I swear if people just read the Silmarillion, it clearly explains how widely used the Anti Air defenses are across all of Azeroth, even Dumbledore knew better than to fly around.
Everyone knows that there were stealth eagles in the works, but Gondor was undergoing budget cuts and the isolationists wanted more trebuchets as those are a defensive posture. So the project was scrapped. Manwe was upset as this upset his yearly profit projections.
The only alternative was to fly super low, through a winding canyon, then dive into the cauldron, drop the ring, and pull 10g’s to avoid smacking into the other side. But then you’re wide open for those AAAs. Only Tom Cruise or Luke Skywalker could pull off a maneuver like that, and they were busy in other franchises.
E B White quotes Edward Howe Forbush (1858 – 1929): “Mr M Semper, of Mapes PO, British Columbia. Was at neighbor’s house sharpening a mower sickle, saw a golden eagle seize neighbor’s little girl, Ellen Gibbs, by arm. Mr Semper kicked the eagle with no effect. Girl’s mother appeared, decapitated eagle with good effect. No date.”
The Haast's eagle (Hieraaetus moorei) was a giant eagle endemic to New Zealand's South Island, and the largest eagle known to have existed. It went extinct around 1400 CE, probably within a century or two of Māori settlement. Size: Females weighed roughly 10-15 kg, with a wingspan of about 2-3 m. That's surprisingly modest for its weight, which suited flying through forest rather than soaring in open country. Prey: It hunted moa, including species weighing up to about 200 kg, many times its own mass. It likely struck at the pelvis or back with talons the size of tiger claws, and may have killed with the force of impact or by crushing the skull or neck.
I was just listening to a “Stuff You Should Know”episode about dragons. They mentioned a theory in which the myths of dragons is a combination of eagles, snakes, and big cats. Humans most feared adversaries during our early times. Wanna make a scary bedtime story, or a legendary spirit animal? Combine them in different ways! I thought that was an interesting idea.
Think there was a radiolab episode on this a while back.. suggested that the reason we look up so fast when there’s a shadow on the ground is an evolutionary reaction to evading predators from above
great we couldve had them do all the work and now we are stuck here with stupid trump (saruman) trying his damn best to be like his best buddy Xi (sauron). Next your gonna tell me we are gonna stack up on chinas front door as a diversion!?!?!?!?
If there was ever a time when intelligent humans and giant apex bird predators existed in close proximity during evolution, there is a 100% chance the humans captured and at least attempted to domesticate and ride them.
Maori and Haast Eagle coexisted for about 150 years between 1300 and 1450. There is oral history that they attecked people but no history of any attempt to domestic them. The eagles died out when Maori ate all the Moa which was Haast's primary food source.
AccountNumeroThree | 23 hours ago
So the eagles from LotR aren’t so mythical?
chmath80 | 21 hours ago
Haast Eagle went extinct when the Moa did, which was less than 600 years ago.
Benegger85 | 21 hours ago
Then why didn't they just fly Frodo there in the first place?
Peripatetictyl | 21 hours ago
We’ve gone over this, Saruman had AA early detection and SAM launchers surrounding Mt Doom, and the F15 Eagle gives off a large radar signal.
chicopeestudly | 21 hours ago
You had me in the first four words, ngl
Representative_Yau | 11 hours ago
I swear if people just read the Silmarillion, it clearly explains how widely used the Anti Air defenses are across all of Azeroth, even Dumbledore knew better than to fly around.
HotPotParrot | 9 hours ago
That still doesn't explain why the eagles didn't just use their Stargate
Snoo-14985 | 8 hours ago
Because the warp drive requires too much energy, far more than all of Narnia can muster.
Competitive_Answer82 | an hour ago
Maybe if the tried to explode the singularity.
NerdTalkDan | 20 hours ago
Everyone knows that there were stealth eagles in the works, but Gondor was undergoing budget cuts and the isolationists wanted more trebuchets as those are a defensive posture. So the project was scrapped. Manwe was upset as this upset his yearly profit projections.
Boatster_McBoat | 20 hours ago
How can you project force Ardally without eagles? Make it make sense!
NerdTalkDan | 20 hours ago
Take a page from the Orcs and project some cut off heads in the direction of the enemy. Via trebuchet. Checkmate pro Eagles clique
Lhasa-bark | 17 hours ago
The only alternative was to fly super low, through a winding canyon, then dive into the cauldron, drop the ring, and pull 10g’s to avoid smacking into the other side. But then you’re wide open for those AAAs. Only Tom Cruise or Luke Skywalker could pull off a maneuver like that, and they were busy in other franchises.
Little_Judgment_8278 | 19 hours ago
FLY YOU FOOLS.. that’s why… they didn’t listen.
Benegger85 | 8 hours ago
Damn, how could I have missed that?
Mathblasta | 17 hours ago
If Saruman had Sam launchers, it stands to reason they're available throughout Middle Earth.
So why didn't they give Sam the ring and launch him into Mt. Doom?
djprofitt | 18 hours ago
He was launching Samwise at eagles? What a twist!
uiuctodd | 14 hours ago
It's documented in Appendix B of "Return of The King".
unknownpoltroon | 13 hours ago
More importantly, why didnt they just eat the hobbits?
