Xenite.Org Begins Publishing Interviews with Tolkien Scholars

Ever since the new Middle-earth Website launched in July of this year I have been planning to add a section or series of articles unlike any other such series you'll find on the Tolkien fan Web. Although there are scattered interviews with Tolkien scholars around the globe, there has been no organized, systematic attempt to talk with them all (of which I am aware).

A Little Touch of Tolkien on the Web

Tolkien Studies on the Web has a new blog post, The Much Bemusing Bloggery of Online Tolkien Scholarli, which lists a couple dozen Websites either published by various Tolkien scholars or which publish the works of various Tolkien scholars. You may be surprised by some of the names that were included on the list. You may also want to read another recent article, Tolkien Geek: A Reader's Journey through Middle-earth.

Xenite.Org Launches Middle-earth Unplugged Essay Series

Through the years many people have asked me when I write more essays about Middle-earth. I have to admit that it has not been easy to think of interesting topics. But a few weeks ago I concluded that my problem wasn't so much lack of topics as lack of perspective. That is, I felt only so much could be said about Middle-earth from the viewpoint of the average essayist. I've written over 200 essays through the years.

Middle-earth Talk Radio Show 29 August 8 2010

Hawke has now uploaded Show 29 from Middle-earth Talk Radio, which we recorded on August 8, 2010.

Can't attend Tolkien Moot 2010? Watch it live online August 13-15

Tolkien Moot 2010 is scheduled for the weekend of August 13-15 in the city of Spokane, WA. However, people who cannot be at the event may watch the sessions live via the Internet. Tolkien Moot 2010 features three live performances (open to the public) from elvish music artist Rehtaeh (Heather Downing).

Listen to Middle-earth Talk Radio Episode 25

You can download Middle-earth Talk Radio Episode 25: May 31, 2010 here. We have already recorded Middle-earth Talk Radio Episode 26 but I've been slow in getting the announcements out for Episode 25 so there will be a short lag between announcements.

Format: MP3
Duration:56 minutes 36 seconds
Filesize:77.7 MB (81,516,322 bytes)

Opening Music: "She Walks in Beauty" from the album Elementaria
by Rehtaeh

Topics Discussed

• Thank you to all the military veterans who make it possible for us to have the freedom we have.
• Big news - Del Toro resigns as director for The Hobbit movies, now what?
• theonering.net "slashdotted" and the "slashdot effect"
• Peter Jackson's old Zombie gory spoof movie "Dead Alive"
• Are there zombies in Middle-earth in his books?
• What makes a zombie a zombie?
• The Hobbit play in Norwich Theater - Roy Marsden
• Another Hobbit play in Liverpool at the Empire
• Terry Goodkind's "Sword of Truth" Series, "Legend of the Seeker", David Eddings Belgariad
• Books vs. eBooks vs. PDFs
• Civilization III vs. Civ IV (Michael thinks Civ IV "sucks")
• Harvard courses on Tolkien available online, Mark Zender Ph.D., how Tolkien uses language in storytelling
• British Petroleum Gulf Oil Spill
• Adventuring in the Second Age of Middle-earth
• Yahoo Fan Modules Group
• The Numenor Project
• The Numenor Project First Contact Series
• Classical civilization vs. medieval civilization for Middle-earth settings
• No Inns?
• Area later known as Andrast, peninsula in what would be far western Gondor many centuries later.
• Primitive early Men prior to the Numenoreans helping raise them from the darkness.
• Orcs and their daylight and night vision
• Story of Tal-Elmar .... Part IV of Peoples of Middle-earth
• A real palace that could be considered "Elvish" in design according to Michael (make this image for news announcements)
• How role playing games encourages research
• Second Age 1200 to 1600
• When would precursor/proto-hobbits first appear and where
  Adunaic glossary

Closing Music: "Métima Lenda (Final Journey)"from the album Elementaria
by Rehtaeh

You can download and listen to ALL episodes of Middle-earth Talk Radio at the official Middle-earth Talk Radio Website http://www.middleearthtalk.com/ (and why didn't he include "radio" in the URL? -- who knows?).

