Now outfitted with boats, travel gear, and road snacks, the Fellowship leave Lothlórien. They make it just a little way down the river before they’re attacked by a gargantuan swan (which is just a big boat! Whew. And obviously we all totally knew that… who’s freaked out? We’re not freaked out) and invited to finally have a meal with the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim. After an epic picnic on the grass, Celeborn — typical dad — gives directions, and Galadriel gives the Company “personalized” gifts that prove exactly who her favorites are.
Recommended Reading:
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Fellowship of the Ring: Being the First Part of The Lord of the Rings (Mariner Books, paperback) pp. 363-66, “Farewell to Lórien”
Tolkien, J. R. R. (Christopher Tolkien, ed.) The Silmarillion (Mariner Books, paperback)
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit (Mariner Books, paperback)
Tolkien, J. R. R. Tales from the Perilous Realm (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, hardcover)
Tolkien, J. R. R. (translator) Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary (Mariner Books, paperback)
Carpenter, Humphrey, ed. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Mariner Books, paperback)
Hey guys, finally catching up! Regarding bow-strings made of Elf-hair, and your musings whether that was possible – I always assumed it was, because I remember a passage about the 3rd Punic War, where the women of Carthage cut off their hair to make bow-strings (as Carthage had been prohibited from preparing weapons of war by Rome fifty years earlier).
Cheers!
Jenny
Addendum: for bowstrings… and *catapults*. This seems to have been pretty common in the ancient world. So, hair is pretty powerful – and imagine how powerful Elf-hair would be!
I didn’t realize that about the Carthaginians, but it certainly lends support to the idea that it’s possible. And yes, I imagine Elf-hair would be powerful stuff indeed. Thank you!
Thanks, Shawn! And sorry for misspelling your name in my Barliman’s Bag email. Especially since you guys manage to pronounce mine correctly every time!