Actor Orlando Bloom is currently making his Broadway debut (sans blonde wig, we assume) in a new production of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

This is the first time Romeo and Juliet has been staged on Broadway in 36 years — and we have THREE pairs of tickets to giveaway to lucky TORn readers!

Bloom’s co-star is two-time Tony Award® nominee Condola Rashad, and the production is directed by five-time Tony Award® nominee David Leveaux. The play will open on Broadway on Thursday, September 19, 2013 at the Richard Rodgers Theatre; preview performances have been running since Saturday, August 24, 2013.

How do you enter?

To enter to win one of these three pairs of tickets, all you have to do is follow @RomeoJulietBway on twitter, then send @theonering.net a TWEET!

Simply follow ‘@RomeoJulietBWay’, then tweet:

Please enter me to win tickets to R&J on Broadway! @RomeoJulietBway @theoneringnet #TORnRJ

Tweet us by MONDAY 16th Sept – don’t delay!  We’ll then pick three winners from all the tweets received, and we’ll be in touch with those lucky folks to let them know!

The winners will be able to choose tickets for a WEEKDAY performance of their choice (depending on availability) before Nov 1st of this year.  (Which means, if you’re planning on coming to New York ComicCon, you could go and see Romeo and Juliet on the Wednesday and then come to TORn’s party in the Big Apple on the Thursday – more on that soon!)

If you aren’t lucky enough to win, you can still buy tickets to see the lovely Orlando on stage!  All details of this production can be found here.

Don’t forget the #TORnRJ in your tweet!  Good luck!

Tweets about “#TORnRJ”

The day-to-day operation of the website, and the events we host, require a lot more resources than when we first started nearly 15 years ago. We sometimes find it hard to ask our readers for the help we need to keep running, so we began discussing what it is that makes TheOneRing.net worth helping out. It started out as a search for the Top Ten Moments of TORn, but the list got so long because each staff member had their own idea of important moments in TORn history. Here, instead, is something more encompassing: Ten Ways TORn helps serve Tolkien and Lord of the Rings fandom (listed in no specific order).

And, if you enjoy what we do, consider a donation (no amount too small, because every bit does help!) to keep us running!

If you can’t, that’s fine as well — keep reading, commenting and contributing. Because TORn is as much you as it is us!

If you’ve ever sent in an article, submitted a photo or report, posted on our messageboards, visited our chat, or commented on our twitter, facebook or g+, you’re the reason TheOneRing.net is among the largest and most-respected pillars of the Tolkien community on the web.

• Spy Reports

• Spy reports were a big part of our content when the website first started. From casting announcements to secret location pictures to leaked images of important plot points, spy reports were our bread and butter stories. Some of the reports were from random, anonymous sources, while others were official leaks from cast and crew. In fact, there were many production members who said they used TheOneRing.net to keep track of what some of the other filming units were doing. Other spy reports were just someone stumbling upon a film location and sending in a story or images and then we’d all try and guess what location it actually was. Some of our biggest spy reports were of Arwen at Helm’s Deep (which subsequently didn’t happen), Saruman’s prone body on a spiky wheel (which did happen), and TheOneRing.net was given the honor of introducing Thorin to the world. And very soon, we will be seeing stories from MrCere’s visit to the set from his Production Embed last year.

• Hall of Fire Chats and the Message Boards

• Literary discussions on the message boards and Hall of Fire chats – From the very beginning of TheOneRing.net, discussions of the books, chapter by chapter, has been a hallmark. After all, while we waited for news on who would be cast, where filming would take place, and rumors of what might be cut out, we had the books to talk about. Discussions worked by talking about one chapter at a time, and luckily, there are enough books with enough chapters, to keep those discussions going on for a long while. Since the beginning, we’ve looped through the books several times, but luckily, there are always new readers joining the discussion, and new interpretations to be had. And for something a little more dynamic, there are the Hall of Fire chats in Barlimans. Sometimes the talk is about a specific chapter, or a certain character, and sometimes it is about current events, such as new character images or reviews of a recently released trailer. No matter which forum you use, there is always someone to talk to about some aspect of Tolkien, the books or our fandom.

• TORns Live Videos

• We began with TORn Live, which consisted of Red Carpet interviews at premieres, awards ceremonies and special events like Cannes 2001 and SDCC. These would be recorded, edited and released online a few days or weeks later. But technology now allows for live streaming interviews and vlogs and the like. Quickbeam hosts a weekly TORn Tuesday event with interviews and discussions, while he interacts with a live chatroom. The Happy Hobbit ladies record and post their vlogs and post them within a day or two of their recordings, for a much quicker turnaround on video content. And right now we have the Road to DragonCon in full swing with live streaming from across the country.

