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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 2:32am
Post #1 of 61
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Hobbit Cast Happy Valentines’ Day image lard LOTS-OF-LUV (fun) thread!
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Note: Yes, this is a BIG post, meant in a spirit of FUN. And besides, someone wrote to me: “not having to defend and explain and analyze everything to death, but just being able to safely say "I really like this character!" and not then being crushed by a landslide on negativity…" So this post is really meant to be hopefully positive, silly, and joyous, and I personally hope here if you wish we’d gotten to see a big *SMOOCH* lakeside between Kili and Tauriel, why not? After all, this post is all about love, and the Hobbit movies! Valentine’s Day could be considered to be “the sweetest” holiday of the year - and among other things a certain dwarf king is practically SYNONYMOUS with the most DECADENT dark chocolate ever lovingly crafted by the world’s finest chocolatiers (and we all know dark chocolate is GOOD for you). It’s also a holiday that in modern times has become synonymous with LOVE – the best kind, love as sweet and pure and fun as cherry blossoms in spring. So, I started thinking about Hobbit holidays, and sweet things that elves and men, dwarves and wizards, might have on a day that is a frothy celebration of LOVE. And why not? The association of food and drink with love, especially pleasant-tasting foods, goes back centuries. Since TORn members are never loathe to dig for those details to better learn Middle Earth, I did a fast check as to what kinds of holidays DOES Middle Earth have anyway? Wwweeeeellll – from: http://askmiddlearth.tumblr.com/...days-in-middle-earth and Wikipedia re the Shire:
Yule was one of the two chief holidays in the Shire—the other being the midsummer holiday called Lithe. The Yule celebrations lasted six days in total, including two days before and two days after the Yuledays. This six-day period was called Yuletide. It was a time of feasting and merriment. And: Lithe is a Midsummer holiday in the Shire. It is mentioned in The Fellowship of the Ring. Lithe fell between Forelithe, the sixth month of the year, and Afterlithe, the seventh month. In most years there were three Lithedays: 1 Lithe, Midyear's Day, and 2 Lithe. In Leap-years there was a fourth Litheday called Overlithe between Midyear's Day and 2 Lithe. Midyear's Day and Overlithe were not assigned any weekday, while 1 Lithe always fell on a Friday and 2 Lithe was a Saturday. In the years that Overlithe occurred, it was a day of special celebration. Overlithe fell during the Great Year of Plenty in 3020 after the War of the Ring, and it was the merriest holiday in the history of the Shire. The word lithe is from the Old English líða. This may have been the name for Midsummer, while ærra Líða and æftera Líða were used for the months June and July. The word lithe means "mild, balmy" in relation to the weather. But alas, nowhere did I find a suggestion of something comparable to our modern Valentine’s Day, although it seems something like it COULD have fit into Tolkiens’ world:
While the European folk traditions connected with Saint Valentine and St. Valentine's Day have become marginalized by the modern Anglo-American customs connecting the day with romantic love, there are some remaining associations connecting the saint with the advent of spring. While the custom of sending cards, flowers, chocolates and other gifts originated in the UK, Valentine's Day still remains connected with various regional customs in England. In Norfolk, a character called 'Jack' Valentine knocks on the rear door of houses leaving sweets and presents for children. And so, what about our now-traditional association of Valentine’s Day with sweets – ESPECIALLY chocolate? Perhaps not unexpectedly, there is no hint that I know of anything like chocolate in Middle Earth. We DO have honey cake from Tolkien:
Appearing in The Hobbit and mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, a honey-cake is a twice-baked cake made by the "skin-changer" Beorn and later, his descendants the Beornings. Similar to cram and lembas, the cakes are sustaining and keep fresh for a long time. Although they are tastier than cram, they tend to make the eater thirsty. http://www.tor.com/.../hobbit-recipes-food And there are “tea foods”:
For instance, the difference between “high” and “low” teas is central to understanding The Hobbit's “Unexpected Party,” as explained by a collection of food historians on recipewise.co.uk in their thoughts on Tea in The Hobbit: “…high-tea was a working man’s hearty tea and supper after a long, hard day of manual labour. It was the combination of afternoon tea and the evening meal, of various dishes and cold cuts of meat and cheese, eaten on a high table… Afternoon tea on the other hand would often be served for guests sitting around smaller, lower tables in the parlour with dainty desserts and fine china on them, and was always referred to as low-tea. This was the tea preferred by the upper classes, who had a much later evening meal in the separate dining room on the higher tables. What Bilbo started out hastily arranging when the bell rang was low-tea, for an important wizard, although to his dismay it ended up being a high-tea, for common ‘coal miners’—this then is the underlying humour of the entire chapter, ‘An Unexpected Party’. Tolkien would have understood these strict conventions from his Victorian childhood, and he obviously (and thoroughly) enjoyed standing them on their head.” (Original drawing by reapersun at: http://rebloggy.com/post/my-art-the-hobbit-gandalf-bilbo-baggins-hobbit-bilbo-thorin-they-want-the-food-o/38455243640) And there are a few specifically mentioned sweets in the hobbit; from: What Hobbits like to eat… http://www.bonappetit.com/...-hobbits-like-to-eat
