The sad news has come today that Christopher Tolkien has passed away. He was 95 and passed away at a hospital near his home in France. He has been such a remarkable conservator of his father’s work and vision, providing us with such a wealth of material from Tolkien’s notes and manuscripts. It is truly astounding how much he has given to the Tolkien community–both the scholarly and fandom parts of it–in his tireless pursuit of continuing his father’s legacy and sharing the stories with us all. Condolences to his family and the entire worldwide Tolkien community. This is a devastating loss of a dedicated and talented individual.
The publication of the Silmarillion alone would have been a gift but his continued research and organization of his father’s work to provide us with The History of Middle Earth, The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and most recently The Fall of Gondolin has truly resulted in a wealth of material and a vast legendarium that is unparalleled.
Seriously though I imagine that Hobbits are like masters of the polite fiction. They clearly love to gossip and tell tales, but they also really love the idea of nothing actually disrupting their leisurely, quiet lives, so you figure when they decide that not talking about something is required to do that, nobody talks about it. They pick themselves a nice little delusion and by god they stick to it.
Like this other thought I had once was that there’s this Dwarf that used to come by and visit Bilbo, probably one of the many cousins and relations of Thorin’s Company. And he kind of falls in love with the Shire and is like “That’s it, I’m retiring here.”
A Dwarf. Living in the Shire.
People don’t emigrate to the Shire. It’s not done! Hobbits can move from one part of the Shire to another, but you don’t have something else entirely move to it from outside of it!
Except it would be abominably, beastly rude to actually tell him that. “No, you can’t live here”, what, are we animals? Beasts? Orcs? Plus, uh, he’s kind of fucking rich. Like, really rich. Like he just plunked down a good three times what a hill is actually worth because he says it has “good bones”.
So everyone decides, for the sake of the peace, for the sake of their own minds…
… he is a Hobbit.
Hairiest Hobbit you ever saw. With a weirdly deep hole. Yeah people have been in that sucker and it just keeps. Going. Down. A weird distance down. Lot of stonework. But that there is Mr. Talbin Ironnails the Hobbit. Mm-hmm. Oh, the beard’s just a bit of an eccentricity, don’t mind him.
Need some metalwork done? Why, you want ol’ Talbin! Best Hobbit you’ve ever seen with a hammer and tongs. Dwarf? No, no, who ever heard of a Dwarf living in the Shire! That’s just old Talbin! Bit on the tall side, but don’t be intimidated at all.
Oh dear, wolves you say? Well, let’s go ask ol’ Talbin if he can take care of it. Once took a wolf’s head clean off with what we’re very sure was a very fancy woodsman’s axe, what with the long metal haft and two heads. Must have a bit of Took in him, does ol’ Talbin. Explains why he’s so odd, eh? Eh?
Beer? Drink you under the table, ol’ Talbin will! Why, some say he has the constitution of a Dwarf, ha ha ha! HE’S NOT THOUGH.
Between this and the “half goblin, half hobbit” post going around, I have to wonder how odd the Took ancestor’s “fairy” wife must have been that people actually remarked on her.
So, I’m watching LOTR for the first time and decided to rate each member of the fellowship as seen in The Fellowship of the Ring. Pls keep in mind that this review is objectively correct and completely factual. I will not be taking any constructive criticism at this time.
Aragorn: literally perfect in every way which I think should dock him a point but I will let it slide. Potentially the only competent person alive on middle earth. Does the right thing always. 10/10
Sam: most competent hobbit by FAR. Has a heart made of the purest gold. I want to kiss him. 22/10
Frodo: taking points away because I think people are too nice to him. Keeps trying to give the ring to ppl bc he just trusts whoever the tallest person in the room is. Hogs the magic items. Only person to figure out the “friend” puzzle and I think he is neat so 7/10
Merry: I like that he always corrects pippin but is never actually mean to him. Srs bsnss face lot of the times, looks a little too angry for someone who can’t fight for shit. 7/10
Pippin: I like him :3 11/10
Boromir: yeah he loses points for being a dick but he is the one true hobbit ally. More scenes of him holding a hobbit than not. Wasn’t able to save them :(( but he inspired Aragorn to realize that men and Gondor are worth saving and to believe in his own strength. has a nice smile. 7/10
Gimli: he’s hot but so far that’s about it ! Himbo thinks he can destroy the ring w an axe which is very sexy but also useless. most fuckable party member by far. 8/10
Legolas: just fucking prances around like a useless twink. His elf eyes haven’t helped us for shit so far. Very obvious that he COULD be more competent and chooses not to. He is pretty. 9/10
Gandalf: shittiest wizard I’ve ever seen. Casts like NO spells. Lost in the wizard battle. Didn’t know the answer to the puzzle he led them too. Has so much knowledge he refuses to share. Probably high. 4/10
And in Utumno Melkor gathered his demons about him, those spirits who first adhered to him in the days of his splendour, and became most like him in his corruption.
