This weekend in the Hall of Fire, we’ll be turning our attention to the wandering elves of Middle-earth.
Journeying from his erstwhile home in Hobbiton to his new one in Buckland, Frodo serendpitously encounters a travelling band of elves — high elves at that — in the woods of Tookland.
“In the morning we shall have gone; but we will send our messages through the lands. The Wandering Companies shall know of your journey, and those that have power for good shall be on the watch.” Gildor Inglorien.
What exactly are these wandering companies? How many are there? Why do they travel? Are they wholly nomadic? And where do they go?
Join us Saturday at 6pm ET in #thehalloffire when we will explore all these questions and more as we examine the Wandering Companies of Middle-earth.
Frodo meets Gildor by Alan Lee.
Time zone conversions
Not sure what time the chat will be where you are? Check this little conversion table out for some help. Alternatively, this event announcement on Time and Date will tell you when it’s on in your city.
America:
6.00pm ET (New York)
5.00pm CT (Chicago)
4.00pm MT (Denver)
3.00pm PT (Los Angeles)
Europe:
11.00pm GMT (London)
Midnight CEST (Paris)
1.00am EEST (Helsinki)
Asia-Pacific
9.00am AEST (Sunday) Brisbane,
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Midday NZDT (Sunday) Wellington
How long do your topic chats go for?
Our chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation! However, our main room, #theonering.net is open 24 hours a day. We don’t always talk Tolkien there, but if you have a burning question, you’ll usually find one or two of “the regulars” up for a chat!
Where — connection details
Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net — the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly using our Mibbit client that works inside your web browser.
Alternatively, you can install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer and just plug in the following connection details.
Server: irc.theonering.net
Port: 6667
Channel: #thehalloffire
The Rings of Power, forged by Celebrinbor and the Gwaith-i-Mirdain in Eregion long ago. But why? What were the Great Rings good for? What were they meant to acheive for their users? This is the topic that Hall of Fire will broach this weekend.
We know a little. We know The One can turn its wielder invisible. And Gandalf seems to say (if in not so many words) that all the Great Rings can do likewise. Not to mention, they grant long life. They preserve, but do they all also dominate and control?
And, as Galadriel explains, they also “give power according to the measure of each possessor”. Continue reading “Hall of Fire this weekend: what are the powers and uses of the Great Rings?”
This Saturday (October 21) at 6pm ET, Hall of Fire returns to our chapter-by-chapter read-through and discussion of Fellowship of The Ring.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time.”
Frodo Baggins is the new master of Bag End. And, to the enduring curiosity of his fellow-Hobbits, over the next 17 years he proves as “well-preserved” and eccentric — and as much of topic of gossip — as Bilbo ever was.
FoTR Book 1, Chapter 2: The Shadow of the Past
Odd news from the outside world begin to circulate. Most “sensible” Hobbits laugh off the rumours of dark times as mere folk tales, but Frodo’s gardener, Samwise, is fascinated. Then, one evening, Gandalf returns bearing terrible news. Biilbo’s ring — now in the hands of Frodo — is far more powerful, and perilous, than anyone had guessed. Continue reading “Hall of Fire this weekend: The Shadow of the Past”
This weekend in The Hall of Fire, we’ll be turning our attention back to the prologue of The Lord of the Rings, examining the information presented to us about Hobbits.
“I suppose hobbits need some description nowadays, since they have become rare and shy of the Big People, as they call us.”
The Lord of the Rings: Prologue: Concerning Hobbits
In his introduction, Tolkien makes clear to us that Hobbits are like human beings. Yet, in some ways, that raises even more questions. In what way are they related to “the big people”? Why don’t they understand anything more complicated than a forge-bellows or a water-mill? And if they came to Eriador (and The Shire) from The Wilderland, where did they come from before that? Continue reading “Hall of Fire this weekend: Concerning Hobbits”
This weekend Hall of Fire will once again be doing a chapter-by-chapter weekly livechat about The Lord of the Rings — starting with The Fellowship of The Ring.
“It will have to be paid for,” they said. “It isn’t natural and trouble will come it!”
FoTR Book 1, Chapter 1: A Long-Expected Party
It’s a different Bilbo Baggins that we meet at the beginning of FoTR. Old yet remarkably well-preserved. Wealthy, yet extremely generous. And by the conservative standards of Hobbits, rather eccentric. Continue reading “Hall of Fire livechats The Fellowship of the Ring this weekend”
This weekend in the Hall of Fire, we will be discussing one of the great (and tragic) stories of Tolkien’s Legendarium, Akallabêth: The Downfall of Numenor.
A land was made for the Edain to dwell in, neither part of Middle-earth nor of Valinor, for it was sundered from either by a wide sea; yet it was nearer to Valinor. It was raised by Ossë out of the depths of the Great Water, and it was established by Aulë and enriched by Yavanna; and the Eldar brought thither flowers and fountains out of Tol Eressëa. Akallbeth, The Silmarillion.
Continue reading “Hall of Fire this weekend: Akallabêth”
