Thank you Kathy!

It really sucks to be away from my Tolkein references when I can't remember stuff. Which is to say, all the time.

There's a good article about Tolkien's depiction of women (and a bit of how Jackson used those female characters in the films) here.

I can't take myself out of her final paragraph:

Although Tolkien's females are conventional, they are also powerful. Females alone can harvest and process the super-nourishing wheat of the gods into "way bread" for journeys. They routinely "see farther" than men and summon sacred trees to grow. They bring inspiration and instill hope. They listen to the woes of the world, encourage resistence, and shed tears of pity. In Tolkien, feminine virtues make life worth living.

Everything but the last sentence screams "stereotype alert!" and as such I swear I thought the writer was critical of them.

They bring inspiration and instill hope. They listen to the woes of the world, encourage resistence, and shed tears of pity. In Tolkien, feminine virtues make life worth living.

Feh. This is the same kind of woman advocated by conservative christian groups.

And the final sentence -- I don't get the precise point she's trying to make. As opposed to what? Has Tolkien impled the life would be better off without men?

Hm. I'm still fouled up on "wheat of the gods". Does that mean, like, gluten-free flour?

I don't 100% disagree with the article in question -- I think Tolkien wrote women the same way Goethe did, das ewig weibliche as the power that enriches and redeems the human race. But I really hate articles that state this basic thesis in ways that glorify it, and that goes double when the article in question feels like something shelved between the "Conversations with the Dalai Lama" and "Healing Your Inner Child" in the Unicorn Books And Spiritual Tools store.

Merry and Frodo both grew up in Brandy Hall, but Frodo was adopted by Bilbo at around 20, IIRC. Pippin grew up on the other end of the Shire in Tuckborough. Sam was the only one to spend his entire life in Hobbitton.

Frodo was born in S. R. 1368. His parents died in 1380, and Bilbo adopted him in 1389.

Sam was born in 1380, Merry in 1382, and Pippin in 1390.

aren't Merry and Frodo cousins? Or Pippin and Frodo?

All three are cousins of various (and multiple) degrees.

Merry and Pippin are double cousins -- 1st and 3rd.

Merry married his 3rd cousin Estella Bolger, who is not only another one of Pippin's 3rd cousins but also Frodo's 2nd cousin once removed. Estella is the sister of Fredegar "Fatty" Bolger.

Frodo is Merry's 1st cousin once removed, 2nd cousin once removed, AND 3rd cousin once removed.

To put it another way: Merry's father was Frodo's 1st cousin, and Merry's mother was both Frodo's 2nd cousin and his 3rd cousin. Merry's parents were 2nd cousins, which makes Merry his own 3rd cousin.

Frodo is both Pippin's 2nd cousin once removed and his 3rd cousin once removed.

What? It's a small Shire. Lots of intermarriage between families.

Oh, and by the way, Sam's daughter Goldilocks married Pippin's son Faramir.

I'm still astonished that Tolkien worked out all the genealogies as thoroughly as he did.

I'm still astonished that Tolkien worked out all the genealogies as thoroughly as he did.

Not to mention creating several (somewhat useable) languages.

I'm still astonished that Tolkien worked out all the genealogies as thoroughly as he did.

There was no internet in his day. He had no way else to procrastinate.

"wheat of the gods"

From: [link]

Lembas was originally given to the Elves by Yavanna. She sent Orome to give the Elves lembas for their Great Journey to Eldamar. Yavanna made the lembas from corn that she grew in the fields of Aman and the cakes imparted the strength of that land to those who ate it.

The Elves learned to grow this corn in Middle-earth. The secret of making lembas was kept by Elven women called Yavannildi, the maidens of Yavanna. Only they were permitted to handle to corn and bake it into cakes. The highest-ranked woman was called massánie or besain: the Lady, or breadgiver.

The Elves rarely shared lembas with mortals because it would cause them to become weary of their mortality and to long for Aman, where they could not go. Melian showed great favor to Turin when she gave Beleg lembas to bring to his friend in the wild. This was the first time the Elves had provided lembas for the use of Men.

Seems to me that "corn" in this context probably means barley, not wheat. Certainly not maize.