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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 23 2007, 10:32am
Post #1 of 13
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For our Newbies. TIME (Today in Middle-earth) – BS (Book Spoiler) – and TORn's Observations Lists
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AN INTRODUCTION and EXPLANATION
I started posting TIME in March, 2002. As I've read Lord of the Rings over the past 36 years, I always wondered what was going on with the other members of the Fellowship when I was reading about Sam and Frodo in Ithilien or Merry and Pippin after they were split apart. I started keeping a file on what was happening to them on any given day based on the timeline in Appendix B of the Appendices; so if there was something going on during any given day and/or year (in 3018, 3019, etc.), I listed them all together with excerpts from the book.
During the final days of the war of the Ring, I got the brainy idea to share my madness and post them on TORn; hence, Today in Middle-earth (TIME). Some are short, some get long... depending on events. When there were slow spots in the story, I started posting my BS (Book Spoilers) to fill in the gaps of Rohan... I mean... TIME. I try to clump them together in one thread, adding to it each day.
There are a lot of events in the story that are not listed in the Appendices, so I've made notes that say (from the appendices) or (not from the appendices). Entries from The Hobbit follow references from Karen Wynn Fonstad's “The Atlas of Middle-earth”. If it says (no text) but there's something there, it's my fanfic... just a smidge.
I don't always list something for every year if there's nothing going on; just occasionally for a point of reference. HOWEVER, if you're seriously trying to keep track of the exact dates according to the Shire calendar... these are not accurate dates. The Shire calendar has 30 days in each month (including February), so this would affect the actual date of an event. I am no good at conversions... it hurts my brain to do math(ish) things... so I work with our calendar (as it's used in the appendices)... which I find personally comforting to follow throughout the story. However, I am working on including a conversion in a single line at the beginning of each post to show the dates in the Shire, Númenor and Rivendell calendars. It's about as close as I can get. I’m still working those out.
Also, if you'd like to look at the lists of movie observations TORn has discovered and shared since the moments the films were released, you can go to the link in my footer that will take you to the lists for Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers, and Return of the King. Each film has a set of lists that are more factual/subdued and a geeky list filled with details that will either leave you in awe or rolling your eyes in disbelief. Well, we're geeks... what'd you expect ;) There's also another set of lists that contain tidbits and more detailed observations called "There's Room For a Little More" that includes observations on music, costumes, gifts for the cast, etc. I'm adding new lists as I complete them, so watch for updates in the "News From Bree" page. Have a look and let me know if you have anything you'd like to add!
So there you are. Enjoy!
 
Trust him... The Hobbit is coming!
"Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..."
TORn's Observations Lists
(This post was edited by grammaboodawg on Feb 23 2007, 10:34am)
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Urambo Tauro
Rivendell
Feb 23 2007, 12:49pm
Post #3 of 13
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I, too, have been working on a chronological order for TLotR. The Tale of Days: The Great Days is a play-on-words based on The Tale of Years and The Great Years, as found in the appendices. I discovered that the entire story (from the Long-Expected Party to the Grey Havens) take about twenty years! Because of this, I put together a schedule that only focuses on the War of the Ring-- (specifically, the six-month period in which the Ring makes its journey from Hobbiton to Mount Doom. Hence, the focus on days rather than years.
My compiled work can be found at http://www.thetolkienforum.com/showthread.php?t=17999
I was surprised to finally realize just how much time was spent by the Company in Rivendell, and later in Lórien. The actual journey minus the time spent at these places amounts to a mere 3 months(approx.)!
I do have some questions; I've found this one to be a real toughie:
On what day did the Fellowship leave Lothlórien?
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 23 2007, 3:36pm
Post #5 of 13
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I keep updating and discovering new things all the time, so it's work in perpetual progress
By my figuring... I've got the Fellowship departing Lothlorien on Feburary 16. In the Appendices, Frodo and Sam encounter the Mirror on Februay 14. The next morning (Feb 15), the following occurs:
"In the morning, as they were beginning to pack their slender goods, Elves that could speak their tongue came to them and brought them many gifts of food and clothing for the journey."
After breakfast, they depart... but stop to share time with Galadriel and receive her gifts. They leave from there. So I have February 15th as their departure date, althought he appendices has it as the 16th. Even looking this over just now, I've changed my TIME notes to make that clearer.
This is, of course, according to our contemporary calendar and not actually Shire Reckoning ;)
I can't wait to have a good look at our site. What a wonderful project!! :D
Trust him... The Hobbit is coming!
"Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..."
