Were the Snowmen of Forochel made out of Snow?

[Rivvy Elf]

In the spirit of the holidays, I'd like to pose a question that's been on my mind since I read the appendices when I was 13.

You see, when I read the part where Arvedui was rescued by the Snowmen of Forochel, I thought they were actual Snowmen. I have this scene in my head of some Aragorn look-alike in a parka and cozy mittens having discussions with Jack the Frost look-a-likes with carrots for noses and top hats.

This actually helped with me understanding why Arvedui chose not to believe the Snowmen when they cautioned him about the seas. Because they're made out of snow and would melt in the water. Of course, they'd consider the seas dangerous.

I still have some of roleplay characters in-universe wonder about these people because it's entertaining to think about and plausible given the other fun stuff they see like huorns and trolls turning into stone.

So what's the textual evidence that the Snowmen of Forochel are meatbags like the rest of us?

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Hey Rivvy, they are the Lossoth, the Snow-people from Forodwaith. You find them back among the adventures of Arvedui, in appendix A, chapter Numenorean kings (north kingdom and the Dunedain). And the chapter of Cirion and Eorl, friendship of Rohan and Gondor, in the Unfinished Tales. They are part of Men, a remnant humans living by the Cape of Forochel, faraway from hostile peoples who can harass them. Hope this answers your question a bit.

When the Snowmen saw the ship they were amazed and afraid, for they had seen no such ship on the sea within their memories; but they had become now more friendly, and they drew the king and those that survived of his company out over the ice in their sliding carts, as for as they dared. In this way a boat from the ship was able to reach them. But the Snowmen were uneasy; for they said that they smelled danger in the wind. And the chief of the Lossoth said to Arvedui: "Do not mount on this sea-monster! If they have them, let the seamen bring us food and other things that we need, and you may stay here till the Witch-king goes home. For in summer his power wanes; but now his breath is deadly, and his cold arm is long."

But Arvedui did not take his counsel. He thanked him, and at parting gave him his ring, saying: "This is a dung of worth beyond your reckoning. For its ancientry alone. It has no power, save the esteem in which those hold it who love my house. It will not help you, but if ever you are in need, my kin will ransom it with great store of all that you desire."
Yet the counsel of the Lossoth was good, by chance or by foresight; for the ship had not reached the open sea when a great storm of wind arose, and came with blinding snow out of the North; and it drove the ship back upon the ice and piled ice up against it. Even the mariners of Círdan were helpless, and in the night the ice crushed the hull, and the ship foundered. So perished Arvedui Last-king, and with him the palantíri were buried in the sea. It was long afterwards that news of the shipwreck of Forochel was learned from the Snowmen.'

From Appendix A, chapter North Kingdom and the Dunedain

[Rivvy Elf]

@Aikári Salmarinian it doesn’t because it summarizes generally what I recall lol.

I’m still envisioning them as people made out of snow that know what scent is. Where is the proof that they are meat bags like us?

[Aikári Salmarinian]

Rivvy: Look on the Tolkien gateway link, it is all there summarised. Very first sentence: "The Lossoth, also called the Snowmen of Forochel, were Men, remnant of the Forodwaith, the ancient people from the northern lands of Middle-earth." I think that explains it all. And the quote from Arvedui connects the rest. How can they otherwise smell 'danger on the wind'. if they were not human? And they were 'When the Snowmen saw the ship they were amazed and afraid, for they had seen no such ship on the sea within their memories', that is all human to be at least. People can never be made out of snow. If that is in Middle-Earth, then it is some folktale told to Hobbits, if you get my meaning. I have written pretty extensively on the people from Forodwaith. Snowpeople are just like desertpeople. You don't think that desertpeople are created out of sand, the Haradwaith?

What kind of proof are you searching for, as it is pretty obvious to me they are human and have always been. Nyarámo lives among them in the north, what I wrote about on your forum quite much. Much more is not known really, otherwise it would have been quoted/used on Gateway.

Arevedui gave the Lossoth the Ring of Barahir and later generations in the Third Age bought this ring back, as it is the heirloom of Barahir. They held onto something important, as Arvedui stated and they never parted from it to the evil forces, who were looking for it, and knew who then the heir of Isildur was.

[Ercassie]

@Aikári Salmarinian it doesn’t because it summarizes generally what I recall lol.

I’m still envisioning them as people made out of snow that know what scent is. Where is the proof that they are meat bags like us?

@Rivvy Elf, there is a note, which follows an earlier part of the passage in the Appendix which Aiks was talking about. Though she has not copied here that precise part of the appendix, or the note itself.

If you look a little earlier though, in the same chapter of the appendix which she has raised then, you will find it states that
'For a while Arvedui hid in the tunnels of the old dwarf-mines near the far end of the Mountains, but he was driven at last to seek the help of the Lossoth, the Snowmen of Forochel. [1]'

At the bottom of that same page (at least in my copy of the book) in the appendix is the note depicted as [1]. Which states that
'These are a strange, unfriendly people, remnant of the Forodwaith, Men of far-off days, accustomed to the bitter colds of the realm of Morgoth'.

So, while I agree with your doubts on trusting in general, an online encyclopedia as opposed to actual textual evidence, in this case the site which has been err .. cited, does in fact make use of this Canon note from the actual text's appendix.

And since that note includes terms such as 'people' and particularly 'Men', I think its fair to say that yes. The Lossoth/Snowmen were men as in your definition of meatbags.

[Rivvy Elf]

@Aikári Salmarinian

@Ercassie