Thank you for that Tom Bombadil explanation. Reading the silmarillion now (at the beginning of days) and wondered if he was one of the other spirits that went, not nessisarily classified as anuir.
My headcanon about Tom Bombadil is that he is Melkor. Or rather Melkor as he should have been. “For nothing is evil in the beginning" wrote Tolkien. He also wrote that Melkor once loved Varda (but ended up hating her). I theorise that once Melkor descended on Arda, he purged all goodness from himself, as he saw goodness as a weakness, and that goodness manifested itself into Tom, a powerful and purely good being, and probably the only powerful being in Arda that never used any form of violent conduct (The Valar did almost destroy Middle Earth during their first war with Melkor). Strengthening my theory is the fact that we've seen both Melkor and Sauron separating part of themselves (e.g. making of the One ring). Obviously I made all that up, and I'm pretty happy with Tolkien's intention to keep Tom a mystery :)
It's a very cool theory, but the hole is that Bombadil was there before Melkor came from the Outside. I always saw him as something that sprung from The Secret Fire - a spirit of the land itself. He is Middle-Earth, embodied.
Would you say Gil-galad did most of the work in the dual against Sauron? I don't really see how any mortal no matter how mighty, even Hurin Turin or Tuor could feasibly stand up to a Maiar, especially not one as powerful as Sauron and once again especially since he had the ring. Even Gandalf the white, re-embodied Glorfindel or Galadriel would not be able to stand up to him even without the ring after some of his power was diminished. However, I can see how a High-King of the Noldor like Gil-galad could feasibly stand up to Sauron even if he is the underdog going into the dual. I also can't help but think that Gil-galad is the one exception of the diminishment theme as he is incredibly powerful and seems no less powerful than Fingon or Finrod. I find it weird that he's the son of Orodreth who didn't seem very powerful at all compared to most other elf lords of the time and was most certainly an idiot, and there is his son who is one of the most wise, intelligent and powerful elf lords to ever exist. Gil-galad as far as I can tell never saw the two trees and is pretty far down the family tree relative to the other really powerful elf lords. I actually like this as it paints Gil-galad as a bit of an underdog and despite diminishment in most things, somehow just somehow he is able to achieve greatness and power as if he was further up the family tree. And while it can seem inconsistent with Tolkiens theme of diminishment, I actually like that he leaves room for exceptions such as what it seems for Gil-galad But back to the main point, I envision the dual as it mostly being Sauron vs Gil-galad and Elendil mostly hiding behind Gil-galad and sometimes swinging Narsil at Sauron and occasionally providing as a distraction but mostly Gil-galad vs Sauron as it doesn't really seem feasible that a mortal could stand up to Sauron and last longer than a couple of seconds, let alone emerge with a mutual defeat. Another thing about this is as you said Elendil is diminished from Elros who is Elrond's brother, and from I can see Gil-galad is a few tiers above Elrond, and I know this is a very simplistic analysis when it comes to power ranking but I still think that it's a good reason to believe Gil-galad did most of the work. I'm not sure what your thoughts are about this but it's what I think
Diminishment is real, but Gil-galad was the high-king for a very long time. It's not that he gets diminished, it's that successive generations of elves get diminished, he's just of an older stock. You're seriously underestimating Elendil though. Sauron was recently battered around by the Akallabêth and was not at his best. You can't really use third age characters to compare to him, because they don't make them like Elendil anymore, it's been 30 generations (and 30 generations by the standard of those that live far longer). I recommend you don't get too caught up in power levels, it takes the fun and the magic out of it, but the reality is that Elendil was just that mighty, every bit an equal of Gil-galad in battle. Gandalf doesn't go up against Sauron because he's forbidden to do this
Another point to add to John’s paragraph is that the fight happened after years of Mordor being under siege, I really think that Sauron was also tired and spent after years of mentally willing his forces on in battle. But I totally understand your question, as it has also been on my mind for years. I imagine the fight as all of them killing and maiming each other and then Isildur doing the Fatality at the end when the battle was over.
Given that Rohan was very much a patriarchal society, why did Helm Hammerhand's sister-son Fréaláf go by his mother's name for his surname (Hildeson; literally, "Son of Hild")? Chris Smith's 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Official Visual Companion (2024; HarperCollins) gives one explanation, but it is definitely not canonical: "Fréaláf Hildeson is the son of Hild, Helm Hammerhand's sister. Little is known about his father, though it is suggested he may not have been one of the Rohirrim, but rather a Gondorian prince from the city of Dol Amroth to Rohan's South." I would not say that Australia was ever a part of Middle-earth. Rather, it might have been a remnant of the continent known as Dark Land, to the south-east of Middle-earth.
You need to rethink your approach to your channel’s announcement. When you lead with what you seem to choose as your featured question, that them needs to be what is answered first, or explained quickly, otherwise you are disappointing and confusing those who are following your title. If you are thinking that this makes for a waiting audience, you are mistaken and are simple encouraging disappointment.
That guitar intro is fire btw
“Can’t do good by evil means” becomes muddier in Beregond’s case
Thank you for that Tom Bombadil explanation. Reading the silmarillion now (at the beginning of days) and wondered if he was one of the other spirits that went, not nessisarily classified as anuir.
