A Spring in the Highlands
Jul. 7th, 2025 22:38![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
narya_flame posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
tolkienshortfanworksAuthor: Narya
Title: A Spring in the Highlands
Title: A Spring in the Highlands
Characters: Original Characters; Maglor (mentioned indirectly)
Pairing: N/A
Text type / Format: Ficlet
Source / Fandom: The Silmarillion
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Word Count: 828
Summary: On a summer camping trip, Harrison and Theo listen to the river.
Author notes: Written for the Tolkien Short Fanworks challenge, July 2025. Harrison and Theo are original characters who first appeared in my Paradox 'verse, although this piece sits in the Summerland AU, a crossover between Paradox andspiced_wine 's Dark Prince 'verse. They are friends of Maglor, referred to here by his alias Mark Lowry. In my fics, Maglor survives through to modern times and does not go back to Valinor. Harrison's cousin Claire, also mentioned here, was their first of their group to befriend Maglor in both 'verses.
( Read more... )
Author notes: Written for the Tolkien Short Fanworks challenge, July 2025. Harrison and Theo are original characters who first appeared in my Paradox 'verse, although this piece sits in the Summerland AU, a crossover between Paradox and
spiced_wine 's Dark Prince 'verse. They are friends of Maglor, referred to here by his alias Mark Lowry. In my fics, Maglor survives through to modern times and does not go back to Valinor. Harrison's cousin Claire, also mentioned here, was their first of their group to befriend Maglor in both 'verses.( Read more... )
Check-In #2
Jul. 7th, 2025 11:48grundyscribbling posting in tolkienrsbLovely TRSBers, we hope that summer is treating you well! 
The mod team would like to let you know that the next check-in is this Saturday, July 12th. You know the drill - please check with your partner about your collab's progress and send us an email confirming that everything is going smoothly OR inform us of any issues. We will send you an email with all the details later today so keep an eye on your inboxes. (As ever, please do NOT reply to the email we send out - that makes our job more difficult. Send us a fresh email!)
The mod team would like to let you know that the next check-in is this Saturday, July 12th. You know the drill - please check with your partner about your collab's progress and send us an email confirming that everything is going smoothly OR inform us of any issues. We will send you an email with all the details later today so keep an eye on your inboxes. (As ever, please do NOT reply to the email we send out - that makes our job more difficult. Send us a fresh email!)
Beowulf Promo Post
Jul. 7th, 2025 16:19narya_flame posting in innumerable_stars
(Image credit: J. R. Skelton, 1908)
Summary: Hwæt! New to Innumerable Stars this year is Tolkien's prose translation of Beowulf, the Old English epic which underpinned his academic career and informed so much of his legendarium. This is a tale of heroes and monsters, loyalty and sacrifice, history and kinship, memory and grief. Beowulf does battle with the terrifying Grendel, with Grendel's lake-dwelling mother, and finally, in old age, a dragon. Throughout the poem there are a number of digressions - on the Swedish-Geatic wars, on Biblical stories, and on other tales and legends of the old Germanic world. Scholars are divided on how much these help or hinder the narrative; for Tolkien (and later scholars such as Shippey) they are important reflections both of the history of the North and of the themes within the poem's main narrative.
Why should I check out this canon? For Tolkien completists this is a must-read. As with all his translations and non-Middle-earth texts, there are plenty of resonances and parallels with his more famous works - from the elegiac tone to the exchange with the wily old dragon (direct inspiration for Glaurung and Smaug), from the culture and history of Rohan and its linguistic links with the Shire to meditations on the nature of monstrousness. If you're already familiar with the source material then this is, as you would expect, a highly accurate and deeply considered translation. For those not yet familiar, Beowulf is a fascinating and important piece of literature in its own right, as Tolkien argued in his 1936 lecture 'Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics', and if the original Old English looks daunting then this translation is as good a starting point as any. It's a strange read to contemporary eyes, and a bit of a puzzle - critics can't even agree whether the original poem is one text, two, seven, or eleven - but (for some of us anyway) that's part of the the appeal. Grab a copy and see if it casts a spell on you too.
