#JRR Tolkien

[ex0skeletal-undead]

Morgoth Returns Through the Door of Night by Álvaro Fernández González

[andiamjustsoul]

As someone raised thick in the fundie evangelical when the LOTR trilogy and the narnia films coming out and is now fully realized nonbinary genderfuckery autistic person but raised femme who’s main special interest is LOTR, both Tolkien and Lewis were very idiosyncratic, flawed creatives living through what was also a crazy time. These men were of their time, just like we are shaped by our unprecedented events. We all want to make them these creative gods or saints of either Christianity or academia but they were just human.

What I love about each of them and their works is trying to blend Christianity with mythology which is pagan, each with very different values and perspectives and that even furthers the nuance. Seeing the pagan roots along side very Christian window dressing is very funny to me (it really feels like to me he’s trying to validate Christianity similar to Milton’s Paradise Lost alas that’s a different post all together), but also very concurrent with our own real history. It doesn’t need to be perfect or solve anything because it’s a reflection of our art and history, and invites us to dream of a better world.

Tolkien would probably not be happy about ents and weed and socialism but I think would appreciate the fact that we all can agree that small acts of kindness keep the darkness at bay.

you guys are so annoying. why do i have to see discourse every year that's like "was tolkien really a woke king or was he your conservative uncle?" the guy was a devout catholic and a genteel misogynist who maintained lifelong friendships with queer people and women, and this isn't even paradoxical because that was part of the upper-class oxford culture he was immersed in. tolkien told the nazis to fuck off (and in doing so demonstrated a real understanding of what racism is and why it's harmful, beyond simply "these guys are bad news because they're who my country is at war with right now") but his inner life was marked by internalized racism that is deeply and inextricably woven into the art that he made. he foolishly described himself as an anarcho-monarchist, and it's kind of crazy to see people on this website passionately arguing that he likely never meaningfully engaged with anarchist theory, because...yeah, no shit, of course he didn't. tolkien didn't have to engage with most sociopolitical theory because as an upper-class englishman of his position, he was never affected by any of the issues that this theory is concerned with. what is plainly obvious from reading both his fiction and letters is that tolkien's ideal political system was that the divinely ordained god-king would rise up and rule in perfect justice and humility; he didn't want a government, he wanted a king arthur, even though (obviously) he was aware that outcome was impossible. why is it so hard for people to accept that he was just some guy! his letters aren't a code you have to crack. no amount of arguing or tumblr-level analysis is going to one day reveal a rhetorically airtight internally consistent worldview spanning jrrt's fiction, academic work, and personal writings, thereby "solving" the question of whether he was a woke king or your conservative uncle. his ideology was extremely inconsistent because, at the end of the day, he was just some guy.

[wizardarchives]

The Lord of the Eagles by Darrel K. Sweet

Used on the cover of one of the 1980’s version of the Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Seen posted in various places under varying eagle related names but this was the most consistent one i found

[ramenjunkie]

Man, why do Tolkien book covers have to go so hard on the awesomely absurd

[astral-aromance]

Something that's funny to me is how the fandom has decided that Ñolofinwë is physically stronger than Fëanor based soley on the fact that he fought Morgoth and wounded him, while ignoring that the only reason Fëanor didn't fight Morgoth 1v1 is because Morgoth was litterally shaking and crying while hiding in his evil castle at the sheer thought of Fëanor reaching him, so he sent like 10 Balrogs to deal with him instead.

[swampnightmare]

Silmarillion now needs to sink in, because there's too much information. What I wanna say first is... I cannot see why The Rings of Power have no right to exist in terms or lore, canon, whatever.

If we take Silmarillion as the main source of information, it doesn't give enough. For example, I wanna know how Galadriel from the beginning of the story (a young girl raised with her brothers, eager to leave Valinor and have a kingdom (!) of her own, not completely open with Melian about the reasons of their departure, proud, stubborn, independent, so independent that she even travels without her husband, and probably does much more without his council) because the wise and restrained lady, ready for teamwork, diminishing herself. What happened to her in the meantime? Hey? Hello?

Same with the rings. Sure, they were forged in Eregion, by Celebrimbor. Oh, and Sauron was there, disguised as Annatar. But how exactly did it go? Maybe another book will give me more details, cause Silmarillion does not.

