@@Brvnkaerv while the line was invented for the movie for humor, the word menu used to refer to a full course meal and not a list of options at a restaurant, so saying somethings "on the menu" in this archaic use meant it was part of the meal courses ;) Btw this is still used in Germany, they say "speisekarte" (lit. dining card) to refer to a modern restaurant menu of options, while the term "menu" itself means a combo meal
Honestly, I think it was just a food deus ex machina. Throughout the Hobbit and most of Fellowship, food is a real issue (as it would be) and I think Tolkien just got tired of having to source it realistically
I think Morgoth corrupted and tortured lembas bread creating it's ruined and nutrition-less form, the Hostess Twinkie. This was his second most hateful act against Iluvatar.
i ate a Twinkie once after having watched Zombieland.. I was expecting it to be some amazing, tasty, delicious creamy snack after watching Tallahassee crave after them... boy how wrong I was... I'd say the best word to describe a Twinkie is BLAND. I also finally ate a Hershey Bar after years of craving them from seeing one of my favourite childhood movies - Empire of the Sun... and I was also disappointed. Best word to describe a Hershey Bar is: MANKY
@@tigrecito48 Yes, once you bite into a Twinkie you can taste the corruption of Morgoth. Nasty, spongy, flavorless, and they give you heartburn. I think you need to be an orc to enjoy one.
@@ponderingnugget hard to tell with me cos i get a lot of heartburn so i wouldnt know if its just the twinkie causing it.. i wonder if zombieland was sponsored by twinkies then cos i was fooled into thinking they must be amazing..
@@tigrecito48 It would make sense for twinkies to be associated with zombies as they are both immune to the effects of time; zombies, because they're undead, and twinkies, because they have an endless shelf life.
I tried recreating Lembas Bread. I think I came close with honey-flavoured shortbread. It's got sugar, protein, fats and salt. Tastes good, and lasts indefinitely. Exactly what a traveller would need.
@@GeekZoneMT I was just tinkering with my mother's shortbread recipe Before Internet. :) Tho' the basic ingredients online are the same: Flour, sugar, butter. I added an egg, and honey for flavour, adjust flour for the bit of extra fluid. Took me a few batches to get it right. Unfortunately I never took notes. I was a huge Tolkien fan as a teen, I loved hiking and camping, so _of course_ I was fascinated by this magical waybread that was the perfect travel ration! If I wanted to do it today, I'd put in some potassium salt, some muscle protein powder instead of egg, and pop a "once a day all in one" multivitamin pill for dessert. :)
I assume that when it's said it was made from a certain corn, it's meant corn in the British meaning of the word, synonymous with grain, not literally corn in the American meaning of the word aka maize.
an interesting note is that the word Lord comes from the anglo-saxon word for loaf keeper, and the word Lady comes from the anglo-saxon word for Loaf maker.
wow, I love this! It explains why Sam always urged Frodo to eat. The backstory of Lembas bread shows how this food played a vital role in their quest. Tolkien is the greatest worldbuilder.
Lembas bread is where you notice that Tolkien had fought in the trenches, because only soldier that lived through hard and dangerous work in the field with lousy and pitifully small rations would come up with the idea that the most divine woman ever born would invent the ultimate combat ration. Something something care-package and love from home.
Outstanding research and story! I'm suddenly craving bread and butter! You guys know how to entice and keep an audience wanting more! See you on your next upload!👍👍
I would like to think Lembas bread had enchantments laid upon it. Like the beer in the Prancing Pony. I sure enjoyed this story. Now how about the fiery liquer?
The most filling, small cake I have ever eaten was a Chinese Lunar Festival Moon Cake. On the Lunar Festival Day, a Chinese co-worker gave one to me at about 9:30 am. I ate the cake during a break at work. It didn't seem to be that filling at the time. Well, I ended up skipping lunch because I wasn't hungry, and also I couldn't eat dinner, much to the chagrin of my wife. In fact I skipped breakfast the next day and had a light lunch. I was full of energy the whole time. I have never forgotten that experience. I think it had a cooked egg yolk in the center, so it was not all grain and veggies.
*I JUST FINISHED the Fellowship of The Ring the other night and finished the first 3 Chapters of The Two Towers last night* (;))! It's amazing how useful Lembas bread was after they left Lothlorien (:))!
@@AbbaZabbaOlyFrn In the Movies Legolas mentioned how, "1 small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man" but they never mentioned how well it revitalized the Fellowship or how it boosted their endurance (;))! I'm probably gonna get to Chapter 5 or 7 of the 2 towers tonight before bed. After finishing the Fellowship of the Ring noticing the differences between the Books and the Movies the IMMEDIATE differences I noticed/liked was how in the Books "A Journey in The Dark" was FAR MORE frightening, mysterious, and HORRIFIC in the books than in the movie especially considering that Reading their Journey through Moria was Ironically like Gandalf reading the Book near Balins Tomb so it just made reading through it FAR more interesting than watching it in the Movies. THAT and the Battle of Amon Hen was DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT since Legolas literally FELL a FELLBEAST WITH A SINGLE ARROW down the River anduin, AND how Aragorn guided the Fellowship till they got to tge shores and overall the BREAKING OF THE FELLOWSHIP was FAIRLY different from how it was portrayed in the Movies. Specifically how the Fellowship broke in the Books EASILY makes it my favorite Chapter of the Trilogy considering that The Fellowship of The Ring was always my favorite part of the Trilogies PERIOD. The Middle and End are throughly writen but the BEGINNING of a story ALWAYS seems to have more of a sense of remembrance, and INSPIRATION than the ends, I don't know, maybe because the "1ST STEP" always feels like it's more meaningful in my opinion. I grew up on the Movies, and Video games, but finally reading them during Quarantine seriously gets to my heart (:)). *I've always had an infinite love of Lord of The Rings, it's such a PURE and Classical Fantasy setting (:D)!*
The lembas bread taste good, boosts moral, and will keep you going. The designer of MREs: "Yeah, we're not doing any of that. But we will add the benefit of constipation."
