Greetings!
Most of the information on this site pertains to The Hobbit, both movie and book, with a particular focus on Thorin Oakenshield and his close kin. It is a source of fan-fiction, art, and discussion of Tolkien’s dwarven characters. This is a 100% fan-run site and has no official connections.
As always, I am at your service,
D.J.
Email
phylly3 said:
You have really been busy this past month or so. I just happened upon your blog here. I believe I had heard of your Live Journal site and had visited there before.
This site seems more user friendly somehow.
Anyway, everything looks fabulous here so I will keep returning to see what you are up to!
DarkJackal said:
Thanks for stopping by. Navigation is easier on this site, so it is better for posting collections of stuff with some chance of people finding what they are looking for.
Arkenstone said:
Great illustration by Alan Lee, he did amazing work in The Children of Húrin as well. Though Thorin doesn’t appear as stout as he might in the film, the descriptions of both the dwarves and their language (Khuzdul) are always brief, and open to interpretation so this is as good as any.
Humma Heatherly said:
I am new here…I just finished “In Defense of..” ,and I thought it was very well done…and agree that the actor, Mr. Armitage, is just so-o-o-o spot-on with his portrayal of Thorin…so much “said” with..his face,alone..! Thanks for all your hard work!..Sincerely, Humm H……PS…my 2nd son is named…D.J.
D.J. said:
I thank you for reading and glad you stopped by to say hi!
White said:
This is an amazing site. I had stumbled upon it the day after seeing the film! In all honesty it was from lookig up the lyrics to Neil Finn’s ‘Song of the Lonely Mountain’ that I made it here.
This is as I stated above a great site. Unlike many I’ve seen it’s eas to navigate and the inforation clearly stated and easy to follow.
I tip my hat to you D.J.
Other than how nice this site is, it’s nice to see so much on the movie that isn’t focused on how slow it was in pickup compaired to the book. As well as going into depth on the characters, and their designs ect…
I have a feeling I’ll be comming here for info on the second and third movie in The Hobbit.
And personally I can’t wait until then.
Regards
~White
D.J. said:
You and several thousand others have come here for the lyrics, and I don’t blame you. I’m glad it seems easy to navigate. Sometimes I wonder about that, so good to know it is working out.
I didn’t think the film was slow at all. Too fast if anything.
Yes I will probably be as obsessed over gathering spoilers for the next two films, so check back. And thanks!
Zedd said:
Yeah, I came here for the song itself, it sounds awesome on the movie. I thought the movie did swell in telling the story, though its been a while since I last read the book. Can’t wait till the following movies come out. As everyone has already told you, this is an epic website and I shall be a loyal visitor. Thanks, Zedd.
D.J. said:
Thank you Zedd, much appreciated!
B.A. said:
Hello D.J.,
I just want to thank you, for the great job, you do with this website. It´s clearly structured and your articles are very well readable. Well, sometimes I must use the translator program because english isn´t my mother tongue. But this doesn´t concerns to you, it´s just a little problem of mine. Another reason to correct my english knowledge.
The only thing, I always think when I read your articles or watch some videos about “The Hobbit” is, that there´s a big hitch at the whole Hobbit story. That a man/dwarf like Thorin Oakenshield doesn´t exist in reality. Such a shame. It would be awesome if someone like him really exist.
Anjy Roemelt said:
trust me, they do, but they’re hard to find and probably more occupied with some heroic deed than building relationships – like Thorin.
evellowen said:
very good website
Anjy Roemelt said:
I have been coming back to this site for a couple of days now and realized I’m starting to love it, even if it is a bit awkward to navigate, I sometimes spend several minutes scrolling up and down and looking for something I KNOW is somewhere – but where. I specially love the design. All that black and white snd bright pictures in contrast, it’s very dwarvish.
D.J. said:
I do the same thing. Site fail. I should probably make the search feature more prominent. That usually works for me.
Teanna Byerts said:
This looks awesome! I stumbled upon it looking for the lyrics to the Lonely Mountain Song (now stuck permanently in my head). I was born the year LOTR was, and have been a fan since I read it in 1978. I always identified with the Elves (talking to trees, nature spirits, all that) but was mind-blown when I saw the character designs for the Dwarves of The Hobbit. Beyond awesome. Very nice to see a site delving Dwarvishly deeper into the characters and their history, as well as the amazing efforts the film crew and actors put forth to bring this classic bit of literature to life. I perpetrate some art and writing, and am a huge fan of Alan Lee, nice to his work here. I shall return to party with the Dwarves.
