Rubber Duckie of Numenor

"Born of Hope" review

2009-12-21T23:07:10Z

It took me three weeks, but I finally managed to watch Born of Hope, the fan-movie about Arathorn and Gilraen. (It's here, in case someone on my flist hasn't seen it yet.) Once again, I kept a window open while watching to jot down my reactions.

Gilraen and Ivorwen wearing swords...that makes sense. It reminds me of the story of the creation of the character of Cathy Gale on the old Avengers TV show--she was inspired by a picture of a woman in someplace that was considered a "rough frontier area" at the time wearing a bandolier and carrying a baby. That's the kind of feel I'd get for women in the North...and Rohan, for that matter. Not that Rohan is a frontier, but there's a similar feeling that defense might be needed at any time.

Ah, nice introduction of Arathorn. Doing the usual movie combat stunts, I see, and doing them quite well. But it's funny that I look at these scenes and think "Oh, movie conventions" rather than "Wow, what an amazing fighter!"

Not sure about "Action Girl Gilraen," though. Seems like it's intended as a way to make modern audiences think she's worthy. Might be better if she reacted more strongly to killing the orc, since she doesn't come off as having fought a lot before. Even Ivorwen looks pretty rattled about it.

Also, why is Gilraen blonde? Are they trying to make us think of Éowyn? Surely they're not suggesting that she's non-Dúnedain?? It would be easy enough to give her a wig if she's naturally fair-haired. I doubt that's her real hair anyway.

Would JRRT have approved of a female ranger? Possibly, but he wouldn't just toss her in there as background; he'd explain somewhere who she was and why she was rangering, because I doubt he saw it as a common career choice even for northern women. I suspect he genuinely thought most women didn't *want* to fight, even though he acknowledged exceptions.

Dírlad is a good name for the son of Dírhael. Assuming it means anything in Sindarin, but it sounds like it should. Nice to see someone figured out the naming conventions.

Okay, so they do have *some* explanation for the female ranger. (Ack, is she going to be Gilraen's rival? My money's on her getting killed by the end of the movie either way--to clear up a love triangle or make a point about the brutality of war.) But, hmm, how to put this...it just doesn't feel the same as reading the books does. Maybe because it's making Arathorn out to be all progressive and enlightened for letting her join, and I think that's a 21st-century perception of the situation which JRRT wouldn't necessarily have shared, because see above about how I think he saw women and fighting? Need to think more about this.

Gilraen seems to get a lot more interested in Arathorn once she finds out he's of royal blood! (I'm sure it's supposed to come off as her being impressed.)

HAH, called it! The still-nameless female ranger does want him!

Arador is cool. Believable as a king of a diminished people. But shouldn't he have the scepter?

Hmmm, cremation? I thought that was only practiced by the "heathen kings"?

"Such beauty and such sorrow" sounds like they are definitely going for an Éowyn vibe with Gilraen.

Wonder where they filmed the village scenes.

"I will look to the East and await your safe return"--yes, yes, I got it! She's Éowyn and therefore cool and worthy, even if her son prefers girly elf princesses! (Oh wait, she's also going "deep into the forest." So she's Éowyn and Aredhel.)

Nice landscape shots, as usual. I like the snow--that's a nice touch.

I like the little scene between Dírhael and Ivorwen that's almost straight from the book.

What a cool cave! This movie is a good tourist ad too. The cave sort of makes me think of Torech-en-Rusc in Astara's story "Trapped." It has a narrow entrance and a spring!

Why is it a mistake to attack out of the darkness? Don't orcs have the advantage there?

Wait a second, how is hiding the ring going to help Arador? It doesn't sent out beacons like the One Ring.

I like the way they toss in bits of Sindarin here and there. Nobody in any of the movies has entire conversations in Sindarin as casually as Mablung and Damrod do, but then, that would be complicated in a movie.

"If you fail her, it is me to whom you'll answer." Uh, what the heck does that mean? How does Dírhael think Arathorn is going to "fail," apart from getting killed? In which case "answering" will be impossible?

It's fairly striking to see that the best clothes the northerners can muster would be barely middle-class in Minas Tirith.

What are they throwing? It's the wrong climate for rice, but it's definitely white.

Hmm, I suppose they felt like they had to make Gilraen into something of an action-girl so that nobody would be annoyed at Arathorn for choosing her over Ranger-chick.

Is that a troll?? Doesn't look much like Bilbo's trolls (and it's out in daylight, too), but it's furrier than the movie cave-troll too. How many kinds of trolls are there?

"Fear not tomorrow, for it is not ours to know or to command." Very true to the books there.

Ha, I was right! Haboron is Halbarad's father. (Nice Dúnedain-looking kid for Halbarad!)

I hear the sound of a thousand squees when the twins show up! I like their costumes too.

Okay, I'm going to say the orcs are carrying torches because they want to set things on fire, not because they need them to see.

I was resisting the thought that Elgarain was supposed to be a nod to the famous Hethlin, but now that she wants to go off to the post at *Hithlin*, and Arathorn even repeats it? I now strongly suspect fanfic shout-out. At least she didn't yell at Arathorn for marrying Gilraen.

Aww, Ranger-dude-who's-in-love-with-Elgarain is kind of cool.

Okay, I know Arador didn't want to hide the ring, but wearing it on the outside of one's gloves seems a bit excessive.

Is Aragorn having an early flash of premonition?

Halbarad's doing pretty well! Go Halbarad! (Somebody I know is going to survive this movie.)

Maybe Gilraen will save Elgarain and she'll have to endure the indignity of that.

No, I take it back. Elgarain will die defending Gilraen and Aragorn and the others. She's got nothing else to live for, after all.

Ha, called it!

I know they love their special effects, but I kind of wish we didn't have to spend so much screentime on orcs spewing black blood.

In the back! Ooh, what a coward!

You'd think they'd want sleeves on those sheepskin vests.

I was going to say, way to traumatize the kid, but he seems very un-worried. I suppose he's seen plenty of blood already even at age 2.

Wait a sec--Ranger-chick was the *director*?

The closing song doesn't do much for me.

On the whole, it seems less indebted to Peter Jackson than The Hunt for Gollum.

"The Hunt for Gollum" Review

2009-05-06T04:44:44Z

I've been trying for three days to watch the new forty-minute fan film, The Hunt for Gollum (available online here). Tonight I finally succeeded! I kept a window open to type comments as it played, so here are my reactions in "real time."

- Nice music. The atmosphere it summons up seems right, and reminds me (grudgingly) of the things I did like about the movies.

- Wow, the scenery looks pretty epic. Is this stock footage? Did they borrow it from the movies?

- The narrator's voice has suitable gravity. (Is it Gandalf?)

- Suitable exterior for the Prancing Pony. The interior, however, is clearly following the movieverse, with all these cackling, slightly sinister-looking peasanty types. Is anyone ever going to give us the cheerful Pony of the book? (Also, the wild-haired, bad-teethed peasant woman seems to have come out of Generic Fantasy World #57 rather than Middle-Earth specifically.)

- What are a bunch of Rohirrim doing in Bree? (I know, they're just peasanty types, but all those blond bearded guys did give me a sudden moment of disorientation.)

- I'd like to see a clean-shaven Aragorn, to signify more of a break with the movie. Not that the book is clear about Aragorn's beard or lack thereof; it would just be nice to have something that wasn't the same as PJ did it. I have the feeling that if we saw Boromir in this movie, he'd be blond.

- The guy playing him has a good face, though.

- I rather like their Gandalf. I like the way he admits to "making a grave error."

- It's hardly fair to call Bilbo "foolish" for revealing his name! How was he supposed to know at the time he mentioned it that he was going to end the encounter in possession of the single most dangerous artefact in Middle-Earth?

- "I will go"--ack, made me flash onto one of my least favorite scenes in TTT for a moment there.

- How is "the foresight of his people" going to help Aragorn find Gollum? And even if it does, it belongs to "his people," so presumably any Ranger of the North should be able to do equally well. (But yeah, I'm probably thinking too hard about this.)

- Nice statue of Elendil. Somebody on the team here is good with the CGI.

- Whoah, was that Arwen? Very different! (Love her cloak.)

- Is that Legolas? If so, hey, dark(ish) hair! There's one small break with the movie. Unless it's supposed to be one of the twins, maybe.

- Nice disappearing act behind the tree!

- Arathir's wig is reeeeeally bad.

- Ithilien?! No, sorry, Ithilien is deserted by now. Leave Ithilien out of this! It's a northern story; there's no reason to drag Gondor in for a cameo.

- Okay, I've got to admit, this thing has awesome scenery.

- Dabgash and Goblok sound like properly orc-y names.

- Trail of fish guts! I love it!

- Whoever got to do the thrashing around inside the bag must have had a lot of fun!

- Why does Aragorn put his hood up before going off to confront the unknown "company"? You'd think he'd want all his peripheral vision.

- Yeah, yeah, twenty orcs at once, whatever! (Okay, I admit it's a fun swordfight, though.)

- Convenient that the guy with the big club waited for him to dispatch the rank and file before moving in, instead of, say, bashing him over the head from behind while he was busy with some of the others. (Stuff like that only happens to hapless elves who barge into battles they're not supposed be in--yes, I'm looking at you, movie!Haldir!)

