New Members - Introduce Yourself Here

[Mithalwen]

Welcome to the Downs. Nice to have some more young blood (in a non vampiric way of course!!).

[Feadhros]

I glad to join here, look forward to many facinating conversations with all of you

[Boromir88]

Hello Took_Gamgee and Feadhros (both rather creative names :) ). Welcome, enjoy the food...oh and obviously the conversations too.

[Galadriel55]

Welcome, welcome!

[Glirdan]

Big welcomes to all new member!! May your stay here be pleasant and long (much like a rather large number of us deceased) and full of conversations an entertainment!

[Bêthberry]

*waves to Elora and all the new members* Welcome!

If you aren't into RPGs or the games in Mirth, there's a new chapter by chapter discussion of The Hobbit to whet your appetite for proper Tolkien just in time for the movies. :D

[Snowdog]

At last, I found the magic key, or rubbed the magic lamp thrice or spoken the elvish word for friend.

I'm back in, again. Locked myself out for years (7 if memory serves, an auspicious number) having reset my password to a random string of alphanumeric characters and changed email addresses in the intervening period.

Time will tell if I get back into RPing. My hands are full co-writing a fourth age piece with my husband and my real life paying job. So, it may be some time before I daintily dip my toes in that murky RP pond again.

Doesn't appear that much has changed on the Barrows. Comforting, that, in a way. Like my small, rural, home town. No matter how long you're away, the place looks largely the same when you get back. This is a good thing. I know this.

Woo Hoo! My sweet is back in the Downs! :smokin:

Welcome to the Barrows Feadhros & Took_Gamgee! :)

[Glorthelion]

Hi, my name is Glorthelion (Glorfindel and Ecthelion) and I am 16 years old, a middle earth enthusiast. I hope to enlighten myself in this wonderful forum and hopefully share some of my limited knowledge of Tolkien's legendarium. I have been obssesed with middle earth since I watched the return of the king move by PJ. It was a great movie and I have lost count the number of times I watched that movie. I recently undertook the endeavor of reading the Lord of the rings.

I have read The Hobbit, The Silmarillion and the lord of the rings. I hope to read HOME some day.

Glorthelion.

[Boromir88]

I hope to enlighten myself in this wonderful forum and hopefully share some of my limited knowledge of Tolkien's legendarium.


Welcome to the forum Glorthelion. I must say, not only are the two elves in your name amongst my favorite Elves (personally Fingolfin is tops though)...but also approving of the quoted flattery. Flattery is always appreciated around here. :p

Cheers and enjoy the 'Downs. :)

[Galadriel55]

I second Boro on all counts. Welcome!

[Mithalwen]

I have read The Hobbit, The Silmarillion and the lord of the rings. I hope to read HOME some day.

Glorthelion.

Adding to the welcome. Always good to have a keen balrog-slayer around:p

I suggest you read Unfinished Tales next. It provides some fascinating extra stuff to complement what you have already read. It will also ease you in to the "edited drafts and fragments" format which you will find on a grander scale in HoME. And IMO some of the later volumes of HoME are much more approachable than the early ones. Don't feel obliged to start at the beginning! The ones which concern LOTR are perhaps more user friendly...

[Bêthberry]

Welcome Glorthelion. This is certain the place to exercise your enthusiasm for Tolkien once you've hit the books. :smokin:


I suggest you read Unfinished Tales next. It provides some fascinating extra stuff to complement what you have already read. It will also ease you in to the "edited drafts and fragments" format which you will find on a grander scale in HoME. And IMO some of the later volumes of HoME are much more approachable than the early ones. Don't feel obliged to start at the beginning! The ones which concern LOTR are perhaps more user friendly...

Well, I'm going to have to take a slightly different direction than Mithalwen, who offers good advice about UT. The later HoMes are helpful for resources but as someone who just recently turned to the first two volumes, Book of Lost Tales I and II, I have to say that I am entranced by Tolkien's storytelling. Which is to say that skipping all the commentary doesn't do any harm.

On the other hand, you could just read all the threads here and jump into the discussions. :D

[Galadriel55]

On the other hand, you could just read all the threads here and jump into the discussions. :D

Well said. You learn all the important HOME information faster by posting and reading here than by reading HOME. :p I'm completely serious!

[Mithalwen]

Certainly faster than I did when I really struggled with the books of lost tales as a teenager ..must try again..

[Glorthelion]

Would the letters of Tolkien be more interesting?

Glorthelion

[Mithalwen]

More interesting than UT? Different. But certainly fascinating and very readable.

I would say that UT gives extra information nn things that fit fairly easily with the main stories as published in The Silmarilllion, Hobbit and LOTR. You get more information about Numenor, The wizards, the Battles of the Fords of Isen where Theoden's son, was killed, the Palantiri, Gandalf's meeting with Thorin, Isildur's death. I love it since I love the world of Middle Earth as shown in the main texts.

The letters by their nature give some fascinating snippets when he answers specific questions from readers and also give an insight into his personality and life. Read both!!! Both can be dipped into. It may be helpful to read the Humphrey Carpenter biography too since he edited the letters and the letters are in chronological order. I happen to have read the bio ages ago and the letters relatively recently and I think having read the biography made the letters more interesting since you knew a bit aboout the correspondents.

[Boromir88]

Aye, the Letters are interesting in not only providing some commentary from Tolkien, post-LOTR, but just thoughts about world affairs, other books, authors...etc.

I caution when using Letters to determine some new, hidden information about Tolkien's story, though. Tolkien admits when responding to fans' questions, a lot of what he wrote could have been as long as 30-40 years ago, so he may misremember something, or what he consciously reflects upon after having written the story might be completely different. That's not so much of a problem with Letters, more a note-to-self when reading them. Personally, I find the stuff in Letters more interesting then reading his early draft material, but that's just individual preference. :)

[Valier]

*lurking* hello all....it's been awhile :D

[Galadriel55]

The Return of Valier! :D Welcome back!

[Valier]

thanks Galadriel :) Im debating on weither I should make a grand return :p

[Mithalwen]

Squeeee!

Go for the grand return... you know you want to... :D

[crescendo.]

Hello, I'm crescendo., yes the period is there on purpose. I am MCRmyGirl4eva's older and wiser sister. I thoroughly love the Lord Of The Rings series as movies and enjoyed the books, though my sister tried to get me to read TTT's first, but I have this thing where I jsut can't pick up something in the middle. It may have to do with the fact that my dad made me read the second Harry Potter book first. Anyway, I think I am rambling.
Erm.. let's see... I am going to college in the fall and getting a degree in creative writing, and I adore Glee with a passion... sorry folks, I love it more than I love LOTR.
I listen to a lot of music and my favorite bands are Evanescence, My Chemical Romance, Avenged Sevenfold, Halestorm, Nightwish, and a lot more.
If you have an questions for me, just ask.

[Galadriel55]

Welcome, crescendo.! Always happy to have more dead wightsies around! :D

I'm waiting for my younger siblings to learn how to use the internet to help them through the process of making their accounts here - but I don't know how likely that will be, seeing as my brother, who looked over my shoulder at the screen a couple hours ago, greeted me with the words "not that stupid old Tolkienited website AGAIN!" ...So I'm really happy that not all Downer siblings are of that attitude. :cool:

[crescendo.]

(I hate that nickname, so unless someone comes up with better I'd prefer to be known as crescendo.)

It's not like I wanted her to join. I asked her not to. She joined nonetheless, because apparently nothing is sacred. So if any of you downers come accross an argument on the forums, just keep in mind that crescendo. and MCR must share a bedroom.

(Puh-lease, I've used your account a couple times before so I decided that I prefer to use my own. You broken the bounds of places being sacred before... i.e. my own site

Driel: May I call you that? Well, obviously your siblings don't have good taste in reading material... hopefully they will learn :p )

[Galadriel55]

Driel: May I call you that? Well, obviously your siblings don't have good taste in reading material... hopefully they will learn :p )

Driel? This one's new! My nick is usually shortened to something like G55 or Gal55.

My siblings liked LOTR, and my sister even read The Hobbit. But they have a profound dislike for the Downs, because of things like this:

sibling: can you play with me?
me: no.
sibling: why? Are you busy?
me: mmmmm...
sibling: are you on that stupid old Tolkiennutted site again?!

:p

[crescendo.]

Lol! You never directly answered yes or no. Do you prefer on of the other ones?

Ahh makes sense, that's how I used to be with an MCR forum before all the good members left. *pouts* I miss them.
Ohh... maybe they will join just to annoy you... think about it!

[Galadriel55]

Lol! You never directly answered yes or no. Do you prefer on of the other ones?

I guess I'm just more used to the other ones. It took me a few minutes to realize you're referring to me.

