From the BBC: Was the wild lunar landscape of the Irish Burren in County Clare an inspiration for Tolkien’s Middle Earth?
That is the question up for debate at the first Irish symposium for Lord of the Rings lovers to be held in May.
Fans of Bilbo Baggins, Gollum and other JRR Tolkien creations are invited to discuss how the limestone rocks of the Burren are reflected in his famous chronicles.
JRR Tolkien was a close friend of CS Lewis, author of the Narnia chronicles, who was from Belfast in Northern Ireland.
He visited the Irish west coast with his friend.
Tolkien also spent time as an external examiner with the English department at the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway.
It is said that one of Tolkien’s best known characters, Gollum, may be named after Poll na gColm (pronounced Pole na Gollum – cave of the rock dove) in the Burren.
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If you are a collector of unique and distinctive Tolkien memorabilia, including signed letters and first editions, you’ll want to pay attention to Bonham’s of London auction taking place on March 19th 2013. The four lots available are:
Book – TOLKIEN (J.R.R.) The Hobbit or There and Back Again… Illustrated by the Author, FIRST EDITION, second impression, dust-jacket, 1937 [Auction]
Letter – LEWIS (C.S.) Autograph letter signed (“C.S. Lewis”), to Father Dominic, concerning the success of ‘Lord of the Rings’ [Auction]
Letter – TOLKIEN (J.R.R.) Autograph Letter signed, 1971 [Auction]
Letter – TOLKIEN (J.R.R.) Typed letter signed, 1972 [Auction]
We’d like to thank the owner of the last lot for alerting us to these auctions! If you happen take home any of these amazing items, send us a note about it to spymaster@theonering.net!
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In this two-part feature, Norse mythologist Dr Karl Seigfried writes about Éowyn as an exemplar of Nordic literary tradition and a feminist icon. It’s interesting stuff.
TOLKIEN’S deep love for the literary heritage of northern Europe can be felt throughout his works. I teach a semester-long course teasing out the many elements of Norse myth that permeate The Hobbit alone. In this article, I will focus on a close reading of a single bit of dialogue in The Lord of the Rings to show how powerfully the pre-Christian philosophy resonates in Tolkien’s fantasy.
In “The Passing of the Grey Company”, the second chapter of The Return of the King, Aragorn tells Éowyn that she may not ride with him to battle, but must remain behind as the men go off to war. Her response immediately shows her allegiance to heathen ideals.
‘You are a stern lord and resolute,’ she said; ‘and thus do men win renown.’ She paused. ‘Lord.’ she said, ‘if you must go, then let me ride in your following. For I am weary of skulking in the hills, and wish to face peril and battle.’ Continue reading “Éowyn: Tolkien’s Nordic feminist”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
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Welcome to the latest “Getting to know…” questions that need answering. Based on the old Getting to know you threads that I used to post on the message boards here on TORn, so those familiar with them will know that the questions can be a little crazy and the answers even crazier.
This month we’re asking questions of uber fan from Brisbane Australia, Peter Kenny.
Hi Peter and thank you for joining in 🙂
Kelvarhin: What piece of Tolkien ephemera began your collection?
Peter: My very first Tolkien Book was a single volume paperback edition of The Lord of the Rings given to me as a gift in 1976. I still have that original copy in my collection.
Continue reading “Getting to know Peter Kenny”
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
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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!
Continue reading “TORN Message Boards Weekly Roundup – February 11, 2013”
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Sharon Eberson from the Pittsburgh
Post-Gazette interviewed “Tolkien scholar” Janet Brennan Croft she is a consultant for the film-makers of the Hobbit movie trilogy.
Her job for “The Hobbit” filmmakers is to make sure that writers are not bringing in outside sources because the rights are for specific Tolkien works.
She said has made continuity suggestions as well. “They have fixed some of the things I have mentioned [in the first film], but I don’t know if it was because of what I noted,” she said. “They are changing things all the time; the film was different than the last script I saw.”
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