- Where'd that poison spike come from? I don't think it's an arrow--did the last orc have it on him? Anyway, better find some athelas, quick...

- Flash of white, ethereal music...oh, tell me Arwen is not going to heal him from afar somehow. Or Galadriel, for that matter.

- I get a welcome sense of age and gravity from this Arwen. Liv Tyler managed that in the first movie, but dropped it for the rest of the series.

- Okay, so I'm going to assume the poison just wore off while he had a nice dream.

- Not sure using a torch is the smartest idea at night. It might help you spot the trail better, but it also lets you be seen.

- Strider the Park Ranger says, "Only you can prevent forest fires!"

- You know, if nazgûl are supposed to be impressive, it would be nice not to have Strider taking them on so casually. Yes, I know he did it in the first movie, but that could be fanwanked with them being weakened by being far from Mordor. I'm glad he does seem to be somewhat affected by the screams, at least, and I suppose he could self-medicate if he wound up with Black Breath. Still, the ringwraith comes out seeming like a menace that any real hero should be able to deal with, given a little determination. I would have preferred to have all those those Elves show up about thirty seconds earlier and help drive it off.

- Can't see the arches too clearly at this video size, and I don't dare try to make it larger just now, but did they actually remember that Thranduil's palace is underground? If so, props to them (but all the more reason to boo the Ithilien gaffe).

- Definitely watch the credits! There are some quite funny outtakes and behind-the-scenes moments.

- Overall: thumbs up. Not flawless, and I wish they hadn't followed the look of PJ's version quite so closely, but still quite enjoyable. I'm sure I'll watch it again, because I want to show it to friends.

Fannish Resolve

2009-01-19T04:47:42Z

I won't call this a resolution, exactly, but it's something like one.

Last year, I'd hoped that by pledging to post here at least once a month, I would be able to develop it as a habit. That didn't really work out, due mostly to the way RL took its toll on my time. So I won't make the same reservation this year, but all the same, I will make an effort to get over here and post. It'll be part of the resolution which I posted in my main journal, to make more time for myself to read, write, and think.

I have so many things I want to talk about! I have old fanfic to dust off, and new stuff that I want to write. I want to think about fandom and fanfic as phenomena, and where I fit in (or don't fit in) with them. I want to finish my series on "On Fairy-Stories." I want to post on some of Tolkien's letters, and some of my odd theories like what will happen to Elves after the remaking of Arda. And roh_wyn and I have been meaning for ages to have a debate about who originally owned Ithilien. I think about Tolkien-related stuff at least once a day; the hard part is just posting about it!

So, as I said, no formal resolution, but resolve.

Deleted Scene from "Sword Dance"

2008-12-24T16:55:51Z

I recently re-found my original draft for the story "Sword Dance," which I'm currently polishing up with the intention of posting to archives. The story originally contained this incident near the beginning. I rather doubt I'll be able to work it into the final version, so I thought I'd post it separately, as a sort of Christmas present to my flist. :-)

***

"Perhaps our guest will favor us with a song of Gondor?"

Faramir was surprised at the request, for never on the previous evenings had anyone but the bard performed. However, the faces around him held no trace of mischief or mockery, only polite interest. He sensed that this was another test. Smoothly, without betraying his surprise, he inclined his head in agreement and rose.

The song he chose was an old one, not known to many in Gondor, for it spoke of the beauty of a province which no longer existed: Calenardhon, first devastated by plague and then gifted to the Northmen who came to Gondor's aid in battle--the Rohirrim. It was in some ways a risky choice, for there was the danger that it could be interpreted as asserting Gondor's claim on Rohan; but Éomer King and Elessar had renewed the Oath of Eorl, and the two nations were firmer friends than ever. Furthermore, the song had a beautiful, flowing melody, and its sentiment was simple and heartfelt:

"A land there is, broad and and fair,
Rolling down from the mountains;
A sea of waving grasses
Is the plain of Calenardhon.

'Tis the land my fathers knew,
'Tis the land I was born in,
And I love to watch the sunset
O'er the plains of Calenardhon."

He could not help looking at Éowyn as he sang the next verse:

"There my true love waits for me,
As lovely as the morning,
And I long to return
To the plains of Calenardhon.

O, Lossarnach's vales are fair,
And fair are Ithilien's fountains,
But my heart dwells forever
On the plains of Calenardhon."

The applause which greeted the song was warm, not born of mere politeness. Well, I have convinced them I can sing; perhaps that will be something--though I am sure they would prefer to see me dispatch a few orcs!

More songs followed, and more glasses of mead, as the evening wore on.

***

The song can be sung more or less to the tune of "Wild Mountain Thyme."

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

(By the way, if anyone is in musical mood, stop by my main LJ and participate in the Christmas Music Genderbending Brain-Teaser informal poll!)

Happy Birthday, Astara!

2008-12-03T15:28:34Z

Have a fabulous day full of fun! Many happy returns!

General P.S.: I know I've been absolutely woeful about getting birthday greetings out this fall, and I apologize to all those whose birthdays I have missed!!

One Character, One Word, One Sentence: Legolas Greenleaf

2008-11-26T15:13:54Z

The Brothers of Gondor board recently had another round of "One Character, One Word, One Sentence" with spooky prompts in honor of Halloween and the spooky_arda "Six Days of Spooky" challenge. Once again, I decided to use this exercise to write about a character I've never tackled seriously before: Legolas.

I actually wrote these just before the "spooky" drabble. I'm sure that re-reading the section on the Paths of the Dead for a couple of the sentences is what prompted the drabble, in fact!

I've arranged the prompts in chronological order.

Web:
"Do not go into the forest alone," Thranduil cautioned his young son, "for the spiders are of such a size that they could easily wrap an elfling in their webs--and very glad they would be for the tender morsel!"

Lone:
He did not look forward to delivering the bad news of Gollum's escape to the council, especially with those scornful Dwarves looking on, and he wished he had brought along a companion for support.

Creep:
Sometimes he thought his ears caught the sound of feet moving stealthily through the mine tunnels behind them, but whenever he looked around, he saw nothing.

Ruin:
Though he had little love for the Dwarves, Legolas was compelled to admit they had built a city which must once have been no less fair and grand than any Elven realm.

Shock:
Ai, so this was what the Dwarves had wakened when they delved too deep beneath the mountain!

Flame:
The balrog seemed a being of fire and shadow and pure terror; how could anyone wound something so powerful and yet so insubstantial?

Bleak:
The hall of Meduseld was now a place without cheer or hope; Legolas saw this on the faces of the men-at-arms, in the bowed figure of the king, and most of all, in the eyes of the young woman who stood behind the throne.

Musty:
The air under the mountain was stale, as if no living being had stirred it since the days of Isildur--and perhaps none had.

Phantom:
He himself was not troubled by the shades of dead Men, and so he did not appreciate the dedication of those who rode with him until he saw how others fled before the shadowy host.

Roar:
The sound of the waves crashing on the shore wrought a change in his heart more fearsome than the battle-cry of any enemy he had faced.

Spooky Drabble: "The Last"

2008-10-31T14:06:39Z

For the "Six Days of Spooky" challenge at spooky_arda.

The Last

I am the last, and soon my time will come.

When it began, I was scarcely come to manhood, nervously girding for my first battle. Word came that we would not fight, and I was glad. Hearing of a curse upon us, we laughed at first.

I do not laugh now. I have seen father, uncles, brothers wither away without heirs. Our people have all but vanished from the world, yet they are still caught within its nets. At night I hear them groaning, begging for release.

Soon, I will join them under the mountain. They are waiting for me.

"On Fairy-Stories," Part 3: "Children"

2008-09-26T02:54:18Z

Ack! I can't believe how long it's been since I posted. And to think I thought I could finish this project in a couple of weeks...but I always seem to find so much to say when I dig into this essay!

Part 3, "Children"

* Haven't we all seen books advertised as suitable for kids from "six to sixty" or whatever? I was quite amused to learn that this particular bit of advertising language had been around at least since the time of the essay! Now I wonder how far it dates back; I wouldn't be surprised if it went all the way back the time when children's books (apart from instructional tales) started to be regarded as a distinct and separate branch of literature.

* I like Tolkien's comment about how children are not some kind of different species, but just normal, immature humans. There speaks the man who had four children of his own!

* The point about fairy-stories being given to children as a way of stuffing them out of adult sight is a very interesting one. I like the metaphor of an attic, the idea that we as a society tend to shove any old thing that we're a bit ashamed of into "children's territory." There's no proof, of course, but it does seem plausible to me. I'm thinking, for instance, of a friend of mine who sniffs at anything lighter than LOTR, classifying it as "just a kids' book." And even LOTR is a bit suspect in her eyes for not having enough sex in it.

* Also, I'd say that (western) society values sophistication very much these days--perhaps it always has? Or is sophistication just especially in fashion right now? And fairy tales are seen as naive, as the opposite of sophisticated. What's even more interesting is the way adults are allowed to play with fairy tales as long as we don't take them at face value. I'm thinking now of things like the book/musical Wicked, or the recent movie Enchanted. (Disclaimer: I haven't read/seen either one, so I'm going on reputation here.) Or possibly Terry Pratchett in one of his deconstructionist moods, though he sometimes slyly turns around and affirms what he's just torn down.

