12 Wednesday Jun 2013
Posted in Gandalf, Hobbit movie, News, Richard Armitage, Thorin
Tags
balin, bilbo, desolation of smaug, dragon, dwalin, dwarves, evangeline lilly, gandalf, high res, hobbit trailer, kili, lee pace, martin freeman, news, richard armitage, screencaps, spoilers, tauriel, thorin, thrain, thranduil
Screencaps (1920 X 1080) from the Desolation of Smaug teaser trailer are now in this gallery.
11 Tuesday Jun 2013
Posted in Discussion, Gandalf, Hobbit movie, News, Richard Armitage, Thorin
Tags
bilbo, desolation of smaug, dwarves, gandalf, high res, hobbit trailer, news, photos, richard armitage, screencaps, spoilers, thorin, trailer
From collider.com come these HD images of scenes from the new teaser trailer.
Screencaps of the whole trailer will be posted in my gallery later.
(click to open in full-size)
27 Monday May 2013
Posted in Discussion, Gandalf, Hobbit book, Thorin
Tags
balin, bladorthin, der berggeist, durin, dvergar, dwalin, dwarves, essay, gandalf, king arthur, merlin, mim, oakenshield, odin, old norse, origins, richard wagner, sir balin, the wanderer, thor, thorin, thrain, thror, tolkien, voluspa
Note: The following essay was written by guest author Ewelina the Wonderer.
-D.J.
The Unexpected Origins
- J. R. R. Tolkien’s inspirations for Gandalf and the Dwarves -
by Ewelina the Wonderer
It began…
Well, it began as you might expect – with long-forgotten languages J. R. R. Tolkien was so deeply fond of. Among the numerous sources of his linguistic inspirations, which attentive travelers are likely to encounter throughout the familiar Middle-Earth landscape, one language in particular had its share in creating one of the most recognizable wizards in the history of contemporary literature – Gandalf the Grey.
“Many are my names in many countries, he said. Mithrandir among the Elves, Tharkûn to the Dwarves; Olórin I was in my youth in the West that is forgotten, in the South Incánus, in the North Gandalf; to the East I go not.” – Gandalf, “The Lord of the Rings. The Two Towers”
According to Middle-Earth’s linguistic legendarium, Gandalf translates as Elf-of-the-wand (or cane, or staff) – a name which was given to him by the Men of the North who, intimidated by his mysterious appearance, extraordinary skills and unnaturally long life, assumed he belonged to Elf-kind rather than the world of Men.
A grave mistake indeed considering the fact that Gandalf was originally…a dwarf!
Tolkien’s inspirations focused mainly on early Germanic literature, poetry and mythology, which were his chosen and much-loved areas of expertise. A collection of poems in one of these languages known as Old Norse, a North Germanic language spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlements during the Viking Age (VIIIth – XIIIth century), became an undeniable background not only for the character of Gandalf the Grey but also for other familiar Middle-Earth heroes like Durin, Dwalin or Dain. This collection of poems was known as “The Poetic Edda“.
One of the Old Norse poems, titled “Völuspá” (“Prophecy of the Seeress“), presents the creation of the world and its coming end in the words of a völva, a shamanic seeress, addressing Odin – member of the Æsir (a pagan pantheon of Norse gods) – who was a symbol of war, victory and death, but also of wisdom, shamanism, magic, poetry, prophecy and the hunt. His most famous son, Thor, a hammer-wielding god known as the protector of mankind, master of thunder, lightning and storms, was also associated with oak trees – a likely inspiration of Thrór, Thorin’s grandfather, and the famous oaken shield as well.
Thor’s Oak was a sacred tree of the Germanic pagans, located somewhere in Hessia, in Germany. Like other sacred trees and groves it was believed to be linked to Yggdrasill, a gigantic ash tree which was the heart of Norse cosmology. Its branches extended far into the heavens and its three enormous roots originated from the wells Urðarbrunnr and Mímisbrunnr, and from the spring Hvergelmir.
Wondrous creatures lived within Yggdrasil, including a dragon – Níðhöggr, which gnawed at its roots trapping it away from the world; and four magnificent stags: Dáinn, Dvalinn, Duneyrr and Duraþrór, chomping at its branches. Dáinn and Dvalinn also reappear in Norse mythology as dwarfish heroes, but here, in the context of the holy tree, it is believed that the four stags were either a symbol of seasons, moon phases or winds – with Dáinn and Dvalinn being the calm ones and Duneyrr and Duraþrór – the heavy ones. Yggdrasil was also home to an unnamed eagle, perched on top of the ash tree, with Veðrfölnir – a hawk sitting between his eyes; and Ratatoskr – a squirrel running up and down its trunk, passing news and gossip from the eagle to the dragon.
Ratatoskr passing news from Níðhöggr to the nameless eagle living within Yggdrasil. Artwork by Daniel Lieske.
Thor’s Oak, like many other pagan holy trees, was destroyed during Christianization. According to the legend, it was cut down in the VIIth century by an Anglo-Saxon missionary, Saint Boniface (Winfred), with a little help from some strong, mysterious wind. The timber from the tree was used to create a wooden oratory.
Saint Boniface chopping down Thor’s Oak.
Dwarves, or Dvergar as they were called in Old Norse, were one of Æsir’s many creations – entities deriving from rocks and earth, acknowledged for their craft, metalwork, wisdom but also greed. According to “Völuspá”, dwarves originated from three primary tribes, led by Mótsognir - their first ruler, secondly by Durinn and finally by Dvalinn – the discoverer of rune writing. And while the character of Dwalin plays a minor role in “The Hobbit”, Durin the Deathless remains one of the most important dwarven heroes in Tolkien’s mythology, being the eldest of the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves and the founder of the legendary kingdom of Khazad-dûm.
Even though the word Dvergar is etymologically related to Dwarves, the early Norse concept of Dvergar was far different from the concept of dwarves in other cultures. According to some scholars the ancient Norse originally described the Dvergar as human-sized, but the spread of Christianity led to diminishing both their mythic and religious role as well as their stature. Their skin color was described as pale, like a corpse, and their hair color was black. The Dvergar were often called black – a term relating to their hair, beard and eyes, granting them another name – Svartálfar – meaning Black Elves.
In contrast, to describe black skin, Old Norse used another term – blue(blár). One of the Dvergr bore the nickname of Bláinn – The Blue One, who may have been an inspiration for Balin, Thorin Oakenshield’s companion in “The Hobbit” and the Lord of Moria from “The Lord of the Rings”. [Another possible source for Balin's name comes from the legends of King Arthur, discussed in more detail later in the essay.] In addition, Dáin and Náin, dwarven rulers closely related to Thorin, derived their names from Dvergar famous for their pale skin and corpse-like appearances – Dáinn (The Dead One) and Náinn (The Corpse). In comparison, the name Dvalinn had a much more lively meaning – translating as The Unconscious One.
Many Norse texts imply that Dvalinn is the ancestor of all Dvergar and his name stands for any or every Dvergr – calling female Dvergar “the daughters of Dvalinn” and the sun – “the game of Dvalinn” (since it was deadly to any Dvergr who had to dodge it every dawn). Norse mythology also mentions “the drink of Dvalinn”, also known as “The Mead of Poetry”, a beverage which granted its drinker the skills of a scald or a scholar.
Dvergar depicted in a 19th century edition of “Völuspá” (1895) by Lorenz Frølich.
Considering all of these facts it is more than apparent that “Dvergatal” (“Catalogue of Dwarves”), an integral part of the “Völuspá” poem, became a perfect catalogue of dwarfish names for Tolkien’s Durin-folk, granting them to heroes such as Fili, Kili, Bifur (Old Norse: Bífurr), Bofur (Báfurr), Bombur (Bömburr), Nori (Nóri), Dori (Dóri), Ori (Óri), Gloin (Glóinn), Fundin, Thrór (Þrór), Thráin (Þráinn) and of course Thorin (Þorinn) Oakenshield (Eikinskjaldi). Tolkien came to regret his use of Old Norse names, referring to it as a “rabble of eddaic-named dwarves invented in an idle hour” but decided to use Old Norse in “The Lord of the Rings” nonetheless, as an explanation for the origin of the language of Dale.
“A rabble of eddaic-named dwarves invented in an idle hour” – J. R. R. Tolkien. Artwork by Dwalinroxxx.
