Oliphaunts: Difference between revisions
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==The animal== | ==The animal== | ||
From monstrous to homely; the Elephant was clearly a loved and respected animal in Tolkien's factual bestiary. In [[The Black Gate is Closed]] Sam foreshadows the appearance of the creatures when he stands up, puts his hands behind his back and begins; "Grey as a mouse, big as a house, Nose like a snake, I make the earth shake... etc". This poem is published in full on this website under the title [[Oliphaunt]]. | From monstrous to homely; the Elephant was clearly a loved and respected animal in Tolkien's factual bestiary. In [[The Black Gate is Closed]] [[Sam Gamgee]] foreshadows the appearance of the creatures when he stands up, puts his hands behind his back and begins; "Grey as a mouse, big as a house, Nose like a snake, I make the earth shake... etc". This poem is published in full on this website under the title [[Oliphaunt]]. | ||
Oliphaunts were clearly a legendary creature to the Hobbits, judging from the delighted recognition by | Oliphaunts were clearly a legendary creature to the Hobbits, judging from the delighted recognition by Sam, of the elephantine individual which later crashed past their hiding place in [[North Ithilien]] in [[Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit]]. Presumably this recognition came from ancient tales from when the hobbits lived further south and east or from their contact with other more wandering peoples after the hobbits had firmly settled themselves in [[The Shire]] and the [[Bree]]lands. Investigation of Tolkien's texts does not suggest an appearance or reference to Oliphaunts prior to the [[Third Age]]. | ||
In [[The Lord of the Rings]] the beasts are being used by fighting men from [[Harad]] as trained servants of war to intimidate their enemies and their enemies' horses and to provide an oversight of battle-fields. This gives a joint nod to the use of war-elephants by Persians and the | In [[The Lord of the Rings]] the beasts are being used by fighting men from [[Harad]] as trained servants of war to intimidate their enemies and their enemies' horses and to provide an oversight of battle-fields. This gives a joint nod to the use of war-elephants by Persians and the Moghuls of India and perhaps also to the use by Hannibal of African Elephants in sacking parts of Italy during the late 2nd Century. | ||
The Oliphaunts or [[Mûmakil]] to use the plural of the singular [[Mûmak]] were notably used by the men of Harad in [[The Siege of Gondor]] and subsequently in [[The Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] on March 15th, T.A. 3019. They were big enough to carry tower-like structures on their backs, but as this practice has been used with modern species of elephants, it is left to the the reader's imagination as to whether the beasts referred to in the Lord of the Rings are particularly gigantic. | The Oliphaunts or [[Mûmakil]] to use the plural of the singular [[Mûmak]] were notably used by the men of Harad in [[The Siege of Gondor]] and subsequently in [[The Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] on March 15th, T.A. 3019. They were big enough to carry tower-like structures on their backs, but as this practice has been used with modern species of elephants, it is left to the the reader's imagination as to whether the beasts referred to in the Lord of the Rings are particularly gigantic. | ||
On a practical level, for people to be confronted with such large, thick-skinned, unfamiliar and unpredictable beasts would have meant an immediate disadvantage. Working out how to effectively kill or disabled a raging mûmak on a chaotic battlefield would have been a trying task to say the least. Tolkien makes reference in [[The Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] to horses being frightened of them; "... wherever the | On a practical level, for people to be confronted with such large, thick-skinned, unfamiliar and unpredictable beasts would have meant an immediate disadvantage. Working out how to effectively kill or disabled a raging mûmak on a chaotic battlefield would have been a trying task to say the least. Tolkien makes reference in [[The Battle of the Pelennor Fields]] to horses being frightened of them; "... wherever the ''mûmakil'' came there the horses would not go, but blenched and swerved away; and the great monsters were unfought, and stood like towers of defence, and the [[Haradrim]] rallied about them." A heroic and possibly tragically lone solution, is made later in the text; "and both Duilin of Morthond and his brother were trampled to death when they assailed the mûmakil, leading their bowmen close enough to shoot at the eyes of the monsters." | ||
--Ralph Brew 12:21, 30 September 2009 (UTC) | --Ralph Brew 12:21, 30 September 2009 (UTC) | ||
Revision as of 12:24, 30 September 2009
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This article or section needs more/new/more-detailed sources to conform to a higher standard and to provide proof for claims made. |
Oliphaunts were animals similar to - but larger than - elephants. In the tongue of the Haradrim, they were known as mûmakil (singular mûmak); this was later used by the Men of Gondor.