We're still planning to have some guests on the show soon -- Hawke has been working on some technical issues that seem to be mostly resolved now (I think).


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Longevity of Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings

We occasionally mention other books and authors in our Middle-earth Talk Radio discussions and Hawke recently decided to put an interesting question to fans.

He is conducting a poll on the NEW Middle-earth Radio Website, asking if you think that the Harry Potter books will enjoy a longevity similar to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings books.

You can take the poll here.

BTW -- in updating the site, Hawke was unable to port over the old user accounts. If you had an account at Middle-earth Radio you'll have to create a new one. Please don't let that inconvenience hold you back from sharing your thoughts on the show. We enjoy the feedback.

As for Harry, in my opinion they should enjoy considerable longevity. I think the story is relevant to every generation. It's not really "set in its time" (that is, the time in which it was written) so much as it is set in a "Harry Potter timeframe" much like Middle-earth is set in the Third Age.

But the story follows the experiences of a unique set of young protagonists who grow up during a very dark and frightening time. Although that in some ways reflects our world today, J.K. Rowling began writing these stories before the War on Terror became a reality.

I'd like to see how people vote in the poll, so please do so and also share the URL with your friends.


____________________________________________ SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Episodes 20 and 21 of Middle-earth Talk Radio

For reasons I cannot explain, after Hawke uploaded Episode 20 it didn't quite fit into the new site for Middle-earth Radio. The old site is "dying" and Hawke is moving everything over to a NEW Middle-earth radio site (which, for the time being, can be reached by http://new.middleearthradio.com/.

When the link starts working, you should be able to download Episode 20 from this page (I get only partial content right now).

I was able, however, to download Episode 21 of Middle-earth Talk Radio.

Episode 21 actually carries some late-breaking news. You can almost hear me say it. I asked Hawke to upload the raw, unedited file because I thought it would be cool to get the news out. He normally adjusts the volume on my channel so when he gets around to editing the file he'll fix this.

About 22 minutes into the discussion Hawke asked me to check my microphone setting and he said things improved after that.

Normally you don't get to hear all the banter but I hope that doesn't detract from the show.

So, I hope you can download both shows and enjoy them.

____________________________________________ SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Finally: the truth about Balrogs wings debates

People keep seeking me out to discuss Balrog wings with me. I've written a couple of essays through the years that I felt, on each occasion, should put the issue to rest -- at least as far as people's perception of my position on the matter is.

Unfortunately, there are some Websites that mislabel me as being a pro-Wings advocate. That's just plain wrong.

I have objected to both the Pro-Wings and Anti-Wings positions for many years. Neither side can put together a solid, reasonable, logical case for its position.

So I've tried once again, on the Tolkien Studies on the Web Blog, to explain where I stand (which is not with either group).

Read "The Truth About Balrogs (Again)".

It's about as short and simple an essay as I can write.


SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Fan video creates LoTR movie pastiche

A pastiche is a story stitched together from pieces of one or more stories. You often find them in fan fiction. I've rarely found anything like a pastiche in fan videos, and this is the first pastiche video I have seen that actually makes any kind of sense.

I'll admit to having dreamed as a young fan of patching together my own "Star Trek" movie from scenes in the original series. But while growing up and attending college I never had the time, skill, or equipment to do it. I was stunned one day to hear a college employee confess she was working on just such a project.

Through the years I came to meet quite a few people who had attempted to create Star Trek pastiche videos. The idea lost its appeal for me, however, after the ST movies started coming out.

This video uses scenes of Elves from Peter Jackson's "The Lord of the Rings" to tell the story of two Elves who fall in love and are torn apart by war. When you watch the video, try not to see Arwen and Legolas -- instead, try to see two unnamed Elf lovers who have their own story.

You can read the story synopsis here on YouTube.



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"Born of Hope" to finally be released on Web

December 1, 2009 is the big day for Tolkien fans eagerly looking forward to the release of the fan-made production "Born of Hope".