Numerous Dvergar names contain the syllable álf, from Álfar (Elves). Thankfully, Norse texts do provide us with a distinction between these two races and the presence of álf among dwarven names seems to serve as a form of title – stating that its bearer was a source of good luck but also meaning a guardian or a deity. The best example for the aforesaid is a familiar Dvergar name – Gandálfr, the Old Norse forefather of Gandalf the Grey, Middle-Earth’s tireless guardian and Thorin Oakenshield’s source of good luck indeed. Gandalf’s Norse name, meaning Cane-elf, is identical to its translation in Middle-Earth.
Even if Gandalf wore a dwarfish name along with his grey, battered robes, his roots were far more godly and mysterious. Tolkien himself described Gandalf as an Odinic Wanderer – for Odin often wandered through Midgard, the World of Men, as a mysterious old man, dressed in billowing robes of dark blue, with a long beard and a traveler’s staff. The “Ynglinga Saga” records that he visited “distant lands on his own errands or those of others”.
“For aid? It has seldom been heard of that Gandalf the Grey sought for aid, one so cunning and so wise, wandering about the lands, and concerning himself in every business, whether it belongs to him or not.” – Saruman about Gandalf, “The Lord of the Rings. The Two Towers”.
Odin, the Wisdom-Seeking Wanderer by Arthur Rackham (1911).
The Wanderer was a relentless seeker and giver of wisdom, but he had little regard for communal values such as justice, fairness, respect for law and convention. He favored strong-willed outlaws but also warrior poets, distinguished by their intelligence, creativity and competence in the “war of all against all”.
Most shamans, to whom Odin was a divine patron, had to undergo a ritual of death and rebirth in order to acquire their powers. Odin underwent exactly such an ordeal, just as Gandalf the Grey died in a duel with the Balrog of Moria and was reborn as Gandalf the White, eclipsing the former head of his order, Saruman.
Odin was accompanied by many symbolic animals. Sometimes he would ride an eight-legged horse named Sleipnir, described as the best of all mounts – just as Shadowfax, Gandalf’s steed, lord of the Mearas, was the best mount of king Théoden’s stables.
Odin riding Sleipnir. Concept art by Michael Kutsche.
Odin was also aided by a pair of ravens, Huginn (“Thought“) and Muninn (“Memory“), which flew over the universe and brought him valuable information from the World of Men – a possible inspiration for Carc, Roäc and their kin of ravens from the Ravenhill near Erebor, serving king Thrór and, later on, his grandson.
Odin/Wotan with Huginn and Muninn, by John Howe.
This depiction of Odin – as the mysterious Wanderer – was one of the main themes of Richard Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” (“The Ring of the Nibelung”) – a cycle of four epic operas, loosely based on the Norse sagas, involving a magical ring, a shattered sword, a powerful dragon and some greedy dwarves. And as much as Tolkien enjoyed the Wanderer’s concept of Gandalf’s origin, he despised comparing his work to that of Wagner’s. Gandalf, unlike Odin, is not the chief of all gods or a shape-sifter, he’s not brutal and cares not for treasures.
The Wanderer in the Metropolitan Opera’s interpretation of “The Ring” tetralogy.
The Wanderer and Siegfried.
It’s also worth mentioning that one of the dwarves from “The Ring” cycle, bearing the name Mime, from Old Norse Mímir or Mim (“The Rememberer“), may have been an inspiration for Mîm, one of the Petty-dwarves of the First Age whose fate was entangled with that of Túrin Turambar’s from “The Children of Húrin”, just like Wagner’s Mime, equally untrustworthy and bitter, finds himself dependent on Siegfried, a young and fearless human hero.
Siegfried and Mime.
Mîm captured by Turin Turambar and his men. Artwork by Steamey.
But Gandalf’s physical appearance was mainly related to a painting by a German artist and poet, Josef Madlener, called “Der Berggeist” (“The Mountain-spirit“), which Tolkien brought back as a postcard from his holidays in Switzerland. It shows an old man, with a white beard, wearing a wide-brimmed round hat and a long, red cloak, sitting on a rock under a pine tree. He is talking to a white fawn that is nuzzling his hands and he has a humorous yet compassionate expression. Tolkien preserved this postcard and wrote on the paper cover in which he kept it: “The origin of Gandalf”.
“Der Berggeist” by Josef Madlener (1881-1967).
It is more than likely that “Der Berggeist” was in fact a portrait of Rübezahl, a mountain spirit of the Krkonoše Mountains, a mountain range located in the north of the Czech Republic (where he is known as Krakonoš) and the south-west of Poland (with Liczyrzepa or Waligóra being his Polish names). He was a subject of many legends and fairy tales in German, Polish and Czech folklore, in which he was depicted as a capricious giant, gnome or spirit, the lord of the weather and master of the wild hunt, acting unexpectedly or playfully, sending lightning and thunder, fog, rain and snow from the mountain below, even while the sun was shining. Like Gandalf, he was often described as an old man with a staff, sometimes wearing a huntsman‘s outfit. According to Polish folklore he was killed many times and his symbolic grave can be visited in the village of Szklarska Poręba.
Rübezahl’s statue in Krkonoše Mountains.
The list of inspirations for Gandalf seems an endless one. Some scholars claim that Gandalf derived from Väinämöinen, a wise old man and a central hero of a Finnish epic poem “Kalevala”; who – like Gandalf – had immortal origins and departed on a ship to the lands beyond the mortal world. Gandolf, an evil overlord, and Silverfax, a fast, white horse, were also one of the characters of a XIXth century fantasy novel, “The Well at the World’s End” written by William Morris, well known to both Tolkien and his very good friend, C. S. Lewis.
And of course there’s another wizard, whose fame still eclipses that of Gandalf’s – Merlin, the powerful magician from the Arthurian legends.
Merlin’s origins, unlike Gandalf’s, were far from being angelic since he was said to be a cambion – an offspring of a mortal woman and a demon father from whom he inherited his magical powers like shape-shifting and unnaturally long life. Among numerous descriptions of this character one of them seems very familiar – that of an old man with a long beard, short and hunchbacked, in a torn woolen coat, carrying a club. And yet this shabby sage, unlikely as it seems, was the chief advisor of king Arthur, just like Gandalf offered his council to Thorin, Aragorn, Théoden and other important rulers of Middle-Earth.
“Gandalf was shorter in stature than the other two; but his long white hair, his sweeping silver beard, and his broad shoulders, made him look like some wise king of ancient legend. In his aged face under great snowy brows his eyes were set like coals that could suddenly burst into fire.” – “The Fellowship of the Ring”
“Merlin” by Alan Lee.
Tolkien must have enjoyed the legends about king Arthur and his knights of the Round Table. In 1925 he published a scholarly edition of XIVth century romance “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight” and – though only published this year – he had begun a poem titled “The Fall of Arthur” in the 1930′s, but probably abandoned it around the same time he was writing “The Hobbit“. King Arthur, like Thorin, relied mainly on twelve of his best and most loyal knights: Lancelot, Gawain, Geraint, Gareth, Gaheris, Bedivere, Galahad, Key, Bors de Ganis, Lamorak, Tristan and Percivale, although some texts also include Agravaine, Sagramore and other less known warriors.
Gawain, Gaheris, Gareth and Agravaine were Arthur’s nephews, just like Fili and Kili were the sons of Dis, Thorin’s sister. Sadly, Tolkien’s descriptions of the individual members of Thorin’s Company were short, robbed of memorable details, so establishing further connections between the knights of the Round Table and any particular dwarves from “The Hobbit” would seem a far-fetched supposition. Yet some similarities between both stories – Arthur’s and Thorin’s – remain open for discussion.
Arthur was the first born son of Uther Pendragon and the heir to the throne of Britain, just as Thorin was the first born son of Thráin II, inheriting his rights to the throne of Erebor. Arthur claimed the crown by pulling out the Sword in the Stone in which it was buried by Merlin; a deed which could only be performed by the rightful king of England. Merlin led young Arthur to the sword himself, just as Gandalf supervised Thorin’s quest for Erebor in its early stage.
Merlin advising Arthur – as portrayed in “Idylls of the King” by Gustave Doré (XIXth century).
And while Arthur never fought a dragon in his time, he did dream of one:
“And as the king lay in his cabin in the ship, he fell in a slumbering and dreamed a marvellous dream: him seemed that a dreadful dragon did drown much of his people, and he came flying out of the west, and his head was enamelled with azure, and his shoulders shone as gold, his belly like mails of a marvelous hue, his tail full of tatters, his feet full of fine sable, and his claws like fine gold; and an hideous flame of fire flew out of his mouth, like as the land and water had flamed all of fire.”