• Conventions

• Convention appearances – Calisuri and Quickbeam hosted a panel at San Diego Comic Con in 2001, before the release of FOTR, and since then barely a year has gone by that TORn hasn’t had a presence at at least one convention. At many of the conventions we appear at we also have a presence on the exhibit hall floor where we have sold some of our classic TORn shirts. We love it when we get up on stage for a panel and half the people in the audience are wearing some of our older shirts.

•  

  

  Baggins Birthday Party sign

  Line Parties and Fan Events

• Line Parties and other fan hosted events – TheOneRing.net has always been a grass roots type of fan-site and that is no more apparent then looking at the Line Parties of years past. Whether it is just a few friends, or some hundreds of people signing up on the website to attend, fans like you all over the world hosted Line Parties. A few even took place over several days, and included costume contests and trivia games for prizes. Other fan hosted events over the years have been the Hobbit Day/Baggins Birthday Bash events on Sept. 22, the Tolkien Toast on Jan. 3 and the Tolkien Reading Day on March 25. TORn staff in Los Angeles have been hosting a Baggins Birthday Bash party for 11 years now, but there are fan groups around the world that have hosted similar events. Smaller moots happen around the world all the time, there is a very active group in Wellington and one in Croatia. If you are hosting a fan event in the next year or two, please feel free to tell us about it.

• The Oscar Parties

• Originally conceived as a fan event to help raise funds to buy TORn a new server, who could have imagined the Cast and Crew actually showing up to the FOTR oscar party? Even more surprising, who could have imagined the ROTK sweep and all those Oscars on stage at a fan hosted party?

• O.R.C and E.L.F.

• TheOneRing.net hosted conventions – The One Ring Celebration on the West Coast (O.R.C.) and the Eastern Lord of the Rings Festival on the East Coast (E.L.F.) were co-productions with a professional convention company, but they definitely had a TORn stamp on them. The conventions allowed us to combine our love of the films by interacting with cast and crew with our love of the books through academic discussions, the art shows and costume displays. We really did break the mold on how a commercial scifi convention is run and hope everyone who attended had a blast.

• Academic essays and editorials

• TORn has long standing relationships with many in the academic community who have posted guest essays and editorials. Over the year several staffers have posted in depth analysis to fan questions on the site as well. In fact, we have a whole section on the ‘old TORn’ (pre-crash) called Green Books for academic posts. This section had so much good stuff in it, we published a book called “The People’s Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien” and a sequel book as well.

• Driving fan initiatives

• After Return of the King was done and Peter Jackson moved on to do King Kong, the fans waited to see what would happen with The Hobbit afterwards. Months turned to years and still no word while studios went bankrupt, copyrights issues got tangled up and various lawsuits were filed for missing payments. Finally, a few fans decided they had had enough and started a petition to ‘Make the Hobbit Happen’. They brought it to TORn and we got thousands of you to sign so that a big pile of names was delivered to TPTB. A similar thing happened when there was talk that the production would be moved out of New Zealand. The fans could see no where else as Middle-earth, so the ‘Keep the Hobbit in NZ’ campaign was born, but this time on Social Media. And most recently, there was an explosion of Tolkien fan love over the #Votebilbo twitter event prompted by an MTV Audience Award.

• TORn Community

• This list compiles many of the things that TheOneRing.net does to keep you informed, entertained and engaged, but there is really just one thing that makes TheOneRing.net so important to keep around. And that is the community of fans that convene on our message boards, in Barliman’s chat, on Facebook and Twitter.

This site was built by fans getting together to discuss what they hoped for from Peter Jackson long before FOTR ever saw the light of day. The fact that a long existing fan-base gathered here meant engaged and informed discussion began from day one, including analyzing all the spy reports about casting and location details. We didn’t have to wait for the release of the films, or for several episodes of a new show to take off before we could discuss the minutia of every detail because our fan base was already well established.

