Talking about Tolkien - Μιλώντας για τον Τόλκιν

HEROES OF TOLKIEN-MERY & PIPPIN'S FRAME

2010-01-21T16:19:00.000-08:00

Hello again. I am terribly sorry for not having uploaded anything for so long.
I thought that now I must talk about two, almost inseperable hobbits, Merry and Pippin whose full names were Meriadoc Brandybuck and Peregrin Took. These two young hobbits were best friends and as the journey to Mordor continued, their bond became even stronger. Their appearance is exactly what someone should except from a hobbit: short in height (although among the hobbits, these two were considered to be the tallest ones in hobbit-history), with hairy feet and curly hair and always a happy face. They welcomed the 5 substantial meals during the hobbit-day and never refused to eat at any other time. They also shared a great love for tobacco. Merry and Pippin were trouble-makers and for this they were known to many farmers in the Shire because they had the habbit to "steal" from their crops.Plus, they were always curious about everything, the reason that once led Pippin to look into the Paladir.
But beneath this childish behaviour, these hobbits had a kind heart and an innocent soul. That is what prevented Pippin from telling Sauron about their plan to destroy the ring and about the mission Frodo and Samwise were into. Merry fought in the Battle of Gondor alongside with Eowyn and king Theoden. He was the one who helped Eowyn to defeat the Witch-King of Angmar. Pippin fought along with Gandalf the White and due to him, Faramir was saved from his father's (Denethor, Stuart of Gondor) madness who intended to burn him while he was alive. Both Merry and Pippin spent days into the Forest of Fangorn and met Tree-Beard, and ancient Tree-Sepherd. They also took part in the Trees' war against Isengard and Saruman.
These two hobbits created a strong bond of true and deep friendship and it's worth having them as an example in our lives.

HEROES OF TOLKIEN-GANDALF'S FRAME PART 7

2009-06-21T03:50:00.000-07:00

Hi everybody! Firstly, my apologies to all of you for not having uploaded anything for so long but i had my exams and the only thing I was doing was to study all the time from noon till the early morning hours. You know how hard it is to succeed in the exams! Anyway here i am again! This time I will develop one of my favourite characters: Gandalf the Grey!
Let's start with the basics, Gandalf comes from the race of the Ainur, something less than the Valar! He is a Maiar of Manwe, Nienna and Irmo! He is known with various names between the circles of Middle-Earth: His long forgotten name, the one he was called in Valinor, when he was young was Olorin, this was his name in the High Tongue, Quenya. in Sindarin he was called Mithrandir which means Grey Pilgrim.Gandalf Greyhame was another name of his, Gandalf was his name in the North, meaning Elf with the Staff and Greyhame meaning Greycloak. After he defeated the traitor Saruman he was called Gandalf the White. He is also known as the White Rider beacause he rides the great Shadowfax as a contrast to the Black Riders, the Nazgul.Stormcrow he was also named as, because his appearance was associated with trouble and problems, between the dwarves he is known as Tharkun, Greybeard for the servants of Sauron.
In the unfinished tales, Tolkien describes Gandalf asthe last of the wizards to appear in Middle-Earth one who: "seemed the least, less tall than the others, and in looks more aged, grey-haired and grey-clad, and leaning on a staff". Yet, when Cirdan, met him he saw in Gandalf a strong and extremely wise spirit, and gave him the Ring of Fire, Narya! Eversince, he was the guardian of the Fire of the Ainur!
In the Valaquenta, we learn that Gandalf, who was then named Olorin was a Maiar of Valinor and he was one of Manwe's people. It is said that he lived in the gardens of Irmo under the guidance of Nienna. When the Valar decided to send an Order of Wizards to Middle-Earth in order to offer help to those who opposed to Sauron, Manwe proposed Gandalf since he was said to be the wisest among the Maiar.
Once in Middle Earth he landed in Mithlond. Although he was of poor appearance Cirdan saw the wisdom and majesty of his spirit and gave him the ring of fire, Narya. Gandalf hid it well and the fact that he was the Secret Guardian of the Spirit of Fire wasn't revealed until the day he sailed to Valinor along with the other two remaining ring-bearers, Frodo and Bilbo, at the end of the Third Age!
Gandalf was the one who suspected that the Necromancer of Dol Guldur was not a Nazgul but Sauron himself. When the White Council was formed in order to help the races of Middle-Earth to defeat Sauron, Galadriel hoped that Gandalf would be the leader of the Council but he refused to bound himself to anyone else apart from the Valar! So Saruman took the leadership instead.
Gandalf was also mainly involved in The Quest of Erebor. In this adventure, Gandalf, along with thirteen dwarves persuades Bilbo Baggins to follow him in their Quest in order to regain the stolen treasure which lay hidden in the cave of a dragon named Smaug. This treasure was stolen from the Dwarves centuries ago and in this Quest they claimed it back, fought and won the mighty dragon due to Bilbo's smartness and took the treasure back. In the Quest of Erebor, Gandalf finds his lost sword, Glamdring and Bilbo happens to find the One Ring. By the time he found it no one knew that it was the One Ring that could restore the Black Lord Sauron back to his original power.In the Lord of The Rings, Gandalf is a very important character since he guides the Fellowship and offers great help and information. He is imprisoned in Orthanc by the traitor Saruman but he is eventually saved by his friend Gwaihir the King of The Eagles. In the Fellowship of the Ring he is taken down by a demon of the old times, a Balrog, in their way through the mines of Moria. Everybody believes him to be dead but he reappears in the two Towers. He had beaten the Balrog and after having travelled beyond space and time he returned as Gandalf the White. He beat Saruman and took his Palantir and kept it all the time with him hidden. The Nazgul fear him and even Sauron considers him a very powerfull enemy!
Gandalf is a mighty and wise wizard. Many of the deeds of the fellowship are due to him. he is a substantial hero and carries great history on his shoulders. Everyone admires and respects him!

