Lord of the Rings Discussion Group (The Green Dragon Inn) II

[HairOfTheDog]

Repost – Highlights from chapters 1-5 copied from the original forum to the new one. To reference the full version, click here: Original Green Dragon Inn Within the first five chapters... disregard the reply numbers... they wont work.

Thank you ecurbh, for copying and editing our old thread so that the highlights could be moved here! Highlights of the first five chapters from the old thread are pasted into the first 5 replies here. For those of you who are just joining you… as of this post we are beginning Chapter 6.

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Welcome to The Green Dragon Inn

Approaching The Green Dragon Inn
Hobbiton, in The Shire

The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with eager feet,
Until it joins some larger way
Where many paths and errands meet.
And wither then? I cannot say.
- JRR Tolkien

Politics also goes ever on and on.
This is a place for FReeper Tolkien fans to come and take a break from the impure reality of conservative activism and relax a little with a great story. We (the other co-conspirators and I) would like to study together the writings of Tolkien, beginning together, and discussing as we go through The Lord of the Rings together.

This is a chapter discussion, roughly one chapter per week, with the discussion mostly centered on the books, though of course the movie will be contrasted and compared, and perhaps used to illustrate another interpretation of the story.

Every week, someone from the group (maybe me) will ping The Green Dragon List to the new Chapter, but we will continue this one thread until it becomes too cumbersome…. Let me know if you would like to be on - or off - this list. I will for now serve as the Thain of the list.

If you are joining late, jump right in, but please stick to the chapter currently being discussed.

Some have loved this story a long time, and some are newly discovering it. If you fit either category, we invite you to join in, but we would like this thread to stay mostly focused on the chapter at hand and keep moving, but at a pace everyone can keep up with… No jumping ahead, and no lagging behind! If you have other news to report or wish to discuss something Tolkien in more general terms… May we recommend the equally homey Hobbit Hole where my co-conspirators and I frequently have plenty of good talk.

One other request…. This thread will get long. In recognition that images slow down the thread for many, let’s keep the posting of images to a minimum on this thread. If there is a great illustration you wish to share, let’s try to use links instead of images wherever possible.

So lets read, listen and become inspired by the many aspects of The Lord of the Rings that touch us deeply and reconnect us to the values we aspire to. Many great discussions have already been had, and I hope that this thread will produce even more. Many FReepers have wonderful things to say about LoTR, whether the fantasy reconnects them with their faith, with their relationships with friends and family, or simply illustrates the splendor of great acts of heroism and sacrifice in the constant battle of virtue versus corruption.

Though it is a work of fiction, we believe the inspiration to be gained can only help us in our larger political goals: to appreciate and defend our freedom, our culture and our political ideals. May the fellowship and insight gained from this discussion help us to work through the issues that are the basis for our many shared ideals.

Besides, we Tolkien fans* need something to keep us busy during the next two years of waiting for the next two films. If you do not enjoy this story, then please simply leave us be.

*Also known as Geeky Hobbity Weirdos, obsessive fanatics, you name it, we have heard it and we see these names as compliments. In other words: don’t act like a troll, or we will distract you with our endless babble until the morning sun turns you to stone.

[Overtaxed]

and there are no other hobbits around.

That's right...and I missed Nob in the movie.

[Sam Cree]

The spies in the inn may have had instructions no more specific than to be on the lookout for the unusual or magical. Like modern spies and subversives, they may not have known the identity of their real bosses, that is, they probably didn't know who employed their employers.

[HairOfTheDog]

I like the whole interchange with Butterbur in the film too... and his implied recall of something when Frodo and company enter the inn implies that they may have included more dialogue that was cut down...

[HairOfTheDog]

Make that read interchange with Butterbur in the "book".... above... hehehe....

[LinnieBeth]

I love it ! when you and JenB and HoTD and others, give us background from other works of Tolkien.
Thank you very much.

[Overtaxed]

Make that read interchange with Butterbur in the "book".... above... hehehe....

I'm home now and well into my (first) pint...it took me a while to notice. :)

[fire and forget]

I don't know. Seems to me their reaction to Frodo's disappearance would have been different had they not known something of the properties of the Ring. I'm referring specifically to the following passage:

But there was one swarthy Bree-lander, who stood looking at them with a knowing and half-mocking expression that made them feel very uncomfortable. Presently he slipped out the door, followed by the squint-eyed southerner: the two had been whispering together a good deal during the evening. Harry the gatekeeper also went out just behind them.

Can't imagine that Tolkien included this without insinuating that others in the room (aside from Strider and the Hobbits) knews of the Ring. Your reply and others forced me to break out the book and get specific. Turns out only a Bree-lander made knowing expressions and that he was in in the company of just one of the southerners. Another fabulous scene in the LOTRs, but it raises some incidental questions for me :)

[HairOfTheDog]

Yes, interesting to wonder how much they knew... and one can of course believe either way. Maybe they had heard something about a magic ring indeed, or maybe they had just had black-cloaked wraiths asking about traveling hobbits that carried something they were very interested in getting ahold of.

[HairOfTheDog]

At any rate, we don't know yet what they are really up to, but we may get more information later... I don't recall... and doesn't either Ferny or the Souherner end up being spotted in The Shire during the scouring? - We shall see!

[fire and forget]

I can answer that, having recently re-read TROTK, but apparently the purpose here is to only address those sections of the books immediately at issue. Otherwise I suppose we would constantly be all over the map.

Thanks again for the threads. A nice tribute to Tolkien's memory.

[HairOfTheDog]

hehehehe - You are not going to let me go off chapter at all? - you are a tough cop!

[Overtaxed]

Pints and wings in the Corner

[HairOfTheDog]

see you there!

[fire and forget]

I'm not policin' nothin'! Your thread, your rules :) Just got the impression we're to try to stay on point, and in deference to the rules ...

Guess I better go back to the beginning and get my boundaries straight.

[HairOfTheDog]

No - you are right on! - I am just feeling cheeky today. We need someone playing straight around here!

I deserve to be sent to Tooks corner, where I have been sending everyone else all this time.
and the wings are good, and the beer is colder here...

Confining myself to the Hobbit Hole for the rest of the day :~D

[fire and forget]

Maybe we should all lay off the pints for a bit (gr).

BTW, do you do anything other than monitor this thread? Yours are VERY prompt (and gratifying) replies! I suppose your work would be simpler if the thread ran itself as was the case when the LOTRs movie first came out (when I had no time to pay attention or participate). Perhaps the ping-list should be expanded? We have a LOOONG way to go and the number of players seems to have shrunk almost to nothing. Kudos to JenB, overtaxed and the others still holding the line (and especially to you, HOTG).

[HairOfTheDog]

Well, I ping those who requested to be pinged (there are 72 on the list)... but you are right that only a few of us post regularly, and others come and go as they please! I try to respond quickly when I am here.

[fire and forget]

Grateful for what you're doing and for adding me to the list. I expect things will heat up when the story reaches Rivendell, and Moria, and Lorien, and Tol Brandir ...

[LinnieBeth]

We have a LOOONG way to go and the number of players seems to have shrunk almost to nothing. Kudos to JenB, overtaxed and the others still holding the line (and especially to you, HOTG).

I'm new to Tolkien and LOTR, the Posters you mention are posting real substantive information, greatly appreciated by me and probably other reader/lurkers. I occassionaly have a question but certainly nothing that wouldn't just clutter the thread.

[Overtaxed]

I occassionaly have a question but certainly nothing that wouldn't just clutter the thread

Please... ask your questions! Questions are a good way to get discussions going and you might hit on something we hadn't thought of before.