Sport in Middle-Earth

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

I mentioned this on the Lupercalia thread, but it was lost amid the chaos I had wrought. I thought it might prove interesting:

Apart from the well-known Creation of Golf myth in The Hobbit, Orc-chasing and hunting wild kine, can anyone think of a reference to any kind of sport in the Middle-Earth books?

Not that I'm complaining: I can't stand exercise, but it's a matter that's been occupying my so-called thoughts of late.

[Child of the 7th Age]

This is off the top of my head. I'll have to check later to see if I can find the reference. Isn't there a reference somewhere (I think in LotR) to something flying like a football?? I may be hallucinating this, but I don't think so.

sharon, the 7th age hobbit

[The Silver-shod Muse]

I don't think that there's much reference to games and sport in LotR because of the times: the Dark Lord is rising, threatening to consume all of Middle Earth, the free peoples are scrambling to accrue armies and throw up defences, the attention of the wise is bent on the East, where the last hope is journeying deep into enemy territory on a "fool's mission". The focus is on the monumental and pivotal. All in all, not the time to play a friendly game of darts on a Sunday afternoon.

I imagine that there may be references in the HoME books, but as I haven't read most of those yet, I'm afraid that I can't help much there.

It's easy enough to picture the Hobbits playing games. What sports did Bilbo provide at his eleventy-first birthday?

[ August 12, 2002: Message edited by: The Silver-shod Muse ]

[Kuruharan]

The orcs were interested to know if the hobbits were good for "sport." However, I have a feeling that's not the kind of "sport" that you meant.

When Pippin was talking with Bergil they mentioned wrestling as if it was practiced as sport.

In the Hobbit there was also mention of "quiet" games that Bilbo would play.

[ August 12, 2002: Message edited by: Kuruharan ]

[Mister Underhill]

Cruel sport of the Easterlings, per UT:

"What is a thrall?" said Túrin.

"A man who was a man but is treated as a beast," Sador answered. "Fed only to keep alive, kept alive only to toil, toiling only for fear of pain or death. And from these robbers he may get pain or death just for their sport. I hear that they pick some of the fleet-footed and hunt them with hounds. They have learned quicker from the Orcs than we learnt from the Fair Folk."

Less chilling, but still predictably warlike, are the sports of the Edain:

Axes and spears and bows they had, and shooting with bows on foot and on horseback was a chief sport and pastime of the Númenóreans... Beyond all other pursuits the strong men of Númenor took delight in the Sea, in swimming, in diving, or in small craft for contests of speed in rowing or sailing.

Yet another UT reference implies Elvish sport. There may be more specific details elsewhere which I can’t rightly remember at the moment.

[Galadriel’s] mother-name was Nerwen ("man-maiden"), and she grew to be tall beyond the measure even of the women of the Noldor; she was strong of body, mind, and will, a match for both the loremasters and the athletes of the Eldar in the days of their youth.

[Davin]

Interesting. I have never given thought to the sports of ME. Of course, the children in ME don't just work all day, they must have games that they play. But I can't remember any mention of sports from what I have read...but I don't have the best memory either, so I may have missed something...

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

or in small craft for contests of speed in rowing or sailing

I knew it! Cowes Week and the Boat Race represent a survival of Numenorean culture into the present day. Perhaps even Henley Regatta, although that might be stretching a point.

I still find it quite interesting that there's so little reference to team games. I accept the Muse's observation that times are a little fraught in LoTR, but does this apply throughout the Legendarium as a whole? Mind you, it scarcely matters: the absence of sporting discussions in Tolkien's writing is one of the things that I like about it. Perhaps he shared my views on the subject.

[Mister Underhill]

I've always suspected that the Dwarves had a lively game of rugby with Azog's head in Azanulbizar before they skewered it and put it on display - a match that was discreetly left out of the account in Appendix A-III. Those Dwarves always struck me as ruggers, what with their raucous songs and surly temperaments and flagons of ale and suchlike. But who's to say?