HEROES OF TOLKIEN-BOROMIR'S FRAME PART 6

2009-02-12T00:37:00.000-08:00

Well it has been so long since I last updated...I am really sorry about it but my free time is very limited this period. Anyway here i am with my sixth portrait about Boromir and his complex character.
Boromir is the proud son of Denethor, th Steward of Gondor. He is the first of the two brothers. The second is Faramir whose portrait will be updated the next time. Boromir is a human and he is raised within a kingly environment. That is why he is very proud and craves for power. He had a strange dream about a ring and a little human( this was Frodo, the hobbit) and being quite smart and cunning he decides to attend the council in Rivendell when he was invited by lord Elrond. That is why he went there, having in mind to take the ring from Frodo and give it to his father in order to save Gondor from Sauron!
He has in the back of his mind to take the ring and become the king of Gondor.
But things do not proceed the way he desires.When he tries to take the ring from Frodo, the latter becomes scared and wears the ring and eventually disappears. This is exactly what the orcs wanted: they attack the fellowship and they try to kidnap the hobbits as this is their Lord's (Saruman) wish. Just then Boromir understands his mistake and fights with chivalry and bravery in order to protect the little hobbits from the orcs. Eventually he gets killed by many arrows that pierced his body. He dies in the arms of Aragorn whom he never acepted as the real king of the Numenorians but finally accepts his leadership in his hands and calls him his Leader and King. Then he dies....
Boromir is rather complex. He is not exactly the antihero but his not the hero either. He has some elements that indicate his human nature: he is greedy, craves for power and gets easily tricked by the power of the Ring instead if thinking clearly. His judgement gets distorted by the power of the One Ring.
Though he acts like that, in the end he turns out to be really brave while he tries to protect the hobbits from the evil that threatens them. His true heart finally came in the surface. He dies being rescued from the dark part of himself and that is a relief for he reader!!

Something Else.........

2008-12-25T11:38:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas to everyone. Merry Christmas to the whole world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Long live to everyone!

HEROES OF TOLKIEN-ARAGORN'S FRAME Part 5

2008-12-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

Sorry for being so horribly late to upload but I have to read for school.

So here we are with the portrait of who else but Aragorn? :).

Aragorn is also known as Strider. he was born on March 1 in 2931 of the Third Age, the son of Arathorn the Second and his wife Gilraen.Through his ancestor Elendil (whom he closely resembled), Aragorn was a descendant of Elros Tar-Minyatur , Lord Elrond's Half-Elven twin brother and the first king of Númenor. Aragorn is descended from both of Elendil's sons, from Isildur through Arvendui, last King of Arthendain, and from Anarion through Arvedui's wife Firiel.
When Aragorn was only two years old, his father was killed while pursuing Orcs. Aragorn was afterwards fostered in Rivendell (Imlandris in the Elvish tongue) by Elrond. After his mother's request, his lineage was kept secret, as she feared that he would possibly be killed like both his father and grandfather if his true identity as the descendant of Elendil and Heir of Isildur became known. Aragorn was renamed Estel and was not told about his heritage and his "burden" until he came of age in 2951.Elrond revealed to "Estel" (which means "Hope" in the Sindarin tongue) his true name and ancestry when he came of age, and delivered to him the shards of Elendil's sword, Narsil, (the legendary sword that deprived Sauron of the One Ring and its power) and the Ring of Barahir. He withheld the Sceptre of Annuminas from him until he "came of the right" to possess it. It was also around this time that Aragorn met and fell in love with Arwen, Elrond's daughter, who had newly returned from her mother's homeland of Lorien.