But that still doesn't give a yes or no answer. Beware that I'm the kind that rarely gives a yes or no (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/showpost.php?p=668620&postcount=52)answer for such questions... ;)

I'd prefer one of the old ones, but I suppose I won't mind if you called me Driel.

Ohh... maybe they will join just to annoy you... think about it!

But they don't have to join to do that! :p

[crescendo.]

"It is also said, 'do not go to the elves for advice for they will say both yes and no'"
Maybe I will just call you Elf... or Octopus, lol!!

You could move out or whatever when you are older. -grins evilly-

[Faramir Jones]

Welcome to the Downs, crescendo, and welcome back, Valier! :)

[Zigûr]

Hello, call me Zigûr, which as I'm sure many of you know is Adûnaic for "the Wizard" and was a Númenórean name for Sauron. I've been lurking on these forums for a little while now, especially enjoying the excellent "Microphones in Middle-earth" thread. Professor Tolkien's work is one of the great passions in my life, having been introduced to it by my mother reading "An Unexpected Party" to me when I was ten years old, after which I enthusiastically devoured the rest of The Hobbit on my own, moved onto The Lord of the Rings and even attempted The Silmarillion, although it wasn't until several years later that I was old enough to understand it and read it properly. While many of my friends have read the books and are as familiar as everyone is these days with the films, I find that I don't really have anyone close at hand with which I can discuss the Professor's work in detail. Given this fact and that I have certain ponderances regarding Middle-earth and Arda as a whole I decided I would join the forum.
In addition to this, last year I completed my Honours degree in English with a thesis on The Lord of the Rings and am currently working on a Masters thesis examining the greater breadth of Professor Tolkien's work.
While I am, as I have said, a great enthusiast for the literary material I'm afraid I don't have much patience for the films, which to my mind make too many changes in terms of tone and style to The Lord of the Rings. I also lament their significant loss and questionable rearrangement of Professor Tolkien's language and rich, unique prose, which has always been one of the most attractive elements of the book to me.

[Inziladun]

Welcome, Zigûr! Sounds like you'll be a great contributor here, and I look forward to seeing you around the threads.

[MCRmyGirl4eva]

If you listen very closely, you can hear the sound of stampeding feet as people clamor to this site as the opening day for The Hobbit approaches...

*hides in Legolas's bedroom*
*Gets dragged out by ankles*
L: "What are you doing in here?!?"
MCR: "I was just trimming the grass, under the window there, if you follow me..."
*Gets released in surprise at the comment*
*Runs like hell to avoid being killed*

[Galadriel55]

Welcome aboard, Zigur! With such an attitude towards the movies you'll find yourself quite at home here... ;)

[Ninde Lossehelin]

Hi!! Ninde Lossehelin here.. i got that name when i put my real name in an elvish name generator.. so im not even sure what it means.. Please tell me if anyone know

[Mithalwen]

It is a bit random. It is Quenya. Ninde means slender, losse is fallen snow and helin is a violet (flower).

[Draugohtar]

Yeylo all, doing things a tad backwards posting elsewhere before here, but a little jumble never hurt anyone I like to think!

Anyway Draugohtar is an old name I cobbled together for WoW of all things.

Thankfully that game is in my past now (though not MMO's entirely!) but the name is a constant for me.

(Otherwise call me Will - if you remember, well done you!)

Anyway I'm an old time Tolkien nut, and it's nice to have a place to come and lament the lack of speaking Eagles in the PJ-versions :P

[Faramir Jones]

Welcome to the Downs, Zigûr, Ninde Lossehelin and Draugohtar! :D Like Inziladun, I look forward to seeing you around. :)

[Bêthberry]

Welcome, welcome to those newly dead. :smokin:

Welcome also to Aridor, who hasn't found his way here yet but is our latest member. RotR produces its first new Downer.:D

[VarTalman]

I am never here always adventuring off somewhere.

I am called VarTalman firstborn son of the Talman the Strong. I spent my childhood an outcast among the shorter peoples of Middle Earth. I felt not made for this world. I seemed stretched out of shape. I am considered wise and learned until I say something foolish. I do so enjoy the fine tales of Hobbit lore. I come here to share. My wife and our herds all listen intently to tales well told. I wield no weapon beyond my books. I study myth and religion. I am 34 years-a giant among men and weighing in at nearly 400 pounds. To others, I may seem frightening. There is fire in my eyes and loud words. But I also give the best, most-encompassing hugs of all my people.

It is great to join this fellowship!
VarTalman

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Welcome, VarTalman! Hope you find the road that has led you here was a lucky one, one of the roads leading to the better places. At least us, who have been dwelling in this place for ages uncounted, can testify of it being a most pleasant place, and suitable whether you prefer talking about deep topics, or fun, or just reading and thinking quietly, or a pleasant mixture of them all...

[Aerandir]

Aerandir here. I just recently found this forum from a link in the Third Age Total War Tolkien Discussion thread and am pleased that I did find it.

A couple years ago I was scanning the bookshelf in the house, and found The Lord of the Rings books and The Hobbit. Of course I had seen the movies but never read it. Over the course of these years I had been collecting a bunch of Tolkien's works including those silly adventures in the Tales from the Perilous Realm.

Though I can't recite any of those crazy Bombadil songs/poems/whatever you want to call them, I consider myself a huge Tolkien nerd. Currently I am re-reading The Children of Hurin.

I had all but given up hope on a good Tolkien themed forum and found this! For those of you curious about my name, Aerandir was one of the three mariners who sailed with Eärendil and means 'Sea Wanderer'. Despite my name I remain to be a huge fan of Dunland and Rohan. I hope to enjoy my time on this wonderful forum!

[Inziladun]

Welcome, Aerandir!

Any self-proclaimed Tolkien Nerd ought to be right at home here. ;)

Have fun!

[Galadriel55]

I second that welcome! We like Tolkien nerds here. :D

[Erulissë]

I've found this forum when I completed a personality test about LOTR characters. I am a huge Tolkien fan, from Spain, so, if I make mistakes when writing, that's because I don't have a high level on English. See you!

[Inziladun]

I've found this forum when I completed a personality test about LOTR characters. I am a huge Tolkien fan, from Spain, so, if I make mistakes when writing, that's because I don't have a high level on English. See you!

Welcome, Erulissë! A good many regular posters here don't have English as a first language, yet write it better then many native speakers I've seen.

Enjoy yourself!

[Mithalwen]

Welcome! And Inzil is right.. so don't worry about it!

[Galadriel55]

I thirds that. Welcome to the Downs, Erulisse! No worries about your English. :) Have fun here!

[Unforgiven]

Hi, just joined this forum. Being an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy, I hope to find kindred spirits here.
Big fan of the works of Asimov, Burroughs, Raymond, Lewis and of course Tolkien.

Three hobbit movies, now that's going to be a stretch, hey?

[Inziladun]

Welcome, Unforgiven! We're glad to have you.

A "stretch" on the part of PJ and his cronies is an understatement. :rolleyes:

[malickfan]

Hi everyone just joined the forum after several months of nosy lurking. Having been introduced to Tolkien through Peter Jackson's LOTR film's I've gradually grown into something of a Tolkien Obssesive (i.e Tolkien Nerd)-I'm currently working my way through the H.O.M.E whilst re-reading The Hobbit and The Children of Hurin. I can't wait for The Hobbit Films (though I'm a bit unsure about three films-I can see why three was needed-otherwise Dol Goldur, Smaug and BOFA would overstuff the second film, but all the same its a little worrying...)

Once I came across this great community I knew it would only be a matter of time before I joined.

For The record my Favourite Tolkien Character is Cirdan The Shipwright and my favourite book being The Silmarillion (which I have no interest in seeing a film of)

One question though-

Are we allowed to post links to our own blogs or wesbites if they are Tolkien related?

I have written a long essay on Cirdan the Shipwright for my Blog and was planning on using the link as a way to kickstart a discussion about the mysterious (and personal favourite) character, but as it is a personal wesbite and cites numerous references and extracts from Tolkien's books, I was unsure whether this intrudes on copyright or privacy laws set by the website.


In anycase...great wesbite and I look forward to being a regular contributor!

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Welcome to the Downs, malickfan! Links to your own website are allowed within the signature space, so you may set that up on your user CP (upper right of any page).

It's always nice to see lurkers come out of the woodwork and post actively! If you like, you can dig up previous discussions about the Silmarillion and your favourite characters, or you can start new threads with questions you'd like others to consider. And if you'd like to prepare for the first Hobbit movie by rereading the book, do check out our Chapter-by-Chapter discussions. I hope you will enjoy your (after-)life among the dead here in the Barrow!

[radagastly]

Esty:Links to your own website are allowed within the signature space, so you may set that up on your user CP (upper right of any page).Do you mean upper left corner? My "User CP" button is on the upper LEFT corner of the screen.

