Riddles in the Downs

[Mithalwen]

Not Bombadil or Eru. Neither of whom fit the rest of the riddle.

[Galadriel55]

Is it your fav?

Everyone knows me. - duh, High King.
Last and first was I. - Last of the High Kings (whose realm was fair and free between the Mountains and the Sea et cetera), first of... I dunno.
Nobody knows me. - no clue.
Noble light on high.

Memory lingers;
The song of the singers, - Gildy Galdy was an Elven Thing of whom the harpies madly sing...
The rings on other fingers. - Elrond's and Gandalf's.

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Is it your fav?

Everyone knows me. - duh, High King.
Last and first was I. - Last of the High Kings (whose realm was fair and free between the Mountains and the Sea et cetera), first of... I dunno.
Nobody knows me. - no clue.
Noble light on high.

Memory lingers;
The song of the singers, - Gildy Galdy was an Elven Thing of whom the harpies madly sing...
The rings on other fingers. - Elrond's and Gandalf's.

Makes sense

Memory Lingers: ...
Last and First was I (first Elvish High King of Nolor born in Middle Earth? Turgon was a Valinor-head wasn't he)
Nobody knows me: as Ereinion?
Noble Light on High: That spear thingy he had that shone like the brightest star stuff, whatever, or like that. High as in 'oven is on high' hahaha

[Mithalwen]

Yep, poor love was rather incinerated. First king in lindon and to be High King of Eldar not just Noldor iirc.

Nobody knows me... Not even Tolkien himself seems to have come to a definitive conclusion as to who his Daddy was , which is unusual for a king... he was a relatively early character whose first appearancw was circa 1936 and thirty odd years later he has wandered through the three houses of Finwë's sons ending up maybe as Orodreth's but in the circumstances I am not sure last word wouldhave been final. Christopher admitted he probably made a mistake assigning him tp Fingon from a single note but it seemed the simplest option at the time. I sometimes wonder if the name Ereinion was a joke referring to the indescision... I digress

Noble light on high.... Gil-galad , means starlight. His quenya name is Artanaro, noble flame.

So despite her lack of respect for my beloved, the thread is back to Galadriel

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

So despite her lack of respect for my beloved, the thread is back to Galadriel

It was all said with great love and in good humor.

Anyways, will think of something within the next week.

[Mithalwen]

This harpy forgives you...

[Galadriel55]

Ack! I completely forgot about this!

If someone has a riddle ready, feel free to post it. If not, I'll get something up in the net day or two.

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Ack! I completely forgot about this!

If someone has a riddle ready, feel free to post it. If not, I'll get something up in the net day or two.

I could post one, but i'll way to see urs. I like this thread

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Ivriniel

I could post one, but i'll way to see urs. I like this thread

As you wish.

Where she dwells with silence
A single man abides.
Though she's no great hostess
She will let you inside.

You are a man of stature,
You are among the best,
And here, inside her kingdom,
You will lie down to rest.

Unless you be her servant,
Her soldier or her slave,
She will not let you exit
To see the world again.

Happy riddling!

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

As you wish.

Where she dwells with silence
A single man abides.
Though she's no great hostess
She will let you inside.

You are a man of stature,
You are among the best,
And here, inside her kingdom,
You will lie down to rest.

Unless you be her servant,
Her soldier or her slave,
She will not let you exit
To see the world again.

Happy riddling!

hahaha - I'm so 'person/creature-centric' with these things. I don't know why, but 'Shelob' keeps coming to mind.

Is it she?

[Ivriniel]

...or else, The One Ring - though that doesn't sit well with the 'she' thing. Maybe Gollum (when he lived in Misty Mountains--with The Ring)....

The Sun? No that's not right either....

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Ivriniel

hahaha - I'm so 'person/creature-centric' with these things. I don't know why, but 'Shelob' keeps coming to mind.

Is it she?

When I was making the riddle, I thought Shelob would be one of the wrong guesses. Keep trying.

And no, neither Sun nor Ring.

It would be better if you tried going line by line and tried to explain what each one means in the context of your guess. Then I can point out some important details that you may have overlooked in your solution.

And no, don't be so person/creature-centric. Don't discriminate against the inanimate objects. (And finally, for the record, you know by now that I use nth-person pronouns very loosely.)

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

As you wish.

Where she dwells with silence
A single man abides.
Though she's no great hostess
She will let you inside.

I'm thinking Minas Tirith, and where the dead Kings are laid to rest.

You are a man of stature,
You are among the best,
And here, inside her kingdom,
You will lie down to rest.

So, that's gotta be the Heir of Isildur--King of Gondor/Arnor (reunited Kingdom)

Unless you be her servant,
Her soldier or her slave,
She will not let you exit
To see the world again.

Happy riddling!

So, that's gotta be reference to the Guard of the City, or reference to the loyal of The King

??

