A creature of an older world maybe it was, whose kind, lingering in forgotten mountains cold beneath the Moon, outstayed their day, and in hideous eyrie bred this last untimely brood, apt to evil. And the Dark Lord took it, and nursed it with fell meats until it grew beyond the measure of all other things that fly; and he gave it to his servant to be his steed.

Are kids gonna love that or wonder what the hell he's talking about? I can't decide.

[–] Dlayknee@lemmy.world 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I just finished reading the LotR series with my now-11 yo son (we started a few years ago) and there were definitely plenty of sections like this that I converted to more understandable terms and concepts on the fly. Sure my son may not have heard this exact line, but he definitely got the idea that ~~Shelob was old, bad, and Sauron had encouraged get 8 in exchange for a scary guard in the tunnels into Mordor~~ the fell beasts were scary.

Edit: apparently my son may or may not have gotten an entirely different version of the book told to him!

[–] Zagorath@aussie.zone 9 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Pretty sure the above quote was about the fell beasts, not Shelob.

[–] Kazumara@discuss.tchncs.de 7 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Some servant that would be, using Shelob as a steed hahaha

[–] tegs_terry@feddit.uk 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

Black riders on spiders

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 months ago

Australian Nazgûl.

"Come not between the bloody nazgûl 'n his prey! Or he will not slay thee in thy turn. He will beahr thee away ta the bloody houses of lamentation, beyond all dahrkness, weah thy flesh shall be devoured, 'n thy shriveled mind be left nuddy ta the bloody lidless eye. Fahkin' bloody oath cobber."