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Baggins by David DelaGardelle

Editor in Chief L. Lara Sookoo Submissions Editor Jo-Anna Dueck Managing Editor Alexandra-Felicity King Editing Team Stephanie Chan, Elijah David, Julie Dobbins, Paulina Gibson, Laura Hwee, Martha Kosyfi Gerda Marz, Jessica Moritz, Albert Nerino Production Editor Laura Hwee Website Stephanie Chan, Laura Hwee

notes ...What better way to celebrate our fifth birthday than with an issue about The Hobbit! We delve into a variety of ways to approach the book, as well as explore various character aspects of well-known hobbits. There are also thoughts on new versions of the story as it makes its way to film and to a newly illustrated edition.

Thank you so much to our contributors. Through your eyes, we’re able to look at The Hobbit from the perspec-tives of those who dramatize Middle-earth, who write about this story and the greater realm to which it be-longs, and those who bring the story to life through their new and wonderful artistic visions.

Always, always, there is a magnificent team to thank. A huge thank-you to our Managing Editor, Alexandra-Fe-licity King who has done a brilliant job of bringing Issue 5 together in the most thoughtful and careful way pos-sible. This issue would be nothing but scattered papers without you! Another giant thanks to Jo-Anna Dueck, our Silver Leaves Submissions Editor, for co-ordinat-ing with our contributors and keeping things running smoothly. Thank you and many ((hugs)) to our fantastic editing team for contributing your time, effort and skill to this effort. Since we’re growing up a bit (we’re not close to being out of our tweens yet, though!) you will notice a new look to the journal. All of our features and content are the same but we’ve freshened things up a bit. This beautiful new reading experience was designed by our Production Editor, Laura Hwee, to whom I am very grateful for her care, wisdom and vision. It’s such an honour to be part of this staff. Hope you are proud of the result of your wonderful work.

As the tale of Bilbo Baggins makes its way to new formats and versions, we can’t help but search for the heart of the story. And, as we search, we are reminded that you cannot come to the end of things to say or ways to be inspired by Tolkien and his works. There will never be too many ways to celebrate simplicity, fellowship, honour, magic, wonder, or imagination. The very things at the heart of this story lie at the heart of our own stories. How can we tire of exploring this landscape?

All that’s left to say, dear reader, is “Thag you very buch” for joining us on this adventure. We’ll be looking for you down the Road at the next inn. May the hair on your toes never fall out, and may the stars shine ever upon you.

Lara Sookoo, Editor in Chief

Silver Leaves ... from the White Tree of Hope (ISSN 1913-0384) is published by Oloris Publishing, a division of Middle-earth Net-work, LLC. The artwork so powerfully gracing the front and back covers of this issue is “Gandalf approaching Bag End,” by David Wyatt. Our thanks to David for generously allowing us to feature his artwork. Regular features in Silver Leaves:

Echoes of Middle-earth—Various individuals reflect on J.R.R. Tolkien and his works, and how they have influenced their lives.

Rangers and Stewards—Stories and articles ranging from indi-vidual acts of courage and caring to larger issues that impact our world and our lives.

Reviews—Book, music, movie, game and live event reviews by our readers.

Many Branches—Groves of fandoms abound, each one filled with branches whispering stories, your stories. Here is where we capture those stories and tell them throughout the pages of the journal.

In the community—Reflections, announcements, discussions or feedback submitted to us or from our community via e-mail or Facebook or Twitter.

Everyone is welcome to submit to any of our features by sending an email to [email protected]. To submit articles, essays, creative writing or artwork, please see the guidelines below.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINESNON-FICTION: Articles and essays may be up to 2,500 words in length. An author who wishes to submit more than 2,500 words is welcome to contact the Editor about a possible accommoda-tion in this matter. Please follow the Modern Language Associa-tion (MLA) referencing style (http://www.mla.org/style). Please submit your file in Word format (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf). You may submit a text file (.txt) but you will lose any formatting you have applied to the document.

CREATIVE WRITING: Creative writing must not contain any ma-terial protected by copyright. This includes character and place names from the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, including, but not lim-ited to, names in Tolkien’s Middle-earth. For more information on copyright laws and infringement see http://copyrightlaws.com/index2.html.

This publication is intended for all audiences. We will not accept material containing explicit violence or sexual references.

Creative submissions may be up to 2,500 words in length. An author who wishes to submit more than 2,500 words is welcome to contact the Editor about a possible accommodation in this matter. Please submit your file in Word format (.doc), Rich Text Format (.rtf), or text file (.txt).

ART: Silver Leaves can accommodate artwork up to 8”x10”. The cover will be full colour. Artwork for the cover will be selected by the Editors. Fantasy- and mythology-inspired images will be ac-cepted, including those from various fan communities.

You may submit your artwork as a colour (CMYK) file but please note that it may be changed to a black/white version for publica-tion. Please submit image files in a JPEG (.jpg) or GIF (.gif) format, no larger than 130dpi for viewing.

If your work is accepted, we will require a print resolution image of 230dpi to 300dpi in either colour (CMYK) or greyscale format. The following file formats will be acceptable for print: JPEG (.jpg), GIF (.gif), EPS (.eps), Illustrator (.ai), TIFF (.tif/.tiff), PNG (.png), or Photoshop (.psd).

We will send you a confirmation once your submission has been received. If your work has been selected for pub-lication, you will be notified. Please note that we may request amendments during the editing process. It is necessary for you to sign a Publishing Agreement (forwarded upon acceptance of your submission) before your work is published in Silver Leaves.

Mail: 1201-77 Davisville Avenue, Toronto ON, M4S 1G4, CanadaWeb: www.olorispublishing.com/silver-leaves-journalContact SL: [email protected] Oloris Publishing: [email protected]

Upcoming Issue: The theme for Silver Leaves: Issue 6 will be “Music in Middle-earth.”

Contents 1 Tolkienesque Reverberations / John Cockshaw

3 A Hobbit Awaits / Bernadette Barnes

4 Timeline of Hobbits in Middle-earth / Mark Bednarowski

7 Plight of the Dwarves / Mark Bednarowski

11 A Wizard for All Seasons / Mark Bednarowski

16 Keen on Tolkien / Sultana Raza

17 The Spell of the Mead-Hall: In Praise of Nicol Williamson’s Dramatic Reading of The Hobbit / David Rowe

19 Dwarves Acrostic / Kathryn Darden

20 A Clear and Distant Light: Beowulf and J.R.R. Tolkien / Sarah Bauerle

25 Ever Skies / Missy M. McClure

26 Re-imagining The Hobbit: An Interview with Jemima Catlin / Anastasia Green

28 Concerning Hobbits / P.R. Miller

29 The Elves of Rivendell: A Comparison of the Manuscript and Published Hobbit / Kelly Renée Orazi

31 Evanescence / Kris Swank

32 All Middle-earth’s a Stage / Constance G.J. Wagner

37 A Sonnet for Hobbits / P.R. Miller

37 Elthaleen / Kris Swank

38 Escaping the Nursery: The Hobbit as a Coming-of-Age Novel / Jonathon Svendsen

42 Halfling from the Shire / Kathryn Darden

44 “It was Pity that Stayed His Hand” / Anne Marie Gazzolo

49 HobbitCon Report / Abigail Fielder

51 Fool of a Took / James Spahn

52 Frodo and Faramir: Mirrors of Chivalry / Constange G.J. Wagner

58 Mushrooms / Fortinbras Proudfoot

59 The Golden Tree / Fortinbras Proudfoot

60 Frodo Walking Under Starlight / Dan Hollingshead

62 Archetype and Signature: Tolkien and the Vedic Poets / Kelly Cowling

64 Evening at the Edge of the Shire / John Cockshaw

66 Medium Rare and Back Again: An Interview with Heath Dill / Stephanie Chan

67 Goblins’ Banquet / Kris Swank

68 The Last Letter of Peter Morgan / James Spahn

70 Gardening / Bernadette Barnes

71 Spring, Cloaked / Robyn Stone

72 Half-Knight / Kris Swank

72 The Assignment / P.R. Miller

73 An Unexpected Hero / Ryan Marotta

78 The Book of Oxford / Mark Bednarowski

81 Brave: A Bedtime Poem for Young Hobbits / Constance G.J. Wagner

82 Finding My Way to Middle-earth / Joe Gilronan

85 Battle of the Mavens: A Call for Truce / Kathryn M. Colby

88 Her Face in Dreams / Kathryn Darden

89 Daring To Dream Out Loud: Kate Madison and Born of Hope / Constance G.J. Wagner

94 Shire dwelling and a well-kept garden / John Cockshaw

95 Tolkien’s Legacy / Sultana Raza

96 An Unexpected Reviewer / Lee Shamblin

98 Review of Born of Hope / Lewie Nerino

99 Over the Edge of the Wild: A Review of The Hobbit Illustrated by Jemima Catlin / Lara Sookoo

101 A New Year Begins / Alicia Angst

102 The Fellowship of the Journal

105 Many Meetings

Artwork Front & Back Cover Gandalf at Bag End / David Wyatt

Inside Front Cover Baggins / David DelaGardelle

ii Balin / David DelaGardelle

ii-iii The Last Bridge / Jef Murray

iv Thorin Icon / Jay Johnstone

2 Tree-herder / John Cockshaw

6 Map of Hobbit Migrations / Mark Bednarowski

Echoes of Middle-earth 9 Timeline of the Dwarves in The

Hobbit / Emil Johansson

10 Dwarves at Bilbo’s House / Ekaterina Kovalevskaya

11 Gandalf / Samantha Gillogly

13 Gandalf icon / Jay Johnstone

15 Bilbo and Gandalf / Jef Murray

16-17 Hidden Valley / Sultana Raza

18 Out of the Frying Pan, Into the Fire / Danielle Storey

19 Dwarf / Jef Murray

20-21 Bard the Bowman / Danielle Storey

28 On Woodland Trails / Jef Murray

29 The Elvenking / Jenny Dolfen

30 After the Elves I / Graeme Skinner

30 After the Elves II / Graeme Skinner

36 Queer Lodgings / Jef Murray

38-39 Bilbo and the Arkenstone / Cassandra Stevens

40 Bilbo and the Eagle / Jef Murray

43 Barrel Rider / Jef Murray

44 The Riddle Game / Jef Murray

46 The Lockholes / eaneli

48 Lonely Mountain / Jef Murray

51 Hobbit Feet / Colleen Doran

52-53 Dawn at Lake-town / Jef Murray

56-57 Map of Middle-earth / Tomasz Kowal

59 The Golden Tree / Fortinbras Proudfoot

60-61 Frodo Walking Under Starlight / Dan Hollingshead

62 Gandalf Head Icon / Jay Johnstone

65 Evening at the Edge of the Shire / John Cockshaw

67 Old Stone / Jef Murray

70-71 Beorn / Jef Murray

72 Thorin / Dave Delagardelle

73 Bilbo Icon / Jay Johnstone

74 Conversation with Smaug / Jef Murray

75 Bilbo Meets Gollum / Alberto Ramirez Jr.

77 Thorin Icon / Jay Johnstone

79 Mage of Rhosgobel / Jef Murray

81 The Legend of Mad Baggins / Daisy Brambletoes

82-83 Haymaking: The last Harvest / Joe Gilronan

83 A Hobbit’s Adventure - Late for an Appointment / Joe Gilronan

83 An Unexpected Adventure: The Story Begins / Joe Gilronan

84 Beorn / Danielle Storey

94 Shire Dwelling and a Well-kept Garden / John Cockshaw

96 Roast Mutton / Danielle Storey

98 Rhosgobel Doorway / Jef Murray

100 Home Again / Jef Murray

103 Hobbiton / Jef Murray

104 Gandalf’s gear / Emil Johansson

110 Radagast / Jef Murray

Inside Back Cover Smaug Comes to the Lonely Mountain / Chris Mills

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My art practice is fixed upon the notion that Middle-earth emits echoes into the real-world. That is its vital component. These echoes are manifest as qualities of the ‘Tolkienesque’ to be found reverberating off architecture in the world at large and reflecting off existing landscape. It is a method of working, but it is also a means for me of extending the enjoyment of J.R.R Tolkien’s Middle-earth. These echoes are visual occurrences to be swiftly photographed or quickly lost, and they find their way to me as much as I am on the hunt for them. The beauty and the pleasure are in the pursuit, the strategic mode of looking, and the ro-mantic mode of listening to the world to seek out its visual treasures. Like the most intriguing echoes when they are often faint, but potent enough to be embellished with imaginative power. The eye and the ear must forever be open for the way to Middle-earth, catching reverberations as like soft, repeating river ripples in sheltered, tree-padded woodlands.

Through the powerful and realistic written de-scription of landscape, Tolkien’s Middle-earth echoes strongly in the real world and it becomes an equally real proposition to draw elements of Tol-kien and Middle-earth’s landscape from the every-day world. I primarily look to the heavy-set hills, the high-peering peaks of many rugged-looking land-scapes for these echoes. When photographed, they will combine with other photographic elements to be expanded and collaged into a digital compos-

ition. The reference at this point to Tolkien’s source writing is key, and provides the descriptive clues that a developed final piece can grow from. In terms of having a philosophy for approaching Middle-earth inspired art using the term ‘echo’ is quite apt. I feel an understated approach is the right one to suit Tol-kien’s world; create an echo or suggestion and the imagination will provide the rest. This is precisely why, in my work, characters are barely glimpsed ghosts lost in epic surroundings, and any rare ex-ception to the rule is where a character might rep-resent a significant force of nature.

The descriptive power of Middle-earth provides a deep-rooted believability and tangible realism; it is a place to be seen, heard, and smelled by way of its strength on the written page. The kind of detail that might be of interest to an archaeologist, for example, is in abundance and constructed from marvellous and carefully aimed language. Upon this detailed stage, the shocking events take greater hold because of it. The darkest of evil powers are more immedi-ately menacing as a result, and the light-hearted and whimsical moments seem more hard won and well earned in stark contrast to the darkness. The darker the shadows in Middle-earth, the brighter comes the lightness that follows, and in such a realistic setting the fantastical elements are also more readily believ-able. For me, this is another key reason why my strat-egy for creating art involves drawing a sense of the fantastic from real-world elements.

Tolkienesque ReverberationsJohn Cockshaw

Echoes of Middle-earth

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Tolkien’s landscape writing forms my main preoccu-pation with Middle-earth and this has particularly gifted me with a much more poetic and imaginative response to the qualities of landscape. Whether I enjoy landscape for its own sake or scrutinise it with a photographer’s eye and a camera lens, there is a strong impulse to view it through a Middle-earth fil-ter. I believe that is largely due to Tolkien’s own love and admiration for unspoiled countryside which is deeply rooted in his writing. The Lord of the Rings, by way of its intriguing spell, transforms the land-scape into an even more poetic entity than it was for me before. Glorious locales, grim-weathered corners, and beauty spots all become imagined as set, for ex-ample, to verse in a hearty Hobbit travel-ling song or lines to be con-tained within a minstrel’s song. To my delight, I now ‘see’ landscape as cascading a l l i t e r a t i o n , full-coloured, and endlessly echoing in its description.

It is now an automatic im-pulse to view the world through allit-erative eyes and it is strange to imagine not ever hav-ing done so. There is nothing better for a dreamer than to be lost in worlds during waking hours, where sounds and sights influence song-ful speech, and in-spire me to pen poetic compositions to accompany my photographic Middle-earth artwork.

I appreciate how Tolkien, in addition to wider reading, has altered my perception of trees in terms of their significance in literature and poetry, and cultural history for that matter; forests have become places of deeply felt terror, superstition and magic, homely refuge and protection. The forest, and the forms within, was of great importance to the Druids as a place of worship with trees such as oak, haw-thorn and beech held in honour.i Trees branch out

into literature, art, and poetry in all manner of ways through the work of Alfred Lord Tennyson, Thomas Gainsborough, Constable, the Brontes, and Shake-speare, to name but a few. Metaphor, symbolism, and pathetic fallacy can all easily be applied to trees; portraying woodland and forests and the tree as possessing human-like form is a good example of this. Faces and human-like limbs are all too easy to perceive on tree forms, and it does not take a great leap of the imagination to mentally transform a given tree into a giant, walking Ent in any wood-ed area. ‘Ent’ derives from the Old English word for ‘giant,’ and the image of the walking tree-like creature recalls the notion held by English mystics

of the fifteenth century of trees uprooting and walking in the manner of men.ii Think of the role of trees in Shakespeare’s Macbeth in the illusion of a vast wood coming alive and dis-guising an ad-vancing army, and the con-nection that is frequently cited to this for Tol-kien’s own use of the forest army concept.

I am forever grateful to the cinematic adaptation of The Lord of the Rings in that the scale, dedication, and craft of the enterprise led to a loving regard for the original writing by inspiring me to discover the books. While it is helpful to see the films and books as separate entities, the films nevertheless emit faithful echoes of the books because the films are not doggedly rigid adaptations of the source material. The won-derful echoes of Alan Lee and John Howe’s artwork throughout the design of the films are also import-ant to note. My path from the books to the films also involved the BBC Radio dramatisation of The Lord of the Rings from the 1980s as the middle step. A gripping and touching echo of Tolkien’s masterpiece, it features wonderful renditions of

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the verse and songs contained in the book. There is the wonderful echo here spanning roughly 30 years from Ian Holm’s vocal performance as Frodo in 1981 to his later performance of Bilbo in the films from 2001 and his reprisal yet again as Bilbo in 2012 as narrator in The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Interestingly, echoes are found to surface in the music of these dramatic adaptations. In the BBC Radio drama, Stephen Oliver’s music echoes the English pastoral tradition and adds a weighty courage to the drama, but it is in his music and instrumentation for the Elves where it seems the drama is stripped away in favour of echoing circu-larity to suggest great knowledge and ancient cul-ture. Jump ahead to Howard Shore’s film score for The Lord of the Rings and the music for Lothlórien echoes too: ‘Lament for Gandalf’ is sung by chorus and soprano Elizabeth Fraser in a call and response structure.iii Musical echoes here give the realms of the Elves their unique timelessness and immortality and suitable echo Tolkien’s text.

My joy of Howard Shore’s score, itself a complex echo of Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings as a dramatic work in its own right, echoes across the landscape and Tolkienesque vistas I encounter, and only neces-sitates a swift return to enjoying passages of the book and igniting just what it is that I so keenly ad-mired about Tolkien’s Middle-earth in the first place.

The eye and the ear will forever be open for the way to Middle-earth.

Works Citedi. Ackroyd, P. (2004). Albion: The Origins of the English

Imagination. New York: Vintage New Ed edition.

ii. Ackroyd, P. (2004). Albion: The Origins of the English Imagination. New York: Vintage New Ed edition.

iii. Adams, D. (2010). The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films: A Comprehensive Account of Howard Shore’s Scores. Los Angeles: Carpentier / Alfred Music.

Like whispers are his footsteps

Across the moonlit night.

I listen for them coming,

Strain my eyes in the dim light.

For with him will come magic;

It always trails within his wake,

Adventure clinging to his cloak,

Aye, he>s a Wizard, no mistake.

For with just a single gesture,

The barest wave of his hand,

We would follow where he goes,

Though we may not understand.

Through great peril he may lead

In dank corridors and halls;

A Hobbit Awaits

Against ancient, raging foes,

Still would we follow whene’er he calls,

Far abroad he walks in darkness

Thinking ever of our good,

Fording icy mountain stream,

Braving old and powerful wood.

He stands as a guardian for us

In a world both large and wide;

A gentle hand, a guiding force,

We would gather at his side

To follow over hill and dale

To the meeting place of yore,

There to listen with eyes open wide,

To all his tales once more.

Bernadette Barnes

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T.A. 1050 The first records of Hobbits appear in the Third Age with the coming of the Harfoots into Eriador possibly over the High Pass. About this time a shadow falls on Greenwood and Men begin to call it Mirkwood. Gondor is at the height of its power.

1150c The Stoors cross the Misty Mountains over the Redhorn Pass and follow the River Bruinen south. They settle between Tharbad and the borders of Dunland. The Fallohides enter Eriador north of Rivendell and head south along the River Hoarwell.

1300c Hobbits begin to migrate westward and many settle in Bree. Evil begins to multiply again. Orcs attack Dwarves in the Misty Mountains. The Nazgûl appear and their Lord dwells in Angmar.

1356 Some of the Stoors remigrate back east over the Misty Mountains into Wilderland and settle in the Gladden Fields next to the River Anduin.

1409 The Witch-king invades Arnor. Amon Sûl is destroyed. The Men of Bree and the Periannath (a name for hobbits that originates with the Dúnedain) of the same region maintain their independence.

T.A. 1601 In March, the Hobbit brothers Marco and Cavallo cross the great stone bridge over the River Baranduin (Brandywine) after formal permission from King Argeleb II. With them, a host of Periannath migrate from Bree westward. This land the Periannath or Halflings call the “Shire.” The Shire-reckoning begins with the crossing of the Baranduin in this year. The land beyond, between the Baranduin and Emyn Be-raid, is rich with farmlands but are now untended and falling into wilderness. King Argeleb II therefore allowed the Halflings to settle there. They become his subjects in name but are virtually independent and ruled by their own chieftains.

1630 The number of Hobbits in the Shire swells as the Stoors travel up from the south of Eriador and dwell mostly near the Brandywine.

1636 The Great Plague. The White Tree dies in Minas Anor. Many parts of Eriador become desolate.

1976 After the Fall of Arnor in 1974 III, the heirlooms of Arnor are sent to Imladris. The Hobbits claim the Shire for their own and elect a Thain to take place of the king.

2463 The White Council is formed. About this time, a Stoor named Déagol, finds the One Ring along the banks of the Gladden Fields. He is murdered for it by one of his kindred named Sméagol.

2470 Sméagol, who becomes known as Gollum, hides in the Misty Mountains with the One Ring.

2670c In the days of the Thain Isengrim the Second, true pipe-weed is first grown in the Southfarthing by Tobold Hornblower.

2747 The Battle of Greenfields. Bandobras Took defeats a band of Orcs lead by Golfimbul in the Northfarthing.

2758 The Long Winter. Gandalf comes to the aid of the Shire-folk. Gondor is attacked by the Corsairs and Rohan is overrun with Easterlings and Dunlendings.

2890 Bilbo Baggins is born.

2911 The Fell Winter. White wolves invade the Shire from the north and the Horn-call of Buckland blows.

2920 Gerontonius Took dies at the age of 130. Gandalf visits the Shire to pay his respects.

2941 Bilbo has an unexpected party. He sets off on the Quest of Erebor the next day with the company of Thorin Oakenshield. Bilbo finds the One Ring in the Misty Mountains after he becomes lost. Later, he parleys with the dragon Smaug and then offers the Arkenstone as ransom to Bard prior to the Battle of Five Armies.

2942 Bilbo returns to the Shire with the One Ring.

2944 Gollum leaves the Misty Mountains and begins his search for Bilbo.

2949 Gandalf and Balin visit Bilbo in autumn.

SHIRE- RECKONING

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Timeline of Hobbits in Middle-earth

THE WANDERING YEARS

THE FOUNDING OF THE SHIRE AND ITS AFTERDAYS

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2953 The last meeting of the White Council. Jealous and afraid of Gandalf, Saruman sets spies on him and keeps agents in Bree and the Southfarthing.

2968 Frodo Baggins is born.

2980 It is approximately at this time that Gollum reaches Mordor and becomes acquainted with Shelob. Théoden becomes king.

2983 Samwise Gamgee is born.

2989 Bilbo makes Frodo his heir.

3000c The shadow of Mordor lengthens. Saruman learns from his spies that the Shire is closely guarded by Rangers. Merry learns of Bilbo’s ring thus beginning a conspiracy. Gollum is captured, taken to Mordor and held in prison where he is tortured to reveal his knowledge of the One Ring.

3001 Bilbo throws his long-expected party. Gandalf is now fearful of Bilbo’s ring and leaves the day after. He seeks help from his friend Strider and seeks news of Gollum. The Guard on the Shire is doubled.

3017 Gollum is released from Mordor and instructed to find the Ring. A messenger comes to King Daín II enquiring about hobbits. He returns twice more before the end of the year. Aragorn captures Gollum in the Dead Marshes and brings him to Thranduil in Mirkwood. Gandalf reads the scroll of Isildur in Minas Tirith and discovers Bilbo’s ring is indeed the One. Gandalf hurries north, but hearing that Aragorn has captured Gollum, he goes to Mirkwood to interrogate him. There he learns that the creature found the Ring nigh to the Gladden Fields some 500 years before —also that the Enemy knows the Ring is found and was long kept in the Shire.

3018 Strange rumours are heard in the Shire of happenings in the outside world. Gandalf reaches Hobbiton late in the day on April 12th after not being heard of for several years. He visits Frodo and reveals the true nature of the Ring. Gollum escapes from Thranduil and takes refuge in Moria in August, being hunted by both the Elves and Sauron. He does not find a way to pass through the west gate. Four Nazgûl in the guise of Black Riders enter the Shire before dawn on September 23rd. Five Nazgûl pursue the Rangers eastward, then return to watch the Greenway. Frodo leaves Bag End with Samwise just before a Black Rider appears in Hobbiton at nightfall. The Horn-call of Buckland blows again when the Nazgûl attack after tracking Frodo to Crickhollow.

3019 Frodo and Sam reach the Sammath Naur in Mordor. Gollum seizes the One Ring and falls into the Cracks of Doom. Sauron is defeated for the second and last time on March 25th. The Battle of Bywater. The death of Saruman brings the War of the Ring to an end on November 3rd.

3020 THE GREAT YEAR OF PLENTY

3021 Elanor the Fair is born on March 25th. The Fourth Age begins in the reckoning of Gondor. Frodo, Bilbo, and the Three Keepers of the Rings depart over the sea on September 29th. Frodo gives the Red Book to Samwise. Samwise returns to Bag End on October 6th. The Third Age comes to an end.

F.A. 1 The Fourth Age began with this year and the Shire Reckoning continues.

6 King Elessar issues an edict that Men are not to enter the Shire. It is made a free land under the protec-tion of the northern sceptre.

15 King Elessar greets his friends at the Brandywine Bridge. He gives the Star of the Dúnedain to Samwise. Elanor is made a Maid of Honour for Queen Arwen. King Elessar dwells for awhile in Lake Evendim.

30 Elanor the Fair marries Fastred of Greenholm on the Far Downs.

31 The Westmarch is added to the Shire by gift of the king.

41 At the request of Mayor Samwise, the Thain makes Fastred the Warden of the Westmarch. The des-cendants of Fastred and Elanor dwell at Undertowers on the Tower Hills for many generations. They are known as the Fairbairns of the Towers.

61 Death of Mistress Rose on Mid-year’s day. Master Samwise rides out from Bag End on September 22nd. He bequeaths the Red Book to Elanor in the Westmarch where she dwells in the Tower Hills and is last seen by her. Samwise passes over the sea from the Grey Havens, last of the Ringbearers.

63 Merry and Pippin are last seen in the Shire as they travel to Edoras. King Éomer dies that autumn. Merry and Pippin travel to Gondor and spend their last years there and are laid in Rath Dínen among the great of Gondor.

120 On March 1st King Elessar passes away. The beds of Merry and Pippin are set beside the king’s. Legolas builds a grey ship in Ithilien and sails over the sea with Gimli. Here ends the Fellowship of the Ring in Middle-earth.

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The Hobbit, HarperCollins Publishers, Great Britain, 2008The Fellowship of the Ring, HarperCollins Publishers, Great Britain, 2005The Two Towers, HarperCollins Publishers, Great Britain, 2005The Lord of the Rings, Prologue, Appendices A, B, and C, HarperCollins Publishers, Great Britain, 2005Unfinished Tales, The Hunt for the Ring, HarperCollins Publishers, Great Britain, 2000The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, Houghton Mifflin Company, Great Britain, 2000The History of Middle-earth Vol.12, The Peoples of Middle-earth, HarperCollins Publishers, Great Britain, 2002So

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In the months preceding the release of Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Hobbit. I submitted two articles to the bul-letin of the Tolkien Society: “Plight of the Dwarves”, Amon Hen #228, and “A Wizard for all Seasons”, Amon Hen #233. Both articles dwell on the theme of motivation and try to answer what was it that drove the company to begin their quest.

As for my motivation for writing them, I wondered — like many other fans — how the film would unfold. There is of course an ample amount of background history that can serve as a good prologue to The Hobbit. So I thought perhaps reviewing the history of the Dwarves and digging through the Third Age might not be a bad idea.

But would a study of the relevant series of events disclose precisely how the film would tell the story? From what audiences saw in the film adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, I believe it’s safe to say, probably not. However, this was not the point of writing them. At the time, my knowledge of the names of the Dwarves alone was rusty and needed brushing up on. Besides, it was a fun exercise; and now that the first installment of The Hobbit has been released, I found it interesting to reread them, because we can see both how well the film conformed to parts of the story, as well as how far it strayed from the path.

It was not my intent to criticize which parts of the tale were added and which were removed, but I did note one interest-ing point. Although the screenwriters had the creative freedom to adapt the story to film as they saw fit, they did not have a choice in all circumstances.

Case in point — at the time of writing the articles, I was unaware that Jackson only had the rights for The Lord of the Rings, its Appendices, and The Hobbit, but not Unfinished Tales. It is in Unfinished Tales where we learn how Gandalf comes across the map and key and also how the Quest of Erebor culminates in the chance meeting of Gandalf and Thorin in Bree.

It would have made an excellent bridge between the Sack of Erebor and the Unexpected Party. Pity. Yet, there are still two installments of The Hobbit to go which should be plenty to feed my motivation to write further.

I give kind thanks to Silver Leaves to reprint them in their latest issue. Namárië.

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The first instalment of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit trilogy was released in De-cember 2012, with the second part planned for release in December 2013. In anticipation, it came to mind that brushing up on the history of the Dwarves (and straightening out all their similar-sounding names) may be of some interest. It is hoped that this article, largely derived from the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings (LOTR), will provide some useful background information and help fans to understand what drove Thorin Oakenshield to journey to the Lonely Mountain.

It should be noted that the first edition of The Hobbit was published before LOTR, and the author did not initially intend for The Hobbit to be part of his legendarium, The Silmarillion. It was not until Tolkien wrote the Appendices to the LOTR that he outlined the series of events that connected The Hobbit to LOTR. Later revisions to The Hobbit would be necessary to bring the book into compliance with LOTR. The prime example of these revisions is the ring that Bilbo found. It changes from noth-ing more than a useful item for a burglar, making Bilbo invisible, to something of supreme importance—the One Ring. This means that LOTR, although published as a sequel to The Hobbit, is, in fact, an extension of The Silmarillion.1

This story is set in the Third Age of Middle-earth and focuses on Durin’s Folk, the Longboards. The Third Age witnessed the fading of the Eldar, and its latter half was a time of despair for the Dwarves. Sauron had returned, and evil things began to stir again in Middle-earth. In brief, the treasures of the Dwarves were plundered, and the Dwarves were driven from their dwellings, becoming a wan-dering people living in exile.

Moria—then called the Dwarrowdelf—in the Misty Mountains was the main dwelling of the Dwarves. It was not long after the fall of the kingdom of Arnor in 1974 III that more trouble began to brew.2 Whether the Dwarves mined too deep, or whether through the malice of Sauron, a Balrog was released. Both the king, Durin VI, and his son, Náin I, were slain. Ultimately, in 1981 III, this horrific creature forced the evacuation of the Dwarves’ home, in which they had dwelt for millennia.

Most of the Dwarves fled north. The next king in the line, Thráin I, founded Erebor, or the Lonely Mountain. It was he who discovered there the Arkenstone. Most of the other Dwarves settled in the Grey Mountains to the north. The succes-


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sor of Thráin I was his son Thorin I (not Oakenshield yet—that’s Thorin II). It is unclear why, but Thorin I later departed Erebor for the Grey Mountains and took the Arkenstone with him. Peace followed for a while, but it was not to last.

More than three centuries passed before the Dwarves faced new enemies—dragons—that re-appeared in the northern wastelands next to the Grey Mountains. Perhaps this again came from the work of Sauron as his power slowly grew. Dáin I, great-great-grandson of Thorin I, and his second son, Frór, were both slain by cold-drakes. Once again, the Dwarves were forced to abandon their home, and evacuated the Grey Mountains. Some returned to Erebor, including the successor of Dáin I,Thrór. He also returned the Arkenstone to its prop-er place, where a future daring burglar would claim it for himself. Others founded a new home in the Iron Hills, located to the east of Erebor. One of the descendants of this group was Dáin II Ironfoot, who enters the tale later.

The tragedies of the Dwarves were still far from over. Although they had escaped the Grey Moun-tains, dragons continued to multiple. After a time, word reached the far north of the wealth of the King Under the Mountain. In one hundred and eighty years’ time, Smaug, that chieftest and great-est of calamities, descended upon Erebor.

For a third time, the Dwarves were forced away from their dwelling, and became wanderers. Among them were Thrór, his son Thráin II, and his grandchildren, one of whom was Thorin Oaken-shield. The remainder fled to the Iron Hills. In their escape, important items were saved: the map and key to the secret back entrance to the Lonely Moun-tain, and a Ring of Power.

This Ring of Power was one of the seven that was made for the Dwarves. It was first given to Durin III by the Elves, long ago in the Second Age, when the true designs of Sauron were not yet known. Through the centuries, the ring was passed down through the line of kings of Durin’s folk, until it came to Thrór. The story of the next tragedy to strike the Dwarves began with him.

There came a time when Thrór made a decision to wander off with a sole companion, Nar, and made his way to Moria. What drove him to do this? Per-haps it was a combination of distress over his own ill fortune, and that of the elderly among his people. 3 Before he left, he bequeathed to Thráin II the last of the Seven Rings, the map and the key, and his desire for vengeance on Smaug. Perhaps Thrór’s decision

was influenced by the effects of the ring itself. Its influence on the bearer may have grown stronger as Sauron’s power grew. What is worse, however, is that it may have been at this time that Sauron came to learn who now possessed the ring.

Thrór’s journey ended in disaster. He was mur-dered by the great goblin Azog in Moria. Nar re-ported to his son the tragic news, which sparked the War of the Dwarves and Goblins, yet another tragic chapter in the Dwarves’ history. Ultimately, the Dwarves won the war, but it was a Pyrrhic vic-tory. The Dwarves lost more than half of their fight-ing force in the final battle—the Battle of Nanduhir-ion—at the east gate of Moria. Yet the Dwarves did not re-enter Moria. Dáin II Ironfoot of the Iron Hills told his cousin Thráin II that the “world must change and some other power must come before Durin’s folk walk again in Moria.” Dáin II Ironfoot led his people back to the Iron Hills, and Thráin and his followers returned to Dunland.4

The next set of events was the precursor to The Hobbit. Thráin II—now in possession of the ring, map, and key—had it in his heart to set out for Erebor. Only two companions accompanied him: Balin and Dwalin, both members of the future party that would travel on the Quest of Erebor. However, nothing was told to his son, Thorin Oakenshield.5 Once it was discovered that Thráin was abroad, the emissaries of Sauron hunted for him. Thráin was captured in Mirkwood and taken to Dol Guldur. Ba-lin and Dwalin returned to report that, when they awoke one morning, they had discovered that they had simply lost Thráin. Thorin Oakenshield then be-came the new leader.

When Thráin II was reported as lost, Gandalf en-tered the picture. Thinking Thráin may be lost in Moria, Gandalf searched for him there, but it was in vain. Five years later, in 2850 III, Gandalf arrived at Dol Guldur, with the intention of spying. While there, he discovered discovered that its master—known as “the Necromancer”—was really Sauron, and was seeking to collect the remaining Rings of Power, along with information about Isildur’s heirs.

While Thráin was imprisoned, his ring was taken from him. The map and key may have been of little interest to Sauron, and were never confiscated. This may have been one of Sauron’s biggest mistakes. This is vital to the stories of both The Hobbit and LOTR. Gandalf’s possession of the map and key ul-timately led to the Quest of Erebor, during which the One Ring was found. This ultimately led to the Quest of Mount Doom, and the final downfall of Sauron.

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Although Gandalf found Thráin, he did not learn his identity, probably due to the fact that the poor dwarf was half-crazed by his imprisonment and by the loss of his ring. He repeated over and over again, “the last of the seven.” Sadly, after Gandalf received the map and key, Thráin then died. His last words were “for my son.”6 Nearly a century passed before Gandalf realised the full significance of what he obtained from a pitiful old dwarf locked in the pits of Dol Guldur.

