#tales from the shire

[shadow-schemer]

I hope Weta would feature lovingly rendered 3D fantasy food to show to the player every time they finish and share their cooking with friends. Final Fantasy XV, Monster Hunter World, and Harvestella are my standards. That's all I ask, honestly.

[talesfromtheshire]

Post 02

*Disclaimer: The following is personal headcanons treated as hobbit history for this blog.

The Mullcans

At the birth of the dwarves, Mahal, their creator, dropped the seven fathers into the world. Durin, father of the Longbeards, was dropped in the Misty Mountains at Gundabad. The fathers of the Firebeards and the Broadbeams were dropped in Ered Luin, and the other four fathers were dropped in the Sea of Rhun. The Ironfists and the Stiffbeards left to go east from there to the Red Mountains. The Blacklocks and Stonefoots traveled south to Ered Lithui. 

The Blacklocks and Stonefoots lived in harmony, but some of the Stonefoots found the environment of Ered Lithui to be barren and rough. A caravan, led by King Thrambek, traveled south seeking warmer climates and greener mountains. Little is known about their travels during this time period, but somewhere in their travels, they befriended a small tribe of Men. For a couple of centuries, they traveled together. As interracial pairings became more common between the two, a new breed began to emerge. A strange cross breed of dwarven sized beings with large mannish feet. They were given the name “Mullcan” which was (as best as could be determined) a butchered Mannish interpretation of the khuzdul word “malkân” or Halfling.

Eventually the Mullcans were all that were left of the group, and once they reached Sutherland, they were left with a choice. Sail west along the coast to the Blue Mountains, or head north to the Misty Mountains. Unable to come to a general consensus, the group split in half. The first group made it all the way to the blue mountain range of Ered Luin. They took to the wilderness, eventually stumbling upon a group of dwarves in exile for various crimes. While initially weary of each other, they eventually settled down together, and the first “petty dwarves” were born. 

The second group made slow progress, their numbers growing and splitting as they did (creating three clans of Mullcan). Some settled just south of the city-state of Rohan. Some made it all the way to the Greenwoods, but the majority eventually found a home at the base of the Misty Mountains. However, no matter where they went, they were given a new name based on the burrow-like homes they built in the ground: holbytas (hole-dwellers).

[reallyhardy]

so behind the moon and beyond the sun,

step by step, where the road may run

happy trails to the lord of the rings: a musical tale at the watermill theatre, july - october, 2023.

[itsstreetlove]

Cley Windmill

North Norfolk

[anacat195]

COZY SHIRE GAME!!!!! BY WETA WORKSHOP!!!! COMING IN 2024!!!

[eglerieth]

Some of y’all are not appreciating Bilbo Baggins enough. I am here to remedy that. This guy has:

• somehow managed to establish himself as a respectable, staid hobbit by the time he was fifty, despite being both a grandson of Bullroarer Took and the Shire champion of pretty much every aiming-game known to hobbitkind

• had an in-depth debate on pleasantries with a random guy passing by in the street, who turned out to be GANDALF

• collapsed in front of his own fire shaking and muttering “struck by lightning” over and over again in response to hearing about dragons and danger

• mind you, this was after he screamed loud enough to startle a roomful of Dwarves

• signed up for a dangerous quest completely outside of his league out of spite

• when told to scout out a mysterious light, saw some trolls, and instead of reporting back with the information, decided to PICK THE TROLLS POCKET

• arrived in Rivendell for the first time and said it “smelled like elves”

• upon meeting a strange creature that visibly wanted to eat him, he decided to play a riddle game with him- and guessed pretty much every one, and made up his own riddles, afraid and alone, that not only were good and full of linguistic puns, but actually stumped the other guy- AND THEN CHEATED AND WON WITH A QUESTION

• showed mercy to said strange creature who wanted to kill him, and was now standing between him and freedom

• eavesdropped on the dwarves arguing over whether to try to save him, then popped up casually smack in the middle of them just as they were debating

• somehow managed to sleep like a log at the really really high eyrie full of wild predators

• found himself in a bad situation, said eff it, and turned around and antagonized and fought off an insane amount of man eating spiders, like enough of them that fifty was a small portion, by singing at them with incredibly complex and punny insulting songs composed on the spot, while simultaneously slaying them in multitudes despite having zero combat training. Seriously, we don’t discuss enough how epic the spider scene is.