– “Le Morte d’Arthur” by sir Thomas Malory (XVth century)
In the end, Arthur was betrayed by one of his most faithful knights, Lancelot, who robbed him of the treasure dearest to the king’s noble heart – his wife, Guinevere. Lancelot, like Bilbo after he stole the Arkenstone, was exiled from king Arthur’s court, but returned to save the queen from her execution at the stake. And as Arthur pursued him in order to have his revenge, Mordred, his illegitimate son, took this occasion to take over the rule of his kingdom.
Arthur and Thorin are therefore forced to face their final battles shortly after the betrayal of their valued follower, defending their rights to their own realms, surrounded by enemies who were cunning enough to strike when the kings were most vulnerable.
Mordred and Arthur met on the battlefield of Camlann, Mordred was killed, and Arthur mortally wounded. According to Malory’s “Le Morte d’Arthur” Guinevere is later on buried in the same tomb as Arthur, just as Thorin was buried with the Arkenstone after the Battle of Five Armies. Arthur’s nephew, Gawain, is one of the many casualties of the battle of Camlann, just as Thorin’s nephews, Fili and Kili, die by their uncle’s side in the shadow of the Lonely Mountain.
And if Gandalf was Middle-Earth’s Merlin, and Thorin Oakenshield – its king Arthur, then we must mention one more figure – sir Balin le Savage, also known as the Knight with the Two Swords, who – according to Merlin’s council – would become Arthur’s best and bravest knight. He’s described as “a good man of his hands and of his deeds, and without villainy or treachery and without treason”, like his Tolkien alter ego, yet he meets a much more tragic end than Balin from “The Lord of the Rings”, since he is mortally wounded by his brother in a dramatic duel, which results in their deaths.
There is also one more extraordinary theory about Gandalf’s origin – the secret of king Bladorthin.
“From that the talk turned to the great hoard itself and to the things that Thorin and Balin remembered. They wondered if they were still lying there unharmed in the hall below; the spears that were made for the armies of the great King Bladorthin (long since dead), each had a thrice-forged head and their shafts were inlaid with cunning gold, but they were never delivered or paid for; shields made for warriors long dead; the great golden cup of Thrór, two-handed, hammered and carven with birds and flowers whose eyes and petals were of jewels.” – “The Hobbit” by J. R. R. Tolkien
In the early draft of “The Hobbit”, the wizard, who would later become the legendary Gandalf, bore the name of the aforesaid Bladorthin, whereas the name of Gandalf was originally given to the dwarven King Under The Mountain, the final hero known as Thorin Oakenshield.
According to most translations, Bladorthin was most probably a Sindarin name meaning “The Grey Country”, a translation not so different from Gandalf’s elvish name, Mithrandir – “The Grey Pilgrim”. Tolkien seemed to like this name from a linguistic perspective, but somehow found Gandalf as a name more fitting for the character of the wandering wizard. The “Chief Dwarf” became known as Thorin, a name meaning “Bold One”, or “Darer”, and ultimately a more fitting designation for the King Under the Mountain than “Staff Elf” had been, while the wizard was able to utilize the appellation to better effect.
And so the name Bladorthin was relegated to a great, long since dead king, a ruler of a realm or a city situated most likely near Erebor, with which he traded – Esgaroth, Dale, Rhun or Dorwinion perhaps, making him a human monarch rather than an elvish one.
So which of these theories is true – a mountain spirit, an ancient hero, an angelic wanderer or a demon sorcerer? Perhaps we shall never know. But we must remember that Gandalf, like no other Middle-Earth character, is entitled to some secrecy and, elf or dwarf, a king or a wandering pilgrim, with or without a staff, kind or fearsome, shall always remain the Disturber of Peace, for “tales and adventures sprouted up and down all over the place wherever he went, in the most extraordinary fashion…”
Gandalf the Grey, by John Howe.
For more on Tolkien’s inspirations:
[1] J. R. R. Tolkien, Douglas A. Anderson, “The Annotated Hobbit: The Hobbit, or There and Back Again”.
[2] Humphrey Carpenter, Christopher Tolkien, “The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien”.
[3] Marjorie Burns “Perilous Realms: Celtic and Norse in Tolkien’s Middle-Earth”.
13 Monday May 2013
Posted in Discussion, Hobbit book, Hobbit movie
What follows is a guest post written by Anjy Roemelt.
-D.J.
What’s So Special About These Dwarves?
by Anjy Roemelt
The Hobbit – Dwarves. Who would ever have expected them to rock the fansites like they did after “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” was released last December. Why, I pray thee, should we be so enamored of these small, stocky figures with hoods and lanterns, crawling through mines and all looking alike with their beards? We saw them in “The Lord of the Rings – The Fellowship of the ring” at the Council of Elrond. We knew who Gimli was – barely. The other dwarves looked slightly modified by photoshop. White beards, eyebrows curving the other way, or no discernible difference at all. I must admit I didn’t think much about the dwarves before I saw the film. I was looking forward to Bilbo and Gandalf, curious if they would feature Legolas in Mirkwood, and expecting to be mildly entertained, but mostly for nostalgic reasons in reminiscence of The Lord of the Rings. I have never been so wrong in my whole life.
I did not pay much attention to trailers, being busy with reality, and only had a look at a guide-book to the movie a couple of days prior to the premiere. I liked Fili and Kili in that book and thought “There’ll be some eye-candy in it, then, so no need for the maxi-popcorn.” I have never been … see above. Of course, I fell in love with Thorin at first glance. Who didn’t? I’m ready to fight anyone who did, though. They have no business hankering after him, he’s mine!!!! But that is just – or unjust – the icing on the cake. The dwarves as a whole bear a fascination I see in so many contributions to websites and notice in talks in still-existing-real-life. I have a theory why that is so. Let me know if you agree (and also if you disagree, I feel obliged to add).
First they are family. They belong together, and as the audience I can make myself believe I do, too. I pin their pictures to my kitchen-door, I wear their items, I sing their song, I am one of the family. Better, sometimes, than my real one. Family as it ought to be. Loving and teasing and fighting for one another. It’s vital we know these things are still important. Yes, I KNOW real life is different and I’m over-demanding or projecting childhood-illusions onto movie-characters (can somebody please lock Uncle Sigmund in the basement!) – but, NO!, they’re not illusions. They are what family life ought to be for everyone and everywhere. We may have lost it, but that does not mean it never existed. If it exists as a longing, then it exists.
Secondly, they fight. For one another. For something. They have something more important to them than their comfortable homes and regular income. Even more important than food – and that IS important to a dwarf. Balin makes this clear to Thorin: there is no real need to go back to Erebor. They have a home in the Blue Mountains, they have peace and a safe prospect for the future. They can raise their kids far away from dragons and destruction, and they grow up like Fili and Kili, just playing war and dressing up like warriors but never in any real danger (which mother wouldn’t want such a life for her sons?) Yet, they will go with Thorin into an insecure future if ever there was one. Bombur is willing to go on a journey which will mean a snack in the morning and a frugal pot-luck in the evening. Dori is willing to go where branches will tangle in his braids and there is no mirror. Ori is willing to go away from his mother’s knitting. Nori, of course, is willing to go anywhere. All of them has a choice, all but Thorin, and they disregard their personal choices to follow him.
This is – of course – utterly politically incorrect, psychologically wrong and, in fact, pathological. If you do something like this in real life, you need a good shrink. Then why do so many of us long to do just that? To find something in our lives that is more important than food and insurances and i-phones? Something that is not only bigger but greater than the virtues we have been taught since kindergarden. Living in the civilized west we feel going on a quest for religious reasons is out of the question. Really, most of us, me included, are not sure enough that our personal beliefs ARE the only ones true and possible, to want to wager our lives on them. Our nations might be a reason if we are, say, Croatian or Turkish or from Kazakhstan (these being the most passionate people about their nations I have met, so far), but for most of us the daily hassle with governments and bureaucrats diminish our love for our actual nation a tiny bit. So, what is there to fight for? Our football team! I’d go anywhere for my football team (soccer, for US-readers), but still there is something about Thorin & Co that exceeds hoisting the colours of my club.
There is something in most human souls that longs to be part of something great, something worthy to give everything for. It’s mostly not reasonable to take such a decision in real life, and it is absolutely impossible if you have a family, children you are responsible for, but as with the family, the longing is still there. That it is there proves there is a reason for this. It is okay to long for something greater than me. It is okay to find things in my life which are worth a risk and worth an eschewal. It is okay to value this longing and keep an eye on it. It might be something in my life that does not diminish with age, something that does not grow stale in the using. It might be something that makes me go on when other things fail. It might even be God …
And then there is the humour of it all. Starting with Bilbo. All these great feelings and longings I have described so far, and I should go for them without a hanky? No way! Bebother and confusticate reality! The greatness and the kingship, and the nobility, and glory would be unbearable without the humour.
