You just know that Eowyn can’t have been the only woman disguised on the field of battle.

Dear everyone who followed in the past few days - you and your interest, enthusiasm and kindness (and your number! this project very quickly became popular beyond your mods’ wildest expectations, and we’d like to thank everyone who helped spreading the word, and everyone who followed) are real marvels. 

If you haven’t already, please take a moment to (re)read our FAQ, ask any additional questions you may have, and sharpen your pens, pencils and other creative implements that require sharpening, because the first of our (optional) prompts will go live tomorrow around noon CET. But we know many of you have already been waiting eagerly, so — we hereby declare Legendarium Ladies April OPEN! Get creating! 

A note on Tolkien's canon -

    - in leuit of the issue of LaCE coming up again, let’s just remember that, yes, the Noldor were the primary example and so it is not perhaps nessecary to apply it to all races of elves, it may not even need be applied at all.

After all, it is the Laws and Customs of the Eldar - laws and customs. I make this point, because it is arguable that it is not in the scientific nature of elves to bond themselves into marriage with sex, but rather, the cultural norm - nature versus nurture, if you will. If you look at it in this way, you can easily see Tolkien’s Catholic influence in his writings, and take that out of the equation, who is to say that it is the automatic and not concious thought of an individual that causes the Fea to respond in the whole bonding thing of marriage?

Fear don’t even have to come into it, if you don’t want. Tolkien did not say that it was in the biological nature of elves for this rule of sex to exist, but rather, it is a physcological thing, is it not? So if you want to ignore it, because your character simply does not believe in it - even if they are Noldo - it is perfectly reasonable to suggest that still works within the contstraints of canon.

Make the canon work for you - Tolkien didn’t say that elves didn’t exist in homosexual polyamorous relationships, so why surpress that expression if you don’t want to? Make it work for you, don’t become a slave to the semantics of one essay.

probably my favorite musical rendition of the hymn to elbereth, idgaf

*whispers*

Tolkien almost never describes fashion. It doesn’t have to be Hollywood Medieval.

#tolkien actually said that he didn't really imagine that type of thing #and just sort of vaguely imagined lots of chainmail #psssst europeans aren't the only people to wear mail #idk it just seems there's a lot of #aha here are the main characters in generic movie fashions #aha here are the otherized characters in ~exotic~ costumes #art and fancasts and idkkkk i'm a bit uncomfortable about it tbh #the characters aren't necessarily white and their cultures aren't necessarily theme park european medieval

Yes, to all of this. I'm not actually opposed to medieval-europe-inspired designs in other-world fantasies (in which historical accuracy can go out the window), but I yearn to see more variety overall, especially if a story features characters from different cultures or locations (without exotified othering, please). And this adherence to all-white or white-dominant casting has been an even greater issue. :/

On costuming, though: my general guideline is that it should ultimately be rooted in reality -- not the reality of our world, but in that which the characters inhabit. Regardless of culture, designs and fabrics should be reflective of factors such as wealth, purpose, and climate. This was my primary issue with the elves' costuming in the Lord of the Rings movies -- while many of the gowns were beautifully constructed, they would be utterly impractical in many contexts.

Rivendell is placed at a fairly northern latitude, at the foot of the mountains. The bulk of story happens between December and March. Arwen would have been freezing in some of her scenes -- elves may have greater resistance to the cold, but they aren't completely impervious to the elements. And the dress she wears when departing Rivendell looks better suited for ceremonial or formal events than for travelling through the woods in the winter!

I know I'm supposed to just marvel at the beauty and the magic, but it bothers me.

Chinese LOTR Covers are Awesome

Man oh Mandarin, that’s a great trilogy.

euuuurgh

Every time I see someone defend the monochrome casting of Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit it’s just so obnoxious and irrational and, obviously, super racist.

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Meanwhile, Treebeard is a strong supporter of enthusiastic consent

this might be the best out-of-context quote that I have EVER seen

whispers no

aragorn is not a man of gondor

he is a ranger from the north and no

his bloodline is not relevant

his acts when he was wandering east are not relevant

he has not suffered through the tribulations of gondor in recent years

he would not even be after the throne if not for arwen

(reminder that elrond told him he could marry her when he reclaimed the kingdom of gondor and arnor which feel out of the hands of the kings and into the hands of the far more competent stewards after earnur)

he doesn’t even have as much elvish blood as boromir and faramir

his right to gondor is supported solely by dicks

Nichelle Nichols as Gandwif the Grey—Gandwif was one of the five Istari sent to Middle-earth by the Valar in the Third Age. In Valinor she was known as Olóriel. Gandwif was instrumental in bringing about the demise of Sauron in the Third Age, chiefly by encouraging others and dispensing her wisdom at pivotal times. Gandalf was originally robed in grey, and second to Saruvan in the Order of wizards. After her fall in Moria, Gandwif returned to Middle-earth as head of the Order, robed in white. Gandwif was noteworthy for her keen interest in pipe-smoking, and the Hobbits who instructed her in the art.

(part of the series YOU LOOK UPON A WOMAN, a project which reimagines Lord of the Rings with a cast of women of color)

#10/10 WOULD RECOMMEND A PLUS WOULD WATCH

I think I’m nearing the finish line on this thing.

Unpopular Tolkien Opinions

Inspired by all the recent Serious Discussion about divisive questions in the fandom, I thought I’d make this to answer the really important ones.

Reblog with your answers!

What do German tree guardians say when they bump into each other?

Ent-schuldigung.