So, Janice asked me a question I cdn't answer. In TotR Orcs occasionally refer to other orcs as having identification numbers. She asks: Who keeps track of the enormous bureaucracy this wd generate?
I'm rereading The Lord Of The Rings for the first time in years and I have questions! John is absolutely no help.
In Book 6 Chapter 2 during a dust-up a soldier orc threatens to report a tracker orc. The tracker demands to know to whom he'll be reported and the soldier responds, "I'll give your name and number to the Nazgûl." What is this number? Who assigns it? What is it used for? Is there a Mordor Department of Orc Relations? Is there a separate Mordor Department of Human Relations for the easterlings? Do they share office space? I have so many questions.
There's a hint sharing something of the same attitude in Tolkien's anger in his comments to the Zimmerman script at the rooms in the inn at Bree having been assigned room numbers.
--John R.
2 comments:
For me, this raises the question: who numbered the Gamgee's hobbit-hole at 'Number 3 Bagshot Row'? Did the Hobbiton post-office enforce unique addresses?
There wouldn't have to be an enormous bureaucracy, would there? I can imagine an Orc captain with, say, 50 soldiers. At muster they call out their presence in numerical (not alphabetical) order. This could be important given the quarrelsomeness of Orcs, compelling them to follow this discipline. One could imagine an Orc captain, in turn, commanding an enumerated company, and reporting to a higher-order field commander accordingly. Would things need to go beyond this level?
Dale Nelson
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