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balanceoflightanddark · 3 days

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"Nonetheless, ease and peace had left this people still curiously tough. They were, if it came to it, difficult to daunt or to kill; and they were, perhaps, so unwearyingly fond of good things not least because they could, when put to it, do without them, and could survive rough handling by grief, foe, or weather in a way that astonished those who did not know them well and looked no further than their bellies and their well-fed faces. Though slow to quarrel, and for sport killing nothing that lived, they were doughty at bay, and at need could still handle arms. They shot well with the bow, for they were keen-eyed and sure at the mark. Not only with bows and arrows. If any Hobbit stooped for a stone, it was well to get quickly under cover, as all trespassing beasts knew well."

-J.R.R Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring, Prologue 1. Concerning Hobbits pgs. 5-6

This paragraph fascinates me for a few reasons. Often in fiction, a long period of peace is often used for explaining why people are so slow to react to a rising threat. That prolonged prosperity dulled the senses and breeds complacency. Indeed, Frodo himself does express some exasperation and almost wishes for a dragon or some evil force to invade the Shire to shake the Hobbits out of their complacency.

Which to some level is true here. It's a known fact that Hobbits like to keep out of the affairs of the "big people". Yet at the same time, even if they want to keep themselves isolated, it doesn't mean the world won't march into the Farthings regardless of what they want. After all, there wasn't a whole lot stopping the Nazgul or Saruman from entering their borders.

Yet at the same time, the paragraph does illustrate that just because Hobbits have grown accustomed to peace, doesn't mean they're pushovers. Consider Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took and the Battle of the Green Fields. When a goblin warband led by Golfimbel descended from the Misty Mountains and broke through the Dunedain's encirclement to invade the Shire, Bullroarer charged straight at the goblin ranks. He then proceeded to knock Golfimbel's head off and shatter the morale of the warband.

The story was repeated in the Battle of Bywater when Saruman decided to set up a criminal ring in the Shire after his defeat at the hands of the Ents. Long story short, once Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin returned, the Hobbits proceeded to raise up a sizeable force and effectively kicked Saruman out of the Shire. Mind you, Saruman used to be the greatest wizard in Middle-Earth, and the Hobbits led to his final defeat. That's two accounts of invasions of the Shire going badly for the invaders.

And that's not even getting into the adventures that Bilbo, Frodo, and his friends got into during the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings respectively. Bilbo was able to save the asses of Thorin's Company multiple times, discovered Smaug's weakpoint and indirectly relayed that to Bard via the Thrush, and risked life and limb to forestall a battle between the Dwarves, Men, and Elves till Bolg showed up. Frodo and Sam were ultimately able to destroy the One Ring, while Merry and Pippin were able to rouse the Ents into attacking Isengard. That's not even counting Merry being partially responsible for the death of the infamous Witch King.

So even though the Hobbits were accustomed to peace, they weren't complacent enough to be pushovers when presented with a threat. Personally, I think part of the reason this is so is because the Hobbits never forgot the basic necessities of a good life: a comfortable home, friends, family, and basically everything needed to live simply. They never indulged too much in luxury to become lax like Smaug, nor constantly scheming to take more power like Sauron or Saruman. They were happy with living simple on the farm.

It turns out, that's what gave them their edge. They were down to earth, so they had a good sense of morality thanks to living humble lives. Safeguarding their farms from wild animals meant that some Hobbits could recognize a threat when they realized it. And their sense of community and friendship got them through some of their hardest trials, like when Frodo almost succumbed to the Ring and Sam never gave up on him. Their sense of community and toughing it out through the hardest times such as during the Long Winter when Gandalf began to really warm up to the Hobbits, seeing the value and courage in them.

So while they're not the flashiest or most "badass" of Middle-Earth's free peoples, the Hobbits are some of the hardiest and "purest" races. And how ironically, peace never dulled their senses but served to toughen them up for the dark times ahead.

