Although I bought the Beren/Luthien book as soon as it arrived in Norwegian bookshops (in English, I don't think they will translate it), I have only started reading it and read perhaps a fifth of it (or less). I will finish it some time - but now it's possible that I read The Fall of Gondolin first ...

In my fanfiction universe, Varnafindë's father was a little boy who lost his parents when Gondolin fell. Friends of the family took him on and made sure that he escaped from the burning city with the group of people led by the Elvenking's daughter (and her human husband), who had dug a secret tunnel in case it might needed for just such a disaster.

So Gondolin is "my" city more than the other ancient Elven cities ...

How do people feel about the new Middle Earth TV series that has been proposed by Amazon? I'm both excited and worried, because I'm unsure exactly what source they are drawing on.

For my own part I feel confused, because just like you I'm unsure what source they could be drawing on.

It's very much a question of rights to use sources - is this something going under the same set of rights that Tolkien sold in his lifetime and which eventually allowed Peter Jackson's movies, or has there been some newer sale of rights? Nobody has mentioned such a sale, so I guess we're still talking about the old rights, which means that only what's in LotR (including the Appendices) and the Hobbit can be used, and anything from Silmarillion will be off limit.

So I wonder what they can do.

For my own part I feel confused, because just like you I'm unsure what source they could be drawing on.

It's very much a question of rights to use sources - is this something going under the same set of rights that Tolkien sold in his lifetime and which eventually allowed Peter Jackson's movies, or has there been some newer sale of rights? Nobody has mentioned such a sale, so I guess we're still talking about the old rights, which means that only what's in LotR (including the Appendices) and the Hobbit can be used, and anything from Silmarillion will be off limit.

So I wonder what they can do.

Yes, it just seems like they will expand on the appendices. But that makes me nervous. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. I hope it turns out well!

So Gondolin is "my" city more than the other ancient Elven cities ...

That is very cool!

I had a fun, unexpected Tolkien moment today as I was walking out of the grocery store. Near the entrance, they always have a nice display of cloth bags with various seasonal designs, which are quite lovely. This morning, one especially caught my eye ... it is a mountain scene with a beautiful moose in the foreground, but the caption was "Not all those who wander are lost". Not usually being impulsive in buying, I immediately purchased it ($3).

That's great, Jo.

(I first read 'moose' as 'moon' and thought that would be neat as well, though the moon in the foreground would be unusual).

Some great books on christian aspects and themes in Middle earth

Finding God in The Lord of the Rings
https://www.christianbook.com/finding-g ... vent=ESRCG

The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle-earth
https://www.christianbook.com/gospel-ac ... vent=ESRCG

The Christian World of The Hobbit
https://www.christianbook.com/the-chris ... vent=ESRCG

Walking with Frodo
https://www.christianbook.com/walking-w ... vent=ESRCG

A Hobbit Devotional: Bilbo Baggins and the Bible, Imitation Leather
https://www.christianbook.com/hobbit-de ... vent=ESRCG

Books About Tolkien

J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
https://www.christianbook.com/j-r-tolki ... vent=ESRCG

The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien
https://www.christianbook.com/the-lette ... vent=ESRCG

His Political Views

Hobbit Party: The Vision of Freedom That Tolkien Got, and the West Forgot
https://www.christianbook.com/hobbit-pa ... vent=ESRCG

'gazer, that would indeed have been beautiful (albeit quite unusual), as well.

I have read many of those books, thanks, Tolkien. There certainly is some great writing out there in regards to his life and works. Yet I have found a select few that are not so good ... not necessarily from that list, though, although I must admit, I did not care for Ralph Wood's The Gospel According to Tolkien, which seems lacking hope. We then heard Wood give a lecture years ago (in Toronto), and this confirmed to us his negative outlook. Pity.

An author who can be more academic, but has some excellent reads on JRRT is Tom Shippey: J.R.R. Tolkien: the Author of the Century and The Road to Middle-earth. These were both written in the early 2000s. Shippey is a Tolkien scholar, author and university professor (although being 75 yrs of age, he may be retired now), overlapping chronologically at Oxford with JRRT, and then holding the Chair of English Language and Medieval Literature at Leeds University, which Tolkien, himself, had held early in his career!

The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien is a strong favourite of mine. My old copy is all marked up, and literally falling apart from much use. I now have a newer copy, as well, but will always treasure my well-worn one.

So, the first trailer for Tolkien is out:

. This film focuses on JRRT's younger years—some of the relationships and situations that have influenced him (and his writings??). As someone on The Tolkien Society FB page wrote, " I'm not sure what I feel about this. I'm afraid it's romanticized and focused on "facts" Tolkien himself denied, as the influence and/or inspiration on the great wars in his writings."
Yeah, feeling kind of that way, myself.
Thoughts?

I must admit, even though I'm not a big fan of romances I was hoping for the biopic to be more focused on Tolkien's relationship with his wife. The parallels between their story and his various versions of Beren and Luthien's story have always struck a chord with me. But . . . the war does seem to be more of a focus. Not sure how I feel about it. Might be a good movie but not a good biography.

I liked seeing his wife dancing for him in the woods, and I liked seeing the four young men who influenced each other - more of them might have become important writers as well, had they survived the war (at least 2 of the 4 didn't). I forget their names, but they certainly influenced and inspired him.

I hope they can focus on these relationships. The dramatic events of the battles are less important.

There has been an article published in a Scottish newspaper suggesting that location scouts have been looking in parts of Scotland for filming locations for the Middle Earth Amazon series.
Not sure why they would go there in the middle of winter, but here is the link anyway. Don't hold your breath. But if this is happening, I want to get work on it.

https://www.thenational.scot/news/17424062.lord-of-the-rings-tv-series-to-be-filmed-in-scotland/?ref=fbshr&fbclid=IwAR19g1gobO1hyMsQ8SUZcH-5lbjGms0xlEFY9feEi1I1uYmrtoj4wcB5ENQ

What do you think of the tease artwork of a Middle Earth map (no Beleriand) with no names of places just "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky?"

https://twitter.com/LOTRonPrime/status/ ... 5905117185

OK. I haven't even read Tolkien's books, but I found these guys and I think they're awesome:

. They basically take poetry from the books and convert them to song. Anyone else here familiar with Clamavis De Profundis?

@Anfinwen, I guess I don't have much to say about it as there's... not much to see. I did note that other people who are much better versed in LotR and Sil are able to glean some hints from the map as to when the series will take place.

@Cleander, curious, any reason why you haven't read LotR?

What do you think of the tease artwork of a Middle Earth map (no Beleriand) with no names of places just "Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky?"

My first thought was basically "well . . . yep, that's Middle Earth". That mountain range on the east side is not on Second/Third Age maps. I did however find it on a First Age map. Interesting. The bit about the three rings suggests to me either Second Age when the rings were forged or Third Age while the one ring was lost. Aragorn did travel a lot in the south and east, so maybe that's why the map extends farther in those directions? I've seen some comments about the runes on the compass rose appearing more Dwarvish than expected, but according to my Middle-Earth atlas those are the runes used regardless of language. Although it looks like they have the rune for east pointing north.

Anyone else here familiar with Clamavis De Profundis?

Oh yes. They're one of my favorites.