Book Aragorn is one of the weirdest dudes in existence.

Nowhere is this more evident to me than when they are going through Moria, and Gandalf pauses a long time at a fork in the road trying to decide which way to go. Sensing the growing anxiety among the fellowship as Gandalf keeps lingering there, Aragorn says: “Do not be afraid! Gandalf has led us here against our fears, but he will lead us out again, at whatever cost to himself. He is surer of finding the way home in a blind night than the cats of Queen Beruthiel.”

Okay, buddy, let’s break that down:

1. Beruthiel is a long-dead queen of Gondor, hated for her cruelty and for her Cat Spy Network. Her husband eventually exiled her AND THE CATS out to sea. Her name was struck from The Book of Kings, but her legend lived on! How could it not.

2. Aside from Aragorn himself, only Gandalf (who is not listening) and Boromir will understand this reference. And I can’t help but feel it’s going to make Boromir immediately suspicious. Why is Aragorn referencing this deep cut of Gondorian history?

3. EVERY OTHER member of the fellowship had to be standing there like, “…Cats?”

I don’t know, Aragorn, I don’t think “don’t worry, Gandalf is better at navigation than Evil Cats” is the rousing speech you think it is.

one of my favorite bits in lord of the rings is something the movies didn't really try to do because it's entirely internal, but sam's carrying the ring and it starts trying to do its work on him, so he's having these intrusive visions of himself marching at the head of a vast and terrible army, and he just starts laughing because, me? samwise gamgee? sam gamgee the general sam gamgee the dark lord are you for real? man i just want to go home and do some gardening. and the ring gets frustrated and it starts trying to figure out other stuff that would actually tempt sam and it's finally like, okay, but hear me out: imagine if you could have...A REALLY REALLY BIG GARDEN

The Silmarillion is a book that fills me with many emotions, but the only part that makes me feel anger -not tragic grief at the narrative, but real anger- is the ending where the Lord of the Rings is summarized in three paragraphs.

It makes me feel anger because it gives a comparison for just how summarized the rest of the Silmarillion is. The entire fall of the Noldor, written in a way that condenses Frodo and Sam’s whole journey to “alone with his servant he passed through peril and darkness and came at last in Sauron’s despite even to Mount Doom”.

What else did Tolkien imagine over five hundred years of history that didn’t make it into any of his notes? What did he not imagine that still must have occurred? Who are the Boromirs and the Eowyns and the Bilbos of the first age? What witch-kings did they slay and what quests did they begin? What were the riddles and the detours and the love stories?

Its all been forgotten. No one knows anymore, and it’s likely that no one ever did. Not even Professor Tolkien.

"A rhinestone shines just as good as a diamond.”

Rest easy, Dolly.

I finally printed and tested the foldable! So relieved everything lines up right.

If you play, let me know what your bird and dream ended up being!

The Flower and the Shadows No.1b - Clarence A. Porter

Canadian , b. 1960 -

Pastel on panel , 22 x 32 in.

BEBUS AWARE