Welcome to the Downs, malickfan!

[Strider09]

Hi this is a new user. I am a fan of pippin and bilbo. The best two hobbits ever!
I also like Aragorn hence the username Strider09. Hi everyone!

[Inziladun]

Welcome, Strider! Enjoy your time here.

[Faramir Jones]

Welcome to the Downs, malickfan and Strider09!:D

I'd certainly be interested to know what you've come up with about Cirdan the Shipwright, malickfan.

[LordPhillock]

Hello there! I have been aware of this fine establishment for quite a few years already, but never had the courage to muster to registering and interacting with you fine fellows.

Hi, I'm Phil. Stupid username (which I invented over a decade ago for an Arcade Game) aside, I am very surprised to find admirers of Tolkien's work that are actually using their heads when observing the upcoming "Hobbit Trilogy Prequel Films". As I have a rather odd history with the film adaptation (though I am not an insider), and like to consider myself a filmmaker, I would be honored to keep in touch with all of your opinions (though I can't promise to be too vocal) as these weird (in my opinion) movies emerge.

Usually I'm ganged up on by people who would more likely explode in brainless ecstasy rather than rationally analyze the positives and negatives, so I find this a breath of fresh air to see so many with just as much of an intelligent scrutiny of these new films as I claim I have. Good on ya'! Hope to share some Tolkien-centric thoughts and random artwork I sometimes do on this forum in the future! You guys seem like well-spoken folk. Well met!

[Galadriel55]

Welcome to the Downs, Phil! Go ahead and add your voice to the discussions! :)

[Faramir Jones]

Nice to meet you, LordPhillock! Welcome to the Downs! I won't hold your name against you... ;)

[Brinniel]

I realize it's been a year and half since I last posted. Has it really been that long? Over two years since I actively participated on a regular basis or have even seen another BDer in person. I missed my 10th Deathday (now going on 10 and 1/2), which makes me feel old. Then I realize there are teenagers on this forum who must have been about three to six years old when I first joined, which makes me feel even older. Boy, does time fly these days.

Compared to my last disappearance, it doesn't seem too much has changed. Some old members have disappeared, though many are still here. And of course, new members as well. Let's see if I can manage to stick around (again).

[Mithalwen]

Welcome back Brin and welcome to my world. With the current crop of teenagers I can't console myself with the thought that I am really not old enough to be theiir mother.

[Galadriel55]

Welcome back, Brin! :D

Then I realize there are teenagers on this forum who must have been about three to six years old when I first joined, which makes me feel even older. Boy, does time fly these days.

Errr....yeah, I was five. :Merisu:

[Boromir88]

Welcome back Brinn :)

There may be several others who laugh and scoff at this, since in the grand scheme it is not very old. But do you ever start thinking about "10 years ago" and your mental timeline believes you're thinking about the 90s...only then to realize the 90s decade was more than 10 years ago, wow. That has a tendancy of making me feel old (and as such should be assigned to Mordor).

[Ruscundil]

Hullo there! My username is Ruscundil, and I'm the most recent addition to the Barrow-Downs' list of registered members. I have often visited the forum in passing, thanks to Dr. Google, but I never made it my business to join your household, until now that is.

I'm a medievalist by profession and in my spare time I enjoy playing music, writing poetry, indulging in nature and escaping from reality with Tolkien. At your service! :p

[Hookbill the Goomba]

Welcome to the Downs! YOU WILL NEVER LEAVE! ;)

[Galadriel55]

Welcome, Ruscundil! I am very much looking forwards to reading your posts!

[Ruscundil]

Thanks guys! Glad to be aboard! :D

[elvet]

I've been a Tolkien fan for years. I first read LotR, Hobbit and Silmarillion in the 70's and since then have read them many times over. I have also enjoyed the History of Middle-earth series, Unfinished Tales and The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien. My favorite of the bunch is the Silmarillion. It explains so much and sets the groundwork for the other stories. One of my other favorite bits is The Notion Club Papers from Sauron Defeated (HoMe vol. 9). I love the idea of a real connection between modern day and Middle-earth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Notion_Club_Papers
I've read through some of the threads here and enjoyed the balanced (not too gushy) and knowledgeable comments. I do not profess to be anywhere near as 'up' on Tolkien, but I'd like somewhere to participate in a Tolkien discussion.
Tolkien was my introduction to Fantasy books, of which I am a dedicated reader. I also enjoy some mystery and SF books. For those of you on Goodreads, my user name is elvet. I like to play PC adventure games (like Myst and Riven) and have quite a collection from the 1990s-2000s. They are currently out of favor, so I don't play as much as I used to.

[Galadriel55]

Welcome, elvet! The Sil is my favourite out of the bunch as well, except for the Children of Hurin. But for me it's because they are epic and tragic like nothing else. :)

And it happens that we're neighbours! ;) So, welcome to the Downs, neighbour!

[AlatarielCalaelen]

Hi, I'm new here so I wanted to introduce myself :)
My real name is Evelien, 24 years old and I'm from the Netherlands. I stumbled upon this forum and I wanted to sign up immediately! So... here I am ;)

[Inziladun]

Welcome, AlatarielCalaelen! Have fun here!

[Galadriel55]

Seconded! Welcome to the Downs!

[Thurin]

Hullo! I fell into Middle Earth a few years ago, and have yet to crawl back out again. I thought I'd come in and hide behind all the new Hobbit fans. ;) I'm torn between horror and awe of the latest movie, to be honest, but no one I knew in real life understood why I have problems with it...so I came here.

It's amazing to read about other people who enjoy The Children of Hurin. I always thought I was insane to call it my favorite. :)

[Inziladun]

Hullo! I fell into Middle Earth a few years ago, and have yet to crawl back out again. I thought I'd come in and hide behind all the new Hobbit fans. ;) I'm torn between horror and awe of the latest movie, to be honest, but no one I knew in real life understood why I have problems with it...so I came here.

Welcome, Thurin! I haven't myself seen the new movie, so I can't speak with any authority about it. But there are certainly many here who can. ;)

It's amazing to read about other people who enjoy The Children of Hurin. I always thought I was insane to call it my favorite. :)

I wouldn't say CoH is my favorite, but as an apparent amalgam of Túrin's story from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales it's distinctly readable and interesting.

[Galadriel55]

Welcome to the Downs, Thurin! I seem to share your passion for COH and your attitude for the movie! ;)

[Thurin]

Welcome, Thurin! I haven't myself seen the new movie, so I can't speak with any authority about it. But there are certainly many here who can. ;)



I wouldn't say CoH is my favorite, but as an apparent amalgam of Túrin's story from The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales it's distinctly readable and interesting.

Thank you for the welcome! I guess I just love a good tragedy with regards towards CoH. Watching Turin's descent into madness is riveting, especially when I stop and try to decide how much of Turin's suffering can be blamed on himself and how much was a direct result of Morgoth's curse.

Which book is your favorite? (Unless you like them all equally, which is certainly plausible.) :)

[Aganzir]

I'm torn between horror and awe of the latest movie, to be honest, but no one I knew in real life understood why I have problems with it...so I came here.
We feel your pain - many of us feel the same way. Welcome to the Downs!

My favourite depends on what I'm reading. When I'm reading LOTR, I go 'Omigod this is so good, how can I ever have said the Silmarillion is better?' and when it's the Sil I'm going through, I think 'Yeah this really is the most amazing of them all,' and so forth. I'm now rereading The Hobbit and enjoying it tremendously. Partly because there are dwarves, and dwarves are great. :D

[Bane Mantra]

Greetings.

I am Bane Mantra. My username is an anagram.

I'm going through my yearly re-read of the most Silmarillion, and am at the point where I switch over to The Children of Hurin once I get to Of Turin Turambar. Then again, I'm also reading Neuromancer and Towers of Midnight as well, but I often read several books at once.

An interesting fact about myself is that I am part titanium.

[Mithalwen]

Welcome. There is an old anagram thread somewhere. I keep meaning to do a systematic reread but I tend to dip into the books these days and now I have a kindle reading several books is made easier.

[Inziladun]

Which book is your favorite? (Unless you like them all equally, which is certainly plausible.) :)

I'll have to take the cop-out and say I like them equally, with different elements of Tolkien's works having varying appeal depending on my mood. ;)

[Aiwendil]

I am Bane Mantra. My username is an anagram

You're an ant/bear/man hybrid? Astounding!

Welcome to the 'Downs.

[Bane Mantra]

You're an ant/bear/man hybrid? Astounding!



You left out "cyborg." That'd make it complete.

But no, I'm not Beorn with antennae. Although I can see that in my mind's eye, and it's frightening.

[Bêthberry]

Another human I know who can claim to be part titanium had surgery on her shoulder and arm bones, so I'm assuming you also have such a plebeian explanation, Bane. :D

Welcome and I hope you enjoy being dead, as we say here.