* I do wonder what his thoughts are on any changes to the stories; he disapproves of "adapting them for children," but perhaps it could be argued that this is part of the process by which such stories survive? Maybe he doesn't see the stories as things that are still evolving, but as things which are now complete and should be preserved. On the other hand, he later says that the stories we have today are not the ones that our so-called naked ancestors told, even if some of the elements in them go back that far. That definitely sounds like a recognition and acceptance of how things change.

* I really like the point that liking fairy tales is more a matter of personal taste than of age.

* His Note C, about what children who write actually make up, is fascinating. I actually did go through a phase around the age of about six where I wrote and illustrated a LOT of stories. I can't remember for sure whether any of them were about animals, but I think there probably were a few. I'm almost certain that at least a couple were about mermaids. But most of them, if my memory isn't playing tricks on me, were everyday, slice-of-life stories of children who lived in the real world. Of course, my plotting skills weren't up to constructing anything as complex as a fairy-tale plot, but the fact that I didn't even draw on very many fairy-tale elements is interesting. It seems to support Tolkien's theory that most children don't naturally tell stories that way.

* I don't remember troubling myself very much as a child with the question of whether fairy tales were true or not. Not after the age of about five, anyway. It was pretty clear that they were set in the distant past, so I wasn't too worried about dragons coming to my neighborhood. I wonder whether this had anything to do with the fact that I live in the United States, where everything is terribly new? Maybe it would all have seemed more possible if there was a ruined castle just down the road.

* I also think I remember managing a sort of double layer of belief as a child. For example, I'd never met any talking rabbits myself and didn't expect any of the ones I saw on the lawn to speak to me...but on the other hand, I was open to the idea that there might be talking rabbits somewhere. And I definitely remember somehow (again, at about age six) having the idea that if I could push hard enough on one of the walls of the girls' bathroom at school, it might just move and open a doorway to some kind of magical land. At least, I sort of believed it--enough to try it on more than one occasion!--but some part of my mind also suspected that that sort of thing only happened in books.

* The distinction between "willing suspension of disbelief" and truly being lost in a story makes a lot of sense to me. I particularly like his description of his state of mind while watching cricket, and how it differs from real immersion.

* Actually, a great deal of this essay makes sense to me; it just seems so naturally applicable to the way real people actually read and experience stories, as opposed to some of the more heavily constructed ideas of formal lit-crit. (I suppose it would all be considered conservative to the point of stodginess in modern lit-crit circles, so it's probably a good thing I didn't go for that as a career.)

* I can well believe that Alice didn't produce the "desire" that a real fairy-story would, but I hope JRRT would concede that it's a successful as a dream-tale. I have loved the Alice books for as long as I can remember, but I don't recall ever wanting to be Alice or experience the things she experienced. In that sense, I know what JRRT meant about it being "merely" amusing.

* When the ROTK-EE movie came out, I was quite furious about the inserted scene between Faramir and Pippin in which Faramir says that he neglected his studies as a child because he dreamt of fighting dragons. Someone suggested that it might have been intended as a nod to this statement of JRRT's:

I desired dragons with a profound desire. Of course, I in my timid body did not wish to have them in the neighbourhood, intruding into my relatively safe world, in which it was, for instance, possible to read stories in peace of mind, free from fear. […] The dweller in the quiet and fertile plains may hear of the tormented hills and the unharvested sea and long for them in his heart. For the heart is hard though the body be soft.

I still don't like the movie line, but the thought that it might be connected to this mollifies me just a little. It is a wonderful quote. It really seems more applicable to Bilbo, Frodo, or even Sam than Faramir, though!

* I was very interested in the firm distinction JRRT makes between faërie and the natural world, and how irritated he felt at any attempt to mix or compare the two:

I was keenly alive to the beauty of "Real things," but it seemed to me quibbling to confuse this with the wonder of "Other things." ...I did not want to be quibbled into Science and cheated out of Faërie by people who seemed to assume that by some kind of original sin I should prefer fairy-tales, but according to some kind of new religion I ought to be induced to like science.

This strikes me as a side effect of the idea that fairy tales are only for children! The underlying thought is that introducing children to science is like bringing them out of childhood and toward adulthood.

* Not only does Note D give me a vivid picture of young John embarking on a rant of the sort he would perfect later in life, but I think it makes an excellent point about how people read different things for different purposes. I love the fact that he can appreciate both "real things" and "other things," without prioritizing one over the other.

* Hmph, I liked The Blue Bird as a child! I remember seeing an excellent version of it which I believe was made for television.

* I seem to remember not particularly caring what the punishment suffered by the baddies in most stories was, as long as they had one. I'm a little hazy on when I started feeling this way, but I do remember thinking that some of the punishments in some versions of stories were rather excessive--Cinderella's stepsisters having to dance themselves to death in red-hot shoes, for instance.

* I nodded along with his distinctions about how the terms "child" and "adult" can each have both a positive and a negative connotation.

* It occurs to me that the plea with which this section ends, for adults and children alike to read fairy-stories, must have sounded much more radical at the time it was said. Nowadays, fantasy--quite a large part of it imitating or at least inspired by Tolkien's work--gets as much respect as any genre fiction ever does, for adult reading matter. But in 1939, fantasy as a genre didn't really exist yet.

* Relatedly, I really wonder to what degree Tolkien was consciously trying, in LOTR (and perhaps even more in The Silmarillion) to create fairy-stories for adults.

Useful Link:

Andrew Lang at Project Gutenberg (includes the various colored Fairy Books as well as Prince Prigio and Prince Ricardo)

This bit of the introduction to The Green Fairy Book is the sort of thing JRRT is reacting to in his essay:

...Men were much like children in their minds long ago, long, long ago.... They believed that witches could turn people into beasts, that beasts could speak, that magic rings could make their owners invisible, and all the other wonders in the stories. Then, as the world became grown-up, the fairy tales which were not written down would have been quite forgotten but that the old grannies remembered them, and told them to the little grandchildren....

I do think he probably agreed with (and chuckled at) this part, though:

There are not many people now, perhaps there are none, who can write really good fairy tales, because they do not believe enough in their own stories, and because they want to be wittier than it has pleased Heaven to make them.

That made me wonder what Andrew Lang would have thought if he could have lived long enough to read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings! I hope he'd have wept with delight to find that there were, in fact, still a few who could write fairy tales.

And finally, some questions...

Did you believe that the stories you heard as a child were true?

Did you believe that dragons and other fantastic elements in stories you heard were real?

Did you often ask whether stories you heard were true?

What sort of stories did you make up most often as a child?

"On Fairy Stories," Part 2 ("Origins")

2008-08-27T03:34:47Z

* I found this section a little confusing, to be honest. Tolkien talks a lot about what the origins of fairy-stories are not, but he doesn't speculate much about what he thinks they are, aside from the fact that he believes they all have their roots in human experience. People could not imagine things if they had not seen or felt something similar.

* First mention of "sub-creation"! It's kind of exciting to see it just leap out like that.

* I find this comment interesting: "Not all [of the visions of 'fantasy'] are beautiful or even wholesome, not at any rate the fantasies of fallen Man." I'm intrigued by the delicate balance in the tone between accepting that these unwholesome visions exist without approving or embracing them, and yet there's a whiff of compassion there too for human limitations. It's a balance I've sensed in JRRT's writing as well.

* JRRT may never have studied fairy-stories academically, but he had studied language, of course; I suppose he probably had to read some of Müller's work when he was studying, actually! And he must have thought a lot about the relationship between language and myth, especially since he was "sub-creating" myths to go with his own imaginary languages.

* Another interesting statement:

"The nearer the so-called 'nature myth,' or allegory, of the large processes of nature is to its supposed archetype, the less interesting it is, and indeed the less is it of a myth capable of throwing any illumination whatever on the world."

Is this perhaps the reason why Tolkien disliked allegory so much? Also, I suppose that a too-close allegory doesn't offer real explanation of whatever natural process it is, but merely mimics it.

* Tolkien's meditations on the believability of stories is very interesting, though I'm not quite sure what his point is. Unless it's simply that reader response is based on a complex set of factors.

* The bit about putting historical figures "into the soup" made me think of fanfiction--particularly RPF (Real Person Fanfic). Is there a move to put people into the soup earlier and earlier?

* Tolkien is in favor of giving folk-tales to children "straight," with all the horrors intact. Perhaps some children have strong enough stomachs for that, but I was quite a wimp about scary things as a child. I didn't like too much blood or gore or scary stuff. I was always relieved when I got the version of "Little Red Riding Hood" where the woodsman was able to cut open the wolf and rescue the grandmother, for example!

So if anybody's reading this, I have a couple of questions, because I'm curious whether I'm typical or not...

Did you like fairy tales as a child?
Did you like them with lots of blood and gore?

Useful Link:
Information on Max Müller

"On Fairy-Stories" (Introduction and Part 1)

2008-07-31T23:45:16Z

On the Brothers of Gondor board, we've been having a group reading of Tolkien's essay "On Fairy-Stories." I'd been meaning to read it for ages, and I'm glad that I've finally gotten around to it. The board discussion thread is here, but I'm also going to cross-post my thoughts in this journal, section by section. I'd really love to discuss this, so please, feel free to respond either here or at the board!