And what is ‘fandom’ if not a community of like minded people passionate about the same thing. Sure, everyone has their own opinions, so every time a new image was released, or a new trailer appeared, the message boards and chatroom erupted into heated discussions. But as the years wore on friendships were made, some turning into marriage, and we all began meeting up at various moots, conventions, concerts, premiere events, trips to New Zealand or just coffee and a movie. How many of you newer fans were galvanized by the #Votebilbo campaign and now have a wider array of Twitter friends because of it? The fact that TORn was able to continue to exist during all those lean years between film productions is due mostly to you, the readers, sticking around to discuss anything and everything to do with Tolkien, and sometimes other bits of pop culture. We know that after the release of The Hobbit: There and Back Again we will see another decline of readership, but we also know that the community is strong, the friendships have been forged and all of you take that fandom with you where ever you go next.

So again, if you are so inclined to help support us and keep the website going, please do make a pledge or bid on one of the many cool auction items we’ve been posting about the past few days. On behalf of the All Volunteer Staff at TheOneRing.net, you have our deepest gratitude for all the support over the years.

His take on working on the Lord of the Rings:

It was a tough shoot, you had to be there six days a week and it was absolutely exhausting. Peter Jackson has a really good bullshit monitor; if you’re just acting that you’re acting, he will know it, and he won’t allow it. But that’s great, because one of the main reasons that this film works is because, though it’s a fantasy movie, it’s so real.

And although I’d do it all again tomorrow, by the end we were absolutely exhausted. I remember one time after doing a scene, an emotional scene, I was exhausted, having a headache and all, and coming in the next day, and Pete said, ‘Okay, get yourself back to where you were yesterday’, and I just thought that I could do anything but work myself up to that emotional peak again.

• Bombur (Stephen Hunter) - https://twitter.com/StephenJHunter1
• Tauriel (Evangeline Lilly) - https://twitter.com/EvangelineLilly
• Gandalf (Ian McKellen) - https://twitter.com/IanMcKellen
• Bard (Luke Evans) - https://twitter.com/TheRealLukevans
• Bard’s son (John Bell) – https://twitter.com/johnbell123 
• Master of Laketown (Stephen Fry) - https://twitter.com/stephenfry
• Azog (Manu Bennett) - https://twitter.com/manubennett
• Ori (Adam Brown) - https://twitter.com/BrownAds
• Nori (Jed Brophy) - https://twitter.com/BrophyJed
• Fili (Dean O’Gorman) - https://twitter.com/Deanogormano
• Dwalin (Graham McTavish) - https://twitter.com/grahammctavish
• Dain Ironfoot (Billy Connolly) - https://twitter.com/Billy_Connolly

Your favorite Lord of the Rings actors are also highly active on twitter and love responding to fans.

• Samwise (Sean Astin) - https://twitter.com/SeanAstin
• Frodo (Elijah Wood) - https://twitter.com/woodelijah
• Merry (Dominic Monaghan) – https://twitter.com/domswildthings
• Pippin (Billy Boyd) – https://twitter.com/officialbeecake

Folks that make middle earth come to life through the magic of cinema, words and music:

• https://twitter.com/wetaworkshop
• https://twitter.com/TheHobbitMovie
• https://twitter.com/WB_Home_Ent
• https://twitter.com/wbpictures
• https://twitter.com/watertowermusic (soundtrack)
• Royd Tolkien – https://twitter.com/RoydTolkien

TheOneRing.net also publishes unique twitter content, moderated by a select group, which is often more fun and reactive to trends than the home page. Our wide volunteer staff work in a wide variety of industries (and countries) which makes for a robust and diverse community, brought together by a mutual love of Tolkien.

TheOneRing.net primary account – https://twitter.com/theoneringnet

You can also follow us on Facebook or Google-plus if you desire!
* TORn Facebook
* TORn G+

If we missed any Hobbit and Lord of the Rings folks who are active on twitter let us know in the comments!

John Rhys-Davies is Welsh and a screen actor and voice actor. He is perhaps best known for playing the dwarf Gimli and Treebeard in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the charismatic Arab excavator Sallah in the Indiana Jones films. He also played Agent Michael Malone in the 1993 remake of the 1950s television series The Untouchables, Pilot Vasco Rodrigues in the mini-series Shōgun, Professor Maximillian Arturo in Sliders, King Richard I in Robin of Sherwood, General Leonid Pushkin in the James Bond film The Living Daylights, and Macro in I, Claudius. Additionally, he provided the voices of Cassim in Disney’s Aladdin and the King of Thieves.

German cinema magazine.

Friends at thorinoakenshield.net have a full online translation of the print publication and since we aren’t German speakers, we can’t say if anything is lost in translation, but it reads pretty clearly.

