Tolkien Newsgroups FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the author J.R.R. Tolkien and his (sub)created world Middle-earth, including an introduction to netiquette and summaries of typical arguments in frequent debates.

This FAQ about the author J.R.R. Tolkien and his (sub)created world Middle-earth was compiled and written by Steuard Jensen sbjensen@midway.uchicago.edu with numerous contributions by others.

01 Newsgroups and netiquette (Tolkien Newsgroups FAQ): When discussing Tolkien (or anything else) online, it is ...

02 What newsgroups are we talking about again? (Tolkien): There are several Usenet newsgroups specific to Tolkien and ...

03 Why are there two groups? (Tolkien): Originally, AFT was the only Tolkien newsgroup on Usenet. RABT ...

04 Do I have to have a Ph.D. in Tolkienology to post? (Tolkien Newsgroups): By no means! People with any amount of Tolkien lore are ...

05 What questions and topics are appropriate? (Tolkien Newsgroups): Virtually any topic related (even distantly) to Tolkien and ...

06 What does a tilde (~) in the subject mean? and Is it acceptable to post messages with sexual content? (Tolkien Newsgroups): Articles posted to these newsgroups occasionally contain ...

07 What common mistakes should I try to avoid? (Tolkien Newsgroups): By and large, the participants in the Tolkien newsgroups try ...

08 What do all the abbreviations used on the groups mean? (Tolkien Newsgroups): Some names and phrases come up so frequently on the ...

09 What is the proper subject line for my post? (Tolkien Newsgroups): Make sure that the Subject: line of your post matches the ...

10 What should I do when replying to an earlier article? For example, should I "top post" or "bottom post"? (Tolkien Newsgroups): First and foremost, make sure to retain the attribution of ...

11 When should I "cross-post" to multiple newsgroups? (Tolkien Newsgroups): Generally, you should post an article to the single most ...

12 I am able to post my messages with HTML formatting. Should I? (Tolkien Newsgroups): Generally, no. Many of us use simple text-based programs to ...

13 If someone insults me or otherwise makes me upset, should I flame them back? (Tolkien Newsgroups): No.

14 Where can I go for more information on netiquette, and on Usenet in general?: One of the best places to start has always been the ...

15 Debates and discussion (Tolkien Newsgroups): A great many questions about Tolkien and his books arise ...

16 What is the best order in which to read the books? (Tolkien): This depends on each person's personal preferences. Unless ...

17 What books about Middle-earth are considered "canonical"? (Tolkien): [I have written an essay on this topic, including general ...

18 How does _The Silmarillion_ as published differ from what Tolkien intended?: This is a complicated question that is essentially unanswerable:...

19 Which are "The Two Towers"? (Tolkien): Tolkien was never very happy with the title. In Letters #140 ...

20 Which books _about_ Tolkien are good, and which aren't?: A few disclaimers. First, this is a very subjective question, ...

21 Is Middle-earth Medieval? (Tolkien): Tolkien's works draw from quite a few periods of human history, ...

22 Was Tolkien racist? Were his works?: A full discussion of this issue is beyond the scope of this FAQ....

23 Are there electronic versions of Tolkien's books?: For many aspects of Tolkien scholarship, it would be convenient ...

24 Where can I report copyright violations that I observe? (Tolkien): If you do find an unauthorized copy of any of Tolkien's works on ...

25 Did Balrogs have wings? (Tolkien): [Conrad Dunkerson has written a much more detailed essay on ...

26 Could Balrogs fly? (Tolkien): [Conrad Dunkerson has written a much more detailed essay on ...

27 What was Tom Bombadil? (Tolkien): [This supplements question V.G.1 of the Tolkien FAQ.]...

28 Did Elves have pointed ears? (Tolkien): [This supplements question V.C.1 of the Tolkien FAQ.]...

29 Did Elves have beards? (Tolkien): Most of Tolkien's writings imply that Elves were ...

30 What happened to Elves after they died? (Tolkien): [This updates question V.D.1 of the Tolkien LessFAQ.]...

31 Was Glorfindel of Rivendell the same as Glorfindel of Gondolin? (Tolkien): [This updates question V.D.2 of the Tolkien LessFAQ.]...

