tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16291091955482400252024-03-16T18:50:53.298+00:00Dr. Wotan's MusingsDr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-57234152822310233432024-03-03T13:01:00.005+00:002024-03-03T13:18:39.970+00:00Tolkien Sessions at Leeds IMC 2024 <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsYY2DuofgoEm-vfZSetK-3e4fVoUPoJHagVnhzrEYMbqJreEgMXa6BkUXbHROUU9MvFiLQWd0tG_TI0gqdOY7pGnaQeaZ6ZWfBZFbYVT6XEqGJF1SKXCCtT4_6qaHB0-5qsQiyn4nP8TAPJOC5jn9sdehQ836uO7arYCvY5Y-CP617qAtlViwoyYmUcQ/s366/OIP.jOkKddcNfmPpm7GHJ2P6egAAAA.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="366" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsYY2DuofgoEm-vfZSetK-3e4fVoUPoJHagVnhzrEYMbqJreEgMXa6BkUXbHROUU9MvFiLQWd0tG_TI0gqdOY7pGnaQeaZ6ZWfBZFbYVT6XEqGJF1SKXCCtT4_6qaHB0-5qsQiyn4nP8TAPJOC5jn9sdehQ836uO7arYCvY5Y-CP617qAtlViwoyYmUcQ/s320/OIP.jOkKddcNfmPpm7GHJ2P6egAAAA.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Eglerio! This year <a href="https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk" target="_blank">The Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow</a> will again be sponsoring six Tolkien sessions at <a href="https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/imc-2024/" target="_blank">The International Medieval Congress at The University of Leeds </a>from 1st to 4th July . This continues the tradition started by our founder Professor<a href="http://dimitrafimi.com" target="_blank"> Dimitra Fimi</a> (whose vision and scholarship we are celebrating this summer!) and is my fourth year organising these sessions. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We have a great line up of Tolkien scholars and students exploring many aspects of Tolkien and Middle-earth studies including several papers focused on the timely subject of this year's conference CRISIS </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Tolkien Medieval Roots and Modern Branches </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This year we have two sessions which address wider topics and new approaches to Tolkien's medievalism and works. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtibBftmDiKV7gliAMTX7cusw8N9me-bgagxIVUu4J0hKsHFIwvpiLqlAhTtWwekTLmDogdBuamOy880R8UJO7WwT7tDuQu9DgKz7sbKdTuYbmHglcJwCt7OBNrlCe_NAc38xPM1UG2KUuNVvBC6i_ZqVHLk34EQ2x3EgJE_Dqo_q77jdODL3fIhEAaL0/s475/Unknown-7.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="314" data-original-width="475" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWtibBftmDiKV7gliAMTX7cusw8N9me-bgagxIVUu4J0hKsHFIwvpiLqlAhTtWwekTLmDogdBuamOy880R8UJO7WwT7tDuQu9DgKz7sbKdTuYbmHglcJwCt7OBNrlCe_NAc38xPM1UG2KUuNVvBC6i_ZqVHLk34EQ2x3EgJE_Dqo_q77jdODL3fIhEAaL0/s320/Unknown-7.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><u><span style="font-family: georgia;"><p><u><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Session 1 - Monday 1st July 2024: 11:115-12:45 GMT </span></u></p></span></u><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">1) "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" Tolkien's 1953 Lecture and Related Finding: Andoni Cossio, Universidad del País Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Vitoria-Gasteiz; University of Glasgow</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">2) Gondor Calls for Aid: But Who Will Pay? Brian Egede-Pedersen, Independent Scholar</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">3) Eärendil's Mythopoeic Journeys - Anna Smol, Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><u>Session 2 - Monday 1st July 2024: 14:15-15:45 GMT </u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">1) Sub-Creation, Multi-Canon, or Unreliable Narrator: Mythopoeia in Action - Amira Ali Hassan Ali Abdullah, Independent Scholar</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">2) 'The king has got a crown again': Ruin as Hyperobject in Arda - Will Sherwood, University of Glasgow</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">3) Freezing the Frame on Crises in the Legendarium through the lens of Alan Lee - Sultana Raza, Independent Scholar</span></p><p><span face="freight-sans-pro, sans-serif"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tolkien's Medieval Sub-Creation in Crisis </span></b></span></p><p><span face="freight-sans-pro, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">Monday 1st July: 16:30-18:00 GMT </span></span></p><p><span face="freight-sans-pro, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span face="freight-sans-pro, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="freight-sans-pro, sans-serif"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4F4CwoSx60TF6TeoL0unYLMyOD2oi-p8VZDrv4gjqFWhJHCca0sMt6et4OoKUkKFghdOXkkaXfvNEaZALZOB6qSgHKlJiMY1BODa71I5HIEIhhfcBmCqCiHL7fNJpfV68sVOOtuPUJOOBsFmEQebzLAVbXeGhjvV0gbzlLMlT_GZ-7nDItfEtfIP76Por/s1541/R.2e9810ca701b177ff1e6cdb139c4f6aa.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="964" data-original-width="1541" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4F4CwoSx60TF6TeoL0unYLMyOD2oi-p8VZDrv4gjqFWhJHCca0sMt6et4OoKUkKFghdOXkkaXfvNEaZALZOB6qSgHKlJiMY1BODa71I5HIEIhhfcBmCqCiHL7fNJpfV68sVOOtuPUJOOBsFmEQebzLAVbXeGhjvV0gbzlLMlT_GZ-7nDItfEtfIP76Por/s320/R.2e9810ca701b177ff1e6cdb139c4f6aa.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span face="freight-sans-pro, sans-serif"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">This session will examine different concepts of crisis in Tolkien studies. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">1) A Medievalist Myth-Making Crisis: Tolkien's Tychonic Cosmology - Kristine Larsen, Central Connecticut State University</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">2) Bree-folk were sympathetic, but…': Historical Precursors to Middle-Earth's Migration Crisis at the End of the Third Age - Christian Trenk, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">3) The Crisis of Arda Marred and How (Not) to Unmar It: The Ring, the Tongue, and the Tower as the New Wheel of Fortune, the New Tower of Babel, and the New World Tree - Cameron Bourquein, Independent Scholar</span></p><p><span face="freight-sans-pro, sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><b>Racial Medievalism in Tolkien Studies: A Session Celebrating the Works of Professor Dimitra Fimi, Founder of Tolkien at Leeds</b></span></p><p><span face="freight-sans-pro, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday 2nd July 2024: 11:15-12:45 GMT </span></span></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRtrhKO1eAzsfy-EUKWf6Br8NRBDWGv-aIRc5712UgRTdnPe2TndWcXdhCGTtzn_zw4ynfzZdvIgakb4K1bYf8cyfHnixfACOW_jU3s34gvJR52uv97N0gxhiwnwyeqbdkQCb0DrqoF4VFObqZLujFFyfjCiv1nBVSWihvoar68d1vAYHsTufkh-9VAYe/s432/OIP.vo-4-HgfwfZ2MM2Fq0cdyQAAAA.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="301" data-original-width="432" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinRtrhKO1eAzsfy-EUKWf6Br8NRBDWGv-aIRc5712UgRTdnPe2TndWcXdhCGTtzn_zw4ynfzZdvIgakb4K1bYf8cyfHnixfACOW_jU3s34gvJR52uv97N0gxhiwnwyeqbdkQCb0DrqoF4VFObqZLujFFyfjCiv1nBVSWihvoar68d1vAYHsTufkh-9VAYe/w335-h234/OIP.vo-4-HgfwfZ2MM2Fq0cdyQAAAA.jpeg" width="335" /></a></div><p></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p><span face="freight-sans-pro, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">In this session we will celebrate the work and scholarship of our Tolkien at Leeds IMC founder and leading scholar and author of Tolkien and speculative literature Professor Dimitra Fimi whose ground-breaking 2008 book </span><a href="https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tolkien,_Race_and_Cultural_History" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits</a><span style="font-family: georgia;">, won the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Inklings Studies in 2010. Fimi’s evolving body of work has brought to light neglected aspects of Tolkien’s creativity and world-building, including the centrality of the Elves, the role of linguistic invention, and the relationships between race and material culture in Middle-earth </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">1) Into the West: Wonders and Woes of Looking for 'Celtic' Inspirations in the Works of J. R. R. Tolkien - Aurelie Bremont, Sorbonne Université, Paris</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">2) Teaching Song and Holiness: An Exploration of the Mystic and Syncretic Elements of Tolkien's Earliest Elvish Language Invention: Andrew Higgins, Independent Scholar </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">'3) The strange fate of Men' Merging Representations of Destiny in Middle-earth - Gaëlle Abaléa, Sorbonne Université</span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Bodily Crises in Tolkien's Medievalism</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">There will be two sessions exploring crises/concerns of gender and bodily difference in Tolkien’s works including sexuality and disability. Indicative areas to be examined include the role of bodies under physical duress, punishment, injury from battle or war, as well as bodies in transformation including prosthetics, spiritual transformation (good or evil) and how bodies and body transformation from Tolkien’s works are depicted in illustrations and in films and other media.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9Nf0vo7wgsXU7rln6k4EVKt8EHkc0eZOk9O6F7IrZoVKHsOeXmj5Z47Wb4mDl-IKJer1MgfpStSUPqCr_n2vsDGuRoVp1BqhAEdqTI_DdHcI9Sa5pgUkzCHPzPWknfWrKwSQQVDqDc8-dT3ZCZi8be6mM9B044YhsgwWrvzGdSmeJiMO6Kc4SRSo_olT/s474/OIP.dk8QAO3Ifv9bZk59zZMWkwHaFZ.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="345" data-original-width="474" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9Nf0vo7wgsXU7rln6k4EVKt8EHkc0eZOk9O6F7IrZoVKHsOeXmj5Z47Wb4mDl-IKJer1MgfpStSUPqCr_n2vsDGuRoVp1BqhAEdqTI_DdHcI9Sa5pgUkzCHPzPWknfWrKwSQQVDqDc8-dT3ZCZi8be6mM9B044YhsgwWrvzGdSmeJiMO6Kc4SRSo_olT/s320/OIP.dk8QAO3Ifv9bZk59zZMWkwHaFZ.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Session 1 - Weds 3rd July: 14:15-15:45 GMT </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">1) Altered Bodies, Altered States in the 'Tale of Tinúviel' - Cami Agan, Oklahoma Christian University</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">2) Éowyn and/or Dernhelm: Tolkien's Paradoxical Gendering of Éowyn's Disguise Gavin Foster, Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">3) The Torment of Maedhros and a Crisis of Mercy: Bodily Crises in Tolkien's Medievalism - Mercury Natis, Signum University, New Hampshire</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><b>Session 2</b> - <b>Weds 3rd July: 16:30-18:00 GMT </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">'Restless and uneasy...thin and stretched': The Ring, the Ringbearers, and Bodies in Psychological Crisis in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings - Sara Brown, Signum University, New Hampshire</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Bodily Transformations in Tolkien's Middle-Earth: The Metamorphosis of Elwing - Yvette Kisor, Ramapo College of New Jersey</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">'He was naked, lying as if in a swoon': Gazing Queerly at Frodo's Saintly Body in Crisis - Christopher Vaccaro, University of Vermont</span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Crisis in Researching Tolkien: The Annual Tolkien at Leeds Roundtable </span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Weds 3rd July: 19:00-20:00 GMT </span></b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfM8uOtcVT_vPhggWzk-jO83e14lSW-jgJng-HXa7VJALa_fv-rRtF-NOZg0-N8QnrJCMis5waZQSGDoZoDcJ-gS3VU4Sj9a2rbHBj0uIVM_mooJNEO9BsgY7w6QTghvudRleui6fmcLCPw50LtKmOXXEU26NadI5HnWoK-5TN6Dk_M0-F9nuUfcvmVDKA/s458/OIP.0C02kxJvjmmNxdP265dDnQHaEO.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="270" data-original-width="458" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfM8uOtcVT_vPhggWzk-jO83e14lSW-jgJng-HXa7VJALa_fv-rRtF-NOZg0-N8QnrJCMis5waZQSGDoZoDcJ-gS3VU4Sj9a2rbHBj0uIVM_mooJNEO9BsgY7w6QTghvudRleui6fmcLCPw50LtKmOXXEU26NadI5HnWoK-5TN6Dk_M0-F9nuUfcvmVDKA/s320/OIP.0C02kxJvjmmNxdP265dDnQHaEO.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We will end the 2024 Tolkien at Leeds Session with the annual roundtable - this year in response to the conferences overall theme a panel of Tolkien scholars will explore the current crises facing Tolkien teachers, academics, and researchers in Tolkien and Middle-earth studies. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Tolkien at Leeds Business Meeting will be announced closer to the conference. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As always SODOM (The Society for the Drinking of Mead) Events and Fellowship throughout! </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">On Saturday 6th July T<a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/the-tolkien-society-hybrid-seminar-2024-tolkiens-romantic-resonances/">he Tolkien Society will be presenting Tolkien Society Hybrid Seminar 2024 – Tolkien’s Romantic Resonances at the Hilton Leeds City </a></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">See you in Leeds this July! </span></p><p><br /></p>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0Balham, London, UK51.4439889 -0.149410523.133755063821155 -35.3056605 79.754222736178846 35.0068395tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-88947586099963867502023-07-20T10:02:00.003+01:002023-07-20T10:23:24.035+01:00CFP: Leeds 2024 IMC Tolkien Sessions <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjmxaNOwnNrOJPxz87rqOaz18G6hvhfOXioHs2TB8yOD85mjijPfN5yUjCj4Zl2Dkuo_vLL4mRsQq3kDbB60znxJPhXYeqI_Z-k8XFvQmvBCc47hMiddRRdJmF4gChuhX-5XsyLUVMsq9LkY577boKLn4-1XTeVeYXJNfAkT-MyM8S4Huo9gB9kfCye3X/s299/Unknown-6.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTjmxaNOwnNrOJPxz87rqOaz18G6hvhfOXioHs2TB8yOD85mjijPfN5yUjCj4Zl2Dkuo_vLL4mRsQq3kDbB60znxJPhXYeqI_Z-k8XFvQmvBCc47hMiddRRdJmF4gChuhX-5XsyLUVMsq9LkY577boKLn4-1XTeVeYXJNfAkT-MyM8S4Huo9gB9kfCye3X/w529-h319/Unknown-6.jpeg" width="529" /></a></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CFP: Leeds 2024 IMC Tolkien Sessions </span></b></div><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Paper abstracts are currently being sought for the following Tolkien sessions for the International Medieval Congress<b> </b>at Leeds, 1-4 July 2024. The special thematic strand of this conference will be ‘Crisis’. See more<a href="https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/imc-2024/" target="_blank"> here </a></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We are very pleased that the 2024 IMC Tolkien Sessions will again be sponsored by <i><a href="https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/critical/research/researchcentresandnetworks/fantasyatglasgow/" target="_blank">The Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the University of Glasgow</a> </i>- </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Paper submissions are being sought for the following sessions: </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tolkien’s Medieval Sub-creation in Crisis </span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This session will examine different concepts of crisis in Tolkien studies. Papers may explore the types of crises Tolkien himself created in the body of his legendarium by his revising of several keys stories and legends at different times in his lifelong work. Papers can address the significance of these narratives and their revisions in Tolkien’s shifting ideas about the world and cultures he was inventing. Papers may also explore adaptations of Tolkien works and how they create crises in our evolving understanding of the canon of Tolkien’s work and its reception. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Bodily Crises in Tolkien’s Medievalism </span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Papers in this session can explore crises/concerns of gender and bodily difference in Tolkien’s works including sexuality and disability. Indicative areas to be examined include the role of bodies under physical duress, punishment, injury from battle or war, as well as bodies in transformation including prosthetics, spiritual transformation (good or evil) and how bodies and body transformation from Tolkien’s works are depicted in illustrations and in films and other media. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Racial Medievalism in Tolkien Studies - A Session Celebrating the Works of Professor Dimitra Fimi Founder of Tolkien at Leeds. </span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Papers in this session may respond to, critique and develop key ideas regarding Tolkien’s representations of race that were first explored in <a href="https://dimitrafimi.com/books/tolkien-race-and-cultural-history-2/" target="_blank">Professor Dimitra Fimi’s ground-breaking 2008 book <i>Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits</i>,</a><i> </i>which won the Mythopoeic Scholarship Award for Inklings Studies in 2010. Fimi’s evolving body of work has brought to light neglected aspects of Tolkien’s creativity and world-building, including the centrality of the Elves, the role of linguistic invention, and the relationships between race and material culture in Middle-earth This session invites papers that explore Tolkien’s contexts, racial representations and world-building through engaging with and building upon the approaches Professor Fimi has set out in her academic work.</span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Tolkien: Medieval Roots and Modern Branches</span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This continuing Tolkien at Leeds session will accommodate wider topics and new approaches to Tolkien's medievalism, ranging from source studies and theoretical readings to comparative studies of Tolkien’s works and Middle-earth studies. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Crises in Researching Tolkien: A Round Table </span></b></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b></b><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The Annual Tolkien at Leeds roundtable will explore the current crises facing Tolkien teachers, academics and researchers in Tolkien and Middle-earth studies. Topics can include the various adaptions of Tolkien’s works that will continue to grow with new media deals, differing thoughts on treatment of Tolkien’s race, culture and sexuality in his works and the desire of scholars to see, analyse and contextualise more of Tolkien’s remaining unpublished papers. </span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 15px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><ul>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">Please submit a paper contribution title and abstract <b>by 31 August 2023</b> to Dr. Andrew Higgins (<a href="mailto:asthiggins@me.com"><span style="color: blue;">asthiggins@me.com</span></a>) </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">Length of abstracts: 150 words (max!) </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">Papers will be 15-20 minutes long (3 paper sessions will be preferred) </span></span></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: #191919; font-family: Georgia; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">With your abstract, please include name and details of contributor (affiliation, address, and preferred e-mail address)</span></span></li>
</ul><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Verdana; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Verdana; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 11.5px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-86225156797539508242023-03-14T11:00:00.003+00:002023-07-05T22:30:09.527+01:00Tolkien Sessions at Leeds IMC 2023 <p><br /></p><img height="180" src="https://rmblf.files.wordpress.com/2022/07/imc-2023-cfp-postcard_web-e1643708537664-1024x576-1.jpg" style="-webkit-user-select: none; display: block; margin: auto;" width="320" /><p>Eglerio! This year <a href="https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk" target="_blank">The Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow</a> will be sponsoring six Tolkien sessions at <a href="https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/imc-2023/programme/" target="_blank">The International Medieval Congress at The University of Leeds</a> from 3-6 July 2023. This continues the tradition started by our founder <a href="http://dimitrafimi.com" target="_blank">Dr. Dimitra Fimi</a> and is my third year organising these sessions. </p><p>We have a great line up of Tolkien scholars and students exploring many aspects of Tolkien and Middle-earth studies including several papers focused on the subject of this year's conference<a href="https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/imc-2023/programme/pdf/"> Networks and Entanglements </a></p><p><b><i>The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power </i>and Questions of Adaptation and Authenticity: A Round Table Discussion </b></p><p>Tuesday 4 July 2023: 19.00-20.00 GMT </p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKUi1M_0kgwiv6p91aZep5uPjxIba03pl6HNGSPaaznM1qFImvf8BY2WBkv0dfaRUf1QiSYi1AdBvhKt-BTCMKdhb9A-LcznxX1rzhDnuGGoiXSAFLj8bCqo7gc2ad6TjSvnj20RUbXI1-SWN_9BnUkCh0UKyexYRo37hTWM_K3dprinGB4WepKCc_dQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="163" data-original-width="310" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKUi1M_0kgwiv6p91aZep5uPjxIba03pl6HNGSPaaznM1qFImvf8BY2WBkv0dfaRUf1QiSYi1AdBvhKt-BTCMKdhb9A-LcznxX1rzhDnuGGoiXSAFLj8bCqo7gc2ad6TjSvnj20RUbXI1-SWN_9BnUkCh0UKyexYRo37hTWM_K3dprinGB4WepKCc_dQ" width="320" /></a></div><p>The sessions starts with our continuing <i>Tolkien at Leeds roundtable series</i> in which we will explore one of the most significant new adaptations of Tolkien's works, Amazon Prime's five season <i>The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power</i> series. Participants will offer short presentations on some element of this series and how it is (or is not) in dialogue with Tolkien's texts and explore what this new adaptation develops or reveals in the expanding body of adaptive works based in some form on Tolkien's world-building. </p><p></p><p>Participants will include Brian Egede-Pedersen (Independent Scholar, Nykøbing Falster), Mercury Natis (Independent Scholar, Worthing), and Kate Natishan (University of Virginia).</p><p><b>Tolkien's Work and Academic Networks at the University of Leeds</b></p><p>Wednesday 5 July 2023: 14.15-15.45 GMT </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6Rijgvn-r2ku6FAWoLsHrdHypHZyyGr7kJXOduZRvuqeCcwyCZk4Xmhwl46Wrz9gTvEifVtuAZ3J7NGsk_38llKCscy1PMR7RsH4ONBKlHiHdrIqpOx2KMqqva0Agx6HHIQ6MAClZ_C5ftKx7mrD3y_IzTXpViR4hJI6BuQdsSYr1sHGNy3S2Z1VnuA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="151" data-original-width="333" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6Rijgvn-r2ku6FAWoLsHrdHypHZyyGr7kJXOduZRvuqeCcwyCZk4Xmhwl46Wrz9gTvEifVtuAZ3J7NGsk_38llKCscy1PMR7RsH4ONBKlHiHdrIqpOx2KMqqva0Agx6HHIQ6MAClZ_C5ftKx7mrD3y_IzTXpViR4hJI6BuQdsSYr1sHGNy3S2Z1VnuA" width="320" /></a></div><br />J. R. R. Tolkien established his academic career at the University of Leeds, joining as a Reader in 1920, aged 28. By the time he left Leeds in 1925 he had established the University as a leader in Old Icelandic language and literature and developed a network of fellow academics and colleagues. Papers in this session will explore the work and networks developed while he was here at the University of Leeds. <p></p><p><i>1) The Missing Letters that J.R.R. Tolkien Received from Derek J. Wilson and R.M. Wilson - New Research and Addendum to Further Notes on J.R.R. Tolkien's Photostats of The Equatorie of the Planets (MS Peterhouse 25) </i>- Andoni Cossio, Facultad de Letras, Universidad del País Vasco - Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea, Vitoria-Gasteiz </p><p><i>2) 'An industrious little devil': Tolkien's Development of the Elvish Languages at Leeds, 1920-1925</i> - Dr. Andrew Higgins, Centre for Fantasy & the Fantastic, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow </p><p><i>3) Leeds and the Medieval Foundation of J. R. R. Tolkien's 'Father Christmas' Letters </i>- Dr. Kristine Larsen, Geological Sciences Department, Central Connecticut State University </p><p><b>New Works, Networks, and Methods in Tolkien and Middle-earth Research</b></p><p><b></b></p><p>Wednesday 5 July 2023: 16.30-18.00 GMT </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjChSXwn8bHwPBWX8INBBC-S7XproWzla3bD-n0Yl6HtwCbeclUUn7WHh3e6DOQTLRURCJAb7J0GeL0fwM4ZEAp4sPVDNgRr5g-PPu-yZAM8BFrziHCyMyUjQBD6lTYRNvkdcCq_kPg6vhGuMo_CwK_TEjOLa2TEpCyvaRQwPIAcIkNW2S2lilYM6OVew" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="290" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjChSXwn8bHwPBWX8INBBC-S7XproWzla3bD-n0Yl6HtwCbeclUUn7WHh3e6DOQTLRURCJAb7J0GeL0fwM4ZEAp4sPVDNgRr5g-PPu-yZAM8BFrziHCyMyUjQBD6lTYRNvkdcCq_kPg6vhGuMo_CwK_TEjOLa2TEpCyvaRQwPIAcIkNW2S2lilYM6OVew" width="320" /></a></div><br />Papers in this session will explore some of the new methods and critical networks of academic research that are being applied to both Tolkien and Middle-earth studies and what they are revealing about the continuing academic dialogue and discourse around Tolkien and his works.<b> </b><p></p><p><i>1) Tolkien Studies and the 'Theological Turn' </i>- Mitchell Kooh, Department of English, University of Notre Dame, Indiana </p><p><i>2) Queer Time and Space in Tolkien's Middle-earth</i> -Yvette Kisor, School of Humanities & Global Studies, Ramapo College of New Jersey </p><p><i>3) Reading Tolkien's First Age through the Lens of Michel de Certeau</i> - Cami Agan, Department of Language & Literature, Oklahoma Christian University </p><p><i>4) Queer Phenomenology, Lesbian Ents, and the Future of Queer Tolkien Studies</i> - Christopher Vaccaro, Department of English, University of Vermont </p><p><b>J. R. R. Tolkien: Medieval Roots and Modern Branches</b></p><p>Thursday 6 July 2023: 09.00-10.30 GMT </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfELWUlvV8MgllsahFjxOiURVVVaoSTVUSfRio8FEPFSHbo6b-_tG8cOjlUEVphvdLQNfkTatjTSCsstfHT1uLF085PkPfy0GsOs0lJvQc9jOqKLdf-UnpxNiyDn4BFsEs1OwrBMPvn-yyQenmfef9YEdF8eU9qJXFJkRmq5Q7FPpwKvem9lDTIeknjw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="182" data-original-width="277" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfELWUlvV8MgllsahFjxOiURVVVaoSTVUSfRio8FEPFSHbo6b-_tG8cOjlUEVphvdLQNfkTatjTSCsstfHT1uLF085PkPfy0GsOs0lJvQc9jOqKLdf-UnpxNiyDn4BFsEs1OwrBMPvn-yyQenmfef9YEdF8eU9qJXFJkRmq5Q7FPpwKvem9lDTIeknjw" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>This session will address wider topics and new approaches to Tolkien's medievalism ranging from source studies and theoretical readings to comparative studies (including Tolkien's legacy).</p><p><i>1) Riddles in the Mark: The Usage of 'Riddle' in Book III of The Lord of the Rings as Micro Level Interlacing</i> - Christian Trenk, Theologische Fakultät, Katholische Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt </p><p><i>2) Dark are the Pathless Ways</i> - Scott Hodgman, Department of Literature & Language, Signum University, New Hampshire </p><p><i>3) 'This is a serious journey, not a hobbit walking-party': Travel and the Quest Motif in Tolkien's Work</i> - Eva Lippold, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, Open University </p><p><i>4) 'We swears on the precious': Oath-Making and Oath-Keeping in Tolkien - Literary Devices or Spiritual Statements?</i> - Gaëlle Abaléa, Centre d’Etudes Médiévales Anglaises (CEMA), Sorbonne Université, Paris </p><p><b>Tolkien's Medieval Entanglements</b></p><p>Thursday 6 July 2023: 11.15-12.45 GMT </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUn7u6aMdIV7Cq9rQE9aPkLLGoIalKakB5I6LiV4NA0HwYOIGspu4ASFEw7i_xe5bJ8fv6Q4_IG6ooxQ4icr7HsbZHX3ONemJL80NQOSbqOn4ubyZTLqhhm6XFcLrp_zrZAcxvvrDGGcTuI38XaWOoUrKh8bjRZsxxatv3FJbhMkLuOddfAvq8AADhYQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUn7u6aMdIV7Cq9rQE9aPkLLGoIalKakB5I6LiV4NA0HwYOIGspu4ASFEw7i_xe5bJ8fv6Q4_IG6ooxQ4icr7HsbZHX3ONemJL80NQOSbqOn4ubyZTLqhhm6XFcLrp_zrZAcxvvrDGGcTuI38XaWOoUrKh8bjRZsxxatv3FJbhMkLuOddfAvq8AADhYQ" width="320" /></a></div><span style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>Throughout his life and academic work Tolkien explored and grappled with some of the most perplexing and interesting cruxes and entanglements of medieval literature and language. This sessions will explore some of these entanglements and how Tolkien sought potential solutions.</span></div><p></p><p><i>1) The Interlaced Entanglement of 'The King's Touch' </i>- Amy Amendt-Raduege, Department of English, Western Washington University </p><p><i>2) The Theme of Decay and Fall in Tolkien's Works and its Medieval Entanglements </i>- Andrzej Wicher, Zakład Angielskiego Dramatu, Teatru i Filmu, Uniwersytet Łódzki </p><p><i>3 Sam the Scop: The Entanglements of Poetry in Beowulf and The Lord of the Rings </i>- Kirsten Ogilby, Institut for Engelsk, Germansk og Romansk, Københavns Universitet </p><p><br /></p><p><b>Tolkien at Leeds Business Meeting </b>- </p><p>Thursday 6 July 2023 - 1pm GMT - 2pm GMT (Esther Simpson 1.01) </p><p><b>You can also join the meeting via Zoom at 1pm GMT </b></p><p><b>Topic: Andrew Higgins' Zoom Meeting</b></p><p><b>Time: Jul 6, 2023 01:00 PM London</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Join Zoom Meeting</b></p><p><b>https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83745625576?pwd=aU5DVzFUTStZRkt4TjkyZTdUVkpkdz09</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Meeting ID: 837 4562 5576</b></p><p><b>Passcode: 5FhD6X</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Disentangling the Second Age of Tolkien's Middle-earth</b></p><p>Thursday 6 July 2023: 14.15-15.45 GMT </p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxTj2EjDsMVXuHj5Esx-MEwTxupioIAuxEIfd2FKDq67btq07XGZozodPBOYqB7GoUEna1DPqaQHYWViBIIQVOGoqKkSZsoG5svXD4lKyz0HdbE7yeqFq6YYSDhsDyQ2ZiFd-wWhGDT5TwoM0bpxRr7dKl_o95K0GyRajv7My7LSJPpoJzSk8-Q0mN9g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxTj2EjDsMVXuHj5Esx-MEwTxupioIAuxEIfd2FKDq67btq07XGZozodPBOYqB7GoUEna1DPqaQHYWViBIIQVOGoqKkSZsoG5svXD4lKyz0HdbE7yeqFq6YYSDhsDyQ2ZiFd-wWhGDT5TwoM0bpxRr7dKl_o95K0GyRajv7My7LSJPpoJzSk8-Q0mN9g" width="240" /></a></div><br />In Tolkien's great masterwork <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>the Second Age of Middle-earth is a time remembered in poetry and the memories of such witnesses to history as Elrond and Galadriel. Papers in this session will explore this pivotal time in Tolkien's Middle-earth and can be in dialogue with the current Amazon Prime <i>The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power</i> an adaptation of this period of Tolkien's legendarium as well as the new volume <i>The Fall of Numenor and Other Tales </i>published by HarperCollins in November 2022. <p></p><p><i>1) The Tale of Aldarion and Erendis: Not Just a Medieval Love Story</i> - Dr. Sara Brown, Department of Language & Literature, Signum University, New Hampshire </p><p><i>2 Out of the Great Sea: Of Elendil and Legends Old and New</i> - S. R. Westvik, School of History, University College Dublin / Historisches Institut, Universität Potsdam </p><p><i>3) Untangling the Second Age Tale of Years</i> - James Tauber, Department of Literature & Language, Signum University, New Hampshire </p><p><i>4) The Roads to Númenor: Navigating Tolkien's Mythopoeic Network</i> - Clara Colin-Saïdani, Faculté Lettres et Langages, Nantes Université </p><p>Before the conference on Sunday 2nd July <a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org" target="_blank">The Tolkien Society </a>is hosting a one day conference <i>The Mighty and Frail Númenor </i>which will be live and free at The Hilton, Leeds and hybrid - more information can be found here - <a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/2022/10/call-for-papers-tolkien-society-seminar-2023-the-mighty-and-frail-numenor/">https://www.tolkiensociety.org/2022/10/call-for-papers-tolkien-society-seminar-2023-the-mighty-and-frail-numenor/</a></p><p>As always SODOM fellowship and meading throughout! </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-5698573565842578232022-05-20T10:43:00.004+01:002022-05-20T10:47:12.398+01:00Tolkien Sessions at Leeds IMC 2022 - Full Schedule <p> Eglerio! Here is the full schedule of 2022 Tolkien at Leeds Sessions for this summer's conference. </p><p>Thanks to our founder Dr. Dimitra Fimi the 2022 Tolkien at Leeds sessions are being sponsored by <a href="https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk">The Center for Fantasy and the Fantastic at the University of Glasgow </a></p><p>Before the IMC Conference Starts - <a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org">The Tolkien Society</a> will be hosting a one day seminar on <i>Tolkien and the Gothic</i> on Sunday 3rd July in Leeds - <a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/events/tolkien-society-seminar-2022/">more information here </a></p><p><b>Monday 4th July 11:15-12:45 GMT (Session 141) </b></p><p><i>J.R.R. Tolkien: Medieval Roots and Modern Branches</i> </p><p>Moderator: Dr. Kristine Larsen, Central Connecticut State University</p><p>'An Attempt to Re-Examine the Dialectic of the East and the West in Tolkien’s Selected Works' - Andrzej Wicher, Uniwersytet Łódzki</p><p>"Of Dust Motes, Trees, and Golden Flowers: Tolkien and Duns Scotus’ Haeccitas- Victoria-Holtz Wodzak, Viterbo University, Wisconsin</p><p>"Epistolary Glossopoesis: The Role of Early Reader and Author Responses in the Development of the Elvish Languages" Dr. Andrew Higgins </p><p><b>Monday 4th July 14:15-15:45 GMT (Session 241) </b></p><p><i>Tolkien and Medieval Poets: A Session in Memory of Richard C. West </i> </p><p>Moderator: Dr. Andrew Higgins </p><p>"The Revivalist Critic and the Alliterative Poet: An Unexpected Collaboration" Dr. Andoni Cossio, Universidad del País Vasco </p><p>"Computing the Interlace Structure of The Lord of the Rings" James Tauber Lancaster University</p><p>‘Pearls’ of Pearl: Medieval Appropriations in Tolkien’s Mythology - Dr. Kristine Larsen, Central Connecticut State University</p><p><b>Monday 4 July 19:00-20:00 GMT (Session 441) </b></p><p>Round Table Discussion: Tolkien As A Gateway to Interdisciplinary Teaching </p><p>Moderator: Dr Andrew Higgins </p><p>This round table discussion will feature talks by teachers on how they have used the works of Tolkien to introduce and engage students with new fields of study and disciplines. Short papers and discussions will explore how teachers have used the works of Tolkien as a gateway for students to explore and become passionate about other areas of study.