You should be able to watch the movie at Daily Motion.

We have been discussing the film in several Born of Hope threads at SF-Fandom. Please drop by and let us know what you think when you have seen the movie.

"Born of Hope" is set in late 3rd Age Middle-earth and it follows the developments leading up to the birth of Aragorn. The movie was filmed in the United Kingdom and made by film industry professionals for free.

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Harvard offers second Tolkien course in January 2010

Dr. Marc Zender contacted me yesterday about a new Tolkien class he is teaching at Harvard starting in January. I'm helping spread the word so if you have the opportunity to the class, take it. Trust me, his two guest speakers will make it well worthwhile.

You can read full details about the class here. It is ANTH E-164 "Tolkien as Translator: Language, Culture and Society in Middle-Earth".

The guest speakers are Robert Foster and Dick Plotz. I'm very, very impressed.

Dr. Zender contacted me last May about his first Tolkien class which was offered over the summer.

I'll be starting a discussion about the class at The Tolkien Forum on SF-Fandom.

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

New book about Tolkien's use of words in LoTR

P Gilliver, J Marshall & E Weiner have published a book about some of the special words J.R.R. Tolkien used to depict the world of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings (and perhaps other books). I have not read the book as I only just found out about it, although this is actually the kind of stuff I enjoy reading.

The Independent has a very brief review of the book here that is so short I felt I could not even cite a brief passage of it.

Tolkien loved to use familiar words -- and archaic words -- in new, unique ways. He used the word "fief", for example, in non-feudal connotations in The Lord of the Rings -- a fact that came to light in The Peoples of Middle-earth, where Tolkien explained the meaning of the real word ("suza-t") that "fief" is intended to translate.

"Knight" is another such word. If you're familiar with the etymology of the word knight, then you know that it comes down to modern English from ancient Germanic cniht, which meant "boy, youth, servant".

In The Lord of the Rings Tolkien uses "knight" similar to the familiar medieval usage but he also distinguished between the Riders of Rohan and the "knights of the king's household" who rode with Theoden. In Middle-earth, therefore, a knight was not necessarily a feudal vassal who accepted land in exchange for service -- in fact, there were probably several intended meanings for "knight" in Tolkien's mythology and he was using the word very much the same way modern scholars use it to refer to Roman Equites.

If I can find more information about the book I'll post it here.

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Where Middle-earth came from

I have been to England twice. On both occasions I was confined to the town of merry old London, so it is with some regret I must confess I have virtually no knowledge of English geography and landscape, except what I can find in books or online.

As someone who has studied the works of J.R.R. Tolkien for many years, I have often come across claims from scholars and locals that such-and-such-a-place is the inspiration for Middle-earth, or served as the model for Middle-earth, or some connection has been observed, claimed, or otherwise inferred, fabricated, and forced into the Tolkien mythology (by which I refer to the mythology that has grown up around J.R.R. Tolkien, not his Middle-earth mythologies).

And I am in no position to discuss, disclaim, dispute, ridicule, or otherwise diminish the merits of these claims -- which probably extend into the hundreds, if not the thousands. Any writer can tell you that when we write we write from personal experience, and J.R.R. Tolkien's personal experiences took him to many places including forests in northern England, seaside resort towns, Ireland, France, Switzerland, and Italy.

The vivid imagery Tolkien infused into his stories about Middle-earth, Beleriand, and even Numenor no doubt owe a great deal to the things he saw and experienced -- which of course only renders Middle-earth more unrealistic, because it's a bit like dragging parts of northwestern Europe across the globe. One simply cannot reproduce England in Brazil, so to speak.

And Tolkien was not trying to do that. He wanted to model Middle-earth after our world so that it seemed familiar and knowable to his readers. To that extent, Tom Shippey's place-name analysis for countries like Rohan makes perfect sense. Even drawing upon such obscure items as Tolkien's work on an archaeological dig in 1929 makes a certain sense, for 10 to 15 years later Tolkien would have had those memories to draw upon.

