MJ Hansen 🌿

Fun fact: "That's one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind" is perfect Old English (with modern spellings). If spoken slowly, it would have been understood 1500 years ago. Our farthest reach forward was celebrated using words pulled from our deep past.

Bronze vintage Tolkien Society enamel pin held in my left hand against a background of the Old English Exodus

Newest addition to my Tolkien collection — a Tolkien Society enamel pin from 1960s-1970s

Photo of the various titles edited by Christopher Tolkien

Christopher Tolkien was born on this day in 1924. We owe him so much 📚 💚

#Tolkien #TolkienTrewsday #TolkienTuesday #LOTR #LordOfTheRings #TheHobbit

Alan Lee’s sketch of King Théoden with Gríma Wormtongue from “The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook”

“Upon it sat a man so bent with age that he seemed almost a dwarf; but his white hair was long and thick and fell in great braids from beneath a thin golden circlet set upon his brow.”
-The King of the Golden Hall

Art by the amazing Alan Lee

The Lord of the Rings trilogy hardcovers in a slipcase issued 1988 held in my left hand against a white background

Newest acquisition! The 1988 Lord of the Rings Houghton Mifflin Hardcovers in Slipcase

But still, isn’t it wonderful to know that even Tolkien procrastinated on writing his conference talks? And I love the mental image of J.R.R. Tolkien pulling an all-nighter in a hotel in St Andrews, finishing his keynote.

Before your jaw drops at the thought of Tolkien writing such a seminal essay in less than a week, remember that the essay we now know and love was developed over a period of many years after the original lecture.

My new favorite passage in Tolkien’s expanded Letters, from No. 36a to Michael Tolkien, March 1, 1939.

The “infernal lecture” he had not yet written would turn out to be “On Fairy-stories,” and was presented in Scotland *seven days later.*

Photo of the book “The Lord of the Rings” open at Chapter 7 of The Two Towers - Helm’s Deep. In the background is Alan Lee’s illustration of Helm’s Deep

About to start one of my all time favourite chapters! Let’s do this!

“Will you ride with me then, son of Arathorn? Maybe we shall cleave a road, or make such an end as will be worth a song – if any be left to sing of us hereafter.”

#Tolkien #LOTR #LordOfTheRings

Photo of my Tolkien bookshelves

I’m going to need a bigger boat…

#Tolkien #LOTR #LordOfTheRings #TheHobbit #booktwt

What a fantastic thread!

It's TolkienTrewsday, and as the release looms of the expanded/revised version of 'Letters', we'd like to remind you, Queer Lodgers, that the context of the letters is extremely important - who they were being written to, when, and under what circumstances. 🧵1/

screenshot of Old English text

In his translation of Boethius, King Alfred talks about the place where one belongs as being his "hamfæst" or home-fast.

Sam Gamgee's dad, the Gaffer, was named Hamfast. Never was there a more apt name in all of LOTR!

#Tolkientober: Ancient

“Fangorn” (watercolour, 2023)

This is a tall and narrow watercolor painting focusing in on the mound of Cerin Amroth. One central tree with a big gray trunk stands at the center. In its branches at the top of the painting, a round tent-like structure sits on a platform. Smaller trees ring around the central one. They all have brilliant yellow leaves. At the bottom of the painting, small trees with white trunks make a larger circle around the mallorn mound. These smaller trees have no leaves; nevertheless small white and yellow flowers form blushes of color on the green grass. In the background, a sea of other mallorn trees fade into low hills and a pale blue sky.

Tolkientober Day 5, Kingdom: here is my watercolor illustration of Cerin Amroth from ~ 2018.

#Tolkientober : Jewelry

“Arwen’s gift” (watercolour, 2004)

A black and white digital sketch showing two white trees against a pure black sky. Stars appear as myriad pinpricks between the bare branches, which arc around the top and sides of the drawing.

Jumping into #Tolkientober a tad late with day 4, Jewelry.

“Or there maybe ‘tis cloudless night
and swaying beeches bear
the Elven-stars as jewels white
amid their branching hair.”

drawing of lotr movie scene, flight to the ford, in which arwen sends water horses to take down the pursuing nazgul, and probably the most horses i've ever drawn at once

drawing of lotr movie scene where gandalf is fighting the balrog atop a crumbling bridge and says "you shall not pass"

some of my favorite tolkientober offerings in black and white ink on toned paper from 3 years ago

The Two Towers paperback edition against a map of Rohan

The Two Towers, 1988 Houghton Mifflin Edition, 17th Printing

me and the girls

Old English often survives in fragments. In the "Finnesburh Fragment," which Tolkien studied extensively & wrote a paper on, an interesting term is used for a gray wolf: "graeghama" -- grayhame. One of the many names of Gandalf.

Happy equinox!

To the English of a thousand years ago, equinox was "emniht" -- even-night. Basically the Latin, just English'ed!

I'd kinda like to bring that back.

Happy #HobbitDay, my friends! Cheers to another year of food and cheer and song. 🍄

Photo of two glasses of red wine on ring script coasters

Photo of a little Hobbit Hole ornament

Happy Hobbit Day everyone! Don’t forget to drink to the health of Bilbo and Frodo, ideally with a lovely glass of Old Winyards! 🍷

A picture of the spines of various editions of The Hobbit

Happy Hobbit Day! (September 22nd, the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo)

Here are some Hobbits (and a very small Ent) for your enjoyment.

The shire in celebration for Bilbo's birthday, complete with fireworks. In the foreground, Bilbo slinks away into the night.

happy birthday Bilbo!

It is a crisp, early Fall day. The sky is light blue. A golden-leaved oak tree sits atop a hill, dropping leaves here and there. A little lower in the hill is a round blue hobbit door, draped by crimson vines. A pathway of stone steps descends from the door and curves toward the viewer.

Happy Hobbit Day! Hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy some favorite food and drink, and maybe a chance to curl up with a good book or enjoy another beloved hobby. I got to go hiking with family which is definitely a favorite activity. Tonight I’ll raise a glass to Bilbo and Frodo! 🍻

I would second this and recommend the translation by Chickering. Have fun!!

Excited for you!! I would absolutely recommend starting with this book — Reading Old English: A Primer and First Reader by Hasenfratz and Jambeck. Additionally picking up a dictionary would benefit you greatly if you can find one at a reasonable price.

Paperback copy of The Hobbit with the Barrels Out of Bond illustration on the cover, against a wood background

The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien, 1988 Quality Paperback Book Club Edition, Houghton Mifflin