[Mithalwen]

That was my guess too.... my sister used to be part titanium after she smashed her elbow but they took the plates out. It was lilac titanium.

[CaptainFaramir13]

Hello, I am new here! I am a big fan of Professor Tolkien's works, I have read The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, Children of Húrin, The Hobbit, and all of the Lord of the Rings. I have also seen all of the films and played many of the games. I want to write fantasy and science fiction novels, and Tolkien is one of my major inspirations as a writer. It seems that there is a lot of interesting discussions here. It is nice meeting you all!

[Ardent]

HI, I'm a 'recently deceased' member here. I've read LotR and TH many times, but only read the Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales once and long ago.
I first read tha Hobbit at school but didn't get round to LotR until in my twenties after exhausting all the C.S.Lewis books (not just the Narnia and Out of the Silent Planet series). It was while I was making my first attempt to grasp Hebrew that I discovered JRR's shared love of linguistics, alphabets (I know the Tengwar isn't strictly an alphabet, but it is a phonetic script as opposed to glyphs) and etymology. His explanations of how the books were 'translated from the Red Book' particularly caught my imagination. Such understanding has proved useful in teaching English as a second language (ESOL).

As years have passed I've also come to appreciate more and more the pearls of wisdom stored throughout the work, for example;
trusting to friendship rather than great wisdom (Gandalf) or than the making of vows, which may break the heart instead of strengthening it (Elrond).

I am a fan of the TV series Babylon 5. The parallels between it and LotR are many and obvious ("we stand on the bridge and none may pass").

Beneath the Downs our shaddows lie,
Removed from world that marches on,
And stories tell of battles won
And labours lost in days gone by.

[Inziladun]

Welcome CaptainFaramir13 and Ardent! Have fun here!

[monks]

Hi I'm a new oldie- I had to register again....so twice deceased methinks!

I'm been a fan of Tolkien and Middle-Earth since I was introduced to the books by my friend when I was about
14? We became best friends ever after that and would spend hours talking about all manner of subjects- Feanor was a always a hot topic I remember because my friend was something of a budding pyromaniac at that point (happy to say it petered out) and Feanor was always associated with a firey disposition , Melkor, Tulkas used to pop up again and again like a tag wrestler. :D Alas my friend has moved on to other worlds but the road goes ever on as big T said, and we must follow if we can.
I enjoyed the films when they came along. I can see the faults and the good things about them. At the end of the day we've always got the books to go read again.
I always thought the board layout here were pretty cool.

monks

[Galadriel55]

Hi monks! Welcome back!

[Bêthberry]

He hasn't posted on this thread but has made some valuable contributions of facts and clearly referenced sources on other threads: Welcome indeed, Troelsfo .

[Mithalwen]

I have a feeling he also gave a really interesting paper at the TS seminar at Roehampton a few years ago...hope he sticks around.

[Bêthberry]

He gave a very interesting paper at my session at RotR, too. :D

[MisterMelkor]

Hi,
Greetings to ya! No doubt I am going to make many mistakes because I am new to online crowding (surprisingly we had no Internet where I come from).
I like the look of this Forum and am glad that you accepted me as a new member.
Lord of the rings is amazing, and I am a great fan of all the Tolkien books (especially The Silmarillion and the Hobbit) as well the films and the whole lot of Merchandise (luv the Action figures).
My Hobbies are reading, writing, making Music (piano, guitar and the harp), customizing models, gardening and collecting weather data from 30 years ago (I´ve got a nice collection of cumulus clouds).
Well there is actually Little else that might interest you, except that I am working as a freelancer and I am quiet good at cooking (in case we should ever meet as friends).

That´s it,
yours sincerely
MM

[Inziladun]

Well met indeed, MisterMelkor!

This excellent forum is always looking for more Tolkien Geeks. ;)
I look forward to seeing you around.

[Aganzir]

I am quiet good at cooking (in case we should ever meet as friends).
It's agreed, then - the next Barrow-Downs moot will be held at your place! :p

Welcome, and enjoy being dead.

[Galadriel55]

Thirded! Welcome, MisterMelkor! We don't bite. Well, not much anyway. :D :p

[Pervinca Took]

I'm only fairly recently dead myself, but it's always great to see new members. Welcome indeed, MisterMelkor and Ardent!

(I'd feel a bit cheeky welcoming back monks, because he would have been here before I was).

[Aganzir]

Thirded! Welcome, MisterMelkor! We don't bite. Well, not much anyway. :D :p
I do.

[Galadriel55]

I do.

Yes.

[Calan]

My first post on this board was on this thread almost nine years ago - veritable Ages in internet time. I'd like to think my posting quality's improved some, and since I remembered my login details it's essentially a fresh start. Too bad there's not much to the IRC chat these days.

Regardless - still ever a fan of the books, looking forward to the second and third Hobbit movies, and currently (albiet slowly) churning my way through Histories of Middle Earth and some of the other 'extended universe' material. I've gone through Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, Lost Tales I and II, and I'm in the middle of Lays of Beleriand. Lost Tales actually made me want to go back and reread parts of the Silm, but I've promised myself to finishing the HoME set I have first before doing any rereading.

[Inziladun]

My first post on this board was on this thread almost nine years ago - veritable Ages in internet time. I'd like to think my posting quality's improved some, and since I remembered my login details it's essentially a fresh start. Too bad there's not much to the IRC chat these days.

Regardless - still ever a fan of the books, looking forward to the second and third Hobbit movies, and currently (albiet slowly) churning my way through Histories of Middle Earth and some of the other 'extended universe' material. I've gone through Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, Lost Tales I and II, and I'm in the middle of Lays of Beleriand. Lost Tales actually made me want to go back and reread parts of the Silm, but I've promised myself to finishing the HoME set I have first before doing any rereading.

Welcome back, Calan! It's always a good thing to see slumbering Wights awaken. :)

[Galadriel55]

Ditto. Welcome back!

[Aganzir]

I've promised myself to finishing the HoME set I have first before doing any rereading.
That's an ambitious plan - I was kind of trying to do it too, but gave up when I got stuck halfway through the Lost Road five years ago. Incidentally I started it over this spring, finished it quickly and also read Morgoth's Ring before I moved on to other books.

Anyway welcome back!

[Calan]

That's an ambitious plan - I was kind of trying to do it too, but gave up when I got stuck halfway through the Lost Road five years ago. Incidentally I started it over this spring, finished it quickly and also read Morgoth's Ring before I moved on to other books.

Anyway welcome back!

Fortunately (or not), my 'set' is the Del Rey boxset of LTI/II, LoB, Shaping of Middle Earth, and Lost Road & Other Writings. I've been reading on my breaks at work, outside if weather permits - I'm sure I've gotten strange looks for reading passage and verse outloud on occasion.

[Aganzir]

Ah okay - I thought you were going to read all twelve! And there's nothing wrong in reading things out loud. :p

[Finlumren]

Mae govannen! Im Finlumren a im dae 'wain. And for those of you who doesn´t know sindarin, nice to meet you! I´m Finlumren and I´m very new here. I am a little writer (not an author(I'm too young) of weird stories sometimes inspired by lotr, and some of them are either only partially or totally in quenya or sindarin or both. I also play some instruments.
well, that's just a little about me I suppose...I can't write everything. that would totally outboor most of you...;)

[Mithalwen]

Well I am sure we will find out more as we go along. Lovely to get new members.. I hope you enjoy your time here. Welcome.

[Pervinca Took]

Wilcuman, Finlumren. :)

[Galadriel55]

Thirded! Welcome aboard, Finlumren!

[Finlumren]

I'm sure I'll have a great time here. It seems being dead isn't bad at all.;)I think it seems really fun.:)

[Roy Tmofl]

Hello good fans of middle eart. My name is Roy and I am a huge Tolkien fan. I believe that my favorit book of his is definitely the Silmarillion. Well anyway. I am very pleased to be here and I look forward to discussing Tolkien matters with you all.

Now if I may ask a question how might I get started role playing is any one looking for an extra player?

[Galadriel55]

Welcome, Roy! There's a subforum for RPing, here (http://forum.barrowdowns.com/forumdisplay.php?f=6). You might want to check the Welcome thread at the top of Game Playing Forum. It has all the links to rules and how to begin stuff. RP has been slightly more dead than is usual even for dead beings lately, but maybe you'll liven it up...

[Mithalwen]

I must stop thinking about that and actually do something....

[Pervinca Took]

Welcome, Roy. Mae govannen. :)

[Roy Tmofl]

Umm my elvish is a little rusty. Let's see... Well met?

[Pervinca Took]

Yes, "Well met" in Sindarin, according to an archived Downs thread that I found when doing a google search to double-check.