</p><p>Scheduled participants: Deirdre Dawson, Dr. Jane Beal, Gaëlle Abaléa, Brian Egede-Pedersen, Dr. Dimitra Fimi </p><p><b>Wednesday 6th July 9:00-10:30 GMT (Session 1033) </b></p><div class="page" title="Page 108"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><i>Borders Between Life and Death in Tolkien's Legendarium </i></p><p>Moderator: Dr. Sara Brown </p><p>'Memories on Borders: On the Borders of Memory - Beleriand as Elegiac Landscape" Cami Agan Department of Language & Literature, Oklahoma Christian University </p><p>"Beyond the Circle of the World" Amy Amendt-Raduege Department of English, Western Washington University</p><p>Undead or Undying: Limited of Immortality in Tolkien's Work' Gaëlle Abaléa, Independent Scholar, Orléans</p></div></div></div></div><div class="page" title="Page 116"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><div class="page" title="Page 116"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><b>Wednesday 6th July 11:15-12:45 GMT (Session 1131) </b></p><p><i>Family, Orientation, Transgression and Crossing Borders of Middle-earth </i></p><p>Moderator: Dr. Andrew Higgins </p><p>'Tolkien’s Orphaned Heroes' - Deidre Dawson, Residential College in the Arts & Humanities, Michigan State University</p><p>'Chrononormativity and Queer Time: Crossing Temporal Borders in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth' Yvette Kisor, Humanities & Global Studies, Ramapo College of New Jersey</p><p>‘Finding out what lies beyond the borders of the Shire’: Applying Tolkien’s Fantastic Texts in and to Madness - The Transgressive Experience of Psychotic Thinking' Alke Haarsma-Wisselink, Independent Scholar, Zwolle</p><p>‘Lay your head in my lap’: Homoerotic Tension and Possibility on Mordor’s Border in The Lord of the Rings' Olivia-Kate Burgham, Independent Scholar, Ottawa</p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><b>Thursday 7 July 2022 11:15-12:45 (GMT) Session 1641 </b></p><p><i>Crossing Borders in Middle-earth </i></p><p>Moderator: Dr. Andrew Higgins </p><p>"Light: The Key to Cross the Spatiotemporal Borders in J. R. R. Tolkien's Secondary World" Aslı Bülbül Candaş, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow </p><p>"Interrogating the Liminal Space: Vampires and Werewolves in Middle-earth" Dr. Sara Brown, Signum University </p><p>"Time Travel, Astronomy, and Magic Mirrors: How the Borders between Reality and the Otherworld in Middle- Earth Are Influenced by Celtic Mythology and Science (Fiction)' Aurelie Bremont, Centre d’Etudes Médiévales Anglaises (CEMA), Sorbonne Université, Paris</p><p>Tolkien at Leeds IMC 2022 Business Meeting - TBD </p><p>SODOM fellowship and meading throughout! </p><p><br /></p>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-69869875776661221362021-07-15T17:42:00.011+01:002022-02-21T19:59:10.296+00:00LIVE Tolkien Sessions at Leeds 2022 - Feb 2022 Update <p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><p><b style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tolkien sessions at Leeds IMC 2022 (4-7 July 2022) </span></b></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Eglerio! These sessions have now been announced and there will be a more detailed blog post coming! </span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><p><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">For now you can see the sessions and speakers <a href="https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/imc-2022/programme/">here</a> just put Tolkien in the Sessions search </span></span></p><div><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">This year thanks to our founder<a href="http://dimitrafimi.com" target="_blank"> Dr. Dimitra Fimi</a> these sessions will be sponsored by <a href="https://fantasy.glasgow.ac.uk" target="_blank">Centre for Fantasy and the Fantastic at University of Glasgow</a></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgtjE7wOYE2MJzkhhDXBeqOM5XLnSOA5zgh7tJCvTEAsyg0JdtxErXuwY247UI65Hir5uJZV4HFbEi_ZjmNl6uDe74pQ3_OZ0hOsatO_scL7AS63R8-Lwx4fSQYhFEU_3RyK6oPTOgOz6/s299/Unknown-17.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDgtjE7wOYE2MJzkhhDXBeqOM5XLnSOA5zgh7tJCvTEAsyg0JdtxErXuwY247UI65Hir5uJZV4HFbEi_ZjmNl6uDe74pQ3_OZ0hOsatO_scL7AS63R8-Lwx4fSQYhFEU_3RyK6oPTOgOz6/w397-h223/Unknown-17.jpeg" width="397" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">See you in Leeds!<b> </b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #191919; font-family: Verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Verdana; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b><br /></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Verdana; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><br /></p>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-49860960383343233402021-02-20T13:23:00.005+00:002021-02-20T13:54:58.246+00:00Eglerio! Tolkien Sessions at Leeds IMC 2021 <p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Greetings all! I hope all are doing well during these mad times. In the darkest hours of lockdown and uncertainty I have kept in mind and heart that great Elvish war cry of Hurin during the Fifth Battle of Beleriand - </span><i style="font-family: georgia;">Aurë Entuluva</i><span style="font-family: georgia;"> - Day Shall Come Again! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">As sadly has become the trend this year the Leeds International Medieval Congress will be held on line from 5-9 July 2021 and registration for the online conference </span><a href="https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/imc-2021/" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">will open in March 2021.</a></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fcECHtIiU-GzPf66j9Ae_3Qli5NKqCFHXEUPcSQ-MiKyq9Fja9VXzcilTdgnRoQqouQsVgxB2TC1dxOr8k95BxaZKVCSrV5vwPb9DQSfp_IEPgozqm82glEbYECXJVQBGdMLhwInFgXK/s299/Unknown-7.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="299" height="109" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0fcECHtIiU-GzPf66j9Ae_3Qli5NKqCFHXEUPcSQ-MiKyq9Fja9VXzcilTdgnRoQqouQsVgxB2TC1dxOr8k95BxaZKVCSrV5vwPb9DQSfp_IEPgozqm82glEbYECXJVQBGdMLhwInFgXK/w179-h109/Unknown-7.jpeg" width="179" /></span></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">This is my first year of having the extreme honour to take over the mantle of organising the Tolkien Sessions for this conference from our visionary founder, scholar and writer <a href="http://dimitrafimi.com" target="_blank">Dr. Dimitra Fimi</a> whose incredible work has established these Tolkien sessions at Leeds IMC has an integral part of Tolkien scholarship. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I am so pleased that all the Tolkien Sessions that we submitted earlier this year have been accepted for the on-line conference and below please find the online schedule of Tolkien sessions and presenters. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">J.R.R. Tolkien: Medieval Roots and Modern Branches (Session 1721) </span></b></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Thursday 8 July 14:15-15:45 </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Moderator: Dr. Andrew Higgins </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Borders on the Otherworld: Warrior Maidens, Mounds, and Ancestral Swords in <i>The Lord of the Rings </i>and in the Old Norse <i>Hervar Saga </i>- Jan A. Kozak</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Flocking to the Serpent Banner - Decolonising <i>The Lord of the Ring</i>'s Workshop's Table-Top War Game - Brian Egede-Pedersen </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Raven and the Map: Decoding Gyözö Vida's A Gyürük Ura (Joel Merriner) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Tolkien's Alliterative Styles in <i>The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son </i>(Anna Smol) </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Tolkien and Diversity: A Round Table Discussion - Thursday 8 July (19:00-20:30) (Session 1921) </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Moderator: Professor Yvette Kisor </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Participants: Deidre Dawson, Sultana Raza, Christopher Vaccaro </span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Medieval Climates, Cosmologies and EcoSystems in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien (I) - Friday 9 July (14:15-15:45) (Session 2212) </span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Moderator: Dr. Sara Brown </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Importance of Geographical Directions in the construction of Tolkien's Middle-earth (Andrzej Wicher) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">King Elessar in Middle-earth: Strawberry Fields Forever? (Aurelie Bremont) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">'Carry on My Wayward Sonne (and Moon)' Common Cosmological Quirks in the Norse Fimbul-Winter and Tolkien's Early Legendarium (Dr. Kristine Larsen) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Political Climate in the 'The Fall of Numenor' (Gaëlle Abalea) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;"><b>Medieval Climates, Cosmologies and EcoSystems in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien (II) Friday 9 July (16:30-18:00) </b> (Session 2312) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">The Myth of the Mother - Retracing the Roots of Motherhood in Tolkien's Decaying Middle-earth (Dr. Helen Lawson) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Situating Middle-earth: Reconsidering Tolkien's Relationship with the Landscape (Dr. Sara Brown) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">Language Invention, Climate and Landscapes in Tolkien's <i>Gnomish</i> <i>Lexicon</i> (Dr. Andrew Higgins) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">How Alan Lee's Landscapes Outline the Climate of Plot and Tolkien's Mind-scapes (Sultana Raza) </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">I will arrange the IMC Tolkien Sessions Business Meeting to discuss plans for the 2022 sessions during the week of this conference. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(74, 74, 74); clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSMsyi8R8HLuw8vAqDVoquSDIKdCExGGF6wX0w9Wmy13CsvBW0nrsR5VD3z76dyHiRNfFC64QVreuj2BDD8mFc3_UU3ZIIgxCot37dv2qYjof_TQiLd_pmP_cktP5VD0C8zz0ZCugAcU0/s1140/il_1140xN.2643562957_arnd.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1140" data-original-width="1140" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaSMsyi8R8HLuw8vAqDVoquSDIKdCExGGF6wX0w9Wmy13CsvBW0nrsR5VD3z76dyHiRNfFC64QVreuj2BDD8mFc3_UU3ZIIgxCot37dv2qYjof_TQiLd_pmP_cktP5VD0C8zz0ZCugAcU0/w135-h135/il_1140xN.2643562957_arnd.jpg" width="135" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: large;">So looking forward to seeing everyone including the Sacred Fellowship of the Society of Mead Drinkers (aka SODOM) this July in our virtual Leeds conference. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #4a4a4a; font-size: large;"></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-47749166206799428192020-10-10T13:19:00.013+01:002020-10-11T12:00:24.890+01:00Exploring Imaginary Worlds: Essays on Media, Structure and Subcreation <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />In the course of my scholarly and academic research and exploration there have been several books that I consider revelatory and have helped shaped the course of my own research and areas of interest </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZCszaioBmTAhaz1V8Zdf016ny7CI8GFwPj_hPWy8MceY9NBbwZQYvM1NRCyQvHczSb1ylVRtfrtkHtQc-Z7fgCYOOwnT0AXICE0W4_XNON1WgNJMaErFx5ClytjCPipsku59Bx4YUrK2/s599/377px-Tolkien%252C_Race_and_Cultural_History.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="377" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZCszaioBmTAhaz1V8Zdf016ny7CI8GFwPj_hPWy8MceY9NBbwZQYvM1NRCyQvHczSb1ylVRtfrtkHtQc-Z7fgCYOOwnT0AXICE0W4_XNON1WgNJMaErFx5ClytjCPipsku59Bx4YUrK2/w139-h221/377px-Tolkien%252C_Race_and_Cultural_History.jpg" width="139" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>In the field of <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Main_Page" target="_blank">Tolkien </a>studies I would say these three books are: </span><span>Dr. Verlyn Flieger's </span><a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Splintered_Light" target="_blank"><i>Splintered Light: Logos and Light in Tolkien's World</i> (1983 revised 2002)</a><span> </span><span>Thomas A. Shippey's </span><a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Road_to_Middle-earth" target="_blank"><i>The Road to Middle-earth</i> (1982 revised 2012) </a> and <span><a href="http://dimitrafimi.com" target="_blank">Dr. Dimitra Fimi's</a> </span><a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tolkien,_Race_and_Cultural_History" target="_blank"><i>T</i></a><a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tolkien,_Race_and_Cultural_History" target="_blank"><i>olkien, Race and Cultural History - From Fairies to Hobbits </i>(2008)</a> (and very lucky me Dimitra became my PhD supervisor and we went on to co-edit <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/A_Secret_Vice_(book)" target="_blank">A Secret Vice Tolkien on Language Invention </a>published by HarperCollins in 2016)</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><span>In the broader field of fantastic literature studies I would elect </span><span>Farah Mendlesohn's <a href="https://muse.jhu.edu/book/21231" target="_blank">Rhetorics of Fantasy (2014).</a> </span></span><span>Michael T. Saler'</span><span>s</span><a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/as-if-9780195343168?cc=gb&lang=en&" target="_blank"> As If: Modern Enchantment and the Literary Prehistory of Virtual Reality </a><span>(2012) and </span><span>Professor</span><span> </span><a href="https://books.google.co.uk/books/about/Building_Imaginary_Worlds.html?id=rc6HgH34s0wC&redir_esc=y" target="_blank"><span style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">Mark J.P. Wolf's</span><span style="clear: left; display: inline; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"> </span>Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Sub-Creation (2012).</a><span> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Since reading Professor Wolf's 2012 monograph I have been a great admirer of the work he has been doing to explore the world's behind fictional texts in their broadest sense (from narratives, films, television shows to video games and amusement parks). </span><span style="font-size: medium;">For me this opened up a whole next vista in looking at a text and added to my thinking in my primary Tolkien research and studies which tends to focus on how Tolkien used invented languages combined with myth-making to build his world of Middle-earth. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2013/09/building-imaginary-worlds-an-interview-with-mark-j-p-wolf-part-three.html" target="_blank">Professor Wolf</a> has also gone on to bring together scholars to explore the role of world-building. This included the volume <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Revisiting-Imaginary-Worlds-A-Subcreation-Studies-Anthology/Wolf/p/book/9780367873974" target="_blank">Revisiting Imaginary Worlds: A Sub-creation Studies Anthology</a> published by Routledge in 2017 which included a brilliant chapter by Dr. Dimitra Fimi on <i>The Past as an Imaginary World: The Case of Medievalism</i> which compares and contrasts the medieval world-building of Thomas Chatterton, Umberto Eco and J.R.R. Tolkien. I was very excited to review both the 2012 monograph and this volume for <a href="https://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol4/iss1/10/" target="_blank">The Journal of Tolkien Research </a></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6QYRX_P6__YMv9ceHaO9bt5kG1i3awp8hTCQs-x5UQUSovylgGMEhqD18CHfEHAtk8-wrhZ38BzAIBZOEicvhgXtXaLg-JUFm8n2whOUJTbObuyYrpP-SLql2_30VByaBaM_m5KCcmf1/s218/71RXH2GHofL._AC_UY218_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="154" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf6QYRX_P6__YMv9ceHaO9bt5kG1i3awp8hTCQs-x5UQUSovylgGMEhqD18CHfEHAtk8-wrhZ38BzAIBZOEicvhgXtXaLg-JUFm8n2whOUJTbObuyYrpP-SLql2_30VByaBaM_m5KCcmf1/w113-h160/71RXH2GHofL._AC_UY218_.jpg" width="113" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">I first got to work with Professor Wolf when he asked Dimitra and I to contribute a chapter on 'Invented Languages' in the 2018 <a href="https://www.routledge.com/The-Routledge-Companion-to-Imaginary-Worlds/Wolf/p/book/9780367876302" target="_blank">The Routledge Companion to Imaginary Worlds. </a> It was around this time that I heard that he was planning another collected volume of exploring world-building in fictional texts and I jumped at the chance to be a part of this one. </span></div><div><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">I decided to contribute to this new volume with a piece not on Tolkien or invented languages but around a story-world that I had grown up with and is a very important part of my life - the world of</span><a href="https://darkshadows.fandom.com/wiki/Dark_Shadows_Wiki" target="_blank">Dark Shadows</a>. Ever since</span> I ran <span style="font-size: medium;">home from school to watch the last seasons of the original episodes on ABC TV in New York City and then re-watched the original 1245 episodes that started in 1966 (the same year <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Trek" target="_blank">Star Trek</a></i> first appeared) again in re-runs, on MPI Videos and (to this day) on DVD's and Amazon Prime I have been fascinated by the gothic world of Dark Shadows. I have been very lucky to have actually attended several Dark Shadows fan conventions in New York City and meet some of the original cast including Jonathan Frid (Barnabas Collins), Lara Parker (Angelique), David Selby (Quentin) and <a href="https://www.kathrynleighscott.com" target="_blank">Kathryn Leigh Scott</a> (Maggie Evans/Josette) who to this day is involved with many Dark Shadows projects including the <a href="https://www.audible.co.uk/series/Dark-Shadows-Ross-Audiobooks/B07T15XXWX" target="_blank">recent excellent recordings of the original Dark Shadows gothic novels by Marilyn Ross (I am up to number 16 Barnabas, Quentin and The Mummy's Curse)</a> - I have explored some of the Marilyn Ross novels on past blog <a href="http://wotanselvishmusings.blogspot.com/2016/02/dr-wotans-celebration-of-50th.html" target="_blank">posts here</a> </span></div><div><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMG2xWw4QbHOe8CZ26UA3SFKwEvwHILwA8ZSQkvz_1NnNBRlbWwU_okXOKaBvPOXaNTm9h3HV4-0LNFRD__XwJeB46tv7lSR7VXYFIXdPOnLBc70yx5pRzG2J_FovEMC55BUeZ5eeuzIF2/s299/Unknown-2.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMG2xWw4QbHOe8CZ26UA3SFKwEvwHILwA8ZSQkvz_1NnNBRlbWwU_okXOKaBvPOXaNTm9h3HV4-0LNFRD__XwJeB46tv7lSR7VXYFIXdPOnLBc70yx5pRzG2J_FovEMC55BUeZ5eeuzIF2/s0/Unknown-2.jpeg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Sympathetic Vampires (long before Angel and Edward), werewolves, witches, time travel, Lovecraftian leviathans, parallel time - this trans-medial story-world has it all and I wanted my chapter in this volume to be a scholarly exploration using those ideas and thoughts that I learned from Professor Wolf's excellent work to explore the gothic world-building of Dark Shadows. It was an incredible exploration and along the way I discovered the vast and varied soup of gothic, horror, and weird stories that Dan Curtis and his team or writers dipped into to create the narratives of this world. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisieFrx3-Vjn9hcU_aQ_jzbihhrBdmS8ustIsdQyUBnk7hyphenhyphenY1eOAKL_eX__gkXbk8sDZYNiK9UIQO1lxIVE5Ov5w1Jvhf1jtFc7tzjzfMtcS2u-WODGj1H5kUp3Ry8NDD5UwL9-pCGacD/s276/Unknown-4.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="183" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgisieFrx3-Vjn9hcU_aQ_jzbihhrBdmS8ustIsdQyUBnk7hyphenhyphenY1eOAKL_eX__gkXbk8sDZYNiK9UIQO1lxIVE5Ov5w1Jvhf1jtFc7tzjzfMtcS2u-WODGj1H5kUp3Ry8NDD5UwL9-pCGacD/s0/Unknown-4.jpeg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Exploring-Imaginary-Worlds-Structure-Subcreation/dp/0367197308">This new volume</a> has just been published and has some brilliant chapters - here is the table of contents - hope you enjoy mine and many others explorations of the world's beyond the texts we read, watch, experience and play in - and I am looking forward to more exploration! </span><p></p><p><b style="font-family: Helvetica;">Foreword</b></p><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Scott Adams</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i> </i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Acknowledgments</b><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b> </b><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Introduction</b><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Mark J. P. Wolf</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>WORLDS OF WORDS</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b><i>The Journey of Niels Klim to the World Underground</i></b><b> by Ludvig Holberg: Subcreation and Social Criticism</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Lars Konzack</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>‘A Little Bit of England Which I Have Myself Created’: Creating Barsetshire across Forms, Genres, Time, and Authors</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Helen Conrad O’Briain</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Mythopoetic Suspense, Eschatology and Misterium: World-Building Lessons from Dostoevsky</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Lily Alexander</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Building the Vorkosigan Universe</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Edward James</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>AUDIOVISUAL WORLDS</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Our World: World-Building in Thornton Wilder’s </b><b><i>Our Town</i></b><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Mark J. P. Wolf</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>"Suckled On Shadows": States of Decay in Mervyn Peake’s </b><b><i>Gormenghast</i></b><b> Novels</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Edward O’Hare</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>The Gothic World-Building of </b><b><i>Dark Shadows</i></b><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Andrew Higgins</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Daventry and the Worlds of </b><b><i>King’s Quest</i></b><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Christopher Hanson</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>TRANSMEDIA WORLDS</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>The Softer Side of </b><b><i>Dune</i></b><b>: The Impact of Social Sciences on World-Building</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Kara Kennedy</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Earth, Air, Fire, and Water: Balance and Interconnectivity in the Fractured Worlds of Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman’s </b><b><i>The Death Gate Cycle</i></b><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Jennifer Harwood-Smith</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>Welcome to the "Second-stage" Lynchverse – </b><b><i>Twin Peaks: The Return</i></b><b> and the Impossibility of Return Vs. Getting a Return</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Matt Hills</i><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><br /></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b>The Fault in Our </b><b><i>Star Trek</i></b><b>: (Dis)Continuity Mapping, Textual Conservationism, and the Perils of Prequelization</b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>William Proctor</i></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"> </div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><b><i>Appendix: On Measuring and Comparing Imaginary Worlds</i></b><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-family: Helvetica;"><i>Mark J. P. Wolf</i></div><p><br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p></div>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-50542107798389210122020-07-13T13:46:00.001+01:002020-07-13T13:46:38.453+01:00Leeds IMC 2021 - Tolkien Sessions - CFP <br /><div><font face="georgia"><br /></font></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZAaTDlqhqwpqZwypzJ093pmyJBkNwKGq-AcWeY4A184B-8iR4Y4h0u60iKTKuEyjHAI8nKjZ64c-ScKntWvirBVv32LLXlHeaKZvMZOjfocvqW3Y4Z7j05PwsR52GoCggLyaTQJOq0jw/s267/Unknown-21.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="189" data-original-width="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZAaTDlqhqwpqZwypzJ093pmyJBkNwKGq-AcWeY4A184B-8iR4Y4h0u60iKTKuEyjHAI8nKjZ64c-ScKntWvirBVv32LLXlHeaKZvMZOjfocvqW3Y4Z7j05PwsR52GoCggLyaTQJOq0jw/s0/Unknown-21.jpeg" /></a></div>Eglerio! I am very excited and honoured to be organising the Tolkien Sessions for the </span><a href="https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk" style="font-family: georgia;" target="_blank">Leeds IMC </a></div><div><font face="georgia"><a href="https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk" target="_blank">2021 Congress </a></font></div><div>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.5px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">The overall theme of the conference will be <a href="https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/2021-climates/">climates</a> </font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">I am looking for paper submissions for sessions that would cover two aspects of ‘climates’ as well as again offering sessions that can accommodate wider topics of Tolkien scholarship. </font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia"><b>Medieval Climates, Cosmologies and Eco-systems in the Works and World-Building of J.R.R. Tolkien </b> </font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">Papers in these sessions can explore all aspects of climate and its interaction and relationship with the heavens, waters, landscapes, patterns of weather, human and non-human life within the context of the corpus of Tolkien’s fictional works and world-building; including eco-critical explorations of Tolkien’s narratives and myth-making. </font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><b></b><br /></font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><b></b><br /></font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><font face="georgia">Climates of Opinion, Feeling, Influence and Reception of the life and works of J.R.R. Tolkien </font></b></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><b></b><br /></font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">Papers in these sessions will explore ‘climates’ as expressed in the interconnected factors, experiences, creative and critical thought that either influenced J.R.R. Tolkien and his myth-making or has influenced the ‘climate’ for Tolkien today through the scholarship, reception and adaptation of his works. </font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><b></b><br /></font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><b><font face="georgia">Tolkien: Medieval Roots and Modern Branches</font></b></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">These session can accommodate wider topics and new approaches to Tolkien's medievalism, ranging from source studies and theoretical readings, to comparative studies of Tolkien’s works. </font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><font face="georgia"><br /></font></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia">If you are interested in participating:</font></p>
<ul>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">Please submit a paper contribution title and abstract <b>by 6</b></span><span style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"><b><sup>th</sup></b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><b> September 2020</b> to Dr. Andrew Higgins (<a href="mailto:asthiggins@me.com"><span style="color: blue;">asthiggins@me.com</span></a>) </span></font></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">Length of abstracts: 100 words (max!) </span></font></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">Papers will be 15-20 minutes long </span></font></li>
<li style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #191919; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><font face="georgia"><span style="font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"></span><span style="background-color: white;">With your abstract, please include name and details of contributor (affiliation, address, and preferred e-mail address)</span></font></li>
</ul>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; background-color: white; color: #191919; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 11.5px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px;"><br /></p></div>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-6998304567001079772020-01-31T16:08:00.000+00:002020-01-31T16:08:26.597+00:00Tolkien Experience Podcast <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1suJlxQ8F_WPQ90oYY8XYVhyphenhyphenDe6sM_Ea9EpvQe0O-vPCYEtrA92M6IjYg3koYUt-4V2ZaeSsuLPyr0PxxeSORyhIprEHSwzJcQ7iDtsn61FZt373Kga_etXaM1mvzP7eTrcslqYwYZ45O/s1600/Unknown-26.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1suJlxQ8F_WPQ90oYY8XYVhyphenhyphenDe6sM_Ea9EpvQe0O-vPCYEtrA92M6IjYg3koYUt-4V2ZaeSsuLPyr0PxxeSORyhIprEHSwzJcQ7iDtsn61FZt373Kga_etXaM1mvzP7eTrcslqYwYZ45O/s200/Unknown-26.jpeg" width="200" /></a><br />
Eglerio! I am very pleased and quite honoured to be the third Tolkien scholar interviewed for the brilliant new <a href="https://luke-shelton.com/tolkienexperiencepodcast/" target="_blank">Tolkien Experience Podcast </a>- which has been one of the excellent projects that has come out of <a href="https://luke-shelton.com/about/" target="_blank">Dr. Luke Shelton's</a> groundbreaking <a href="https://luke-shelton.com/tolkien-experience-project/" target="_blank">Tolkien Experience Project.</a><br />
<br />