D.J. said:
Elves have had their time in the spotlight. We must honor the dwarves before their age is over.
Meshall Munir said:
I am in love with your blog. Not a day goes by w/o me visiting it (several times a day). I love that you love Tolkien. I am from Pakistan, and not a lot of people here have read the books (even though they have watched the movies several times). I guess people just don’t read as much any more.
Anyway, I just dropped by to tell you how much it means to me that you take the time to post updates for us and give as much info as you can. It really means A LOT to me. So thank you thank you thank you!! ^_^ My favourite are the v-logs, screencaps, the essay “In Defense of Thorin Oakenshield” (very well written, and I agree with you completely!) and the fan arts (some people are just so immensely gifted).
Please NEVER close this blog!!! I am, officially, your fan!
D.J. said:
Thank you much. I figure it will linger till at least the third film comes out.
emsvoice said:
This is great!
Lia said:
Could you tell us your opinion on Tauriel and the possible romance between her and Kili?
D.J. said:
In general I like the idea of seeing female elf warriors. As for the relationship between Kili and Tauriel, it will depend on how they do it. One sided or even mutual admiration is fine, but I would personally rather it not have a heavy impact on the rest of the plot.
Tolkienjunkie said:
Yeah,that would fail.
mmgilchrist said:
I like the idea of the Elf warrior-woman, too. A Dwarf-Elf romance would look a bit silly, anyway: the height discrepancy is extreme!
Lymaera said:
Dear D.J.,
I want to say “thank you very much” for this wonderful site and all the informations that you and your friends are giving to the visitors here. I´m a big fan of the books and movies “lord of the rings” and now “the hobbit” an well, yes, Thorin is my favourite character now
It´s always very interessting for me to come by and have a look at your news here. You have won a new reader and friend far away from germany
Thanks again for your great work!
Sincerly yours
Lymaera
D.J. said:
Thanks Lymaera! There are quite a few Europeans active on this site. Sometimes I feel like the one who’s far away.
heartfelt4 said:
I just discovered this amazing site and finished reading the German article on Thorin, Fili and Kili. I appreciate the author’s effort to draw our attention to signs of the bond between Thorin and his nephews and the love between the brothers. I look forward to seeing ‘An Unexpected Journey’ again after I explore this site in depth. I’m sure it will enhance my viewing! Thank you!
D.J. said:
Thank you for visiting!
archedcory1 said:
Since I am the author of that: Thank you very much for your words. It means a lot to me!
(Sorry I haven’t seen this earlier!)
Gosha said:
Dear D.J.
I add my thanks, to all listed above, great site for all Tolkien fans with focus on dwarves. Apart from this, you and other visitors here, give me an excellent English lessons. You set the bar pretty high.
I’ll quote Lymaera – You have won a new reader and friend from far away – from Poland with love.
D.J. said:
Thank you for saying so
Michelle said:
Hi D.J.,
I have been researching Durin’s Day, and it is a very complicated holiday. The lunar cycles and sunset cyles are different based on where you are located on the planet. I am based in Los Angeles, and it looks like it falls this year on December 2, at 4:22 pm (new moon time) and ends on 4:44 when the sun sets. This might be a fun exercise for the fans of your site, and their Durin’s Day may be in November or even October. Perhaps we could all celebrate via a universal blog. Thanks for a great site. I really enjoy the articles!
Best,
Michelle
Anjy Roemelt said:
This is a very interesting remark. We’d have to know, if Tolkien meant the metereological or the astronomical beginning of winter, since the first is Dec 1st, the second Dec 21st. Dec 2nd then would already be winter and the last sun of autumn sometime in November.
D.J. said:
Michelle, if you have not already, read this post by the Dwarrow Scholar http://dwarrowscholar.mymiddleearth.com/2012/10/13/happy-new-year-on-october-15th/
It probably won’t add much to what you already know, but at least you’ll see others have tried to do the same.
Eileen said:
I am enjoying this site very much and admiring the work of the photographers. I spend hours reading the various stories and explanations.
Anjy Roemelt said:
I’m extra-busy these days, but just to see the quick-link to here on my start-page makes me feel better among all the hazzles (bebother and confustcate them)
Dee said:
I accidentally stumbled upon this site and I have to say…I LOVE it ! I’ve been reading the books since childhood and am very pleased with Peter Jackson’s rendition thus far. The only thing I do not like is the items aren’t available in the States. Outside of that keep up the great work here !
