Counting stairs. Who?
- Thread starter dietlbomb
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Flammifer
Well-Known Member
Do you think "they" counted the stairs aloud as they climbed? I imagine that Pippin might have started it, and the other Hobbits joined in? It seems like a sort of childish ritual or game. Perhaps to raise the spirits of the company? I can't really see any reason for the more serious minded members of the Company to want to count the stairs? The count was reported presumably by Frodo as narrator. How would he know that "they" counted the stairs unless "they" counted them out loud?
Of course, I suppose there could have been some comment on the number of the stairs after they reached the top, with several people confirming the same count. I prefer, however, to imagine the Hobbits counting the stairs out loud, as they climbed.
Of course, I suppose there could have been some comment on the number of the stairs after they reached the top, with several people confirming the same count. I prefer, however, to imagine the Hobbits counting the stairs out loud, as they climbed.
I think modern folks forget some of the old ways. Treebeard kept to the old ways; he counted steps. Someone like Aragorn, in his guise as Strider, would find it normal to unconciously count steps as he traveled, thus measuring distance. The ancient Romans did it; their count of mille passus (1000 paces) is the source of our modern word "mile". Even Hobbits with their walking songs are likely unconciously counting steps as they sing or hum through the verses. So it would not be surprising to me that many members of the company would know the count of steps they climbed, even if they weren't conciously counting them.
I'm a habitual step counter and having been for years, long before I got my first smart watch that could count steps for me. A comfortable brisk walking pace for me is 1000 paces, or one mile, every 20 minutes. Thus, I do about 3 miles per hour (a league). Singing (or humming, like a hobbit) "The Ants were Marching" my stride is a bit shorter than the roman standard, so it takes a count of about 60 to reach a mile. With all Corey's discussion of hobbit songs and hums, I don't recall him ever considering their utitlity as a device for counting steps and measuring distance. But as I said, modern folks forget the old ways.
I'm a habitual step counter and having been for years, long before I got my first smart watch that could count steps for me. A comfortable brisk walking pace for me is 1000 paces, or one mile, every 20 minutes. Thus, I do about 3 miles per hour (a league). Singing (or humming, like a hobbit) "The Ants were Marching" my stride is a bit shorter than the roman standard, so it takes a count of about 60 to reach a mile. With all Corey's discussion of hobbit songs and hums, I don't recall him ever considering their utitlity as a device for counting steps and measuring distance. But as I said, modern folks forget the old ways.
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