[Birdland]

Since the hobbits had evolved from a hunting/gathering "wandering" people, to a more agrarian society, I image that many of their sports probably involved what once were survival tactics.

I imagine that hunting was done more for sport in the Shire of Frodo's age, since they apparently raised plenty of livestock. And except for the odd Bounder, I would guess that most hobbits practiced archery more as a sport then as a weapon of war. Same with quarterstaffs, horseracing, keeping hounds, etc. Hmmmm, I wonder if hobbits kept hawks?

I also found a website that said football originated in the Middle Ages, when it was called "Gameball". Basically you just tossed the ball in the air and whatever team got it to their side won, no holds barred.

Ninepins might be a possibility in the Shire, and maybe a form of croquet. Other than that, I can't think of too many organized, team sports, as we think of sports these days, would have been played in the Shire, or anywhere else in Middle Earth.

[Kuruharan]

I've always suspected that the Dwarves had a lively game of rugby with Azog's head in Azanulbizar before they skewered it and put it on display - a match that was discreetly left out of the account in Appendix A-III.

GASP!!!! We've been found out!!! All that careful editing of the sources and bribing of the historians for nothing!!!!

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

You can't get away with re-writing history, you know. Someone will always find out.

Now you come to mention it, Underhill, rugby's a perfect sport for Dwarves; although it would involve them removing their chain mail. I can imagine the glory days: Erebor v. Iron Hills. Five Orc-heads crushed in the first half. Spectators forced to hunt down some more before play could continue.

[Dimaldaeon]

Ah yes Dwarvish Rugby, a real sport. None of this American football padding nonsense, if you broke a few bones well that was just hard luck.
I can imagine the Rohirrim playing a sport similar to polo.
I wonder if some of the more vicious Easterlings would have played iomanaíocht (sp?) field hockey with an enemies head for a ball.

[The Silver-shod Muse]

Some cultures of the Central Asian steppes had a game similar to polo in which the head of a calf or sheep was used for a ball after it was slaughtered. Strange...

[Lush]

I could just picture the Elves playing soccer, or football, as it is rightfully called by the rest of normal society (silly Americans). Hmmm. Pulling jerseys, faking injuries, using the old 'scissors', and being thrown out on bad calls, while rabid fans are busy overturning the horses in the parking lot. Ok, maybe not. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]
Seriously, they must have at least had archery contests. For certain, Legolas kept some trophies in his closet. Right next to his collection of Barbara Streisand movies.

[ August 14, 2002: Message edited by: Lush ]

[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

Hobbit croquet, complete with flamingos - wait, wrong book.

I think we don't see much of sports because of Frodo's quiet, bookish nature. If the book had followed Pippin on the other hand...

I see the Shire Hobbits playing various games of skill, that old-fashioned hoop-rolling... and cricket. Ah yes! Of course! None of this soccer stuff, these Hobbits really are more the elegant-if-odd cricket-types. Think of it, it's perfect: miasmic rules that only a fanatic can follow, plenty of time out to do something other than think about the game, no clock or schedule or clue when it was going to end, or begin for that matter... the genteel attitude. Ideal for that upper-crusty Hobbiton lad.

Across the Brandywine they'd have soccer, naturally. Or football, as they so crudely call it. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Maril

[ August 15, 2002: Message edited by: Marileangorifurnimaluim ]

[Bêthberry]

Oh really now. Isn't there a reference somewhere to dwarf-tossing? Or am I getting my J's confused? Legolas showed a steady leg at shield boarding, but that was of course the movie.

[Selmo]

If my memory serves me correctly (it doesn't always ) , in the opening section of The Hobbit, where the author is describing hobbits, several sports and games are mentioned.

Hobbits are described as excelling at games that involve aiming, such as archery and darts. Bilbo later shows his aiming skills when he tackles the spiders in Mirkwood.