Bracken Brandybuck said:
Hi DarkJackal,
Thank you so much for your wonderful site. It is one of my ‘most visited’ (along with the weather forecast and theonering.net).
I immediately thought of you when I saw the advertisement for this: http://www.hobbitshop.com/product/the+hobbit++an+unexpected+journey+key+to+my+heart+womens+fitted+purple+tshirt+hobtvtjs1087.do?sortby=dateCreatedDescend&from=fn
Cheers,
Bracken
D.J. said:
LOL! I did not know they were selling those. And it’s probably true, but I’d be more likely to admit to this one:
http://www.hobbitshop.com/product/the+hobbit++an+unexpected+journey+i+like+short+guys+womens+fitted+turquoise+tshirt+hobtvtjs1085.do?green=1E6262D1-CDAF-5634-0C6F-839C3A072181
mmgilchrist said:
This is definitely one of my favourite places online!
I’ve just got the Hobbit Chronicles books (brown and blue). Have you noticed (it’s printed fairly small, unfortunately) the painting in the brown book that was done of Thorin working in his forge without his shirt on?!!! He has a few old scars and some geometrically-patterned tattoos. I’m just sorry they didn’t go with this in the filming… ;-D
deeisahobbitfan said:
Wonderful website you have! I enjoy reading your essays as well as the replies (some of them give me quite a chuckle!). I would LOVE to see Peter Jackson do a movie based on the book, “The Silmarillion” – which I finished reading not too long ago. It would provide great insight on the history of Middle Earth and would answer a lot of questions for LOTR and Hobbit fans (if you didn’t want to read the book). It is not as “popular” as the other books, but I think would do wonderfully at the box office. I am glad you referenced the book in your latest essay and look forward to reading more!
mmgilchrist said:
I think we have to wait for Christopher Tolkien to die for that to happen (mind, he is in his late 80s). He hates the films (he says) and won’t sell any further rights.
G T Bear said:
I just read your Essay – In Defense of Thorin Oakenshield: A Journey from Hero to Villain, and Back Again. Very thoughtful & well written!
I discovered your site after buying the Hobbit movie soundtrack and subsequently looking for the full lyrics to Neil Finn’s “Song of the Lonely Mountain.” Thank you so much for posting them. I’m sure I will be returning to your website!
D.J. said:
Thank you much for stopping by!
C. in Oh said:
Sorry D.J., I know this is not the right place for this comment, but I just couldn’t find a better one that allowed me to write anything. I have a question about the poster of Thorin from a French website, posted here on 11/6/13. I agree that this seems to be Erebor attire and probably Thror’s cloak he’s wearing, but why does he have Orcrist? If anyone knows, please share your info (I love spoilers! :)) And feel free to move my comment to wherever on the site it belongs. Thanks!
D.J. said:
Good question, and I’ve been asking the same thing. Of course the last we saw of Thror’s cloak he was fleeing Erebor in it, so how it would be waiting in Erebor for Thorin I don’t know. Maybe he had a spare. Or there is a magic wardrobe, because a lot of the armor the company is wearing in the behind the scenes stuff on the EE looks to be color-coded to the characters; Ori has purple chainmail, Dori red, and Dwalin olive. Pretty astounding that they found such fitting (and I don’t just mean size) garb to wear lying around. Or one of the company is a tailor/armorer (which isn’t impossible). Anyway, that’s not really your question. We know in the book Thorin shouldn’t get Orcrist back until it’s too late to use it, but they may not stick to that in the movies. In the middle of the battle of five armies Legolas may toss it to him to save the day or something. Another possibility is that it’s just artistic license; Thorin looks better with sword than without. The image of Thorin that graces the top of this website shows him wearing a Photoshopped combination of two outfits; he has the new chainmail and leather coat (as in the French poster) with the old fur coat layered over the top (hard to see, but trust me), which would not be possible since he loses the fur coat before he gets to Laketown, and doesn’t get the new stuff until he gets to Erebor (or so I’m strongly assuming). So promotional stuff doesn’t always show reality.
C. in Oh said:
Thanks so much for the answer! I wonder though, and I’m sure you know this better than I do, didn’t we actually see Thror fighting at Azanulbizar in his fur-lined cloak? Which would mean he’d have been beheaded in it and so I doubt that Thorin would have worn the same cloak. However, I can’t imagine that king Thror had only one cloak It’s almost like saying that Kate Middleton only has one hat! So however many cloaks he had, Thorin would have had to enter Erebor in order to get one, and we know that Orcrist never made it into Erebor in Thorin’s lifetime.