32 Who was Gil-galad's father? (Tolkien): _The Silmarillion_ states many times that Gil-galad was the son ...

33 Did Dwarf women have beards? (Tolkien): [This updates question V.D.1 of the Tolkien FAQ.]...

34 Was there "telepathy" in Middle-earth? (Tolkien): Although it is not emphasized in the books, direct communication ...

35 Did Sauron have a physical form during _The Lord of the Rings_? (Tolkien): There is strong evidence that Sauron did have a humanoid ...

36 What were the names of the Nazgul? (Tolkien): The only known text to name any of the Nazgul is The Hunt for ...

37 What was Gothmog (the lieutenant of Morgul)? (Tolkien): Gothmog (who shares his name with the Lord of Balrogs in the ...

38 What was the origin of Orcs? (Tolkien): [This updates question V.G.1 of the Tolkien LessFAQ.]...

39 Were Orcs immortal, and what happened to them after death? (Tolkien): Given that Tolkien never firmly decided on the origin of Orcs (...

40 What was the relationship between Orcs and Goblins? (Tolkien): [This supplements question V.F.1 of the Tolkien FAQ.]...

41 What was the origin of Saruman's Uruk-hai? (Tolkien): Whatever the details of their origins, all evidence indicates ...

42 What was the origin of Trolls? (Tolkien): [This updates question V.G.2 of the Tolkien LessFAQ.]...

43 What were the giants (seen by Bilbo in _The Hobbit_)? (Tolkien): Nobody knows. Among texts considered to be at all canonical (...

44 Why didn't they just have an Eagle fly the Ring to Mt. Doom? (Tolkien): This debate is most interesting when limited to story ...

45 Were the barrow blades magical? In what way? (Tolkien): The swords that the Hobbits got from the Barrow Downs ...

46 Why didn't the Nazgul take the Ring at Weathertop? (Tolkien): The Nazgul withdrew from Weathertop despite a five-against-...

47 Who killed the Witch-king, Merry or Eowyn? (Tolkien): Most agree that Eowyn's stroke was the immediate cause of ...

48 Did Frodo and the other mortals who passed over the Sea eventually die? (Tolkien): [This updates question V.C.1 of the Tolkien LessFAQ.]...

49 Did Sam follow Frodo into the West? (Tolkien): While LotR strongly implies that Sam eventually sailed West, ...

50 What is known about the Blue Wizards? (Tolkien): [This supplements question V.E.2 of the Tolkien FAQ.]...

51 Who was aware that a Balrog lived in Moria? (Tolkien): Sauron almost certainly knew of the Balrog, at least through ...

52 Did Elves and Dwarves generally get along? (Tolkien): In general, Elves and Dwarves were allies against Morgoth ...

53 Where was the Ring when Numenor was destroyed? (Tolkien): [This supplements question V.E.3 of the Tolkien LessFAQ.]...

54 Who was the oldest inhabitant of Middle-earth? (Tolkien): The answer depends on exactly what the question means. Below ...

55 External resources (tolkien): While this FAQ is intended to provide a complete introduction ...

56 The Tolkien Meta-FAQ (Where to get Middle-Earth info - Tolkien): The Tolkien Meta-FAQ is not a resource of its own, but a ...

57 The Tolkien FAQ and LessFAQ (Where to get Middle-Earth info - Tolkien): Years ago, William D. B. Loos compiled two superb lists ...

58 The "FAQ of the Rings" (Where to get Middle-Earth info - Tolkien): Questions about the Rings of Power arise quite frequently ...

59 The Letters FAQ (Where to get Middle-Earth info - Tolkien): Many of the questions that arise in discussions of Tolkien's ...

60 Google's Usenet archive (Where to get Middle-Earth info - Tolkien): The only way to learn the details of all the positions in a ...

61 Where can i learn more about Tolkien's languages?: One of Tolkien's primary motivations for creating Middle-earth ...

62 What editions of Tolkien's books in the US are best?: Every edition of Tolkien's books is different, and before you buy ...

63 What is known about the current _Lord of the Rings_ movies?: By this point, virtually everyone with any interest in ...

64 Where can I find out about music related to Middle-earth?: Many musicians have been inspired by Tolkien's books, enough ...

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