Aragorn thereafter assumed his proper role as the sixteenth Chieftain of the Dunedain, the Rangers of the North, and went into the wild, where lived the remnants of his people, whose kingdom had been destroyed through civil and regional wars centuries before.
Aragorn met Gandalf the Grey (Mithrandir in the elven tongue) in 2956, and they became close friends. At Gandalf's advice he and his followers began to guard a small land known as the Shire , inhabited by the diminutive Hobbits, and he became known among the peoples just outside the Shire's borders as Strider.
From 2957 to 2980, Aragorn undertook great journeys, serving in the armies of King Thengel of Rohan , and Steward Ecthelion II of Gondor. Many of his tasks helped to raise morale in the West and counter the growing threat of Sauron and his allies, and he acquired invaluable experience which he would later put to use in the War of the Ring. Aragorn served his lords in disguise and his name in Gondor and Rohan during that time was Thorongil (Eagle of the Star). With a small Gondorian squadron of ships, he led an assault on the long-standing rebel province of Umbar in 2980, burning many of the Corsairs' ships and personally slaying their lord during the battle on the Havens. After the victory at Umbar, "Thorongil" left the field and to the dismay of his men, went East.
Later in 2980, he visited Lórien, and there once again met Arwen. He gave her the heirloom of his House, the Ring of Barahir, and, on the hill of Cerin Amroth, Arwen pledged her hand to him in marriage, renouncing her Elvish lineage and accepting the Gift of Men: death.
Elrond withheld from Aragorn permission to marry his daughter until such time as his foster son should be king of both Gondor and Arnor. To Elrond's as well as Aragorn's knowledge, in order to marry a mortal his daughter would be required to choose mortality, and thus deprive the deathless Elrond of his daughter while the world lasted. Elrond was also concerned for Arwen's own happiness, fearing that in the end she might find death (her own and that of her beloved) too difficult to bear.
Before the events of The Lord of the Rings proper take place, Aragorn also travelled through the Darwen mines of Moria, and to Harad (where wild people lived).

Tolkien gives a brief but detailed description of Aragorn in The Fellowship of the Ring: lean, dark and tall, with shaggy dark hair "flecked with grey", grey eyes, and a stern pale face. In "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen" in the Appendices, he was said to be often grim and sad, with unexpected moments of levity. Some time after the publication of the books, Tolkien wrote that he was 1.98 m tall.
Aragorn possessed Elven wisdom due to his childhood in Rivendell with Elrond and the foresight of the Dúnedain. He was a skilled healer, notably with the plant Athelas (also known as Kingsfoil). He was also a mighty warrior and an unmatched commander; after the Battle of the Pelennor Field, he, Eomer and Imrahil were said to be left unscathed, even though they had been in the thick of the fighting. Due to his position as Isildur's heir, Aragorn had impressive powers for a Man, and, as the rightful owner of the Palantiri could use the Orthanc stone unhampered by Sauron.
Though there is no indication of him ever doubting his role and destiny as one of the leaders of the war against Sauron and the future king of the Reunited Kingdom he was not immune to self-doubt, as he doubted the wisdom of his decisions while leading the Fellowship after the fall of Gandalf in Moria, and blamed himself for many of their subsequent misfortunes.
On one occasion, his pride (or reverence for his heritage) led to complications, as he refused to disarm and leave his sword Andúril (a priceless heirloom of Númenor and one of the weapons which slew Sauron) at the door of Edoras, as Théoden had required, and only did so after Gandalf left his own sword (also of high lineage) behind. Even so, he swore that death would come to anyone else who touched it (whether by his own hand or by some magic is left unsaid).

