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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Dec 22 2024, 2:43pm
Post #1 of 30
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TIME - December 22
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Today in Middle-earth
December 22, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. The Hobbits relax before departing.
(not from the appendices)
..."In those last days the hobbits sat together in the evening in the Hall of Fire, and there among many tales they heard told in full the lay of Beren and Lúthien and the winning of the Great Jewel; but in the day, while Merry and Pippin were out and about, Frodo and Sam were to be found with Bilbo in his own small room. Then Bilbo would read passages from his book... ...or scraps of his verses, or would take notes of Frodo's adventures."
December 22, 2000
1. Principal photography ends.
...Principal photography for Peter Jackson's 3-film adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien's saga The Lord of the Rings is completed. After nearly 3 months of cast preparation in swordplay, riding, boating, dancing and dialect coaching, concurrent filming for the 3-part story began on October 11, 1999 and was finished on December 22, 2000. However, it was not the end of photography as there were "pick up" shots before each subsequent film's release. For an average of 6 weeks each year, "pick ups" were shot from 2001 through 2004...after The Return of the King's 11-Oscar Award sweep on February 29, 2004... for a total of 17 Oscar Awards won for the trilogy.
We have been there and back again.
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(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Dec 22 2024, 2:55pm)
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Dec 23 2024, 1:59pm
Post #2 of 30
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The 24th has quite a long post as Bilbo and Frodo have one more quiet visit. So I'm offering it in 2 parts. Here's the first as...
Tomorrow in Middle-earth.
December 24, 3018 (S.R. 1418) pt.1
1. The time has almost come to depart.
(not from the appendices)
..."On the morning of the last day Frodo was alone with Bilbo, and the old hobbit pulled out from under his bed a wooden box. He lifted the lid and fumbled inside.
...'Here is your sword.... ...But it was broken, you know. I took it to keep it safe, but I've forgotten to ask if the smiths could mend it. No time now. So I thought, perhaps, you would care to have this, don't you know?'
...He took from the box a small sword in an old shabby leather scabbard. Then he drew it, and its polished and well-tended blade glittered suddenly, cold and bright. 'This is Sting,' he said, and thrust it with little effort deep into a wooden beam. 'Take it... ...I shan't want it again, I expect.'
...Frodo accepted it gratefully.
...'Also there is this!' said Bilbo, bringing out a parcel which seemed to be rather heavy for its size. He unwound several folds of old cloth, and held up a small shirt of mail. It was close-woven of many rings, as supple almost as linen, cold as ice... ...harder than steel. It shone like moonlit silver, and was studded with white gems. With it was a belt of pearl and crystal.
...'It's a pretty thing, isn't it?' said Bilbo, moving it in the light. 'And useful. It is my dwarf-mail that Thorin gave me. I got it back from Michel Delving... ...and packed it with my luggage. I brought all the mementoes of my Journey away with me, except the Ring. But I did not expect to use this, and I don't need it now, except to look at sometimes. You hardly feel any weight when you put it on.'
...'I should look—well, I don't think I should look right in it,' said Frodo.
...'Just what I said myself... ...But never mind about looks. You can wear it under your outer clothes. Come on! You must share this secret with me. Don't tell anybody else! But I should feel happier if I knew you were wearing it. I have a fancy it would turn even the knives of the Black Riders,' he ended in a low voice.
...'Very well, I will take it,' said Frodo. Bilbo put it on him, and fastened Sting upon the glittering belt; and then Frodo put over the top his old weather-stained breeches, tunic, and jacket.
...'Just a plain hobbit you look... ...But there is more about you now than appears on the surface. Good luck to you!' He turned away and looked out of the window, trying to hum a tune."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Dec 24 2024, 1:55pm
Post #3 of 30
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This is quite a long post as Bilbo and Frodo have one more quiet visit. So I'm offering it in 2 parts. Here's the second part as...
Today in Middle-earth.
December 24, 3018 (S.R. 1418) pt.2
1. The time has almost come to depart.
(not from the appendices)
..."'I cannot thank you as I should, Bilbo... ...and for all your past kindnesses,' said Frodo.
...'Don't try!' said the old hobbit, turning round and slapping him on the back. 'Ow!' he cried. 'You are too hard now to slap! but there you are: hobbits must stick together, and especially Bagginses. All I ask in return is take as much care of yourself as you can, and bring back all the news you can, and any old songs and tales you can... ...I'll do my best to finish my book before you return. I should like to write the second book, if I am spared.' He broke off and turned to the window again singing softly.
'I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;
Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.
I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.
For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
that I shall ever see.
For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.
I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.
But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door'."
(Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p.364 FotR)
We have been there and back again.
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Dec 24 2024, 7:01pm
Post #4 of 30
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...the more this poem touches me.
Merry Christmas Eve, gramma!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Lissuin
Doriath
Dec 24 2024, 11:16pm
Post #5 of 30
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And a very Merry Christmas to you, Gramma.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Dec 25 2024, 1:48pm
Post #6 of 30
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Today in Middle-earth
December 25, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. The Company of the Ring leaves Rivendell at dusk.
