#middleearth — Public Fediverse posts

I did a hard thing today. I ignored a DM (image).

"This is my 🪓 There are many like it but this one is mine. My 🪓is my best friend, it is my life. I must wield it before I am struck down. I will"

@[email protected] #middleearth #orcs #CirithUngol

How Many Castles In Middle-earth?

https://mytolkienlife.xenite.org/how-many-castles-in-middle-earth/

How Many Castles In Middle-earth?

https://mytolkienlife.xenite.org/how-many-castles-in-middle-earth/

How Many Castles In Middle-earth?

https://mytolkienlife.xenite.org/how-many-castles-in-middle-earth/

How Many Castles In Middle-earth?

https://mytolkienlife.xenite.org/how-many-castles-in-middle-earth/

How Many Castles In Middle-earth?

https://mytolkienlife.xenite.org/how-many-castles-in-middle-earth/

🎬 Oh joy, a glorified Google Maps for film nerds who want to pretend they're walking through Middle Earth's Mordor while actually just standing in a field in New Zealand 🌍. Because nothing says "I have too much free time" like tracing the exact coordinates of a castle that appeared for 3 seconds in a movie from the '80s. 😂
https://moviescenemap.com/ #filmnerds #GoogleMaps #MiddleEarth #NewZealand #moviegeeks #nostalgia #HackerNews #ngated

my main issue is that the female dwarfs are not sporting the bookverse beards
#MiddleEarth
https://screenrant.com/rings-of-power-season-3-teenage-dwarves-change-problems/

Why Didn’t Sauron Create An Army Of Morgûl-Blade Slaves?

ANSWER: I have been asked about this a few times over the years, although not very often. It’s one of those questions that kind of pops into your mind when you’re reading the story for the nth time. Or maybe you’re reading a blog like this one and someone mentions an item or something and suddenly your mind starts wandering.

I received […]

Birthday present finally framed and hung. Two posters of #MiddleEarth maps done in schematic London Underground “Tube Map” style.

The schematic Tube Map style was first designed by Harry Beck and promoted until it became the London Underground standard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tube_map

These two designs, following that style, are by Don Wilde: https://donwildeart.com/collections/lord-of-the-rings-subway-maps

adapting Christopher Tolkien's original maps to the Tube Map style. One shows the First Age (as told in the #Silmarillion), the other shows the Third Age (as told in #LordOfTheRings). There are loads of detail to delight #Tolkien fans.

#LotR

Fast And Furious Food

https://mytolkienlife.xenite.org/fast-and-furious-food/

Sharing for my fellow #Tolkien folks!

“To many in the Tolkien fandom, #audiobooks are a vital way to explore #JRRTolkien’s and Christopher Tolkien's work. To date… Christopher Tolkien's ‘The History of Middle-earth’ as a complete set with consistent and separate narration for Christopher and J.R.R's voices remains undone.

“Let's show HarperCollins that we have the interest and support to make these audiobooks happen. Share with your friends and communities!” #petition #MiddleEarth #fantasy

https://c.org/NLH9KLzdwJ

Q: Why Were J.R.R. Tolkien’s Works So Revolutionary?

ANSWER: I think people sometimes give J.R.R. Tolkien credit for inventing things he didn’t invent. Tolkien did not invent Elves, Dwarves, dragons, magic swords, enchanted rings, heroic quests, ancient kingdoms, or supernatural enemies. Other writers had created imaginary worlds before The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were published, and […]

Q: Why Did The One Ring Allow Frodo To Hand It To Bombadil?

ANSWER: I had half-written this article and then had to stop working on it. I left the browser window open but when I came back to it the article vanished. So it’s possible I haven’t reconstructed all my previous ideas and I may miss something in what follows (as I wrote it hastily). I received the following questions in December […]

It’s pretty clear all the elves in Peter Jackson's interpretation of Middle Earth are just tired of all this shit.

#LotR #MiddleEarth #Tolkien

ARGENTINA! 🇦🇷 Un grupo de Gandalfs se reunió delante de la casa de Peter Thiel en el barrio Palermo Chico.