Where can I get this? It was published in 2014 (together with Sellic Spell, two original lays based on the Beowulf legend, and a detailed commentary) as Beowulf: A Translation and Commentary. Your local bookstore or library should be able to help you locate a copy. (Note that the book doesn't contain 'The Monsters and the Critics'; that particular text is available in The Monsters and the Critics, and Other Essays.)
What fanworks exist already? AO3 doesn't tag the Tolkien version separately, so it's difficult to say, although I couldn't locate any fanworks based specifically on this translation. It's fertile ground for standalone and crossover creations, though, so go forth and tell of the glory of the Spear-Danes in days of old!
Finrod Rock Opera Promo Post
Jul. 6th, 2025 11:19grundyscribbling posting in innumerable_stars
(written by thepastisaroadmap )
Summary: This is a couple different Russian stage productions of the part of the Lay of Lethian focusing on Finrod, which covers the time between Beren and Luthien’s meeting to escape from Tol-in-Gaurhoth. It is a rock opera, which means it’s a sung-through musical.
Why should I check out this canon? Musicals are a good form to adapt the legendarium into! It works particularly well for the battles between Finrod/Luthien and Sauron, where the song bends between their leitmotifs. Truth (Finrod's final song), the meeting of Beren and Luthien, and the quarrel with the sons of Feanor are also really good songs.
There are also some intriguing implications of canon divergence, including Celegorm and Curufin being the only remaining sons of Feanor, Sauron being an amalgamation of himself and Melkor, and the implication of Sauron rehabilitation/orc healing in recent performances (during Galadriel’s final song, Thingol and Melian heal the orcs while Finrod goes to a defeated Sauron and leads him into the cast as a whole). The loyalty between Finrod and Beren is showcased quite strongly; they have a couple of duets together. The 2001 Temple version also includes Caranthir in Nargothrond! (All of the sons of Feanor are still alive in this version, and they’re wearing the burning of the swan ships on their costumes.)
Where can I get this?
Many of the productions exist on YouTube in full! As far as I’m aware, the only English-subtitled versions are this video of the 2014 production and the 2001 Temple production. (These can be machine translated into other languages as well.) However, asterisq on ao3 has created an excellent line-by-line English translation of the lyrics for both the 2014 production and 2021-2023 ones, available here . This YouTube playlist includes full versions of many other productions.
What fanworks exist already?
There are not very many fanworks for this, but one I particularly like is this really lovely piece of fan art . There is also a small fandom for this show on tumblr!
Character of the Month: Marhwini
Jul. 5th, 2025 22:02daughterofshadows posting in silwritersguild
Marhwini of the Éothéod is a character who exists between books. He is, in the words of his biographer Secondborn, "a representative of a people who didn’t even exist," appearing in neither The Silmarillion nor The Lord of the Rings. But as Secondborn articulates, this doesn't mean Marhwini is unimportant. Her biography of Marhwini not only compiles the details of the life of a character who is likely unfamiliar to many Tolkien fans but also explores why this character matters. Important to both the histories of Rohan and Gondor, Marhwini is a character who influences events in the legendarium from across the centuries and whose actions exemplify the essential theme of the value of friendship and allegiance.
Roverandom Promo Post
Jul. 5th, 2025 12:28grundyscribbling posting in innumerable_stars
Summary: Roverandom is the incredibly cute story of a small dog that gets turned into a toy dog by a wizard and sold to a family with children. While Roverandom just thinks of escaping and being turned back into a real dog, his new owner, Little Boy Two, loses Roverandom on the beach.
The story contain wizards, a visit and life on the moon and in the sea, it also contains dragons, and Roverandom’s adventures to be turned back into a real dog.
Why should I check out this canon? It’s a beautiful little story that contains everything one might want: dogs, adventure, magic, a bit of mythology, new friendships. It’s entertaining, and has dogs and dragons. (Don’t go and poke at the dragon, he’s ill-tempered)
Where can I get this? Roverandom is available in libraries, perhaps even your local one, or book shops. It is also available from online booksellers. Roverandom is included in Tales From the Perilous Realm, which is available on the Internet Archive.