(from the appendices)
..."...It was a cold grey day near the end of December... ...They were to start at dusk, for Elrond counselled them to journey under the cover of night as often as they could, until they were far from Rivendell.
...'You should fear the many eyes of the servants of Sauron,' he said. 'I do not doubt that news of the discomfiture of the Riders has already reached him, and he will be filled with wrath. Soon now his spies on foot and wing will be abroad... ...Even of the sky above you must beware as you go on your way.'
...The Company took little gear of war, for their hope was in secrecy not in battle. Aragorn had Andúril but no other weapon, and he went forth clad only in rusty green and brown, as a ranger of the wilderness. Boromir had a long sword, in fashion like Andúril but of less lineage, and he bore also a shield and his war-horn.
...'Loud and clear it sounds in the valleys of the hills,' he said, 'and then let all the foes of Gondor flee!' Putting it to his lips he blew a blast, and the echoes leapt from rock to rock, and all that heard that voice in Rivendell sprang to their feet.
...'Slow should you be to wind that horn again, Boromir,' said Elrond, 'until you stand once more on the borders of your land, and dire need is on you.'
...'Maybe... ...But always I have let my horn cry at setting forth, and though thereafter we may walk in the shadows, I will not go forth as a thief in the night.'
...Gimli the dwarf alone wore openly a short shirt of steel-rings... ...and in his belt was a broad-bladed axe. Legolas had a bow and a quiver, and at his belt a long white knife. The younger hobbits wore the swords that they had taken from the barrow; but Frodo took only Sting; and his mail-coat, as Bilbo wished, remained hidden. Gandalf bore his staff, but girt at his side was the Elven-sword Glamdring, the mate of Orcrist that lay now upon the breast of Thorin under the Lonely Mountain.
...All were well furnished by Elrond with thick warm clothes, and they had jackets and cloaks lined with fur. Spare food and clothes and blankets and other needs were laden on a pony, none other than the poor beast that they had brought from Bree.
...The stay in Rivendell had worked a great wonder... ...on him: he was glossy and seemed to have the vigour of youth. It was Sam who had insisted on choosing him, declaring that Bill (as he called him) would pine, if he did not come.
...'That animal can nearly talk... ...and would talk, if he stayed here much longer. He gave me a look as plain as Mr. Pippin could speak it: "If you don't let me go with you, Sam, I'll follow on my own."' So Bill was going as the beast of burden, yet he was the only member of the Company that did not seem depressed."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Dec 26 2024, 2:04pm
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Today in Middle-earth
December 26, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. The Fellowship sets out.
(not from the appendices)
... "At the Ford of Bruinen they left the Road... ...turning southwards [they] went on by narrow paths among the folded lands. Their purpose was to hold this course west of the Mountains for many miles and days. The country was much rougher and more barren than in the green vale of the great River in Wilderland on the other side of the range, and their going would be slow; but they hoped in this way to escape the notice of unfriendly eyes. The spies of Sauron had hitherto seldom been seen in this empty country... ...the paths were little known except to the people of Rivendell.
...Gandalf walked in front, and with him went Aragorn, who knew this land even in the dark. The others were in file behind, and Legolas whose eyes were keen was the rearguard."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Dec 27 2024, 6:27am
Post #8 of 30
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Today in Middle-earth
December 27, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. Bilbo, Gandalf and Beorn finally arrive at Beorn's house.
(determined from text & no text)
..."Gandalf and Bilbo had come all the way back, along both edges of the Forest, to the doors of Beorn's house; and there for a while they both stayed."
...After travelling more than 480 miles from the Lonely Mountain, Gandalf and Bilbo looked forward to their winter refuge with Beorn. As they approached his home from the north, they could see smoke rising from the chimney and a warm glow from the windows. Clearly Beorn's wonderful animals knew their master was returning and had everything made ready.
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Dec 28 2024, 11:04am
Post #9 of 30
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Today in Middle-earth
December 28, 3018 (S.R. 1418)
1. The Fellowship travels the wild
(not from the appendices)
..."The first part of their journey was hard and dreary, and Frodo remembered little of it, save the wind. For many sunless days an icy blast came from the Mountains in the east, and no garment seemed able to keep out its searching fingers. Though the Company was well clad, they seldom felt warm, either moving or at rest."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Dec 29 2024, 2:54pm
Post #10 of 30
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Today in Middle-earth
December 29, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. Busy days at Bag End and Crickhollow
(not from the appendices - no text - a drabble)
...While Sam tended to Bag End's restoration, Merry and Pippin were busy at Crickhollow. Frodo had already decided to donate the little house to Buckland for families made homeless by the war.
..."Well, here's one good thing to come from Frodo's move," said Pippin while wrapping dishes from the cupboard. "The furniture and items he cares about most were not in Bag End to be ruined."
