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fatehbaz · 27 days

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Just in case, some might enjoy. Had to organize some notes.

These are just some of the newer texts that had been promoted in the past few years at the online home of the American Association of Geographers. At: [https://www.aag.org/new-books-for-geographers/]

Tried to narrow down selections to focus on critical/radical geography; Indigenous, Black, anticolonial, oceanic/archipelagic, carceral, abolition, Latin American geographies; futures and place-making; colonial and imperial imaginaries; emotional ecologies and environmental perception; confinement, escape, mobility; housing/homelessness; literary and musical ecologies.

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New stuff, early 2024:

A Caribbean Poetics of Spirit (Hannah Regis, University of the West Indies Press, 2024)

Constructing Worlds Otherwise: Societies in Movement and Anticolonial Paths in Latin America (Raúl Zibechi and translator George Ygarza Quispe, AK Press, 2024)

Fluid Geographies: Water, Science, and Settler Colonialism in New Mexico (K. Maria D. Lane, University of Chicago Press, 2024)

Hydrofeminist Thinking With Oceans: Political and Scholarly Possibilities (Tarara Shefer, Vivienne Bozalek, and Nike Romano, Routledge, 2024)

Making the Literary-Geographical World of Sherlock Holmes: The Game Is Afoot (David McLaughlin, University of Chicago Press, 2025)

Mapping Middle-earth: Environmental and Political Narratives in J. R. R. Tolkien’s Cartographies (Anahit Behrooz, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2024)

Midlife Geographies: Changing Lifecourses across Generations, Spaces and Time (Aija Lulle, Bristol University Press, 2024)

Society Despite the State: Reimagining Geographies of Order (Anthony Ince and Geronimo Barrera de la Torre, Pluto Press, 2024)

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New stuff, 2023:

The Black Geographic: Praxis, Resistance, Futurity (Camilla Hawthorne and Jovan Scott Lewis, Duke University Press, 2023)

Activist Feminist Geographies (Edited by Kate Boyer, Latoya Eaves and Jennifer Fluri, Bristol University Press, 2023)

The Silences of Dispossession: Agrarian Change and Indigenous Politics in Argentina (Mercedes Biocca, Pluto Press, 2023)

The Sovereign Trickster: Death and Laughter in the Age of Dueterte (Vicente L. Rafael, Duke University Press, 2022)

Ottoman Passports: Security and Geographic Mobility, 1876-1908 (İlkay Yılmaz, Syracuse University Press, 2023)

The Practice of Collective Escape (Helen Traill, Bristol University Press, 2023)

Maps of Sorrow: Migration and Music in the Construction of Precolonial AfroAsia (Sumangala Damodaran and Ari Sitas, Columbia University Press, 2023)

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New stuff, late 2022:

B.H. Roberts, Moral Geography, and the Making of a Modern Racist (Clyde R. Forsberg, Jr.and Phillip Gordon Mackintosh, Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2022)

Environing Empire: Nature, Infrastructure and the Making of German Southwest Africa (Martin Kalb, Berghahn Books, 2022)

Sentient Ecologies: Xenophobic Imaginaries of Landscape (Edited by Alexandra Coțofană and Hikmet Kuran, Berghahn Books 2022)

Colonial Geography: Race and Space in German East Africa, 1884–1905 (Matthew Unangst, University of Toronto Press, 2022)

The Geographies of African American Short Fiction (Kenton Rambsy, University of Mississippi Press, 2022)

Knowing Manchuria: Environments, the Senses, and Natural Knowledge on an Asian Borderland (Ruth Rogaski, University of Chicago Press, 2022)

Punishing Places: The Geography of Mass Imprisonment (Jessica T. Simes, University of California Press, 2021)

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New stuff, early 2022:

Belly of the Beast: The Politics of Anti-fatness as Anti-Blackness (Da’Shaun Harrison, 2021)

Coercive Geographies: Historicizing Mobility, Labor and Confinement (Edited by Johan Heinsen, Martin Bak Jørgensen, and Martin Ottovay Jørgensen, Haymarket Books, 2021)