[tomtom]

i tom

tom well met

[Elyna of Rivendell]

Mae govannen! I guess I've been "dead" for a few months now but i realised i never really introduced myself! My name is actually Elyna; pronounced El-i(as in bit)-na. Just had to get that out of the way. You have no idea how many people pronounce it wrong! I could go on for ages about this but i wont't. I'm in grade 7 in Australia, and i'm obsessed with tolkien, water polo, music, acting and books. I have gone on far longer than I'd planned so thank you for reading this far. I'm looking forward to having some very interesting discussions! :D

[Mithalwen]

Hello again Elyna. At least your name is quite Elvish which might be consolation. It is always nice to find out a bit about new members..and nice to have some new blood. Love Australia and hope to get back there somewhen.

[Pervinca Took]

Welcome to the Downs, Elyna. Look forward to some great discussion. :)

[Galadriel55]

Hello Elyna and welcome to the Downs! Nice to have new people join!

[Elyna of Rivendell]

Hello again Elyna. At least your name is quite Elvish which might be consolation.

Ha ha very true! Thanks for the welcome!

[What_about_Bilbo?]

Hello, newly registered...er, deceased. :)

This is my second post, ironically. Hoping I will enjoy it here among the dead. :D

[Inziladun]

Hello, newly registered...er, deceased. :)

This is my second post, ironically. Hoping I will enjoy it here among the dead. :D

Welcome, What_about_Bilbo?! Always nice to see new wights here.

[Galadriel55]

Seconded! Welcome aboard. And nice screen name!

[What_about_Bilbo?]

Thank you Inziladun and Galadriel55 for the warm welcome! :)

-WaB?

[Mirkwood Squirrel]

Hi there! This is my first time on a forum like this. I've been a fan of Tolkien's work for over 20 years now, but from the beginning I've been an audio book kind of guy. It's really interesting to see this in text because I had no idea how some of these words and names were spelled, lol. Oh I've thumbed through the books before and even had a pretty good collection of them at one time, but I've always liked the audio books better for some reason.

I'm really glad to be here in the Downs with all you!

[Inziladun]

Welcome, Mirkwood Squirrel! Another good, original forum handle.

I hope the readers of your audio versions had read the notes on pronunciation in ROTK Appendix E. ;)

[Mirkwood Squirrel]

There have been many audio adaptations over the years, some are dramatized nearly to the point of being a parody. Most are abridged, but there are complete unabridged versions out there although they are very expensive and fairly hard to find.

If you can find the good unabridged versions, they typically come with other media on them as well, like artwork and other extras such as the appendixes, timelines, family trees and things such as that.

Thanks for the note on my name, lol. I always liked it when they talked about Mirkwood and the wildlife that lived there.

[Pervinca Took]

Great names, Mirkwood Squirrel and What About Bilbo. Mae govannen! Hope you have lots of fun here.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Welcome, newly deceased! It's always nice to have fresh viewpoints on our favourite topic! Mirkwood Squirrel, I'm curious - which is your favourite audio version of which book? I'm a great fan of the BBC LotR radio drama, with its wonderful music.

[Mirkwood Squirrel]

My favorite was the unabridged version read by Rob Inglis. He's got the perfect voice for it, and the way he voiced Tom Bombadil was exactly the way I always imagined he would sound.

You're right though, the BBC radio drama has the best music by far! That one is my second favorite.

[Echo]

i'e been waiting years to join this site!!! and thanks to the gift of high speed internet that i got around 2:00 pm this afternoon i have now been able to join the shire!!
don't be shy. and don't be a stranger!!!! :D

[Belegorn]

Welcome. :)

[Galadriel55]

Welcome to the Downs, Echo!

[bcbdrums]

hello, i am bcbdrums. i am a music teacher and a percussionist.

my entry into the world of tolkien began when my dad read me 'the hobbit' when i was a kid and found it fascinating. i really wasn't interested in fantasy as i got older and hadn't planned on seeing the LOTR movies, but then upon hearing that tolkien was a Christian like myself, i thought his works might make an interesting read. so i read the books first and then saw the movies and loved them! then i went and got the silmarillion and read that too, but it was a bit too confusing for me since i was still very young.

i put tolkien away until the recent hobbit movie came out and after seeing it for the first time last month remembered how much i had loved the books. i just finished a re-read of the hobbit and i'm working my way through LOTR at the moment and loving it even more than when i was a kid!

i've also been lurking around this forum for weeks and finally decided to join. it seems to be full of nice and intelligent people so i'm quite happy to be here. ^^

[Inziladun]

Welcome, bcbdrums!

The posters here are indeed a tremendously pleasant and erudite lot. After all this time it's the only forum I frequent. Enjoy yourself! :)

*and if you haven't done so, give The Silmarillion another read. I think it took the second time for me before I was able to keep track of what seemed like thousands of names, but it was well worth it. ;)

[bcbdrums]

thank you, i plan to! in fact i'm having a hard time keeping away from it as i work my way back through LOTR. it's so tempting to get into the history of everything! :D

[Belegorn]

Welcome. I'd think with the Silmarillion you'd have to read it at least twice to start getting used to it since it's hard to remember who's who.

[Mornorngûr]

Ai! gwaith en 'Barrow Downs'

The name is 'Mornorngûr' (Black Twisted Heart).

Great forum you have here, glad to be a member.

[Inziladun]

Welcome, Mornorngûr! I see you're already making your presence felt in praise of the movies. ;)

[Mornorngûr]

Hi Inziladun,

Yeh I really can't stand those terrible movie's.

:D

[bcbdrums]

Welcome Mornorngur! Is your name one you made up? How did you find/know what roots to use and how to combine them?

[Mornorngûr]

Hi bcbdrums,

Yeah I made the name myself, awhile ago now. It weren't really that complicated, just did some research and found that:

Môr = Darkness, Dark, Night.
Morn = Black, Dark.
Norn = Twisted, Knotted, Crabbed, Contorted.
Gûr = Heart (In moral sense), Counsel.

I didn't like the way 'Mornnorngûr' looked, and 'Môrnorngûr' didn't have the exact meaning that I desired (although close!). Therefore I choose to merge the two, reducing the 'ô' to 'o' and entirely dropping the 'n' from the end.

Now place them next to each other and you get 'Mor-Norn-Gûr/Black-Twisted-Heart', or just 'Mornorngûr'.

I don't know what you make of it, but I am satisfied with it :p

[bcbdrums]

works for me! :D i'm either not researching correctly or i'm just too picky, because i can't seem to find a list of roots or how to stick them together, which is why i didn't make up a cool name for myself here...

[Mornorngûr]

Thank you, I like it too. I could if you want have a crack at making a few names for you if you wanted me too. If you give me the English meaning (eg. Blue-Sky-Light, or something.), I will give you a list of possible renderings.

[Eönwë]

works for me! :D i'm either not researching correctly or i'm just too picky, because i can't seem to find a list of roots or how to stick them together, which is why i didn't make up a cool name for myself here...

Try Ardalambion (http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/). It's probably the best Tolkien-language resource I know of.

[Mornorngûr]

Try Ardalambion (http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/). It's probably the best Tolkien-language resource I know of.

I have just been checking this out and you are right, this site is really great. It covers 15 or so different tongues and is very informative. Thanks Eönwë I will actually be using this myself from now on.

[avar]

Dear all,
I am new to this forum (but was active many years ago on usenet's alt.fan.tolkien and rec.arts.books.tolkien). I have re-immersed myself in Tolkien lately, and having read everything, I seem to lack the strength to leave his world, as it is so much better that ours. ;) We'll see if I'll think about anyting to post.

[Inziladun]

Welcome, avar! Have fun here!

[bcbdrums]

Thank you, I like it too. I could if you want have a crack at making a few names for you if you wanted me too. If you give me the English meaning (eg. Blue-Sky-Light, or something.), I will give you a list of possible renderings.

Thank you! I'm not entirely sure what I want yet... possibly something like "star-music" but I'm undecided.

Try Ardalambion (http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/). It's probably the best Tolkien-language resource I know of.

Wow. That is a LOT of information, I think I'll be lost in there for weeks! Thanks!

[Mornorngûr]

Ok for this name we can use the following:

el = Star. Plural = elenath, elin
êl = Star. Plural = êlenath, êlin
elen = Star. Plural = elin
en = Of the
lin = Music, Musical sound
gil = Star, Bright spark. Plural = giliath

If you want 'Star Music', then try one of these: Ellin, Elengil, Elenlin.

However I would prefer to make the meaning of the name 'Music of the Stars' or 'Star(s) of the Music', we can then have a more attractive name IMO, something like: Gilenêlenil, Gilenêlin, Linenêlin,.



Do you like any of these?

