Lembas in Gondolin

Discussing: Lembas in Gondolin

granamyr
Message: 12615
03 Jul 03 10:22 PM
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I was wondering what all those Exiles had to eat as they took the long road north through the icy Eagle's Cleft. They certainly didn't have time to dress warmly or pack much food, and Tolkien says there were about 1000 in Tuor's group that went through the pass with him. It seemed they got out of Tumladen and through the pass in about two days, but it's still a long road from there to the mouths of Sirion. In Doriath they could have hunted and foraged for berries, because it was summer, but in the mountains what would they have eaten on the way? How would they have kept from freezing to death?

Now I know they had lembas in Doriath, because Tolkien says Melian taught Galadriel how to make it, but could Idril have had the recipe in Gondolin and prepared some and stored it just in case, as she did the tunnel?

Re: Lembas in Gondolin

Cuthalion
Message: 12616
03 Jul 03 11:41 PM
Reply To: 12615
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I'd say that there could have been a possibility of Idril having stores of Lembas with her.

Where she learned how to make it, and where she got the grain used to make Lembas, I don't know and since I can't help you with that you may want to wait for someone else's advice.

Perhaps though Idril had already thought of that before hand and perhaps there were some stores within the passage, or fruit bearing trees?

Perhaps they didn't have Lembas but some other type of bread, the Northmen had their own Cram, perhaps the Gondolindhrim had their own type of sustaining bread.

I've probably been of no assistance, but oh well!