Sauron when he realizes he lost not only to 2 Halflings and the descendant of his enemies a Dwarf and Elf and the rest of Middle-Earth but most importantly Bread
When I traveled to Ghana Africa one of my friends gave me some Bread wrapped in leafs I said this is like the LOTR bread and we just laughed. Good times!
Anything that has any special nutritional values like this bread would in reality help accelerate healing but maybe not in any magical sense but considering its source I imagine it would indeed have a healing affect that would make it seem magical in nature.
The nutrition, the revitalization of the spirit (high morale is a hell of a drug), and the energy density (I presume the "revitalization of body" is basically 1 part slightly magical, 1 part calorically dense) would all be incredibly helpful.
Lembas reminds me of Manna from the Bible, both are travel breads and came from divines. But both can also get boring to eat, just as the Israelites got sick of Manna, Merry and Pippin got sick of Lembas and just wanted regular bread. I think that both Melian and some of the Elves brought Lembas to Middle Earth, after Melian showed the female Elves how to make it, which is how it spread among the Elf maidens. I also think that it does heal in a way, but only by providing interior energy, it would not heal cuts for example, but the energy it gives would mitigate its effects.
Small correction MELKOR found the elves first and tried to poison them against the Valar. As you said Orome then stumbled upon them and to begin with the atani or firstborn took some convincing to undo the lies melkor had said.
I suspect that Semeagol would have been able to eat lembas before he became Gollum. This tells that the ring made lembas taste like dirt and ash to Semeagol. When the hobbits start on their journey from Lothlorien they don't seem to have any problem eating Lembas - ask Merry and Pippen. As Frodo and Sam journey the Lembas begins to lose its taste. Is this because of the ring. At a critical moment in there travel they decide to cook a couple of rabbits. Sam well knows the risk of fire in the wild but he does so anyway - resulting in their discovery. Again the ring beginning to take over the hobbits. By the time they get to Cirith Ungol Frodo is barely eating - has Lembas lost its taste to Frodo?
It's quite interesting that the elves were specifically instructed not to share lembas with mortals. I appreciate knowing the origins, traditions, and the various names of this legendary food. Thanks!
Haha, now I can just see the elves and hobbits chowing down on tamales in Lothlorien. Though I'm sure the "corn" that Tolkien was referring to would be more akin to what they called grain in Europe before they found the Americas and maize.
Anyone else think it's an allegory for communion? A bread that will sustain you and help you overcome the trials/evils you face. The more you rely on it the more potent its effects. It has impact on your spirit as much as it is just a food...
While Tolkien was a devout Christian and we can see any kind of allegory or symbolism we want in his stories. He made it very clear that the Lord of the Rings is not intentionally allegorical. Tolkien did not like allegory. That doesn't mean we should not see and appreciate similarities between his writings and Christian themes. But we should not assume that those similarities were intended by Tolkien.
@@abequiner9815 yep some lazy copy paste for you: J. R. R. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic, although his family had once been Baptists. He described The Lord of the Rings as "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work" and rich in Christian symbolism, as he explained in a letter to his close friend and Jesuit priest, Robert Murray: The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like 'religion', to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism.
It represents “Mana from heaven” as is written in the bible. That kept the tribes alive while they wandered in the desert until they found the holy land.
Licking white fungus off rocks every day for 40 years. No wonder it took them so long to get where they were going. They were tripping balls the whole time.
@@MajorMalfunction Of course you assume that I don't know what I'm talking about. First off, "Mana" literally translates to "What is this?" - the wandering Israelites would've known what fungus looked like, and they were explicit that Mana was something that they had never seen before, hence the name. Secondly, the described qualities of Mana altogether don't match up to any known fungus, let alone anything biological. Yes, it tasted sweet like honey, as some fungus do. But fungus doesn't end up on hanging off of bushes and on desert ground overnight, especially in a consistency similar to gooey dough or melted cheese, of which it was easy to collect. And there's again the fact that it went rotten extremely fast, with absolutely no way to preserve it. Now tell me, what fungus native to the arid regions of the Sinai Peninsula (if they are any to begin with) has exactly all of those qualities - sweet honeylike flavor, gooey consistency, drapes itself over bushes and other surfaces, can be picked up from the ground with ease, and rots literally as fast (if not faster) than it shows up, and cannot be dried, smoked, salted, or any number of other preserving methods?
Me, a home brewer and history nerd: Lembas is made from a special grain? Well in ancient agricultural societies, they used grains to make two things-bread and beer. Bread was basically solid beer, and beer was basically liquid bread. Sooo… I wonder what kind of epic ale you’d be able to make from lembas corn! 🤩
The talk of the bred like that reminds me deeply of how my aunt used to make her lovely barry bread that always gave me a similar feel as is described here about Lembas Bread. And when I asked her what was the special ingredient to it she simply always answered: "It gets its taste from the love I put into my labor. A work of love is a work that lasts for far longer than anything done by just quantity."