[Mithalwen]

Rath Dinen is the silent street but a city wouldn't have a single resident. If a city I suppose Gondolin didn't let folk out and had one man as opposed to elf resident. But the silence doesn't fit then,

[Galadriel55]

Yeee-eeees.... please continue.....


You're getting there. You're actually very close. But, as Mith said, any city is too big. So something much smaller, but also in the right location?...

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Yeee-eeees.... please continue.....


You're getting there. You're actually very close. But, as Mith said, any city is too big. So something much smaller, but also in the right location?...

....ah, hmm, okay, *scratches head* --

a barrow wight - it's got all the 'king' stuff, and all the creepy unwelcoming things. A single resident that can move about...?

[Ivriniel]

Or else, the Paths of the Dead and the Erech.....

[Galadriel55]

No and no. You were much closer with Minas Tirith and Rath Dinen.

[Ivriniel]

The Palantir in the Tower of the Guard....

Where she dwells with silence
A single man abides.
Though she's no great hostess
She will let you inside.

The palantir

You are a man of stature,
You are among the best,
And here, inside her kingdom,
You will lie down to rest.

The King - or else - Denethor on the pyre with the Palantir

Unless you be her servant,
Her soldier or her slave,
She will not let you exit
To see the world again.

Only one of great will would see anything but hands clinging onto a palantir, wreathed in fire...

[Mithalwen]

The Paths of the Deadl there was the body scratching at the door of the son of the Rohirric king of the time?

[Galadriel55]

Nope. But I thought Paths of the Dead would also be a potential answer.

Palantir is way off. It doesn't actually do most of the things in the riddle. Especially the line that says "inside her kingdom". Kingdom might be metaphorical, yes, but inside it? Denethor never lied down to rest within the palantir, or even its "kingdom". The "inside" is more important than you might think - more important than the kingdom.

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Nope. But I thought Paths of the Dead would also be a potential answer.

Palantir is way off. It doesn't actually do most of the things in the riddle. Especially the line that says "inside her kingdom". Kingdom might be metaphorical, yes, but inside it? Denethor never lied down to rest within the palantir, or even its "kingdom". The "inside" is more important than you might think - more important than the kingdom.

Okay *smiles* now I'm muddled erm, I'm gunna need some help....

I've explored ideas about location (Rath Dinen), versus a metaphoric adaptation of 'city/space' (a Palantir as a psychological 'realm') and also, a blending of the two (Barrow Wights. That guess melded ideas about 'slavery' [necromantic invasion of barrows] with 'kingship' [because a barrow was a burial site for Kings of northern kingdom]. This was the attempt to reconcile ideas about slavery, service, kingship and duty. (Poem refers to this).

so, I got that Rath Dinen was kinda close-ish, and that the Palantir was off base implying that 'space' or 'city' was not where u've adapted metaphoric licence. I tried 'palantir' to test that theory. Cause a palantir has a very vast psychological realm in semi-conscious entity, and capacity to 'hold' or 'steer' the viewer (slavery concept) and where a King (man of stature) can 'override'. If u say 'she' means something else, then, easily, I saw that 'realm' could have been 'of the mind space' (I'm a shrink, so that one kinda came to me very naturally. I see every human as having an entire realmspace and universe)....

I also get that u've used 'she' broadly, and it seems from ur comments, to imply some kind of literal, actual, geographical space or locale...? So 'she' means location, is how I've interpreted.

Is that correct? That is, are we looking at an actual, literal place or location. Or--alternatively -- something else?

Cheers (I'm enjoying this, btw - thanx for posting....when I nail the riddle, am gunna ponder something in kind )

kind regards

[Mithalwen]

An actual barrow rather than the wight? They were the tombs of kings... but leaves too much to explain.

[Ivriniel]

Or the Barrow Downs.

If Rath Dinen was closer - perhaps ur seeking another locale within Minas Anor?

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Ivriniel

Okay *smiles* now I'm muddled erm, I'm gunna need some help....

I've explored ideas about location (Rath Dinen), versus a metaphoric adaptation of 'city/space' (a Palantir as a psychological 'realm') and also, a blending of the two (Barrow Wights. That guess melded ideas about 'slavery' [necromantic invasion of barrows] with 'kingship' [because a barrow was a burial site for Kings of northern kingdom]. This was the attempt to reconcile ideas about slavery, service, kingship and duty. (Poem refers to this).

so, I got that Rath Dinen was kinda close-ish, and that the Palantir was off base implying that 'space' or 'city' was not where u've adapted metaphoric licence. I tried 'palantir' to test that theory. Cause a palantir has a very vast psychological realm in semi-conscious entity, and capacity to 'hold' or 'steer' the viewer (slavery concept) and where a King (man of stature) can 'override'. If u say 'she' means something else, then, easily, I saw that 'realm' could have been 'of the mind space' (I'm a shrink, so that one kinda came to me very naturally. I see every human as having an entire realmspace and universe)....

