"Minor works" trivia - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Estelyn Telcontar · 01-09-2004, 04:47 PM

This thread is inspired by the "minor works" quote thread on the Quotes forum. The list of works used there is:

Quote:

Farmer Giles of Ham
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil
Leaf by Niggle
Smith of Wootton Major
On Fairy Stories
Mythopoeia
The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
Father Christmas Letters
The Monsters and the Critics
Roverandom
The Lay of Aotrou and Itroun
A Secret Vice

For the beginning, it might be wise to stick to the first four of them; after we warm up, we can spread out and get more complicated!

Here's the first question: Whose daughters danced the Springle-ring?

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-10-2004, 10:05 AM

What a thoroughly excellent idea for a thread (as one might expect, given its originator).

It was old Farmer Maggot's daughers who were dancing the hobbit favourite, during the scene at his house in Bombadil Goes Boating:

Quote:

Goodman Maggot there for all his belt was dancing;
Tom did a hornpipe when he was not quaffing,
daughters danced the Springle-ring, goodwife did the laughing.

Estelyn Telcontar · 01-10-2004, 11:22 AM

Why thank you, good sir! I hope that we will be joined by others who enjoy these works! Your answer is correct, of course, given the quoter [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] - please pose the next question!

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-11-2004, 02:36 PM

Well, anyone can strike gold if they dig in the right place. The following question is dedicated to those feeling the seasonal pinch.

Who extended his life with an unplanned diet?

**The Saucepan Man** · 01-11-2004, 06:22 PM

That'd be Old Nokes from Smith of Wooton Major, who attributed his encounter with the King of Faerie to a dream brought on by his pork dinner and hardly dared eat anything thereafter. The pounds dropped off him and "he lived many years longer that he would otherwise have done".

Now, how do I get on this "Faerie King" diet? [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 7:23 PM January 11, 2004: Message edited by: The Saucepan Man ]

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-12-2004, 09:38 AM

It certainly was 'Old Rag-and-Bones'. Your turn, Saucepan.

Scare Yourself Thin - The King of Faerie Diet is available from all disreputable bookshops, but requires some specialist equipment (Fays and King of Faerie costumes are available from Thomas Rymer of Saville Row). Due to the extremely rapid weight loss and attendant permanent health impairments that this diet induces, it is not recommended for those who might be in a position to take legal action.

**The Saucepan Man** · 01-14-2004, 06:18 PM

Thank you, Sir Squatter. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

And for the next question:

Who was provided with pikelets, and by whom?

And if you can tell me what pikelets are, you can have a much-coveted Barrow-Downs Quiz Room bonus point. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img]

Estelyn Telcontar · 01-15-2004, 07:23 AM

I should think that pikelets are little pikes - am I right? However, I haven't found the reference yet - it sounds like it should be in Farmer Giles of Ham, with the king providing them for his knights, but I can't locate it so far.

**The Saucepan Man** · 01-15-2004, 07:41 AM

Quote:

I should think that pikelets are little pikes

Indeed they should be, Esty, but alas they are not. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

It is, I think, a peculiarly English word. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-15-2004, 07:45 AM

The Lonely Troll provides Perry the Winkle with as many pikelets as he can eat. A pikelet is a small, thin crumpet.

The reference is, of course, to Perry the Winkle in The Adventures of Tom Bombadil

**The Saucepan Man** · 01-15-2004, 08:03 AM

Spot on, untitled occupier. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] And you get the bonus point too.

Now please honour us with the next question.

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-15-2004, 03:40 PM

Why, thank you, Sir; although the honour of any of my questions is a dubious one to say the least.

Which three distinguished characters are involved in an ongoing dispute about Greek pronunciation?

Estelyn Telcontar · 01-17-2004, 06:09 AM

That would be Psamathos Psamathides, the Psamathist, who is mocked by a fellow sorceror, Artaxerxes, for insisting that the silent "P"s be pronounced, and the title hero of the story, Roverandom, who never got to know Psamathos well enough to leave out the P.

