tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5293379097560903232024-03-09T19:39:22.971+01:00Lalaith's Middle-earth Science PagesNotes and observations on Tolkien's Middle-earthAndreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-69600657844682946742022-03-18T11:39:00.005+01:002022-03-18T11:39:39.481+01:00My first hardcover print - (WOW!!!)<p> </p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;">For the first time, I have tried to apply KDP's new hardcover offer. And I am most impressed! The omnibus edition of my four volumes "Middle-earth seen by the barbarians", "Words of Westernesse", "Dynasties of Middle-earth" and "The Moon in 'The Hobbit'" looks most professional, the colour images are crisp, the paper feels noble - "like from the bookshop", my daughter said, admiringly! True, the printing costs for 500+ full-colour pages are rather high, close to 70 € in total, but just to see this result was worth the investment!</div><div style="text-align: justify;">(Of course, for low-budget readers I have also produced a b/w pocket book for half the price; but it's not quite an eye-bulger as the hardcover!)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I think I should do other books in hardcover as well, notably the image-laden volumes on minor worlds of the solar system.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVOITxPI2vhCrOGXVgUiHAjO4BzlvY7-kWzYtof04MF5a4hZzq5EJ0whaXzF6bsANdu2GfdB6O4l1sz99xls8oi8LCFf09ow2wGLNtowrfQ6H0XZQTCVgO0Qrov0iN19wQxn0N28XWH5ialQ3wRldFawAiKKdcAcqQOr5DNHuz1WwnELdRXf52QfX4=s5472" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5472" data-original-width="3648" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgVOITxPI2vhCrOGXVgUiHAjO4BzlvY7-kWzYtof04MF5a4hZzq5EJ0whaXzF6bsANdu2GfdB6O4l1sz99xls8oi8LCFf09ow2wGLNtowrfQ6H0XZQTCVgO0Qrov0iN19wQxn0N28XWH5ialQ3wRldFawAiKKdcAcqQOr5DNHuz1WwnELdRXf52QfX4=w426-h640" width="426" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-16969192387304882862021-11-25T12:27:00.002+01:002021-11-25T12:27:10.615+01:00One more word included in NoMe: Adûnayân<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Noto Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">So we got exactly one new word of Adûnaic in <b>Nature of Middle-earth</b>: </span><em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adûnayân,</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Noto Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Noto Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">that's what Adûnaic called itself, and I am forced to discard my previous hypothesis that its name was </span><em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adûnaiyê,</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Noto Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"> analogous to <i>Nimriy</i></span><em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ê '</em><span class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Elvish' </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Noto Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">in the <b>Notion Club Papers</b>.</span></p><p class="_1qeIAgB0cPwnLhDF9XSiJM" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0.8em 0px 0.25em; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><div style="color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Noto Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: justify;">Its structure is difficult to interpret. My first association was the other name, <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Yozâyan</em> 'Land of Gift', but that is based on an attested noun <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">zâyan,</em> pl. <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">zâin</em> 'land', which cannot be present here (note the different place of the long vowel, though with Tolkien it is not always significant). The NCP have also provided us with an agental suffix <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">-ân</em> that produced nouns like <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">magân</em> 'maker'. But that would suggest an interpretation of <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adûnayân</em> as 'Westerner' or in fact 'Westron', and I am not sure whether this reading holds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Noto Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8); color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Noto Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">But then, we have cases like <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">abâr</em> 'strength, endurance' > <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">abrazân</em> ' steadfast, faithful; Voronwe'. Can we draw an analogy? The basic element of <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adûnayân</em> is no doubt <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adûna</em> ' a Númenórean', shall we simply add a glide consonant <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">y</em> + <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">-ân'</em>, following the structore of -<em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ada</em> in <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">azûlada > -yada</em> in <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">avalôiyada</em> to avoid a vowel cluster?</div></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8); color: #1a1a1b; font-family: "Noto Sans", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><div style="text-align: justify;">But then, we also have got from the NCP the possessive prefix <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">an-</em>, included, among other examples, in <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">an-Adûn</em> 'of the West'. Maybe Tolkien decided in the third phase of Adûnaic, that in <b>Words of Westernesse</b> I had labelled <i>a-Adûnaic</i> for reference purposes, to make it a lenghtened suffix: *<em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">adûnân.</em> In that case, <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adûnayân</em> would simply mean '[Language] of the Númenórean(s)': <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Adûna</em> + <em class="_7s4syPYtk5hfUIjySXcRE" style="border: 0px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">y</em> + poss. suff.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Anyway, it's time for an update to <b>Words of Westernesse</b>. <br /><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOF5NofNPd1WyimUfJyyFnBW5H9WSfGX0OWzrj8p7dkeoDzvhVfPrQKzEz-P-bWH06B86sD7D_IuCqX99qFQIzaW3kgqJVjHoBWqyJhy-BfD1bOeSKhyphenhyphenlVSLbMLlXyNgfjpWZwX60cto/s2048/Einband+Words+of+Westernesse-1c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1593" data-original-width="2048" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFOF5NofNPd1WyimUfJyyFnBW5H9WSfGX0OWzrj8p7dkeoDzvhVfPrQKzEz-P-bWH06B86sD7D_IuCqX99qFQIzaW3kgqJVjHoBWqyJhy-BfD1bOeSKhyphenhyphenlVSLbMLlXyNgfjpWZwX60cto/w400-h311/Einband+Words+of+Westernesse-1c.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-12699531387473712242019-02-24T12:01:00.001+01:002019-02-24T12:01:07.375+01:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/5e/14/1a/5e141a2af78ad9b7c8d2a5ddafe2748f.jpg?b=t" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="564" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/5e/14/1a/5e141a2af78ad9b7c8d2a5ddafe2748f.jpg?b=t" width="226" /></a><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Roboto Oxygen-Sans", Ubuntu, Cantarell, "“Fira Sans”", "“Droid Sans”", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, "ヒラギノ角ゴ Pro W3", "Hiragino Kaku Gothic Pro", メイリオ, Meiryo, "MS Pゴシック", Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.4px;">Is this not a great model for Tuor son of Huor?<br /></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: -0.4px;">Costume design (1876), by Karl Emil Döpler (1824-1905), for Siegmund, in “Die Walküre” (1856), by Richard Wagner (1813-1883).</span></div>