Confederate Exodus: Social and Environmental Forces in the Migration of U.S. Southerners to Brazil (Alan Marcus, University of Nebraska Press, 2021)

Decolonial Feminisms, Power and Place (Palgrave, 2021)

Krakow: An Ecobiography (Edited by Adam Izdebski & Rafał Szmytka, University of Pittsburgh Press, 2021)

Open Hand, Closed Fist: Practices of Undocumented Organizing in a Hostile State (Kathryn Abrams, University of California Press, 2022)

Unsettling Utopia: The Making and Unmaking of French India (Jessica Namakkal, 2021)

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New stuff, 2020 and 2021:

Mapping the Amazon: Literary Geography after the Rubber Boom (Amanda Smith, Liverpool University Press, 2021)

Geopolitics, Culture, and the Scientific Imaginary in Latin America (Edited by María del Pilar Blanco and Joanna Page, 2020)

Reconstructing public housing: Liverpool’s hidden history of collective alternatives (Matt Thompson, University of Liverpool Press, 2020)

The (Un)governable City: Productive Failure in the Making of Colonial Delhi, 1858–1911 (Raghav Kishore, 2020)

Multispecies Households in the Saian Mountains: Ecology at the Russia-Mongolia Border (Edited by Alex Oehler and Anna Varfolomeeva, 2020)

Urban Mountain Beings: History, Indigeneity, and Geographies of Time in Quito, Ecuador (Kathleen S. Fine-Dare, 2019)

City of Refuge: Slavery and Petit Marronage in the Great Dismal Swamp, 1763-1856 (Marcus P. Nevius, University of Georgia Press, 2020)

#abolition #ecology #multispecies #landscape

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lamemaster · 10 months

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Tolkien Elves with a South Asian Reader

GIF by aashiqaanah

Request: Can you write an Indian reader insert story? It's ok if you don't want to share. 🙂

AN: While I don't want to write a specific nationality. I will write it based on the general South Asian experience. I hope that works and you like it. (also crazy story time my account was terminated for a while out there)

Genre: Romance and angst

Erestor:

"How does my love rank lower than yours? What criteria do you elves use to measure the purity of love?"

"I would be more cautious on a sword's end," the black-haired elf moves his blade precariously close to your neck. But you find it hard to care for it at the moment.

The crisp breeze of the night seems to cling close to you. Besides your worn-out clothes do little to keep the chill away. You have long given up the hope of freeing yourself from the binding the elves have put you in. Instead, all your attention is directed at the elf who calls himself Erestor.

An unknown rage fills you as you glare at your captor. Maybe if it were another day you would have begged for your life. You would have done that for the people waiting for you back at your camp. Children and women, for whom you became the bandit of Laor pass.

You had not expected to be caught by a part of elves. It had been an evening like any and you had set your sights on the gracious rations that the party carried. Food that would feed your people.

It didn't take long for elves to catch you. The guards dragged you to their leader. And maybe you had expected scorn but not hatred that lined their leader, Erestor's eyes. "Your kind is not even worthy of friendship let alone love," somehow the conversation had turned into a battle of wits. "We elves know of it better than any. Back then and even now your people side with the evil" One of the guard's fingers dig into your arm as their leader spit accusations at you.

The unfairness of his every word tugged at your heart. How could he...how could he talk of something he knew nothing of.

You press closer to the blade digging into your neck. You look directly at the elf as you do so, "In a world where Gods live in far off West, abandoning the East, letting my people suffer from one of their kind without mercy. In a world where your kind forge jewels with the light of the stars and bid us to fight your battles that promise us nothing but the deaths of our starving children whose fathers fought for an oath-bound lord. Do you not remember the bargain of your lords? It is the same as any other dark lord." The elf flinches as your words ring out loud in the night.

"Tell me why did my people had to pay for your kind's need to create. We lived in peace before your king forged the rings that brought us ruin." Your breath comes uneven. Unnoticed by you, hands holding you have long retreated. "From past to present, we the people of the East have borne the burden of the West. Our people have been thralls in the halls of darkness as you fought your righteous battles. And they have done so for their children as you have done for yours."