You say that the Orcs detested the smell and would trample it. If you touched an Orc with a piece of it or tried to force feed one would the effect be the same as trying to force feed a Eucharist to a vampire? Would it burn them? Just curious.
I do think that when crossing the sea from Amman to Middlearth, and later crossing the Helcaraxë it was Noldor that carried Lembas to Middlearth, but also Melian, since follower of Yavanna, whas the one who carried it seeds together with Galadriel, since they have departed later together, and did not took part in kingslaying of Alqualonde. Galadriel was especialy eager to create something on her own, so bearing that in mind she very likley took some seeds with her to grow in Middlearth. I also want to share with you interesting fact that in my country of Croatia, there is an island called Pag, where benedictine sisters make one similar bread to lembas, and only they know it's secret and very ancient recipe, and only they make it. From outside it is nothing special, it is dryed, but whene you taste it you are overflown with delight, and it makes you not hunger for good period of time. The bread is called 'Baškotini'. Does not this story remind you of Lembas? I would recomend 'Baškotini' to all!
Thank you for the educational post. I will try to look for this bread. Would it be sold in bakeries that make Baklava? BTW, Melian left Aman in the Years of the Trees or earlier. That's pre-first age, as she met Thingol before the sun first rose. You are right about Galadriel. That is a great point you made about her bringing seeds from Aman, after all she brought with her dirt or soil from Valinor, some of which she gave to Sam at the Fellowship's departure from Lothlorien.
@@Enerdhil You are right abouth Melian, I was mistaken, but now I remamber. I should probably read again Silmarillion, since it has been long time since I've read it. Regarding the "Baškotini", I am pretty sure that it is only possible to buy them in their convent in city Pag, and many tourists go there for that bread. Other point I was going to make, regarding someones comment that Lembas was inspired from Eucharist. You know that latin word for Eucharistic bread given to sick is called "Viaticus", or waybread, which is interesting to notice, who know maybe the name was inspired from this?
@@filipedhellen4388 Thank you for the wonderful information. Unfortunately, I will have to put eating Baskotini on my bucket list. I am sure the bread is blessed whether it is part of the Holy Communion or not.
@@Enerdhil hkm.hr/zivot/paski-baskotin-proizvodi-se-samo-u-benediktinskom-samostanu-u-pagu-uz-molitvu/ I think you can translate the article. Well, if you ever decide to travel to beautiful Croatia, sure be to stop by to island of Pag, you won't regret it. And thank you for your responses! Namarie! :-)
@@filipedhellen4388 Likewise. Thank you and good luck to Croatia in the Euro 2020 final 16! I have been enjoying watching Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luca Modric play football in Europe for years.
In one roleplaying game, there was a spell called "Foyson Theft" that stole "The goodness in food", turning it into a white powder. My character made a type of waybread by mixing this powder into the dough, giving each individual loaf 3 days' worth of nutrition.
Perhaps the bread is the true key to the yearning of the elves travel to Valinor. Those who had never tasted Lembas could more easily reject the call and fade away.
Do you guys think that Lembas bread had magical properties? And how do you think it arrived to the lands of Middle-Earth? I've actually tried to make some Lembas bread in the past by following a friend's recipe. If you'd like to try your hands at it you can find a video to their recipe below. I'd love to see some of the results! :D instagram.com/reel/CKrWaAwpr7b/?fbclid=IwAR0ifUMWTRK0LUW7PkhEFPaxKYd2hPZaHDiOeJy-UGZlsUhlbV5KK3IpHMM
Unless I missed something in the movies, the only thing lembas did was fill you with small amounts. I don't recall anything being said or shown that it invigorated energy or raised the spirit.
While true, it has a high fullness factor which means you won't be eating much of it which would keep you from absorbing as many nutrients. Of course, it could have unique enzymes with healing properties. Spirulina, for example, aa a high fullness factor, but has compounds that protect the body from radiation, cancer, and viral infection. It's highly nutritious as well, but the healing properties aren't from the nutrition. The nutrition just means you can live on it and nothing else. Since the plants do draw life energy in from the Earth while growing though it could be argued that this vital energy would flow into the body of those who eat it, meaning it's magical in a sense. Though only in the way a Reiki practitioner heals.
The movie isn't right. No where in the book does it say the one bite would fill you up. That is Peter Jackson's invention. What it does say is that one loaf/wafer was enough to sustain a man through a hard day's labor (that when Gimli scarfed down a whole loaf when he first tasted it. Rely on the film for information only at your own risk...Peter Jackson butchered the book and invented a whole lot of stuff that never was in the book
A lot of folklore gives divine origins and supernatural powers to a various folk foods. Given the folklore-ish style of some of Tolkien's work, it's quite possible that the power of lembas is a bit exaggerated.
One picture in the video depicted an Elven woman in armor being shot by an arrow. The Elves didn’t send their women into combat. Many moderns wish that they had, but it is a spirit that was hateful to Tolkien.
When it comes to its origins i would say that Noldor must have brought its to middle-earth and perhaps Meliana too. In silmarillion its said that Meliana gave it to Thurin and Beleg so she has had it, but it might have been brought to her by Galadriel or somebody from her family. There next ppls that had it were people of Gondolin and they didnt have too much contact with Doriath, Voronwe had lembas with him when he was a guide for Tuor
My guess would be that the Lembas seeds came from Galadriel and Melian (mostly the latter), and likely not any of the other Noldor. I can't see them having any of the philosophic respect for the process or for growing things that were likely required.
We have an awesome superfood that keeps forever IRL called Pemmican. It is high in good fats, vitamins and protein. There is Pemmican from the Revolutionary war that is still edible. Although most modern "experts" claim it can last from 5 to 50 years.
