Tolkien Newsgroups FAQ

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 ...