You stand up from where you have been kneeling. Your knee throbs with a subtle ache. No one dares to stop you as you step close to the leader whose eyes evade you.

Your voice resonates with a mix of anger and sorrow, and the intensity of your words leaves the elves around you momentarily speechless. Erestor's grip on his sword loosens slightly, his stoic expression faltering as he tries to find a response to your passionate outburst.

"In every battle waged, in every great design, it's our people who suffer the most," you continue, your voice unwavering. "While your kind sits in palaces adorned with stars, basking in the light of Valinor, it's our children who starve, our homes that burn, and our dreams that shatter. Your measure of love may be different, but I ask you this, Erestor – what do your people know of sacrifice?"

The tension in the air is palpable as the elves exchange uneasy glances. Your words challenge the very foundation of their beliefs, and Erestor's eyes finally meet yours, filled with a mix of defensiveness and curiosity.

"Do not think that you know the struggles of my people," he replies, his voice tinged with the remnants of anger.

Next to crackling fire, the camp stands at a stalemate in the battle of words. Pride, rage, and sorrow are the kindle to the burning flames.

Fingon:

Fingon had been traveling with Maedhros when he first met you. A courtier at one of the Eastern kingdoms.

Dressed in gleaming rubies and emeralds, armed with a lute you stepped into a hall full of men and elves. Your eyes lined with kohl and your hands bearing the marks of henna.

In a hall that glares at you with contempt and lust, you do not cower. Instead, you look everyone in the eye. Even Fingon gets to meet your unflinching gaze.

Bending at your waist you bow to the king seated on the throne but even that bow fails to lower your majesty. There is a knowing light in your eyes and a condescending smile on your lips.

"This is Y/N, our esteemed entertainer for the evening," the king introduces you. Musicians line behind you. "Come on Y/N show your elven guests here the courtesy of East. Sing them a song and move your feet to a mesmerizing dance." It seems wrong for the king to order you. Unfair for you to be presented as an object but you do not seem to be offended. Seemingly above everyone in the court.

If Fingon suspected you to be a disguised Ainu at your first glance, his suspicions turn into awe when you perform. The world seems to rest on your fingertips and time seems to blend into your steps.

Fingon's fingers move mirroring yours. He does not know the words but he does not need to know them to understand them.

Your song mocks the king who seems to be blinded by the monopoly over your body. The anklets you wear do not hinder you. And Fingon's breath hitches the second your hair comes undone. As if hearing his thundering heartbeat you look at him.

Amidst the thunder of applause, you look at Fingon. And you smile not with contempt but with something that Fingon reflects back in his own smile.

Hidden in the binding of this body, my soul shines bright,

It yearns for our eyes to meet, bending the rules of wrong and right,

Maedhros:

"I will marry an elf." The loud declaration silences the entire camp. It is followed by cursing voices and sounds of shushing pleas.

However, in doing so it garners the attention of the elf lord, Maehros. The one who seeks to reunite the East and the West of Middle Earth to defeat the Dark Lord.

While men fawning over elves had been no surprise for most, it was at this point an irrefutable fact. The secondborn seemed to be attracted to the firstborn like moths to a flame.

But this kind of open declaration was still...unheard of. Both elves and men had acknowledged the weird attraction and mutually decided to ignore the innate instinct.

This silent treaty breaks with you. And Maedhros cannot help but be intrigued. So, he hunts for you. Away from prying eyes that would cook rumors, Maedhros finds you by the vegetable garden that seems to have the entirety of your attention.

"Why must you marry an elf?" The eldest Feanorian tries not to laugh when you jump almost a foot high at his unannounced arrival. The shovel in your hand flying away.

With a hand on your chest, you turn to look at him. A frown adorns your forehead, "Ai, can you not scare me?" You do not address him as a lord or a prince. Maybe just don't know or maybe you do not care for it but Maedhros cannot find it in himself to take offense.

"Forgive me for that," Maedhros apologizes and much to his surprise you look nothing like the embarrassed woman he had expected to confront.

