The Hobbit & Lord of the Rings Shot Glasses

Lord of the Rings - Ent
Royal Selangor
Late 1990's
$55
12.5 cm
The Ent plays the part of the knight on the white side in the shot glass chess set
Half trees from the Time of Awakening, the Ents of Middle-Earth were already there when the first of the Elves arrived. It was these Elves that would "wake up" the Ents from their "tree-ishness". In the Eldar days the Ents would roam the Great Wood, which covered the lands from Eriador to Fangorn, with the Ent-wives for an age. Gradually the Ents and the Ent-wives would grow apart, each loving different aspects of nature, and the Ents would be alone in Fangorn as the Wars of the First Age split the woods with fire and destruction. In the Third Age the Ents of Fangorn were instrumental in the destruction of Isengard and the demise of Saruman.

Lord of the Rings - Galadriel
Royal Selangor
Late 1990's
$55
13cm
Galadriel is the queen on the white side in the shot glass chess set.
Queen of Lothlorien, and mightiest of the Eldar still left in Middle-Earth. Galadriel would keep the Golden Wood hidden from the Eye of Sauron by the power of Nenya. Sister to Finrod, Galadriel and the members of her House of Noldor will ignore the orders of the Valar and make the passage to Middle-Earth in order to make war on Morgoth in the First Age. Originally forbidden from returning over the seas to the Undying West, it was in recognition of her efforts against Sauron in the Third Age, that Galadriel will eventually be allowed to return. Galadriel would sail with Bilbo, Frodo, Elrond, Gandalf, and the other Ringbearers, from the Grey Havens at the end of the Third Age.

Lord of the Rings - Celeborn
Royal Selangor
Late 2000's
$55
13 cm
Celeborn is used an alternate King in the Shot glass Chess Set.
Celeborn was a prince of the Grey-Elves of Beleriand. Kin to King Thranduil of Mirkwood, Celeborn would marry Galadriel and become King of Lothlorien, the Golden Wood. Together they held evil powers at bay through a troubled Third Age with the power of Nenya. At the beginning of the Fourth Age, Celeborn would dwell in Rivendell with the sons of Elrond, until finally passing over the seas to the Undying Lands and rejoining Galadriel.

Lord of the Rings - Elrond
Royal Selangor
Late 2000's
$55
14 cm
In the shot glass chess set makes an alternate white Bishop.
Elrond has experience in dealing with Sauron. It was in the battle that marked the end of the Second Age, on the Dagorlad Plains before the Gates of Mordor, that Elrond, then a Herald under the banner of Gil-Galad, first confronted the minions of Sauron. After the battle of the Last Alliance, Gil-Galad will give his Elven Ring of Power, Vilya, to Elrond. With Sauron at least temporarily destroyed, Elrond founds Rivendell using the power of Vilya to keep it safe. By the end of the Third Age, his refuge of Rivendell is being referred to as "The Last Homely House in the West" and is refuge for all manner of people who seek healing or higher learning. It is at the Council of Elrond that the Fellowship of the Ring will be chosen. At the end of the Third Age, Elrond will sail from the Grey Havens with the other Ringbearers.

Lord of the Rings - Arwen
Royal Selangor
Late 2000's
$55
12.5 cm
In the shot glass chess set Arwen can be the alternate Queen.
Beloved daughter of Elrond Half-Elven of Rivendell and Celebrian of Lothlorien (Celebrian is the daughter of Galadriel), Arwen is the immortal love of Aragorn. Ironically, it was in Lothlorien that Arwen met Aragorn for the first time (Aragorn was raised in Rivendell), and the two fell in love. Being the daughter of Elrond the Half-elven she was gifted the right to choose her fate. Arwen chose a mortal life with Aragorn in Middle-Earth, rather than an immortal life in the Undying West.

Lord of the Rings - Aragorn
Royal Selangor
Late 2000's
$55
13 cm
In the shot glass chess set this Aragorn shot glass is the King on the white side.
Raised from birth in Rivendell, Aragorn was given a false name in his youth to disguise the fact that he was the last heir to Elendil. Once old enough, his true nature and lineage were revealed to a few trusted peoples within Rivendell and elsewhere. He then roamed Middle-earth as a Ranger of the North, a Captain of the Dunedain. As a Dunedain, Aragorn aided many Kings including Thengel (Father of Theoden) and Ecthelion (Father of Denethor). The Dunedain, with Aragorn, would also keep the north of Middle-Earth safe from most of the evil of Sauron in the south. This would include the lands of the Shire, and the Village of Bree, where Aragorn was known only to a few as Strider. Not until the War of the Ring did Aragorn reveal his true lineage to all....including Sauron.

The Silmarillion - City of Tirion
Royal Selangor
Late 1990's
$55
11cm
Castle (Rook) on the white side in the shot glass chess set.
Founded in Eldamar long before Men awakened, Tirion was known as the Great Watchtower. The first and greatest of the Elven cities in Eressea. At the foot of the watchtower was the Shadowmere, a lake that reflected the many lights of Tirion.

The Hobbit - Gandalf
Royal Selangor
Late 1990's
$55
12 cm
White bishop when used in the shot glass chess set.
Second in the order of the Istari to Saruman, Gandalf is one of five Wizards dispatched to Middle-Earth in the Second Age. Three of the five wizards are well known to most, there is Saruman the White, Gandalf the Grey, Radagast the Brown, but there are also two rather mysterious Blue wizards that seem to disappear from any recounting. While initially second in power to Saruman, Gandalf is considered by most to be the wisest of the five wizards. While forbidden to match Sauron's power with equal power of force, Gandalf is charged with indirectly guiding the peoples and events of Middle-earth into the attempted overthrow of Sauron. When Saruman proves himself to be a traitor, Gandalf will break Sarumans Staff on the steps of Orthanc, thus formally taken the position of the White Wizard at the head of his order.