[Mithalwen]

I don't think you always need to translate the ofcthe cf Osgiliath, citadel of the stars. You could just have Lingiliath

[bcbdrums]

Ok for this name we can use the following:

el = Star. Plural = elenath, elin
êl = Star. Plural = êlenath, êlin
elen = Star. Plural = elin
en = Of the
lin = Music, Musical sound
gil = Star, Bright spark. Plural = giliath

If you want 'Star Music', then try one of these: Ellin, Elengil, Elenlin.

However I would prefer to make the meaning of the name 'Music of the Stars' or 'Star(s) of the Music', we can then have a more attractive name IMO, something like: Gilenêlenil, Gilenêlin, Linenêlin,.

Do you like any of these?

I like them, but none of them is "quite right." But they've given me a great jumping-off point to make one up, now that I have an idea on how they're structured. Thanks!

And I'm curious now, what names are more common, Quenya or Sindarin? Are Quenya and Sindarin names interchangeable? Are the rules always followed in constructing names, or is there a lot of freedom? Are some suffixes reserved for masculine names or are they interchangeable between masculine and feminine? There's so much involved in these languages, it's fascinating!

[Mithalwen]

I could weep. I have juat lost a long post and not sure I can remember it all. Sorry ifvthisnis bullet pointy.

First there is an elvi sh cuatom of self naming somitbis important your name feels right for you.

Sindarin names are more common since the exiled noldor adapted their quenya names or acquired new ones for political reasons but some words are similar. Numenorean rulers did favour Quenya names at the beginning.

Yes some suffixes are gender specific. I willl try to redo my list.

[Mithalwen]

Herecwe go again.

-ion and -iel mean son and daughter often figuratively not literally eg Aldarion, lordcof trees, Ereinion, scion of kings, Lomion, child of twighlight. Uineniel, daughter of Uinen,, Firiel, mortal woman, Miriel jewel lady etc

-riel is specifically a garlanded maiden ans -rian meaning queen is related..the idea of abeing crowned. Galadriel, is crowned with light because of her hair and her daughter's name is surmised to relate to her inheriting her father's hair colouring.

-HIR is male meaning lord -ROHIR is horse lord so Knight as in Elrohir, elf or starknight, Elphir swanlord. Hiril is lady but I can't think of any personal names using it.

-DAN as in Cirdan means wright more likely male

-dir is a suffix indicating a male person. I have seen -ien used as the female equivalent but it was atthe LOTR musical so not sure how authentic..Mithrandir, grey wanderer male, elranien, star wanderer female, Haldir, tall guy, Lindir, singer or musician, male,

-ndis is bride as in Erendis and Indis.

[Mithalwen]

Oh Yes ner is man and nis ia woman as in Artanis and Nerwen
Wen is woman too but not in my screen name where it is part of alwen meaning tree.

[bcbdrums]

wow, thanks mithalwen! it's all so confusing and wonderful at the same time. :) now i have even more ideas.

does anyone know if there's a list of compound words somewhere that might show a precedent on how to combine different consonants? i want to make sure i don't break any rules...

[Mithalwen]

There may be... I haven't got to that level myself. I know there are some historic sound changes and that there is lenition in Sindarin but mainly I use elements from existing names and substitute.But I think the sound was important as the meaning. I can't tell you if the second l in elladan was a reflection of a rule or merely a way to encourage correct pronunciation when rendered into roman script.

I do use a dictionary from ambar eldaron and there is a good , list of elements in the Silmarillion.

If I think of anything I will post again.

[Bêthberry]

He hasn't posted here yet, but I know he's been lurking because he told me so. :D

Welcome to the Downs, Amarek. I won't give away any secrets but will let you announce yourself as you choose.

[Galadriel55]

Indeed! I'll say it here too: welcome to the Downs, Amarek! Enjoy it!

[Aganzir]

And here's a non-Canadian welcome to Amarek!

[Amarek]

Well, here I finally am. I've been wandering around Tolkien's Middle-earth for more than a decade and I just arrived at the Downs. Interesting place you have here.
:cool:

[Amarek]

Indeed! I'll say it here too: welcome to the Downs, Amarek! Enjoy it!

OK, I'm wandering and I actually AM lost. I can't seem to find the thread you responded to above. Maureen warned me on Facebook to make a reply to all the welcomes but I can't seem to find them.:(

[Galadriel55]

OK, I'm wandering and I actually AM lost. I can't seem to find the thread you responded to above. Maureen warned me on Facebook to make a reply to all the welcomes but I can't seem to find them.:(

This is the thread. If you scroll up you'll see them. (or, if you're in the middle of posting, you'd have to scroll down, since all the posts are underneath the white box in which you type).

[Pervinca Took]

Welcome to the Downs, Amarek. :)

[Jabbawocky Took]

Hi, have been reading posts for a while but decided to join and finally post something. Have been a fan of Tolkien's work for many a year, always nice to share it with others. :)

[Inziladun]

Hi, have been reading posts for a while but decided to join and finally post something. Have been a fan of Tolkien's work for many a year, always nice to share it with others. :)

Nice to have you, friend. Enjoy your time here!

[Jabbawocky Took]

Thank you Inziladun, for the kind welcome!

[bcbdrums]

welcome jabbawocky took! i like your avatar :)

[Galadriel55]

Welcome, Mr. Took! :)

[Jabbawocky Took]

Many thanks bcbdrums and Galadriel55! :)

[Faramir Jones]

Welcome to the Downs, Jabbawocky Took!

[Pervinca Took]

Welcome Jabbawocky, from another Took! :)

[Bêthberry]

We like our Tooks here. :D Welcome, Jabbawocky.

[Jabbawocky Took]

Thanks Faramir, my fellow Took Pervinca, and Bethberry for making me feel at home! :)

[MCRmyGirl4eva]

Well, I'm not a newcomer, but I've been away. Goodness me, I haven't been on since July! Nonetheless, I'm back, and hopefully won't start neglecting all of my lovelies again. (I got sucked into the wonderful world of tumblr.)

[Erestor]

Hello Downers,

Like you probably will expect, I'm a bit of a Tolkien fanatic. For many years now, I've read Tolkien's works over and over again (this should be taken very literally when I was a middle-school kid). Tolkien actually had a huge impact on my life too: it's because of his works my prime interest shifted from the exact sciences to the humanities – and now I’m a history student. If course, my interest in the former remains.

For my other interests, I have many. Of course, like many of you probably do, I like to read a lot. Music is also one of my main interests, and I while I have some preferences, I like many forms of music – ranging from medieval polyphonies to Chinese classical music and metal. Oh yeah, as a good Belgian, I like food and beer(not to get wasted but to taste it). I’ve got many other interests and hobbies, but I think these are enough for now :p

I hope we get along!

[Inziladun]

Welcome, Erestor! You've certainly come to the right place for Tolkien-talk.

I'm not aware of any other Belgians who are members here, and it's always good to increase our international representation. :)

[aurelien]

Hi everyone, I've just joined the forum and have got to say I'm absolutely thrilled to be here! I first began reading posts on this forum in August but due to some technical glitch in the registration process was unable to register (and I tried in so many ways as I was pretty desperate to join the conversation here!). I tried to find other Tolkien forums that I might join but none of them have the depth and scope of Tolkien knowledge that is exhibited in many of the posts here - not to mention the level of skepticism regarding the film adaptations, with which I wholly agree.

I kept coming back to read more, thoroughly enjoying your posts but unable to post myself and every once in a while I would try to register. Well today it worked! I'm so excited (I guess that's pretty obvious :-).

A little bit about me: I've been a fan of Tolkien's work since I first began to read the Fellowship of the Ring at 16, at the time still in my native Dutch. While I have always loved the Lord of the Rings though I am ashamed to admit it took me another 16 years before I finally read the Silmarillion. For too long I believe those that told me it was not a nice book to read (too difficult, too much in the style of the bible and so on), but oh how wrong they were of course! I was amazed to find I liked the Silmarillion even better than the Lord of the Rings. I've since read Unfinished Tales and have just begun reading the History of Middle Earth. I really look forward to being able to talk about all this stuff with everyone here on the forum as the Tolkien fans I know in real life have yet to move beyond the Lord of the Rings in their reading. Can't wait to join in the discussion at last!

[Inziladun]

Welcome, aurelien! You're right about the Simarillion being a rather difficult work when compared with LOTR, but it's so rewarding when one perseveres.

Enjoy yourself!

[Smug the Fabulous]

Hiya!

So I have been a big Tolkien fan since I was ten and have read much of his work (though I'll confess I haven't had the chance to read The Silmarillion).
I've seen the posts that are on this forum for a couple of years and I decided to join for the chance to have some serious discussions concerning things Tolkien-related, books and movies alike. :)

[Inziladun]

Hiya!

