The Tale of the Last Alliance

In Tolkien’s own words 

I have long wished to see a full account of the War of the Last Alliance as written by Tolkien for the history of Middle-earth. Unfortunately, much of what we know is scattered into fragments over numerous books.

Following the success of The Tale of the Dagor Dagorth post, I have attempted to do the same thing. Looking for every passage, sentence, footnote and scrap of information referencing the Last Alliance, I have tried to construct a full account using Tolkien’s own writings.

Discovered: Two Tolkien Gems

New writings by the Professor heading your way

By now you’ve probably heard the news. Two poems by J.R.R. Tolkien have been brought to life after being concealed in an annual school journal for over 80 years.

The discovery, made by reknowed scholar Wayne G. Hammond, consists of two obscure poems The Shadow Man and Noel, that had been written by Tolkien for the 1936 Annual of Our Lady’s School, Abingdon.

On Were-worms

Hunting the elusive creature

You pick up a copy of The Hobbit and start reading the first chapter.

Halfway through you encounter the following statement made by Bilbo Baggins:

“Tell me what you want done, and I will try it, if I have to walk from here to the East of East and fight the wild Were-worms in the Last Desert.”

Raising a glass this Christmas …

25 December: the Company leaves Rivendell … tough luck!

It’s that time of year again where even we, the most ardent of Middle-earth fans, need to put down our books and DVDs and join friends and family in this yearly celebration.

A LoTR-themed Birthday Cake

Middle-earth sized celebration …

So another year has passed since my last birthday and lo and behold I discovered an unusual cake waiting for me on the kitchen table.

To say that I was impressed is an understatement. I marvelled at the intricate map and the tome-sized book-cake with the memorable fonts spelling out that magical 5-worded title.

Books Read in 2015

In which I set forth their titles…

For someone who loves to read and write, the following is a lacking number of books I have read this year. Between insufficient time and procrastination, this list could easily be twice as long. 

1000 Followers!

Reaching new heights…

Exactly two years and five months ago, on 8 July 2013, this blog published its first post. Back then, nothing could have convinced me I’d get past 10, let alone 1000 followers.

Well, technically I should say we’re “over 1000 followers” but I’ll let it stand at that.

The Magic of sharing Middle-earth with others

We’ve all been in that frustrating situation when you are trying to convince friends and family to join you in a single sitting of your favourite films. Many adamantly refuse your requests; others give in after much persuasion; whilst some, very rarely, are on board after witnessing your passionate display for the film in question.

When winter first begins to bite …

It’s been almost a month since I’ve written any posts.

I’m still here. I’m still a fan of Tolkien, the films and literature in general. I love writing and am still reading books whilst pondering new posts.

It just so happens that Time has a rather cheeky way of getting in the way.

We’re heading towards December, and the Festive spirit is catching on. I’m waiting for my physical copy of The Battle of the Five Armies extended edition to arrive. Not only to re-watch it, but to binge on the appendices material.

In the meantime, some other real-life issues will be requiring my attention, but that won’t stop me from coming back to this blog to express my love for Middle-earth.

As we speak, I have already several posts planned for the next month and will hopefully be providing you company as we head towards Christmas and the New Year.

Until then, take care.

A short letter to Sir Peter

In honour of his birthday: 31 October, 1961

Well, I may have had some reservations here and there in the man’s latest work. But isn’t that the purpose of a great director? His work fuels the mind to act, to give an opinion, to imagine and to experience.

I am forever indebted to Peter Jackson for influencing my early teens and shaping the following years into the man I am now. Were I not introduced to the world of Middle-earth I would not have become a keen admirer of filmmaking, a fantasy enthusiast, an ardent reader and, above all, a lover of words.