🎶 Vos querés Palantir para ver el futuro. Mirate en el espejo, vas a ver un boludo... ¡Vas a ver un boludo! 🎶 😘

Llevaron una bandera con el "YOU SHALL NOT PASS" escrito con la tipografía del ya legendario trapo de Malvinas :blobaww: 🔥

MI PAIS! 😆

📽️ El Grito del Sur via IG @elgritodelsur

#PeterThiel #Argentina #AI #IA #Gandalf #LOTR #Palantir #MiddleEarth #Tolkien

If you haven't tried @[email protected] yet, or you did and were confused, time to ask questions and submit suggestions!

Middleearth.quest is a DM-based #ATgame set on, well, #MiddleEarth! It's very casual and will only consume a minute or two of your time every 24+ hours.

Give it a try!

RE: https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:nwxpzxyajtoqytsorxuwgolt/post/3mtcbmznsjc22

Middle-Earth Quest

Q: What Was Sauron’s True Name?

ANSWER: Sauron’s “true” name must be one of the most popular topics among Tolkien fans who dive deep into the minutiae of the books. When Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli were discussing the Orcs whom Boromir had killed, they pondered what the “S” rune on their helms might represent. Aragorn dismissed the idea that it could represent “Sauron” because “he does not […]

Do All Elves Have Pointy Ears?

https://mytolkienlife.xenite.org/do-all-elves-have-pointy-ears/

Q: What Did Tolkien Mean When He Used ‘Swart’ And ‘Swarthy’ To Describe Elves And Men?

ANSWER: I have deferred answering this question because of my recent post about Andy Serkis. I received this question in September 2025 and as I process my queue of visitor-submitted questions it was coming up when Andy made waves in the news. I hope enough time has passed that people won’t mind my […]

There are two compliments about my home that I treasure when visitors say them:

It smells good in here

It looks just like a hobbit hole; it's cozy.
#MiddleEarth

https://magazine.1000libraries.com/how-the-lord-of-the-rings-score-made-us-nostalgic-for-a-place-that-never-existed/

Why Was Gondor Never Conquered?

https://mytolkienlife.xenite.org/why-was-gondor-never-conquered/

Q: Why Didn’t The Elves Destroy The Three Rings?

ANSWER: People have asked many questions about the Rings of Power. I received the following question about the Elven rings in July 2025:

… why did the Elves keep the Three Rings all those years, instead of destroying them? They had access to Mount Doom for at least the first millennia of the 3rd Age. The Keepers wanted to keep the power […]

Q: When Does A Tolkien Question Stop Being About Tolkien?

ANSWER: Through the years I receive occasional thoughtful opinions or responses to recent posts on this blog, where long-time readers feel I may have strayed beyond their expectations or – in some cases – comfort zones. Those two areas are not the same (in my eyes). There may be other, unseen boundaries I occasionally cross. Years ago, […]

And Now The Orc Mage Appears

https://mytolkienlife.xenite.org/and-now-the-orc-mage-appears/

I had to put down Robert Tally's "Mismeasure of Orcs" partway through. His thesis (that Tolkien's orcs encode racism and classism) is pursued with genuine dedication, but the evidence keeps coming up short, and what's there is consistently lifted out of context or misread.

I'm not saying Tolkien was without blind spots when it came to race and class. He was a man of his era (or, perhaps more correctly, of even earlier eras).

#tolkien #orcs #fantasy #mythology #worldbuilding #middleearth
1/3

Q: Why Were Arnor And Gondor Separate After Isildur Died?

ANSWER: I received the following question from a reader in November 2025:

Why were Armor and Gondor sundered after Isildur’s death, if long-range communications with the Palàntiri was a thing?

Technically, the realm of Elendil persisted until Third Age year 861, when Amlaith and his two (unnamed) brothers divided Arnor into three […]

War of the Ring - The Card Game: Hope and Despair expansion announced #tabletopgames #lotr #middleearth
https://graphicpolicy.com/2026/07/30/war-of-the-ring-the-card-game-hope-and-despair-expansion-announced/

Q: Did The Mouth Of Sauron Survive The War Of The Ring?