[Elianna]

You are quite right Selmo (although it's found in "Flies and Spiders"), in The Hobbit there's a whole list of "quiet games of the aiming and throwing sort"that Hobbits play: quoits, dart-throwing, shooting at the wind, bowls, and ninepins. Now I have no idea what half of those are, but still, they're nice Hobbit-games.

The Moria orcs might've played "Pin the wings on the Balrog". (well, I think it's funny...)

I'm in the process of making up a hand game for the little girls of Minas Tirith to play, though I doubt that counts as a sport.

[Carnimírië]

Well, Deagol was a great fishing enthusiast...before his untimely death...(wonders if fishing is considered a Middle-earth sport).

The Moria orcs might've played "Pin the wings on the Balrog".

[Kuruharan]

especially as it meant those tacky flags dissappeared from cars

What?! This horrid disease as spread to the UK as well? I thought it was an exclusively American illness!

[Mad Baggins]

*coughs*

Sweden would have won Euro, if they hadn't played Holland...

Okay, back on topic!

Dear me, if it's this bad here, imagine what it would be like in Middle-earth? Soccer (pardon me, football!) riots involving the throwing of vegetables with the Hobbits, shooting of arrows with the Elves, and swinging of swords with the Men? Imagine what the Orcs would use...err, messy.

[Osse]

I don't know... i think most liverpool hooligans already resemble orcs... cept i think uruks look better in tophats! (don't ask and I wont' tell)

It would be a pretty cool sight to behold. A mob of angry hobbits racing around throwing apples at the orcs, who in turn are chasing after the Elves with beer bottles and rubbish bin lids, little do the orcs know, but they are about to be nutted from the dark alley by a raucus bunch of Dunedain weilding clubs!!


Sounds familiar....

[Mithalwen]

OK - partly I found that the flags obscured sightlines thus making driving more dangerous, partly I found them a little agressive.... it is actually just sport not war...

It seemed to cross the line between patriotism and nationalism........

Plastic flags are inherently tacky. Especially when England is stencilled across them to prevent them being mistaken for the Finnish flag..... and how many people with them on their cars could put the Union flag the right way up?
Although I think the respect given to the flag in the US is a little OTT ... I felt it was disrespectful to write over it... use it for advertising ....... ugh.....

Disgusted of Tumladen Wells

[The Saucepan Man]

Banners depicting the emblems of realms are displayed in LotR in situations other than battle. From The Field of Cormallen:

And so the red blood rushing in their faces and their eyes shining with wonder, Frodo and Sam went forward and saw amidst the clamorous host were set three high-seats built of green turves. Behind the seat upon the right floated, white on green, a great horse running free; upon the left was a banner, silver upon blue, a ship swan-prowed faring on the sea; but behind the highest throne in the midst of all a great standard spread in the breeze, and there a white tree flowered upon a sable field beneath a shining crown and seven glittering stars.

And mounted upon Saucepan's car, red upon white, floated the cross of St George.

I see nothing wrong in displaying my national flag as a symbol of my pride in my country and to show my support for my national team on sporting occasions (it is mounted on the car's aerial, thus presenting no driving hazard). Personally, I think that the cross of St George is an extremely attractive device and I am proud to fly it. And, if it has "nationalistic" connotations, then I am happy to reclaim it on behalf of all who take pride in their country, while maintaining admiration and respect for other nations.

[Mithalwen]

HI-ing again....

[Elmo]

Did they have any sport in Middle Earth except hunting? I can't imagine the 'civilised' Gondorians or Elves indulge in bear-baiting or other typical Medieval sports, maybe the Rohirrim or Orcs, I'd love to see Warg baiting

[Raynor]

The Hobbit mentions football and golf . I don't know how seriously we can take that.

well mabye arrow bow competitions? :P hehe I don't know :P

[ninja91]

Archery, sword-fighting (maybe fencing), golf, and hockey. Phil Kessel looks like a hobbit, right?

[Elmo]

Perhaps they used to play that old type of football in Minas Tirith when you had to get the ball by any means possible to the other side of the town. I suppose people living in the upper circles would have a distinct advantage at that game.