I was very excited to be the<a href="https://luke-shelton.com/2020/01/31/tep-3-andrew-higgins/" target="_blank"> third guest</a> after the leading Tolkien scholars <a href="https://luke-shelton.com/2020/01/03/tep-1-dimitra-fimi/" target="_blank">Dr. Dimitra Fimi</a> and<a href="https://luke-shelton.com/2020/01/17/tep-2-janet-brennan-croft/" target="_blank"> Janet Brennan Croft </a>and to be interviewed by my fellow Tolkien scholar, colleague, founding member of SODOM and dear friend <a href="https://signumuniversity.org/directory/sara-brown/" target="_blank">Dr. Sara Brown. </a><br />
<br />
I really enjoyed talking to Sara about how I got involved with Tolkien (thanks to my Dad!) and my love for Tolkien's languages and the wonderful adventure I am on in my Tolkien study and scholarship. So looking forward to more of these episodes. <br />
<br />
Thanks Luke and Sara for including me in your adventure! Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-83384020960208011142019-12-01T16:21:00.002+00:002020-02-09T21:54:10.922+00:00Eglerio! Tolkien at Leeds IMC 2020 Sessions Announced <h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvUHWWnkaamjRPJWv4T0pL92__PwfX_k_kkXccIhXk8SAOfZF2MEKbI4yyr0nS4wKVZCi55cPPv6r_nsSt9y1Si2FR3ehT6jipg_W_sgHjX6oWI6uwV2sc5TcatYHNtpPBhaVIhHLorY9/s1600/Unknown-16.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="159" data-original-width="318" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIvUHWWnkaamjRPJWv4T0pL92__PwfX_k_kkXccIhXk8SAOfZF2MEKbI4yyr0nS4wKVZCi55cPPv6r_nsSt9y1Si2FR3ehT6jipg_W_sgHjX6oWI6uwV2sc5TcatYHNtpPBhaVIhHLorY9/s320/Unknown-16.jpeg" title="" width="320" /></a></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">What a great opportunity for Dr. Wotan to resume his errant blogging with this announcement about the Tolkien at Leeds <a href="https://www.imc.leeds.ac.uk/imc2020/" target="_blank">International Medieval Congress 2020</a> which I am co-organising this year with <a href="http://www.dimitrafimi.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Dimitra Fimi.</a> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Fimi has spent the last five years working valiantly and tirelessly to first establish and then organise these sessions at Leeds (you can read Dr. Fimi's roundup reports of the past conferences here: </span><a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/2015/02/08/tolkien-fantasy-and-medievalism-at-imc-leeds-2015/" target="_blank">2015</a><span style="font-size: large;">, </span><a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/2016/07/09/leeds-2016-tolkien-society-seminar-and-imc/" target="_blank">2016</a><span style="font-size: large;">, </span><a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/2016/11/30/tolkien-sessions-at-imc-leeds-july-2017/" target="_blank">2017</a><span style="font-size: large;">, </span><a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/2018/07/09/tolkien-at-imc-leeds-2018-round-up/" target="_blank">2018</a><span style="font-size: large;"> and </span><a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/2019/08/23/tolkien-at-imc-leeds-2019-round-up/" target="_blank">2019 </a><span style="font-size: large;">). </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For the 2020 conference Dr. Fimi and I are organising the conference together so I can 'learn the ropes' to take over organising the conference in 2021 (big shoes to fill!). </span><span style="font-size: large;">For Tolkien at Leeds IMC 2020 Dr. Fimi and I are very pleased to announce that all 5 sessions on J.R.R. Tolkien that were proposed have been accepted: including three that will focus on the overall theme of this year's conference: borders. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Here are the sessions titles and papers <b>now with the scheduled dates and times. </b></span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>SESSION 104: </b></h3>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<h3>
<b>J.R.R. Tolkien: Medieval Roots and Modern Branches </b></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sponsor: School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Organiser: Dr. Andrew Higgins, Independent Scholar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Moderator/Chair: Deirdre Dawson, Independent Scholar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Session Day/Time: Monday 6 July (11:15-12:45) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">A Preliminary History of Deadly Splinters</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Victoria Holtz-Wodzak, Viterbo University Wisconsin</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Tolkien Alliterative Style in The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm's Son </span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Anna Smol, Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Dewdrop, Apple and Pomegranate: Three Symbols of the Ring Bearing in Czerniawski's Wyprawa</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Joel Merriner, University of Plymouth UK</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Foraging for Sources: Sir Orfeo as the Origin of Medieval Romance Topoi Present in Mirkwood</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Andoni Cossio, Universidad del Pais Vasco</span><br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Session 905: </b></h3>
<h3>
<b><br /></b><b>New Sources and Approaches to Tolkien's Medievalism - A Round Table Discussion</b></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Sponsor: School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Organiser and Moderator: Dr. Andrew Higgins, Independent Scholar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Session Day/Time: Tuesday 7 July (19:00-20:00) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Participants:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Leo Carruthers, Centre d'Etudes Medievales Anglaises (CEMA), Sorbonne Université </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Dimitra Fimi, School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Kristine Larsen, Geological Sciences Department, Central Connecticut State University</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Thijs Porck, Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS), Universiteit Leiden</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This roundtable discussion will focus on works by J.R.R. Tolkien published during the last few years, with a particular emphasis on the latest posthumous publication of <i><a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/tolkiens-lost-chaucer-9780198842675" target="_blank">Tolkien's Lost Chaucer</a>,</i> edited by John M Bowers (Oxford University Press).</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<h3>
<b>SESSION 1536: </b></h3>
<h3>
<b><br /></b><b>Borders in Tolkien's Medievalism I </b><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12px;"> </span></h3>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sponsor: School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Organiser: Dr. Andrew Higgins, Independent Scholar </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Moderator/Chair: Kristine Larsen, Central Connecticut State University </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Session Day/Time: Thursday 9 July (9:00-10:30) </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><i>The Liminality of Tolkien's Non-Human Species</i> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Dr. Andrzej Wicher, Uniwersytet Lodz </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><i>Undead of Undying: Limits of Immortality in Tolkien's Work </i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Gaëlle Abaléa, Sorbonne Université Paris </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><i>Implementing the Liminal Space: Vampires and Werewolves </i> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Sara Brown, Independent Scholar </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: medium;"><i><span class="s1" style="font-family: "uictfonttextstyletallbody"; font-size: 21.5px;">Warrior Maidens, Mounds and Ancestral Swords in LOTR and in the Old Norse </span><span class="s3" style="font-family: "uictfonttextstyletallbody"; font-size: 21.5px;">Hervarar Saga</span><span class="s1" style="font-family: "uictfonttextstyletallbody"; font-size: 21.5px;"> </span></i></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "uictfonttextstyletallbody";">Jan A. Kozák, </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "uictfonttextstyletallbody";">University of Bergen, Norway</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<h3>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b>SESSION 1636: </b></span></h3>
<h3>
<b style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: calibri;">Borders in Tolkien's Medievalism II </b></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Sponsor: School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><span style="font-size: large;">Organiser: Dr. Andrew Higgins, Independent Scholar </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;">Moderator/Chair: Sara Brown, Independent Scholar </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Session Day/Time: </span><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> Thursday 9 July (11:15-12:45) </span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Tolkien's Taliska: Language Invention on Linguistic Borders</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Dr. Andrew Higgins, Independent Scholar</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Linguistic Borders, Boundaries and Bridges in Tolkien's Writing</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Deirdre Dawson, Independent Scholar</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Borders of Mind and Nation in Tolkien's Works </span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ellen Duncan, Independent Scholar</span><br />
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SESSION 1736: </h3>
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Borders in Tolkien's Medievalism III</h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sponsor: School of Critical Studies, University of Glasgow </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Organiser and Moderator/Chair: Dr. Andrew Higgins, Independent Scholar</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Session Day/Time: Thursday 9 July (14:15-15:45) </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Boundaries and Marches: Marked and Unmarked Edges in Tolkien's Maps</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Erik Mueller-Harder, Independent Scholar</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The Walls of the World and The Voyage of the Evening Star: The Complex Borders of Medieval Geocentric Cosmology</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Kristine Larsen, Central Connecticut State University</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">The Limits of Subcreation</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Lars Konzack, Institute for Kommunikation, Copenhagen Universitet </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Time-Travel, Astronomy and Magic Mirrors: The Borders between 'Reality' and 'Otherworlds' within Middle-earth</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Aurelie Bremont, Sorbonne Université Paris</span><br />
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Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-87817417879521455692017-05-30T10:54:00.003+01:002017-05-30T11:12:09.794+01:00World-Building and The Mythic Origins of Ariadne <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">Greetings all - Dr. Wotan has just recently returned from The International Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo Michigan and is now busy preparing for giving two Tolkien papers for the <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/imc2017.html" target="_blank">2017 International Medieval Conference at Leeds in July</a>! Couple of items to share with you this time coming from the two areas of the life I lead! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">First - just posted to the brilliant <a href="http://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/" target="_blank">The Journal of Tolkien Research</a> is my book review of two seminal works from<a href="http://worldbuilding.institute/people/mark-j-p-wolf" target="_blank"> Professor Mark J.P. Wolf of Concordia University </a>Wisconsin which explores the worlds that exist and are waiting to be discovered in all forms of narratives. As I say in this review Wolf's work here is revelatory and represents an exciting new contextual framework for exploring texts which I am using in all my research on Tolkien and other invented worlds.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">These two books are:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bWHx44sJTyoqasRczYf1pe6r_idPywC58gGVylZrPdTUTSn6DhzGLXylBT6EUKAPmvTbtk1TjNZUebyzR707v1m7FWd2pkR3Pyi7na3pClg-Jy7Wnwa7jVDlZx8YI4JDNd9dXFRHTVkI/s1600/Unknown-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4bWHx44sJTyoqasRczYf1pe6r_idPywC58gGVylZrPdTUTSn6DhzGLXylBT6EUKAPmvTbtk1TjNZUebyzR707v1m7FWd2pkR3Pyi7na3pClg-Jy7Wnwa7jVDlZx8YI4JDNd9dXFRHTVkI/s400/Unknown-1.jpeg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5zSN9p_MAnRCXm1aHs2XnzP7sLED7ITty_RbxQWUVfFoXGUS3sOjikSrBMlyD3llS6QJcf7zdnHz97RgxABABIirlUi4W0C6Drrvk6ARCsRT5qH7BMlXrx-jtjr79AMfPWzP3DBOt44u/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5zSN9p_MAnRCXm1aHs2XnzP7sLED7ITty_RbxQWUVfFoXGUS3sOjikSrBMlyD3llS6QJcf7zdnHz97RgxABABIirlUi4W0C6Drrvk6ARCsRT5qH7BMlXrx-jtjr79AMfPWzP3DBOt44u/s400/images.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">And my review (with a special focus on the Tolkien elements in them) is here - <a href="http://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol4/iss1/10/">http://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol4/iss1/10/</a></span><br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTf2RrVANRgiLHmTJwSN6Wya3KrhA4mu8IJfG_nJHKn6P6kQmLE" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for Glyndebourne Ariadne auf Naxos" border="0" class="rg_ic rg_i" data-src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTf2RrVANRgiLHmTJwSN6Wya3KrhA4mu8IJfG_nJHKn6P6kQmLE" data-sz="f" height="200" jsaction="load:str.tbn" name="Zk-qwktrtVczsM:" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTf2RrVANRgiLHmTJwSN6Wya3KrhA4mu8IJfG_nJHKn6P6kQmLE" style="height: 191px; margin-top: 0px; width: 152px;" width="159" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Secondly, I was very excited earlier this year to be asked to write an article for the <a href="http://www.glyndebourne.com/" target="_blank">2017 Gly</a><a href="http://www.glyndebourne.com/" target="_blank">ndebourne Festival </a> on 'The Mythic Origins of Ariadne' for the must see production of <a href="http://www.glyndebourne.com/tickets-and-whats-on/events/2017/ariadne-auf-naxos/" target="_blank">Richard Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos which opens at Glyndebourne on the 25th of June and runs through the 27 July. </a> With kind permission of Glyndebourne I am posting this article which was really fun to do (an excuse to dig back into Homeric Greek!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><b> </b></span><b style="text-align: left;"> ‘Sic Itur ad astra’- </b><b>The Mythic Origins of Ariadne </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">In construc</span>ting their Ariadne, Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal drew from a rich ‘soup’ of Greek and Roman myths. The word Ariadne itself is not a name but an epithet derived from two words in a Cretan dialect of Ancient Greek: αρι [ari] “most” and αδνος [adnos] “holy.” This epithet originally signified a major goddess on the island of Crete during the Minoan period (c. 3650 to 1400 B.C.E.) who scholars have argued was associated with nature, snakes, orgiastic dancing and, most interestingly for the stories that would follow about her, labyrinths. She may be signified on a tablet written in the syllabic script used by the Mycenaean Greeks known as Linear B (c. 1450 B.C.E.) in the votive offering ‘to all the gods, honey… to the mistress of the labyrinth, honey’. This epithet would become personified in the later Greek and Roman character of Ariadne who would become bound up with the Cretan cycle of Greek and Roman myths. </span></div>
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hrRpHvAE2IMfdMjzF+tRe17JsucWofdqUlg+aSpHqBB9CMW+uXDEE2Ii4jlpMfszy/wCuAr2xZIHKJUjxJVEHycEEfML8sFTLTYvky6Oa2U1jOo4wcIY9E8wluAcJrZhyKVgkF6l4pibMdN9xyG8bb4sw+0eiKqpAYQuqoJCknRcAajuWMECIicBXs3rf977kkAV0Ke5Ta6xUHhqKykSg3HTFjVezlSVhco9PSSe+yeXnVIAH6JKbAaZMgg2A88TXOGrEyurWo5gTihWVDBAiNPQDfVp2IiIB38pwLdse1KZIBFUPXcSByUeIanO7EtMRFgdpuWoummo6AAQI6AGOVyLYojttnmq52uWjwuUWNgtPwgfT54morU5b8FN9jhBY5I7iXEKleoalVizHn0A2AHIDoMSvYnhi5jNKjadKq1Q6tj3YmGPJSYk9JwP4LvZlxBaWdAYhe9RqaswkB2grIkSCygbjfF09ovB58N5LIc/b83+LI/8AqG/5eFgj+y5r+dy3/pKn/wDRhYhyv5kv3/mCieN5euCr1XNVSISprLqR0Dcj5WxFxgqOVZM3XpJSZ6BjvUUWCMA2oDkym687R1xAcRyRo1GpkzGx/EpurDyKkHF8WQSj3M8K4c9eqtKmJZvoBufhixeA8H+wZfM1qhXvApII20oPDvzZyP7OBj2fcOqVMyKqkqtK5PUsCAnxuT5A+WLF4tklzOXembBrc7EHwnf7rQ1+U9QcTX2e5R7dyvp6va5d+wP+znLkZbWZ1PVZgeoRUWT5amN/X4MO27f92Oqpqc10LqNOlCUrGwAmeXiOqFAOwwT5NDTXQixTpqFWTDMugkm8gKxZjq6ofKB72mOVo0aZK+KozKFBACIoAiepcmQANoFsDB5sz5DmsVY8A32Kz4pZpZgB1ZCSYgsJW5BAOpQJNr3ti2eGjVVECykhpidnHuxKmTzjfYYokYsv2ZccqVa3dVPF3dIsrEtqPiRYN4PvbwD8ycH1FeVqF9Nbj2PuWGlLQCuq52sBANhtAN74g883duzO4GlVaowJC6hEkyGAAWDF2iP1ZIO+BI94RyjfbaOXp/limO1nbGpXNamKSorOQ0wWKoTpUyIEWNuYPUzPRByexRdYoR3JLsZ2y+z+CqztRjYksU6FSTtG6/EQRDGvbrhi18hVi+le9p840DUY8imoR54pXL07SWAHM/8ATfHoLg1GMtQRgJFKmGHUhFB+uHdQlFqaJ+mk5pxZ5ymJAO+/mLH43APwxrh1xGgEq1EFwrsoPkrED6DDeMWkWMBJ7O6ROfoxsCZ22ZWX43IxJ8G9oNfK0fs/dLU0SqMxYEAGwIHvRy2tbD7sD2Oqq6ZuqQhXxU6ZElpUiWv4Rew38hzJV7CZFq3eMrMWJbQzQgaZIgAEi/uzETiOy2vU1Lcsrqs0JrYrDi3aHNZ1x3jF7+Gmg8IO3hQbnzucHns14dmaBqrVACFTFM3YOSs2E6LQGXc6lkWwRcSyyJWpwiKrqw0oFUvp0xq0aS9NZ90yCWWYAkPtahQO7GlQABpGkDoLAD0UcxMTgZ25jiKChVieWzrWmRLndRykQIB6DUzAXDC5jTOO+bpjuyWJYAMehJvYMoEQJG2xvjn3QKeAhTy02WemkWIMmbSQTjvkDfxDwgWI+oE7gR5bkX5TpsocduDNNWJMeGGk7biQRAPmQb2nqMCvtYcfYHk37ynp8zJ/un5YL88yUlEbQSFUSdKgHwryEEDy2nFGdru0r8QexFOikFKbMoJJsSTsW+MAfGW1Qcpp9kKtsSh8sFMLG1RCpIIgjljUDHonmj7hudehUSrTIDoZUwDBIjbbY4vTstxmpmMulSpTKllG8eMxJYCSQm0TG/pNG8Gyne16NKC2uoqkDoWE/ScX7TYaZFlAsB6A2HofpiLq2sJYL+kT3ZvmKkISb6RMRNgLx1OkGJ325486ZioXdmO7EsfVrm+PRs39PrG/yt88eeeK5Xuq9WkNqdRkHojFf7sZ0fc7rFwM8dctl3qMERSzGwVQST8BjngtyGQr06NVMsh78JqzL2Bp02GpaSSZ1EAs0XtHI4sk8IjjHIy/0Uzv4R/vk/8AdhYb/wCjlf8AmjhYDPyvsM0rw/v/AOBrX4fXq1KqpU7mmdJLqPGzaAAsyIUC/wAefIc4twSoRSpkg1adQUCeRSr4qLX5SXX4AcsGi1GUuEALM4CzMDwKSxjcAA2G5gc8QXGsnmQ9Q1GVg9E92yKRD5YmsoIJMEqHi5nCYSecFNsFjIT8EyApIKS+EAXACXa0knSSSY3N/piSdSFsNQNm3uIPr4iJF97CROBnspmszUWpVrqCtVgaQJI96SQOiRBB8j1wTZauPF+EMbnlEE/BTIPTT6nElialvuVVtOKwsDLKU9Gjw1dQ03GtydQEmATHiGrxLomb3kV92sZs1mzSoBqopAoNMsWOotUYRy1sQItAWOWLYq0BNiQSCDHS1x0ba/mTys24RwWjl5Sigp6iWaCxNgBp1EzHiBiY3ODhco79wLKtW3YCey/s67xBUzTOk3WmsA6erEg6T5b9Y2wb8A7L5fJszUVYs4gszSQJnSNoBMHnsMSlNYOw/jb0tjtUaATtbC5XTn3NjTCHCNFbUBAJHI8j573HwwNcW7AZbMOXZqqsQPcNMAR5aPETuSTJPPBWFj8gMZJj4m37sDGcov2hShGXKBLhXYXJ0XBKvUYCR3jAgwV8QVVF1Nr/AIri4wUioViBMcttuh2+dvMY5l9QERO6mTyte1gQSD5E43puGUMJ22O46j1BkeoOOnNy3bMhBR2SKF7V8ONHN1kJtrLA/qv4hPQgWI5EHB92H7BoipmMyNTkBlpkWSbgsPvPF42E8zt39pXZ0VaRzKxrpL49vHT6+qXPoY/Dgn4BxBK+Wo1dQB0hWuBFQAB1vz1CY5iD0xVZc5VrT/snhUla8/6HopidR2ImeQiZPxB+nWMYKXMCPhvHXy/i2Nmg6YMidxsYN45fx5GdMyQLSQJ+HlPwuPSNyMRYLMjDMcKVyWNWuoO+ivVUWHIBrDnAj0xxzHBKmk93m8wsC2tkrLHKVqKSR568S9OpHl69d/3Y3ZrzNo3tbr8LDbBqySAdcWQvDO/IKZgIrKY7ylI7xTJsm9Njphh192JDCWNUNtIA/CY2i0jl6eXngc41x7KJUWmasuzoNNJpK3tJBhU6jcDkeRA2VKDSPDAN94mRN97kG/QYZNPZmQa3Wc4Gmc4jl6RCVK1Kmx2VnVSdVpgmTIBv6YojjeR7nMVaXJHIH7O6/wBkjFp1+K08pSK1KK1G0SGTQ5rOEBYuILqSQzFjqWFMGwGKr41xI5is9YqFLxYTA0qFFzuYG/XFfTwcW/BF1M1JI1quGpjxXQ6RMSUOoj1Ckf2gOWG0Y1XBd2A7NDNVWq1R+gpe8PxtEhfQC58oHOQ+UlFZZPCLk8Im/Zr2fKMM5XAVSCKQaAfFA1weREgdd9t7Cy9ZN55bAkgfAch+7Afle3WUqV2RUKgmEqFQNZJiNIBI/VmLEzp5l9FSLEQRzMT5C3Iev7z5t7k3mSwenQoqOIs1d4/SFtCKrSCALGDqYkSoAHlvJ5DFEdoc2tXNV6ie49VmW0SCSQY89/jgp9qWZzArim1Ru4ZQyKLLIswMe8Qw5zEjALivpq9K1Z5I+psy9OOCT4HSAZqzAFaCd5BEgvIWmpHMGoRI6BsWRQ4D3FF62tzmXQms2qzmoDqkbQpYsDvI6GMD3Zjs+K1BKbkqjnvqsWZlBanRWehK1Wn09cGCU2p0ny7OXCmmqM127uqwQBjzIKuJ6acDdZ7sJjKKttTRL6R+H6DCxrqPl88ZxDrkXaECWVzMaXgk90IXaWbugBPmwicceKJmlfL1Gqo1IVqfeKqaYDMF3kkp4ivL3rjprkqwDKWNgCT/AEe9H/t+mOPHc3mgoDU0FJ3QGCS6DWpGrlJgC0jlOLv/AKJH+V5JHsos0QkkGlUamfPS0BZ5D3PjMb4msvXSowYHUHWF3gkBiy6WgeJGkHopvB8Q32bJ15mCRGcqkG8DwtcnpYC/InDntBxpcrRECKx1CiDBKAlgHMGNKqSF+A64TOGZtIbXNKtNhHwzOKxqopJajCP01AAyN7XI/onDz7T+k0BoZgxEiZCGiDF7GXX5HAH7Ky0ZhjJBZJJ5kiqWvzO3zxN9ouKCjmshNpqVA3TTVFNDPoWn+jgHVizSv5scrc16n/NwmrIYmSWHUxMbi0AEiRIHOcO9BCxv6nlHlM+n1w1eSpAkHYSPvEED4Tf0jDul4lnk237J2+hn54SNOtObhvSR/Fj5X9ccapMEegEH8UDUekTOOy1JGqLwLT8SPhfHDMj3RPvsF/rT+X8bY3uY3hG6i4Hlt6yCPmMDXY7tAcxVzaNbRWOiNtBlVHzpkk8ywxK57iIp03rGwRGqfCNWn5hhis/ZhnNObZWP8pSMH9dCHkdTAY3w+uvMJMROzE4lttBBBiD128/hF/Qt+HFKV2rcNzzIjOqrUFpMPSmwZdn8Mj1mMXTWNgTYHeORH5weu4LDA12w7Lpm0DFxSqUxBdrjRzmY25MfKdzA9PNReJcM2+DksrlBDlc0KwWpTZWR7owMyovJ6GYGnlDdYw5K3k9ORa/yjniJ4Hk1SjTSkwZFQAGmV0mAC7Xk+J5NiT6Xw7zWdCACNbtOiml2cje5NwOZMKOZ2wprfCGp7ZZy4hX2pJao83gHQn3qkc99I6seYDYj8ylMPVSsrGkVVFUJUqFwVfWSyqztcgSdjTnczh5kMlpZ6jwa1UjWQSQAoISmh/AvWBqYloFgM8Uou9J0ptpYkDUJkDUpfT0bRqA5yeUTg1JJ6f3MabWoo/tJwj7NVhWLU2k02KkEhWKlWUgQ6spVhG4nYjBVwftllhlaVGs+YNRSSWKU6gBO0a2uAORHNuuHHtOdqlCme6VRSqFZLMWBYElboARtJBMMCLwTitox6SWuKyeZJ+lJ6Q+4924paXTKUgC6lWqd2tPdSuoKty2lmAJIChjY74AsbU3idriL/wAWMjC1W2+N/wDp9MHGCisIXKbk8sypEbX5+lot88Wflc4p4KwywIZael9Mg65TvWJtMhibcmA5RirQcTXDe0dWhl6mXphQKjEliLgOhpsom0FT8IwFkNSXwxlU9Ockv7OeG97mjUKlloqWgR77eFdzyu39G2LepLCza9/gdvpAwK+zvLLlskKjkA1f0zeVM+FCf1QBqnlqOCJ8+iU2YnT3aamDWICqCZHkCJ9cQXyc5/seh060QWf1Kw9qfEUetTooZNENrMiNT6PD6gLfzMcsCWRy7VCqKPeqKgMCdVSQBO8WNvLDeoxJk7m59TiW7Jgfa6JOyEv/ALpWf/Dj0Ix0QwjzpSc55fcOuD/aKdetXCoMmW0AEgEUqJ7tHT9RQJMkSNRAxP5w6ahPksj/AGYzD/nHxjEN2J44tegmXqUih7rQhIOmqqrpOkm2oDcep9HrVywRttSj+sUy5E/N8RSTc90ejW1p2Zr9lo/zzf1m/fhY5d5S/Af6w/fhY3c3AKZLMOCpqAQfEAsmNEOUMizSAOfveWJPieYzIFJXWmVq1KatAM0yXUgXJDbe9a/wwO5esKn6RRqKuFGpiuhfE2u1g0KBz93niYZwERmMGm+sgEwwpIaiyCT4/cJI31eWKJR3RJGWzGfDe1C5da5ClqtSu7KuygNEFjzvNvLliLyfDq+bqCpU1aajHVVKk7b6V3YgbKvTyxBjFjdlc270KFFkKgHSsaTrDa3BZSCygR70AG5Bm2NktG6Aret6ZcIL+FZGlQpCnSELMEzJJ+8xPM2j4DlGK/8Aabm9WYSn+CncfrOxJ+gGLAo1QvdqT70hCTIbqJ5toBPn4t4OKe4/nO+zNapvLmD5L4R9AMT9PFubbKupklBRRb3ZLjYzGWWrINRQBUBP3xa/QMQGnoxHLBLQWABM4rn2Y8DqIr13BAqABFP3lF9ZHS9viehxYlOYsJ/PE9yjGbSG1NygnI6UaelYmf4OOOZojSsmADcjlqBE+fiIxwyvFadQsqPLCLDz5eu8jlBmIMPHUkQDE79flthfD3D5WxW3tM43porl1MNVOtwOSC4jyZyf6pxX/CuIGhWp1gJNNw0dQDdfiJHxxLe0PL1Ez1UVNjBp3kd1ELHyg+c+pG5x61UUoHlWSes9JZKqGAgyGGpT1t+RFx5ScRPHwiaBXamaInSjrrJqSmmKYM1FA1QoBgkGIAiv+ynb7ulSjXUmmgAWonvLERI5gARIvAXeLm3CeKpmahrUCWAOhnK1A0XaABSJIUvEagtp+9eF1SrlvwXRsjZHbkychmGJGvuqYMhFo5aFMDwio51AWme4BubYlMtkhTncs8a3ZizNAJ8bm5UXhQFXlF8dKmcpUwA1Smp06yCyiFGnU2/ug8xbDTKcbou2hKiOwuQGUwvhmdJMEFSI3uIm8A5Sa2QaUU+SRDCADOw3N9wI8uQ674a5zMoiszuqiJliF2tN/X/rJwy7RcUTI5bv3BqOYVFJALM0neJ0i5MW3AgWFP8AabtFXztQPWKws6EUWUNE+ZNhc9MFTQ7N+wNt6hsuSV7bdpkrK1CldBWNTUBGowZMzJl2Y7Dr96FDnUjfmJ+Bx3pU1MywXpIN/iNscSuPSjFRWEebNuTyzCnfz/i2FhzlqL1agVVLu7QBzLMfzxafAfZhRVQ2aZqjndFOlR5ahdvWQPzwNlsa/wAwVdMrOCpMFXYHKfpXrwrGkFCK2xeoSBz/AAq0AXkiLxg84n7Nco4ijqpONjqZgfJgxP0IxKdnuytDK09EB2N3ZwDqaGWdJso0sR6E3MnE8+qg47FEOlkpbglxThWermoyjTTBDU10KWqEygOpwpR2AJ2U+JRBkYH+G8WrZOoq1RUVNZIpmNKq5GorBXxj3dxF9jbFxuAQBtHIdNtuQvgL7VcOSvm6fhDBVHeCBuSYLcwAAFJvZh0MLqu1ZTWw2ylrDT3BjifYao9ZmoPS7pjIOqykn3CVWFvtMCCBM4haOSqZbMvSqCHWlVFiD79F4gjyIOLkGSWwa7aYJO5WCGVpuykH3W59ItWnHs8j8WF5VWFJifMFG8gAzEfCcMptlN4AvpjBJryFvAOLUsxl6WgaTRan4SI0gEISDsV0lhbreMNs7VhNi0UlLAD3QupC07L4Zuelpg40yOZrDK0BUWnScKVUAkkIgglkO48GqF5qBbVZjWdgArCoe9MFWqIWCglWfvQIVStWNK8yQIGqcjDdsJzwiT11fw0//TZn92FgJ+00f/vK/wDWbCw3QL9X5/ci8pXNCqytOmdLRvYyGHKQQGHXbYnErm3qLQrM7qVfStMKsXYICdMAr+iQW2vjTLCmM1SZrKUBGr8Syqz090fGMOaVenmGqalVgrmAWKiG7pQ2rkdKGJ5nzGGN7iYrC5BQHBx2K46WU0Ko1BEJpkGGCyFK7i0MTMiADfaBHOZErVemgL6TYgG6m4JA2kEYbKxUggkMDIIsQR+RxsoqawDCbrlktLjlZMvlHqIdFQuop6NIBezBygGkNGoEgXAtAYAB/YrgYzWZVWH6NBrqeYBEL/SNvSemIrPcVrV9Pe1C+kQtgInewAuYudziwvZPQijWqR71QL8EWf8AHhEs11vyURatsW2xYCU4A5W26dIH8fTHVTYiSPT/ADxxpuOuIftX2mp5OmWPiqH+Tpz7x6noo6/AY85RcpYRfKSissnKO8XMbEnlYfHYX8j5k9xioOyHbR0zTtmXJSvAY8kYWUgbBADpPlB5Yt+k4Oxwy2qUHuLrtU1sBPtS4H32XFdR+koST50j7w9V9701YpwjHpzQCPhsf3Yont72f+yZoqoim410x0Ukgr8GBHpGKuks20Ml6qrfUiG4K1IV6ZrrqpBh3igxK8/457YufKdrsitNdFeiiDZVOnSBJgJAaeUAXPraquy3ZirnXZaZVQgBdmm2okAADcmD8jcYtHsf2LTJhmcrVqsRDaI0qNgJk73O3Lpjep0Pl7rsZ0yn2W3kHMt2Sr8Qr1M1mtdFHMpTMayn3RBnQoEbiTe15wd8H7PUcsgp05Vd7kEkncyQSCbbEbYlB/H9L/PHWmuokdIn4/5yPhiSVspbdiuNcYfr5BPtF2Dy2bfvWaolSACytIIG0h5+hGAri3sszCSaFVKoGykaGPzJWfiMW81S0zYifha/mfp/frUsYv8AwRJ+E/XywUL5x4YEqYS7FF53sFnKdNahRWJIBRGllLGACNjeNiYnE1lfZdU0BquYSm83UKXAmLawwlvKPji1KixNjy/MfKCR/njfKgHxReYAPIeXT+OmCfVzaBXSwTyDXZXsTRybGqC71NJUM+kaR94gD3ZHUkgT1OCdXgT1H8D1xnMXWBeSAfRiAf7JONayklekyfhcD53v+GOeEyk5PLHqKgsI1KnrJ3n+OXL0xpmB97YAHVP4bEn4RPzw5oZdib9I9Zvty2EfHrjeVG9yBt67H0PXHKL5O1oG833lR9CVxRWYfw6HLL4mGtj4SKQLDaRDAsoYBxR4QuXQ92QWYBz92WbSQStzqJAMkEzI8g7r0E196RsAJ+Mi27EE+EXgs2kAtiPXPaysWLCURyRK3NrWYjxEbi82AbBN5j7QVnO5F8d4g2WptWLFGRZSdJSuYA0RJZWm48pNxqApdmJli0tuSTck8/Wb4N/ab2i71xlUnRTM1OU1I90jlokj1J6YhuyXCxVNR2p95o0whiPHqJcyygqAhG8AsCZAjF1ENMMvuRXz1zwibz+ep2r94aavoaopoB1dqlEEidQ8J1t4TbUWPoNZ3jtWpVc0yVDr3YFidMzvFmJkkiPeMWwS8KzKUc2cpUKlO4Sm+r3S6DvCDPLxsL9BgW4VTX7agUgqK3hPUAnT+QwcQZ5237k//oknVf64wsRH/Z2b/manzP78LGZ+TcLwNuGJ9orAVmJGk8422H1nD7iHC2yp76kdSbMrCbHkw2ZT+ceRwxzuWCIlSnIBUBx+0u/obg+eJbs/me8y9Wk5nSCL/hYGPkRgpbboyCT9r58nSlxiolNs3QAhnC1qb3CkDwspEELBiOVsD3GeJHMVTUKKpIAIWbkczO5xIcGecnm06d20ehufhAxA42KWWwJyeF4NkOLZ9mNdPsZUEalc6h5sQVnyItPkemKlBwQ9iOK9xmkJPgqfo39G2PwaD6Tgbo6oYRtE9M8ssjtx2iOTpjQsvUkKSLLEST1MGw54p7OZ2pVdnqOzM3vEnf8Ay8uWLz7Q8HXN0HpNAJup/C4HhPzsfInFE5rLtTZkcEMpIYHkRYjCek04+R3WKWr4NQ2LE9nvbQU9OWzDeCwp1Cfc6Kx/B0PLbaIrgDEhwjJrVr06TvoV2ClomNW1vOw+OKLIKUcMRVNxex6PQ/DEN2i7OUM2aPfBjob7pgkNup/VZgotBHIjDrhlHu1SnqJhQATudIEj1gaoH63IDD8E32MQRPlcT8Qb48yKw8o9OSzsxrkOEUaC6aNNaYmYURJ6lt2MdTh4o/j+NsZYiBz/AI/O+NNz1Hny9P8ArgHyajoii1+f5Y0WlDSLXPyMSPnJncT0MHLESB1BjntuJ9I+RxtqBB6j52/vIM/HGmGhoiCI5z033jpO5GxPqZwFETJ/yPL0t9Mb95ImNx84/eOfpjl3gn6/Bt/rf4+eMZqRydSA15MWnyvf16joMcqTab8tj5Hz8rfD547TfT8vMf5H+L4bvW0QGgTYAneOYn6z67zgA8DyQZAN4t/cemOyqCnisxmIMwUIhrbjVBjoQCBNo3KgE+HY7CZHPxRtvafPzx0r1BA2kmFvB1NcQesdN74OMsATjnud6mbfQIC05gGSSQSYgWAJmwMxsYIxA8b4c+oMj1AryjEFiaVQiKdZTcoupQjqIUq0nYnDji0PCkKyFl1Ky6kaQ4Kk/d8MEN+IILzBaZrPdwESpUARVEu7y1mVYJAkPpbUHgltDe5M4am9mgMLg7Vcz+jUusVBS7x6bMTECagDGQWAJGmeYmA188ZzCpSqAE+FSzNIlNI1K286tUR0JB9etYM8ADQqkETeZBDCFaVOgsJvvyxB9sKnd5HMFZI7srICRFQqkkzedVtI8yOeBhhyXnIc9ov9CmV1O3NnY/Esx/MnFicM4BRoPpqAVq1GmauYZjqCRdKSjbUSJJM+FTtqtW6sQQRYjYjlgn7K591pZ5QJD0ZLc9ZbQonmW7xreXrj0rU8bHmVNJ7oa8M4bms25rotyxLVDABZiS2+5vyHTDXK8IqHM9zbUpuVaYi86h+fLBh2zzhyeXpZaj4ZUgsN4WNUebMZJ9cR/ZbLGnTNU7sQJ6IniI8psMDGbaz27BuqOrT37j7/ALEf+dP9Z/34WNvtlXp9DhYz3h/SB6vS0facs/vUtajzCmfmCJ9Dhnw/NGnlqpUgM7BfhF4+BOCb2v8ACe7zYrAeGssn9pIB+kHA1wa9NlGme8X3lDWexEHqQMNaJ1LLNKOTr0aYzCgFGWCLnwtaGH4T+7ERiX4hmKlIaKbkUqizpmQAZlQTy+sRzxE42Oe4M8dhDGynGuEDjQUXx2T4v9py9OpPijS/7a2P7x5MMV97VOG93mhVG1Zf7VOAf7JU/HDPsBxz7PX7tzFKqQpnZX+63pyPkZ5YMvaflu8ygeL0nB9A3gP1K/LESj6V3wz0G/Vp+UVIBgv7BcBq1KyZjRNKmSZJAllUxokEMytB6SBMYERiz+web1ZJULEBarUwop94X1jvDCgE6gC0G6iDqBm1FzahsTURi54YfU5AiCwEXtLQd9t7Btok2iJw6y9Uzpgj1EXFrdeu+IVM25IBJ1NAU1KVVAYuWkgKzeFiaakExYiDjrSzb6j4UBDba9gFF2YAiGgwtiAQTuY8tRkuT020TjpNxE/n6jmPyxD0uLVGYDutILOt2MqaRNyumdLFTpMdOuJWhmAy6lIPIgEG4jpzwyz2TmopGmHYapGxpy4iCGk6RYNAgmDODQIkzmoKwWVImSb30lQqhZLMpkAxthvkc3UqKtUgpqDHQQoMU3dQrEsQrwVkcocHkRpSzxqBWAGkgMsrqKgglTCsdUgg30wLQcb5es4ACU1TU4DK0qV0oNMmP0hIULPKfvRjMYW53LFXepKqDGuoJKoRpgVGDFi8CdCbqReCG1wM+PeXWJGkKnKCCJSQpWZB6RuL65lioEiFYkAEyfArkl4YKVKhmuyhbbkwOScUVmjUt2EwabESyoBFOoSQWZRqi03F7du1sjtk9x04Hilm8JgyzrdoYEQQGEED4tc6YxwproJCr4kZrhoDyxABZdRDSdJDCZWw2h4xcqCDBOo2Vrm40wx8UQb2nw2AN4ccWvRQAl6y6qSrfwgaydZUU9Q1S1wOV+fRUnwc8LklaDbaSZJAPux4IX9oWFoET0M4b5pdawGAUTZtM6/eXSZEFW0m/ltcFsyuabkipJGoIabuA0SQwCnXLgW8PhJAgTMDxXivcZihSeqAtVfGzVCndKsnSy0ghFyQBIvuTvgo1NvYGViitwiKosuZgQQ1wVW2oltWkgggFSZstjIxnKsohaSBOSxTdVF9USFVYv1IBMieY3ne3mVUBWqrV0lSdCO2ooQZGpUAJImdRg9cC1Lt0tM19GX1GpVZlapUeVQ+7Thb6VHINF8HHp5yWWDLqIRfJY1XPohhgfeWmuoPLGqKbBdAp+EEuq+IgyscpwMe0XPhMmKTEd6+gEC1kOonQTIWVWD4hcieoPn+0+ZrjQNFJCwbTSRaY1LcMWHiJHUtiEdySSSSTuSSScUV9KotMns6pyTiLD/JVq70/s9JWYF+8IRZJYCASRfSLwNgScacSzGrQFXSioAo8MkXJZiNyXk35Rgo4L2iRKNLK5WmVrVCBUqNFmJgsN9UDabDzxRNvGyJoJN7se8aVc5T1vTrUqlEHVKjTNta6uZEW9cacE15iouUUaVLeJgeRM7cov8AIYwwUo1SW9xtJJkaH06RHI+IFiTJYsTgj9lvDpqPWPJbermPyB+eFwSxgdZJ8/BYP2Cj/Nr9MLDmMLDSXUB/tL4aKuT1FSe6YNbfSfC0fMH4YqTK8LKltDSrqR0YHcHzIYDHoPN5daiNTb3XUqfRhGKKr5I06jUzOpG0m5PukjbmPXAvI2rD5IPOd4SvfDQVhQdEC5JLGLMfTefK7Slk2bTp0ktsAyztNwTbbBll6jWvKxeRy+Z/LpfGPsNCqQtSggYxJRgIJjcAyfeH3TGB9TA10Z7gOiE7An084H5kDGzIQSCCCDBB3BHKORwYP2XpMhanWqU1YX1ghSJBHiYICJvz2xvV7KGs57zOIag8JGjUZEzq0sTMySSJJmcb6sQPw8wMA5YuTIUKma4borKyVHpFDrBB1LIVyDe8BsNuB0auXRKZ7l9PunVUp+EEfdNIgkTuN7TJMmbGdqbxQKnrWYH604+uJL7HLGFwyyinRnL5XBR+dyr0nanUUq62Knlz+NrziX7OdqqmUDKtOnURm1Q4azaSpIII3UwQZGCztn2bfN1lrUmoL4ArBqyySC17CIiBvNtsQI9n+Y/nsr/vv/jOKFbCUfcTOqcZe3JzodqGp5irXFJAj6SadNyoViVqB1MHxhkvI5lTbEjX9oGunVp/ZzqqCAxqISraQoYaaSGYAvM2w1X2f5n+eyt//O/+OEPZ7mf57K/77/44xulmr1kP+G+0N6VNEajUJCKC/fAltM+Lx02Mm/3o5DbFi8O4iucywqJImGWw3Q7EQw95SpsY3ANpq49g8yImtlYFoFa8E3+75k4kuz/AM1lKodc5lFWfEv2iQQd/DADH1OF2RrazF7jK5WJ4ktiR7Y5LOtS0nKo9NH7zvDUR3hSzMANCQhn3QpsIuIxCP7Rm+7laa2gBatZVEbQqMAI9MWTV4nTYR3tC4g/p0PSfXn9PPFZVfZ9UMEZvI7RaseX9DfA1Ti19RG2xlF/TZih27zTMXp0Kc0wXPizDaQLFoNaPvdOeG1LtzmqXerooE1apqvqTV4n0sN2iBAiZIjHc9gGVfHncmL8qgP1MH4YaZrsfUL+HM5Vgfvd6B+eHJ0vYS43cnHMdtc4/36a/s0KI+pQn64jq3Hcy7B2zFXUAQpDsIDRIEEaQYFh0GJyj2DciWzmUX/8AIx/Jcd09njHbOUD+ytZvyTBqdcf6A0WP+wTzGfquIerUcfrOx/M4bDB4vs3PPMt/Rymab/AMdaXYPKgxUzr/AApKn/G8471oL+jvRm+wB5ZwGBtad+sGPrGOWLJ/0P4YgUvmKpDTpJrZVQ2kwYJe8G2Ho7KcOVS3dVGAE+Kq5kSq27oMGOp1ELN2GMfUR8ML8PP4+5WFGnqDQbgSBO9wPnGM0sk7CowFqYlzIEAmBzuSTEDFrUezuWVgqcOlmmNcuBGmf5Sqmn3hv1546JQpBUNKhRQsFP8Aq9OQrqG2VXYt4qexiHkkAHA+vnhBfh/LKiXLsT4FZvNVJnErwrgecDrUSg4KkMC6wLH9aJHliy/tNUAjXA1QLBSNAbWIWoFAB0EEkWJtMDDDM1C5ILMRuL3g23A1QIJ357nlzufgKPTRzyyLzWVPdaGammphIXYKoPhUDzJMk4srsNke7yqmLv4r7xsv0E/HABl6PeVEpgQarKJ5nrPkCWG/LFu0qYUBRsAAPQWwdfAvqcLCRthYWFhhKaYqf2o0hl8ytWDorLJI5Otj8xH1xb9GsAIIn924+uIDt5DZN30ajT0uwgEmnK98BPNkBHzxxsZNPYp3I5oMQKTLUY/dkAknaxjysByxJMpQgOGWfdLeGNRjXdgCdOoSBOILOcdpGpQdEdBSqB2AC+IqaaqLNaKNMX/EW5GcP8t20CMPFVZQAADG4NUl9OvfxqYm5WJEA4B1lEb/ACidyi6vEUI1e8QJJViJXwyNGgsN42sDhyuUbVUshYlHeVBh6epWadyNVAwAD4iCbagRt+3A8djJDW7pB3uqkqrrbvC66KgLAyxOrkcd8v25pCrVdqTQ7kqQoZghaoe78dRgAwZSSLAiNJEHC3VIdHqIcBHmcgFqKFGlDWBgWAXNI1F1gWH6QBiBbxDHLg9Ne5WmKg1lQDHdKVVii7UwrqwD7t95TbaWFT2i5coQKNYMVAEFB3cFDpRhcLKzIgyAYknG2c9odGowOrMKA5aGAYRrDotm2ERE4BwmkErINkhQzRFRqhMJUppVImWUmlTYnT3ihUJ1m1ywPUYkEVzqXvXhmok6XYEStZSqMxYoHq0QNzvgdyXa7JqoUMwA2B74AD8IBqOAOgAgY3rdpcuxBWvotDeMEONTP4lqZdhIZ2II64Fp+A1jGz/cnadNmSNdYMyHSe9qnSxR2Uy9FVcBkKmCYO4xz4F3lbMZrW1QqopFFV1VAXpKxW11JJ5CBfDXh/aDKoQTXRryQTQUHwut9NFCYDmJO+NcnxOghfTmKDJU0FkqFD4qaLTmRWUEEAHSym+BfDOxutyW4e1OrSYJXrahqXvGqRpqEFkp6AYcqrLJAKncEyY0rZt3ditRwlRciyw0aBmKpR9JHuyovHrjGS40od3GZy0uRzpyAosuvvxKgyQCDGojbDb7dlkIC5uhAo06LLUam+oUSzIxhhDSxwK5Okthw1EeHWtcSwEHMZsWNZKJEmqTI1q3ugEEQcNMutSEQVWYrUzGlXqVCdC5mlRE6XV6nd0u8YDVM4c0uM5XUrfasqYIMBkSdJkAmCY1AH1Aw1XOZYFv++0IZ3fSauWbSajFyAWyrEDUxtODTaBaXn/glXpwVIJtWoAFWqrM5labgg1nDKRPzIOIqgKyq1Ua3So+aqNUYVn0JRchURRURElQzeM8o6DDp+PZYCDm6BMqQ32geHum1KAFyoQXv7uGh4hkQdX2nLq2rUSGpkliZn/Vd5vIxyb7pnNLs19x/lGdax1PelUrDUAVmmMslTxoGIYh6gPwxw4fRYCmldi5ShR1B2Zoar3tSqzbgGSo1sIhCLTONG7Q8PBYnM02Zw4ZtdYn9MlNG2QR4KSgRER544Z3tPlHj/6hpg8qdVz6XW3wjHJvw/sZheV9x3m6CqneKnd1CPCVAmn3i0aTnUFBYI+ZJuLd3OHdAahopsAquKaaDTbTTLpTU6lLAWYe8A0BzuJxC/6XZEBQc0zFdUMKWZDnvDqclxVUmWvBt8sZHbvIgz3tZyNiabtEiDHeVWgx0x2JeGFmH+SJanJ7uqEqqXVGMU6vuVe8qsBUVCFJqVVkSP5MTbfdpdlBqRPinWNqUTpZpABYUHt1JwLDtrw5Y0UK3hsD3WWsByBaSBhhxX2gJUgDL94nSq5+gWwtjfTm3wZ6taXIZUhp78jMIrVqn6O4PidRSYBC06tSq2uLiIAuAyqZpSbowGppV6bppksgUs5RGAoimsjV7s6TgGp9r1pmaOSytM9dLMfmWxjM9tM4Yh6dMG/6KnTEetiQfI4JUy8AfiIB2WLN4SXHPRpImWhpNMBW0kD+U5AEEWMbxDPU6SkPWBaNkuZ66AWAJi/iAwH5HM1My7mvWqVAokBmMEzbw7RbbDyrCiwAHLBKnyzPxPhBr7N/0+ZaqFISkttRJJZ7fC0mL4szAv7OeG91k1YiGqnWfTZfoJ/pYKcUYSI5ScnlmMLCwscCaDDDj/8AquY/2NT/AIWwsLHHHmYcvhjQ4zhYI0xjOFhY44xjJwsLHBIWEMLCx0TJCxkbYWFjmCzTGRhYWCfJq4MnGcLCxi5OEcYxnCwSBZg4WM4WBZhg4wMZwsYghYwMZwscEzJxgYWFjjCd7O+6/wC0PyOHGZ3xnCwD5DXBfnBv9Xo/7JP+EYeYWFjRZrhYWFjjj//Z" 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" style="height: 156px; margin-top: 0px; width: 180px;" width="200" /></a><span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">Ariadne as a personified character emerges early in Greek mythology being mentioned in both Homer’s <i>Iliad</i> and <i>Odyssey </i>and Hesiod’s <i>Theogony</i>. She is associated with several key mythic stories; namely the slaying of the Minotaur and her abandonment of the island of Naxos. She also is associated with several important characters in Greek mythology; especially the hero Theseus and the god of fertility, winemaking and madness Dionysus; also known as Bacchus in the Roman myths. The trajectory of the Ariadne myth can be divided into two main strands: one her origins and life on Crete and two her fate after she leaves Crete. </span><br />
