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thewichtking · 02-05-2009, 08:47 PM

have you ever noticed that in the hobbit the river elves are some time's called the elf king's men! what do you of that?

Inziladun · 02-06-2009, 06:52 PM

Quote:

The prisoners were brought before (the Elvenking) : and though he looked grimly at them, he told his men to unbind them, for they were ragged and weary.

Barrels Out of Bond

That's the only instance of what you refer to that I could quickly find, though there may be others. In this quote, the reference to 'men' is not capitalized, as is usual when Tolkien is speaking of Men as a race. That leads me to believe that here it is simply a different word for 'folk' or 'people', and not an error.

thewichtking · 02-06-2009, 08:53 PM

what about when there on the river in "Berrles out of bound" the text said something like this "his men" something something something and strike a pose. ok never mind the strike a pose thing but it said "his men" somewhere

William Cloud Hicklin · 02-07-2009, 10:05 AM

Throughout his earlier writing, including the Silkarillion up until the Thirties, Tolkien would casually use uncapitalized 'men' to refer to a body or group of sentients, Elves and even Orcs. A reader of The Hobbit objected to it, and in revision T corrected such usages, but he missed a couple.

thewichtking · 02-07-2009, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

Throughout his earlier writing, including the Silkarillion up until the Thirties, Tolkien would casually use uncapitalized 'men' to refer to a body or group of sentients, Elves and even Orcs. A reader of The Hobbit objected to it, and in revision T corrected such usages, but he missed a couple.

that's true i suppose. it sound's logical. oh well i guess that end's this thread

________________________________________________
something, something, something musiiiic and strike a pose!
"Count Oloff"

02-05-2009, 08:47 PM	#1
thewichtking Animated Skeleton Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 42	read this and post have you ever noticed that in the hobbit the river elves are some time's called the elf king's men! what do you of that?

02-06-2009, 08:53 PM	#3
thewichtking Animated Skeleton Join Date: Jan 2009 Posts: 42	what about when there on the river in "Berrles out of bound" the text said something like this "his men" something something something and strike a pose. ok never mind the strike a pose thing but it said "his men" somewhere Last edited by thewichtking; 02-07-2009 at 11:58 AM.

02-07-2009, 10:05 AM	#4
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,321	Throughout his earlier writing, including the Silkarillion up until the Thirties, Tolkien would casually use uncapitalized 'men' to refer to a body or group of sentients, Elves and even Orcs. A reader of The Hobbit objected to it, and in revision T corrected such usages, but he missed a couple. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.