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At college, we were watching The Lord of the Rings one day, trying to avoid studying. I was quickly dubbed the expert, mainly because I started to launch into a lecture about Morgoth (formerly Melkor), who was the original Dark Lord, and about Sauron the Maia, and Gothmog, captain of the Balrogs, and such.

At one point a friend of mine asked rhetorically, "I wonder how tall hobbits are, on average". I replied, "Three foot six. But the tallest hobbit (before Merry and Pippin) was Bandobras "Bullroarer" Took, who was four foot five and rode a horse, and led an expedition against a group of Orcs in the Battle of Greenfields.

They laughed at me, but I know it was just out of jealousy.

— Karyn Lukoff

This is a little lame since I gave it away (oh heck, it was the 70s! You gave everything away.) but I made a rubbing of Tolkien's gravestone when I was in England a million years ago. He is buried near Oxford in Wolvercote cemetery in the Catholic section. Under his name and dates the name Beren is engraved; under his wife's name and dates, Luthien.

Go figure.

— Jan Smith

I was just so disappointed in the LoTR movie's depiction of the Gladden Fields disaster. Sure, they covered the parts about Isildur refusing to destroy the ring and then losing it while escaping from an ambush. But then they cut straight to Elrond showing off the shards of Narsil back at Rivendell, which is nowhere near the river Anduin.

So how did the broken sword get there? This is the sword of kingship, a relic of lost Numenor, and just somehow Elrond has it? Noooooo. It's all about Ohtar, Isildur's squire, and a true hero. He's defending his lord against the worst Morgoth has to offer. And when it all turns sour, it's Ohtar who has the presence of mind to secure the future by saving the blade so Elrond can produce it centuries hence.

He does show up on screen. For about three frames. Would it have killed them to mention him by name? Ohtar, my man!

— John K. Burroughs

I know that Aragorn and Arwen are first cousins many times removed. Aragorn's direct ancestor was Elros (founder of Numenor) and brother of Elrond, who is father of Arwen.

— Dan Shields
Redmond, WA

Well, I wouldn't say expert, exactly. But, I have been one of those people standing outside the Cinerama for hours before the opening night show at 12:01. (Though I didn't camp out for days, like those Star Wars guys). I own a replica of the One Ring. I also have a tattoo on my arm that is written in Tengwar (Elvish script). Sadly, I don't have any pictures of either ...

— Raimi