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">The sources for the first strand are fairly consistent over the many versions and variations of her story. Ariadne is one of two daughters of King Minos of Crete and his wife Pasiphaë, daughter of the sun god Helios. By offering an unfavourable sacrifice Minos offends the sea God Poseidon who in punishment causes Pasiphaë to fall in love with one of Minos’s prize bulls. Pasiphaë enlists the help of the artificer Daedalus to build a wooden cow. Pasiphaë insert’s herself into the cow so she can copulate with the bull. The result of this union is the monstrous Minotaur, half man half bull who is kept by Minos in a labyrinth also constructed by Daedalus. The hero Theseus is sent by his father Aegus, King of Athens to Crete to slay the Minotaur. The princess Ariadne falls in love with Theseus, and gives him the golden thread which she had received from the god Hephaestos, explaining to Theseus that he should use it to find his way back out of the labyrinth after he kills the Minotaur who is by the way Ariadne’s step-brother. Theseus in return promises to marry Ariadne. When the Minotaur is slain they both sail to the island of Naxos, an island that is under the protection of the god Dionysus, where she is subsequently for various reasons abandoned by Theseus. </span></div>
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<span style="font-kerning: none; font-size: large;">When we come to the second strand of Ariadne’s story – her departure from Crete the story gets quite complicated. In the many versions of what happened next to Ariadne there are two types of fate she endures for leaving Crete with the hero Theseus. One type is just plain tragic while the other starts off tragic but results in a ‘eucatastrophic’ ending; a term coined by the author J R.R. Tolkien to describe a sudden turn of events in a story that ensures the protagonist does not meet some terrible end </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">The very tragic ending was perhaps the earliest version of the Ariadne story. In book eleven of the <i>Odyssey </i>Homer states that Theseus ‘had no joy of Ariadne because she was slain by Artemis on the isle of Dia because of the witness of Dionysus’ (<i>Odyssey </i>Book 11, 320ff). Dia is the Homeric name for the island of Naxos. The Greek word for ‘witness’ μαρτυρί</span><span style="font-family: "arial unicode ms"; line-height: normal;">ῃ</span><span style="font-kerning: none;">σιν has been taken by scholars to mean that Ariadne actually had been married to Dionysus before meeting and falling in love with Theseus on Crete. When Dionysus saw both Ariadne and Theseus on Naxos, an island under his protection, he was enraged and called on the chaste goddess Artemis to punish this desecration of their marriage by slaying Ariadne. Homer’s statement that Theseus ‘had no joy of Ariadne’ seems to indicate that Ariadne was slain before she consummated her love with Theseus. Alternative versions of this strand paint an even bleaker picture for Ariadne. In one version, there is no betrayal of Dionysus and Ariadne is slain by Artemis just to put her out of her misery of being abandoned by Theseus. In another version Ariadne just hangs herself out of grief. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;">Then there is the ‘eucatastrophic’ type of Ariadne’s fate which Strauss and Hofmannstahl clearly drew from. This strand first appears in Hesiod’s account of the origins and genealogies of the Greek gods, the <i>Theogony</i> composed in c. 700 B.C.E. In this poem, Hesiod’s relates how ‘gold haired Dionysus made blonde-haired Ariadne, the daughter of Minos, his wife, and Zeus made her deathless and un-ageing for him’ (<i>Theogony,</i> l. 947). In later versions of this strand of the myth the two ideas of Ariadne being abandoned by Theseus is combined with the idea of Dionysus finding and wedding Ariadne. Hesiod’s idea of Ariadne being made ‘deathless’ and ‘unageing’ is further developed in later Greek and Roman versions of the story with the actual apotheosis of Ariadne In the Greek epic poem the <i>Argonautica </i>of Apollonius of Rhodes, from the 3</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; line-height: normal;"><sup>rd</sup></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> century B.C.E., Ariadne is not only made an immortal goddess but she is given a wedding present by Dionysus; a jewelled </span><span style="font-kerning: none;">crown which in some versions of this story Dionysus later hurls into the sky where it becomes the constellation <i>Corona Borealis</i> which still can be seen in the northern celestial hemisphere. In the Roman poet Ovid’s poem on mythic transformations <i>Metamorphoses</i> (c. 1</span><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; line-height: normal;"><sup>st</sup></span><span style="font-kerning: none;"> century C.E.) the different strands of Ariadne’s fate are woven together: she is abandoned by Theseus on Naxos, she finds comfort in the arms of the god Bacchus who marks their love by taking her crown and setting in heaven as a star which shone ‘as a gem which turned to gleaming fires’ (Ovid, <i>Metamorphoses</i>, l. 177). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-kerning: none;"><b>It is this Ariadne that we can see in the final scene of Strauss’s opera – the Cretan princess first abandoned by a hero and then rescued by a god who raises her to heaven and the stars - sic itur ad astra! </b></span></span></div>
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<i>This article first appeared in the 2017 edition of Glyndebourne's Festival Programme Book, and is reproduced with permission. Check <a href="http://www.glyndebourne.com/">www.glyndebourne.com</a> for ticket availability for Glyndebourne Festival 2017 performances of Ariadne auf Naxos. </i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That's it for now - back to paper writing! </span><br />
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<br />Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-73545038551394486112017-02-18T12:38:00.000+00:002017-02-18T13:16:35.280+00:002017 A Look Ahead <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Greetings to all from Valhalla which in the last four months has moved from London to lovely Brighton by the sea. Wotan never thought he would live 5 blocks from a full blown pier and amusement park - so whenever Wotan tires of working on the various projects that I will be previewing below he can always go and ride on a roller coaster or take a visit to the Haunted Mansion. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I have not blogged in a while and want to start again to share some of the work I am currently doing on Tolkien, World-Building and various others projects. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well 2017 is shaping up to be quite a busy year for Dr. Wotan after his work on the PhD thesis 'The Genesis of Tolkien's Mythology' and co-editing <a href="https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9780008131395/a-secret-vice" target="_blank">A Secret Vice: Tolkien on Language Invention with Dr. Dimitra Fimi. </a> </span><span style="font-size: large;">I will be giving four papers this year as follows two across the pond in Kalamazoo, Michigan and two at the Tolkien sessions that the brilliant work of <a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Fimi </a></span><span style="font-size: large;">has established at The IMC in Leeds. The abstracts I have written for these papers are below and Wotan is busy researching and writing them now! </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Tolkien Symposium at The Western Michigan University Library - 10 May (1-5pm) </span></b><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Mapping Tolkien's The Book of Lost Tales: Exploring 'I Vene Kemen' (The Ship of the Earth) </span></u><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;">One of the unique para-textual elements that Christopher Tolkien published in the first volume of <i>The Book of Lost Tales</i> which is celebrating its 100th Anniversary in 2017 was a map in the form of a viking ship which his father invented as he was writing the first version of his mythology. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">In this paper I will examine this conceptual and radical map called ‘I Vene Kemen’ (‘The Ship of the Earth’) from three perspectives.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">First, as a key element of Tolkien’s early myth-making;</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">examining how it is linked to the body of ‘Lost Tales’ he was composing.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Secondly, as a para-textual artefact which reflects Tolkien use of his emerging Elvish languages.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Here I will focus specifically on how the place names on the map reflect the ‘consistent and coherent’ nomenclature Tolkien invented drawn from the Elvish lexicons and grammars he was developing at the time.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Finally, I will examine this map as a key element in the wider process of ‘world-building’ for fiction.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Here I will explore how this map represents the first of many maps Tolkien would invent and integrate into his narratives to build the world of his legendarium. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">I will also explore and suggest some possible reasons why Tolkien decided to cast this map in this conceptual form of a viking ship based on his early objective of linking his unique mythology to a lost tradition of England. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">52nd International Medieval Congress - Tolkien at Kalamazoo </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Tolkien and Language Session - Saturday 13 May </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large;"><u><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">Elvish </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10);">Practitioners</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> of the 'Secret Vice </span></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman";">In the course of his life Tolkien explored his thoughts and feelings on the role of language-invention as an interlinked element of myth-making and world-building in two key manifestos: his 29 November1931 talk 'A Secret Vice' and in his inaugural O’Donnell Memorial lecture of 1955 ‘English and Welsh’. </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman";">Tolkien not only used his mythology to illustrate to his readers how he felt language invention should work in his Legendarium. In several instances within the context of his secondary world Tolkien both mythologized and embedded into the very narrative and discourse of several key mythic texts examples of peoples practicing the ‘secret vice’ of language invention which followed the theories Tolkien explored in the two key manifestos above.</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman";"> </span><span style="color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">In this paper I will critically analyze several texts that Tolkien wrote in the 1950's and 60's (</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10);">especially</span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> the </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman";">‘Dangweth Pengoloð' - 'The Answer of Pengoloth') to explore how Tolkien embedded his theories of language and language invention into these texts </span><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman";">and also analyse why Tolkien especially had his first-born Elves practice the craft of language invention '</span>an
art for which life is not long enough' (SV, p. 11). <span style="color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 10); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman";"><b><a href="https://www.tolkiensociety.org/2017/01/book-now-for-the-tolkien-society-seminar-2017/" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">Tolkien Society Conference Leeds - Sunday 2nd July </span></a></b></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="font-size: large;">Poetry and Language Invention: The Interconnected Nature of Tolkien’s ‘The Qenya Lexicon’ and His Early World-Building Poetry.</span></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-font-kerning: none;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the Spring of 1915 Tolkien started the invention of his earliest Elvish language, Qenya, by composing two key documents – ‘The Qenya Lexicon’ and ‘The Qenya Phonology’<i>. </i>Concurrent with this Tolkien also built his emerging secondary world mainly through poetic composition<i>.</i> In this paper I will explore the interrelated nature of Tolkien’s earliest language invention and poetic composition from several perspectives. First I will explore how Tolkien included in ‘The Qenya Lexicon’ invented word forms that were designed to make select Elvish words sound more poetic and musical. Secondly, I will demonstrate through a lexical analysis of some of the key poems Tolkien composed during this time, including his foundational world-building poem of July 1915 ‘The Shores of Faery’, a high corrospondance between the words in these early poems and the base roots and words Tolkien invented in ‘The Qenya Lexicon’; suggesting Tolkien may have been intending to render some of the English poems into Qenya. Finally I will explore the lexical and grammatical sources of Tolkien’s first Elvish poem ‘Narqelion’ in Tolkien’s ‘The Qenya Lexicon’ showing the strong bond that existed even in this earliest period of Tolkien’s mythopoeia between poetry and language invention . </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #00000a; font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: large;">In this paper I will explore how after giving us 1931 talk 'A Secret Vice', and as I will argue in several ways because of it, that Tolkien embarked on a new phase of his Elvish language invention by creating his 'Tree of Tongues' that has its conceptual roots in a proto-Eldarin ur-language and through-out the 1930's branched out into over ten different related Elvish languages existing in varying forms of linguistic development. I will explore how Tolkien's development of this 'Tree of Tongues' drew conceptually upon his training and experience as both a philologist and medievalist and mythically reimagined the real-world attempt by 19th century philologists to reconstruct a similar type of structure for Indo-European languages suggesting it too had a common origin in a reconstructed 'port-Indo-European' language. I will also explore how this 'Tree' fulfilled the requirement Tolkien explored in 'A Secret Vice' that art-lancs should have a fictional historical background including a sense of hypothetical change over time. I will explore how Tolkien's 'Tree' is intertwined and interrelated to such key texts from the 1930's including 'The Quenta' and 'The Quenta Silmarillion', 'The First Silmarillion Map', the Annals of Valinor and Beleriand and the two key works on the Elvish languages Tolkien wrote in this period 'The Lhammas' and 'The Etymologies' </span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well that should keep Wotan busy but wait there's more! I am also very busy working on turning my PhD thesis 'The Genesis of Tolkien's Mythology' into a book and also Wotan is very excited that he will be working on a paper for an upcoming publication delving into the Gothic World-Building of the trans-medial diegetic world of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Shadows" target="_blank">Dark Shadows </a>(more to come on this!). </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Talking about world-building one of Wotan's reading highlights this year, so far, has been a brilliant anthology of papers on world-building edited by Mark J.P. Wolf, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Revisiting-Imaginary-Worlds-Subcreation-Anthology/dp/1138942057/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487420179&sr=1-3&keywords=mark+j+wolf" target="_blank">Revisiting Imaginary Worlds: A Subcreation Studies Anthology </a>for which I wrote a short review of for Amazon.uk giving it 5 stars (quoted below). This is a must read book for anyone interested in world-building for fiction or any other media. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">'Professor Mark J.P. Wolf’s 2012 monograph <i>Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Subcreation (Routledge) </i>was for me, and many others, a revelatory text as it dealt with how imaginary worlds are created in fiction; focusing on the trans-medial elements, in addition to the core narrative, that go into building secondary-worlds. Now Wolf has followed up his brilliant work on the theory behind world-building by bring together a group of leading scholars to explore various elements of world-building in fictional texts as well as physical and virtual environments. Wolf very helpfully divides these papers up into key sections. In 'Worlds on the Rise' three scholars examine different aspects of world-building. Dr. Dimitra Fimi's brilliant paper 'The Past as an Imaginary World: The Case of Medievalism' cogently explores three different author’s - Thomas Chatterton, J.R.R. Tolkien and Umberto Eco - work on inventing an imagined world aimed at representing a medieval past. Fimi puts in-depth focus on the actual process each of these authors used in inventing their versions of medievalism through their making of actual artefacts (forged and feigned documents) as well as constructing narrative transmission schemes to ground these worlds in a sense of reality. Fimi’s re-contextualisation of what has been considered the forgeries of an author like Thomas Chatterton as actually an inventive act of world-building is sure to open up new vistas of exploration around these and related texts. The section called 'Structure' offers a good set of papers exploring the actual mechanics of secondary worlds; ranging from Tolkien's world-building work to that of the role of religion as a world-building element in the television texts Battlestar Galactica and (the short-lived) Caprica as well as the transformational world-building and user reception of Minecraft. In the ‘Practice’ section there are several papers on specific fictional world-building. For me, the two papers on the American fantasy author Frank L. Baum really stood out here. Michael O Riley suggests one of the key sources of Baum's well-known Oz series of books is actually another work Baum wrote in the same year he wrote his most famous book, <i>The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (</i>1900) called <i>A New</i> <i>Wonderland</i> which was overshadowed by the success of the first Oz book. <i>A New Wonderland</i> is a collection of stories that are set in the magical land of Phunnyland. Riley cogent exploration of this ‘lost’ text demonstrates that Baum would use several key elements of Phunnyland in his later Oz books (which itself grew in the series from being a portal world into a fully immersive secondary world) and also explores how prolific a world-builder Baum was outside of just his more well known Oz series. Henry Jenkins provides a good counter-point to Riley’s paper by exploring how the Baum’s Oz mythos was adapted in the recent film <i>Oz the</i> <i>Great and Powerful </i>(2013) which suggested a backstory to the origin of the Wizard by drawing upon elements of not only Baum’s original work put also key adaptations such as the famous MGM Musical <i>The Wizard of Oz </i>and the more recent stage musical <i>Wicked.</i> The series of papers on 'Reception' show how world-building for fiction can be expanded through what Henry Jenkins has called 'multi-media layering.' A good example is the extension of a fictional world coming from film or television through novelizations. William Proctor and Mathew Freeman's paper examines the very recent debate in the Star Wars mythos of what in the many novelizations of the original films is considered ‘canon’ to Lucas’ original world-building and what is now what Disney has been deemed ‘legendary’ as it no longer fits the diegetic braiding of the ‘official’ world-building of the Star Wars mythos. Gerald Hynes masterfully explores the role of language in the world-building of China Mieville’s <i>Embassytown</i> showing how the world-building element of language, either actually shown (as in Tolkien’s great work) or just described, has the power to shape conceptual domains and ground a secondary-world in a great sense of reality. After offering these brilliant papers this volume ends with a paper by Wolf himself suggesting a canon of Imaginary Worlds ranging from Kallipolis in Plato’s Republic (c. 380 BC) to the Utopia of Thomas More (1516 – the first fictional text to include elements of invented language and a map!) up to Wonderland, Flatland, Oz and of course Tolkien’s Arda – and beyond. One could just revel (and in these scary times in the primary world) escape into th</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">ese worlds – and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: "amazon ember" , "arial" , sans-serif;">thanks to the continued work of Wolf (his bio shows more work on world-building is coming from him!) and the scholars who have contributed to this volume we now have a better understanding and exploration of how these worlds are built, grow, are received and thrive in our multi-media and multi-layered culture. I highly recommend this book and look forward to many more explorations.'</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Well Hugin and Munin are whispering in my ears that I should stop writing this blog and actually get to work on the projects above - so Wotan will leave you now and will return with more news and thoughts from Valhalla by the Sea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> Lebe Wohl for now! </span></div>
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<br />Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0Brighton 53.078191416935908 -0.70312532.364731916935909 -42.011719 73.791650916935907 40.605469tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-70824134715313059442016-03-24T17:16:00.000+00:002016-05-10T01:07:44.198+01:00Zombies or maybe Killer Hippies at Collinwood?!.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuUNEIDuVBCj4i6qyabuxuI7XV7fDg8You4ZyY9p0_LuLTGfMQaiEuOkxui8jd9Dzs23cMmdoFube_bpJkzmuHczKF6mXcEzA7lnsutAnZj_W33ORqGCzoMM5gpZ7YnJwb8Cfzq8nYNC0/s1600/Novel-curse-of-collinwood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwuUNEIDuVBCj4i6qyabuxuI7XV7fDg8You4ZyY9p0_LuLTGfMQaiEuOkxui8jd9Dzs23cMmdoFube_bpJkzmuHczKF6mXcEzA7lnsutAnZj_W33ORqGCzoMM5gpZ7YnJwb8Cfzq8nYNC0/s400/Novel-curse-of-collinwood.jpg" width="244" /></a>Dr Wotan's celebration of the 50th Anniversary of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Shadows" target="_blank">Dark Shadows </a>continues with my marathon reading of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Shadows_by_Marilyn_Ross" target="_blank">'Marilyn Ross' Dark Shadows novels.</a> <br />
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I just finished the fifth novel in the series <i>The Curse of Collinwood </i>which was first published in May 1968. <br />
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When I received this from Amazon I was immediately struck by the cover which uses the painting of Victoria Winters from the original illustrated cover of the first novel in the series Dark Shadows <a href="http://wotanselvishmusings.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/dr-wotans-celebration-of-50th.html" target="_blank">(see last blog post).</a> Superimposed on this image is now the vampire Barnabas Collins who by the time this book was published, thanks to the incredible talent of Jonathan Frid, had become the most popular element of the show. So to get the attention of readers it makes sense to have him on the cover, fangs bared and clutching his wolves head cane. However, readers of the book would realise quite early on that Barnabas does not appear anywhere in this story! This is not a Dark Shadows story about vampires - but, as the back cover proclaims, the question of whether Zombies are walking at Collinwood!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEabq2jTKtggguywRM312gwE67pZ_elujqxgya3UA00PX5HRvH4sx5JyLK4iI2SiVxSgIVFGAPtYv-M-ZCj-g5z-LN0UBkGeeUTfPSQblGw8KTZQFx8sQLGl5GF7mfEKlGuXescHW2SYo/s1600/th.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAEabq2jTKtggguywRM312gwE67pZ_elujqxgya3UA00PX5HRvH4sx5JyLK4iI2SiVxSgIVFGAPtYv-M-ZCj-g5z-LN0UBkGeeUTfPSQblGw8KTZQFx8sQLGl5GF7mfEKlGuXescHW2SYo/s200/th.jpeg" width="200" /></a>At the start of the novel Victoria is upset over the recent death of Ernest Collins, the classical violinist with past wife problems from the first novel <i>Dark Shadows</i>. This death causes Victoria to think that phantoms are haunting her - possibly Ernest. Ross gives us the same cast of TV characters - Elizabeth, Roger (still swigging away at the brandy), Carolyn, David and (in very bit parts) Matt Morgan and Jo Haskell (no Julia Hoffmann presumably because no Barnabas). We also get a really interesting new character Amos Martin who lives in a shack by the beach and holds seances (we know how much the Collins family love them) with the help of his dead mother. He is appropriately called 'Mad Martin'. Ross also develops the relationship, just hinted at towards the end of the first book, with Victoria and the mysterious Burke Devlin.<br />
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The two strands of the story that Ross introduces through Victoria and Burke set up the suspense of the story. First, Victoria and Burke learn from Amos Martin the story of Derek and Esther Collins - ancestors of the Collins family who lived in the 1850's. Amos calls Derek 'a dark-souled villain' who got involved with the slave trade and made his wife Esther, on board the ship with him, witness the suffering and degradation of his captives until 'she was consumed with a hatred for him that exceeded any lover for him she ever knew.' Esther's hatred grows until one night on the ship off Barbados (not Martinique) she shoots Derek dead. But that's not enough for old Esther. She elicits the help of a voodoo witch doctor (well they are close to Barbados) to prepare her husband's body so it would live again but not as a human - but as a zombie, one of the walking dead, condemned to walk the earth as a mindless slave (a nice irony!). And because she still kind of fancies old Derek she then shoots herself and is turned into a zombie as well - so she could join him in zombie bliss when he returned from the dead (now that is devotion - a somewhat twisted version of the Angelique/Barnabas story). <br />
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Both their bodies are placed in 'elaborate mahogany coffins' and shipped back to Collinwood where they are placed in a mausoleum (another Collins mausoleum). The prophecy is they will stay in their coffins unless a shaft of moonlight strikes their coffins. Well no surprise that curiosity gets the better of Vicki and Burke and they go to the mausoleum and through a series of adventures the moon-light strikes their coffins. Derek and Esther are seemingly released and start their murderous rampage through Collinsport. <br />
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But here Ross does something that I thought was clever. He creates a counter-story of two hippie types who are reported as breaking out of jail and are on the run. Sergeant Sturdy comes to Collinwood and lets the family know that the big lumberjack Tim Mooney and his girl friend Nora Sonier have broken out of jail and are heading to Collinsport and thus could very well be the cause of the strange man and woman ravaging the country-side (which Victoria thinks are the released Derek and Esther). The description of Mooney is quite interesting and I think here Ross based on this dialogue is drawing on contemporary news and media from the time the story was written:<br />
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<i>'They say the girl is a looker,' Roger went on taunting his sister, 'She's one of the hippie crowd with long yellow hair and a great figure.' </i></div>
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<i>Carolyn nodded 'I read that in the paper. And Mooney wears his hair long. Like those poets in the coffee houses. [Remember Carolyn has had experience of this with her fling with Buzz!] </i></div>
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<i>'Like the LSD crowd that goes around killing innocent people.' Elizabeth reproved her daughter, 'Mooney is a kind of degenerate revered by the foolish youngsters in the Village and then in Cambridge, when he moved to the Boston area. They called him the lumberjack troubadour because he worked in a lumber camp for a few months and plays a guitar. Don't forget he killed someone and probably won't hesitate to kill again.' (63) </i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWz_gIDkafBAnRAI8dR4DpMDhHFv62eGF_ECPb1TW8Dv1FTcuGf4aeEqECcCXjUGAOZdSZANXs2EY0YEdmo7pdGB46CDRn11VvdrsKRI3UxPk-H3dtEimcAskEKe4E6tqiqrCRlVJOD9r/s1600/th-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWz_gIDkafBAnRAI8dR4DpMDhHFv62eGF_ECPb1TW8Dv1FTcuGf4aeEqECcCXjUGAOZdSZANXs2EY0YEdmo7pdGB46CDRn11VvdrsKRI3UxPk-H3dtEimcAskEKe4E6tqiqrCRlVJOD9r/s200/th-2.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Elizabeth's response is quite interesting as she gets very specific. I would suggest Ross might be drawing upon a real-world person here who around this time also played a guitar and was revered by foolish youngsters who joined his 'family' - a 'family' that in August 1969 would become infamous for murdering innocent people in Hollywood in the Tate/La Bianca Murders. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-JgkKYs866BTUvbOSWcEZbfOfRP1bo54zhT5RE1o5E6OroeYvJt1ramKqx-rxkYN6xf9s0n6aJ2humbcImyu7fdFUvxWufjuvHzhPk5bBF91Jrk6qHAjDqLRRhz4hyphenhyphenjoeofmX6dxnV3Z/s1600/th-3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN-JgkKYs866BTUvbOSWcEZbfOfRP1bo54zhT5RE1o5E6OroeYvJt1ramKqx-rxkYN6xf9s0n6aJ2humbcImyu7fdFUvxWufjuvHzhPk5bBF91Jrk6qHAjDqLRRhz4hyphenhyphenjoeofmX6dxnV3Z/s200/th-3.jpeg" width="200" /></a>Did Ross know something (perhaps in the papers) about Charles Manson and his 'Family' which influenced his characterisation of Mooney? The description seems very close and Manson's 'Family' was known for heavy drug use (at their trial, depicted in the 1974 book<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helter_Skelter_(book)" target="_blank"><i> Helter-Skelter</i> </a>by prosecuting attorney Vincent Bugliosi, one of the family members Linda Kasabian said she took LSD 150 times.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRsWJuwGpHREU22rMNJwwYZ6rrCMEdeG1p7yReW1CrPkgUh3htm8XNq1VVZGJNX28uBd8JhbfC_-FVUcSTqE4mr4iH9ayas0Kicz4Bng1PeJ2aKi03mSdCb3PLK_q6jOyxdbn1C9mltYr/s1600/mr_barn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpRsWJuwGpHREU22rMNJwwYZ6rrCMEdeG1p7yReW1CrPkgUh3htm8XNq1VVZGJNX28uBd8JhbfC_-FVUcSTqE4mr4iH9ayas0Kicz4Bng1PeJ2aKi03mSdCb3PLK_q6jOyxdbn1C9mltYr/s200/mr_barn.jpg" width="112" /></a>So Ross juxtaposes the possible threat of supernatural zombies (Derek and Esther Collins) with a real-life version of late 1960 'monsters' possibly drawn from the media of the time. And for the rest of the story this interplay between these two possible solutions to the horrors and murders that come to Collinwood ratchet up the tension until the final page-turning conclusion....and the finale with Victoria Winters in Burke Devlin's arms (with that ill-fated flight to Brazil far in the future).<br />
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A good cracking and interestingly nuanced story that moves aways from the main television story-line of the time to create an alternative story that adds to the Dark Shadows mythos.<br />
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Now for Vampires! Time to go into that other masoleum, open the coffin and meet the novelised version of Barnabas Collins in novel number 6 - <i>Barnabas Collins</i>! <br />