Aragorn, son of Arathorn was called the Dúnadan ("Man of the West/Numenorian", given by Bilbo in Rivendell), Longshanks (given by Bill Ferny in Bree), Strider, called so by Butterbur, and Wingfoot (given by Eomer after discovering that Aragorn had travelled forty-five leagues in four days in pursuit of Pippin, Merry, and their Uruk-hai captors). He was the founder of the House of Telcontar (Telcontar is "Strider" in Quenya, after the mistrustful nickname given him by the rustics of the North), which ruled Gondor well into the Fourth Age of Middle-earth; in records, his full ruling name is given as Elessar Telcontar ("Elfstone Strider"). Envinyatar (meaning "the renewer") is another name by which he referred to himself when he claimed the elfstone. He was known as Estel ("hope") to protect his true lineage from the Enemy when they were seeking the heir of Isildur. He was also known as Thorongil ("Eagle of the Star") in his younger days when he travelled around Middle-earth and performed services in Rohan and Gondor often by protecting camps and raiding enemy strongholds like he did when he crossed the Corsairs of Umbar. Initially it is said that Aragorn's forefathers were the exiles of Númenor who ruled over the people of Ond (early name of Gondor), but were driven out by the Wizard King"when Sauron raised a rebellion".The story of the two branches of Elendil's descendants ruling over two kingdoms of Men through many generations only emerged gradually; at one time, Tolkien even seems to have conceived only three generations between Isildur and Aragorn.
One significant feature which was not established until late stages was Aragorn's relationship with Arwen. When Tolkien first introduced Éowyn, the interest which she showed towards Aragorn was not one-sided, with suggestions in notes that they would marry at the end of the story. Another proposal was done soon, that Éowyn would die to save or avenge Théoden, and Aragorn would never marry after her death.

Arangorn is an extremely complex character. He is a combination of everything worthy uppon Middle-Earth at that time. He is valiant, trustworthy, wise and smart. He leads one of the most basic roles in the History of Middle-Earth and he becomes immediately beloved even by his very first appearance in the story of the Ring!

HEROES OF TOLKIEN-GIMLI'S FRAME-Part 4

2008-11-19T01:17:00.000-08:00

Gimli is Legolas' best friend and surprisingly, he is a dwarf! He is a firm descentant of Durin's folk, son of Gloin, and he decides to accompany Frodo Baggins along with the rest of the fellowship to the great journey aiming to the destruction of the One Ring! As a dwarf, he is short, with a great red beard and long, red hair. He is straight with his actions and he has a wise mind. He has a heart of gold as he proves to be a really great and loyal friend. He is also extremely good at using the Axe ( axes are the weapons prefered by the folk of Dwarves).

He fights with great bravery and chivalry. He is quick and accurate while handling the axe and he is always ready to protect his friends from the dangers that lurk during their journey! He is lover of raw meat and food and his great passion is beer (like all dwarves). Although he is a little stubborn, he manages to overcome this weakness of his when this is necessary.

Gimli is the one who along with Legolas brings back the great bonds of friendship that once, in the First age and the beggining of the second, were held among the Elves and the Dwarves. He feels very proud when he walks into Moria and he is scared when the company crosses the Forest of Fangorn. Thus, he is a genuine Dwarf!!! He and Legolas are together untill the end of the story and in The Red Book of Westmarch, it is told that after many years upon Middle-Earth, when Legolas builts a grey ship and sets sails to the shores of Valinor, his best friend, Gimli follows him to the Immortal Lands!

SOME PLUS MATERIAL-Part III

2008-11-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

There are some songs related to Tolkien's masterpieces. Enjoy!

Blind Guardian-Nightfall.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Azt8p7rWFaQ
It is a song about the first age when Melkor and Ungoliant destroyed the Two Trees of Valinor and the beginning of the Nightfall of the world came!

In Dreams.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYkzVrLl1O4
It is a song of hope and the bonds of companioship. Even when everything will be dark and misty...hope will be always in the deepest of our hearts!

Evenstar-Arwen Undomiel.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=28YhJ17BJxU
Unique beauty, loving heart, great power, everlasting hope, courage, wisedom, love........this is everything Arwen incarnates!!!!!!!!

The Passing of The Elves.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUNOl_zbrqk
The time of the Elves is fading.....the leave forever from Middle-Earth and set sails to the Deathless Shores!

NOTE: I own none of the videos above.

