JRR Tolkien & Middle-earth - Something for Everyone
Event Host:
Douglas Charles Rapier (palandiliar)
at douglasrrapier@ispeed.com.tw
Tolkien's tales have fans of all persuasions - not just movie-goers, not just readers of fantasy literature, not just RPGamers. Tolkien's works are the subject of college courses and doctoral theses at one end and fantasy-role-play chat-lines and hot Hollywood gossip at the other.
The center-piece, "The Lord of the Rings" is claimed to be the most widely read work of fiction in history. Translations have been read by people all over the world in more than thirty languages. Moreover, a preponderant number have read this and other works by Tolkien numerous times. (The veteran actor, Christopher Lee, who portrayed the wizard 'Saruman' in Peter Jackson's cinematic adaptation of the story, reads the epic once a year and has done so for decades.)
What is the appeal of these stories, these heroic characters and their horrible foes? Are Elves and magic Rings, Hobbits and wizards just another fad? Is this a mania? Or is 'The Lord of the Rings' a cultural icon which will impact generation after generation? Let's just try to find out, shall we?
Inspiring Women
Living Low, Flying High
Editor: Penny White (pennywhite)
Date: 1 November 2002
Anne Mathews has carved a niche for herself in the male dominated society and unforgiving landscape of the Australian opal-mining town of Coober Pedy
Kids Garden
Fairy Gardens - First in a Series of Children's Garden Themes
Editor: Traute Klein, AKA biogardener (biogardener)
Date: 1 March 1998
Create a fairy garden with your child for many magical moments in the garden.
Fantasy Worlds
Why Is Lord of the Rings So Popular?
Editor: Debbie Ledesma (Freedomstar)
Date: 4 August 2003
This article is for the Tolkien event. It is about why Lord of the Rings is so popular.
J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle-earth
Legolas, You're Just So Darn...CUTE!
Editor: Douglas Charles Rapier (palandiliar)
Date: 25 January 2002
Orlando has bloomed in the role of Legolas, and he has set off an avalanche of server crushing Web traffic. The latest teenage heart-throb deserves another look, because he may have a significant impact on online Tolkien fandom.
Mother-less Heroes
Editor: Douglas Charles Rapier (palandiliar)
Date: 28 May 2003
An examination of the significance of the commonality of Tolkien’s ‘Mother-less Heroes’.
Fairytales, Myths, Fables & Legends
Golem and Gollums
Editor: Mary C. Legg (pogomcl)
Date: 6 July 2003
a short outline tracing the story of golem to gollum
J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle-earth
Who Were the Real Heroes of Middle-Earth?
Editor: Douglas Charles Rapier (palandiliar)
Date: 12 November 1999
An analysis of how Tolkien's relationship with his wife Edith is metaphorically reflected in the relationships he created for his heroes and heroines.
Myth-ing the Big Picture
Editor: Douglas Charles Rapier (palandiliar)
Date: 28 June 2003
A reverie on the relevance of "The Valaquenta and "The Ainulinde" to a broader appreciation and deeper understanding of the saga of Middle-earth.
Bingo Baggins, Frodo Took and a Hobbit in Wooden Shoes
Editor: Douglas Charles Rapier (palandiliar)
Date: 3 August 2003
Wherein the author speaks of Tolkien's decades-long struggle in writing his masterpiece, 'The Lord of the Rings'.
Cooking 101: The Basics
Frodo's Favorite: A Mushroom Primer
Editor: Lindsay W. McSweeney (lwmcsweeney)
Date: 18 January 2002
A description of the most popular mushroom types found in markets along with advice on preparation and usage.
Crossings and Reflections
Frodo Lives! The Graffiti of Middle-Earth
Editor: Thomas James Martin (Sunbear)
Date: 5 August 2003
There must have been graffiti in Middle-Earth. Since graffiti occurs in almost every ancient civilization, I do not see any reason why it did not occur in the realms of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth. Uh-oh. . .the Dark Lord himself has passed me some modest examples. . .
J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle-earth
Myth, Monomyth and Middle-earth
Editor: Douglas Charles Rapier (palandiliar)
Date: 31 August 2003
This month’s article should be considered the preface to an on-going examination of the value of Tolkien’s Middle-earth writings.
An American in Asia
Middle-aged in Middle-Earth
Editor: Douglas Charles Rapier (palandiliar)
Date: 21 May 2003
Wherein, the author, faced with a grim procession natural catastrophes and crises both mid-life and medical, waffles on the high road of responsibility and opts for escape in the world of phantasmagoric literature and peurile word-play.
Crossings and Reflections
East of Anduin: Fangorn's Search for Fenethril - Part I
Editor: Thomas James Martin (Sunbear)
Date: 3 September 2003
What happened to the Entwives in "The Lord of the Rings?" Tolkien only tells us that they vanished east of the Anduin River when Sauron blasted that land toward the close of the Second Age of Middle Earth. Let us listen now to Treebeard's tale of lost love and journey in search of his beloved wife, Fenethril.
Useful Links
Ardalambian
Expect to be flabberegasted and amazed. This entire site is dedicated to the languages invented by Tolkien. Take an on-line course in Quenya. Learn to write Tengwar script. Read about the quest for standard Sindarin.
Edoras: The Tolkien Art Gallery
A beautifully rich site featuring nearly 400 annotated pieces the art representing Middle-earth by the most renown artists of the genre.
Elvish Costumes
Devoted solely to the lovely costumes of the Elves from Peter Jackson’s monumental film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings. Here you will find separate pages devoted to costumes of the main Elvish chararacters of The Lord of the Rings, as well as some rarer screen captures of background characters and the amazing clothing they wore as well. I’ve also included a page for the work of fan costumers who have embraced these designs so fully and are either re-creating the costumes or making their own adaptations of Elvish garb. Finally, to make your Elvish character complete, there's a page on hair and makeup, complete with instructions on doing herringbone braids.
LOTR Costumes
When we first saw Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring, we were amazed by what we saw on the screen. He and his crew have created one of the most complete screen universes of all times recreating the story of a quest to destroy The One Ring.
We're here to study everything about the costumes from fabric to patterns to metalworking. The LOTR costumes are just too fantastic not to research!
The Encyclopedia of Arda
An indispensible site for the researching and understanding the complexity of the sagas of Middle-earth.
The Ring Codex
Ring Codex is a directory and search engine of Tolkien and Lord of the Rings links on the Web. A guide and index to sites relating to J. R. R. Tolkien, Middle Earth, both The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the movies, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion and other books.
The Tolkien Society
The 'Grandfather' of all Tolkien organizations. It's focus is on the literature and life of JRR Tolkien.
The Tolkienist
'Everything Tolkien' is what its splash page announces. A site geared for Middle-earth Role Play Gamers but with lots of other fascinating features.
The Valaquenta
A sublimely beautiful site. This Site, being dedicated to that book (The Valaquenta) and the others which make up Tolkien's sweeping history of Arda, Beleriand, and Middle-Earth, includes the complete text of the 'Valaquenta', information and essays concerning that book and the rest of the 'Silmarillion', information and links concerning the other books as well as all things Tolkien, and means by which you can purchase Tolkien's books and books written about his worlds. (Whew!)
TheOneRing.net
This site deals with the popular cultural aspects of Tolkien's Middle-earth. Movies, actors, gamers, fans and merchandise.
Tolkien-Movies.com
A straight-forward fan site featuring movie news, factoids and spoilers. Links to related merchandise and discussion boards.
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