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My 50th Anniversary Dark Shadows journey continues! <br />
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<br />Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-28480510212575718472016-02-06T13:52:00.001+00:002016-02-06T14:37:35.649+00:00Dr. Wotan's Celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Dark Shadows - The Marilyn Ross Novels <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwevUAAwBBKlNFZ1xbHyegGNmel2eDo2MZuttb9x8mqePvHUdfWRVKC9LCXt4eYDS1y5NpWfINePL9Fjglm2JMW67idq3rBg8zj1n2XQCdoLUPh3n2vXRzY7owsrnn716UcPFTyEuQQJ5y/s1600/image1-30.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwevUAAwBBKlNFZ1xbHyegGNmel2eDo2MZuttb9x8mqePvHUdfWRVKC9LCXt4eYDS1y5NpWfINePL9Fjglm2JMW67idq3rBg8zj1n2XQCdoLUPh3n2vXRzY7owsrnn716UcPFTyEuQQJ5y/s200/image1-30.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
2016 is proving to be a very exciting year for Dr. Wotan. Coming up in April 2016 will be the publishing by HarperCollins of a new Tolkien book I have co-edited with the brilliant <a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Dimitra Fimi </a>-<a href="https://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9780008131401/a-secret-vice" target="_blank"> A Secret Vice - J.R.R. Tolkien On Invented Languages </a> which will include hitherto unpublished Tolkien material (a true 'staggerment' project indeed) - I am also currently teaching an online course on 'Language Invention through Tolkien' for<a href="http://mythgard.org/" target="_blank"> Mythgard Institute/Signum University.</a><br />
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I am also due to give papers on various subjects around Tolkien and Language Invention in Fiction at<br />
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<li>T<a href="https://ponyingtheslovos.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">he 'Ponying the Slavos' language invention conference</a> in Coventry UK in March. The name of this conference comes from the <i>a posteriori</i> invented language of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nadsat" target="_blank">Nadsat </a>from Anthony Burgess's dystopian novel <i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Clockwork_Orange" target="_blank">A Clockwork Orange </a></i>and means 'Understanding the Words' </li>
<li>My third Tolkien paper at the <a href="http://annasmol.net/2016/01/23/tolkien-medievalism-at-kzoo-2016-sneak-peek/" target="_blank">International Medieval Congress in Kalamazoo, Michigan </a></li>
<li>Papers for both the <a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/2016/01/call-for-papers-tolkien-society-seminar-2016/" target="_blank">UK Tolkien Society and Leeds IMC Medieval Congress in July</a> (which thanks to Dr. Fimi's brilliant work is the second year Tolkien will be represent in Leeds - where he himself was a Reader in the early 1920's. </li>
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So if I can manage to limit my time on Lord of the Rings Online (I blame <a href="http://tolkienprofessor.com/wp/" target="_blank">Professor Corey Olsen's</a> recent brilliant 'Chicken Run' to raise funding for <a href="http://signumuniversity.org/" target="_blank">Signum University</a>) I should get all this (and more!) done. <br />
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But another project I have set myself for 2016 is one that will celebrate my favourite television show of all time and the body of mythology that has been developed from it - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Shadows" target="_blank">Dark Shadows</a>. <br />
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2016 marks the 50th Anniversary of this unique pioneering show which debuted on June 27, 1966. Americans had never before encountered on day-time television (the domain of game shows and weepy soap operas) this unique gothic tale which thanks to a dedicated team of writers and a stellar company of actors and actresses (many playing multiple roles in various time periods) created one of the most complex liminal worlds for a televisions series which had its focus on the brooding mansion on the hill - Collinwood - the great house which hosted ghosts, phoenixes, witches, vampires, werewolves and zombies. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMAFX5i6cJq9WDTa9_QhLAiDLLUFVhiWFlBj7mAvOXpO0T9Y4Xc8s3SXrVR1xXzNOrObJ61Da4V2DRu84zkGmk6DAjN8ALYfDfTr9m_emO4JuIegw_xwGVhVuf11LjxyvP1ME3CueARZM/s1600/image2-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPMAFX5i6cJq9WDTa9_QhLAiDLLUFVhiWFlBj7mAvOXpO0T9Y4Xc8s3SXrVR1xXzNOrObJ61Da4V2DRu84zkGmk6DAjN8ALYfDfTr9m_emO4JuIegw_xwGVhVuf11LjxyvP1ME3CueARZM/s320/image2-5.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
The original show ran for over 1200 episodes (I am in my third cycle of watching the entire series on DVD) and drew from some of the greatest tropes of horror, fantasy, and weird literature as well as related science-fiction themes especially time travel and through inter-dimensions via parallel time. It grew from the original television series, to movies, several reboots of the television series, games and trading cards. Most recently additional 'texts' have added to and extended the mythology with the excellent <a href="https://www.bigfinish.com/releases/v/50th-anniversary-special-1432" target="_blank">Big Finish Audio Dramas</a> and novels - several written by the original cast members - and we are very excited to hear that <a href="http://laraparkersite.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">Lara Parker (aka Angelique the witch)</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Shadows-Collinwood-Lara-Parker/dp/0765377764/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1454761397&sr=1-1&keywords=lara+parker" target="_blank">has written a new one which is coming out later this year (recently released cover picture here) </a><br />
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All of these texts and inter-texts work together in the minds of watchers and fans to create what I characterise as 'the mythos of Collinwood'. This is an example of what Mark J.P. Wolf explores in his seminal text <a href="https://www.routledge.com/products/9780415631204" target="_blank">Building Imaginary Worlds: The Theory and History of Subcreation</a>; namely how different layers of 'texts' (in all forms) work together to build a secondary-world - in this case not an immersive world (like in Tolkien's legendarium) nor a portal world (as in C.S. Lewis's Narnia series) but a liminal world - in our world but not quite (for example, why were there no televisions at Collinwood in the 'modern-day story-lines?). <br />
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<a href="http://darkshadowsnews.blogspot.co.uk/" target="_blank">There is already some brilliant activities planned for the 50th Anniversary. </a> The foremost authority on <i>Dark Shadows</i> <a href="http://www.radioretropolis.com/" target="_blank">Jim Pierson has recently given two brilliant interviews on the Podcast Radio Retropolis </a>and <a href="http://www.bigfinish.com/hubs/v/dark-shadows" target="_blank">Big Finish is planning a new series of Dark Shadows Bloodlust (with original and new cast members) and more audio dramas. </a><br />
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What I thought would be interesting would be to go back and explore some of the earliest para-texts that were developed around the broadcast of the original television series (as audiences at the same time became familiar with the characters and story line). One of the earliest examples of this extension of the narrative of the day-time television show - is a series of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hachette_Book_Group#Inactive_imprints" target="_blank">Paperback Library books</a>. Starting in December 1966 they began issuing books based on the TV series <i>Dark Shadows</i> which had just begun broadcasting in June of that year. Paperback Library published 33 novels in this series through 1972 - all written by Marilyn Ross which is a pen name for William Edward Daniel Ross - a Canadian writer - who wrote mysteries, westerns and gothic fiction under many various pen names. For the <i>Dark Shadows </i>novels Dan Ross (as he was known) used his wifes name Marilyn. In the 1990's the author of the excellent <a href="http://www.darkshadowsonline.com/barnabas/index.html" target="_blank">Barnabas and Company </a>Craig Hamrick <a href="http://www.oocities.org/televisioncity/9516/dan.html" target="_blank">interviewed him </a> - he said he watched enough of the show 'to keep up'.<br />
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I have been collecting these books over the years (my first one 'The Phantom and Barnabas Collins' was purchased at a<i> Dark Shadows </i>convention in New York and is signed by the legendary Jonathan Frid (Barnabas Collins) himself. So I thought in this anniversary year it would be fun and interesting to read the Ross texts and use this blog to explore how they add to and contextualise the 'Dark Shadows mythos'.<br />
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The first book in the series is appropriately called 'Dark Shadows' and was published in December 1966 and reprinted several times - my edition is April 1969 (the eighth printing). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XMj82YxZPH8YC6mguJfwQpMW2lfMLe1YfFKj4-Z6s3M2VOUre9HBE-hFay_NCdga1sZFsceOAJ0A6UkT2K-z32szGRmPnxM8cMFvTksi-jBhRPiIfKqpDFqMhtNcBdG8x2cRByEQz5RD/s1600/image2-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-XMj82YxZPH8YC6mguJfwQpMW2lfMLe1YfFKj4-Z6s3M2VOUre9HBE-hFay_NCdga1sZFsceOAJ0A6UkT2K-z32szGRmPnxM8cMFvTksi-jBhRPiIfKqpDFqMhtNcBdG8x2cRByEQz5RD/s320/image2-6.JPG" width="197" /></a>The cover of my edition clearly draws from the television series but what I found interesting is the cover has Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins and Alexander Moltke as Victoria Winters with a good grabber headline 'Mysterious Footsteps in the night terrify Victoria Winters at Collins House - a mansion haunted by legends of murder, madness and evil'. Funny enough Barnabas Collins never appears in this story (apparently Willie Loomis had not unchained his coffin yet!), the picture is clearly taken in the Old House and in the text the name of the house on the hill in not 'Collinwood' but Collins House! The picture itself looks like it comes from the post-1795 timeline when Barnabas bites Vicky (notice the scarf on her neck) to make her forget about her travel to 1795 and attempts to take her away (only to have an automobile accident and be 'cured' of his vampirism for a time by Dr. Lang). <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkRnDQ1CvPfT_qsJH4iGjH8TZbkOdfUHsi7o-6MLMi4xxDNNVtAEJtikXWSKXe1gT6MAmTw-De0R-2poKolQCE28Ga24g3b_bi26A70Q0zoZ_nQYOaPTmRppRrYfZqTLWeR_8Nb3MJ5Bq/s1600/image1-2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIkRnDQ1CvPfT_qsJH4iGjH8TZbkOdfUHsi7o-6MLMi4xxDNNVtAEJtikXWSKXe1gT6MAmTw-De0R-2poKolQCE28Ga24g3b_bi26A70Q0zoZ_nQYOaPTmRppRrYfZqTLWeR_8Nb3MJ5Bq/s200/image1-2.PNG" width="120" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsy5wJrb60-JmDzCZBk3IXXQuY-gIcqXkNS6u2rSSW8UuiOvoaWWVCfEwclYe7vHoqtEUk_MR3KquFiBHWrRZt_xtJ-tammQW_J6-kg6Mr6OR58BzLRnqeGCikWeMHr6jAe7gZPCvB6OK/s1600/image3-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsy5wJrb60-JmDzCZBk3IXXQuY-gIcqXkNS6u2rSSW8UuiOvoaWWVCfEwclYe7vHoqtEUk_MR3KquFiBHWrRZt_xtJ-tammQW_J6-kg6Mr6OR58BzLRnqeGCikWeMHr6jAe7gZPCvB6OK/s1600/image3-2.JPG" /></a>According to the Paperback Library notes the first edition was printed with an illustrated cover (left) and then re-released in 1967 with a cover that had Victoria and Louis <br />
Edmonds (Roger Collins) who is in the novel on it (right). <br />
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By the edition I have (from April 1969) the publishers were clearly using the popularity of the reluctant vampire Barnabas Collins to sell books (and the same would happen in later books with David Selby as Quentin Collins). <br />
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Interestingly the same picture from the eighth edition (from a slightly different angle) was used on another volume in the series - <i>Strangers at Collins House </i>(to be reviewed in an upcoming post!)<br />
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The text of this novel is a slightly revised telling of Victoria Winters arriving in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhk61jmY3lI" target="_blank">Collinsport from the television series.</a> Ross sets the gothic mood from the start with 'The Ominous clouds of the October afternoon had warned of bad weather on the way and now the threat was being fulfilled' (5) (an echo of the shows leitmotiv of their never being good weather at Collinwood!). The same themes of Victoria coming to Collinsport from the New York Foundling Home (placed there years before and possibly linked to the Collins) having been mysteriously offered a position to be the governess of the rascal David Collins by the matriarch of 'Collins-House' - Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (who herself has not left 'Collins House' for 18 years!) is all taken from the original plot of the television series. Just as on the television series we have the scene of Victoria talking to the waitress Maggie Evans who tells Victoria 'I mean Collins House is a real kookie place!' (7) and she introduces Victoria, and the reader, to the cast of characters living at the mansion on the hill. Historical depth in the narrative is established when Maggie tells Victoria that Jeremiah Collins built Collins House in 1830 (although entirely inconsistent with the later story-line of Joshua Collins building the 'New House' in 1795-6). Later Elizabeth Collins tells Victoria as she looks at his picture in the drawing room of 'Collins House' 'that's the man who built Collins House, my great-grandfather, Jeremiah Collins. He was one of the most outstanding of our line. It was he who began the fishing firm as well.' (23) The 'confusion' between Jeremiah and Joshua Collins as the founding patriarch is clearly taken from the earlier story-lines of Dark Shadows before the 1795 story-line which established Joshua Collins (played brilliantly by Louis Edmonds) as the patriarch and father to Barnabas Collins. The first Collins to land from the Mayflower Isaac Collins is mentioned by Roger Collins as well (26).<br />
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In terms of history one of the most interesting passages Ross writes actually goes to the heart of why there is a curse on the Collins Family (long before Judah Zachary and Miranda DuVal were thought up) and it is around the place of all tragedy in Dark Shadows - Widows' Hill:<br />
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'Long before Jeremiah Collins built his mansion here, this was a sort of common gathering ground....In those days all the men of the village were fisherman and they would put out to sea for their catch and remain away often for days at a time. Often storms would come up unexpectedly and since this was the highest point of land, their wives would come up here and watch anxiously for the boats to return...Only too often they never did come back to Collinsport. And it was on this very hill that the wives realised it had come their turn to be widows. Many tears had been shed on this very point of land......When Jeremiah bought the land he refused to let any of the townspeople use it and so the waiting wives would come here no more. <i>They cursed my ancestor and wished bad luck on all his kin</i>. <br />
It seems the curse had power. None of the families have been happy here. <br />
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First to suffer Josette, the French bride for whom Jeremiah built Collins-House. She threw herself from this cliff, down the full hundred feet to her death. And there have been others since then.' (43 - my emphasis)<br />
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An interesting passage grounding the curse that would plague the Collins family in the Widows (who are heard in the television series wailing 'Elizabeth!') Also notice the use of Jeremiah/Josette story line which would become fleshed out and revised by the arrival of Barnabas and the 1795 story line (by the time this book was first published Josette has appeared as a ghost in the Old House <a href="http://darkshadows.wikia.com/wiki/70" target="_blank">in episode 70 broadcast on September 30, 1966). </a><br />
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While most of the characters remain the same as the television series (although the caretaker Matthew Morgan is known as Matt Morgan!). <a href="http://darkshadows.wikia.com/wiki/Carolyn_Stoddard" target="_blank">Carolyn is written very much with the vivacious actress Nancy Barrett in mind</a>, David is his early series mischievous self and there are brief mentions of 'his mother' (hinting at t<a href="http://darkshadows.wikia.com/wiki/Laura_Collins" target="_blank">he Lara Colllins Phoenix story line</a> which clearly Ross did not want to engage with in this novel). Roger comes off a bit more sleazy than the way Louis Edmonds played him (although both the book and television Roger both endulge in the drawing room brandy snifter). There are brief peripheral appearances for more involved television characters such as Joe Haskell and the mysterious Burke Devlin (who Ross brings in towards the end of the novel as a possible link to Victoria's own secret).<br />
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For me the most interesting addition to this text is the character of Ernest Collins who is an entirely made-up character (and tells Victoria the curse story above). This character does not appear anywhere in the television texts. Ernest Collins is a classical violinist (musicians are a rarity in <i>Dark</i> <i>Shadows</i> saving the Victorian music hall singer Pansy Faye and Bruno Hess in the 1970 Parallel time story-line based on <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daphne_du_Maurier" style="background-image: none; color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration: none;" title="Daphne du Maurier">Daphne du Maurier</a><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">'s </span></span><i>Rebecca</i>) who drives most of the plot of the story that follows and serves as one of two love-interests for Victoria in this story (the other is the lawyer Will Grant). Ernest has several secrets around his former wife who supposedly fell to her death from Widow's Hill which serves as one of the possible sources of the 'mysterious footsteps' that threatens Victoria during her stay at Collin House. Ross is clever here as 'he' juxtaposes this new story line with the one that would have been more familiar to those who watched the show - namely the possible reason why Elizabeth Stoddard Collins had not left 'Collins House; for 18 years - with the suspicion that she killed her husband, Paul Stoddard, and buried his body in the cellar (a no-go area for Victoria). <br />
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This first story is a good engaging Gothic thriller that certainly draws from Jane Eyre for its spine tingling conclusion (there is more in Collins House than meets the eye!). Readers would have recognised many of the characters and story-lines from the television series but this text not only offers a novelisation of the early story-line of the television series but also builds new texts into the mythos (such as the character of Ernest Collins). Ross also established Victoria Winters at 'Collins-House' and sets up further stories with the concluding paragraph -<br />
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'In the meantime she would go on as governess to David. She would live on here in this quaint village and try to pry further into her secret past. She could not easily forget her meeting with the mysterious Burke Devlin and wondered if he might be able to help her. The Collins family had come to seem like her own - perhaps one day she would discover this to be true. In any event, she looked forward to the weeks and months ahead. She could cope with Roger. Carolyn was loveable, and she could get to know the gracious Elizabeth Collins Stoddard better in the strange old mansion by the sea, Collins House!' (159) </div>
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And waiting on another part of the Estate behind a lion mouth guarded wall in the Collins Mausoleum another member of the Collins family would eventually meet Victoria Winters - but that is for another posting! <br />
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My 50th Anniversary Dark Shadows exploration has begun!<br />
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<br />Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-2160277885981661802015-10-10T12:34:00.000+01:002015-10-10T12:51:16.017+01:00Dr. Wotan's Autumn 2015 Musings and Upcoming Projects <br />
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Greetings all. It has been a busy time for Dr. Wotan in the Tolkien Office at Balham! Here are some updates! <br />
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<a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Dimitra Fimi</a> and I continue to work on our co-editing of the new volume of <a href="http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/9780008131401/a-secret-vice" target="_blank">J.R.R. Tolkien's A Secret Vice </a>which is now due out from HarperCollins in April 2016. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpPvNdtpJE3eX9m7Wkn8ZrOuj1keR3dDFKq-q9GTbLETfWTuHls_FvPqQulrtgp1_QQo3_-N3_0wYwHc0HK4SptKjlwoKCWesRxLZTcpJTn14ySvt1kZ4ArkL3a9fjBfduFdTmxKkM8w8/s1600/image1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDpPvNdtpJE3eX9m7Wkn8ZrOuj1keR3dDFKq-q9GTbLETfWTuHls_FvPqQulrtgp1_QQo3_-N3_0wYwHc0HK4SptKjlwoKCWesRxLZTcpJTn14ySvt1kZ4ArkL3a9fjBfduFdTmxKkM8w8/s1600/image1.PNG" /></a><a href="http://signumuniversity.org/fund/" target="_blank">The 2016 Annual Fund Campaign for Mythgard Institute/Signum University</a> (for which I serve as a Board member) is in full flow as we move towards our target of raising $50,000 to offer a full year of <a href="http://mythgard.org/academy/" target="_blank">free Mythgard Academy courses</a> and the very exciting <a href="http://mythgard.org/academy/guest-lecture-series/" target="_blank">Guest Lecture Series</a> which is curated by Sorina Higgins - who is also the genius behind the current <a href="http://mythgard.org/writing-contest/" target="_blank">Almost an Inkling Flash Fiction Writing</a> contest which has unleashed the narrative and sub-creative talents of many submitters - I have been blown away by the writing talent out there - this brilliant program even got me to dust off some old world-creating I did back in high school and submit some stories from my<i> Lost Chronicles of the Croutoni</i> (yes I also invented languages for this!). The campaign is currently edging towards $14,000 with lots of exciting planned on line activities and will be in full force to Halloween - I encourage everyone to help support this incredible arena for the exploration, discussion and discovery of Fantasy and Science Fiction works. <br />
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As part of this fundraiser <a href="https://youtu.be/5SwVNA3CoGM" target="_blank">I was recently interviewed </a>by the dream team of Sorina Higgins and Corey Olsen about my recently completed Doctor of Philosophy through <a href="http://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/Pages/default.aspx" target="_blank">Cardiff Metropolitan University</a> and thesis 'The Genesis of Tolkien's Mythology, the upcoming 'Secret Vice' book and plans that are currently formulating to offer an 'Invented Language through Tolkien Course' through the Mythgard Institute in the near future - more details to follow on this.<br />
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I also recently completed for the excellent <a href="http://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/topdownloads.html" target="_blank">Journal of Tolkien Research</a> <a href="http://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol2/iss1/2/" target="_blank">a book review for the Blackwell Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien</a> which is a very important volume of papers for Tolkien studies by the top scholars in the field. As I said in the introduction to the review during the writing of this I at times felt very much the way Tolkien must have felt when he had to review the work of the top philologists and lexicographers in those <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Year%27s_Work_in_English_Studies" target="_blank"><i>This Year's Work in English Studies (1924-1926)</i>.</a> Tolkien had to review the work of Jesperson, Bloomfield and Ekwall (among others) and I had to review Shippey, Flieger, Fimi, Rateliff (among others) - a daunting and challenging task! <a href="http://scholar.valpo.edu/journaloftolkienresearch/vol2/iss1/2/" target="_blank">You can access the book review here and I welcome comments. </a><br />
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Talking about 'full force' I have really been enjoying <a href="http://www.amyhsturgis.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Amy Sturgis's</a> <a href="http://mythgard.org/academics/fall-2015-courses/the-force-of-star-wars-examining-the-epic/" target="_blank">The Force of Star Wars: Examine the Epic </a>course at The Mythgard Institute this autumn. Amy is leading us on a brilliant exploration of world-building in the <i>Star Wars </i>Mythos through the six films, radio adaptations, books (many!), television shows (from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Holiday_Special" target="_blank">The Star Wars Holiday Special </a>(with Wookies and Bea Arthur!) up the current excellent <a href="http://www.disney.co.uk/star-wars/rebels" target="_blank">Rebels series</a>) as well as exploring audience and fan reception of the mythos. It is really interesting to explore these texts and discuss the concept of 'canonicity' (now further complicated by Disney creating the 'Legendary' vs. 'Canon' distinction in Star Wars texts as we await for Episode Seven 'The Force Awakens)'. I have read some brilliant Star Wars books including <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Kenobi_(novel)" target="_blank">John Jackson Miller's Kenobi </a>and James Luceno's <a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Tarkin_(novel)" target="_blank">Tarkin </a>and (the excellent!)<br />
<a href="http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Darth_Plagueis_(novel)" target="_blank">Darth Plagueis (pictured).</a> This is world-building that is happening in our life time and it is fascinating to see how this secondary-world mythos has grown from Lucas's original concept through the multi-layered use of various forms of narrative texts...and the epic continues! <br />
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So that is the 'lit' and the 'lang' of my Mythgard Institute autumn is <a href="http://mythgard.org/academics/fall-2015-courses/introduction-to-anglo-saxon/" target="_blank">Introduction to Anglo-Saxon</a> which is being team taught by Professor Michael Drout and the brilliant Nelson Goering (whose knowledge of philology and Germanic metre astounds me!). I took this course to brush up on my Anglo-Saxon grammar and to get better at reading the poetry (an area that in the past I have plodded my way through). One key element Drout puts important emphasis on in his lectures is listening to these poems before attempting to translate them and his website <a href="http://acadblogs.wheatoncollege.edu/mdrout/" target="_blank">Anglo-Saxon Aloud </a>offers audio recordings of all the poems and prose in the corpus - so I am listening carefully. We are using two excellent texts for this course Drout's <a href="http://www.amazon.ca/Drouts-Quick-Easy-Old-English-ebook/dp/B009DVC2AI" target="_blank">Quick and Easy Old English</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eight-English-Poems-Robert-Fulk/dp/039397605X" target="_blank">Pope and Fulk's Eight Old English Poems (pictured) </a>- currently my translation of <i>The Battle of Brunanburh</i> is coming along! So in a way this course is both 'lit and lang' and I am sure Tolkien would have been very pleased to see this happening (it being online may have reminded him of learning thru a palantir!)<br />
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Finally it has been an incredible joy and treat to read David J Peterson's new book <a href="http://www.artoflanguageinvention.com/" target="_blank">The Art of Language Invention: From Horse-Lords to Dark Elves, the Words Behind World-Building.</a> David is a linguist and the creator of such languages as <a href="http://www.dothraki.org/" target="_blank">Dothraki and Valyrian for the HBO series Game of Thrones, adapted from George R.R. Martin's <i>A Song of Ice and Fire</i> series. </a> He has also invented languages for Syfy's <i>Defiance</i> and <i>Dominion </i>as well as the language of <a href="https://shivaisith.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Shivaisith</a> for the movie <i>Thor 2: The Dark World</i> and most recently <i>Star-Crossed</i> and <i>The 100.</i> Peterson is also a co-founder of <a href="http://conlang.org/" target="_blank">The Language Creation Society - which is a group of not so secret language inventors. </a> If you are interested in the art of language invention and how language works I urge you to read this book. Peterson adapts a very practical (and sometime humorous - this man does not like onions!) approach to laying out for the would be language inventor (and I know they are out there!) the sounds, words, and syntax of invented languages (using many practical examples and case studies from his and others invented languages). He also includes a brilliant chapter on writing systems. I very much enjoyed Peterson's descriptions of how his invented languages actually were used and pronounced by the actors on <i>Game of Thrones</i> and the detail he put into these languages as elements of world-building. This is a must read for all practitioners (or want to be practitioners) of the 'Secret (and no so Secret) Vice' - and you will learn a lot about how language works as well. <br />
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As Autumn swiftly turns to Winter I've got a good group of stickies on my wall to work on -<br />
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<a href="http://wotanselvishmusings.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/exploring-dark-shadows-mythos-cfp.html" target="_blank">The Call for Papers is out for the planned volume I would like to do to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Dark Shadows in 2016.</a> No takers yet and if this does not get a good take-up I may just attempt some papers on subjects I want to explore around the Dark Shadows mythos and post to Academia.edu.<br />
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I am currently working on a re-submission of an article to Tolkien Studies was well as an upcoming paper for the volume <a href="http://sacnoths.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/verlyn-flieger-festschrit-call-for.html" target="_blank">A Wilderness of Dragons: Essays in Honour of Verlyn Flieger</a>. <br />
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In May 2016 I will also be giving a paper 'Early Explorers and Practitioners of A Shared Secret Vice '<i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </i>as part of 'Tolkien and Invented Languages' panel at <a href="http://www.wmich.edu/medievalcongress/" target="_blank">The International Medieval Congress at Kalamazoo </a>and also hoping to return to the Leeds IMC. <br />
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Finally my efforts are also focused on turning this monster......into a monograph for publishing! <br />
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So lots to do - best get on with it!<br />
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Lebe wohl, Namarie and Hajas for now! <br />