Thoughts on the Introduction and Part 1 ("Fairy-Story")

* I wonder how Tolkien, who was a professor of philology, was invited to speak at this lecture! Could it have had something to do with the success of The Hobbit, which had been published recently?

* Tolkien's story of the poplar tree made me smile. His irascible yet self-deprecating tone just comes through so well in passages like this: "It is cut down now, a less barbarous punishment for any crimes it may have been accused of, such as being large and alive. I do not think it had any friends, or any mourners, except myself and a couple of owls."

* It's interesting that he mentions "dungeons for the overbold," since just before Tree and Leaf in my Tolkien Reader is a short essay on ofermod, or overmastering pride. I've often thought, since reading LOTR and especially The Silmarillion, that pride was a flaw which interested Tolkien deeply. This may be another echo of it.

* Why does he refer to Faërie as "the perilous realm"? It might be mostly because in these stories, humans who get mixed up with fairies rarely come out unscathed. It also makes me think of Faramir's comment to Frodo about how it is dangerous to seek out the Elves, now that their paths have become sundered from those of Men. I've always found that statement interesting too. (I've seen it used to argue that Faramir's view is narrow, but I get the feeling, from this essay among other things, that it's a sentiment Tolkien shared.)

* Again, simply gorgeous language in the introduction, especially that bit about "both joy and sorrow as sharp as swords." That could easily have come from one of the more lyrical passages of LOTR. Reading this really made me wish I could have heard JRRT speak.

* Someone on the board asked about the difference between fairies and elves. The terms seem rather fluid to me; I don't think there's a hard-and-fast distinction between them. The best I can think of is that, in the books I remember reading as a child, fairies generally had wings, and elves didn't.

* I remember thinking, even as a child, how interesting it was that so few "fairy tales" had actual fairies in them!

* I recognized the first quotation as a bit of "Thomas the Rhymer." It's a pretty fair example of how fairies in folklore tend to treat human beings--as pets at best and as playthings at worst. Tangent: this is why I've never understood the squeeing over Terry Pratchett's Lords and Ladies as being a bold, revolutionary view of Elves and a slap in the face to Tolkien. He just used folklore elves; it seems to me that Tolkien was the revolutionary, for re-imagining them, even if his version has been over-copied by his imitators.

* Given the way Tolkien treats Elves in his own work, it's not surprising that he should have despised the cute little winged sorts of fairies that populate a lot of children's literature. I think guiltily of Cicely Mary Barker's "Flower Fairy" books, which I loved as a child sample of the artwork), and I wonder if Tolkien would have despised me for liking them! (Or perhaps it would have been all right for me because I was a girl.)

* He wonders where the idea comes from that fairies are tiny. I think I've seen speculation that fairies of the type found in "Thomas the Rhymer" (very beautiful, inhuman but human-sized) got mixed up with the "little people" in parallel folklore traditions.

* I approve of Tolkien's stipulation that magic itself cannot be mocked in a fairy-story.

* It's interesting, although perhaps not surprising, that the first major collection of fairy-stories in English was a translation of stories of French origin. I suppose that was the major fairy tale book for English-speaking children, perhaps along with translations of the "Arabian Nights," until Andrew Lang came along.

* Also interesting is Tolkien pointing out that The Time Machine shares some elements with fairy tales. I must say that I laughed when he added, "This enchantment ... is weakened only by the preposterous and incredible Time Machine itself." That's it, just dismiss one of the classics of modern science fiction with an airy wave of the hand! But it's very like him. I find myself feeling a surprising amount of affection for the old curmudgeon as I read this.

* I think Tolkien is right to distinguish "true" fairy stories from traveler's tales, beast-fables, and dream-stories. In that sense, it's unfortunate that "fairy story" became the generic name for all of them.

* I have heard people complain about the "it was all a dream" ending of Alice in Wonderland being a cheat, and I always thought they were missing the point. I think JRRT clarifies why that is: "Alice" is supposed to be a dream-story and succeeds well at it, so it's not cheating to have it end that way. (Actually, I always preferred Through the Looking-Glass, and while the writing in that book is more obviously dreamlike, with the sudden shifts of setting and so on, it also has a more ambiguous ending. I wonder what Tolkien thought of that.)

* He also mentions The Tailor of Gloucester, which is my favorite Beatrix Potter book! And of course, it seems like a version of "The Shoemaker and the Elves," with the elves replaced by mice.

Useful Links

Overview" at Tolkien Online
Overview at Wikipedia
Andrew Lang (Wikipedia)
Andrew Lang lectures (Wikipedia)
Text of "Thomas the Rhymer"
Michael Drayton (Wikipedia)
Etext of Drayton's "Nymphidia
John Gower (Wikipedia)
Synopsis of "The Tale of Two Brothers"
Text of "The Tale of Two Brothers"

One Character, One Word, One Sentence: Sam Gamgee

2008-06-26T19:58:01Z

Over at the Brothers of Gondor board, illwynd told us about a game she'd been playing with her local group of Tolkien geeks. You choose a character, and you get a set of one-word prompts, and then you write one sentence about the character for each prompt. roh_wyn provided ten prompts for the first round. It sounded like fun, so to stretch myself, I chose the only hobbit I haven't yet written about, at least not with any seriousness: Sam Gamgee. I don't know if I did him justice, but it was a good start to thinking about him and a fun exercise.

Dimension:
That star existed in a realm which had never even heard of the Shadow, and would think it a silly little thing if it did.

Eloquent:
Sam realized that even if he were a poet with all the words of the Elven-tongue at his command, he could never express the pain of Gandalf's loss.

Knot:
Sam was sure he'd tied the rope securely--after all, they'd made it safely down--so why did it now hang loose in his hands?

Stall:
Sometimes, as they traveled through ever-harsher lands, Sam wondered what had become of Bill: was he eaten by wolves, or munching oats in a stable somewhere?

Inflict:
Sam surged forward, Sting at the ready, to make Shelob pay for taking Mr. Frodo from him.

Pungent:
The worst thing about their disguises was that they stank of orc.

Falter:
The new Ringbearer prepared to set off, to finish the Quest; it must be done, and yet somehow, he felt he was not doing the right thing.

Moonstruck:
Sam couldn't quite believe he was eating and drinking with Elves under the night sky; he more than half expected to awaken in his bed and find it was all a dream.

Lilt:
Sam fell asleep to the soft rise and fall of Elven voices.

Gossamer:
The tunnels were webbed with sticky threads, so fine and yet so deadly.

"The Look"

2008-04-30T14:37:37Z

This is especially for sealover_astara and lilan14, though others may get the reference:

http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2008/04/the-look.html

Happy Belated Birthday, Elizabeth B!

2008-03-17T13:48:46Z

Ack! Sorry I missed your birthday, elizabeth_hoot/elizabethfanfic! I hope it was happy!

To make it up to you, what would you like for an LOTR birthday drabble?

Hope in Middle-Earth: A Response to "The Busybody" (CMEM-08)

2008-03-16T19:53:04Z

Argh. Celebrating Middle-Earth Month is half over already, and I haven't posted yet! I thought the worst of busy season was over, but then we got unexpectedly smacked with a huge work increase at what I expected to be a slowish time, and the result is that my job's been eating me alive again.

Anyway, the other night I was Googling, trying to track down a quote about how Pippin had lighter hair than most hobbits (anyone know where this is?), when I ran across this essay:

Tolkien vs. Jackson: One Man's Hopelessness, Another Man's Hope

I agree with much of what the author has to say about the treatment of hope in the movies, but it's the first part--his analysis of the theme of hope in the books--that really interests me. He asserts that Middle-Earth is, at base, a place without hope--a world of what he calls "pagan doom":

As a Roman Catholic, Tolkien viewed the history of Middle-Earth, like our own, as a "long defeat", containing "samples and glimpses of final victory" but never more (letter 195).... Hopes are doomed to fail, even after euchatastrophes [sic]. Evil can be resisted but not overcome, and it should be resisted for no other reason than because it is the right thing to do.

While the essay makes some very good points, I can't agree with it completely. "Samples and glimpses of final victory" are, it seems to me, exactly what hope is made of. To an extent, this is a glass-half-full vs. glass-half-empty issue: do we focus on the fact that Middle-Earth only has these glimpses, or on the fact that it has them at all?

Also, I think that Middle-Earth has more of those "samples and glimpses" than the article's author allows. He lists only two examples of hope as a positive thing in all of LOTR: Sam's glimpse of the star in Mordor, and Aragorn's name. (I admit to being a bit unsure what point he's trying to make about Aragorn, because he stresses the paradox that Aragorn must both be hope and abandon hope, including others' hope in him. But if hope is such a bad thing in Middle-Earth, how is it good for others to put their hope in Aragorn? However, I digress.) But I immediately thought of at least one other major example, and that is Faramir's sudden flash of hope for no logical reason while watching the sky with Éowyn during the Black Gates battle in "The Steward and the King":

"The reason of my waking mind tells me that great evil has befallen and we stand at the end of days. But my heart says nay; and all my limbs are light, and a hope and joy are come to me that no reason can deny. Éowyn, Éowyn, White Lady of Rohan, in this hour I do not believe that any darkness will endure!"

lilan14 also reminded me of the statue of the fallen king at the Crossroads. I am sure there are other such small touches which I can't call to mind right at this moment.

