Powerful Tolkien experiences - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

smeagollives · 02-13-2008, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ibrîniðilpathânezel

Does realizing that one of Tolkien's characters had been the most positive role model in one's entire life count?

Who was it?

smeagollives · 02-13-2008, 05:54 PM

I loved to hear your Tolkien experiences.

Ibrîniðilpathânezel · 02-13-2008, 07:27 PM

It was Gandalf. I wrote an essay about it nearly 6 years ago, and posted it on my website. If you want, you can read it here.

Lindale · 02-14-2008, 07:22 AM

For more than seven years now, I've been so drawn to Tolkien that I actually majored in Comparative Literature and have thought of thesising on The Silm or some literary theory as applied to the whole Tolkien legendarium.

The most powerful reading of Tolkien for me was Smith of Wooton Major (and ironically the first thing I read of him, back when I was a kid who thought this was simply a nice but weird fairy story) a couple of months ago, in a small dainty university in the city of Baguio up in the Cordillera mountains. The cold winds that a girl from the tropics doesn't feel anywhere else in her homeland, plus the pine-trees and the fog, the Romantic ambiance, made me feel very... strange, or for want of better term, ethereal.

And then my best friend came, sat with me on one of the benches in our university where I was reading this, and suddenly I felt the sadness that I had to leave Baguio because I've been accepted at the main university and I just couldn't let that chance pass. He hugged me tight and just sat silently with me, letting me lean on him while I reread the same fairy story I have loved for years, with tears on my eyes for the first time while reading this very familiar story. All of a sudden kasi, I just realize the... sorrow, for want of better term, of Smith realizing that his meeting with the Queen should be his last journey to Faery.

Needless to say, the city of Baguio is my Faery.

Thinlómien · 03-16-2010, 04:32 PM

Just giving a big *POKE* to this thread since it was brought to my mind last weekend - because I met the blind storyteller guy again.

It was definitely weird to see him. I didn't want to ruin my memory of his wonderful storytelling by going to tell him I still remember it and afterwards engage in a lame Tolkien discussion (you may tell me I'm stupid because I didn't use the opportunity to get to know this guy better or because I'm a pessimist

) but I had to give him and the other trainers there personal anonymous feedback so I wrote to him that I still remember his bedtime story from years ago. I hope he was happy to hear it.

And now I read through this thread again, and I like it a lot, so I hope everybody who missed this thread last time around comes and scribbles something here, because these experiences are so beautiful and it makes me happy to read them.

Estelyn Telcontar · 03-17-2010, 02:17 AM

This is a good thread (thanks for resurrecting it, Lommy!) to remind all of you of the upcoming Tolkien Reading Day on March 25. You can read about it on the Tolkien Society's page. I have also started a thread on the announcement sub-forum so that we can share ideas and plans for celebrating it, as well as our experiences afterward.

Let's be inspired by the previous experiences posted here!

AbercrombieOfRohan · 03-17-2010, 04:29 PM

Well, I'm not really sure that this counts as "inspiring" but, I wrote my university admissions essay on trying to learn Elvish. They always say "try to find something that's unique and different" and I'm fairly sure that that was the only essay they received that year about that topic. Haha, I guess the message is that Tolkien is so near and dear to my heart that I couldn't have possibly chosen anything else to write about and that probably (hopefully) came across when the admissions directors were reading it.

...and it's always hilarious to see people's reactions when I tell them about how I got accepted to college. "Excuse me, you wrote about what???!?!?! Sh*t, I should have written about something more interesting!"

02-13-2008, 07:27 PM	#3
Ibrîniðilpathânezel Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Back on the Helcaraxe Posts: 733	It was Gandalf. I wrote an essay about it nearly 6 years ago, and posted it on my website. If you want, you can read it here. __________________ Call me Ibrin (or Ibri) :) Originality is the one thing that unoriginal minds cannot feel the use of. — John Stewart Mill

02-14-2008, 07:22 AM	#4
Lindale Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: midway upon... in a forest dark Posts: 975	For more than seven years now, I've been so drawn to Tolkien that I actually majored in Comparative Literature and have thought of thesising on The Silm or some literary theory as applied to the whole Tolkien legendarium. The most powerful reading of Tolkien for me was Smith of Wooton Major (and ironically the first thing I read of him, back when I was a kid who thought this was simply a nice but weird fairy story) a couple of months ago, in a small dainty university in the city of Baguio up in the Cordillera mountains. The cold winds that a girl from the tropics doesn't feel anywhere else in her homeland, plus the pine-trees and the fog, the Romantic ambiance, made me feel very... strange, or for want of better term, ethereal. And then my best friend came, sat with me on one of the benches in our university where I was reading this, and suddenly I felt the sadness that I had to leave Baguio because I've been accepted at the main university and I just couldn't let that chance pass. He hugged me tight and just sat silently with me, letting me lean on him while I reread the same fairy story I have loved for years, with tears on my eyes for the first time while reading this very familiar story. All of a sudden kasi, I just realize the... sorrow, for want of better term, of Smith realizing that his meeting with the Queen should be his last journey to Faery. Needless to say, the city of Baguio is my Faery. __________________ The heart does things for reasons Reason itself cannot comprehend. - Blaise Pascal Legal Madness.

03-16-2010, 04:32 PM	#5
Thinlómien Shady She-Penguin Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: In a far land beyond the Sea Posts: 8,093	Just giving a big POKE to this thread since it was brought to my mind last weekend - because I met the blind storyteller guy again. It was definitely weird to see him. I didn't want to ruin my memory of his wonderful storytelling by going to tell him I still remember it and afterwards engage in a lame Tolkien discussion (you may tell me I'm stupid because I didn't use the opportunity to get to know this guy better or because I'm a pessimist ) but I had to give him and the other trainers there personal anonymous feedback so I wrote to him that I still remember his bedtime story from years ago. I hope he was happy to hear it. And now I read through this thread again, and I like it a lot, so I hope everybody who missed this thread last time around comes and scribbles something here, because these experiences are so beautiful and it makes me happy to read them. __________________ Like the stars chase the sun, over the glowing hill I will conquer Blood is running deep, some things never sleep Double Fenris

03-17-2010, 02:17 AM	#6
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,500	This is a good thread (thanks for resurrecting it, Lommy!) to remind all of you of the upcoming Tolkien Reading Day on March 25. You can read about it on the Tolkien Society's page. I have also started a thread on the announcement sub-forum so that we can share ideas and plans for celebrating it, as well as our experiences afterward. Let's be inspired by the previous experiences posted here! __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

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02-13-2008, 05:54 PM	#2
smeagollives Animated Skeleton Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 41	I loved to hear your Tolkien experiences.

03-17-2010, 04:29 PM	#7
AbercrombieOfRohan Shade of Carn Dûm Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 311	Well, I'm not really sure that this counts as "inspiring" but, I wrote my university admissions essay on trying to learn Elvish. They always say "try to find something that's unique and different" and I'm fairly sure that that was the only essay they received that year about that topic. Haha, I guess the message is that Tolkien is so near and dear to my heart that I couldn't have possibly chosen anything else to write about and that probably (hopefully) came across when the admissions directors were reading it. ...and it's always hilarious to see people's reactions when I tell them about how I got accepted to college. "Excuse me, you wrote about what???!?!?! Sh*t, I should have written about something more interesting!"