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<br />Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-64150766266034423412015-09-21T15:58:00.002+01:002015-09-21T16:27:33.654+01:00Exploring The Dark Shadows Mythos CFP <div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Exploring The Dark Shadows Mythos </span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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A Call for Papers </span> <o:p></o:p></div>
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On June 27 1966 American television audiences encountered a
unique daytime gothic soap-opera called<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Shadows" target="_blank"> <i>Dark Shadows</i>.</a> From the dream vision of a woman running on a
beach, TV producer Dan Curtis and a dedicated team of writers and a stellar company of
actors and actresses (many playing multiple roles in various time periods) created one of the most complex and pioneering liminal
worlds for a television series which was focused on Collinwood – the great
house on the hill and hosted ghosts, witches, vampires, werewolves and
zombies. </div>
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In its over 1200 daily episodes, <i>Dark Shadows </i>drew
from some of the greatest tropes of horror, fantasy and weird literature as
well as related science-fiction themes especially time travel and the inter-dimensions of
parallel time. The <i>Dark Shadows</i>
mythos continues to be developed through movies, novels (including several
written by original cast members such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lara_Parker" target="_blank">Lara Parker</a>), comic books, several other television
reboots, games, fan fiction and most recently a continuing series of audio
dramas. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In 2016 <i>Dark Shadows</i> will celebrate its 50<sup>th</sup>
anniversary and in honour of this I would like to produce and [self] publish a
volume of academic and reflective essays exploring the world of <i>Dark Shadows</i>. The broad topics these papers could explore
are: <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The sources and literary tropes that were
reimagined and repurposed for <i>Dark Shadows </i>story-lnes. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnabas_Collins" target="_blank">
</a></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnabas_Collins" target="_blank">Barnabas Collins</a>' place in the development of the
vampire in modern horror texts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The unique use of time-travel and parallel time
in the narrative of Dark Shadows. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The Mythos of <i>Dark Shadows </i>and the role
of trans-medial world-building through various texts. <o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->The fan reception of <i>Dark Shadows</i>
including the muli-generational interest in the show. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->The fan-fiction of <i>Dark Shadows</i> and what
this has added to the Dark Shadows mythos. <o:p></o:p></div>
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These are just some ideas that can be explored in this
volume. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Paper Abstracts should be submitted by 1 December 2015 <o:p></o:p></div>
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Finished Papers by: 1 June 2016 <o:p></o:p></div>
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Contact: Dr. Andrew Higgins <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="mailto:asthiggins@me.com">asthiggins@me.com</a></div>
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Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-45211455458597592492015-06-21T18:54:00.000+01:002015-06-21T19:03:29.971+01:00When Elvish Met Klingon - An Interesting Exchange of Two Art-Langs <div>
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Mae Govannen! </div>
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Among several projects that now exist as little stickies on my Tolkien Office wall to keep me busy for the next year or two (a tip I recently picked up from a Tolkien colleague) - one of the fairly new projects I have embarked on is to explore the reception of Tolkien's invented languages among early readers, fans and then the different groups of Tolkien linguists which developed around a shared reception and interest in Tolkien's languages and the exploration of various elements of them. </div>
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One group of texts I am currently studying are the earliest issues of Vinyar Tengwar ('News Letters') - the journal of <a href="http://www.elvish.org/" target="_blank">The Elvish Linguistic Fellowship</a> which started to be published in September 1988, edited by <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Jorge_Qui%C3%B1%C3%B3nez" target="_blank">Jorge Quinonez</a> and featuring contributions from the founding Tolkien linguistic giants whose shoulders we Tolkien language scholars of today work upon; including <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Bill_Welden" target="_blank">Bill Welden,</a> <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Christopher_Gilson" target="_blank">Christopher Gilson</a>, <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tom_Loback" target="_blank">Tom Loback</a>, <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Nancy_Martsch" target="_blank">Nancy Martsch</a>,<a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Jim_Allan" target="_blank"> Jim Allan</a>, <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Arden_Smith" target="_blank">Arden Smith</a> and <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Patrick_Wynne" target="_blank">Patrick Wynne</a> - with my personal Tolkien linguist role-model <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Carl_Hostetter" target="_blank">Carl F. Hostetter</a> appearing first in issue six and who would go on to edit this journal. In the second issue there is also a letter from UK Tolkien Society member and editor of the Tolkien language journal <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Quettar" target="_blank">Quettar </a><a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/David_Doughan" target="_blank">David Doughan</a>! </div>
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Issue 4 of Vinyar Tengwar (which moves to a somewhat easier computer font to read), published in March 1989, has a interesting exchange from a Mr Ronald E Kyrmse from S. Paulo Brazil. </div>
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'Pocket Books, NY, published recently The Klingon Dictionary by Marc Okrand. If you're a <u>Star Trek</u> fan, you may find it interesting, maybe even fascinating. I've read it quite attentively and have composed a little text in Klingon which is of interest to Elvish linguists, though not paradoxically, in an Elvish language (I won't give a translation, as finding out what it is all about is left as an exercise of the reader - as it it were that difficult): </div>
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Hoch che'meH wa'Qeb, tu'meH wa' Qeb </div>
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Hoch qemmH lan HurghDaq weghmeH je wa' Qeb </div>
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Qotbogh QIbmey morDor puHDaq </div>
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Well?!' (VT 4, p. 4) </div>
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Well.... given the next to last word that gives it away it is clear that this is the inscription on the Ring of Power ('Wa'Qeb') based on Okrand's Klingon Dictionary which was published in 1985 and is considered the first foundational text for the art-language of Klingon. The following glosses are attested in this dictionary....</div>
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Hoch - Everyone, all, everything </div>
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che - rule </div>
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MeH - infinitive form ('to rule') </div>
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wa - one</div>
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Qeb - Ring (for finger) </div>
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tu - discover, find </div>
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MeH - infinitive form (to find) </div>
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wa'Qeb - one Ring </div>
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Hoch - Everyone, all, everything </div>
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qemm - to bring </div>
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mH - infinitive form (to bring) </div>
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lan - place </div>
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HurghDaq - be dark (v) </div>
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weghmeH - confine (v) - to confine </div>
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je - and </div>
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wa' Qeb - One Ring </div>
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Qotbogh - where </div>
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QIbmey - QIb - galaxy (in the galaxy of Mordor?) </div>
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morDor - guess thats what it is called in Klingon as well...interesting. what would be the actual word in Klingon I wonder? </div>
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puH - land </div>
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Daq - of dark (not to be confused with pu'Dah which means phaser banks!) </div>
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So it looks like Kyrmse did some good work on rendering this poem in Klingon - although I don't think the adage 'You have not experienced Shakespeare - until you have read him in the original Klingon' (spoken by Chancellor Gorkon to James T. Kirk in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country) is true for Tolkien!! </div>
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In the next issue of Vinyar Tengwar Craig Marnock said of Kyrmse's Klingon version of the Ring Poem 'I liked Ronald Kyrmse's Ring Poem version in Klingon....could this be the start of new trend?' (VT 5, p. 6). </div>
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In Vinyar Tengwar Issue 6 I also noticed another Elvish/Klingon connection. There is a letter in this issue from <a href="http://www.lawrencemschoen.com/about-the-author/" target="_blank">Professor Lawrence M. Schoen </a>who writes that he had been intending to offer to his students a Beginning Quenya Course 'sort of learn as you go (which would include my learning as well')' but he had to cancel offering it due to being transferred to another school (VT 6, p. 2). Schoen is one of the foremost authorities on the Klingon Language and in 1992 set up The Klingon Language Learning Institute (KLI) which has been responsible for such publications as <i>The Klingon Hamlet (1996) </i></div>
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So an interesting meeting of two art-languages in the early issues of this foundational journal for Tolkien Language studies - long may the issues continue! </div>
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More to come as I go through them for this Tolkien Language Reception project. </div>
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Namarie and Qapla! </div>
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Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-25538248026923204702015-06-04T23:11:00.002+01:002015-06-05T11:20:07.588+01:0050th International Congress of Medieval Studies - Tolkien at Kalamazoo Round-Up <br />
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Mae Govannen!<br />
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Well its has been over a month since I returned from the fantastic International Congress on Medieval Studies at Kalamazoo Michigan (May 14-17), which was my second year of attendance. I returned from Kalamazoo and went right into the final stages of finishing the manuscript of a new edition of <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Secret-Vice-J-R-Tolkien/dp/0008131392/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1433450055&sr=8-1&keywords=Secret+Vice" target="_blank">Tolkien's<i> A Secret Vice</i> which I have co-edited with Dr. Dimitra Fimi and will be published by HarperCollins in Feb 2016</a> as well as the start of the 2015 Glyndebourne Festival (a.k.a my day job!). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tolkien at Kalamazoo Beowulf Dramatic Reading Group</td></tr>
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This year's conference was really brilliant - the seminars, the papers, the colleagues I got to talk to and the fun of being part of a dramatic reading of the prose version of Tolkien's 2014 <i>Beowulf</i> in a brilliant adaptation by Thom Foy. <br />
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It was also quite exciting to give my second paper at Kalamazoo (now as Dr. Andrew Higgins!) - which this year occurred on the last day of the conference. Here is a brief outline of the Tolkien related seminars/roundtables that I attended and papers given.<br />
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The first session kicked off the exploration of Tolkien brilliantly with 'Tolkien as Translator and Translated'.<br />
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<li>Sandra Hartl, a Phd student from Otto-Friedrich-University, Bamberg, gave a very interesting paper on Tolkien's use of Classical Sources (the subject of her PhD), with a specific focus on parallels between the Classical and Medieval Orfeo story and Tolkien's Beren and Luthien. Sandra focused on Tolkien's early and continued interests in the Greek and Roman works, which does not receive as much attention in Tolkien scholarship as his interest in Northern literature. Sandra drew out some interesting parallels between Ovid and Virgil's treatment of the Orfeo story and the Medieval version, which Tolkien himself translated and supervised A.J. Bliss's B Lit thesis on in 1947 (Chronology, p. 313 - does that still exist I wonder!). Sandra's research is very interesting and I look forward to seeing more of her treatment of the classical sources Tolkien dipped his ladle in for his 'soup of story'. </li>
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<li>Maria Volkonskaya explored Tolkien's translation of <i>Sir Gawain and the Green Knigh</i>t. This paper focused on how Tolkien's modern English translation of <i>Sir Gawain</i> echoed the quality of the types of words that the Gawain poet used in the original poem. Maria started her paper by indicating that in the glossary of<i> Sir Gawain and the Green Knight</i> (compiled by Tolkien and E.V. Gordon) - of the 2,650 words - 250 of them are of Scandinavian origin and another group are derived from French. The French words are used by the Gawain poet for stylistic reasons such as for descriptive passages like when the Green Knight enters. In this description of the Green Knight the beautiful and the grotesque are shown and emphasised through the poets choice of language. The poet uses French words to describe the Green Knight's garments; whereas the most grotesque elements of the Green Knight are described using English or, in a few cases, Scandanavian words. The Green Knight's language itself is brutish, native and local containing many words with Scandanavian influence. However, when Gawain is at the Castle of Sir Bertilak there are more instances of words with French borrowings. Maria explored one line in the original <i>Sir Gawain</i> (ll. 224-225) where English and French words clash - 'Wher is', he said, 'the governour of this gyng" (SGGK, ll. 224-225). Which Tolkien translates as 'Now where is', he said, 'the governor of this gathering' (<i>Gawain,</i> p. 23) maintaining the sense of the French and English words for 'governor' and 'gyng/gathering'</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXDCYktW8HV0LdFaGbvE9eqMjaAf7nD8c96xvAkdm_eTTvBZTYZmBMjTUaVv2Ma5DHb6TF6H583y8rMTZftpmtBzHpzp1_HuedhjkqZp_WkxHfBshg8W4o0aYIJVdalD82T9cbCNfRfFv/s1600/IMG_2175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfXDCYktW8HV0LdFaGbvE9eqMjaAf7nD8c96xvAkdm_eTTvBZTYZmBMjTUaVv2Ma5DHb6TF6H583y8rMTZftpmtBzHpzp1_HuedhjkqZp_WkxHfBshg8W4o0aYIJVdalD82T9cbCNfRfFv/s320/IMG_2175.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="line-height: 100%;">The showpiece of the first day of the conference was definitely the round-table 'Christopher Tolkien as Medieval Scholar'. The dream-team partipants of this round-table were Douglas A. Anderson, John D. Rateliff and Brad Eden, who each spoke on aspects of the body of academic scholarship that Christopher Tolkien has done in his own right. </span><br />
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<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">Douglas Anderson (who originally suggested this idea as a round-table for the conference) focused his talk on Christopher Tolkien's work in 1950-1960 and then again in 1969 with fellow Inkling Neville Coghill on scholarly editions from Chaucer's</span><i style="line-height: 100%;"> The Canterbury Tales</i><span style="line-height: 100%;"> of </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">The</i><span style="line-height: 100%;"> </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">Pardoner's Tale </i><span style="line-height: 100%;">(1958), </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">The Nun Priest's Tale </i><span style="line-height: 100%;">(1959) and ten years after them </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">The Man of Laws Tale</i><span style="line-height: 100%;"> (1969). These editions came out of Coghill's publishing of a popular edition of </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">The Canterbury Tales</i><span style="line-height: 100%;"> with Harrap, and Coghill asked Christopher to work with him on these two editions. Doug spoke on Christopher's work on these volumes and showed us various editions of them, </span></li>
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<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">John D Rateliff started his talk by making the observation that up to 1974 Christopher Tolkien was known as a Medieval scholar and had he not worked on </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">The Silmarillion </i><span style="line-height: 100%;">(1977) and the 12-year labour of publishing his father's mythology in </span><i style="line-height: 100%;">The History of Middle-earth</i><span style="line-height: 100%;"> series, that is how we would think of him today. John very kindly</span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> posted a written version of his talk on Christopher Tolkien's <a href="http://sacnoths.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/christopher-tolkien-roundtable-saga-of.html" target="_blank">The Saga of King Heidrek the Wise</a>. </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">What I got out of John's excellent talk is that you can see the editorial </span><span style="line-height: 100%;">blueprint</span><span style="line-height: 100%;"> for how Christopher structured <i>The History of Middle-earth</i> in the editorial work he did on <i>Heidrek, </i>which was one of a series of books in Nelson's Icelandic Texts. </span></li>
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<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">Brad Eden gave a really intriguing talk by comparing how Christopher worked on and edited his father's mythology by suggesting that a similar use of texts was employed in stories of the Saints especially the Life of the Anglo-Saxon Saint Guthlac. </span></li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NCv4fAqsaoMe0Hqp8ygauk5xV80KR-iYlmykYcIXi7gwoaP8SbJ1ZPjzhnmzCsGUayDOku-mUrE0e67h-WVXzeRxlGSMQP8FFbyGguWqtAbYEEQCbEvQoqX7Cr7rQxuQ5tafY2Hr5ae3/s1600/IMG_0076.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NCv4fAqsaoMe0Hqp8ygauk5xV80KR-iYlmykYcIXi7gwoaP8SbJ1ZPjzhnmzCsGUayDOku-mUrE0e67h-WVXzeRxlGSMQP8FFbyGguWqtAbYEEQCbEvQoqX7Cr7rQxuQ5tafY2Hr5ae3/s200/IMG_0076.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="line-height: 100%;">The final session of the first day of the conference was a session on 'Tolkien and Victorian Medievalism' with three excellent papers exploring different aspects of this topic. </span><br />
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<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">Sharin Schroeder (National Taipei University of Technology) focused her paper on Tolkien's Oxford lectures on Chaucer's The Pardoner's Tale and key elements he highlighted in these lectures that also suggest Tolkien's own thoughts on the folk-tale elements of Chaucer's tale, which she suggested have their origins in the work of 19th century folklorists. She also drew some interesting parallels between Chaucer and Tolkien as story-makers. Her paper sign posted the opportunity for more work on the Tolkien's own scholarship of Chaucer. </span></li>
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<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">Amanda Giebfried (St Louis University) gave a paper on 'Maps and Landscape in William Morris and J.R.R. Tolkien. Her paper focused on the trips William Morris made in the 1870's to Iceland and explored how Morris's description of landscape in his own fictional works, which would subsequently influence Tolkien, was inspired by the actual journeys through the landscape of Iceland and the descriptions he used in these journals (which are brilliant adventure novels in their own right!). </span></li>
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<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">The final highly-anticipated paper of this session was by acclaimed Tolkien scholar Jane Chance (Rice University) who spoke on 'Tolkien's Victorian Fairy-Story Beowulf'. Jane's paper suggested that Tolkien's work 'Sellic Spell' (included in the 2014 edition of Tolkien's <i>Beowulf</i>) was his re-writing of the Beowulf story as a fairy-tale. In this work Tolkien turns the tragedy of Beowulf into a 'eucatastrophe' with a happy ending, the dragon never comes. Jane drew out interesting parallels in 'Sellic Spell' to Andrew Lang and William Morris and also explored some of the more 'fairy-tale' elements of this work (including magic swords and rings) and suggested that in this version of the Beowulf story 'Bee-wulf' is much more like an Arthur figure. I thought one of the most interesting points, of many, Jane made is a need in Tolkien scholarship to take into consideration all the many projects (academic and creative) that Tolkien was working on during the writing on a key work (like 'Sellic Spell') and how they may have influenced each other. Clearly Tolkien did not work on projects in isolation and an analysis of any work required looking at all the other projects he was working on during this time - an interesting point that I will add to my own methodology in researching Tolkien. </span></li>
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<span style="line-height: 100%;">On the next day of the conference The Tales After Tolkien Society held a round-table 'From Frodo to Fidelma:Medievalism in Popular Genres'. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 100%;">Kris Swank of Pima Community College and a Signum/Mythgard Institute Tolkien scholar and colleague gave a brilliant talk on 'Black in Sherwood: Race and Ethnicity in Robin Hood Media' in which she explored how the saracens of the Robin Hood legend are depicted in modern versions of the story. Kris made the point that in modern adaptions the saracen 'other' is portrayed either as the strange foreigner or as the integrated muslim who is part of the band of merrymen but is still marked as 'other' through their dress and the following of strange customs. She also explored how some of Robin's Merry Men have been portrayed in modern movie and televisions adaptations by people of colour. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 100%;">I thought the most interesting example Kris brought out here was the film <i>Robin and The Seven Hoods </i>with Frank Sinatra where Sammy Davis played Will Scarlet. In this film the rather randy Maid Marion (played by Ava Gardener) seduced all of Robin's Merry Men except for Will Scarlet because he was being played by a black actor. <a href="http://www.cambriapress.com/cambriapress.cfm?template=4&bid=626" target="_blank">This was a brilliant presentation and I believe Kris is publishing related articles in an upcoming publication of The Tales After Tolkien Society. </a></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 100%;">There were other interesting papers in this roundtable - next to Kris's the standout for me was John Marino of Maryville University called 'The Zombie Apocalypse in the Classroom' which related how John had used a simulated zombie attack to teach his students about survival and what is was like to live in the 14th century during the plague - very cool! </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 100%;">The concluding day of the 2015 Congress had two very strong Tolkien sessions. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 100%;">On Sunday at 8:30am I was very pleased to see a full-room for the session 'Tolkien as Linguist and Medievalist'. The panel for this session was made up of myself, Eileen Marie Moore, John D. Rateliff and Kris Swank.</span><br />
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<span style="clear: left; display: inline !important; line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">My paper 'The First Red Book: An Exploration of Tolkien's Exeter College Essay Book' explored some of the earliest academic essays Tolkien wrote in his red covered Exeter College Essay book (the first Red Book). My analysis of these essays, which were all written around 1913-1915, suggested links to the creative and intertwined myth-making and language invention Tolkien was developing at the time and suggests that these essays, just one source of Tolkien's own early academic work, gives us interesting insights into understanding how Tolkien used elements of his own academic training in 'lit' and 'lang' in his own early mythopoeia and glossopoeia work. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 100%; text-align: center;">Eileen Marie-Moore gave an excellent paper on 'Inter-Elvish Miscommunication and the Fall of Gondolin' in which she explored one strand of the fate of the fall of Gondolin coming from the incursion of the speech of mortal interlopers into the 'nexus' of Elvish languages and dialects that were spoken in Gondolin. Eileen gave some really intriguing examples of how this miscommunication was achieved through the blending of tongues, with a special focus on the Dark Elf Eol. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 100%;">John D. Rateliff's paper 'A Scholar of the Old School: Tolkien's Editing of Medieval Manuscripts' convincingly showed that contemporary criticism of Tolkien's process of editing Medieval manuscripts, as with the current 2014 edition of <i>Beowulf</i>, does not take into account how editors of Tolkien's own time thought about the actual process of editing manuscripts. Tolkien and his contemporary editors had a confidence in their knowledge of the texts and felt they had the philological knowledge to be able to change the scribes (not the original writers) emendations if they did not agree with them. As is evidenced by Tolkien's edition of <i>Exodus </i>and <i>Beowulf, </i>Tolkien would emend certain passages and not tell the reader. John highlighted the P. J. Lucas review of Tolkien's <i>Exodus, </i>which indicated that Tolkien's presentation leaves much to be desired. John also made the point that Tolkien felt that the editor of a text should be invisible 'the trail of the passing editor' and that distractions should be removed from the text so that the work was a work of poesis or art. The key point was that Tolkien had the confidence to do this and John's paper really helped me to understand the way Tolkien presents texts like<i> Exodus</i>,<i> Sir Gawain</i> and <i>Beowulf </i>to the modern reader. </span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 100%;">Kris Swank's 'Immram Roverandom' has to be one of my favs from the conference. In this tour-de-force work of Tolkien scholarship Kris examined a recognisably Irish strain in Tolkien's 1925 children's story <i>Roverandom, </i>with a special focus on the immram, a class of Old Irish tales concerning a hero's sea journey to the Otherworld which were written in the Christian era but contains elements of Irish mythology. Kris's excellent paper identified key elements of the immram in Tolkien's Roverandom showing Tolkien's interest and use of Irish myth and legend. Kris has an article coming out on this subject in the next volume of <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tolkien_Studies:_Volume_12" target="_blank">Tolkien Studies which I can not wait to read.</a> </span><br />
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The last Tolkien session of the conference brought us back to Tolkien's work on <i>Beowulf.</i><br />
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<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">John R. Holmes's (Franciscan University of Steubenville) paper "That Does Not Attract Me": Lang/Lit. and the Structure of Tolkien's Beowulf Commentary' focused specfically on Tolkien's commentary on <i>Beowulf, </i>drawn from his Oxford lectures, which show the working of the tutorial mind who both knows and is trying to train students in framing arguments. Holmes gave several interesting examples of how in the commentary Tolkien follows a particular argument to its conclusion only to show that it is actually a dead-end, in other words showing students how to build an argument to ultimately show its weakness - a key focus of an Oxford student's preparation for their exams. </span></li>
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<li>I was really looking forward to the next paper 'Can a Geat Be A Knight? Tolkien's Use of Chivalric Terminology in His Translation of Beowulf' by Professor Brian McFadden (Texas Tech University). Tolkien's use of the term 'knight' in his prose translation of <i>Beowulf </i>has puzzled me since my first reading it last May. Professor McFadden's made the point that the use of the word 'knight' in Beowulf was not unique to Tolkien and he been used in at least nine earlier translations - including John Earle's 'Deed's of Beowulf', which Tolkien first read as an undergraduate at Exeter College, Oxford (the one that starts of with 'What Ho! We have Heard'). McFadden suggested that like the word 'Elf' which he explored in On Fairy-stories, Tolkien was attempting to recover the word 'knight' to its original meaning which was connected with the Anglo-Saxon words of thane, retainer, earl, secg, leod, rinc. McFadden pointed to Tolkien's notes on translation in the Clark-Hall prose translation of Beowulf when he explored the use of more contemporary words to signify older ideas...which yours truly needs to re-read! </li>
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<li><span style="line-height: 100%;">Amy Amendt-Raduege focused her <i>Beowulf </i>exploration on 'The Weird Word Wyrd' examining the use of 'wyrd' ('fate') in Beowulf. Amy explored that the word 'wyrd' appears 12 times in Beowulf and is the subject of two of Tolkien's commentaries, with a record seven pages of commentary by Tolkien on 'wyrd'. Amy recognised the actual meaning of wyrd is a crux in itself and examined several sources drawn from Old Norse and Jacob Grimm's link of wyrd to the Christian God. Amy's talk made me go back and re-read Tolkien's very interesting notes on Wyrd in Beowulf! </span></li>
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In addition to the Tolkien focused seminars and papers there were also some brilliant seminars focused on both 'lit' and 'lang'. Of the most interesting for me was 'Words and Verses' sponsored by Society for Medieval Germanic Studies which included a paper by Dr. Nelson Goering of Oxford University (a brilliant Tolkien scholar as well) who gave a really interesting paper which looked at the metrical structure of the Word-Foot Theory of Old Germanic Meter. Nelson is doing really brilliant work on Germanic metre and it is an area I am trying to read-up on and become more proficient in.
