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Tolkien’s inspiration for the Shire

The Eastfarthing: probably based on Hurst Green, Lancashire Brandywine River: probably inspired by the River Hodder Buckland: probably based on the Ribble Valley Shirebourn River: probably inspired by the River Ribble Brandy Hall: probably inspired by Hacking Hall, Lancashire The Brandywine Bridge: probably based on Lower Hodder Bridge The Old Mill: inspired by Sarehole Mill, Birmingham The Water: inspired by Sarehole Mill Pond, Birmingham The Old Forest: probably inspired by Moseley Bog, Birmingham Withywindle River: probably inspired by the River Ribble

eowyntheavenger

Australian Christmas ornament

middle-earth-mythopoeia

Tolkien’s inspiration for Helm’s Deep: Cheddar Gorge, Somerset Paintings by Alan Lee

middle-earth-mythopoeia

Places that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien: Part II

Fangorn: probably inspired by Puzzlewood, Gloucestershire Orthanc: probably inspired by Faringdon’s Folly, Berkshire Anduin: may have been influenced by the Danube, Germany Rohan: probably based on Mercia, West Midlands White Mountains: inspired by the Malvern Hills, Worcestershire Helm’s Deep: inspired by Cheddar Gorge, Somerset Mordor: based on the Black Country, Birmingham Minas Tirith: based on Ravenna, Italy

middle-earth-mythopoeia

Places that inspired J.R.R. Tolkien: Part I

The Shire: inspired by the English countryside Old Forest: probably inspired by Moseley Bog, Birmingham Barrow Downs: probably influenced by Maiden Castle, Dorset Bree: probably influenced by Brill, Buckinghamshire Rivendell: inspired by Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland Misty Mountains: inspired by the Bernese Alps, Switzerland Doors of Durin: may have been influenced by St. Edward’s Church, Cotswolds Mirrormere: may have been influenced by the Lake District, Cumbria

tolkienillustrations

Racism in the Tolkien fandom

I recently reblogged this post about anti-racism and got this reply from a user named folksol:

If anyone doesn’t think there’s racism in this fandom, here’s your wake-up call.

This person not only believes that the majority of my followers are far right, they also believe that I - despite clearly loathing the far right - should cater to their horrific ideology. This is some peak white racist delusion right here. I laughed out loud. I’m still laughing at the phrasing of it. “Excuse me.” Oh, are you clutching your pearls? Are you upset because I reblogged an anti-racist post on my own blog during a worldwide uprising against racism? “We, your followers” - as if this person is my constituent to whom I am somehow beholden. I guess they didn’t read my about page, which clearly tells white supremacists they are not welcome here.

In case anyone thinks folksol is trolling, I’m sad to say they’re not. Unfortunately, for those who are unaware, there is a long history of the far right trying to claim Tolkien for themselves the same way that the Nazis tried to claim Norse mythology and Viking symbols. And this is not a one time occurence on this blog. I’ve also received messages from other white supremacists who are upset that I’m talking about racial justice and think my blog is for them. While the far right is by no means a majority of the Tolkien fandom, some of them are obviously here. Which means it’s our job to kick them out.

I’m not sure why I should need to explain this to anyone, but Tolkien hated the Nazis and he hated apartheid. If you are a member of the far right or similar groups he would have hated you too. It’s laughably uninformed for the far right to act like Tolkien is “theirs.” He hated you pieces of shit! So do I! And I’d venture a guess that so do the majority of my followers.

Of course, Tolkien’s opposition to Nazism and apartheid doesn’t absolve him of holding internalized racist beliefs. It’s important for white people to recognize that racism exists on a spectrum. On one extreme we have people like the Nazis and the KKK, who overtly support racism. But white people who repudiate these groups can still hold racist views. (For more information, here’s Tolkien Gateway’s article Racism in Tolkien’s Works, and Our Failure to Address LOTR’s Racism written by @weirdnaturalscience.) The post I linked to at the top has resources for examining your own biases.

When discussing racism in Tolkien’s works, or racism in fandom, it’s important for white people to have an open mind, not get defensive, and to listen to people of color. No one is saying you can’t be a fan of Tolkien, only that Tolkien’s opposition to the Nazis didn’t stop him from incorporating some worrying tropes in his writing. It’s possible to incorporate racist ideas in writing without intending to do so.