Here are some highlights but if you read beyond this point, expect full-on potential spoilers! (We can’t say if they are true or not, but the writer surely dishes the info matter-of-factly.)

****Seriously, last chance, major potential spoilers!****

“A greedy dragon, a rather testy skinchanger, a river ride full of action and the battle of the White Council against the Necromancer of Dol Guldur: Middle-earth fans should be prepared for something big; because with “The Hobbit – Desolation of Smaug” (starting December 12th) Peter Jackson will (once again) show all he’s got.”

“A lot of the appendices will also be used in part 2.”

“Hardcore fans will find the revelation of the Necromancer (Benedict Cumberbatch as CGI shadow) as witch master Sauron just in a couple of sentences in the book. And according to Tolkien the pale orc Azog doesn’t survive the Battle of Azanulbizar (in the beginning of “The Hobbit – An Unexpected Journey”), while Jackson definitively turns him into Thorin Oakenshield’s arch enemy now. Orcs invading Esgaroth on the other hand was completely invented by Peter Jackson. Just like Tauriel – this young, only 300 years old elf which will add a bit of femininity to the male dominated story.”

“This story needs estrogens”, Evangeline Lilly jokes. And Peter Jackson adds: “Thanks to characters like Tauriel we will discover more about the life in Mirkwood, which is completely different from Rivendell.” But the Silvan pointy-eared beauty is not supposed to be a mere copy of Arwen from the old trilogy. After all the people of the wood elves is a lot more dangerous and suspicious than Elrond and his companions. “We are like ninjas from the undergrowth.” (Lilly)”

“Peter Jackson not only uses additions like this to narrate a coherent chronicle of Middle-earth, he also uses them to sprinkle a little treat for spare time hobbits here and there. For example fanboys will anticipate the first encounter of Legolas and Gloin, father of grumpy dwarf Gimli from the “Rings” films. Other than “An unexpected Journey” the sequel is going to be distinctly darker though, stresses Jackson.

“One climax of the new trilogy, which over 2000 actors and extras worked on, is the death of the dragon. Whether Smaug’s fall will end part 2 however is yet unknown. Certain is that the Battle of the Five Armies will play the center role in “The Hobbit – There and Back Again”.

Those are the highlights and you can read the full translation right here, from ThorinOakenshield.net along with scans of the magazine’s pages while the German publication can be found online here, but we didn’t find a link directly to the article.

One does note that there’s been a lot of focus on elves in Warner Bros. marketing lately, though. What gives?

Some readers are starting to wonder whether the tale of the hero, Bilbo, is taking a back seat in the Desolation of Smaug. Or is it just that elves are easier for Warner Bros. to market out there in the main-stream media?

What are your thoughts? Leave a comment below, or visit our chatroom and see what fellow readers are thinking!

Spider named Cetenus monaghani after Dominic Monaghan.

Dr. Peter Jäger, expert consultant to the nature television show “Wild Things with Dominic Monaghan,” discovered a new spider and named it after “Lord of the Rings” actor Monaghan. As most readers of TORn will already know, Monaghan was Merry in Peter Jackson’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel and also stars on the TV show Jäger is a consultant for (Monaghan was also narrator for our very own documentary feature RINGERS: Lord of the Fans). In a story reported by Science 2.0, the scientist explains his naming choice:

“He places nature in the foreground in a very special manner,” says Jäger, when explaining the dedication of the new spider species. The spider expert also appeared in front of the camera with the actor in a river cave when Monaghan got to meet his eight-legged namesake in its natural habitat.

As the scientist who discovered the creature, he is given the honor of naming it and he gave Monaghan the honor of lending his last name to its official scientific denotation (you’ll remember this ‘binomial nomenclature’ from your High School Science class), Ctenus monaghani, with Ctenus as the species genus with monaghani denoting Monaghan’s passion for species that may be less popular among humans. Thanks to spy Fritzi-M for bringing this to our attention.

The official citation provided by the story:

Citation: JÄGER, P. (2013) Ctenus monaghani spec. nov., a nocturnal hunter from the forest floor in Laos (Araneae: Ctenidae) — Zootaxa 3670 (1): 091–093 dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3670.1

Discover more about Dom’s show on the official BBC America site here!

Most recently famous for this little bit of uber geekery

but as many of us know, there’s much more to our favourite Hobbit pair and they join us this month to answer your questions.