HEROES OF TOLKIEN-LEGOLAS' FRAME Part 3

2008-11-15T12:00:00.000-08:00

And now let us focus on Legolas the Greenleaf. Legolas is an Elf from the Forest of Mirkwood .Son of King Thranduil, Legolas is the Prince of Mirkwood. Although he lives among the Silvan Elves (the elves of the woods) he does not belong with them. He and his father actually come form Lindon and they are Sindar, Grey Elves that is. He speaks the Sindarin tongue (elvish dialect) and as all elves, his senses are extremely developed. He is a very good fighter and has great capacities in battle. The characteristics of his tribe are very obvious on him: He is very tall, with fair, almost golden, hair (although there are opinions that he might have been dark-haired) and has bright blue eyes and perfect eye-sight. Tolkien describes him as "an Elf, clad in green and brown". He is almost always light-hearted and when the fellowship tried to cross Caradhras, he remained in a good mood. He was little affected by the blowing winds and snow, he did not even wear boots, only light shoes, and his feet scarcely made imprints on the snow - illustrating the Elves' otherworldliness!
Legolas is the perfect assassin! He kills the enemy with amazing accuracy. He can perfectly handle the bow and arrow as well as the sword. He is a great horse-rider and one of the charismas of his tribe that has passed straight to him is that he can "talk" to animals so they obey and follow him not by fear but by love and reliability. He is also very open-minded as he becomes very good friend with a dwarf. (Dwarves and Elves were in great dispute since the beginning of the second age). He has a kind and loving heart and he is extremely loyal to the Fellowship and to the great goal they must achieve.
In The Return of the King, Legolas and Gimli accompanied Aragorn on the Paths of the Dead, along with the Grey Company. After Aragorn summoned the Dead Men of Dunharrow to fight for him, Legolas saw them frighten away the Corsairs of Umbar from their ships at Pelargir. Galadriel's prophecy was then fulfilled: as Legolas heard the cries of seagulls, he began to experience the Sea-longing — the desire to sail west to Valinor, the "Blessed Realm" which was latent among the Sindar. His heart longed to see the shores of the Immortal lands.
Legolas' age is never well and plainly presented. Some passages though in Tolkien's books, give some sort of information:
"The forest is old, very old," said the Elf. "So old that almost I feel young again, as I have not felt since I journeyed with you children. It is old and full of memory. I could have been happy here, if I had come in days of peace."
"These are the strangest trees that I ever saw," Legolas said; "and I have seen many an oak grow from acorn to ruinous age. I wish that there were leisure now to walk among them: they have voices, and in time I might come to understand their thought."
"Five hundred times have the red leaves fallen in Mirkwood my home since [the building of Edoras]," said Legolas, "and but a little while does that seem to us." Thus Legolas must be old enough for men and dwarves but a lot less than middle-aged according to the Firstborn.Legolas is certainly older than Gimli and Aragorn, who are 139 and 87 respectively at the time of the War of the Ring .
Here follows the prophecy ,and warning as well, given to him by Galandriel:
"Legolas Greenleaf long under tree
In joy thou hast lived. Beware of the Sea!
If thou hearest the cry of the gull on the shore,
Thy heart shall rest in the forest no more."
After the destruction of the One Ring, Legolas remained in Minas Tirith for Aragorn's crowning and marriage to Arwen. Later, Legolas and Gimli went travelling together through Fangorn forest and to visit the Glittering Caves of Helm's Deep, as Legolas had promised Gimli. Eventually, Legolas founded an Elf-colony in Ithilien and spent his remaining time in Middle-earth, helping to restore the devastated forests of that war-ravaged land.
It was told in the Red Book of Westmarch (first written by Bilbo Baggins, continued by Frodo Baggins and supposedly finished by Samwise Gamgee), that after Aragorn's death in the year 120 of the Fourth Age Legolas built a grey ship and left Middle-earth to go over the Sea to Valinor, and that Gimli went with him!!!!!!!!!

SOME PLUS MATERIAL-Part II

2008-10-26T04:32:00.000-07:00

"Come on mister Frodo, I may not carry it for you, but i can carry you!"

"There is still some good in this world mister Frodo, and it's worth fighting for it."

Ai! laurie lantar lassi surinen,

Yeni unotime ve ramar aldaron!

Yeni ve linte yuldar avanier

mi oromardi lisse-miruvoreva

Andune pella,

Vardo tellumar

nu luini yassen tintilar i eleni

omaryo airetari-lirinen.

Si man i yulma nin enquantuva?

An si Tintalle Varda Oiolosseo

ve fanyar maryat Elentari ortane

ar ilye tier undulave lumbule;

ar sindanoriello caita mornie

i falmalinnar imbe met,

ar hisie untupa Calaciryo miri oiale.

Si vanwa na, Romello vanwa, Valimar!

Namarie! Nai hiruvalye Valimar.

Nai elye hiruva. Namarie!

INFO.

The first two verses are some wise words Sam has told to Frodo during their journey.

The next is a poem, Namárië, also called "Galadriel's Lament" (Altariello nainië Lóriendessë). "Namárië" is Quenya for "farewell. Here is the translation:

Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind,
long years numberless as the wings of trees!

