Commission for @sorrel-ly (who I can’t tag for some reason). It’s Dwalin and his wife Orla, as she appears in “Sansûkh” by @determamfidd. If you haven’t heard of this fic yet, then go read it!
OH MY EFFING GOD WOW!!!
look at them! Holy shit I love you both, I love the way you draw Orla, Sparkle! AND YAAAAH THEY ARE BOTH SO KICKASS AND SO TERRIFYING – and so secretly made of marshmallow lmao
Okay, most of what we have, canonically-speaking, is from The Silmarillion, The Book of Lost Tales, The History of Middle-Earth (especially The Peoples of Middle Earth), or the appendices of LOTR, most especially the section entitled ‘Durin’s Folk’. Best to start with these!
There’s a decent summary of canonical information (as well as a resource list) at tolkiengateway.
The Dwarrow Scholar is an incredible fan-made project! The cultural aspects here are non-canonical, but they are a natural sort of extrapolation from canon. And Neo-Khuzdul is an epic achievement!
check out @askmiddlearth – really, CHECK THIS OUT, I cannot cannot cannot recommend it highly enough. There is information here on just about everything you ever dreamed of!
There’s more, but I hope that is enough to get you started, Nonnie! Happy researching!
I haven’t heard the originals, no, but I’ll check them out when I get the chance!
Here, I’ll make it easier for you :3
A lovely lullaby the author’s mother used to sing to her, her grandmother to her mother, etc. Now she sings it to her daughter. It’s mostly wordless, with just two voices, very soothing.
The other songs were written to fit in the “Sansûkh” ‘verse. (It’s an amazing story, very long, stock-full of character development, in which Thorin and the other Dwarves who died in The Hobbit and prior watch (over) the Fellowship in general and Gimli in particular. It’s super long – 500,000 words and counting – but worth every minute of reading. It’s Gimli/Legolas, well-written, so respectful of canon you won’t know what’s Tolkien and what’s Determamfidd (the author), and the Dwarf culture is extensive and inclusive and amazing. Anyway.)
Broadbeam cradle song, choral version. The Broadbeams are a Dwarf clan. It’s gentle, feels a little sad, reminds me of Russian folk songs. The solo version is here.
Gimli’s Jig, played on the violin (because she also plays multiple instruments. Yep.)
The Iron Hills Soldier’s Song, choral version. That’s the original of the song I posted :o) Seriously one of my very favourites.
And my very favourite, Light on the Horizon, which is not only choral but also orchestral! The lyrics are beautiful, the build-up is awesome, and the melody and arrangements will sweep you off your feet and right into Middle-earth. What I wouldn’t give to hear this will a full orchestra and choir!!
Anyway, there you go :o)
*falls off my chair* okay I am trying not to cry, thank you SO much, seriously thank you thank you SO SO MUCH SO SO SO MUCH
I’ve fallen into doing this thing now, where I describe how the character would react to being told that they were your fave, i guess 🙂 I’ve done Baris, but here is our impatient, unobservant, clever-klutz Bani 😀
She’d probably open and close her mouth a couple of times, before she made this face:
and then she’d say, “thanks, but honestly, you should meet my girlfriend.”
Aw Yiss 