I think it would be helpful for healing but not in a healing magic type of way. The fact that it was nutrient dense would be very helpful in ensuring that the patient got enough food without having to eat much. Also the fact that it gave strength and drove off evil would help the body fight off infection. And maybe the most important thing is in a way it gave hope. This would allow the patient to continue fighting to heal and not give up. I also wonder if the elven rope that Sam was given was made from the stalks of the plant. It would explain why it burned Gollem.
I think Lembas bread likely had a mental fortification ability to it. Since it was made by essentially elven gods, I would not be surprised if it had qualities that allowed its consumers to stay fresh minded during long journeys. Not so much physical healing, however it likely allowed them to stay on their toes while extremely fatigued or even wounded.
I honestly had thought Lembas bread was a hobbit thing. Not sure if the movies were vague on the matter or far more likely I was simply oblivious... but I'm going to keep an eye out next time I watch these movies.
Maybe it's glossed over in the theatrical cut. There's definitely a scene with Legolas describing it when they're leaving Lorien in the extended version.
next bread lore has to be *"Maggotty Bread that can be eaten for 3 stinkin days"*
Until meat's back on the menu boys
@@GrosvnerMcaffrey How were Orcs aware of menus at all?
@@Brvnkaerv maybe there were restaurants in the orc strongholds
@@bitchass8411 That's right, the maggoty bread comes to the table automatically with some warg butter when the Orc server takes your order.
@@Brvnkaerv while the line was invented for the movie for humor, the word menu used to refer to a full course meal and not a list of options at a restaurant, so saying somethings "on the menu" in this archaic use meant it was part of the meal courses ;)
Btw this is still used in Germany, they say "speisekarte" (lit. dining card) to refer to a modern restaurant menu of options, while the term "menu" itself means a combo meal
Interesting, this bread seems to be the unsung hero of Frodo’s journey.
Of most great journeys I'd imagine.
Logistics always are
"Oh look more lambas bread..."
Honestly, I think it was just a food deus ex machina. Throughout the Hobbit and most of Fellowship, food is a real issue (as it would be) and I think Tolkien just got tired of having to source it realistically
Lol, seriously
I think Morgoth corrupted and tortured lembas bread creating it's ruined and nutrition-less form, the Hostess Twinkie. This was his second most hateful act against Iluvatar.
i ate a Twinkie once after having watched Zombieland.. I was expecting it to be some amazing, tasty, delicious creamy snack after watching Tallahassee crave after them... boy how wrong I was... I'd say the best word to describe a Twinkie is BLAND. I also finally ate a Hershey Bar after years of craving them from seeing one of my favourite childhood movies - Empire of the Sun... and I was also disappointed. Best word to describe a Hershey Bar is: MANKY
@@tigrecito48 Yes, once you bite into a Twinkie you can taste the corruption of Morgoth. Nasty, spongy, flavorless, and they give you heartburn. I think you need to be an orc to enjoy one.
@@ponderingnugget hard to tell with me cos i get a lot of heartburn so i wouldnt know if its just the twinkie causing it.. i wonder if zombieland was sponsored by twinkies then cos i was fooled into thinking they must be amazing..
@@tigrecito48 It would make sense for twinkies to be associated with zombies as they are both immune to the effects of time; zombies, because they're undead, and twinkies, because they have an endless shelf life.
@@ponderingnugget the best foods for an apocalypse are ones that taste the same before and after the use by date
I tried recreating Lembas Bread. I think I came close with honey-flavoured shortbread. It's got sugar, protein, fats and salt. Tastes good, and lasts indefinitely. Exactly what a traveller would need.
Oh that's awesome! Was it an original recipe or did you find one online?
@@GeekZoneMT I was just tinkering with my mother's shortbread recipe Before Internet. :) Tho' the basic ingredients online are the same: Flour, sugar, butter. I added an egg, and honey for flavour, adjust flour for the bit of extra fluid. Took me a few batches to get it right. Unfortunately I never took notes. I was a huge Tolkien fan as a teen, I loved hiking and camping, so _of course_ I was fascinated by this magical waybread that was the perfect travel ration!
If I wanted to do it today, I'd put in some potassium salt, some muscle protein powder instead of egg, and pop a "once a day all in one" multivitamin pill for dessert. :)
Bakers of your skill are a huge inspiration. The patience and craft it takes to improvise like that is truly impressive.
How did you get the grains from Aman tho?
You should really post a recipe or video on how to do it.👍
the special elves who prepared these were called the keeblers, baked in trees that were larger on the inside than the outside :-)
The keeblers must have been trading lembas bread with the time lords since they got the tardis tech
@@doctor.davinci.76 synergy! :D cooperation will defeat the bad guys..though i have no idea who they are at this point :D
@@mm-yt8sf Service Guarantee's Citizenship :D
so basically: baked and smoked Elves, mmmmmh
I like the Lembas bread that comes with chocolate spread upon the bottom side.
It"s golden in color...
It has a creamy inside...
It stays good indefinitely...
Twinkies!
I don’t think it has a cream filling, but twinkies might be made by elves too
Creamy in COLOUR
@@eelboy3098 Hey, c'mon. Don't let trivialities like the actual text spoil a perfectly good fan theory!
@@andrewbesso4257 Nope, I’m SUPPORTING it. I’m saying it still has a creamy filling
huh so thats why Twinkies are delicious they're all made by elves!
