"Not The Rings Randal. Say what you like about Jesus, but leave The Rings out of this."

Ha ha, class ^

I'm suprised noboby's mentioned the BBC radio play yet. Absolute genius.
I'm amazed I ever passed physics 😆

I'm suprised noboby's mentioned the BBC radio play yet

I remember that! I found the voice of Aragorn far too wimpy 🙁 Surely that was about 1973 ?

I think pretty much every name means something in the books

Speaking of names, Grimer Wormtongue (or whatever it is) sticks in my craw a bit- it's a bit obvious isn't it? None of the others have keyword names like that, although I guess they have a kind of 'feel' to them to tell you who's good/bad.

Wormtongue (or whatever it is) sticks in my craw a bit

that's not his given name, it's a nickname! Otherwise you'd be in JK Rowling territory…

"look who's talking :o)"

fair point:)

I love LOTR. In all my years of posting nobody has ever pointed out the origin of my STW name!

Wormtongue (or whatever it is) sticks in my craw a bit

that's not his given name, it's a nickname! Otherwise you'd be in JK Rowling territory…

Ah, is it? I'll let him off then!

He is Gríma, son of Gálmód. Wormtongue is just a nickname.

The keyword bit is actually "Gríma", which apparently derives from the Icelandic word meaning "mask".

Most of the characters do have "keywords" as MrSalmon puts it:

Frodo: from Old English fród meaning 'wise by experience'.

Sauron: originates from the adjective saura "foul, putrid" in Tolkien's invented language Quenya.

Gandalf: he Old Norse name Gandalfr incorporates the words gandr meaning "wand", "staff" or (especially in compounds) "magic" and alfr meaning "elf" or in a wider sense "(mythological) being"

Saruman: "man of skill" in the Mercian dialect of Anglo-Saxon

and so on. (all from Wiki)

the silmarillion heavy going?

you wanna try the unfinished tales….. loads of numbered references to appendices, authors notes etc.

grahams, its good though if you like the immersive detail, and some added details to the stories of the descendants of Hurin, history of Numenor etc.

going to give the history of middle earth series a go next me thinks, you read any of them?