Furthermore, while it is true that Evil cannot be banished forever from Middle-Earth by any action of the main characters, that is not quite the same as to say that they all view hopes as doomed to fail. For one thing, there is a recognition that sometimes larger powers (providence) can be at work. There are times when Frodo does things without quite knowing where the impetus comes from; using the star-glass and the invocation to Ebereth against Shelob springs to mind. And Gandalf expresses the opinion that Bilbo was "meant" to find the Ring and that Frodo was "chosen" for the quest to destroy it.

The author of the article suggests, "Hope is shunned as a rule in pagan Middle-Earth, but it's occasionally invoked by the immortals as a caution against seeing the end beyond all doubt"--as if only immortals are able to have this perspective. The immortals may be the ones who most often voice this opinion, but that does not mean they are the only ones capable of seeing it. It is advice that the non-immortal characters are expected to bear in mind and live by. I am not even convinced that the non-immortal characters would be unable to come to this conclusion without the immortals telling them. It may be that the immortals mention the idea most often because they themselves need to hear it! After all, they are the "very wise" of Middle-Earth, and so they should be in the most danger of falling into the trap of thinking they can see the outcome of every endeavour. This is, of course, the trap into which Sauron manipulates Denethor.

If the immortals do undercut every expression of hope with another one of doubt, I believe that is because they are aware that they are not all-knowing and they are making allowances for this fact. But acknowledging that the quest may fail, that the odds are in favor of it failing, is not the same as believing it will fail. What the book characters do is accept that they do not know what the outcome of anything will be, and that includes the fact that they cannot say for sure that a given endeavour will fail. Thus, they must press on with doing what is right and leave the outcome to providence.

(I almost get the feeling from the article that the author thinks that acting with hope is somehow cheating; he says that "Hopeless quests suggest heroes who are able to attain a nobility of character unparalleled in the Judeo-Christian tradition.")

What the main characters in the book interestingly do not do, however, is focus on that one chance in a million that they might succeed.* This, I think, is the main way in which the movie diverges from the book: the movie characters frequently do think and speak about that tiny chance and use it as their motivation for going on. I agree that this makes the tone and attitude different from book to movie, and that the movie does not fully capture the concept of "the long defeat"; but I do not think the change is quite as radical as the article suggests. The difference is one more of perspective and less of bedrock beliefs.

The author of the article also seems to believe that the characters in LOTR, like the heroes of the Norse sagas which Tolkien enjoyed so much, cannot possibly know true hope because they live in a pre-Christian era. Discussing the scene in which Sam experiences hope while looking at the star in Mordor, he writes,

Tolkien may have intended this as a pious anticipation of the distant future (Christ's victory) through which death and evil would finally be defeated. Sam's hope is not so much for Frodo's quest in particular, but for a radical change which will someday break the cycle of the world's endless suffering. It anticipates the end of the long defeat, or the final Judeo-Christian victory. Sam's star of hope is thus the exception which proves the rule: that hope is indeed foolish in pre-Christian Middle-Earth.

However, the author overlooks one fact which I think is highly significant. The Free Peoples of Middle-Earth do know of Eru Iluvatar, who is identified more or less explicitly with the Christian God, even if only as a distant figure; and they know the Valar as his direct subordinates. This puts them in an interesting sort of middle ground between pagan and Judeo-Christian, and that is bound to affect their view of hope as well. Given this, I think it would be odd if they did not glimpse something akin to what the article sees as "true" hope, even if only through the proverbial glass darkly.

Any thoughts? Additions? Counterexamples? Comments?

*ETA: I've just remembered an exception to this, namely the scene where Pippin urges Denethor not to weep, because Faramir might recover. There may be more exceptions, and I'd be interested to hear them if anybody remembers them.

"First Footing: Gondor" (drabble)

2008-02-29T14:07:25Z

This drabble comes from a discussion that lilan14 and I had earlier this week. We were talking about the song "Isle of Hope, Isle of Tears," which is about Annie Moore, a fifteen-year-old Irish immigrant to the United States and the first person to pass through Ellis Island. This got us thinking about the first Númenorean exiles to arrive in Middle-Earth. So here is my picture of a possible Gondorian "Annie Moore."

***

First Footing: Gondor

When Númenor drowned, I was but a girl of fifteen years.

I remember little of the terrible sea journey. My younger brothers and I huddled together below decks, consoling ourselves with memories of our garden at home.

At last, we came to a land between mountains and sea, where our distant kin awaited us. I was so impatient that I ran ashore at once, ahead of men who had more right to step first onto the soil of our new home. It was a bright morning, and the air smelled sweet. I knew we could make a new garden here.

***

ETA: Here is Lilan's take on an "Annie Moore" for Arnor!

Join the Club!

2008-02-27T04:15:34Z

Eek! Gotta get posting, or I'll break my resolution already. While I get something composed, here's something fun...

Are you annoyed at the lack of good fanfiction these days? Tired of wading through mountains of bad stuff to get to the few hidden gems? Now there's a club...and you even get a membership card!

Brilliant work, illwynd! I am so totally joining.

The Noble Steward's Chronicles, vol. 5!

2008-02-20T23:25:17Z

Goodness, a lot of February has gone by and I haven't posted. I'd better hurry if I don't want to break my resolution so soon.

Meanwhile, in case anyone on my flist hasn't heard about it yet, the Brothers of Gondor board is going to sponsor a fifth volume of our irregular zine devoted to fanfiction about Denethor. The wonderful roh_wyn has agreed to serve as editor. If anyone is interested in contributing, or knows someone else who is, please get in touch with her! Futher details are in this post (follow the link).

Look at my lovely birthday presents!

2008-02-03T17:32:09Z

I'd like to thank everyone who sent me good wishes for my birthday. I especially want to show off the wonderful "birthday presents" that my talented friends have written! Go read them!

First, roh_wyn wrote a story in verse about Faramir's naming, with an intriguing idea about who chose his name and why.

"Name"
http://roh-wyn.livejournal.com/37380.html
http://www.openscrolls.net/fanfic/story.php?no=3705

The next two stories really made me chuckle at how ideas get passed around and feed off each other...almost involuntarily! Last Christmas, I sent cd recordings of a Celtic music radio show I'd hosted to several friends of mine. The show included several songs that connect to Tolkien in one way or another, including David Finnamore's lovely tune, "Ithilien." So imagine my surprise when two of my birthday presents were inspired by pieces on that disc!

I'd put the tune "Archibald MacDonald of Keppoch" on the disc because I've always thought it was particularly gorgeous and because it has a connection to something I"ve written. I listened to it while writing the drabble "Standing Silence"; I don't usually write to music, but I thought it had the right mood. Then lilan14 turned around and wrote words to fit both the tune and the Standing Silence theme! Now I really want to hear someone record this as a filk.

"Standing Silence"
http://lilan14.livejournal.com/73367.html

And finally, sealover_astara floored me by writing not only Faramir but Éowyn (whom she's never tackled before). Faramir is just so very cool and clever in this story...and Éowyn is too! This story is also linked to a song that was on that cd, but I won't say which one so that anyone who follows this link can have the same experience of surprise that I did when they find out what it is. I'll just say it's a song with very clear applicability to the LOTR-verse!

"Hidden Agenda"
http://www.openscrolls.net/fanfic/story.php?no=3703

Éowyn's Motivation

2008-01-24T18:26:56Z

sistermagpie recently asked me...

What would you say to the charge that Eowyn only goes into battle to prove herself to Aragorn, whom she was pining after, or that she went into battle for self-pity?

I don't believe there is any currency to the idea that Éowyn goes into battle to "prove herself" to Aragorn. In the first place, the issues between them have nothing to do with her competence as a warrior; in fact, in the scene before the Paths of the Dead, Aragorn makes an oblique reference to the fact that she might have to fight in "the last defence" and suggests that she will have a chance to do valorous deeds then, even if there is no one to remember them in song. Second, by the time Éowyn goes off to war, Aragorn has already quite firmly rejected her romantically. I see no suggestion that she believes she can win him over by impressing him on the battlefield or that she wants him to praise her for her deeds. Third, most of the Rohirrim seemed to believe that Aragorn was going to virtually certain death on the Paths of the Dead. Éowyn had to be strongly aware of the possibility that he wouldn't return.

Self-pity, now...I do believe there was an element of that in her decision, but I wouldn't say it was her entire reason, and I also think that's a rather uncharitable way of describing it. She was feeling hopeless. Not only had she just lost her hope of romance, but it must have seemed that the world was about to enter a new Dark Age. Sauron's forces were much stronger than those of the Free Peoples, and it must have looked like he would win the coming war. (She didn't even know about the slim hope offered by Frodo, remember!) Also, she felt keenly that Rohan's (and the House of Eorl's) honor had been tarnished by Théoden's decline, and that bothered her. She wanted to put them back among the greats. Mix all of that together, and it comes out something like "I've lost my chance at happiness and we're all doomed anyway; I just want to do something great--and with any luck, I'll get killed in the process." That's roughly how I'd summarize her attitude.

Thoughts? Additions? Arguments?