The long years have passed like swift draughts

of the sweet mead in lofty halls

beyond the West, beneath the blue vaults of Varda

wherein the stars tremble

in the song of her voice, holy and queenly.

Who now shall refill the cup for me?

For now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the stars,

from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds

and all paths are drowned deep in shadow,

and out of a grey country darkness lies

on the foaming waves between us,

and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya for ever.

Now lost, lost to those of the East is Valimar!

Farewell! Maybe thou shalt find Valimar!

Maybe even thou shalt find it! Farewell!

HEROES OF TOLKIEN-SAM'S FRAME Part 3

2008-10-19T02:58:00.000-07:00

Since this section began with Frodo, then the next one has to be about his best friend Samwise Gamgee. Samwise, mostly known as Sam, is the perfect definition of what a hobbit is: he loves cooking, eating, gardening and he wants to lead a calm life. But he happens to hear about the Ring Frodo has to carry to Rivendell so he is charged to be his companion to that journey. But as we all know he proves to be his companion to the whole journey to Mordor.

He always gives Frodo hope that everything will end fine and that they will manage to return to Shire. He has a very good heart and he is really courageous. He is loyal to the point of fighting with Orks in order to save his master and best friend. He loves Frodo and is ready even to carry the Ring for him. He takes care of his master and worries a lot for him, in fact he worries most for him than for the destruction of the ring. He is not distorted by the ring and if it wasn't for him, Frodo would never have reached Orodruin. He is suspicious about Gollum and turns out to be right with his suspicions as Gollum betrays them and tries to take the Ring from Frodo. And even when his master sends him away, he senses that he is indeed in danger, and goes back to save him.The truth is, that Sam is the one that provides Frodo with support and very useful help when it's neccesary!!!!!

SOME PLUS MATERIAL-Part 1

2008-10-15T10:46:00.000-07:00

Three Rings for the Elven-Kings under the sky,

Seven for the Dwarf-Lords in their halls of stone,

Nine for Mortal Men doomed to die,

One for the dark Lord on his dark throne

In the Land of Mordor where the shadows lie.

Ash nasg durbatuluk, ash nasg gimbatul, ash nasg thrakatuluk

agh burzum-ishi krimpatul!

One ring to rule them all, one ring to find them, one ring to bring them all

and in the darkness bind them!

Farewell sweet Earth and northern Sky,

for ever blest, since here did lie

and here with lissom limbs did run

beneath the Moon, beneath the Sun,

Luthien Tinuviel

more fair than mortal tongue can tell.

Though all to ruin fell the world

and were dissolved and backward hurled

unmade into the old abyss,

yet were its making good, for this-

the dusk, the dawn, the earth, the sea-

that Luthien for a time should be.

INFO:

The first verse is about the way the Rings of Power were shared.

The second is the command that was given to the One Ring by Sauron when it was secretely made into the unceasing fires of Orodruin.

The third part is a song Beren made for his beloved Luthien Tinuviel, when he was about to face the most lethal peril of his life, when he was about to enter Mordor in order to remove one of the Silmarilli away of the Iron Crown of Melkor. He sang it outloud and Luthien heard his song and came to him, and together they both managed to regain one of the lost Silmarilli.

HEROES OF TOLKIEN-FRODO'S FRAME Part 2

2008-10-15T10:07:00.000-07:00

Ok. Let's start. I reckon the wisest way to begin is to analyse the main character in the Lord of the Rings: the ring-bearer, in other words, Frodo Baggins.

Frodo Baggins in a Hobbit. (Hobbits are small-sized humans with hairy feet, happy mood, love for food and a tendancy to remain silent and not to care about the rest of the world). Frodo, loves a good meal, but apart from the hairy feet, he is very different from the other Hobbits. He is curious about the outside world. He loves adventure and this love of his, pushes him to the dead-trap-journey of bearing the ring to Mordor. He knows the Elvish Language very well and he also comes to know a brief history-line of Middle Earth. His knowledge will be very helpful in the future. Frodo differs yet in another thing too: he is not afraid of water whereas most of the Hobbits hate water and fear boats. As a concequence, he won't feel like a fish out of the water when he has to cross a river for various reasons!

Frodo's inside world is very complex and at the same time, truly amazing. He is decisive, ready and willing to take great responsibilities. He does not seem ready to give up when difficulties and hard times appear on the scene. He has a good heart and that is what makes him reliable. But, he is vulnerable as well. He is slowly controled by the dark power of the one Ring. He has the power though to overcome it with his own strength of character and the help of his dearest friend and co-traveller Samwise Gamgee. He does not reveal his identity easily and can hide very well the purpose of his journey most of the times.

