Huts near the Elven King's Halls?

[Majestic]

In "Don't Leave the Path", the first adventure in Tales from Wilderland, there's an elaborate desciption right before the adventurers arrive at the Elven King's Halls. It explains how the party goes up the river, then says (right before the portcullis) "Here, a bay opens, and huts cling close to a shingly shore."

Who would you imagine these huts belong to? Elves of Mirkwood?

[zedturtle]

I've always thought so, although flets would be more in keeping with tradition. Perhaps the trees there are too small or too crowded to support a community on flets.

[Majestic]

So what are flets? I tried looking them up and my Google Fu isn't finding much. Though Urban Dictionary defines it as "A flet is generally short stout man. He has long blond hair and a sexy trimmed beard.", I doubt that was what you meant.

[zedturtle]

The branches of the mallorn-tree grew out nearly straight from the trunk, and then swept upward; but near the top the main stem divided into a crown of many boughs; and among these they found that there had been built a wooden platform, or flet as such things were called in those days; the Elves called it a talan.

That is what a flet is. But I totally meant the urban dictionary meaning.

[Glorelendil]

Sounds like Rocmistro's dwarf.

[Majestic]

Thanks, zed. I was thinking it was likely some sort of dwelling in the trees.

[zedturtle]

No worries... now I'm just upset at myself that I thought flet was Elvish and had completely forgot talan.

[Francesco]

In "Don't Leave the Path", the first adventure in Tales from Wilderland, there's an elaborate desciption right before the adventurers arrive at the Elven King's Halls. It explains how the party goes up the river, then says (right before the portcullis) "Here, a bay opens, and huts cling close to a shingly shore."
Who would you imagine these huts belong to? Elves of Mirkwood?

From The Hobbit:

“In fact the subjects of the king mostly lived and hunted in the open woods, and had houses or huts on the ground and in the branches. ”

And specifically about the huts near the Halls:

“Bilbo was not so badly off now. He slipped from his barrel and waded ashore, and then sneaked along to some huts that he could see near the water's edge. ”

“Very soon there was a fine commotion in the village by the riverside”

An this last should take out any doubt about the identity of the village-dwellers:

“They were making up a raft of barrels, and the raft-elves would soon be steering it off down the stream to Lake-town.”

Cheers,

Francesco

[zedturtle]

It's always interesting to me how prosaic the Elves in the hobbit are ... Thanks for clarification!

[Majestic]

Yes, thanks, Francesco! I've read the Hobbit many times, but didn't remember that at all.