A Resolution

2008-01-20T15:48:47Z

I made a resolution back around New Year's, but I didn't officially post it here. I'm going to do that now, so that I commit myself to it:

I resolve to post something in this journal--a drabble, fanfic, essay, or random thought--at least once per month.

Some Favorite Quotes on Tolkien

2008-01-04T01:27:45Z

Happy birthday, J.R.R. Tolkien! While I wait for the birthday toast, this seems like a good time to post some of my favorite Tolkien-related quotations that I've found here and there on the web.

Embedded in an article on the Amy Player fiasco:

The Lord of the Rings, published as three volumes in the mid-1950s, is an intricate colossus: a remix of history, zoology, folklore and language; an adventure story; an inquiry into power; a rant against modern times; a lament for a dying world.

From Michael Drout's defense of Tolkien after Brian Appleyard sneered at JRRT in a review of The Children of Húrin:

Take some critic's theory of what "good literature" is, put Tolkien into it, and watch the whole edifice collapse into its own contradictions. For example, as Tom Shippey points out so beautifully, Philip Toynbee says that "The Good Writer" can write about anything, even "incestuous dukes in Tierra del Fuego" and it is up to the public to adjust, not to just discount the writing as too strange or different. Apparently Mr. Toynbee neglected to mention the "incestuous dukes are A-Ok, but Elves are not allowed" codicil to his theory, because Tolkien fits Toynbee's description (and many others) of "The Good Writer" to a T, and yet Toynbee, and "Bunny" Wilson, and Salman Rushdie, and most recently Bryan Appleyard clearly would not put Tolkien anywhere near their pantheon of "Good Writers."

And yet he fits the criteria so well: Struggling with the recalcitrance of the English language? Check (Except Tolkien knew more about the structure and complexity of English, its history and its development, than Pound, Eliot or Joyce--though Joyce probably had an internalized phono-aesthetic sense as deep as Tolkien's, if not so explicitly theorized). Following his imagination wherever it goes? Check. Refusing to accept the givens of contemporary ideologies? Check. Writing for himself and not worrying about the opinions or critics or publishers or even posterity? Check.

...Perhaps, though, we could solve many problems by making official a new dictum. Call it Dyson's law: It is impossible for good writing to include an Elf.

From laurelgardner in a subthread in a discussion on villains in which several people dismissed Sauron as uninteresting:

As for the distant, non-human and ultimately powerful evil? Well, those kind of require a different kind of tale, don't they? An epic, like LOTR in which the the real test for the characters is not to find a way of undoing the evil, but standing up in the face of it knowing that they can't defeat it (then of course, they prevail anyway, but hey, I'm not complaining).

By TORC member "solicitr," from a thread on "Tolkien, his critics, and irony":

It's always seemed to me indeed ironic that those critics who like to call Tolkien "juvenile" are the same ones who jump up and down on him for not including sufficient angst or sex--but then, aren't angst and sex precisely the preoccupations of sulky adolescents?

Fanfiction Meme

2007-12-23T04:19:09Z

This meme has been going around my flist, but I first saw it at roh_wyn's journal.

1. Why do you write fanfiction?

As a way of meditating about Tolkien's world, digging deeper into it, making it more concrete for myself. Sometimes it's easier to show how you think something works than just to describe it in conversation. This is why it's so important for me to stick as close to canon as I can. Doing anything else sort of defeats the whole reason why I'm writing.

My answer's a bit different now than it would have been when I first started out, though. That leads to the next question...

2. What made you start?

It started out as just a way to blow off steam and to let my writing partner, "Gypsie," indulge her massive crush on Viggo Mortensen. I was also really bored at work at the time, and Gypsie wanted to write some Viggo!Aragorn smut, so I thought, "What the heck? It'll be a lark, and maybe it'll help keep my writing skills in shape."

Later, though, Gypsie drifted away from the fandom and I started writing fanfic on my own. I started to take it more seriously at the time, and I started to relate differently to the characters and the source material. I started to feel like it was more about that and less about me, if that makes any sense.

3. Slash, het, or gen?

Gen with a sprinkling of het. No slash. One of these days I'll do my full rant on "Why I Am Not And Will Never Be a Slasher," but the short version is that (a) it doesn't turn me on, and (b) I don't think it works in canonical Middle-Earth.

4. What fandoms do you write in?

Tolkien, exclusively. Usually I'm content just to appreciate and discuss; his world is the only one so far that's inspired me to dig in this particular way. Unless you count the MiSTings I used to write--but those are more like fanfic commentary than fanfic, IMO, even though I set them in the MST3K universe.

5. What fandoms do you read in?

I don't read much fanfiction these days, ironically. I skim a few well-known places for LOTR stuff, but I don't go aggressively looking for it. I do occasionally read a bit of anime fanfic, but usually I just dip a toe into the fanfic for any given fandom. In this year, I've read some good fanfiction for Rurouni Kenshin, Ouran High School Host Club, and From Eroica with Love (the exception to my no-slash rule, but it's more or less canonical in that fandom). Oh, and the latest fic I read was a bizarre Harry Potter/Steven Colbert crossover!

6. What's the worst story you've ever written?

Hmm, probably the original draft of "A Ranger's Temptation," now mercifully gone from the 'net. Gypsie and I tried to put an explicit sex scene in it, and I think the story actually works much better at a less-explicit rating.

For the worst thing I've ever written solo ... I guess that would be the drabble "Bundles." I've never been entirely satisfied with it. It doesn't seem to get quite to the point that I want it to, and I can't get it down to 100 words either. Hmm, maybe I should try expanding it to 200....

7. What writers are your inspiration?

The only writer that I specifically read for inspiration is Tolkien! But sometimes I get ideas from the most unexpected places. (I have to be careful with Tolkien, too, because if I read him just before writing, I sometimes start to slip into his archaisms. He can get away with them; I can't!)

8. WIPs or completed stories only?

I usually only post completed stories to archives, because I don't know if I can trust myself to finish a WiP. (I might relax a bit more about that for LJ.) But I'll definitely read WiPs.

9. Tag up to six people to respond to this.

Some of my flist have answered it already, and I'd really like to hear from ANY (or all) of the ones who haven't! So I won't name specific names, but I'll check my friends page eagerly to see if anyone picks up on it.

An Unexpected Visit

2007-12-20T18:59:51Z

This story was originally written for the Brothers of Gondor zine last year. I've been waiting for Mettarë (or nearly) to post it! As will be evident, its genesis in the drabble "Gondor's Spring".

Rating: PG
Word count: 4339
Summary: Mithrandir arrives in Minas Tirith just in time to spend Mettarë with the Steward and his family.

An Unexpected Visit

Mettarë, T.A. 3001

The last day of the year dawned cold and clear in Minas Tirith. A thin layer of snow covered the fields as a grey-clad figure made his way across them, leaning as usual upon his faithful staff. When he reached the great city gate, he was challenged briefly by a young sentry; but he gave the password and was permitted to enter.

The city was already stirring. Houses were being swept in preparation for the new year, and the people abroad in the streets were in festive mood. Many of them, recognizing the Grey Pilgrim from his earlier visits, greeted him as "Mithrandir." And he, who had many names, slipped easily into thinking of himself by this one.

He presented himself to the Lord Denethor, whom he found conferring with his chamberlain about making the White Tower ready for the evening's celebration, and requested leave to hunt through the archives for some information that he sought. Seemingly relieved that Mithrandir required nothing greater, Denethor gave his permission readily. After a pause, he added, "I hope you will join us for the Mettarë celebration tonight?"

"I should be delighted," Mithrandir replied gravely. There was a gleam of amusement in his eye which the Steward did not fail to notice.

The documents which Gondor had accumulated over the centuries were housed in a handsome building within the Citadel. Many of them had been rescued from the great archive of Osgiliath. Very little had been lost in the destruction of that city, thanks to the forethought of the archive workers: during the siege, they had carried the most important volumes to underground vaults, where they had escaped damage in the ensuing fire. It was these documents which Mithrandir wished to examine first, for he wanted to begin his search with the earliest days of Gondor's history.

A pleasant-looking woman of middle age led him to a room where shelves, from floor to ceiling, were crammed with books and scrolls in an untidy jumble. Still more scrolls protruded from the tops of wooden crates ranged on the floor and the long wooden tables. "I fear it is somewhat in disarray," she explained apologetically. "The chamber housing these things was damaged in the great storm last summer--a tree branch as thick as a man's waist blew down upon the roof and cracked it in several places. We had to empty the room quickly, before the water ruined everything; we brought it here, but we have not yet been able to set all in order, nor to repair the roof of the chamber."

Mithrandir harrumphed and knitted his formidable eyebrows. "Time was when the lore of Gondor would have been treated with more respect! Things have changed indeed if even Lord Denethor will not spare a few men to repair his storehouse of knowledge."

"He has said it shall be mended as soon as the weather allows," she assured him hastily. "But with so many raids along the river of late, it could not be done sooner. And truly, we did not expect that anyone would ask for these old documents ere then. They are seldom requested."

