#tolkien society

[mimilind]

Let’s toast the professor tonight!

#tolkien #tolkien toast #lotr #lord of the rings #jrr tolkien #tolkien society

[phoenixrisesoncemore]

Numenor, the Mighty and Frail

This Sunday The Tolkien Society (UK) is hosting an online seminar with the theme of ‘Numenor, the Mighty and Frail.’ Panels will begin at 6:30am EDT and last through early afternoon EDT. Each presentation has a 30 min slot and there are two 30 min breaks.

This seminar is FREE to attend. Go to: tolkiensociety(dot)org/events/seminar-2023/

Several of the scholars presenting on Sunday are people I know and who I know do very strong work (I’ve also gotten to see drafts or alternate versions of a few of these papers and am very excited to see the finished products!)

The Tolkien Society is also organizing another upcoming seminar, “Tolkien and Religion in the Twenty-first Century,” taking place in November of this year.

Presenting scholars and presentation titles for “Numenor, the Mighty and Frail” are below.

Putri Prihatini, “Sea Goddess Worship and the Power of the King: Parallel between Aldarion, Uinen, Mataram Sultanate, and Javanese “Queen of the Southern Sea””

Irina Metzler, “Dealing with the Dead: Nuances of ancient Egypt and medieval theology in Númenor”

Advait Praturi, “Darkness Alone is Worshipful: Discovering A Númenórean Theological Anthropology of Worship”

S.R. Westvik, ““I often dream of it”: Trauma and memory in the legacy of the Downfall of Númenor”

Sara Brown, ““Foretasting Death in Life”: Desire, the Fall, and Attempting to Return the ‘Gift’ of Ilúvatar”

Journeé Cotton, “‘All roads are now bent’: Ethical readings of the corporeality of Númenor”

Alpaslan Tandırcı, “Ecology of Imperialism: Environmental History for Númenor”

Erik Jampa Andersson, “The Akallabêth and the Anthropocene: Myth, Ecology, and the Changing of the Earth”

Kristine Larsen, “Monstrous (Im)mortality: Transhumanism and Ecocriticism in ‘Akallabêth’”

Tom Emanuel, “‘By the Waters of Anduin We Lay Down and Wept’: Exilic Theology in the Akallabêth”

Chris Vaccaro, “‘And Númenor went down into the Sea’: the pleasure of self-dissolution and the masochistic jouissance of Westernesse”

Mercury Natis, “Seducer-Destroyer: Sauron’s Femme Fatale Sources and Their Role in the Númenor Narrative”

Clare Moore, “Elmar, the Experience of Captured Women, and Empires in Decline”

#tolkien #silmarillion #numenor #sauron #tolkien scholarship #tolkien society seminar #tolkien society

[silmarillionwritersguild]

Diversity in the works and fandom of J.R.R. Tolkien has been a topic of much discussion in recent years as recognition grows that Tolkien's "mythology for England" is read by far more than the English ... or English speakers even. The Tolkien fan community is an international one, with fans from every inhabited continent on the globe bringing their perspectives to bear on the legendarium. Within this international community, Tolkien fans belong to myriad identity groups, some of them marginalized in both Tolkien's and the real world. Significant media coverage devoted to the diverse casting of Amazon's Rings of Power series rocketed these discussions—once limited to some fannish and scholarly enclaves—into the realm of popular discourse.

The 2021 Tolkien Society Seminar on the theme "Tolkien and Diversity" was therefore timely. The best-attended seminar to date, Tolkien and Diversity has now been published as a book containing some of the papers delivered at the seminar. In our latest Read & Review column, Shadow takes a look at the proceedings and what they have to offer to the Tolkien fan who is interested in the topic. They conclude that the proceedings balance discussion of the international fan community with papers about marginalized identities and provide a summary of each paper before offering advice to potential buyers about whether the book is a good addition to their Tolkien collection.

You can read Shadow's review of Tolkien and Diversity here.

#swg read & review #tolkien society #tolkien society seminar #tolkien and diversity

[starsofarda]

So, I recently read that a fanfiction writer wants to sue The Rings of power and the Tolkien Society for copyright infringement...

I am ugly laughing and ugly crying.

Please, tell me this is a joke.

It MUST BE a joke.

This is so cringe.

EDIT: OH NO THIS IS FUCKING TRUE

You know what, people like this one truly deserves Anne Rice's lawyers.

#But even if it is true #I am really concerned about AO3 and all other fanfiction archives #Also #You really cannot sue over a fanfiction #The lawyers will laugh in your face #Even IF a case is brought up #This one is a lost battle #It's BLOODY FANFICTION you know #Something that is barely there in between legality and illegality #Really #Someone has never gone through the dark ages of Anne Rice's lawyers and it shows #Smh #Tolkien #Tolkien Society #The rings of power #Fandom stuff

[silmarillionwritersguild-art]

Article by @thedaughterofshadows, photograph by @dawnfelagund.