What fanworks exist already? There are 18 fanworks on AO3, and another 3 on Fanfiction.net. Four are also available on the Silmarillion Writers' Guild
Adventures in Middle Earth Promo Post
Jul. 4th, 2025 16:35grundyscribbling posting in innumerable_stars
Written by
Summary: Adventures in Middle Earth is a tabletop roleplaying game set in Middle-Earth between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The system is based on Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, but can also be played in its own system, The One Ring RPG, and it has a sister game: The Lord of the Rings for 5e and The One Ring 2e. The game has premade adventures, such as political intrigue in Dale, a particularly persistent undead creature trying to do Sauron's bidding, and venturing -- carefully -- into Angmar, but there's no need to stop at the published plotlines!
Why should I check out this canon? AiME is a lore-knowledgeable game designed specifically around Arda, both thematically (misdeeds and influence of the Shadow cause player characters to slowly become corrupted) and practically (journeys from one place to another are fleshed out and feel like real adventure, as do audiences with powerful figures). Characters from the books make appearances, and have in-depth guides on how they should act, and if you've ever wondered what Legolas's stats are, there's an answer! And the original characters are just as good, from the ones the adventurers befriend to the ones they desperately want to deck every time they talk. The worldbuilding is top-notch, too, and gives more detail to places that get glossed over in the books!
Where can I get this? AiME and TOR 1e are out of print, but some sourcebooks are available on the Internet Archive, or from people willing to share their copies. LotR 5e and TOR 2e are available to buy online or at some game stores.
What fanworks exist already? In a way, every game of AiME is a live fanwork! But there are some fics on Ao3, and some art that can be found on Tumblr. Most of these feature player heroes in central roles, and let readers glimpse between the pages and see the other heroes Middle-Earth might have.
The Story of Kullervo Promo Post
Jul. 3rd, 2025 23:09narya_flame posting in innumerable_stars
Summary: This dark little tale follows "hapless Kullervo" as he tries to reunite with his family after they are torn apart by the evil wizard Untamo, who killed Kullervo's father. Our hero makes Túrin Turambar look like a good luck charm; expect witchy women, terrible twists of fate, incest, and tragedy aplenty. (Oh, and humans descended from swans.)
Why should I check out this canon? Jesting aside, this text genuinely is the forerunner of Túrin's story - Tolkien confirmed as much in Letter 257. Tracing the motifs through is a lot of fun, as is seeing what changed. It's an interesting look at Tolkien's early prose writing (the drafts date from 1914, when he was an undergraduate in Oxford) and also at how he drew on and adapted the epic literature of other countries when creating his own legendarium.
Where can I get this? There's a copy available on the Internet Archive; for physical copies, try your preferred bookseller or your local library.
What fanworks already exist? Nothing comes up in an AO3 search - could you be the one to give this canon the love and attention its tragic soul deserves?
Fancake Theme for July: Working Together
Jul. 3rd, 2025 09:23runpunkrun posting in fandomcalendar
fancake is a thematic recommendation community where all members are welcome to post recs, and fanworks of all shapes and sizes are accepted. Check out the community guidelines for the full set of rules. This theme runs for the entire month. If you have any questions, just ask!
Horn of Gondor Promo Post
Jul. 2nd, 2025 07:26grundyscribbling posting in innumerable_stars
(Written by Aprilertuile)
Summary: Horn of Gondor is a fantastic fan film that follows Borondir, a knight of Gondor charged alongside 5 other knights to bring a message to the horse lords of the North, to the Eorlingas. Gondor is in a difficult position, losing a terrible war: will the messengers be able to bring Gondor’s plea for help to the Horse Lords? Will they be in time?
Why should I check out this canon? It’s fan made but it’s beautiful. The cast is PERFECT, the story is full of adventure, the fights are beautiful and the story itself keeps your attention from start to finish, once you start the film you will not be able to look away, and to add to all of it, the decor, the landscape is gorgeous. All of it looks like it belongs in Tolkien's Middle Earth.
Where can I get this? HORN OF GONDOR (2020) A Tolkien Fan Film.
What fanworks exist already? I have alas found no work already existing for this fandom (but you could be the first)