Tolkien wrote the book like that. There is always a humorous twist in the events, usually provided by Bilbo, that reminds us of our own insignificance in the great events taking place around us – and still we are part of the pattern. Tolkien depicted the Hobbits as the real “humans” in his universe. He said about himself “I am in fact a hobbit in all but size”. They are the kind and simple and down-to-(middle)earth people everyone can identify with when the kings and queens and warriors and immortal elves have proven to be a bit exaggerated for the rest of us. So, let’s have some supper at Bag End.
So, why the dwarves? Maybe because we long for something and they give us courage. They are not as high-brow and aloof as the elves, nor as rigid as the men of Gondor, yet they provide a tad more … well, greatness …. than the hobbits. They are great AND small, noble and funny, what we want to be, and what we are, all rolled into one. They are adorable. Aaaaand – as an afterthought – to identify with a dwarf rather than with an elf is so much less pressure on my BMI 
.
-Anjy Roemelt
13 Monday May 2013
Posted in Dori, Fili, Hobbit movie, Kili, News, Nori, Ori, Richard Armitage, Thorin
Tags
balin, bifur, bofur, bombur, dori, dwalin, dwarves, fili, gandalf, gloin, interview, kili, news, nori, oin, ori, radagast, thorin, trolls, video, white council
There are several new videos from an Asian website featuring interviews and behind-the-scenes clips on the dwarves in the company, including information on the characters found nowhere else (the one about Thorin, Fili, and Kili was posted by Xbox a month ago in better quality). If you want to know more about Bifur the toymaker, Dwalin the professional soldier, Ori the scribe, or Bombur the father of 12, then play on!
There are also videos featuring the White Council (which was highlighted in this essay last month), Radagast, the Trolls, and Riddles in the Dark.
27 Saturday Apr 2013
Posted in Discussion, Hobbit book, Hobbit movie, News, Thorin
Tags
desolation of smaug, dol guldur, dragons, dwarves, elrond, galadriel, gandalf, hobbit trailer, necromancer, one ring, radagast, rings of power, saruman, sauron, smaug, spoilers, thorin, thrain, white council
Concerns of the White Council
By Ori’s Quill
This essay is an analysis of the concerns of the White Council that is featured in An Unexpected Journey. It is one of a three part trilogy that shows the evolution of the Necromancer’s rise to power, and in the future essays explains the connection between Thorin and the One Ring. It is also an attempt to reconcile the literary works of J.R.R. Tolkien and An Unexpected Journey, but also to point out the discrepancies. There are a few small “spoilers” that will not be labeled. Some things will be revealed to fans of the movies that may not have read The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and other literary works of Professor Tolkien, while fans of Tolkien may be reminded or even enlightened while reading this essay. There is a map at the end of the essay to reference if you like.
The White Council is formed in the year 2463 of the Third Age shortly after the Peaceful Watch ends. Lady Galadriel founds the Council after dark shadows start to grow out of Dol Guldur, and could be sensed in Lórien.
Originally Gandalf was recommended as the leader of the Council, but he sternly declines the appointment, citing his need to remain nomadic and refusal to a summons. It is agreed then that Saruman would head the Council, though he accepts begrudgingly, being a second choice to Mithrandir. Other members are Radagast the Brown, and Elrond of Rivendell. The Silmarillion mentions that others of the Eldar are also in the Council, but their names are not mentioned, nor the regions they dwelt in. The Council sought clarification on the origins of the Necromancer, some suspecting that Sauron had in fact returned. Their inquiry proves futile, as Sauron senses their approach and retreats east. The Council does not meet again for 388 years.
The Council reforms in 2851. This was the year after Gandalf enters the fortress of Dol Guldur. There he discovers Thráin in the dungeons, and learns that Sauron is in fact the Necromancer gathering the Seven Rings, and is searching for the One Ring. Thráin dies and Gandalf barely escapes with his life. Gandalf calls for action of the White Council sensing the time had come for an attack, but his recommendation to assault Dol Guldur is denied by Saruman. At the time, Saruman’s decision not to act seems surprising, but slowly he is succumbing to the Ring, and wants to buy some time so he can search the Gladden Fields in the hopes of finding the Ring himself.
In 2941, the Council meets again (This is the same year that Thorin and Company begin their quest to reclaim Erebor). Saruman agrees to an assault of Dol Guldur, but only because he suspects that Sauron is searching the Gladden Fields too. Their attack proves futile, as Sauron has moved and enters again into Mordor the following year.
The White Council by Alan Lee
Twelve years later, in the year 2953 of the Third Age, the White Council meets for the final time. The seduction of the Ring causes Saruman to lie and say that it had passed into the sea. The Council disbands, and Saruman retreats to Mount Fang in Nan Curunír, claims Orthanc as his own, and prepares for war. He dispatches spies to Bree, and the Shire, and watches Gandalf’s moves very closely.
Radagast’s Account of the Emergence of Mirkwood
Radagast the Brown, or Aiwendil in Quenya, dwells in the region of Rhosgobel, on the borders of the Anduin and the forest of Greenwood. Because of Radagast’s deep connection with all beasts living, he becomes highly sensitized to the slow decay that begins to form around the majestic forest of Greenwood.
Radagast the Brown by Frank Victoria
Now Greenwood, or Greenwood the Great, is the greatest forest of Middle-earth. It encompasses a vast span over four hundred miles long and two hundred miles wide. Over two-thirds of the realm of Rhovanion, it comprises. To the west is the Great Anduin, and south-east is Mordor. It is the primary home of the Sindar, also known as Wood-elves. Their love of the mortal land of Middle-earth almost caused their extinction during the Battle of Dagorlad (3434 SA), known as the last alliance of men and elves, the epic battle in which Sauron lost his Ring by the hand of Isildur with his father’s sword, Narsil. After the battle, what was left of the Sindar return to Greenwood under the leadership of Thranduil, settling in the north-east along the Forest River. There they live in relative peace, delighting in the beauty of the forest, though a foreboding darkness seems to grow.
In Greenwood’s southern most region is the site of Dol Guldur, the Hill of Sorcery. Dol Guldur is built atop Amon Lanc. It is built in secret by evil forces under Sauron’s command in the beginning of the Third Age. The location is spitefully chosen! Amon Lanc, during the Second Age, was the home of Oropher, one of the Sindar who emigrated east after the fall of Morgoth in the First Age. Oropher was Thranduil’s father, and he was killed during the Battle of Dagorlad fighting Sauron.
Image of Dol Guldur on Amon Lanc from An Unexpected Journey
How very cruel it is that Dol Guldur is being built on Amon Lanc, Oropher’s home, while Oropher’s body lay in the marshes of Dagorlad. (It is around this time that the five great Istari first appear in Middle-earth. Three of these wizards became members of the White Council: Saruman, Gandalf and Radagast. The two wizards vaguely mentioned in An Unexpected Journey are Alatar and Pallando, and were said to travel into the far east of Middle-earth beyond Rohûn.)
It is because of the building of Dol Guldur, and the growing shadow shrouding it, that Greenwood becomes Mirkwood. A foreboding comes to Rhovanion. Darkness permeates the forest due to the dense canopy. The trees became diseased, and the air stagnant and suffocating. Little water can be found, and where there is water, it is black and enchanted. A mighty and beautiful forest injected with a carcinogenic plague and its filthy byproducts.
Into the Mirkwood by Thalion
A big concern that Radagast has is the spiders and their horrible webs. “A spawn of Ungoliant or I’m not a wizard” – An Unexpected Journey. Ungoliant was the greatest of spiders from the First Age, being created out of the Darkness when Middle-earth was taking form. Melkor used her to destroy the sacred Trees of the Valinor. Later she sought dark remote areas and mated with lesser beings to produce a great amount of offspring. Shelob, of Cirith Ungol, was one of Ungoliant’s offspring, and she in turn produced offspring of her own that migrated from Cirith Ungol into the north and south sections of Mirkwood. Their network of webs created an even darker foreboding, as they poisoned their prey and hung them in the forest canopy.