TORn's Observations Lists
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diedye
Grey Havens
Feb 23 2007, 4:15pm
Post #6 of 13
(1109 views)
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I've got a great smiley for your BS posts...
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Feb 23 2007, 4:57pm
Post #7 of 13
(1089 views)
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~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Still 'round the corner there may wait
A new road, or a secret gate...
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Feb 23 2007, 5:10pm
Post #8 of 13
(1109 views)
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You know all will be well here in our new home
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When gramma posts her BS and TIME capsules. As always, thank you. gramma, for reminding us why we're all here in this wonderful fellowship.
 gramma
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 23 2007, 5:21pm
Post #9 of 13
(1140 views)
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*jaw drops, eyes bug out* That's so cool!!!
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You're amazing! I can't even get my ice cream cones to show... and here you are weaving magic! That's fantastic!!!! :D
Trust him... The Hobbit is coming!
"Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..."
TORn's Observations Lists
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Urambo Tauro
Rivendell
Feb 25 2007, 2:14am
Post #10 of 13
(1080 views)
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I don't always list something for every year if there's nothing going on; just occasionally for a point of reference. HOWEVER, if you're seriously trying to keep track of the exact dates according to the Shire calendar... these are not accurate dates. The Shire calendar has 30 days in each month (including February), so this would affect the actual date of an event. I am no good at conversions... it hurts my brain to do math(ish) things... so I work with our calendar (as it's used in the appendices)... which I find personally comforting to follow throughout the story. However, I am working on including a conversion in a single line at the beginning of each post to show the dates in the Shire, Númenor and Rivendell calendars. It's about as close as I can get. I’m still working those out. Yeah, The Tale of Years uses the Shire calendar, while the main text seems to use our Roman calendar.  (aargh) As I worked on the project, I quickly noticed (to my frustration) the difference between the Shire calendar and our Roman calendar. Before going any further, I had to put this together: 2 Yule = January 01
Afteryule 01 = January 02
Afteryule 30 = January 31
Solmath 01-28 = February 01-28
Solmath 29-30 = March 01-02
Rethe 01-29 = March 03-31
Rethe 30 = April 01
Astron 01-29 = April 02-30
Astron 30 = May 01
Thrimidge 01-30 = May 02-31
Forelithe 01-30 = June 01-30
1 Lithe = July 01
Mid-year's Day = July 02
2 Lithe = July 03
Afterlithe 01-28 = July 04-31
Afterlithe 29-30 = August 01-02
Wedmath 01-29 = August 03-31
Wedmath 30 = September 01
Halimath 01-29 = September 02-30
Halimath 30 = October 01
Winterfilth 01 = October 02
Winterfilth 30 = October 31
Blotmath 01-30 = November 01-30
Foreyule 01-30 = December 01-30
1 Yule = December 31
This, of course, isn't my own adaptation; I just compiled it from the appendices.
The fact that February had 28 days and Solmath had 30 days was too much for me to overlook. I ended up figuring out the whole year, although only Halimath(September) through Rethe(March) was necessary. Conveniently, Blotmath/November matches perfectly, as does most of Foreyule/December!
In The Ring Goes South, Frodo imagines Bilbo saying something about "snowstorms on January the twelfth". This happens on our January the twelfth, which is Afteryule the eleventh. Way in the back in Appendix B, it's a little different. Although it says "January" in The Tale of Years, it should read "Afteryule", because the day numbers apply to the Shire calendar months, not our months.
So, as mentioned above, the main text of TLotR uses our (Roman) calendar, and The Tale of Years uses the Shire calendar.
Therefore, today being February 24th, I read the events of Solmath 24. Tomorrow, the Fellowship passes though the Argonath.
When March 1st comes along, I read the events of Solmath 29: (The Three Hunters continue pursuing the Orcs, Éomer slays Uglúk at red dawn, Merry & Pippin meet Treebeard, Frodo & Sam meet Gollum, and under the young pale moon Faramir discovers Boromir's funeral boat.)
 Well, Gramma said it best: Well, we're geeks... what'd you expect ;)
(This post was edited by Urambo Tauro on Feb 25 2007, 2:18am)
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 25 2007, 3:34am
Post #11 of 13
(1090 views)
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*geeky hand-clapping* If nothing else,
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Tolkien's makes us think and observe :) Well done, UT! That was fun!
Trust him... The Hobbit is coming!
"Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..."
TORn's Observations Lists
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dernwyn
Forum Admin
/ Moderator
Feb 28 2007, 4:32am
Post #13 of 13
(1103 views)
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Fantastic job, figuring this out - thank you!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Still 'round the corner there may wait
A new road, or a secret gate...
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