Diversity in the works and fandom of J.R.R. Tolkien has been a topic of much discussion in recent years as recognition grows that Tolkien's "mythology for England" is read by far more than the English ... or English speakers even. The Tolkien fan community is an international one, with fans from every inhabited continent on the globe bringing their perspectives to bear on the legendarium. Within this international community, Tolkien fans belong to myriad identity groups, some of them marginalized in both Tolkien's and the real world. Significant media coverage devoted to the diverse casting of Amazon's Rings of Power series rocketed these discussions—once limited to some fannish and scholarly enclaves—into the realm of popular discourse.

The 2021 Tolkien Society Seminar on the theme "Tolkien and Diversity" was therefore timely. The best-attended seminar to date, Tolkien and Diversity has now been published as a book containing some of the papers delivered at the seminar. In our latest Read & Review column, Shadow takes a look at the proceedings and what they have to offer to the Tolkien fan who is interested in the topic. They conclude that the proceedings balance discussion of the international fan community with papers about marginalized identities and provide a summary of each paper before offering advice to potential buyers about whether the book is a good addition to their Tolkien collection.

You can read Shadow'a review of Tolkien and Diversity here, published by @silmarillionwritersguild.

#swg art #tolkien fanart #tolkien society #tolkien society seminar #tolkien and diversity #swg read & review

[hyperlexia-1]

From The Tolkien Society on the new Fall of Numenor book.

Combines a number of Second Age texts and has all new illustrations by Alan Lee. This seems to imply that there will be a more narrative structure rather than just notes but still not clear. I'm definitely looking forward to this,

#tolkien society #Fall of Numenor #tolkien #Second Age

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Magic Systems

[at Unicorn Fuck Club] Brandon Sanderson: hey robert what kind of magic rules do you have Sanderson: in my fantasy world, there's 18 laws of magic Sanderson: sorted into 23 categories and 65 sub-directories Robert Jordan: huh Jordan: well in my world, girls do girl magic and boys do boy magic

Sanderson: wait what? Jordan: girls do girl magic and boys do boy magic Sanderson: how does that work Jordan: saidin is stored in the balls

Jordan: why, how does your magic work Sanderson: ah well if you experience an emotion in my fantasy world Sanderson: then a sprite representing that emotion with physically appear and dance around Jordan: is that like Big Mouth then Sanderson: what Jordan: its a cartoon show Sanderson:

Sanderson: oh idk maybe Sanderson: i haven't seen it Sanderson: i only watch saturday's warrior on loop Jordan: look, i just think it makes sense Jordan: that the fundamental mystery powers of the universe would bisect neatly along binary gender lines JK Rowling: goddamnit!!! Rowling: why didn't i think of that

Rowling: ugh, inssstead i only have magic dividing people into uebermensssches and untermensssches Rowling: it could have been sssso much more!

Rowling: sssso in my world Rowling: the sssuperior wizard raccce issss sssimply born knowing magic Sanderson: right, right Rowling: then they have to go to sssschool Rowling: you know, to learn Rowling: Rowling: magic Rowling: alssso there are bad wizardsss who want to exterminate non-wizardssss Rowling: the bad wizardsss represssent queer people now Rowling: that's why we need to get them before they get us Rowling: anyway if you're an elected repressentative writing eliminationalisssst lawsss, feel free to reference my fictional booksss for jussstification Tolkien: Martin: Rowling: i don't get it, that alwaysss getsss a big hand on mumsnet Diane Duane: in my world, anyone can learn magic Rowling: SHUT UP DUANE Duane: from a book Rowling: SHUT UP Duane: you can get it at the library John Bellairs: oh yeah i think i've seen that book

#midnight pals #the midnight society #midnight society #jk rowling #brandon sanderson #robert jordan #diane duane #john bellairs #grr martin #jrr tolkien

[coveredinsun]

i’ve seen gimleaf fics where they each try to find out how to court by the other’s traditions. and i love those, so i think they ought to be taken a step further. and i think the way to do that would be, naturally, to make bagginshield real. allow me to explain why. ahem. after the ring is destroyed, girlfailure legolas spends two weeks poring over The Ancient Texts and stressing because his one (1) friend who WOULD help him (that’s aragorn) knows jack shit about dwarves beyond the surface (no pun intended) (well gandalf knows things but gandalf is a bitch) (he would just smile at legolas knowingly and wish him good luck instead of giving him answers).