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<br />Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-68316862439881472162019-01-16T17:37:00.000+01:002019-01-16T17:42:16.826+01:00Daily lunar phases of "The Hobbit" - March to December 2941 T. A.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxOVjdQfmeFv45WjJquKfV3gJnshUAZ-mjRmx2MEBCIKDmH7NXjqrWiFWd0AJNjGqI9oAHpMflH8BdDy1dHLuJXrj9npbFw6dh9akYS9hinDguRoJpIMUoJSPc5GMIIjl1fwaX9eVFUw/s1600/01+2941+March.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1226" data-original-width="908" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXxOVjdQfmeFv45WjJquKfV3gJnshUAZ-mjRmx2MEBCIKDmH7NXjqrWiFWd0AJNjGqI9oAHpMflH8BdDy1dHLuJXrj9npbFw6dh9akYS9hinDguRoJpIMUoJSPc5GMIIjl1fwaX9eVFUw/s200/01+2941+March.png" width="147" /></a></div>
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To accompany the "Hobbit" timetable that I have posted in real time during 2017/2018, the following page gives the lunar phases of every day of the year 2941 T. A., beginning in March (the Elvish New Year) and ending at 1 Yule. Note that these are approximations centered on mean solar time in Hobbiton and do not account for local times elsewhere in Middle-earth.</div>
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The full lunar calendar is found here: <a href="https://lalaithmesp.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_16.html">Lunar phases of "The Hobbit"</a>Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-40713626896431297902018-06-22T13:17:00.000+02:002018-07-02T13:18:06.039+02:00Wednesday, 22 June 2942 T.A.: Grubb, Grubb, BurrowesOn this day, in 22 June 2942 T. A., Bilbo Baggins finally returned from his 14 months voyage to Bag-end: a rich hobbit, but at the verge of losing his home, for he had been declared dead in the meantime and Messrs Grubb, Grubb and Burrowes were auctioning his property away. <i>Sic transit gloria hobbiti. </i><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.disd.edu/library/images/img-seasons-junesolstice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="414" data-original-width="681" height="194" src="https://www.disd.edu/library/images/img-seasons-junesolstice.jpg" width="320" /></a>The voyage back from Rivendell had taken him as much as the voyage out, and this would no doubt have needed a drastic reduction of the timeline, had the 1960 revision of "The Hobbit" ever reached this state. Very likely, 22 June could not have been retained as the day of returning: The stay in Beorn's Hall had already been excessively long, anyway. </div>
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It is not evident what Gandalf did to remove the protective spells on the troll-hoard on the way home, if they were indeed more than symbolic. At any rate, Gandalf's prediction that Bilbo 'may find you have more needs than you expect' had come true. </div>
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<br />It is interesting to note that in the original 1937 Hobbit, when the dates given were still Gregorian, Bilbo returned home at the summer solstice, though it is not referred to as Midsummer's Day like in Elrond's house a year before, in 2941 T.A. This connexion was lost, of course, when Tolkien decided to accept all given dates as Shire Reckoning (S. R.), and 22 June became just a normal day like any other. <br /><br />The moon, by the way, was waxing gibbous, but no one that day bothered to record it.</div>
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This is the final entry of the Hobbit timeline as established from canonical data and reasonable conjecture. The full timeline, synchronised with the lunar phases of 2017 and 2018 A. D., is available on this blog and on paper in the volume, "The Moon in 'The Hobbit' - Extended Edition".<br /></div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-59245489011676945322018-05-07T12:27:00.000+02:002018-05-08T12:27:59.142+02:00Sunday, 7 May 2942 T.A.: Farewell to Rivendell, one day to come back<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpD_HCjoAjGDgHbRycu1uOaEFXjnaaZ_YNrEKoLmuGLWRCjE_I8Bbn1k-z901Q_w-T6uNF6qbMxGt8m_XlUPZuM_GSuLBK40gO9FQ1nZH2LVLZvVbLWv_H54iiy4y8uz2RmqkatLi3whs/s1600/Hinteres-Lauterbrunnental-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1024" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpD_HCjoAjGDgHbRycu1uOaEFXjnaaZ_YNrEKoLmuGLWRCjE_I8Bbn1k-z901Q_w-T6uNF6qbMxGt8m_XlUPZuM_GSuLBK40gO9FQ1nZH2LVLZvVbLWv_H54iiy4y8uz2RmqkatLi3whs/s320/Hinteres-Lauterbrunnental-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tolkien’s way to Rivendell (Hinteres Lauterbrunnental, <br />Switzerland, by Gustav Hausmann, 1827-1899) </td></tr>
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On this day, in 2942 T.A., Bilbo and Gandalf leave Elrond and head west. The weather is rainy and dreary and no moon is seen.</div>
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Note that the voyage back takes as long as the way there: about six weeks, though it is true that progress is slow because they have to walk all the way from the Trollshaws as the ponies are laden. Still, this is no less hard to reconcile with travel times given in LR than the voyage out. The dates given in this final chapter would have been modified if the 1960 revision had been further pursued.</div>
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Tolkien never disclosed how Bilbo and Gandalf overcame the spells by which the dwarves had secured the troll-hoard. But then, Gandalf is an experienced hacker, he probably had a back-door left.</div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-24373705787627112902018-05-02T20:24:00.004+02:002018-05-02T20:24:47.673+02:00Tuesday, 2 May 2942 T. A.: The final moon of The Hobbit<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7rYU7lF3bqw23IGKa4WgoTAyzsagCHY7gPQz0_KOxqkCE22dGqNl8s4hwcj4RxC21D8kNyBN4I5OhNpQSzqEc1LvRch_bpgsYyWzpC8S_NUA2yGTQTZoAolWG4czOR-MgSx2ZJLqAkc/s1600/moon_day_WanG_90.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="164" data-original-width="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie7rYU7lF3bqw23IGKa4WgoTAyzsagCHY7gPQz0_KOxqkCE22dGqNl8s4hwcj4RxC21D8kNyBN4I5OhNpQSzqEc1LvRch_bpgsYyWzpC8S_NUA2yGTQTZoAolWG4czOR-MgSx2ZJLqAkc/s1600/moon_day_WanG_90.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The moon of 2 May 2018 and of 2942 T. A.</td></tr>