• broke a company of dwarves out of the very secure prison of the Elvenking by inventing white water rafting with barrels

• charmed his way out of being eaten by a dragon

• stole the frickin Arkenstone from the guys who employed him, one of whom was a king

• took part in an epic battle, only to be knocked out in the first ten minutes and miss the entire thing

• was named elf-friend by the guy who’s prisoners he sprung

• wrote his own autobiography, complete with all the narrative recognition of his own heroics

• spent 60 years writing said autobiography

• taught his lower class neighbor’s kid how to read

• taught his nephew Elvish- not only Sindarin, but Quenya too

• spent decades telling his cousins his own story as fairy tales, complete with character impressions accurate enough that one of them was able to fool a servant of the Enemy with a second hand impression

• used the One Ring of Power to hide from his neighbors

• planned an elaborate feast with multiple social faux pas to mess with his neighbors, complete with a purposefully bewildering speech and culminating in him vanishing into thin air in front of everyone

• left his cousins and neighbors very unsubtle passive aggressive gifts in his will

• settled into Rivendell, randomly befriended the heir to the throne of like half of Middle Earth, and apparently spent his time writing very personal poems about his hosts and reciting them to crowds of elves

• after being invited to a Council of basically every major kingdom in the continent, spent a quarter of the time reciting vague poems about his friends, a quarter of the time telling anyone who would listen about his heroic past, and half the time interrupting to ask when lunch would be

• volunteered to bring the ring to Mordor

• became one of only four or five mortals in history to live in Valinor

Seriously, Bilbo Baggins may well be the most chaotic, insane person in the entire legendarium, and that includes the likes of people like Finrod “bit a werewolf to death to save the life of guy who he just met and gave up his kingdom for” Felagund.

[wynnyfryd]

Steddie comfort read rec list <3

i asked y'all to tell me your most re-read fics and once again got tupperware avalanche.gif-ed, so. for your viewing pleasure, please find below the cut in alphabetical order because i will apparently not being doing any actual work at work today the full rec list thus far:

a special privilege for the resurrected by theopteryx E | 56k | recced by @pennyplainknits

Among the Wildflowers by ParadimeShifts (@paradimeshifts7) E | 28k | recced by @thefreakandthehair

baby what's your blood type? (is it mine?) by cheatghost T | 5k | recced by @steddie-island

bear hugs by steddieas_shegoes (@steddieas-shegoes) E | 41k WIP | recced by @thefreakandthehair

butter, sugar, and northern mockingbirds. by througheden (@thefreakandthehair) E | 17k | recced by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation

call me sunshine, send me to space by steddieas_shegoes (@steddieas-shegoes) E | 90k | recced by @mugloversonly

carve your name into my chest by hexiewrites (@hexiewrites) E | 43k | recced by @thefreakandthehair

Critical Hit by AidaRonan (@aidaronan) E | 7k | recced by @steddie-island

Cut and Changed and Rearranged by AidaRonan (@aidaronan) T | 11k | recced by @pennyplainknits

Date me instead by Zhuletta E | 44k | recced by @thefreakandthehair

Dustin Henderson and the Lovebirds by pukner (@pukner) G | 10k | recced by @steddie-island

i come back to the place you are by pizzabones E | 212k | recced by @mugloversonly

i don't know, you figure it out by wynnyfryd E | 61k WIP | recced by @steddie-island

i've been having a horrible time pulling myself together by deadratz (@munsonkitten) E | 75k | recced by @thefreakandthehair

Keep it Steady, Eddie by outofmygourd E | 105k | recced by @mugloversonly

laughing at the broken glass by mustlovesteve (@mustlovesteve) M | 151k | recced by @bumblebeecuttlefishes

No Fairy Tale Ever Started This Way by ElliottRook E | 7k | recced by @steddie-island

Pas de Deux by Malikat22 (@malikat24601) E | 90k | recced by @br0ck-eddie

relax (lay it back) by wynnyfryd and Gorgeousgreymatter (@gorgeousgreymatter-x) and podfic by flintandfuss (@flintandfuss) E | 12k | recced by @just-my-latest-hyperfixation

Saltwater Prayer by Asgardian_Pirate E | 54k | recced by @thefreakandthehair

Sanctuary by SpicedSage E | 47k | recced by @pennyplainknits and @messessentialist

Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours) by steddieasitgoes (@steddieasitgoes) M | 61k | recced by @thefreakandthehair

so let's sneak in from the cheap seats, honey by pricklywhicket (@messessentialist) E | 14k | recced by @steddie-island

Someone who cares by Just_my_latest_hyperfixation (@just-my-latest-hyperfixation) E | 84k | recced by @mugloversonly

start by pulling him out of the fire by pricklywhicket (@messessentialist) E | 85k | recced by @steddieas-shegoes

The Shire is NOT on Fire by kissesforcas (@kissesforcas) E | 54k | recced by @frankenstein-ate-my-left-shoe

Tuesday's Gone With the Wind by thisapplepielife (@thisapplepielife) E | 184k | recced by @wormdebut

wouldn't it be nice (if we could wake up) by kissesforcas (@kissesforcas) E | 130k | recced by @pennyplainknits

Your Biggest Fan by LexiRoseWrites (@lexirosewrites) E | 47k | recced by @mugloversonly

[conundrumoftime]

One of the fun things about shipping Haladriel and about Galadriel's story in Rings of Power, for me, is that we know exactly where this is going to end up. And I wanted to babble for a bit about where that place is because I have seen so many people view it as "she is retired to some woods to be a passive wife-and-mother who can do magic but in a mystical New Age-y way", and: no! No.

So a quick overview of where she will end up by LOTR:

Very much not removed from the war against Sauron.

She is constantly mind-battling against Sauron: One of the lines that inspired McKay and Payne's whole show was her talking about this: "I say to you, Frodo, that even as I speak to you, I perceive the Dark Lord and know his mind, or all of his mind that concerns the Elves. And he gropes ever to see me and my thought." In one of the versions of the Annatar story in Unfinished Tales, Sauron immediately realises she will be his 'chief adversary', and has apparently not changed that assessment 3500 years later.

She co-ordinates joint efforts against Sauron: The White Council that Elrond talks about in LOTR, the combined force of Ring-bearers, wizards and elf-lords that first drives Sauron out of Dol Guldur - she's not just on that, she founded it.

She gets Gandalf back after Moria and the Balrog: Galadriel learns what's happened to Gandalf from the Fellowship when they arrive in Lothlórien. The the Fellowship are sad; the elves of Lothlórien mourn; Celeborn loses it a bit and says Gandalf 'fell into folly'; but Galadriel sends Gwaihir the eagle to get him, returns him to health, updates him on the situation with Boromir, gives him some messages to take to the others, and sends him back on his way.

She is possibly in Lothlórien because of its position of strategic importance: from Unfinished Tales here, she 'saw that Lórien would be a stronghold and point of power to prevent the Shadow from crossing the Anduin in the war that must inevitably come' and that's why she and Celeborn go there. (There are other versions as with almost everything else in Tolkien, but this is one of them.) She's not there to hide away from Events.

2. Calmer than in TROP, but not all-wise and all-sweet and still pretty scary.

She is still tempted by power and world domination: "I do not deny that my heart has greatly desired to ask what you offer [...] In place of the Dark Lord you will set up a Queen. And I shall not be dark, but beautiful and terrible as the morning and the night!"

And, she doesn't just turn down the One Ring because it's abstractly eeeevil. She turns it down because she knows what she, specifically, would do with it. Sam sees a vision of the Shire, and tells her "I wish you'd take his Ring. You'd put things to rights. You'd stop them digging up the Gaffer and turning him adrift. You'd make some folk pay for their dirty work," to which she says that yes, she would: "That is how it would begin. But it would not stop with that, alas! We will not speak more of it."

And saying she wants to rule the world here is not me joking about! This is Tolkien describing that moment in LOTR:

It was not until two long ages more had passed, when at last all that she had desired in her youth came to her hand, the Ring of Power and the dominion of Middle-earth of which she had dreamed, that her wisdom was full-grown and she rejected it

People are scared of her: The only scary moment we directly see is the Ring temptation, but she does other unsettling things. When she meets the Fellowship she tests them by reading their minds and offering something they really want to see if it would make them "turn aside from the road and leave the Quest and the war against Sauron to others." (She offers Sam a garden; the One Ring later on tempts him with the same thing.) Even the hobbits are a bit disturbed by this and Boromir, who's already said he doesn't want to go into Lothlórien because people who do that never leave again, absolutely does not trust her.

