2002 5:07:26 AM PST by HairOfTheDog

Welcome to The New Hobbit Hole

Concerning Hobbits

The New Hobbit Chronicles

This is a continuation of the infamous thread New Zealander Builds Hobbit Hole originally posted on January 26, 2001 by John Farson, who at the time undoubtedly thought he had found a rather obscure article that would elicit a few replies and die out. Without knowing it, he became the founder of the Hobbit Hole. For reasons incomprehensible to some, the thread grew to over 4100 replies. It became the place for hobbits and friends of hobbits to chit chat and share LoTR news and views, hang out, and talk amongst ourselves in the comfort of familiar surroundings.

In keeping with the new posting guidelines, the thread idea is continuing here, as will the Green Dragon Inn, our more structured spin-off thread, as soon as we figure out how to move all the good discussion that has been had there. As for the Hobbit Hole, we will just start fresh, bringing only a few mathoms such as the picture above with us to make it feel like home, and perhaps a walk down memory lane:

Our discussion has been light:

It very well may be that a thread named "New Zealander builds Hobbit hole" will end up being the longest Tolkien thread of them all, with some of the best heartfelt content... Sorry John, but I would have rather it had been one with a more distinguished title!… post 252 - HairOfTheDog

However, I can still celebrate, with quiet dignity, the fact that what started as a laugh about some wacko in New Zealand has mutated and grown into a multifaceted discussion of the art, literature, and philosophy that is Tolkien. And now that I've managed to write the most pompous sentence of my entire life, I agree, Rosie… post 506 - JenB

Hah! I was number 1000!! (Elvish victory dance... wait, no; that would be too flitty) … post 1001 - BibChr

Real men don't have to be afraid of being flitty! Go for it. – post 1011 – HairOfTheDog

Seventeen years to research one mystical object seems a bit excessive… post 1007 - JenB

Okay...who's the wise guy who didn't renew Gandalf's research grant?… post 1024 – Overtaxed

To the very philosophical:

…Judas Iscariot obviously was a good man, or he wouldn't have been chosen to be one of the Apostles. He loved Jesus, like all of the Apostles, but he betrayed him. Yet without his betrayal, the Passion and Crucifixion would never have occurred, and mankind would not have been redeemed. So without his self-destruction infinite good would not have been accomplished. I certainly do not mean this to be irreverant but it seems to me that this describes the character of Gollum, in the scenes so movingly portrayed above… Lucius Cornelius Sulla

To fun but heartfelt debates about the integrity and worth of some of the characters…

…Anyone else notice how Boromir treats the hobbits? He's very fond of them but he seems to think of them as children - ruffling Frodo's hair, calls them all 'little ones'. He likes them, but I don't think he really respects them… post 1536 - JenB

Yes... Tolkien told us not to trust Boromir right off the bat when he began to laugh at Bilbo, until he realized that the Council obviously held this hobbit in high esteem. What a pompous dolt… post 1538 - HairOfTheDog

…I think almost every fault of his can be traced directly back to his blindness to anything spiritual or unseen. He considers the halflings as children, because that is what they look like. He considers the only hope of the ring to be in taking it and using it for a victory in the physical realm. He cannot see what the hobbits are truly made of, he cannot see the unseen hope of what the destruction of the ring might mean--the destruction of Sauron himself, and he cannot see the unseen danger that lies in the use of the ring itself… I just feel sorry for Boromir--he is like a blind but honorable man, trying to take the right path on the road but missing the right path entirely because he simply cannot see it… post 1548 - Penny1

Boromir isn't a jerk, he's a jock… post 2401 – Overtaxed

-----------------------------------------

Oh, I think by the time Frodo reaches the Cracks, he's not even himself anymore! I think he's not only on the brink of a dangerous place physically, he's on the brink of losing himself completely during the exchange with Gollum. But for some reason, the take-over isn't complete till he actually has to throw the Ring in. The person speaking to Gollum is not Frodo, but the "Wheel of Fire" that Sam sees. After the Ring is destroyed, Frodo not only comes back to himself, but comes back with the unbearable (to him) knowledge of what it's like to be completely without compassion. I think that's why it's so important to him to be compassionate in the Shire… post 2506 - 2Jedismom

…Regarding Frodo's compassion... it's a little too much at the end. Even Merry tells him that he's going to have to quit being so darn nice. But you're right. He's learned a lesson about evil that very few ever learn since it wasn't an external lesson but an internal one. (Those kinds of lessons have the greatest impact) Not only did he totally succumb to it, but he was rather ruthless to my little Smeagol… post 2516 - carton253

Well that Frodo was a big mean bully! (to Smeagol)… post 2519 – Overtaxed

So as you can see, everything JRR Tolkien (and Peter Jackson) is welcome here in our New Row, our soon-to-be familiar New Hobbit Hole…; philosophy, opinion, good talk and frequent silliness.


TOPICS: Books/Literature; Chit/Chat; Poetry; TV/Movies; The Hobbit Hole
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic
These are great by the way, if you haven't tried them....

I like those, too...though they're NOTHING like lembas, IMO. ;-) Great for hikes and trips, even though they DO have a tendency to crumble. Most granola bars are more of a candy bar than these...

36,121 posted on 10/22/2002 10:38:33 AM PDT by RosieCotton
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To: Corin Stormhands
Did somebody say, "fruitcake"???


36,122 posted on 10/22/2002 10:41:30 AM PDT by rightwingreligiousfanatic
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To: Overtaxed
Plastic leaf wrappings? Hmmmm.....

The elves had green saran wrap?