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On this day, in 2942 T. A., Bilbo wakes up in the early morning hours and finds the ‘moon shining through an open window’ of Rivendell. After a brief talk to the Elves, he sleeps on almost till noon.<br /><br />This is the final observation of the moon given in "The Hobbit". Like almost all the other statements on the lunar phases, this one as well matches the actual phase of the respective day in 2017 and 2018. And this, despite the fact that Tolkien had not actively considered the phases before his 1960 revisions. <br /><br />The moon that Bilbo observes is two days after full and illuminated by 94%. It rose some time after sunset and was high in the sky when Bilbo woke, even above the southern rock walls of the valley of Rivendell.</div>
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Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-88746039640605888742018-05-01T12:34:00.001+02:002018-05-01T12:34:22.106+02:00Monday, 1 May 2942 T. A.: Back to Rivendell at last<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://pictures.abebooks.com/1047660/15896346683.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="603" data-original-width="800" height="241" src="https://pictures.abebooks.com/1047660/15896346683.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descent to Rivendell from the east<br />(rear Lauterbrunnen Valley, ca. 1885, artist unknown)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
Oh, yes, Gandalf and Bilbo are on the road again! They must have left Beorn at some day between 15 and 20 April and cross the same pass that they had taken on the way east, just that this time there were neither stone giants nor orcs outdoors. </div>
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On this day, in 2942 T. A., the two of them safely arrived in Rivendell. Bilbo in his tiredness lost track of time and fell asleep right after sunset.</div>
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About six weeks to go till Bag-end. John Rateliff notes that the draft of the final chapter dated the arrival sooner, on 2 June, but this date was amended probably to make the travel time back agree with the travel time there. Meaning, of course, that Gandalf and Bilbo spent three times as much time on the road (or in the Prancing Pony ...) than Frodo and the other hobbits did - even including Strider's detour during the Trollshaws!</div>
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Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-73663451254479788852018-04-06T10:42:00.006+02:002018-04-09T08:57:10.166+02:00Thu, 6 April 2942: Happy New Year of the Elves<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8iuC1B2auNiLhoRsi2K9qgcgdQCpAe96DZpXorUH4bAlHzZGUMhUheQqnmwGngN7GYyHy0SBYxkrrcIzDyqCm-MIe8wbTCn_qUeDlyLrj6GLm1l4TUYKnmwBxi4FHzBRD1qUXNW-7tI/s1600/Tolkien+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi8iuC1B2auNiLhoRsi2K9qgcgdQCpAe96DZpXorUH4bAlHzZGUMhUheQqnmwGngN7GYyHy0SBYxkrrcIzDyqCm-MIe8wbTCn_qUeDlyLrj6GLm1l4TUYKnmwBxi4FHzBRD1qUXNW-7tI/s320/Tolkien+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail from the inn discovered in Zagreb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
You may have forgotten all about it by now, but we are not yet finished with our Hobbit Timetable! It's just that nothing at all has happened since Yule. Yes, Gandalf and Bilbo are <i>still</i> straining Beorn's hospitality. Really, as a host this man bears a lot!</div>
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On this day, in 2942 TA, the Elves of Middle-earth celebrated their New Year. Or maybe they did so one day sooner; there is no chance of adjusting the Calender of Imladris to the Shire Reckoning. All we know is that the New Year fell on 6 April both in 2941 TA (attested in UT) and in 3020 TA (attested in App. B), which is impossible when the twelve-year intercalary period described in App. D is taken into account: If App. B. is considered canonical, then the New Year of 2941 would by necessity have fallen on 5 April, maybe even on 4 April. Yes, Tolkien did blunder in this respect.<br />
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It may be around this time that Gandalf and Bilbo finally consider departure. We know that they will be in Rivendell by 1 May, we also know that the travel distance Back from the Anduin to Rivendell is about two weeks, as it had been on the way There, the delay in the orc-town made up for by flying with Manwe's airline.</div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zAnPKmMRZi1egoyVmRJq5uSVb8qufJ6C6E2-7cQdL0_z0nZ-FtHFipIkaiZQ5-iP1NOS9zO3MQPj83LqaQnWbxrtDtPHNr2lhuuctZAxB7JfEYYZLRCytvThHMuNP3EQ_Akg2nKg5rM/s1600/Tolkien+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1440" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4zAnPKmMRZi1egoyVmRJq5uSVb8qufJ6C6E2-7cQdL0_z0nZ-FtHFipIkaiZQ5-iP1NOS9zO3MQPj83LqaQnWbxrtDtPHNr2lhuuctZAxB7JfEYYZLRCytvThHMuNP3EQ_Akg2nKg5rM/s320/Tolkien+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Discovered on Easter Monday in Zagreb, Croatia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Karen Fonstad did not include steps of the return voyage in her Atlas of Middle-earth, hence we may only rely upon our own conjectures. </div>
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(<i>Courtesy to my daughter who took the adjoining photographs with her camera at my request.</i>)<br />
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Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-36174717042674711032018-03-19T18:59:00.004+01:002018-03-19T18:59:28.358+01:00The Three Modes of Counting Time: Tolkien and the Venerable Bede<br />
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When I collected data for the new final chapter of "The Moon in 'The Hobbit'", I realised that there are not two but three different modes of counting time used in different regions of Middle-earth. I believe that Tolkien was inspired to use them by the Venerable Bede, from whom he also took the names of the Shire months. Briefly, those three modes are:</div>
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- The Arnorian mode, used in the Shire, Bree and by the Dúnedain (Aragorn alludes to it). Like in our modern system, a full day is divided into 24 hours of equal lengths, and clocks are made to count them. The Venerable Bede called this mode <i>natural hours</i> or <i>equinoctial hours</i> because the counting represents the natural division of day and night at the exact moment of an equinox, i. e. 2 x 12. </div>
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- The Gondorian mode, used in Minas Tirith and probably the rest of Gondor. Here, the period from sunrise to sunset is divided into 12 hours and counted from 1 to 12. This count is the inevitable result of observing sundials. It is correspondingly ancient and alluded to already in the Silmarillion (Maedhros coming "at the third hour of morning"!). The Venerable Bede called this mode <i>artificial hours</i> because "artifice" was his word for a sundial. </div>