Éomer, a few chapters later:

'Then there is a Lady in the Golden Wood, as old tales tell!' he said. 'Few escape her nets, they say. These are strange days! But if you have her favour, then you are also net-weavers and sorcerers, maybe.'

She's scary! She's ancient and powerful and people are scared of her.

3. Married, but not in the character-limiting way the nerdbros want it to be and would have you believe it is.

I am not telling anyone they should ship Galadriel/Celeborn or even find it interesting just because I do, but, the angry nerdbros fancasting Celeborn as Henry Cavill and talking about how he'll come back to tame her and tidy her neatly out of the narrative are writing their own little AU headcanons because that is not what's in the text.

She's the more powerful one. Partly because she's one of the 'High Elves' - she's Noldor and has lived in Valinor seen the light of the Trees - which for various reasons about the way Tolkien's elves work just makes her more powerful, partly because she has a Ring of Power and Celeborn doesn't. It's her Mirror; she's the one reading people's minds; she's the one locked in endless mental battles with Sauron; she's the one the Rohirrim (whose lands border Lothlorien's) tell each other scary stories about. Celeborn at no point ever seems to have an issue with this, and calls her his 'treasure'.

They work together. Even in a big-action-sequences sense: after Sauron's defeat, Celeborn 'led the host of Lorien over Anduin in many boats' to Dol Guldur, where Galadriel 'threw down its walls and laid bare its pits'. But the rest of the time, too: she says of him that 'together through ages of the world we have fought the long defeat'.

You really get the sense that they have been married for a loooooong time. An actual sequence of events in LOTR, somewhat condensed:

The Fellowship reveal there's a Balrog in Moria;

Celeborn goes "!!!!", complains about dwarves waking it up and says he'd never have let Gimli into Lothlorien if he'd known that;

Galadriel smacks Celeborn down for being rude to their guest;

Celeborn apologises to Gimli;

Galadriel tells the Fellowship that Celeborn is accounted the wisest of elves;

Boromir says something about "old wives' tales";

Celeborn, whose wife is one of the oldest beings in Middle-earth, tells Boromir not to be so dismissive because "old wives keep in memory word of things that once were needful for the wise to know";

Galadriel hands Celeborn a drink.

Whatever is going on here is clearly something that works for them, is what I'm saying! And you don't have to find their marriage interesting just because I do, of course; but what it's not is some trad fantasy of domestic subservient-wife anything.

So where her TROP story ends up is ultimately with LOTR Galadriel: powerful, important, tempted to rule the world, a bit calmer than in TROP, a bit happier than in TROP, co-ordinating big strategic efforts in the war, married to someone who's got her back and adores her and they fall out a bit sometimes but generally work pretty well together, and still having Sauron constantly trying to get into her head. I am fine with this! I am more than fine with this.

[four-rabbits-in-a-trenchcoat]

Obligatory and quite pertinent

[shirefantasies]

The Hobbits With a F!Human Crush

Definitely not the last of this concept you’ll see from me 😉 Tagging @possibly-in-wonderland along with my usual list @kilibaggins @fuckyoumakeart @lokilover476 | let me know if you wanna join!

Frodo

✧ You serve as a living, breathing symbol of his curiosity, his desire for knowledge and exploration, something new that he wants so badly it all but takes the breath from him.

✧ The way you fall in love with Bag End, unbothered, no, charmed, by the quaint yet elegant hobbit hole as your eyes light up has Frodo’s heart doing somersaults. “You like it?” “Like it? Why, Frodo, you are as lucky as anyone! I wish I lived here!” He’s a bit too shy to say it, but a little voice peeking from the corners of Frodo’s mind says that that could be arranged.

✧ You’ve been places he could only dream of, and he wants to hear every story, enraptured with a hand upon his chin and blue eyes wide at your every word.

✧ Whenever you bend down to whisper in his ear, his entire mind shuts down and a smile creeps across his lips like you’ve never seen before.

✧ Flushes brightly when you pull him protectively against your chest, but enjoys the dangerous race of his heart at your hand upon him more than he would have thought possible.