"It was immune to all rot, mold, and evil"
Lembas bread should fight the Broodwich
Can't beat those sun dried tomatoes
I assume that when it's said it was made from a certain corn, it's meant corn in the British meaning of the word, synonymous with grain, not literally corn in the American meaning of the word aka maize.
Almost certainly, knowing Tolkien.
Yeah Tolkien was very particular about the kind of language he used.
... Ah, so Rohirrims didn't have maize fields.
maaaaaaaaaiiiiizzze
Great point!
an interesting note is that the word Lord comes from the anglo-saxon word for loaf keeper, and the word Lady comes from the anglo-saxon word for Loaf maker.
Aragorn didn't eat the Lembas, he was hardcore keto
😂😂😂
Lol
“This is the way.”
Too many carbs.
Now I'm thinking, there aren't fat elves 🤔
Just in time. I was feeling hungry!
Perfect timing 😂
wow, I love this! It explains why Sam always urged Frodo to eat. The backstory of Lembas bread shows how this food played a vital role in their quest. Tolkien is the greatest worldbuilder.
The research of this video was absolutely amazing and the voice was so amazing that it made me fall asleep for a moment!
You no he was good at story telling when even breed gets a back story, what a legend tolkien was.
*Tolkien
@@mrflibble1259 edited, dislecsic.
I just watched a video about fictional bread and it was awesome. Great job.
Lembas bread is where you notice that Tolkien had fought in the trenches, because only soldier that lived through hard and dangerous work in the field with lousy and pitifully small rations would come up with the idea that the most divine woman ever born would invent the ultimate combat ration.
Something something care-package and love from home.
Yes I was thinking of Scho-Ka-Kola and military chocolate.
And sweet and delicious at that!
Outstanding research and story! I'm suddenly craving bread and butter! You guys know how to entice and keep an audience wanting more! See you on your next upload!👍👍
Thanks man, it really means a lot to us! :)
I would like to think Lembas bread had enchantments laid upon it. Like the beer in the Prancing Pony. I sure enjoyed this story. Now how about the fiery liquer?
The most filling, small cake I have ever eaten was a Chinese Lunar Festival Moon Cake. On the Lunar Festival Day, a Chinese co-worker gave one to me at about 9:30 am. I ate the cake during a break at work. It didn't seem to be that filling at the time. Well, I ended up skipping lunch because I wasn't hungry, and also I couldn't eat dinner, much to the chagrin of my wife. In fact I skipped breakfast the next day and had a light lunch. I was full of energy the whole time.
I have never forgotten that experience. I think it had a cooked egg yolk in the center, so it was not all grain and veggies.
Its made of Lotus seed Paste. Its literally like a block of sugar and fat and is super calorie dense.
@@tsui1024
There must be over 1700 calories in a Moon Cake.
did u get corona after? lols
@@retardo9633
No because the woman was from Taiwan. lol
Did you ever consider your coworker is an elf?
When reading the book, I pictured Lembas as a a flat disk with a thick part in the middle, kind of like a ravioli.
It was special because “one small bite could fill the stomach of a grown man”- legolas
How many did you eat?
"Four"
I actually don't like how the movies did Merry and Pippin at places. Made them seem kind of goofy, when really they were MVPs.
If the elves were so smart how come they never made Lembas Pizza huh?
@@C-Jay_Underground what would you top it with? Mixing other foods with lembas weakens it's effects
*I JUST FINISHED the Fellowship of The Ring the other night and finished the first 3 Chapters of The Two Towers last night* (;))! It's amazing how useful Lembas bread was after they left Lothlorien (:))!
For real, the Three Hunters probably never would have tracked and chased down the Uruk-hai if they didn't have Lembas
@@AbbaZabbaOlyFrn In the Movies Legolas mentioned how, "1 small bite is enough to fill the stomach of a grown man" but they never mentioned how well it revitalized the Fellowship or how it boosted their endurance (;))!
I'm probably gonna get to Chapter 5 or 7 of the 2 towers tonight before bed.
After finishing the Fellowship of the Ring noticing the differences between the Books and the Movies the IMMEDIATE differences I noticed/liked was how in the Books "A Journey in The Dark" was FAR MORE frightening, mysterious, and HORRIFIC in the books than in the movie especially considering that Reading their Journey through Moria was Ironically like Gandalf reading the Book near Balins Tomb so it just made reading through it FAR more interesting than watching it in the Movies. THAT and the Battle of Amon Hen was DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT since Legolas literally FELL a FELLBEAST WITH A SINGLE ARROW down the River anduin, AND how Aragorn guided the Fellowship till they got to tge shores and overall the BREAKING OF THE FELLOWSHIP was FAIRLY different from how it was portrayed in the Movies.
Specifically how the Fellowship broke in the Books EASILY makes it my favorite Chapter of the Trilogy considering that The Fellowship of The Ring was always my favorite part of the Trilogies PERIOD. The Middle and End are throughly writen but the BEGINNING of a story ALWAYS seems to have more of a sense of remembrance, and INSPIRATION than the ends, I don't know, maybe because the "1ST STEP" always feels like it's more meaningful in my opinion. I grew up on the Movies, and Video games, but finally reading them during Quarantine seriously gets to my heart (:)). *I've always had an infinite love of Lord of The Rings, it's such a PURE and Classical Fantasy setting (:D)!*
The lembas bread taste good, boosts moral, and will keep you going.
The designer of MREs: "Yeah, we're not doing any of that. But we will add the benefit of constipation."
Sauron when he realizes he lost not only to 2 Halflings and the descendant of his enemies a Dwarf and Elf and the rest of Middle-Earth but most importantly Bread
I wouldn't be surpsied if it's only magical property would be resilience (i.e. against mold or being stale).
