#professor tolkien
Sometimes I think about how the Mithril shirt Thorin gave to Bilbo was described as something a ‘young elven prince’ would wear
And I just can’t get this image out of my head of Frodo rocking up to Rivendell in that same shirt and Legolas just looking at him like blink blink “why is this small one wearing my bar mitzvah tunic as armor”
So, I’m still thinking about Aulë and the creation of the Dwarves, and how this makes them such softer creatures in my eyes.
When the Dwarves sing the Song of the Lonely Mountain to Bilbo in The Hobbit, their voices are described as “deep-throated singing of the dwarves in the deep places of their ancient homes,” and furthermore Tolkien adds the addendum, “this is like a fragment of their song, if it can be like their song without the music.”
In this instance, we see an initial, subtle example of the immense power Music and Song has over Middle Earth (as at the time of publication, of course, The Silmarillion had not been published and the audience did not know of Eru’s composition, nor the great Music).
I absolutely adore this description of the Dwarves’ voices though, as it ultimately reflects the feeling behind their music and also their origin being made after Aulë’s own passion and hands.
Despite the song being so hardy, devoted and most of all mourning,the Dwarves play gentle instruments like harps and flutes. Despite how they work with their hands and are often those to cut down trees and - in Yavanna’s sentiment - have no disregard for the living things of nature, Aulë’s influence of being beautifulabove even a craftsman is very much present. The Dwarves value precious jewels and heirlooms and crafts, and treat their heritage as such.
Hello friends, new and old! Welcome to my new blog!
It’s hard to sell oneself in merely a header, title or description, so I figured - for the sake of anyone who wanders into this place - that I would organize a bunch of fundamental information right here!
Who am I?
Who are you?You needn’t think of that now, unless of course, you’d like to.
My name is Jules, I use he/they pronouns, and I am a lifelong fan of Tolkien’s work and world. As a small child, my mother read The Lord of the Rings to me, and by the age of six I had seen the films. I read the books for myself between the ages of eight and ten, and have done so some times since.
Tolkien’s work shaped me fundamentally from that starry-eyed chapter in my youth, everything from my fantastical adventures and ambitious in my backyard to my perception of masculinity, femininity, love, power and comradery. The young man I am and grow to be each day is very much indebted to the characters and stories of all The Professor’s work.
What is this blog?
Obviously, this blog is themed around an appreciation for anything and everything Middle Earth.
In particular, though, I intend to post a combination of quotes from the novels and/or films, and brief observations or notations I find in the margins of my copies of the novels as I re-read them, perhaps with some fresh notes to join them. In addition, I am taking a class this semester in University entitled “J. R. R. Tolkien and Counterculture,” (with our dear @wilderlandranger) and will likely post some notes, food for thought, or even scribbles for assignments.
There will also likely be memes. Maybe some of my own writing.
I am very much going to treat this blog like a more organized version of a very disorganized Word doc currently festering on my Desktop called “Tolkien Diary,” if that adds any briefer explanation or flavor to what you expect.
Additives and Addendums
If I find anything more noteworthy to add to this post of great importance, then it will be listed under this section! But, for now, good day!