When she had gone, the wizard made himself comfortable, took up the nearest box of parchments, and began searching methodically through it. The news of the river raids was very interesting, and it strengthened his certainty that he was on to something important. Attempted attacks on the Shire in the north had been increasing also; he had discussed the matter with Strider when they met in Bree shortly after Bilbo's birthday party. They had made plans to hunt for the creature Gollum in the spring. Until then, Mithrandir intended to spend the winter in Minas Tirith and, he hoped, to learn something about Bilbo's ring.

The short winter day passed swiftly. It took time to sift through the documents, for they had been scooped up hastily and mixed together in the rush to carry them to safety. An account of the great plague might be underneath a copy of an edict from King Tarostar, with a list of landholders in Ithilien from several hundred years later beneath that. Mithrandir looked carefully over each page before setting it aside. He missed his pipe, but knew it would be inadvisable to get it out--and not only because of the danger of fire or the need to conserve his pipeweed. The practice was unknown in Gondor, and the smell of pipe smoke was sure to draw complaints.

Quiet reigned in the building, save for some junior archivists chatting about their plans for the evening. That night, the White Tower would be open to all those in the employ of the city or of Gondor, and everyone, down to the lowliest clerk and footsoldier, might come and drink a toast to the new year. As the day waned, Mithrandir became conscious that the young folk were asking each other in whispers whether they ought to tell him that the archive was closing for the day or allow him to remain, since he was a guest of Lord Denethor and so very fierce-looking--and if so, then who should stay behind to lock the door? At last, Mithrandir took pity on their dilemma, set aside his work, and prepared to leave. Though he had learned nothing of use that day, he was not discouraged. He had plenty of time to search.

As he stood to collect his cloak and staff, he heard the door open. From his place, he could not see the visitor; but he heard the archivist give a courteous greeting, followed by the voice of a young man. "Pardon me for coming so late! I promise to be quick, but I must find one thing before you close."

"Of course, my lord," another voice answered, arousing Mithrandir’s interest. He thought he could guess who the visitor was, for he well remembered, from his last visit to the city, a small boy who would come to the archive every day and beg him for tales of his travels. That boy would now be about eighteen years old, he estimated. Stepping around the corner which blocked his view, he examined the figure kneeling before a bookcase near the door.

The youth was lean and long-limbed. Dark hair fell to his shoulders and brushed the embroidered collar of his wine-colored velvet surcoat. He frowned slightly in concentration as he leaned over a heavy book balanced half on his knee, half on the edge of the bookshelf. The distinctive profile left no doubt as to his identity, for not only could Mithrandir see in it traces of the child of several years before, but it bore a startling resemblance to those of his father and brother.

Faramir seemed to find the information he sought, and he closed the book. Then suddenly, as if he felt the gaze upon him, he turned his head. "Mithrandir!" he cried in delight, jumping up to greet the wizard warmly. "I did not know you were in the city! When did you come?"

"I arrived this morning," Mithrandir replied, not displeased at his reception. "I have already seen your father; I am surprised he did not tell you."

Something flickered across Faramir's face. "Ah. I have not spoken much with him today." Changing the subject quickly, he asked, "Will you be at the festivities this evening? If you are going to the White Tower, I will walk with you." He slid his book back onto the shelf, and Mithrandir caught sight of the title in gold letters upon the leather binding: Lives of the Great Generals of Gondor.

"That is not your usual reading," he commented in surprise and some disappointment.

"No, it is not," Faramir agreed with a half-smile as they moved toward the door. "A good Mettarë to you all!" he called to the archivists, and then he and Mithrandir walked into the crisp winter darkness.

Outside, Faramir continued his explanation, his breath making puffs of steam in the cold air. "Last night, my brother and I were trying to remember exactly how the troops were disposed in King Eärnil’s defense of South Ithilien--though of course, he was not king at the time--and how it differed from the battle of 2885. I promised I would look it up when next I passed the archive."

"Do the young men of Gondor think of nothing but war?" Mithrandir growled, half to himself. Perhaps it was not to be wondered at; Minas Tirith was, after all, within sight of the Shadow. In such a place, people thought constantly of danger and praised those who defended their city. Still, the boy he remembered had been a promising student of the arts of peace. It would be a sad loss if he too had learned to prize warfare above all else.

“Alas, sometimes it seems that we must,” Faramir answered ruefully. “But now that you are here, I hope you will teach me about other things, as you used to do! You promised once, long ago, to tell me of the time you visited the Elven havens and saw the harbor where their ships sail for the West.”

The wistfulness of his tone eased Mithrandir’s mind. Perhaps, he reflected, it was not only the need to find information which had brought him to the city this winter instead of searching for Gollum immediately, as he had originally planned. Perhaps some power understood that this young man was in need of his teaching and had directed him here.

"I shall make sure to spare time for that," he promised. "But do you not have duties to attend to?"

"Sometimes," Faramir replied. "If there are more orc-raids, I may be called to go out with the city guard or the Rangers of Ithilien, as my father pleases. He says it is important for me to learn something of the duties of all Gondor's companies. He does the same with Boromir--he is home now for year's end, but I think Father intends him to serve at Cair Andros for a time."

They turned a corner and emerged at the edge of the Court of the Fountain. The paved paths had been swept clean of snow, but an unmarked layer of it covered the grass around the White Tree. The tower doors, standing wide open to welcome guests, flooded the courtyard with warm, golden light. Glittering stars studded the clear night sky. The two men's backs were to the east, shutting out the pitiless Shadow rising there.

Though he had not visited Minas Tirith as often as the north, Mithrandir had walked this path many times before. The first time had been a brilliant spring day when the Tree was in blossom, already an ancient symbol of Gondor then, though still strong and healthy. Its white blossoms were each the size of a man's fist, their perfume strong enough to fill the Citadel and yet delicate enough not to cloy even when one paused beside the fountain, as he and Faramir did now. Water played around the base of the Tree despite the cold weather, for it was warmed deep underground before emerging here.

Faramir gazed at the bare branches furred with a coating of snow, and a smile played about his lips. "I like the Tree best in winter," he commented in a soft voice.

Surprised, Mithrandir asked, "And why is that?"

"Because now it does not seem dead, for other trees are just as bare. It looks as if it might be only sleeping, gathering strength to flower again in spring."

It seemed only a daydream, and yet, Mithrandir had learned in his long life never to call anything impossible. "Would you like to see that?"

"Yes," Faramir answered simply and without hesitation. "More than anything. It must have been beautiful."

"It was," said Mithrandir, almost to himself. Faramir glanced at him oddly, as if intending to question him, but was interrupted by a shout from the door.

Boromir was striding toward them, clad in a coat of deep blue over a fine linen shirt. As he had already been a teenager on Mithrandir's last visit, his features had not changed much in the intervening time. They had matured and become more defined, however, and his air of easy authority had deepened. He nodded courteously to Mithrandir, but his first words were for his brother. "There are you are, Faramir! Father is calling for you inside. He wishes to see you immediately."

Faramir stiffened very slightly. "Then I had best not keep him waiting," he answered quickly. "I will see you both at the celebration." He bowed and hurried into the tower.

"Has he displeased his father?" Mithrandir asked, watching him go.

There was a short pause as Boromir seemed to consider how best to answer. Though he was always civil, he had never truly warmed to Mithrandir, who suspected that Denethor had taught Boromir to mistrust him. Why the lesson had not extended to Faramir, the wizard could not guess; he was only grateful that it had not.

"Father's mind has been much burdened with cares of state these past months," Boromir said at last. "Faramir tells me he spends long hours shut up in the tower, devising strategies against the enemy. It has made him difficult to please." He gestured toward the door. "Come, I will escort you."

He turned to go, but Mithrandir remained for a moment. On an impulse, he asked, "And what do you think of the White Tree? Would you like to see it in flower?"

Boromir glanced back over his shoulder. "Yes, certainly," he responded without enthusiasm. "But that is impossible, of course. It is only a reminder of the days of the kings, and they will not come again."

"Unless the king should return," Mithrandir pointed out.

Boromir shrugged slightly. "True. But I will concern myself with that when I see it."

They walked to the great feasting-hall in the tower, where all was made ready for the evening's festivities. The room blazed with light from three chandeliers filled with white candles. In one corner, a minstrel was tuning his harp. Nearby, Denethor stood talking with the captain of the Citadel Guard, who had arrived early. Two long sideboards were laid with trays of sweet and savory confections, preserved fruit, and cheeses. An immense silver bowl filled with hot, spiced wine occupied its own table in the center of the room.

In the days of the kings, the celebrations had been more elaborate, including a full meal and lasting well into the next day. Though these were darker and leaner times, the Stewards continued the tradition as best they could. Perhaps that very darkness made the celebration all the more important.

By tradition, the children of the ruling house would serve wine to the guests. Faramir had already taken his place, and he presented Mithrandir with a steaming cup drawn from the bowl. Boromir now joined him and began ladling wine into more cups, arranging them in a neat row like soldiers on parade. The minstrel struck up a sweet, plaintive air as a thin stream of guests began to trickle into the hall. Mithrandir stepped aside so that the newcomers might take their turn.

All through the evening, they came. Some would stay until midnight; others came only briefly to pay their respects before hurrying off to other gatherings with family or friends. There were clerks from the scribing-houses, archivists from the house of lore, messengers of the Citadel, and those who tended their horses. Officers and men-at-arms came, the sentries in rotation so as not to leave their posts unguarded. The Guards of the Citadel came in their splendid black coats embroidered with the silver crown; each removed his helmet of bright mithril as he entered and tucked it under one arm before accepting a cup of wine.