I think this is the portrait of Frodo's character. Every comment is well accepted. Stay connected, the next part will be soon here!

HEROES OF TOLKIEN AND THEIR CHARACTER-FRAME Part 1. Introduction

2008-10-01T01:23:00.000-07:00

If someone decides to carefully study the Tolkien-characters, he will notice two main axons upon which the author builts his heroes: The characteristics that indicate the origin, the tribe and traditions of the hero and the ones that indicate the hero's special and unique soul-synthesis.

The first group refers to some crucial characteristics that the different tribes of Middle-Earth possess. They help us to understand the background of the hero, his traditions and customs and his ethic code. For instance, it helps us to seperate an elf from a dwarf, justify his positions and behaviour, or even forsee his reactions and outbursts. Furthermore, this group of characteristics has a primordial role to the way the plot will go on!

The second group deals with the personal characteristics, the ones a person develops according to his life experiences, the influences of the environment he lived, his inner morals and the degree of his mind and heart corruption. These characteristics are a very valuable and reliable compass as they indicate us which way the hero will follow in a certain situation. They also give us an idea of the treatment the hero will probably receive from the anti-hero in case he falls to the hands of the latter.

The combination of these two groups is what helps us to understand the plot and the way events evolve. If someone has a clear picture of thes two axons of Tolkien's works, he will be able to easily depict situations, reasons and consequences and find what is hidden behind the visible facts. Good luck people!!

TOLKIEN'S INFLUENCES - PART 3 - NIBELUNGENLIED

2008-09-05T06:47:00.000-07:00

The Nibelungenlied, translated as The Song of the Nibelungs, is an epic poem in Middle High German. It tells the story of dragon-slayer Siegfried at the court of the Burgundians, his murder, and of his wife Kriemhild's revenge.
The Nibelungenlied is based on pre-Christian Germanic heroic motifs (the "Nibelungensaga"), which include oral traditions and reports based on historic events and individuals of the 5th and 6th centuries.

In this poem, everything turns around the Ring of The Nibelungs. This Ring, among all the other treasures the Nibelungs possess, is the most important to them, the most loved. They warn Siegfried, that, as he is the slayer of the Dragon, he can legally claim all their treasure apart from the ring. But he thinks that the ring may have some supernatural powers, and as being blind by his greed, he takes it as well. He did not listen to the Nibelungs' warning and the ring doomed him. His fate was from now on doomed to a bad and quick end.

The similarity with Tolkien's masterpiece: the Lord of The Rings is, apparently, very obvious. In the First Days, in The Great Battle where Elves and Men were allies (the Days of The Last Alliance), when Isildur, son of Elendil, took revenge for his father's death and cut the finger of Sauron which had the Ring of Power, he managed to almost destroy the evil spirit of Sauron. He would have totally vanished evil from Middle-Earth, but he was greed, and the power of the ring made him blind. So, when he and Elrond, the Half-Elven, reached the depths of Mount Orodruin, regardless all the urges from Elrond, Isildur did not throw the ring into the roaring fires of the mountain, the only place where it could be destroyed. Thus, Isildur found a tragic end because he kept the Ring. His fate was also doomed by a ring and by the desire to possess something he shouldn't have.

The Nibelungenlied is the main axon upon which Tolkien based The Lord of the Rings. The Ring of the Nibelungs gave him the inspiration for the Rings of Power made by Sauron and the Elves and eventually lead to the creation of one of the best works of authorship of his era!

TOLKIEN'S INFLUENCES - PART 2 - BEOWULF

2008-09-04T02:47:00.000-07:00

Beowulf is an Old English,heroic,epic poem of anonymous authorship, dated between the 8th and 11th century A.C.,and relates events described as having occurred in what is now Denmark and Sweden. Commonly cited as one of the most important works of Anglo-Saxon literature, Beowulf has been the subject of much scholarly study, theory, speculation, discourse, and, at 3183 lines, it has been noted for its length!

Tolkien has been strongly influenced by this Saxonic poem. He himself used to say through his letters: "Beowulf is among my most valued sources..." It seems that Tolkien has been influenced in two levels by this poem.

Firstly, in the level of hero-lines and basic characteristics. Beowulf was for him an endless source of elements as to how to build his heroes. Thus, many of the heroic achievments and acts of chivalry in Beowulf are quite similar with those of the heroes of Tolkien especially in the Silmarillion and the Lord of the Rings.