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- The Northmannish mode, used in Rohan and possibly in Rhovanion. It uses artificial hours, too, but counts them before or after noon, not from sunrise to sunset. (Tolkien yet applied it once in "Cirion and Eorl" though his source was allegedly Gondorian.) Strangely, this mode pops up among the Fellowship all of a sudden soon after Gandalf is lost. If this is not simply a negligible oversight by Tolkien it might suggest that someone else assumed the task of observing the sky then - Legolas, possibly, for Boromir and Aragorn would have used the Gondorian or Arnorian mode, respectively. (Legolas also makes it his habit to count "two days ago" as "thrice twelve hours". Maybe that's his personal twirk for it never occurs anywhere else, as fas as I am aware.) </div>
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Artificial hours represent true solar time at your place, not an averaged time. Their drawback is that these hours are not constant over the year, hence they are unsuitable for mechanical clockworks. Instead, they will be longer in summer and shorter in winter as the daytime divided into twelve equal parts expands and shrinks; hence the Roman distinction of <i>summer hours</i> and <i>winter hours</i>. The difference also is the harder felt the further north you are, hence, it may have suggested to Elendil to fall back on equinoctial hours instead. </div>
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The following diagram shows the lengths of artificial hours over the year at about the latitude of Pelargir (or Rome, in our modern world). You will see that Pippin makes a pretty good guess when he equates the 3rd hour of Minas Tirith to 9 o:clock in the Shire at this season.</div>
<br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35TAXIAhy1gXYK01f455zylklWyXJO_9hznNak1DfaAT4n_qQBfsVZDrz1CgfWKKRf2qNiNnIASLiPgm8LjykEfxVQiFOj9aCRYa0seNj1S7sf9LHqfObm4-n6A0TZG4Ti6AehbR4orE/s1600/Ancient_Roman_time_keeping_hora_vigilia_equinox_solstice.svg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="484" data-original-width="1600" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35TAXIAhy1gXYK01f455zylklWyXJO_9hznNak1DfaAT4n_qQBfsVZDrz1CgfWKKRf2qNiNnIASLiPgm8LjykEfxVQiFOj9aCRYa0seNj1S7sf9LHqfObm4-n6A0TZG4Ti6AehbR4orE/s400/Ancient_Roman_time_keeping_hora_vigilia_equinox_solstice.svg.png" width="400" /></a>Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-3956708127717365272018-03-13T11:18:00.000+01:002018-03-13T11:19:02.665+01:00"The Moon in 'The Hobbit'' - Extended Edition, currently available for free<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">This Tuesday and Wednesday, the Kindle edition of this recent publication on astronomical phenomena in "The </span><a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link js-nav" data-query-source="hashtag_click" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hobbit?src=hash" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #078d42; font-family: "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">#Hobbit</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">" and other works by </span><a class="twitter-hashtag pretty-link js-nav" data-query-source="hashtag_click" dir="ltr" href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tolkien?src=hash" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #078d42; font-family: "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">#Tolkien</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> can be downloaded for free: </span><a class="twitter-timeline-link" data-expanded-url="https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07BCK9FNT" dir="ltr" href="https://t.co/60RzDd5sYY" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: #078d42; font-family: "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank" title="https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07BCK9FNT"><span class="tco-ellipsis"></span><span class="invisible" style="font-size: 0px; line-height: 0;">https://www.</span><span class="js-display-url">amazon.de/dp/B07BCK9FNT</span><span class="invisible" style="font-size: 0px; line-height: 0;"></span><span class="tco-ellipsis"><span class="invisible" style="font-size: 0px; line-height: 0;"> </span></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXmozsWumBOI2QtXEV4Tlt3W5EIaSFv2VCm1Cp4z4K1c1mrFOLNh2g2vDFzeH_3OFUVeycn7iOeIMN_jK-0Y1uph4kepYFUk-DJr04VYfgQC130_JLbci6ztIGotK07aq-6Jf31XdXyo/s1600/Deckblatt+Moon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1074" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXmozsWumBOI2QtXEV4Tlt3W5EIaSFv2VCm1Cp4z4K1c1mrFOLNh2g2vDFzeH_3OFUVeycn7iOeIMN_jK-0Y1uph4kepYFUk-DJr04VYfgQC130_JLbci6ztIGotK07aq-6Jf31XdXyo/s320/Deckblatt+Moon.jpg" width="214" /></a></span><br />
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This edition includes much of the day-by-day timetable of events in "The Hobbit" published last year on this blog. It is thus twice as voluminous as the previous version and includes 90+ full-colour illustrations (hence the price of the print edition!). </div>
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<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui", arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Further, I have severely amended the section on Third-Age calendars, removing arithmetic errors committed in the previous releases. I have now been able to show that Tolkien had calculated his "millennial deficits" correct after all, despite previous claims to the opposite.</span></div>
<span style="color: #14171a; font-family: "segoe ui" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
As a bonus I have added another, previously unpublished chapter: "Bell, Clock and Mantelpiece", on the different concepts of measuring hours in MIddle-earth and why clockmaking is an art restricted to Eriador. It shows that Tolkien was by all likelihood inspired by the Venerable Bede again, like he was with the names of the Shire months.</div>
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</span></span>Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-24545681762340015122018-03-09T14:14:00.005+01:002018-03-09T14:14:54.866+01:00Tolkien has reckoned correct after all<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhax1Jel87IVk2EF4_lY2epeANqdOqvLuTbgTHnoPSwqFP7Jljp575REpKAf5m-5-Z5yXI0RuyBCUhfCrJXWC7uwnAbnUul9YMFFd1UQTN4qh0_oXteRP-erErLFe8ZQaILQs4xrQD_BaI/s1600/metonic+cycle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="1600" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhax1Jel87IVk2EF4_lY2epeANqdOqvLuTbgTHnoPSwqFP7Jljp575REpKAf5m-5-Z5yXI0RuyBCUhfCrJXWC7uwnAbnUul9YMFFd1UQTN4qh0_oXteRP-erErLFe8ZQaILQs4xrQD_BaI/s320/metonic+cycle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Calendar cycles of the elder days</td></tr>
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As I was preparing the new Extended Edition of the volume "The Moon in 'The Hobbit'" for uploading, I came upon this online essay, http://rinsanity.weebly.com/tolkien.html , whose author accused me of having committed several errors in my verification of Tolkien's millennial deficits in the previous editions: a sign error and an incorrect drop of the leap-day of 2060 TA, to be precise. That provoked me to set up my old spreadsheet again and to check whether the author of that essay was right. It turned out that I had indeed committed two blunders - but not these.</div>