And yet one cannot help but see a pattern emerging, a social need for mythological identification with one of England's greatest authors. Here in the United States we have seen the phenomenon develop for many of our national heroes and characters from popular folklore. Daniel Boone, Johnny Appleseed, Davy Crocket, and George Washington (to name only a few) are commemorated in many places around the country. There is no doubt those guys got around. But one has to ask how fast they traveled and how briefly they stayed in the various places that have laid some partial claim on their legacies.

Mythology is not about making up unbelievable stuff. Mythology is about remembering things that are believed. In other words, myths are not fiction -- they are explanations, memories, and resonances. The chief differences between mythology are that science is a bit more organized than mythology and mythology is a bit more stable than science. Science constantly challenges itself to question what is currently believed. Mythology is more conservative and it really is a consequence of our instinct to preserve and memorialize the things we have lost to time.

To Tolkien, a linguist, language itself must have seemed like a living mythology, preserving and memorializing things lost to time that we can barely imagine or understand now. The English language may one day be populated with random words and expressions equivalent to "Tolkien was here" -- concepts that only a philologist a thousand years from now might devine from a few scraps of paper.

I occasionally go looking for pictures and other information of places Tolkien is said to have drawn upon for inspiration, such as the Forest of Dean. There is rarely mention of these influences in the traditional biographies. Certainly he does not discuss them in the letters that have been published. And Christopher Tolkien does not clarify his father's exposition very often by mentioning places or projects from his father's youth.

The omission of references in the traditional sources in no way invalidates the claims that people put forth about Tolkien's connections with their landmarks. Rather, quite the opposite -- these omissions call for increased research and scholarship. Logical conclusions must be shared, published, and analyzed. We need to look at these things now, fifty years from now, and 500 years in the future. Before it is too late. Before they are forgotten.

For in the end it is not so important to know where exactly Tolkien got Middle-earth from -- we know it came from his heart. Rather, we have an opportunity here to look into the evolving ideas and myths that create exactly what Tolkien was trying to show us -- we have the opportunity to see the world as he must have seen it, an ever-changing landscape of memories, traditions, and claims the truth of which no one could prove or know unfailingly, but which all enrichened our collective heritage.

That is really what Middle-earth is all about, is it not? The remembering of things that have almost been forgotten -- passing on the mantle of the Story to new generations, so that the Story itself will continue rather than fade.

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Issue 10 of Hobbit News published

It has been a long Memorial Day weekend for me but I was able to put together a new issue of Hobbit News today.

Two of the more interesting stories in the newsletter cover a Hobbit house in Wales and a Hobbit hotel in New Zealand.

I think Tolkien fans will be kind of pleased. Be sure to click on the links so you can see the pictures.

And a quick update on Middle-earth Talk Radio: We're a little behind schedule again because we've both been so busy but I hope we'll record a new show in a couple of weeks.

Enjoy!

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Harvard University to mix Tolkien with anthropology summer 2009

Dr. Marc Zender contacted us to let us know that he is launching a new recurring course this summer at Harvard University which is of interest to Tolkien fans.

Anthropology and Archaeology S-1641 may sound rather dry and academic but Dr. Zender, a lecturer for the Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology at Harvard University, will take students on a tour through Middle-earth that examines how Tolkien used language as both narrator and story-teller.

At Dr. Zender's request we have added a listing for the course to the Tolkien College Courses resource on Tolkien Studies on the Web.

Educators teaching Tolkien courses in U.S. and Canadian universities and colleges are welcome to contact us with information about their classes. We'll be happy to add recurring courses to our catalog.

You can read more at the Tolkien Studies Blog to see what our requirements are.

Good luck to Dr. Zender and his students!

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

"The Hunt For Gollum" now available

If you have been waiting for the fan film "The Hunt For Gollum", wait no more. The film is now available for free online viewing at the official Web site. The movie went live on May 3, I am told.

Check out The Hunt For Gollum. There is an unconfirmed rumor circulating that the Tolkien Estate is aware of the movie and has in some form accepted its existence (they apparently don't intend to sue or shut the film project down).

