New Challenge: Crossroads of the Fallen King
Cross "The Silmarillion" with a second text or fandom in this month's crossover challenge.
SWG News
A Sense of History: Thálatta! Thálatta!
While he never climbs the stairs of this Elf-tower, in Lothlórien Frodo Baggins descends a flight of steps to look into Galadriel’s Mirror, wherein he first sees the sea. This post examines the view.
Choose a Name for Our New Column!
Our temporarily titled "location bio" will focus on the landscapes and locations of Middle-earth. We need your help naming it!
New Challenge: Tengwar
Each day for thirty-six days, we feature a randomly chosen letter from the Tengwar as a prompt.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] History abandons us by AdmirableMonster
During his incarceration in Roderick Burgess' basement, Dream receives a strange, ancient visitor.
[Writing] Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge. To be updated as new prompts are completed.
Current up through '…
[Writing] Tengwar Acrostics by Himring
Responses to the Tengwar Challenge in which first letters spell out the name of a tengwa.
1) Early Encounter (Nerdanel, Indis)
2) Numenorean Lullaby (Almarian, Aldarion)
[Writing] Tengwar Drabbles by cílil
A collection of Silmarillion-centric drabbles written for the Tengwar Challenge. Short and sweet!
[Writing] If i get home before daylight by BloodwingBlackbird
a traveler meets a stranger at a crossroads.
[Writing] I Stood Aside by Flora-lass
Maedhros' horror at the burning of the ships. Inspired by a painting (see notes).
Current Challenge
Crossroads of the Fallen King
Create a fanwork that crosses with a second text or fandom. Read more ...
Tengwar
A daily prompt of a Tengwar letter per day. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Gift of a Story
Create a fanwork as a gift to show thanks and appreciation for someone in the fandom. Read more ...
New in References
Thálatta! Thálatta! by Simon J. Cook
[]While he never climbs the stairs of this Elf-tower, in Lothlórien Frodo Baggins descends a flight of steps to look into Galadriel’s Mirror, wherein he first sees the sea. This post examines the view.
[]
With Gildor Inglorion we finally climb the stairs of Elostirion and look on the view, and what we see appears to reveal a hidden thread in the story of Frodo Baggins. This post reads two annotated translations of two Elvish songs to step through a crossroads in the narrative to arrive at the tower on the margin of the story, wherein is a stone that is a window onto Valinor.
Grief, Grieving, and Permission to Mourn in the "Quenta Silmarillion" by Dawn Walls-Thumma
[]In a book as full of death as the Quenta Silmarillion, grief and mourning are surprisingly absent. The characters who receive grief and mourning—and those who don't—appear to do so due to narrative bias. Grief and mourning (or a lack of them) serve to draw attention toward and away from objectionable actions committed by characters.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Waybread (The Waybredlik) by Himring
[]Lembas speaks out.
[Series] Apr 1st Stories by Uvatha the Horseman
[]Once a year on April 1st, a canon character from LOTR or the Silmarillion gets pranked.
[Writing] Crossing Forest River by Dawn Felagund
[]Bilbo recounts, in verse, the attempt of Gandalf, Beorn, and him to cross the Forest River after the Battle of Five Armies. Written for the Hungarian Tolkien Society's 2024 Mailing Competition.
Around the World and Web
Mythcon 53: Fantasies of the Middle Lands
Mythcon 53 will be held 2-5 August 2024 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with the theme "Fantasies of the Middle Lands."
Teitho May/June Challenge: Joker
For the May/June Teitho challenge, you can pick ANY of our past challenges that stir your imagination and write a story or create art for it.
Monstrous May 2024
Monstrous May is a Tumblr event where, for each day of the month of May, there is a prompt involving and invoking the monstrous.
Fellowship of the Fics: Modern AU May
During May, Fellowship of the Fics offers modern AU prompt lists for setting, character occupation, and dialogue on Tumblr.
May challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The May challenge has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. Thematic challenge: name; formal challenge: acrostic. As usual, these can be filled independently and freely combined with other prompts such as the SWG challenges. New participants welcome!
Motley Crew by Himring
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Motley Crew
Warning for reference to the eating of animals; the effects of the tsunami itself and Maglor's darker past are only hinted at.
Although Maglor now spent his life by the sea, he stayed away from all ships. But after the Fall of Numenor, great tidal waves fell on the shore and, unexpectedly, Maglor found himself again in a boat that did not belong to him, rowing for his life. He wondered whether Osse was after him to punish him for his crimes. Then he had to rescue three hens from a floating henhouse and was distracted. When Maglor’s boat reached safety, it also contained a young Avar, an old woman and a fox.
He did not mind boats so much after that.
Himling Isle
‘We are not barbecuing our fellow passengers’, said Maglor firmly, ‘or eating them raw either!’ he added with a glare at the fox, who sat back on his haunches and pretended he had never even thought of hens being edible.
‘All right, Master Elf,’ sighed the old Atani. ‘But I’m afraid I cannot go without food as long as you. Are you prepared to carry me from this place?’
‘I will go find food,’ said the Avar and was the first to clamber out of the boat into the muddy mess that the slowly receding flood waters had left behind.
They took the old woman back to her cottage. They left the hens with her. Their owner could not be found; it would make up for her losses. Her smile as she said farewell was astonishingly sweet and joyful.
The Avar looked at Maglor.
‘Who are you?’
‘I was many things,’ answered Maglor. A poet, a prince, a puppet. ‘Now I’m just a wanderer.’
‘The Wanderer by the Seashore?’ The Avar seemed less disturbed than expected. ‘I return to my kin, but I will not forget.’
Maglor turned. ‘Still there?’
The fox looked past him, pretending it was a coincidence.
Chapter End Notes
The italicized first drabble was originally called posted under the separate title "Back in a boat" to tolkien_weekly on LiveJournal and forms the first section of my earlier story Himling Isle.
The following double drabble is a kind of sequel to this, written for the current challenge (and unrelated to the rest of Himling Isle), respectively a closer look at the end of this little episode in Maglor's life.
I am thinking that Maglor might be going to have the company of that fox for quite a little while, but I am not planning any further stories about that, right now, so I have marked this piece complete.
Atani is technically plural (meaning "Men"). I suppose it should be Adaneth or maybe Firya.
The line "A poet, a prince, a puppet" is adapted from the lyrics of the Sinatra song.