I also want to say that when we kick the far right out of the fandom, we can’t consider the job done. Because it’s not just the far right. If we have people in fandom who overtly support racism, then we also have people in fandom on other parts of that racist spectrum. In fandom spaces Black people and other people of color are frequently harassed, trolled, and excluded, and often white fans refuse to believe or listen to their experiences of racism.

Let’s do better, Tolkien fans! We need to listen to and include fans of color and educate ourselves about internalized racism so that fandom can be an enjoyable place for everyone. (Everyone except the far right.)

franklinshepardincorporated

Hey @folksol you can eat my ass dry!

#Good night alt right #Nazi punks fuck off

eowyntheavenger

What have the protests accomplished?

5/26 4 officers fired for murdering George Floyd 5/27 Charges dropped for Kenneth Walker (Breonna Taylor’s boyfriend, who police accused of killing her) 5/28 University of Minnesota cancels contract with police 5/28 3rd precinct police station neutralized by protesters 5/28 Minneapolis transit union refuses to bring police officers to protests or transport arrested protesters 5/29 Activists commandeer Minneapolis hotel to provide shelter to homeless 5/29 Former officer Chauvin arrested and charged with murder 5/29 Louisville Mayor suspends “no-knock” warrants 5/30 US Embassies across Africa condemn police murder of George Floyd 5/30 Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison takes over prosecution of the murdering officer 5/30 Transport Workers Union refuses to help NYPD transport arrests protesters 5/30 Maryland lawmakers forming work group on police reform, accountability 5/31 2 abusive officers fired for pulling a couple out of their car and tasing them - Atlanta, GA 6/1 Minneapolis public schools end contract with police 6/1 Confederate monument removed after being toppled by protesters - Birmingham, AL 6/1 CA prosecutors launch campaign to stop DAs from accepting police union money 6/1 Tulsa Mayor agrees to not renew Live PD contract 6/1 Louisville police chief fired after shooting of David Mcatee 6/1 Congress begins bipartisan push to cut off police access to military gear 6/1 Atlanta announces plans to create a task force and public database to track police brutality in metro Atlanta area 6/2 Minneapolis AFL-CIO calls for resignation of police union president Bob Kroll, a vocal white supremest 6/2 Pittsburgh transit union announces refusal to transport police officers or arrest protesters 6/2 Racist ex-mayor Frank Rizzo statue removed in Philadelphia 6/2 6 abusive officers charged for violence against residents and protesters - Atlanta, GA 6/2 Civil rights investigation of Minneapolis Police Dept launched 6/2 San Francisco resolution to prevent law enforcement from hiring officers with history of misconduct 6/2 Survey indicates that 64% of those polled are sympathetic to protesters, 47% disapprove of police handling of the protests, and 54% think the burning down of the Minneapolis police precinct was fully or partially justified 6/2 Trenton NJ announces policing reforms 6/2 Minneapolis City Council members consider disbanding the police 6/2 Confederate statue removed from Alexandria, VA 6/3 Officer fired for tweets promoting violence against protesters - Denver, CO 6/3 Walker Art Center and the Minneapolis Institute of Art cut ties with the MPD 6/3 Chauvin charges upgraded to second degree murder, remaining 3 officers also charged and taken into custody 6/3 Richmond VA Mayor Stoney announces RPD reform measures: establish “Marcus” alert for folks experiencing mental health crises, establish independent Citizen Review Board, an ordinance to remove Confederate monuments, and implement racial equity study 6/3 County commissioners deny proposal for $23 million expansion of Fulton County jail 6/3 Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board unanimously votes to sever ties with MPD 6/3 Seattle withdraws request to end federal oversight/consent decree of police department 6/3 Breonna Taylor’s case reopened 6/3 Louisville police department (Breonna Taylor’s murderers) will now be under review from an outside agency, which will include review on training, bias-free policing and accountability 6/3 Colorado lawmakers introduce a police reform bill that includes body cam laws, repealing the “fleeing felon” statute, and banning chokeholds 6/3 Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announces plans to reduce funding to police department by $150M and instead invest in minority communities 6/4 Virginia governor announces plans to remove Robert E. Lee statue from Richmond 6/4 Portland schools superintendent discontinues presence of armed police officers in schools 6/4 MBTA (Metro Boston) board orders that buses wont transport police to protests, or protesters to police 6/4 King County Labor Federation issues ultimatum to police unions: admit to and address racism in Seattle PD, or be removed 6/5 City of Minneapolis bans all chokeholds by police 6/5 Racist ex-mayor Hubbard statue removed - Dearborn, MI 6/5 NFL condemns racism and admits it should have listened to players’ protests 6/5 California Governor Gavin Newsom calls for statewide use-of-force standard made along with community leaders and ban on carotid holds 6/5 2 Buffalo officers suspended within a day of pushing 75 year old protester to the ground, and lying about it 6/5 2 NYPD officers suspended after videos of violence to protesters 6/5 The US Marines bans display of the Confederate flag 6/5 Dallas adopts a “duty to intervene” rule that requires officers to stop other cops who are engaging in excessive use of force 6/5 Dallas City Manager T.C. Broadnax releases an 11-point action plan for immediate police reforms 6/6 Statue of Confederate general Williams Carter Wickham torn down - Richmond, VA 6/6 2 Buffalo officers charged with second-degree assault for shoving elderly man 6/6 San Francisco Mayor London Breed announces effort to defund police and redirect funds to Black community 6/7 Frank Rizzo mural removed, to be replaced with new artwork - Philadelphia, PA 6/7 Minneapolis City Council members announce intent to disband the police department, invest in proven community-led public safety 6/7 Protesters in Bristol topple statue of slave trader Edward Colston, throw it in the river 6/7 NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio vows for the first time to cut funding for NYPD, redirect to social services 6/7 A Virginia police officer faces charges after using a stun gun on a black man 6/8 NY State Assembly passes the Eric Garner Anti-Chokehold Act 6/8 Democrats in Congress unveil a bill to rein in bias and excessive force in policing 6/8 Black lawmakers block a legislative session in Pennsylvania to demand action on police reform 6/8 France bans police use of chokeholds 6/8 Seattle council members join calls to defund police department 6/8 Boston reevaluates how it funds police department 6/8 Honolulu Police Commission nominees voice support for more transparency, reforms 6/8 Rights groups and Floyd’s family call for a UN inquiry into American policing and help with systemic police reform