Trolls of the Ettenmoors Raiding Villages
Trolls, according to Tolkien, were first created during the First Age at the time of Great Darkness, when all the light of Valar, Illuin and Ormal was destroyed by Melkor. It is because they were created in darkness, that trolls have sensitivity to sunlight, and turn to stone as read in The Hobbit, and seen delightfully in An Unexpected Journey. Morgoth, during the end of the First Age used trolls for his invasion of Beleriand. After Morgoth’s defeat, the trolls suffered great losses, and were slow to reproduce (could it be their cooking?) Retreating to the region of the Ettenmoors, south of Angmar, trolls were no longer a concern to the kind races of Middle-earth. That is why Gandalf and Thorin are perplexed at their appearance in Journey. Thorin: “Since when do Mountain Trolls venture this far south?” Gandalf: “Ooh, not for an Age. Not since a darker power rules these lands. They could not have moved in daylight”.
William, Tom and Bert from An Unexpected Journey
The investigation of the Troll-hoard reveals actions of malfeasance. Coins, treasure, weaponry and such are revealed in the trove, in particular, Orcrist and Glamdring. It is curious that such prestigious swords end up in the hands of trolls. The swords were war booty during the First Age after the fall of Gondolin. How the swords got there is a mystery, but it proves that Bert, Bill and Tom were up to mischief and conducting raids at night.
(Later in the Two Towers and the Return of the King, Tolkien and Jackson introduce a more aggressive race of trolls known as Olog-hai. These trolls are stronger, have a harder endurance, and could tolerate daylight without being turned to stone. We first see them in the Battle of Pelennor Fields, pushing large battle towers to the walls of Minas Tirith.)
Invading Orcs from Gundabad
Gandalf’s concern about the attack of an orc pack riding Gundabad wargs is also addressed. Gundabad is a mountain region in the north at the apex of the Misty Mountains, adjacent to Angmar. In the days of the Eldar, Mount Gundabad was the resting place of Durin the Deathless, the oldest father of the Dwarves, and ancient ancestor of Thrór, Thráin and Thorin. Durin slumbered many years in Gundabad, under the enchantment of Aulë, creator of the Dwarves. “Then Aulë took the seven fathers of the Dwarves and laid them to rest in far-sundered places.” – The Silmarillion. When Durin awoke, he founded a kingdom in Gundabad, until the colony was attacked by orcs migrating from the destroyed realm of Angband during the Second Age.
By the Third Age, Gundabad became known as an orc capital, and was commanded by Azog. Gundabad remained the capital until the year 2799 when during War of the Dwarves and Orcs, the Dwarves sacked Gundabad to avenge the killing and beheading of Thror. The Dwarves also held Gundabad as a sacred place that had been spoiled by the orc takeover in the Second Age. But because Mount Gundabad was occupied with orcs for so long, it remained by reputation, an evil and sinister place.
There is a distinct difference between Gundabad wargs featured in An Unexpected Journey and the wargs of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Gundabad wargs have a more bellicose nature, appear more wolf-like, and are specifically bred in Gundabad. Little is known of them except their aggressive pugnacious behavior and servitude to the Orcs of Gundabad and their king Azog. (In the book The Hobbit, the wargs assist the goblins but are not under their servitude.)
Gundabad Warg Scout by Gus Hunter
By contrast the wargs of The Lord of the Rings, known as the wolves of Isengard, were used in organized attacks by Saruman. “He has taken Orcs into his service, and Wolf –riders, and evil Men.” – The Two Towers. According to Tolkien, all orcs have a disdain for sunlight, but in An Unexpected Journey and Two Towers daylight does not deter them. But orcs and wargs are to be feared regardless of day or night. “The wolf that one hears is worse than the orc that one fears. But where the warg howls, there also the orc prowls.” – The Fellowship of the Ring.
Fear of Smaug’s Power to be Unleashed
Another concern of Gandalf is the idea that Smaug may be turned to aide Sauron. He presents this to the White Council, explaining that “if he should side with the enemy, a dragon could be used to terrible effect” – An Unexpected Journey. The effect he mentions is this. The north-east during this time is very weak. With the city of Dale razed, Erebor guarded by Smaug, and the Ered Mithrin’s reputation of having potentially more dragons in the region of Withered Heath, it would be very easy for an invasion with dragons into the realms of Rhovanion, Lórien and Rohan. Gandalf is convinced that Sauron has returned, and knows that this invasion is a strong possibility with virtual impunity from any organized resistance.
Conversation with Smaug by J.R.R.Tolkien
The use of dragons in such an invasion is a highly justifiable concern, for Middle-earth had a history of such evil tidings in the past. Dragons had long plagued Middle-earth, particularly the race of Dwarves, even before the Sack of Erebor. Dáin I, father of Thrór, was ruler in the realm of the Ered Mithrin (Grey Mountains), the location of which was Withered Heath. “But there were dragons in the wastes beyond; and after many years they became strong again and multiplied, and they made war on the Dwarves and plundered their works.” – Return of the King, Appendix A. The Dwarves abandoned the Ered Mithrin after Dain I was slain with his son, Frór, and Thrór led the remaining Dwarves back to Erebor. But the history of Dwarves and dragons goes back even further.
There was Glaurung the greatest and most feared dragon of the First Age. He was bred by Morgoth, Sauron’s leader, and was unveiled during the Battle of Sudden Flames. At Morgoth’s command was “Glaurung, the Golden, father of dragons, in his full might; and in his trains were Balrogs and behind them came the black armies of the Orcs in multitudes such as Noldor had never seen or imagined” – The Silmarillion. The Great Worm was inexperienced, though powerful, and was eventually beaten off by Fingon.
Glaurung by Ted Nasmith
Glaurung the Fire Drake would again return two hundred years later, on command of Morgoth, during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, otherwise known as Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Glaurung had matured at this point, and proved a fierce adversary. Elves and men both perished as they fought him until at last, the Dwarves of Gabilgathol, a Dwarf-city in the Ered Luin, came to their aid. The Dwarves, it was said, wore armor more resistant to the fire of the dragon and assailed him at close range. As they surrounded him, their battle axes hit their mark. In a fit of rage, Glaurung turned on the Dwarf-king, Azaghâl and crawled over him, crushing him to death, but not before Azaghâl plunged a knife in the fire-drake’s belly. Glaurung fled, but the wound he received from Azaghâl was not a mortal wound.
Glaurung later returned, and used powerful spells and bewitched the children of Húrin in vile and incestuous ways. As he wormed his way towards the last free hold of Middle-earth, he received a mortal wound from Turambar (Túrin) wielding the Black Thorn of Brethil, a black sword of Nargothrond.
Glaurung the Golden – by Lynton Levengood
Another of the Great Worms of Middle-earth was Scatha the Worm, who also served Morgoth in the First Age. He fled to Ered Mithrin after the War of Wrath. Known to plague both men and Dwarves in the Northern Wildlands, he was slain in the year 2000 of the Third Age. (Some Trivia: One of the finds from Scatha’s hoard was the Horn of Rohan that Eowyn presents to Merry Brandybuck for his heroic deeds in the Battle of Pelennor Fields. Another bit of trivia: It is speculated that Glamdring, Orcrist, and Sting also came from this hoard as Scatha took part in the razing of Gondolin).
Finally, there is Ancalagon the Black. This great dragon was the first winged dragon Middle-earth had seen. Unleashed under Morgoth’s command as a last defense, Ancalagon proved a very mighty foe. He was extremely large, with a tremendous wing span. When at last he was slain by Eärendil, with aid from the Eagles of Manwë, and fell from the sky, the impact of his carcass shattered the mountain range of Thangorodrim, near Angband.
Scatha – by Scatha-the-Worm, and Ancalagon the Black – by Daniel Govar
The Mystery of the Morgul Blade
The appearance of the Morgul Blade completely baffles and terrifies members of the White Council. While Saruman dismisses its appearance as simply a “dagger from a bygone age” and is not proven to be a Morgul Blade, Elrond, Galadriel and Gandalf see darker implications. They are perplexed, as the sword was buried with the Witch-king of Angmar, in the “High Fells of Rhudaur. Deep within the rock they buried him…in a tomb so dark…it would never come to light” – Galadriel, An Unexpected Journey. Elrond goes on to explain the impossibility of those tombs being opened, and are protected by a powerful spell.
The resurrection of the Morgul Blade was of great concern for both Galadriel and Elrond, for they both suffered personally from its effects. The power of the Morgul Blade is not to kill, but to force its victims to succumb to the will of Sauron. Galadriel’s daughter, Celebrian was the wife of Elrond, and bore him two sons, Elladan and Elrohir as well as a daughter, Arwen Undómiel (future wife of Aragorn). As she journeyed to Lórien, her party was assaulted by Orcs at Caradhras (Barazinbar to the Dwarves, Redhorn Pass in the Common Speech) and she was taken prisoner. Elladan and Elrohir rescued her, but not before she suffered a wound from a Morgul blade.