I also get that u've used 'she' broadly, and it seems from ur comments, to imply some kind of literal, actual, geographical space or locale...? So 'she' means location, is how I've interpreted.

Is that correct? That is, are we looking at an actual, literal place or location. Or--alternatively -- something else?

Cheers (I'm enjoying this, btw - thanx for posting....when I nail the riddle, am gunna ponder something in kind )

kind regards

Ok, in short -

Originally Posted by Ivriniel

If Rath Dinen was closer - perhaps ur seeking another locale within Minas Anor?

Yes.

Rath Dinen was much closer than either of you realize. Don't go hunting after wights and palantirs.

Yes, it is a location.

Note - it's the slave/servant that's free, and the man of stature who remains inside.

The "kingdom" is very small. Like a "pretty small fraction of a city" small.

Hope this helps.

[Mithalwen]

Could it be the pyre of Denethor l

[Galadriel55]

No, not the pyre. This is colder than Rath Dinen, but still not too far.

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Ok, in short -



Yes.

Rath Dinen was much closer than either of you realize. Don't go hunting after wights and palantirs.

Yes, it is a location.

Note - it's the slave/servant that's free, and the man of stature who remains inside.

The "kingdom" is very small. Like a "pretty small fraction of a city" small.

Hope this helps.

*cheeky smile* - ah, now I understand - my character is someone that's not quite a prescriptive - and so I took 'rath dinen' as generally encompassing of ''good enough" and got side-saddled into a palantir-ic diversion

So - here's what I reckon, then:

Rath Dinen, the silent street, that precedes access to Mindolluin! Kings and such, are on the far side of Fen Hollen. So, I'd say that ur speaking of that.

Stewards (for those servants also free) and Kings (I suppose people's servants too in a way), or else ur speakin' about that white tree thingy that was of Galathilion, originally, of Teleperion.

will that do?

[Galadriel55]

You're literally stepping on the answer, just now quite nailing it. Think about this: "Where she dwells with silence". Silence was correctly identified as Rath Dinen. Who is she?

Yet another hint: you already know the answer, just say it as the answer.

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

You're literally stepping on the answer, just now quite nailing it. Think about this: "Where she dwells with silence". Silence was correctly identified as Rath Dinen. Who is she?

Yet another hint: you already know the answer, just say it as the answer.

hahahaha - ur a hard task master! I might just get all adolescent and rebel by claiming victory.....

Rath Dinen is [[[The ***silent*** street]]]

[Mithalwen]

Oh I thought Rath Dinen was the silence and we were looking for the dweller.. so would guess the House of The Stewards in the Hallows..save that there would be more than one in the vault presumably.

[Galadriel55]

No, once again. I would have accepted Rath Dinen if the actual object was the answer. As it happens, it is not. The answer, however, is right beside it.

Mith, House of Stewards is somewhat of a stretch, but you are looking for something that sits beside Rath Dinen. Not really a dweller, but something that is very close to it also.

[Galadriel55]

I am leaving for 2 weeks in roughly 25 hours, so here is a HUGE clue:

It is right beside Rath Dinen. It lets you inside. What lets you inside?

[Mithalwen]

The hallows and the single man is the porter at Fen Hollen

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

The hallows and the single man is the porter at Fen Hollen

she's gone for two weeks. Do you want to do a riddle, or shall I?

As far as I see this, it was a riddle we pegged with shared contribution. I'd like to write one if you don't.

Kind Regards

[Mithalwen]

It would be courteous to get confirmation first. Or at least wait for the 25 hrs. Are up. For myself I am not so confident it is solved.

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

It would be courteous to get confirmation first. Or at least wait for the 25 hrs. Are up. For myself I am not so confident it is solved.

okay

[Mithalwen]

But in theory I am happy for you to take the turn.

[Ivriniel]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

But in theory I am happy for you to take the turn.

thanx mith - i'll hava ponder about a riddle n kind regards

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

The hallows and the single man is the porter at Fen Hollen

Finally! That is correct. Fen Hollen is the answer. Here's some more detailed explanation:

Where she dwells with silence - next to Rath Dinen
A single man abides. - the porter
Though she's no great hostess - no parties there for you, duh
She will let you inside.

You are a man of stature,
You are among the best, - one of the Stewarts (or Kings before that)
And here, inside her kingdom,
You will lie down to rest. - die.

Unless you be her servant,
Her soldier or her slave, - the guards or cleaning party
She will not let you exit
To see the world again. - nope, you die there and stay there.


It's Mith's turn now (and no, Ivriniel, a riddle isn't solved until it's declared so by the riddle-maker - but you're right, it was a group effort). If she so chooses, she can pass the turn, though - but that's up to her.