ANSWER: I received this question in October 2025:

Do you think the Mouth of Sauron could have survived Sauron’s defeat?

Therefore, could he still be alive during the fourth age and still roaming Middle earth and represent a menace?

I can see different ways he might have survived. So far as I know, unless there is some letter out there […]

Q: Were The Shire Hobbits White-skinned?

ANSWER: This question was inspired by Andy Serkis’ recent response to criticisms about his casting for The Hunt for Gollum. Serkis, according to Variety and other sources, said that “… I don’t think we will be doing a politically correct just-casting-for-the sake-of-casting-and-ticking-boxes version of the film…” He added, “So, it’s where […]

The Hobbit

"A great modern classic and the prelude to THE LORD OF THE RINGS"

Sale: $8.99 to $2.99

by J.R.R. Tolkien
Rating: 4.7/5 (81,255 Reviews)

#fantasy #books #adventure #classic #middleearth #teens #youngadult #fiction #literature #hobbit #ring #dragon #gollum #tolkien #booksky

The Hobbit: Tolkien's Classic ...

Ah, the epic tale of Tolkien's masterpiece—reduced to a #CAPTCHA struggle. 🎭 Because clearly, the true hero of Middle-earth was #JavaScript all along, saving us from the dark lord of ad blockers. 🕵️‍♂️✨
https://www.theculturist.io/p/the-unsung-hero-of-the-lord-of-the #Tolkien #MiddleEarth #AdBlockers #HackerNews #ngated

Q: How Far Can Elves See?

ANSWER: I received the following question in May of 2025:

Just how far can Elves see and in what detail? In “The Two Towers” right after restoring Theoden, they are looking eastward from outside Meduseld at Edoras. In referring to Legolas it says “It seemed to Legolas, as he strained his farseeing eyes, that he caught a glint of white: far away perchance the sun […]

A wizard in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a Ring. Free League release Hands of the White Wizard (The One Ring) and Trials of Saruman (LotR 5e) on June 2nd, six adventures each set before Isengard turns.
#RPG #LOTR #TheOneRing #MiddleEarth #TabletopRPGs #FreeLeaguePublishing #LordOfTheRings
https://www.tabletopsentinel.com/news/fantasy/one-launch-to-bring-them-all-free-league-unveils-triple-tolkien-release-day

Chapter XVI in The Nature of Middle-earth is titled “Dwellings in Middle-earth”. It begins with a linguistic discussion of various Elvish words used to describe types of dwellings. A dwelling could be as simple as a place where the Eldar slept in the wild, such as a temporary “hall”-like structure.

The concept of a “dwelling place” evolved through different uses, eventually describing […]

In The Nature of Middle-earth there is a chapter titled “Note On Elvish Economy”. In years past I wrote a great deal about the economies of Middle-earth. But I didn’t have access to NoME in those days. So I thought I’d catch up a little bit on the trivia about Elves and agriculture.

Tolkien wrote this essay on Elvish economy in 1968. The opening paragraph reads thus:

Arable. The Sindar did […]

Today is Tolkien Reading Day! What is your favorite bit of Tolkien lore?

#TolkienReadingDay #Hobbit #MiddleEarth #Books

Q: Why Did Mahtan Develop A Beard So Early In Life?

ANSWER: I received the following question in May 2025:

Regarding your wondering about: “Miriel’s father Mahtan had a beard in his second cycle” – this seems a special grace of Aulë whose devotee Mahtan was? Aulë seemed a fan of beards – at least according to his dwarves?

So, first of all, this question quotes an article I wrote in […]

Just watched The War of the Rohirrim finally (on my flight), and I'm left with mixed but mostly positive feelings. The story leans heavily on familiar tropes and at times it feels a bit too much like “Éowyn, but animated” with a classic rebellious daughter arc, but it still worked for me. It was gritty enough as well.

