Hadhod

I was just reading the Silmarillion at breakfast and I discovered the most interesting thing - anybody reading this who is totally not interested in the Third Age videogame, Elvish, or Dwarvish, bear with me. So anyway. I was on Chapter Ten (Of the Sindar) and reading about how the Dwarves came over the Blue Mountains of Ered Luin into Beleriand. So then there's a big explanation of what they called the Dwarves - they called themselves Khazad, but the Sindar called them Naugrim, 'the stunted people'; or Gonnhirrim, 'masters of stone'. So anyway, they built halls and mansions for themselves, mined them out of the rock, and there were three of them - and each of them has a different name in Dwarvish, Elvish and the Common Tongue, so get ready. First there was Gabilgathol (Dwarvish) a.k.a. Belegost (Elvish) a.k.a. Mickleburg; second there was Tumunzahar (D) a.k.a. Nogrod (E) a.k.a. Hollowbold; and third (and this is where it gets interesting) there was Khazad-Dum (D) which is Dwarrowdelf in the common tongue, and Hadhodrond in Elvish. So I was kinda interested, seeing as the dwarf in Third Age's name is Hadhod (and we never knew whether to pronounce it "Had-hod" or "Hath-od" - soft 'th' like in 'then'). I flipped to the back of the Sil, where there's a dictionary of components to Elvish names, and it says that "Hadhod" is just "Khazad" sort of altered to make it Elvish-sounding. Those Elves. Anyway, I sort of came to the conclusion that if the Dwarves called themselves "Khazad" and "Hadhod" is an Elvish rendering of "Khazad" then Hadhod must mean "Dwarf". And I am aware that this is not extremely creative, naming your dwarf "dwarf" but it was fun figuring it out.

I feel better today, which is good, because I'm actually going to be doing stuff, unlike yesterday, when I wasn't. Bible study tonight, which will be slightly less fun than usual because Bryan and Natalie (and Ellie) are out of town. I love everyone else too, of course. I had a perfect attendance until last week, because it was Hallowe'en, which kinda sucks, but I did get to stay home and watch Gilmore Girls and eat candy. So it wasn't all bad. Plus I got to use Dad's Blackberry all evening between trick-or-treaters.

Oh, and one more note about the Silmarillion - Feanor has now graduated, he's a COMPLETE idiot. Honestly. He takes this unbreakable oath (along with his seven sons) that...what was the wording...oh, "...vowing to pursue with vengeance and hatred to the ends of the world Vala, Demon, Elf or Man as yet unborn, or any creature, great or small, good or evil, whoso should hold or take or keep a Silmaril from their possession." Honestly, they're just big glowing diamonds. So they all depart Valinor along with some other Elves, where they were all living with the Valar, and end up KILLING some of the Teleri (sea-elves) because they refuse to give them ships to cross over. And even when they DO have ships, Feanor takes off with himself and his sons, and when his oldest (Maedhros) asks what ships they will send back for the others, Feanor basically goes "Oh, you thought they were coming too? [Snicker snicker] No, we're just going to abandon them over there to cross over the freezing-cold Helcaraxe and freeze their smaller appendages off and then arrive in Middle-Earth boiling mad at us." Well, he didn't really say the last part, but how thick can you get?

~Sil

Quote of the day: "Therefore Thingol took thought for arms, which before his people had not needed..."

Yup, things can be challenging when you don't have arms...