I just finished watching the trilogy last night. I love the lore of the lord of the rings. Never gets old
And there's so much of it 😍
I can litterally start it over as soon as it finishes. Lol
@@scottfitzpatrick1939 same my wife gets mad to waking up to lord of the rings. Try watching the Hobbit and LOTR Extended for one whole day
Learned some new stuff about Lembas bread and its origins. Thanks
When I traveled to Ghana Africa one of my friends gave me some Bread wrapped in leafs I said this is like the LOTR bread and we just laughed. Good times!
Anything that has any special nutritional values like this bread would in reality help accelerate healing but maybe not in any magical sense but considering its source I imagine it would indeed have a healing affect that would make it seem magical in nature.
The nutrition, the revitalization of the spirit (high morale is a hell of a drug), and the energy density (I presume the "revitalization of body" is basically 1 part slightly magical, 1 part calorically dense) would all be incredibly helpful.
Lembas reminds me of Manna from the Bible, both are travel breads and came from divines. But both can also get boring to eat, just as the Israelites got sick of Manna, Merry and Pippin got sick of Lembas and just wanted regular bread. I think that both Melian and some of the Elves brought Lembas to Middle Earth, after Melian showed the female Elves how to make it, which is how it spread among the Elf maidens. I also think that it does heal in a way, but only by providing interior energy, it would not heal cuts for example, but the energy it gives would mitigate its effects.
Pretty cool to see that there’s another Roland enjoying this content lol, great video as always!
please note at the time "corn" was the British term of any type of grain not just Maze.
When it's 1230 am and I have to wake up early and I'm sitting here watching a 12 minute video on the lore of lembas bread
Great video! Very informational and interesting. Lembas is awesome
Very interesting. Can't wait to show up in the local market:)
Small correction MELKOR found the elves first and tried to poison them against the Valar. As you said Orome then stumbled upon them and to begin with the atani or firstborn took some convincing to undo the lies melkor had said.
Who would have thought a 10+ minute video about fictional bread would be so interesting...
I suspect that Semeagol would have been able to eat lembas before he became Gollum. This tells that the ring made lembas taste like dirt and ash to Semeagol. When the hobbits start on their journey from Lothlorien they don't seem to have any problem eating Lembas - ask Merry and Pippen. As Frodo and Sam journey the Lembas begins to lose its taste. Is this because of the ring. At a critical moment in there travel they decide to cook a couple of rabbits. Sam well knows the risk of fire in the wild but he does so anyway - resulting in their discovery. Again the ring beginning to take over the hobbits. By the time they get to Cirith Ungol Frodo is barely eating - has Lembas lost its taste to Frodo?
Interestingly, the modern food that most resembles lembas bread is Count Chocula cereal.
In my head it's like shortbread with all of the awesome properties of Kendel mint cake. :D
Interesting. This fantasy lotr thing become more weird. From storyline- character and now food. Amazing
You made bread fascinating lol...great content sir
It's quite interesting that the elves were specifically instructed not to share lembas with mortals. I appreciate knowing the origins, traditions, and the various names of this legendary food. Thanks!
Elves: man we are not OP enough, so we need an OP food as well!
I want to taste lembas bread
There are quite a few good recipes only to make an imitation of it. It might lack the magical properties but it would still be pretty fun to bake 😁
Better than maggoty bread for 3 stinking days!
*yeeaahh*
Mae Govannen Mellon, Im new to this amazing channel, just subbed, just go on and bring us more and more amazing videos, you have my big support🍻🍺
Cheers man, and a big warm welcome to our Fellowship :D
Lembas bread is a metaphor for the Eucharist. A light waffer-like bread of life. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic.
Amen
This is precisely correct.
Bread from corn wrapped in leaves? That’s a tamale bro. The original MRE of my people. Breakfast, lunch and dinner of champions. Thanks
Haha, now I can just see the elves and hobbits chowing down on tamales in Lothlorien. Though I'm sure the "corn" that Tolkien was referring to would be more akin to what they called grain in Europe before they found the Americas and maize.
De mole!
Anyone else think it's an allegory for communion?
A bread that will sustain you and help you overcome the trials/evils you face. The more you rely on it the more potent its effects. It has impact on your spirit as much as it is just a food...
While Tolkien was a devout Christian and we can see any kind of allegory or symbolism we want in his stories. He made it very clear that the Lord of the Rings is not intentionally allegorical. Tolkien did not like allegory. That doesn't mean we should not see and appreciate similarities between his writings and Christian themes. But we should not assume that those similarities were intended by Tolkien.
@@abequiner9815 yep
some lazy copy paste for you:
J. R. R. Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic, although his family had once been Baptists. He described The Lord of the Rings as "a fundamentally religious and Catholic work" and rich in Christian symbolism, as he explained in a letter to his close friend and Jesuit priest, Robert Murray:
The Lord of the Rings is of course a fundamentally religious and Catholic work; unconsciously so at first, but consciously in the revision. That is why I have not put in, or have cut out, practically all references to anything like 'religion', to cults or practices, in the imaginary world. For the religious element is absorbed into the story and the symbolism.
Another example of all the little details where the journey would have failed if not for this or that.
Merry: how many did you eat?
Pippin: Four
It represents “Mana from heaven” as is written in the bible. That kept the tribes alive while they wandered in the desert until they found the holy land.
Tolkien was a pious Christian he said he was closest to God when he was in the trenches, Admirable man.