...Merry nodded. "I hope when all of this is put back where it belongs that it helps Frodo feel more comforted. The hardness he's been through still wears on him. Being home on the Hill will help."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Dec 30 2024, 1:46pm
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Today in Middle-earth
December 30, 2941 (S.R. 1341)
1. A Yule-tide celebration as Beorn's influence grows throughout the lands.
(determined from text)
..."...men came from far and wide to feast at Beorn's bidding. The goblins of the Misty Mountains were now few and terrified, and hidden in the deepest holes they could find; and the Wargs had vanished from the woods, so that men went abroad without fear. Beorn indeed became a great chief afterwards in those regions and ruled a wide land between the mountains and the wood..."
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Dec 31 2024, 2:15pm
Post #12 of 30
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It's time for one last 2024 BS!
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Here is a holiday Book Spoiler. This time of the year holds the Yuledays of the Shire already touched on during this past week. Yule marks the end of one year and the beginning of the next, which is celebrated with a traditional festival and a plentiful feast. Let's look at a very special Yule... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From The Grey Havens: The Return of the King ... [After Sharkey's desolation of Hobbiton and the Shire, food and supplies were wanting. The Yuledays were fast approaching and all understood the Yule midwinter festival and feast would be meager this year.]
... "...the labour of repair went on apace... ...there were thousands of willing hands of all ages.... ...Before Yule not a brick was left standing... ...of anything that had been built by 'Sharkey's Men'...."
... [As the clearing progressed], "...great stores of goods and food... ...were found that had been hidden away by the ruffians in sheds and barns and deserted holes, and especially in the tunnels at Michel Delving and in the old quarries at Scary; so that there was a great deal better cheer that Yule than anyone had hoped for."
And to round out the year, here are some Book Spoilers that look at some of the end-of-the-year events mentioned… for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From In the House of Tom Bombadil: The Fellowship of the Ring … "Tom stirred like a man shaken out of a pleasant dream. 'Eh, what?' said he. 'Did I hear you calling? Nay, I did not hear: I was busy singing. Just chance brought me then, if chance you call it… …We heard news of you, and learned that you were wandering. We guessed you'd come ere long down to the water; all paths lead that way, down to Withywindle… …But Tom had an errand there, that he dared not hinder.' Tom nodded as if sleep was taking him again; but he went on in a soft singing voice:
I had an errand there: gathering water-lilies,
green leaves and lilies white to please my pretty lady,
the last ere the year's end to keep them from the winter,
to flower by her pretty feet till the snows are melted.
Each year at summer's end I go to find them for her,
in a wide pool, deep and clear, far down Withywindle;
there they open first in spring and there they linger latest.
By that pool long ago I found the River-daughter,
fair young Goldberry sitting in the rushes.
Sweet was her singing then, and her heart was beating!
He opened his eyes and looked at them with a sudden glint of blue:
And that proved well for you—for now I shall no longer
go down deep again along the forest-water,
not while the year is old. Nor shall I be passing
Old Man Willow's house this side of spring-time,
not till the merry spring, when the River-daughter
dances down the withy-path to bathe in the water.
[Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 175-176 FotR: Lord of the Rings]
From Homeward Bound: The Return of the King … "Mr. Butterbur had … …not changed his manner of talking, and still seemed to live in his old breathless bustle…the landlord's face looked rather wrinkled and careworn.
… He led them down the passage to the parlour that they had used on that strange night more than a year ago; and they followed him… …they said nothing, and waited.
… As they expected Mr. Butterbur came to the parlour after supper to see if all had been to their liking… '...if you could spare me half an hour before you go to your beds, I would dearly like to have some talk with you, quiet-like by ourselves.'
… 'That is just what we should like, too,' said Gandalf… 'And if you have any pipe-weed, we'll bless you.'
… 'Well, if you'd called for anything else, I'd have been happier,' said Butterbur. 'That's just a thing that we're short of, seeing how we've only got what we grow ourselves, and that's not enough…'
… When he came back he brought them enough to last them for a day or two, a wad of uncut leaf. 'Southlinch' he said, 'and the best we have; but not the match of Southfarthing…. '…and then they talked for many times half an hour… …Things were far from well… '…No one comes nigh Bree now from Outside... ...And there was trouble right here in Bree, bad trouble. Why, we had a real set-to, and there were some folk killed, killed dead…! …Harry Goatleaf that used to be on the West-gate, and that Bill Ferny, they came in on the strangers' side, and they've gone off with them; and it's my belief they let them in. On the night of the fight, I mean. And that was after we showed them the gates and pushed them out: before the year's end... ...and the fight was early in the New Year, after the heavy snow we had.
… 'And now they're gone for robbers and live outside, hiding in the woods beyond Archet, and out in the wilds north-away.'"
From The Grey Havens: The Return of the King … "Old Will Whitfoot had been in the Lockholes longer than any, and though he had perhaps been treated less harshly than some, he needed a lot of feeding up before he could look the part Of Mayor… …The task of hunting out the last remnant of the ruffians was left to Merry and Pippin, and it was soon done. The southern gangs… …fled out of the land and offered little resistance to the Thain. Before the Year's End the few survivors were rounded up in the woods, and those that surrendered were shown to the borders."
