# Party Time



## Rohirrim (Nov 2, 2017)

Ok, something frivolous to have fun with.

Imagine that both Aragorn & Arwen and Faramir & Eowyn are throwing parties to celebrate their anniversaries. What would they be like ?

I would imagine that Aragorn & Arwen's would be the more glittering - definitely the one that "Hello" would want to be taking photos at. All the great and good of Minas Tirith, plus a smattering of Elves. There is a fair chance that Legolas and Gimli would also show up. Not sure how the party would go - I reckon Aragorn could party hard but he has his position to think about ! If Gimli brings some of his mates it could get a bit messy.

Faramir & Eowyn's could be fascinating. Faramir is a cultured man so I am imaging a civilized evening but Eowyn is of Rohan stock and those boys certainly like a drink and a song. It could be an interesting mix on the guest list. Plus Merry and Pippin might be invited as guests of honour and they certainly seem on the same wavelength as the Rohirrim when it comes to having a drink.

Over to you ! Apologies if I have offended anyone with my flippancy ...


----------



## Elthir (Nov 2, 2017)

I'm not offended.

And I offend lots of folks but I don't have flippers. See?

Yes I went_ that_ far for a bad pun. I apologize.


----------



## Rohirrim (Nov 2, 2017)

Respect to anyone who works that hard to get a pun into a reply !


----------



## Halasían (Nov 5, 2017)

I would like to think there would be some of Aragorn's old Dunedain Ranger brethren mingled among the crowd at their party.
Wht sort of music do you think would be played? What musical instruments?


----------



## Rohirrim (Nov 6, 2017)

Good point, it would be great to have a few Dunedain hanging around, it would be interesting to see how they are when they are off duty. I was on only thinking about the music the other day. There is not a lot of evidence in LoTR, I have not read any other the other works, do they provide any more background. I am imagining both starting with medieval / Renaissance type music - basic harpsichords, lutes and other stringed instruments, plus choral singing. When the beer had been flowing for awhile I think it may go a bit downhill.


----------



## Thistle Bunce (Sep 11, 2018)

Since no one else leaped in on this, might I submit the list of instruments which the dwarves (somehow) managed to carry to Bag End for the unexpected party?

Fiddles
Flute
Drum
Clarinet
Viols 
Harp

Did anyone else wonder what happened to those instruments once the party departed from the Shire? Did they leave them behind to be auctioned off with the silver spoons...or were they on one of the ponies whose baggage was washed away in trying to ford streams?


----------



## Squint-eyed Southerner (Sep 11, 2018)

The children who were the target audience for The Hobbit weren't expected to take all the events in the story as seriously, nor pick them apart as assiduously, as ended up happening; yet I always wondered about this too.

My "rationalisation" was that they left them at whatever inn they'd stayed at, to be picked up on their way home, or -- shudder! -- by their "surviving heirs".

Similar with the idea that they dragged them all the way from the Blue Mountains to Bag End: they wanted to have a last big blowout party and musicfest before the Great Quest.

The short answer is probably: it seemed like a fun thing to put in the story, and as it wasn't (yet) part of the legendarium, the author didn’t worry about little blips like that.*

*Of course, some "blips" appear elsewhere too: just regarding the Hobbit story, in "The Quest of Erebor" Gandalf runs into Thorin near Bree, who asks him to come home with him and give him advice. Now, if I were Gandalf, my response would gave been: "What? Travel 300 miles, just to talk, when we've got this nice inn right here? Go on!"

But then, I'm a bit lazier than Gandalf.


----------



## Barliman (Sep 12, 2018)

The obvious answer is that the dwarves returned all the instruments to the shop in Hobbiton where they rented them.


----------



## Thistle Bunce (Sep 12, 2018)

Great answers, both of you!

Somehow, I came up with the rationalization that the dwarves bartered them for the "baggages, packages, parcels, and paraphernalia" which burdened the ponies as Bilbo met them outside of the Inn. With the possible exception of Thorin's harp, which seems to be equipped with more than good, solid Dwarven craftsmanship, each instrument would be worth quite a bit to a people who obviously understand and love music.

And, because I wanted to 'read as a child' when I first started reading, and re-reading Hobbit, I also rationalized that one of the reasons that Gandalf was late in joining them was that he was "doing something" about Thorin's harp...something akin to the spells of concealment that he put on the Troll Gold pots by the road.

Makes Dwarven common sense to leave behind those useful, but terribly awkward implements (viols almost as big as the dwarves that played them ) and, in return, pay for what had to be a lot of survival gear. And also saves whatever gold you happen to be carrying, because Dwarves...


----------



## Starbrow (Sep 12, 2018)

Maybe their instruments are at the local pawn shop.


----------



## Squint-eyed Southerner (Sep 13, 2018)

Speaking of parties, Bilbo's (and Frodo's) birthdays coming up -- anyone planning anything special?


----------



## Erestor Arcamen (Sep 13, 2018)

Celebrating the day with second breakfast, elevenses, luncheon, afternoon tea, dinner, and supper


----------



## Desert Loon (Sep 29, 2018)

Glad to see I'm not the only one wondering about the dwarves' instruments!

Speaking of them, has anyone seen the youtube videos of people playing the "Misty Mountains Cold" song from the movie on pentatonic (Native American-style) flutes? Here's one:






It's true that the tune goes a bit outside of a strict pentatonic scale, but since pentatonic scales are so widespread, and the design of native-style flutes was inspired by designs from other places, maybe similar flutes would be found in Rohan or among the Dunedain - a good travel instrument, something to play around the campfire after a long day's march, when you're tired, want some music and don't want to have to worry about hitting a sour note.

There would probably be fiddles, maybe bagpipes? Maybe even hurdy-gurdies?

I like thinking about the parties in Ithilien - maybe a new style of music would arise from the fusion of Rohan's and Gondor's traditions.


----------



## azalynn (Nov 7, 2018)

Desert Loon said:


> It's true that the tune goes a bit outside of a strict pentatonic scale, but since pentatonic scales are so widespread, and the design of native-style flutes was inspired by designs from other places, maybe similar flutes would be found in Rohan or among the Dunedain - a good travel instrument, something to play around the campfire after a long day's march, when you're tired, want some austrian grand prix club and don't want to have to worry about hitting a sour note.


Thanks for the vid!


----------

