Significant Numbers: Great to Know

[Mithrandir]

Tolkien has many reoccuring numbers, or significant numbers, that he uses throughout "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Silmarillion", just like some numbers in the Bible, like the number 40; 40 days and 40 nights Noah was in the flood. Also 40 days and 40 nights, Jesus fasted, and so on.

Here are ones that I have picked up so far for Tolkien:

3: 3 rings for the elves, 3 Silmarils, 3 companions(Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli in the beginning of TTT)

2: 2 Lamps of the Valar, 2 Trees of the Valar, 2 ring bearers (Frodo and Sam)

9: 9 Companions (The Fellowship), 9 rings for mortal men (Nazgul)

1: One Ring, One King (Aragorn), One Lord of the Ring

I also think 5 is a significant number but I can only think of one; there are 5 Istari. Are there 5 palantiri?

Please continue and add on if you find anymore significant numbers, thanks

[Wayfarer]

Seven stars, and seven stones, and one white tree.

There were originally nine valar as well.

[Mithrandir]

Yes, I almost forgot about the number 7. Thanks Wayfarer ;)

We can also add 7 Rings for the Dwarf-lords

[HOBBIT]

Wait a sec....................I remember this thread! I believe that this is a repeat. Let me go do some detective work........*sigh* repetitive threads...oh well.

[Ñólendil]

Ah yes! Three Hobbits journey to Buckland, and three people walk halfway down a cave to get to the Rainbow Cleft! And one main character for the Narn I Hin Hurin, and one main character of the Lord of the Rings! One person accepts the burden of the Ring from Gandalf, and one person begs Manwe to forgive his people! One person heals Faramir, and one person probably stubbed his toe somewhere at the same time!

*grumbles*

[Mithrandir]

And to add to the number 7:

-the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves (created by Aule)
-Seven Hours for the Trees of the Valar (Yavanna)

[coolismo]

4 wounds of Frodo

4 wounds to christ

(some say five wounds to christ so in the movie Frodo will get a fifth from the ring itself)

[barrelrider110]

Mithrandir,
There were 7 Palantiri.

[Mithrandir]

Great, thanks barrelrider for the correction. Seven seems to be the most used number of Tolkien's so far :)

[Pailan]

And let's not forget- "Three times pays for all."

[Pailan]

Originally posted by HOBBIT
Wait a sec....................I remember this thread! I believe that this is a repeat. Let me go do some detective work........*sigh* repetitive threads...oh well.

Perhaps this is not the exact place to ask these question so forgive me if I err.

For the most part before I start a new thread I will do a quick search on the topic. I will generally join a thread if it interests me. But being here less than three months, I do not have the vast Ent like memory of some mooters. So if a thread is exhausted, (and buried deep in the vaults) is there a time span before it can be renewed, whether on purpose or accident? And wouldn't it be more constructive to point people in the direction of that thread so we don't re-invent the wheel every time we have have an influx of newcomers or what we think is an origional thread idea?

I see these complaints pop up from time to time, yet I have not seen them handled as well as they might've been. So I am just wondering what the policy is on repetitive threads?

Thanks, Pailan.

[markedel]

An interesting biblical link

40 is a sing of rebirth-40 day flood, 40 years in desert

Aragorn's name is "the renewer" and he is the 40th descendant including Isildur.

[emplynx]

Originally posted by Mithrandir
9: 9 Companions (The Fellowship), 9 rings for mortal men (Nazgul)
I believe that Elrond chose the 9 to match the 9 Nazgul...

[Mithrandir]

I don't recall Elrond ever purposely selecting 9 to match the nine riders, but I could be wrong.

He wanted the smallest group he could put together so they could travel fast and cover great distances of land. Also he wanted to get at least one person from each race to be in the company. I will quote my friend here, "every race shall play a part in the history of the world" :)

[Starr Polish]

I believe he did...I'm too lazy to go get out teh book and look it up, but I'm fairly sure it was to match the 9 nazgul.

[Mithrandir]

Yep, I took up the book and found it:

'The Company of the Ring shall be Nine; and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil.'

[markedel]

And 9 ships of the numenoreans from the sea.

[Kwijibo]

Yep, there were 5 palantirs. I think *I hope*
___________________________
I have 1. I communicate with Sauron. BEWARE!!
:D

[Kwijibo]

No, I believe I was wrong - sooooooory.;)

[Ñólendil]

There were eight PalantÃ*ri, seven given to the Faithful Númenóreans and one master stone in Avallonë.

[Wayfarer]

I was under the impression that the master stone was in Osgiliath, for some reason.

Does that mean that aragorn could have talked to the members of the fellowship who went over the sea? ;)

[markedel]

To be more accurate there were probably more then 8. We know of 7. Who knows what cool stuff (tm) was in numenor pre-downfall?