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Checking also Hammond & Skull's "Reader's Companion", I only learned that they rely on Jonsson's 1985 article "The Kings' Reckoning: Did Tolkien Reckon Correct?" I answer with confidence now that he did; but Jonsson did not, nor did I before nor did the author of the article above. In fact, the correct solution seems to be this:</div>
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A calendar of 365 days has an offset (Tolkien calls it a deficit) of -0.2422d against the true solar year. Within four years, this offset grows to -0.9688d, at which time it is corrected to +0.0312d by adding a leap-day. Repeat the four-year cycle 25 times, and you get a - what is that called: a "centurial"? - offset of +0.7800d, which the Númenóreans compensate by dropping the leap-day (like the Gregorian Calendar does), producing a "centurial" deficit of -0.2200d. Within a millennium, this deficit has obviously accumulated to -2.2000d and the Kings' Reckoning adds two additional leap-days. Thus the notorious millennial deficit of -0.2200d is left. (Tolkien's result was -0.1991d: his familiar -4h46'40" stated in App. D.)</div>
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On this basis, I was able to reproduce the offsets up to 2059 TA, when Steward Mardil's extraordinary addition of two more leap-days "left about 8 hours deficit" (App. D). This deficit was -0.3376d on my spreadsheet, translating into -8h06'00". So: no sign error here!</div>
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But it was at this point that trouble started. In whatever way I twirked the spreadsheet by adding or dropping a leap-day, I did not manage to produce a deficit of slightly less than -1d as App. D requires both for 2360 TA and for 3019 TA. There came a moment when I even suspected that Tolkien might have misapplied a century of 101 years, from 2059 to 2160, which would have produced a plausible value at least for 2360. I had actually already begun to revise my chapter in the Extended Edition accordingly when I started wondering whether the odd allusion to 5500 Second Age as corresponding to 2059 TA might hide a clue. Then it struck me.</div>
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An additional assumption is required to understand App. D. Steward Mardil did not only add a leap-day to 2059; he also reset the century correction to its Second-Age pattern. The leap-days subsequently followed in Second_Age years divisible by 4: hence, in 5504 SA = 2063 TA and so on (I was right then about dropping the leap-day due in 2060 after all). The century correction, as a result, was no longer applied in the '00s of TA but in the '59s.<br />
<br />
This assumption results in a deficit of -0.9976d in the year 2359, consistent with "this deficiency had not quite reached [the] amount [of 1 day]" in the words of App. D. (Tolkien may have obtained a slightly lower value depending on how many decimals he has used.) That solution only left the deficit of 3019 to be accounted for. For even with this assumption in place, the computed offsets refused to match App. D. At this point, <span style="text-align: justify;">Jonsson argues that Tolkien has reckoned wrongly and Hammond & Skull follow him in that. </span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;">But it can be shown now that they are wrong. For the same assumption simply has to be applied twice: Steward Hador added the leap-day to 2360 that reduced the</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> remaining deficit to a mere -0.2398d <i>and</i> he also reset the century correction once more so that the leap-days now followed on 2364 TA et cet. and the century correction was moved from the '59s to the '60s. This assumption finally leads to a deficit of -0.8596d in the yeat 3019, consistent with Tolkien's notion that '</span>the
Deficit had not yet amounted to 1 day' at the beginning of 3020.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
I believe that this is now indeed the correct solution: Tolkien did assume these two resets of the century correction in 2059 and 2360, but he failed to specify them in App. D due to the hastiness by which the Appendices have been attestedly compiled. He has reckoned correct after all.<br />
<br />
The Extended Edition of "The Moon in 'The Hobbit'" that I have uploaded today in print and e-book gives the history of the Númenórean calendar and the now correct calculations in more detail than I can present here.<span style="background-color: white; color: #8e8e8e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #8e8e8e; font-family: "raleway" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;"> </span> </div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-78399600522406446252018-01-01T12:05:00.000+01:002018-01-01T12:05:01.251+01:00Yule day 2942 T. A.: Happy new year at Beorn's<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Bronspl%C3%A5t_pressbleck_%C3%B6land_vendeltid.jpg/1200px-Bronspl%C3%A5t_pressbleck_%C3%B6land_vendeltid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="691" data-original-width="800" height="276" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/18/Bronspl%C3%A5t_pressbleck_%C3%B6land_vendeltid.jpg/1200px-Bronspl%C3%A5t_pressbleck_%C3%B6land_vendeltid.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On a late depiction at the Carrock, Beorn was postumously <br />represented both in man- and in bear-shape</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On this night, in 2942 T.A., there was a great feast and merrymaking to celebrate the Yule days and the coming of a new year without the peril of the dragon, Smaug.<br /><br />Beorn's hall was as far west as Gandalf and Bilbo could get in this season of the year, having to wait until the passes of the Misty Mountains would be free of snow and ice again. Bilbo Baggins has preferred to stay silent about his voyage along the northern edge of Mirkwood, probably drawing even within sight of Mount Gundabad, and he did not dare to give a description. Beorn fortunately was hospitable enough to bear his guests for such a prolonged stay, and not only that: Bilbo records that his formerly isolated dwelling was visited by the Woodmen, and there was quite a party going on - reasonable enough, since they themselves were now relieved of the pressing threat of Dol Guldur further south, whose significance Bilbo failed to consider until many years later. <br /><br />Gandalf may have done his part to emphasise Beorn's contribution to the Battle of Five Armies, so that he was held in awe by the Woodmen and they accepted him as leader and future founding father of the Beornings. </div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-11741483601112162322017-11-22T20:08:00.000+01:002017-11-22T20:08:56.625+01:00Monday, 22 November 2941 T. A.: Farewell to Erebor, never to come back<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQ1OFVMpP9mXFLJrWtuDJ9hRHo8zTEfd5JISD5gnEO3dpdnJcIGwVtjXwf8Zsve5QQMIHFM6Sq8uLl3necDScX0j3PDo-jQWoRL3hiZ5vO_sIKMsM34EdtCy-nJefM_xcB4ZKVfH2oyQ/s1600/illus267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="558" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQ1OFVMpP9mXFLJrWtuDJ9hRHo8zTEfd5JISD5gnEO3dpdnJcIGwVtjXwf8Zsve5QQMIHFM6Sq8uLl3necDScX0j3PDo-jQWoRL3hiZ5vO_sIKMsM34EdtCy-nJefM_xcB4ZKVfH2oyQ/s320/illus267.jpg" width="223" /></a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";">"Farewell Thorin Oakenshield! And Fili and </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho";">Kili! May your memory never fade!"