A day to celebrate J.R.R. Tolkien's works. Always on the 22nd of September, the birthday of Bilbo and Frodo.
For the tenth time Rachel at The Edge of the Precipice is hosting an Annual Tolkien Blog Party. Thanks to Lissa for refreshing my memory of this party.
To celebrate today, Rachel invites us to a game of tag, and I'd like to play. Here are her questions and my answers.
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1. Who first introduced you to Middle Earth?
I do not remember, I think I just stumbled over The lord of the Rings in a deserted corner of the local library.
2. Has your love of Middle-earth affected your life?
Yes. We often do things that are Middle-earth related, shooting bows and arrows, mushroom gathering, playing, talking, cooking ... even bathing ;)
And for many years I have been playing first Dungeons and Dragons (a pen and paper game) and later World of Warcraft (online game). None of these would ever had existed without Tolkien's works.
We often talk of persons and creatures from Tolkien's works, and as his works also are morally deep, but veiled in literature, they are good starting and ending points for theological, moral, and ethical discussions.
I have taught myself a lot of Quenya and Sindarin and the writing of Tengwar (Fëanor's runes).
3. Have you ever dressed up like a Tolkien character?
No, I never dressed up myself as a Tolkien character. But I have on many occasions dressed up my children - or helped them dress up as - Elven warriors, Hobbits, Dwarwes, and even a Goblin. All thanks to Tolkien.
4. What people in your real life would you want in your company if you had to take the ring to Mordor?
My husband, my children, and a man I know who is a 'survive in nature' and martial arts specialist. That makes nine ;)
5. What Middle-earth location would you most like to visit?
The Shire, Mirkwood, Fangorn, Rivendell, Lothlorien, Edoras, Beorn's house, ... all of Rohan, Helm's Deep ... everywhere, only not Mordor actually.
6. Are there any secondary characters you think deserve more attention?
I have always wanted to hear more of the other Istari, Gandalf's co-wizards - I would like to hear the true story, not the strangely distorted version from the movies ;) I wonder if Tom Bombadil is one of them ... lor at least related. And what about Beorn? ... So many questions.
7. Would you rather attend Faramir's wedding or Samwise's wedding?
Rosie and Sam's wedding. I am much more drawn to the cosy and abundant hobbit parties than to grandiose state happenings - these are what I like to watch on TV, but to attend, a Hobbit wedding wins!
8. How many books by J.R.R. Tolkien have you read?
I think I've read every fiction book he ever wrote, and I even read bits of his scholarly works.
9. Are there any books about Middle-earth or Professor Tolkien (but not written by him) that you recommend?
J.R.R. Tolkien - A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter.
10. List up to ten of your favourite lines/quotations from the Middle-earth books and/or movies.
It is the songs that really stays with me, and I am hard put to find a favourite here. It depends on time, mood and place.
But the best performed song is according to me Far over the misty Mountains from the first Hobbit movie. It was just perfect - as were all the music in that part. we were sorely disappointed this was not continued in the two sequels.
How I love your answers. And yes, a hobbit celebration would be much more to my taste too.
SvarSletThank you. I think most of us are Hobbits deep down inside ;)
SletI know nothing of Middle Earth or Hobbits. I tried to watch Lord of the Rings once, but fell asleep.
SvarSletTry reading instead. The books are SO much better. And I guess you'd love the simple yet deep hobbits and their Shire.
Slet1 - It sounds nice to stumble over a book at the library.
SvarSlet4 - I'm not sure I want to go to Mordor with my family, I would be worrying about them every step of the way.
10 - I'm not much a fan of the music for LOTR and I haven't seen the Hobbit movies but that 'Far over the misty mountains' sounds haunting.
Have a lovely day.
re. 4. I absolutely would be terrified of going to Mordor. I would prefer not to go at all! But IF i was going to Mordor, I'd like to be surrounded by people I could trust.
SletMr. Z, the best elementary school teacher i ever had, introduced our class to The Hobbit. If we worked hard and got finished with everything in a timely way, he would read to us from it, some each day. He had it worked out (though we didn't realize it at the time) that he would finish on the last day of school, and he did.
SvarSletWhat a fab teacher. I'm sure you all worked dilligently to listen to this book. I would have loved him. Well I loved my Danish teacher, only not her choice of books, which was tending towards social realism ... sigh, but so was the fashion at that time. .
SletMy Husby introduced me and our kids to The Hobbit. I'd never heard of it or Lord of the Rings until then! (I think I grew up under a rock!)
SvarSletOh my goodness! How cool that you know Quenya and Sindarin! And can even write using the Tengwar font. I am so impressed.
SvarSletI am really curious about the blue wizards in particular. I bet they also had amazing adventures, but totally different sorts from Gandalf!
My youngest was a toddler when the first Hobbit movie came out, and my husband used to sing her the movie version of "Far Over the Misty Mountains Cold" to get her ready for bedtime. She loved all the low, rumbly parts :-)
Thanks for joining the party!