Licking white fungus off rocks every day for 40 years. No wonder it took them so long to get where they were going. They were tripping balls the whole time.
@@MajorMalfunction Last time I checked, fungus doesn't have the consistency of bread, nor does it rot in a single day.
@@maxxor-overworldhero6730 You should check again. :P
@@MajorMalfunction Of course you assume that I don't know what I'm talking about. First off, "Mana" literally translates to "What is this?" - the wandering Israelites would've known what fungus looked like, and they were explicit that Mana was something that they had never seen before, hence the name. Secondly, the described qualities of Mana altogether don't match up to any known fungus, let alone anything biological. Yes, it tasted sweet like honey, as some fungus do. But fungus doesn't end up on hanging off of bushes and on desert ground overnight, especially in a consistency similar to gooey dough or melted cheese, of which it was easy to collect. And there's again the fact that it went rotten extremely fast, with absolutely no way to preserve it.
Now tell me, what fungus native to the arid regions of the Sinai Peninsula (if they are any to begin with) has exactly all of those qualities - sweet honeylike flavor, gooey consistency, drapes itself over bushes and other surfaces, can be picked up from the ground with ease, and rots literally as fast (if not faster) than it shows up, and cannot be dried, smoked, salted, or any number of other preserving methods?
Me, a home brewer and history nerd: Lembas is made from a special grain? Well in ancient agricultural societies, they used grains to make two things-bread and beer. Bread was basically solid beer, and beer was basically liquid bread. Sooo… I wonder what kind of epic ale you’d be able to make from lembas corn! 🤩
The talk of the bred like that reminds me deeply of how my aunt used to make her lovely barry bread that always gave me a similar feel as is described here about Lembas Bread. And when I asked her what was the special ingredient to it she simply always answered: "It gets its taste from the love I put into my labor. A work of love is a work that lasts for far longer than anything done by just quantity."
Lembas in fact has its origins in Morettis Bakery on Ave N in Brooklyn NY.
Big fan of their Knot Bread as well.
Merry: How many did you eat?
Pippin: 4
Pippin: "loud fart"
Made me think of the Family Guy episode where Peter eats a year’s worth of dehydrated food…then drank water.
😂😂
He burped.
HE FARTED!
I always thought he burped...
I always imagine Lemnas bread to taste like Farley's Rusk.
You say that the Orcs detested the smell and would trample it. If you touched an Orc with a piece of it or tried to force feed one would the effect be the same as trying to force feed a Eucharist to a vampire? Would it burn them? Just curious.
Its a form of cornbread. It goes great with Chili
The parallels between the Hebrews journey to the promised land and the mana from heaven are very strong.
The Best LOTR Videoclip!!!!!!! Please make more!!!!!
I do think that when crossing the sea from Amman to Middlearth, and later crossing the Helcaraxë it was Noldor that carried Lembas to Middlearth, but also Melian, since follower of Yavanna, whas the one who carried it seeds together with Galadriel, since they have departed later together, and did not took part in kingslaying of Alqualonde. Galadriel was especialy eager to create something on her own, so bearing that in mind she very likley took some seeds with her to grow in Middlearth.
I also want to share with you interesting fact that in my country of Croatia, there is an island called Pag, where benedictine sisters make one similar bread to lembas, and only they know it's secret and very ancient recipe, and only they make it. From outside it is nothing special, it is dryed, but whene you taste it you are overflown with delight, and it makes you not hunger for good period of time. The bread is called 'Baškotini'. Does not this story remind you of Lembas? I would recomend 'Baškotini' to all!
Thank you for the educational post. I will try to look for this bread. Would it be sold in bakeries that make Baklava?
BTW, Melian left Aman in the Years of the Trees or earlier. That's pre-first age, as she met Thingol before the sun first rose. You are right about Galadriel. That is a great point you made about her bringing seeds from Aman, after all she brought with her dirt or soil from Valinor, some of which she gave to Sam at the Fellowship's departure from Lothlorien.
@@Enerdhil You are right abouth Melian, I was mistaken, but now I remamber. I should probably read again Silmarillion, since it has been long time since I've read it.
Regarding the "Baškotini", I am pretty sure that it is only possible to buy them in their convent in city Pag, and many tourists go there for that bread.
Other point I was going to make, regarding someones comment that Lembas was inspired from Eucharist. You know that latin word for Eucharistic bread given to sick is called "Viaticus", or waybread, which is interesting to notice, who know maybe the name was inspired from this?
@@filipedhellen4388
Thank you for the wonderful information. Unfortunately, I will have to put eating Baskotini on my bucket list. I am sure the bread is blessed whether it is part of the Holy Communion or not.
@@Enerdhil hkm.hr/zivot/paski-baskotin-proizvodi-se-samo-u-benediktinskom-samostanu-u-pagu-uz-molitvu/
I think you can translate the article.
Well, if you ever decide to travel to beautiful Croatia, sure be to stop by to island of Pag, you won't regret it.
And thank you for your responses!
Namarie! :-)
@@filipedhellen4388
Likewise. Thank you and good luck to Croatia in the Euro 2020 final 16! I have been enjoying watching Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Luca Modric play football in Europe for years.
Any descriptions on the taste? In my head I am thinking similiar to cornbread..
I knew nothing of the origin of lembas. Thank you.
In one roleplaying game, there was a spell called "Foyson Theft" that stole "The goodness in food", turning it into a white powder. My character made a type of waybread by mixing this powder into the dough, giving each individual loaf 3 days' worth of nutrition.