The following year, Gandalf, equipped with new knowledge, attended the White Council in Rivendell and urged an attack on Dol Guldur. Saruman over-ruled the decision; action would have to wait.

And that is how the story of Durin’s line unfolded prior to the events of The Hobbit. Later, in 2879 III, Gimli was born. In 2920 III, Gandalf visited the Shire for the last time before that fateful spring morning when he came to Bag End seeking a burglar to share in an adventure.7

But also during this time, the troubles of the past grew in the mind of Thorin Oakenshield. “The em-bers in the heart of Thorin grew hot again” and, like his father before him, he desired to reclaim what was once theirs. He was likely brooding over this, and cursing the dragon under his breath, while nursing a pint in a dark corner of the Prancing Pony

on March 15 2941III. The inn-keep was busy serv-ing customers while singing by the fire, when by chance Gandalf walked in and greeted him. They sat together and began to talk.

Notes1. Humphrey Carpenter, ed., The Letters of J.R.R.

Tolkien (London: HarperCollins, 1995]), 136.

2. In this time, the Hobbits claimed the Shire for their own and elected a Thain to replace the fallen king. (Appendix B)

3. Thrór was forced to abandon both the Grey Mountains and the Lonely Mountain because of dragons. (Appendix A, Durin’s Folk)

4. They later made exile in the Blue Mountains near the shores of Middle-earth in Harlindon but at the time were in Dunland. (Appendix A, Durin’s Folk)

5. It will be of interest to see in the upcoming film how Balin and Dwalin react when Thorin asks Gandalf how he came to possess the secret map and key.

6. J. R. R. Tolkien, Unfinished Tales, ed. Christopher Tolkien (London: HarperCollins, 1998]), 419.

7. He came to pay his respects for his friend the Old Took. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit ([London: HarperCollins, 2008]), 6.

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IN A PREVIOUS ARTICLE SUBMITTED to Amon Hen #228, Plight of the Dwarves, I attempted to give more insight into the motivation of Thorin and company for their quest of Mount Erebor, with respect to the history of the Dwarves in the Third Age. The attempt stemmed from the anticipated release of Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, in order to refresh or famil-iarize us with the Dwarves. But the company, of course, did not consist entirely of Dwarves. Fairness suggests that the motivations of Gandalf and Bilbo should not go unconsidered.

Having said that, Hobbits—not known by nature to be an excessively adventur-ous folk—make it difficult, I think, to build a case for Bilbo. Apart from his no longer dormant Took-side that began to crave adventure again, motivation was scarce; while on the quest to the Lonely Mountain, the thought of sitting back in his comfy hobbit hole having tea by the fire came to his mind more than once. This, of course, leaves one other person.

“Gandalf! If you had heard only a quarter of what I have heard about him, and I have only heard very little of all there is to hear, you would be prepared for any sort of remarkable tale.”

Indeed, a quarter of very little seems to be all we have of Gandalf’s affairs after his arrival to Middle-earth, to the time of a key event—his encounter with Thorin in Bree. From that meeting, Gandalf came to recognize a great opportunity from which the quest would form.

Fortunately, we do hear more about who this wizard was and what he did, which in itself is a remarkable tale. Yet it is not found in The Hobbit.1 The Tale of Years in Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings, along with The Silmarillion, provides us with some significant events in the wizard’s past.


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It was in the time that a shadow fell on the vast forest of Greenwood the Great that Gandalf, who later joined the ranks of the Wise, first appeared in Middle-earth, circa 1000 III. Roughly a century later, the Wise discovered that a stronghold, Dol Guldur, was built within the great forest. In it dwelled an evil power, perhaps one of the Nazgûl. Nothing is chron-icled about this for over a millennium. It was then that the Wise learned that the power of Dol Guldur was growing, and Gandalf, in particular, suspect-ed that it was Sauron. Not long after, in 2063 III, Gandalf took action and went to the evil fortress to investigate. As a result, Sauron retreated and went into hiding in the east, and a watchful peace began, but it was not to last. Almost four centuries later, Sauron returned to Dol Guldur. Three years afterward, the White Council was formed, of which Gandalf was a member.

There were other later events that indicate good relations between the wizard and other free folk. During the Long Winter of 2758 III, Gandalf came to the aid of the Hobbits; and in 2845 III, he began a search for Thráin II, father of Thorin Oakenshield, in the mines of Moria. (Thráin II had gone wander-ing and was thought to be in Moria after he be-came lost. He was, in fact, captured and imprisoned by Sauron in Dol Guldur.) Gandalf’s search was in vain. Other matters soon afterwards came to his attention. Strangely, Gandalf did eventually find Thráin II, but it was quite unplanned.

The shadow in the forest grew greater. Five years later, Gandalf returned to Dol Guldur in disguise to seek more information. The news he learned was indeed grim. He reported back to Elrond that the master of Dol Guldur was Sauron himself, and he had not been idle. Sauron was trying to collect all the Rings of Power, and to obtain any information about the One. Furthermore, he was seeking news on the heirs of Isildur.

Here is the strange part. While Gandalf was on this dangerous mission, he happened to come across a pitiful-looking dwarf trapped in the dungeons of the fortress. The time that the prisoner had spent there in torment had certainly taken its toll. The dwarf had gone half-mad, and they did not recog-nize each other. Sadly, the poor dwarf died shortly after, but not before he passed onto Gandalf two seemingly unimportant yet curious items: a map of the Lonely Mountain, and a key.

“I stowed the things away, and by some warning of my heart I kept them always with me, safe, but

soon almost forgotten.”2 He escaped Dol Guldur with no idea who the dwarf was.

The following year, in light of new information, Gandalf urged the White Council to attack Sauron. Saruman then overruled the proposal, and nothing was done. The decision did not rest easy with the rest of the Council. This part essentially concludes Gandalf’s history in Middle-earth prior to his meet-ing with Thorin.

But where did Gandalf come from? What was his interest in the quest--and who was he, anyway?

Appendix B of The Lord of the Rings informs us that Gandalf was one of the Istari, but this account is very brief. As for his interest in the quest, Appendix A pro-vides an explanation, but this fills less than a page. Tolkien did intend to include within the body of The Lord of the Rings a more detailed account of what happened with Gandalf and Thorin just prior to the events of The Hobbit, but unfortunately it had to be cut out. Yet thanks to Christopher Tolkien’s years of work on his father’s manuscripts, this account can be found in Unfinished Tales.3 It is learned that Gandalf was ordained to perform a task--one that was vital to securing the freedom of Middle-earth. No longer can Gandalf be viewed simply as a wizard with memor-able fireworks and a reputation for sending Hobbits off on adventures; he is portrayed as one of the Istari sent from Valinor charged to work against Sauron. Deeper than this, however, is the fact that his task, like those of all the Istari, has its roots embedded far back in the Elder Days.

The forces of the Valar overthrew Morgoth, Sauron’s superior, at the end of the First Age, and they did so by intervening directly on behalf of Elves and Men. Eönwë, the herald of Manwë himself, was in command of the host sent to Middle-earth to combat the might of the Morgoth. Victory was won, but not without heavy cost; the ancient land ofBeleriand was destroyed-- it sank under the sea. This was the last time that the Valar attempted to protect the Children of Éru by “their own might and glory fully revealed”.4

Although Morgoth was cast out of Arda, evil was not wholly vanquished. As the ages passed, tthe Valar still kept watch over Middle-earth. They were aware of the first downfall of Sauron at the end of the Second Age, yet they were also aware that his Ring had not been destroyed. This meant that there still lingered a great danger; Sauron could return in time to conquer the Free Peoples once again. Worse still, the strength and power of Elves and Men waned during the Third Age. More Elves departed

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from Middle-earth to Valinor. In the north, the kingdom of Arnor fell. In the south, Gondor no longer had a king, and the Haradrim threatened its southern borders. The Dwarves suffered many casualties in their war withthe Orcs, and many Dwarves became a wandering folk. King Théoden of Rohan was under a spell of Saruman. The White Tree died without a seedling to be found. Would the Free Peoples of the Third Age have the strength to withstand an assault from Sauron?

As predicted, Sauron began to stir again in Middle-earth. Manwë sum-moned the Valar and they held a council. A decision was made, with the consent of Éru. Beings of the Maiar order were to be chosen as emissaries. Of all that were chosen, five came to the north of Middle-earth. One, known to be the wisest of the Maiar, was named Olórin, and Manwë himself commanded him to go; but he was reluctant to do so. He argued that he was too weak, and also that he feared Sauron. Manwë retorted that that was all the more reason to go.

To make amends for their past mistakes, the Valar changed tactics. The chosen were to be sent to Middle-earth to resist Sauron by different means. The Istari were charged to unite the enemies of Sauron and persuade them to do good. This method called for them to forgo might, and to appear as mortals in order to win the trust of Elves and Men.

Yet there was a drawback; this would also imperil them, or “dim their wisdom and knowledge, and confusing them with fears, cares, and weariness com-ing from the flesh.”5 After their arrival in Middle-earth, Gandalf revealed only to El-rond, Galariel, and Círdan that the Istari came from the Undyling Lands. Círdan had great foresight and perhaps saw the same qualities in Gandalf that Manwë did; Círdan entrusted Gandalf with the Ring of Fire to aid him in his task.6 Thus began the labours of Gandalf against the Shadow.

But what drove him to form the quest?Late in the Third Age, the evil of Mirk-

wood grew ever deeper. But Gandalf, at the time, was looking for a short rest.


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After travelling abroad for some 20 years, he began to head west toward the Shire; and on his way there, he stayed over at an inn in Bree. Sitting down in the parlour, next to the fire, he puffed on his pipe and began to contemplate matters; for his mind was burdened with troublesome thoughts. The Wise already knew that Sauron had returned and was gathering strength. Soon he would declare himself. Yet Saruman hindered Gandalf’s plan to strike at Sauron. What was his strange reluctance to disturb Sauron in Dol Guldur? Certainly, the time would come when Sauron will proceed to war. And when he did, what would be his plan? There was the possibility that Sauron could re-occupy Mor-dor, but Gandalf knew he intended to attack the stronghold of Rivendell once he became strong enough. The Men of the north were not as mighty as in the past, and it seemed likely that Rivendell would be attacked from the old dwelling of the Witch-king. To do that, Angmar must be reclaimed first, Gandalf thought, as one of his smoke rings drifted away; but what defence is there in that re-gion of Middle-earth to counter the attack when it comes? Now, there are only the Dwarves of the Iron Hills not far from the Lonely Mountain. Ah yes, the Lonely Mountain! Smaug the dragon could cer-tainly become a powerful ally to Sauron. How to deal with the dragon, then? (More smoke rings.) Gandalf pondered the enemies of Smaug. Both King Thrór and his son Thráin II had been driven out of their dwelling under the mountain when Smaug descended upon them long ago. Imagine how fortunate Gandalf must have felt then when he learned that a direct descendant of the king, Th-orin Oakenshield, just happened to be in town!

Thorin was on his way to the Blue Mountains far to the west, and had also stopped over in Bree. They began to talk, and Gandalf listened with inter-est to the dwarf’s tale of how he yearned to reclaim his home of old. So much, in fact, that he accom-panied Thorin on his journey. Soon after, he left Th-orin in the Blue Mountains without a plan, because Thorin’s mind seemed set on war and revenge on the dragon, and Gandalf had no confidence in that idea. He returned to the Shire in April 2941 III and

contemplated Thorin’s tale. While there, Gandalf heard news of a particular Hobbit. He learned that this one had the tendency at times to see the world outside the borders of the Shire and was sometimes seen talking to Dwarves. It was then that an idea suddenly hit him. Gandalf had not thought of the map and key for years. He recollected the ‘strange chance’ of how he acquired them. Gandalf then rightly guessed that the poor dwarf imprisoned in Dol Guldur, some 91 years before, must have been Thorin’s father Thráin II.7 With access to the Lonely Mountain by a secret entrance and the services of a soft-footed Hobbit, it now seemed quite possible to discover what Smaug was up to. Gandalf rode back to Thorin in haste to persuade him of his plan. The ball began to roll.

Although Gandalf said to himself that he must find a way to deal with Smaug, action against Dol Guldur was needed more. It was already spring, and Gandalf had to be at the White Council by Au-gust at the latest or Saruman would have nothing done. By that time, the quest should already be well underway, so Gandalf would have to take his leave from the company for a while at an appropriate time. It was imperative to convince the council to thwart Sauron’s plans.

There was only one last preparation. Gandalf needed to assemble the entire group before they set off. He returned again to the Shire on April 25th. It was a lovely Tuesday morning when Gandalf ap-proached Bilbo’s dwelling located in Bag End. He found him smoking in front of his round green door. “Good morning!” the Hobbit said.

Epilogue

Gandalf argued his case and finally convinced Saru-man that they should attack Dol Guldur. “It is not needed that the Ring should be found, for while it abides on earth and is not unmade, still the power that it holds will live, and Sauron will grow and have hope. The might of the Elves and the Elf-friends is less now than of old. Soon he will be too strong for you, even without the Great Ring; for he rules the Nine, and of the Seven he has recovered three. We must strike.”8 As a result of the attack, Sauron retreated.

He returned to the Shire in April 2941 III and contemplated Thorin’s tale. Gandalf heard news of a particular Hobbit. He learned that this one had the tendency at times to see the world outside the borders of the Shire and was sometimes seen talking to Dwarves.

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Shortly thereafter, Gandalf headed north to Esga-

roth to resume the quest. In the end, and not without great loss, the Lonely Mountain was reclaimed, and unexpect-edly, Smaug fell

in battle and was a threat no more. All was well, at least for the time being.

As we know, the War of the Ring would later

follow. If Sauron carried out his original plan to attack Rivendell, Gandalf be-

lieved that the outcome would have been much

worse for the Free Peoples. Smaug could have wreaked havoc across Eriador and Rivendell during the War of the Ring. But without the aid of this fearsome dragon, Sauron’s attack in the north was averted and there was no invasion of Eria-dor. Further, there then came Kings Dáin and Brand in which both stood in the path of Sauron’s attack in the battle of Dale.

As for Gandalf’s motivation in the quest of Erebor, if not for all his work in the long years he spent in Middle-earth, it could be blandly argued that the direct command of a deity to perform a task ought to be sufficient. But we also know that while in Val-inor, Olórin often visited the Valar Nienna, and he learned from her the quality of pity. His compassion for those in distress overcame his fear of Sauron. In his words to Denethor in Minas Tirith, “But I will say this: the rule of no realm is mine, neither of Gondor nor any other, great or small. But all worthy things that are in peril as the world now stands. Those are my care. And for my part, I shall not wholly fail of my task, though Gondor should perish, if anything passes through this night that can still grow fair or bear fruit and flower again in days to come. For I also am a steward.”9

And in the end, Smaug was dead, Sauron was later defeated for good, the king returned, and the Dominion of Men came to be; all because Gandalf and Thorin met in Bree one year, sometime in the middle of March. F

Notes1. As mentioned in Plight of the Dwarves, The

Hobbit was not initially intended to be part of Tolkien’s legendarium, The Silmarillion. Through the success of The Hobbit and the publisher’s subsequent demand for a sequel, which of course became The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien made the decision to add them to his mythology. Years later, during the preparation of the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, and after the first volume was published, Tolkien extended the historic timeline of the legendarium beyond the end of the First Age into the Third, or into the time of The Hobbit and the War of the Ring.

2. J.R.R. Tolkien. “The Quest of Erebor,” in Unfinished Tales, Ed. Christopher Tolkien (London: HarperCollins, 2000), 419.

3. The Silmarillion also has an account but, as emphasized by Christopher Tolkien in the foreword, it is independent. Its inclusion in The Silmarillion provides the entire history of Tolkien’s mythology from the Music of the Ainur to the end of the Third Age now instead of the First. It’s another fascinating read into the affairs of Gandalf.

4. J.R.R. Tolkien. “The Quest of Erebor,” in Unfinished Tales, Ed. Christopher Tolkien (London: HarperCollins, 2000), 503.

5. The Blue Wizards travelled into the east and were not heard from again. Radagast became too preoccupied with birds and beasts. Saruman betrayed the order. Only Gandalf held true to his purpose.

6. “For Círdan saw further and deeper than any other in Middle-earth,” J.R.R. Tolkien. “Appendix B” in The Lord of the Rings (London: HarperCollins, 1995), 1060.

7. It does seem odd that Gandalf made this oversight and did not resolve it for nearly a century. Yet there are accounts from two sources that attempt to explain this. One is from the The History of Middle-earth Vol.XII (London: HarperCollins, 2002), 284; and Unfinished Tales (London: HarperCollins, 2000), 419. To quote from the latter, “Fortunately, I did not make any mistake in my use of them. I kept them up my sleeve, as you say in the Shire, until things looked quite hopeless.”

8. J.R.R. Tolkien. “Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age,” in The Silmarillion (London: HarperCollins, 1999) 302.

9. J.R.R. Tolkien. “Minas Tirith,” in The Lord of the Rings (London: HarperCollins, 1995), 742.


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In trenches, he dreamt of unusual worlds,

To the dictionary, gave new words.

5HPDUNDEOH�ODQJXDJHV�ZHUH�ÀUVW�WR�FRPH�Perhaps in the Battle of the Somme.

Complex dialects were soon created,

Then various worlds in which they were fêted.

Wasn’t meant to be read as allegory,

-XVW�DV�D�IDQWDVWLFDO��ÀFWLYH�VWRU\�With obscure races of men and trees,

To Elves and dwarves, it gave new lease.

At magical realms, one marvels and gasps,

Have subtle connotations that later one grasps.

Aloof and regal, the women seemed to be,

Inspiring, instigating, were the plot’s key.

$QFLHQW�OLQHV�RI �ÀQH�PHQ�JUDYH�Their world desperately who tried to save.

Magical tools unexplained by science,

Born of Nature’s and mind’s alliance.

Elves from stars brought far-off news,

His worlds had various scents and hues.

Multi-dimensional was his approach,

Prickly topics could easily broach.

Heroes’ minds, intricate and rich,

With complex plots, could easily stitch.

Has been construed in a thousand ways,

New generations it tends to amaze.

Explores details of human nature,

In Man’s psyche, gives an aperture.

Back stories stretched for thousands of years,

Still relevant for mechanized fears.

Humans and nature, fuel and steel,

We ride the same old karmic wheel.

Can Nature prevail over Man’s iron will?

Cause the crash of industrial hill?

Keen on TolkienSultana Raza

Keen on Tolkien has been published in “Ancient Heart Magazine”, and in “Beyond Bree”

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Each one of us stepped onto the Road, or fell down the rabbit-hole into the wonderland of Middle-earth, in a slightly different way. To many, the medium was text-printed-on-paper, read in a library or a classroom or a comfortable chair; some of us were transported by our eyes, sitting in a darkened room watching a screen along with hundreds of anonymous strangers; and still others went out of our metaphorical doors whilst safely tucked up in bed, hearing Tolkien’s words come out of a parent’s mouth. But we were all swept away.

None of the above experiences particularly applies to me. My stepping off point—the wardrobe through which I stumbled into this magnificent new world—was made of 33rpm vinyl; it hissed, crackled, and occasionally skipped. It was Argo Records’ dramatic reading of The Hobbit.

I was fortunate in that Tolkien was never forced on me: I found Middle-earth myself. By the age of six The Box (and its four LPs) was a familiar part of our home furniture, stacked neatly away with my Dad’s other records, but never used. Had I been forced to sit down and listen, I most probably would have resented it and been swept off on a very differ-ent, Tolkien-free road; but instead I was allowed the privilege of discovering Middle-earth alone and (initially, at least) shar-ing it with no one. Before long it had become normal for me to spend hours at a time lying on the carpet, getting up only to change the record, while the voice of Nicol Williamson slowly swept me away with Bilbo and the Dwarves.

Williamson was considered one of the great theatric-als of his generation (”the greatest actor since Marlon

The Spell of the Mead-Hall: In Praise of Nicol Williamson’s Dramatic Reading of The HobbitDavid Rowe

It’s a dangerous business, going out of your door…You step into the Road, and if you don’t keep your feet,

there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to. [LOTR p. 72]


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Brando,” said John Osborne), a dominating pres-ence onstage, though now mainly known for movie roles such as Merlin. In 1974, when he was enlisted to read The Hobbit, he was at the height of his dra-matic powers, and it shows. Williamson’s range of tone—from light, warm, and quizzically welcom-ing at Bag End, to dark and intimidating in Goblin Town and Erebor—is masterful, as is the effortless way in which he manages his range of accents and voices so as to make the multiple characters easy to identify. Smaug’s sly smoky rasp, Bilbo’s West Country twang, the stubborn Lancastrian Dwarves, gruff Scottish Beorn, croaking Roäc, and disturb-ingly Welsh Gollum—all these entered instantly and vividly into my head, and stayed there.

The only images with which I was provided were Tolkien’s painting Bilbo comes to the Huts of the Raft-elves on its cover, and a photograph of an old man—the writer himself—leaning up against a tree on the enclosed booklet. While it’s true that I stared and stared at both, attempting to suck every last de-tail and possibility out of them, this paucity of visual stimulus meant that my Middle-earth was primarily built on the vigour and verve of the dramatic voice. Williamson even re-edited the abridgement himself (removing the narrative asides and juvenile jokiness which Tolkien also hated), in order that his narration could be shaped towards theatrical performance and away from mere reading and recitation.

Tolkien would have approved. Humphrey Car-penter vividly describes how his series of Oxford

lectures on the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf would begin with Tolkien in full bardic mode, thunder-ously declaiming the poem’s opening in order to transfix and transport his students by the peculiar power of the spoken word. “It was not so much a recitation as a dramatic performance,” says Car-penter, transforming ”a lecture room into a mead hall”. For many attendees, those lectures were a wardrobe in themselves, opening up a new world where drama and literature and legend intermin-gle seamlessly and the word spell—meaning both ‘story’ and ‘sorcery’—makes complete sense.

Having discovered The Hobbit, I don’t remember actually reading it for quite a few years. At least, I know I started, multiple times, but my own at-tempts felt like a famine after the Williamson’s feast. I vastly preferred the spell cast in his mead hall—hissing, skipping and all—to my meagre bed-room readings, and tended to use my copy of the book for its maps rather than its text.

But in eschewing the written version for the dra-matic reading, I now realise that, far from emasculat-ing Tolkien’s classic work, I was instinctively tracing it back to its source: a dramatic tale, performed by the bardic figure of Tolkien to his children, long be-fore it was committed to a final, publishable form. I had a rare privilege. We impoverished moderns, having traded our mead halls for movie theatres, seldom seek out storytellers. I didn’t. I got lucky, and am still spellbound. F

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* D oughty race of axe-wielding men

* Warriors, miners, craftsmen came

* A ncestral home at Lonely Mountain

* R�RXWHG�WKHUH�E\�GUDJRQ�ÁDPH

* V enture to the deepest caverns

* E rect a palace in the gloom

* S anctuary or their tomb?

Kathryn E. Darden

Dwarves Acrostic


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Nothing is ever created in a vacuum. As J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, “One writes […] a story not out the leaves of trees still to be observed […] but […] like a seed in the dark out of the leaf mould of the mind: out of all that has been seen or thought or read, that has long ago been forgotten…. [M]y mould is evidently made largely of linguistic matter” (Carpenter 131). His works cer-tainly attest to this statement. In creating his fictional universe of Middle-earth, he drew from a lifetime of experience as a professor and lover of both literature and language, especially that of the Pre-Chaucerian era. Many of the works he studied and loved made their way into Middle-earth, and Beowulf is certainly one of them. Tolkien regarded Beowulf as an important work in defining the essential northern spirit that he so admired. Because of this high regard for the work and his years of study, both general and specific elements were incorpor-ated into his works, whether consciously or unconsciously.

In a way, these inclusions attest to the longevity and universality of Beowulf and the ideas it contains—ideas which have been used or alluded to in mov-ies, television shows, and countless books and novels throughout the years—, including the ones set in the world of Hobbits. Tolkien used some elements of the poem jokingly, as witty little inside jokes only understood and appreciated by the well-read. But he would probably be swift to point out that his most important references are deeper, in some cases woven into the very fabric of his world. In these instances, they are hardly references at all, and certainly not inside jokes. Perhaps they could best be considered as evidence that the ideas and beliefs within Beowulf are still deeply ingrained in our cultural iden-tity, so much so that reference to their original source almost becomes an afterthought. When used consciously by Tolkien, however, these instances can perhaps be viewed simply as a solemn, appreciative bow, in gratitude to the tale that started them all.

As a professor of Anglo-Saxon at Oxford University, Tolkien was in frequent contact with this work. He usually taught it to undergraduates, as a way of A

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getting their feet wet before plunging into some of the more daunting works. To many new students, this experience was unlike any they had ever encoun-tered before. Tolkien’s enthusiasm for Beowulf and other ancient literature was contagious, and he was appar-ently successful at transmitting that enthusiasm to his students. He was known for beginning his Beowulf lec-tures with the poem’s opening cry of “Hwæt!” which, as Carpenter says in his biography, some students thought meant “Quiet!” Several students later said, sometimes years afterwards, that this experience marked a pivotal moment in their understanding of literature. “I don’t know if I ever told you,” W.H. Auden wrote Tolkien later, “what an unforgettable experience it was […] hearing you recite Beowulf. The voice was the voice of Gandalf.”

Another former student, J.I.M. Stewart, wrote that Tolkien “could turn a lecture room into a mead hall in which he was the bard and we were the feasting, listening guests” (both qtd. in Carpenter 138).

Tolkien and Beowulf are mainly connected be-cause of his 1936 lecture on the poem, which he later rewrote and published as an article under the title of “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.” As the title would suggest, Tolkien fielded many criti-cisms of Beowulf in his essay, defending the poem against claims that it was merely a dusty old tale of monsters and swords, with few, if any, redeeming characteristics, and no place at all in the modern world. Tolkien refuted this claim and asserted that the poem is very successful in doing what it was meant to do: to tell a story already ancient at the time it was written down, a tale of courage and victory and ultimate defeat, of defying wyrd (or des-tiny) even as you are guided by it, and of staving off the darkness a little while longer, until the next danger comes.

These characteristics, taken together, contribute much to the idea of the quintessentially “north-ern” spirit that Tolkien sought to use and emulate. In Beowulf, for example, he saw civilization as an outpost against the darkness. In “The Monsters and the Critics,” he quotes line 311 of Beowulf and says that, “A light starts—lixte se leoma ofer landa fela [that light shined over many lands]—and there is

a sound of music; but the outer darkness and its hostile offspring lie ever in wait for the torches to fail and the voices to cease.” He has Legolas use the very same line to describe Meduseld, the hall of Théoden (just as the original line was used to describe Hrothgar’s Heorat): “The light of it shines far over the land” (LOTR 496). But despite the com-forts of such a glorious outpost, the dark still en-croaches upon them. Even in the safe-house of Tom Bombadil, the hobbits have nightmares about the wights outside.

One of the most haunting qualities that Tolkien saw in Beowulf and other ancient tales was the sense of historical depth and antiquity that they contained, “the illusion,” as he wrote in “Monsters and Critics”: “of surveying a past […] a past that itself had depth and reached backward into a dark antiquity […] This impression of depth is […] a justi-fication of the use of episodes and allusions to old tales.” He may have perhaps been defending his own work as well in making that statement, for he frequently embedded deeper, more obscure bits of his own mythology onto the surface of The Hob-bit and The Lord of the Rings, for the very same purpose. Tolkien, therefore, does not have Aragorn explain his side-swipe reference to Queen Buruth-iel’s cats or his mention of Luthien and Beren for the same reason that the Beowulf poet does not expand further on the tales told within the poem, or the numerous feuds mentioned. To do so would be to ruin the effect of history, of the illusion of a world behind the world, so to speak. As he wrote in a 1963 letter, expressing his reluctance to write a sequel to The Lord of the Rings, “Part of the attrac-tion of [The Lord of the Rings] is, I think, due to the glimpses of a large history in the background: an attraction like that of viewing far off an unvisited is-land […]. To go there is to destroy the magic” (qtd. in Shippey 229-230).

Perhaps for a similar reason, and to avoid dat-ing Middle-earth and himself, Tolkien stubbornly resisted almost all attempts to find religion in his world. Although he was devoutly Catholic, he struck the tone of the compiler of Beowulf—that of a Christian observing (and yet not judging) a pre-Christian culture. Evidence of religion (if not, per-haps, Christianity) does appear in The Silmarillion, in the chracter of Eru, a god-like Creator, but it is deliberately downplayed in the other books. True, destiny (or, in the Old English of Beowulf, wyrd) does sometimes seem to play a part in guiding the


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paths of the characters, but the majority of deci-sions fall on the heads of the characters themselves. Even though Beowulf senses that the dragon is fated to be the cause of his death, he still firmly de-cides to confront it anyway. As Wiglaf later says, he “follow[ed] his own will” (Norton 1150). Fate and choice are sometimes curiously intertwined, how-ever. Wiglaf continues, “Nothing we advised could ever convince/the prince we loved […]/not to vex the custodian of the gold […]./He held to his high destiny” (1150-1151). This same mingling of fate and choice is echoed in Gandalf’s words to Frodo, when he says, “Bilbo was meant to find the Ring, and not by its maker. In which case you also were meant to have it. And that may be an encouraging thought” (LOTR 54-55). Though the Ring “chose” to leave Gollum, either by its own will or the will of its maker, it certainly did not intend to be picked up by Bilbo. There is evidence of a higher power (though whether it is God or fate is left open) work-ing behind the scenes.

While Gandalf’s conclusion is optimistic, Beo-wulf’s is not. However, despite his near-certainty that the upcoming encounter with the dragon will result in his death, he bravely presses forward any-way. This courage in the face of despair was one of the key characteristics that Tolkien admired in the northern spirit. In many ways, the overall tone of Beowulf and other works of the time is an incred-ibly disheartening one. In a strange inversion of the well-known Bible verse, joy may last for a moment, but sorrow comes in the end. Beowulf reigns well and happily for 50 years, but he meets an unhappy end with the dragon, and his people fear an out-break of hostilities and feuding after his death. Similarly, though the dragon Smaug is defeated in The Hobbit, a much greater enemy rears its head only a generation later. Even after that great enemy, Sauron, is defeated, there is a feeling of loss, as the Elves must also fade away with the simultaneous loss of their powers. Frodo saves Middle-earth and his people, but at the cost of his own life, just as Beowulf does. There is no hope of a permanent vic-tory in this life, and very little for one beyond it.

Why create such a hopeless situation? Tolkien’s point seems to be that the darker the situation, the clearer the light of a hero shines. It is easy to be hopeful when victory is assured, but only in the depths of Mordor or in a dragon’s barrow does courage count. Tolkien fought in World War I, and witnessed many acts of heroism in the senseless car-

nage of trench warfare. His heroes, therefore, are the ones who hold out when all hope is seemingly lost. Denethor is not one of these heroes: in the last days of the siege of Minas Tirith, he is driven mad by despair and chooses to end his own life instead of waiting for (as he sees) the inevitable defeat.

All the same, as a Christian, Tolkien had a hard time approving of the despairing courage that some of the northern heroes displayed—Beowulf entering the dragon’s den, for example. While this may have been true of the North’s pagan heritage, it did not entirely fit in with the courage he had observed in his fellow country-men and in the hor-rors of the trenches. For this type of courage, he invented the Hobbits, a rather anachronistic race, and decidedly unlike the heroes in Beowulf. A quote about Sam from The Two Towers illustrates this characteristic: “After all he [had] never had any real hope in the affair from the beginning; but being a cheerful hobbit he had not needed hope” (LOTR 624). Tolkien seems to hold that “a stout pretence is more valuable than sincere despair” (Shippey 159). Certainly this fits the stereotype of the English and their “stiff upper lip”—a stereotype, yes, but one with underlying truth.

So, despite Tolkien’s deep indebtedness to Beo-wulf, there are some times where he deliberately went counter to its ideals. The Hobbits, as a race, are one example of this. Tolkien seemed aware that modern readers would have a hard time identify-ing with the protagonists of his story if they were all mythic, super-human heroes such as Aragorn, Théoden, and the like. The Hobbits are therefore used as a mediator between the ancient world of Middle-earth and our modern age. Bilbo, for ex-ample, talks in a stunningly contemporary way, often to comedic effect. One humorous example of this comes before the Battle of Five Armies, where the different parties get together and discuss what is going to be done with Smaug’s treasure. The Dwarves, Elves, and Lakemen all use high, archaic speech—“Begone now ere our arrows fly,” for ex-ample (Hobbit 264). Later, however, when Bilbo sneaks off to conduct his own negotiations, he uses speech that, while just as formal, strikes quite a dif-ferent tone. “Personally I am all too ready to con-sider all your claims carefully, and deduct what is right from the total,” he says (Hobbit 269-270), for all the world like a businessman striking a deal! Al-though Tolkien was well aware of the conventions of epics, he sometimes slyly inverted them, just to

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show that he was also aware of the differences in cultures between that time and ours.

The “un-epicness” of Hobbits also comes into play when dealing with the character of Frodo. Much has often been made of the fact that a name simi-lar to Frodo’s appears in Beowulf. The name, how-ever, is Fróda, and he is barely mentioned at all, in a story disconnected to the plot. The Norse version, Fróthi, has a few more tales connected to it. He was supposedly a king whose reign brought peace to the land, which was known as Frótha-frith, or “the peace of Fróthi” (Shippey 206). While Frodo does indeed bring peace, the similarities beyond that seem rather vague. The fact is that, like Bilbo, Frodo is a hobbit, and is thus anachronistic in this heroic world and can have no true corollary.

The above statement, however, is only true near the beginning of Frodo’s adventures. Through the long journey, his eventual take-over by the Ring, and the loss of a finger, Frodo moves further and further away from being a hobbit and closer to the heroic world of Aragorn and Beowulf. In the end, he leaves the Shire because he no longer be-longs to it or feels at home. Because of his change from comfortable hobbit to ancient hero, and his eventual uneasy settling somewhere in-between, it might not be totally amiss to draw a connection be-tween him and a character from Beowulf. While he shares little with Fróda except a name, he has more characteristics in common with Shield Sheafson, mentioned at the beginning of Beowulf. Far from being a well-defined character, Shield Sheafson is described in a short passage set in an almost mythic past tense. His primary characteristics—and those he shares with Frodo—are that he is an orphan, and is associated with water (he arrives unexpectedly as a foundling on a small boat and his funeral pyre is pushed out to sea). Frodo is also associated with water—his parents are drowned, so his orphanage is actually caused by water, and he leaves by boat at the end in a symbolic “death.”

However, this may not be a specific, conscious ref-erence, but rather the use of a wide-spread idea. Orphans have been the heroes of countless stor-ies throughout history, for numerous reasons—they

have no support system, so are thus more independ-ent and heroic; they have more to prove; they have less to lose; etc. Even Beowulf is an orphan. It is difficult to know whether there were any previous sources of these ideas that influenced Beowulf, but there are certainly many oral folktales we know of nowadays that use them. If the character of Shield Sheafson was not drawn from these, that of Frodo certainly was.

One character who has a more obvious forefather in Beowulf is Gollum. This twisted, pathetic crea-ture is actually very similar to Grendel, the terrifying monster that stalks the halls of Heorot. While Gol-lum is made into a slightly more sympathetic char-acter than Grendel, the similarities are too marked to be accidental. Tolkien obviously used one great antagonist to inspire another. Grendel is first de-scribed as:

[A] powerful demon, a prowler through the dark,

[who] nursed a hard grievance. It har-rowed him

to hear the din of the loud banquetevery day in the hall, the harp being

struckand the clear song of a skilled poettelling with mastery of man’s beginnings. (Norton 1087)

Gollum is described similarly by Gandalf, though the sympathetic tendency towards him is obvious:

“It was actually pleasant, I think, to hear a kindly voice again, bringing up mem-ories of wind, and trees, and sun on the grass, and such forgotten things.

“But that, of course, would only make the evil part of him angrier in the end.” (LOTR 53-54)

Both of these characters are fallen beings—for Grendel, no hope of redemption is given, and even for Gollum, the chance is very slight. It is interesting to note that Grendel (who was born an outcast, through no real fault of his own) is often viewed as being a strangely sympathetic character for a

These are the jokes of a philologist, but Tolkien would have seen them as very small jokes indeed when compared to the whole scheme of things. Far more important to him was that the of the ancient, half-forgotten tale be preserved.