Instead, with the confidence of a preening peacock you seat yourself on the ground. "It's quiet alright. I do have to get used to it if I am to marry one of your kind," you understandingly nod. And Maedhos marvels at your nativity. Unblemished in the Adra that has been marred.

"I want to marry an elf to teach all the men of my community a lesson." You reply in a solemn voice. "I grew up watching my father beating my mother. My grandfather insulting my grandmother without a care of her heart. I grew up in the patriarchy of the East. With men who cared not an ounce about their partners." Maedhros cannot bring himself to speak. Not even when you sniff. There is pain there. Helplessness of a being he deemed to be untouched by anything mal a moment ago.

A pain that rips his heart. The tears of his own mother come to his mind. Deed of his father and his brothers that would haunt their mother.

So he listens attentively as you continue with determination in your voice. "I will marry an elf to teach every single man in my life a lesson. I will show them how much my husband will love me," you smile through your tears. It isn't blind infatuation that Maedhros expected but something deeper.

"Your kind treat your female so much better and I...I want that for my kind too. I want to hand back my sisters, my mother, my aunts their self-respect that men have rolled in dirt."

A sane part of Maedhros yearns to tell you of elves. Of how his father left his mother, how his grandfather married another, how Thingol discards the wisdom of his wife, or how Eol captured Aerdhel.

But he cannot. All he can do is, pat your head in a comforting gesture and pray for the success of your mission.

"Will you marry me then?" you propose to the Feanorian who snorts the very next moment.

#erestor x reader #maedhros x reader #fingon x reader #the silmarillion #silmarillion x reader #silmarillion headcanon #South asian reader #tolkien elves #noldor elves

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outofangband · 4 months

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Have you ever considered an environmental (or societal!) worldbuilding post for Taur-im-Duinath? There's so little in canon, I'd be fascinated to know your headcanons.

(This is a somewhat selfish ask as I am writing a fic that will have a significant portion set there, but genuinely love reading your posts -- no rush or pressure on this!)

Environmental World Building Masterlist

Taur Im Duinath is a large forest located in southeast Beleriand. Its name translates to Forest between rivers as it is located between the river Sirion (on the west) and the river Gelion on the east. In its southern reaches on the western border it extends to the lands around the Bay of Balar. The Andram, the wall of rocky hills ending with Amon Ereb in the east, lies directly to the north of Taur Im Duinath

As you said, it is mentioned very little in The Silmarillion, only twice actually. This corner of Beleriand is described as dark, tangled and wild with no elven or human inhabitants save some Avari

It can be difficult to judge exact sizes on Tolkien’s maps but Taur Im Duinath appears to be one of the largest forests in Beleriand

My thoughts

These are more general thoughts and for flora and fauna I gave examples of genuses or families rather than species but if you give me specific categories I can make more detailed posts!

-The climate is not as mild as Ossiriand but is far more mild than northeast Beleriand. The winters do not generally drop below negative one degree Celsius or thirty degrees Fahrenheit. Snow falls lightly in mid winter with sleet often occurring before and after.

-Humidity is higher than the rest of eastern Beleriand excepting parts of central Ossiriand with high rainfall especially in late winter and spring.

-The forest is dense. It is deciduous and coniferous mixed forests with scattered swampier areas which tend to be slightly more open. Most plants must be shade tolerant.

-There is an undergrowth of a variety of species of mosses and ferns as well as fungi. Some species of extremely shade tolerant herbaceous plants grow as well as a wider variety in the wetlands, scattered clearings, and forest edges

-The conifers are primarily spruce, Asian pine, with some fir and even cypress closer to the bay. Tsuga dumosa, a species of hemlock, grows closer to Ossiriand

-The deciduous trees are primarily birch and several species of oak. Ash and tilia species also grow

-Willow and aspen grow in the wetlands and closer to the river with some alders and a few wych elm.

-Animal biodiversity likewise varies throughout the large region. High diversity of small birds, mostly passerine but also nightjars, owls, a few species of ground birds, etc.

