# Inappropriately funny



## Turgon of Gondolin (Jan 15, 2013)

There's this passage in _The Silmarillion_ which is serious and full of foreshadowing, but it always makes me giggle. 


“Again after a hundred years Glaurung, the first of the Urulóki, the fire-drakes of the North, issued from Angband’s gates by night. He was yet young and scarce half-grown, for long and slow is the life of the dragons, but the Elves fled before him to Ered Wethrin and Dorthonion in dismay; and he defiled the fields of Ard-galen.”​

I can't help but picture a playful little dragon-pup coming romping out and proceeding to poop all over everything he sees.

Does anyone else have something that they find funny which isn't intended to be that way?


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## Andreth (Jan 16, 2013)

Ahah the dragon-pup! Never thought it that way, but it's too funny!
To me, even if it's not intended to be a dreadful part, I can't help but have fun when reading of the first meeting between Finrod and the Edain; I can't cite the exact words, because I've read it in Italian, but I have always found funny that Finrod was bored of the hunt with Maedhros and Maglor; were the two brothers this boring? What were they doing that was so tiresome?? XD


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## Turgon of Gondolin (Jan 16, 2013)

I never read Finrod's feelings that way, but I can see how you could take that interpretation. And yeah, imagining the sons of Fëanor as boring is kind of funny. I can see them always going about "Silmaril this" and "Silmaril that", kind of like someone who never talks about anything except their favorite sports team or tv show.


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## Eledhwen (Jan 16, 2013)

Thank you, Turgon of Gondolin; I have always read Tolkien's works without double-entendre . . . up until now! I hope I can get to that place again, and soon. ;D

I suppose, now you mention it Andreth, that Fëanor's sons did seem to have only one topic of conversation. I now imagine them entering The Undying Arms pub (Valinor can't have been very amazing if it didn't have a smattering of taverns), thumbs tucked into waistbands, and the other Elves grabbing their pints and retreating to the snug so they didn't have to listen to the boys droning on about the missing Silmarils.


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## Andreth (Jan 16, 2013)

Well, I said that Finrod was bored because the Italian version tells so... I really need to purchase the original one! What definition it gives, in this case?
and, about Maedhros and Maglor, maybe they were less one-topic-only-ish than their brothers; but, you know, Finrod was quite the meditative guy, surely he would get bored of all the relentless hunts and hunting songs.
Speaking of which, I always found funny the Lai of Leithian passage in which it talks about the House of Orome, where hunters would go and drink wine and sing songs; I always imagined it like an underworld pub or an alcohol anonymous... Rather funny, really!


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## Turgon of Gondolin (Jan 17, 2013)

It's always fascinating to see how words and meanings translate from language to language. In the English edition of the book the word used in “weary”.

“When three hundred years and more were gone since the Noldor came to Beleriand, in the days of the Long Peace, Finrod Felagund lord of Nargothrond journeyed east of Sirion and went hunting with Maglor and Maedhros, sons of Fëanor. But he wearied of the chase and passed on alone towards the mountains of Ered Lindon that he saw shining afar; and taking the Dwarf-road he crossed Gelion at the ford of Sarn Athrad, and turning south over the upper streams of Ascar, he came into the north of Ossiriand.”​


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## Andreth (Jan 17, 2013)

Ah, that makes sense! Well, the term used in the Italian version is " tediato ", which Collins dictionary translates as " bothered, bored ". But, however, it _can_ be translated as weary, even if it's not a straightforword translation, to be honest... It is quite ambiguous. Well, this explains what exactly poor Christopher Tolkien meant when he halted the Italian translation of the HOME due to a " horrible translation ". Oh, well. Time to purchase the original version, I think


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## Andreth (Jan 17, 2013)

Ok, I'm purchasing the original version through the national library  finally!


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## Mike (Jan 17, 2013)

Well, there was a time when Celeborn's name was "Teleporno".


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## Bucky (Jan 17, 2013)

Mike said:


> Well, there was a time when Celeborn's name was "Teleporno".



*LOL

I always found that odd too.

BUT, in Tolkien's defense, he WAS 'smoking '****' in the trenchs too. 

Word's meanings change over the years, yea or nay?*


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## Bucky (Jan 17, 2013)

Obviously words change...

English slang for a cigarette bleeped out?

Wow!

I guess I can't even say:

"each of us should carry a faggot of wood, as big as he can bear up Caradhras."


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## Andreth (Jan 18, 2013)

XDXD yeah, of course Tolkien wrote as a man his age! Teleporno always made me think of some sort of Adult-only TV channel... Not very good, for the noble husband of Lady Galadriel, no?


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## Eledhwen (Jan 18, 2013)

Bucky said:


> *LOL
> 
> I always found that odd too.
> 
> ...



'Fągs' is still a slang word for cigarettes in Britain. I believe that the further north you go, the more archaic words survive in general speech.


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## Cirdan (Jan 20, 2013)

How about Ulmo and his magic sea-car? I picture this giant water-lord stuffing himself into a little Volkswagen (with Aulë in the passenger seat); beep beep! Or the Yellow Submarine...


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## Grond (Mar 28, 2013)

Eledhwen said:


> 'Fągs' is still a slang word for cigarettes in Britain. I believe that the further north you go, the more archaic words survive in general speech.


LOL! As a resident of Texas and former resident of Louisiana, I can tell you that the opposite is true in the U. S. The further south you go, the more archaic words survive in general speech.


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## Tsagadar (Apr 9, 2013)

I agree with that bit about Ulmo's magic car 

But that didn't pass into the Silmarillion eventually, so I guess it can't count exactly.

