Hall of Fire this weekend focuses on Chapter 17 of the Silmarillion — The ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin. After a long, watchful peace, Morgoth smashes the leaguer of Angband that’s been maintained by the Noldor, unleashing orcs, Balrogs and an all-grown up Glaurung. Ard-Gelen is withered, Dorthonion is destroyed, the sons of Finarfin slain and the sons of Feanor scattered. Sauron takes Tol Sirion and uses it as a base from which to torment Beleriand. And the Noldorin high king Fingolfin rashly throws his life away in a suicidal challenge against Morgoth. In the midst of this tale of woe, is there any good news for the elves and human allies?
Here’s a couple of famous drawings of the confrontation between Morgoth and Fingolfin:
John Howe
Ted Nasmith
Time and date:
Saturday May 27
America:
5.30pm EDT
4.30pm CDT
3.30pm MDT
2.30pm PDT
Europe:
10.30pm UK
11.30pm Central Europe
Asia-Pacific:
7.30am (Sunday) Brisbane
7.30am (Sunday) Sydney
9.30am (Sunday) Wellington
Chats usually last 45 mins to an hour, and are very newbie friendly. Simply drop in and join the conversation!
Where?
Chat happens on #thehalloffire on irc.theonering.net – the TORn IRC server. You can connect instantly via our java chat client that works inside your web browser (find it here! ) or choose to install a dedicated chat program such as mIRC on your computer.
To find out more about using mIRC to connect to TORn IRC server, check out these instructions.
Upcoming topics:
Over coming weeks we’ll be continuing chatting about the Silmarillion. Next chat – in two weeks time will be about the tale of Beren and Luthien.
Posted in:
Share:
The folks from Billy’s Loons Charities write: Billy’s Loons Charities is excited to announce our latest auction to benefit The Scottish Youth Theatre, www.scottishyouththeatre.org, where Billy Boyd is a Patron, and Billy’s Loons Charities is a sponsor. This auction is an unique set consisting of a large Lord of the Rings poster of Pippin and Merry, signed by Billy Boyd, and an extremely hard to find package of Fangorn Forest Incense, signed by Billy Boyd and Treebeard himself, John Rhys-Davies! Note the message Billy wrote on the incense: “This smells better than Dom”. [More]
Many thanks to Billy Boyd and John Rhys-Davies for their autographs, to Alesia and Elisa for the poster and incense and to Auntie Nu for the photographs.
Posted in:
Share:
Ian Collier at The Tolkien Society:
More Fun in The Shire Park: 13th-14th May 2006
This is the seventh Tolkien Weekend event, and the theme for this year’s event is “The Shire” is now an annual item in the Birmingham calendar. Sarehole Mill itself was the “original” for the Mill at Bywater in the Shire in The Lord of the Rings and is a central point in the Shire Country Park that covers the River Cole, Chinn Brook, as well as Moseley Bog, the Dell and the Dingles where JRR Tolkien played as a child.
Entertainments and Activities for visitors include:
- Displays from The Tolkien Society and Birmingham Libraries about Tolkien’s life and works within the mill itself which will have a miller demonstrating his craft with the mill’s greater wheel running
- Shire Productions will perform excerpts from The Hobbit in the new Performance Arena, which is also the location for watching the Re-enactment Societies and the Morris Dancers
- The Tolkien Tent will feature Birmingham Central Library’s new exhibition “Tolkien’s Boyhood in Birmingham”, Elvish lessons (speaking Sindarin and writing Tengwar), displays from Isengard (the Birmingham Tolkien Society group), Games Workshop games and Philip Coker reading The Scouring of the Shire.
- The Unexpected Party Café is opens to serve teas, refreshments and entertainment from: the Green Man Storyteller; folk musicians; Stuart Estell and Allan Recardo (former Birmingham Poets Laureate); Chris Adderley reading from Beowulf and “Open Mic” sessions with Paul Woodward. Write Fantastic, a group of SF writers including Stan Nicholls, Chaz Brenchley, and Mark Chadbourn will be interviewed about how J.R.R. Tolkien has influenced their work.
- The Ent on the green behind the Mill is the starting point for the many popular themed walks, each with their own expert guide, around The Shire Country Park, taking in Moseley Bog, the River Cole, Moseley School, around themes of wildlife, Tolkien’s childhood haunts, nature or archaeology.
- Discover the Birmingham’s Two Towers, Perrott’s Folly and the Water Board Chimney by vinatge bus plus there are two new locations to visit on the Tolkien Trail. On Saturday the destination is The Oratory where the Tolkiens attended Mass (as well as the magnificent church, there’s a tour of Cardinal Newman’s Library). On Sunday there is a rare opportunity to visit King Edward’s School and see their Tolkien archive display, his name on the Honours Board and the chapel built from the stones of the old school that he attended in central Birmingham.
- You can shop in the Craft Marquees or at the award winning Moseley Farmers’ Market. There is a Children’s’ Activity Tent with a wand workshop, henna/temporary tattoos and a willow workshop and out on the field there are amusements for younger children, train rides, treasure trails, archery, a coconut shy, woodland crafts, Wythall Radio Society and the Ranger Encampment.
This unique event now attracts 10,000 visitors and offers a weekend of fun for all the family. 11 am – 5 pm Admission free both days.
Visit birmingham.gov.uk or tolkiensociety.org/t_wend
Posted in:
Share:
The folks from Billy’s Loons Charities write: We would like to announce an auction of a super cool, orginally designed baseball-style shirt (“The World is Joyful with Trees”) from the Project-Monaghan store, signed by Billy Boyd. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Scottish Youth Theatre, www.scottishyouththeatre.org, where Billy Boyd is a Patron, and Billy’s Loons Charities is a Sponsor. Many thanks to Billy Boyd for signing the shirt at the One Ring Celebration (ORC) 2006 in Pasadena, and to Auntie Nu for the photograph! Click here to see the shirt and bid. [More]
Posted in:
Share:
Celebriel reports: Vacaville’s second Middle Earth Festival, April 21-23, 2006, offered a weekend full of varied activities to appeal to both die-hard Ringers and novices alike, including music and song, crafts, Tolkien discussion forums, and fun stuff including a costume contest, trivia contest, Hairy Foot contest, Gollum impersonation contest (one entry form to be shared by both personalities), evening party, and slide show of the New Zealand film locations. Also on scene were lots of Ren-Faire type vendors, food vendors, and, of course, Downtown Vacaville’s own many shops and restaurants. [More]
Posted in:
Share:
A dark, menacing figure approached a young, cherubic-faced child who was apprehensively holding a gold-colored ring Saturday on the sidewalk of Vacaville’s Main Street. The black-cloaked and hooded figure said nothing as he stood stoically with one armored hand on his sheathed sword – ready to take the ring. The barefooted child – dressed positively hobbit-like with dark curls framing his face – and not sure whether to flee or fight, asked the same question that the character he was portraying may have asked. [More]
Posted in:
Share:
