Middle-earth Journeys

Just scanned through to the end of the Prancing Pony chapter: no flowers except for flax flowers, which is used to describe the shape of the stones in the brooch Bombadil finds in the barrows.

Another of my favorites: I grow flax in my garden.

Back to the Huorns, briefly. I was thinking about them and the Ents in bed last night (as you do...) and it occurred to me that most people who know Tolkien 'second-hand' and who haven't read the books think that the Ents are the walking trees. I've heard so many people make references to them that way - they clearly think Ents are trees. I'm not surprised really, trying to explain they are large beings and that some are now so slow that they are becoming 'treeish' and not moving, whereas the moving trees are Hourns and some are becoming more Ent like - well. It's not even worth trying . Tolkien never made a history of anything simple when he could make it complicated!

Thanks, Iolanthe; what the Huorns are, their sort of metaphysical status as beings, is what my student is going to have to figure out, and I think Tolkien isn't perfectly clear about that. It'll be interesting to see what he comes up with.

Flowers: I've scanned through almost all of FOTR and I'm sort of surprised that there aren't more flowers mentioned. Now if you were doing trees, RR, you would have quite a list! But two more possibilities for flowers: niphredil, of course, and nicotiana might also be kind of fun. Nicotiana are tobacco flowers, which would be an inside joke for Tolkien lovers. I've grown them in my garden and they are really lovely.

I love nicotianas! I'm surprised there aren't more flowers too. He does mention a huge number of plants that flower but aren't gown as 'flowers' as such - like flowering thyme and sages, and also small-flowered plants like saxifrage (all in Ithilien).

But you must have 12 anyway...

oh this is superb, Lindariel, thank you so much for the link! I love the way the writer has managed to keep references to the original song in certain places, too, and make them fit in with the Tolkien-based version!

I'm especially fond of the final verse that takes PJ to task for some of the liberties he took with Haldir and the elves arriving at Helm's Deep. Also the swipes taken at folks that write Tolkien-based "slash" fan fiction and the tongue-in-cheek disparaging remark about the Lay of Leithien.

And then, of course, "With many cheerful facts about the Simarills of Feanor," just cracks me up! CHEERFUL FACTS!!! BWAH!!!

Very clever! And the rhythm is just perfect! I checked to see if he had written anything else, and apparently this guy writes a little slash of his own. Sorry to say that Haldir in the movies probably made us all think that the Elves in Lothlorien were probably doing more than singing in their trees!

By the way, Lindariel, I came across a reference to the Church Militant in one of Tolkien's letters last night, so it was definitely a concept on his mind.

I agree with you about Haldir in the movies. Even when he's being "serious," Craig Parker always leaves me with the impression that he's thinking of something naughty. It's the eyebrows!

I did notice that kenaz has some slash fiction (actually a great deal of it) on his/her roster. Glad to see the author is capable of poking fun at him/herself.

Merry, glad to hear that you've found a Tolkien reference to the Church Militant! That gives you a great opportunity to bring the Warrior-King aspect of Aragorn's character into your paper. I do hope you plan on sharing it with us once you have it finalized for your class!

Thank you SO much for finding that, Lindariel. It's hilarious and a G&S/Tolkien buff's dream . Here's my favourites:

And whistle all the airs from that infernal Lay of Leithian. And whistle all the airs from that infernal Lay of Leithian. And whistle all the airs from that infernal Lay of Leithi-Leithian!

and

They'll tell you ev'ry detail of Prince Legolas's uniform

Coronation Day!

So VERY sorry to be late for the Coronation Day Party. I've been quite sick all weekend and still have a nasty lingering cough.

All hail, our Glorious King!

(Riv, would love to post your beautiful painting of Aragorn on horseback, raising the Elessar in farewell to the hobbits, but I would need your permission to do that, so I'm posting my INTENTION instead!)

Iolanthe and I were in Ireland for Coronation Day, so we are late to the party, too! and we've just appeared in a production of The Gondoliers, so I'll borrow a line from the chorus:

Then hail O King of a golden land
and the high-born bride who claims his hand!

I know these are Gilbert's words, rather than Tolkien's, but fitting, I think, especially as Tolkien was a G&S fan!

VERY late catching up here! I'll always think of Aragorn when I sing those words now, much more interesting than the real subject !

G&S - now that brings back fond memories of when I lived in Toronto - too many years ago to count! I roomed with a delightful woman who had graduated from Julliard. She had audtioned for and been accepted by the Met but had decided her voice was too "delicate" for the classics. She returned to Toronto to join the Eaton Light Opera Company which was dedicated to the performance of only G&S.

She had a stunning voice and loved to regale me with her favourite songs!

She is long gone now, but thank you for stirring up some wonderful memories with your discussion.