so alas, girlfailure “shit tier ass elf” legolas is left to like, idk, sulk or something in the garden he starts at the Bestie Residence in minas tirith. and after like 2 days sam’s had enough he’s like “dude your vibes are upsetting the plants.” and legolas is like “my bad bro. it just seems i know nothing about dwarves which i probably should’ve thought about before, by elf standards, getting hitched in vegas.” and sam is like “oh dwarves? just ask mister frodo ^_^ he knows tons about dwarves!” and legolas is like “what the shit? him in particular? why does he anything about dwarves?” and sam leans in reaaaalllllll close and whispers behind his hand, “well you see mister elf, mister legolas, sir, there’s always been a very healthy amount of rumors that go around in the shire about mister frodo’s uncle, mister bilbo, and the letters he used to exchange with a certain king under the mountain.” and legolas, who was THERE, is like

#WOAH THIS ENDED UP A NOVEL #girlfailure shit tier ass elf legolas i love you #society if thorin lived and frodo was a regular visitor to erebor #society if gimli was captain of the frodo defense squad #because ‘‘well you see his uncle helped my dad reclaim my kingdom so i’m basically in his debt forever’’ #gimleafposting #lord of the rings #the hobbit #lotr #legolas #gimli #samwise gamgee #frodo baggins #bilbo baggins #thorin oakenshield #bagginshield #gimleaf #gigolas #tolkien #coveredinsunposting

[at-home-on-the-internet]

Album of the day – The Return Of The Shadow by Battlelore

Learned about this at an academic conference by the Tolkien Society. What a cool topic and awesome link to the Professor's writing.

Get your metal on and have a listen.

#albumoftheday #metal #academic topic #music #Tolkien Society #Tolkien

[hylialeia]

everyone who doesn't include the full quote when mocking GRRM's "what was Aragorn's tax policy" rhetorical question owes me $200

#we as a society need to move past this 'lotr is above criticism' mindset #'grrm totally missed the point of lotr!!' no YOU missed the point of that quote and also asoiaf #how does no one include the 'what did they do with the rest of the orcs? did they kill the little baby ones too?' part? #the point isn't dismissive of tolkien it's critical of modern fantasy's tendency to avoid these questions #and opt instead for a black and white conflict that doesn't examine the humanity on either side #grrm has gone on about how he admires tolkien. taking a quote that expresses his desire for fantasy to expand and explore #and claiming it's some sort of faux intellectualism just because it makes you uncomfortable #is incredibly small minded and harmful actually and I'm sick of pretending it's not #asoiaf

[blackswaneuroparedux]

After all, I believe that legends and myths are largely made of 'truth', and indeed present aspects of it that can only be received in this mode; and long ago certain truths and modes of this kind were discovered and must always reappear.

J.R.R. Tolkien

#tolkien #jrr tolkien #quote #literature #fantasy #english #myth #legend #lord of the rings #the simarillion #truth #society #custom #stories

[oldschoolfrp]

Wizards & Warfare, fantasy miniature wargame by Peter Irving of the Leicester Wargames and Model Soldier Society (undated 1st ed, 1976 2nd ed and 1978 3rd ed shown). Earlier printings reference many names from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings -- Ents, Nazgul, Hobbits, Riders of Rohan -- later replaced with more generic terms, similar to early and later versions of Dungeons & Dragons.

#Wizards & Warfare #Tolkien #JRR Tolkien #LotR #wizard #wargame #Gandalf #Nazgul #lidless eye #eye of Sauron #Sauron #Middle Earth #miniature wargame #Peter Irving #Leicester Wargames and Model Soldier Society #Leicester Micro Models

[phoenixrisesoncemore]

Oxonmoot Is a Go!

I got confirmation last night that my fifth (and final—I'm exhausted) Sauron paper of 2023 has been accepted for presentation at the 50th Oxonmoot this coming September! It, like the paper I presented at UVM and GIFCon, got its start here, though I never completed the draft which is sitting somewhere in the dark depths of my drafts folder (RIP).

Oxonmoot is relatively inexpensive to attend virtually. You can get tickets here: www(dot)tolkiensociety.org/events/oxonmoot-2023/

If you want a preview of what I'll be talking about:

Wizard, Demon, Cat; Reformer, Satanist, Bureaucrat: a Diachronic Analysis of Multiple 'Saurons' in the Legendarium in Light of "The Book of Lost Tales"

While Sauron’s most famous First Age appearance in the tale of Beren and Luthien remained relatively unchanged from Sauron’s introduction in the 1920s until Tolkien’s death, his role in the Legendarium expanded significantly across Tolkien’s lifetime as Sauron became the primary antagonist of two additional Ages of Middle-earth. Utilizing the work of Christopher Tolkien, John D. Rateliff, Douglas Charles Kane, and Joe Abbott, I will examine how this growth ultimately lead to developments in Sauron’s backstory, characterization, and presentation such that we can, I believe, identify at least two major 'Saurons' at work in the wider corpus of Tolkien’s Legendarium—'Saurons' who remained in some ways unsynthesized at the time of Tolkien’s death. I will also explore how competing and unsynthesized aspects of each of these 'Saurons' can be identified in otherwise abandoned characters (above and beyond the well-recognized Tevildo) introduced as early as “The Book of Lost Tales.”