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“monster” in an ancient tale, and Tolkien does the same for the character of Gollum, only to a more pronounced degree.

Aside from these large-scale and general influ-ences, many small, specific inclusions can also be detected. The entire cup-stealing scene in The Hob-bit, for example, is famously borrowed from a simi-lar scene in Beowulf. In both cases, the thief is a reluctant one, the item stolen is a cup, the dragon is sleeping and does not awaken right away, and when he does, he wrathfully destroys the surround-ing countryside in revenge. Interestingly, in Beo-wulf, the miserable thief is later found by Beowulf and forced to join his group, thus becoming the thirteenth member, as Bilbo also joins the party of Dwarves. Also, just as Beowulf dies in slaying the dragon, so Thorin loses his life before peace is finally gained. As Tolkien wrote in one of his letters: “Beo-wulf is among my most valued sources; though it was not consciously present… in the process of writing, …the episode of the theft arose naturally (and almost inevitably) from the circumstances. It is difficult to think of any other way of conducting the story at this point. I fancy the author of Beowulf would say much the same” (qtd. in Glenn).

One of the greatest collections of small details comes in the words Tolkien borrowed from Old English, and sometimes from Beowulf itself. One of the most thoughtless statements ever made about Tolkien’s works was by Neil D. Isaacs, who, while actually defending Tolkien, used one of the worst insults that the author could have probably imagined. “Tolkien’s own off-hand remarks about the importance of philology to the creative con-ception of the trilogy need not be taken too ser-iously” (qtd. in Shippey 25). If Tolkien had heard this statement, he would have been deeply hurt by it. As a lifelong lover of language, philology was extremely important to him and to the cre-ation of his work. Indeed, it has often been said that he started with a language (more specifically, Quenya and Sindarin, the languages of the Elves) and then wrote a world in which such languages were logical. He put deep thought into the choos-ing of words and names, and those he borrowed from Old English were no exception.

For the most part, the Old English names were reserved for the Rohirrim, who were in many ways meant to resemble the ancient Anglo-Saxons, as well as the earlier cultures within Beowulf. Most of them are lost in translation, but “Éomer” is one

name that remains the same. Other examples in-clude Orc-néas, which originally meant “evil shades” and which later became “Orcs,” and Ylfe, which became “Elves” (Kennedy). Ironically, both of these were used in the same line of Beowulf (line 112), and were used derogatorily for the twisted, evil des-cendants of Cain, of which Grendel is a member.

These are the jokes of a philologist, but Tolkien would have seen them as very small jokes indeed when compared to the whole scheme of things. Far more important to him was that the air of the an-cient, half-forgotten tale be preserved. Perhaps the best way to conclude is by the considering two end-ings—one, of the poem Beowulf, and the second, of one of Tolkien’s poems, which were written over the span of many years but published after The Lord of the Rings.

Beowulf ends with the death of the hero, and the gathering of the treasure he had lost his life for into a barrow mound.

It was their hero’s memorial […].They let the ground keep that ancestral

treasure,gold under gravel, gone to earth,as useless to men now as it ever was.

(Norton 1152)

Though treasure was prized so highly in the world of the Geats and the Danes, it did Beowulf no good in the end, and the smoke of his funeral pyre rose to the sky. Beowulf ends in wailing and tears and useless, cursed treasure.

The poem by Tolkien, now called “The Hoard,” was, appropriately enough, originally titled with a line from Beowulf in the original Old English: “Iúmonna Gold Galdre Bewunden”—or, “the gold of ancient men, wound round with enchantment” (Shippey 86-87). The Dwarves in The Hobbit also seek “the pale enchanted gold” (Hobbit 14). How-ever, as the tale told in “The Hoard” unfolds, it be-comes clear that such treasure can do no one good, and that it is best laid to rest as in Beowulf—

There is an old hoard in a dark rock,forgotten behind doors none can unlock;that grim gate no man can pass.On the mound grows the green grass;there sheep feed and the larks soar,and the wind blows from the sea-shore.The old hoard the Night shall keep,while earth waits and the Elves sleep. (The Adventures of Tom Bombadil 56)

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As we take leave of this poem, of Middle-earth, and of Beowulf, we are left with a sweet sadness bordering on confusion—the sense that we have missed something, that we have experienced a land to which there is no returning, and a time which will never come again. Tolkien strove often to create this sense of a vanished past in his writing, to evoke the feeling of ancient epics such as Beowulf. His use of elements from a tale that has lasted for centuries has helped to make his own stories equally timeless. So after all his work, Tolkien would have, no doubt, viewed our wistful reaction as a great success.

Works CitedCarpenter, Humphrey. J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography.

Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000. Print.

Glenn, Jonathan A. “To Translate a Hero: The Hobbit as Beowulf Retold.” University of Central Arkansas. 7 Sept. 2005. Web. 06 Apr. 2011. <http://faculty.uca.edu/jona/second/hobbeow.htm>.

Kennedy, Michael. “Tolkien and Beowulf—Warriors of Middle-Earth.” Tol Harndor:The Australasian Smial of the Tolkien Society. 2001. Web. 06

Paths we weave form circles, then cycles. Well trodden, footsteps are as

familiar as the season that sets them in motion. With nothing in view

from a border that closes in, the familiar begins to destroy. Yearning for

more, dreams wrestle with hope. A struggle to the very core. Days pass.

Mountains in the distance are a sign of new vision. Of mesmerizing

jewels, of mystery and lore. Of fables mixed with legends and stories

yet untold. Their history behooves us, pushing us toward more. Ever

reaching. Ever singing. Ever open to life’s doors.

It’s the journey that eludes us, on the winding path ahead, when we

can’t escape its clutches that go ever, ever on. Then we turn and face

the footsteps that have pleaded to begin. Just a step. Take a step. Time

to tread the dawn.

/LNH� VWHSSLQJ� WKURXJK� DQ�KRXUJODVV�� JUDYLW\�GHÀHG��:LQGV� DQG�ZLQJV�and skies align, no longer wondering why. A drifter in the openness,

D�KLJKZD\�PDGH�RI �GUHDPV��7LPH�WR�OLYH��ÀQG�\RXU�VWULGH��7LPH�WR�Á\��7LPH�WR�Á\�

Apr. 2011. <http://tolharndor.org/tilkal/issue1/beowulf.html>.

The Norton Anthology of World Literature. Shorter Second Edition ed. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton &, 2009. Print.

Shippey, T. A. The Road to Middle-Earth: How J.R.R. Tolken Created a New Mythology. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003. Print.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Adventures of Tom Bombadil: and Other Verses from the Red Book. London: G. Allen & Unwin, 1974. Print.

---. The Lord of the Rings. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Print.

---. “Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics.” Lecture. 25 Nov. 1936. Scribd. Web. 6 Apr. 2011. <http://www.scribd.com/doc/11790039/JRR-Tolkien-Beowulf-The-Monsters-and-the-Critics>.

---. The Hobbit (or, There and Back Again). New York: Ballantine Group, 1996. Print.

Zimbardo, Rose A., and Neil D. Isaacs, eds. Understanding The Lord of the Rings: the Best of Tolkien Criticism. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2004. Print.

F

Ever SkiesMissy M. McClure


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Harper Collins is releasing a brand new edition of The Hobbit on September 12th, 2013, followed by a deluxe edition and a 2014 calendar. With over 150 wonderful illustrations, a talented young artist, Jemima Catlin, is the first to decorate The Hobbit since Alan Lee’s iconic work 15 years ago.

Jemima says that she “wanted to publish an edition of The Hobbit that pulled it back from the cinematic fantasy of the films and reintroduced that sense of adventure and magic that Tolkien’s own children must have felt when he first read them the story.”

She came to the attention of David Brawn, Pub-lisher of Estates at HarperCollins, after sending him her work on J.R.R. Tolkien’s Roverandom from a project for her illustration degree program. On her illustrations for The Hobbit, Brawn says:

“I love how Jemima has taken all her cues from the text—simple things like the different coloured beards of the Dwarves that it is so easy not to notice when reading the book.”

Jemima’s illustrations arise from the words of the author himself, and swirl under her brush into beautiful form with a breath of innocence, allowing your imagination to leap into life in between each paragraph, with every rustle of the turning page, leaving you delightfully surprised.

We had a chance to ask her a few questions on her take on success, and how her path led to illustration.

You have already seen such an extraordinary clear adaptation of the book in Peter Jack-son’s installment, yet you still have a very unique vision when it comes to your works. How did you manage to abstract yourself so much from any given visuals in the process of your creation, focusing only on the “word-picture” of the author?

Thank you. I deliberately only focused on Tolkien’s writing and his own drawings during the project,

because I didn’t want anything else to influence me. Also, my drawings needed to appeal to a younger audience than the Peter Jackson films, so this made them quite different.

What do you personally think of Peter Jack-son’s adaptation of (specifically) Tolkien’s characters and Middle-earth landscapes? Are there many aspects you agree/disagree with?

I really love the Lord of the Rings films; I have seen them countless times since they were released. I also enjoyed watching The Hobbit, but I think all the dwarves should have had long beards. Some of the story was changed, and this bothered me, too; but then I was so close to the book that I expected to be overly critical of the film. I’m looking forward to the next film of The Hobbit. This one should have all the really exciting bits in it!

You were “discovered” by publisher David Brawn by the means of your own project, cre-ated for an illustration degree program. What compelled you to choose a theme that includ-ed Tolkien for your project?

I chose to illustrate Roverandom by J.R.R. Tolkien, because I found the book fascinating and inspiring. I loved the fact that Tolkien had used so many dif-ferent landscapes in the story; under the sea, on the moon, in the sky, etc. It was really fun to illustrate, and the characters are so interesting and quirky. Also, being a short story, Roverandom was the per-fect length for my project because we only had 3 months in which to do it.

Re-imagining The Hobbit: An Interview with Jemima CatlinAnastasia Green

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Relating to the question above, what made you pick up a carrier path in the arts?

I have wanted to be an illustrator ever since I was a child. My mother is an artist and encouraged me to draw from the moment I could hold a pencil. I wrote my own stories from the age of 8 and drew the pictures, stapling the pages together to form a book. When I left school I studied Art and Design at Weymouth College, and then went onto do a two year foundation course in Visual Communica-tion followed by a BA Honors Degree in Illustration.

Every artist tends to leave their mark on some part of their sub-creation. Clearly, Tolkien’s characters, and even the environment, have their own emotions and behave a certain way. Would you say there’s a lot (if any) of “you” in your works?

My illustration style is unique to myself, so in that sense I suppose that there is a lot of me in there.

How did you first stumble upon “a hole in the ground” and the story of its dweller?

I first read The Hobbit when I was 12, and I loved it so much I couldn’t put it down!

The first thing that strikes the eye of a viewer in the new slip-case edition of The Hobbit is the cover, which is bright red with a golden wraparound dragon. How would you express the meaning behind the colors?

Bright red represents danger, and the most danger-ous creature in The Hobbit was Smaug! I think that dragons are majestic creatures, so gold seems perfect.

What other artists have inspired your work?

My illustrations for The Hobbit have been inspired by Tolkien’s own artwork. When I was growing up, I enjoyed artists such as E.H Shepherd, and Ivy Wal-lace—and these illustrators have probably influenced my style. I also really like Tove Jansson’s illustrations, and Arthur Rackham is another artist I admire.

If you met another young artist whose dream was to be published by HarperCollins or to be recognized by his/her own works, what would your advice be?

Keep drawing and painting so you don’t lose your talent. If you haven’t got a commission, then make your own brief, or publish your own book of your artwork. Always experiment with new methods of drawing to keep the creative process exciting. If a particular book inspires you, then draw a set of illustrations and send them to the publishers—you never know what may come of it!

How do you like working for a major publish-ing company like HarperCollins? Is there a lot of pressure? Were you also concerned about the reaction of readers to your adaptations?

There was an enormous amount of work to do, and I was drawing right up until 1:00 a.m. most nights. I put a lot of pressure on myself to finish the work to the deadlines, it was important to me that I gave everything I had to this project. Working for Harp-erCollins was nice because they let me have the free-dom to choose which scenes I wanted to illustrate and how I wanted to draw the characters. They did give me some direction when needed though. In terms of readers’ reactions, during the project I was just happy for the Tolkien Estate to be pleased with my interpretation. With them being the closest to Tolkien’s work, it was the biggest compliment that they liked my illustrations for The Hobbit.

You’ve accomplished quite a goal, being the first artist to wonderfully illustrate The Hob-bit in 15 years, after the outstanding work of Alan Lee. If you can reveal anything, are there any other famous works you would like to illustrate?

I’d love to illustrate The Lord of the Rings, but would do something completely different and with a dark edge—similar to Arthur Rackham. I would also like to illustrate The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. I’d really like to re-visit Roverandom one day, too!

What does art in general mean to you? Can you define it?

My definition of art would be: Art is a visual inter-pretation conveying what you think and feel using whatever media that feels appropriate. To me, art allows me to show my perspective to others, like I have taken a photograph inside my mind.

The Hobbit by J.R..R.. Tolkien, Illustrated by Jemima Catlin is published by HarperCollins in hardback, priced £20.

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They work in gardens, hatted, gloved,

are folks your grand-folks would have loved;

are quick of eye, and stout of limb,

they love good earth... but do not swim.

Some love to sing; most tell good yarns;

are strong enough to help raise barns.

The people who do all these things,

of whom the minstrel sometimes sings,

are much like Hobbits on our earth,

ZKR�ÀOO�RXU�ZRUOG�ZLWK�ZKROHVRPH�PLUWK�Some love the pipe, and some the bowl,

are fond of home, and some that hole

hemmed in by walls and walls of books;

are artisans, perhaps, or cooks.

7KHLU�KHURLVP��\RX�PD\�ÀQG�is something of a deeper kind,

not found in armour, shields or swords,

not fond of knighthoods or rewards,

but swift to fend off crueler sorts,

defending justice in our courts.

7KRVH�+REELW�IULHQGV�DUH�WKRVH�ZH�ÀQG�who laugh with love, are faithful, kind.

We know those ones, and love them well,

and while in stories most may dwell,

some, clearly humankind at birth,

live Hobbit-like, and bless the earth.

Concerning Hobbits

P.R. Miller

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The Elv

es o

f Riv

ende

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Com

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ipt

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razi Throughout the

manuscript and published versions of The Hobbit, Tol-kien’s Elves are a mysterious type of creature. Beauti-ful but dangerous, carefree but secret-ive, they are a unique blend of several Eng-lish fairy traditions. John Rateliff in The History of The Hob-bit states, “elves as sages and warriors derives from medi-eval works such as Sir Orfeo [and] the Mabinogion…elves as delicate fairy dan-cers or pipers derives from Jacobean writ-ers like Drayton and Shakespeare” (HH1

120). In both versions of the Hobbit story, the singing, laughing Elves of Rivendell are more firmly rooted in the later tradition than the eerie, sombre Wood-elves of Mirkwood. A close look at the manuscript and published story together, however, suggests that Tolkien reshaped and refined the Elves of Rivendell in small but sig-nificant ways to make them resemble the darker, more enchanting Wood-elves.

In both versions of The Hobbit we first meet the Rivendell Elves in Chapter 3, “A Short Rest.” For the most part, the manuscript version remains very close to the published one. In both versions, Bilbo and company find respite in Rivendell, hear the silly, nonsens-ical “O what are you doing?” song1, and discover the moon-let-ters on Thror’s map. Very little changes in terms of the plot. There are, however, small changes in wording throughout the published chapter that prove interesting. When the wizard2 first speaks of Rivendell in the manuscript, for instance, he states, “Somewhere ahead is the Last Decent House” (HH1 112). In the published ver-sion, this is changed to “Hidden somewhere ahead of us is the fair valley of Rivendell where Elrond lives in the Last Homely House” (H 44)3. Although we do not get much supplemental information besides the description of being “hidden” and “fair,” the specific

1 Nothing changes between versions, save exclamation points after the “O!”s, one capitalized letter, and one “tril” instead of “tra.”

2 To avoid confusion in this essay the Gandalf/ Bladorthin character will be referred to simply as ‘the wizard.’

3 Throughout this essay, italics are mine unless stated otherwise.


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straight for that house” (HH1 112) becomes “it was not so easy as it sounds to find the Last Homely House west of the Mountains” (H 44). There seems to be no reason to use the specific proper noun here, except perhaps in order to hint that as the Last Homely House, it is purposefully and decep-tively hard to find. This idea is furthered only a few paragraphs later, when “down the steep zigzag path into the valley” (HH1 112) becomes “down the steep zig-zag path into the secret valley of Rivendell” (H 45). Throughout the published Hob-bit, we can see the narrator using specific names like Rivendell, Elrond, or the Last Homely House to give the land and the Elves that inhabit it more power and presence than what was previously seen in the manuscript.

The Elves are not only made more secretive and secluded, but there are also additions that result in a more otherworldly, dark, and enchanting sort of Elf. Small changes like having Bilbo and the Dwarves’ “spirits r[i]se” (H 45) after entering the valley rather than feeling “a deal more cheery” (HH1 112) along with changes like the elves’ “burst of song like laughter” (H 45) rather than a “burst of laughter” (HH1 113) give the scene a more ethereal feel. Other moments hint at a more enchanting and otherworldly atmosphere. Instead of being able to

names of Rivendell and Elrond are given. These additions add more anticipation, mystery, and al-lure to the scene. We may not know exactly what the Last Homely House is like or what makes the val-ley fair, but we know it is the illustrious Elrond who lives there. Before we even meet Elrond or enter Rivendell, the Elves are a more impressive, if more mysterious, people.

Another interesting change is in the way in which Rivendell becomes hidden. Throughout the pub-lished version, Rivendell is consistently harder to find because it is consciously and purposefully hid-den. In the manuscript, Bilbo and company find Rivendell surprisingly hard to come by, but attribute this to the natural landscape:

Still you couldn’t see a house. Then when you rode on a bit you began to under-stand that that house might be hidden anywhere at all between you and the mountains. There were quite unexpected valleys narrow with steep sides that you came on all of a sudden…there were gul-lies you could almost jump over but very deep with waterfalls in them…there were ravines that you couldn’t jump across or get down into or climb out of (H 112).

This sort of challenging landscape does not dis-appear in the published Hobbit, but it does become more affiliated with the Elves. Although the land-scape remains an obstacle, it is no longer an un-expected one: “it ought to have been easy to make

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see the Elves in the trees (HH1 113), Bilbo “caught glimpses of them as the darkness deepened” (H 47). In both versions the valley feels “comfortable,” but the “wholesome” (HH1 113) sound of the river from the manuscript is deleted from the published Hobbit. Added instead is: “The trees changed to beech and oak… they came at length to an open glade” (H 45). Hidden from those who do not know the way, surrounded by different trees, and seclud-ed in a glade in an otherwise uneven landscape, Rivendell and the Elves that live there seem to be more otherworldly, more untouched by outsiders in the published Hobbit than in the manuscript.

Finally, other changes in the published version de-pict the elves as slightly more dignified. Added after their song in the published version is “pretty fair nonsense I daresay you think it. Not that they would care; they would only laugh all the more if you told them so” (H 46-47). Having the Elves at least some-what aware of their “nonsense” suggests that they are more intelligent than they might let on in song. The suggestion that they would laugh at the obser-vation could even imply that they sing in order to be silly. Another small but significant change that makes them less silly and more formidable is the

alteration of “bad things did not come into that valley” (HH1 115) to “evil things did not come into that valley” (H 49). The Elves are not just a good and fair race, but are far from evil. They are even, perhaps, a force against evil.

Even in the published Hobbit, the Elves of Riven-dell are generally more lighthearted, playful, and Jacobean fairy-like than their relatives in Mirkwood. But they were certainly more so in The Hobbit’s manuscript than in what came to be the final ver-sion. Repeatedly using proper nouns like “Rivendell” and “Elrond” in the published version lends a more illustrious and powerful air to both the land and its inhabitants. The seclusion and secrecy increases the otherworldliness and power of the Rivendell Elves. Though small, these changes ultimately help make up Tolkien’s unique race of enchanting, beautiful, light-hearted, and dangerous Elves.

BibliographyRateliff, John. The History of the Hobbit: Mr.

Baggins, Volume 1. New York. Harper Collins, 2007. Print.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007. Print.

Long were the days and warm the rays of summer

as she meandered among the barley high,

WUDLOLQJ�KHU�ÀQJHUV�WKURXJK�WKH�VWDONV�RI �DPEHU�while drowsy bees lazily droned by.

$FURVV�WKH�ÀHOGV��VKH�KHDUG�WKH�EDZOLQJ�R[HQ�complaining of their yokes on such a day,

when all the sheep were slumbering in the meadow,

and even horses dozed upon the brae.

The village children roused themselves for dancing,

laughing at the tangles they’d woven with their arms.

But even young ones soon were overcome by

the languid sunshine and sweet Hypnos’ charms.

Honeyed were the days of warm and endless summer.

Sweet smelled the barley, the mallow and the rose.

Dark were the limbs of oak and elm and hazel

in Wildwood Forest, where no one ever goes.

Evanescence Kris Swank

She heard her name whispered by the forest.

A trick of breezes rustling through a tree?

Against her judgment, she ventured to the woodside,

drawn by a yearning to know what she might see.

They called her onward, the voices of the forest.

Over her shoulder, she gazed once more to home,

then traveled deeper. She’d only stay a moment

within the wildwood where no one goes alone.

Long were her footsteps and cold the darkened woodland.

There she stepped wary as a toddling child,

SULFNLQJ�KHU�ÀQJHUV�RQ�VKDUS�DQG�WKRUQ\�EUDPEOHV��vanishing forever into the forest wild.

F


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All Middle-earth’s A StageConstance G.J. Wagner

“All the world’s a stage,” Shakespeare writes in As You Like It, “… and one man in his time plays many parts.”

If the world is Middle-earth, and the man is Char-lie Ross, Shakespeare’s words have never been more true, for when this chameleon of an actor takes the stage, he brings all of Middle-earth with him.

He appears in a pool of light, a striking figure clad only in black, his energy barely contained. Elv-ish words have already been whispered from the depths of the darkened stage, and now Ross lets those in attendance know they’re in for something completely different—and yet oddly familiar—as he sings the film’s title credits and gestures expan-sively with each note. He is, in effect, acting out the movement of the words across the screen.

What is this?, the uninitiated may ask. The an-swer is the One Man Lord of the Rings—an hour upon the stage filled with over 40 characters and even the whole geography of Middle-earth—all portrayed with daring and dexterity by Mr. Ross, an acting tour de force in love with his job.

Fans of Tolkien’s books and Jackson’s films com-ing to the performance see Ross as one of their own, as a fellow fan paying a unique tribute to a tale that delights and moves them.

Ross would agree with that assessment. “There is a part of me that’s absolutely in love with the story, the books, as I imagined it,” he remarked in an interview following one of his performances. “But

I am also in love with the films and the portray-als that the actors did. There’s me sharing that in-nocence with the audience, that love, that genuine affection that I have for it. But then there’s another part of me that wants to wink at people and say, ‘Look, I know I’m taking it seriously, but I really love it!’ Still, I know that some of the audience coming to see it is not of that ilk, so I consider them, too. I don’t think that these films and stories are meant to exclude anybody.”

And the moments of inclusion are many, even for the few audience members who have never read the books or seen the films. In the brief on-stage “breaks” that Ross takes between each part of the trilogy, he polls those in the theatre as to their level of familiarity with the mythos. Those who admit to having little or no experience with Tolkien in any form are roundly celebrated as being loyal friends—an ob-servation that generates laughter and applause.

For those deeply invested in all things Tolkien, however, appreciation comes with the sense of con-nection when Ross captures a physical nuance or vocal inflection known from the films. The tiny thrill of recognition that ripples through the audience at these points is palpable, and, their reaction flows back to the performer in a wave of graciousness. “It feels like a massive success to be able to ‘get’ any of the characters,” Ross admitted, “—to find that little idiosyncrasy that makes people gasp and go ‘Ah, yes!’. Sometimes the audience really knows these

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films, and you can see them react to every portrayal. If I can get them to react to every single one, I know I’ve done my job, because I have tickled something inside of them. I’ve made them recognize it. They’ll either clap or laugh or just sort of shake their friend’s shoulder as they’re watching the show because they’re seeing what I’m doing.”

In this Ross would seem to be following Hamlet’s admonition to the traveling players to “suit the ac-tion to the word, the word to the action”—advice with which Ross unequivocally agrees concerning his own performance. “It’s saying the words and doing the action, being the person,” he noted, “and just hoping that people are going to be able to follow me.”

One would assume that Ross, living so completely in the hearts and minds of the denizens of Middle-earth, Ross must have a favorite character to por-tray. But this is not the case, he insists: “It’s a rare thing to be able to say that I actually enjoy every-thing I have to do, even though they’re all totally different characters.”

Yet conveying those differences, some subtle, some broad, can present its own set of acting challenges. Aragorn and Théoden, it seems, are very similar in a surprising way. “I don’t find a lot of difference vocally between the two,” Ross ad-mitted. “I had a hard time really trying to find just the way they sound. So, I look for little things that distinguish one person from the next. For example, Aragorn will hold onto his sword almost all the time, so I countered that with Théoden not holding onto his sword.”

“When things sound similar to me or I can’t make that huge of a distinction between the two,” Ross continued, “I have to stay very focused and think about what I saw them do as actors. I just hope that when I’m doing the impression that my face is doing what their faces did!”

Ross held this hope one night in particular—the night Sir Ian McKellen was in the audience. The memory of the actual performance, he confided, is a blur, but speaking with McKellen afterwards remains one of his fondest memories. They did not, however, discuss Ross’s portrayal of McKellen’s Gandalf.

“I didn’t want to push him,” Ross said, although he admitted he was dying to know. “You never real-ly get to see what you do unless you watch your own films, which I’m sure he did, but even then you’re viewing it through your own eyes and not through the eyes of a fan.”

But there’s more to experience in Middle-earth than wizards and wargs, Halflings and heroes, and Ross includes a myriad of places and things among his apt and able portrayals. A very sentient Ring that “dies” spectacularly. Mount Doom in all its erupting glory. These are particular stand-outs in Ross’s pan-theon of “character” embodiments.

Readers often feel that Tolkien’s layered word painting of the geography of Middle-earth makes the land itself come alive in a very conscious way. Ross agrees, stating, “Middle-earth really is another character in the books, and for those that know the world—well, I think it marks the films as well. There’s just something physical, something vividly real. So, I can try to manifest something physically, and it should take you back to that place. That’s the power of creating another world where it’s so developed. There are maps, and there are descrip-tions. It’s like it exists.”

And exist it does, for a fast and furious hour—de-spite the fact that this show is a theatre minimalist’s dream—just an actor, evocative lighting, and an in-vitation to the audience to unleash their imagina-tions and come along for a joy ride like no other.

Ross first achieved a measure of renown as a per-former with his One Man Star Wars show and had been looking for another project that would not only have the same kind of fan appeal but also be based on something he loved. Although he’d loved Tolkien’s book since he was young, it was Jackson’s filmed rendition that inspired the next large ele-ment of his career.

“If the films hadn’t been done,” Ross reflected, “I would have just gone on loving the books on my own. I certainly never thought I would be doing the Star Wars show for a living or the Lord of the Rings show. So I could never have intended for what ac-tually happened—to happen! Although it has, I never even imagined that it would be this way. It’s all been very organic, which is kind of neat.”

What die-hard Ringers often come away with after viewing Ross’s bravura performance is not so much that they’ve seen a parody of a beloved film, but a very real sense that they’ve just watched another adaptation of the story, albeit one imbued with affection and humour.

Regarding his approach to the material and its ef-fect on the audience, Ross stated, “I’m coming to see it this way: people can still experience my genuine love for it and me genuinely trying to bring across the beauty that was done, the exceptional acting


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that was in it, trying to bring a bit of that, but at the same time just trying to have a good time, a laugh.”

But what truly impresses audience members is the sheer physicality of Ross’s performance. He moves; he morphs; he amazes with lightning-fast trans-formations plus full and very busy use of a stage that, though bare, yet seems littered with the flot-sam and jetsam of an imagined Middle-earth. In the theatre of the mind, it is all real, all there—every citizen, every city, every corner of the Shire.

Actors speak of embodying their characters, and in this Ross obviously excels. One fan at a New York performance observed it as Ross “living the charac-ter and, simultaneously, the character living him.” This is quite an accomplishment, considering the fact that the transitions are rapid and legion. This is not a show for the faint of heart, for audience or performer. How, one wonders, does Ross manage it?

“I think a lot of it is that the characters and im-agery have been imprinted through watching it and hearing it. I’ve watched the films a stupid amount of times,” he laughingly admitted. “So, it’s almost like mimicry, where I have re-mixed what would be sound bites but also living, acting bites that have been used that way. I’ve kind of composed it into a different type of song,” Ross shared. “But in per-forming this, sometimes you have to go ‘big’! You have to drop into the voice, slightly exaggerated, and you drop into the facial expression or gesture, doing little bits in between.”

Warming to the discussion of this aspect of his process, Ross added: “I’ve intentionally put those little bits in between, so to me it runs like a song now. The film itself has almost become secondary, and my version of it is the song I’ve memorized. It’s the dance I’ve memorized.”

Although a lithe athleticism in performance may make for intriguing theatre, Ross states that having chances for such physicality did not necessarily inform his choices as to what to bring to life upon the stage.

“When I sat down and actually tried to start writ-ing it, I wrote what I could remember off the top of my head. I wasn’t thinking so much of the physical-ity yet,” Ross admitted. “It only took about eight hours to brainstorm a piece with observations and jokey things. I actually tried to think of what voices I could do best, and then also the ones I knew that were going to be a challenge. Then I just tried to streamline the story.”

The process of production and performance for this unique piece of theatre can indeed be com-

pared to a dance, Ross elaborated. “Some of the physical things I need to do in order to tell the story don’t necessarily blend into each other all that eas-ily, so it becomes almost like a morphing. There’ll be a lighting change, and then I’ll just turn it to be-come something else. I may make a little 360° turn to change into somebody else—and I guess that’s where the dance kind of comes. I just keep moving and moving.”

Pondering further, Ross remarked, “I really wasn’t worried about the physical aspect of it. I knew it was going to be rather difficult. There were entire portions where I had to write just what I wanted to do, rather than any lines, such as the whole storm-ing of Helm’s Deep. A lot of that is just descriptive. If you look at my script, it’s one line—but I had to figure out how to do it.”

Helping him do “it” is his director, TJ Dawe, a longtime friend since their student days at Canada’s University of Victoria. Dawe, himself a renowned solo performer, proved to be a great sounding board for Ross in the creation of the show.

“TJ knows as much about theatre as I could hope for—and he knows the literature,” Ross stated, sharing that Dawe would sometimes suggest inter-esting bits of the film that Ross might try to convey. “It was good to have TJ there to talk to, because he would say, ‘Remember that part where …’ about some physical business, and I would say, ‘Ah, yes, yes, yes, yes! I’ll see if I can do that.”

And he’s been doing that since 2004, travelling all over the world with this and his One Man Star Wars production as well, making his work, which is an ever-evolving process, a constant challenge and delight. “I get to be the kid that gets to hog all the good lines,” Ross said with a laugh, “and do juicy, wonderful bits of the film. But the love of the materi-al is always there. I hope that the love comes across.”

Ross’s deep affection for Middle-earth does in-deed come across the footlights in this all too brief hour. But so does something more, something per-haps unexpected. For his multi-layered performance is marked not only by physical exuberance, but also by an emotional intensity in scenes that require it, such as the heartbreak of Mount Doom. And then his mercurial ability allows him to flow into some-thing more light-hearted to break that compelling nakedness of feeling that suspends the audience in a raw and dangerous part of the tale.

“You undercut it,” Ross revealed. “The pressure of the moment. You have to. It actually relieves a bit

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of that pressure when you make a joke. It relieves pressure for me as much as it relieves pressure for the audience—and it allows me to move on with the telling. Otherwise, with the seriousness of the story, I would want to stay there—in those deep moments—a long time.”

In fact, the longer he’s done One Man LOTR (and his Star Wars piece), the more he’s found and ap-preciated the resonance the material has with epic tales of old, particularly with the arc of the hero’s journey and all the story elements that might entail.

“What the hero’s journey comes down to for me,” Ross reflected, “is being the disenfranchised person who is stuck sitting around until adventure comes and knocks on the front door. Then the hero is whisked away and discovers he has some kind of hidden lineage or power that allows him to affect actual social change, even if it’s being done in an almost metaphysical way.”

Ross continued his philosophical musings, noting that in stories of this type “some people are going to be part of the rebellion on the ground as Men while others—such as Frodo and Luke Skywalker—are going to be doing some sort of a spiritual fight. I’ve gotten into that aspect, that mindset, the more I’ve done the show.”

Certainly that celebration of the epic was appre-ciated by a sophisticated Saturday night crowd in a New York theatre one wintry night in February 2012—which pleased Ross greatly. “If somebody is willing to go out on a Saturday night to come see a one-man Lord of the Rings show,” Ross said, “That is what they want to do. They’re not being dragged along for a matinee they’re not sure about. They’re there because that’s how they want to spend their Saturday night. So, by virtue of just the time and the place and the fact that they’re here, it says they’re at least in some way savvy. Last night, given the number of people who had not only seen the films, watched the extended versions—all in one day—and read the book, I think that was a wonderful thing!”

Several months after that energy-charged New York performance, Ross was traversing the land-scape of Middle-earth for an audience comprised

of elves, hobbits, wizards, rangers, and even an Ent-wife or two. This was not the Golden Hall of King Théoden in Edoras but a lecture hall at Lough-borough University in England, and the denizens of Middle-earth were all costumed attendees of The Return of the Ring, an international conference con-ducted by the UK Tolkien Society in August 2012.

Performing for such an ardent—and expert—group of appropriately garbed Tolkien fans fulfilled a long held desire for Ross, who took time out from Scotland’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival for this exclu-sive presentation—an act which only made Mr. Ross more golden in the eyes of the conference attendees.

During the show, this well-versed audience await-ed each intriguing bit of spot-on characterization and fond parody with a participatory energy that had them bouncing in their seats. Ross happily en-gaged in his usual give and take with the audience, often acknowledging the group’s deep involvement not only with the story of The Lord of the Rings, but with Tolkien’s full corpus of work.

“It’s amazing to perform for an entire group that knows and loves this story so well,” Ross noted in his closing remarks that afternoon. And that par-ticular crowd returned Ross’s enthusiasm, labeling his performance with the definitive British adjective of appreciation: “Brilliant!”

Such spiritual symbiosis truly can only enhance this type of performance, something Ross has ac-knowledged. “I think I find myself drawing a closer relationship to the source material through meeting other people that have also shared the experience of feeling close to the story.”

That sense of closeness, of being stirred by the tale, has helped Ross in a particular way. “It inspires people to take a bit of a risk, because even in the case of Frodo or Bilbo—well, everybody took a risk. It even forced me to sometimes hope beyond hope,” he admitted. “When I was waiting for the per-forming rights from the Tolkien Estate to come into legal clarity for me, there were times when I felt as if I were just on my knees. But people were pulling me up and saying, ‘It’s going to be all right.’ And then sometimes I was the one trying to convince people

What die-hard Ringers often come away with after viewing Ross’s bravura perform-ance is not so much that they’ve seen a parody of a beloved film, but a very real sense that they’ve just watched another adaptation of the story, albeit one imbued with affection and humour.


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that the Tolkien estate representatives could only say no for so long. So, ultimately, doing this show is all about finding the connection that I have to the source material and then doing that source material, connected to other people.”

Getting the rights to perform what is both an amazing piece of theatre and a heartfelt tribute was, for Ross, a quest in itself—an end he visualized and a journey he took, like Frodo, on faith. “Now that I’m licensed by the Lord of the Rings folks, it’s a process of carrying the torch in a different way. It’s walking up to people who are true fans—but even more than true fans—rather, people who also want to become part of the legacy of it—and saying, ‘You can actually do it. Whether you’re dressing up, whether you’re making swords, whether you work for Peter Jackson, whether you … fill in the blank! It’s as simple as lov-ing something and having that love compel you to go out the door even if you don’t know where it might lead. But if your heart’s in the right place, it will eventually lead you to the place that you want to be—where you can become part of it’.”