Mithrandir watched the procession of faces: old and young, men and women, high and low. Some were known to him from his previous visits, and many of them came to offer him greetings and good wishes for the new year. Others were unfamiliar, and those he sought out to make their acquaintance, for he went everywhere and saw everyone.

He had learned late to love this city and its people. When first he visited Gondor, he had thought the people overproud, too much concerned with their own power and consequence. At that time, he had been content to leave Gondor in the capable hands of Curunír and spend the bulk of his own time in the north, where his aid seemed both more needed and more welcome. But the people who dwelt here now were different. The more they had struggled against the Shadow, the brighter they had become. Those here tonight knew that their cause might be hopeless, that they might be the last generation to stand against Sauron, and this brought them sadness; but they had vowed to do so with all the strength and courage they possessed, and this brought them peace.

Boromir and Faramir served each guest with courtesy, receiving many smiles in return. It was clear that the brothers were very popular in the city. An image floated before Mithrandir's eyes of young Denethor at another Mettarë celebration more than fifty years earlier, serving the wine politely with a solemn face and a faint air of wishing to be elsewhere. People had been rather awed by him despite his youth; toward his sons, they seemed more familiar, even affectionate.

Boromir, especially, was receiving warm congratulations from many of the guests. He had recently led his company to their first notable victory, Mithrandir gathered from the talk flying about the room. An armsmaster from one of the training halls in the First Circle seemed particularly interested and stayed by Boromir's side for several minutes to press him for details. Boromir readily answered his questions while taking clean cups from a tray and, without looking, passing them backward to Faramir. Matching his pace, Faramir filled each cup with a smooth sweep of the ladle, set it down, and turned back for the next. They continued in this way until another guest entered, and then Faramir gently pushed Boromir's hand back before offering a cup to the newcomer.

As midnight drew closer, the cooks and scullery-maids came from the kitchens to share in the celebration they had prepared. The minstrel, too, set down his harp and partook of some food and wine. An air of expectancy fell over the room. Voices lowered almost to whispers as people began to listen for the bell-stroke that would announce the turning of the year.

And then it came, a silvery-clear chime resounding through the Citadel. All fell silent as the Lord Denethor stepped to the center of the room to make the two toasts which tradition dictated must be completed before the bell finished ringing. He lifted his cup to those gathered around him. "To those who serve the Tower, to those who serve the city, and to those who serve our land," he recited. The guests stood still while their Steward drank to them, their faces at once solemn and joyous. Another year has passed, and we have endured, they seemed to say. Another year we have remained steadfast in exile. Another year we have stood against the Shadow.

Then Denethor raised his cup higher and called out in a clear voice, "To the new year!"

"To the new year!" the guests repeated as one, and drank.

As the last strokes of the bell tolled, each person then offered a toast to those nearby. Conversation began to hum again as good wishes were exchanged. Mithrandir found himself toasting the young sentry who had admitted him to the city that morning, whose name, he had since learned, was Ingold. He saw Denethor touch his wine-cup first to Boromir's and then Faramir's. A look passed between the father and younger son then, and though they said nothing, Mithrandir knew that both had laid aside their differences in the spirit of the new year.

Faramir then turned to toast Boromir, and Mithrandir caught Denethor's eye. With a faint smile, he lifted his cup to the Steward. After a moment's pause, Denethor returned the gesture. Although there had never been trust between them, for tonight, there was truce.

The toasts marked the end of the celebration. Soon afterward, the guests began to drift away. Mithrandir made his way out of the Tower and stopped in the courtyard, leaning upon his staff. Departing guests called out the traditional greeting--"A good Yestarë and a good year!"--to each other, their voices ringing sharp and clear in the frosty air. Light sparkled on the snow lying around the White Tree and coating its branches. It was not difficult to imagine the beginnings of buds sleeping under the snow, waiting to swell at the sun's touch. Mithrandir smiled.

There were footsteps behind him, and then Lord Denethor was beside him. "What makes you smile so?" His tone was unusually mild, almost companionable.

Caught up in the mood of the night, Mithrandir chose to answer that question with another. "Tell me, Lord Denethor," he asked merrily as he turned to face the Steward, "should you like to see the White Tree in flower?"

"Why do you ask?" Wariness leapt into Denthor's eyes.

"No reason," Mithrandir replied a little sadly. There seemed no point in spoiling the fragile peace between them. He ought to have realized that Denethor would interpret the question as a challenge, for a flowering Tree in this court could only mean a king on the throne.

Denethor raised one eyebrow, but left it at that.

Boromir had made the connection too, Mithrandir reflected, though he clearly considered kings to belong only to the pages of lorebooks. But Faramir...had he stopped to think of the meaning of his words, their significance for his family? Did he see in the Tree a hope for the future, or was he wishing for the return of the past? Mithrandir found himself growing intrigued. Yes, he would have to make time to speak with Faramir, to get to know the young man he had become.

The brothers emerged from the Tower just then. After they had wished Mithrandir a good Yestarë, Faramir hesitantly addressed Denethor. "Father, I was thinking--as tomorrow is a holiday--perhaps Mithrandir might dine with us?"

Mithrandir glanced at Denethor, trying to read whether his good humor persisted. Denethor’s face remained impassive, but he inclined his head and answered, "Very well."

The silver chime struck the half-hour, reminding them that it was time they were abed. The small party started toward their respective lodgings, which lay in the same direction. Rather surprisingly, Boromir hung back with Mithrandir, allowing Faramir and Denethor to walk on ahead side by side.

Pehaps Boromir too was affected by the mood of the night. Perhaps the lateness of the hour loosened his tongue. Or perhaps he had drunk too much wine, though that seemed unlikely. Whatever the reason, Mithrandir would later remember this as one of the greatest moments of openness between him and Denethor's elder son.

"I am glad to see peace between them again," Boromir confessed in a rush, looking after his father and brother. "Their discords are slower to mend than they once were." As if feeling he had spoken too freely, he looked away, fixing his gaze on the White Tree. Mithrandir waited patiently, saying nothing.

After a few seconds' pause, Boromir spoke again. "When I was a child, I wondered sometimes why no one took the White Tree away, for it was dead. But when my mother died, I came to understand why they left it here--as a reminder of how things once were, for it makes the loss seem less complete. The people of Gondor keep this tree in remembrance of the days of the kings, just as Isildur planted it to remember his brother Anárion." He looked again to where Faramir and Denethor walked, and Mithrandir knew that he wondered if he too would be left one day with only memories of a brother. Boromir sighed. "They fought against Sauron and believed him destroyed, but he returned, and he will never be satisfied until we are destroyed...."

Mithrandir risked laying a hand on the young man's shoulder. "We are none of us granted to know the future," he said gravely. "Even those gifted with what is called foresight only see small glimpses, and dimly at that. But that is as much a blessing as a curse, for it gives us hope. Let us hope that Gondor may know peace one day soon."

Boromir nodded, seeming to pull himself together, as if he had only just realized to whom he had been speaking. "That is easy to do on such a night as this," he returned with a half-smile. His guard was up again; there would be no more confidences tonight.

Still, Mithrandir thought, it had been a most surprising evening.

The new year stretched before them all with endless possibilities for good or ill. Things might change in ways that no one could now foresee, or they might change very little. In another year’s time, Sauron might have arisen or been defeated. Gondor might have a king again, or it might be conquered. Or perhaps things would be much the same as they were tonight. All of Mithrandir's wisdom and experience could not tell him what would happen. As he had told Boromir, none could know the future.

Some things, however, seemed likely. Tomorrow he would dine with Denethor and his sons; the next day he would return to the archive. If he found out nothing about Bilbo's ring this winter, then perhaps he and Strider might learn something from Gollum in the spring. Beyond that, it was difficult to say.

But Mithrandir was sure of one thing: before he retired for the night, he intended to have a good smoke.

***

Author's notes: Gandalf knowing the passwords of the seven gates of Minas Tirith is a detail mentioned by Ingold in Book V, chapter 1. The idea for the Mettarë celebration was suggested in part by the custom of military officers serving the enlisted men during the Christmas season in some parts of the world, which was brought to my attention by Roh_wyn.

I would like to thank all who offered suggestions and talked this story over with me, but especially Lilan, whose patience for listening to me ramble is enormous. Finally, I would also like to thank Eru that I was able to finish the story!

Happy Birthday, Lilan!

2007-12-14T14:58:59Z

Many happy returns of the day, lilan14! *hugs* Here's to another year of discussions, fanfiction, and fun! :-)

I'm afraid your birthday present isn't quite ready yet, but I'd almost quail to present it on the same day as sealover_astara's adorable story anyway. Just keep re-reading that one until mine is ready!

"The Hobbit" discussion at my other journal!

2007-12-13T04:56:25Z

Cross-posted from cressida0201. A friend of mine, whom I've been trying to convince to read Tolkien for a while now, recently finished The Hobbit for the first time. I made a discussion post to talk about the book, not just with her, but with anyone who's interested. Please feel free to jump in if you have any thoughts about the book! The entry is here:

http://cressida0201.livejournal.com/100609.html