Kelvarhin: As always we begin with grammas favourite question, what was (is) your favourite cartoon when you were growing up?

Fili: It’s a tie between Wild Thornberries and Rugrats.

Kili: We didn’t have much TV when I was little, but when I was older I loved Batman: The Animated Series. When I was younger, though, my Lion King obsession was just as fierce as my love of Middle-earth.

Kelvarhin: What do you both love to do in your spare time?

Fili: I love to horseback ride, photography, run, write stories (and occasional fanfics!), hang out with the goats, take the dogs for walks, go for hikes, read, bake, and make Happy Hobbit, of course!

Kili: I like to go for hikes and walks, read and write, shoot my bow, and spend time with my friends and family and our dogs! Hearing from Happy Hobbit fans is also great fun and very rewarding, so thank you all so much for the support!

Kelvarhin: What new thing would you like to do in the next five years?

Happy Hobbits: We would love to travel, especially to the British Isles and New Zealand!

Kelvarhin: What is your favourite type of exercise?

Fili: Running cross-country/long distance, soccer, horseback riding, hiking and swimming are great.

Kili: I most love hiking in the woods and exploring new wild places, but running, swimming, horseback riding, climbing trees, and archery are all favourites! I also love to dance even if I’m no good at it.

Kelvarhin: How many animals do you have?

Happy Hobbits: We currently have twenty-one animals, which is actually a small amount for us since we recently had to say goodbye to two horses and several cats, which was difficult.

Houdini is an American Quarter Horse who is a blue roan. We knew him since before he was born, and as such, he treats us like other horses and is often an annoying little brother, but we love him to pieces.

The goats Cora, Patch, and Tumnus are all related. Cora and Patch are spunkier than Tumnus. Even though Tumnus is the size of a small pony, he was bottle raised by Fili (his mother died shortly after giving birth) so he is very affectionate and sweet.

Peaks the peacock is fond of catfood, fanning his feathers to dance for the hens, and running up whenever we call the dogs because he wants a piece of cheese as a reward. He has the little-known talent of goat herding!

Kili:  I petitioned to start calling him Gonzo since he was weird, blue, and loves chickens, but it didn’t take.

Happy Hobbits: We have ten hens, but most of them don’t have names, because you never know the moment (for example, a black chick I’d named Sirius died a few days ago ) but there are three surviving chicks named Penny, Guin, and Kirby, along with an old hen named Bathilda and another named Grandpa Ed, even though she’s a lady. But they are all nice enough if they aren’t broody, and we love their eggs!

Comanche is a twelve-year-old half yellow lab, half golden retriever who is a wonderful brother to us. He is gentle and loves to snuggle, go for adventures, and steal gophers from the traps on the lawn! He chases off deer and coyotes from our property and loved to come along for horseback rides when the land around our house used to be open for such adventures. So far he has aged very well, and we are blessed to have his sunshine presence in our lives. Plus, he shares a birthday with Bilbo and Frodo!

Teyla (or “Toot”) is a seven-year old Australian Shepherd and is our “littlest sister.” She is so intelligent and such a nosebone (busybody, to us non-US based folks ) that she even catches us when we spell out words to try to hide conversations from her. She is strong-willed and grumpy to strangers, but her tenacity has seen her through many trials. She had an FCE, which is a stroke-like event in the spine, when she was four and was nearly completely paralysed and could only lift her head and move her front left paw. No one knows why FCEs occur, only that they often happen in young dogs at rest. With her courage and our support, she has recovered to the point that she can once again walk and run! She still requires special care but we are so proud of her. She inspires me every day!

Kelvarhin: What’s the most exciting/beautiful/intriguing place you’ve ever been to – or want to go to?

Happy Hobbits: Of course, we would love to go to Middle-earth, or second-best, New Zealand!

Kili: Hogwarts would be an incredible experience. I’ve always wondered what sort of witch I would make! But really nothing compares to home. I find excitement, beauty, and intrigue in little things, like soaring hawks, howling coyotes, and falling rain. That said, I do love the Sierra Nevada Mountains where we camp!

Fili: Catalina Island and Yosemite National Park are beautiful, along with the Black Hills of South Dakota.

Kelvarhin: If you could spend a day with one Middle-earth character, who would it be?

Kili: I once had a nightmare that Bilbo was on his way over for dinner and I couldn’t find the right shoes to wear! As much as I would love to gaze at Aragorn all day, I think I would most like to spend time with Pippin since he would be fun to run around the Shire with. Plus, he knows a lot of hobbits and could introduce me to all of his friends and we’d have a great time at the Green Dragon!

