Fireworks

Clueless Noob

New Member
I've lapped the class and started re-reading from the beginning. Gandalf has just rolled through town with his cart-load of fireworks. This has brought several questions to mind.
Where is Gandalf's manufacturing facility? I would guess Rivendell, since he probably isn't mass-producing a cart-load in his hotel room in Bree.
Has he ever put on a display in Rivendell? If not, why? Elrond hosts celebrations for various things.
Gandalf and Aragorn are friends. Has Aragorn ever seen Gandalf set off a firework? Even a test shot if not an actual show? Has it ever even come up in conversation?
If Aragorn knows about Gandalf's fireworks, why is he surprised at Helm's Deep? ("They have a blasting fire, and with it they took the Wall.") If 1 wizard can make stuff that goes boom, why can't they all?
 
Where does Gandalf hang out? Rivendell sometimes, but we don't have any evidence that he is there very often. The Shire, but infrequently. Lothlorien? Possibly from time to time. Gondor? Occasionally. Rohan? Once in a while. With Thranduil? Probably some times (He certainly seemed to know Thranduil well enough to be travelling with him to Erebor). With the Dwarves in the Ered Luin? Also quite possible (Gandalf is on his way there when he meets Thorin in Bree, Thorin recognizes Gandalf). Isengard? I doubt he spent much time guesting with Saruman voluntarily.

Of course, Gandalf spent a lot of time wandering, and on the move. However, when not on missions, there are other places where he might have based himself. One is at the Havens. Cirdan, of course, gave him one of the Three. We don't know much about what goes on at the Havens or in Lindon, but it seems just as likely as Rivendell as a place for Gandalf to spend time.

Of course, there are vast tracts of time between Gandalf first coming to Middle-earth (About 1,000 - 1,050 Third Age), and the first time we hear of him doing anything (2063 Third Age - Gandalf's first spying mission to Dol Guldur, when Sauron retreats and hides in the East and the Watchful Peace begins). During these 1,000 years, most of the bulk of the action against Sauron and his Nazgul seems to have been in Arnor, as the forces of the Dark Lord gradually crush the North Kingdom. During this period, Gandalf may have spent a lot of time in Arnor. Lindon, the Havens, and Rivendell would also have been convenient to the main theater of operations.

Another possible place for Gandalf to have spent time would be in the camps of the wandering Dunedain of Eriador. When the north kingdom ended, they became a secret and wandering people, but it is quite likely that Gandalf, if he spent time with them as they resisted the Witch King, might have continued to spend time with the Dunedain in their camps or caravans?

So, where might Gandalf have come from, just before the birthday party, with his cart full of fireworks? Well, he might have come from Rivendell. But he might well also have come from The Havens, Lindon, The Ered Luin, or the camps of the Rangers. None of these locations are further from Hobbiton than Rivendell (most are closer). My own guess would be from the delvings of the Dwarves in the Ered Luin. Fireworks are made from gunpowder, which is composed of carbon, saltpeter, and sulfur. The colored fires are from added minerals. Sulfur and those minerals come from mines, which makes the mines of the Dwarves a likely place to construct them. Dwarvish craftsmen would also come in handy in helping to make the fireworks, and I think they would enjoy the craft more than Elves or the Dunedain might.
 
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I've lapped the class and started re-reading from the beginning. Gandalf has just rolled through town with his cart-load of fireworks. This has brought several questions to mind.
Where is Gandalf's manufacturing facility? I would guess Rivendell, since he probably isn't mass-producing a cart-load in his hotel room in Bree.
Has he ever put on a display in Rivendell? If not, why? Elrond hosts celebrations for various things.
Gandalf and Aragorn are friends. Has Aragorn ever seen Gandalf set off a firework? Even a test shot if not an actual show? Has it ever even come up in conversation?
If Aragorn knows about Gandalf's fireworks, why is he surprised at Helm's Deep? ("They have a blasting fire, and with it they took the Wall.")
I see two possible explanations for Aragorn's surprise and they are not mutually exclusive, nor do they exclude other possible explanations.

While fireworks that we are familiar with are based on gunpowder, there is no proof that Gandalf's fireworks are (or are not).
Given Gandalf's abilities with smoke rings and pine cones, and the description of the behaviour of the fireworks, it is reasonable to question whether his fireworks are using the same chemical constituents as modern fireworks; I have yet to see a regular firework create a fiery dragon that swoops over the audience.

If 1 wizard can make stuff that goes boom, why can't they all?

In some respects that is like asking 'If one neighbour has a garden hose, why would you be surprised when another has a water cannon?'
In short, scale of effect. Even if Gandalf's fireworks use the same technology as Saruman's 'blasting fire' Aragorn might never have seen the destructive effect that fireworks can have when they detonate in the wrong place. With no mineral colourants added it is possible that the 'blasting fire' doesn't look much like Gandalf's fireworks either.
 
So, where might Gandalf have come from, just before the birthday party, with his cart full of fireworks? Well, he might have come from Rivendell. But he might well also have come from The Havens, Lindon, The Ered Luin, or the camps of the Rangers. None of these locations are further from Hobbiton than Rivendell (most are closer). My own guess would be from the delvings of the Dwarves in the Ered Luin. Fireworks are made from gunpowder, which is composed of carbon, saltpeter, and sulfur. The colored fires are from added minerals. Sulfur and those minerals come from mines, which makes the mines of the Dwarves a likely place to construct them. Dwarvish craftsmen would also come in handy in helping to make the fireworks, and I think they would enjoy the craft more than Elves or the Dunedain might.

Dwarves and their mines! That's brilliant!
Now I just have to figure out the the route he took since he got to The Hill "through Bywater from the direction of Brandywine Bridge".

I see two possible explanations for Aragorn's surprise and they are not mutually exclusive, nor do they exclude other possible explanations.

While fireworks that we are familiar with are based on gunpowder, there is no proof that Gandalf's fireworks are (or are not).
Given Gandalf's abilities with smoke rings and pine cones, and the description of the behaviour of the fireworks, it is reasonable to question whether his fireworks are using the same chemical constituents as modern fireworks; I have yet to see a regular firework create a fiery dragon that swoops over the audience.

The display is described as having special effects, set pieces, and flights of rockets. I could probably make everything described in the show with set pieces and rockets. EXCEPT the flying dragon. I agree that must be a {magical} special effect.

In some respects that is like asking 'If one neighbour has a garden hose, why would you be surprised when another has a water cannon?'
In short, scale of effect. Even if Gandalf's fireworks use the same technology as Saruman's 'blasting fire' Aragorn might never have seen the destructive effect that fireworks can have when they detonate in the wrong place. With no mineral colourants added it is possible that the 'blasting fire' doesn't look much like Gandalf's fireworks either.

Quoting from one of my other favourite British authors: “What one man can invent another can discover,” said Holmes. (the Adventure of the Dancing Men) Aragorn knew that Sauruman had made a Ring of his own with Sauron's tech. I don't see it as a stretch that Sauruman would steal Gandalf's firework tech also. I can understand surprise at the novel application, but not the existence of blasting fire.

And I'm still curious if The Hobbits are the only ones who have firework displays.
 
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