Back to that (otherwise pretty nice) French poster; yes of course you’re right that Thorin looks better with a sword than without. But he does get a sword – in the last 2 trailers in Erebor, the sword he’s pointing at Bilbo actually looks pretty good. Couldn’t they have used that for the poster? I’d say yes, so maybe he does get Orcrist back in the movie. Which is why I asked this question – hoping for a nice juicy spoiler. Kind of like your idea of Legolas tossing him the sword during battle. Or, if this were a comedy, maybe some time in Mirkwood Tauriel says to Kili, “Well I won’t be your girlfriend, but your uncle looks sad so instead I’ll give him his sword back” Really, if it’s something like that I’d rather know it early on so I’m prepared for it when I see the movie!
And yes, you’re right about the picture on top of your website. I’d have never noticed, thanks!
D.J. said:
I think that was a different cloak at the battle of Az. because it was more like a robe with sleeves in the prologue and only a cape in battle. Fur was a different color too. I’m thinking they picked Orcrist just because people recognize it better than the new sword, rather than accuracy. But who knows, maybe by the end of the film this image will come to pass.
C. in Oh said:
The depth in which you study the actors’ wardrobe is beyond amazing. You were not, by chance, on the film’s Wardrobe team?
D.J. said:
Maybe in my dreams
Veronica said:
Hi! I stumbled by this blog, it’s great. I started liking Thorin more after seeing his portrayal in the movie, I have to confess. Given the fact that there are quite some differences between the book and th emovie, do you think Peter Jackson will kill him in the end? Or somehow manage to skip that? I’ve been worring myself with that ever since I read the book!
D.J. said:
Evidence points toward it following the book in that regard, at least from what Richard Armitage has said.
mmgilchrist said:
On the other hand, this is why fanfiction exists… ;-D
Veronica Mendoza said:
D### my luck! First Sean “Boromir” Bean and now Thorin! I definitely need to wise up when it comes to choosing Tolkien’s characters, hahaha! Oh well, there’s always fanfic as you said! What did R.A raid to that respect?
D.J. said:
It was in a letter to a fan who had the opportunity to visit the set via Make-A-Wish. It was published on Tumblr but then pulled by the fan themselves over concerns they might have shared too much, so I won’t quote it verbatim, but the upshot is Thorin gets the chance to say something very close to his final lines in the book. So best prepare yourself.
mmgilchrist said:
It’s a lifelong habit of mine, too. (And I agree about poor Boromir! He’s much more interesting than Aragorn.) Male or female, the characters I fall for pretty nearly always end up not breathing. Possibly because they tend to be more complicated, not cardboard-cutout Mr or Ms Perfection, and some writers seem to think this requires ‘punishing’. I know I’d like to punish the writers…
On the other hand, having a rampant hurt/comfort complex, it does mean one can imagine rescuing them and looking after them…
Veronica Mendoza said:
I absolutely agree with you, these characters really stand out because of their complex nature. And I can totally see myself as a sexy elf (maybe an Elrond’s niece), expert in reading ancient elvish and dwarvish, accomplished warrior too and, therefore, a necessary member of Thorin’s company, hahahaha!!!
mmgilchrist said:
I’m more of a taller-than-average Dwarf woman. And yes, as a brunette (under the henna), I have the facial hair. I don’t really identify with Elves.
mmgilchrist said:
He’s going to live in my fic: The Honour of Dwarves.
mmgilchrist said:
Sadly, yes. But there are probably enough of us to fill the necessary Dwarf-nursing rotas…
BallesterosAJD said:
I just happened to stumble upon your sight when I was looking for information about The Durin family. I’d love to hear your take on Tauriel and Kili and the deviation from the book thereof, not that I mind. I love it! From their onscreen meeting to the last bit.
D.J. said:
Well if you really want my opinion…I won’t get into the unlikelihood of this in Tolkien’s world, but just from a cinematic standpoint I thought it could not have been any less compelling a romance.