Let's show this past year to the borders!!!
Happy New Year Everyone xxxooo :D
  
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(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Dec 31 2024, 2:17pm)
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jan 1, 2:59pm
Post #13 of 30
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It's time for some New Year BS! :D
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Here are some Book Spoilers to welcome in the New Year by observing some Middle-earth New Year activities... though when they occur may differ... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From The Hobbit: A Short Rest ... ""...what is Durin's Day?" asked Elrond.
... "The first day of the dwarves' New Year," said Thorin, "is as all should know the first day of the last moon of Autumn on the threshold of Winter. We still call it Durin's Day when the last moon of Autumn and the sun are in the sky together.""
From APPENDIX B
THE TALE OF YEARS: The Third Age: THE GREAT YEARS 3018: The Return of the King ... "In the North... ...there had been war and evil. The realm of Thranduil was invaded, and there was long battle under the trees and great ruin of fire; but in the end Thranduil had the victory. And on the day of the New Year of the Elves, Celeborn and Thranduil met in the midst of the forest... ...they renamed Mirkwood Eryn Lasgalen, The Wood of Greenleaves. Thranduil took all the northern region as far as the mountains that rise in the forest for his realm; and Celeborn took the southern wood below the Narrows, and named it East Lórien; all the wide forest between was given to the Beornings and the Woodmen."
From The Field of Cormallen: The Return of the King ... "When Sam awoke, he found that he was lying on some soft bed...
... ...He remembered that smell: the fragrance of Ithilien. 'Bless me!' he mused. 'How long have I been asleep...?' ...where are we?'
... And a voice spoke softly behind him: 'In the land of Ithilien, and in the keeping of the King; and he awaits you.' With that Gandalf stood before him...
... ...Sam lay back, and stared with open mouth, and for a moment, between bewilderment and great joy, he could not answer. At last he gasped: 'Gandalf! I thought you were dead! But then I thought I was dead myself. Is everything sad going to come untrue? What's happened to the world?'
... 'A great Shadow has departed,' said Gandalf, and then he laughed, and the sound was like music... ...Frodo [was] sitting up and laughing in his turn. 'I fell asleep again waiting for you, Sam... ...now it must be nearly noon.'
... 'Noon!' said Sam, trying to calculate. 'Noon of what day?'
... 'The fourteenth of the New Year,' said Gandalf; 'or if you like, the eighth day of April in the Shire reckoning.* But in Gondor the New Year will always now begin upon the twenty-fifth of March when Sauron fell, and when you were brought out of the fire to the King."'
Happy New Year, everyone!!! Here's to another year of good TIMEs at TORn!
  
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(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Jan 1, 3:07pm)
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noWizardme
Gondolin
Jan 1, 3:54pm
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Happy New Year to you too Gramma!
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In case it is of interest, some of us once tried to work out when 'Durin's Day' would be in real life (in 2018 it was either 7 or 8 November, we thought).
~~~~~~
"I am not made for querulous pests." Frodo 'Spooner' Baggins.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jan 1, 8:22pm
Post #15 of 30
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I'm going to read through these when my brain clears a bit!! *swoon*
The reference to Durin's Day in today's post is only because it discusses the "New Year" and isn't meant to show as the actual date of Durin's Day. Otaku-sempai has been SO patient and helpful as we figured the closest estimate so I could post TIME on it. In 2020 we came up with Oct 19 (also see following replies) until a definitive date is discovered. :)
This is what I love about Tolkien's work. He doesn't give us all of the details so clearly. It gives us some sleuthing to do and encourages us to really get into the story. Thanks for the link!!
We have been there and back again.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jan 2, 2:50pm
Post #16 of 30
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Here's a Book Spoiler that catches Gandalf doing a little eaves-dropping of his own... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From Out of the Frying-Pan Into the Fire: The Hobbit ... "I will tell you what Gandalf heard, though Bilbo did not understand it. The Wargs and the goblins often helped one another in wicked deeds. Goblins do not usually venture very far from their mountains, unless they are driven out and are looking for new homes, or are marching to war... ...But in those days they sometimes used to go on raids, especially to get food or slaves to work for them. Then they often got the Wargs to help and shared the plunder with them. Sometimes they rode on wolves like men do on horses. Now it seemed that a great goblin-raid had been planned for that very night. The Wargs had come to meet the goblins...
... ...In spite of the dangers of this far land bold men had of late been making their way back into it from the South, cutting down trees, and building themselves places to live in among the more pleasant woods in the valleys and along the river-shores. There were many of them, and they were brave and well-armed, and even the Wargs dared not attack them if there were many together... ...But now they had planned with the goblins' help to come by night upon some of the villages nearest the mountains. If their plan had been carried out, there would have been none left there next day; all would have been killed except the few the goblins kept from the wolves and carried back as prisoners to their caves.