(aside: The Greek root of those words is Psammos, 'sand'. It occurred to me that, if the P was silent, it could be the real name of Master Gamgee - Psamwise! Now that would give a whole new meaning to the etymology of his name! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] )

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 12:28 PM January 17, 2004: Message edited by: Estelyn Telcontar ]

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-17-2004, 12:09 PM

Close, but no cigar. You've got two of them, but Rover isn't the sort to dispute something so esoteric.

Estelyn Telcontar · 01-17-2004, 03:15 PM

Then the third one would be the Man-in-the-Moon. He says:

Quote:

...my friend Samathos (I'm not going to put in any ridiculous P to please him)

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-17-2004, 05:37 PM

You have correctly identified the Third Man. MI5 will be pleased.

Estelyn Telcontar · 01-18-2004, 05:41 AM

A part of an animal is prized as a great delicacy in two of Tolkien's minor works. What is it and in which stories is it mentioned?

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-18-2004, 08:06 AM

In Farmer Giles of Ham and Roverandom, Dragon's Tail is a royal delicacy.

Quote:

It was still the custom for Dragon's Tail to be served up at the King's Christmas Feast; and each year a knight was chosen for the duty of hunting.

Farmer Giles of Ham

Quote:

A long time since, and not until the dragon had flown off to Gwynfa, some time after King Arthur's disappearance, at a time when dragons' tails were esteemed a great delicacy by the Saxon Kings.

Roverandom

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 9:07 AM January 18, 2004: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ]

Estelyn Telcontar · 01-18-2004, 09:53 AM

Bingo*, Squatter! Please go on with a new one.

*an obscure reference to a possible but discarded (whew!) name for Frodo

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-18-2004, 10:10 AM

What happened by the Sea of Windless Storm?

Estelyn Telcontar · 01-20-2004, 05:06 PM

Smith of Wootton Major saw an Elven ship and mariners - but that passage is so wonderful, I'll just quote it:

Quote:

He stood beside the Sea of Windless Storm where the blue waves like snow-clad hills roll silently out of Unlight to the long strand, bearing the white ships that return from battles on the Dark Marches of which men know nothing. He saw a great ship cast high upon the land, and the waters fell back in foam without a sound. The elven mariners were tall and terrible; their swords shone and their spears glinted and a piercing light was in their eyes. Suddenly they lifted up their voices in a song of triumph, and his heart was shaken with fear, and he fell upon his face, and they passed over him and went away into the echoing hills.

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-20-2004, 05:10 PM

That's well worth quoting: a fine piece of prose. You are, of course, correct.

Estelyn Telcontar · 01-20-2004, 05:28 PM

Two "Men in Black" show up in one story - who are they?

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-22-2004, 05:43 PM

The Inspector of Houses and the Driver in Leaf by Niggle

Estelyn Telcontar · 01-22-2004, 11:48 PM

That's them, Squatter - your turn!

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-23-2004, 07:50 AM

Who live in the Merlock Mountains?

<font size=1 color=339966>[ 8:51 AM January 23, 2004: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ]

Mariska Greenleaf · 01-26-2004, 08:29 AM

The Mewlips?

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 01-29-2004, 06:47 AM

The very fellows.

Mariska Greenleaf · 02-03-2004, 04:46 AM

Quote:

It may be that His shell is thick,
He seems to sleep, but He is quick.

Who?

**The Saucepan Man** · 02-03-2004, 07:10 AM

The Fastitocalon?

Mariska Greenleaf · 02-03-2004, 07:21 AM

Yep!

**The Saucepan Man** · 02-04-2004, 07:01 AM

Thank you, Mariska. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Ok, an easy one. What was the name of Farmer Giles' dog?