I don't know why, but I burst out in laughter on the "blip on the radar" comment
My headcanon about Tom Bombadil is that he is Melkor. Or rather Melkor as he should have been.
“For nothing is evil in the beginning" wrote Tolkien. He also wrote that Melkor once loved Varda (but ended up hating her). I theorise that once Melkor descended on Arda, he purged all goodness from himself, as he saw goodness as a weakness, and that goodness manifested itself into Tom, a powerful and purely good being, and probably the only powerful being in Arda that never used any form of violent conduct (The Valar did almost destroy Middle Earth during their first war with Melkor). Strengthening my theory is the fact that we've seen both Melkor and Sauron separating part of themselves (e.g. making of the One ring).
Obviously I made all that up, and I'm pretty happy with Tolkien's intention to keep Tom a mystery :)
It's a very cool theory, but the hole is that Bombadil was there before Melkor came from the Outside. I always saw him as something that sprung from The Secret Fire - a spirit of the land itself. He is Middle-Earth, embodied.
I would enjoy a reading from Tolkien's Beowulf.
Would you say Gil-galad did most of the work in the dual against Sauron? I don't really see how any mortal no matter how mighty, even Hurin Turin or Tuor could feasibly stand up to a Maiar, especially not one as powerful as Sauron and once again especially since he had the ring. Even Gandalf the white, re-embodied Glorfindel or Galadriel would not be able to stand up to him even without the ring after some of his power was diminished.
However, I can see how a High-King of the Noldor like Gil-galad could feasibly stand up to Sauron even if he is the underdog going into the dual. I also can't help but think that Gil-galad is the one exception of the diminishment theme as he is incredibly powerful and seems no less powerful than Fingon or Finrod. I find it weird that he's the son of Orodreth who didn't seem very powerful at all compared to most other elf lords of the time and was most certainly an idiot, and there is his son who is one of the most wise, intelligent and powerful elf lords to ever exist. Gil-galad as far as I can tell never saw the two trees and is pretty far down the family tree relative to the other really powerful elf lords. I actually like this as it paints Gil-galad as a bit of an underdog and despite diminishment in most things, somehow just somehow he is able to achieve greatness and power as if he was further up the family tree. And while it can seem inconsistent with Tolkiens theme of diminishment, I actually like that he leaves room for exceptions such as what it seems for Gil-galad
But back to the main point, I envision the dual as it mostly being Sauron vs Gil-galad and Elendil mostly hiding behind Gil-galad and sometimes swinging Narsil at Sauron and occasionally providing as a distraction but mostly Gil-galad vs Sauron as it doesn't really seem feasible that a mortal could stand up to Sauron and last longer than a couple of seconds, let alone emerge with a mutual defeat. Another thing about this is as you said Elendil is diminished from Elros who is Elrond's brother, and from I can see Gil-galad is a few tiers above Elrond, and I know this is a very simplistic analysis when it comes to power ranking but I still think that it's a good reason to believe Gil-galad did most of the work. I'm not sure what your thoughts are about this but it's what I think
Diminishment is real, but Gil-galad was the high-king for a very long time. It's not that he gets diminished, it's that successive generations of elves get diminished, he's just of an older stock.
You're seriously underestimating Elendil though. Sauron was recently battered around by the Akallabêth and was not at his best. You can't really use third age characters to compare to him, because they don't make them like Elendil anymore, it's been 30 generations (and 30 generations by the standard of those that live far longer). I recommend you don't get too caught up in power levels, it takes the fun and the magic out of it, but the reality is that Elendil was just that mighty, every bit an equal of Gil-galad in battle. Gandalf doesn't go up against Sauron because he's forbidden to do this
Another point to add to John’s paragraph is that the fight happened after years of Mordor being under siege, I really think that Sauron was also tired and spent after years of mentally willing his forces on in battle. But I totally understand your question, as it has also been on my mind for years. I imagine the fight as all of them killing and maiming each other and then Isildur doing the Fatality at the end when the battle was over.
Given that Rohan was very much a patriarchal society, why did Helm Hammerhand's sister-son Fréaláf go by his mother's name for his surname (Hildeson; literally, "Son of Hild")? Chris Smith's 'The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim Official Visual Companion (2024; HarperCollins) gives one explanation, but it is definitely not canonical: "Fréaláf Hildeson is the son of Hild, Helm Hammerhand's sister. Little is known about his father, though it is suggested he may not have been one of the Rohirrim, but rather a Gondorian prince from the city of Dol Amroth to Rohan's South."
I would not say that Australia was ever a part of Middle-earth. Rather, it might have been a remnant of the continent known as Dark Land, to the south-east of Middle-earth.
Is it possible for a Dwarf to procreate with a Man or an Elf? 🤔
You need to rethink your approach to your channel’s announcement. When you lead with what you seem to choose as your featured question, that them needs to be what is answered first, or explained quickly, otherwise you are disappointing and confusing those who are following your title. If you are thinking that this makes for a waiting audience, you are mistaken and are simple encouraging disappointment.
Please forgive the typo!
“Then they”, not “them”.
There's chapters, you can skip to whatever you want in the video. I'll stick to what has been working wonderfully.