The animation, which I don’t usually go for, felt surprisingly fitting. A visual style that respected the world more than it tried to modernise it. Helm Hammerhand’s transformation into a spectral legend? That’s pure Tolkien saga, and it was handled beautifully. Easily the most compelling part of the film. And a bit of a relief after the somewhat corporate Héra storyline.

Compared to The Rings of Power, this felt less like corporate IP exploitation and more like someone actually read the appendices and cared. It’s not flawless, and you can feel the screenplay straining a bit under the weight of trying to build emotional arcs from sparse lore. But it gets the tone right, and that matters a lot.

Would happily take more Middle-earth stories in this style, as long as the writing keeps improving.

#WarOfTheRohirrim #Tolkien #MiddleEarth #Rohirrim #AnimeAdaptation #BetterThanRingsOfPower #HelmHammerhand

Just watched The War of the Rohirrim finally (on my flight), and I'm left with mixed but mostly positive feelings. The story leans heavily on familiar tropes and at times it feels a bit too much like “Éowyn, but animated” with a classic rebellious daughter arc, but it still worked for me. It was gritty enough as well.

The animation, which I don’t usually go for, felt surprisingly fitting. A visual style that respected the world more than it tried to modernise it. Helm Hammerhand’s transformation into a spectral legend? That’s pure Tolkien saga, and it was handled beautifully. Easily the most compelling part of the film. And a bit of a relief after the somewhat corporate Héra storyline.

Compared to The Rings of Power, this felt less like corporate IP exploitation and more like someone actually read the appendices and cared. It’s not flawless, and you can feel the screenplay straining a bit under the weight of trying to build emotional arcs from sparse lore. But it gets the tone right, and that matters a lot.

Would happily take more Middle-earth stories in this style, as long as the writing keeps improving.

#WarOfTheRohirrim #Tolkien #MiddleEarth #Rohirrim #AnimeAdaptation #BetterThanRingsOfPower #HelmHammerhand

Just watched The War of the Rohirrim finally (on my flight), and I'm left with mixed but mostly positive feelings. The story leans heavily on familiar tropes and at times it feels a bit too much like “Éowyn, but animated” with a classic rebellious daughter arc, but it still worked for me. It was gritty enough as well.

The animation, which I don’t usually go for, felt surprisingly fitting. A visual style that respected the world more than it tried to modernise it. Helm Hammerhand’s transformation into a spectral legend? That’s pure Tolkien saga, and it was handled beautifully. Easily the most compelling part of the film. And a bit of a relief after the somewhat corporate Héra storyline.

Compared to The Rings of Power, this felt less like corporate IP exploitation and more like someone actually read the appendices and cared. It’s not flawless, and you can feel the screenplay straining a bit under the weight of trying to build emotional arcs from sparse lore. But it gets the tone right, and that matters a lot.

Would happily take more Middle-earth stories in this style, as long as the writing keeps improving.

#WarOfTheRohirrim #Tolkien #MiddleEarth #Rohirrim #AnimeAdaptation #BetterThanRingsOfPower #HelmHammerhand

Just watched The War of the Rohirrim finally (on my flight), and I'm left with mixed but mostly positive feelings. The story leans heavily on familiar tropes and at times it feels a bit too much like “Éowyn, but animated” with a classic rebellious daughter arc, but it still worked for me. It was gritty enough as well.

The animation, which I don’t usually go for, felt surprisingly fitting. A visual style that respected the world more than it tried to modernise it. Helm Hammerhand’s transformation into a spectral legend? That’s pure Tolkien saga, and it was handled beautifully. Easily the most compelling part of the film. And a bit of a relief after the somewhat corporate Héra storyline.

Compared to The Rings of Power, this felt less like corporate IP exploitation and more like someone actually read the appendices and cared. It’s not flawless, and you can feel the screenplay straining a bit under the weight of trying to build emotional arcs from sparse lore. But it gets the tone right, and that matters a lot.