So I have been a big Tolkien fan since I was ten and have read much of his work (though I'll confess I haven't had the chance to read The Silmarillion).
I've seen the posts that are on this forum for a couple of years and I decided to join for the chance to have some serious discussions concerning things Tolkien-related, books and movies alike. :)

So nice to have you here. Mr. Jackson! Or so I assume from your handle. :D

Kidding, of course. Welcome to the Downs!

[Smug the Fabulous]

So nice to have you here. Mr. Jackson! Or so I assume from your handle. :D

Blast! How did you see through my disguise?!
Well, that's not going to stop me converting 300-paged books into multiple poorly-paced films, or to insert unnecessary romantic subplots and overlong action scenes!
Tolkien is mine! My own! My precious!
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

...

But in all seriousness, thanks for having me. :D

[rmjones0411]

**Mistakenly created a new thread originally. Here's my message.**

Hi all,

I'm a member who joined the forum long ago (circa 2009) to ask a question about making a character in LotRO. The community response was very helpful and gracious at the time, especially for someone who was so obviously a Tolkien novice. I then disappeared for awhile. I was reminded of the forum when I quite unexpectedly received a birthday email message this year.

I'm 33 years old, currently in my 3rd professional year of pharmacy school. I am married with 3 children. I'm one of the folks who may be a target of some largely unexpressed but quite appropriate irritation among the more well-read and knowledgeable in the Tolkien community because my interest in Middle Earth was mostly borne from experiencing the famed movie Trilogy by Peter Jackson. That said, I've always had an interest in fantasy, swords, and sorcery which dates back to getting a copy of the original MERP game in the early 1990s, though I could never find anyone interested enough to do a proper play-through. I'm currently working on my second time through the Hobbit. I've never completed the Trilogy, though I hope to do this when I have more time for reading that doesn't involve pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and drug therapeutics. I have a copy of the Silmarillion but I have a lot of trouble following the stories, though I'm sure they are fascinating!

With a short intro out of the way, I just want to say that I really appreciate the Barrow Downs community and hope to participate in some interesting discussions. Thanks for reading!

[Annalaliath]

**Mistakenly created a new thread originally. Here's my message.**

Hi all,

I'm a member who joined the forum long ago (circa 2009) to ask a question about making a character in LotRO. The community response was very helpful and gracious at the time, especially for someone who was so obviously a Tolkien novice. I then disappeared for awhile. I was reminded of the forum when I quite unexpectedly received a birthday email message this year.

I'm 33 years old, currently in my 3rd professional year of pharmacy school. I am married with 3 children. I'm one of the folks who may be a target of some largely unexpressed but quite appropriate irritation among the more well-read and knowledgeable in the Tolkien community because my interest in Middle Earth was mostly borne from experiencing the famed movie Trilogy by Peter Jackson. That said, I've always had an interest in fantasy, swords, and sorcery which dates back to getting a copy of the original MERP game in the early 1990s, though I could never find anyone interested enough to do a proper play-through. I'm currently working on my second time through the Hobbit. I've never completed the Trilogy, though I hope to do this when I have more time for reading that doesn't involve pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and drug therapeutics. I have a copy of the Silmarillion but I have a lot of trouble following the stories, though I'm sure they are fascinating!

With a short intro out of the way, I just want to say that I really appreciate the Barrow Downs community and hope to participate in some interesting discussions. Thanks for reading!

Welcome! Ehh, don't worry about where your interest came from, we are generally cool. I finally just got through the Silmirillion myself. I found it good coming at it as an Elven history book. And good luck on your studies!

[Galadriel55]

Welcome back, rmjones!

[Theoden of Rohan]

Hello everyone! :)

I am pleased to be a part of barrow-downs now. Seems like a brilliant place.

I have been a fan of Tolkien relatively recently. 7 years ago to be exact. :P
And unlike most here, I haven't really read all of JRRT's wonderful works. I read LotR and then picked up The Hobbit and loved them both. But my true love is and will always be The Silmarillion.

I like the films by Peter Jackson though there are so many changes that do bug me to no ends. But by the end, I can separate them from Tolkien-verse, and so I do love them.

I look forward to this place and I look forward to getting to know some of you here. :)



Theoden

[Inziladun]

Welcome, Theoden! You've said it perfectly in that this is indeed a "brilliant place", and has been for well over a decade.

Nice to have you!

[Faramir Jones]

Welcome back, rmjones0411!:D I look forward to hearing more from you, and hope pharmacy school goes well.:)

[Brego]

Hi there!

I'm fifteen years old and have loved the Lord of the Rings for a year now, after watching the first Hobbit movie. I've since all read the books and some other of Tolkien's brilliant works, such as the Children of Húrin and the Silmarillion.

I love the movies and the books equally, and I suffer from Social Anxiety Disorder and panic attacks. The characters and the story always make things easier when I'm having a particularly hard day.

I'm excited to be here, as I have a few questions that I can't find answers to, and to just enjoy to site. :)

[Galadriel55]

Welcome to the Downs, Brego! It's always a good thing when people join who really love LOTR&other books. :)

[Lotrelf]

Hiya!
I guess I'm little late.. ;)
Still- Hello to ALL. :)
I saw FOTR in 2011 and LOVED it. And when I saw the last movie, I cried like hell (though I do not cry much feeling this is all fictional). I haven't seen the last scene again. Then I read the books and Loved them, too, last year. I'd never expected to read them. But I did. Actually, I'm celebrating my anniversery of reading the books these days. ;)

[Faramir Jones]

Welcome to the Downs, Theoden, Brego and Lotrelf! :)

I'm impressed, Brego, that you've already read so much! :D

[Galadriel55]

Hi Lotrelf! We've spoken before, but let's make it official. Welcome to the Downs! :D

[Lotrelf]

Hi Lotrelf! We've spoken before, but let's make it official. Welcome to the Downs! :D

Hello, and Thank You! :)

[Bêthberry]

I would like to welcome Smaug's voice here, once his membership has been activated. Heck, even before!

I hope you enjoy being dead, Smaug's voice. :D

[Smaug's voice]

Grrr. Did someone dare to wake me up? :D

'ello there denny-zens.
Bethberry, convinced me to come out of lurkdome and join as a member. So thanks Bethberry.

I have been a lurker here for a while and have always enjoyed the level and variety of discussions here, and while I may not be the busiest of posters I look forward to my time here.
I am an ardent lover of Tolkien's works - not only Middle-earth but his use of language, the lyrical flow of his words and it is also an amazement to me, that despite being one of the greatest Philologists ever, his language in the books have been so lucid and easy to understand. Simplicity and royalty both co-exist in his texts. Something that is extremely rare in literature.
I have read The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings, the Sil, Unfinished Tales and am currently going through Children of Hurin. I love The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings on equal levels, both for their own reasons - one being an old-fashioned romanticize good vs evil myth, the other being simple children's story with adult themes and surprising depths despite it's apparent simplicity.
But my actual love has always been The Silmarillion. Definitely not the way Tolkien would have wanted it published, but even the little bite CT gives us from his father's vast compendium of drafts is just extremely satisfying. It works in so many different ways. And I firmly believe, Tolkien outdid Shakespeare in the Children of Hurin. I am still an amature compared to all the rest of you, having yet to read JRRT's letters as well as the invaluable HoME and the various Tolkien-scholastic publishings.

I am also quite fond of the films by Peter Jackson. I love the LotR films - as films, they are outstanding, while as adaptations they are quite good, better than most of the attempts could ever hope for.
As for The Hobbit films, I like them as an extension of Tolkien's works but let's face it, adaptation-wise they aren't even trying. Non the less, my overall response is quite positive towards both the series.
In my opinion of course, and I know I am in the vast minority here. No shame in that. :D

Anyway, good to be here.
So, how much is a pint?

SV

[Inziladun]

Welcome, SV!

I share your love of the language of Tolkien's books. There's nothing else quite like it.

Enjoy yourself!

[Lotrelf]

Hello And Welcome, Smaug's Voice! So glad to see someone from India. ;) Hope you enjoy! :)

[Galadriel55]

But my actual love has always been The Silmarillion. Definitely not the way Tolkien would have wanted it published, but even the little bite CT gives us from his father's vast compendium of drafts is just extremely satisfying. It works in so many different ways. And I firmly believe, Tolkien outdid Shakespeare in the Children of Hurin.

Welcome to the Downs, Smaug's voice! I share your opinion of The Sil and COH. I also love them both above the other works of JRRT that I've read. (And I haven't read much of the additional material either)

In my opinion of course, and I know I am in the vast minority here. No shame in that. :D

We may disagree on that, but I would respect a good friendly opposition :) (not "Figwit OMG!!!<3" style ;)).

So once again, welcome to the Downs!

