(LOTR) To Middle Earth Loremasters, a question.

[Edena_of_Neith]

This question is meant very seriously.
I hope Colonel Hardisson and the others who take the Works of Tolkien seriously will have some answers to my question.

The question concerns the matter of foodstuffs.

With hobbits, it's obvious. Hobbits lived in a fertile country, and their diet consisted of grains, fruits, vegetables, and diary products (and, rarely, meat.)

The Dunedain of Gondor had a warm, sheltered land between the White Mountains and the ocean, in which the growing season was quite long (two harvests possible.)
They had all the hobbits had, plus subtropical fruits and vegetables (but not citrus fruit.)
They had a steadier diet of meat as well.

The people of Rohan lived on dairy products.
Probably vegetables from isolated vegetable gardens.
I am guessing they ate meat when they culled their herds, but they did not eat meat too often - their herds were too valuable.

The orcs of Mordor had access to the warm, dry lands around Lake Nurnen.
Thus, they had a steady supply of grain products, and possibly fruits and vegetables in small quantities.
As for meat, I am guessing the orcs rarely ate meat - but when they did eat, it was from captured cattle, and from captured enemies.

The people of Rhun (including Dorwinion) had their vast fields around the Inland Sea.
The people of Harad and Umbar undoubtedly had a heavy diet of fish, but I am guessing they had an extensive system of canals and irrigated fields - where the major rivers flowed through the desert of Harad, they could live as the Egyptians did.

- - -

Where did the people of Imladris obtain food?
Where did Durin's folk, when they inhabited Moria, obtain food?
Where did the orcs of Moria obtain food?
Where did the Galadhrim obtain food?

I could see how Thranduil's people and Cirdan's people could have had fields amidst their woodlands, and so had a small but steady supply of grain - and in both cases, these nations could obtain foodstuffs from trade.

But what of Imladris? Lothlorien? Moria?

What did Tolkien say concerning this?

Tolkien tried very hard to develop his cultures and his peoples.
I assume he would have attempted to sort out this most basic staple of all cultures: their foodsource.

I hope nobody chimes in and says: magic.
I do not think Tolkien himself would have cared for such an answer.

Edena_of_Neith

 

[ColonelHardisson]

I have no idea. But I wouldn't dismiss magic so quickly, and I doubt Tolkien would either. Tolkien clearly meant to convey that magic had a hand in how some plants were grown - the mallorns of Lorien (and later the Shire - Galadriel gave Sam both a seed and soil, and that tiny bit of dirt from Lorien helped him replant the trees of the Shire), the White Tree, Old Man Willow, maybe even athelas. When it comes to the Elven domains, I'd say magic, as we'd call it, almost certainly was at the root of the subject, so to speak.

Moria...well, we know the Dwarves carved huge, cleverly designed windows that allowed sunlight into some areas of Moria. It doesn't seem hard to imagine that some of these areas were greenhouses. Perhaps the Dwarves also farmed mountain valleys outside Moria. I don't know; I don't remember anything by Tolkien that ever addressed this.

 

[ReignofGeekaos]

The Orc's of Moria Ate each other. I know it sounds gross but they probably culled and ate the weak, and the older Orc's, survival of the Fittest I suppose, and the Cave Troll and Balrog ate whatever they wanted pretty much.

 

[tleilaxu]

Where did the people of Imladris obtain food?

I assume that Rivendell is a very fertile valley and anyway there aren't that many people there so it would not be difficult to sustain the population. Remember the elves have had several thousand years to perfect efficient agricultural practices.

Where did Durin's folk, when they inhabited Moria, obtain food?

In the hobbit they state that the people of the lonely mountain traded ore and worked metal with the elves and humans in exchange for food. I assume that the dwarves of khazad-dum would have had a similar arrangement with their great Elven friends in Eregion. And anyway, maybe there is some edible fungus or something.

Where did the orcs of Moria obtain food?

Rats, they ate each other, raiding i assume. This isn't really covered well...

Where did the Galadhrim obtain food?

See answer for rivendell


What did Tolkien say concerning this?

As far as I can tell nothing, but i think that my answers work, even if they aren't entirely satisfactory