... This was dreadful talk to listen to, not only because of the brave woodmen and their wives and children, but also because of the danger which now threatened Gandalf and his friends. The Wargs were angry and puzzled at finding them here in their very meeting-place. They thought they were friends of the woodmen, and were come to spy on them... ...So the Wargs had no intention of going away and letting the people up the trees escape, at any rate not until morning. And long before that, they said, goblin soldiers would be coming down from the mountains; and goblins can climb trees, or cut them down.
... Now you can understand why Gandalf, listening to their growling and yelping, began to be dreadfully afraid, wizard though he was... ...All the same he was not going to let them have it all their own way, though he could not do very much stuck up in a tall tree with wolves all round on the ground below."
We have been there and back again.
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noWizardme
Gondolin
Jan 2, 4:10pm
Post #17 of 30
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Quite right, I agree - Durin's Day is a perfectly good thing to put in your Jan 1 installment because it is a New Years' Day (whenever it falls!).
Fun that Middle-earth, like the Primary World, has more than one New Year's Day. In the real world (at least round my parts) it is unremarkable for folks to enjoy several of them: both Hogmanay and Chinese New Year, for example.
IIRC Aragorn had Dwarven workers to replace the Gates of Minas Tirith (after the seige resulted in "Gone, door!"), and I suppose some care would have been needed about dates in the contracts! I'm amusing myself with the possibility of confusion over any poorly drafted clause that involved years. Gondor had just moved to a year starting 25 March (from whatever they did before: stay alert, lawyers and scribes, are dates new style or old?!), and the Dwarves might be calculating from Durin's Day. It's enough to put you into a New Year's Daze 
~~~~~~
"I am not made for querulous pests." Frodo 'Spooner' Baggins.
(This post was edited by noWizardme on Jan 2, 4:12pm)
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jan 3, 2:58pm
Post #18 of 30
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It's time for some special BS - for our Good Professor! January 3
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This is a long Birthday Spoiler to celebrate a very special birthday. If I've learned nothing else from the Good Professor, it's to never skimp on words when you're creating a moment... and our Master deserves no less in this special moment of Tolkien-zen :)
From A Long-Expected Party: The Fellowship of the Ring ..."After the feast... ...came the Speech. Most of the company were, however, now in a tolerant mood, at that delightful stage which they called 'filling up the corners'. They were sipping their favourite drinks, and nibbling at their favourite dainties... ...They were prepared to listen to anything, and to cheer at every full stop.
... My dear People, began Bilbo, rising in his place. 'Hear! Hear! Hear!' they shouted, and kept on repeating it in chorus... ...Bilbo left his place and went and stood on a chair under the illuminated tree. The light of the lanterns fell on his beaming face; the golden buttons shone on his embroidered silk waistcoat. They could all see him standing, waving one hand in the air, and the other was in his trouser-pocket.
... My dear Bagginses and Boffins... ...and my dear Tooks and Brandybucks, and Grubbs, and Chubbs, and Burrowses, and Hornblowers, and Bolgers, Bracegirdles, Goodbodies, Brockhouses and Proudfoots. 'ProudFEET!' shouted an elderly hobbit from the back of the pavilion. His name... ...was Proudfoot, and well merited; his feet were large, exceptionally furry, and both were on the table.
... Proudfoots, repeated Bilbo. Also my good Sackville-Bagginses that I welcome back at last to Bag End. Today is my one hundred and eleventh birthday: I am eleventy-one today! 'Hurray! Hurray! Many Happy Returns!' they shouted... ...Bilbo was doing splendidly. This was the sort of stuff they like: short and obvious.
... I hope you are all enjoying yourselves as much as I am.' Deafening cheers. Cries of YES (and NO). Noises of trumpets and horns, pipes and flutes, and other musical instruments.... ...Hundreds of musical crackers had been pulled. Most of them bore the mark DALE on them; which did not convey much to most of the hobbits, but they all agreed they were marvellous crackers. They contained instruments, small, but of perfect make and enchanting tones. Indeed, in one corner some of the young Tooks and Brandybucks, supposing Uncle Bilbo to have finished... ...got up an impromptu orchestra, and began a merry dance-tune. Master Everard Took and Miss Melilot Brandybuck got on a table and with bells in their hands began to dance the Springle-ring: a pretty dance, but rather vigorous.
...But Bilbo had not finished. Seizing a horn from a youngster near by, he blew three loud hoots. The noise subsided. I shall not keep you long... ...I have called you all together for a Purpose.' Something in the way that he said this made an impression. There was almost silence, and one or two of the Tooks pricked up their ears.
... Indeed, for Three Purposes! First of all, to tell you that I am immensely fond of you all, and that eleventy-one years is too short a time to live among such excellent and admirable hobbits. Tremendous outburst of approval.
... I don't know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. This was unexpected and rather difficult. There was some scattered clapping, but most of them were trying to work it out and see if it came to a compliment.