In seven hours the glory of each tree waxed to full and waned again to naught; and each awoke once more to life an hour before the other ceased to shine. Thus in Valinor twice every day there came a gentle hour of softer light.
My boyfriend has to go to the ren fair for work but i can come and he wanted to do a matching costume. He was like “I want to be Frodo” and I was like “oh cool I can be Shelob” which was, apparently, not the couples costume he was thinking of
I’ve used ‘mod privilege’ to peek at the first arts to drop in for this year. <3 Fantastic things are happening. If you make art in the Tolkien fandom, and want to join in on one of the chillest recurring events that matches up artists and authors, poke the link above.
What qualifies as art? If you say it’s art, we won’t disagree. Drawings, paintings, digital art, mood boards, a photograph of a rock that looks like a potato that you think Samwise would appreciate, toilet paper tube elves you crafted with yarn, other crafty things, cosplay, playlists, music you made, calligraphy, abstract art created with mustard and peanut butter on bread meant to represent a spider hunt in Mirkwood (but maybe don’t eat that art, mustard and peanut butter sounds kind of nasty - and don’t eat the spiders, either).
Do you want to know more? Here’s the link to the website, with dates and links to the past art & stories (60 arts and 70 written works last year), and guidelines: https://scribblesanddrabbles.weebly.com/
The hottest new Discord Club is Artists of Arda. A place for artists who create any sorts of Tolkien-related works, and those who just like looking at the pretty arts.
ALT
Text chats
Voice chats
Scheduled events
Unscheduled events
Events that are just Zhie accidentally hitting the voice channel and other people wandering in
Events that are just Zhie’s cat accidentally hitting the voice channel and other people wandering in
Virtual studio gatherings
Places to share art (both finished and unfinished) and get feedback (both positive-only and for workshopping things like ‘what are hands??’ and 'should I put a bird on it?’*)
Places to promote other places, events, and even yourself (if you do art commissions)
And here are the rules, so that you don’t have to awkwardly try to join at 2am to see the rules in case you’re not keen on the rules and want a way to slip out the back door before a half dozen people flail at you with giant peach stickers. (We actually have that feature turned off completely.)
1) Please introduce yourself in welcome-nest before participating in other discussion. Just like a party where you’d knock on the door and say hi before you start dancing on the table, we’d like to get to know you first! (And then, by all means, disco on that table all night long if you want!)
2) This server is a non-toxic Tolkien group. Gatekeeping, elitism, snobbery, or other unseemly behavior will not be tolerated. Members here range from casual fans to super scholars, but one’s experience should not be compromised because of one’s knowledge or expertise. The same is true for artistic skills and experiences–stick figures and moodboards are just as valid as forms of art expression as mural-sized acrylic paintings that could hang in museums. We were all novices on both topics at one point; please keep this in mind during your interactions, and be supportive of one another!
3) NSFW items must stay in NSFW channels! All NSFW art must ALSO be spoilered when posted; finished art should also include the information from the template. Shaming is not allowed–not for content or characters or concept, period–but spoilers should be utilized even in the NSFW area so that viewers can self-curate the content they wish to view. However, due to laws and legal jurisdictions, content which sexualizes underage characters is NOT allowed on this server. Child pornography is highly illegal, a violation of federal laws in the United States (and in many other countries), and not protected under First Amendment rights. Breaking this rule is one of the few things that can get you instantly yeeted into the Void (permanently banned).
4) Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits workplace discrimination based on religion, national origin, race, color, or sex. We add to that class, gender, level of ability, level of education, and political affiliation. While this is not a workplace, these are all protections that everyone should have and not be in fear of discrimination, bullying, or behavior unbecoming from other members. Please be mindful when wording requests and having discussions so that your tone is not dehumanizing to others. (And going back to basics: If you can’t say something nice, don’t say it at all.)
This also includes commentary about characters vs people IRL. Discussion of characters? Perfectly fine if done respectfully. Discussion of a person who is portraying a particular character on the above topics? Not necessary.