<br />(E. Whymper: The Ascent of the Matterhorn, 1880)<br /></span></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have just seen the setting crescent of the moon, so the second month of this dwarvish year has begun, as far as I am concerned.<br /><br />About this time, though we cannot pinpoint it any more precisely, Bilbo Baggins finally left Erebor behind and began the long journey home. Some time after Thórins death, there had been a great funeral for the King under the Mountain, and the diplomatic arrangements between Thranduil, Dain and Bard certainly took their time, though Gandalf's presence may have, hopefully, speeded them up to reasonable progress. At any rate, Gandalf went with Bilbo, as did Beorn, and the Wood-elves provided them company to the edge of Mirkwood.<br /><br />Despite the misgivings of John Rateliff expressed in "The History of the Hobbit", there was plenty of time left to go the long way around Mirkwood in the north and arrive back at Beorn's Hall on time. Karen Fonstad, in "The Atlas of Middle-earth" assumed the date of departure as 27 November 2941 T. A., which is as good a guess as anyone's. Alas, there was no phase of the moon recorded that would have allowed for a more precise identification of the calendar date.<br /><br /></div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-25766829335062243642017-11-18T20:05:00.001+01:002017-11-18T20:05:09.094+01:00Thursday, 18 November 2941 T. A.: The king is dead, long live the king<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59W_0zx2ZA9wg13JziLiCGgPci1onWtPlaXPhX74-z_rPuCqe4jKVlqgsMdD6UYBRms7N3bRCT4MUTL8qzwGNTS7bkvlFhr6akAyT864f1dV_kV6kVNEB44y5DL2sLoPmzInbkgAifjc/s1600/macbeth-murdering-king-duncan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="538" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi59W_0zx2ZA9wg13JziLiCGgPci1onWtPlaXPhX74-z_rPuCqe4jKVlqgsMdD6UYBRms7N3bRCT4MUTL8qzwGNTS7bkvlFhr6akAyT864f1dV_kV6kVNEB44y5DL2sLoPmzInbkgAifjc/s320/macbeth-murdering-king-duncan.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thórin son of Thrain on his deathbed<br />(Excerpt from "Macbeth murdering Duncan" by Robert Dudley)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On this day, in 2941 T. A., which was also the 27th day of the first month of the dwarvish new year, died Thórin II son of Thrain son of Thrór, Oakenshield, King under the Mountain, from the wounds received the previous day in the Battle of Five Armies.<br /><br />Bilbo Baggins came to himself long after sunrise beneath a clear sky and had just enough time to bid farewell to Thórin in his tent in ruined Dale. And he wept long and sorrowful.<br /><br />There was a new moon the night after, as the Dwarves probably honoured their fallen lord. We do not know anything about their rites, alas. </div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-79496735180368502932017-11-17T21:13:00.001+01:002017-11-17T21:15:23.311+01:00Wednesday, 17 November 2941 T. A.: The Battle of Who Knows How Many Armies<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gAXALf74je8XH4QjpkCvSsA82dNiCUKR1zukMlARg8rDDxMPLV4Ypk1XxF0uNAMsnyTHHU8njE_XNeic_JnIPtUCADlsfZ8soDrg_LTV4p5VB1e8LHzTIIVW_rfkk6DYCV4ZHtrUwqc/s1600/Hobbit3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="989" data-original-width="743" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9gAXALf74je8XH4QjpkCvSsA82dNiCUKR1zukMlARg8rDDxMPLV4Ypk1XxF0uNAMsnyTHHU8njE_XNeic_JnIPtUCADlsfZ8soDrg_LTV4p5VB1e8LHzTIIVW_rfkk6DYCV4ZHtrUwqc/s320/Hobbit3.png" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dain son of Nain (though for a long <br />
time I had mistaken this for an orc)<br />
Illustration by Horus Engels for the 1957 Hobbit</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On this day, in 2941 T. A., which was also the 26th day of the first lunar month of the dwarvish year, began with the early arrival of Dain's host that had marched through the night. The confrontation with the armies of Wood-elves and Lakemen was prevented, however, by the approaching hosts from the Misty Mountains.<br />
<br />
According to the official record, the Five Armies for which the ensuing battle was named were Orcs and Wolves (Wargs), Dwarves, Elves and Men. But arguably, the vast number of bats and the eagles constituted airborne armies, too, so the number should maybe have been higher. There was a representative of Hobbits, too, though Bilbo took care to stay non-combattant on Ravenhill, and one of the Istari, raising the total number of species present to nine.<br />
<br />
17 November is the sad day of the death of Kili and Fili who both fell while defending their severely wounded king, Thórin Oakenshield whose gravely injured body was ultimately taken into safety by Beorn. <br />
<br />
The Eagles entered the battle when they arrived near sunset, and Beorn even after them. Victory against the orcs was allegedly assured before nightfall, but Bilbo did not witness it. He was knocked out by a flung stone and spent the whole night and morning in a coma that should have signified a severe traumatic brain injury. Evidently, hobbits are resistant not only against Great Rings but also against Heavy Stones. </div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-3928420009574948012017-11-16T20:06:00.001+01:002017-11-16T20:06:23.177+01:00Tuesday, 16 November 2941 T. A.: No one tosses a hobbit<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1e/6a/e4/1e6ae4e8a760d734753a4fc552a8ab2c--dwarf-lord-of-the-rings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="500" height="266" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/1e/6a/e4/1e6ae4e8a760d734753a4fc552a8ab2c--dwarf-lord-of-the-rings.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It was invented in Erebor, you know.<br />(Image by knightjj)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On this day, in 2941 T. A., which was also the 25th day of the first lunar month of the dwarvish year, the morning began with a commotion in the camp of the beleaguerers, and "about midday", Bard, Thranduil and Gandalf showed the Arkenstone in their possession to Thórin Oakenshield. Upon finding the culprit who had sneaked away the stone, Thórin felt inspired to invent the sportive game of hobbit-tossing (the idea caught on, but for the lack of hobbits, dwarves would be preferred in the Fourth Age and subsequently). Gandalf prevented the establishment of the first world-record and took Bilbo with him into the camp of the Very Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Bard granted 24 hours to Thórin to make up his mind, which Thórin would use to inform Dain of the latest developments by raven messenger and hurry him up. </div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-19532074714700625772017-11-15T08:20:00.000+01:002017-11-16T08:25:01.918+01:00Monday, 15 November 2941 T. A.: The Ring and the Arkenstone<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.distinctivebooks.com/Ebay/RackhamRipNBP06.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.distinctivebooks.com/Ebay/RackhamRipNBP06.jpg" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="504" height="310" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two days more to march? Oh, dear!<br />