Fili: This is a very deep question. I would love to go for a horseback ride with Éomer, but the Shire has always called to me so I think I would also choose Pippin because he’s been my favourite since I was ten.

Kelvarhin: Which do you prefer, Gondor or Rohan?

Happy Hobbits: We both prefer Rohan since there are so many horses and so much open land. Gondor is beautiful but the idea of living on a stone ledge is a little claustrophobic. We need to walk on the grass and soil, not rock or pavement, and besides, Éomer is in the land of the Horse Lords!

Kelvarhin: How do you prepare your vlogs?

Happy Hobbits: We pick a subject that we know something about which we think others will find interesting then think about what we’re going to say. We tried writing lines but it always came out too stilted, so instead, we speak off the cuff, which explains some of the bloopers! The trickiest part is figuring out how to film since there are only two of us and a tripod, but we’ve been doing it for years making YouTube parodies of our favourite shows, so it’s a welcome challenge. Our family is very cooperative and quiet when we need them to be!

Kili: After we film, I put the footage on my laptop, edit it, and then post it to our YouTube page!

Kelvarhin: dernwyn says: Greetings, gals! First off: how old are you, and do you share your videos with your parents? I ask this, of course, as a mom whose own kids are geeky – but they’ve never woken me up in the middle of the night with screeching at Elves watching them!

Kili: Mae Govannen, Dernwyn! Yes, our parents often watch our episodes and like to help out when they can. They are very encouraging, as evidenced by their supporting me through grad school and now as I try to make it as a novelist even though I’m twenty-nine!

Fili: I’m twenty-one, but though we’re eight years apart, Kili is my other half.

Kelvarhin: How cool was it to appear on Peter Jackson’s facebook page (and many other fan sites after that)? What did your friends and families say?

Happy Hobbits: Beyond cool, it was mind-blowing and changed our lives in a wonderful way and gave us so much happiness that we are delighted to share with the world. Our friends started pretending that we were famous and boasted that they knew us, along with our family. When we woke our mom up at 3AM, however, and she asked what was going on, we said “Peter Jackson shared our video and Orlando Bloom is laughing at us,” and she said “Oh, neat, tell me about it in the morning,” then went back to bed!

Kili: At first, all of the attention was overwhelming and my inner Katniss wanted to run off and hide in the woods, but then I calmed down and enjoyed doing the interviews, talking to new fans, etc. once it was clear that everyone just wanted to celebrate with us.

Fili: It was so awesome to see that we made the Elves happy after ten years of being made happy by LOTR. It was so wonderful to be able to return an ounce of that excitement to the cast and crew.

Kelvarhin: Lee Pace, Orlando Bloom and Evangeline Lilly suddenly appear at your front door! What are your immediate reactions? Do you invite them in, and what do you offer them to eat and drink?

Kili: Firstly, I would wonder how the heck they found our house since we’re a bit out of the way! Then I would invite them in and hope they weren’t secretly murderers. I would offer them water, tea, or orange juice, along with whatever the current baked good was. If they were feeling especially wild, I would offer them my blackberry wine! I would also remind them that if Peter Jackson were to stop by, he could ride my dad’s tractor, which is an honour bestowed to very few.

Fili: I would be stunned and excited, invite them in, and make them their favourite food and treat them like Elven royalty! Then we would go on a hike and I would give them a tour of our patch of the Shire.

Kelvarhin: Kili, how excited were you to see your first novel, Darkling, in print? What inspired you to write it?

Kili: I think the fact that one of my books is available to the public still hasn’t sunk in yet! Hearing friends and strangers alike praise the novel and ask for more is very exciting and humbling. Exposing yourself on the page like that, even with a work of fiction, can be very intimidating, but the response has been incredibly positive and has given me such courage to share more of my work.

Darkling was actually inspired by a dream where I wandered into a haunted house and had to help the inhabitants find peace before they could move on. Many of the details of the book were in my dream, and it stuck with me for so long that I was moved to tell the story. I tend to write like a madwoman and my first draft was completed in fifteen days!

Kelvarhin: Do you plan to write any more novels?