✧ And when you first kiss him, giving him that gentle but still quite strong tug up into your lips at his confession and tangling your fingers in his dark hair, it's like his chest is about to explode.

Sam

✧ A bit down on yourself thinking someone like you wouldn’t like someone like him, at least not like that.

✧ Regardless, it changes not his kindness and devotion towards you. Despite your size difference, Sam is the one to step forward between you and danger, throwing an arm across from you and not registering or sharing in your amusement until the threat is neutralized.

✧ His heart practically slammed out of his chest when he told you about all the rabbits in the Shire, including one couple he’d seen where the male was with a much larger female. “That’s so cute,” you’d remarked, a hand idly brushing his arm as it lowered, “I love that.” Sam could hardly speak for the next minute or so.

✧ You asked him once if people remind him of flowers or if that's just you, and without even thinking Sam said sunflowers. Not only because of their height, he replies with a blush after you tease him, but the way they bring joy to all who see them and everybody wants them around.

✧ Trips over his words when you focus your gaze down upon him, suddenly feeling warm beneath the intent stare.

✧ And when you take his hand, looking him right in the eyes again as you tell him just how much he means to you, why he snaps completely, pulling up to his full height to connect your lips.

Merry

✧ He takes you, quite frankly, as a challenge- not one given in scorn, but as the rush of the latest charge or act of mischief, the exhilaration of risking oneself for moments of the greatest good.

✧ Bold as he is, Merry isn't afraid to let you know how beautiful he thinks you are, calling you fair and strong and every compliment in the book to cheer you up and bolster your courage.

✧ Attempts to prove himself to you thrill him, too, the way you take him on as an equal to spar and spend your time teaching him. The way you let him overtake you, standing over you with triumph and giving a smirk that runs a shiver down his spine.

✧ He goes to you first for things; in his eyes you can do anything and he trusts you to take his concerns seriously. It could be something small like a question or repair or a a heavier matter like a deep discussion, but whatever it is it will be with you.

✧ Makes up the occasional tall tale about his prowess back home, making himself out to be quite the hero or his home a far more fantastical place. Just to see what you believe. Even though you giggle at his mock-heroic deeds and teasingly debunk his tales, you make it clear in your treatment of him that you do believe he can do anything.

✧ Shock blooms across your face and thrums in your heart at the wince cutting Merry’s face when he accidentally confesses his feelings to you, but it is quickly overtaken by a smile as you cup his face in your hands to return his affection and then some.

Pippin

✧ Nothing can tear him from your side, not a word of concern from others, not a single hardship- when his mind is made up, it is made and that is that.

✧ Enjoys climbing up on things or into trees to get to your eye level, leaning closer while he has the opportunity to all but brush noses.

✧ Makes jokes about you having a longer reach or about "back when you were my size", for he is well aware and comfortable with the height difference. Insurmountable as it could be to you, there is no point in denying it and having some fun with it. After all, as much as he is always trying to assist you, he can use your added height as an excuse to ask for help, too!

✧ Unabashedly checks you out, his eyes sliding to you in nearly any moment of idleness; sometimes they are glances of awe, others pure pleasure at your form.

✧ Tells you again and again all the places he’s going to take you: the Green Dragon, a run through Farmer Maggot’s fields, Sam’s garden if he lets you, all at such insistence that the Shire is the greatest place upon the earth that you cannot help believing him and longing for it almost as much as he.

✧ Knowing that he is lost, he is happy simply to love you no matter what, but few times in your life will you see Pippin’s face as alight as the moment between you returning his feelings and the deep first kiss you share.

Bilbo

✧ Now you, my dear, are an adventure. Nothing he ever planned for, imagined, expected, and yet here you are on his proverbial doorstep. With a gulp and a shy smile he takes you in, eyes sliding upward along your form.

✧ Never has he felt this way before and certainly never with a daughter of men, so you'll find his gaze upon you often, studying you almost.

✧ Definitely tries to wow you with his studies of the different cultures of men- with varying success depending on from which region you hail. You cannot help but be charmed at all of Bilbo’s attempts to make you feel at home even in the middle of nowhere.

✧ You will feel like you’ve seen Bag End and met all of Bilbo’s ridiculous relatives with all the stories he shares both silly and beautiful. “I can see why you wish to return,” you tell him, to which he just beams up at you, a new shine in his eyes.

