Barrow Downs Misconceptions

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Last night whilst talking on the phone with Lauri I told her a story that amused her greatly and sparked the idea for a Mirthful thread.

I was talking to my brother, Seth, the other day and asked him when he was going to join the 'Downs. He told me that he wasn't ever going to. Since he likes the Barrow Downs, I asked him why he didn't want to be a 'Downer. He promptly told me that it was because he didn't want to die. As it turns out he thought that all this talk of being 'dead' on the 'Downs was for real. Apparently he thought that I was actually deceased. Where he got that notion from I honestly don't know. I explained to him that it was just a joke, and he responded with a great big 'OH'!

This little story makes one think 'I wonder if anyone else has ever had a relative or a friend that had a misconception about the good old 'Downs.' There's probably moments like this for every 'Downer. There may even be an amusing story to it. So has somebody that you've known had a misconception about the 'Downs?

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

My mother, who has, bless her, sort of caught onto the whole online-community-thing recently, previously thought the Downs was "a wolfy-game, dating site" - and considering the girl I took round for dinner, she was entirely justified.

I think my entire family were a bit incredulous that there was so much to talk about in the works of one author.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Eomer

My mother, who has, bless her, sort of caught onto the whole online-community-thing recently, previously thought the Downs was "a wolfy-game, dating site"

Huh? You mean it isn't?

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Originally Posted by Nerwen

Huh? You mean it isn't?

It wasn't always like this.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Eomer of the Rohirrim

It wasn't always like this.

You're living in the past, man!

Clearly it is high time the official name of this forum was changed to "The Barrow-Downs Wolfy-game Dating Site".

[Blind Guardian]

My mother thought The Downer was some death metal thing.

When I first was told 'Welcome to your death.' I was like what the heck?! Then I saw the pile o' bones thing.

[narfforc]

I actually thought that Middle-earth Mirth was to have a laugh and a joke. Apparently not, for I was given an infraction point for posting something non-Tolkien, if that is the case have look at the long standing (and yes quite funny) comic strip which appears on these pages and ask about it's relevence to Tolkien. My post was considered to be quite funny by the majority of those who contacted me, however, a sense of humour normally does help when reading something that states mirth.

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by narfforc

I actually thought that Middle-earth Mirth was to have a laugh and a joke. Apparently not, for I was given an infraction point for posting something non-Tolkien, if that is the case have look at the long standing (and yes quite funny) comic strip which appears on these pages and ask about it's relevence to Tolkien.

But "Phantom and Alien" started in the "Downer", and features a number of forum members as characters. So while it may not be relevant to Tolkien, it is to the site itself.

[narfforc]

I never said it shouldn't be there, and I have sent Joel a message to state that. However, since I gained my infraction point, I have have seen countless items that have no Tolkien content either, I can only guess that some Harry Potter fan didn't like my post.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

But P and A has Tolkien-esque ideas in it, not just things that are relevant to the 'Downs. Like Alien going to Gondor, for instance. That may just be a little thing dropped in there to keep it Tolkien related, but it was still great. As for the Downer, it's all about Tolkien. And as Nerwen pointed out, the Phantom and Alien is the Downer's comic strip. Therefore it gets status as being Tolkien related as well, no matter if there are any references to Tolkien's work or not.

Bringing the thread back on topic just a bit, I always have people give me funny looks when I mention my Deathday or my death in general, not just my vulnerable brother. Then, of course, there are always those times when one mentions the number of times one has died on the 'Downs. And another misconception I always have, though it is really the other way around from my original idea, is that when somebody says something about another person being 'such a downer', I think of our newspaper...

[narfforc]

Ok then you have proved a small link to the works of Tolkien, tell me what has The Fall from Olympus got to do with it, in that thread there isn't one mention of his works.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by narfforc

Ok then you have proved a small link to the works of Tolkien, tell me what has The Fall from Olympus got to do with it, in that thread there isn't one mention of his works.

Personally I have no idea what that thread has to do with Tolkien. I've never gone to it, and I don't actually pay attention to Werewolf. I can only give my opinion on things that I actually know about. I know the Downer, WW not so much.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

I think most of us have gotten some weird/unjust infraction point during our stay in the worn down barrows, but there is no need to keep dwelling on the subject. . . it was a silly thing, might even done by a silly person.

To get the thread back on track I will share a funny misconception my family has about this site. My family is convinced that this is a place I got to discuss the works of Tolkien. . . and not just a place I hang out to have a laugh and meet new (and old) friends.

[Hookbill the Goomba]

The Downer and the Phantom and Alien are as connected or unconnected to Tolkien as you want them to be.

Speaking of misconceptions, I do recall, long ago, a sibling of mine googling 'the downs' to see what it was about. He thought I liked hills after that.

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Originally Posted by Hookbill the Goomba

Speaking of misconceptions, I do recall, long ago, a sibling of mine googling 'the downs' to see what it was about. He thought I liked hills after that.

Surprised I was never queried about my extensive research into wheelbarrows. We had the same one for years and it never let us down, after all.

