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Korbet
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Post History of the Shire
on: April 14, 2008 10:59
Would I be right in thinking that the devastation caused by the invasions of Angmar never actually overrode the Shire?
PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post RE: History of the Shire
on: April 16, 2008 12:18
It is quite possible that the witch-king never bothered with, or had a chance to bother with, the Shire. The Shire was founded about 300 years after the Witch-king was active in Angmar, and the Witch-King wasn't defeated until 374 years after the Shire was settled.
It could be that the main focus of the Witch-King was the defeat of the the men of Arthedain, Cardolan, and Rhudaur, and he was too busy there to have a chance to attack the Shire. He may have wanted to turn on the Shire once he had completed the destruction of those three Knigdoms, but as his forces were finally defeated shortly after the last of those Kingdms (Arthedain) fell, in 1975 of the Third Age, he never had a chance to bother with the Hobbits .
Celebrian
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Post RE: History of the Shire
on: April 18, 2008 03:38
I doubt he even noticed the Shire. He had, as was stated above, plenty of well-armed enemies to contend with and would probably have considered the Hobbits with as little regard as he would have had for a colony of hares. He would certainly not be the only powerful character to overlook and/or understimate the "halflings."
anfalas
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Post RE: History of the Shire
on: May 25, 2008 05:11
Takingthe opportunity, during the war against angmar, the hobbits of the shire sent many archers to struggle against Witch King, but unhappily, many didn't return, but they were killed in the Battle.
Even so, they had left victorious and Witch King, defeated.
GlörfindelTelesunda
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Post RE: History of the Shire
on: November 08, 2008 05:25
Hobbits are usually a peaceful and quiet people, with the exception of a few such as Bilbo, Frodo, Bullroarer, Pipin, Merry and Sam, but it is said that they can also be fierce and dangerous at need. I mean didn't they drive back the White Wargs that attacked them during the Great Winter? and didn't they also defeat the army of orcs that attacked during the time of Bullroarer Took? But I think that the reason that the Witch King didn't attack them was the same reason that everyone else in Middle Earth, except Gandalf, didn't take notice of them and that was because they kept to themselves and looked down on the Big People and everyone that liked or had adventures.
Ereinion
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Post RE: History of the Shire
on: November 10, 2008 02:35
Given that the Shire was founded at a time when there was still a High King at Fornost, and that Fornost is pretty much directly between Angmar and the Shire, it seems unlikely that the Witch-King could have attacked the Shire before taking Fornost. Given also that the Witch-king was defeated only a year after he managed to take Fornost, it seems very, very unlikely that he would have marched on the Shire, given that it says that the witch-king was "dwelling" in Fornost; I would imagine that any mention of a campaign by him against the Shire (assuming that he had both noticed the hobbit-archers and ascertained from whence they came) would be mentioned either in the appendix or the prologue.
cirdaneth
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on: October 05, 2014 07:15
*bump
Gandolorin
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on: October 06, 2014 12:04
As has been mentioned before, the Hobbits lived quietly and reclusively, having few contacts outside the Shire. As always, they were had to notice, and any of the "Great" who happened to notice them would have held them in little regard - until Gandalf.
And more importantly, while Arvedui was last King, he left an heir, so the royal line of inheritance was unbroken. I would speculate that trying to find this heir and bring the royal lineage to an end was probably number one on the Witch-king's to do list, the Shire being way down on this list. But the Witch-king was kicked out of the North in 1975 TA, one year after the destruction of the North Kingdom.
Perhaps satisfied that no remotely dangerous army in terms of manpower could be mustered in what used to be the North Kingdom for any foreseeable future, if ever, he disappeared from the North. And in 2050 he ended the royal line in Gondor, too, but not its military might, and Stewards ruled from then on, exactly the opposite constellation as in the North.
In retrospect, as we all know, leaving the royal line of the North intact was a very bad thing for Sauron & Co. What they could never have imagined was that ignoring the Hobbits - in the Shire, in Bree, on the West bank of the Anduin near the Gladden Fields - was far worse; it's the central theme of LotR.
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Sarniel
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on: November 27, 2014 02:32
Just a thought here, but Elrond and Galadriel were known for using their rings to shield their realms from harm, could Gandalf have been using his ring in the same way to protect the Shire to some extent? He was the only one among the Great who even noticed the Shire's existence and it happened to miraculously survive intact, with him dropping by every decade or so.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
Lord_Sauron
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on: November 29, 2014 12:23
I think it is possible for Gandalf to have used his Ring to some extent to protect the Shire.
Gandolorin
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on: November 29, 2014 09:41
Elrond an Galadriel were almost always present in their realms. Though, both being members in the White Council, one at least would have to leave her / his realm if the meetings were to be face-to face (we are never told anywhere I can remember where and how these meetings took place. Maybe even in Isengard, as Saruman - against Galadriel's wishes, she preferred Gandalf - was named the head of the White Council). But by comparison Gandalf's presence in the Shire was sporadic, with long periods (decades) of absence. I have a feeling that the Rangers of the north did more to protect the Shire (and Bree) than Gandalf, who "never made a permanent abode for himself" or words to that effect.
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Sarniel
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on: November 29, 2014 11:40
The Rangers of the north undoubtedly played a huge part in protecting the Shire. But I got to thinking after writing the previous post, not only was Gandalf not around the Shire often and long enough to protect it, but his Ring was not meant for protection either. Cirdan gave Narya to Gandalf because it had the ability to inspire others to follow him and to resist evil, besides protecting the wearer from the effects of time to some extent. It was more Nenya and Vilya that were meant for protection and preservation, although Vilya's power is not specifically mentioned anywhere aside from being the mightiest of the Three, if I remember correctly.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
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