Kili: Yes, in fact, Darkling is actually the third novel I wrote. The first two belong to a series that is too dear to my heart to risk self-publishing until I have established a readership. I wrote and illustrated my first book while in Kindergarten and don’t plan to stop any time soon! I’m currently working on a New Adult series since that is a popular market. Tentatively called Afterworld, the books have a strong Irish influence and blend a contemporary setting with a Victorian mystery. You can always expect to see a touch of whimsy and elements of the fantastical in my books! Tolkien’s reverence for the natural world also reflects my own and can be seen in everything I write.

Thank you Kili and Fili for taking part this month, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed chatting with you both.  If you’d like to say hi to the Happy Hobbits this weekend, they’ll be at TheOneRing.nets booth at ComicCon.

As always thanks to all our message board regulars, DanielLB,  Ataahua, kareniel,  dernwyn, and grammaboodawg, for this month’s questions.

If you would like to ask any questions yourself, just head over to our Message Boards, the sign up process is pretty painless. A lead post for questions is made at the beginning of each month on the Main board. Or you can just check Main for each months interviewee and email me your questions at kelvarhin@theonering.net.

Till next time from TORn’s resident Tiger.

Kelvarhin

Aragorn is the kind of character that demands a closer look. You must remember the speech that Shrek gives to Donkey about ogres being a lot like onions: “We have layers!” I would also like to use the onion metaphor for Strider. But wait — that’s just one layer. Peel away a bit and you’ll find the outcast orphan-lad who was taken in by the Elves; his mother desperate for some protection. Peel away more layers to find within a skillful fighter, a passionate lover, a delicate negotiator with a voice of great wisdom, a healer and master of herb-lore, and yes… in the very center of his heart, underneath it all, is a King.

It’s no small wonder readers and movie-goers are fascinated by Aragorn. Women of all ages swoon over Viggo Mortensen’s portrayal of this multi-faceted character. No one can possibly imagine Stuart Townsend taking the role, not at this point (sorry Stuart). Men have found themselves admiring a new hero on the silver screen: as cool a cat as Errol Flynn and as swashbuckling as Harrison Ford. “This guy is great, man, he can kick-ass and has all the ladies in Middle-earth after him!”

Yes, but I must remind you that that ‘matinee idol’ image of Aragorn is just the surface. This man has so much on his plate, is so burdened by worries and duty and the hardships of his life, that we can’t help but admire the TRUE Aragorn that’s underneath the rugged exterior. I say the true Aragorn is proven by his actions. Yes, he is truly the Ranger, leader, lover, and King that fills Tolkien’s pages and fills our daydreams.

But he is only able to succeed (for himself and for all us readers) because he proves himself. The verb “to prove” has several meanings. You could say the actual word prove is like an onion too. Proving a thing is true can be done by establishing it with facts and evidence. To prove the existence of the King, and his rightful claim to the throne, you have to show clear facts; real things in the physical world that show Aragorn is the heir. So Aragorn is given the Elessar by Galadriel:

“In this hour,” she said, “take the name that was foretold for you, Elessar, the Elfstone of the Elendil.”

A beautiful eagle-shaped brooch, given with love but also with a sense of hanging doom. But the mere possession of this Elessar does not prove he’s the King — let us not overstate the obvious here. I can also find the passage in Appendix A where Elrond gives Aragorn the Ring of Barahir and the Shards of Narsil. There is also the stunning Sceptre of Annúminas, which Elrond refused to give to the young man at first.

Funny. The Elven Lord of Imladris refused to give Aragorn the great Sceptre. Let’s think about that. No matter what kinds of jewelry, crowns, baubles, or finery you have accumulated, you really aren’t the King just by possessing such items. Holding up the reforged Andúril to glimmer in the light does not a King make. Aragorn could have trotted off to Minas Tirith, entered the Citadel with all his fine raiment and his new sword, and walking right up to Denethor declared: “Here I am! Bow down to me!” Doesn’t take much imagination to guess the Steward’s response.

Speaking of inherited artifacts, that creepy little Palantír belongs to Aragorn too, I should note. It is an heirloom of his own house. None of the Stones belong to Saruman or Sauron or Denethor. When Aragorn reveals his true identity to the Dark Lord, using the Stone from Orthanc…. just think! It is a critical turning point in his life: and a turning point in the story. This Ranger from the North is no longer in hiding. He controls the Seeing Stone like a finely tuned instrument, and gives the Enemy a sucker-punch right in the gut. I can imagine the wild fear and hatred that Sauron must have felt! So Aragorn comes closer to proving himself.