Seems like there's a plenty of blank spaces left by the author (I'm aware Christopher Tolkien basically collected Silmarillion like a puzzle)... Well, what's bad about TROP filling them up, staying faithful to Tolkien's philosophical idea?

For me these questions are rhetorical.

[locuas642]

Reading The Lord of the Rings and there is a small scene in Fellowship that I cant stop thinking about.

it's after Frodo and friends meet Aragorn for the first time. After they have slept the night in the Inn and are ready to leave, but they learn their poneys are no more. Let loose by the enemy to delay them even if slightly.

And because they need at least one for carrying everything they need for the travel, they decide to purchase one from the most hated individual in the town: Bill Ferny.

It was an old mistreated, malnourished pony that was on the brink of death. And which Bill sold to them for far more than the Pony was worth. But they still purchase the Pony because they have no choice. and this Pony does not seem that important, just a minor nuisance to make their journey slightly more difficult.

And then the book goes onto mention how the old pony, having changed owner, being fed and cared for, becomes healthier, more alive. Capable of actually moving and helping.

And then the book mentions how this pony has to carry Frodo. And how it makes an effort to find the least bumpy path to leviate the journey for Frodo.

And it's the way in which the book shows the kind nature of the heroes, in which even as they are trying to escape from danger, they were able to help this poor creature. and how it gives that kindness in return the best way it can.

The way in which Tolkien says a little bit of kindness can do so much.

[thelien-art]

Amrod... my new blorbo, how I love you

[drsunshines]

Did a watercolor portrait of Tolkien :3

[oliver-do-the-twist]

Ok TRoP has really grown on me, I actually love it now. Im genuinely okay with the creative liberties and cruching of the timeline of the SA (although I have no idea how theyre going to incorporate Celeborn and Celabrian at this point but we'll see). But one thing I can't get over is the elves short hair (though don't get me wrong, love that Elrond's hair gets curly and the implication that he canonically uses a straightener).

So I headcanon that for males, elven hair is a sign of their strength of heart. Also that elven hair grows very slowly back, given their long lives. When something devastating happens they cut their hair off. The War of Wrath led to many Elven men adopting shorter hair styles, as is the case with Celebrimbor, Arondir, and other various elves that have short hair.

For Elrond, he's pretty young by elf standards at this point. His hair hasn't gotten the chance to grow out fully. I think it whatever growth it did have he cut it in solidarity at the end of the FA. Because my boy has a LOT to grieve. Also I can imagine a tiny Elrond asking Meadhros why everyone is cutting their hair after the war and deciding that he also has a reason to, even though he's so young :'(

Also somewhat the same case for Finrod, he's pretty young when we first see him in Valinor. And he probably kept it short because of the subsequent shenanigans that the Noldor got into that plunged Beleraind into hundreds of years of war.

However for Gil-Galad, given that at the end of the FA he's now the high king of the Noldor he chose to keep his hair long as a symbol for hope and strength for his people. He's saying that yes, we have lost much but we have a good future, and the leader of the Noldor is strong enough to bear this weight. Long hair for a male elven leader in middle earth became a symbol for enduring strength and hope for the people because of him. Thus Elrond takes up this new tradition when he becomes leader too.

Anyway that's my deep dive into what was probably only a stylistic choice by the producers to cater to a younger and wider audience, but I like it better this way.

[rptv-tolkien]

Nargothrond

by J. R. R. Tolkien, 1928

[theflikchic]

If you want to know the clearest difference between Tolkien and JKR it's that when Tolkien wrote an unattractive, unlikable, and openly suicidal man, he made sure the wise bearded wizard was compassionate towards the suicidal man's mental illness even when he openly condemned his mental illness-influenced actions.

When JKR wrote an unattractive, unlikable, and openly suicidal man, she had her wise bearded wizard tell him "yeah well, that doesn't help me lol get over it" and then have him barely condemn the man's mental illness-influenced actions and framed her bearded wizard as correct in doing so.

[aris-middleearth]

Far over the Misty Mountains cold🏔️

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

it's the best when i see falmari ocs who still remember the kinslaying at alqualonde and still begrudge the noldor. even better when they mention a feanorian or fingolfinian by name

[meneliltare]

Facebook find of the day 😂

Artist credit: @alyruko