…I was most interested, however, in the home-baked goods: the seed cakes, mince pie, and apple tart. (And of course in LOTR there is mention of a blackberry tart at the Prancing Pony.) And so, while the denizens of Middle Earth may, or may not, have been familiar with CHOCOLATE, they most certainly (especially, it would seem, hobbits) been able to celebrate with a BOUNTY of sweet treats. Including celebrating LOVE. Because, as we know, the Hobbit is AWASH in a veritable ocean of all kinds of love. The love of kings for their people, and their lands. The love of family. The love of friends. Love for animals and growing things. Love for tradition and legacy. Love of poetry and song, and beautiful things, and comfort and home. And book and film, fans have embraced this rich world of the Hobbit with LOVE. We line up in the cold for days, count hours and minutes down to a film release. We bicker and we cheer, we write and we sing, we craft and we cosplay, we read and draw, we make websites and force ourselves to learn technology we’ve never heard of before. We buy books and hunt for memorabilia, and we party and host Hobbit dinners. I love, love the Hobbit films. They have become my most favorite films ever, with an IMO cast that is PERFECTION. And because of that love, I’m part of a community that spans generations, and the whole world. And I think that kind of inspiration and love is something perfect to celebrate on Valentine’s Day.
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Brethil
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 2:42am
Post #2 of 61
(2038 views)
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We could use spring, so bring it on! What a fun way to post about Valentine's day! Is that Bombur and Lindir sharing some muffins?
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 2:43am
Post #3 of 61
(2034 views)
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Addendum: Valentine Hobbit POETRY
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What’s Valentine’s Day without POETRY? After all, Tolkien filled his world with song and poems. And there’s no race I’ve fallen in love with like our rambunctious, tumbling dwarves. Er, especially a certain sable-maned, fiery-tempered mountain king, whose mere voice is probably a key factor in global warming, and sounds like a poem just asking for a glass of water. Or just breathing. (Oh sure, Richard, go ahead and read us some more LUV poems on You-Tube, I’ll just lay here on the floor glassy-eyed like poor Bain up in that tower while the dog licks my nose...) Um. Having slightly recovered thanks to the dog, so INSPIRED was I by LUV, I was impassioned to give voice to my feelings, for this day of all days: Yah know, don’t know what it is, but looking at these pictures I can’t stop thinking about CHOCOLATE. Seems to me Valentine’s Day weekend is a fine time to re-watch the Hobbit films, with one of those red boxes filled with an ASSORTMENT and the helpful descriptions on the lid. (And not the cheap stuff either – the good stuff with the multiple flavor layers and pretty decorations). And I promise to mention TORn when I give my Nobel Prize for Poetry acceptance speech.
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 2:53am
Post #4 of 61
(2040 views)
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Addendum: Love and chocolate in the Hobbit
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The Hobbit itself was crafted as a work of love, the love of a man for his children, who crafted a work of such imagination and whimsy it would become a beloved classic. A work lovingly, and with matchless dedication, brought to screen by the passion of Sir Peter Jackson and an energetic, committed team of craftspeople, crew, actors, writers, and designers. Fittingly, we saw movies FILLED with love. The love of a land and its peoples: The love of family: And animals! Falling in love: And for me, all of the love in an unlikely bond that forms between an exiled, angry mountain king carrying the weight of legacy and his people, and a somewhat fussy hobbit who will become more than he ever knew he could be. The love between friends. And since it’s Valentine’s Day, with all this LUV, it’s a shame that Middle Earth is not also awash in CHOCOLATE. It’s one of the benefits of our often tedious-world. So for fun, I’ve added some posts suggesting a suitable CANDY for our Hobbit cast, by way of showing LUV to this wonderful cast.
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 3:08am
Post #5 of 61
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Valentine chocolates for Ori, Nori, Dori, Bifur, Bombur, Bofur, Gloin and Oin!