-The undergrowth provides habitat for the highest diversity of animals. Lots of Orthoptera (crickets, grasshoppers etc) so the forest is rarely quiet though the dense canopy muffles the sounds. Also high diversity of beetles, worms, rolly pollys, snails and slugs, and then toads, salamanders and newts, certain species of wood frogs, and small mammals like shrews especially by the water

I hope this is ok, @polutrope! I wasn’t sure what areas to focus on so please feel free to ask for more specific areas!

#the silmarillion #beleriand #musing and meta #taur im duinath

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sakasakiii · 11 months

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Thank the Valars ur back!!!💖💖💖 But if you need your rest, take them and have time! Remember we'll all support you always no matter what!😇until you post another i will wait patiently..... I am so thankful to you since I read the silm after i saw all ur amazing works.

Ps. I made this tumblr account to send❤❤❤❤to u and ur works. People like u always make my day! I wish I can draw and make headcannons like u! 😢 I think ill have to stop since the ps shhouldnt be longer than the tezt above(idk what they call that... I am EFL so i think im forgivable😎)

hiiiii!!! thank you for all your encouraging words and for taking the time to send in such kind messages ahhhh 🥺 im really honoured you like the stuff i put out! i have a lot of fun drawing them, and learning other people enjoy it too really gives motivation to all my doodles 🙇‍♀️ also you read the silm after finding my work?? 😭💖 that's very high praise but u are far too kind! the tolkien community here on tumblr is such a wonderful place with so many talented creators and amazing content, so i hope you continue to explore and enjoy your time!!!

i must send this back to you, because people like you make my day as well ❤❤❤ And don't give up!!! anyone can draw and make headcanons so long as they have an idea of what they wanna do-- that's the fun and freedom of fanwork, isn't it! i hope one day to see you putting your stuff out there as well... ehehee... 🥳

i'm also very happy you like the Asian-themed clothes in my artwork! i really do enjoy studying historical and traditional clothes, and i hope to keep incorporating them into my designs over time. since you asked for makalaure, here is a little doodle of him and maedhros in hanbok :DDD

i wanted to practice studying some more traditional styles, so i did a few other sketches of Maglor in various styles of historical East Asian styles + idril, nerdanel, and aredhel to model some female clothes hehe....

thanks again for your wonderful support bc it's really made my day, and hey!!! im super guilty of rambling too much in all my posts so honestly, write as much as you want in the P.S.s because word limits are a goofy concept 😎 all the best with ur EFL studies friend-- u can do it!!! fighting!!!! 💪 and have a wonderful rest of your day!

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tinnictheguardian · 6 months

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Headcanon: The Sons of Feanor probably did drugs!

Lots and lots of drugs! I think most people don't realise how old the use of cannabis has been through the ages among Indo-European civilisations, including many East Asian civilisations.

So, I don't think it's going against Tolkien's vision to suggest that elves might be partakers of hashish! Especially the elves of Middle Earth who had to deal with living in orc and other monster-infested lands and didn't have access to the Gardens of Lórien.

I think the elves, once they reached Valinor, wouldn't have had to self-medicate with cannabis. But as many people have said, there is a good chance that Feanor had a complete mental breakdown because he probably avoided getting the healing he needed from the Gardens of Lórien because of his mother. I.e. he didn't believe the Gardens could help him or anyone.

I imagine he probably communicates the same scepticism of the Gardens to his sons. So I imagine that once they got to Middle Earth and found that the Falmari, Sindar, Nandor + Laiquendi, etc, took certain herbs to help them handle the constant tension of Middle Earth... I think they would be early and enthusiastic adopters.

I imagine that by the end, especially when Maedhros and Maglor were alone and hiding during the War of Wrath, they were probably high 24/7!

It might explain why they thought stealing the Silmarils from Eonwe was a good idea!

Edit: I was thinking that Celegrom probably was a cannabis consumer even in Valinor because, let's face it, Orome seems like the Valar who would enjoy such plants...