5) If you try to side-step these rules by using a blog, PMs, or other means to engage in toxic behavior elsewhere, especially with or against other members of this server, it will be as if you said it here and appropriate action will be taken. This does not mean moderators are going to be actively searching for violations; it is a protective measure to be proactive about past fandom interactions where individuals would take their views off servers, technically not violate server rules on the server, but would bully, harass, dox, and others disrespect members in other places. This is not non-toxic behavior and is not allowed.
6) Moderators make mistakes, but arguing with a moderator on the server is not going to put out happy vibes, and may land you in time-out (or kicked, if you continue the behavior after multiple warnings). If a moderator shuts down a topic or conversation, please respect this decision. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to a moderator about these topics. Sometimes, a moderator does not have all the information about a situation or hasn’t been able to read through everything before they make a decision. It is fine to question such decisions in private and in a calm manner.
7) These rules are subject to change. Hopefully we don’t need more, but, y'know, things happen, and when they do, this list will grow. It is expected that you will read and adhere to all rules if you are participating in this server. Not reading the rules is not an excuse for not abiding by the rules.
We’re super excited to welcome you back for year 2 of Scribbles & Drabbles!
Come join us this autumn for another chill Tolkien art-ing and writing adventure full of all those nice things you love!
There are two key parts to this event:
The Scribbles!
This is the art-ing side of things.
Artists, sign up from June 1 to June 30. Make art and send it to us on or before July 15.
What are we looking for? Anything and everything. Traditional art. Digital art. Crocheting. Metal work. Videos. Origami. You’re the artist. If you say it’s art, it’s art.
Interested? Use this link to find out more about being a S&D artist!
The Drabbles! The writing part.
Authors, sign up from June 1 to July 31. Claim art August 5 onward. Write things.
The minimum requirement? 100 words. In any format. Haikus. Song lyrics. Traditional fic. Podfic. Poetry. A photo of a handwritten letters.
Really, as long as there are at least 100 words, it counts.
Curious? Follow the link to discover more about being a S&D author!
Watch this space to make sure you don’t miss the sign-ups and if you have any questions, drop us an ask, or check out the FAQsection on our website!
Sign-ups are around the corner (June 1, 2022), but let’s start teasing a little by rolling out a gallery change. Last year, we only had ‘dark mode’ (black background) available. This year, art can be set up in dark mode, light mode (white background), or…
Glitter mode. (both dark and light)
Also, this year’s art fields have changed a bit, so here there are for artists who are starting to prep their art for 2022:
Scribbles & Drabbles: 12 Days Left for Artist Sign-ups!
We’re in the second half of the month, so that means only a dozen days left to sign up as an artist for Scribbles & Drabbles this year! (Authors, you have until the end of July to join us.) The form to sign up for either, and for beta readers, is found here (one form to rule them all this year): https://forms.gle/Hh6WV8jjdR9osgoBA
Scribbles & Drabbles: Art Submissions are now open!
Scribbles & Drabbles Artists: Art submission has begun and galleries are open for artists to view! Check your email (and spam, just in case) for a message with submission reminders and the links to the galleries.
Still want to sign up as an artist for Scribbles & Drabbles? Artist sign-ups continue through June 30th (Authors have until July 31st to signup)! Use this link (forms.gle/7NEGcsdCSZcaKbSH7) to sign up for the event!
Announcing Back to Middle-earth Month 2021 and the 2021 theme: The Silmarillion (March 1 - March 30, 2021) Call for artists and volunteers for this and a little something more this year can be found here: https://spring-into-arda.weebly.com/b2mem.html
The gallery will open for your perusal and delight on Friday afternoon (time TBC; it is dependent on mod availability).
We know this is a very exciting part of the event, and there is going to be a lot of chat and activity happening on various Tolkien platforms. Some people will be high as kites, others may be very nervous. With that in mind, could we please ask you all to…
Be kind. You don’t know whose art is whose, or exactly who is hoping to write what. You do not know everyone’s personal circumstances. Think before you type/speak/post, especially in public or semi-public spaces, and consider how your words might sound if a creator overhears them.
Be respectful. Creators have a right to their headcanons and do-not-wants. You are of course entitled to your personal views on these, but please see point 1 if you’re considering starting an open discussion about them.
Be inclusive and welcoming. We have artists and writers of all experience levels taking part in this event, from complete beginners through to professionals. Length of time in fandom and knowledge of different canons will also vary. Keep conversations positive and encouraging; we do not gate-keep here.
Participants, look out for the official mod email with the gallery link. This will be sent to all participants, no matter what role you signed up in; however, as per our rules, do not share the link with anyone not taking part in the event.
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