... Secondly, to celebrate my birthday... ...I should say: OUR birthday. For it is, of course, also the birthday of my heir and nephew, Frodo. He comes of age and into his inheritance today. Some perfunctory clapping by the elders; and some loud shouts of 'Frodo! Frodo! Jolly old Frodo,' from the juniors. The Sackville-Bagginses scowled and wondered what was meant by 'coming into his inheritance'.
... Together we score one hundred and forty-four. Your numbers were chosen to fit this remarkable total: One Gross, if I may use the expression. No cheers... ...Many of the guests, and especially the Sackville-Bagginses, were insulted, feeling sure they had only been asked to fill up the required number, like goods in a package. 'One Gross, indeed! Vulgar expression!'
... It is also, if I may be allowed to refer to ancient history, the anniversary of my arrival by barrel Esgaroth on the Long Lake; though the fact that it was my birthday slipped my memory on that occasion. I was only fifty-one then, and birthdays did not seem so important. The banquet was very splendid... ...though I had a bad cold at the time, I remember, and could only say "thag you very buch". I now repeat it more correctly: Thank you very much for coming to my little party. Obstinate silence. They all feared that a song or some poetry was now imminent; and they were getting bored... ...But Bilbo did not sing or recite. He paused for a moment.
... Thirdly and finally... ...I wish to make an ANNOUNCEMENT. He spoke this last word so loudly and suddenly that everyone sat up who still could. I regret to announce that—though, as I said, eleventy-one years is far too short a time to spend among you—this is the END. I am going. I am leaving NOW. GOOD-BYE!
...He stepped down and vanished. There was a blinding flash of light, and the guests all blinked. When they opened their eyes Bilbo was nowhere to be seen. One hundred and forty-four flabbergasted hobbits sat back speechless. Old Odo Proudfoot removed his feet from the table and stamped. Then there was a dead silence, until suddenly, after several deep breath, every Baggins, Boffin, Took, Brandybuck, Grubb, Chubb, Burrows, Bolger, Bracegirdle, Brockhouse, Goodbody, Hornblower, and Proudfoot began to talk at once."
   
A Toast!
Happy Birthday, Dear Professor Tolkien. Thank you for creating and sharing this wonderful world.
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jan 4, 3:05pm
Post #19 of 30
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Here's a Book Spoiler celebrating J.R.R. Tolkien who called his wife, Edith, his Luthien... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
From Of Beren and Lúthien: The Silmarillion
..."It is told in the Lay of Leithian that Beren came stumbling into Doriath grey and bowed as with many years of woe, so great had been the torment of the road. But wandering in the summer in the woods of Neldoreth he came upon Lúthien, daughter of Thingol and Melian, ...under moonrise... ...she danced upon the unfading grass in the glades beside Esgalduin. Then all memory of his pain departed from him, and he fell into an enchantment; for Lúthien was the most beautiful of all the Children of Ilúvatar. Blue was her raiment as the unclouded heaven, but her eyes were grey as the starlit evening; her mantle was sewn with golden flowers... ...her hair was dark as the shadows of twilight. As the light upon the leaves of trees, as the voice of clear waters, as the stars above the mists of the world, such was her glory and her loveliness; and in her face was a shining light.
...But she vanished from his sight; and he became dumb, as one that is bound under a spell... ...he strayed long in the woods, wild and wary as a beast, seeking for her. In his heart he called her Tinúviel... ...for he knew no other name for her....
......There came a time near dawn on the eve of spring, and Lúthien danced upon a green hill; and suddenly she began to sing. Keen, heart-piercing was her song as the song of the lark that rises from the gates of night and pours its voice among the dying stars... ...and the song of Lúthien released the bonds of winter... ...and flowers sprang from the cold earth where her feet had passed.
...Then the spell of silence fell from Beren, and he called to her, crying Tinúviel; and the woods echoed the name. Then she halted in wonder, and fled no more, and Beren came to her. But as she looked on him, doom fell upon her, and she loved him; yet she slipped from his arms and vanished from his sight even as the day was breaking. Then Beren lay upon the ground in a swoon, as one slain at once by bliss and grief; and he fell into a sleep as it were into an abyss of shadow... ...and his heart barren and forsaken. And wandering in mind he groped as one that is stricken with sudden blindness, and seeks with hands to grasp the vanished light. Thus he began the payment of anguish for the fate that was laid on him; and in his fate Lúthien was caught, and being immortal she shared in his mortality, and being free received his chain; and her anguish was greater than any other of the Eldalië has known.
...Beyond his hope she returned to him where he sat in darkness... ...she laid her hand in his. Thereafter often she came to him, and they went in secret through the woods together from spring to summer; and no others of the Children of Ilúvatar have had joy so great, though the time was brief."