#maedhros #maglor #celegrom #caranthir #curufin #amras #amrod #tolkien #silmarillion

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dndhistory · 2 months

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437. Curtis Smith - Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Adventure Gamebook #5: Test of the Ninja (1985)

A strange entry in the AD&D Gamebooks series, this volume is set in our own world, in medieval Japan without an inkling of mythical beings, monsters or the supernatural, owing more to Kurosawa than Tolkien.

You would have thought that Oriental Adventures having just come out, and having introduced the East Asian fantasy world of Kara-Tur, this would have been an ideal place in which to explore this brand new campaign setting for the game, but no.

However this is not an indictment on the story that is pretty interesting and fun with some cool interior illustrations by Gary Williams. Not the most fascinating of stories if you are into D&D mainly for the fantasy bits, but still worth taking a look!

#adnd #dnd #ttrpg #ad&d #d&d #dnd art #dungeons and dragons #dungeons & dragons

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amaziana · 2 years

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Rings of power rant

I never actually thought I’d do this (mainly because english isn’t my first language), but here we are but I just need to vent or I’ll explode. strap in because this is going to be long. Also keep in mind that this is a rant and I’m just getting stuff off of my chest so formating probably isn’t the best.

First of all, I’m hard core Tolkien fan. I don’t remember time when I didn’t know the story of the hobbit and I read the lotr books for the first time when I was seven three times in a row. In my teens I started exploring Silmarillion and the rest of the middle-earths history. I know the lore like the back of my hand. It’s safe to say that Tolkiens works have shaped my worldwiev heavily and I love them fiercely.

So Rings of Power is out and it’s bad. And no, poc actors and women wielding swords is not the problem. Actually I think hawing Poc characters is great and completely in harmony with Tolkiens writings. For example, harfoots are described as being “browner of skin” that other hobbits. I’d even go as far as argue that every single actor playing a harfoot should be poc. Now as for Disa, there are seven dwarven clans in Arda, four of which originated from far east. I see no reason why one of these clans couldn’t have darker skin than the rest and why Disa couldn’t be from this clan. However I do think that it would make more sense lorevise if she was portrayed by east-asian actress due to the previously mentioned fact that four of the clans come from the far east. As for Arondir, Tolkien describes elves as being fair of skin, but I don’t see anything wrong with having elves of different skin colors.

My problem with Galadriel isn’t that she is a woman who is in power and wields a sword. I myself am a girl and own a sword and have learned the basics of german longsword. In general I’m very interested in martial arts. Now when it comes to cannon lore elves have multiple names and Galadriel doesn’t even receive that name until she meets her husband, Celeborn, (which the show seems to have forgotten about). Her original names, ones that should be used in the Valinor flashbacks, were Artanis and Nerwen. First meaning “noblewoman” and second meaning “man-maiden”. Now she was named Nerwen because she was taller than most of the other women of noldor and she was strong of body, will and mind. She was also of “Amazon disposition” and “bound her hair as a crown when taking part in athletic feats." She even defended her mothers people when Feanor, her uncle and greatest of Noldor, attacked them for their ships. So yeah, she was a badass. The problem with her character is that by the second age, the time the show is portraying, she moves from place to place and lives in several places, including Lindon and Eregion. She is also married and gives birth to her daughter some time before the rings of power are forged.

So no, the poc characters and powerful women do not make the show bad. What does is the fact that it shows such disregard for it’s source material and the spirit of Tolkien. It takes his work and turns it into generic, your run of the mill fantasy story without spirit. It blatantly ignores the lore in order to create a storyline that Amazon thinks it can sell. It turns Galadriel, who is a powerful woman in so many levels, both physically, meantually and spiritually, into you cardboard cutout of what Hollywood thinks is the only acceptable version of a strong female character. The dialogue is corny and often sounds like they are just trying to sound cool and wise, the costumes are bad and feel like, well, costumes and not something the people of that world would actually wear. The black goo they use to show the evil still lurking in the world/ coming back is cliche and boring. Now the visuals are good I’ll give them that. Lindon is beautiful and I like how it feels so close to nature.