Eating lembas bread while smoking the finest weed of south farthing will be heavenly
Perhaps the bread is the true key to the yearning of the elves travel to Valinor. Those who had never tasted Lembas could more easily reject the call and fade away.
11 minutes about bread. Amazing. I love Tolkien
Do you guys think that Lembas bread had magical properties? And how do you think it arrived to the lands of Middle-Earth? I've actually tried to make some Lembas bread in the past by following a friend's recipe. If you'd like to try your hands at it you can find a video to their recipe below. I'd love to see some of the results! :D
instagram.com/reel/CKrWaAwpr7b/?fbclid=IwAR0ifUMWTRK0LUW7PkhEFPaxKYd2hPZaHDiOeJy-UGZlsUhlbV5KK3IpHMM
Unless I missed something in the movies, the only thing lembas did was fill you with small amounts. I don't recall anything being said or shown that it invigorated energy or raised the spirit.
While true, it has a high fullness factor which means you won't be eating much of it which would keep you from absorbing as many nutrients. Of course, it could have unique enzymes with healing properties. Spirulina, for example, aa a high fullness factor, but has compounds that protect the body from radiation, cancer, and viral infection. It's highly nutritious as well, but the healing properties aren't from the nutrition. The nutrition just means you can live on it and nothing else.
Since the plants do draw life energy in from the Earth while growing though it could be argued that this vital energy would flow into the body of those who eat it, meaning it's magical in a sense. Though only in the way a Reiki practitioner heals.
The books tell those things.
The movie isn't right. No where in the book does it say the one bite would fill you up. That is Peter Jackson's invention. What it does say is that one loaf/wafer was enough to sustain a man through a hard day's labor (that when Gimli scarfed down a whole loaf when he first tasted it.
Rely on the film for information only at your own risk...Peter Jackson butchered the book and invented a whole lot of stuff that never was in the book
A lot of folklore gives divine origins and supernatural powers to a various folk foods. Given the folklore-ish style of some of Tolkien's work, it's quite possible that the power of lembas is a bit exaggerated.
Ain’t nothing but honey-cornbread with crushed adderall mixed in it for energy, focus and motivation
cool vid enjoyed it mate
One picture in the video depicted an Elven woman in armor being shot by an arrow. The Elves didn’t send their women into combat. Many moderns wish that they had, but it is a spirit that was hateful to Tolkien.
we need us some of them lembas in these dark times =(
When it comes to its origins i would say that Noldor must have brought its to middle-earth and perhaps Meliana too. In silmarillion its said that Meliana gave it to Thurin and Beleg so she has had it, but it might have been brought to her by Galadriel or somebody from her family. There next ppls that had it were people of Gondolin and they didnt have too much contact with Doriath, Voronwe had lembas with him when he was a guide for Tuor
My guess would be that the Lembas seeds came from Galadriel and Melian (mostly the latter), and likely not any of the other Noldor. I can't see them having any of the philosophic respect for the process or for growing things that were likely required.
We have an awesome superfood that keeps forever IRL called Pemmican. It is high in good fats, vitamins and protein. There is Pemmican from the Revolutionary war that is still edible. Although most modern "experts" claim it can last from 5 to 50 years.
I think it would be helpful for healing but not in a healing magic type of way. The fact that it was nutrient dense would be very helpful in ensuring that the patient got enough food without having to eat much. Also the fact that it gave strength and drove off evil would help the body fight off infection. And maybe the most important thing is in a way it gave hope. This would allow the patient to continue fighting to heal and not give up.
I also wonder if the elven rope that Sam was given was made from the stalks of the plant. It would explain why it burned Gollem.
The only food that can fill a hobbits stomach.
I think Lembas bread likely had a mental fortification ability to it. Since it was made by essentially elven gods, I would not be surprised if it had qualities that allowed its consumers to stay fresh minded during long journeys. Not so much physical healing, however it likely allowed them to stay on their toes while extremely fatigued or even wounded.
Makes more sense now about why Frodo and Sam ate Lembas Bread on their journey.
7 11 now sells lembas pizzas. Great deal. Energy for hours. Check local listing.
A hobbit marches on its stomach.
Aye, and quite a roomy stomach 😂
They're taking Wallace to Isengard!!
This video is making me hungry 🤤 if only I had some lembas in front of me now lol 😂
Where do you get your information? I've read the Silmarillion and the Book of Lost Tales, and I don't recall any of this.
It's hard tack or sea biscuit. It was used by Roman Soldiers. They carried Salt, Hard tack and Vinegar and Wine.
Cram was a type of food ration Tolkien may have certainly eaten during WWI.
So the Lembas crop was infused with the Ainulindalë... Interesting.
Isn't it known that Melian taught Galadriel how to make lembas?
It's never stated, we only know that Galadriel studied under her. 😄
It was magic 🌽 considering that normal corn is a neutral food
I honestly had thought Lembas bread was a hobbit thing. Not sure if the movies were vague on the matter or far more likely I was simply oblivious... but I'm going to keep an eye out next time I watch these movies.
Maybe it's glossed over in the theatrical cut. There's definitely a scene with Legolas describing it when they're leaving Lorien in the extended version.
The link to the Christian Eucharist is obvious. According to the description it resembles the Prosphora bread.
hobbits be like: We eat 10 pieces of lembas for breakfast and another 10 for second breakfast.
The day a video about magic cornbread was good
Is there a second breakfast?
Is this bread keto friendly?
My primary takeaway from this video is that Lembas bread is gluten free. XD
What is the music you used in the intro?
Holow knight White palace 8:45