#mathoms

[for-mathoms]

I told my friend about how Legolas and Gimli are in love, and while he'd never heard of that before, he immediately went "oh yeah, that makes sense, I can get behind that"

[homoqueerjewhobbit]

LOTR fandom, why don't we all use the word "mathom" more?

[cycas]

Mathoms

Extract from a fabulous article about Mathoms : 

...“Tolkien’s knowledge of the Anglo-Saxon tradition of Gift Giving is clearly present in The Lord of the Rings. Christopher Tolkien points to the ancient horn given to Meriadoc by the Lady Eowyn as an example of “the word mathum used in Rohan for a ‘treasure’ or a ‘rich gift’” (HoMe XII p. 39, p. 53). 

In the scene that Christopher Tolkien is referencing, Éomer also uses the modern word gift(s) in his address to Meriadoc.

Kings of old would have laden you with gifts that a wain could not bear for your deeds upon the fields of Mundburg; and yet you will take naught, you say, but the arms that were given to you. This I suffer, for indeed I have no gift that is worthy; but my sister begs you to receive this small thing, as a memorial of Dernhelm and of the horns of the Mark at the coming of the morning (R.316; VI.6, emphasis added).

The reason that Éomer is prepared to shower gifts (mathums) on Merry is that Merry had fulfilled the social obligation placed upon him by entering into King Theoden’s service (R.59; V.2), and by the previous bestowal of mathums of war gear (R.90; V.3). When all the other King’s men had been killed or carried away by their terrified steeds, Merry had indeed come forward to fight with Eowyn as she stood between the Nazgûl and his prey, prepared to avenge Theoden’s death, or die in the attempt (R.142-143; V.6). Merry’s steadfastness in the fulfillment of his duty to the King had increased his honor and prestige beyond Éomer’s ability to bestow a gift worthy of it.” A Tolkienian Mathomium: What is a Mathom? by  Mark T. Hooker Read the rest here : http://llyfrawr.com/mathomium/Mathom.html 

[for-mathoms]

Since elves live so long, their flirtation is much more subtle (why not take a couple hundred of years to woo your beau?)

Having been raised with elves, Aragorn understands this subtle flirtation much better than any other non-elf in the Fellowship

So it is his great burden to watch Legolas try desperately to flirt with an otherwise oblivious Gimli, and he watches in horror as Legolas gets more and more shameless (by elf standards) and Gimli STILL DOESN'T NOTICE

[for-mathoms]

"He has lead us in here against our fear, but he will lead us out again, at whatever cost to himself"

- Aragon, about Gandalf, while in Moria (Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter IV)

[for-mathoms]

Pippin likes to sit in Boromir's lap, and Merry likes to stand behind him, resting his chin on Boromir's head with his arms around his shoulders (to feel tall) . So Boromir rests against a log or a pack, which Merry sits upon or stands behind in order to rest on Boromir, with Pippin leaned up in Boromir's lap.

Sometimes Pippin curls up like a cat, and Boromir absentmindedly combs his fingers through his hair, and Merry sees this and starts to pat Boromir's head. Pippin falls asleep, then Boromir and finally Merry, still standing.

[for-mathoms]

The strongest must find a way, say you? But I say: let a ploughman plough, but choose an otter for swimming, and for running light over grass and leaf, or over snow - an Elf. "

Legolas Greenleaf, Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two

[for-mathoms]

Boromir is such a Bro. They get snowed in on Caradhas? He uses his body to wade a path out. Pippin's like "I'm still too small to walk through that snow." and Boromir's just like "Hop on my back pal"