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.
SWG News
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.
A Sense of History: Crossroads
In the ongoing series on towers in Tolkien's work, a thread runs through "The Lord of the Rings," revealing the divine assistance of Varda in the travails of the Fellowship.
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] Tengwar: To The Letter by cuarthol
For the Tengwar prompt challenge. To be updated as new prompts are completed.
Current up through 'Nwalmë…
[Writing] I Stood Aside by Flora-lass
Maedhros' horror at the burning of the ships. Inspired by a painting (see notes).
[Reference] 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.
[Writing] Words of Wisdom by AdmirableMonster
One or more drabbles about Pengolodh and his babysitter Salgant.
[Writing] Les Mots de Sagesse by AdmirableMonster
Plusieurs petites histoires qui parle de Pengolodh et Salgant pendant des moments differents.
[Writing] "Tengwar" ficlets by chrissystriped
Fics written for the "Tengwar" challenge.
Current Challenge
Tengwar
A daily prompt of a Tengwar letter per day. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Noegyth Nibin
Create a fanwork about the Petty-dwarves. 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
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!
May 2024 Calls for Papers
Conferences and publications that have open calls for papers in May 2024.
References by Title
Fact, Interpretation and the Hard Business of Proof by darthfingon
Deciding what constitutes canon for the purpose of making fanworks relies partly on the words of the texts but also on the geographical and temporal vastness and diversity of Tolkien's world.
Published on 10 October 2010.
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Fandom Voices: Defining Canon and Using Canon in Fanworks by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Fan responses show how complex is the understanding of the concept of "canon" within the Tolkien fandom. The first part analyzes responses around how fans navigate the complicated issue of Tolkien's canon. Update: Added responses from three additional fans.
Published on 22 April 2023.
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Fandom Voices: Filmverse Fans by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Fans who joined the Tolkien fandom because of the films report that the films inspired them to read the books, encouraged them to join fandom communities, and often resulted in forming lifelong friendships.
Published on 26 August 2022.
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Fandom Voices: Impact of the Films by Dawn Felagund
The Tolkien fandom existed long before Jackson's film trilogies were even thought about. Fans who were active in fandom before one or both film trilogies recall how the films changed (or didn't change) their fan communities and experiences.
Published on 13 May 2022.
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Fandom Voices: Using Fanon in Fanworks by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Sixteen Tolkien fans contributed their definitions of and experiences with fanon or fan-generated theories about the legendarium.
Published on 17 November 2023.
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Fandom Voices: Women in Fanworks by Dawn Walls-Thumma
The fandom has become a friendlier place for writing women, but its hostile history toward women-centric fanworks continues to exert a chilling effect for some, while other creators see potential in the legendarium and fandom's traditional lack of women characters.
Published on 25 November 2022.
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Fawlty Towers by Simon J. Cook
The tower analogy in "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics" wasn't simply a poignant extended metaphor about the poem but addressed specific scholars about academic debates around Beowulf. The lack of addressing this historical context has led to misreadings of Tolkien's meaning.
Published on 14 October 2023.
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Femslash Is a Political Act (and Other Observations of Tolkien Fandom's Genre Non Grata) by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Tolkien Fanfiction Survey data shows that femslash—the Tolkien fandom's youngest genre—has grown in popularity with readers, while authors may use it to share and reflect on experiences of marginalization.
Published on 19 February 2023.
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Fingon the Valiant by oshun
The story of Fingon the Valiant epitomizes the fate of the exiled Noldor, involving elements of extraordinary personal heroism combined with a foreordained doom to form the gripping foundation for the principal story.
Published on 1 March 2009.
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Finrod Felagund by oshun, pandemonium_213
The considerable virtues of Finrod Felagund are tempered with enough flaws to leave him an intruiging character.
Published on 1 September 2009.
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Finwë by oshun
Finwë, the first King of the Noldor, the unchallenged and beloved patriarch of his people, is written with shoulders figuratively broad enough to bear the weight of leadership of the most contentious family and people within Tolkien's history of the Elves.
Published on 1 June 2010.
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First Brick in the Wall by Simon J. Cook
Jane Chance's interpretation of the tower analogy in Tolkien's lecture-turned-essay "Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics" dismisses historical inquiry as a valid reading of the poem.
Published on 9 November 2023.
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Galadriel by oshun
Galadriel is a rare example of a character added to The Silmarillion after and because of The Lord of the Rings. The complexity of her character development post-LotR largely comes from trying to fit her character into the existing myth. Part 1 explores her life in the Years of the Trees and the First Age; Part 2 continues with the significant influence she wields over the legendarium in the Second and Third Ages.
Published on 1 May 2018.
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Galadriel: Parallels among Women in History and Literature by MirienSilowende
Tolkien may have taken inspiration for Galadriel's character—an outspoken queen figure—from literary and historical figures like Circe, Eleanor of Aquitaine, and Joan of Arc.
Published on 9 December 2022.
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Galdor of Gondolin by oshun
Galdor of the Tree appears in The Book of Lost Tales, in the story of the Fall of Gondolin, a notable supporting character in this central tale of the legendarium.
Published on 3 April 2021.
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Gandalf (Olórin) by oshun, pandemonium_213
Whether in the guise of Gandalf the Grey or Gandalf the White, Tolkien’s most famous wizard plays the role of the nearly perfect guide, instigator, and mentor for the heroes of both The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
Published on 1 March 2012.
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Gildor Inglorion by oshun
Gildor Inglorion is one of the many links between The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, providing a final glimpse in the Third Age of the exiled Noldor.
Published on 1 March 2011.
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Gilfanon by darthfingon
A character appearing only in The Book of Lost Tales, Gilfanon nonetheless survives later in the legendarium in the character of Pengolodh.
Published on 1 December 2009.
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Glorfindel of Gondolin and Glorfindel of Rivendell by oshun
Glorfindel is one of several among Tolkien’s notable heroes who have provoked a substantial amount of controversy, most notably in the appearance of two essential Glorfindels and the ensuing debate over whether they are the same character.
Published on 1 January 2010.
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