'Sauron once defeated Galadriel's brother in a singing battle': 20 Obscure LOTR lore nuggets that'll Tolkien you by surprise

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Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor
Jan 24, 2024 3:00 PM EST

There is no other fantasy universe on Earth that is more intricate and more thoroughly imagined than Lord of the Rings. From the ingenious mind of J.R.R. Tolkien, an entire world was built including languages, history, and multiple fictional cultures that have captivated audiences for decades. But for those of us who are standard fans (and by that, I mean those of us who crushed every visual form of media we could surrounding the lands and lore of Mordor), what else is there in this vastly, in-depth universe that we don't know about? 

Apparently, there's a lot of obscure LOTR lore that would shake the foundations of Minas Tirith harder than a battering ram– and might even change the way you look at your beloved Hobbitses. So if you've ever wanted to have your beloved Shire shaken up, scroll onward to read some of the craziest Tolkien trivia. And don't worry, Vigo Mortensen's broken big toe barely even made this intriguingly obscure list. 

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  • 01
    "Frodo, Samwise, Merriodoc, and Perrigrin were not the names of the hobbits — just translations of their names."
    via canva
  • 02
    r/lotrmemes. poetic_dwarf Gee, I wonder what you guys think... Lord of the Rings hunter vibin 2.0 @AgainstStan most online communities, there is a specific bit of lore that once you learn about it you are officially in too deep and you can no longer reverse the massive psychic damage you have inflicted on yourself. in this corner of online, it's knowing about...?
    via poetic_dwarf
  • 03
    grey_pilgrim 7d ago Edited 7d ago GANDALF . In Tolkiens early drafts Aragorn was a hobbit instead of a man and was called Trotter instead of Strider. Tolkien eventually replaced the hobbit with Aragorn but the Trotter alias stuck around until the final drafts. Reply _coolranch 7d ago This one has me reeling, and I'll never be the same. 2.6K Share
    via grey_pilgrim
  • 04
    DOOMFOOL 7d ago Sauron and Gandalf both were part of the same singing group at the dawn of creation 4530 Reply ↑ Share Wise-Vanilla-8793 - 7d ago Ok this I definitely did not know. But after melkor started disrupting the song I'm sure gandalf did not go along with him right? I read that story a long time ago 55+ Reply 1 Share
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  • 05
    Turn-New 7d ago Frodo, Samwise, Merriodoc, and Perrigrin were not the names of the hobbits-just translations of their names. Reply ↑ Share 4 3к 3K д samara-the-justicar • 7d ago And the name Hobbit comes from Holbylta (given by the Rohirrim I think?), which basically means hole- builder. 1.4K Reply ↑ Share dimesinger 7d ago "Holbylta" literally just sounds like someone saying "hole builder" with a bad Arnold Schwarzenegger impression.
    via Turn-New
  • 06
    Nepalman230 . 7d ago My opinion, it was the moment I discovered the fact that the professor had translated all of the proper nouns especially names, from his invented language into something more approaching English, because Westron sounds bonkers to modern ears. So Frodo Baggins was really Maura Labingi. Perrigrin Was Razanur Tuk, Merry was Kalimak Brandagamba and Sam was Banazir Galbasi. I knew that the professor was a linguist before he was an author, and invented the languages first, but tha
    via Nepalman230
  • 07
    MrFingolfin 7d ago Three strands of galadriels hair :) Reply Share Ⓒ↑ 1K The Professor_xz. 7d ago Dúnedain The best lore
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  • 08
    peaanutzz 7d ago Feanor, probably the greatest elven smith to ever live, creator of the simarils and the palantirs, asked Galadriel for 3 strands of hair and she refused him Gimli asked for a single strand of hair from her golden head, and she gave him 3. Very sweet
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  • 09
    Virtual Football909 7d ago Sauron didn't station any guards at the entrance of mount doom since he didn't need to. 4891 Reply ↑ Share Psychological-Low101 - 7d ago Turns out, he needed to 531 Reply More replies Share *** ⠀ Jolmner 7d ago Isn't it more the fact that he couldn't comprehend even the possibility that someone would willingly want to destroy it?
    via Virtual_Football909
  • 10