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jan 5, 3:04pm
Post #20 of 30
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Here is the first of a 3-part Book Spoiler of the final minutes before the Fellowship's departure from Rivendell... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
The Ring Goes South: The Fellowship of the Ring ... "Their farewells had been said in the great hall by the fire, and they were only waiting now for Gandalf, who had not yet come out of the house. A gleam of firelight came from the open doors... ...Bilbo huddled in a cloak stood silent on the doorstep beside Frodo. Aragorn sat with his head bowed to his knees; only Elrond knew fully what this hour meant to him. The others could be seen as grey shapes in the darkness.
... Sam was standing by the pony, sucking his teeth, and staring moodily into the gloom where the river roared... ...his desire for adventure was at its lowest ebb.
... 'Bill, my lad... ...you oughtn't to have took up with us. You could have stayed here and et the best hay till the new grass comes.' Bill swished his tail and said nothing.
... Sam eased the pack on his shoulders, and went over anxiously in his mind all the things that he had stowed in it, wondering if he had forgotten anything: his chief treasure, his cooking gear; and the little box of salt that he always carried and refilled when he could; a good supply of pipe-weed... ...flint and tinder; woollen hose; linen; various small belongings of his master's that Frodo had forgotten and Sam had stowed to bring them out in triumph when they were called for. He went through them all.
... 'Rope!' he muttered. 'No rope! And only last night you said to yourself: "Sam, what about a bit of rope? You'll want it, if you haven't got it." Well, I'll want it. I can't get it now.'"
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(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Jan 5, 3:11pm)
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jan 6, 2:46pm
Post #21 of 30
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Here is part 2 of a 3-part Book Spoiler of the final minutes before the Fellowship's departure from Rivendell... for a moment of Tolkien-zen.
The Ring Goes South: The Fellowship of the Ring ... "...Elrond came out with Gandalf, and he called the Company to him. 'This is my last word,' he said in a low voice. 'The Ring-bearer is setting out on the quest of Mount Doom. On him alone is any charge laid; neither to cast away the Ring, nor to deliver it to any servant of the Enemy nor indeed to let any handle it, save members of the Company and the Council, and only then in gravest need. The others go with him as free companions, to help him on his way. You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows. The further you go, the less easy will it be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road.'
... 'Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens,' said Gimli.
... 'Maybe,' said Elrond, 'but let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.'
... 'Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart,' said Gimli.
... 'Or break it,' said Elrond. 'Look not too far ahead! But go now with good hearts! Farewell, and may the blessing of Elves and Men and all Free Folk go with you. May the stars shine upon your faces!'
... 'Good...good luck!' cried Bilbo, stuttering with the cold. 'I don't suppose you will be able to keep a diary, Frodo my lad, but I shall expect a full account when you get back. And don't be too long! Farewell!'
... Many others of Elrond's household stood in the shadows and watched them go, bidding them farewell with soft voices. There was no laughter, and no song or music. At last they turned away and faded silently into the dusk.
... They crossed the bridge and wound slowly up the long steep paths that led out of the cloven vale of Rivendell; and they came at length to the high moor where the wind hissed through the heather. Then with one glance at the Last Homely House twinkling below them they strode away far into the night."
[Tolkien, 1965 Ballantine, p. 367-368 FotR: Lord of the Rings]
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jan 7, 1:41pm
Post #22 of 30
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Here is part 3 of a 3-part Book Spoiler of the Fellowship's departure from Rivendell... for a moment of Tolkien-zen. The Ring Goes South: The Fellowship of the Ring
... "The first part of their journey was hard and dreary, and Frodo remembered little of it, save the wind. For many sunless days an icy blast came from the Mountains in the east... ...no garment seemed able to keep out its searching fingers. Though the Company was well clad, they seldom felt warm, either moving or at rest. They slept uneasily during the middle of the day, in some hollow of the land, or hidden under the tangled thorn-bushes that grew in thickets... ...In the late afternoon they were roused by the watch, and took their chief meal: cold and cheerless as a rule, for they could seldom risk the lighting of a fire. In the evening they went on again, always as nearly southward as they could find a way.
... At first it seemed to the hobbits that although they walked and stumbled until they were weary, they were creeping forward like snails... ...getting nowhere. Each day the land looked much the same as it had the day before. Yet steadily the mountains were drawing nearer. South of Rivendell they rose ever higher, and bent westwards... ...the feet of the main range there was tumbled an ever wider land of bleak hills, and deep valleys filled with turbulent waters. Paths were few and winding, and led them often only to the edge of some sheer fall, or down into treacherous swamps."
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jan 8, 2:11pm
Post #23 of 30
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Today in Middle-earth
January 8, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The company reaches Hollin.
(from the appendices)
..."They had been a fortnight on the way when the weather changed. The wind suddenly fell and then veered round to the south...
......Away in the south Frodo could see the dim shapes of lofty mountains that seemed now to stand across the path that the Company was taking...
......Gandalf stood at Frodo's side and looked out under his hand. 'We have done well,' he said. 'We have reached the borders of the country that Men call Hollin; many Elves lived here in happier days, when Eregion was its name. Five-and-forty leagues as the crow flies we have come, though many long miles further our feet have walked. The land and the weather will be milder now, but perhaps all the more dangerous.'