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And the book rooms at Kalamazoo did not disappoint! The list of books I purchased included two volumes that I am sure Tolkien read. First <i>The Principles of English Etymology </i>by Rev. Walter W. Skeat in an Oxford Clarendon Press edition of 1887. Secondly, Tolkien's former student G. Turville-Petre's <i>Origins of Icelandic Literature</i> (1953) which includes in the introduction 'J.R.R.Tolkien has also made many useful suggestions'<br />
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<span style="text-align: center;">So another brilliant year of Tolkien exploration, discussion, debate and fun at Kalamazoo! Based on the Tolkien at Kalamazoo Business meeting I think 2016 will be even more exciting (more to come on that!). </span></div>
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<span style="font-style: normal;">Now it is on to the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/ims/imc/IMC2015/imc2015.html" target="_blank">Leeds International Medieval Congress</a> in July where I am very excited to be giving a paper on the panel 'Celtic Literature in Tolkien's Medievalism' organised by Dr. Dimitra Fimi - in which I will be exploring the 'lit' and 'lang' of Welsh Princesses and Cats in Tolkien's </span><i>Tale of Tinuviel</i> - having fun digging back into the Lost Tales materials!<br />
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I also recently posted an extended version of the Francis Thompson paper I gave this March at The Enchanted Edwardians Conference in<a href="https://www.academia.edu/11960945/O_World_Invisible_We_View_Thee_The_Syncretic_Nature_of_Francis_Thompsons_Visionary_Poems" target="_blank"> Bristol to Academia.edu here. </a><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Namárië</span><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 100%;"> for now! </span></div>
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Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0Western Europe53.120405283106571 -0.70312543.137498283106567 -21.357422 63.103312283106575 19.951172tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-23741086886616719412015-03-01T12:21:00.002+00:002015-03-01T13:13:26.264+00:00Well....I am Back! <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Mae Govannen! Roughly three and half years ago Wotan left Valhalla to go on an incredible journey - an exploration of the world of J.R.R. Tolkien's earliest mythology. With the incredible support, guidance and mentorship of <a href="http://www.dimitrafimi.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Dimitra Fimi</a> (my 'Gandalf' who appealed to my Tookish side of academic exploration and got me on the road!) I have now completed this quest and returned to my new Valhalla (looks like Fafnir and Fasolt have built me a new office - hope I don't have to give them Charlie the Wonder Corgi as otter-ransom). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This Thursday in Cardiff I successfully completed my PhD thesis 'The Genesis of J.R.R. Tolkien's Mythology' and am now Dr. Andrew Higgins - a title I accept with humility and an unswerving ambition of wanting to do as much work and scholarship in the areas of Tolkien, fantasy literature and secondary world building in the years ahead....</span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The Genesis of Tolkien's Mythology - My PhD Quest </span></u><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUwqkIadNx9encMVaKdE3XQZ5V6W2-EVwpDuzdzXfJgFNQZ9gEgYghIyDUUXUez6PhZoAReVgJlvRvkT-VoBMAfF3SOKqaGs273cBLi1tbegW8mDbbO3fi6l1IvVCPNwzLSqWQkoZmd6z/s1600/10835106_10155232501030057_7539028468765052900_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUwqkIadNx9encMVaKdE3XQZ5V6W2-EVwpDuzdzXfJgFNQZ9gEgYghIyDUUXUez6PhZoAReVgJlvRvkT-VoBMAfF3SOKqaGs273cBLi1tbegW8mDbbO3fi6l1IvVCPNwzLSqWQkoZmd6z/s1600/10835106_10155232501030057_7539028468765052900_o.jpg" height="177" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The researching and actual writing of a PhD thesis on the early creative thought and mythology of J.R.R. Tolkien (a quest I highly recommend to all - whatever area you choose) has to be one of the most incredibly fulfilling, rewarding and, at times, frustrating projects I will ever undertake on this side of the great sea. It is amazing to focus almost 24/7 on an author's emerging creative process - my research chose to critically examine the earliest creative work of J.R.R. Tolkien (up to the 'Book of Lost Tales' materials), from which the first version of his mythology would emerge, as one coherent whole, rather than a series of individual creative acts. The thesis argues that all aspects of Tolkien's creativity worked in a dialectic way to bring to life an invented secondary world the complexity of which fantasy literature had not seen before. In the next year or so one of my key projects will be working on turning the thesis into a book. Hopefully in the not too far future I will be able to share with you my take on how Tolkien achieved the development of this earliest version of his secondary world.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The PhD viva itself was quite an experience and one of the most exhilarating robust academic dialogues I have had about the research. When you are doing a PhD you are pretty much in what I call 'the thesis bunker' researching, writing and discussing your work mostly with your PhD supervisor - and in my case I was very lucky and fortunate that this meant spending many hours in discussion with Dr. Fimi whose incredible thoughts, feedback, patience (with my 'nigglings') and insight into this material was so important and valuable to me - there is none better! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Being able to actually discuss the research with other academics (after three and half years of developing it!) was really rewarding. I had a mock viva in December with an internal team at <a href="http://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/education/research/Pages/Research-Students.aspx" target="_blank">Cardiff Metropolitan University </a>which helped me focus on some wider issues of the research. Like in any quest, I also had some amazing helpers along the journey who read chapters of my thesis and gave me incredibly instructive comments. I was very fortunate to have the help of Tolkien scholar Douglas A. Anderson (who read an early version of the thesis and steered me in the right direction in terms of some of Tolkien's early work and dates) and then my thesis chapter readers: Dr. Verlyn Flieger, John D. Rateliff, Gerard Hynes and Dr. Simon Eckstein (whose own thesis work was an inspiration!). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">For the final viva at <a href="http://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/education/research/Pages/Research-Students.aspx" target="_blank">Cardiff Metropolitan University</a> last Thursday I was very fortunate to be examined internally by <a href="http://www.cardiffmet.ac.uk/education/staff/Pages/Dr-Kate-North.aspx" target="_blank">Dr. Kate North</a> and externally by<a href="http://www.english.ox.ac.uk/about-faculty/faculty-members/medieval/atherton-dr-mark" target="_blank"> Dr. Mark Atherton - Lecturer in English at Regent's Park College</a>, Oxford and author of <i><a href="http://www.tolkienlibrary.com/press/1084-There-and-Back-Again-JRR-Tolkien-Origins-of-The-Hobbit-interview.php" target="_blank">There and Back Again: J.R.R. Tolkien and the Origins of the Hobbit.</a></i> This was an amazing session with some really constructive dialogue, debate and helpful feedback and comments that will go into the final thesis, which I submit in the next week, and also will feed into my work into turning this research into a book. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MxLKjZoQn4H4Vt7vjmNjbzY3rU8zMEqdV1Y4TBsKiPzDSWfPpfDxHycQkiD4BIQme6j6qtnjKBbGiLkVhvFJSINi4XUD8kyhFY9x6S0fvdWgTmT91Ys2M4mybzMx4Pwcm-R63f2Ffvvw/s1600/1064416_10152999861305057_465115184_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MxLKjZoQn4H4Vt7vjmNjbzY3rU8zMEqdV1Y4TBsKiPzDSWfPpfDxHycQkiD4BIQme6j6qtnjKBbGiLkVhvFJSINi4XUD8kyhFY9x6S0fvdWgTmT91Ys2M4mybzMx4Pwcm-R63f2Ffvvw/s1600/1064416_10152999861305057_465115184_o.jpg" height="200" width="149" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">The only bittersweet element to achieving the PhD (very fitting for anything having to do with Tolkien) was that my Dad - having taken the ship to the West last year - was not there to see it. In the acknowledgements of the thesis I paid tribute to my Dad who had a passion for Tolkien and introduced me to the 'arresting strangeness' of the world Tolkien built which had so impacted my Dad's life and subsequently mine. I hope one day in the West my Dad and I can both discuss this research (he would have much to say I am sure!) - <i>Nai hiruvalme Valimar!</i> </span><br />
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<u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Upcoming Projects and Papers</span></u><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">To somewhat para-phrase Gandalf the achieving of a PhD is 'not an end' it is only the beginning. As I remember in one of the many books on 'doing a PhD' I read over the last three years someone once said the PhD is not your 'masterpiece' it is what you do with it (wise words). Indeed I return to Valhalla from my academic wanderings with quite a comprehensive list of projects that I will be working on - several of which have come out of, or been inspired by, strands of the research I have done. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Currently I am scheduled to give the following papers at three key conferences coming up in 2015: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://eventegg.com/enchanted-edwardians-2015/" target="_blank">The Enchanted Edwardians Conference</a> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Bristol </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">29-30 March 2015 </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I will be giving a paper on 'O World Invisible We View Thee' - The Syncretic Nature of Francis Thompson's Visionary Poems. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">At this conference Dr. Fimi will be giving a paper on 'Kipling and Tolkien and their "mythology for England" </span><br />
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<a href="http://edwardianculture.com/2014/07/16/cfp-enchanted-edwardians/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">More info here </span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">50th International Conference of Medieval Studies </span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Kalamazoo 2015 </span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.wmich.edu/medieval/congress/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">May 14-17 2015 </span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">This will be my second time taking part in the 'Tolkien at Kalamazoo' sessions in the company of many brilliant Tolkien scholars and academics. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">I will be giving a paper as part of the 'Tolkien as Linguist and Medievalist' Panel on 'The First Red Book - A Exploration of Tolkien's Exeter College Essay Book' and will also taking part in the live reading of Tolkien's <i>Beowulf</i> 2014 (practicing now as I re-read this important text for the current excellent <a href="http://www.mythgard.org/academics/spring-2015-courses/beowulf-through-tolkien-and-vice-versa/" target="_blank">'Beowulf through Tolkien and Vice-Versa' course with Professors Tom Shippey and Nelson Goering)</a> </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/info/125137/international_medieval_congress" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">International Medieval Congress Leeds 2015 </span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/arts/info/125137/international_medieval_congress" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">6-9 July 2015 </span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Dr. Fimi has organised a series of Tolkien related sessions at this year's IMC Leeds 2015 and I am very excited to be giving a paper as part of the session on 'Celtic Literature in Tolkien's Medievalism' which includes some other excellent speakers including my <a href="http://www.mythgard.org/about/" target="_blank">Mythgard Institute </a>colleague Kris Swank. </span><br />
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<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Tolkien, Brendan, and the Quest for The Lost Road (Aurélie Brémont, Centre d’Études Médiévales Anglaises (CEMA), Université Paris-Sorbonne – Paris IV)</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><em style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Immram Roverandom </em>(Kris Swank, Pima Community College, Tucson)</span></li>
<li style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Welsh Princesses and Cats: Tolkien’s <i>Tale of Tinuviel</i> and The Gnomish Lexicon (Andrew Higgins, Cardiff Metropolitan University)</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Other sessions will include papers by Dr. Fimi, Dr. Mark Atherton and Nick Groom whose work includes a brilliant chapter 'The English Literary Tradition: Shakespeare to the Gothic' in the 2014 <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Companion-Tolkien-Blackwell-Companions-Literature/dp/0470659823" target="_blank">Blackwell Companion to J.R.R. Tolkien</a></i>. <a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/category/conferences/" target="_blank"> </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://dimitrafimi.com/category/conferences/" target="_blank">Dr. Fimi has more information on IMC Leeds 2015 on her blog posting here. </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In addition I have started to use <a href="https://cardiffmet.academia.edu/AndrewHiggins" target="_blank">Academia.edu </a>for papers and book reviews and will continue to post there as papers are written and delivered. There is an amazing treasure trove of academic resource to be found on this site. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">In January 2015 I launched a monthly Tolkien language column on The Signum University Newsletter <a href="http://www.signumuniversity.org/eagle/" target="_blank">'The Signum Eagle' called 'In Dembith Pengoldh' through which I will explore elements of Tolkien's language invention. </a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Wotan will use this blog to update on all activity and also explore some key areas of interest around Tolkien, fantasy literature and especially emerging scholarship in secondary world building and, for Wotan, the link to language invention. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Glad to be back in Valhalla - and now to work - lots of papers to write! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19px;">Dydd gwyl Dewi hapus!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19px;">and </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 1.3;">Namárië</span> for now! </span><br />
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<br />Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-53846003360633537362013-03-24T21:33:00.000+00:002013-03-24T23:04:22.396+00:00A Philological Journey Down Lake Windermere<div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lake Windermere - England's Largest Lake - What Secrets Does It Hold? </td></tr>
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<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">David and I just returned from a very
restful week holiday up in the Lake District on the southern shores of
Lake Windermere. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windermere" target="_blank">Lake Windermere</a> is the largest natural lake in
England in the county of Cumbria within The Lake District National
Park. On the days when the weather was fairly decent we boarded a boat
and went down the lake passing by where <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Ransome" target="_blank">Arthur Ransome's</a> adventures of
the Walker children in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swallows_and_Amazons" target="_blank">Swallows and Amazons </a>took place (and according
to the tour guide on the boat a new version of the adventure is to be
filmed there this summer). </span></div>
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<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">But
as we sailed down this majestic lake I could not but
help thinking about the name 'Windermere' and what it means. Perhaps this
is one of the very beneficial (among many) effects that intense study of the works of
J.R.R. Tolkien has done for me. For Tolkien a story started with a
name ('To me a name comes first and a story follows.' - Letters, p. 219) His imaginative language work has heightened my awareness of names and the inherent
stories each proper name carries within it - a potential micro-narrative waiting for its story to be unearthed. So on my first night back
at the hotel I started thinking about what Windermere meant and to do
some linguistic sleuthing Tolkien style - and along the way encountered
several interesting connections to Tolkien himself! </span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">I
found two key sources online to start my search. First is a book
Walter John Sedgefield's<a href="http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ba7-avbngqgC&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=vignandr&source=bl&ots=THWcTByTHn&sig=lpT7kr_LkhqTtgBinAof7mvEJ2M&hl=en&sa=X&ei=SCstUY-2CLSP0QH5n4DQAQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=vignandr&f=false" target="_blank"> 'The Place Names of Cumberland and Westmorland</a>'
from 1915 which is available on line. In this work Sedgefield states - </span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">The
first element according to Wyld L. Pl. s. p. 266 appears to be a pers
N. with the Old Norse genitive ending with -ar Wyld notes that though
O.N. *Vigandr does not seem to be recorded, in exact OE Equivalent
Wignoth occurs several times (Searle). The second element is O.E. mere
'lake' 'pool' 'sheet of water' </span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img height="260" id="irc_mi" src="http://www.alpha2omegabooks.com/shop_image/product/4015.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 29px;" width="320" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">H.C. Kennedy Wyld's Universal Dictionary of the English Language</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">The
first reference Sedgefield is making is to the 1911 'The Place-Names of
Lancashire' by Henry Cecil Kennedy Wyld (1870-1945). </span><span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">From
1904 to 1920, Wyld was Baines Professor of English Language and
Philology, Liverpool University. From 1920 to his death in 1945 he was
Professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford and seems to have
been one of J.R.R. Tolkien's great allies in the bringing together of the
literature and language curriculum at Oxford. According to Hammond and
Scull's Chronology - Tolkien knew Wyld and on 20 May 1929 (while at
Pembroke College) Wyld, Tolkien and C.T. Onions signed a letter to the
Secretary of Facilities asking the University to appoint a lecturer in
'English Language' (Chronology, p.149). Tolkien also mentions him in a
letter to Christopher when he learns that Wyld has died 'god rest his
soul' and he needs to work on finding a replacement for him as Professor
of English Language and Literature at Oxford (Letters, p.108). </span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">The
second reference is to W.G. Searle (1830-1913) who was a Professor at
Queen's College. The listing is in Onomasticon Anglo-Saxonicum: A List
of Anglo-Saxon Proper Names from the Time of Beda to that of King John
(Cambridge, 1897). </span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">These
earlier works are referenced by the Swedish philologist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eilert_Ekwall" target="_blank">Eilert Ekwall </a>(1877-1964) who wrote many books on the history of language but
is probably best known for his work on English Place names and personal
names. Tolkien definitely read and was inspired by Ekwall's works on
place names (a topic that I am currently in the process of researching).
When Tolkien was a Reader at Leeds University he reviewed several of
Ekwall's key works in the journals - <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Year%27s_Work_in_English_Studies" target="_blank">The Years Work in English Studies 1923-1925. </a></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">In
his 1922 '<a href="http://archive.org/details/placenamesoflanc00ekwauoft" target="_blank">The Place Names of Lancashire'</a> Ekwall gives a 2 page focus to
the name Windermere and brings in the earlier works noted above.
This, so far, is the fullest philological treatment I can find on the
meaning of the name 'Windermere.' </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">Ekwall
first suggests that the name Windermere must be identical with that of
the name of a place near <a href="http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=4QgVAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA66&lpg=PA66&dq=Winderwath+Great+Willmington&source=bl&ots=wJDTsrc-X_&sig=MFceqYyJyatYaNlK9NxAZ8lDc0I&hl=en&sa=X&ei=RNRNUbKaA4aWO8fQgegM&ved=0CDkQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=Winderwath%20Great%20Willmington&f=false" target="_blank">Great Asby in Wilmington called Winderwath</a>
[near Penrith in Cumbria]. </span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">But Ekwall <span style="font-size: large;">quickly</span> dismisses this idea due to the fact that both place names are far
apart and must have been named independently of each other. 'This
shows' says Ekwall 'that Windermere can not have as its first element an
old name of the lake as might be supposed </span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">Then
Ekwall suggests that Winder is a personal name as has been supported by
Wyld and others (as above). Ekwall supports this theory by saying that
it is all the more probable as personal names are the first element of
the names Thurston Water and Ullswater in Cumbria. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img height="320" id="irc_mi" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/14/Manuscript_Ullr.jpg/300px-Manuscript_Ullr.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; margin-top: 9px;" width="256" /></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Germanic God Ullr </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">The two examples
Ekwall gives are interesting because both of them are examples of the
English countryside having imprinted on them the names of past lost gods
of England. One of the best studies of this is<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-Gods-England-Brian-Branston/dp/0500110131" target="_blank"> Brian Branston's The Lost Gods of England (Thames and London, 1957)</a> which shows how they key
Germanic gods <span style="font-size: large;">worshiped</span> by <span style="font-size: large;">pr<span style="font-size: large;">e</span>-Christain</span> Anglo-Saxon inhabitants of
England can be found in the name of English places. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">After
Lake Windermere, Ullswater is the second largest lake in The Lake
District. The first part of its name, according to website for the
Lake, may come from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ullr" target="_blank">Germanic God Ullr</a> as their is also
evidence of the remains of a viking settlement nearby cammed Hodgson
Hill. Ullr is very interesting - he seems to have been a great
Germanic god who diminished and was replaced by Thor (becoming Thor's
step-son in some of the Edda <span style="font-size: large;">accounts</span>). His name may be connected to the
concept of glory. If indeed this is the meaning of
Ullswater as the second lake it must go way back to the first arrival of
the Anglo-Saxons from the North where the legend of Ullr may still have
been dominant. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">Thurston's
Water is the third largest lake and is better known now as Coniston
Water - the name
'Thurston' is derived from the Norse god Thor. (Thunor) As Branston indicates
Thor (or Thunor) - along with Woden, Tiw and Frig - was one of the main
gods that Anglo-Saxon used to name places in England with (Thanet,
Thundridge, Thunderfield) </span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">But
then Ekwall takes exception with Sedgefield and suggests another linguistic route - the name </span><span style="font-size: large;">Vinandus which he suggests is a name from the Low German or Old Swedish. Ekwall suggests that this name may stem from the Old Norse vondr 'staff'. The
vondr connection is interesting given a page found at the back of <a href="http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/tiff/oi_cleasbyvigfusson/b0780.tiff" target="_blank">Cleasby/Vigfusson's Old Norse dictionary called 'A List of British Rivers'</a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">which list the roots for a series of rivers in Scotland and North England which are also found (and possibly have their origins) in Edda literature. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">About a hundred in number, contained in old Icelandic alliterative memorial verses (inscribed á-heiti, i. e. <i>names of rivers</i>)
from MSS. of the Snorra-Edda (ii. 479, 480, of the 13th century; the
verses themselves may well be of the 12th century). Most of these rivers
seem to belong to the northern Scottish counties, Caithness, Ross,
Moray, Sutherland, and to the north-east of England. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Included in this list is - '<b>Vind</b> (Vönd, Gm.)' </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The ON word 'Vönd'
is found as the name of a river in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gr%C3%ADmnism%C3%A1l" target="_blank">Poetic Edda in The Grimnismal (The Says of Grimnir)</a> which describes a series of rivers that issue from
Hvergelmir - the bubbling boiling spring or well in Nifelheim from
which all cold rivers sprang. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">28. Vino is one, | Vegsvin another,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And Thjothnuma a third;</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Nyt and Not, | Non and Hron,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Slith and Hrith, | Sylg and Ylg,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Vith and Von, | <b>Vond </b>and Strond,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Gjol and Leipt, | that go among men,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">And hence they fall to Hel.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">According to a commentary on this passage in Grimnismal there is a suggestion</span><span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"> 'that the name is most likely a nominalization of the feminine singular of the
ON adjective <i>vandr</i> 'difficult.' Cf., for example, the Norwegian river
Meina probably derived from the ON verb <i>meina </i>'to harm,
hinder.' Another possibility is that it is related to ON vöndr m. 'wand,
switch.' Cf., for example, the river names with the stem <i>gand </i> the district name Gand and the lake called Gjende (Indrebe, 1924,
p. 71), all related perhaps to Norwegian dialect gand m. 'thin stick,'
as well as the river names with the stem <i>stav-</i>to ON
<i>stafr </i>'stick, stave' and probably referring to rivers which flow in a straight
course for a considerable stretch. A similar meaning may be possible
here </span><span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">And certainly have gone down
Lake Windermere several times in the last week I can assure you it
follows a fairly straight course for ten miles</span><br />
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">This
commentary comes from <span style="font-size: large;">a </span>very interesting site that has many of the
early versions of the Eddas and other materials from Norse mythology -<a href="http://www.blogger.com/.http://www.germanicmythology.com/PoeticEdda/Grimnismal.html" target="_blank"> quite a treasure trove. </a></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><b><b><br /></b></b></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">And
this idea also suggests another link to Tolkien - if vondr is
related to gandr in terms of a wand or switch this possibly means that
the WINDER- is <span style="font-size: large;">related</span> to the same world that forms the name of our good
friend the Istari Gandalf - coming from the Old Norse (and right from
the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_dwarves" target="_blank">Dvergatal list in the </a><a data-mce-href="Eddashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_dwarves" href="eddashttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_dwarves" target="_blank">Eddas - </a> Gand-alfr - wand or magic staff elf. But there is more work to be done here as according to Cleasby/Vigfusson the exact meaning of Gandr and Vondr is quite vexed (ah a linguistic crux for further exploration!). Towards this research there is an interesting passage in a book by John McKinnell<a href="http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=P2x2x3neFywC&pg=PA151&lpg=PA151&dq=gandr+and+vondr&source=bl&ots=SFNeHSE2VL&sig=tYCnDOWQUO0k5GxZTAYuOzK6mpI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=owJOUdzTL8XP0QWtzYGABw&ved=0CFwQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=gandr%20and%20vondr&f=false" target="_blank"> Meeting the Other in Norse Myth and Legend</a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">in which he explores the concepts of gandr and possible linguistic connection to vond (although I am still not entirely convinced by the linguistic movement from ge-vond/gand - more work to be done here). </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><b><b> </b></b>Ekwall
concludes his study of Windermere by stating that the Winander- part
represents the genitive singular of an Old Scandinavian name Vinundr the
genitive form Vinandar. The Mere of Vinandar </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">So
if Vin = vond could in some sense mean either stick (describing the
straightness of the lake) or magic there is also a suggestion that the
second element UNDR also has a fantastical sense. <span class="userContent">Undr
is the Norse world for 'wonder' and forms the verb 'undra' to wonder
at, be amazed - an 'undra-sjonir' was a wonder to see a spectacle. <a data-mce-href="http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/html/oi_cleasbyvigfusson/b0654.html" href="http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/html/oi_cleasbyvigfusson/b0654.html" target="_blank">http://lexicon.ff.cuni.cz/html/oi_cleasbyvigfusson/b0654.html</a> </span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">So clearly there is a sense that this lake the largest in the area would have been significant to the inhabitants of the area. I find it interesting that the other two largest lakes, as we have seen
above, are both names that have within them echoes of the Lost Gods of
England (Ullr and Thor) and it seems odd that Windermere would not as
well. <span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps</span> the Undra part of the name is pointing to some element
of wonder or amazement that may have its origins in a lost god of the
area. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">As I was doing this preliminary investigation into the meaning of Lake Windermere and the mysteries that the understanding of the name might disclose - I thought about what it must have been like on 24 September 1914 when the young J.R.R. Tolkien while staying at his Aunt Jane Neave's farm in Phoenix Farm in Gedling near Nottingham discovered the name Earendel and from his linguistic exploration - his 'finding out' what the name and the story behind it was - gave birth to an entire new mythology. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">As a great teacher (master in the Latin magister sense) who I very much respect and admire recently said to me 'Words can lead you into uncharted territory - both literally and figuratively Sleuth on!' </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;">A crux for exploration begins - all from England's largest river! </span><br />
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
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<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="userContent"><br /></span></div>
<span class="userContent"></span>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-4715516617369025222012-12-15T11:02:00.001+00:002012-12-18T22:20:26.204+00:00First Impressions of The Hobbit and Azog Musings! <div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Wotan returns to the halls of Valhalla from his long sojourn in the land of Tolkien Postgraduate Research and PhD work for a brief visit to give his first impressions of</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEraL8rmMgpzdA-7bKrclhRxC9nIw9qDBeKqCysUnC9eh0qO5RDtXHG1SMxWBlAzdXW3vV_TCYzJNNRvJfjXfldA2HvPxEI6PkmhonY59qRJTgrP1pNN4ih65IWSwnt6K7t1TVZn8oJWs/s1600/White-Council.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDEraL8rmMgpzdA-7bKrclhRxC9nIw9qDBeKqCysUnC9eh0qO5RDtXHG1SMxWBlAzdXW3vV_TCYzJNNRvJfjXfldA2HvPxEI6PkmhonY59qRJTgrP1pNN4ih65IWSwnt6K7t1TVZn8oJWs/s320/White-Council.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.thehobbit.com/"><b>The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey </b></a></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Overall : 8.5 out of 10</span> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">It's not the (original) book - but it is a helluva a movie!!! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I really liked the "Tolkien fan/academic" touches they put in like Gandalf not remembering the name of the two blue wizards and a fleeting mention of Ungoliant (I squealed with delight at that mention - my partner hit me!). The speech Gandalf makes about why he choose Bilbo to Galadriel was very moving and Sir Ian Mckellen beautifully delivered the words that came right from Tolkien - </span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here we meet, among other things, the first example of the motive (to become dominant in Hobbits) that the great policies of world history, the wheels of the world', are often turned not by the Lords and Governors, even gods, but by the seemingly unknown and weak - owing to the secret life in creation, and the part unknowable to all wisdom but One, that resides in the intrusions of the Children of God into the Drama (Letters , p. 149)</span> </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I found it interesting that the finding of the Ring by Bilbo seemed to be inspired by the <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077687/">Rankin-Bass The Hobbit TV movie </a>. In the book, Bilbo finds the Ring in the dark and there is more of a sense of fate working, In now both the Rankin-Bass and Jackson Hobbit films Bilbo finds the ring by the gleam</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"> of the sword Sting. Also interesting that in both movies - the time riddle is echoed by a unseen voice - in Rankin Bass this is not known in Jackson it is Gollum but not seen. </span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Thought Martin Freeman captured the essence of Bilbo and the Baggins/Took conflict. I feel PJ always needs a hero and Thorin Oakenshield is it for these films - there were times I felt I was seeing the Aragorn story arc told again but to be fair some of that is in the text. The dwarves were fine - although some of them (and the know who they are) are just too good looking (makes Gimli look rather bad in LOTR what happened to him). The dwarf comedy is also a bit blunted by knowing what will happen to several of them in The Hobbit and LOTR, </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">I have yet to find the textual authority for the whole Witch King of Angmar and Morgul blade reference. In Appendix A after his defeat and pursuit by Glorfindel the Witch-King is said to have 'passed into the shadows. For night came down on the battlefield and he was lost, and none saw whither he went.' (LOTR, p.1069). </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">The White Council scene was good and liked the use of <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/%C3%93sanwe-kenta"> Osanwe-kenta</a> (telepathy* </span><span style="font-size: large;">between Galadriel and Gandalf - Galadriel walked around with a sense that she knew or suspected more than she was saying, Is it really 400 years of peace at this point. Need to check chronologies on this the year that this event would have taken place is 2941 of The Third Age (so wonder when Elrond is reckoning the peace would have started). </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><i><span style="font-size: large;">*</span><span style="font-size: large;"> not<span style="font-size: large;">ed <span style="font-size: large;">Tolkien academic and linguist Carl Ho<span style="font-size: large;">stetter has v<span style="font-size: large;">er<span style="font-size: large;">y helpfully advised me that </span></span></span></span></span></span></i><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[323].[1][2][1]{comment833145056:10152329661445057:63_36950085}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[323].[1][2][1]{comment833145056:10152329661445057:63_36950085}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[323].[1][2][1]{comment833145056:10152329661445057:63_36950085}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span style="font-size: large;">'</span>the title "Ósanwe-kenta" means "Enquiry [into] (_kenta_) [the] Communication of Thought (_ósanwe_)". So "communication of thought, telepathy" is just _ósanwe_. so the actual act that may be going on b<span style="font-size: large;">tw Galad<span style="font-size: large;">riel and Gandalf w<span style="font-size: large;">ould be called </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[323].[1][2][1]{comment833145056:10152329661445057:63_36950085}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[323].[1][2][1]{comment833145056:10152329661445057:63_36950085}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[323].[1][2][1]{comment833145056:10152329661445057:63_36950085}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[323].[1][2][1]{comment833145056:10152329661445057:63_36950085}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[323].[1][2][1]{comment833145056:10152329661445057:63_36950085}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[323].[1][2][1]{comment833145056:10152329661445057:63_36950085}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">ósanwe</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></i></span><i>- thank you Carl for catching this</i><i>)</i> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For me, having spent the last year steeped in Tolkien's early languages (and do so for the next three I imagine) the most fun was hearing <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Orkish"><span style="font-size: large;">Orkish </span></a>being extensively used. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="userContent"><span style="font-size: large;">Given his rather prominent (and recurring) role in the m<span style="font-size: large;">ovie I also thought ab<span style="font-size: large;">out the </span>e</span></span>tymology of the name AZOG in The
Hobbit<span style="font-size: large;">. </span> According to John Rateliff's <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/History_of_the_hobbit"><i>History of The Hobbit</i> </a>the name
might have its origin in Tolkien's <a href="http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/M%C3%A1gol">Mago/Magol</a> constructed language
which is said to have been inspired by <span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hungarian</span> (and is yet to be published) <span style="font-size: large;">(Rateli<span style="font-size: large;">ff, 20<span style="font-size: large;">07</span>, p.787). </span></span></span></span></span> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rateliff also makes the point that there may be a relation
between the -AZ- and the word NAZG (Finger Ring) in the Black Speech. I
also wonder if there is a relationship between the AZ and the AS in the