Would happily take more Middle-earth stories in this style, as long as the writing keeps improving.

#WarOfTheRohirrim #Tolkien #MiddleEarth #Rohirrim #AnimeAdaptation #BetterThanRingsOfPower #HelmHammerhand

[caption id="attachment_17086" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Gildor Inglorion is a mysterious character in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, but we have as many questions about how he and his people traveled across Middle-earth as about him. Here is what we know.[/caption]

An Elf and a Ranger were camping out in Eriador one night. As they lay in their blankets, the Elf nudged the Ranger and said, […]

https://middle-earth.xenite.org/where-in-the-wild-is-gildor-inglorion/

LES SENTIERS DE L’OMBRE

Ce livre existe je l’ai rencontré et il est disponible ici : https://urls.fr/tl3r2k

Plus de 100 illustrations regroupant tout mon travail pour nos parties de #jdr à l’aquarelle entre 2020 et 2024

#dnd5e #rpg #jrrtolkien #seigneurdesanneaux
#leseigneurdesanneaux #middleearth #lordoftherings #lotr #hobbit #tolkien #watercolor #illustration #drawing #fantasy #artist #artwork #artoftheday #illustration #illustrations
#tolkienart #medievalfantasy

The Beleriand side of the Middle Earth map is complete. I am using acrylic paint pens to slowly draw a joint First Age/Third Age map of Middle Earth on my library ceiling. The map is approximately 11’ long and 6’ high. Next up is completing the place names on the Third Age side. Zoom in for detail. #tolkien #tolkienart #maps #libraries #art #middleearth #beleriand

[caption id="attachment_14608" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Random comments in online discussions about J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle-earth often reveal the unlikely things people believe to be true about Tolkien’s fictional works. Here are a few myths fans share and the truth about them.[/caption]

Q: Are The Myths Of The Tolkien Elves True?

ANSWER: I can’t enumerate every myth about […]

https://middle-earth.xenite.org/are-these-myths-about-tolkien-elves-true/

[caption id="attachment_14385" align="alignright" width="720"] The Teleri built Alqualondë on the northern shores of Aman in Eldamar. But was this Swan-haven considered to be a part of Valinor, too? Here is what we know.[/caption]

Q: Is Alqualondë Formally Considered To Be Part of Valinor?

ANSWER: I received the following question in December 2023:

Is Alqualondë formally considered to […]

https://middle-earth.xenite.org/is-alqualonde-formally-considered-to-be-part-of-valinor/

[caption id="attachment_13705" align="aligncenter" width="720"] The Three Elven Rings were associated with Air, Fire, and Water. Readers want to know if those associations were inspired by Greek philosophy. Here is what we know.[/caption]

Q: What Was the Significance of Air, Fire, and Water for the Three Rings?

ANSWER: I received the following question in December 2023:

One thing that’s […]

https://middle-earth.xenite.org/what-was-the-significance-of-air-fire-and-water-for-the-three-rings/

[caption id="attachment_13346" align="alignright" width="720"] J.R.R. Tolkien mentioned alcoholic drinks several times in ‘The Lord of the Rings’. A reader asks if Legolas was drunk on Caradhras after drinking Miruvor. Here is what we know.[/caption]

Q: Did Legolas Get Drunk In LoTR?

ANSWER: This is a serious question. In October 2023 a reader asked: “Was Legolas drunk at the pass of the […]

https://middle-earth.xenite.org/did-legolas-get-drunk-in-lotr/

[caption id="attachment_13279" align="aligncenter" width="720"] Aragorn is sometimes depicted with a beard and sometimes without. The image of Viggo Mortensen as Aragorn is iconic. But J.R.R. Tolkien himself always pictured the character without a beard. So what happened? Here is what we know.[/caption]

Q: Did J.R.R. Tolkien Confirm That Aragorn Was Beardless?

ANSWER: In March 2022 Alex […]

https://middle-earth.xenite.org/did-j-r-r-tolkien-confirm-that-aragorn-was-beardless/