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Ori – A deceptively simple HIGH-QUALITY chocolate lollipop, as sweet as he is. I watched Ori come along in three movies, and one of the saddest things I saw in BOFA was Ori sitting behind Kili, twisting his hands in his little mittens. But Ori has come right along, punching out orcs in the river and we see him battling like a tiger in BOFA! Nori – Chocolate coffee beans. To go with his boundless energy, and these slide nicely into a pocket, and help keep you awake for nocturnal excursions (after all, dwarf ladies love the hair, and it is Valentine’s Day!) Dori – Well, yah know, Dori’s a bit of a fusspot, so I thought he would appreciate the artistry of these dainty strawberry cream chocolates (with a lacey design yet.) Bifur – Er, chocolate spiders. After Mirkwood and seeing Bifur’s condition, thought it would be something he would APPRECIATE. Bombur – Here’s a dwarf who can definitely appreciate something RICH, I would think, so can’t get more sinful than a pile of caramel-chocolate POTATO CHIPS. Bofur – Irish crème chocolates, for obvious reasons. Oin – The mint family has been used for centuries for medicinal purposes, so thought Oin would appreciate this peppermint bark, as cozy as he is. Gloin – How about some fiery chocolate-covered peppers to go with that hair?
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 3:21am
Post #6 of 61
(2029 views)
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Valentine chocolates for Dain, Dwalin, Balin, Fili and Kili!
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Dain – Let’s start with something HEARTY and MASCULINE, as befits the Lord of the Iron Hills. So think these dark chocolate stout cake truffles will go nicely after a big battle, with some ale. Balin – Something classic, and as rich as this character is – so our favorite pecan caramel chocolate nut clusters. Dwalin – Gotta be something MANLY for our badass Dwalin, so I should think Dwalin would thoroughly appreciate a pile of chocolate-covered BACON. No sissy chocolates for this warrior! Our beloved brothers - these guys are all about love! Fili – Definitely buttery (to go with his hair and overall richness) SINFUL salted caramel chocolates. Kili – Full of vitality and energy, this dwarf prince is as vibrant as these chocolate covered orange slices. And our young prince needs his energy, as he is going to be busy studying astronomy at night with a certain flame-haired archer friend.
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 3:43am
Post #7 of 61
(2030 views)
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Valentine chocolates for Bilbo and Thorin!
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Who is more about the best kind of love than these two, the pure, freely given love between friends? Bilbo – OK, it’s not a chocolate per se. But what’s more HOMEY than chocolate sandwich cookies and milk (and anyway, being the BURGLAR, and having a certain Ring, am sure Bilbo can grab whatever he likes from everyone else. Think Dwalin had better stand guard over his bacon!) And our Mountain King? (Original image: MirielOfGisborne, http://www.deviantart.com/...-and-Light-512178629) Oh, baby. The mountain king, no chocolate is gonna last on a plate, it would melt into a scorched puddle. No, some ‘lil sweet just isn’t going to cut it, not for a being that has single-handedly destroyed so many computer monitors and TV screens. So after much INTENSE thought, it has to be the DECADENT creation known as the Golden Phoenix Cupcake adorned with 23-carat edible gold sheets; with its Italian chocolate, vanilla beans and strawberries dipped in edible gold. It is the world's most expensive cupcake at a mere $1010.00 (half that cost is donated to charity, which I think Richard Armitage would approve of.) http://www.foodworldnews.com/...xpensive-cupcake.htm
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Riven Delve
Tol Eressea
Feb 14 2015, 3:58am
Post #8 of 61
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WOW! I'm totally feelin' the love!
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Aw, Avendel, this is fantastic!! What a lovely Valentine surprise for all of us! (Here's one for you, and you can see all the other characters' cards in the gallery. There's even one with Azog!) I am TOTALLY going to find that chocolate-covered bacon!!! and make Dwalin give it up. Because I would take on even Dwalin for chocolate-covered bacon. And also salted caramel chocolates (OK, I'd share with Fili )...and chocolate-covered coffee beans...and OF COURSE what could be more appropriate than a gold-covered cupcake (!!!) for our favorite treasure-loving monarch? (Naturally, one would want a dark, dark espresso with that...) Well done, Avendel! What a love-filled tribute!
“Tollers,” Lewis said to Tolkien, “there is too little of what we really like in stories. I am afraid we shall have to try and write some ourselves.”
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Kim
Valinor
Feb 14 2015, 3:58am
Post #9 of 61
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You've outdone yourself! I'm not even sure where to start, so I guess I'll just start here: Milk and cookies for Bilbo? That certainly conjures up images of a cozy home. Perfect! Chocolate and edible gold for Thorin? Quite fitting indeed for our #majestic King under the Mountain.
#OneLastTime
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Kim
Valinor
Feb 14 2015, 4:02am
Post #10 of 61
(1999 views)
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Dori's fussy chocolates, Bombur's chocolate covered potato chips, Oin's peppermint bark - fantastic! not sure about that spider thought *shudders*
#OneLastTime
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Kim
Valinor
Feb 14 2015, 4:04am
Post #11 of 61
(1997 views)
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What a perfect find for Dain - ha! Have to admit though, I still don't quite get the appeal of chocolate covered bacon.
#OneLastTime
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 4:14am
Post #12 of 61
(2009 views)
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Thank You! *smiles* and great link! (and I didn't leave out the elves!)