Black Speech word GHASH meaing 'fire.' Certainly nothing so far in the
name to have inspired the <span style="font-size: large;">color</span> of Azog in the movie but I will
continue to search the published language documents. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Will want to get a transcript of this and analyze. The Elvish all seemed to make sense from what was being said. I was trying to figure what was on Elrond's desk in Rivendell, </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfMc6T9BD1jLQuNWBFDZRrgEZSV9jN-elXoULHABaYrSU9yCNAmDiex_0KizHpcX5hpwdU4GgXnz8MW4s7e-LTAyNBbv64of2Y9SKm0eITxTRI_iBcUKwUgR2RdjCQw4cTeS4f4GEeR4u/s1600/rockem_sockem_robots.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMfMc6T9BD1jLQuNWBFDZRrgEZSV9jN-elXoULHABaYrSU9yCNAmDiex_0KizHpcX5hpwdU4GgXnz8MW4s7e-LTAyNBbv64of2Y9SKm0eITxTRI_iBcUKwUgR2RdjCQw4cTeS4f4GEeR4u/s1600/rockem_sockem_robots.gif" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Typically Jackson scenes (long panning shots, mufti-player battles and falling rocks - man, he loves falling rocks). Did anyone else think of the 'Rock em sock em robots' when the stone giants came on? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Love the juxtaposition of the eye that opened the film and the eye that ended it - shadows of the eye to come perhaps? Must get a dragon kite </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Will see many more times for more analysis - overall I really enjoyed.</span></div>
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Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-2731537723265815822012-03-18T10:29:00.017+00:002012-03-18T12:10:11.842+00:00Tolkien and Dark Shadows Musings<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-UR1U3QLoYFhSdnDMppKvThT96w-AL6Fo8VlvmygCD700XnQA6IpERgIB3xzZcpVRpjRRFECl4xrARhToKw9U2im8ZERb9mYr_HJ2qcM5CizFaM62ZQzsB8SM8cGJmhlQd_PcVRmjdU0/s1600/barnabas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb-UR1U3QLoYFhSdnDMppKvThT96w-AL6Fo8VlvmygCD700XnQA6IpERgIB3xzZcpVRpjRRFECl4xrARhToKw9U2im8ZERb9mYr_HJ2qcM5CizFaM62ZQzsB8SM8cGJmhlQd_PcVRmjdU0/s200/barnabas.jpg" width="145" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVURoo7xIISloZg6CFkLk_1NwK4sZgoBj7GmNQFW8KKO_twtci31gPmhEuF6V0TJ07pqtsPsdeXmwwsELHvBetsoVE6_wTQNK8OGweFk51SDiuNEyXcPTKNdfR-jZyeu7NssVxD56fO5Ye/s1600/tolkien.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVURoo7xIISloZg6CFkLk_1NwK4sZgoBj7GmNQFW8KKO_twtci31gPmhEuF6V0TJ07pqtsPsdeXmwwsELHvBetsoVE6_wTQNK8OGweFk51SDiuNEyXcPTKNdfR-jZyeu7NssVxD56fO5Ye/s200/tolkien.jpg" width="134" /></a>Greetings from Wotan! Wotan has not sent Hugin and Muin out lately as he has been locked in his fortress of Valhalla researching and studying.<br />
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Wotan is very excited to have officially started a Phd research project around the <span style="font-style: italic;">Early Literary and Linguistic Works of J.R.R. Tolkien (1908-early 1920's)</span> and is even triply excited to be working with one of the leading Tolkien visionaries and academics -<a href="http://www.dimitrafimi.com/"> Dr Dimitra Fimi </a>- through C<a href="http://www3.cardiffmet.ac.uk/English/Pages/home2.aspx">ardiff Metropolitan University. </a>Wotan is working towards the final research proposal which is due in April and then a full 3-6 years of glorious Tolkienian research (and lots of talk and trying out at ideas at this summer's <a href="http://www.returnofthering.org/">Return of the Ring Tolkien conference</a>)<br />
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Wotan is also in the middle of an excellent online class through <a href="http://www.mythgard.org/academics/spring-2012-courses/">Signum University/Mythgard University on J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis taught by the excellent Tolkien Professor himself, Professor Corey Olsen's </a>(<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Exploring-Hobbit-Corey-Olsen/dp/054773946X">whose upcoming Exploring the Hobbit book is a must pre-order</a>!). This is a brilliant class where we have compared and contrasted the works of Lewis and Tolkien and we have some exciting upcoming classes including a look at Leaf by Niggle,Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth, Till We Have Faces, The Notion Club papers, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Smith of Wooten Major. There is great work afoot at<a href="http://www.signumuniversity.org/news/"> Signum University/Mythgard Institute </a>and the upcoming summer classes include one on beginners Latin and, be still my heart, Dr Verlyn Flieger teaching a course on Arthurian Literature (which yours truly will probably be virtually attending tuxedo-clad after many excellent evenings at <a href="http://glyndebourne.com/">Glyndebourne </a>where Wotan toils.<br />
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Also on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verlyn_Flieger">Dr. Verlyn Flieger </a>front - joy and exultation her new book <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Suns-Faerie-Essays-Tolkien/dp/1606350943">Green Sun and Faerie</a> is now available and I have been devouring every chapter which includes some excellent new writing by Dr. Flieger on Tolkien and the Kalevala based on the work she has done on Tolkien's early Kullerv<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Green-Suns-Faerie-Essays-Tolkien/dp/1606350943"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721193980193415842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNSzEFN8e82yQQYOQP8pkONHTCk0GfvAS6hXE1v5c-P2EYHQpzE9xliQKEkfLDaoVejIs3iJk0p5-fL3thxts51hnaTHEcXEy-r5RJLERcfauwW9L-zZXbl-ajOIJEKN-ZvNnmVF4y6CDm/s200/flieger.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 176px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 176px;" /></a>o story and Tolkien's 1914-15 talk on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevala">The Kalevala</a>.<br />
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It is brilliant to have this volume on Tolkien by Dr. Flieger and it stands next to Tom Shippey's<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roots-Branches-Tom-Shippey/dp/390570305X"> Roots and Branches </a>- now one hopes Dr Michael Drout would write a similar volume. A must read<br />
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Switching gears - the other excitement for Wotan has been the coming of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1077368/">the new Dark Shadows film in May</a>. But even before this and perhaps even more exciting for Wotan has been the publishing of a new book on Dark Shadows -<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Shadows-Collinwood-Jonathan-Frid/dp/0938817663/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332069593&sr=8-1"> The Return to Collinwood </a>by Kathryn Leigh Scott (who played Maggie Evans and Josette Du Pres (among others) in the original Dark Shadows TV show - appearing in over 600 of the 1,222 episod<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Shadows-Collinwood-Jonathan-Frid/dp/0938817663/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1332069593&sr=8-1"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721195848252894802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5IGLgLZ8sK9F9-2X4ju-1eSle8_ys-EGIcstLqdVilvhwwuzQgveYONnSh0jFXnLx9JtYS95ieF6xpcuyznBUd3ycPAbP30goaXRXQiAHNSZuG1ijMJH7hVzHDwaJBGcaqS8woL2LfSeC/s200/return.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 200px;" /></a>es) and Jim Pearson. I highly recommend this book to any lover of Dark Shadows. There are some great insights into the coming movies and the recollections of Kathryn Leigh Scott and Lara Parker (Angelique) are brilliant and add some interesting info <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Shadows">to how this 1,225 episode fantasy/sci-fi/gothic soap opera was flamed as well as the two movies (</a>and I eagerly awaiting the reedited cut of <a href="http://www.darkshadowsonline.com/dso-news-restoration.html">Night of Dark Shadows</a> with the cut scenes put back). good chapters on the revival series as well and he current audio dramas through<a href="http://www.bigfinish.com/Dark-Shadows"> Big Finish Productions.</a><br />
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Having the book signed by Kathryn Leigh Scott herself makes it one of my treasured Dark Shadow possessions which will never leave me for all eternity and I decided to join the signed picture she sent me with another of my treasured Dark Shadows items which will be familiar to all fans of the show!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xZXQRsqGoeuuvGgtGi7wdRLh3GN69YIKCpHgvkKuvVc04JEwEX8c_CoLwof7giwJOiYXLx_bgTgh55jO6MQ3DXvszF5I3KLt06GHZegNDmLmZEGA5vZgMie3AOsmBUDeZt0x4JVys4Q6/s1600/ds1.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721197496361461074" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xZXQRsqGoeuuvGgtGi7wdRLh3GN69YIKCpHgvkKuvVc04JEwEX8c_CoLwof7giwJOiYXLx_bgTgh55jO6MQ3DXvszF5I3KLt06GHZegNDmLmZEGA5vZgMie3AOsmBUDeZt0x4JVys4Q6/s200/ds1.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 200px; margin: 0 10px 10px 0; width: 150px;" /></a><br />
Finally there is the upcoming big budget blockbuster Dark Shadows movie starting Johnny Depp as Barnabas and Helena Bonham Carter as Dr. Julia Hoffman directed by Timothy Burton. Wotan is hopeful about this film - the trailer is exciting and yes I think there it is a bit of tongue in cheek treatment of the story (set in the hippie lava lamp strewn days of 1972), But Depp is a great fan of Dark Shadows so I am sure it has been done with care - and it will be fun to watch for the original Dark Shadows cast members (including the first and best Barnabas of all times Jonathan Frid) in the Dark Shadows town ball party scene). Trailer below!<br />
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So that is it from Wotan for now - Wotan returns to the Halls of Asgard to consult my friend Erda the green headed torso on the early lexicons of Tolkien - but he will stay in touch and send Hugin and Munin out for news of the many worlds!<br />
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Lebe wohl for now!Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-22796512762595370132011-12-04T12:20:00.011+00:002011-12-04T13:11:28.563+00:00Tolkien Work Current and Future and Some Linguistic Archaeology<div id="dE_H" style="position: relative; top: 0pt; left: 0pt; width: 100%; height: 100%;"><br /><div>This week Wotan is taking a break from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Nysianer</span> Chronicles (which is taking up many notebooks with root words and proposed declensions and the dreaded chapter two exposition story around the languages more to come in the holiday break)</div><div>I wanted to report on some interesting areas of Tolkien Studies Wotan is currently involved with and end with two bonus <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Tolkienian</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">linguistic</span> explorations that have come out of this work</div><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXujVtubIYSoN8J6HuD8RP9LqgtBebBTQvujiTslP099NVq3Gp1Q4mVfaFp36twIrDPE2NP_sQEpsvmZTPS0utH5Utw1imn_lHkg-zKsDdXrO2KqcuduleaZax77z_YSHYrM9F7pLPsQO/s1600/mythgard.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 180px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSXujVtubIYSoN8J6HuD8RP9LqgtBebBTQvujiTslP099NVq3Gp1Q4mVfaFp36twIrDPE2NP_sQEpsvmZTPS0utH5Utw1imn_lHkg-zKsDdXrO2KqcuduleaZax77z_YSHYrM9F7pLPsQO/s200/mythgard.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682255615561037906" border="0" /></a><b><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">MYTHGARD</span> INSTITUTE - TOLKIEN AND THE EPIC</b></div><div><br /></div><div>I can hardly believe that we are in the final weeks of the <a href="http://www.mythgard.org/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Mythgard</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Institute's</span> </a>very first excellent course <i>Tolkien and the Epic</i> - and what a way to conclude this exploration that has taken us through some of the great works that influenced Tolkien (Beowulf, The Kalevala, The Lay of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Volsungs</span>) and great works by Tolkien himself (Sigurd <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">und</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Gudrun</span>, The Children of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Hurin</span> and The Lay of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Leithian</span>). </div><div>In addition to excellent lectures by the President of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Mythgard</span> Institute, <a href="http://www.tolkienprofessor.com/">the Tolkien Professor</a> himself, Corey Olsen (his lectures on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lay_of_Leithian">The Lay of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Leithian</span></a> were awe inspiring) we have also the incredible good fortune to have guest lectures by some of the pantheon of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Tolkienian</span> scholarship including Dr <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Verlyn</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Flieger</span>, Tom <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Shippey</span> (the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Gandalf</span> of Tolkien studies) and this week Dr <a href="http://michaeldrout.com/">Michael <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Drout</span> - I</a> consider myself a groupie of all four! It is quite amazing to sit at your computer (our modern day <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Palantir</span>) and have these important scholars comes as if out of the west to talk about Tolkien and, more importantly, interact with students online with q<div> </div>uestions and discussions, </div><div><br /></div><div>And what a way to end this first course than with a three week exploration of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Tolkien's</span> masterwork <i>The Lord of the Rings.</i> Dr <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">Drout's</span> talk on <i>The Fellowship of the Ring</i> focused on how Tolkien gets us to care about Middle Earth and how knowledge is distributed in the narrative. This was some of the most original thought I have heard on <i>The Lord of the Rings</i> in a while. I am a massive fan of Dr <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">Drout</span> having heard all his Modern Scholar series and his excellent Anglo-Saxon Aloud <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">podcasts</span>. I have been through his landmark work <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beowulf_and_the_Critics">J. R. R. Tolkien, Beowulf and the Critics</a> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="">twice and am looking forward to his upcoming Tolkien book <a href="http://wormtalk.blogspot.com/2010/05/lexomics-gaining-acceptance-our-huge.html">The Tower and the Ruin</a> and his new book on philology. C.S.Lewis said of Tolkien that he lived inside languages- and I think it can be said of Dr <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24">Drout</span> that he lives inside Tolkien - the power of The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25">Mythgard</span> I</span><div> </div> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="">nstitute is being able to take a virtual class with an important Tolkien academic like Professor <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26">Drout</span> as he sits in his house (having just read a chapter of <i>The Two Towers</i> to his son for bedtime) </span></div><div><br /></div><div><a href="http://www.mythgard.org/academics/spring-2012-courses/">The spring the great work of The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">Mythgard</span> Institute continues</a> with two brilliant courses - Tolkien and Lewis and the Making of Myth and Taking Harry Seriously -Exploring Harry Potter (taught by the excellent Amy Sturgis)<br /><br />Here is a short film showing some exciting highlights of The Tolkien and Epic Course....<iframe src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/WWO7RBUceo8" allowfullscreen="" width="360" frameborder="0" height="315"></iframe><br /><br /></div><div><b>THE GREAT WORK BEGINS</b></div><div><div> <div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgMgOoK1cod1f09GXn3-TovbzmJmkmY_l6Cl2o8zztuxg520-sPWwklDzVo95pCXj6omvA1QjUlE2MxeFBwiycg2R76nVIyTBy26mk7KL2nR3pd37LEGOauj5hB9K35YF5MuCSwOE-4Ao/s1600/turin.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsgMgOoK1cod1f09GXn3-TovbzmJmkmY_l6Cl2o8zztuxg520-sPWwklDzVo95pCXj6omvA1QjUlE2MxeFBwiycg2R76nVIyTBy26mk7KL2nR3pd37LEGOauj5hB9K35YF5MuCSwOE-4Ao/s200/turin.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5682256087242492882" border="0" /></a></div> </div> </div><div>Wotan is also very excited to announce that he has recently been excepted into a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31">Phd</span> Programme through The University of Wales to work with one of the top Tolkien scholars <a href="http://www.dimitrafimi.com/">Dr <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32">Dimitra</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33">Fimi</span></a> on Tolkien Studies. Dr <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Fimi</span> is the author of one of the key works on Tolkien - the 2011 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_35">Mythopoeic</span> Scholarship Award winning <span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0230272843?ie=UTF8&tag=wwwdimitrafim-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=0230272843%22%3ETolkien,%20Race%20and%20Cultural%20History:%20From%20Fairies%20to%20Hobbits%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.co.uk/e/ir?t=wwwdimitrafim-21&l=as2&o=2&a=0230272843">Tolkien, Race and Cultural History: From Fairies to Hobbits</a>.as well as teacher of two of the best online courses I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_36">hav</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><a href="http://www3.uwic.ac.uk/english/education/enterprise/courses/pages/tolkienfantasy.aspx">e taken J.R.R Tolkien Myth and Middle Earth in Context and Fantasy Literature Before and After Tolkien</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">Wotan feels like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_37">Frodo</span> at the Council of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_38">Elrond</span> starting on this quest! My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_39">Phd</span> project which I have started work on is called "<i>I'll<span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span"> have to find out what that means" </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">Employing Literary and Linguistic Archaeology to U</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">nearth the Earliest Strata of Tolkien’s Secondary World - </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">And there will be more to come on this project in the coming weeks, months, and years!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><b>FINDEGIL - An Unsung Gondorian Scribe with Nice Hair</b></div><div><br /></div><div>In preparing for our Mythgard Institute <i>The</i> <i>Fellowship of the Ring</i> exploration I re-read the notes on The Shire Records and one character jumped out at me who is very important as without him we would not have the Account of the War of the Ring translated by Professor Tolkien - and that is the Gondorian scribe - FINDEGIL</div><div><br /></div><div>In the Note on The Shire Records it states that the original Red Book of Westmarch was not preserved. Several copies, with various notes and later additions, were made. The first copy was made by request of King Elessar of Gondor and Arnor, brought to Gondor by Frodo's companion Thain Peregrin I. This copy was known as the Thain's Book and "contained much that was later omitted or lost". In Gondor it underwent much annotation and correction, particularly regarding Elvish languages. Also added was an abbreviated version of The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen by Faramir's grandson Barahir. A copy of a revised and expanded Thain's Book was made probably by request of Peregrin's great-grandson and delivered to the Shire. It was written by the scribe Findegil and stored at the Took residence in Great Smials. This copy was important because it alone contained the whole of Bilbo's Translations from the Elvish (i.e. the great tales of the Silmarillion). It was this version that passed through many hands and came down to Professor Tolkien who translated it.</div><div><br /></div><div>So without the scribe Findegil we would not have the account of The War of the Ring and perhaps the great tales of the First (and Second?) ages.</div><div><br /></div><div>So who was Findegil and, more importantly, what does his name mean (key to Tolkien). ]</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">According to the Encylcopedia of Arda -</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">" Findegil's main claim to historical notice was due to a note he added to the Thain's Book, marking its completion in the year IV 172. This gives Findegil the distinction of being the last character in any of Tolkien's tales whom we can date with confidence."</span></div><div>So we know he was a scribe who lived in Gondor in the time of the Reunited Kingdom</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">His name certainly sounds Elvish and specfically Sindarin -</span></div><div><br /></div><div>The Roots FIN, FINN, FINDEL all have to do with hair, a single strand or mass PHIN+DELAD hair (as in Glorfindal) GLORFINDEL = GLAUR + PHIN+DELA. DEL thick dense, Q PHINDELE mass of long hair OLD SINDARIN findel later finnel (Parma Eldalamberon 17, p. 17)</div><div><br /></div><div>But there is also the Quenya gloss FINTA to make, show off or decorate a thing with delicate work (a good root word for a scribe)</div><div><br /></div><div>GIL of course means star (Gil-Galad) and can also mean glint or spark</div><div><br /></div><div>Ah but then in The Etymologies we find the root TEK (p. 391) which means to make a mark, write or draw together and the Quenya word TEKIL meaning pen which in Noldorian becomes TEGOL so not to far from DEGIL - so perhaps his name means - He with the fine hair who writes with a pen."</div><div><br /></div><div>So lets hear if for our fair haired Gondorian scribe Findegil for without his effort we would never have heard of any of these glorious tales!</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">MUSINGS ON FARAMIR'S NAME</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Faramir is one of my favorite characters in The Lord of the Rings and I am enjoying revisiting with him this weekend in preparing the readings for The Two Towers lectures next week by Professor Olsen. I have always thought it interesting that Tolkien gave his own recurring nightmare of the great wave comimg over the land to Faramir.</div><div><br /></div><div>As to the roots and meaning of his name - there is an easy part and a not so easy part.</div><div><br /></div><div>The easy part is MIR which according to The Etymologies is the root for jewel, precious thing, treasure from which we get the Quenya MIRE which in Parma Eldalamberon 17 Tolkien quotes for atamir, heirloom as a gloss for the Old English word maðm<span class="Apple-style-span"> (a precious treasure, valuable gift) there is also the Quenya word MIRYA for a beautiful work of art. MIRIAMA very precious So it is pretty clear that the MIR ending means jewel of precious thing.</span></div><div><br /></div><div>The Fara (or Phara) is s bit trickier. In The Etymologies there is a root PHAR from which we get the Quenya word FARYA meaning suffice, sufficient</div><div><br /></div><div>So Faramir could be a Quenya/Sindarin mixed name for "a sufficient jewel??"</div><div><br /></div><div>Boromir's name according to the Etymologies might mean enduring, faithful, loyal -so perhaps his name means faithful or loyal jewel.</div><div><br /></div><div>It is interesting to posit if Denethor their father gave these names then we are already seeing a bit of the source of favoritism between the two sons - both are jewels but one is loyal and faithful and the other one is only sufficient. Also the irony of Boromir's name based on what happens to him is palpable.</div><div><br /></div><div>But there is another possible root that comes from Parma Eldalamberon 17 (Words, Phases, and Passages in LOTR) is PHERE which means quick, ready, prompt - so could his name made The Jewel that is ready (to fight) ... Possibly.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's it for now from Wotan - in the next blog post Wotan will discuss two new books on constructed languages he is currently reading <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dictionary-Made-Up-Languages-Invented-ebook/dp/B005Y5GUP0/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1?ie=UTF8&m=A3TVV12T0I6NSM">The Dictionary of Made Up Languages</a> and From <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elvish-Klingon-Exploring-Invented-Languages/dp/0192807099">El<span class="Apple-style-span" style="">vish to Klingon - Exploring Constructed Languages </span></a></div><div><br /></div><div>Lebe Wohl for now!</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><br /></span></div><br /></div>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-20759715339091304132011-11-27T12:20:00.007+00:002011-11-27T12:40:03.076+00:00Nysianer Chronicles<div>I have decided to start blogging about my development of some con langs based on the threads of a very old secret vice. This has to do with my work on the old Nysianer Chronicles - these postings will start out being disjointed but will become more organized as I develop them. A treatise on Old Crytoni is also in the works. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nysianer Chronicles </div><div><br /></div><div>And Nysianer rejoiced in their finding....after a long journey from an unknown land through many generations of forgotten time they come to a new land - the 50th generation of a race who does not remember its past, culture, and languages, now only distant echoes in a wandering people who have journeyed many generations to a new land, </div><div><br /></div><div>What is remembered is only snatches of song and legend - strange names and events that due to constant wandering and odyssey have now lost their context. Who were the Crytoni and why was his sword Amaderfig so important. The daily labor of existence, surviving the elements, hunting, finding food, protecting the family took the place of worshiping gods and keeping alive the legends of their cultures. Were they one culture or many that came together? All that mattered was motion forwards and the constant quest for the place to stop and build a new life and culture. If any words survived it was Nus-int! people forward. </div><div><br /></div><div>Nus - people, culture. Nysian The People (first vowel becomes y in def article + ian) Nom pl Nysianer </div><div><br /></div><div>Nus - people culture. Nysian - the people (pronounce nee-sea-an) </div><div>Nuser - peoples Nysianer - the peoples (nee-sea-an-er) </div><div>Nusib - of people Nysibianer - of the people (nee-sib-an-er) </div><div>Nusic - to for by Nysicianer - to for by the (catch all case that has been amalgamated on wandering) </div><div>Nusiber - of peoples. Nysibianeer - of the peoples </div><div>Nusicar - to for by peoples. Nysicianeer - to for by peoples </div><div><br /></div><div>Kerr - mountain Kyrrian </div><div>Kerrer Kyrrianer </div><div>Kerrib Kyrribianer </div><div>Kerric Kyrricianer</div><div>Kerriber Kyrribianeer </div><div>Kerricar Kyrricianeer </div><div><br /></div><div>Y should be pronounced like e in leak </div><div><br /></div><div>So for cons endings </div><div><br /></div><div>Nom S indef - root </div><div>Nom S def - 1st vowel changes to y + ian </div><div>Nom P indef - root + er </div><div>Nom P def - 1st vowel to y </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Int - imperative of to go </div><div><br /></div><div>Old Crytoni - echo of a past language should have an archaic feel - perhaps a proto IndoEuropean feel???</div><div><br /></div><div>Limdyrs ?? People they encounter </div><div><br /></div><div>What was the language the Nysians spoke on their journey - track back to the language of Old Crytoni and then what happened to it in the 50th generation of journey to the new world, </div><div><br /></div><div>In 50 generations a language would break down - structure wold become simplified, endings cut off, words simplified, vocab around environment, words spring up around wandering - the older language would remain in writings. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Book of Nak-Hysian - an ancient book of lore written in Old Crytoni which remains on the journey but is burned and damaged and can only by read by the sect of the Godifet who study the ancient text and try to keep knowledge of the older language in the culture - but is seen as outof date and ignored, </div><div><br /></div><div>The gap in the Valley - for the last 15 years the Nysian have been journeying through a vast valley with sheers mountain walls on either side with no end </div><div><br /></div><div>prelim Nysian vocab </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Mountain - kerr </div><div>Valley - vakerr (va below / kerr) </div><div>Leader - dyc </div><div>People - nus </div><div>food - befus </div><div>Fire - usid </div><div>Day - usidej </div><div>Night - tyusidej (ty - not) </div><div>Death tynus </div><div>Old - usidint </div><div>Young tyusidint </div><div>Walk go on - intydoc </div><div><br /></div><div>To go ejintydoc (edge-int-ee-doc) </div><div>To lead - ejdyc </div><div>To die ejtynus </div><div>To eat ejbefus </div><div>To grow old ejusidint </div><div>To walk intydoc </div><div><br /></div><div>Present Tense </div><div><br /></div><div>Rintydoc - I walk </div><div>Reintydoc - you walk </div><div>Rointydoc - he she it walks </div><div>Raintydoc - we walk </div><div>Resintydoc - you pl walk </div><div>Ronintydoc - they walk </div><div><br /></div><div>But in a sentence the rstem indicating present tense comes at the end of the sentence so </div><div><br /></div><div>The Nus are walking in the valley </div><div><br /></div><div>Intydoc valkyrricianer Nysian-ron. </div><div><br /></div><div>Intydoc valkyrricianeer Nysian-ron. </div><div><br /></div><div>The Leader leads the people </div><div><br /></div><div>Ejdyc nysian dycian-ro </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>ROOTS</div><div><br /></div><div>VA below </div><div>TY not, negation </div><div>INT towards</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div> </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div></div>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1629109195548240025.post-57896791879340254592011-10-23T11:43:00.021+01:002011-10-23T13:35:41.480+01:00From Dragons and Swords to Motor Cars and Gaffers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmMTl0OrFf2jvcIgURG_zIQ1gboDJ3Hu5Lv1EAiVUxIFkrq8hLRze6gFJ4yrIZ1L5MdiEwen2-eClJW-GQXGAb9gxiSwZdb8DAfRuvufacd2ZRZLxbFEixOH8dE4CMRKML-fwZCspc_ax/s1600/Mr+Bliss+2+"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 136px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijmMTl0OrFf2jvcIgURG_zIQ1gboDJ3Hu5Lv1EAiVUxIFkrq8hLRze6gFJ4yrIZ1L5MdiEwen2-eClJW-GQXGAb9gxiSwZdb8DAfRuvufacd2ZRZLxbFEixOH8dE4CMRKML-fwZCspc_ax/s200/Mr+Bliss+2+" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666660278849839602" border="0" /></a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">t<span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">his week in between re-reading </span></span><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%B6lsunga_saga">The Volsunga Saga</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> and Tolkien's</span><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Sigurd_and_Gudr%C3%BAn"> The Legend of Sigurd und Gudrun </a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">for the current </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://www.mythgard.org/">Tolkien and Epic Class offered through Mythgard Institute</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> (spring enrollment now open!) -I read something new by Tolkien. Well new for me as I have never read this work </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">before.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This work is Tolkien's children's story picture book </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._Bliss">Mr. Bliss</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> first published in the U.K. in 1983. </span><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">This charming story told by Tolkien through word and pictures tell the tale of Mr. Bliss who wears large hats and has as his neighbor a girabbit - a creature like a rabbit with a giraffe's long neck. One day Mr. Bliss decides to trade his bicycle in for a yellow car and he and his companions - including three bears - go on all kinds of misadventures. </div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br /></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">According to Humphrey Carpenter, Tolkien's motivation for the story may have come from his own purchase of a motor car in 1932 and his own mishaps with driving (we know how Tolkien felt about mechanical things). In 1936, Tolkien submitted <span style="font-style: italic;">Mr. Bliss</span> as one of the potential s<div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQt5g-aqtfq-OUrU9FdUU-NqU9JI62VJo4nGfYU-wzXSEkiagtB2q3-zooSktUT2tqOoPQrlHTpPsQagxq1ChOLBPDcAVuAXOird0SWUj-NVJ-ivk85DzbfDprSR0No2aKi2whRV0lrpy/s1600/bliss+bears.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 126px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgQt5g-aqtfq-OUrU9FdUU-NqU9JI62VJo4nGfYU-wzXSEkiagtB2q3-zooSktUT2tqOoPQrlHTpPsQagxq1ChOLBPDcAVuAXOird0SWUj-NVJ-ivk85DzbfDprSR0No2aKi2whRV0lrpy/s200/bliss+bears.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666664187114722434" border="0" /></a></div> tories that would follow the success of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Hobbit</span>. While Tolkien's publishers Allen and Unwin thought it was in class with Alice and Wonderland it was decided the rich illustrations would be too expensive to reproduce and the work was rejected (and of course it was through this and several other works being rejected that Tolkien eventually started work on his "new Hobbit" which became <span style="font-style: italic;">The Lord of the Rings)</span>. </div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><br /></span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="">But what interested me most about this whacky story (and it is that!) was the cameo appearance of a rather familiar character. In <span style="font-style: italic;">Mr. Bliss </span>Tolkien describes Bliss and all his companions driving to the village and standing about in the centre of town he describes:<br /><br />"Mrs Golightly is standing with a parcel in her arms, and has stopped talking to Mrs Simkins; old Gaffer Gamgee is trying hard to hear....." </span></div><div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><br /></span></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Well what </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">do you know the Old Gaffer has shown in up in Mr. Bliss! He of course will appear later as Sam's father in The Lord of the Rings.<br /><br />Where did he come from? According to a letter Tolkien wrote to his colleague Christopher Bretherton in 1964 ((Letters, p. 347-8) in the 1930's Tolkien used to take the family to Cornwall (Lamorna Cove) and in 1932 the met "a curious old fellow who used to go around swapping gossip and weather wisdom and such like. To amuse my boys I named him Gaffer Gamgee and the name became part of family lore to fix on old chaps of this kind."<br /><br />Why would Tolkien have used the word Gaffer to describe this old fellow. The word "gaffer" is sometimes</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> used colloquially to refer to an old man, an elderly or rustic. The Online Etymology dictionary suggests is may be a shortening of 'godfather' with "ga" from association with 'grandfather'<br /></span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The etymological cite is</span> <div style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" id="dictionary"> <dl><dt class="highlight"><a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=gaffer&allowed_in_frame=0">gaffer</a> <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=gaffer" class="dictionary" title="Look up gaffer at Dictionary.com"><img src="http://www.etymonline.com/graphics/dictionary.gif" alt="Look up gaffer at Dictionary.com" title="Look up gaffer at Dictionary.com" width="16" height="16" /></a></dt><dd class="highlight">1580s, "elderly rustic," apparently a contraction of <span class="foreign">godfather</span> (cf. <a href="http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=gammer&allowed_in_frame=0" class="crossreference">gammer</a>); originally "old man," it was applied from 1841 to foremen and supervisors, which sense carried over 20c. to "electrician in charge of lighting on a film set."</dd></dl>Of course thinking of the Old Gaffer (or Hamfast Gamgee) in The Lord of the Rings he was both an old ma<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYsYRV777aTSMILWNP9qE9geJzKvLIgkSjgshoESEDKBTCsbbP2oFWZqQlfC2rdDKIyp5rpO3LGUFkT-RdOvEZYpjPHqo5vzBwPAOLdFjz8_8VzKhymTenBG6aAG6ypvDWzkeZhaOpEcf/s1600/gAFFER.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 199px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFYsYRV777aTSMILWNP9qE9geJzKvLIgkSjgshoESEDKBTCsbbP2oFWZqQlfC2rdDKIyp5rpO3LGUFkT-RdOvEZYpjPHqo5vzBwPAOLdFjz8_8VzKhymTenBG6aAG6ypvDWzkeZhaOpEcf/s200/gAFFER.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5666664690236145266" border="0" /></a>n (he is seventy-five at the start of The Lord of the Rings and is the chief gardener (or foreman) of the gardens at Bag End.<br /><br />The Old Gaffer makes his first appearance in the Third Version of Tolkien's draft for The Long Expected Party of his new Hobbit (1937) - his first appearence is<br /><br />"After all" as Old Gaffer Gamgee of Bagshot Row remarked "these goings on are old affairs and over; this here party is going to happen this very month as is" (Return of the Shadow, p. 30)<br /><br />So the term "Gaffer" was in existence as a term used by the Tolkien family to describe old men before Tolkien developed this character and when he needed a term for an old foreman what better name to use then the one from Cornwall and the one who made an appearence in the earlier Mr. Bliss (who appears to be hard of hearing!)<br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Unlike some of Tolkien's other pre Lord of the Ring stories (including </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roverandom">Roverandom</a><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> and of course The Hobbit) there is very little evidence of other elements of his secondary world work peeping through the pages of Mr. Bliss - there is an adventure in Three Bears Wood that reminds one slightly of The Old Forest and there is a character called Fat Dorkins (or just Fattie) who has curly hair and wore no coat because he split the coats when he tried to get into them. Makes me think of Fredegar Bolger one of the Hobbits who set up the house in Crickhollow and stayed behind and in the earlier versions of LOTR played a much larger part in the story (and of course became a hero in his own right when he made the Nazgul flee by ringing the Horn of Buckland.</span> <span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Tolkien's </span><span style="font-style: italic; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Mr. Bliss</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> is a wonderful zany adventure and just shows how Tolkien could evoke his story telling craft, as well as his talent at drawing and painting, to construct a fun exciting story for his children and for us all.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"> </span><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A nice diversion from incest, dragons, magic helms and sleeping Valkyries - which I am now turning back to..... although I can hear the Old Gaffer saying no thankee to dragons!!!</span><br /></span></div>Dr. Andrew Higginshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16695949868240167504noreply@blogger.com1