I've missed a lot of the field trips with Exploring the Lord of the Rings (Online). So, it may have already been covered, but...
What does the published text tell us about the domestic arrangements of the different races and/or cultures, and how is the reflected in the world we visit in LOTRO?
We know about Bag End, and the homes (holes?) of Bag Shot Row, all of which are presumably single family dwellings (mostly). We know some hobbits live in above houses above ground, like farmer Maggot, and farmer Cotton (perhaps). It seems like many of these are mostly single family dwellings, with room for grandparents, perhaps, and non-family live-in workers. Then there are large extended kinship complexes like those of the Tooks and Brandybucks. Do we have any hints as to whether these are extended complexes of individual family households, or whether there is some sort of communal arrangements, with shared dining, food preparation, maintenance, with separate or communal sleeping arrangements?
With men, it sounds like things are mostly one house per family (mostly), too. We know about Bill Ferny's house, for example. In LOTRO Rohan and Gondor, we have many opportunities to visit the homes of various individuals, presumably mostly for a single family. Is there any basis in the text for this? The text describes the townlands of the Pelennor as containing homesteads - I presume like the situation of farmer Maggot in the Shire. Riding through Gondor, we read that "in every street they passed some great house or court ... Pippin guessed of great men and kindreds that had once dwelt there." This sounds like grand homes for individual families or extended families, but not perhaps as extended as we suppose for the Brandbucks in Brandy Hall. Speaking of halls, though, what about all the mead halls we find in Rohan. Might they be used for more than just holding banquets? Wormtongue words "what is the house of Eorl but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek, and their brats roll on the floor among the dogs?" hints at something more, perhaps. Do the texts suggest anything?
With elves, I cannot think of anything that suggests a house for an individual family group. Rather, I see lots of hints of communal eating, and I'm not sure about much need for individual sleeping arrangements for elves. Nor do I see any hint in the text about food preparation for other than large groups of elves. I suppose being immortal must have some effect on the arrangements of families, which for men (or hobbits) often seem organized around the work of one generation caring for the next and previous generations. This seems to be reflected in LOTRO. So, what are the living arrangements for Elves, and how is the presented in LOTRO? Apparently there was some field trip in which it was suggested that elves are party-folk, or something. When was it? How was it determined?
On reflection, there is The Last Homely House. I wonder what it like for Bilbo there. I presume he has his own apartment. I wonder what it was like for Estel, when he lived there as a child; perhaps he and his mother had a private apartment. I wonder if she did the cooking and cleaning for him. I think probably not. And as I think of this question, I wonder about all those wandering Rangers in the wilds, probably mostly sleeping in a little tent beside their campfire, as often presented in LOTRO. But I wonder about their wives and children. LOTRO gives us Esteldin, a settlement of Rangers; perhaps this is where the wives and children are, but I don't remember seeing any Ranger children anywhere in LOTRO.
With Dwarves, we read of Erebor and Khazad-dum, large complexes for Dwarves. But I can't think of any indication whether these were large communal complexes, or collections of homes for individual families. LOTRO does suggest the latter, at least in some cases. Since Corey is a lore-consultant for LOTRO, is there a textual basis for this?
Perhaps these questions have been covered in sessions or field trips I have missed. If so, can someone please let me know how I can find them. If not, I would find it interesting to have a series of field trips that examine these questions, and examines the textual basis for the stuff we see as we wander the world of LOTRO (besides just discussing this or that architectural motif we see, and how it compares to what we've seen elsewhere, or why this building was built next to this rock - since I know a lot of the rock placement is auto-generated at random.)
LOTRO presents answers to most of these questions. I suppose in some cases, there is no lore and they just decide to do what they think makes sense. But it might be interesting to consider why they've answered the questions the way they have when they have very little or no lore to guide them.
What does the published text tell us about the domestic arrangements of the different races and/or cultures, and how is the reflected in the world we visit in LOTRO?
We know about Bag End, and the homes (holes?) of Bag Shot Row, all of which are presumably single family dwellings (mostly). We know some hobbits live in above houses above ground, like farmer Maggot, and farmer Cotton (perhaps). It seems like many of these are mostly single family dwellings, with room for grandparents, perhaps, and non-family live-in workers. Then there are large extended kinship complexes like those of the Tooks and Brandybucks. Do we have any hints as to whether these are extended complexes of individual family households, or whether there is some sort of communal arrangements, with shared dining, food preparation, maintenance, with separate or communal sleeping arrangements?
With men, it sounds like things are mostly one house per family (mostly), too. We know about Bill Ferny's house, for example. In LOTRO Rohan and Gondor, we have many opportunities to visit the homes of various individuals, presumably mostly for a single family. Is there any basis in the text for this? The text describes the townlands of the Pelennor as containing homesteads - I presume like the situation of farmer Maggot in the Shire. Riding through Gondor, we read that "in every street they passed some great house or court ... Pippin guessed of great men and kindreds that had once dwelt there." This sounds like grand homes for individual families or extended families, but not perhaps as extended as we suppose for the Brandbucks in Brandy Hall. Speaking of halls, though, what about all the mead halls we find in Rohan. Might they be used for more than just holding banquets? Wormtongue words "what is the house of Eorl but a thatched barn where brigands drink in the reek, and their brats roll on the floor among the dogs?" hints at something more, perhaps. Do the texts suggest anything?
With elves, I cannot think of anything that suggests a house for an individual family group. Rather, I see lots of hints of communal eating, and I'm not sure about much need for individual sleeping arrangements for elves. Nor do I see any hint in the text about food preparation for other than large groups of elves. I suppose being immortal must have some effect on the arrangements of families, which for men (or hobbits) often seem organized around the work of one generation caring for the next and previous generations. This seems to be reflected in LOTRO. So, what are the living arrangements for Elves, and how is the presented in LOTRO? Apparently there was some field trip in which it was suggested that elves are party-folk, or something. When was it? How was it determined?
On reflection, there is The Last Homely House. I wonder what it like for Bilbo there. I presume he has his own apartment. I wonder what it was like for Estel, when he lived there as a child; perhaps he and his mother had a private apartment. I wonder if she did the cooking and cleaning for him. I think probably not. And as I think of this question, I wonder about all those wandering Rangers in the wilds, probably mostly sleeping in a little tent beside their campfire, as often presented in LOTRO. But I wonder about their wives and children. LOTRO gives us Esteldin, a settlement of Rangers; perhaps this is where the wives and children are, but I don't remember seeing any Ranger children anywhere in LOTRO.
With Dwarves, we read of Erebor and Khazad-dum, large complexes for Dwarves. But I can't think of any indication whether these were large communal complexes, or collections of homes for individual families. LOTRO does suggest the latter, at least in some cases. Since Corey is a lore-consultant for LOTRO, is there a textual basis for this?
Perhaps these questions have been covered in sessions or field trips I have missed. If so, can someone please let me know how I can find them. If not, I would find it interesting to have a series of field trips that examine these questions, and examines the textual basis for the stuff we see as we wander the world of LOTRO (besides just discussing this or that architectural motif we see, and how it compares to what we've seen elsewhere, or why this building was built next to this rock - since I know a lot of the rock placement is auto-generated at random.)
LOTRO presents answers to most of these questions. I suppose in some cases, there is no lore and they just decide to do what they think makes sense. But it might be interesting to consider why they've answered the questions the way they have when they have very little or no lore to guide them.
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