If this rumor is true then it is, hopefully, good news for the other major fan film due out this year, "Born of Hope" (Cf. http://www.bornofhope.com/).

We have discussion about The Hunt for Gollum in our Middle-earth Movies Forum at SF-Fandom.

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Other Minds publishes 6th issue

The Internet Tolkien scholarly journal Other Minds has announced its latest issue is available for download as a .PDF file.

The server seems to be running slow and you have to wait a few minutes before it comes up but I think it's well worth the wait.

Although Other Minds is primarily focused on Middle-earth role-playing gaming issues, the contributors extend the area of Tolkien scholarship into languages (particularly thanks to contributions from David Salo and Chris Seeman). Some articles also look at interpretations of Tolkien's sources and cultures.

You can browse the magazine online or save it to your hard drive (I recommend saving a copy). You need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the file.

Other Minds Issue 6

* Clad in mail - an essay by Oliver Hauss about the technology of arms armour appearing Tolkien's works.
* Banks of the Northern Anduin - a great adventure by Johannes Lomborg about a Hobbit community in the Anduin valley
* Born of Hope - Introducing a fan-made film project that draws heavily on the story of Aragorn's parents as described in the Lord of the Rings
* The Eöldrim - A campaign idea for a very special elven folk * Book Review - Isildur - Reviewing the recent 2nd edition of the fan-fction book "Isildur"
* Númenórean longevity - Detailing all aspects of the peculiar Númenórean longevity compared to other men
* White Hand Rising - A "what if" scenario detailing an alternative beginning to the Fourth Age
* Tharbad Map Name Changes - Glossary of recommended name changes in ICE's Tharbad interpretation

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

LoTR Music Event at Radio City Music Hall

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, TheOneRing.Net is helping to promote a special event this October to be held at Radio City Music Hall. Howard Shore's soundtrack will be performed in concert. Doug Adams will be giving a lecture prior to the concert starting at 7:30 PM.

Xenite.Org may be able to offer some free tickets to fans, courtesy of TheOneRing.Net. I'll let you know about all that when I have worked out the details with the good folks at TORN (and if it doesn't happen for some reason, I'll also post a word here).

The official Web site is located at www.TheRadioCityLOTRConcert.com.

You can also follow news on these sites as well:

• http://www.facebook.com/people/Theradiocity-Lotrconcerts/848340526


• http://twitter.com/RadioCityLOTR


• http://www.myspace.com/theradiocitylotrconcerts

You can now see pictures from the London performance as well as fan reviews on the official site (and maybe a couple of others). News has been breaking fast over the past week and I cannot really keep up with all the details any better than TORN has been able to (naturally).

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.

Catching up in April 2009

I was pretty ill throughout the month of March and did not write any new blog posts after the 19th. Sorry about that.

I did, however, get to attend NorWesCon 32 as a guest. I've also recorded a new episode of Middle-earth Talk Radio. In fact, you can now download episodes 10, 11, and 12. Episodes 10 and 11 were recorded in February before I fell ill but episode 12 was recorded Sunday, April 19.

Michael Regina (Xoanon of TheOneRing.Net) has been asking fan sites to help promote an upcoming Lord of the Rings event to be held at Radio City Music Hall. Xenite.Org is participating in the promotional effort and my next post will have more information. The event will be held in October. You can also learn more at the official Web site.

If you've been hoping for an opportunity to download The Lord of the Rings electronically (legally) your hopes have been realized. HarperCollins has bought worldwide electronic rights for Tolkien's books. Check out Episode 12 of Middle-earth Talk Radio for more details.

And for those of you who read Hobbit News, the newsletter, I hope I'll be able to resume weekly publication this weekend now that I'm (more-or-less) healthy again.

SF-Fandom is a moderated, fan-run community devoted to science fiction, fantasy, history, and mythology. SF-Fandom was founded in 2001 and is part of the Xenite.Org network. Free registration is required to post. Please be sure you read our Posting Guidelines.