Now this is the crux of the matter. This is the true meaning of the verb “to prove.” Peel off another layer of that onion. To prove something you have to test it. You have to put it out there. See how it stands up. That is the Kingly Proof we are looking for.

Aragorn had to prove himself, his worth, and his lineage throughout the War of the Ring. Every task put at Aragorn’s feet, all the difficult choices and furious events, every step forward where his credibility was on the line, was part of his ongoing test. He had to prove that everything hanging over him was indeed his own right to become King. And like Atlas destined to carry such a massive weight, Aragorn proves he is strong enough to hold himself up.

It’s a theme we see often in Tolkien’s world. Characters are pushed to their own personal limits. Sometimes they are given a moral dilemma that must be conquered. Sometimes an army of Orcs. Whatever the test, we are enthralled to read of Aragorn’s exploits. We sense that something inside of him is waking up. It’s something very strange indeed to know that you must prove yourself. I sometimes think it is easier on a person if they don’t know what is at stake. But throughout LOTR Aragorn is painfully aware.

He is not given the Scepter of his forefathers because Elrond doesn’t believe he is yet proven. He is not allowed the hand of Arwen either “….until the time comes and you are found worthy of it.” Going off into the Wild and becoming extremely close in friendship with Gandalf (some would say becoming an apprentice) is how Aragorn responds to this. He must survive many journeys and succeed at many challenges against the Enemy. What must it have felt like for him?

Using the name Strider (or any alias) the servants of the Enemy would not to find him. What a strange dilemma. He had to simultaneously hide himself from Sauron and fight against his encroaching evil as well. All the time thinking to himself that the might of ancient Númenor was flowing like blood in his veins. All the time wondering if he’d be strong enough to live through it. And certainly his own internal conflicts made it more difficult.

Aragorn had so many tests to prove himself it makes your head spin:

1) help the hobbits survive cross-country
2) fend off the Nazgûl attack
3) resist the power of the Ring
4) lead the Fellowship after Gandalf’s fall
5) track down Merry and Pippin’s captors
6) inspire Théoden King at Helm’s Deep
7) survive the Battle of the Hornburg
8) use the Palantír against the will of Sauron
9) traverse the Paths of the Dead and recruit the Oathbreakers
10) defeat the Corsairs of Umbar
11) come swooping in to save the day on the Pelennor Fields
12) heal many suffering and wounded with athelas
13) dismiss the faint-hearted with mercy
14) challenge the Mouth of Sauron and the armies of Mordor

And a dozen other things are thrown at this man that I haven’t even remembered! Does it seem to you that Aragorn was ever once given the easy way out? At what point could he reasonably raise up his hands and disavow himself from all of it? Shouting to the night in exasperation, “Enough already! How much more can I take?”

Yet he never does. And we learn something profound about this man from the fact that he endures so much.

So there you have the reality of “proof.” A lesser man would have been overwhelmed. Aragorn was not. He finds something in his soul that keeps him going. But what is it really? Can we find that final layer underneath it all? What makes Aragorn so strong from within?

The key, I think, is found when the Grey Company rides down from the North, finding Aragorn and the others on the fields of Rohan at night. Halbarad and the other Dúnedain bring him messages and a gift from Arwen. She spent many weeks making a great standard for him to unfurl at the appropriate time. The standard of the White Tree, the mark of Elendil’s house, “wrought in mithril and gold.” She is giving him, in essence, the final acknowledgment that he will become King. That she believes in him no matter what. Something inside Aragorn shifts into place. Tolkien is quietly showing us the point of no return for this character. It is such a revealing moment, yet handled with great subtlety, indeed there is danger the reader might miss it. Aragorn finds his greatest strength from Arwen’s love. He remembers the price she must pay to love him, becoming mortal herself. We must also realize she is paying the ultimate price to be at his side.

Aragorn will pass any test to honor Arwen’s heart — to justly respect and honor what she is giving up for him. He decides to make his heart equally as strong as hers. He is keenly aware of her sacrifice, and it weighs on everything he does. If need be, he will prove himself to the final end of ends. He will fly down the fury of all Sauron’s armies, all the treacherous paths of the world, conquering the Enemy from within and without to honor her. Aragorn’s choices and actions show the true measure of his worth, especially because he understands what others are giving up for him.

That is proof enough for me.

Much too hasty,
Quickbeam
@quickbeam2000

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This article was originally posted on October 3rd 2003 as part of our Green Books area. 

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The ten-minute diary is below. Enjoy!