Interestingly, this meditation of sorts echoes one of Tolkien’s early wishes for his mythology for England, that his story of Middle-earth “should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama” (Tolkien, Letters 145). Certainly, through his work, Ross has joined the story in a unique way, having, he notes, “a job that literally nobody else on the planet has. I have somehow become part of all of this.”

Tolkien’s works have resonated with millions of readers for over half a century, and with the phe-nomenal success of Jackson’s film adaptations, they are firmly entrenched in the popular imagination. Ross would concur with this observation, having re-flected, “I’ve always thought this type of perform-ance was sort of a part of an oral tradition—like being a bard.”

A bard, as we know, is a poet and an itinerant storyteller, one who wanders the length and breadth of the land engaging others with Tales That Really Matter. Charlie Ross, who travels the world offering all of Middle-earth in his hour upon the stage aptly fits the role. His deep and dynamic presentation of the material infuses the story and its myriad char-acters with a unique vigor and perspective, adding yet another panel to the mythological tapestry of Middle-earth, yet another chorus to the music of the Ainur, yet another telling of the tale.

And, as Ross himself would readily attest, for True Believers in the power and beauty of Middle-earth, that’s what Really Matters.

Works CitedOne Man Lord of the Rings. Written by Charlie Ross.

Directed by TJ Dawe. Midtown Theater, New York, New York. February 18th and 19th, 2012 performances.

One Man Lord of the Rings. Written by Charlie Ross. Directed by TJ Dawe. Barrow Hall. University of Loughborough campus. Loughborough, England. August 17th, 2012 performance.

Ross, Charlie. Personal interview. 19 February 2012.

Shakespeare, William. As You Like It. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: the Cambridge Text. London: Cambridge University Press, 1984 edition.

---. Hamlet. The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: the Cambridge Text. London: Cambridge University Press, 1984 edition.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Edited by Humphrey Carpenter with the assistance of Christopher Tolkien. New York: Houghton Mifflin paperback edition, 2000.

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,Q�DPRQJ�WKH�JLOO\ÁRZHUVEltha sits for hours and hours

hunting for the faery bowers

that hide amid the green.

The fae folk came to her one day

—Elthaleen will often say—

and asked her if she’d come away

with them to be their queen.

Though longing for that golden crown,

Eltha turned the faeries down

with scornful sigh, distaining frown

and such a haughty mien.

Expecting that the faeries, then,

would come and beg her once again

if she would serve as their sovereign,

this time she would agree.

(Text: 1 Corinthians 1:27, 28)

In Tolkien’s world, an ethic is infused,

both of this world, yet Biblically informed,

we are by, honest, Hobbit-folk amused,

DQG�EULHÁ\��KHDUWV�OLNH�LFH�DUH�VWUDQJHO\�ZDUPHG�Their battles fought are of an epic weight,

KRUULÀF�GHHGV�WKDW�VWDE�DW�KHDUW�DQG�PLQG�yet even through the mighty wall and gate,

some humble heroes pass of Hobbit-kind.

A Master of much lore, in pride, shall fall,

a Steward, chained to bitter grief, shall die,

a King rode to his death from Golden Hall,

yet lowly Hobbits lofty lords belie.

Those Hobbit-folk, in Tolkien’s scriptured eyes,

are simple, yes, but noble, strong, and wise.

A Sonnet for Hobbits

P.R. Miller

ElthaleenKris Swank

%XW�ZKHQ�WKHLU�SOHD�ZDV�ÀUVW�GHPXUUHG��the faeries took her at her word.

They asked no second time, nor third,

but slipped away unseen.

Eltha raged and then she cried

to have her golden dream denied,

and none to blame but her own pride

for what she might have been.

Now in the garden, day by day,

in among the gillies gay,

hunting for the folk of fae,

sits agèd Elthaleen.


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Escaping the Nursery: The Hobbit as a Coming-of-Age NovelJonathon D. Svendsen

Sometimes I like to get out of the comfort of my home when I write, and go to another place, just to help get my creative juices flowing. Along with the library, a favourite location of mine is a book store. I love to sit in the store’s coffee shop with my computer and type away at my latest work. Whenever I get writers block, I like to roam the store and just look through the shelves and see if anything catches my fancy. Many times, I like to go to the children’s section as I find they have com-plete and unabridged versions of classic literature without an endless selection of essays placed before and after the story. One thing that has always struck me is the fact that, in this section, one can often obtain a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit.

Just walk into any book store and you will see that is the case, be it Barnes and Noble or even your lo-cal independent book store—even Christian book stores are no stranger to this trend. Books like this, along with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, Alexander Dumas’ The Three Musketeers, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treas-ure Island, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, tales from Greek mythology, and the legends of King Ar-thur and his knights, are often placed here.

I’m never sure why. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact that the adults in power simply think that stories about ghosts, dragons, monsters, pirates, elves, heroes, and villains are meant only for children. Perhaps the idea of a story filled with

adventure and excitement feels irrelevant when you are working a nine-to-five job. Maybe when you are trying to pay your bills, maintain a marriage, or get the kids to soccer practice, books like this seem to have no place in your life, especially if the main character is easily mistaken for a beardless garden gnome (or even called an “elf” by those who don’t know any better).

However, most of these books are still read and loved by adults, who share them eagerly with their children. In his review of The Hobbit, C.S. Lewis wrote, “The Hobbit… will be funniest to its young-est readers, and only years later on a tenth or twen-tieth reading, will they begin to realize what deft scholarship and profound reflection have gone to make everything so right, so friendly, and in its own way, so true.”1

What is it that contributes to this quality of Tol-kien’s work? I contend that, while at its surface The Hobbit may appear to be a typical children’s book, it is something much more, something that allows it to speak to children and adults. There are three traits that The Hobbit has in common with the best children’s stories. Those traits are that The Hobbit is a bildungsroman; furthermore, as such, as the story progresses, there is a nostalgic look to a simpler time; and, finally, that the story reveals a greater sense of depth to it upon further readings.

1 Lewis, C.S. “The Hobbit.” Pg. 82. On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature. C. 2002.

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First is the bildungsroman aspect of the story. The term itself comes from the German word for a “for-mation novel.” According to Webster’s Dictionary, it is a “novel about the moral and psychological growth of the character.” In other words, it would be described as a “coming-of-age story”. Consider the journeys of such fictional characters as Huckle-berry Finn, D’Artagnan in The Three Musketeers, Jim Hawkins in Treasure Island, Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films, James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock in the recent Star Trek movie, or pretty much any superhero. When we first encounter the protagon-ists, they tend to have a naïve outlook about the world, and a simplistic attitude towards life. How-ever, over the course of their journeys, they grow in their wisdom and understanding of the world, and often develop new skills.

This is the case for Mr. Bilbo Baggins. When we first meet him in The Hobbit he is all of 50 years old, which, as any Tolkien aficionado knows, would place him well beyond his ‘tween years, or the awkward phase between childhood and the adult age of 33. At that point in his life, he is content to do nothing more than live a simple Hobbit life of eating several meals a day, enjoying fine ale, and smoking his pipe. When Gandalf happens by, Bilbo expresses no interest in adventures, and his

tone towards Gandalf’s invitation is almost reminiscent of someone trying to get rid of a door-to-door salesman (in Tolkien’s day) or, to use a more current analogy, an annoying telemarketer who calls during dinner.

Even the Dwarves don’t think much of him, and in fact very few in Middle-earth have any regard for Hobbits. According to The Sil-marillion, “And ere that day they had been held of small account by Elves and by Men, and neither Sauron nor any of the Wise save Mithrandir (Gandalf) had in all their counsels given any thought to them.”2 This is demonstrated in The Hobbit when the Dwarves question Gandalf’s choice, follow-ing the incident of Bilbo becoming lost in the caverns of the Goblins; Gandalf responds, “I brought him, and I don’t bring things that are

of no use.”3

Gandalf is more than aware, and even makes it clear on numerous occasions that there is more to Mr. Baggins than meets the eye. He is even aware of some things about Bilbo that even the little Hobbit himself is unaware of at the time. It gets to the point where even Gandalf admits that Hobbits can still surprise him a hundred years later. Dur-ing the first meeting with the Dwarves, their song awakens something “Tookish” inside him—a spirit of adventure.

Over the course of his adventure, Bilbo goes from being a reluctant Hobbit to a hero who has ridden on barrels, bested Gollum in a riddle game, battled Goblins, and even tricked Smaug. By the time of the events of Bilbo’s eleventy-first birthday in The Lord of the Rings, the events of his journey (along with the power of the One Ring) have affected him so much that he is no longer as content to dwell in the cozy little Shire. It is a fate that later overcomes Frodo after his own journey to Mordor.

Part of the reason the Hobbits (or at least the Baggins-es) are no longer content to just live an ordinary Hobbit life is because their view of the world, and their place

2 Tolkien, J.R.R. The Silmarillion. Pg. 303. C. 20013 Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. Pg. 92. C. 1996.


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in it, has

changed. They learn, as Gandalf

tells Bilbo, “You don’t really suppose,

do you, that all your adventures and es-

capes were mere luck, just for your sole benefit?...you

are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all!”4 How little? “The Hobbit was merely a frag-ment torn from the author’s huge myth…”5 and, in fact, Bilbo’s adventure only takes up a mere sen-tence towards the end of The Silmarillion, while Frodo and the entire War of the Ring takes up only four paragraphs. Their deeds, though important and noteworthy, are but one small part of a story that is much grander than they can fully compre-hend.

Keeping this knowledge into mind is one of the things that contribute to the second factor, the nos-talgic aspect of the story. Many of the classic books that are considered “children’s stories” have a nos-talgic factor. Consider Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Tom Sawyer or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. It is set at a time when the mighty Mississippi had yet to be tamed by technology, and a boy like Tom or Huck could easily build a raft and float on down the river. The legends of King Arthur have nostalgia for the days of chivalry, and lords, ladies, and knights in shining armour.

The Hobbit has a similar aspect to it, especially if considered in the larger scope of The Lord of the Rings. Bilbo’s journey is set at a time during Tol-kien’s legendarium when the One Ring of Power is lost and has been relegated to the stuff of legends. Sauron is only lingering in the Shadows,as a shadow, yet the eElves still dwell in Middle-earth. Furthermore, the only thing that motivates Bilbo is the desire to go “there and back again.” He doesn’t have the full weight of the world on his shoulders, as Frodo later does. When he Bilbo returns home,

the worst thing he has to contend with are his rela-tives selling off his home and possessions.

Contrast this with The Lord of the Rings. The One Ring has been found and, if it is not destroyed, then Sauron will rule all of Middle-earth. If it it is de-stroyed, then the Elves will depart the world. Frodo is not even sure whether he will return home, and all that motivates him is the burden of responsibil-ity, while Sam is motivated by his faithful love for his friend. Upon returning to the Shire, Frodo and com-pany find that Saruman, Grima and a band of Orcs have taken over the Shire. Rather thean just stopping an estate sale, they have to fight for their home.

The more one reads The Hobbit, the more they long for the simplicity of “the old days” of Middle -earth. Some would say that The Lord of the Rings is simple, with its battle between good and evil, but even within the sides of good in it, there are “grey” characters like Boromir. This is not the case with The Hobbit, as the focus of the narrative is not on a bat-tle between good and evil, but on the adventures of this reluctant hero. There may be some evil lurking in the shadows, but it remains hidden.

While this evil is hidden, it is something that, along with many other facets to the book, that contribute to the third and final defining factor of the book. The best children’s books have a greater depth to them, so much that it makes it worth revisiting the story over and over. Consider Huck Finn; on the surface, it is an adventure about a boy on the Mississippi, but further readings show the themes and messages of abolition, friendship, loyalty, and tolerance. Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol may look like a mere ghost story, but underneath it is a tale of redemption. The Three Musketeers seems to be a swashbuckling ad-venture, but deep down it is a critique of the French aristocracy. Even Roald Dahl’s classic James and the Giant Peach is about a boy who is orphaned and then abused emotionally, and verbally, if not physic-ally, by the aunts who become his guardians.

So too with The Hobbit. It easily looks like a chil-dren’s story, but deep down it is something much more, especially taken together with the rest of Tolkien’s mythology. There is a reason that the one tagline of the book reads “The Enchanting Prelude to The Lord of the Rings.” Much as a prelude in music or theatre sets the stage for the symphony or play to follow, so too does The Hobbit. Moments like Bilbo’s call to adventure from Gandalf, the find-ing of the Ring, the encounter with Gollum, and Thorin giving Bilbo the coat of Mithril, each event

4 Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Hobbit. Pg. 305. C. 1996.5 Lewis, C.S. “The Lord of the Rings.” Pg. 86. On Stories: And

Other Essays on Literature. C. 2002.

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helps establish the world in which the following subsequent drama will occur.

We also see hints when the Dwarves are taken prisoner in Mirkwood of the tensions between them and the Elves, something that makes the fu-ture friendship between Legolas the Elf and Gimli the Dwarf so much more poignant. We see them go from uneasy allies who have had a long family history of animosity, to two people whom, in the face of the final battle against the hordes of Mor-dor, say to each other (in the film adaptation of The Return of the King):

Gimli: I never thought I’d die side by side with an elf.Legolas: What about side by side with a friend?Gimli: Aye, I could do that.6

This helps cement their place in literature as one of the most important literary friendships, since their bond demonstrates that friendship can over-come historical and racial divisions.

In The Hobbit, readers can also see Gandalf dis-appearing to attend meetings with unseen allies. Who they are is unknown to readers only of The Hobbit, but we find out through the rest of Tol-kien’s legendarium that it is with the other mem-bers of an order called the White Council. We learn through Tolkien’s other works that this order con-sists of individuals like Galadriel, Elrond, and Saru-man. The subject of their discussion, we learn, is how to handle the re-emergence of Sauron; or, as he is referred to in the text of The Hobbit, “The Necromancer”. The War of the Ring does not take place in The Hobbit, but, much as thunder clouds roll in from the west, so too is the upcoming bat-tle with Sauron. The battle is imminent; it is only a matter of when it will arrive.

Even brief lines quickly glanced over at first con-ceal a deeper truth. Gandalf tells Bilbo that there are no heroes around in the vicinity of the Shire. Not only do we know that Bilbo, and later his nephew and companions will meet that requirement, but there are heroes around the Shire. Strider and the rangers are carefully guarding the Shire, watching over the Hobbits to ensure they can live their peace-ful lives without concern regard for the events oc-curring elsewhere in Middle-earth; events that they will soon be part of and that will shape the fate

of Middle-earth—events so crucial that not even Sauron, or even the very wisest of good beings like Gandalf, Elrond, or Galadriel could foresee them. the part the Hobbits would play.

This is something that Bilbo’s own first quest dem-onstrates to the members of his own company. Th-orin tells him, “There is more good in you than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage, and some wisdom, blended in measure.”7 Hobbits like Bilbo, despite their seemingly foolish ways, have an overwhelming sense of loyalty and a love for peace. As such, they are willing to do anything to help pre-serve that peace. They care nothing for power or wealth, and even Thorin admits that if there were more were like that who felt the same way, it would be a better world. Perhaps it is these qualities that make the Hobbits less susceptible to the powers of the Ring than other races, and maybe even made Frodo the best choice to take the Ring to Mordor.

Some would say it is easy to write a children’s book. This is true, if it is a “bad” children’s book. However, The Hobbit is in a special category, one that only the best books, books that are defined as classics, are destined to attain. From Bilbo’s coming of age, to the nostalgic factors of the book, to the depth of the story and the way it sets the stage for a much greater drama, The Hobbit is indeed one of the best books for children. If only more modern children’s books were like it, then, as to paraphrase Thorin, “it would be a merrier world.”8

SourcesLewis, C.S. “The Hobbit.” On Stories: And Other

Essays on Literature. Ed. Walter Hooper. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002. 81-82. Print.

Lewis, C.S. “Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.” On Stories: And Other Essays on Literature. Ed. Walter Hooper. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002. 83-90. Print.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Dir. Peter Jackson. WingNut Films, 2003. DVD.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. London: HarperCollins, 1996. Print.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Silmarillion. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. Wilmington: Mariner, 2001. Print.

7 Film. Jackson, Peter. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. 2003

7 Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. Pg. 290. C. 1996.8 Tolkien, J.R.R.. The Hobbit. Pg. 290. C. 1996.

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Halfling from the Shire

The road wound ever on and on

Out from his round, green door,

$QG�WKLV�EUDYH�KDOÁLQJ��KREELW"��WRRN�WKH�SDWKVThat few had walked before.

His tale is told in song and book,

And men in every land admire

The courage and the kind, good heart

2I �+DOÁLQJ�IURP�WKH�6KLUH�

A wizard knocking on his door

&KDQJHG�+DOÁLQJ·V�OLIH�IRU�JRRG�And soon this former homebody

Was tromping through the woods.

He battled orcs, escaped from wargs,

8SRQ�DQ�HDJOH�ÁHG�D�ÀUH�But it was riddles in the dark

%RXQG�+DOÁLQJ�IURP�WKH�6KLUH�

$Q�ROGHU�KDOÁLQJ��KREELW"��VKRUW�LQ�KHLJKW�He’d lived a quiet life.

The only blades his small hands knew

Were shears and kitchen knife.

And yet he learned to wield a blade

2I �VWHHO�ZKLFK�EXUQHG�ZLWK�D�EOXH�ÀUH�Soon doughty dwarves, who’d scoffed at him,

/RYHG�+DOÁLQJ�IURP�WKH�6KLUH�

He fought the spiders in dark woods,

Through their thick webs slicing.

He helped the dwarves escape the elves

Donning his Magic Ring.

He stole into the dragon’s lair,

+HOSHG�VDYH�D�WRZQ�IURP�UDJLQJ�ÀUH�With priceless stone a treaty made

%\�+DOÁLQJ�IURP�WKH�6KLUH�

Returning home to hearth and pipe

He thought his journeys done.

He settled down to write his book

And raise his cousin’s son.

A happy life... and yet a shade

Attached itself by unseen wire...

A Power unlocked from where it lay...

%\�+DOÁLQJ�IURP�WKH�6KLUH�

The long expected party came

To honor many years;

And feeling stretched while teasing guests -

323��+DOÁLQJ�GLVDSSHDUV�To venture forth to see the elves

:KHUH�ÀQDOO\�KH�ZRXOG�UHWLUH�Just one more journey left to take

)RU�+DOÁLQJ�RI �WKH�6KLUH�

But setting off to see the elves

He did a fateful thing:

A deed no one else had achieved --

+DOÁLQJ�JDYH�XS�WKH�5LQJ�Heroic deeds to others fell,

But to this one we should aspire --

To know when to let some things go...

/LNH�+DOÁLQJ�RI �WKH�6KLUH

Kathryn Darden

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Among the many great lessons that come from the Red Book of West-march is the one that teaches the value of pity, mercy, and compassion that various people give to Gollum. The care that comes from the heart is what makes the Quest to destroy the Ring possible. It starts with a lost and terrified hobbit in a dark tunnel, but it ends much later. While it is true that Bilbo’s pity rules the fate of many, it is another hobbit’s pity which rules the fate of all.

At the end of Bilbo’s chase after Gollum, the Ring-finder fights within himself one of the most important battles ever waged in Middle-earth. He finds that his would-be murder has unintentionally brought him to the exit, or at least as far as the miserable being is willing to go without risking capture by the goblins. Gollum then stops there, blocking Bilbo’s way, and detects by hearing and smell that the thief of his precious is near. In Bilbo’s desperation to escape with his life, he faces the temptation that, to do so, he must slay his adversary. Certainly this could be easily justified as self-defense. The world would know nothing of it. It would take a while for even the goblins to notice that their kind were no longer disappearing with the creature no longer around to eat them.

Luckily for Gollum and all Middle-earth, Bilbo still has the presence of mind to heed the presence of Ilúvatar. The impulse to kill Gollum disappears as fast as it comes. There is absolutely no reason to pity such a terrible thing, yet pity springs up in the Ring-finder’s heart and restrains his hand. Although not speak-ing specifically of The Hobbit, Richard Mathews notes, “Time and time again the spiritual decisions of the most consequence are faced by individuals alone” (Lightning from a Clear Sky 32). Bilbo intuitively understands what it means to love an enemy, as he feels for an instant the agony of one so long trapped in darkness with no way out. This realization turns Gollum from a feared enemy into a fellow human being with a tormented heart and soul.

What also helps Bilbo to decide is the fact that, although he knows Gollum wishes to kill him, the evil creature has not actually tried to do so. Bilbo bases his response, as Frodo does later, on what has happened, rather than give into fears of what might happen or even is likely to happen but has not occurred yet. "It

was

Pity

that

Stayed

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"A

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Mar

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azzo

lo

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The elder Baggins has once more laid some import-ant groundwork for the destruction of the Ring and the salvation of his future cousin and heir. No fore-knowledge of this moves his heart, however. Rath-er, he responds even more admirably, for he shows “mercy for mercy’s sake alone” (Ware, Finding God in The Hobbit 53; italics in original). Tolkien noted, “[Gandalf] did not mean to say that one must be merciful, for it may prove useful later—it would not then be mercy or pity, which are only truly present when contrary to prudence” (Letters 253).

Decades later, Gandalf and Aragorn seek long and hard for Gollum, but it is in vain until the Ran-ger providentially finds the hobbit’s footprints on the way home. Aragorn captures the creature and bring him to Mirkwood. Grace protects Gollum once more as the Elves watch over him. They treat him kindly because of Gandalf’s hope for his cure, and allow him some limited freedom.

During Frodo’s own battle between fear and mercy, he recalls Gandalf’s words at Bag End about Bilbo’s pity and his own lack of it. He had made it perfectly clear that he wished his uncle had killed Gollum, but Linda Greenwood observes what hap-pens as the Ring-bearer faces the creature himself:

The pity that Frodo shows Gollum is what brings mercy to himself. In his first meeting with Gollum, Frodo reverses his own desire to kill Gollum because of the fear he feels . . . . The compassion that is first shown by Bilbo, however, becomes the vehicle of Frodo’s salvation. At his first encounter with Gollum, pity over-turns Frodo’s initial wish for justice. As Frodo poises his sword at Gollum’s neck to prevent him from doing any more harm, his conversation with Gandalf so many days past comes wafting back to his mind. The prophetic words of Gandalf are the catalyst that stays Frodo’s hand . . . .

As these remembered words internally ring forth, Frodo lays down his sword. His desire for justice dies and he spares Gollum’s life. What is his motive? It seems to be a pure act of pity. His act is motivated by compassion. He acts with a mercy that demands and expects noth-ing in return, with the ‘Divine Gift-love’, which [C.S.] Lewis explains, enables a man ‘to love what is naturally unlovable . . .’ (Four Loves 128). (“Love: ‘The Gift of Death’” 178-179)

Frodo then speaks aloud to Gandalf, who, as far as he knows, is dead, and assures him that no harm will come to Gollum. The fear that caused the Ring-bearer to wish the wretched being dead has not left him, but what the wizard planted in the hob-bit’s heart months earlier now bears fruit. Frodo sees Gollum for the first time, not only with his own eyes but with those of Bilbo’s and Gandalf’s. Flem-ing Rutledge beautifully makes note of another set: “Sam and Frodo both ‘see’ Gollum, but only Frodo is enabled to see him as God sees him. That sort of sight, as all the Gospels make clear, can be granted only by the grace of God” (Battle for Middle-earth 198). The Ring-bearer’s view of Gollum completely changes at this moment, and he wants Gandalf to know it. With such testimony, Frodo proves what Gimli said at Rivendell about the giving of one’s word strengthening a trembling heart. Pity softens the Ring-bearer’s former hostility, stays his hand, and enables him to give his oath. In some dim way, he realizes “There but for the grace of God go I,” as St. Philip Neri said in a much later age. Like Bilbo, Frodo has no idea how momentous this decision is for himself and for all Middle-earth.

Faramir is the next to give mercy. He shows re-straint by not immediately slaying a possible adver-sary after the Rangers find Sméagol enjoying some fish at the Forbidden Pool. The man first seeks out Frodo, who begs for his guide’s life. He says the creature is not aware of the peril he is in and is in some mysterious way connected with the great task of the Ring. Frodo asks Faramir to allow him to go down to Sméagol, and offers his own life in ex-change if Gollum gets away. The Ring-bearer is es-sential to the Quest, yet he is willing to put himself in danger to save another who is also vital.

After the Rangers capture Gollum and bring him before Faramir, the man says that he has spared him, so far, because of Frodo’s plea. But he adds that he has to know for himself whether the crea-ture is worthy of escaping with his life after it should have been automatically forfeit. Bilbo, Frodo, and Faramir all look into Gollum’s soul and recognize the evil that dwells there, yet they all give mercy nonetheless. This gives the wretched hobbit further opportunity to repent and be cured.

After Frodo walks wearily but upright toward the fulfillment of his vocation at Mount Doom, Sam is

This is excerpted in great part from my book, Moments of Grace and Spiritual Warfare in The Lord of the Rings. For more details and how to order your copy, see below.


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left outside the Sammath Naur with Gollum. As it seemed for Bilbo in that dark tunnel long ago, to kill such an evil creature appears the only prudent thing to do. But something keeps Sam’s wrath in check, just as something kept Bilbo’s fear from overwhelm-ing him—the same something actually. After pity can no longer stir Frodo’s heart, it reaches Sam’s because the gardener held the Ring himself and felt a small degree of the agony that each Bearer en-dures. This tremendous moment of growth for Sam bears within it the final good fruit coming from the torment that the young hobbit felt after his mas-ter’s apparent death. He does not hate Gollum any less, but he spares him out of newborn compas-sion and freely wills to let him live. The extension of mercy at this critical moment is the pinnacle of all that Sam has done for Frodo and the culmination of all that was given previously by Bilbo, the Mirk-wood Elves, Frodo, and Faramir. Had just one of these not performed their own act, Sam would not have had his opportunity to choose to do the same. The pity of Bilbo does indeed rule the fate of many, but ultimately the pity of Sam rules the fate of all. All of his myriad other sacrifices have brought him and Frodo this far, but another one is necessary to fulfill the Quest. If Sam had not given up his desire for Gollum’s death, everything else he and Frodo did could have proved vain. But Sam does not act from any of this any more than Bilbo did in his own

equally momentous decision. Only the writer of the story knows the consequences of both choices and the others that have come in between.

Mercy, pity, and compassion save Frodo at the Fire after the Ring claims him. He receives what he had freely given. Love is a choice. Pity is a choice. Mercy is a choice. The entire Quest relied on giv-ing these to one not deserving of it, but receiving it anyway. Bilbo gave it from his heart. Frodo did so as well after learning how to from Gandalf. Faramir gave it because Frodo begged for it. If just one of them—especially Sam—had not the Quest would have failed. How very much relied on this as each built on what others had done and at the pleading of others. Tolkien noted that

. . . the ‘salvation’ of the world and Frodo’s own ‘salvation’ is achieved by his previous pity and forgiveness of in-jury. . . . To ‘pity’ [Gollum], to forbear to kill him, was a piece of folly, or a mys-tical belief in the ultimate value-in-itself of pity and generosity even if disastrous in the world of time. [Gollum] did rob him and injure him in the end—but by a ‘grace’, that last betrayal was at a pre-cise juncture when the final evil deed was the most beneficial thing any one cd. have done for Frodo! By a situa-tion created by his ‘forgiveness’, he was saved himself, and relieved of his bu-rden. (Letters 234; italics in original)

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Another powerful lesson about pity and mercy oc-curs after Frodo, Sam, Merry, and Pippin return to the Shire and encounter the Chief of the ruffians at Bag End. On the way there, Merry counsels his cousin not to be gentle with this leader, who turns out to be none other than Saruman. Frodo does not take Merry’s advice even after the wizard murder-ously assaults him. Sam is hot for retribution, but the Ring-bearer says that, no matter what, he does not want any aggressive action taken. Rather than respond with like violence, he forgives his attacker without anger or hate and as quickly as Sam has forgiven him his own trespasses. Frodo has learned much about the power of this during the Quest. His active but peaceful resistance to Saruman’s violence is as effective a barrier to harming him as the mith-ril coat. Clyde Kilby remarks that this compassion “surpasses the norm of ordinary morality. It has the quality of mercy such as Portia calls ‘an attribute of God himself’” (“Mythic and Christian Elements in Tolkien,” Myth Allegory and Gospel 137). Grace gives the Ring-bearer this mercy, and the strength to extend it. Even if the wizard had been success-

ful and Frodo’s lifeblood had been poured out, one knows that his radical words of forgiveness and for-biddance of revenge would have been the same.

Works CitedGreenwood, Linda. “Love: ‘The Gift of Death’.” In

Tolkien Studies Volume II: An Annual Scholarly Review, ed. Douglas Anderson, Michael D.C. Drout and Verlyn Flieger. Morgantown,WV: West Virginia UP, 2005: 171-195.

Kilby, Clyde S. “Mythic and Christian Elements in Tolkien.” In Myth, Allegory and Gospel: An Interpretation of J.R.R. Tolkien/C.S. Lewis/G.K. Chesterton/Charles Williams, ed. John Warwick Montgomery. Minneapolis, MN: Bethany Fellowship, 1974: 119-143.

Mathews, Richard. Lightning from a Clear Sky. San Bernardino, CA: Borgo Press, 1978.

Rutledge, Fleming. The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien’s Divine Design in The Lord of the Rings. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2004.

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. Humphrey Carpenter. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2000.


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What is HobbitCon?A gathering of fans to celebrate their love of the

films and the book. It was held Friday, 30th March to Sunday, 1st April 2013

The event was run by the same organisers as Ring-Con, the annual fantasy convention held at the Hotel Maritim in Bonn, Germany. Whereas RingCon is now a celebration of many different fandoms, HobbitCon was purely for fans of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and J.R.R. Tolkien. This is always a great crowd to be part of, and creates a brilliant atmosphere.

There were lectures, workshops, a dealers hall and, of course, celebrity guests. Most of the lectures were held in German, the first language of the ma-jority of the guests. As my German is very limited, despite my attempts to learn it, I cannot write much about the lectures. However, I heard from other at-tendees that many specialists, experts, and authors held very interesting panels, discussions, debates, and talks.

There were singing, dance, and stunt workshops for those who have ever wanted to learn to sing like an Elf, dance Hobbit-style, or throw a punch at an Orc. Whatever attendees wanted to learn, this convention had it covered. The results of the work-shops were showcased at the closing ceremony, but I’ll write more on that later.

The main attraction tended to be the actor pan-els held in the main hall, where the actors were nice enough to come and talk to the fans about their filming experiences. They provided their own unique view on their characters and storylines, told funny stories from behind the scenes, and answered our questions.

HobbitCon ReportAbigail Fielder

The actors at HobbitCon were:

yEight dwarves and one wizard made for lots of

laughs and antics! The actors were all brilliant, even though for many of them it was their first experi-ence at a big convention. They were all genuinely funny and played off each other very well, often invading the stage when the others were talking, or heckling from the audience.

They all did solo talks and then group panels, often arranged in their dwarf family groups (e.g. Ori, Nori, Dori). When together, they seemed to re-vert a little into character, especially Dori and his “mother hen” personality.

Jed Brophy, as a very physical actor/stunt person, used his body as much as his words when on stage; there were many flips, splits, falls, and a little bit of moonwalking.

Graham McTavish brought one of his Dwalin pros-thetic arms with him and allowed a couple of fans up on stage to try it on. He then proceeded to tell quite a disgusting story about wearing the pros-thetics involving talcum powder and sweat.

Mark Ferguson was the Master of Ceremonies; it was his job to regulate the panels by making sure everyone got a fair chance to ask a question, to


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make sure the questions were appropriate, and to fill any silences with his own questions.

Mark was the actor who portrayed Gil-Galad very briefly in The Lord of the Rings, and has been part of RingCon since the beginning. He also took part in some very funny games with the actors.

Sylvester McCoy was a very memorable part of the convention, as he certainly had his own way of working. He wouldn’t stay on the stage—to the despair of the MC—but insisted on moving around the hall, giving out hugs, dancing with fans, and playing the spoons. He definitely evoked his eccen-tric portrayal of Radagast.

Another highlight of the convention, for me, were the panels by the two guests from Weta Workshop, Daniel Falconer and Paul Tobin. Both were very pas-sionate and enthusiastic about their part in the cre-ation of Weta’s amazing special effects, props, and costumes. They were also very humble about their contributions, often saying they had the best job in the world because they get to play around in their favourite fantasy worlds.

They held talks about the design of the dwarves and about the Weta Collectible range. They were also promoting White Cloud Worlds, a book of sci-fi and fantasy artwork by New Zealand artists.

Another main attraction of HobbitCon was the costumes. Many of the attendees spent months making their outfits, and there were some beauti-ful creations—everything from exquisite dresses to detailed armour.

I think the prize for best costume went to a very realistic Thorin who was, in fact, a lady—one of the many bearded women at the convention. I did not make new costumes for HobbitCon, but re-used ones I already had: an Elven gown for one day, and an Ithilien ranger for the next.

One of the big events was the night-time con-cert and party. Tommy Krappweis & Harpo Speaks was the band playing in the main hall on Saturday night. They did excellent covers, as well as some of their own songs.

Night time at the piano bar was where most of the socialising happened. Elven braids were let down and there were a few slightly inebriated dwarves, since the bar served cocktails with such names as“Gollum/Smeagol.” Some of the actors came down to spend more time with the fans,and by the end of the night you really didn’t think any-thing of seeing Fili and Kili dancing to Carly Rae Jep-sen’s “Call Me Maybe,” or doing the Macarena with Thorin and a few bearded dwarf women.

The dealer’s hall was the place to get souven-irs, merchandise, and collectibles—everything from hand-painted Chucks to charm bracelets, swords to shoulder dragons. I came away with a beautifully etched copper journal featuring the design of the doors of the Mines of Moria, and a replica of Boro-mir’s Gondorian flag.

The closing ceremony was the grand finale of the weekend. Anything learned at the workshops was shown to the audience with dance and singing per-formances and a big stunt sketch. The main char-acter was a stunt person dressed as Azog from the Hobbit movie. A very good make-up job and his own muscles made for quite the menacing and real char-acter, but he was defeated by a hobbit in the end!

The actors had arranged a surprise for the fans at the end of the ceremony after the thank-yous and goodbyes. All the lights went down, except for one red backlight, and the actors that played the Dwarves gathered round to sing the “Misty Moun-tain” song. It was unexpected, and the perfect end to the weekend—very haunting, it sent a few chills down my spine!

If you like meeting up with other fans and cele-brating the films, then HobbitCon is the perfect event—but maybe learn to speak German for next time, so you can take part in the lectures. F

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Pippin Took is called a fool, and rightfully so. He sets off on with Frodo (and later the Fellowship), without true understanding of the danger that he and his friends face. He sets off without true under-standing of the power of Sauron and the One Ring. His presence in the company is debated by the wise and initially he is denyed a place among those who would set out for Orodruin. Little value can be seen in how he will aid them in their terrible task.

Nothing could be further from the truth. While it is true that Pippin is no great warrior, nor is he knowledgable of the hidden roads and secret pass-es that will be taken. He is not wise to the powers of the Enemy. But the young hobbit (still in his tweens at the time of the Red Book of Westmarch) has a virute that goes often unseen and underestimated. It is the virtue of the fool. It is the virtue of the un-wise. It is optimism.

Pippin is earnest in his dedication to both his friends and to the company. He sets forth from both the Shire and the Rivendell without under-standing the weight of the task he is undertaking. Many would say he does this because he does not understand the nature of Frodo’s quest. I would call this a bit shortsighted, but I do not necessar-ily disagree. While it is true he doesn’t understand,

it’s not because he’s an idiot that these things do not enter into his thoughts. There is a deeper, more noble reason for his ignorance.

It’s because they do not matter to him. He does not take time to consider them because in his mind, it’s not important. What is important is that his friends need him. They need his company and his faith. They need a fool by their side.

The fool is someone who is willing to set mat-ters of great difficulty to chance. The fool is willing to take impossible tasks upon himself and set forth with a singular belief that he will succeed. How will he succeed? Well, he’s not considered that, because it does not matter. The fool sets out without a plan, but confident that all will be set right. He realizes, perhaps not conciously, that all will be as it should be and that he has a part in this accomplishment. The fool sets out with the greatest weapon pos-sible against all the terrors of the world: hope. More importantly, this hope is so deeply imbedded in it never crosses his mind that all may come to ruin. A positive result is the only outcome in the mind of the fool. There is no other way.