Estelyn Telcontar · 02-04-2004, 07:21 AM

How nice - a question I can answer from memory without having to search my books! The dog is Garm - does anyone know if there's some etymological background to that name? Most of the names in Farmer Giles have some significance.

**The Saucepan Man** · 02-06-2004, 06:52 AM

Quite so, fair Princess Fiona. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

Quote:

... does anyone know if there's some etymological background to that name?

Sorry, insects not my speciality. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

You're up.

Estelyn Telcontar · 02-06-2004, 07:05 AM

Next question: Who was called "the greatest of all the dragon-slayers"?

(I did look up "garm" - at least Merriam-Webster's online dictionary does not recognize it as a word. Oh well, as they say, sometimes a name is just a name!)

Mariska Greenleaf · 02-06-2004, 08:04 AM

Bellomarius.

Estelyn Telcontar · 02-06-2004, 10:08 AM

That's the one, Mariska - go ahead with a new one!

Estelyn Telcontar · 02-16-2004, 07:59 AM

Mariska? Your turn!

Mariska Greenleaf · 02-16-2004, 08:15 AM

Thanks for reminding me...

Who came by night , according to the Hobbits, and loosed her, dragged her over weir, and up stream and pushed her?

Estelyn Telcontar · 02-18-2004, 03:47 PM

Hobbits in a minor work? That has to be The Adventures of Tom Bombadil, I thought, and I found it there.

Quote:

Otter-folk, hobbits said, came by night and loosed her,
dragged her over weir, and up stream they pushed her.

The "she" referred to is Tom Bombadil's boat.

01-10-2004, 11:22 AM	#3
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Why thank you, good sir! I hope that we will be joined by others who enjoy these works! Your answer is correct, of course, given the quoter [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] - please pose the next question! __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

01-11-2004, 02:36 PM	#4
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	Well, anyone can strike gold if they dig in the right place. The following question is dedicated to those feeling the seasonal pinch. Who extended his life with an unplanned diet? __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

01-11-2004, 06:22 PM	#5
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	That'd be Old Nokes from Smith of Wooton Major, who attributed his encounter with the King of Faerie to a dream brought on by his pork dinner and hardly dared eat anything thereafter. The pounds dropped off him and "he lived many years longer that he would otherwise have done". Now, how do I get on this "Faerie King" diet? [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] <font size=1 color=339966>[ 7:23 PM January 11, 2004: Message edited by: The Saucepan Man ] __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

01-12-2004, 09:38 AM	#6
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	It certainly was 'Old Rag-and-Bones'. Your turn, Saucepan. Scare Yourself Thin - The King of Faerie Diet is available from all disreputable bookshops, but requires some specialist equipment (Fays and King of Faerie costumes are available from Thomas Rymer of Saville Row). Due to the extremely rapid weight loss and attendant permanent health impairments that this diet induces, it is not recommended for those who might be in a position to take legal action. __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

01-14-2004, 06:18 PM	#7
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	Thank you, Sir Squatter. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] And for the next question: Who was provided with pikelets, and by whom? And if you can tell me what pikelets are, you can have a much-coveted Barrow-Downs Quiz Room bonus point. [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

01-15-2004, 07:23 AM	#8
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	I should think that pikelets are little pikes - am I right? However, I haven't found the reference yet - it sounds like it should be in Farmer Giles of Ham, with the king providing them for his knights, but I can't locate it so far. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

01-15-2004, 07:45 AM	#10
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	The Lonely Troll provides Perry the Winkle with as many pikelets as he can eat. A pikelet is a small, thin crumpet. The reference is, of course, to Perry the Winkle in The Adventures of Tom Bombadil __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

01-15-2004, 08:03 AM	#11
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	Spot on, untitled occupier. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] And you get the bonus point too. Now please honour us with the next question. __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

01-15-2004, 03:40 PM	#12
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	Why, thank you, Sir; although the honour of any of my questions is a dubious one to say the least. Which three distinguished characters are involved in an ongoing dispute about Greek pronunciation? __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