The second level of influence is this of language. Many names Tolkien invented, are based to the origins of the names of Beowulf. Some examples are the following:
Beorn-Warrior, hero-Beorn
Beor-Bright,shining-Beor the Old
Eotenas-giant-Ent
Fródan -The wise one/old-Frodo

Grimmon-Mask-Grima
‘him wæs géomeor sefa murnende mód’-‘sad was their heart and mourning in their soul’-‘has pity in her heart and mourning in her soul’.

These are some examples of names that are similar to those of Tolkien's names. First comes the name in Beowulf, secondly the meaning and third comes the similar name in Tolkien. There is also a verse that is used both in Beowulf and Tolkien as well. It is a stereotypic verse and quite often used by Tolkien.

Beowulf has definitely contributed to the shape of Tolkien's work. It has been a guide for him, a valuable linguistic tool and source of many useful elements. Tolkien had the perfect base upon which he could start his work and eventually, Beowulf helped him in maturing the ideas he had in mind while adding precious elements from the saxonic poem!

TOLKIEN'S INFLUENCES - PART 1 - KALEVALA

2008-09-03T14:35:00.000-07:00

The Kalevala is a Finnish epic poem.It is held to be the national epic of Finland and is traditionally thought as one of the most significant works of Finnish literature. Kalevala seems to have played a very significant role to the way Tolkien displayed the tragic fate of Turin Turumbar in the "Silmarillion". In fact, Turin reminds a lot of Kullervo, son of Kallervo of the finnish poem. Kullervo is doomed and has a really ill fate since he happens to seduce his sister without knowing the relationship between them and, when she found out the truth, she was so full of shame that she jumped into rapids and drown herself. Kullervo, after commiting some murders upon his embarassement, rage and sorrow, talks to his sword and tells that after it has drunk too much innocent blood it is finally time to split the blood of a really guilty man. After saying that, he thrusts himself upon the blade.

His counterpart in "Silmarillion", Turin Turumbar has a very doomed life as well. It happens that he has a long-gone sister of whom he knew the existence but not the appearance or any other details. So, one day he met a woman, involved with her and was in love with her as she was in love with him. She did not recognise him becasue she was under a spell and was deprived of all her memories. When her memory returned, she was so ashamed of what had happened and she finally jumped into a river and drown. Turin, after a burst of sorrow and fury, talks to his sword telling how, by really malicious means, it had taken innocent people's life. He said it was time for it to extinguish a really troublesome existence and kills himself with the sword.

The similarity is very obvious although Tolkien adds his personal tone and works things out with greater detail and art. He was aware of his influence by this Finnish masterpiece and the influence was obvious in his work though he did not just copy a hero-model. He was just based on a character and structured his hero including some clues from the Kalevala.Nevertheless,Kalevala offers to the eager reader a better understanding of Tolkien's work!

HERE ARE TOLKIEN'S PRIMARY WORKS

2008-08-04T04:32:00.000-07:00

The Silmarillion.
The Hobbit.
The Lord of The Rings.
1)The Fellowship of the Ring.
2)The Two Towers.
3)The Return of The King.
The adventures of Tom Bobandil.
The Children of Hurin.
Unfinished Tales.

J.R.R. TOLKIEN-THE LEGEND

2008-08-02T03:22:00.000-07:00

This is John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. He was born in 1892 in Bloomfontaine of South Africa. His mother, named Maybell, returned to England in 1895 along with her two sons. So Tolkien had been living in England since the age of three.His parents died very early so he and his brother passed under the protection of Father Frances Morgan of Berminghamm. He was a student in King Edwart's school and in this school he was taught the classic philosophers, the saxonic dialect and the ancient english language. He was exceptionally talented as far as language skills were concerned and due to his great talent, he begun to create an Elvish language according to the linguistic models of the Finnish and the ancient Welsh language. He took part in the First world war and after it, he dedicated himself at teaching. He became professor at the Oxford university and he was soon known as one of the best philologists of the world. By the time he was married to Edeeth Bratt, ( they had four children), he had already started to write about the imaginairy world of Middle-Earth. When he retired in 1954, he published the first part of The Lord Of The Rings which was greeted warmly by millions of readers throughout the whole world. Tolkien was best friend with Clive Staples Louis, the father of another fantastic world, loved and known almost as much as Middle-Earth is, The World Of Narnia. It is said that despite their many differences and arguments, they were best friends and helped one the other when the circumstances required so. Tolkien died 1973 after a swift disease. His works have been read by millions of people and have been translated in many languages. He is definitely one of the Greatest and most important authors and scholars of the previous century!!!