✧ Gets flustered at the ways in which you move to his level, leaning slinkily against a large rock or down further still upon a log to look up at him and meet his gaze with a smile.

✧ All he asks is if you have any interest in settling down, but you cannot help risking things at the sight of Bilbo’s nerves, tentatively answering that you’d love to settle in the Shire and feeling your heart soar at his grin of relief. Unusual, certainly, but then again that is perfect for Bilbo Baggins, is it not?

[talesfromtheshire]

Post 01

*Disclaimer: The following is personal headcanons treated as hobbit history for this blog.

Magnolia “Maggie” Scriber

Born as Magnolia Lightfoot, Maggie was described by her teacher as always being a curious sort. She went through books faster than most hobbits could go through a meal, and still she wanted to know more. After hearing the great adventures of very important hobbits like Samwise Gardner, Frodo Baggins, Meriadoc Brandybuck, and Peregrin Took, even Bilbo Baggins, she wanted to write down and preserve a history of the hobbits. The only problem was no such history existed. 

Hobbits were the sort to share their histories by word of mouth. It was how they came to be gossipy sorts. While direct interviews were perfect for her current family histories, it did little to satisfy her question of where hobbits came from. She knew there had been three clans: the Harfoots, the Fallohides, and the Stoors, but any information on where they came from before existing in the Shire was lost to time. Or so she thought.

An acquaintance of hers in Ered Luin had found something curious when digging through their history books. Something to do with the petty dwarves, an extinct species of dwarf-kin from the First Age. It seemed they had been born from another species of smaller folk. The kind of which the First Age clans had never seen before. It seemed like a promising start, so steeling her courage and packing a bag, Maggie Lightfoot did something only a handful of hobbits had before her: she decided to adventure.

Her travels ended up taking her further than Ered Luin. By the time she returned to the Shire, she had been to Tharbad, Erebor, Moria, Rohan, Lothlorien, even as far south as Gondor. The hypothesis was momentous and would change the understanding of hobbits forever. She immediately began writing and publishing her histories, changing her name to Maggie Scriber in the process. The following pages are from her findings. 

[overthinkinglotr]

People always say “Thorin could never retire in the Shire because he has to be King” — and I think the funniest way to handle that plotline would be for Bilbo to convince Thorin to eliminate the monarchy.

Bilbo has lived all his life in the Shire, where they elect their main leaders in a democratic system. Thorin is the first king he ever meets. Bilbo would initially think monarchy was very storybook-like and fantastical, like the things he’s read about in tales from distant lands…..but he would quickly find the reality of monarchy underwhelming, baffling, and annoying. Thorin/ Thranduil/Bard would make Bilbo decide that all monarchies are terrible. Being a king makes you self-important, haughty, greedy, and warlike. Kings are too powerful and use that power to fight over utter nonsense. They’ve got no one to keep their stubbornness in check. He would come to decide that the Shire really did have it right by holding elections.

I’m imagining a scene where Thorin dramatically confesses “I suffer under the burden of my duties; heavy is the head that bears a crown” and Bilbo flatly responds “don’t be king, then. >:/Elect someone else. If your people don’t want you then they won’t choose you! Im very tired of this whole affair and I wish I were back in the Shire, where folk are more reasonable >:(“

Thorin is enchanted by the strange foreign Hobbit custom of “elected leaders.” He has never considered this as a possibility. Overwhelmed by the Hobbit’s wisdom after the Battle of the Five Armies, Thorin converts his kingdom into a democratic republic and retires from public life.

This causes a domino effect. Other kingdoms across Middle Earth are inspired by Erebor’s example, and band together to reject their monarchical systems. Revolutions ensue.

Thorin’s consort “Bilbo Baggins,” known only as “the dwarf-king’s advisor who first set off this wave of revolutions,” becomes one of the most controversial and reviled people in all of Middle Earth. Bilbo becomes a figure of mythic proportions, loved by the democratic republicans and despised by the royalists, each of which invents their own wild legends.

To the democratic republicans “The Great Baggins” is glorified as a great warrior sent from Valinor to restore the long-forgotten wisdom borne out of The West— he snaps his fingers and with a poof of smoke he washes away all the old corrupt systems of the world, just as the Valar washed away Numenor.