No, it’s not enough, but this is only the beginning. Keep fighting!!!

(This list comes from Mara Ahmed’s blog post and was compiled by Fahd Ahmed; I added sources and new entries. Please reblog with further additions.)

first-son-of-finwe

So anyway Christopher Tolkien literally took 70 boxes of his father’s disorganised notes and spent his whole life turning them into something that could be read, appreciated, studied and loved. Words can’t express how much this man did for everyone to whom Tolkien’s work means something…thank you so much, Christopher. Safe journey to the white shores under a swift sunrise.

north-of-annwn

Mmm he also became outright vindictive with Trademark and Copyright. A lot of fans and creators knew him as Christopher “Sauron” Tolkien for how he treated a lot of fans. If you so much as thought about using the word H*bbit, he’d take you to court for your firstborn.

While Christopher is responsible for making sense of a lot of his father’s notes, he’s also the reason his father’s dream of having LOTR and the stories of Middle Earth never become living mythology of Britain because he obsessively trademarked and copyrighted everything. Honestly, I’m not sure if Christopher did all that because he really wanted his father’s work to be realized, but rather wanted to claim the royalties from it. This goes far beyond just protecting his father’s work.

Tbh I hope that perhaps. Just perhaps he didn’t set up an estate to further the same bullshit while he was alive. Maybe it might one day enter the public domain and we can actually have the beautiful extended mythology that his father wanted.

first-son-of-finwe

My friend….he took Warner Bros to court because they were using LOTR names and images for their gambling operations. If my parent’s works held as much meaning to me as JRR’s did to him, you can be damn sure I would do everything in my power protect them from money-grabbing corporations. He didn’t like the PJ movies but explicitly said he didn’t have any grudge against any fans who did. When did he ever sue anyone for using the word ‘hobbit’?