Celebrian’s Imprisonment – by Liga-marta
She was brought back to Rivendell and Elrond healed the wound. But Celebrían “suffered torment… (and) lost all delight in Middle-earth, and the next year went to the Havens and passed over the sea” – The Return of the King, Appendix A. This effect of the Morgul blade sounds familiar, as Frodo suffered the same torment and pain, many years after being stabbed at Weathertop at the ruined tower of Amon Sûl. He also suffered torment, and pain, and had to sail to the Undying Lands to seek relief.
Frodo Stabbed by the Mogul Blade from The Fellowship of the Ring
Now Rhudaur, the name given by the Dúnedain, is a region south of the Ettenmoors and west of Rivendell and the Misty Mountains, and is the location of the tombs of the High Fells. Known as a rugged, hostile area, with low soil fertility, and little resources, the men of Rhudaur together with Angmar waged war against neighboring Arthedain and Cardolan in 1409 of the Third Age. At Amon Sûl, the Cardolan Dúnedain took a last stand and were besieged by the men subjected to the command of Angmar. The great Watch Tower was burned, and Dúnedain lost their lives, but not before the people of Arthedain were able to escape with one of the remaining Palantír. The Arthedain were the last Line of Isildur, and after the fall of Amon Sûl, they lead a nomadic life, becoming what were known to be the Rangers of the North.
The Tower of Amon Sûl – by Pak Polaris
The Tombs of the High Fells do not exist in any Tolkien works, but for the movie The Desolation of Smaug, Gandalf and Radagast travel to the High Fells of Rhudaur to investigate the tombs. After a vertigo inducing hike, they discover that the tombs in fact have been opened. Radagast, more sensitive to the effects of dark magic, feels that dark spells haunt the tombs. The heavy stone lid sarcophagus is broken, and Gandalf comments how the tombs themselves were opened from the inside out. The rise of the Nazgûl and the mystery of the Morgul Blade have been solved. There is in fact a Sorcerer who can summon the dead.
High Fells and Tomb Renderings by Alan Lee
Saruman’s Treason
Saruman is the chief of the Order of Istari, the five great wizards that come in the Third Age. The primary purpose of their existence in Middle-earth is to combat the power of Sauron and bring balance and peace. Curunír, as he is known to the Elves, was a vested scholar in Ring lore, spending much time studying the history, myths and legends. This was his undoing. He somehow acquires a lost Palantír. This Seeing Eye-Stone, combined with his obsession with Ring lore, began to turn Saruman. He was seduced, just as Gollum was. But being the Head of the Order and the Head of the White Council makes him very dangerous.
When the White Council meets in the year 2851, Saruman already knows that Sauron has returned as the Necromancer. He becomes concerned that the White Council will learn that not only Sauron seeks the One Ring, but that Saruman himself is also seeking it. This explains why he intentionally dissuades the Council from any attack on Dol Guldur. Saruman then begins searching the Gladden Fields, the marshy area where Isildur was betrayed by the Ring and murdered. Isildur fell into the river, and the Ring passed out of all knowledge.
Saruman and the Palantír from The Two Towers
The Council meets again in 2941; Saruman discredits Gandalf’s debate, as seen in An Unexpected Journey. From a small orc pack that “dared to cross the Bruinen (Actually this may be a blooper! If the orc pack is to cross any river from Gundabad, it would be the Hoarwell. The Bruinen or Loudwater is too far south depending on how far south they came from the Misty Mountains), to an old dagger found, to a mortal-man dabbling in dark witchcraft, Saruman counters every argument that there is trouble brewing. Even poor Radagast is discredited. Saruman explains that he cannot be taken seriously because of his “excessive consumption of mushrooms. They’ve addled his brain and yellowed his teeth.” (And Saruman might benefit from a little attention to his own dental hygiene.) Saruman attempts to persuade the White Council to intervene in the Quest to reclaim Erebor. He is secretly concerned that should the dwarves succeed, a stronger defensive guard would be placed in the North.
The Appearance of the Necromancer
The White Council’s chief concern is the appearance of this new sorcerer. It is a new (or old) power that seems to bring the dark shadows that Galadriel feels in Lórien, causing her to form the White Council. That a sorcerer has taken up in Dol Guldur is alarming, but is it dangerous?
What is a Necromancer? The term itself deserves discussion. In “Laws and Customs Among the Eldar” taken from Morgoth’s Ring, Christopher Tolkien compiled his fathers’ notes and research and deciphered the following: When an Elf dies, the Elvish spirit (or Fea) is attracted to a living host and will attempt to penetrate the living body and vanquish the living hosts Fea from its rightful owner. J.R.R.Tolkien wrote “It is said that Sauron did these things…”
Most of us take for granted that the Necromancer is Sauron. Years of Lord of the Rings media, either in literature, or movies, enlightened us to Sauron’s powers and abilities. But remember as a child reading The Hobbit? Gandalf leaving Thorin and Company to fight this foe seemed a small and not so dangerous task. We underestimate what the Necromancer really could be. Initially, Tolkien felt the same way. Anderson writes that the Necromancer simply serves as a reason for Gandalf to leave the Company. But as early as the fall of 1937, around the same time as the first publication of The Hobbit, a dawning grew on Tolkien as the Necromancer’s shadow grew on Middle-earth. But that is the second part of this paper to be continued in the future.
What We May See In The Desolation of Smaug
I strongly suspect three very important things will be seen in The Desolation of Smaug.
-That Gandalf will take it upon himself to attack Dol Guldur despite the White Council’s decision not to attack. He never follows any advice when it conflicts with a path that he is on. Such examples would the recruitment of Bilbo Baggins to join the Quest of Erebor. From thirteen Dwarves to Galadriel, no one understands this decision of Gandalf’s, not even himself. Another example is the aversion of entering Moria in The Fellowship but he knows entering will cost him his own life. He leads the Fellowship anyway. Another is his fear the Helm’s Deep will suffer a great defeat in Two Towers, and seeks out Éomer. Yet another is his knowledge that Denethor had a Palantír, and its use drove him mad (This explains his madness in Return of the King movie if you have never read the books). Gandalf knows, without reason or explanation. That is why I feel confident in saying he will attack Dol Guldur on his own accord.
- That Galadriel will come to Gandalf’s aid in the attack of Dol Guldur. In Unexpected Journey, there is a tender moment between the two. She gently gives him courage saying “Do not be afraid, Mithrandir. You are not alone. If you should ever need my help…I will come”. That certainly was no love scene. She senses he will need her aid, and I bet we will see that in Desolation.
- And finally we will see Thráin, son of Thrór, father of Thorin Oakenshield, in a flashback scene in the dungeons of Dol Guldur. He will be in possession of the map and key of Erebor, and he will reveal something to Gandalf that sets this whole fantastic story in motion, from the Quest of Erebor to the Return of the King. That will be discussed in a part III of the series. I leave you to ponder this quote of Saruman (from this behind-the-scenes footage) for it reveals much:
“Without the ruling ring of power, the seven are of no value to the enemy“.
Thrain the Insane from the trailer of An Unexpected Journey
Map of Middle-earth
Bibliography
Literary Sources:
Works of J.R.R. Tolkien:
The Lord of the Rings. New York: Houghton Mifflin 1994.
Works of J.R.R. Tolkien and Douglas A. Anderson:
The Annotated Hobbit. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
Works of J.R.R. Tolkien and Christopher Tolkien editor:
The Children of Húrin. New York: Houghton Mifflin 2007.
Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth. New York: Random House, 1980.
The Silmarillion. New York: Houghton Mifflin 2001.
Tyler, J.E.A. The Complete Tolkien Companion. New York: Thomas Dunne Books 1976.
lordoftheringswiki.com, thrainsbook.net, thorinoakenshield.net
Movie Sources:
Jackson, P. (Director). (2001). The Fellowship of the Ring. United States: New Line Cinema
(2002) The Two Towers. United States: New Line Cinema
(2003) The Return of the King. United States: New Line Cinema
(2012) An Unexpected Journey. United States: New Line Cinema/Warner Brothers
Illustration Sources:
deviantart.com, lotrwiki.com, thalion.ovh.org, thorinoakenshield.net, tumblr.com
Falconer, Daniel. The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Chronicles. New York: Harper Collins, 2012.
Tolkien, J.R.R. The Silmarillion. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2004
Map taken from: J.R.R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings. New York: Houghton Mifflin 1994.