The animal
From monstrous to homely; the Elephant was clearly a loved and respected animal in Tolkien's factual bestiary. In The Black Gate is Closed Sam Gamgee foreshadows the appearance of the creatures when he stands up, puts his hands behind his back and begins; "Grey as a mouse, big as a house, Nose like a snake, I make the earth shake... etc". This poem is published in full on this website under the title Oliphaunt.
Oliphaunts were clearly a legendary creature to the Hobbits, judging from the delighted recognition by Sam, of the elephantine individual which later crashed past their hiding place in North Ithilien in Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit. Presumably this recognition came from ancient tales from when the hobbits lived further south and east or from their contact with other more wandering peoples after the hobbits had firmly settled themselves in The Shire and the Breelands. Investigation of Tolkien's texts does not suggest an appearance or reference to Oliphaunts prior to the Third Age.
In The Lord of the Rings the beasts are being used by fighting men from Harad as trained servants of war to intimidate their enemies and their enemies' horses and to provide an oversight of battle-fields. This gives a joint nod to the use of war-elephants by Persians and the Moghuls of India and perhaps also to the use by Hannibal of African Elephants in sacking parts of Italy during the late 2nd Century.
The Oliphaunts or Mûmakil to use the plural of the singular Mûmak were notably used by the men of Harad in The Siege of Gondor and subsequently in The Battle of the Pelennor Fields on March 15th, T.A. 3019. They were big enough to carry tower-like structures on their backs, but as this practice has been used with modern species of elephants, it is left to the the reader's imagination as to whether the beasts referred to in the Lord of the Rings are particularly gigantic.
On a practical level, for people to be confronted with such large, thick-skinned, unfamiliar and unpredictable beasts would have meant an immediate disadvantage. Working out how to effectively kill or disabled a raging mûmak on a chaotic battlefield would have been a trying task to say the least. Tolkien makes reference in The Battle of the Pelennor Fields to horses being frightened of them; "... wherever the mûmakil came there the horses would not go, but blenched and swerved away; and the great monsters were unfought, and stood like towers of defence, and the Haradrim rallied about them." A heroic and possibly tragically lone solution, is made later in the text; "and both Duilin of Morthond and his brother were trampled to death when they assailed the mûmakil, leading their bowmen close enough to shoot at the eyes of the monsters." --Ralph Brew 12:21, 30 September 2009 (UTC)
Etymology
The word "oliphaunt" was only used by Hobbits. Gandalf mentions elephants once in The Hobbit so perhaps 'oliphaunt' is a Hobbitish corruption of this original word. But whether these two creatures are the same, can not be said with certainty.
Oliphant/olifant/olifaunt had been archaic words for elephant and the ivory. The most famous use of the oliphant (as in horn) is in The Song of Roland "The oliphant is set to Roland's Lips"; Roland fails to call for help at the Battle of Roncevaux in 778 until it is too late for him and his comrades.
Portrayals in adaptations
1968: BBC Radio's The Hobbit:
- Gandalf's line "Great elephants!" was replaced by "Great oliphaunts"; this was one of several uses of material from The Lord of the Rings.
2002: Peter Jackson's The Two Towers:
- Two oliphaunts appear in the ambush in Ithilien. They are CGI created, and they are much, much bigger than today's elephants; furthermore, they have 2 sets of big tusks and one set of tiny tusks.
2003: Peter Jackson's The Return of the King:
- A horde of Oliphuants shows up at the Battle of Pelennor Fields, mounted with towers and decorated with deadly spikes on their tusks. The rohirrim charge headlong into battle, and even pass under them. Several oliphaunts were killed.
- Weta made a large prop mûmak (which Richard Taylor incorrectly called a mûmakil) for background purposes. This prop became a favourite picnic destination for crew members.