TheCriticalGerman | 19 hours ago
He forgot to ask them
mindyourtongueboi | 20 hours ago
The only thing truly mythical about LOTR is the good guys win
Yugan-Dali | 21 hours ago
E B White quotes Edward Howe Forbush (1858 – 1929): “Mr M Semper, of Mapes PO, British Columbia. Was at neighbor’s house sharpening a mower sickle, saw a golden eagle seize neighbor’s little girl, Ellen Gibbs, by arm. Mr Semper kicked the eagle with no effect. Girl’s mother appeared, decapitated eagle with good effect. No date.”
rg4rg | 17 hours ago
That’s one way to make nuggets.
theonlysamintheworld | 17 hours ago
Can somebody turn this into a Pokémon battle?
tigermelon | 21 hours ago
Why didn't early humans simply ride these eagles to destroy the one ring?
MadcapRecap | 20 hours ago
Are they stupid?
chocolateAbuser | 15 hours ago
yes
HotPotParrot | 9 hours ago
Specifically "are" and not "were", btw
Eledridan | 21 hours ago
Yea, the roc.
ArchTemperedKoala | 19 hours ago
Mr. Dwayne Johnso?
PartyDog9082 | 15 hours ago
The Haast's eagle (Hieraaetus moorei) was a giant eagle endemic to New Zealand's South Island, and the largest eagle known to have existed. It went extinct around 1400 CE, probably within a century or two of Māori settlement.
Size: Females weighed roughly 10-15 kg, with a wingspan of about 2-3 m. That's surprisingly modest for its weight, which suited flying through forest rather than soaring in open country.
Prey: It hunted moa, including species weighing up to about 200 kg, many times its own mass. It likely struck at the pelvis or back with talons the size of tiger claws, and may have killed with the force of impact or by crushing the skull or neck.
HolyDude_TheGarret | 18 hours ago
I was just listening to a “Stuff You Should Know”episode about dragons. They mentioned a theory in which the myths of dragons is a combination of eagles, snakes, and big cats. Humans most feared adversaries during our early times. Wanna make a scary bedtime story, or a legendary spirit animal? Combine them in different ways! I thought that was an interesting idea.
throw_every_away | 16 hours ago
I always figured people got the idea from dinosaur bones. I mean, that, or ancient aliens ;)
HMS_Chevette | 20 hours ago
“Come on, man. I had a rough night and I hate the fuckin' Eagles, man!”
LordCommando | 13 hours ago
Think there was a radiolab episode on this a while back.. suggested that the reason we look up so fast when there’s a shadow on the ground is an evolutionary reaction to evading predators from above
ClarenceNAlabama4Lyf | 13 hours ago
Same reason you forget things when you enter a new room.
Your brain often just sorta deletes everything when you go thru an opening.
From living in caves and having to be immediately on high alert to all the predators around.
02meepmeep | 21 hours ago
Thunderbirds?
tendingthemild | 19 hours ago
Precisely
__Osiris__ | 12 hours ago
Indeed only 151 years ago. Used to eat kids too.
blanunu33 | 20 hours ago
Then they were bought out by Kroger
big_trike | 19 hours ago
Everyone who has ever lived in or near Pittsburgh was confused by this title
HulkSMASHley_23 | 19 hours ago
Lol you beat me to it!
Gwen_The_Destroyer | 14 hours ago
Good thing there's Giant Tiger in Canada
blanunu33 | 12 hours ago
There’s probably a Puma grande in Mexico 🇲🇽
Lint_baby_uvulla | 7 hours ago
Australia has drop bears
blanunu33 | 7 hours ago
The theme was oversized beasts. Keep up bloke.
gloriousfishtank | 12 hours ago
Now they provide groceries at somewhat reasonable prices.
grr5000 | 21 hours ago
Bring back the Haast’s Eagle
nthensome | 19 hours ago
But I thought birds weren't real
Gaijin_Monster | 21 hours ago
paywall
chesterforbes | 19 hours ago
So Tolkien was right?
Neither_Elephant9964 | 13 hours ago
great we couldve had them do all the work and now we are stuck here with stupid trump (saruman) trying his damn best to be like his best buddy Xi (sauron). Next your gonna tell me we are gonna stack up on chinas front door as a diversion!?!?!?!?
4d3fect | 7 hours ago
I like the speculation that this predation may have helped develop langurage.
FigureFourWoo | 20 hours ago
If there was ever a time when intelligent humans and giant apex bird predators existed in close proximity during evolution, there is a 100% chance the humans captured and at least attempted to domesticate and ride them.
FrogsOnALog | 18 hours ago
Pretty sure we were hunted. Been a long time since I listened to it. The Skull:
https://radiolab.org/podcast/taung-child
finndego | 14 hours ago
Maori and Haast Eagle coexisted for about 150 years between 1300 and 1450. There is oral history that they attecked people but no history of any attempt to domestic them. The eagles died out when Maori ate all the Moa which was Haast's primary food source.
FigureFourWoo | 13 hours ago
I need Lonely Island to do a song about this.