But to the royalists, “The Mad Baggins” is a scheming shadowy monster who crawled up from the deep places of the world to burn the very foundations of Middle Earth to the ground; he’s a monster more powerful and terrible than a dragon or a balrog, who threatened Thorin into submission and brought the world into chaos. he snaps his fingers and monarchies collapse in a puff of smoke.

Meanwhile elderly Bilbo grumpily putters around the Shire with Thorin, mostly oblivious to all of this.

[itsstreetlove]

Down the lane......

[welikeimagines-andfandoms]

LOTR/ The Hobbit Preference: How You Met (3/4)

(1) (2) (4)

Aragorn

Aragorn and you met when you were a guest in Rivendell. You were reading in the library and once he spotted you he couldn’t help but introduce himself.

Getting lost in the tale of the large book in your lap, you didn’t notice someone approaching your comfortable spot on the fancy elvish lounge.

“Hello.” You heard a gentle voice announce.

Startled, your legs jumped down from the couch and were quickly placed on the ground below, book thrown beside you.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to startle you. My names Aragorn.”

“It’s alright, in a world of my own. My names y/n, it’s lovely to meet you.” You smile up at the handsome man before you.

Bard

Bard and you met one evening at a lavish elvish ball in Mirkwood. Bard felt very out of place at such a fancy party, but you managed to remedy his anxieties.

“Are you alright?” Bard heard from beside him. Turning he notice a lovely elf standing beside him.

“I’m sorry?” He asked, not fully catching what you had said.

You can’t help but giggle at the handsome mortal man’s confusion.

“I was just asking if you were alright, you seem a little nervous.”

“Oh, hah, yeh. I’m just not used to such lavish parties.” He responded nervously.

“I understand, they can be a little intimidating sometimes. Would you care for some company, we don’t have to dance but it might help to have a friend. I’m y/n, it’s lovely to meet you.”

“A friend sounds nice. I’m Bard, nice to meet you.”

Boromir

Boromir found you one afternoon on a snowy day in Gondor, taking your horse for a walk. Being new to Gondor you’d decided to get to know the land and become familiar with your new home.

Petting the dark brown mane of your horse, you turn as you heard the crunching of the snow.

“Oh, hello.” You turn to see the handsome man before you.

“Hello, my lady. Are you alright out here?” He asked, concern lacing his voice.

“Im alright, just going for a walk. I thought I’d get to know the town. I’m y/n, I just moved here last week.” You introduced.

“I’m glad you’re alright, my lady. Such a cold and snowy day, I didn’t want you getting harmed. I’m Boromir, a pleasure to meet you.” He smiles sweetly, talking your hand and giving it a light kiss.

Eomer

Eomer and you first met at the battle of helms deep. He knew immediately that you were a witch when he laid eyes on you and immediately was filled with distrust. It wasn’t until you healed his sister that he let his guard down.

“Aragorn, let me assist.” You announced as you walked over to the two men and the young woman on the cot.

“You leave us be, witch, we don’t need your kind of help.” Eomer sneered.

“Eomer, let her help. I know how magic has affected you and your family but y/n is a very powerful healer and I give you my word that she means you no harm.” Aragorn defended you.

His attitude was changed as he saw his sister awaken, life returning to her eyes. Walking away, you let the siblings have their moment together.

“Y/n!” You heard Eomer shout.

Turning you see him standing before you.

“I apologise for how I’ve behaved toward you and I thank you for helping my sister and fighting beside us.” He spoke softly.

Faramir

Faramir met you the first time he came to The Shire after the war. You had been sitting in a field making daisy chains and flower crowns with the young hobbits.

Your laugh filled his ears like sweet bells. Turning he saw you sitting in the lush field, surrounded by flowers and smiling little hobbits.

“You should go and talk to her.” Aragorn smiled at the blushing man.

“Her names y/n. Shes a friend of Rosie’s, comes into town every now and then to help with the children and sell her jam.” Samwise smirked at Faramir at his other side.

“Y/n.” He smiled with wonder in his eyes

Walking over his smile grew the closer he got.

“Hello, my lady. I heard you were the one to go to if I wanted to become an expert flower crown maker.” He smirks down at your seated position in the grass.

“Well you heard right. I’m y/n.” You beamed up at the handsome man.

“Faramir.” He politely bowed.

[book--brackets]

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien (1937)

In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan (2005-2009)

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse - Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. When Percy's mom finds out, she knows it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from, and that he go to the one place he'll be safe. 