[narfforc]

I live in the North-west of England, in a place called Lancashire. Not too far away is a town called Barrow-in-Furness, my friend at work thought this site was about the region around that town. I wonder how many other people live near a Barrow, I'm sure there is one near Stonyhurst, which is actually nearer to me than the other one.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Unfortunately we have destroyed most of our barrows, but there are still quite a few in short distance of Copenhagen.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by narfforc

I wonder how many other people live near a Barrow, I'm sure there is one near Stonyhurst, which is actually nearer to me than the other one.

There's always Barrow, Alaska.

[SamwiseGamgee]

As far as tenuous links to Tolkien go- myself and Eomer (with help from many noteworthy Downers) ran a little thread called ‘The Warg and Warg Rider Appreciation Thread’ for a considerable time. In fact, for a while there it was the toast of MEM. I once wrote a story about Boris the Transylvanian Warg and posted it… and we got away with it. I think we were allowed to just because of the mighty kudos the Horsemaster has here. That and I think we just plain confused the mods!
Anyway, as far as Downs misconceptions go: my wife’s complete inability to ever, ever, ever understand how Werewolf works; my wife thinking I was doing research into Downs-Syndrome for uni; and my mum bursting into my room one night at 4a.m. when I was 17 having seen the flickering light of a screen under my door and being massively confused that I was using the internet to discuss Tolkien’s use of pride and was actually consulting a Bible for references!

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by SamwiseGamgee

Anyway, as far as Downs misconceptions go: my wife’s complete inability to ever, ever, ever understand how Werewolf works; my wife thinking I was doing research into Downs-Syndrome for uni; and my mum bursting into my room one night at 4a.m. when I was 17 having seen the flickering light of a screen under my door and being massively confused that I was using the internet to discuss Tolkien’s use of pride and was actually consulting a Bible for references!

The Bible is a surprising, but useful reference for a Tolkien discussion. There sure is a lot of Bible talk around here!

And welcome back to the Downs, SamwiseGamgee!

[SamwiseGamgee]

Thanks TGEW, it's been a long time- but on a recent visit to the Horsemaster's new abode in the flats my tastebuds once again tingled with the anticipation of Downing. Couple that with some recent re-reads and, what can you say: I'm dead again!

[Mithalwen]

I just bypass family mirth by referring to this place as the hobbit fanciers' site...

[Galadriel55]

I came by this site accidentally, and once I've opened it I got stuck in it. I was just googling the name of some character to check on some fact or other, and I opened The BDs. Right away I've opened a random thread, and obviously I wanted to post my opinion. That's the way I joined.

[Galadriel55]

Yeah, I don't know what my previous post is doing here (), but here's a misconception:

When I told my mother about the Downs she started asking me to "drop a question" here from her. And the questions were about where can she purchase a certain item, what's the closest place where she can get/do something, etc. For about a month I had to repeat to her over and over that a) this is a Tolkien forum, not a shopping ad, and that b) people from across the world won't be very helpful in sugesting stores that are nearest to your house.

Now she thinks I actually discuss Tolkien here.

[Aganzir]

Finland is a great place to buy everything you need. How about combining your shopping to a nice mother-daughter trip?

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by narfforc

I wonder how many other people live near a Barrow, I'm sure there is one near Stonyhurst, which is actually nearer to me than the other one.

I live very near a barrow of course. In fact I am one

[Rikae]

All I know is I need a new answer when people ask how my husband and I met. "Prison" would probably go over better than the truth.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Rikae

All I know is I need a new answer when people ask how my husband and I met. "Prison" would probably go over better than the truth.

"We saved a village from werewolves together and fell in love in the process."

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

"We saved a village from werewolves together and fell in love in the process."

"We ate a village full of ordinary people and realised in the process that we're both quite unordinary."

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

"We saved a village from werewolves together and fell in love in the process."

I don't want to claim that I know how Rikae and Mac got together, but if I recall correctly, the situation was morel ike: "I was having clairvoyant dreams and he was telling me which people around me might be werewolves. Then I got killed and we fell in love."

[Gil-Galad]

I can say that I took the Barrowdowns Love Boat ride twice here, the second time being my current Girlfriend and Escallhugwen(Doubt anyone remembers her, as she hasn't been on here for years.)

My brother showed me this site, and when I explained how me and her met, my brother promptly took credit for being a 'Tolkien Matchmaker'

[Rikae]

Legate, yep, that's right.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I always run into a problem trying to explain the Barrow-Downs to anyone who doesn't know me well. I always end up explaining why we are "dead", what Barrow-Wights are, who Tom Bombadil is, What Middle-earth is, and last but not least, what the Dickens P and A is and what it is doing here.

[Pitchwife]

Originally Posted by TheGreatElvenWarrior

... and last but not least, what the Dickens P and A is and what it is doing here.

You can actually explain that?

[Galadriel55]

What I love most is that my mother keeps thinking that I use my computer mostly for studying.................for exams that have nothing to do with computers...............(but luckily for me she doesn't know the latter part).........................and in fact that I have actually studied in the past few days.............

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

You can actually explain that?

Well, it takes a while. And by "a while" I mean fifteen minutes of babbling. I can't condense the subject.