#tolkien #sauron #lord of the rings #the silmarillion #Oxonmoot #mairon #The Book of Lost Tales #Tolkien Society

[sunderedseas]

i do think it’s a little hypocritical to complain about amazon’s lotr show because of amazon being evil (which is true) but would you have also boycotted the lotr films when they came out? what about the hobbit movies, where wb used that production to fuck up worker’s rights in new zealand? be real with yourselves, would you? do you still give money to warner brothers after the shit they’ve done? i bet you still do.

you don’t have to watch the show, obviously, pirate it if you so please (pirating is great especially with the wb shit going on) but don’t act like you are morally superior because you aren’t going to watch the show, don’t act like because you don’t consume a piece of media that you are morally superior to anyone else

#people using media consumption as a litmus test is turning me into the joker #capitalism fools you into thinking what you do and don’t consume is how you inherently fix the problems in society #but that’s a nuanced issue that can’t be delved into properly on the inter webs and especially not this hellsite #lotr #lord of the rings #tolkien #jrrt #amazon lotr #lotr on prime #the rings of power #lotr: trop #lotr: the rings of power #trop

[mrkida-art]

Half dwarves

(Headcanon) Children born of couplings between men and dwarves are ostracized from dwarvish society and are forbidden from partaking in dwarvish culture. Their lives are usually not easy.

#this hc would still apply to any non dwarf + dwarf children #I hc that this is one aspect of dwarvish society that is quite terrible really #my headcanons #my art #dwarves #tolkien dwarves #lotr #the lord of the rings #half dwarves #the hobbit #tolkien #i also imagine that the characteristics of these children are basically a gamble #even with the same parents they may not have the same amount of dwarvish characteristics nor the same lifespan #half dwarf siblings could be born around the same time and age differently #One could have a more human lifespan and the other a more dwarvish one #I have many thoughts about this #I may make a longer hc post about it someday haha

[iamnotshazam]

Aragorn's surprised to learn Arwen is Elrond's daughter in the RotK appendices not only because elven lifespans means 'whoops, everyone just forgot the little mortal boy needed to be told Elrond has a third child!' but also because on the rare occasions when he heard Elladan and Elrohir talking about some girl named "Arwen," it was them talking about her in a familial way and in relation to how a boy like Estel would have felt about her - i.e. an annoying little girl: "augh remember when arwen threw our quivers onto the roof, all because we wouldn't play goblin tea party with her?" elladan says

"what is goblin tea party even supposed to be?" asks child estel

"making mud and sticks into little cakes and finding more creative ways to insult the other person," elrohir says

"and if you can't come up with a good insult, you get a mud pie to the face," elladan says. "what's she up to nowadays with grandma?"

elrohir says, "last i heard she was learning how to make lembas from three acorns, a burnt doily, and the ground bone-meal of a squirrel. grandma galadriel says you can never be too prepared."

"that's first age, trauma, that," elladan sighs. they go back to teaching estel how to follow deer trails and skin rabbits.

and Aragorn files this information away as 'ARWEN: Feral Sinda (Avari?) (Elven???) Girl-shaped Creature' that Elrond's family are for some unimaginable reason attached to. Then a decade later he sees Arwen through the trees and it's a ✨meet cute✨ cause he thinks she's like Lúthien, blah blah he's obviously smitten, he puffs out his chest and gives her his Big Boy chieftain name and title. She smiles and nods politely.

And then she says her name and relation to Elrond and Aragorn screams a little inside and has to scramble for pretending like he hasn't heard of her, or even that Elrond's family are immortal, in order to cover the shock that he would have expected her to come crawling out of the underbrush a wild preteen gremlin witch with twigs in her hair, and is instead the Ladiest Lady that ever Ladied. Confessing that her brothers have been sharing embarassing childhood stories with you, the mortal foster-brother, is not first date material.

#lotr arwen #the tale of aragorn and arwen #lord of the rings #elrond #elladan #elrohir #tolkien #canonically adjacent but certainly not what tolkien intended #aragorn #arwen #he's not turned off by the knowledge she can change between High Society and Feral Bastard as well as he can #he is a little excited by it in fact