  Under My Skin: Externalizing Tolkien
Until now. It started innocently enough. I wanted to commemorate what I considered no small achievement: reading all 12 volumes of the History of Middle-earth in one year. I made the pledge and started the trek in January of 2011, and managed to turn the last page in mid-December of that year. (I wrote about the experience here and here) So what could I do to mark this considerable milestone? I’d had every opportunity in my younger days to become one of the Inked. Lived with several bands, traveled around with all sorts of characters in a circus-like caravan for years before pretending to settle down and got a “real job”. But never once did I feel the urge to get a tattoo. Big, small, cool or silly, it never crossed my mind as anything I would ever want to do. “How permanent!” “Do I really want everyone to see and judge me?” “Wouldn’t it affect my job or the impression customers and co-workers would get?” All of that crossed my mind, but not in any sort of huge, conflicting way. I just never wanted one. So why, when searching for an appropriately Big Sign statement to mark the conclusion of my most recent Tolkienian Journey, was that one of the first things that came to mind? Mayhap, as some have speculated (myself included), it’s a sort of midlife crisis, only instead of a Porsche I got some ink. (By the way – if this truly is the midpoint of my life, 50% gone and 50% still to come, I’ll take it, say thankee-sai.) Others have said, simply, “I think he’s lost his mind…” Possibly so. Middle-earth Mothers – Silmarillion Style Elwing by moon-blossom Today is Mother’s Day in the US – and here at TheOneRing.net we’d like to take a moment to reflect on the importance mothers and motherhood play in our everyday lives. We honor those maternal bonds that are everlasting – bonds that time and distance can never truly break. To this end, we thought it might be a bit geeky to list out the names of the highlighted Mother’s from the Silmarillion, Index of Names. If you have not read the Silmarillion, or are not familiar with Middle-earth history, there will be some spoilers ahead! Elwing – Daughter of Dior, who escaping from Doriath with the Silmaril wedded Earendil at the Mouths of Sirion and went with him to Vali-nor; mother of Elrond and Elros. The name means ‘Star-spray’ ; see Lanthir Lamath. [Elwing by Moon-blossom] Emeldir – Called the Man-hearted; wife of Barahir and mother of Beren; led the women and children of the House of Beor from Dorthonion after the Dagor Bragollach. (She was herself also a descendant of Beor the Old, and her father’s name was Beren; this is not stated in the text.) Kalamazoo, and Tolkien Too
Every year about 3,000 medievalists descend on Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, MI for the International Congress on Medieval Studies, but tucked into the over 600 sessions on every medieval topic imaginable, you can find 6 or 7 sessions on Tolkien, often referred to as “Tolkien at Kalamazoo.” You don’t have to be a medieval scholar to attend this conference, though I should say that it is meant to be a scholarly event — still, there’s lots of fun to be had, especially in the Friday night “Tolkien Unbound” entertainment, or the Saturday night dance, or in some of the gaming sessions, or dinner at Bilbo’s Restaurant. You can find information about the full conference here. Handicapping round 2 of Middle-earth March MadnessWith just one day left in the second round of our Middle-earth March Madness, it is time to summarize the competition and do a little cheerleading for the characters. The first match up in the Rankin/Bass division is between Gandalf (1) and Feanor (4) and is running extremely close. You best get your votes in, this one could go either way. The second match up in the Rankin/Bass division is Galadriel (2) versus Smaug (6). Again, this one is extremely close, will it be the Lady of the Golden Wood, or Smaug the Golden, their fate is in your hands, so vote now. In the Ralph Bakshi division, the first match up is between Bilbo (1) and Gollum (4). Bilbo has a little lead, but it is not to say Gollum couldn’t sneak up and take this contest, so get your votes out. The second match up in this division has Thorin (3) up against Aragorn (2) and it appears at the moment the current lead hero is besting the previous lead hero, so pick your favorite hero and vote, vote, vote. Checking in on the Tolkien Family Division, Legolas (1) is taking on Pippin (4) and as you might expect, the Elf Prince has a comfortable lead. Pippin fans, where are you? The other contest in this division pits Faramir (3) against Frodo (2). Currently, the Gondorian heir to the Stewardship who could not be swayed by the ring is beating the Ringbearer, please vote for your favorite in this contest. And finally, in the Peter Jackson division, Glorfindel (1) is up against Merry (5) and the Elf lord is handily beating out the Esquire of Rohan. Make sure this one ends the way you want it, so vote now to ensure your favorite wins. And the last contest is between Samwise (2) and Boromir (3) with Samwise beating out everyone’s favorite Son of Gondor. How will it all end, only you can determine that by voting. TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – November 22, 2011Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun! TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – August 31 2011Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun! Art Student Benjamin Harff Creates Illustrated “Silmarillion”
An art student from Germany, Benjamin was introduced to Middle-earth back in 1991 when he was but 11 years old. Out camping with friends in the woods, he recalls sharing readings from The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by the fireside, an experience that would leave a strong impression on him even into adulthood. For his final examination in Illustration and Graphic Design in 2009, he spent a year and a half creating a handmade version of The Silmarillion. The result was an exquisite sub-creation of one of Tolkien’s greatest posthumously-published works replete with calligraphic text, illustrations, and illuminations, all meticulously hand-bound in goat leather. On the right can be seen the illumination of the opening page of the book, a page that Benjamin says took more than 70 hours to create. The Tolkien Library, a fansite dedicated to the works of Tolkien, has an in-depth interview with Benjamin concerning his work, where more pictures of the book can be found.  Discuss »More about Christopher Tolkien, Creations, Fans, J.R.R. Tolkien, Other Tolkien books, Silmarillion, Tolkien New Release: paperback edition of “Arda Reconstructed: The Creation of the Published Silmarillion”
TORn Message Boards Weekly Roundup – June 12 2011
Welcome to our collection of TORn’s hottest topics for the past week. If you’ve fallen behind on what’s happening on the Message Boards, here’s a great way to catch the highlights. Or if you’re new to TORn and want to enjoy some great conversations, just follow the links to some of our most popular discussions. Watch this space as every weekend we will spotlight the most popular buzz on TORn’s Message Boards. Everyone is welcome, so come on in and join in the fun! How did you celebrate Tolkien Reading Day?
The Minstrel, the Painter, & the Scholar Episode 1: Part 1John Di Bartolo writes: Hail friends! Just released the first episode of “The Minstrel, the Painter, & the Scholar” with Ted Nasmith & Dr. Corey Olsen. If you would like to post a link, or even re-release/distribute this mp3 through your own sites please feel free to do so. Glad to be able to share this with you all – and feel free to forward this to any friends or fellow podcasters! Cheers! Stay tuned for episodes 2 and 3 with John, Ted & Corey. Discuss »More about Fans, Lord of the Rings, Music, Other Tolkien books, Silmarillion, The Hobbit, Tolkien Tolkien Reading ChallengeIf you were looking for an excuse or motivation to read the bulk of Tolkien’s books about Middle Earth, this could be your chance. A group is planning on reading 22 of Tolkien’s works and blogging about the adventure over at The Tolkien Reading Quest. If you are interested in joining them, check out the blog. Comments Off This site is maintained and updated by fans of The Lord of the Rings, and is in no way affiliated with Tolkien Enterprises or the Tolkien Estate. We in no way claim the artwork displayed to be our own. Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the fair use clause of the Copyright Law. Design and original photography however are copyright © 1999-2011 TheOneRing.net. Binary hosting provided by Nexcess.net.
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