Ruxötompalë

The Ruxötompalë, also known as the Great Bear-dance, was an annual spectacle event at Tompollë in Númenor in which the Númenóreans would watch a group of bears perform strange and curious bear-dances, as entertainment.

History

The Ruxötompalë was held during the autumn season within the region of the Forostar where a great concourse would be assembled at Tompollë. This dance was the most famous of these bear-dances, which the bears, primarily black bears, performed to the delight of their human friends. The spectacle gathered many people from all across the island, due to it being shortly after the Eruhantalë. During these dances, as many as fifty or more bears might show up and participate. The slow, dignified motions of the bears were often astonishingly comical to those not accustomed to them. Despite the sight, no Númenórean admitted to the event laughed openly, as it would "alarm and anger" the bears, since they could not understand it.

Though the annual Ruxötompalë ended with the Downfall of Númenor, ordinary bear-dances lived on even into the late Third Age. According to Gandalf, bears of various sizes east of the Misty Mountains occasionally gathered outside of Beorn's hall for a "regular bears' meeting" where they would dance throughout the night until just before the sun rose. It is possible that this dance was related in some way to the Ruxötompalë.

In other versions

Tolkien originally wrote the Quenya name, Ruxötompalë, as ruxopandalë. In his editorial notes, Carl F. Hostetter mistakenly wrote that Tolkien changed the original name to ruxöalë, but later acknowledged this honest mistake in an Addenda and Corrigenda on elvish.org.

In an earlier draft, the bears outright resented the sound of the laughter of Men instead of just not understanding them.

The Great Bear-dance was spelled as the "Great Bear Dance" in the index of The Nature of Middle-earth.

References