The Lore of Middle-Earth Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mellon

'Mellon' is the password to open the doors. Gandalf took a long time to figure it out. Sometimes it's hard to find something that is already obvious!

Answer: Mathom

JRR Tolkien defines 'mathom' in the Prologue. Hobbits love giving and receiving presents so much that sometimes a mathom gets circulated all over the village. The museum in Michel Delving, interestingly enough, is called a 'Mathom-house'.

Answer: The tunnels where hobbits dwell.

Pippin's home in Tuckborough is called 'Great Smials'.

Answer: A drink.

Gandalf says that it was the cordial of Rivendell. Elrond sent some miruvor with him for the journey of the Fellowship of the Ring. (Book II, Chapter 3, The Ring Goes South)

Answer: Mithril

Mithril is called True-silver or Moria-silver. It's worth ten times the value of gold, and cannot be found anywhere else except in Moria. Unlike silver, it does not tarnish, and it is stronger and more flexible than other metals, which is why Frodo escaped being killed during the fight in Moria. (Book II, Chapter 4, A Journey In The Dark)

Answer: Bread

Lembas bread, or waybread, was given to the Fellowship by the elves of Lorien. This bread will stay sweet for many days as long as it is unbroken and kept in its original leaf wrapping, and a single cake will sustain a traveler through a whole day. (Book II, Chapter 8, Farewell to Lorien).

Answer: Nimrodel

Nimrodel was an elf maiden who lived beside the stream of Nimrodel. She was the beloved of the elven king Amroth. When war came to Middle Earth, the elves fled to the Havens, but Nimrodel was not able to get there and escape with Amroth. Legolas sings part of the song of Nimrodel in Book II, Chapter 6, Lothlórien.

He said that the waters of the stream were soothing to the feet. Frodo felt that Nimrodel was a symbol of cleanliness and purity.

Answer: The Evening Star

Lúthien was called Tinuviel, which means Nightingale in Elvish. Arwen is called Undomiel, because she was the Evenstar of her people. The two women are often compared, because some said that Arwen looked like an incarnation of Lúthien.

Answer: Athelas

Athelas was a healing plant that the Men of the West brought to Middle-Earth, and was hard to find. (Book I, Chapter 11, Flight To The Ford). Although in the movie, it was so common that even Sam knew what it was! Leo da Vinci tells me that it is also called Kingsfoil and Asëa Aranion. Thanks!

Answer: Samwise

Sam's full name is Samwise Gamgee.

Answer: Meriadoc

Merry's full name is Meriadoc Brandybuck. He would later be the head of the Brandybuck clan, after the War of the Ring. He is also Frodo's cousin, as Frodo's mother was Miss Primula Brandybuck.

Answer: Peregrin

Like Merry, Pippin will become the head of his clan, the Tooks, and he will have the title of Thain. And this from the hobbit who woke up the orcs in Moria when he dropped a pebble into the well! Of course Gandalf was very put out about the matter.

Answer: Narsil

The Sword that was Broken belonged to Elendil and it was broken during the last great War against Sauron. Isildur, Elendil's son, took up the broken sword and with it cut off Sauron's finger with the One Ring on it, thus dissipating most of Sauron's power.

The broken pieces of the sword were handed down as an heirloom from generation to generation in Isildur's direct line until it came to Aragorn.

Answer: Anduril

Aragorn gave the sword that name. Andúril means 'Flame of the West'.

Answer: The One Ring

The Ring is called Isildur's Bane because it caused Isildur's downfall. It betrayed him and got him killed in the Gladden Fields.

Answer: A Balrog

The Fellowship found out what Durin's Bane was when they were in Moria. In the whole book, it was the only thing that made Legolas falter and drop his arrow! Gandalf fought the Balrog and it took him with it when it fell into the depths of the mine.

Answer: Aragorn

Aragorn is called 'the Dúnadan' by the Elves of Rivendell because he is the Chief of the Dunedain, or the Men of the West. Frodo did not know whom Bilbo was looking for when he asked for the Dúnadan, since the hobbits knew Aragorn as 'Strider'.

Answer: Mellyrn

The trees are called mellyrn or mallorn, and grow only in Lothlorien.

Answer: Gil-galad

Gil-galad means 'starlight' in Elvish.

Answer: Namarie

This word is often used in the book. Interestingly, Aragorn says, "Arwen vanimelda, Namárië!" when he is at Lothlórien. Eowyn5 says it means "Farewell, Arwen the most beautiful." Thanks, girl! Cookie_crazy also tells me it's spelled with two a's.