The Hobbit - Gollum
Royal Selangor
Late 1990's
$55
11 cm
In the shot glass chess set there is usually 1 Gollum and 7 Orcs as pawns on the dark side.
Once a Stoor, a close relation to a Hobbit, Smeagol would come into the possession of the One Ring when his friend Deagol found it on the bottom of the Anduin River. Having killed Deagol to take the Ring for himself, Smeagol was banished from his community. Having always disliked the light, Smeagol would take his "Precious" deep under the Misty Mountains. Eventually his possession of the One Ring would twist him beyond recognition into the ghoulish creature called Gollum. This shot glass is one of 8 different Gollums carved over the years by Dr. Graeme Anthony of Australia. No two are exactly alike.

A Hobbit
Royal Selangor
Late 1990's
$55
11 cm
The Hobbit is a pawn on the white side in the shot glass chess set.
Taken from the term Holbytlan, Hobbits are the people of the Shire. Sometimes referred to as Halflings they are a people mainly concerned with living quiet, peaceful lives. Primarily building their homes in holes in the ground, only some of the hobbits actually live in houses, notably the Brandybucks. It was at the Council of Elrond that a hobbit, Frodo Baggins, was chosen to be Ringbearer and principal member of the Fellowship of the Ring. His Quest to destroy the One Ring in the heart of Mount Doom was the second attempt by the peoples of Middle-Earth to be rid of Sauron forever. As unlikely as it may seem, it was a Hobbit that would eventually free Middle-Earth of Sauron forever.

Minas Tirith
Royal Selangor
Late 2000's
$55
12 cm
An alternate dark castle for the shot glass chess set.
Minas Anor..."The Tower of the Setting Sun". Built by the people of Numenor at the end of the Second Age, it was originally one of two fortified cites that constituted the South-Kingdom, the second city being Minas Ithil. Founded by Anorien, son of Elendil, Minas Tirith lay at the base of the eastern most mountain in the range on the White Mountains. Built up in seven concentric circles, Minas Tiriths most prominent feature was the prominent outcropping of the mountain on which the Citadel od Anorien was built.

Lord of the Rings - An Orc
Late 1990's
$55
11cm
Pawn on the dark side in the shot glass chess set
In defiance of the Valar, the Elves of Beleriand would undertake the journey to Middle-earth to make war on Morgoth, who had just stolen the light of the Two Trees, and left them poisoned. Morgoth captured the Light of the Two Trees in three jewels...The Silmarils. In their war on Morgoth many of the Elves were taken captive. It was at this time in the First Age that Morgoth the Enemy twisted elves into the dark breed known as Orcs. Intolerant of light, they live entirely in darkness, unless the will of their master compels them into the light. Cold black blood ran through the veins of the hideous Orcs, a foul Goblin race now living in the service of the Dark Lord of Mordor; Sauron.

Lord of the Rings - Saruman
Late 1990's
$55
12 cm
Saruman shot glass is the Dark Bishop when used in the LOTR shotglass chess set
Initially Saruman is head of his order, the Istari. Having been sent to Middle-earth to counter to the growing power of Sauron, it was the task of the five wizards to guide the free peoples of Middle-Earth in defense against Mordor. Forbidden from meeting Sauron's power with equal power, the wizards used wisdom and argument to guide events to the best potential outcome. Saruman proved to be unfit for the task. Even in the beginning he seemed more interested in acquiring power for himself. This thirst for power would eventually be his undoing. Having taken Isengard, and the Tower of Orthanc for himself, the Palantir now in his possession would guide his thoughts. The problem for Saruman was that the visions from the Palantir were of Sauron's device. Saruman would betray his cause and eventually be stabbed in the back by Grima Wormtongue in the Shire just after the battle of Bywater.

Lord of the Rings - Sauron
Late 1990's
$55
13.5 cm
Sauron is the Dark King in the shotglass chess set
Originally a servant to Morgoth, Sauron becomes a Dark Lord in his own right by the Second Age of Middle-Earth. Through trickery and deceit, Sauron learned the secrets of the makers of the Rings of Power, and in Mordor forged the One Ruling Ring of Power, thus becoming the Lord of The Rings. Capable of appearing in fair or foul form in his earlier years (he would sometimes take the form of a huge wolf), he uses this ability to trick the rulers of the free peoples of Middle-earth into accepting rings of power. Each of these rings is secretly under the dominion of a ring he makes for himself, the One Ring. Once his plans for dominion are laid bare, the free peoples join in a Last Alliance before the Gates of Mordor in an attempt to overthrow Sauron. It is there, on the Dagorlad plains fighting with Gil-Galad, that Isildur cuts the ring from Sauron's hand. Now robbed of his capacity to take fair form, he is significantly robbed of his powers...for a while. In the later parts of the Third Age he once again begins to take shape and power. Making a minor fortress for himself in Dol Guldur in the south of Mirkwood, Sauron rebuilds Mordor and the Barad-Dur.

Lord of the Rings - Shelob
Late 1990's
$55
13 cm
Probably the only evil female in Tolkien's writings, hence, Shelob is used as the dark Queen in the shot glass chess set.
She (female) LOB (old English for spider). Spawn of Ungoliant and an ancient evil, Shelob is an unholy terror lurking in the high pass above Minas Morgul, just outside the Tower of Cirith Ungol. In an attempt to reclaim the One Ring, Gollum leads Frodo Baggins and Sam Gamgee into Shelob's Lair with the hopes that Shelob will make Frodo into her next meal. Thanks to the heroics of Samwise Gamgee, with the help of Sting and the Phial of Galadriel, Frodo is saved from almost certain consumption, and the Ring is kept away from the hands of Gollum.