the-french-belphegor:

I find designing tattoos super difficult, because it’s mostly geometrical

abstract

shapes and I’m rubbish at those. But I wanted something special for Gimli, even though they’re hidden 90% of the time. So I doodled the one on the left (and coloured it really quickly) and the one on the right is more a final result.

So the patterns on his right shoulder (our left) are for his childhood in the Blue Mountains while the one on his left shoulder echo the Arkenstone and the fact that he lived most of his adult life in Erebor; on his right forearm he bears the arms of his mother’s family, on his left forearm his father’s; he’s got a (differently-shaped) star on the back of his right and left hands, one because “Gimli” means “star” in Adûnaic – I don’t think Tolkien revealed his true Dwarvish name – and the other because it’s one of the emblems of the Line of Durin and he’s proud of his heritage.

Also, any excuse to draw buff Dwarves :3

So I noticed that Thrain still only has one eye in the Halls. Does he feel about it like Dain and his foot?

Pretty much! I went with movie-canon over book-canon for Thrain’s eye (again, lmao, I jump back and forth like a frog on a hot rock).

In the book, he loses it at Azanulbizar.

In the movie, we see that it is gone before the fall of Erebor.

A lot of Thrain’s initial character motivation comes from trying to be as he was before he hared off all alone to recapture Erebor… and fell into the clutches of the Necromancer. So he appears much as he was in Erebor, at the height of its glory and power. He tries to behave that way, too. 

(also I love Thrain and I love how badass his forehead and eye-tatts are)

Dont feel too bad about the seasons thing! You are not the only one tbh and Ill share this to prove my point: Last year for my lit class we read a bunch of poems by an Australian author (which I sadly dont remeber) where she talked about the passing of time and mentioned spring leaving on September and I was so sure it was some kind of metaphor?? I even had a very heated disussion with my teacher about it hahaha

LMAAAAAAAO oh my god, yes that absolutely does make me feel better about it!! Thank you, Nonnie 🙂

I’m just laughing now, not beating myself up or anything – what a thing to forget!!! I solemnly and sternly told myself not to forget something so danged obvious… and then went ahead and forgot it anyway…! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

AND we’re sorta bombarded with reminders that we’re topsy turvy seasons-wise to Europe/the US  – like, we have fake-snow xmas decorations in nearly all of our shop windows. In the height of OUR ROASTING-HOT SUMMER.

(hhmmm, that poet sounds like either Banjo Patterson, Dorothea McKellar or Henry Kendall – they sure loved seasons as imagery!)

Also ( god I hope i’m not getting on your nerves, I’m sorry!) there is Sam’s “And Spring in the air an’ all!” about getting home to his garden, and Thranduil staying in the mountain “even though the frosts have broken”. Are Middle-Earth season different? Canonically, Théoden is laid to rest in the middle of summer, Aragorn was just crowned a king in May. Why is there so much talk of winter being over, and then the mention of Galadriel and September? Please help, I’m so confused!

THE ANSWER IS: DETS IS AUSTRALIAN AND ALSO DUMB. 

(September here is early Spring, you see!!! I’m gonna go fix it, promise – augh I am so sorry!)

Hello! The anon with all the pesky timeline-questions back again! ;) I just noticed in the newest chapter Gimli writes to Orla he’ll be home before midsummer, but then when they actually leave Gondor and aren’t even in Rohan yet, it’s already September? Did he mean he’ll be home midsummer the next year, or did he seriously miscalculate how long they’d stay in Gondor, or…?

oh good goddamn…

me, an Australian (two months or so ago): Now, self, don’t forget that Arda is in the Northern Hemisphere, the seasons are all topsy turvy

me, an Australian (now): FUCKINJKGDJHGSA

augh! Okay, I need to do a bit of editing! Thank you for bringing this to my notice 🙂