What are moon-letters in The Hobbit?

Answer 1

-T:Prophesied what? -Prophecied when the keyhole to the secret entrance of Lonely Mountain would be visible. -T:Well the moon runes on Thráin's map told them. Also, that's not a prohecy because they made the door to be that way themselves.

Answer 2

The moon-letters are rune-letters, but they cannot be seen unless the moon shines behind them, and it must be the same shape and season as the day when they were written. The dwarves invented them, and wrote them with silver pens. The moon-letters on Thorin's map were written on a Midsummer's Eve in a crescent moon. They read: "Stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day while shine upon the keyhole." (Durin's Day is the first day of the dwarves' New Year)

Answer 3

Elrond explains it this way:

"Moon-letters are rune-letters, but you cannot see them," said Elrond, "not when you look straight at them. They can only be seen when the moon shines behind them, and what is more, with the more cunning sort it must be a moon of the same shape and season as the day when they were written.
They are runes but can only be read in the moonlight.

Answer 4

Runes (in the real world) are angular characters carved into stone, such as we see among the Norse. In Middle-Earth, it is the Dwarven system of writing whether or not it is carved into stone. Moon runes are these Dwarven letters written with a special ink that, by using some kind of magic, can only be read by the light of a moon in the same phase as the one when the document was written. In "The Hobbit" it is said that the Dwarves' timing in arriving in Rivendell was fortuitous specifically because that night was the only night for some time when the moon runes would be able to be read at all (because the phase of the moon was correct that night).

Answer 5

In the hobbit they are "dwarf writing", but other books show they were first invented by the elves and the dwarves learned them from the elves.

Answer 6

elvish letters designed for engraving in stone. However at the time of the hobbit and LOTR they are mostly used by dwarves.

Answer 7

It says to "stand by the grey stone when the thrush knocks, and the setting sun with the last light of Durin's Day will shine upon the keyhole."

Answer 8

In The Hobbit, the legend says that moon letters can only be seen when moonlight shines behind them.

Answer 9

They are a type of writing used by the dwarves. They are very similar to the runes used in Scandanavia.

Answer 10

They are letter written in a magical way. They are done when the moon is full and can only seen and read by the light of a full moon.