(Illustration by Arthur Rackham, 1905)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Presumably on this day, in 2941 T. A., Thórin Oakenshield learned that Dain and the Dwarves from the Iron Hills were only two days' marches away from Dale at this point, with "winter and snow hastening behind them"; Roäc was apparently speaking of the weather here, not of calendar seasons of which he, being a raven, would anyway know nothing. <br />
<br />
There is no specific evidence of this date, hence, it is derived from Karen Fonstad's estimate of Dain's travel speed in "The Atlas of Middle-earth", despite her setting Durin's Day and all subsequent events one week later, ignoring the evidence of the lunar phases. The assumption is superficially supported by Bilbo's observation, though, that there was no moon after sunset: it was the 24th day of the first month of the dwarvish year, the moon was in its last quarter and would rise only long after midnight. In the eyes of John Rateliff, meanwhile, the Dwarves must have traveled in a convoy of lorries, for his general misconception of placing Durin's Day in December throughout "The History of the Hobbit" rendered it impossible for him to reconcile travel times in Middle-earth with the seemingly too short time left till Yule 2941 T. A.<br />
<br />
The timetable of the crucial events that evening is more distinct. The sun was setting at about 18.00 hours, according to a note by Tolkien given in "The History of The Hobbit" - this well matches the season and latitude of Erebor -, but Bilbo left Bombur at the outpost at 19.00 hours, with "about five hours before him" till their watch would be shifted. Despite having put on the Ring, he was discovered by the Wood-elves at the pool about 90 minutes later and at 21.00 hours, Bard and Thranduil were ready to listen to him. He may have left from there at 21.30 hours, recognising Gandalf in the army camp in the passing, was back to the outpost "well before midnight", say, at 23.30 hours, and woke Bombur on time for changing the shift.<br />
<br />
There is a curious reference to "Thorin's letter that had been put under the clock on his mantelpiece in May" in this chapter of "The Hobbit". Of course, this had been put in April. The reference to May derives from the early manuscript drafts and has escaped correction in all published editions. </div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-21773155117354515892017-11-09T21:18:00.000+01:002017-11-09T21:33:10.097+01:00Tuesday, 9 November 2941 T.A.: Two kings before the mountain, one king beneath the mountain <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://rheinsein.de/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/alberich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://rheinsein.de/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/alberich.jpg" data-original-height="366" data-original-width="510" height="229" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A heavy load of dragon-gold<br />
makes Oakenshield look worn and old<br />
(still from Fritz Lang's "Song of the Nibelungs")
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On this day, in 2941 T. A., which was the seventeenth of the first lunar month of the dwarvish new year, Bard, king-elect of future new Esgaroth, approached the main gate of the Lonely Mountain (after having crossed the River Running, thus approaching on the west bank) and tried in vain to achieve an agreement with Thórin, self-proclaimed king of future new Erebor. Thórin rejected any negotiations.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
A few hours later, after a less courteous proclamation of Bard's claim, the siege of Erebor was officially declared. Thórin saw only one option left: wait for Dain's relief force. Bilbo had a different solution in mind but did not dare use it. </div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-4658898919080344922017-11-08T22:09:00.002+01:002017-11-08T22:09:16.053+01:00Monday, 8 November 2941 T. A.: Singing at the riverbank<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/17/09/68/170968e85f0e85badfb27a29d69c4758--tent-pegs-longbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="724" height="320" src="https://i.pinimg.com/736x/17/09/68/170968e85f0e85badfb27a29d69c4758--tent-pegs-longbow.jpg" width="289" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new camp was within eyesight of the Lonely Mountain<br />(<span>BL Royal 20 C I Les fait des Romains)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On this day, in 2941 T. A., the scouts of Wood-elves and Lake-men rose early and investigated the situation near the source of the River Running soon after sunrise. Till noon, the camp on the right bank was advanced to the very spurs of Erebor, within eyesight, hear and smell of the main gate, putting Thórin's little kingdom beneath the mountain effectively under siege. Thórin set up a couple of calculations to find out when Dain's reinforcements might be expected. Nothing more was reported for this day, save for a lot of sometimes too warlike music. </div>
<br />Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-50623799745081902322017-11-07T23:01:00.003+01:002017-11-07T23:04:27.293+01:00Sunday, 7 November 2941 T. A.: Living lights in dead Dale <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://images.skinnerinc.com/full/570/1075570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="567" data-original-width="800" height="282" src="https://images.skinnerinc.com/full/570/1075570.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They saw lights as of Fires and torches away south in Dale<br />
("Gunner" F.J. Mears, British Soldiers Marching Towards Ruins at Night, ca. 1917)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On this day, in 2941 T. A., the sun was already setting when the joint forces of Wood-elves and Lakemen finally came within sight of the main gate of Erebor. Somehow, whether by boat or by a ford, a part of their host had crossed the River Running, and they advanced in parallel along both banks until they reached the ruins of deserted Dale.<br />
<br />