All in all, the story seems to relay more on nostalgia than anything else. They take some things from Tolkiens works, couple of things from the original Lotr movies and completely made up the rest and wrapped it in a nice golden paper with a ribbon. The result is bland and tasteless story that isn’t intriguing at all and disrespects Tolkiens work on fundamental levels. Best way I can describe it is if someone painted a picture of Mona Lisa with all the wrong colors making a duckface and it was hung in the museum besides the original piece.

#rings of power #amazon #anti amazon #fuck amazon #reject rings of power #anti rings of power #rant #tolkien #rop #galadriel #amazon rings of power #disa #arondir #harfoots

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bitcharroni9000 · 9 months

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Something I’ve been holding on to about race and skin color in the Tolkien fandom Is why only black people? Like you could have a totally diverse cast that still canonically has “light” skin and whatever bc Tolkien was very geological and studied like how environments affected skin tone n shit and I like the idea of using that. (Don’t get me wrong draw and do whatever head cannon, debate what cannon you want it’s a fuckin story up for interpretation) but my problem is fair skin can be so fucking subjective movie makers aren’t even TRYING. where are the Asian elves. The eastern elves, the Indian elves, the Middle East, the Latino even light skinned black/ mixed people. fuckin all these people are bitches who can have “fair” skin in their own regard it’s like you didn’t even try. Like you can play with what fair skin means. I know there’s colorism with elves being holy and only having light skin contributes to that but I find it interesting how no one even considered the above. I’d like to see them do that and then you’d REALLY see who just “wants to be canonically accurate” and who’s really just racist.

#lemme know what you think #totally down for convos abt it #tolkein #silmarillion #silm elves #the silm fandom #the rings of power #lord of the rings #house of finwe #fingon #fingolfin #aredhel #ik I’ve seen that house specifically with dark skin being adopted to them lemme know what y’all think #tolkien legendarium

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jasminewalkerauthor · 8 months

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Deep dives into folklore: Dragons

These awe-inspiring beings have appeared in the folklore, literature, and mythology of cultures around the world. The concept of dragons has evolved significantly over time, reflecting the changing beliefs, values, and societal contexts of different eras. Today we explore the evolution of dragons in literature and mythology, tracing their development from fearsome monsters to complex symbols with multifaceted roles in human culture.

Dragons have ancient origins, and some of the earliest depictions of these creatures can be found in the mythologies of ancient civilizations. In Mesopotamia, the dragon-like Tiamat was a symbol of primordial chaos in the Enuma Elish, the Babylonian creation myth. Similarly, in ancient Egyptian mythology, Apep, a giant serpent, represented chaos and destruction. These early dragon figures were often associated with the forces of nature and the unknown, embodying the fears and uncertainties of ancient societies.

In contrast to their chaotic counterparts in Western mythology, dragons in East Asian cultures held a different significance. In Chinese mythology, the dragon, or "long" in Mandarin, was a symbol of power, strength, and imperial authority. The dragon was closely associated with the emperor and was believed to bring good fortune. It was also seen as a guardian deity, protecting against evil spirits and disasters. This benevolent portrayal of dragons can be seen in works like the "Dragon Ball" legend and the many dragon motifs in Chinese art and architecture.

The image of the dragon as a fierce and malevolent creature became more prevalent in medieval European literature and mythology. Dragons were often depicted as terrifying monsters that terrorized villages and guarded valuable treasures. The most famous example is the dragon slain by Saint George in the popular legend. These dragons symbolized the challenges and dangers that heroes had to overcome, often representing the embodiment of evil and chaos that needed to be defeated.

In Norse mythology, dragons took on a different form as cosmic serpents. The Midgard Serpent, Jörmungandr, encircled the world and was a symbol of the cyclical nature of existence. The dragon-like creature Níðhöggr gnawed at the roots of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, representing the constant threat of entropy. These Norse dragons were not purely evil but rather part of the natural order, highlighting the complexity of their roles in mythology.