Gandalf once said, “There’s never was much hope. Only a fool’s hope.” I would argue that there is no greater hope than that of the fool.

“Anyways, you need people of intelligence on this sort of… mission… quest… thing.”

Peregrin “Pippin” Took, The Fellowship of the Ring (film)

Fool of a TookJames Spahn

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He who does best is most worthy.—These simple yet laudatory words come down to us from the fourteenth century, voiced by Geoffroi de Charny, knight of France. (Charny 52) In his Book of Chivalry, he lays out his philosophy of knight-hood, telling the members of the Company of the Star what it means to follow the chivalric ideal as a life’s work. Most likely written at the behest of Jean II of France when the Company was created in 1352, Charny’s work gives the reader an intim-ate view of how best to become—and remain—a worthy warrior.

Though this unique tome was meant to be a guide for chivalric behavior for knights of medieval France, echoes of Charny’s ideal chivalric knight, the preud-omme (i.e., the worthy man) survived into the twentieth century in J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic novel The Lord of the Rings (and in the twenty-first century film trilogy incar-nation of the story as well) in the characters of Frodo Baggins, Ringbearer, and Faramir, Captain of Gondor’s guard. Both heroes, committed as they are to the greater good and willing to sacrifice all to preserve it, epitomize in this classic work of fiction what Charny was attempting to promote and preserve among the knightly class.

“I think at last we understand one another, Frodo Baggins,” Faramir says to Frodo at a definitive moment in the filmed version of The Two Towers. Having witnessed something of Frodo’s physical and psychological suffering under the burden of the Ring, including the pursuit of the Ringbearer by the dreaded Nazgul, Faramir at last sees Frodo not as a pawn used and pursued by Powers greater than Man or Hobbit, but as a warrior worthy, and so a kindred spirit in the lists of knighthood. (Scene 60 ; Jackson’s TTT)

The unassuming hobbit is here revealed as part of a select company who, accord-ing to Charny, “double the good to be found in them, when from their own in-stinct and the will for good which God has given them, … know what is right and spare neither themselves nor what they own in their effort to achieve it.” (Charny 56) With this statement, Charny identifies “How the Highest Standard in Deeds of Arms is Achieved” (Charny 55) and while he is here essentially praising physical prowess and piety in such a knight, Frodo, over the course of the Quest, becomes Fr

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enlarged enough in spiritual prowess in fighting his internal battle with the Ring to qualify.

Indeed, before he even sets out from the Shire at Gandalf’s urging, Frodo states: “I suppose I must keep the Ring and guard it, at least for the present, whatever it may do to me.” (Tolkien FOTR 60) And upon deeper reflection, he adds, “I should like to save the Shire, if I could …” (61), announcing his willingness to serve a high-er cause. In the film, the same moment is cap-tured even more compellingly by a Frodo who stands in his comfortable parlor at Bag End and with a simple closing of his hand over the Ring offers himself to Middle-earth with the words: “What must I do?” (Scene 10; Jackson’s FOTR).

Surely Charny would extol such words as em-blematic of one possessed of “pure simplicity of heart… (one who) would scarcely know how to do wrong, even if (he) wanted to do so, for (he is himself) so innocent.” (Charny 80).

And while Faramir, battle-weary Captain of Gondor, may not generally be seen as innocent

to the ways of the world, he embodies the ideal of being “pure of heart” when in the book he pro-claims of Isildur’s Bane (i.e., the Ring):

I would not take this thing, if it lay by the highway. Not were Minas Tirith fall-ing in ruin and I alone could save her, so using the weapon of the Dark Lord for her good and my glory. No, I do not wish for such triumphs, Frodo, son of Drogo. (Tolkien TTT 656)

Such a declaration places Faramir in vivid contrast with his older brother Boromir, a member of the Fellowship who falls prey to the lure of the Ring and tries to take it from Frodo, despite having vowed to protect the Ringbearer. Faramir, who would recog-nize himself (though modestly) in Charny’s depic-tion of a “True Man of Worth, Brave and of Good Counsel” (82) and so marked to be a captain of other men-of-arms, still knows his brother to be of a deeper martial vein than he, more overtly heroic, and so, ironically, more prone to the Ring’s allure:

If it were a thing that gave advantage in battle, I can well believe that Boromir, the proud and fearless, often rash, ever anxious for the victory of Minis Tirith (and his own glory therein), might de-sire such a thing and be allured by it. Alas that ever he went on that errand! (Tolkien TTT 656)

Faramir might instead sense a kinship with the Englishmen of Agincourt, who Shakespeare’s Henry V named “warriors for the working day,” ready to defend their own but not kin to those who forever seek the field of battle. Certainly Charny would agree, noting that those who “serve their friends and kinsmen … and have done well in this art of war—even if it were only in their own district—should be honored among all men in their own locality.” (Charny 49)

In desiring to protect their kith and kin, Faramir and Frodo are alike, but there is irony to be found in the fact that the cosmopolitan Faramir, raised in the splendor of an ancient capital of might and learn-ing, should actually have less experience of the wider world than does Frodo, the country-bred hobbit who has been marked by Fate to go a-questing. Both are bookish and curious; indeed both are known to have been a certain “wizard’s pupils” (Tolkien ROTK 795), but only Frodo proves a different kind of knightly mettle by “undertaking distant journeys” and so would win Charny’s additional praise.

“We should … honor those who have been on distant journeys to foreign parts,” Charny notes, “for no one can travel so far without being many times in physical danger.” (Charny 51) Certainly Frodo’s relentless march to Mount Doom, a flight out of safety and into savagery, qualifies.

Indeed, such experiences as those that sear Frodo’s heart and soul, are indicated by Charny as part and parcel of the “Heavy Responsibilities … of Rank and Power” (Charny 60). All can learn, must learn, much from the:

…great achievements and honorable deeds of valor… which they have accom-plished through suffering great hardship, making strenuous efforts and endur-ing fearful physical perils and the loss of friends whose deaths they have wit-nessed …; these experiences have often filled their hearts with great distress and strong emotion. (Charny 61)

With each step of the quest, Frodo becomes more like Charny’s ideal of the preudomme, growing more resolute, determined, and even stoic than his idyllic days in the Shire would ever have predicted he could be. His simple report of the death of Gandalf: One, we lost in Moria …(Scene 40; Jackson’s TTT), while succinct, is yet filled with hidden layers of emotion known only to those who have seen War.


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When taking each other’s measure, Frodo and Faramir allow us to see knightly courtesy come to life. Initially, each has very little reason to trust the other. Frodo, fearing that Faramir may prove to be as warlike and ambitious as the brother who tried to kill him for the Ring, instinctively holds back his secrets. Faramir, with the finely-honed intuition of a seasoned captain, senses that this Halfling, a being out of legend and prophecy, is more than what he appears to be. And yet, the two deal well togeth-er, displaying discretion and courtesy toward each other, even in Faramir’s circumspect interrogation of the Ringbearer.

Charny notes that “the wise know how to hold their peace until it is time to speak,” (Charny 71) and in the flickering light of the campfire, Frodo is careful to tell “no lies, and all of the truth (he) could.” (Tolkien TTT 654). Faramir appreciates this, judging it to be the proper chivalric conduct for the situation. When Sam, ever the impatient squire and equally ever quick to rise to his master’s defense, accuses Faramir of suspecting Frodo of murder, this Captain of Gondor is a model of Charny’s “Good Ruler,” (Charny 79) honest and just, telling Sam:

“Patience!” said Faramir, but without anger. “Do not speak before your mas-ter, whose wit is greater than yours. …I spare a brief time, in order to judge justly in a hard matter. Were I as hasty as you, I might have slain you long ago. …But I do not slay man or beast need-lessly, and not gladly even when it is needed. Neither do I talk in vain. So be comforted. …” (Tolkien TTT 650)

Here certainly is proof of Frodo’s estimation of Faramir in relation to Boromir: that this younger son who now detained him in a military camp, though much like Boromir in looks, “was a man less self-regarding, both sterner and wiser.” (650) Charny would praise the Gondorian as a knight rightly placed in authority over others, for Faramir behaves at all times “with due humility and without arro-gance … showing mercy, without excessive pride and ferocity.” (Charny 78)

The ability—indeed, the willingness—to employ pity and mercy is one of the key qualities found in Charny’s model of the Worthy Man as Ruler (Charny

77). Nowhere is this more in evidence in The Lord of the Rings than in Frodo’s treatment of Gol-lum, whom he attempts to reform as best he can, even to restoring the creature’s birth name (i.e., Sméagol)—and therefore some dignity—to him.

Though ever-wary Sam feels justified in tying up this “ wretched gangrel creature” (Tolkien TTT 643) with Elven rope and leaving him to the elements, Frodo belays the attempt, stating, “Maybe he does deserve to die. But now that I see him, I do pity him.” (Scene 3; Jackson’s TTT). Thereafter, at every twist and turn in the tale before the baleful influ-ence of the Ring consumes him, Frodo, knowing Sméagol to be a dark mirror of what he himself could yet become, tries valiantly to be less “eager to deal out death in the name of justice … for even the wise cannot see all ends.” (Tolkien TTT 601) Even in the face of danger, this best of hobbits personi-fies the true and deep qualities of the chivalrous knight, echoing in his behavior Charny’s words of litany: He who does best is most worthy.

Frodo’s inherent chivalrous nature is also displayed in his honoring of the bonds of fealty, revealed, iron-ically enough, through his connection to Gollum, who “swears to serve the master of the Precious.” (Scene 3; Jackson’s TTT) Stepping between the threat of a deadly accurate Gondorian arrow and his Ring-poisoned doppelganger, Frodo pleads for Sméagol’s life, knowing that “the servant has a claim on the master for service.” (Tolkien TTT 672)

“This creature is bound to me,” Frodo reveals to a shocked Faramir, “and I to him. He is our guide. Please …let me go down to him.” (Scene 42; Jackson’s TTT)

In this way does Frodo, the True and Worthy Knight, display his awareness of chivalric obligation to those in his care—even a creature as repellant as Gollum. This is in keeping with Charny’s precept that the Good Ruler “should not despise any poor people (or, in Frodo’s case, the wretched in his care), … nor disdain to listen to them.” (Charny 78)

Faramir, noble son of his city’s Ruling Steward, understands such obligations and, in the book in an extensive scene heavy with ceremonial language, re-leases the accursed hobbit back into Frodo’s keeping:

Faramir sat for a moment in thought. “Very good” he said at last. “I surrender you to your master, to Frodo son of Dro-

And what is the highest act of service a worthy knight can perform? What can he give to show the Truth at his core? The answer is: everything.

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go. Let him declare what he will do with you!” (Tolkien TTT 675)

Another ceremonial mark of One Worthy and of high rank, according to Charny, is that such a personage “should make sure that God be feared, loved, served and honored in word and deed wher-ever they are.” (Charny 79) This maxim is readily illustrated by Faramir when he and his men turn and face west in a moment of silence and direct Frodo and Sam to do likewise. Noting the hobbits’ confusion, Faramir explains:

“So we always do. … We look towards Númenor that was, and beyond to Elev-enhome that is, and to that which is be-yond Elvenhome and will ever be. …” (Tolkien TTT 661)

Faramir here alludes to the Valar, the high angelic Powers that watch over Middle-earth in a kind of stewardship for Eru (i.e., the One) or as the Elves name him, Ilúvatar (Father-of-All). But Frodo has his moment of piety as well when he is confronted with the primal horror of Shelob, last and most dread daughter of Ungoliant, a dark demon from the Elder Days of Middle-earth. A bloated she-devil in spider form, Shelob lives in darkness, breathes darkness, vomits darkness, is darkness. And Frodo does battle by brandishing a star-glass, the Phial of Galadriel, in which the light of the star Eärendil (i.e., Venus) is captured in the purest of water. Aiya Eärendil Elenion Ancalima! (Hail Eärendil, brightest of stars!), he cries as a blaze of starlight pierces the darkling depths of Shelob’s Lair. (704)

This Elvish cry, a spontaneous, inspired invocation to the powers of heaven for deliverance, would have met with Charny’s approval as an example of true religious fervor in battle. The weapon, a gift from the Elven Queen Galadriel (who has oft been identi-fied even by Tolkien as a Mary figure), is a sacred object infused with light and grace. Thus is Frodo so identified with the worthies of Charny’s world “who love, serve, and honor God and His gentle Mother” (Charny 80), knowing that not by themselves but “by God’s grace, they perform well.” (Charny 56)

He who does best is most worthy. And what is the highest act of service a worthy knight can perform? What can he give to show the Truth at his core? The answer is: everything. This Faramir offers when he rides out to do battle on the Pelennor Fields, despite Gandalf’s entreaties to stay.

“Where does my allegiance lie if not here?” Far-amir asks of Gandalf, of himself. “I will gladly give

my life to defend her beauty, her memory, her wis-dom.” (Scene 28; Jackson’s ROTK) And in this riding forth, leading a charge, a very tidal wave of knights a-horseback, Faramir is the epitome of a Worthy who would defend his people, who would accept the “hard martyrdom” (Charny 35) of the chivalric ideal.

But what of Frodo? Faramir, Son of Númenor, Captain of Gondor’s guard, may gallop o’er a storied battlefield, shield and sword blazing in the sun, to give his all for his people. Frodo, however, in crawling up the face of Mount Doom, his very life essence seeming to pour into the earth, gives himself for all people. (Scene 65; Jackson’s ROTK)

And at the penultimate moment when Frodo stands above the fiery abyss of the Cracks of Doom, he is become the sacrifice on the burning altar of the Quest. Hard martyrdom, indeed.

He who does best is most worthy. And is rewarded, Charny would say, “ with honor

in this world, leading the soul into paradise in the next to take (his) place in that glorious company which will continue for ever in bliss without end.” (Charny 105)

Indeed, the Blessed Realm awaits the Ringbearer at the end of the tale, offering him a place of repose to better understand “his position in littleness and in greatness.” (Tolkien Letters 328), of sacrifice and salvation for all.

Yes. It is so. He who does best is most worthy. Amen.

Works CitedDe Charny, Geoffroi. A Knight’s Own Book of Chivalry.

Translated by Elspeth Kennedy. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2005.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Extended Edition. Dir. Peter Jackson. DVD. New Line Home Entertainment, 2002.

The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Extended Edition. Dir. Peter Jackson. DVD. New Line Home Entertainment, 2003.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Extended Edition. Dir. Peter Jackson. DVD. New Line Home Entertainment, 2004.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Edited by Humphrey Carpenter with the assistance of Christopher Tolkien. New York: Houghton Mifflin, paperback edition, 2000.

--- The Lord of the Rings. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1994.

F


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Dark…Night!

Four hobbit lads set out.

The air it made them shiver,

The moon was just a sliver.

Sneak…Quiet!

There was no one about.

They crept along the hedgerow,

Staying quiet and keeping low.

Hoo…Hoot!

A strange noise in the night.

An old owl in a tree top,

Had startled them to a stop.

Look…See!

Lights shining through the trees.

The farmer’s house was alight,

But their goal was now in sight.

Go…Quick!

So little time to pick.

There were mushrooms all around.

The youngsters grabbed all they found.

Bark!… Bark!

The farm dogs were awake.

)RXU�KREELW�ODGV�WRRN�WR�ÁLJKW�Running quickly through the night.

Run!… Run!

This wasn’t so much fun.

Racing frightened down the lane,

Safely home they hoped to gain.

Hip!… Hooray!

“We whistled all the way.

Found the mushrooms in the park,

And bravely walked in the dark.

Nothing frightened us at all!”

Well, that’s the story they told to all.

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The Golden Tree�� Fortinbras Proudfoot ��

On the side of the hill, an elderly couple sat on a small bench under a small tree, watching their grandchildren play with cousins and friends on the Party Field in the shade of the great golden tree. Laughter and squeals of delight drifted up from the field below as the children chased one another and ran about on the soft green grass.

Planted years ago to replace a tree felled by thoughtless men, the golden tree had grown to great proportions and was renowned far and wide. It was said that the tree was magical and brought good fortune to those who walked or sat beneath its branches. Over the years, young lovers had de-clared their love under its silver boughs, and many had been married in its shade.

As the elderly husband’s thoughts went back to a time long ago, his wife placed her head on his shoulder. He thought of a distant time in a distant land where many such trees had thrived in a magical forest. The White Lady who lived in that forest had given him a small grey box decorated with one silver rune, a ‘G.’ Within the box lay a seed in special fine dust. Through many dangers, he carried that box and brought it back to his beloved home. He planted the seed near the stump of the old Party Tree, and a beautiful tree

with silver bark and golden blossoms quickly grew in its place.

It was now a matter of legend that when the tree bloomed in the following year, all the surrounding countryside became golden from the flowers that grew; and in that first spring when the tree blos-somed, many children were born who were fairer than those of previous years. In subsequent years, the children born seemed to have a special quality never before seen, and many had golden hair.

As though she had read his thoughts, his wife raised her head and looked into his eyes and whispered, “You brought magic and beauty

home with you.”He looked into her eyes and

saw starlight there, and on her lips was that youthful smile he had loved since he was very young.

He replied with a smile, “I came home to magic and beauty.”

She closed her eyes and kissed him lovingly on his lips; a kiss as

loving as their first kiss many years before.

Then she placed her head back on his shoulder and held his hand in hers.

They both smiled and felt young love again, as they watched their grandchildren playing with cousins and friends on the Party Field in the shade of the great golden tree.


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My drawing, ‘Frodo walking under Starlight,’ has its origin in a paragraph near the beginning of ‘The Shadow of the Past,’ the second chapter of The Fellowship of the Ring. Frodo went tramping over the Shire with his companions, Peregrin Took and Meriadoc Brandybuck; but more often he wan-dered by himself and, to the amazement of sensible folk, he was sometimes seen far from home, walk-ing in the hills and woods under the starlight.

To set the context, the first chapter, ‘A Long-Ex-pected Party,’ ended with Bilbo’s disappearance at the birthday party and his confrontation with Gandalf in Bag End about leaving the Ring behind, followed by Bilbo’s departure from the Shire and Frodo’s discovery that Bilbo had left him the Ring. The next day, in response to Gandalf’s questions, Frodo said that he knew nothing more about the Ring than what Bilbo had told him. Gandalf, in turn, warned Frodo that he had begun to have fears about the Ring, and urged him not to use it—at least, in any way that would cause talk or arouse suspicion—and to ‘Keep it secret, keep it safe!’ Then, to Frodo’s dismay, Gandalf informed him that he would be going away immediately, but that he would return to visit him when he could. Gandalf said he hoped to have more information upon his return. The last sentence in the chapter says that Frodo did not see him again for a long time.

In addition to this parting is the backstory of Frodo’s life with Bilbo at Bag End. To my knowledge, there is no specific age mentioned at which Frodo

became an orphan—only that he was a child at the time. Soon after, Bilbo adopted him and brought him to Bag End, where he no doubt grew up hearing about his famous uncle’s adven-tures. Bilbo’s knowledge of the outside world became part of Frodo’s upbringing. He learned of Dwarves, Elves, Trolls, distant places and remote events. He learned something of the history of Middle-earth and a bit of the Elvish languages. Later, when Frodo heard Gildor and his com-panions singing on the road near Woody End he recognized that they were High Elves because they spoke the name of Elbereth. Because of this, one would have to assume that he knew something of Valinor, the Valar and the return of the Noldor to Middle-earth.

The opening paragraphs of ‘The Shadow of the Past’ reveal some more information about Frodo. It states than in the years after Bilbo’s departure from the Shire, Frodo began to carry on Bilbo’s reputa-tion for oddity. He refused to go into mourning, and threw Bilbo a birthday party each year. Also, he lived alone, as Bilbo had done; but he had a good many friends, especially among the younger hobbits. His closest friends were Peregrin Took and Merry Brandybuck, and Frodo went tramping over

Frodo WalkingUnder StarlightDan Hollingshead

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the Shire with them; but, more often, he wandered by himself. To the amazement of sensible folk, he was sometimes seen far from home walking in the hills and woods under the starlight. Merry and Pip-pin suspected that he visited Elves at times—as Bilbo had done.

To me, these are all windows into Frodo’s charac-ter. His knowledge of the outside world was prob-ably very incomplete; but if one knows the name of Elbereth, wouldn’t they want to walk alone under the stars at night and wonder about the Star-Kindler, and the One who taught her the music? Frodo was unique in the Shire, with his knowledge of the out-side world, and Gandalf’s dark hints about the Ring no doubt weighed on his mind; and yet he was a

hobbit—he loved the Shire, the quiet life, and the comfort of Bag End.

He didn’t realize it yet, but he had a high destiny ahead of him that would place him in a very select company of heroes in the history of Middle-earth. All this is to conclude that during the 16 or 17 years between Bilbo’s departure and Gandalf’s return with a way to test the One Ring, Frodo had plenty to think about. It would seem that alone, under the starlight and miles from home, was one of the best ways for him to do it.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this ‘picture’ is what I have had in my mind for some time, with all of these thoughts behind it. F


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The Lake Poets, the Bloomsbury Group, the American Expatriates. There is a certain glamour to literary circles that holds sway even over those who have never read a word inspired by these associations. Perhaps the lure is in the image of friendships based on passion and ideas, friendships that live on in paper and ink even if friends quarrel, grow apart, and even-tually pass on. J.R.R. Tolkien was part of an informal circle of literary friends who called themselves the Inklings. The group included C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, and Owen Barfield, who joined in whenever work obligations gave him the freedom to do so (Carpenter 131).

In 1977, Barfield published an essay called “The Harp and the Camera,” in which he refers his readers to the ideas of his fellow Inklings long after the little group has ceased to gather (Barfield 77-78). “The Harp and the Camera” is among Barfield’s briefest and most accessible pieces. It is an excellent way to get a taste of his ideas before diving into the longer and more daunting Saving the Appearances, Poetic Diction, or A History in English Words.

In theory, to read one work written by Barfield is to have sampled them all. Barfield referred to himself as a hedgehog. He said that a fox knows many things while a hedgehog knows only one (Lachman). The truth is that Barfield’s one idea—that human consciousness evolves through par-ticipation in the coming-into-being of the sensual world—is so revolution-ary and complex that it deserves to be examined again and again in its every incarnation.

In “The Harp and the Camera,” Barfield tackles the idea by speculating about myth and its relationship to the history of consciousness. Expanding on the work of another thinker, he writes that myth has two aspects—archetype and signature. The signature of a myth is what we think of as the literary. It is the part of the experience of a story that can be attributed to the specific personality and artistry of the teller. The archetype repre-sents the part of the experience that Lewis called “extra-literary.” It does

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not depend on skilful rendition to capture the im-agination of the audience. It is the part of the story that will tell itself again and again through many voices and many hands and that can be enjoyed even in summary (Barfield 75; Lewis 41).

Barfield does not consider the archetype to be a product of human consciousness, either individual or collective (Barfield 75). What Tolkien writes of his experience producing The Lord of the Rings, that he seemed to have been “recording what was already ‘there, somewhere...’” applies perfectly to Barfield’s understanding of the archetype. For Barfield, hu-manity does not make myth; myth makes humanity (Tolkien, Letters 145; Barfield 75).

In The Artful Universe, William K. Mahony’s ex-ploration of the Vedic religious imagination, Ma-hony observes that the poets who produced the ancient Indian scriptures known as the Vedas had a similar experience. He notes that they

seemed to have regarded their work as being more synthetic than strictly creative in nature. They thought of themselves as skilled, first, at penetrating into the mys-tery of being; second, at forming in their minds and hearts verbal images of those mysteries; third, at whittling and trimming those images, playing with them, shifting them from one context to another, separ-ating them and rejoining them in ways that had not previously been done. This being the case, their songs were newly fashioned works of art; but the mysteries to which they gave expression were timeless and thus uncreated truths. (Mahony 95)

Elsewhere, he attributes to at least one poet the idea that “a hymn is not only a construction but an adornment”(Mahony 96). The poet illuminates but does not create the beauty of nature, just as well-placed jewels illuminate but do not create the beauty of the human form.

What Mahony seems to be describing is the re-lationship, perhaps the ideal relationship, between archetype and signature. Barfield writes that the inauguration of this relationship represents the introduction of poetry into myth (76). In “On Fairy-stories,” Tolkien’s word for the relationship is sub-creation (122). The Cosmos is created by the One Maker but, as sub-creators, “we make still by the law in which we’re made”(Tolkien, “On Fairy-stor-ies” 144). The Vedic poets referred to the law which gives us the world as Rta, “identified as the eternal

Word, personified as the goddess Vãc; and all the various objects and events of the divine and physic-al world are thus different embodiments—articula-tions, if you will—of the single divine Voice herself” (Mahony 54). For Tolkien, such articulations include the more carefully conceived products of the hu-man imagination because the human imagination is, itself, a part of nature.

Sub-creation is art, not technology. It is not an exertion of human will meant to domesticate na-ture, but a submission of human will to the living law so that the Divine, through nature, may proceed with Its own creative activities within the minds of the artist and the audience. As a case in point, Tol-kien describes the “inner consistency” with which the sub-creative artist invests the Secondary World depicted in a work of art, the way in which the art-ist gives us a Secondary World that makes effortless sense to us. It is one thing, he writes, to describe a green sun, but another thing altogether to create a world in which such a sun would plausibly exist (Tolkien, “On Fairy-stories” 140).

This teaches us something vital about the Primary World in which we live. It shows us how flexibly the worldly qualities that we perceive with our senses can be re-organized without sacrificing the aura of real-ness, without violating the law. It shines a light on the experience of a living reality that is, in fact, always present. When we actively apply the law in which we’re made in a novel way, as we do in Fairy-stories, we have an opportunity to become aware of the law as a thing-in-itself and to experience it as something that has always been with us. Entered into receptive-ly, the author’s Secondary World is both absolutely convincing to its audience and it is a world in which the seams of its creation are showing. When we see how Secondary Worlds are put together, we gain in-sight into how our own world is put together and we marvel at the artistry of the Creator.

Tolkien confesses to several different motives in writing The Lord of the Rings. One is simply the de-sire to try his hand at writing a very long story. An-other is an aspiration to fill a perceived vacuum by creating a mythology for England (Tolkien, Letters, 144). His expressed reverence for mythology sug-gests that he did not take its creation lightly enough to think that it could ever come into being as the product of a single personality, or even of many per-sonalities in concert, without help from somewhere (Tolkien, “On Fairy-stories,” 143). He knew that the heart of his work beat beyond the everyday, in “a


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realm or a state” that he called Faërie (Tolkien, “On Fairy-stories” 113).

“Faërie cannot be caught in a net of words; for it is one of its qualities to be indescribable, though not imperceptible”(Tolkien, “On Fairy-stories” 114). Faërie can be portrayed, but it can never be ex-plained or reduced to simpler terms. It is in Faërie, as it expresses itself in story, that the law that makes all things, Tolkien’s Rta, can be seen most clearly. We see how, in the hands of the sub-creator, the law that makes the world can be demonstrated to be so pliable that it gives us not just dogs, but drag-ons; not just stones, but gems of such unpredict-able beauty that wars are fought for possession of them. When we see that dogs and dragons, stones and legendary gems, are made of the same sub-stance, we begin to see the substance or the law itself. We see how wonderful it is in whatever garb it chooses to clothe itself. In this way, we see that there never was anything ordinary about dogs or stones or any other phenomenon that might pass before our eyes. This is how we become inheritors of an ancient poetic vision, as old and as new as anything in human history . F

Works CitedBarfield, Owen. “The Harp and the Camera.”

The Rediscovery of Meaning and Other Essays. Middletown: Wesleyan University Press, 1977.

Carpenter, Humphrey. The Inklings. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 2006.

Lachman, Gary. “Owen Barfield and the Evolution of Consciousness.” The Owen Barfield World Wide Website. March 16, 2012. <http://david-lavery.net/barfield/barfield_scholarship/lachman.html>

Lewis, C.S. An Experiment in Criticism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Mahony, William K. The Artful Universe: An Intro-duction to the Vedic Religious Imagination. Al-bany: State University of New York Press, 1998.

Tolkien, J.R.R. “On Fairy-stories.” The Monster and the Critics and Other Essays. Ed. Christopher Tol-kien. London: Harper Collins Publishers, 2006.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. Ed. Hum-phrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1995.

The day dims slowly in the Shire,

allowing early evening’s entry

to linger and light the land.

With many subtly subdued shades

glowing upon the rivers and glades,

A serene little spot

for a humble hobbit

to take a moment to stop.

Backpack brimming,splendidly supplied

D�KHDUW\�+DOÁLQJ·V�QHHGV�LQVLGH�

Evening at the edge of The Shire

Though now with a heart too heavy,a sense of

the unknown so heady,

for a journey unplanned

farewell must be said

to this much-loved land.

Sweet farewell, dear land of the Shire,homeland

WKDW�EXUQV�WKH�KHDUW·V�IRQG�ÀUH�The surest feet must make their step

for adventure lies far from lands mild.

Gripping

toward the wretched wild,

best foot forward

for unimaginable miles

Sweet farewell, sweet land of the Shire,the

KRPHODQG�WKDW�EXUQV�WKH�KHDUW·V�IRQG�ÀUH�

John Cockshaw

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It is a well-known fact that Hobbits and food go hand in hand. For this issue of Silver Leaves, I had the perfect opportunity to hold a brief interview with chef and upcoming Oloris Publishing author, Heath Dill. Heath has been writing a Middle-earth-inspired cookbook, Medium Rare and Back Again, and here he shares with us his thoughts and find-ings on Hobbit diet and what the denizens of Mid-dle-earth would have been cooking in their kitchens.

In writing your book, you’ve probably pored over everything Tolkien said about the Hobbit diet. How similar is Hobbit cuisine to the Eng-lish one, and have you noticed any marked differences?

Tolkien wrote about the food that he loved to eat. In describing himself as a (somewhat taller) hobbit, he once said that he “like[s] good plain food (un-refrigerated).” This fits perfectly with the food we see in Bilbo’s pantry—seed-cakes, pork pies, mince pies, jam, pickles—these are all elements of British cuisine. The differences, if any, are slight. Although Tolkien complained about French cuisine and its rich, heavy flavours , the two cuisines do overlap in spots. The consequence of living on opposite sides of the Channel, while alternatively trading with and invading each other for 1,000 years straight, is that cultural influences, including food, are bound to mix! Tolkien did enjoy plum cakes and apple tarts every bit as much as Bilbo did; and while tarts have been refined in both England and in France for cen-turies, the French really took them to another level!

Beyond Hobbit food, Tolkien didn’t really write much about the other food cultures of Middle-earth. Can you tell us about your treatment of recipes from other cuisines? Did this present any difficulties or affect the direction of the book?

It’s funny you should ask. When I first started think-ing about writing this book, I figured that as I re-

Medium Rare and Back Again: An Interview with Heath DillStephanie Chan

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(gelatin) a great deal in the past few months, and as someone who doesn’t prefer store-bought pickles, I’ve grown to enjoy the homemade kind.

I have this recurring thought about a Hobbit edition of the Super Size Me documentary, complete with a Hobbit-like lifestyle to test the effects of it on a real person. Apart from the probable health hazard, what are your thoughts on actually living on a Hobbit diet?

Hobbit food is a little heavy on the carbohydrates, which explains why Hobbits sport their fashionable bellies; but, as with most diets, it can be done in a balanced manner! There is certainly a wide range of vegetables and lean meats to accompany the pies and tarts. Combine it with a healthy exercise regimen of infiltrating dragon-infested mountains and climb-ing trees quickly enough to avoid wolves, and any hobbit will be able to achieve a healthy physique! Consider adding Ent-draught to stretch those extra Hobbit-y pounds over a few more inches of height.

Heath has been steadily perfecting his recipes, preparing to share his recreations of traditional, mouth-watering comfort foods from Bag End, as well as some modern and clever inspirations from all over Middle-earth. Filled with tips, tricks, infor-mation, and humour, Medium Rare and Back Again is sure to make your stomach rumble and have you rummaging through your own pantry to bake a pie in the middle of the night. F

searched, I’d find some sort of correlation with different European cuisines—maybe that Gimli’s movie quote about “roaring fires... malt beer...” would mean that the Dwarves eat like Germans, and maybe the Elves eat like the French, or are pos-sibly vegetarians, but of course this turned out to be largely untrue upon investigation. The Elves eat roasted meats, and drink wine and mead, just like Hobbits and Men. In most of the meals described in the books, we see many of the same themes— bread, cheese, wine, beer, fruit, berries, and meat. The differences are primarily in the purposes of the food. Faramir’s troop has salted (preserved) meats and dried fruits. Elves have bannock and lembas— waybreads for traveling. And, of course, it’s far easier to cook and to store pork pies in Bilbo’s smial than it would be to do so in the wilderness. So I would say that, for the most part, the cuisines are similar across Middle-earth.

What were the staple ingredients you had in your pantry while you were testing your reci-pes? Did you stock up on anything a regular pantry doesn’t usually have, but that Bilbo’s or Elrond’s probably would?

I’ve certainly gone through a lot more flour, lard and sugar than I normally do! I don’t bake at home too often, so those recipes generally took a little more experimentation than the savoury fare. I also have used caraway seeds, poppy seeds, and aspic

Kris SwankGoblins’' Banquet

The goblins invite you to join them for dinner,

each man, every woman and beast.

They’re eating at eight or at nine or at ten or

whenever you feel like a feast.

No need to wear riches or don your best britches

(they’d only get snagged in the gorse).

You couldn’t be late, for they’ll patiently wait

to serve you up course after course.

They’ll gobble up gams with their cramberry jam.

They’ll nibble on kneecaps with glee.

They’ll serve juicy slices of something like ham

DQG�ÀQJHU�VDQGZLFKHV�IRU�WHD��They’ll munch a dry bone while they’re sitting alone

pondering music and art,

and sup on a spleen as a tidbit between

their luncheon of liver and heart.

They’ll gnaw on a neck for a midnight snack,

and eyes they like spread on rye toast.

7KH\·OO�OLFN�WHQGHU�OLSV�IURP�WKHLU�ÀQJHUWLSV�for those are the bits they like most.

The goblins invite you whenever you’re able

for supper, or breakfast at least.

They’ve set out the dishes and come to the table

just waiting to make you a feast.


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The Last Letter of Peter Morgan

�� James M. Spahn ��

When frost took my digits and my leg, I cursed God for his terrible cruelty. I was young and believed with every fiber of my being in revolution. Our great Fabius and the well-timed writings of Thomas Paine had inflamed my soul against the brutal winter of that terrible season, but my body could not en-dure. With nothing but rags to cover my feet as we marched across an endless white field, it was at Mc-Konkey’s Ferry that the surgeons were finally forced to take my limb. Left as a cripple, I watched my fellow patriots march on in desperate faith. Lead by General Washington, they came on Christmas Day like disciples, as their savior walked on water.

It was only after the winter of 1776 had passed that I realized what great blessing had come upon me. It was good Corporal Peter Morgan who re-turned from that battle, his face as pale as the ivory powder, speaking in whispers to himself. He had been my dearest companion when we’d thrown in our lot with the patriots at Boston. He was a faith-ful man, and honest to his grave. Never had I seen my friend, even in childhood, present a falsehood through word or deed. War had made men of boys, but we stood together against blood and tyranny. In the days following the victory at Trenton, he was a changed man. He spoke no words to me, and when I looked to other soldiers for tidings of what had driven him to such silence I only received shak-ing heads and whispered prayers.

I watched him for days as crippled life returned to my body. He spent endless hours by sunlight and

candle flame penning what seemed to be endless reams of notes. In a maddened sweat, he wrote endlessly—but still, not a single word escaped his lips. My cry of his name, my motions for him to come hither, my pleas all went unheard as he ab-sorbed himself in this new literary task. As the cold of winter continued to tear at the doors of the inn, he lived in absolute silence. It was not until Candle-mas that speech returned to him.

It came on him like a dagger in the dark. I heard his cry from the far end of the stout brick barracks we now shared—a single inhuman scream. He never returned to slumber but instead rambled on endlessly until the coming of the dawn. By the time dawn had come, he was dead. I came to him in his last moments, hobbling towards him on a musket crutch and he reached out for me with a clawing, clinging hand.