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ahahnopenope · 1 month

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here's the picture i couldn't get out of my head

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illustratus · 9 months

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not-another-brick-ln-the-wall · 11 months

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Lord Of The Kitty

#lord of the rings #lotr #gandalf #gandalf the grey #saruman #legolas #aragorn #thranduil #elrond

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s-u-w-i · 2 months

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Continuing with the LOTR series! ⚔

Also, I’ve decided I'll be selling the originals after I finish all the drawings (that means after Easter). But if there is any character you'd like to have in particular you can start reserving them now. By messaging me here or on [email protected] :^)

All reserved!

The prices are from 50 to 80USD (shipping included). And same as last year with the dog drawings this year also all the earnings will be sent to charities.

Thank you! 🌿

#my art #illustration #ink #traditional art #character design #tolkien #pippin took #merry brandybuck #boromir #lotr #aragorn #saruman #uruk hai #lúthien

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cirrdan · 1 year

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I just wanted to draw Saruman with an IKEA shark

#SHARKEY #lotr memes #the lord of the rings #tolkien universe #sarumansharkey #saruman #tolkien stuff #istari #the silmarillion #digital art #middleearth #tolkien fanart

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aquitainequeen · 4 months

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Me, while reading The Lord of the Rings: So, are we ever going to learn what the deal is with Gandalf and the other wizards? Tolkien: How do you mean? Me: Well, they're clearly very long lived, they came from over the sea many ages ago, Gandalf at least can do magic; so what exactly are they? Are they Elves, are they Men, are they something else? Tolkien: Angels. Me: Ah, okay. Me: ... Me: ......what. Tolkien: They're angels in human form. Me: What? Tolkien: And Sauron is also an angel. Me: What??? Tolkien: Maybe I should have expanded upon that in the main trilogy? Me: You could have stood to mention it a little more, yes.

#gandalf #saruman #istari #lord of the rings #the lord of the rings #lotr #silmarillion #maia #tolkien #jrr tolkien

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therealharbingerofdevastation · 2 years

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Since Gandalf smokes weed and Radagast does shrooms, I have a theory that each of the wizards represents a drug. Saruman is cocaine.

#lotr #lord of the rings #fellowship of the ring #the two towers #return of the king #gandalf #radagast #saruman #gandalf the gray #radagast the brown #saruman the white #tolkien

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atomic-chronoscaph · 9 months

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The Lord of the Rings - art by Donato Giancola

#donato giancola #the lord of the rings #j.r.r. tolkien #tolkien art #lotr art #fantasy art #middle earth #gandalf #saruman #hobbits #aragorn #eowyn of rohan #1990s #2000s

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startrekvsfaceapp · 2 years

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#lord of the rings #dall e #craiyon #unreality #ai generated #gandalf #saruman #bffs

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incorrect-lord-of-the-rings · 2 years

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oldschoolfrp · 3 months

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Saruman the White ponders his palantír. "You are the trusted apprentice to one of the greatest Wizards in all Middle-earth" in A Spy in Isengard (Angus McBride cover art for Middle-earth Quest gamebook #1 by Terry K Amthor, Iron Crown Enterprises, 1988). McBride has been memed more than once.

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illustratus · 1 month

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#saruman #palantir #christopher lee #andrew lesnie #peter jackson #lotr #lord of the rings #the lord of the rings #behind the scenes #film #films #cinema #tolkien #j.r.r. tolkien #jrr tolkien #wizard #wizards #photograph #photography

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mushroomates · 9 months

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ppl like to quote “not all who wander are lost” and “i am no man” but we all forget when gimli stumbled across merry and pippin high off their asses camping outside of saruman’s tower and yells at them “where did you get the weed, you villians!” i have quoted that. every day.

#lord of the rings #jrr tolkien #pippin #lotr #gimli son of gloin #gimli #pippin and merry #merry and pippin #saruman #meridoc brandybuck #merry brandy buck #pippin took #peregrin took #the two towers #fellowship of the ring

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bluebeardcrypt · 3 months

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