Tolkien Blog Party || Tag
*scurries into the room distributing sweaters and acorns and fantasy novels* Hello, hello, hello, and a happy Hobbit Day to you all! In a shocking and delightful turn of events, the weather where I am actually cooperated and gave us a deliciously crisp first day of fall. I can taste the metaphorical hibernation coming on the autumn wind, and I am thrilled and enthused about it.
In other news, we are in the thick of one of my very favorite weeks of each year: Rachel's Tolkien Blog Party, which is celebrating its TENTH anniversary! (*emotes quietly*) Alas, I don't think I'll be able to contribute anything other than my tag answers this time around, but that's okay. There's always next year, Lord willing — a great comfort for many reasons. 😉
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My family. I don't really remember a time when The Lord of the Rings paraphernalia wasn't scattered about our house. It was A Big Thing every time one of the kids became old enough to watch the movie trilogy for the first time, and, in that way, it was a formative story for me even though I didn't watch it until my tween years.
2. Has your love of Middle-earth affected your life?
*glances at blog literally titled "Meanwhile, in Rivendell . . . "* Well, I mean . . .
In all seriousness, it's affected it greatly, and I am deeply grateful for it. I don't know that I ever would have started blogging if it hadn't been for my budding love for The Lord of the Rings, and I genuinely don't know where I would be right now if I hadn't.
TLOTR was also, as I said before, one of my "formative stories," and it's inextricably interwoven with my story sense. My love for it has mellowed over the years, but I think it's safe to say that it's only deepened in the process.
3. Have you ever dressed up like a Tolkien character?
As a specific character, no; but as a Tolkien-esque elf, yes. And no, you may not see the picture.
(I don't think we could say that I've had a glow-up since high school, but I don't think I've gotten worse, and that is some comfort. 😂)
4. What people in your real life would you want in your company if you had to take the ring to Mordor?
Some or all of my immediate family, and maybe one or two friends.
5. What Middle-earth location would you most like to visit?
You know, I've always said Ithilien or Rivendell, since those have historically been my top favorites. But the more I think about it, the more I'm realizing that my favorite location may actually be the Withywindle Valley. Idk. Maybe it would be better to say that I love it equally as much as I love Ithilien. So, one of those two. Probably.
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| Also Beorn's house and the surrounding area! |
6. Are there any secondary characters you think deserve more attention?
In the past, I probably would have said Faramir, but I think he actually does get a decent amount of attention. Not as much as he deserves, perhaps, but he is reasonably well-appreciated, at least. So, instead, I'll say Elrond (as I argued last year), Éomer (as Eva-Joy argued this year), Goldberry, and Fatty Bolger.
7. Would you rather attend Faramir's wedding or Samwise's wedding?
I know I couldn't decide last time, but I think I would probably opt for Faramir's at this point. Don't press me too hard, though, or I'll start waffling.
8. How many books by J.R.R. Tolkien have you read?
- The Silmarillion
- The Hobbit
- The Fellowship of the Ring
- The Two Towers
- The Return of the King
- Roverandum
- Smith of Wooton Major & Farmer Giles of Ham
So, if you count The Lord of the Rings as three separate books (which I do, because his publishers were right — it should be three separate books 😜), seven.
9. Are there any books about Middle-earth or Professor Tolkien (but not written by him) that you recommend?
10. List up to ten of your favorite lines/quotations from the Middle-earth books and/or movies.
Yes! Craig Bernthal's Tolkien's Sacramental Vision. It's a marvelous analysis of the way Tolkien's Catholic faith is woven into his writings — particularly about the way it pervades Middle-earth.
Also, Joseph Loconte's A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War. I've recommended it to several people, and everyone who's read it seems to have enjoyed it as much as I did. It's a manageable but informative exploration of how WWI influenced the writers of the Lost Generation, and it's much more interesting than I just made it sound. 😅
10. List up to ten of your favorite lines/quotations from the Middle-earth books and/or movies.
I'm actually going to keep it short and sweet this year with two of my long-time, tried-and-true top favorites:
The world is indeed full of peril, and in it there are many dark places; but still there is much that is fair, and though in all lands love is now mingled with grief, it grows perhaps the greater.
- The Fellowship of the Ring
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Though here at journey's end I lie
in darkness buried deep,
beyond all towers strong and high,
beyond all mountains steep,
above all shadows rides the Sun
and Stars for ever dwell:
I will not say the Day is done,
nor bid the Stars farewell.
- The Return of the King
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Be sure to check out Rachel's blog for other Tolkien-y goodness, including a giveaway! ♥
How could I forget Elrond when I answered the underrated secondary characters question?? MY GUY. I love him so, so much. (And thanks for giving a shout-out to my Eomer post!)
ReplyDeleteLove the colleges too. I have a bunch of similar ones saved to my LOTR Pinterest board. That one of Faramir...are the two kids supposed to be Kid Faramir and Kid Boromir? Because, if so, I'm feelings allll the feels right now.
Wonderful post! I had a lot of fun reading through your answers.
Elrond forever! (And you're most welcome! I promise I will get around to actually commenting on it.)
DeleteYes! These collages are some of my favorite things. And yep, yep -- I do believe they're supposed to be our little Tower Guard boys, and I too am feeling the feels. *sniffle*
Thank you so much!
Rivendell is a popular destination. :-)
ReplyDeleteAnd with good reason, eh? ;)
DeleteI always love all of your aesthetics so much!
ReplyDeleteThe Withywindle would definitely be a fun place to visit!
GOLDBERRY, yes, she absolutely deserves more attention! I've always been fascinated by the descriptions of her, and the water and lilies surrounding her, and like...does she need the water to survive? How is she the river-daughter? I have many questions.
Right? I almost wish I had made them, but mainly I'm just in awe of whoever did. xD
DeleteOkay, YES. The Withywindle/Goldberry are so underrated! I hadn't even considered the question of whether she needs the water to survive in a literal sense, but that's fascinating!
#4 - Most people wants to take their family along to Mordor which I wonder at because it's a dangerous journey but perhaps having family around makes it easier.
ReplyDelete#6 - Elrond? I don't know. I seem to have seen a lot his face, that actor's face dressed up as the character, almost on every blog.
Have a lovely day.
I think perhaps people opt for their families because there's (theoretically) less pretense with one's family? Like, you already know them and they already know you and you can just cut to the chase without messing around with niceties. That's my motivation for the answer, at least.
DeleteI feel like Elrond appears in a lot of pictures that people use, but people rarely actually talk about/appreciate the character himself, if that makes sense.
You, too!
Fatty Bolger!!! Yes! He's such a brick. And nobody talks about him. Must send more fanlove his way.
ReplyDeleteWell, now Tolkien's Sacramental Vision has gotten bumped higher up my wishlist :-)
I loooooooooooooooove your aesthetic pieces here. So gorgeous. As always :-D
Yes! And, really, think about how scary it must have been to stay behind -- ALONE -- in that house, knowing the Ring-Wraiths were about. Fatty definitely deserves more fan attention.
DeleteOoh, I think you'll get a kick out of TSV! It's very meaty and nerdy and lovely. :D
Aren't they gorgeous? I want the artist to make them into prints so I can buy them, haha.