“Glover,” came his harsh whisper. As it was dis-pelled by the rising light of the morning sun, he died. It was only after his passing and the disposal of his mortal form, that I finally saw this final mad-ness he had put onto the page.

Being both an invalid and his closest friend before this malady of the mind had claimed him, I was left to tend to his affairs. The funeral was a simple matter, as was the way of war. Peter had no family to speak of, so I was left alone with his manuscript.

What opened as his strong script degenerated into an quivering scribble as the great letter continued. It began as Washington and Glover engaged in a

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eyes rested in the center of what vague shape he recalled to be a bulbous head and scabrous, flaking flesh covered their ungodly forms. They clung to he boats and as the men, both Continental and British, saw these creatures great screams of terror rose up to the sky. With massive webbed appendages they pawed and grabbed for whatever men they could grasp. Explosions of musket fire filled the air and the garbled cries of those cast overboard and to their icy death below were all that was heard over the Delaware.

Beyond all this and of greater terror to my dearly departed friend were the cold, unblinking eyes of Lieutenant Colonel John Glover. Good Peter recalled with a stark honesty and renewed script his un-blinking eyes as men both in his service and against it were pulled into those frozen washes like sinful souls suddenly repentant at the last. Only his boat seemed untouched by these blasphemous things, unmolested by these terrible creatures. From his ex-tensive and horrid account I would believe that this watery terror continued for hours. Through it all, Glover remained unmoved. It was only at the end, when silence once again filled the river valley, that Peter recalled any fresh sound. It was the simple rat-a-tat-tat of drums marching to war muffled by the lapping of water against wooden hulls.

Of the survivors, Peter Morgan among them, he wrote little. He recalled only their horrified faces and whispered prayers following Glover’s demand that all men remain silent to these terrible deeds. At this order it was Christopher Little, a young soldier from Arkham who had only been in service less than a sea-son, who spoke out against Glover. His reward was a bayonet in his throat at the hands of the inhuman leader of this company, and then he, too, was cast into those waters to whatever eldritch things await-ed below the surface. Glover’s only words of explan-ation were “What is owed must be paid.”

I recall now that I have read over my good friend’s manuscript at least dozen times. Sometimes it was to make sense of his maddened script and others to make sense of what I had deciphered. Having re-viewed these words, I can only amount one of two things: either my dear companion had been driven mad by the horrors of war that had befallen him over these passing months, or these recollections were fact. From what I know of Peter’s character, I can only believe the latter to be true.

The men say now that Lieutenant Colonel Glover is stationed upon the banks of Hudson River and is tasked with keeping those waters free of British intrusion. It is now, for the first time in these bloody conflicts, that I pray for the safety of my enemy.

prodigious dispute over the crossing. According to Peter’s notes, there was some argument over the preparations. Glover, who had recently come from Massachusetts after securing several river-faring vessels from the village of Innsmouth, claimed to have special insights as to the ebb and flow of the waters of the Delaware. Glover gave exceptional credence to the value of these vessels, as they had been crafted by relations of his wife, who were na-tives to this hitherto unheard of village. Washington would hear nothing of the sort and according to the letters he repeatedly called his fellow patriot a “blasphemer and a madman.” But in times of battle a madman is better than no man, it would seem.

In the early watches of the night, Glover went to the shores of the icy Delaware with a small detach-ment of men and a single drummer boy. He was a likeable lad, Master Nathan Futrell, and was a re-garded with admiration throughout the company his faith and tenacity. At dawn Glover returned, alone. His eyes were as cold and hard as the sur-rounding snow, and he only remarked that now the tides would be right. Men closest to the shores re-called inhuman croaks and choruses, followed by screams of mortal fright. Then there was only sud-den, stark silence.

Of the Battle of Trenton, Corporal Morgan wrote little. He only remarked that the swift and nearly bloodless victory of the patriots seemed fruitless in the wake of events that followed. In short, Brigadier General Rall’s loyalists and drunken Hessians were suitably trounced. Only a pair of Continentals were lost. According to the officers, they were claimed by exposure, but given Peter’s remarkable account, I am less inclined to believe the official account of the numbers lost.

It was on the return crossing that this written script grows almost illegible. What is recalled in these words cannot be true, but instead the ravings of the insane, driven to such desperate recess of the mind by the terrors of war and winter.

As officers returned victorious across those frozen waters with scores of British and Hessian prison-ers in tow, a great and icy wind swept across the Delaware and a horrid white foam made the waters dance with a chaos unseen in even this, the worst of winters. Lieutenant Colonel Glover was unfazed by these great whitecaps and simply called for his men to hold steady and keep to their courage, for they had nothing to fear.

Even as I read these accounts, I cannot believe that Corporal Morgan was in his correct senses. He speaks of great creatures, man-like in shape, rising from the waters. But in regards to their kinship to humanity all likeness ends there. Unblinking watery


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Hobbit hearts are happiest when tending to the earth,

*UXEELQJ�LQ�WKH�GLUW�VLPSO\�ÀOOV�WKHLU�VRXOV�ZLWK�PLUWK�A rake, a hoe or a shovel in a Hobbit hand

Is really just the thing to leave them feeling grand.

7R�KDYH�PRLVW�EODFN�VRLO�EHWZHHQ�WKHLU�ÀQJHUV�$QG�EUHDWKH�WKDW�ÀQH�ULFK�HDUWK\�VPHOO�WKDW�OLQJHUV�Will just as quickly set them on their mettle

As frying bacon or the whistle of the kettle.

No Hobbit ever sees it as a waste of their hours

7R�EH�SODQWLQJ�YHJHWDEOHV��RU�VHWWLQJ�RXW�ÁRZHUV�Helping things grow is truly their heart’s delight,

For that they’ll gladly labour late into the night,

Then settle themselves with a pint and a pipe,

7R�GUHDP�E\�WKH�ÀUH�RI �ZKHQ�WKH�EHUULHV�DUH�ULSH�

GardeningBernadette Barnes

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Pink sky framing

white blossoms

and beyond

the lurking blue, waiting

to unveil itself,

illuminated by

sun.

Through the glory

of the day

the threads

beneath my

ÀQJHUV�WXJme forward to meet

eternity

that awaits us

all,

but on the way

I will be clothed

in pink and

white

and that

unending

blue.

Spring, CloakedRobyn Stone


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An old Rider Marshal

named Hengist the Partial

retired on only half-pay.

He lost one eye in battle,

a leg saving cattle

from thieves trying to steal them away,

some teeth (three or four)

ZHUH�NQRFNHG�RXW�RQ�WKH�ÁRRU��in a tavern where he couldn’t pay,

and the Kraken did harm

to his only right arm,

VR�QRZ�RQ�WKH�VHD�ÁRRU�LW�OD\��

To the cavalry’s glee,

old Hengist said he

was in need of not much to retire –

just a coat with one sleeve,

a sole leather greave,

KDOI �D�VWRRO�SURSSHG�LQ�IURQW�RI �WKH�ÀUH�

A previous version of this poem was posted on RadioRivendell.com

Some teacher, one day, well-intentioned, that’s true,

may have, blithely given this homework to you:

If you were a Hobbit, then what would you do?

and you are left puzzling, to mull and to stew.

“Imagine! Imagine!” you talk to your brain,

“Imagine! Imagine!” like some song’s refrain,

but you feel no progress, and no sense of gain,

but ah! inspiration, one’s told, comes from pain.

“Hobbits like eating and drinking and stuff,”

you burst out, triumphant, and think, “that’s

enough,”

until you remember, that Hobbits are tough,

are friendly, but careful, not cranky or gruff.

“They’re just like my grandpa, or grandma, or aunt,

my uncle, or cousins!” you feel yourself rant.

(But you have mean cousins—on this you recant.)

You must have much more, for as research, it’s scant.

<RX�FKHFN�:LNLSHGLD��WKHUH�\RX�PD\�ÀQGRFHDQV�RI �NQRZOHGJH�WKDW�ÁRRG�WKURXJK�\RXU�PLQG�But now comes the tough part, and this is the bind:

what nuggets are kept and what gems left behind?

For you have an essay that you need to write,

and you want to put Hobbit-lore in a good light.

7KHQ�GHHS�LQ�\RXU�VRXO�VRPHWKLQJ�EXUQV��ÁDPLQJ�bright:

you must be creative, but all sources cite.

You write with such love about how Hobbits look,

their fondness for food, which they deftly can cook—

WKHQ�ÀQDOO\�GRQH��ZLWK�WKH�ULVNV�WKDW�\RX�WRRN��you boldly conclude: “Friends, you must read the book!”

P.R. MillerThe Assignment

Half

-Knight

Kris S

wank

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Literature and mythology have produced a number of great heroes, but no one would expect to find within this pantheon a character like Bilbo Baggins, the titular protagonist of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit. Like most Hobbits, Bilbo has a small stature, a lack of physical prowess, and a preference for food and comfort over adventure and exploration—characteristics not typ-ically associated with heroism. Yet over the course of Bilbo’s adventure, in which he finds himself “doing and saying things altogether unexpected” (H 2), he ex-periences significant growth, discovering within himself courage, compassion, wits, and willpower; qualities that are truly heroic. Bilbo’s journey transforms him into a hero both familiar and unique, and Tolkien uses Bilbo’s story to il-luminate the journey upon which all must venture.

Bilbo’s story begins in the world of the ordinary and the expected. Life in the Shire is peaceful but meticulously routine; conformity is admired, irregularity is frowned upon, and adventure is almost altogether unthinkable. The Bagginses (including Bilbo himself) are in many ways the Shire’s quintessential residents, and were highly respected “not only because most of them were very rich, but also because they never had any adventures or did anything unexpected: you could tell what a Baggins would say on any question without the bother of asking him” (H 2). This description of the Baggins family establishes the almost deterministic extent to which Bilbo has become entrenched in his routine, as if he has allowed himself to become so comfortable with the “expected” that he has lost any sense of individual will.

Bilbo’s oppressively comfortable existence is interrupted with the arrival of Gandalf, who invites the hobbit to join Thorin Oakenshield and his company of dwarves on their quest to reclaim their home of the Lonely Mountain from Smaug the dragon. Gandalf’s invitation to Bilbo is, in the words of Joseph Campbell, the hobbit’s “call to adventure,” the moment at which he is sum-moned to depart the ordinary world and embark upon the journey that will make him a hero (Campbell 41-48). Gandalf never fully explains his selection of Bilbo, and to both the hobbit and the dwarves the choice certainly seems to be an odd one, but Gandalf does affirm that “there is a lot more in him than An

Une

xpec

ted H

ero

Rya

n M

arot

ta


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you guess, and a deal more than he has any idea of himself” (H 19). This is the first of many instances where Gandalf near-omnisciently asserts that there is something “unexpected” about Bilbo, suggesting that there is a truly heroic hobbit for Bilbo to dis-cover within himself.

In the morning following the unexpected party, Bilbo abruptly departs from Bag-End, but between Gandalf’s sense of urgency and the fact that Bilbo “could never remember how he found himself out-side” (H 30), his departure feels almost dreamlike, as if Bilbo was forced out the front door by an un-seen power without any say in the matter. There does seem to be something otherworldly at work during Bilbo’s departure from Bag-End, but in a sense Bilbo had already willingly departed the night before, upon hearing the song of the dwarves:

And as they sang the hobbit felt the love of beautiful things made by hands and by cunning and by magic moving through him, a fierce and a jealous love, the desire of the hearts of dwarves. Then something Tookish woke up inside him, and he wished to go and see the great mountains, and hear the pine-trees and the waterfalls, and explore the caves, and wear a sword instead of a walking stick. (H 15-16)

It is at this moment that his spirit is awakened by his imagination, freeing his will from the enslave-ment of routine and igniting a desire within him to seek an existence outside of the expected. His body may not leave Bag-End until the next morning, but it is here that his heart embarks, leaving the comfort and confines of the Shire for the unknown world beyond. Through the fundamental change that takes place in Bilbo’s soul, his departure be-comes an act of free will, rather than simply the re-sult of an involuntary “nudge out of the door.” This distinction is essential to the hobbit’s journey, as it is Bilbo’s willpower that will come to define him.

Although the Shire is where Bilbo first departed on his journey, it is during his adventure in the Misty Mountains that he crosses the threshold to hero-ism. After being separated from his companions and stumbling by chance onto a magical ring (which turns out, of course, to be the One Ring), Bilbo en-counters Gollum, who in many ways, is Bilbo’s shad-ow: a distorted mirror image of what Bilbo might become if he rejects his gift of free will and allows himself to be enslaved by impulse. When Gollum un-knowingly blocks his only way out of the mountain, Bilbo finds himself facing his dark reflection:

Bilbo almost stopped breathing, and went stiff himself. He was desperate. He must get away, out of this horrible dark-ness, while he had any strength left. He must fight. He must stab the foul thing, put its eyes out, kill it. It meant to kill him. No, not a fair fight. He was invis-ible now. Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or tried to yet. And he was miserable, alone, lost. A sudden understanding, a pity mixed with horror, welled up in Bilbo’s heart: a glimpse of endless un-marked days without light or hope of betterment, hard stone, cold fish, sneak-ing and whispering. (H 86-87)

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This is Bilbo’s defining moment of spiritual matur-ation, the point at which he ceases to be an ordin-ary hobbit and finally grows into a heroic adventur-er. Unseen by anyone and thus unburdened by any accountability, Bilbo is free to kill Gollum and en-sure his own safety without suffering any repercus-sions. However, in perhaps the book’s most poign-ant moment, he empathizes with and sees himself in the fallen hobbit. Overcome by pity, he chooses to spare Gollum. While many heroes are praised for their feats of strength and violence, Bilbo’s act of mercy anoints him as a true hero for the opposite reason: it is a willful demonstration of self-control, peace, and in its deepest meaning, love. Bilbo’s simple act of compassion—his choice to preserve the life of another at the risk of his own—completes his metamorphosis from a creature of routine to a being of will, and would ultimately change the fate of Middle-earth.

Bilbo emerges from the mountain a changed hobbit, his transformation engendering a signifi-cant growth within him that will continue over the course of his adventure. Bilbo himself slowly comes to recognize the transformation he is undergoing, particularly when he defeats the giant spiders in Mirkwood and christens Sting, after which “he felt a different person, and much fiercer and bolder in spite of an empty stomach” (H 156). Following this, he becomes increasingly bold, clever, and confident in his exploits, saving the dwarves from both the webs of the spiders and the prisons of the elves. After these misadventures, Bilbo finally arrives at Erebor, the Lonely Mountain; “a very different hob-bit from the one that had run out without a pock-et-handkerchief from Bag-End long ago” (H 214). As Bilbo enters the secret passage and prepares to fulfill his role as a burglar, it is noted that “going on from there was the bravest thing he ever did. The tremendous things that happened afterwards were as nothing compared to it. He fought the real battle in the tunnel alone, before he ever saw the vast danger that lay in wait” (H 214-215). From the first steps he took from Bag-End to his descent into the gilded inferno of the dragon’s chamber, Bilbo’s courage, wit, and will to act have led him forward and distinguished him as a hero.

When Bilbo at last confronts Smaug, it becomes clear that the dragon is an almost devilish figure, possessing not only a malevolent intellect but also a hypnotic gaze that allows him to serve as a “tempt-er” to the hobbit, seizing him with an unexplain-able desire to reveal himself to the dragon. Smaug’s words are equally poisonous, and he also attempts to manipulate Bilbo against his friends; and his abil-ity to subvert free will makes him the perfect ad-versary for Bilbo, whose will has proved to be his defining characteristic. Yet for all his intelligence and guile, Smaug’s impulsiveness and lack of self-control expose him as nothing more than a primal animal, driven by pride, hunger, greed, and anger. Fortunately, Bilbo manages to exploit Smaug’s in-

Yet Bilbo was always a hero at heart, even if he did not know it or want to admit it. His adventure did not convert him into someone completely different, but rather allowed him to grow into a more complete version of himself.


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stinctive arrogance, allowing him to notice the weak-spot in the dragon’s bejeweled underbelly.

Bilbo’s adventure does not end with the dragon’s demise, and surprisingly Bilbo’s friends and compan-ions, the dwarves, serve as the initial source of conflict in the aftermath of Smaug’s death. There are num-erous references throughout the story to the terrible power that gold holds over the hearts of dwarves, and after recovering their lost treasure the dwarves quickly begin to show signs of this “sickness” for gold. Th-orin, the recently-crowned King under the Mountain, particularly falls victim to the corrupting influence of gold; his greed and pride bring his newly-reclaimed kingdom to the brink of destruction.

Thorin’s fall makes Bilbo’s heroic virtues all the more clear. In particular, Bilbo’s act of willingly giv-ing the Arkenstone, the “Heart of the Mountain” and the object of Thorin’s deepest desire, to Bard in the hopes of brokering peace reinforces the con-trast between Thorin and Bilbo. Thorin feverishly sought the Arkenstone so that he alone could pos-sess it, and he almost certainly would have fought to recover it. Bilbo, however, took it not for his own selfish use, but for the sake of using it for a better purpose. Just as with Gollum and Smaug, Thorin’s uncontrollable impulses are antithetical to Bilbo’s control over his will.

After Thorin is mortally wounded in the Battle of Five Armies, he and Bilbo makepeace with one another. With his final breaths, Thorin reminds the grieving hobbit, “’There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world’” (H 290). Th-orin is a truly tragic figure, and in his last words he comes to understand that while his intention to reclaim his home was genuinely noble, his greed and pride lead to his downfall. In Bilbo, however, Thorin recognizes both virtues familiar to him, such as courage and wisdom, and virtues that he long overlooked: simplicity, humility, and a desire to bring goodness and joy in the world. Many great heroes may have fallen to violence and hubris, but Bilbo’s good-natured spirit has kept his heart pure and his will uncorrupted, enabling him to become a true paragon of heroism.

His adventure complete, Bilbo at last returns to his home at Bag-End. However, as Bilbo and Gandalf en-ter the Shire, the wizard observes that “’something is the matter with you! You are not the hobbit that

you were” (H 302). Bilbo’s journey is indeed a trans-formative one, and in the course of going “there and back again” he changes from a hobbit concerned with comfort and conformity to a courageous ad-venturer. Yet Bilbo was always a hero at heart, even if he did not know it or want to admit it. His adventure did not convert him into someone completely dif-ferent, but rather allowed him to grow into a more complete version of himself. Gandalf saw the poten-tial within Bilbo from the beginning, but he could not force the hobbit to change; Bilbo had to willingly seek his transformation himself. In a sense, that is what Bilbo’s journey is truly about: discovering the “unexpected” within himself, and becoming the heroic hobbit he was born to be.

Of course, Bilbo’s journey is just one chapter in a greater story. “’You don’t really suppose, do you, that all your adventures and escapes were managed by mere luck, just for your sole benefit?’” (H 305) Gandalf asks the hobbit. While Bilbo does not know it yet, his adventure (especially his chance discov-ery of the Ring) would have major ramifications for all of Middle-earth. Considering this, Bilbo at times seems to have been guided by a higher power, not the mechanical determinism that enslaves so many characters but a greater providence; the devoutly-Catholic Tolkien undoubtedly would have attrib-uted it to the will of God (or “Eru Illuvatar,” as He is named in the Legendarium). At its heart, Bilbo’s journey is a spiritual one, centered equally on his own development and the transfiguration of the world around him. By allowing himself to grow, Bilbo participates in the growth of Middle-earth.

J.R.R. Tolkien believed that we can better under-tand the truths of the real world through fantasy stories. In his essay “On Fairy-Stories,” Tolkien re-flects upon this purpose of “sub-creation,” writing:

Probably every writer making a second-ary world, a fantasy, every sub-creator, wishes in some measure to be a real maker, or hopes that he is drawing on reality: hopes that the peculiar quality of this secondary world (if not all the details) are derived from Reality, or are flowing into it. (The Tolkien Reader 87)

If the role of a “sub-creator” is to infuse reality into fantasy, what truths are woven into Bilbo’s ad-venture? Bilbo exemplifies the virtues and ideals by which we should seek to live; we are meant to learn from his courage, his compassion, and his will, not from the greed, arrogance, and compulsive violence

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of Thorin, Smaug, and Gollum. We are meant, as Bilbo did, to allow ourselves to grow and in doing so, help to shape the world. Ultimately, that is why Bilbo is a true hero: his journey is our own. Gandalf’s final line of the book, in which he tells the hobbit that “’You are only quite a little fellow in a wide world after all’” (H 305) is in many ways the reader’s “call to adventure,” inviting us to awaken our imagina-tions, to willingly depart the ordinary, and to seek the “unexpected” in ourselves and in the unfolding story of creation. In creating the story of Bilbo Baggins, Tolkien has provided us with a guide on this journey, a figure in whose footsteps we can follow; and by fulfilling this role, Bilbo has earned his place among the greatest of literary heroes. F

References

Campbell, Joseph. The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 1949. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973. Print.

Tolkien, J.R.R. The Hobbit. 1937. New York: Ballantine Books, 1982. Print.

---. “On Fairy-Stories.” The Tolkien Reader. 1964. New York: Ballantine Books, 1966. Print.

AcknowledgementA special thank-you to Constance Wagner for her guidance and insight in the creation of this piece. I am grateful for your invitation to the adventure of Tolkien writing, and for your gift of a much-needed nudge out the door.


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At the end of the day, Trev left the clean room in the restoration lab where he worked. His friend and col-league told him where they would meet, since Amrek was attending a small celebration in honour of his professor. The pub specified was no surprise; it was commonly known to the professor’s close acquaint-ances that he was a regular there. Near the end of his walk, Trev turned north from Broad Street and quickly paced the remaining few hundred meters.

Trev found Amrek there, with a small group sur-rounding one person and raising their glasses in congratulations. It wasn’t long before Amrek finished the remainder of his pint, bid all the pro-fessors farewell, and left with Trev. The two had planned to attend another party of their own and did not want to be late for the next transport de-parture time. Friends were expecting them for one of the many planned events for the celebration of the new millennium.

“How’s the work going?” Amrek asked as they walked down the street.

“Very well,” Trev replied. “Given the age of the text, it’s incredibly well-preserved. Remarkable, too, that the professor discovered a text written from that time period—around the time of the world wars, wasn’t it?”

“We’re running behind. Let’s hurry,” said Amrek.They found two seats together and sat down.

The transport engines were idling and soon they would be off.

The Book of Oxford�� Mark Bednarowski ��

Still, I wonder if we shall ever be put into songs or tales.1

“The old professor looked quite pleased this even-ing,” said Trev.

“Yes, his recent discovery from this very place cer-tainly has put him in the spotlight. People can’t stop talking about this newly-rediscovered ancient epic tale,” Amrek replied.

“We still have a few moments. What have you learned so far?” asked Trev expectantly.

“I was just going to ask you the same thing,” Am-rek said, now turning his face to meet Trev’s. Trev said nothing and looked keenly into his compan-ion’s eyes. Amrek sighed. Trev was a good friend, but was sometimes pushy to reveal anything he was working on. Amrek was always reluctant to reveal anything until all was complete and perfect. But this time, since Trev was involved in the work himself…

“Very well,” Amrek surrendered. “I’ll go first. But keep in mind we’ve only scratched the surface, and…”

“… I’m far from finished.” Trev interrupted. “Now please, just show me.”

Amrek reached for his pocket device and recalled the active project file. A holographic image, roughly one square meter, showing tattered brown pages of text, appeared before them. One by one, Amrek scrolled through them. The characters were of an older form of English. Using his finger, the pages were arranged in order to the left of the image. Suddenly, a second set of pages appeared on the right, in the same order. The words on this set were a mix of both archaic and modern English.

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“You can see,” Amrek began, “that the decipher program had not had much time to work on this yet. There were some parts that the program struggled with, and some manual intervention was needed. My compliments, by the way, to you and your team, Trev, on doing a wonderful restoration job. How far have you come now?”

“I’m as guilty as you,” Trev grinned. “We’re far from finished. There are hundreds of pages yet to go. What parts are you talking about?” Trev said, trying to get back to the point.

“That,” Amrek said as he pointed with his index finger. The engines began to hum at a higher pitch and

the transport slowly left the docking bay. It turned toward the sunset and accelerated gradually. Stead-ily, it ascended toward the clouds, always keeping its course in a straight line. The land soon disappeared until all that was seen below was the open sea.

Amrek continued, “See this on the cover page above and below the title? There’s something more here.“

“What is that?” Trev wondered. He was not as learned as his friend on ancient languages, but he did know enough that this text was written in a time when this form of English was beginning to be used globally. But that was not the text Amrek was pointing at. At first sight, it appeared to be like decorative patterns running across the entire width of the page; a closer look revealed that this was not so. These were characters of other languages.

“These characters are wholly unknown to the de-cipher database,” Amrek said.

The script at the top comprised of straight lines and appeared abrupt and rustic. The script below was clearly different—rounded, fluid, and elegant.

“Good luck, then, deciphering that,” said Trev, with little hope.

“Thanks, but I already had it. Fortunately, this comes with its own Rosetta stone.”

Amrek made a gesture with his hand and new pages came into view.

“These pieces of text are found near the end,” he said.The image displayed pages containing tables filled

with the same characters written on the cover page. “Ah, perfect!” Trev exclaimed. The image then animated the pages such that it

showed the relationships between the tables of strange characters to those written on the cover; and, finally, characters of modern English superim-posed themselves onto most of the unknown letters.

“Three languages on one page and all are tied together. But look here, this is interesting. It also refers to another book that someone translated into this publication!”

“What book?” Trev asked.“It’s named perhaps after the place it was written.

A place in the west or westmark, and it’s also as-sociated with the colour red.” Amrek paused before he said, “I sense that this other book is far older. “

“But what is the book about?” Trev asked more slowly.

“It seems to be a tale or a history of a king. Which king, we haven’t a clue.“

“Not yet anyway,” Trev said. “We should learn more once the rest is deciphered.“

“I expect so.” Amrek answered. “But I had hoped the title would provide some hint. It appears to read something like Ringlord or Lord of Rings, but that’s not much to go on. All right, Trev—your turn now. What did you find out about that name?”

“Oh, yes, I saved it in this adjoining file.”


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Trev motioned his fingers along the edge of the hologram and another page appeared. He scrolled down and magnified the spot he was looking for.

“I queried the name you gave me using records from the twentieth century. The program interpreted it as German-based, but it also found someone of that name residing in England. Look here—records confirm there was a professor named Tolkien some time in the twentieth century.“

Trev looked further down the page. “He held some posts: ‘Chair of English Language

and Medieval Literature at Leeds’, ‘Chair of Anglo-Saxon Studies at Oxford’.”

Trev scrolled further down while both sets of eyes quickly read the information.

“He seems to have been an authority on an-cient Nordic mythologies, an editor of Beowulf, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and such,“ Amrek remarked.

A thought suddenly came to Trev.“Wait. Let me requery this with the addition of

that other book you mentioned.”Trev spoke a voice command and the hologram

faded briefly. It returned with a new page of infor-mation written in archaic English.

Trev spoke, “Decipher and highlight in bold.”Within a moment, the text changed to modern

English.

For the Red Book of Westmarch, not long ago rediscovered and deciphered, contains a chron-icle (of great length and by many hands) of that perilous time, as it was seen by hobbits and its earlier parts are largely made up of extracts from Bilbo’s writings including the various se-cret or private papers that he gave to his heir.2

Amrek and Trev stared at the text in great curiosity.“It appears this Bilbo person is one of the original

authors,” Amrek finally said.“And what about this strange word?” asked Trev.

“The decipherer calls it ‘hole-dweller’.”“Yes, there are many questions yet to answer. In

any event, this Tolkien fellow sounds like our man.“ The two remained in silence for a moment. Trev then asked, “So then, this is another mythology?”Amrek did not immediately answer.“There’s still much work to do before my profes-

sor can get it published. But this professor of old does seem to indicate that he is one of a line of editors of this tale. Let me show you what’s been deciphered so far of the pages you’ve restored. “

Amrek began, “At the beginning of the text, this man writes of the origin of that other west-mark book, or as we just discovered, the Red Book of Westmarch. Many copies of it were made, but the original was not preserved. A king, perhaps the same one the cover page refers to, requested a copy be made from where it was first written and delivered to his own kingdom. This is referred to as the Thain’s book. Years later, another copy was made from the Thain’s book at the request of one from the land where it originated. That copy, writ-ten by one with the name of Findegil, became the Red Book. It was then preserved at that place called Westmarch.“

Trev wondered at this before he spoke.“And then that book somehow made it into the

hands of this Tolkien fellow who rediscovered and deciphered it during one of the Great Wars, only to be rediscovered and deciphered again after the Great Change—incredible!“

The transport arrived at its orbiting destination and completed its docking maneuver. Amrek and Trev were greeted by their friends and then pro-ceeded to the main ballroom. A vast, transparent ceiling that allowed the light of the stars and moon to peer through domed it. During the course of the banquet, there was music and dancing, and much cheer. The stars shone brilliantly overhead as they continuously rose above the curvature of the Earth. Dominated by all these points of light, the Evening Star shone the brightest.

After the party was over, and when most of the guests retired to their quarters, Trev noticed Amrek standing next to the extensive observation window. He approached him and asked, “Enjoyed the party?”

“Mm hmm,” he muttered. “Still, it will be good to return after the celebrations and continue our work.”

“You’re still wondering what that tale is all about, aren’t you?” Trev asked.

“Indeed. I can’t wait to decipher the rest,” Amrek replied, as he continued to stare out at the stunning sight of the stars stretching across the heavens.

Notes

1 Tolkien, J.R.R. The Lord of the Rings. London: HarperCollins, 2005. 712.

2 Rateliff, John D. The History of The Hobbit Part Two: Return to Bag-End. London: HarperCollins, 2008. 752.

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There be dragons

at world’s end

In places

wylde and wyrdd—

(or so lore and legend reveal).

And here be fears—

heart clutching

Pounding

in your ears.

Before you can face

the Great Worm aglow,

First you must conquer

the dragon you know—

the one that slumbers within!

Constance G.J. Wagner

BRAVE(A Bedtime Poem for Young Hobbits)

But here be Dragon—

rumbling now

Down a tunnel

dark and drear!

You pause

and ponder

Ancient words

whispered on the wind:


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I have been an artist for about 25 years, sell-ing my first work at the age of 15. What really inspired me to become an artist was the love of all things fantastical. Like many of my generation, I was greatly inspired by the early classic fantasy films: The Wizard Of Oz, King Kong, Jason and the Argonauts, and Star Wars, to mention just a few. These films are what first made me want to create, and I spent hours trying to recapture the scenes on paper.

At the age of 12, I discovered Dungeons & Drag-ons and, most importantly, the awe-inspiring cov-er art and metal miniatures that helped bring the game to life. Most of my pocket money—not to mention time—was spent purchasing the games and painting the figures. To this day, they have remained a major influence on my work. At the same age, I heard a reading of The Hobbit on a BBC children’s program called Jackanory. This was life-changing and swept away all that had come before, as I wanted to know more about Hobbits, Dwarves and Wizards. I was now hooked on all things Middle-earth and knew that I wanted to do something creative within this magical realm.

My love of Tolkien led me to art college, fol-lowed by two separate degree courses — one in fine art and the other in ceramics and design, hence my various styles. The sole purpose of these

courses was to develop a better understanding of my craft, in order to fulfill my dream of making a living by creating Tolkien-inspired artwork.

This brings me to the book, From The Shire to the Sea. Let’s start with the title. It has always been my intention to cover all of the major events in both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, starting in the Shire and ending at the sea and the Grey Havens. I did not realize how big an undertaking this was until I started. I know now, for a fact, that it’s a lifelong commitment and, although I would like to paint scenes from The Silmarillion and other works of Tolkien’s, I know that I will not have the time. Tolkien’s world is vast and, the more you read the books and their Ap-pendices, the more you discover; it would be easy to stay camped within the comfort of the Shire and only depict the everyday concerns of Hob-bits. However, my road has already been set, and although it will be long and sometimes difficult, there is no other path that I would prefer to tread.

With the publication of From The Shire To The Sea (with thanks to Oloris Publishing), I hope to bring Middle-earth to life and inspire others to discover the amazing world created by Tolkien. Anyone who reads the book and views the paintings will enjoy a visual journey through Middle-earth.

Finding My Way to Middle-earthJoe Gilronan

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According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionaryi, the word “maven” is defined thusly: “one who is experienced or knowledgeable: Expert; also: freak.” The maven is someone so deeply in love with a subject that many would consider him “obsessed.” At the same time, the maven considers himself an authority on the subject of his obses-sion. This definition describes people that most of us have met at least once, and perhaps we consider ourselves proudly in their ranks.

Among the people who enjoy Professor Tolkien’s works, the mavens seem to divide themselves into two groups. For the purpose of this discussion, I will refer to these groups as the Movie Mavens (MM) and the Canon Mavens (CM). Both groups are frequent visitors of chat sites, conventions, fan groups, and vir-tually any other place where Middle-earth might fig-ure into the discussion. Unfortunately, the one thing that these two groups seem to have in common, beyond their mutual love of the world created by J.R.R. Tolkien, is that they each believe that the other group is incredibly misguided in their ideas of how the world they all adore should be appreciated. This leads to some interesting interactions, which range from valiant attempts to evangelize the other side, to virulent hostility. Mostly, each side often regards the other side as the cluster of dotty relatives that should be hushed before they embarrass the room.

Before we get into the points of contention be-tween CMs and MMs, a brief description of each

The Battle of the Mavens: A Call for TruceKathryn Colby

group is in order. CMs are the easiest to categorize, as there is only a single subset and focus to unite them. The true CM is a person who has read and re-read everything written by Professor Tolkien so often that they can quote verbatim from the text. Many CMs have studied the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings thoroughly enough to translate and speak at least one or two of the languages Professor Tol-kien created for his works. The CM may have taken the time to delve into The Book of Lost Tales, the published early writings that grew into The Silmaril-lion, and even the notes and letters that have been put into print in the last couple of decades. The CM, at his best, is a true scholar, immersing himself in the world and characters Professor Tolkien created.

The dedication and scholarship of the CMs have enriched the world of the Tolkien fan more than some MMs would wish to admit. Thanks to the work of a generation of CMs, major universities in Europe and the Americas now hold classes focused on Pro-fessor Tolkien’s literature every semester. A single internet search reveals an eight-page list of courses that range from freshman level English Literature at state universities, to Masters-level courses spon-sored by Religious Studies, Philosophy, Language, and Sociology departments.ii Such prestigious uni-versities as Notre Dame, Baylor, Wheaton, and Wil-lamette are spending time and resources to pro-mote Professor Tolkien’s work as a subject worthy of study. This level of academic respect is usually


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reserved for prolific authors such as Shakespeare, Dickens, and Tolstoy. Tolkien’s rapid elevation into this exalted club could only have come through the efforts of people who love his work, and who are knowledgeable enough about both the subject and the higher circles of academia not to be dismissed immediately: in other words, Canon Mavens.

If there is an unfortunate side to the dedication shown by the CM, it is that they seem to cultivate a love of rigidity with the same enthusiasm that Hobbits show for growing pipeweed. The true CM tolerates no question of anything that is written anywhere by their favorite author. Generally, CMs dislike the changes Peter Jackson made to bring The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to film effectively. Many find it intolerable that Tom Bombadil does not appear along the road to Bree, or that Frodo and Sam are brought to Osgiliath by Faramir. The deviation from the orthodox text required to accept a character not specifically mentioned in the books is just too much for the CM to manage. While the CM may know the origins of the myths Professor Tolkien touched on to create his characters and the details of Middle-earth well enough to discuss likely paths taken by obscure characters, do not ask them to speculate on whether a character had a personal life. You might as well ask a group of Dominican brothers about the guilty pleasures of saints.

In contrast to the orthodoxy of the CMs, the MMs are a very diverse group. Almost all of them have seen the movies more than twice, and they probably own both the theatrical and extended editions of the DVDs. Beyond this point their focus dissolves. Some MMs have never opened the covers of one of Professor Tolkien’s books, while others read them frequently. Some MMs enjoy writing music or poetry that connects to the world of Middle-earth. Others turn their passion to role-playing games and costuming.

The core MM tends to speculate eagerly on things unseen in the stories as they are written, but often know few of the details not specifically spelled out in the movies. They may not realize that the light caught in the Phial of Galadriel is the light from a Silmaril that came from Telperion and Laurelin in Valinor. Where Professor Tolkien got the origins of the idea that grew into Ents, or how he developed the structure of the Sindarin language are not sub-jects that hold an MM’s interest. They are more eager to debate what fiber Elves use to make their socks, or exactly which grain is the basis for lembas.