Veronica Mendoza said:
Hi!! I’ve already seen DOS twice and I love it!!!! One of my favourite scenes is when Thorin is in Thranduil’s dungeons and tells Balin how he answered to his proposal. The meaning is crystal clear, but I was wondering if anyone happens to know a) the exact translation of what he says and b) how you say it… I think it might come in handy when you don’t want someone to understand what you’re saying, lol!
aniik said:
Hi Veronica, RA says and translates those lines here: http://youtu.be/xswSMdauU2g
Around 2:10
Hope it helps ;-)))
Veronica Mendoza Aguiar said:
Thanks a lot, but actually I couldn’t get anything, the audio was kind of fuzzy. Do you know any place where I an see the words in written form?
D.J. said:
The first one is “Imrid amrad ursul!” which Richard translates to “Die a death of flames!” This phrase can also be found on page 97 in the Weta AUJ: Chronicles II. Here is another video with pronunciation of that line:
http://www.thehothits.com/news/44000/the-hobbit:-the-desolation-of-smaug-interviews—the-hot-hits-tv?movideo_m=667235
The second phrase is more difficult. It sounds similar to what Gimli says in the Extended Edition of Fellowship of the Ring which is “Ishkhaqwi ai durugnul” and was translated to “I spit upon your grave”.
http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/movie_fotr.htm#ishkhaqwi
But the folks at Elendilion have a different phrase: “Ish kakhfê ai’d dur rugnu!”
http://www.elendilion.pl/2013/12/30/g-i-p-report-complete-dialogs-in-sindarin-khuzdl-orkish-and-quenya-hdos/
Richard translates the second phrase in this video as, “I pour excrement on the head of your kin” which actually doesn’t fit well within the sentence.
Hanakin said:
Hi!! I stumbled upon this site while looking for Song of the Lonely Mountain. I just finished reading The Hobbit today and am considering re-reading it again. I LOVE the dwarves the most!!! I can’t stop talking about the book and movies to my family and friends and they are getting sick of it. It was no accident I found this site; I’ll be on here for the next week….or more.
Perry said:
Hi D.J –
I’ve nominated you for the Versatile Blogger Award. You can see how it works on my award post here on Armitage Agonistes, http://wp.me/p3DuBO-1hP and if you decide to participate, you just need to follow the rules for the award, which are:
• Display the Award Certificate on your blog (just cut-and-paste it from my post)
• Write a post and link back to the blogger who nominated you – that’s me!
• Nominate 15 other bloggers (I’ve kept to 10 as 15 seemed quite a lot)
• Inform them of their nomination via comment on their blog
• Post 7 interesting things about yourself.
Whether you join in or not, I just want you to know that I nominated you because I enjoy your blog and thought you would like to see it shared with some new readers.
Perry
burglar said:
what is the meaning of ish kaufe ai’d dur rugnu
Veronica Mendoza said:
I think it means “I spit upon your grave”. Go Thorin!!😉 😉
C. in Oh said:
Hi DJ,
I don’t know if you’re aware, but DOS is already available for digital download in HD and SD formats. I got mine from iTunes, and amazon.com instant videos offers the exact same deal, all special features included. Just thought I’d mention it.
As always, I thank you for your awesome website. I’m still here every day
– C.
rj said:
Hello DJ
I stumbled across this page/site when i was trying to find out the meaning of “îsh kakhfê ai-‘d dûr-rugnu” but i found so many tumblr crap and none of it said the meaning. I thought itd be here. It said a “Perry” said theeaming here and i cant find that person. I need to know what this means because it sounds hilarious because of their reaction when thorin says that phrase. I was hoping you could clarify this for me.
D.J. said:
Hi rj, if you look in the above comments I’ve mentioned the definition. https://thorinoakenshield.net/2011/12/12/welcome/#comment-34370
Norloth said:
Hello D.J.
I’ve been wandering about your amazing site for quite a while and find many of your articles interesting and helpful. Thank you very much for sharing them!
I am a member of The Red Book of Middle-earth (a fan-run Chinese site which concentrates on The Hobbit and LOTR, and also other Tolkien related news), may I ask for your permission to let us translate your articles into Chinese and share on our site? That’s a much easier way for most of the Chinese fans to understand. We will always link back to the original page and credit the author.
Thank you very much.:)
Norloth at your service!
D.J. said:
It would be an honor, Norloth. Thank you for asking.
mmgilchrist said:
Plea for help please to our German colleagues! I’m trying to get hold of the Hobbit Broschur XL calendar for 2015 – the gorgeous ‘widescreen format’ one. Amazon.de says it’s not available through them so far, and the other sellers they list don’t ship to the UK. Is there anyone who may be able to help me with this, please?