...'Dangerous or not, a real sunrise is mighty welcome,' said Frodo, throwing back his hood and letting the morning light fall on his face...
......they lit a fire in a deep hollow shrouded by great bushes of holly, and their supper-breakfast was merrier than it had been since they set out. They did not hurry to bed afterwards, for they expected to have all the night to sleep in, and they did not mean to go on again until the evening of the next day. Only Aragorn was silent and restless... ...he left the Company and wandered on to the ridge; there he stood in the shadow of a tree, looking out southwards and westwards, with his head posed as if he was listening. Then he returned to the brink of the dell and looked down at the others laughing and talking.
...'What is the matter, Strider?' Merry called up. 'What are you looking for? Do you miss the East Wind?'
...'No indeed... ...But I miss something. I have been in the country of Hollin in many seasons. No folk dwell here now, but many other creatures live here at all times, especially birds. Yet now all things but you are silent. I can feel it. There is no sound for miles about us, and your voices seem to make the ground echo. I do not understand it.'
...Gandalf looked up with sudden interest. 'But what do you guess is the reason... ...Is there more in it than surprise at seeing four hobbits, not to mention the rest of us, where people are so seldom seen or heard?'
...'I hope that is it,' answered Aragorn. 'But I have a sense of watchfulness, and of fear, that I have never had here before.'
...'Then we must be more careful,' said Gandalf. 'If you bring a Ranger with you, it is well to pay attention to him, especially if the Ranger is Aragorn. We must stop talking aloud, rest quietly, and set the watch.'
...It was Sam's turn that day to take the first watch, but Aragorn joined him. The others fell asleep. Then the silence grew until even Sam felt it. The breathing of the sleepers could be plainly heard. The swish of the pony's tail and the occasional movements of his feet became loud noises... ...Dead silence was around him, and over all hung a clear blue sky, as the Sun rode up from the East. Away in the South a dark patch appeared, and grew, and drove north like flying smoke in the wind.
...'What's that, Strider? It don't look like a cloud,' said Sam in a whisper to Aragorn. He made no answer, he was gazing intently at the sky; but before long Sam could see for himself what was approaching. Flocks of birds, flying at great speed, were wheeling and circling, and traversing all the land as if they were searching for something; and they were steadily drawing nearer.
...'Lie flat and still!' hissed Aragorn, pulling Sam down into the shade of a holly-bush; for a whole regiment of birds had broken away suddenly from the main host... ...flying low, straight towards the ridge. Sam thought they were a kind of crow of large size. As they passed overhead, in so dense a throng that their shadow followed them darkly over the ground below, one harsh croak was heard.
...Not until they had dwindled into the distance, north and west, and the sky was again clear would Aragorn rise. Then he sprang up and went and wakened Gandalf.
...'Regiments of black crows are flying over all the land between the Mountains and the Greyflood... ...they have passed over Hollin. They are not natives here; they are crebain out of Fangorn and Dunland. I do not know what they are about; possibly there is some trouble away south from which they are fleeing; but I think they are spying out the land. I have also glimpsed many hawks flying high up in the sky. I think we ought to move again this evening. Hollin is no longer wholesome for us: it is being watched.'
...'And in that case so is the Redhorn Gate,' said Gandalf; 'and how we can get over that without being seen, I cannot imagine. But we will think of that when we must...'
...'...Luckily our fire made little smoke, and had burned low before the crebain came,' said Aragorn. 'It must be put out and not lit again.'
...'Well if that isn't a plague and a nuisance!' said Pippin. The news; no fire, and a move again by night, had been broken to him, as soon as he woke in the late afternoon. 'All because of a pack of crows! I had looked forward to a real good meal tonight; Something hot.'"
[league = 3 miles]
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grammaboodawg
Elvenhome
Jan 9, 12:08pm
Post #24 of 30
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Today in Middle-earth
January 9, 3019 (S.R. 1419)
1. The Fellowship travels through Hollin.
(not from the appendices)
..."Guided by Aragorn they struck a good path. It looked to Frodo like the remains of an ancient road, that had once been broad and well planned, from Hollin to the mountain-pass. The Moon, now at the full... ...cast a pale light in which the shadows of stones were black. Many of them looked to have been worked by hands, though now they lay tumbled and ruinous in a bleak, barren land.
...It was the cold chill hour before the first stir of dawn and the moon was low. Frodo looked up at the sky. Suddenly he saw or felt a shadow pass over the high stars, as... ...they faded and then flashed out again. He shivered.
...'Did you see anything pass over?' he whispered to Gandalf, who was just ahead.
...'No, but I felt it, whatever it was,' he answered. 'It may be nothing, only a wisp of thin clouds.'
...'It was moving fast then,' muttered Aragorn, 'and not with the wind.'"
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
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Jan 9, 7:26pm
Post #25 of 30
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...and we will never know what it was, either...the ultimate enigma... //
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I desired dragons with a profound desire"
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Thank you, Professor.
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