    Nexrender 7d ago "Bilbo Baggins, I am not here to rob you! I'm here to help you." lan Macellan in fact, did rob bag end on the last day of filming there 586 Reply ↑ Share *** this_is_poorly_done • 7d ago I always found it funny when he says the line: "I am not some conjurer of cheap tricks." But he says that as he's literally using a cheap trick to intimidate Bilbo into shutting up. Then uses the magic of his ring to steady Bilbo's heart in order for him to give up the ring once and for all. He
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  • 11
    DanteLore1 7d ago Did you know that when Aragorn kicks the helmet... 4 1.8K Reply ↑ Share poetic_dwarf OP. 7d ago Took way to long, thanks ↑ 562 Reply More replies A_random_poster04. 7d ago Instruct me, I beg Share
    via DanteLore1
  • 12
    e SerDuncanonyall. 7d ago Gollum eating babies 639 1 Share Reply gollum_botses. 7d ago Sooo bright. Sooo beautiful, our preciousss... 416 + → More replies Reply *** Share ... Inevitable-Careerist. 7d ago I vote for this, because after you learn this you can't think of movie-Gollum with any remaining sympathy. He's just a monster.
    via SerDunanonyall
  • 13
    Trashk4n - 7d ago In the books, there was initially a fifth Hobbit in their group called Fatty Bolger. His real first name was Fredegar. 526 Reply PrequelGuy • 7d ago Human Share *** I remember reading the books and didn't even process that Fatty Bolger was a part of their company shows how much I paid attention Imao
    via Trashk4n
  • 14
    Hexenkonig707 • 7d ago The name for Morgoths Mace Ⓒ + 112 ¹ Reply ↑ Share AnneMichelle98 - 7d ago Grond! Hammer ↑ 67 ↓ of the Underworld! Reply Share control group. 7d ago Same as the battering ram used to break down the walls of minas tirith. Which was an intentional callback to that mace.
    via Hexenkonig707
  • 15
    Objective-Contract80 - 7d ago Éothéod The scene where Denethor massacres a tomato was just a "wonderful accident" during filming. Now, the name Denethor can be seen on Urban Dictionary. Its definition is, -"To eat something as noisily and messily as possible. For best effect, it must be something juicy so it can spray everywhere."-
    via Objective-Contract80
  • 16
    JawaLoyalist 7d ago The ring is destroyed on March 25th, traditionally the date on which Christ was both conceived and killed. 444 ↑ Share Reply RavioliGale 7d ago Likewise the ring leaves Rivendell on December 25. Ⓒ + 8 + Reply JawaLoyalist 7d ago I did not know that! Very cool Share
    via JawaraLoyalist
  • 17
    SvenOfAstora • 7d ago Sauron once defeated Galadriel's brother in a singing battle, turned into a werewolf and battled a dog, lost, then turned into a bat and flew off. 437 Reply Share welly_wrangler 7d ago We've all been there to be fair 48 ↓ Reply 1 Share Informal Otter. 7d ago *battled a dog and a half-supernatural girl. 7 ↓ Reply Share bremidon 7d ago **but mostly the dog (who also could talk, but only when he really wanted to)
    via SvenofAstora
  • 18
    UnlikelyAdversary. 7d ago Legolas' "elf eye" can see further because from the perspective of an elf, the world is actually flat but not for everyone else... 320 Reply 1 Share legolas_bot 7d ago Why doesn't that surprise me! 192 Reply 1 Share *** _coolranch 7d ago Because you're a goddam flat earther, Legolas
    via UnlikelyAdversary
  • 19
    Ⓒ Boomerhands420 . 7d ago "Why didn't the eagles just take them to mount doom?" 112 Reply dannyman1137 · 7d ago Holbytla Share You see when Gandalf said "fly" he was referring to using the balrog to metaphysically fly to mordor. Like, how exactly could the fellowship have procured an eagle at that point? 443 Reply ↑ Share + More replies Fishermans_Worf · 7d ago "Shut up." - JRR Tolkien ...
    via Boomerhands420
  • 20
    [deleted] 7d ago The Ring was so strong that no one - not even Sauron himself - could have destroyed it willingly. In the end, it was chance... or was it? Reply Share O Ⓒ ↑ 55 ↓ *** Informal_Otter 7d ago Why would he want to destroy it? Would you rip one of your own organs out? Reply ↑ Share 42 ↓ + More replies AzraelTheMage . 7d ago Not like Sauron would want to destroy it anyway as his essence was tied to it.
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  • 21
    ItayeZbit 7d ago You might be familiar with the book that Frodo writes in at the end of the movie (possibly only in the extended cut; I have only seen those) The large book with the red leather binding. It starts with "Concerning Hobbits by Bilbo Baggins" and finishes with "The Lord of the Rings by Frodo Baggins." Tolkien started his writing by translating manuscripts like Beowulf, and old Norse myths inspired him in the Prose Edda. So Tolkien used the literary device of "This is a manuscript I
    via ItayeZbit

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