Photoshop assistance: Kelly Ramage
Additional Research: Dark Jackal at thorinoakenshield.net
06 Saturday Apr 2013
Posted in Fili, Hobbit movie, News
Tags
adam brown, convention report, dean o'gorman, dwarves, fili, graham mctavish, hobbitcon, jed brophy, john callen, mark hadlow, news, peter hambleton, photos, stephen hunter, sylvester mccoy
*Some spoilers for The Desolation of Smaug below*
HobbitCon took place in Bonn, Germany from March 30th to April 1st 2013, and it was a first in many ways: It was the first HobbitCon ever, it was the first convention for many of the actors, and it was also the first convention the author of this article has attended.
I decided to save my money for the important things on this convention and didn’t book the Maritim Hotel in which the con took place. It didn’t make a difference though as I spent most of my time there anyway. We arrived on Friday and decided to check out the hotel that evening. We saw the convention area already built up but still fairly empty at that time, which was quite interesting to get into the feeling. We decided to have our dinner in the hotel bar that evening, and didn’t really think too much about the actors, when after a while one actor after the other walked in and had their dinner as well. There was John Callen, Peter Hambleton, Stephen Hunter, and later on Jed Brophy, Graham McTavish, Sylvester McCoy and Dean O’Gorman, who all had no problem whatsoever having their meal among the arriving fans. Quite late in the evening Adam Brown arrived, and then something very sweet happened: All the actors hugged each other; it felt as if they hadn’t seen each other for a long time and this was a big coming together again. We already knew from production videos that these guys were one big family, but it was wonderful to see this for real as well!
The actual convention started on Saturday. We were new to this whole thing, rather excited, and wanted to meet a few actors, so we decided to start with the least intimidating of them as a warm up, and had our photo taken with Adam Brown, who is such an adorable and sweet man!
Later on we also had photos taken with Graham McTavish and Dean O’Gorman (to be honest, I grew more nervous with each of them!). At this point I have to say how extremely well organized the photo sessions were. Of course, a lot of people wanted their photo, which meant there was only enough time to say one sentence to the actors, but at least everybody got their photo.
It even happened that they sent me back to Dean O’Gorman a second time (I was hardly sad about that!) because I obviously had my eyes closed on the photo. It is really nice they pay attention to these things as well.
Then there was the signing session, also very well organized, and although lots of people wanted to get an autograph there was hardly any waiting time, not even on popular actors such as O’Gorman. In fact we even had a bit more time there to talk to them than in the photo sessions. Since they cost 20 Euro each I only went to get those of Graham McTavish and Dean O’Gorman.
The area was not overwhelmingly large: There was the huge hall for all the panels, a smaller one for the signing sessions, and several smaller rooms for workshops, lectures and so on. There were a few merchandise stands where the dedicated Tolkien fan could leave LOTS of money. Luckily I already own most of the official merchandise (not sure what is so lucky about that actually…), so all I bought for myself was the letter opener version of Thorin’s dwarven sword and an official con photograph of all the actors (sadly without Peter Hambleton) printed on a slate.
Before I continue with the really interesting info given in the panels, let me have one slight fangirling paragraph, you may skip this one if you don’t want to read that kind of stuff. The thing is, what is Richard Armitage to DJ is Dean O’Gorman to me, so I also had a lot of “omg!”-moments on this weekend. I remember the first time I saw him, walking into that restaurant I had dinner in, my jaw dropped. He is a LOT more gorgeous for real than he is in pictures! Also he is so laid back and down to earth, which just makes him adorable. On Saturday night I managed to talk to him at the aftershow party in the bar, and when he asked me for my name he actually introduced himself with: “I’m Dean.” (Yes, as if I didn’t know.) I have a tattoo concerning the three Heirs of Durin and was dying to show him. He was actually very impressed by it. And then in the end I hugged him. Let me assure you, yes, he does feel very good.
And now back to important information again!
There were a lot of interesting panels with a lot of interesting information, all led by the incredible Mark Ferguson. I recorded the panels of Dean O’Gorman, Graham McTavish, Adam Brown + Jed Brophy and Graham McTavish + Mark Hadlow in full length, and the first half of Adam Brown’s as audio files and will provide them here.
On the others I attended I took notes and will try to summarize the important information:
Mark Hadlow and Stephen Hunter:
This was my first panel and it was here the constant mention of Jed Brophy’s hyperactivity started and never ceased throughout the whole con. Further they made a cryptic statement about an elf-dwarf relationship but in the wording it wasn’t clear whether it was denying or confirming one. Somebody asked them which character in the Tolkien universe they’d like to be, so Stephen said Galadriel, and Mark said Jed Brophy, then they acted a short scene in which both were their dream character. Yes, it was as odd as it sounds!
They also said there might be a second food fight in the Special Extended Edition.
John Callen:
He has four daughters and two sons, and when they heard he got the role they were just interested in who attends which premiere.
After Oin’s hearing aid is destroyed his hearing ability will be even worse for the rest of the trilogy. Luckily Gloin is going to help him there.
80% of the ideas of either design or character development never make it into the film! Still the first edit of the film was 5 hours long.
Oin hardly knows anything about Bilbo and therefore trusts in Gandalf’s decision.
When asked which Tolkien character he’d like to be he answered Galadriel’s lover, but not if Galadriel was played by Stephen Hunter (see above panel).
He finds the role of Thorin very appealing.
He is not a royalist, but found it interesting to meet Prince William who was obviously quite nice to him and liked his red shoes.
He was very excited to meet Ian McKellen and said he’s a “naughty boy”.
He doesn’t miss his role, only the film crew.
He said Oin will survive the Battle of the Five Armies. (Now if THAT isn’t a spoiler!)
When he saw the film for the first time (two days before the Wellington premiere) all he saw was scale doubles and stunt doubles and wondered if he was in the film at all. That got better on further viewings though.
Sylvester McCoy:
Sadly I missed his first panel, thinking I wasn’t as interested in this guy. But he turned out to be the funniest panel guest ever. He actually took the microphone, went down to the audience and just walked through us, picking up the questions himself. What a lovely guy! When reading my summary, keep in mind that he was hardly ever completely serious! But here it is:
He loves the outfit, especially the bird poo which was Peter Jackson’s idea.
He was asked if an Istar has a belly button and he says he believes Radagast does, but he’ll check next time he’s playing him.
With a rabbit sleigh he’d ride through his neighbourhood though he’d be afraid of the dogs then.
The stick insect was pure CGI and Sebastian was the name of Peter Jackson’s assistant. However he says he hates Sebastian and hopes he is dead by now.
The bird whistling was his idea as he was always doing that to his sons when they were little.
There might actually be some more pick-up shooting next year.
He wouldn’t want Radagast’s life for himself especially not for longer than a couple of weeks.
When recording the scene with wargs following his sleigh he wasn’t actually aware he was going in circles. There is in fact no logic behind his choice of directions. They even shot a scene in which he turns around, looks for the dwarves and notices he lost them. It never made it into the film though. When recording this scene he fell off once and just before his head hit the concrete floor a stuntman caught him. He says he felt his own brain moving though.
Dwarves never bathe.
Radagast and Tom Bombadil would be drinking buddies and have a mushroom omelette together.
Insects were all over Radagast and especially in his clothes.
John Callen + Peter Hambleton
This panel was mostly notable for two really interesting pieces of information! When asked if Oin and Gloin approve of Gimli’s friendship with an elf, they said of course they don’t like that, but added that in their own company there is a dwarf who thinks elves aren’t that dangerous after all.
Also, just a few days ago an interview with John Rhys-Davies popped up in which he said young Gimli will make a short appearance in the second film and he only took up the role again because he doesn’t wear that many prosthetics as young Gimli. While this sounded like an April Fool joke I decided to just ask Peter Hambleton if this was true. He was really surprised about this question, struggled for an answer and finally said: “Yes, you’ll see him, but I can’t say more.” That was more than enough for me!
And also, let’s not forget my favourite quote of the whole weekend which came from John Callen in this panel: “Oin and Gloin from the loins of Groin”
There was also a special panel by Stefan Servos, which was called “The story continues” which I sadly missed. It contained information about the second film! But I was told by somebody who did attend that Azog will die in Desolation of Smaug, and Bolg will then seek revenge. Also Gandalf will visit Thrain in Dol Guldur. And Tauriel has a crush on Thranduil, is turned down by him and therefore decides to help the dwarves escape the dungeons.