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I am TOTALLY going to find that chocolate-covered bacon!!! and make Dwalin give it up. Because I would take on even Dwalin for chocolate-covered bacon. And also salted caramel chocolates (OK, I'd share with Fili )...and chocolate-covered coffee beans...and OF COURSE what could be more appropriate than a gold-covered cupcake (!!!) for our favorite treasure-loving monarch? (Naturally, one would want a dark, dark espresso with that...) Happy you enjoyed it...! My own post made me hungry, LOL...(wonder if I have any BACON 'coz for sure I have chocolate...). But, I just can't forget about the elves. Especially a certain silver-haired forest king. Thranduil – Obviously, no mere chocolate will do for the fey, gorgeous, deadly Fisher King (who nonetheless LOVES his beautiful, graceful son). Described as the “single most expensive chocolate”, I think the King of Mirkwood Forest will appreciate this $250 Chocolate Truffle (because of the pricey French truffle that’s incorporated, e.g. a MUSHROOM) http://www.swide.com/...the-world/2013/10/21 Of course, this will pair nicely with wine. And orchids. And for this forest archer (currently a favorite of mine thanks to saving Thorin in BOFA - rich maple creams) And for Tauriel: Yum. White chocolate raspberry, as well as a Valentine *SMOOCH* 'Coz it's Valentine's Day.
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 4:34am
Post #13 of 61
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Thank you! LOL I really TRIED to be organized
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E.g., an intro, and 2 main sections - "poetry" LOL and love & chocolate....but maybe it got away from me, as when PJ & co. were filming the Battle of Moria. I even picked out a *MANLY* chocolate for "Azog" (and Manu Bennett is this handsome charming guy and FUNNY - look at his car!) MANLY chocolate pizza with little white marshmallows, just like his pet. And of course bollocks: Would you believe chocolate-covered beef jerky for Smaug? And some lavender-gin chocolates (they have a floral essence, evidently) for our noble wizard: Very medicinal.
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Kim
Valinor
Feb 14 2015, 4:53am
Post #14 of 61
(1990 views)
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There really is something for everyone!
#OneLastTime
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 4:57am
Post #15 of 61
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But I'm not eating this: As you say, something for everyone
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Kim
Valinor
Feb 14 2015, 5:14am
Post #16 of 61
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Those valentines cards are so cute!
#OneLastTime
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Feb 14 2015, 7:15am
Post #17 of 61
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Wow, what a wonderful celebration of love in all its forms! Beautiful and sweet, from the background info to thoughtfully chosen chocolates for everyone! Thank you for making my morning so warm and fuzzy! *big smile*
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Feb 14 2015, 7:43am
Post #18 of 61
(1999 views)
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In the spirit of Valentine's day, I will take this chance to celebrate the BEAUTY that has been brought to us by so many wonderful characters. Unlike the OP who has lovingly thought of everyone, I had to choose a character, not-so-randomly, but still I think many can join in appreciating (ahem) this prime example whose beauty extends to mythical proportions. (BTW, It has been said that a man cannot be both handsome AND beautiful. It has also been said that if a man is indeed beautiful, he must then be effeminate. BOTH WRONG. )
(This post was edited by Ilmatar on Feb 14 2015, 7:46am)
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Kim
Valinor
Feb 14 2015, 7:56am
Post #19 of 61
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(BTW, It has been said that a man cannot be both handsome AND beautiful. It has also been said that if a man is indeed beautiful, he must then be effeminate. BOTH WRONG. ) in all your life. Thanks for the lovely collage Ilmatar!
#OneLastTime
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Kim
Valinor
Feb 14 2015, 8:00am
Post #20 of 61
(1981 views)
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There once was a dwarf when at ease Had dark locks caressed by the breeze He smoldered and glared While the fangirls just stared While thinking "Pick me, oh please"
#OneLastTime
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Feb 14 2015, 8:35am
Post #21 of 61
(1989 views)
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Thank you for the Unexpected Compliment, Kim. Loving the Limerick...!
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 5:05pm
Post #23 of 61
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Love all, especially the sunwashed image of Gandalf and Bilbo. I wonder, too, - if Saruman had some CHOCOLATE would he be less austere? One of the people I most regret never meeting is Sir Christopher Lee, who seems such a joy. So I mustn't leave him out (cinnamon-dusted chocolate almonds, seeing as cinnamon also has medicinal properties...and almonds of course are good for you.) BTW, that torte is to die for - time to make sure I have some raspberries and white chocolate in house. (How do they bake the heart in the middle?) And invite some dwarves! Happy Valentine's Day!
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 5:22pm
Post #24 of 61
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Happy Valentine's Day!
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Avandel
Half-elven
Feb 14 2015, 5:28pm
Post #25 of 61
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LOL some folks have it: And some have MORE of it: Happy Valentine's Day! PS. Loved that floating heart .gif!
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