[Pervinca Took]

Welcome aboard, Smaug's Voice. :)

[Smaug's voice]

Thanks for the welcome, peeps! :)

Hello And Welcome, Smaug's Voice! So glad to see someone from India. ;) Hope you enjoy! :)

I didn't notice. Good to see someone from my country as well, especially since I think India is a minority in Tolkien-fandom...relatively.

[Lotrelf]

Thanks for the welcome, peeps! :)



I didn't notice. Good to see someone from my country as well, especially since I think India is a minority in Tolkien-fandom...relatively.

Heh! True. People don't read in India much, and it is sad. Tolkien IS a master. My life changer. :)

[Smaug's voice]

Actually, the region I come from - East - people are literally bookworms. But most either seem to be unaware of Tolkien or view his tales simply as kiddie-stories.

[Lotrelf]

Actually, the region I come from - East - people are literally bookworms. But most either seem to be unaware of Tolkien or view his tales simply as kiddie-stories.

Among my friends, no one reads books. There are only two people I know who read the books of any author. Most think reading books is a time waste. I tried to make them understand the importance of Tolkien but they wouldn't believe me.

[tom the eldest]

Hi everyone.im tom the eldest.im new to this forum

[Inziladun]

Hi everyone.im tom the eldest.im new to this forum

Welcome tom! Make yourself at home.

[tom the eldest]

Im happy to finally able to join this forum.im a lotr fan since i was a kid,and i recently read the hobbit.i havent read the silmarillion though because here tolkien other book,beside lotr are VERY difficult to find.but yeah im happy

[Lotrelf]

Welcome, tom the eldest. Have a great time here! :)

[Pervinca Took]

Welcome aboard, Tom! :)

[Eruanno]

Hello fellow Tolkien lovers!

After several years of stalling on actually creating an account, I finally decided to make one recently.

I look forward to finding out more about Professor Tolkien and his glorious works.

[Mithalwen]

Welcome to the Downs. :)

[Eruanno]

Thank you :)

[Pervinca Took]

Mae govannen, Eruanno. :)

[Eruanno]

Mae govannen, Eruanno. :)

Le hannon, mellon :)

[Lotrelf]

Welcome, Eruanno. Hope you enjoye your time here! :)

[Eruanno]

Welcome, Eruanno. Hope you enjoye your time here! :)

Thank you, my friend. :)

[Belegorn]

Welcome newbies.

[Faramir Jones]

A belated welcome to the Downs, Eruanno! :)

[Moonraker]

Hallo, hallo hallo! :D

[Corsair_Caruso]

Hello; I'm a Tolkien enthusiast who has been reading Tolkien's works for almost twenty years now. I'm looking for more/new forums to share ideas concerning Tolkien's Legendarium, and this seems like a nice, active community. I've spent most of my time on AlternateHistory.com (which has a surprisingly large Tolkien community), which helped me re-discover my love of Tolkien, and now I've found myself craving more Tolkien-specific interaction. I hope to become a part of this community and share ideas, maybe some writing, and engage in spirited debates on the nature of Tolkien's work!

[Inziladun]

Welcome, Corsair! You've found the best Tolkien forum on the 'net.

[Corsair_Caruso]

Welcome, Corsair! You've found the best Tolkien forum on the 'net.

Thanks so much, it's good to be here!

[Lindale]

Good heavens. What have I been missing here in the Downs?

[Inziladun]

Good heavens. What have I been missing here in the Downs?

Good to have you back! It's pretty much the same old Barrow you knew. ;)

[Lindale]

Aww thanks Inziladun. I'm a bit too tired to read through the heavier posts in Books, but I've missed the word games. Surprising to see that Palantir of Fortune is still around :smokin:

[FerniesApple]

Hi I am Fernie :Merisu:

I love all things Tolkien, I love Jacksons LOTR, I HATE Jacksons Hobbit, nuff said.

[Lindale]

Welcome to the Downs FerniesApple! :smokin:

[Inziladun]

Surprising to see that Palantir of Fortune is still around :smokin:

I'm convinced that PoF must have possession of a Great Ring, and the attendant long life. ;)

[Belegorn]

Hi Fernie. I thought the movies were good. :)

[FerniesApple]

Hi Fernie. I thought the movies were good. :)

Hi Belegorn.

can I ask why you like the movies? ;)

[Lindale]

FerniesApple, why hate the movies?

I like them. Like, not love. The first was a bit of a drag, the second is okay-ish. Looking forward to the third. :Merisu:

[FerniesApple]

where do I start? :(

I think the single worst element is the constant rehashing of LOTR scenes and dialogue, it cheapens the earlier trilogy. Its fan pandering at its worst and it actually damages the excellence of the original. Tauriels glowing is an example but there are many many more, each cringeworthy.
No I forgot the very very worst! :mad: Bilbo how could I forget Bilbo? well Jackson forgot him, completely, its a farce. That the main character should be shunted to the background in the attempt to force some pseudo Aragornized character to the fore is mind boggling.
Its like watching a very polished plastic parody. They suck.

I could continue for hours....:mad:

[Tar-Jêx]

I am Tar-Jêx, aspiring lore master and Númenórean lord.

Finally glad to be joining after a year and a half of lurking as a guest.

[Inziladun]

I am Tar-Jêx, aspiring lore master and Númenórean lord.

Finally glad to be joining after a year and a half of lurking as a guest.

Welcome! The more Númenóreans, the better. ;)

[Belegorn]

Hi Belegorn.

can I ask why you like the movies? ;)

I can't say, or rather can't explain it.

[Precioussss]

Hi Everyone

I'm back, it's been a long time.

[Inziladun]

Hi Everyone

I'm back, it's been a long time.

Good to have you again!

[Pervinca Took]

Welcome back, Preciousss (if that isn't presumptuous from someone who only joined in 2009!)

And a belated welcome to FerniesApple.

[Eorl the Young]

Hello, I'm Eorl the Young and I have been watching this site since last year. I hope To have a great stay here.

[Galadriel55]

All hail Eorl! ;) Welcome to the Downs! That is a fabulous screen name. :D

[Aganzir]

Welcome Eorl! Westu hál, and all that. ;)

[Mithranduil]

Hi, everyone!

I'm new here, registered the other day and was waiting for the approval.

My name is Leonardo, i'm from Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. I'm 26 and I study/work currently. Huge fan of the books (and books in general), i have read COH, TS, LOTR, TH and UT (still reading it) and I like the movies. Looking foward to the last movie.

I'm a member at TORn, TORc and HOF as well! (do my acronyms make sense to you guys?)

Cheers!

[Inziladun]

Welcome, Mithranduil! As far as I know, you're the first Brazilian Downer. :cool:

I think your acronyms are recognizable, no worries. Enjoy yourself!

[Pervinca Took]

Welcome aboard, Mithranduil! :)

[Mithranduil]

Welcome, Mithranduil! As far as I know, you're the first Brazilian Downer. :cool:

I think your acronyms are recognizable, no worries. Enjoy yourself!

Thanks Pervinca!

Well, Inziladun (what a hard name to spell :P), I'm honored to be the first then! Thank you!

How active is are the boards here? Also, does the majority of people here prefer the books and doesn't like the movies ? I thought so at a quick glance at some forums but I want to be sure.

And please, if someone's curious about me, just ask anything :)

[Inziladun]

How active is are the boards here? Also, does the majority of people here prefer the books and doesn't like the movies ? I thought so at a quick glance at some forums but I want to be sure.;

The activity level varies somewhat, and there are periods during the year when a lot of members are absent, but there are generally at least one or two active threads at any given time.

I would say that generally speaking we here are fairly critical of the movies, but there are also many who quite enjoy them. I fall into the former category, but feel free to express your own opinion however you like.

[Galadriel55]

Welcome, Mithranduil!

Yeah, as Inzil said, sometimes it's more active, sometimes less, but I would thank anybody who brings a thread (or subforum) back to life, as I'm sure most here would. ;)

Many of us here are critical of the movies, but there's a range of how critical people are. And if you find that someone disagrees with you on your take of the movie - heck, disagreeing is what this place is about. :D A different opinion is a good thing to have. :)

[Tar-Jêx]

Welcome, Mithranduil!

Yeah, as Inzil said, sometimes it's more active, sometimes less, but I would thank anybody who brings a thread (or subforum) back to life, as I'm sure most here would. ;)

Many of us here are critical of the movies, but there's a range of how critical people are. And if you find that someone disagrees with you on your take of the movie - heck, disagreeing is what this place is about. :D A different opinion is a good thing to have. :)

Your opinion is different to mine so I'm going to destroy your entire race.

Differing opinions isn't always a good thing, especially when a Vala is going to ruin everyone's lives because of it.

[Inziladun]

Differing opinions isn't always a good thing, especially when a Vala is going to ruin everyone's lives because of it.

I doubt Mithranduil has any sinister intentions. TORN already has the job of hunting down movie-haters. ;)