By far the funniest panel of the whole convention (my facial muscles and my belly still hurt from laughing) was the Gameshow, in which Mark Ferguson again was the moderator and four dwarf actors played against each other in a game called “Toss the Dwarf”. Mark Hadlow and Dean O’Gorman were the team “Hot dwarf and friend” and Jed Brophy and Stephen Hunter were team “Bombur Nori”. The two teams then competed in several rounds. First was a Tolkien trivia quiz in which Jed turned out to be a Tolkien expert and Dean to have a really lousy Tolkien knowledge. He didn’t even know which river his company crossed or what animal Beorn could shift into. Also note that Stephen answered “What is the Goblin King’s name?” with pure confidence: “Thranduil!” As a dwarf fan I really liked that answer actually!
After that they played a round of “truth or lie” in which every actor had to tell a story of his life and the other team had to decide whether it was true or false. The stories were:
Dean – got stuck in a letterbox when he was 19 and had to be rescued by the fire brigade – true.
Jed – kissed the prime minister of Australia – false.
Mark – vomited on his first date – false.
Stephen – ran naked through his house and was caught by complete strangers – false.
They also had a few scenes to play. One was a funeral and every time somebody did or said something that made the audience laugh he failed. In another scene they cleaned a toilet and were only allowed to use sentences with the amount of words Mark Ferguson would give them. And in another scene Ferguson was a dwarf on a quest for women, and the two teams then had to move his body. This was possibly the most hilarious part of the whole Gameshow!
In the end there was a tie and they had to name things in a certain category really fast. When naming “countries starting with C” Dean didn’t really make himself a lot of friends when saying Czechoslovakia (since that country doesn’t exist since 1993!) And the only other country he could come up with was Cameroon (I suppose China or Canada are too exotic to name 
).
But then the most interesting round started! “Name a Tolkien character that dies.” Jed immediately said “Gil-Galad” to upset Mark Ferguson. Further on while Jed gave ridiculous answers like Eldarion, the only names Dean could come up with were Fili, Kili and Thorin. After that he knew no more and the audience actually had to help him with Boromir. As I said – lousy Tolkien knowledge! While the whole audience gasped when he said “Fili”, he just added: “It’s in the book.” That’s a clever remark meaning technically he hasn’t given any film spoilers.
I don’t actually remember who won the Gameshow, but it was great fun to watch!
On the first day there was an opening ceremony, on the last day a closing ceremony. While in the opening ceremony all the guests were introduced and the rules were announced, there was also a dance with some hobbit girls (and Azog was also dancing with them). In the closing ceremony the girls danced again, but eventually Azog was killed during this ceremony. A foreshadowing for Desoluation of Smaug it seems! Then all the guests came in again, and the con was closed with the most remarkable scene: All attending dwarf actors sang the Misty Mountains song live. It was definitely a goosebump moment!
These are the impressions the guests made on me during their stay at HobbitCon:
Dean O’Gorman was quite obviously the favourite of the mostly female audience. His panel was the only one in which not everybody got to ask their question. He was also the most popular during photo sessions. What adds to that is that even Mark Ferguson and his cast colleagues constantly reminded everybody of his status as “hot dwarf”. He never took that status for granted though, which was quite delightful.
Adam Brown started very shy but eventually evolved into the audience favourite during the weekend! In the end the line for his signature even turned out to be the longest. I can definitely understand this; he is such a polite and warm person, there is no way anybody could NOT love him. The one thing that will always stay in my mind is his desperate attempt at saying: “I can be fucking angry too!” which somehow nobody believed.
Graham McTavish at first seemed a bit calm, but turned out to be a person with an enormous stage presence. He’s a fine gentleman with a rough outside but a soft spot inside – very much how I would picture Dwalin as well.
Stephen Hunter remained shy throughout the whole weekend and for a long time I was afraid he wasn’t enjoying himself. But when he said he did at the closing ceremony it was definitely believable. I suppose he just is a rather timid person. At one of the evening parties I told him he is the sexiest of the dwarves and he seemed to be flattered.
John Callen turned out to be a lot funnier than I’d ever expected from the oldest of the dwarf actors! He has a lot of interesting things to tell, even though his character might not be the most notable (yet?). Also I could listen to his voice forever, it is just so warm and fills the room!
Peter Hambleton sadly remained unnoticed most of the time. I do not know why, but nobody seemed to focus on him, which was notable in his panel and also when he was walking through the audience. I wish we could have seen more of him, especially because his character is definitely important to the whole story. I wish he’d know he also has lots of fans! He did call me “darling” though when I said something nice about Gloin in his panel, I found that very charming. Thank you, Peter!
Mark Hadlow turned out to be a guarantee for lots of good laughs. The faces he made during the Gameshow are memorable! He always had a funny story to tell, interacted so well with his dwarf brothers, and was known for watching almost all the panels! He didn’t even deny the female side of Dori, and had no problem playing along with it.
Jed Brophy – What more do I really have to say about that man? He is a legend in Peter Jackson’s Middle-earth and proved so even more here. Whenever Jed Brophy came along, you could be sure to laugh, no matter by what he told, danced, acted, showed or simply by running across the stage. He definitely enjoys these things and he is the one I want to see on a future con the most!
Sylvester McCoy I couldn’t quite estimate before going there. I thought I wouldn’t be interested in him, but luckily I was proved totally wrong. His panels were the best; he is so funny and active despite his age. I hope he never loses that energy. He even showed that during the evening parties when he actually started to dance with the young women there!
There were roughly 1000 people at the convention and I heard it was a rather small one by size of audience. For me it was a very comfortable number to start with. There was never a lot of waiting or people fighting for the best places. Also – although there were a lot of new visitors, everybody was behaving surprisingly civilized and no doubtful questions were asked in the panels. Due to the low number of people the actors could run around through the convention area without being disturbed by fans all the time. They could have their meals or their drinks at the bar, and just be normal people among all the geeks.
There was also a lot of cosplay in the audience. While it is nice that the three Heirs are so popular it WAS a bit sad to see there were a lot of Filis, Kilis and Thorins running around, but besides that only one Nori and no other dwarf.
What possibly made this convention special was the fact it only covered one particular movie. While on other cons you’ll have some people from Game of Thrones and some from Star Trek, on this one you could be sure that everybody of the guests knew each other. That made some panels really remarkable, as actors watched the panels of their colleagues, often interrupted them when appropriate or even asked questions themselves. Also it made running gags come up that were mentioned over and over again, such as Graham McTavish’s lousy riding skills, Adam Brown and Glamdring, and the fact that Stephen Hunter is the perfect Galadriel.
Basically it was just wonderful to see that the cast really had such a tight bond as seen in the production videos. They are like a little family.
For me it was an amazing first convention experience, and I am eager to go to another HobbitCon if there should be one next year. And I think the actors enjoyed it as well. Hopefully they can convince missing actors such as Richard Armitage, Aidan Turner or Martin Freeman to come to the next one.
See you next year in Bonn!
02 Tuesday Apr 2013
Posted in Fili, Hobbit movie, News, Richard Armitage, Thorin
Tags
aidan turner, bilbo, dean o'gorman, dwarves, gandalf, graham mctavish, high res, ian mckellen, kili, martin freeman, news, richard armitage, screencaps, thorin
I’ve redone the Best Buy Exclusive gallery using screencaps from the Blu-ray disk itself. So now you can enjoy them in 1920 x 1080 size.
17 Sunday Mar 2013
Posted in Fili, Hobbit movie, Kili, News, Richard Armitage, Thorin
Tags
aidan turner, dean o'gorman, dragon sickness, dwarves, fili, high res, interview, kili, news, richard armitage, screencaps, thorin, thrain, thror
Xbox on Youtube posted this excerpt from their exclusive edition of The Hobbit on Blu-ray.
It’s a short but wonderful exploration of the relationship between the heirs of Durin, including Thorin, Thror, Thrain, Fili, and Kili, with commentary by Richard Armitage, Aidan Turner, and Dean O’Gorman.
HD screenshots below (click for full-size):
13 Wednesday Mar 2013
Posted in Fili, Hobbit movie, News
Tags
aidan turner, armageddon expo, dean o'gorman, dwarves, fili, ian mckellen, interview, news, richard armitage, video
KiwiCatherineJemma of Youtube recorded Dean O’Gorman’s appearance at Armageddon Expo in New Zealand this month. It is broken up into many short videos, and I’ve selected only the ones that relate to the Hobbit, but you can watch them all by going to her channel on Youtube. He talks about a wide variety of topics including souvenirs from the set, which dwarf would he be if he couldn’t be Fili, what his favorite experience was, how he got the part, and mentions a slightly spoilerish bit about the upcoming filming of the Battle of Five Armies.