The modern concept of dragons in literature underwent a significant transformation with the rise of fantasy literature in the 20th century. Writers like J.R.R. Tolkien and Anne McCaffrey introduced dragons as complex characters with their own cultures and histories. In Tolkien's "The Hobbit," Smaug is a treasure-hoarding dragon with intelligence and cunning, a far cry from the mindless monsters of earlier tales.

Similarly, Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern series featured dragons as intelligent beings bonded with humans, used for protection and transportation. These contemporary portrayals of dragons challenged traditional stereotypes, showing that dragons could be more than just villains or symbols of chaos.

The evolution of dragons in literature and mythology reflects the changing beliefs and values of different cultures and time periods. From their ancient origins as symbols of chaos and destruction to their diverse roles as guardians, villains, and even allies, dragons have undergone a remarkable transformation. In modern times, dragons have become complex and multifaceted creatures, challenging traditional archetypes and captivating readers and audiences worldwide. The enduring fascination with dragons highlights their enduring relevance in our collective imagination, and their evolution continues to shape the stories we tell and the worlds we create.

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silmarillionwritersguild-art · 1 year

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This lovely series depicting scenes from Númenor with a South East Asian flair are by @ayaosguqin.

@cycas opens her review of The Fall of Númenor with the observation that "Tolkien's literary legacy truly is the gift that keeps on giving. Whenever you think that your collection is finally complete, a new publication is announced." The question is, though, is The Fall of Númenor a worthwhile addition to your already groaning Tolkien bookshelf?

In our latest Read & Review column, Lyra reviews The Fall of Númenor, touching on its contents (and what it leaves out), its structure, and the artwork it contains by Alan Lee, concluding that "it is ... an immensely useful publication." You can read Lyra's complete "Review of The Fall of Númenor" here.

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ettelenethelien · 2 months

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The peoples of the South and East

A companion post to my fic that change not with the changing of the years

Ok, so "Harad" just means "South" and it's definitely not an actual name the people living there have for themselves, just a catch-all phrase for anything south of Umbar as used by everyone north of Umbar. And it cannot be a single country. That said, the following is 100% pure and unadulterated headcanon, and none of the names here, except that of Khand come from anywhere within Tolkien's works.

There is a lot of city-states, mostly because they're easier to invent, haha, but Selih on the edge of the desert, and the Bay of Kenteh, lie inside countries of their own. Sarakhir, Verna and Ekithmar are city-states proper.

The people of the river Verid are a curious case, because aside from a city-state or two, there is no unifying power governing them. They are tribesmen and village folk; fishermen, farmers and herdsmen most of them; sharing much of a common culture (though they are an amalgam of several peoples), but forming no political state. They are reasonably well-off for country folk, and they hold the current arrangement optimal -- unless they are currently being invaded, in which case it really doesn't help. By the War of the Ring, a fair bit of the region is under the power of Sauron with many of the youth brainwashed into supporting the army they have been conscripted into, and an important fiercely rebelling undercurrent.

Zûnar lies near enough to the Verid, though not, itself, beside it, and is in fact the westernmost region of a small kingdom, rather than a principality itself. It might have some Númenorean influence -- yes, I'm mostly thinking of that because I spelt the word with the Adunaic-typical weird triangular accent -- so the kingdom likely has access to the sea.

I have imagined Evralthum and Mridyanva to have some Indian influence, although I'm not 100% sure on it yet. Evralthum, as mentioned in the fic, has been forcibly swallowed up by Mridyanva, however it will become a country again in the general upheaval following the War of the Ring. Mridyanva itself might support Sauron's army to an extent, but possibly through an intermediary empire pressuring it, rather than of itself.

Milyan-kai definitely has some East-Asian influences, probably Japanese rather than Chinese. I'm on the fence regarding Ta-L'nau, and Olonde is something of a "typical fantasy kingdom minus the medieval England/Germany thing". They're too far off to be influenced by Sauron, although they might be fighting his armies on their fronts.

Khand is probably one of the human kingdoms closest allied with Sauron; not the only one, but the best known. I haven't named any others yet. There's also the Corsairs of Umbar who are universally hated by everyone in the region, because corsairs.

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