Giants , Werewolves, and Vampires oh my!

[Thingol]

I've always had a problem with the journey through the misty mountains in The Hobbit.

"When he peeped out in the lightning-flashes, he saw that across the valley the stone-giants were out and were hurling rocks at one another for a game..."
Over Hill and Under Hill, Pg. 65 The Hobbit

Maybe I just overlooked it, but I can't recall ever seeing Tolkien make another reference of giants in any other book or in the HoME series. Has anyone heard of any other mention of giants in Tolkien's works?
Also there are several mentions of werewolves in the Silm, and maybe 3 mentions of vampires, has anyone ever heard of werewolves or Vampires surviving the final battle?

[ January 06, 2002: Message edited by: Thingol ]

Vampires? Where!? Let me at 'em!!!

-Buffy

[zifnab]

I myself have always wondered about the "stone giants", but sorry I have no answers.

Originally posted by Thingol:
<STRONG>I've always had a problem with the journey through the misty mountains in The Hobbit.

"When he peeped out in the lightning-flashes, he saw that across the valley the stone-giants were out and were hurling rocks at one another for a game..."
Over Hill and Under Hill, Pg. 65 The Hobbit

Maybe I just overlooked it, but I can't recall ever seeing Tolkien make another reference of giants in any other book or in the HoME series. Has anyone heard of any other mention of giants in Tolkien's works?
</STRONG>

Greetings:

It isnt a direct reference.. but this could be related to your query in Fellowship Of The Ring during the attempt to go over Caradhras:

The Company halted suddenly, as if they had come to an agreement without any words being spoken. They heard eerie noises in the darkness around them. It may have only been a trick of the wind in the cracks and gullies of the rocky wall, but the sounds were those of shrill cries, and wild howls of laughter. Stones began to fall from the mountainside, whistling over their heads, or crashing on the path behind them. .... 'we cannot go further tonight' said Boromir. <STRONG> Let those call it the wind will; there are fell voices in the air; and those stones are aimed at us </STRONG>

Strider replies:

There are many evil and unfriendly things in the world that have little love for those that go on two legs, and yet are not in league with Sauron, but have purposes of their own. Some have been in this world longer then he...<STRONG> 'Caradhras was called the Cruel, and had an ill name,' said Glimi. 'long years ago, when rumor of Sauron had not been heard in these lands'.</STRONG>

Finally,

They passed thru the lane, but hardly had Frodo touched the ground when with a deep rumble there rolled down a fall of stones and slithering snow. The spray of it half blinded the Company as they crouched against the cliff, and when the air cleared again they saw that the path was blocked behind them. 'Enough, enough!' cried Glimi. 'We are departing as quickly as we may!'. <STRONG>And indeed with that last stroke the malice of the mountain seemed to be expended, as if Caradhras was satisfied that the incaders had been beaten off and would not return. The threat of snow lifted; the clouds began to break, and the light grew broader.</STRONG>

I'm in a bit of an argument over this with 1 or 2 whether this was Tolkien using personification of the Caradhras mountain, or whether these quotes passages show proof of an entity (No one has quoted Tolkien saying one way or the other)... I personally believe it to be the latter.. and I actually used your example of the Hobbit to show another example of this.. so perhaps Caradhras is a cousin of your frost-giants in the Misty Mountains [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[ January 06, 2002: Message edited by: Scott31 ]