She sends Percy to Camp Half Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends—one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena - Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods.

The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (1954-1955)

In a sleepy village in the Shire, a young hobbit is entrusted with an immense task. He must make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ruling Ring of Power - the only thing that prevents the Dark Lord's evil dominion.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis (1950-1956)

Four adventurous siblings—Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie— step through a wardrobe door and into the land of Narnia, a land frozen in eternal winter and enslaved by the power of the White Witch. But when almost all hope is lost, the return of the Great Lion, Aslan, signals a great change . . . and a great sacrifice.

The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery (1943)

The Little Prince is a classic tale of equal appeal to children and adults. On one level it is the story of an airman's discovery, in the desert, of a small boy from another planet - the Little Prince of the title - and his stories of intergalactic travel, while on the other hand it is a thought-provoking allegory of the human condition.

The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini (2002-2011, 2023)

When fifteen-year-old Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. 

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and, gifted with only an ancient sword, a loyal dragon, and sage advice from an old storyteller, Eragon is soon swept into a dangerous tapestry of magic, glory, and power. Now his choices could save--or destroy--the Empire.

Time Quintet by Madeleine L'Engle (1962-1989)

It was a dark and stormy night; Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and her mother had come down to the kitchen for a midnight snack when they were upset by the arrival of a most disturbing stranger. 

Wild nights are my glory, the unearthly stranger told them. I just got caught in a downdraft and blown off course. Let me sit down for a moment, and then I'll be on my way. Speaking of ways, by the way, there is such a thing as a tesseract. 

Folk of the Air by Holly Black (2018-2020)

Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. 

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe. 

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. 

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences. 

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab (2020)

France, 1714: In a moment of desperation, a young woman named Adeline meets a dangerous stranger and makes a terrible mistake. 

As she realizes the limitations of her Faustian bargain-being able to live forever, without being able to be remembered by anyone she sees- Addie chooses to flee her small village, as everything she once held dear is torn away. 

But there are still dreams to be had, and a life to live, and she is determined to find excitement and satisfaction in the wide, beckoning world-even if she will be doomed to be alone forever. 

Or not quite alone-as every year, on her birth-day, the alluring Luc comes to visit, checking to see if she is ready to give up her soul. Their darkly thrilling game stretches through the ages, seeing Addie witness history and fight to regain herself as she crosses oceans and tries on various lives. 

It will be three hundred years before she stumbles into a hidden bookstore and discovers someone who can remember her name-and suddenly, everything changes again. 

Circe by Madeline Miller (2018)

 the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not obviously powerful like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.

Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur; Daedalus and his doomed son, Icarus; the murderous Medea; and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or the mortals she has come to love.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

LOTR Newsletter - September 26

This is the day when Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin leave the Shire and head into the Old Forest. I’ve often regarded the section with the Old Forest and Barrow-downs as establishing just how unprepared the hobbits (despite their efforts to prepare) are for everything that lies ahead. And they are! But that’s not all that’s going on.

“The Hunt for the Ring” in Unfinished Tales establishes that the Witch-king did not know whether the Ring was still in the Shire or had been taken out of it, so he sent some of the Ringwraiths into the Shire to search for the Ring, while he along with the others guarded the eastern border to prevent anyone from getting out in the meantime. It says that the Witch-king

established a camp at Andrath [south of Bree, near the Barrow-downs], and from there some others were semt to watch and patrol the eastern borders [of the Shire] , while he himself visited the Barrow-downs. In notes on the movements of the Black Riders at that time it is said that [he] stayed there for some days, and the Barrow-wights were roused, and all things of evil spirit, hostile to Elves and Men, were on the watch with malice in the Old Forest and on the Barrow-downs.

If the hobbits had left the Shire a month earlier, or even a week earlier, they likely would have got through the Old Forest and Barrow-downs with much less trouble, if any. Merry had been in the Old Forest before; it’s not so much that he was overconfident or underprepared (based on what he knew), as that the level of danger had changed.

(Now that I think about it, this is probably why Aragorn is near to the exit from the Barrow-downs when the hobbirs leave, and overhears them. He’s probably keeping watch on the Downs to make sure no Barrow-wights leave and head for Bree; he alludes to that at the Council of Elrond.)