I can't think right now of something that I find really funny, but there are some statements or expressions that I find pretty funny - sometimes it has a strong positive effect actually.

I'll post a few that come to my mind right now:
"Mighty are the Ainur, and mightiest among them is Melkor; but that he may know, and all the Ainur, *that I am Iluvatar*, those things that ye have sung, I will show them forth, that ye may see what ye have done." - I know it's archaic speech, but basically Iluvatar is saying "you should know that I am Iluvatar".. kinda funny.

"Dost thou desire all the world for thy *belly*?" - Belly just sounds like a childish word to me and it seems like a strange combination with the archaic speech.

"For Maglor was mighty among the singers of old, *named only after Daeron of Doriath*"- the mentioning of Daeron here, at the end of the Silmarillion, and placing Maglor in 2nd place like that always seemed odd to me, but I actually really like it somehow and find it moving, more than funny.


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## Withywindle (Apr 10, 2013)

Bucky said:


> "each of us should carry a faggot of wood, as big as he can bear up Caradhras."



Of course i´ve chuckled at tis before while reading LOTR, but seeing it highlighted here really made me crack up. Thanks Bucky!:*p


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## host of eldar (Mar 13, 2014)

in a place in the fellowship book sam is being asked about his opinions of elves. he says about them"so old and young,and so gay and sad" i m pretty sure we all laughed at that part :*D


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## Halasían (Mar 18, 2014)

host of eldar said:


> in a place in the fellowship book sam is being asked about his opinions of elves. he says about them"so old and young,and so gay and sad" i m pretty sure we all laughed at that part :*D



No, I didn't. I read it as meaning 'happy and sad'.

Lord of the Rings was written long before the word 'gay' was co-opted to mean homosexual, and that was before it was used as a derogatory aside for something being bad or stupid (e.g. That's so gay!).


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## Elora (Mar 21, 2014)

When I read Tolkien I read the word "gay" in the context it was meant, which is abundantly clear for anyone with a passing familiarity with literature. Nor have I ever found the word "gay" in its modern parlance something that makes me giggle like a lackwit. It's just a word. Gay is as funny to me as straight. Just. Words. Guess I am not so easily amused.


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## Sulimo (Mar 21, 2014)

I've got two. One is in the Hobbit when none of the dwarves would go with Bilbo down to see Smaug, and the other is Tom Bombadil in general.
There everyone is embarking on this great journey, and out of nowhere comes this tiny man in yellow boots with a feather in his hat singing nonsense. That always seemed somewhat out of place to me.


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## host of eldar (May 29, 2014)

Halasían said:


> No, I didn't. I read it as meaning 'happy and sad'.
> 
> Lord of the Rings was written long before the word 'gay' was co-opted to mean homosexual, and that was before it was used as a derogatory aside for something being bad or stupid (e.g. That's so gay!).





Elora said:


> When I read Tolkien I read the word "gay" in the context it was meant, which is abundantly clear for anyone with a passing familiarity with literature. Nor have I ever found the word "gay" in its modern parlance something that makes me giggle like a lackwit. It's just a word. Gay is as funny to me as straight. Just. Words. Guess I am not so easily amused.



well, when i wrote my piece i was expecting such comments. anyway i wrote it down. as long as it is not cruel, wicked or immoral and which is not, i feel pretty normal about my feelings on that matter. and for the records, i know what Tolkien meant there.


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## Firintuilo (Aug 7, 2015)

Alright, I know this thread was intended to deal with Silmarillion stuff solely, but I'm simply itching to share my inappropriate giggle trigger Tolkien moment. A short passage from the Fellowship of the Ring:

"At that moment there was a knock on the door, and Sam came in. He ran to Frodo and took his left hand, awkwardly and shyly. He stroked it gently and then he blushed and turned hastily away.
‘Hullo, Sam!’ said Frodo.
‘It’s warm!’ said Sam. ‘Meaning your hand, Mr. Frodo. It has felt so cold through the long nights. But glory and trumpets!’ he cried, turning round again with shining eyes and dancing on the floor."

With all the blushing and shiny eyes it does take a painstaking effort not to envision poor Sam as an infatuated schoolgirl. Frodo's nearly zero reaction after the outburst and his awkward hullo makes it even worse. 
Jokes aside, Tolkien's (quite idealized) view on what true friendship is supposed to look like is ever heartwarming to me.


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## Rutheaserce (Nov 30, 2015)

I think there was something that made me laugh, but for the life of me, I can't remember what... -_-


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## JoyridingTilion (Dec 7, 2015)

When Morgoth is thrown through the Door of Night, I always imagined him in some comical position with his arms outstretched.


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## Rutheaserce (Dec 7, 2015)

JoyridingTilion said:


> When Morgoth is thrown through the Door of Night, I always imagined him in some comical position with his arms outstretched.


I think you just made me remember! Right before they captured Morgoth, I've always imagined them tripping him (rather than chopping his feet off) by hitting him behind the knees with like, a stick, and then He Who Arises in Might... faceplants.
Insert the image described by Joyriding Tilion right after.


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## Firintuilo (Dec 7, 2015)

Rutheaserce said:


> I think you just made me remember! Right before they captured Morgoth, I've always imagined them tripping him (rather than chopping his feet off) by hitting him behind the knees with like, a stick, and then He Who Arises in Might... faceplants.
> Insert the image described by Joyriding Tilion right after.



I will never be able to read this part innocently again, thank you!


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