01-17-2004, 06:09 AM	#13
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	That would be Psamathos Psamathides, the Psamathist, who is mocked by a fellow sorceror, Artaxerxes, for insisting that the silent "P"s be pronounced, and the title hero of the story, Roverandom, who never got to know Psamathos well enough to leave out the P. (aside: The Greek root of those words is Psammos, 'sand'. It occurred to me that, if the P was silent, it could be the real name of Master Gamgee - Psamwise! Now that would give a whole new meaning to the etymology of his name! [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ) <font size=1 color=339966>[ 12:28 PM January 17, 2004: Message edited by: Estelyn Telcontar ] __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

01-17-2004, 12:09 PM	#14
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	Close, but no cigar. You've got two of them, but Rover isn't the sort to dispute something so esoteric. __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

01-17-2004, 05:37 PM	#16
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	You have correctly identified the Third Man. MI5 will be pleased. __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

01-18-2004, 05:41 AM	#17
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	A part of an animal is prized as a great delicacy in two of Tolkien's minor works. What is it and in which stories is it mentioned? __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

01-18-2004, 09:53 AM	#19
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Bingo, Squatter! Please go on with a new one. an obscure reference to a possible but discarded (whew!) name for Frodo __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

01-18-2004, 10:10 AM	#20
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	What happened by the Sea of Windless Storm? __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

01-20-2004, 05:10 PM	#22
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	That's well worth quoting: a fine piece of prose. You are, of course, correct. __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

01-20-2004, 05:28 PM	#23
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Two "Men in Black" show up in one story - who are they? __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

01-22-2004, 05:43 PM	#24
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	The Inspector of Houses and the Driver in Leaf by Niggle __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

01-22-2004, 11:48 PM	#25
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	That's them, Squatter - your turn! __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

01-23-2004, 07:50 AM	#26
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	Who live in the Merlock Mountains? <font size=1 color=339966>[ 8:51 AM January 23, 2004: Message edited by: The Squatter of Amon Rûdh ] __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

01-26-2004, 08:29 AM	#27
Mariska Greenleaf Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dublin Posts: 1,036	The Mewlips? __________________ I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.- Confucius.

01-29-2004, 06:47 AM	#28
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,178	The very fellows. __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

02-03-2004, 07:10 AM	#30
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	The Fastitocalon? __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

02-03-2004, 07:21 AM	#31
Mariska Greenleaf Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dublin Posts: 1,036	Yep! __________________ I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.- Confucius.

02-04-2004, 07:01 AM	#32
The Saucepan Man Corpus Cacophonous Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: A green and pleasant land Posts: 8,390	Thank you, Mariska. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] Ok, an easy one. What was the name of Farmer Giles' dog? __________________ Do you mind? I'm busy doing the fishstick. It's a very delicate state of mind!

02-04-2004, 07:21 AM	#33
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	How nice - a question I can answer from memory without having to search my books! The dog is Garm - does anyone know if there's some etymological background to that name? Most of the names in Farmer Giles have some significance. __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

02-06-2004, 07:05 AM	#35
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Next question: Who was called "the greatest of all the dragon-slayers"? (I did look up "garm" - at least Merriam-Webster's online dictionary does not recognize it as a word. Oh well, as they say, sometimes a name is just a name!) __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

02-06-2004, 08:04 AM	#36
Mariska Greenleaf Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dublin Posts: 1,036	Bellomarius. __________________ I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.- Confucius.

02-06-2004, 10:08 AM	#37
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	That's the one, Mariska - go ahead with a new one! __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

02-16-2004, 07:59 AM	#38
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	Mariska? Your turn! __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

02-16-2004, 08:15 AM	#39
Mariska Greenleaf Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Dublin Posts: 1,036	Thanks for reminding me... Who came by night , according to the Hobbits, and loosed her, dragged her over weir, and up stream and pushed her? __________________ I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.- Confucius.