36,123 posted on 10/22/2002 10:42:29 AM PDT by RMDupree
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic
Ewwwwww! Did you HAVE to do that?

I think I hate you...

36,124 posted on 10/22/2002 10:42:57 AM PDT by RosieCotton
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic
Oats and honey flavor is the best of the bunch!!!

But they break real easy and are definitely NOT cake-like in the middle! :)

36,125 posted on 10/22/2002 10:43:49 AM PDT by RMDupree
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To: 2Jedismom
*grin* My mind's eye pictures us both scanning the index, furiously turning pages and scanning for the italics on the page listed.

Then racing to post, of course. :)

36,126 posted on 10/22/2002 10:45:08 AM PDT by RMDupree
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To: RosieCotton
Ack! Now what did I do? I can't win....
36,127 posted on 10/22/2002 10:46:29 AM PDT by rightwingreligiousfanatic
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic
Have you so quickly forgotten your spam episode? Isn't posting pictures like that a violation of your parole?
36,128 posted on 10/22/2002 10:46:39 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands
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To: RosieCotton
I really like the way those sound. They sound similar to what my hubby makes...Sandbakkel or something like that.
36,129 posted on 10/22/2002 10:47:57 AM PDT by 2Jedismom
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To: Corin Stormhands
Now posting pictures of any kind is an offense!?!?!?!? Sheesh... I'm nowhere near the (so called) "precious".....
36,130 posted on 10/22/2002 10:48:25 AM PDT by rightwingreligiousfanatic
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic
Now posting pictures of any kind is an offense!?!?!?!?

Oh don't be such a victim. You knew very well what you were doing with that picture...

36,131 posted on 10/22/2002 10:50:11 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands
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To: 2Jedismom
They sound similar to what my hubby makes...Sandbakkel or something like that.

Could be! They're German I believe, but there are some recipes that are made in various European countries, with slight variations. Or is sandbakkel (or whatever!) more like shortbread? Springerle is really hard...wouldn't crumble unless crushed, which is what I think happens to the lembas.

36,132 posted on 10/22/2002 10:52:06 AM PDT by RosieCotton
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To: RMDupree; All
My wife is 100% Swedish and they make a sweetbread called Lefsa. I wonder, since Tolkien based a lot of his material on Scandinavian sources.....

Lembas could = Lefsa.

Lefsa, however is very thin and not crispy per se. But a modified version of lefsa might be just the ticket. I will investigate. Correction, I will ask her to investigate. ;^)

36,133 posted on 10/22/2002 10:53:45 AM PDT by rightwingreligiousfanatic
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic
Now posting pictures of any kind is an offense!?!?!?!?

That wasn't just "any kind"!

You do realize we're just messin' with ya, right?

36,134 posted on 10/22/2002 10:54:10 AM PDT by RosieCotton
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic
Lefse is more or less potato flatbread, isn't it? Cooked in a frypan? I'm probably thinking of something else, though...

Dad's family is partially Norwegian and we used to have something called something like that, but it wasn't really sweet. Kind of bland but good, and we ate it with sour cream.

36,135 posted on 10/22/2002 10:56:25 AM PDT by RosieCotton
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To: RosieCotton
You do realize we're just messin' with ya, right?

Sometimes... ;^)

36,136 posted on 10/22/2002 10:57:21 AM PDT by rightwingreligiousfanatic
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To: RosieCotton
It is a shortbread. He flavors it with crushed cardamon seeds and it's quite good! It's pressed very thin into molds and baked. It's a swedish cookie, I believe...

Here is the recipe from a cached Google page...

Sandbakkel
This fascinating butter cookie with a hint of the Swedish spice cardamom. It looks like an upside-down tart that's waiting to be filled, but it's not. These are made with Sandbakkel moulds in Sweden, however, little tartlet pans work well.

type: refrigerator, formed
makes: 4 dozen

1 cup butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
pinch of salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
water, as needed

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add egg vanilla, cardamom, and salt.
Gradually add in flour.
If mixture seems dry add a few drops of water.
Gather dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Lightly grease tins.
Press about 2 teaspoons of dough into each tin; press along bottom and up the sides.
Place tins on a cookie sheet.
Bake 6-8 minutes for the little tins, 12-15 minutes for the larger tins. Cookies should be lightly browned.
Let cool 5 minutes, then unmold cookies and place on wire racks to cool completely.
Serve with the open end facing down.

36,137 posted on 10/22/2002 10:58:34 AM PDT by 2Jedismom
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic
You may be on to something there, Vim.

Check it out and let us know please.

I cracked up at the Richard Simmons photo! Kudos for a reallly good one!

36,138 posted on 10/22/2002 11:01:14 AM PDT by RMDupree
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To: RosieCotton; rightwingreligiousfanatic
You do realize we're just messin' with ya, right?

Ssshhhhh!!! Don't tell him that! It keeps them off MY back...

36,139 posted on 10/22/2002 11:05:13 AM PDT by Corin Stormhands
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To: rightwingreligiousfanatic
My husband is mostly Swedish...there was apparently a German in there somewhere on his father's side, because our last name is German, but nobody can remember it...they all just remember the Swedish.

And his mother is almost pure swedish, except that my husband's grandmother was born on the ship coming here from Sweden...she apparently was the illegitimate child of the Englishman her mother worked for. Great Grandma had the baby on the boat on the way here to marry a Swedish guy that put an ad in the paper. But their entire culture is pure Swedish.

I love my husband immensely, but he's the moodiest person I've ever met! I've been told this is true for all nordi types...
36,140 posted on 10/22/2002 11:08:39 AM PDT by 2Jedismom
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