MMs have no trouble with the thought of open-ing Professor Tolkien’s creations and letting their own imaginations run free. Music videos and fan fictions are favorite expressions of creativity and tribute to their obsession. As such, MMs are more likely to enjoy the changes Peter Jackson wrote into his scripts, and the additions he salted throughout the movies to add interest for a casual viewer. Even the outrageous stunts and crude humour sprinkled through the films are points of enjoyment for the MM, who may attempt to copy some of the jokes shared between Gimli and Legolas while engaged in costume play. For the MM, this is considered good fun and not at all irreverent to the original text or tone of the characters.

The MMs’ enthusiasm and energy are probably responsible for the recent explosion in the popu-larity of Tolkien’s world. While the original books have carried a following of devoted readers since their publication, the difficulty of the text and a lack of illustrations have made them inaccessible to many in the generations that grew up watch-ing television. Reading requires effort, and these are not easy books to master. The new readers’ in-terest must be caught, and the antics of MMs are often very effective at attracting others who have not yet enjoyed the written work. Music videos set to popular songs, short stories written by fans, and costumed enthusiasts in parks reenacting battles with stiff foam weapons are all excellent ways to welcome new people into a world that otherwise might seem intimidating.

This is the source of the conflict between CMs and MMs. One group views the original text as perfect in its present form, while the other sees the pub-lished works as a jumping-point from where the exploration of the imagined world can begin. From the point of view of the CM, the author’s account of events can never be questioned. The MM, in con-trast, looks at the published works as if they were news reports subject to revision as new facts come to light. There could be other points of view that need consideration in order to see the entire picture.

The most recent catalyst for conflict between the MMs and the CMs has been the character of Tauriel. Tauriel, for those who have avoided the controversy thus far, is a female Silvan Elf character created by Peter Jackson and the other writers of The Hobbit film script. According to Evangeline Lilly, the actress cast to play Tauriel, she is younger than Legolas. Ms. Lilly says, “She doesn’t have quite the wisdom and

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poise that those two boys (Thranduil and Legolas) do; she’s a little more . . . gritty. A little more spontaneous, passionate perhaps.” Ms. Lilly also describes her character as “an absolutely ruthless, deadly killer.”iii

From the moment Tauriel’s character was sug-gested, CMs have been infuriated by the entire idea. “The more I get excited about the next film, the more trepidation I get about Tauriel,” wrote one poster on a movie discussion message board. “I just don’t really want a made up character tak-ing up a large portion of the second film. I could just about cope with Legolas appearing . . . but this just seems too much. There is not even a basis for the character!”iv Another poster with similar pref-erences writes, “If this ‘character’ makes any more than a fleeting appearance, it could take me right out of the film.”

“I’m really looking forward to seeing her,” an-other poster on the same chat board replied, “as I like them giving the Mirkwood Elves more of a face, especially in comparison to Thranduil and Le-golas who have a different heritage. Plus, I always thought Evangeline Lilly is born to play an Elf.”v The MM point of view might best be expressed by another voice later in the discussion: “I think that P.J. and company won’t let us down.”

These posts were written almost a year before the first of the three Hobbit movies was released. At the time, most fans knew no more than the char-acter’s name and the name of the actress cast to play her. As we learned more about the charac-ter, the controversy increased. The comment that Tauriel would be a “ruthless killer” set off a rush of pointed remarks, which again divided the commun-ity between those who loved the idea of extending the world beyond what is specific to the book, and those who wanted everything exactly as Professor Tolkien wrote it. The posts concerning this new con-troversy are too recent to quote here, out of respect for their authors. The opinions expressed range from an optimistic ‘Give it a chance’ and ‘Jackson has never let us down yet’ to a very discouraged ‘Jackson destroyed Lord of the Rings with his chan-ges’ and ‘I will never see these movies if this char-acter is included, and none of you should either.’

Despite their differences, each of these two war-ring camps of Mavens needs the other desperately. While each side wishes the other side would see things their way—which is, of course, the right way—neither side seems to realize that they could

not preserve their love of Professor Tolkien’s Mid-dle-earth without the prodding of those that annoy them. We are all in the same Swan-ship, and we need to learn to row together, lest we sink ourselves right along with our opponents.

What do I mean? Just this: If only one side of this debate were heard, they would soon grow tired of their own voices. MMs show plenty of energy and enthusiasm when it comes to filling in gaps and lighting the dark spots in the far corners of Middle-earth. Yes, their music videos and slash fan fiction get on the last nerves of most CMs, but even that is fine. What these ventures show is that love of the world Professor Tolkien created for us does not and should not always suspend disbelief in some of the improbable accounts of life there. Neither should our passion for the characters and situations these stories recount remain locked between well worn covers on dusty bookshelves, when there are ways to live the dream by creating new paths on which to explore the mysteries hidden in the text.

If MMs bring enthusiasm and energy to a world that could easily become stale, CMs provide an equally important service by keeping their feet firm-ly planted in the world as Professor Tolkien wrote it. Their passion for delving into the early versions of what became the stories we know, for seeking out roots and origins, and for looking at the author’s intent encourages even MMs to think deeply about the details they are dissecting. It is the CM who will point out that the pipeweed the Hobbits favor is in fact a subspecies of the healing herb athelas. All this information can be found in the Appendices at the back of The Lord of the Rings, in The Book of Lost Tales, or in Tolkien’s published letters, but only a CM would have the persistence to search for it. The MM may take this information and weave it into a line for a fan fiction or a song.

It took both groups to create the The Lord of the Rings trilogy of movies and the most recent install-ment, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Nearly all of the cast and crew who worked on these mov-ies can be classed as Movie Mavens, since, in or-der to put the story into a filmable form, they must make changes to the original work. Yet, many of those most involved with the production are also Canon Mavens who spent hours perfecting small details that made each moment of the finished films more believable to an audience that includes both avid students of Tolkien’s works and adven-ture seekers who have never read a page. We see


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the results of the blending of enthusiasm with scholarly exactness in the histories, cultures, and languages shown to the audience. There are seven different races shown in the four films, and these include fourteen separate cultures, if we count the men in Bree as a culture unto themselves. We hear six languages spoken, including Quenya, Sindarin, the Black Speech, Adûnaic, and Khuzdul. Each of these required a translator to turn English dialogue into the words spoken by the actor, and a language coach to give those words a proper accent so they sound natural. The work of the CMs who have put Tolkien’s writing into universities provided the groundwork for the cultural and linguistic consult-ants necessary to make each part of the film work well, but it needed the enthusiasm and energy of MMs to take their knowledge and create movie magic. The pair works together like Frodo and Sam.

Notes1. “Maven.” Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary:

An Encyclopedia Britannica Company, Merriam-Webster, Incorporated, n.d. Mon. 27 May, 2013. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/maven

2. Google, “university literature Tolkien,” viewed

Thurs. 19 July, 2013. http://www.google.com/#q=university+literature+tolkien&rlz=1C2RNBN_enUS440&ei=qa7xUcq1JJL4rAHytoH4Aw&start=0&sa=N&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&bvm=bv.49784469%2Cd.eWU%2Cpv.xjs.s.en_US.MpiVkF51mpA.O&fp=630f4a7851d9cf72&biw=1366&bih=677

3. NewsfromBree. Evangeline Lilly: Tauriel is an “absolutely ruthless, deadly killer.” TheOneRing.net. 25 May 2013. Mon. 27 May 2013. http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2013/05/25/71973-evangeline-lilly-tauriel-is-an-absolutely-ruthless-deadly-killer/

4. The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Hobbit, “Tauriel.” 19-20 June 2011. Sat. 25 May, 2013. http://newboards.theonering.net/forum/gforum/perl/gforum.cgi?do=post_view_printable;post=590579;guest=81649823

5. The One Ring Forums: Tolkien Topics: Movie Discussion: The Hobbit: “Tauriel.” 3 April, 2013. Thurs. 28 May, 2013. http://newboards.theonering.net/forum/gforum/perl/gforum.cgi?post=376147;search_string=tauriel%20ruthless;guest=86630298#376147

With thanks to Roger Echo-Hawk

Her face in dreams still comes to me,

Her dark hair fanning, shimmering.

As shadows cloak the road I see,


To light this path of prophecy --

The Evenstar’s fair glimmering.


Her dark hair fanning, shimmering.

Her Face in DreamsKathryn Darden

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What is a storyteller if not someone who dares to dream out loud? Who gifts us with a vision shared and a song sung jointly? And if the story is deep and true, we who receive it come away with something more to add to our own catalog of dreams, our own walks through wondrous realms.

The works of Tolkien and other fantasists give us this gift, and for that we thank them. Indeed, Tol-kien himself, in creating his legendarium, hoped that other hands and minds would add dimension to some of what he offered to fellow travelers in the Perilous Realm:

“… I had a mind to make a body of more or less connected legend… I would draw some of the great tales in fullness, and leave many only placed in the scheme, and sketched. The cycles should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama …”

(Letters 144, 145)

Enter now Kate Madison—actor, director, produ-cer. A woman with a dream. In 2003 she spotted an online announcement for a Lord of the Rings fan film competition, asking for five minute sub-missions done in the style of Peter Jackson’s famed trilogy. That was the seed, but like the silver nut from which a mighty mallorn sprang, something more grew over time. Something rooted in ideal-

ism. Something nurtured by inspiration. Something born of hope.

However, the aptly-named film never made it to the competition because Madison’s vision grew in the telling. And Born of Hope became something “other”.

“I didn’t want to do your average fan film in a way,” Madison admitted after a screening at Return of the Ring, the UK Tolkien Society’s 2012 inter-national conference. “I didn’t want people in the back garden wearing blankets, running around, go-ing. ‘I’m a hobbit.’ I wanted to try to make it as professional a film as possible”

Certainly the over 20 million views this jewel of a film has had on YouTube to date would suggest that people are drawn to it as more than just a fandom curiosity. It does not feature characters familiar to moviegoers from Jackson’s films of Middle-earth. Rather, Madison has effectively done what Tolkien hoped would happen with the small tales woven into his legendarium and told a different story, al-beit one that sits comfortably — both narratively and visually — alongside what Jackson adapted and Tolkien dreamed.

“There are many stories of the history of our world. Most are lost. Scattered in the winds of time beyond the memory of men. But this story — our story — should not be forgotten,” the film’s narra-tion begins, drawing us into a world of legend, of lore and of love. This is the story of Arathorn and

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Gilraen, parents of Aragorn, he who would be the hope of the Dúnedain—he who would be king.

And with these names we are woven into Tolkien’s tapestry of Middle-earth, for the film Madison chose to create was inspired by five short paragraphs in the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings. In the open-ing lines of The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen (LOTR, page1032), Tolkien merely hints at the drama and pathos that marked the lives of Aragorn’s par-ents. Here Tolkien does not tell, but merely tantal-izes, leaving the fuller telling, as he foresaw (Letters, page145), to another voice; Madison’s voice.

“I wanted to make a film that could fit, in theory, alongside the other movies and feel like it belonged to the larger tale,” Madison admits. “I wanted to tell a serious story.”

And she has, to amazing effect. Despite her lim-ited budget, Madison manages to convey with both art and power the plight of the Dúnedain, a people hunted and harrowed by Sauron and his orcs, who are determined to destroy the bloodline of a fabled line of kings.

We roam with Rangers patrolling a forest that so echoes a different age we forget we are not in Middle-earth but in a woodland preserve just outside Greater London. And we share with these same Ran-gers the simple pleasures of life in a village any Viking warrior would be happy to call home. This is so be-cause Madison’s eye for just the right visual led her to Epping Forest in Essex and, most spectacularly, to West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village in Suffolk, England.

An early entry in the online production diary of Born of Hope crackles with Madison’s excitement of being able to shoot in the perfect location:

25th January 2006:… Called West Stow and spoke to Alan Baxter the Manager. He is a big LOTR fan and it looks like they will help us in any way they can. FANTASTIC! I have a proper meeting with Alan on the 4th of February to discuss the project fully.

“Discussing the project fully” entailed showing the site director concept art, costume designs, and actor information to display serious intent. The pitch was successful, as revealed in the production diary which celebrated 4 February 2006 with the words “This was a good day!”

Indeed, anyone seeing Madison in action, wheth-er it be by viewing her video pitches for new works in progress or watching her live, fielding questions

from ardent Tolkien fans at a crowded convention, would immediately understand what prompted writer Wendy Ide of the Times Online to identify her as “clearly a force of nature.” (par. 3) Her energy and enthusiasm are infectious, inspiring the audience to believe that amazing things are pos-sible. Certainly her willingness to meet head on the challenges posed by Born of Hope suggests an engaging optimism and deep appreciation for the creative process.

In recalling the journey that made Born of Hope a reality, Madison admits, “It was a hard road at times, as it was a big task to take on. Still, each day was a joy. Even though I’d done some short films, I’d never done anything to this scale. The good thing about that, however, is that it got this sort of naivety there. It means that you will just keep going, and you do take it one day at a time. That was always my approach: to not think too much ahead. To just think ‘What do we need — today?’ Literally, just one step at a time, which really did help the process and kept the stress levels down, in that sense.”

Still, a sense of camaraderie and inspiration also undoubtedly helped. In fact, the dedication and determination Madison and company showed for Born of Hope in its various stages prompted the creation of another now famous fan production — The Hunt for Gollum, directed by Chris Bouchard.

In a production diary entry dated 6 May 2008, Madison matter-of-factly records watching The Hunt for Gollum shoot in Epping Forest and then further piques a casual reader’s interest with the aside: “Wait a second… What’s The Hunt for Gollum?” What fol-lows reveals a kind of Fellowship of Filmmakers, for Madison notes that Bouchard, who was initially “the composer for Born of Hope was inspired so much by our film that he decided he’d like to have a go him-self. Thus, The Hunt for Gollum was born.”

Even a brief perusal of the Born of Hope diary en-tries turns up several intriguing references to The Hunt for Gollum, including mention of such things as sharing fight training sessions for orcs and the fact that people involved in one film often volun-teered time and effort for the other. Madison is even listed in the credits for Bouchard’s film (as he is for hers as “camera operator” and “effects special-ist”) as both “associate producer” and “wardrobe assistant”, along with special thanks to Madison’s Actors at Work Productions. Fellowship indeed. (The Hunt for Gollum).

At a Return of the Ring panel on adaptations, both Madison and Bouchard told tales of the chal-

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lenges of adapting Tolkien’s “undeveloped stor-ies” from sagas only hinted at in the appendices to The Lord of the Rings, ultimately deciding that one of the most stressful moments for both of them came when they were contacted by the Saul Zaentz Company and Tolkien Enterprises, asking “to talk”. Eventually, agreements not to profit from the pro-ductions were signed, thus preserving fan status and allowing filming to continue.

The guardians of copyright need not have feared. Madison had always intended Born of Hope to be a tribute to work that stirred her as an artist and was always meant to be a labor of love. And that love of topic and of the sheer adventure of filmmaking — of storytelling — transformed Madison from ac-tress only to director/producer, one deal at a time. Certainly having to pull everything together both honed her business skills and whetted her courage.

“That was very important,” Madison agrees. “It was that thing of being bold enough to ask the

question. Not to shirk it away by saying ‘Oh, it would be nice to get some weapons done by that person but …!’ However, it becomes ‘You know what? Let’s ask him. All he can say is no.’ I ended up contacting, for example, Raven Armoury in Essex and just asked. The designer there had some time and liked the idea of the film. He could make some weapons and then loan them to us, essentially. So we had the use of thousands of pounds worth of wonderful, unique swords!”

Another notable donation that added a touch of movie glamour came the day a box arrived from New Zealand. A Weta Workshop designer, impressed with Madison’s efforts as chronicled online, sent some beautiful chainmail, a discontinued “extra” left over from The Lord of the Rings! (Lamont par. # 15)

Madison’s gratitude when she speaks of all the people who donated talent, time, and effort to make the film a reality is palpable and sincere. “No one got paid anything. People volunteered to do it


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all for love,” she recalls with an appreciative smile and pride in their achievements and abilities, noting as an example that the computer graphic artist who created Born of Hope’s CGI troll now does some work with Andy Serkis.

However, even with the help and enthusiasm of so many talented volunteers, there was one point when Madison pulled back and questioned the sheer scope of what she was attempting.

Right before one of the longer battle shoots, she found herself in the middle of a props shop, hunt-ing for essential items when she received word that the cost of accommodating cast and crew for the week would be £5000.00. “It really was a bit of a wakeup call in the sense of ‘What am I doing here? What benefit is this to me? I’m spending all this money! Is this a good idea?!’ But we had started filming about six months before,” she remembers, “so there was so much investment in it from so many people. I didn’t want to just stop.”

In one pivotal scene in Born of Hope, the young female Ranger Elgarain encourages Arathorn by stating, “Just hold your ground and speak your heart.” But the words could just as well have been directed to Madison herself at her low point. That moment of reflection prompted her to move be-yond self-funding and mount an Internet campaign to find donors.

And find them she did with a witty yet sincere appeal that raised £17,000.00 from investors who were acknowledged in the credits as anything from “Hobbits” to “Rohirrim” to “Elves” to “Wizards” to “Eagle,” depending upon the amount contributed. Total costs at the end amounted to £25,000.00, of which Madison supplied, over time, £8,000.00 — her life’s savings. Committing such a prodigious sum to the project earned her the sole donor status of “Eagle.”

And like Tolkien’s Wind Lords, she ultimately soared, creating something that exceeded all expectations — including her own. “I didn’t really have huge expectations,” she admits, “but I think I had that naivety with a bold sort of attitude like ‘I don’t care. I can do this!’ I had the determination that this was possible. Other people have done this, I told myself. It’s possible to do this! I totally believed that, de-spite the fact that others — who admittedly may be more sensible than I — thought my proposal was a joke.”

However, Madison and company had the last laugh on those who dismissed the idea as an impractical or even implausible delusion of grandeur. In addition to receiving a flood of attention from the mainstream press, Born of Hope, Madison is happy to note, won the London Independent Film Festival award for “Best Micro-Budget Feature” for 2010.

But Born of Hope did not just pose filmmaking- and business-related challenges for Madison. It also allowed her to stretch herself as an actress in her portrayal of the female Ranger Elgarain. And yet, this component of Madison’s experience almost did not happen.

“My original decision was not to be in the film,” Madison reveals, “as it would be a bit hard to pro-duce and direct and generally deal with everything that could occur. Also, I was worried that my act-ing would be more criticized than anyone else’s, because as the director, I had clearly cast myself.”

Pausing for a moment to flash a self-effacing smile, Madison continues, “But then it occurred to me before shooting the actual full film that I had already been working on this idea for maybe five years at that point, and so I realized I was being a bit silly. I knew I still had more work ahead of me, but at the end, I knew it would be the sort of movie I would want to be in as an actor — so it would be stupid not to put myself in it.”

Although the character of Elgarain, a young woman trained as a Ranger by Arathorn, is not part of Tolkien’s pantheon of heroes, the inclusion of this and other “invented” secondary characters in the film allowed for the telling of a deeper story than that suggested by the Appendices.

“As Elgarain’s role started to grow,” Madison re-calls, “it led to this really interesting subplot with her and Arathorn and Dirhaborn (another Ranger). It became this wonderful love story that really mir-

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rored other things found in The Lord of the Rings. If you took the invented characters out of the film, the story could be somewhat bland. So, we mixed things up and made the relationship between Ara-thorn and Gilraen a bit harder to achieve — which makes the tale richer.”

When the opportunity to do a fan film first pre-sented itself, Madison’s original story idea was to depict the adventures of a young female Ranger who gets swept up in the War of the Ring. How-ever, that plotline was abandoned in favor of a more intimate story that employed elements of Tol-kien’s legendarium. And so Born of Hope, giving fans a filmic depiction of some of Aragorn’s back-story, came into being — to the delight of Tolkien-ites worldwide.

Fans who discover the film online are quick to share it, even now, years after the Internet premiere date of 01 December, 2009. Also, when screenings have been held at such major gatherings as Ring-Con in Germany, DragonCon in the USA, or Return of the Ring in England, people flock to see it, relish-ing the chance to enjoy it on a bigger screen than a computer monitor allows. It clearly remains a “hit”.

“One thing we were most surprised about is how many real core Tolkien fans — fans of the book, pri-marily — like it,” Madison admits. “So many people seem to suggest that they like our film more than the Peter Jackson movies, something I find baffling! But I think it means that people who love the book also love the appendices with all these extra stories. And here we are, presenting some of that.”

Certainly the fellowship of fandom wishes Kate Madison well on future projects, which at this point appear to be legion. Actors at Work Productions is the umbrella title employed for the various film services and projects she pursues, such as creating showreels for other actors or recording corporate

promos. Perusing the website for Actors At Work Productions takes those curious on a tour of Madi-son’s projects past, present, and future, even offer-ing a link for rental of props and costumes, includ-ing weapons, chainmail — and full head orc masks. But as one might suspect, there is something more.

While services for rentals and industrial show pro-mos seem more the stuff of ledger than of legend, further conversation with Madison and a deeper exploration of the website reveal that the power of Story is truly what drives her still. These days you are more than likely to find her hoisting sail aboard a pirate ship, or traveling an uncharted land popu-lated by demons and those who hunt them.

Through the Eyes of Men, a proposed eight part TV mini-series about the famous female pirates Mary Read and Anne Bonny, is a project that grew out of Madison’s life-long fascination with pirates and strong women in history. She hopes to able to produce their story for television to allow for a ful-ler telling of the compelling history of these fabled women. A short promo trailer, impressive in its use of lighting and intriguing camera angles to create an emotional impact, has been shot, and financial backing for this intriguing series is being sought, again via an Internet appeal.

Moving from the high seas and history to Realms Perilous and fey, Madison is also hard at work on Ren; an original web-based fantasy series that will follow the quest of a young woman, marked by an ancient and powerful demon, to discover the truth of what she has become. To handle the business end of Ren, Madison has recently set up Mythica Entertainment Limited, an official channel for her producing skills. Concept art and scripts are cur-rently under development for this original series that Madison hopes fantasy fans will take to their

hearts. “It will be done in classic swords and shields style,” she promises with a grin.

Madison has indeed grown into a storyteller in the truest sense of the word, wanting to tell tales of excitement, of power, of beauty; wanting to tell the “Tales That Really Matter”. And with the production of Born of Hope — and all her work to come — Madison can surely echo the passion-ate avowal voiced by her alter ego Elgarain: “I found my heart today.”

And in taking on the mantle of storyteller, of bard, of one who dares to dream out loud, Kate Madison clearly has found hers as well. F


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A dwelling of comfort

and a well-kept garden,is not long-forgotten

but held dear in the heart,like a beacon of hope

when lost in dark places.

Oh glory and trumpets!

To be back in the Shire

is warmth to the heart,in the midst of dark times

when bravery ebbs and fades

TXLHW�ÀHOGV�FDOO�IRQGO\�IURP�DIDU

Shire dwelling and a well-kept garden

John Cockshaw

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1RYHO�WRQJXHV�ZHUH�KLV�ÀUVW�FUHDWLRQ�Then came realms in which they could function.

Composite worlds of hobbits and trees,

One’s curiosity which tend to tease.

Summarised European thought as a whole,

Yet, a universal story he managed to unroll.

Can touch every race’s soul,

War, loss, and fate played a big role.

Inspired by myths of north and west,

Yet, eastern elements he couldn’t divest.

A new myth to his country gave,

)DFHG�ZLWK�FULWLFV��ZDV�ÀUP�DQG�EUDYH�

Complex the mind of the author,

Goes to the heart like a skilled archer.

His era and upbringing shaped his worldview,

Yet each generation enjoys it anew.

For every age has a lot of value,

By it, our psyche we can construe.

Images, messages for our inner mind,

With deep meaning the story is lined.

One’s imagination his books always free,

More deeply the self can one see.

Tolkien's LegacySultana Raza


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This review has been a long time coming, as a promise to a good friend. Do not presume to think I am somehow expert in the ways of film; I simply enjoy the escape provided by a good story, an illu-sion of a different world and time. That is a gift be-stowed upon us by J.R.R. Tolkien decades ago. Well, therein lies a tale, doesn’t it? Did Peter Jackson’s film, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, provide that escape?

The overall look, feel, and sound of The Hobbit hearkened back to its ancestor, The Lord of the Rings. Yet it still had a distinct difference, enough to set it apart. That is no mean feat.

Visually, I found no fault whatsoever, and that is after seeing the film in 2D and 3D (high frame rate). Many folks were cool to the high frame rate of 48 frames per second, saying it resembled an American soap opera in appearance. That never occurred to me at all. I enjoyed the smooth, fluid motion, feeling as if I were completely immersed in the lands before my eyes. Maybe that was due to the TV at home, which I’ve been watching for a year prior. Regard-less, the colours seemed vibrant and alive, which is especially critical in the verdant Shire, where things were made to endure. The greens seemed greener,

An Unexpected Reviewer� Lee Shamblin �

movie reviews

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the yellows more giddy; the wood was stronger, the stone more resolute. The softening of focus gave the movie a separate image that did not detract from my love of the landscape.

Appearances include more than colours, though. There were some portions of the computer graphics which seemed to fall short. In many battle scenes, I noticed recipients of blows who were seemingly missed, and yet who reacted as though they had been pounded. Then again, I never really noticed it until someone else pointed it out. Azog the De-filer, while suitably menacing, had a complexion that looked a little too computerized. He was good, mind you, but not quite good enough to keep me from falling out of the illusion. Gollum, on the other hand, was even more spectacular than be-fore. Whatever tweaks, polishes, and refinements

were used were worth the cost. Perhaps the greatest difficulty

I had with the film’s appear-ance was in the portrayal of Thorin Oakenshield. This is a great, heroic figure, yet I kept feeling he was made to look more “Aragorn-like”. A king should have a commanding presence, a regal bearing; yet Thorin’s predecessors seemed to have a powerful presence, without being made to look like movie stars.

Music—ah, Howard Shore had almost as great a challenge this time around as when scor-ing The Lord of the Rings! How do you follow one of movie-dom’s greatest achievements with a score that, simultan-eously, must stand on its own merits, yet remain connected to that which came before? We hear themes for the Dwarves and the Galadhrim repeated, along with strong echoes of the “Fellowship” theme and others. It will be interesting to hear the themes for some of the other races, such as those of Men and Elves, when we get to the second and third films. Even so, An Unexpected Journey gave us

grandness such as in Erebor and profoundly mov-ing thrums as in “Misty Mountains”, which seems to be so far the signature piece of the film trilogy.

The acting was strong, if for no other reason than Martin Freeman. He held the story together with his portrayal of Bilbo Baggins—at-times self-focused, and at others courageous. Particularly in the “Rid-dles in the Dark” scene, he showed equal measures of trembling nerves and a spine-straightening wit. He even had a bit of a flare for the comic with his fainting after reading Thorin’s contract. Other than that, I didn’t find any other performances to be notable—not even the redoubtable Sir Ian McKel-lan, who seemed almost “tired”. Sylvester McCoy’s performance may be the most divisive. Being a Doctor Who fan, I was partial to him just because he’s Sylvester McCoy. And yet the bird excrement on his beard just seemed too vulgar, for lack of a better word.

Here now we come to the most controversial aspect—the story. It is well-known that Jackson wanted to expand beyond just The Hobbit, to in-clude elements from The Book of Lost Tales, The Silmarillion, and even various Appendices from The Lord of the Rings. The most common outcry before the movie’s release was “how is he tak-ing one small book and making three big films out of it?” And that is a fair critique, even after having seen the movie multiple times. It felt pad-ded—and yet I didn’t mind too much. The whole of Tolkien is grander in scope than most movie-goers realize. Perhaps this will pique their interest to explore it further.

One of the most disappointing trends was the tendency to add events, phrases, and so forth, as if to emphasize what had come before: Elven horns, phrases like “home is now behind you, the world is ahead,” talking to moths, and rescues by eagles. Those—and others—simply seemed calculated to be no more than reminders of The Hobbit’s pedi-gree. One exception may be Galadriel’s appearance. She is special to a degree that every time we see her, we ought to be compelled to kneel before her. Whether we receive a golden hair, or three, or none at all, she is the Lady of Light. One side note: I know many of my friends whose opinion I respect far be-yond my own felt her exchanges with Gandalf were inappropriate, or even flirtatious, hinting at some romantic entanglement or infatuation. I saw none of that, but instead recognized the deep feelings held by comrades who have fought side-by-side


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and have seen much. And, trust me, I am a roman-tic’s romantic who would recognize such feelings. Bear in mind that both Galadriel and Gandalf know he has terrible trials yet to come, and in that fact they can feel a plaintive kinship.

When it comes to the story told in the film, well, it has been far, far too long since I read the original works to be able to compare them here. Suffice to say that I’ve heard from many different quarters that much of what we see and hear does appear in some form in the original books. Yet there are departures , too. Some of them don’t bother me, while others I am unsure about. The dwarves’ be-havior at the unexpected party was rowdy, which I can easily believe, but seemed also rather rude or boorish. Again, maybe that’s a characteristic I’ve lost in memory.

In the end, I enjoyed the film, and that is what matters most. Did it disappoint? Yes. Some of this is due to having seen a great film of similar scope not long ago. If this were completely new, with no The Lord of the Rings preceding it, I might feel more enthusiastic about The Hobbit. An additional sad truth is that when making big-budget films, certain concessions must be made. Hence, why we have overwrought battles of stone giants alongside a lessening of the quality of dialogue. However, I am not the expert or enthusiast of the books that so many of my comrades are; and while I might dis-

agree with them on some points, I won’t even begin to criticize them. There is so much more to talk

about in just this first film of the trilogy. The whole task

distills down to one im-portant question: are we reviewing the film

on its own merits, or are we grading it as an adapta-

tion? The journey has only

begun, so let’s come back to this discussion after the next two stops on our Great Path.

Review of Born of Hope� Lewie Nerino �

F

I have never been particularly fond of expansions to an author’s work. To me, once an author is done with a story, that is where it ends. Fanworks, adaptations, interpretations—even the Star Wars Expanded Universe and authorised movie adapta-tions—tend to take too many liberties with the ori-ginals for my taste.

It was to my great surprise, then, that I found that I rather enjoyed Born of Hope. For those of you who are unfamiliar with it, Born of Hope is a fan film covering the story of Aragorn’s parents, Arath-orn and Gilraen. Visually, the film is amazing, even without taking into account its budget. The overall look of the film is very similar to that of the Peter Jackson films; the sets and costumes are all very well done, and the cinematography is excellent. The soundtrack is also exceptional, both on its own merits and in terms of complementing the scenes.

I do have a few gripes with the film. Some of the scenes seemed empty. I understand that the wan-dering Dúnedain were a small group, but it still seemed like there were too few of them, and the film might have looked better with a few more ex-tras. Also, while most of the acting was excellent, there were parts where the facial expressions of the actors seemed somewhat lacking.

My main problem, though, was their usage of the Elvish dialects. I’m afraid I’m not quite skilled enough to be able to differentiate between Sindarin and Quenya, so I can’t say for sure which was used; but while there were scenes where its usage made sense, there were others where characters would switch languages without (to my mind) a reason for doing so. The result was jarring at times.

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As far as the story itself is concerned, it was well done. The ending seemed somewhat abrupt, but given the movie’s focus, such an ending is fitting in a way. Furthermore, the film manages to build from only a small bit of information in the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings without adding in any contra-dictions to the canon, something which I, for one, greatly appreciate.

All in all, I enjoyed this movie. I have few minor complaints, but nothing dire. I’d highly recommend it to both fans of the movies searching for some-thing to tide them over until The Hobbit, as well as fans of the books who wish the Appendices had gone into more detail. F

book review

Over the Edge of the Wild: A Review of The Hobbit Illustrated by Jemima Catlin� Lara Sookoo �

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit,” is one of the most iconic first sentences in modern literature, and it started many of us on a journey into fantasy literature that was as epic as the ad-venture in the pages before us. Like Bilbo, we took our first steps along the Road and were swept away through the lands of our youth into Wilderland with its magical landscapes and mythical creatures. The Hobbit has its place in the lives of many modern readers as a book that was first read aloud to them and that they, in turn, have read to their children; it’s a book of cherished memories that becomes part of creating new traditions.

If you are not familiar with The Hobbit, this book, first published in 1937, is J.R.R. Tolkien’s introduc-tion to the world of Middle-earth. The story follows Bilbo Baggins, a hobbit, as he is roused from a calm life of comfort (and good food), quite devoid of adventure, thank you, and sent on a journey with a party of 12 dwarves looking to reclaim their lost kingdom. How does such a complacent fellow, liv-ing quietly in the Shire, encounter such a dramatic turn of events? The agent of change is a wizard, of course, named Gandalf the Grey, who is much more than just a maker of wonderful fireworks as Bilbo discovers. Bilbo encounters all manner of creatures from elves and trolls to giant spiders and Smaug the Magnificent. He journeys over hills and mountains, through dark forests and long lakes until he and the dwarves come to the Lonely Mountain and fulfil-ment of their quest.

In the tradition of many grand adventures, it is a coming-of-age tale in which the hobbit who returns to Bag End has learned many new things about himself and his place in the world. The reader also benefits from the examples of friendship, nobility, and generosity Bilbo has seen. He is not, however, a perfect hero. He shows stubbornness and lies to his comrades; there are moments of cowardice and self-doubt. Yet, like the hobbit himself, you are left with the depth he finds within, the courage he dis-covers and the wealth of good hobbit sense he has in spades.

In a world of movie tie-ins, this new edition of The Hobbit is a delicious treat because the images are fresh, new visions, yet there is a sense that they will become classics to young readers. The last illus-trated version of The Hobbit, published in 1997, featured the majestic work of Alan Lee. This new 2013 edition has been illustrated by a brilliant artist named Jemima Catlin who lives and works in Dor-


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chester, UK. Some 150 new illustrations have been commissioned for this edition of The Hobbit and they do not disappoint. Opening the book evoked memories of the gift books my father used to give me as a child; books which powerfully transported a young imagination to distant locations and grand adventures within beautifully illustrated pages. The map at the start of the book is the familiar map known to all, yet it still sets up the excitement and curiosity as you turn the page and enter that round, green door into “An Unexpected Party.”

Ms. Catlin’s illustrations trigger the imagination. There are shaggy-haired trolls, a fearsome Great Goblin, rag tag dwarves, a stern Elven King and

many others rendered in a whimsical style that both children and adults will love. One favourite is Bilbo riding a barrel in the river. In this illustration and in others of the barrels (and dwarf in a barrel), the reader can feel the current and jostling. Her illus-trations bring the reader right into the story. They are whimsical and full of motion and emotion, and they provide the reader with much room to build their own vision of Middle-earth.

This new edition of The Hobbit is sure to delight collectors and fans of Tolkien’s work who already love this tale. However, it will also beckon new read-ers to explore with Bilbo Baggins and be inspired by the all the wonders of the Wild World. F

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Green grass above

Full pantries below

A pipe in hand

Smoke rings abound

A stranger arrives

Good mornings are said

Names are exchanged

Adventure is ahead

Fourteen is their number

A journey they plan

To displace a dragon

And retake the land

Dark paths they will travel

A wizard to guide them

Through part of the way

Though he cannot stay

Mountains ahead and goblins below

Spiders and Elves lie in their path

The thief comes in handy

More often than they know

A barrel ride down the river

Brings them closer to their goal

On the skirts of the mountain

Are signs of past woes

Riddles with a dragon

A lucky number is named

From the end of a bag

The thief makes his claim

,Q�DQJHU�WKH�GUDJRQ�WDNHV�ÁLJKW�2QO\�WR�ÀQG�KLPVHOI �RQ�WKH�HQG�RI �� man’s might

A black arrow spells his doom

Hard he falls to the earth far below

A New Year Begins

Fourteen hole up in the mountain halls

7KH�WKLHI �WDNHV�ÁLJKWCarrying a treasure of great worth

An appeal of hope to the men of might

Thirteen remain, angry at the loss

Battle begins among Dwarves and Men

A bargain is made

A friendship is lost

1HZ�HQHPLHV�FRPH�WR�ÀJKWOld enemies join together

To weather the cost

)LYH�DUPLHV�ÀJKW�IURP�PRUQLQJ�¶WLOO�QLJKW

The eagles have come

Only one more awaits

He arrives with a roar

The battle comes to an end

The aftermath is swift

A death of a friend

The thief and the wizard

Bring their parts to an end

Treasure is given

Treasure is found

The wandering thief brings it home

2QO\�WR�ÀQG�KLV�GHDWK�LV�DVVXPHG�

Settling his affairs

Making his presence known

Adventures he’s had

Stories he tells

A pen in his hand

A tale he spins

Until years have passed

And a new one begins

Alicia Angst


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Few would believe that Albert Nerino did not willingly enter the Tolkien fandom, although his re-luctance lasted only as long as it took for him to turn past the title page, at which point he took to Middle-earth like a fish to water. In addition to his love for Sci-Fi and Fantasy across all media, he also enjoys military history and almost anything involv-ing the great outdoors.

