The Daily Teaser — 2-9-2013: J. R. R. Tolkien

Right, it’s one of those ‘Move Fast’ kind of busy days, today.

After all, I’ve got to get to Basildon, today: it’s the Monday I have to got to the Work Program.

In-between job-hunting, Teasering, job-hunting and more job-hunting — and the occasional cuppa — I’ve got to wipe the hard-drive of my mum’s old PC: I’m going to insert it into Gerty — the vintage G4 sitting behind me, that I use for visitors — and hit it with Disc Utility.

All that … ?   All that and go shopping … !

Let’s move on, shall we … ?

~≈Ç≈~

Yesterday’s Teaser saw Debbi*† putting in her answers: and bagging three out of six.

Let’s see how she — and you — do with today’s Tolkienesque questions, shall we?

Here they are, along with the ‘How To,’ License and video …

Q1) 2nd September, 1892, saw the birth of J. R. R. Tolkien.   Who was the main character of his children’s book, The Hobbit … ?

Q2) More to the point, that hobbit joined thirteen dwarves and a wizard: to burgle from a dragon.   What was the name of the dragon … ?

Q3) Equally to the point, who was the leader of the dwarves … ?

Q4) Name any of the three books that make up Tolkien’s The Lord Of The Rings … ?

Q5) What name did Tolkien give to the setting for The Hobbit and The Lord Of The Rings … ?

Q6) The last book in that setting was posthumously published: and called what … ?

Q7) Tolkien was a philologist, which involved the study of what: alphabets, languages or runes … ?

Q8) At which University was Tolkien a professor … ?

Q9) Name either of the colleges he was a professor at … ?

Q10) Finally … Professor Tolkien’s best known academic work was a 1936 lecture — and associated article — about which much loved Anglo-Saxon poem?

Here’s yesterday’s questions and answers …

Q1) 1st September saw the start of World War 2: in which year of the 1930s … ?

A1) 1939.

Q2) More the the point, when Nazi Germany invaded where … ?

A2) Poland.

Q3) The day also saw Nazi leader, Adolf Hitler, sign the orders allowing his government euthanize the mentally  handicapped: and who else … ?

A3) The physically handicapped.

Q4) 1st September of that year also saw which famously neutral European country mobilize its army … ?

A4) Switzerland.

Q5) The day also saw Nazi Germany institute the last version of which German medal … ?

A5) The Iron Cross.

Q6) Finally … name any of the three main Axis powers …

A6) Germany, Italy and Japan.

I’ll leave you with this thought from Professor Tolkien …

“There was a solemn article in the local paper seriously advocating systematic exterminating of the entire German nation as the only proper course after military victory: because, if you please, they are rattlesnakes, and don't know the difference between good and evil! (What of the writer?) The Germans have just as much right to declare the Poles and Jews exterminable vermin, subhuman, as we have to select the Germans: in other words, no right, whatever they have done.”

J. R. R. Tolkien, in a 1944 letter.

And with Namárië: or Galadriel’s Lament, with words by the Professor, and sung by Aijin Hidelias.

*      What the Winston Churchill quote, you mean, Debbi … ?   Either way, the whole thing with Syria … well, I don’t know about you, Debbi, but I’m thinking this could be a world changer …

†        Oh, THAT’S the other thing I was going to mention, Debbi!   Today’s the first time I’ve had a song video: in Sindarin … !   (Or possibly Quenya: I always get my Elvish languages mixed up … )