In the early evening, before the moon rose, the watchposts of the Dwarves observed the living lights of fires and torches in dead Dale and knew that their foes had arrived. There was reportedly very little sleep available that night.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-25813205391892671062017-11-05T21:24:00.000+01:002018-02-22T08:55:34.453+01:00Friday, 5 November 2941 T. A.: Back to the Lonely Mountain<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://d3d00swyhr67nd.cloudfront.net/w1200h1200/STF/STF_STKMG_1954_FA_200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="800" height="244" src="https://d3d00swyhr67nd.cloudfront.net/w1200h1200/STF/STF_STKMG_1954_FA_200.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A wide pool now stretched from the mountain-wall to the fall<br />
(The Matterhorn, by John nash Peake, 1899)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
On this day, in 2941 T. A. - the thirteenth day of the first lunar month of the dwarvish year -, Fili and Kili returned at last to Erebor, having spent four days altogether with rounding up the ponies and bringing provisions that might sustain a siege for weeks. Since they could not keep the ponies in the mountain, they were only unloaded and then sent on their way south, towards the host of Elves and Men that meanwhile advanced into the desolate lands and camped again, probably up the River Running. Assuming that they went slower than the dwarves on their horses and ponies, they would have to march at least two more days till they reached the Lonely Mountain.<br />
<br /></div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-40542928756013481772017-11-04T21:59:00.004+01:002017-11-04T21:59:47.323+01:00Thursday, 4 November 2941 T. A.: Marching under the full moon<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/37/8c/0c/378c0cc6868365efe5c207b79c325595.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="400" height="240" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/37/8c/0c/378c0cc6868365efe5c207b79c325595.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ravens! Calling everything a pony that walks on four legs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
On this day, in 2941 T. A., which Bilbo Baggins recorded as the eleventh after the death of Smaug (and it was the twelfth of the new year of the Dwarves), the joined Wood-elves and Lake-men were marching north from the refugee camp that Thranduil had helped raise for the survivors of Esgaroth, and the head of their hosts reached the mouth of the River Running into the Long Lake. Bilbo's memories are a bit convoluted at this point but may be interpreted in such a way that Kili and Fili, who had by then rounded up the three surviving ponies, observed the advance from afar and decided to hurry back to Erebor, with their raven guide probably flying ahead of them.<br /><br />The moon was shining full on the camp that the two hosts made in the Desolation of Smaug.</div>
<br />Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-37905555255044402942017-11-01T21:06:00.002+01:002017-11-01T21:06:21.609+01:00Monday, 1 November 2941 T.A.: Past the threshold of winter<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbBhM_SWY-AAuhK-VHaZd1gr4qoplswkQ-hljcT473mTXecSAS0OY125aGpWUo9gBt6MCE9cEzdeEo_9NbCqmPmbEHxvxBjgeWvAKBft46qQzohhlhFNrw08ICaW6is8NKJP9az1O2Qk/s1600/Arundel155.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="611" data-original-width="934" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtbBhM_SWY-AAuhK-VHaZd1gr4qoplswkQ-hljcT473mTXecSAS0OY125aGpWUo9gBt6MCE9cEzdeEo_9NbCqmPmbEHxvxBjgeWvAKBft46qQzohhlhFNrw08ICaW6is8NKJP9az1O2Qk/s1600/Arundel155.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>11th-century calendar from Christ Church, Canterbury (<a href="http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/illuminatedmanuscripts/record.asp?MSID=86&CollID=20&NStart=155">BL Arundel 155</a>, f.7) </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>with the beginning of winter marked on 7 November</i></span></div>
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On this day, in 2941 T. A., the threshold of winter was finally passed in the north of Middle-earth. The calendars of the Shire and of Bree still remembered this fact in their name of the month that now commenced: Winterfilth and Wintring, respectively, 'which was a Bree alteration of the older name, which had originally referred to the completion of the year before Winter, and descended from times ... when their new year began after harvest.'<br />
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In other words, Winterfilth/October had been the final month of the old year in the traditional reckoning of northern Rhovanion includine Dale and the Vale of Anduin, before the Steward's Reckoning had been adopted. The Dwarves of Erebor had obviously adapted their calendar to this fact, keeping Durin's Day no more than half a lunar phase away from the new year of Dale.</div>
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<br />Bede and Byrhtferth give 7 November as the first day of winter and 6 February as its last, centring on the winter solstice - but mark out All Saints Day, 1 November, as the threshold of winter. (Likewise, BTW, 1 August is the threshold of autumn according to a medieval book, the "Menologium", August itself commencing on the 7th and leading is to, you may have guessed, midsummer's day after exactly half the period.)<br /></div>
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Thórin Oakenshield had no sense for such intricacies. He was informed by the helpful ravens that three of their ponies that had been scattered and believed to be devoured by Smaug had been localised downstream of the Running River, near their first camp. Fili and Kili were sent out to retrieve them and their load, guided by one raven. </div>
Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-529337909756090323.post-46357531179468475112017-10-29T18:04:00.000+01:002017-10-29T18:04:19.055+01:00Friday, 28 October 2941 T. A.: Aid for the Lake-men<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/E_Vollmer_%E2%80%93_Schafstall_1904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="324" data-original-width="520" height="199" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/E_Vollmer_%E2%80%93_Schafstall_1904.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The quickly raised huts were certainly not comfortable. <br />But it was a beginning. (Erwin Vollmer, 1904)</td></tr>
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On this day, in 2941 T. A., Bard's messengers finally arrived with Thranduil's host at the shore of the Long Lake where the surviving Lake-men were still desperately hoping for help. Much appreciated goods had already arrived by boat but the Woold-elves did not have sufficient watercraft to follow and had to march the distance on bad paths. Thranduil would not give humanitarian aid for free, though, and a bargain had to be achieved (which the Master was all ready to conclude). Then a new place further north was begun to be cleared, to provide space for closed huts at least. Many of the refugees from Esgaroth were in rather bad condition.<br /><br /> This delay gave Thórin ample time to fortify the main gate of Erebor - the only one that Smaug had left accessible - against things to come. </div>
<br />Andreas Möhnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16445003484633925867noreply@blogger.com0