An unrepentant jack of all trades, he holds de-grees in English & History and Communication of Science & Technology from Vanderbilt University. Albert currently works as a freelance writer.

Alexandra is a senior editor at Oloris Publishing, and a history student with an interest in most things medieval. Tolkien’s works have played an important part in her life since she was introduced to them many years ago by a dear friend, who first sparked her interest with a passage from the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings. Her favourite book, however, is The Silmarillion, and she has a particular fondness for Elven languages.

Elijah David is a previous contributor to Silver Leaves. He now works as a copywriter and free-lance editor. In his spare time, he reads and writes as much as possible, especially fantasy. He and his wife reside in the Chattanooga area and are in-volved in their local church. He occasionally posts his thoughts on writing and literature at elijahdavi-dauthor.blogspot.com.

Gerda has been reading Tolkien since the age of 17 when she was told that The Lord of the Rings was a “boy’s book”. It is the only book that as soon as she finished the last word on the last page, she turned to the beginning and started reading again. Beside her love for Tolkien’s work, Gerda also reads

other fantasy and science fiction authors, mysteries, suspense, and adventure. She enjoys the cinema and art galleries, and she is an avid photographer. Wherever she goes, at least one of her trusty cam-eras is with her.

Jessica Heidt is an avid movie-goer and loves to read, especially Harry Potter, Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Japanese manga, and anything else sci-fi or fantasy-related. Her other interests include writing, music, Anime, travel (when she can!!!), faith, and being with family and friends. These are the things that occupy her life when she isn’t off in her own im-aginative fantasy world thinking up stories of her own (yes, she’s a kid at heart!). She lives with her husband in Kitchener, ON.

Jo-Anna “johobbit” has been a passionate J.R.R. Tolkien & C.S. Lewis fan for nearly five decades, and longs to sit in the Eagle and Child pub in Oxford where the Inklings themselves frequented. Other passions include her faith through Jesus Christ, family, music, reading, volunteering, Moots, astron-omy, swimming, nature, friends (both offline and online)—oh yes, and hearty food. All of these areas are how she gratefully and contentedly fills her days—often to overflowing. While in the next year or two, she and her hubby are planning to move out of the GTA, for the time being she lives snugly in southern Ontario with hubbyhobbit and ofttimes their three halflings, who come home to the homey hobbit hole when they are able. Jo-Anna treasures making frequent voyages into Middle-earth and Narnia.

Julie S. Dobbins is a member of the Silver Leaves Journal editorial team; reading and writing have been her passion since discovering The Hobbit in the 8th grade. Her articles have appeared in vari-ous publications, both online and in print, as well as authoring two books. Her current adventure has come in the form of being an editor and PR/Publi-city Director for Oloris Publishing. For additional in-formation about Julie visit her site www.juliebooks.weebly.com.

Lara loves Tolkien, football (soccer) and her son. And that pretty much sums up her life. She is con-vinced that Elves play footie, Dwarves play rugby, and Men play hockey. Hobbits? Hobbits are fans

The Fellowship of the Journal. . .

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mobbing the ale stand at half-time. She likes to read books and write things and hopes one day to write the 30-year-old novel in her head. Of course, she may find that such novels-in-your-head really don’t appeal to anybody, but she is incredibly stub-born (she calls it “tenacious”) and wants to write the thing anyway. She isn’t sure where she lives (be-cause all places are Middle-earth, aren’t they?) and is prone to wandering. If you see her, kindly give her a map.

Martha Kosyfi is an English Language and Litera-ture teacher from Greece. An avid reader from a very early age, a writer since age 18, she discovered the wonderful world of Tolkien a few years ago…and has been living in Middle-earth ever since. Teacher, writer (mostly of fiction and the occasional essay), reader (LotR, of course, Harry Potter, definitely, His Dark Materials, and all genres of fantasy) and ever a dreamer, her passions include—aside from the ones mentioned above—movies, music, helping friends, participating in an animal rights society as well as being a member in the Greek Tolkien society and

drawing, including digital art, a newly tapped-into talent. Dreaming of writing her own book some day and seeing it published-as well as dreaming of elves and hobbits and more- she hails from the inspira-tional city of myths, Athens.

Stephanie Chan is an editor for Oloris Publish-ing. Her journey with reading, writing, and editing with a critical eye reached full swing during her undergraduate days at York University in Toronto, where she has since received her Bachelor of Arts with Honours in Classical Studies with a minor in Visual Arts. Her scholarly interests extend past the time period of her degree into Medieval and early Renaissance history.

When she’s not indulging her lifelong interest in Tolkien in one way or another, she can be found either catching up with her TV shows, or planning out her next life adventure and completing side quests along the way. She is easily bribed with the promise of food, tickets to museum exhibits, and the smell of old and new books.


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Many MeetingsAlicia Angst has a degree in communications with a minor in math. She has been riding horses since she was 10 and loves horseback-riding. She rarely goes anywhere without a book and her writing notebook. She has an interest in web and graphic design and is a long-time fan of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings.

Bernadette Barnes is native Torontonian, as well as an aspiring poet and photographer. A mother of two bril-liant daughters and “Grammie” of two, her family and friends mean everything to her. A deep love of wide open spaces and nature, sees her frequently wandering about with her camera, recording images to act as inspiration for future bits of her “scribbling.” She has recently had her poetry published in the an-

thology “The Poetry of Yoga—Volume 1” as well as in “Silver Leaves: Volume 4.” Bernadette has also had photos featured in Issue 51 of “Mallorn, the Journal of the Tolkien Society.”An office manager for a property management company

by profession, her photography and writing are her real passions. Many thanks to the kind editors at Silver Leaves for their continued faith and support.

Sarah Bauerle is a graduate school student from Mich-igan, and a lifelong lover of Tolkien and Middle-earth. She currently divides her time between studying music com-position, teaching piano lessons, decorating cakes, and wishing she had more time to read. This is her first pub-lication.

Mark Bednarowski is born and raised in Ontario, cur-rently residing in Dundas with his beautiful wife and two daughters. His interest in Tolkien was rekindled after watching The Fellowship of the Ring back in 2001. Since then, he’s enjoyed a long and fantastic journey, learning all there is to know about the Professor’s legendarium. With a background in Engineering, Mark has changed course and gone into web development. Pedalling a bike on the backroads and trails of Ontario is high up on the spare-time list. If not, then he’s probably lost somewhere in a book wandering Middle-earth.

Daisy Brambletoes is an artist from New Orleans who has been drawing and painting her entire life. Among her many influences are artists such as Sheila Beckett, Walt Disney, Tim Kirk, and Katsushika Hokusai. She first encoun-tered the works of Tolkien during the summer break in college semesters, around 1970, while recovering from an illness. She was hooked for life upon reading the famous opening paragraph of The Hobbit and promptly read the entire series—twice—and to this day, she still reads The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings about once a year. Al-most from the start she was sketching Hobbits, attempting the daunting task of completely illustrating The Lord of the Rings, from start to finish, in hundreds of tiny ink draw-ings. When a call came from Ballantine Books for artists to

send in submissions of calendar art, Daisy immediately re-sponded. Over the past 35 years, all of the watercolor sub-missions were sold, and only photos exist of the originals.Aside from her love of The Lord of the Rings, Daisy loves

the music of Mozart, the plays of Gilbert and Sullivan, and such books as The Dresden Files. She and her hus-band make miniature Christmas figures, and she has two dachshunds, two old cats, two cockatiels, and eight love-birds. Come visit her at www.daisyshobbithole.com.

John Cockshaw is a painter/photographer and enthusi-ast of J.R.R. Tolkien based in North Yorkshire. John stud-ied Fine Art at Sheffield Hallam University, earning an MA in Art and Design in 2003. Alongside exhibiting his paintings in the North of England, he began developing a photography-based project inspired by the written de-scriptions of the Middle-earth landscape as found within The Lord of the Rings. This richness of realism combined with the fantastic and mythical is what ultimately inspired John to extend the project into an extended collection of artwork. Beginning under the geographic title From Mordor to the Misty Mountains the collection will be published in an art volume by Oloris Publishing in 2014 entitled Wrath, Ruin and a Red Nightfall.As the basis for individual pieces, the artist seeks out en-

counters in the everyday landscape that are bestowed with a sense of the Tolkienesque, and aims not for strict photo-realism but the qualities of the illustrative and the cinematic.A new member of the Tolkien Society, John exhibited his

work at Oxonmoot in September 2013 and currently has select pieces on display at Sarehole Mill in Birmingham which will continue until autumn 2013.

Kathryn Colby was born and raised in a small town in the Catskill Mountains. She developed a love of J.R.R. Tol-kien’s writing very early, and had read The Lord of the Rings more than once before she started high school. The Silmarillion took a bit longer to finish, and she is still working on completely understanding it, but the task is an enjoyable one.Kathryn credits her love of reading in general, and Tol-

kien in particular, to her grandfather, who was a self-taught scholar. He introduced her to the wonders of im-agination and history found in books, and spent hours discussing the hidden corners of Tolkien’s world with her. Because of these discussions, Kathryn learned to filter the stories in fantasy through the lenses of psychology, his-tory, and logic, to question and to experiment, if answers are not easily found in the reading. This makes her a bit of a gadfly to her friends in The Grey Havens, a Tolkien-centered book club that she attends frequently.Kathryn lives in Loveland, Colorado, with her husband

Bill, her daughter Deirdre, and Joan, the cat who rules their house. Besides Tolkien, her favorite authors are Laur-ell K. Hamilton, Morgan Llwelyn, and George R.R. Martin.


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Kelly Cowling is the founder of The Grey Havens Group, an extremely active Tolkien and fantasy literature discussion society for Boulder County, Colorado and beyond. GHG is also a non-profit association devoted to promoting literacy and the use of the imagination as indispensable compon-ents of education. GHG hosts numerous literacy events throughout the year and promotes scholarship and crea-tivity amongst its members, many of whom have gained recognition for their work. Cowling has a Master’s degree in Religious Studies from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, an institution that aims to provide its students with a contemplative education. Her particular interest is the relationship between the works and lives of the Oxford Inklings and contemplative practice. For more on this sub-ject and more information about The Grey Havens Group, visit greyhavensgroup.com.

Author and award-winning poet Kathryn E. Darden was first introduced to The Hobbit when she was 11 years old and quickly devoured The Lord of the Rings. While reading the trilogy, she began writing her first poems, inspired by the beauty of J.R.R. Tolkien’s poetry. Darden’s poetry has been heard on air via the Moody Broadcasting System and published in over 60 anthologies and publi-cations including “In Fellowship: The Journal of the Tol-kien Gathering,” “Christian Poet’s Pen,” “The Anthology of Christian Poetry”, and all five issues of “Silver Leaves.” She is a regular contributing writer for Yahoo and Exam-iner.com. Darden is the author of three books and resides in Tennessee where she is a free-lance writer, publisher of www.ChristianActivities.com, and skincare consultant at Rodan + Fields Dermatologists.David DelaGardelle was the co-founder and former owner of the smithy “Mad Dwarf Workshop”.

Cedarlore Forge is David’s serious artistic exploration of the Northern European mythopoetic tradition, in the form of uniquely hand forged swords and artwork. He attempts to embody the ideology that Professor J.R.R. Tol-kien spoke of in his poem “Mythopoeia” when he wrote of the creation of art as a transcendent truth that can glorify and praise our own Creator.David crafts each piece with meaning and purpose, a

mythic story to tell, and a truth to be known. He works with the raw materials as closely as they would have been used thousands of years ago by historical swordsmiths. Also, he is inspired by both the classical and legendary works of old writers and folktales. The natural environ-ments of his childhood shaped his imagination into the craftsman he is today.

Colleen Doran is an illustrator with hundreds of credits for clients including Lucasfilm, The Walt Disney Company, Marvel Comics, Image Comics, DC Comics, Reader’s Digest, Scholastic, and many more. She was artist in residence at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC where she lectured on Hokusai and ukiyo-e prints and their relation to pop culture and manga. She has also lectured on graphic novels in arenas as diverse as the Singapore Writers Festival and the American Library Association. She has illustrated the work of Neil Gaiman, Anne Rice

and Clive Barker.

Currently, she is working on two original graphic novels for Vertigo, one by Warren Ellis called Stealth Tribes, and another by Eisner nominee Derek McCulloch entitled Gone to Amerikay. She is also artist for an upcoming ori-ginal graphic novel for publisher Houghton Mifflin with best selling novelist Barry Lyga. Other credits include Wonder Woman, Amazing Spi-

derman, X-Factor, Captain America, Teen Titans, and of-ficially licensed illustrations for Indiana Jones, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings. Her graphic novel series A Dis-tant Soil, published by Image Comics, was listed among the 101 best graphic novels of all time, and has tens of thousands of readers as a webcomic.

Eaneli has been drawing since she can remember. She has never attended any art lessons, so she is a kind of self-taught person. She read The Lord of the Rings for the first time when she was sixteen. In that moment of her life she started to draw after a very long break. She thinks Tolkien and his works unite fans all over the world, and inspire wide groups of people, ranging from professionals to amateur artists, to various projects. She especially likes to draw hobbits. This folk leads a quiet and peaceful life, which, in fact, is what she personally wants to achieve.

Abigail Fielder is a twenty four old writer who lives in Yorkshire, England. She is a bibliophile and bookworm, who loves nothing more than discovering a new world in the pages of a book in which to lose herself. Her writing has mainly been in the Fan fiction community online and one of her poems has won a prize in the MEFA awards. Since first picking up The Hobbit, her main inspiration

has been J.R.R Tolkien and all his works. Another passion is History, the Viking era through medi-

eval times to the Renaissance. A benefit of living in Eng-land is the abundance of historical buildings and ruins which she loves to explore. Another love comes in the form of her loyal companion, a rescue greyhound, who patiently listens to the early drafts of any written work.

Anne Marie Gazzolo came out of the womb writing. Her work has appeared in Beyond Bree, Silver Leaves #3 and #4, Amon Hen, and StAR (St. Austin Review). She has contributed papers to the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Tolkien Society Seminars, as well as to Mythcon 41 held in Dallas, TX in 2010. She is the author of Moments of Grace and Spiritual Warfare in The Lord of the Rings (WestBow Press, 2012). An ebook journal based on the lessons Hobbits, Elves, Men, and Dwarves teach us is forthcoming. Her next big project will be a book about the journeys of Bilbo and Frodo. Visit her at www.annemariegazzolo.com. She sends hobbity hugs and wishes God’s blessings to all!

When not daydreaming of the Shire, Samantha Gillo-gly is a professional violinist and violist. She performs and records music in a variety of genres (Celtic and classical among her favorites) and teaches string instrument les-sons to students of all ages. She fell in love with J.R.R. Tolkien’s works at age 13, and has remained a dedicated fan ever since. In 2005, she founded the West Brook-field Tolkien Society at her town library in order to pro-vide local fans the opportunity to discuss Tolkien books

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and movies, share food, and make merry. In 2011, she was a featured guest musician at “A Long-Expected Party II: There & Back Again” in Harrodsburg, KY, performing alongside Marc Gunn and Jamie Haeuser. That same year, she appeared on Marc Gunn’s album, Don’t Go Drinking With Hobbits. In 2012, she released an online Celtic sin-gle, Misty Mountain, with pianist/composer Tim Maurice. She has also appeared as a “guest geek” on the Middle-earth Network program, Warriors of the Westfold. She is scheduled to return to Middle-earth in 2014 for “A Long-Expected Party III: The Road Goes Ever On,” where she looks forward to being reunited with some excellent and admirable folk.

Joe Gilronan is a full time professional artist who has been greatly influenced by the works of Tolkien. He re-ceived a Fine Arts Degree in painting from Liverpool Uni-versity and holds a Higher National Diploma in design and ceramics from the University of Wales. He is origin-ally from Chester, England but has lived in Olvera, Cadiz Spain for the last 6 years. He has exhibited and sold work world wide and works primarily in oils, acrylic and clay. Two of his major influences have been the natural world and Tolkien. He has been very lucky in that he has always lived in close range of amazing scenery the Snowdonian national park, the Cheshire plains and now the Andalucia moutains. Whenever possible, he goes for walks, taking photographs, and doing a lot of sketches. Hence, there are numerous trees/mountains/castles/rivers and land-marks that he has sketched/photographed in his finished works. Why Tolkien? Gilronan supposes it all started from a very early age when he first discovered Tolkien and, in particular, The Hobbit. He loved the whole world that Tol-kien had created, which in turn led him to The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion. Ever since, a part of Gilronan has inhabited this world and art has allowed him to con-tinue this magical journey.

As a writer, Anastasia Green loves all things fiction. Being exposed to Tolkien as a teenager, she remembers reading The Lord of the Rings everywhere, hardly taking her nose out of the book. He remains her main mentor to this day. Anastasia finished primary school in Poland, where she was introduced to all the magical Scandinav-ian stories and legends. Her love for Finnish fiction is what compelled her to begin writing.Anastasia is in love with all that has to do with film-

making, is somewhat a weird mixture of old and new (the lady and a rebel), draws a little, and snowboards. When she’s not traveling in her Tardis, Anastasia loves taking evening strolls in her “Mind Palace” and occasion-ally popping by The Tavern or The Prancing Pony.

Dan Hollingshead is a largely self-taught painter and has enjoyed drawing and painting for as long as he can remember. The whole visual world has a ‘gravity’ for him that draws him continually to see everything around him as colour, light and shadow, shapes and their relation-ships, design within design.He loves the process of drawing and painting from the

first idea, through building the composition and layout, to watching the work grow in the making.

He is also a long-time fan of Professor Tolkien’s writings. The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings have provided him with a great store of images over the years and he has recently had a chance to start putting a few of them on canvas and paper.

Jay Johnstone was born in 1964 in Hannover, Germany into a British Military family with a pencil in one hand and a paint brush in the other. By the time the family returned to their home in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Jay had already begun to show his skills as an artist and designer. By his late teens, Jay had already garnered the interest of several budding marketing companies eager for new talent. Jay entered Newcastle College of Art & Design young, and impressed both his instructors and classmates with his active imagination and artistic rendering skill. It was at this point that a classmate handed Jay a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, and the rest, as they say, is his-tory. Jay became an instant fan of the books and author. His love of Tolkien’s works, his growing library as an avid collector, and his fertile imagination set the course for the artworks that Jay now actively pursues. Jay’s distinct styling using Icon, Manuscript and Tapestry

figures is an outgrowth of Jay’s personal view of Tolkien’s Middle-earth being set in a time we would best identify as Medieval; the work of Scribes in the Archives of Minas Tirith venerating and remembering the heroes and stories of a time long past. Many of the works carry their own “stories,” requiring study at a more in-depth level. Jay’s popularity has been somewhat meteoric, in that he

has painted for himself for over 15 years, but has only re-cently begun to show and sell his work to the public. His first exhibition was with The Tolkien Society UK programme, “Return of the Ring,” in August 2012 at Loughborough University, where he was the surprise star of the Art Exhibit. Since then, he has exhibited and lectured in several venues in the US and Europe and is housed in several major col-lections worldwide as well as the newly-opened Geisinger Middle-earth Museum in Jenins, Switzerland.Today, when Jay isn’t in the studio, you can find him

busy as Managing/Creative Director of HunterJohnstone Marketing, reading to his three children, playing cricket with his friends, or out dancing with his beautiful and enthusiastic wife.

Emil Johansson, a Chemical Engineering student cur-rently living in Gothenburg, Sweden, first read The Lord of the Rings in 2000. To satisfy his need to know more about the magical world of Middle-earth, he went on to read The Silmarillion. While trying to keep track of the many characters he started doodling on a piece of paper—and the Lord of the Rings Project, or LotrProject, was born. His work has captured the attention of Smith-sonian Magazine, WIRED, CNN GEEKOUT, TIME Maga-zine US Edition, The Guardian, The Huffington Post, NPR, TheOneRing.Net, and Middle-earth Network. He was also a speaker at TEDxGoteborg in October 2012

Kovalevskaya Ekaterina was born in Krasnogorsk, a city near Moscow, in 1984. In her childhood, along with com-mon school, she went to the art school in Orehovo-Zuevo for five years, where she studied painting, drawing etc. In


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2006 she graduated from the Teacher Training College, where she studied linguistics. Then she taught French and English. Now she works on her dissertation devoted to the metaphor and comparison in the language of press.She has many hobbies: she adores traveling, listening to

the music (mostly post-industrial, gothic, trance, metal, and New Age) and, of course, painting and reading. She likes reading fantasy and science fiction books, such as the Chronicles of Amber by R. Zelazny or Hard to be a God by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, and historic novels. J.R.R. Tolkien is one of her favorite authors: in Russian there are many fan fiction novels about Middle-earth and among them there are some very talented and worthy novels, like The Black Book of Arda by Natalia Vasilieva or Reflection X by Nina Novakovic. So to be exact, her Tolkien-related art isn’t based only on his works, but it is also inspired by other books concerning Middle-earth. You may find a gallery of her artwork at http://edarlein.

deviantart.com.

Tom Koval, 35 years old, lives in Sosnowiec, Poland. His favourite art techniques are pencil, graphic tablet, and fineliners. He enjoys fantasy literature and games. Tolkien is an important part of his life, which has extended to him making three maps of the Tolkien world: The Hob-bit, Ennorath-Map of Middle-earth, and Arda Tatya Ran-dasse. He loves to draw and has drawn as far back as he remembers—from a young boy onwards to the present. And he will continue to draw … forever. Tomasz works in a cultural community centre as an instructor in plasti-city and wicker (he teaches how to make wicker baskets). He is also a logo and branding designer. Please find and like him on Facebook: Tom Koval. His homepage is www.tomaszkowal.pl, and he also has an English blog: http://tomkoval.blogspot.com.

Ryan Marotta is a writer, student, and aspiring Tolkien scholar living in Tabernacle, New Jersey. A life-long lover of stories, Ryan embarked upon his first adventure to Middle-earth when he was eleven, and he has returned to Tolkien’s world many times since. He recently graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Saint Peter’s University, where his senior honors thesis explored the mythological influences and spiritual undertones of Tolkien’s Legendarium. He is currently teaching Freshman writing and pursuing a Master’s degree at Seton Hall University, and he looks forward to all of the unexpected journeys that await him.

Missy M. McClure is a creative and freelance writer, forever inspired by the works of Tolkien. Originally from Oklahoma, she recently located to Southern California to pursue dreams of working with the film industry, as well as with various creative projects and collaborations.

Paul R. Miller (prmiller) now lives in Calgary, Alberta, after living nearly 30 years in Japan. He is an instructor in the English Language Foundations program at SAIT-Poly-technic. Known as “Parm”, he continues to visit TheOn-eRing.com and TheStoneTable.com as often as he is able, and it is not uncommon for him to leave a few poems behind him.

Chris Mills lives on a small island off the west coast of Scotland, works for the local whisky distillery and paints dragons (amongst other things) in his spare time. He fell into Middle-earth from his sick bed back in his

teens when he was laid up with glandular fever and im-mersed himself in The Silmarillion, and has been painting the view ever since. Chris studied geography at college and went on to architecture from there before moving to Scotland, ending up in the administration office of Isle of Arran Distillers where he would like to stay ‘til they kick him out due to advanced age. He paints in watercolour as it allows him more freedom

than other mediums, although he admits that he does not use it in the way his school art teachers approved. Tolkien remains his chief artistic inspiration, especially the Elder Years of The Silmarillion, due mainly to the grand scale of the tales, and partly as it has yet to be overtaken by Peter Jackson’s impression of the times. When not painting scales on dragons, he paints the

birds of prey that inhabit his little corner of Scotland. He lives with his wife, Sue, and their cat, Molly.

Jef Murray (www.JefMurray.com) is an internation-ally known artist, author, and illustrator. His paintings, sketches, and writings appear in fantasy publications and cultural journals (Amon Hen, Mallorn, Beyond Bree, Silver Leaves, Mythprints, The St. Austin Review, Gilbert Magazine, The Georgia Bulletin) worldwide. His artwork has been featured in calendars, in video courses, and television specials on J.R.R. Tolkien, and in logo and book cover designs for corporate, nonprofit, and enter-tainment clients.Jef’s book illustrations have appeared in The Magic

Ring: Deluxe Illustrated Edition by Friedrich de la Motte Fouque, Black & White Ogre Country: The Lost Tales of Hilary Tolkien by Hilary A. R. Tolkien, and most recently in Seer: A Wizard’s Journal, a collection of stories, poems, and essays written by the artist. Jef resides in Decatur, Georgia, USA, with his wife, au-

thor and columnist, Lorraine V. Murray (www.Lorraine VMurray.com), and Hamster-in-Residence, Ignatius.

Kelly Renée Orazi is currently a graduate student of medieval and fantasy literature at the newly founded Mythgard Institute. Her scholarly work on fantasy has most recently been presented at the Mythopoeic Soci-ety’s Tolkien conference, Mythcon 43, and at one of this year’s largest Harry Potter conferences, LeakyCon Port-land. More of her work on faerie and fantasy tales can be found on her blog, http://themiddlepage-orazi.blogspot.com. This is her first publication.

Fortinbras Proudfoot (Peter Kenny) first read The Lord of the Rings in 1976 and The Hobbit soon after. His passion for Tolkien was born and he commenced collecting books and memorabilia about Tolkien and Middle-earth. Peter now possesses one of the most significant personal collections of Tolkien memorabilia in Australia and indeed the world. The collection is significant in that it is a fine example of the pub-lishing history of Tolkien’s writings and also contains many other collectibles inspired by his writings.

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He has become a recognized specialist in his field and his knowledge of the subject has been endorsed by his peers both at home and overseas. A noted speaker, Peter has presented at conventions, expos, libraries and schools. Not only does he do presentations at home, he has also been a guest speaker at Tolkien-related events in Europe.He also is the owner of a fully furnished miniature Hob-

bit Hole based on Bag End from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit hole has been internationally recognized as amazing in its detail and has been listed as one of the ‘Top Ten’ doll houses worldwide. The Hobbit Hole is currently on display in the Queens-

land Museum in Australia.Peter has had a passion for everything Tolkien for nearly

four decades and he has a strong desire to share his col-lection and his knowledge with other Tolkien, Hobbit, and Lord of the Ring devotees. This passion has also led to the creation of the Proudfoot Esq. Foundation which is a non-profit organization supporting Children’s Literacy. As a member of the Brisbane Tolkien Fellowship, Peter helps to organize social events for fans of Tolkien and fund raising events.Writing short stories and poems based on Tolkien’s

world is one of Peter’s hobbies which he pursues in his spare time and enjoys thoroughly. Some of Peter’s poems have been used as the subject for a number of sketches and paintings by artists, including two works by Ruth La-con which proudly hang in his lounge room at home.

Alberto Ramirez Jr. is a Texas-based freelance artist plying his wares as a muralist, cartoonist, and illustrator since 1988. He is a graduate of the University of Texas in San Antonio where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in painting and drawing. From time to time he and his wife Pam have been known to run away with the circus as circus clowns, work at a marionette theater and act in children’s plays.

David Rowe is the author of The Proverbs of Middle-earth (scheduled to be released soon by Oloris Publish-ing), a study of the cultures of Tolkien’s peoples through the lens of their wisdom traditions.David is a US-based Englishman (and erstwhile resi-

dent of New Zealand, Zimbabwe, and Scotland, before he married a Lebanese-American) who first read The Lord of the Rings at the age of seven and has been re-reading it ever since. He is a farmer-cum-teacher-cum-musician, cuts his own hair, and is a committed utiliser of the Oxford Comma. He tweets at @TolkienProverbs and @mrdavidrowe.

Not much bigger than your average hobbit, Lee Sham-blin thrives in the world of Tolkien with its swords and nature and tales as old as time. He enjoys a peaceful life with his wife of 27 years (aka “She Who Must Be Obeyed” or “SWMBO”) and his three Shirelings of ages 18, 22, and 24. He relies on “SWMBO’s” talents as a costumer to provide some of his favorite costumes such as Theoden and a regular hobbit, as well as Doctor Who, Firefly, and Babylon 5. That way he can stretch his legs in many realms as well as Middle-earth. One day before his ship

goes into the West, Lee plans to go east and visit some of the lands that inspired The Lord of the Rings.

Living on the edge of the LakeDistrict, Graeme Skinner divides his time between sketching/painting landscapes and trying to capture ‘fantasy’ on paper, more often than not illustrating scenes from Middle-earth. When he is not wielding a pencil or paint brush, he will probably be found wandering around with a camera in his hand be-fore the Sun comes up.

James M. Spahn is a life-long fan of fantasy and specu-lative fiction. When he’s not exploring Middle-earth and the works of Professor Tolkien he writes supplements for table-top role-playing games and is the owner-operator of a small digital press, Barrel Rider Games. He is also the As-sistant Creative Director for the Middle-earth Network and takes great joy in the fellowship he finds in that commun-ity. He currently lives in a very Shire-like part of rural Mary-land with his wife, Emily and their Yorkshire terrier Pippin.

Cassandra Stevens’ parents read The Hobbit (as illus-trated by Michael Hague) out loud to her when she was about seven. She can’t decide if the painting of the storm giants that she remembers is real or only imagined. Maybe she reinterpreted a different illustration. However, though it has since taken her several careful reads to find the description of the storm giants—it is there! It is in-credible that an association with a picture can turn some-thing that small into something vivid and memorable! It is her dream to be able to take the pictures a well-crafted bit of verbal imagery creates in her head and turn them into lines and shapes and colours.

Robyn Stone is an English professor at the College of Mount Saint Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. While she very much enjoys teaching, her first passion was always writing, and she started writing and sharing her stories with classmates in elementary school. Mostly, they were just impressed to have a few minutes out of listening to the teacher, but she took it as encouragement. When she’s not grading, reading or writing, she’s usually out hiking, knitting, drinking too much tea and coffee, col-lecting antique teacups, or serving as warm-blooded fur-niture for her two cats. She is incredibly spoiled to have a (very handsome!) husband who supports her writing habit, though he’s still not sure about the cats. While dab-bling in fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, poetry seems to be the type of writing that grants her the most success, winning her a small award in high school, and a few scat-tered publication credits since. Her first book of poetry, Uncertain Rustling, is forthcoming from Oloris Publishing.

Danielle Storey is a freelance illustrator currently living in Southern Ontario, Canada. She recently graduated from the Illustration Bachelor of Applied Arts program at Sheridan College. She strives to incorporate the technical virtuosity and draftsmanship of the Western painting tradition with her passions for history, mythology, science fiction and fantasy literature. The harmonious symmetry of the Renaissance, unabashed realism of Baroque, the Romantic passion of the Pre-Raphaelites and whimsy of the Illustration Golden Age have all made a lasting im-


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pression on her artwork. J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit were among the first fantasy novels she read as a child and were responsible for spurring her interest in narrative illustration. Her love for animals and her rural environment have always drawn her closer to the tree and leaf cultures of Tolkien’s Middle-earth. As an emerging illustrator, the greater scope of projects she would like to attempt are in the areas of publish-ing, graphic design, concept art, merchandising and the novelty and collectibles market. Danielle regularly partici-pates in annual fine art exhibitions and conventions in Toronto. Her portfolio can be accessed at http://dstorey-studio.com with links there to her blog and Twitter page, which has regular updates on upcoming projects.

This is the fourth time Jonathon D. Svendsen has been featured in Silver Leaves. A graduate from Bethel Univer-sity in St. Paul Minnesota, where he majored in Literature and Creative writing, Jonathon is currently a freelance writer, and has frequently guest lectured at Bethel on the topic of comic book superheroes as mythology. He has had several poems published in the Minas-Tirith Evening Star (the journal for the American Tolkien Society) and is a staff writer for the website, NarniaFans.com. He has his own blog, www.jonathondsvendsen.wordpress.com, where his series “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Blog Series” received over 1,000 views. He also has to extend a huge thanks to the editorial staff at Silver Leaves for putting up with his 11th hour revisions.

Kris Swank is Library Director at Pima Community Col-lege—Northwest Campus in Tucson, Arizona, and a graduate student of fantasy literature at the Mythgard Institute, Signum University. Her essay “Tom Bombadil’s Last Song: Tolkien’s ‘Once Upon A Time’” recently ap-peared in Tolkien Studies 10. Her essays on “Harry Potter and the Dystopian Tradition” and “Celibacy in A Game of Thrones” are slated to appear in forthcoming collec-tions, and she is a contributing blogger at TheHogsHead.org, where she has written about numerology in the Harry Potter series, and classical influences on The Hun-ger Games. Kris co-authored (with Simon Kölle) a fan-tasy short story to accompany the Waerloga Records CD Radio Rivendell Compilation Volume 2: The Book of War (2008). Her short story “Bitter Honey: A Minoan Mystery” was published by Orchard Press Mysteries (2008), and she has also written about library issues for Library Jour-nal, American Libraries, and other academic books and journals.

Constance G.J. Wagner, a freelance writer, poet, and Tol-kien scholar, is the Director of the Writing Program at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, New Jersey. Her creative copy has been found on the back of many an historical romance for Harlequin Books. Plus, she has been a reporter and the-atre critic for various New Jersey newspapers.

She regularly presents papers of literary criticism on the question of sacrifice and heroism in The Lord of the Rings, speaking at conferences throughout the USA and Europe (most recently in England and Iceland). Ms. Wagner is also a regular speaker about all things Tolkien at such fan events as DragonCon, LunaCon, and A Long Expected

Party. In 2012, she was a special presenter at Return of the Ring, a major international event sponsored by the UK’s Tolkien Society.Her life-long absorption in works of myth and fantasy is

reflected in her current projects of passion, which include The War Within: Frodo as Sacrificial Hero, a book-length analysis of the Ringbearer’s true role; and Winter’s Bride, and Other Songs of Faerie, an illustrated chapbook of lyric poetry inspired by fantasy imagery. Both these works are scheduled for release by Oloris Publishing in 2014.

Although not from an artistic family background, David Wyatt was encouraged to read and draw at an early age. He found comics particularly interesting; the interaction between words and pictures is still fascinating to him, which may explain why he became an illustrator.He only attended Art College briefly—music became

more than a hobby for a time, but when that didn’t pay the bills he decided to put a portfolio together and see if he could get some work in the publishing industry. His way of working seemed best suited to children’s books, and be-fore long he managed to earn a regular wage in that field.He read The Lord of the Rings relatively late in life (when

he was about twenty). He’d read countless books that were inspired by Tolkien, but somehow the original had passed him by. Luckily, reading it coincided with a period of unemployment, so he was able to consume the whole thing in one go. Needless to say, he was swept away by the imagery and authenticity of the storytelling. He re-members painting a few samples to see if they would lead to some Tolkien-based work, but he wasn’t to illus-trate his words professionally until several years later.Mr. Wyatt has lived on Dartmoor for nearly twenty years,

a wild yet beautiful corner of Britain. His immediate en-vironment is a very strong inspiration, from the misty moors to the mossy, boulder-strewn oak woods. When he first visited many years ago, it struck him that the landscape had a mythological, fairy-tale quality, and you will find this seeping through into his work, and also the work of many artists that choose to live here also ... notably Alan Lee and Brian Froud, who were big influ-ences on him at an early age.He has been fortunate to work with many

wonderful writers, including Philip Pullman, Terry Pratchett, and Diana Wynne Jones. Most recently he has worked with Geraldine McCaugh-rean on Peter Pan in Scarlet, and Philip Reeve (another Dartmoor resident) whose Larklight and Mortal Engines series he has illus-trated.

Baggins by David DelaGardelleSmaug Comes to the Mountain by Chris Mills

ISSN 1913-0384

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