I think a lot of fans have become bitter around how protective he was because it’s dampened our chances of seeing more works brought to screen. That’s the real ‘problem’, not that his family is profiting (because honestly, why shouldn’t they?) With how the Amazon business is shaping up and the debacle that was The Hobbit, quite frankly, I think he was doing the Lord’s work. And if you hear him talk about what JRR’s works meant to him - that the cities of the Silmarillion felt more real to him than Babylon - then you would certainly understand why he was so fiercely protective.

mega-ringsandthings-world

I never really felt bitter about how protective he was, in all honestly, I feel like he was respecting his father’s wishes; JRR was never too keen on having his work adapted or even published. As for the his protectiveness in relation the big screen, I’m all in favor of that, I don’t particularly care to see any adaptions besides PJ’s films, ( which I love) the Hobbit was a bit of a mess, and I have an uneasy feeling about the Amazon series. (because firstly-Amazon, and because fanfiction and fanworks have all brought the rest of his works to life for me in a way that no adaptation ever can) I like adaptations in theory, rather than in practice, and given the track record of movies and series nowadays he was in the right to keep such a firm grip on his father’s works. God forbid it ever enters the public domain, JRR’s works were the harbinger of fantasy and we don’t need people (like Warner Bros or whoever getting their claws into it.) I do hope he set up failsafes. I do understand that they were special to him, JRR used to tell him these stories as a child! He made them up for his kids! They were special, to him and his family. I too would guard them well. Also, the man just died. People should give him time to settle in his grave before trash-talking him, smh. Christ. Rude.

vardaelcntari

Given how most adaptations of the popular franchises turn out nowadays, Christopher Tolkien was definitely doing Lords work and the way some of you are reacting in the notes makes me pray for some common sense to hit you in your heads.

goingawaybyethanks-deactivated2

@north-of-annwn he did that because he didn’t want his father’s life long work to transform into a fucking theme park. Have you seen what Harry Potter had become? Do you really want the LOTR’s characters to be sold in MacDonalds or to see Hobbit toilet paper? because frankly I won’t.

anyway it was fucking WARNER BROS who threatened to sue Donato Giancola (a beloved and iconic Tolkienian artist) for a depiction of Gandalf (that wasn’t even using Ian McKellen’s face)

north-of-annwn

There is a very big difference between seeking to protect your work from predatory corporations and their late-stage capitalistic bullshit and targeting any and every small creator that dares to reference or use the languages, names of species, or other elements of the mythology that Tolkien created. Tolkien said numerous times that he had hoped to create a mythology for Britain that did not pull from Irish or Welsh beliefs (Such as King Arthur).

Tolkien said in interviews that this was his vision for his works to become a living tradition. And yet, Christopher systematically and aggressively prevented this through using TM and Copyright laws to intimidate and threaten any creators or fans that might build on this mythology. You cannot even make a knitting pattern that uses the word Hobbit, Smaug, Quenyan, or any of the words that are strictly from Middle Earth. And I’m not talking about corporations and manufacturers and studios seeking to twist and ruin this anthology - I’m talking about the People, the folk that folk beliefs and practices are built from. That’s how things go from Original Work to being part of folklore and the cultural landscape, which was what Tolkien aimed to create. Tolkien valued oral tradition, folklore, and evolution of mythology greatly (he was a professor of these things ffs) and hoped for his own works to reach this point of belonging to the common folk.

Christopher isn’t hated because he was preserving his father’s legacy, he’s hated for how he treated the very people his father hoped would turn an original world into folkloric traditions. He’s hated for how he utilized his privilege, his wealth, and his father’s legacy to squash creativity, imitation, and expansion. If he even had granted certain people who demonstrated an understanding of the world rights to write and create an EU, then maybe I might believe that he merely wanted to protect it. Instead, the only rights he granted were assured to make him monumentally wealthy.

franklinshepardincorporated

Do your parents know they raised a moron? This is the worst take I’ve ever seen on this site. I feel bad for every teacher who ever wasted their time on you.

end0skeletal

The ten known species of chevrotain, or mouse deer, are found in South and Southeast Asia and West Africa. The smallest species weigh as little as 1.5 pounds (.7kg).

If When I Grow Up from Matilda doesn’t affect you at all

We can’t be friends.

#Matilda

The wrong Ford died first

#Canada #Canadian Politics