He peered between the hemlock-leaves
And saw in wonder flowers of gold
Upon her mantle and her sleeves,
And her hair like shadow following.

Dedicated to @determamfidd because the latest chapter of Sansukh was so incredibly incredible (that is how far gone I am) and also because I know she likes the idea of Asian!Lúthien as much as I do.

Inspired by Zhang Ziyi (who is also the face reference) because I think she is an actual personification of ‘elven-fair’.

*howling in delight *

The argument could be made,if we go by Jackson movies canon, that Mirkwood elves are much more lax on gender roles then other elves and men, since they seem to allow women to serve in the military or at the very least the Elven guard something we don’t really see other elves and men doing.

Urgh, this one is subject to some discussion, Nonnie! I just remembered this essay, and the fab blog askmiddleearth has some analysis here as well.

I seem to remember too that there was some discussion at the time about Elf women fighting at Helm’s Deep in the films (not the Arwen deleted stuff, but that some of the Lothlorien Elves/extras etc were of the Lady persuasion). I could be wrong, it was a while ago!

but! Tolkien specifically says this: There are, however, no matters which among the Eldar only a ner can think or do, or others which only a nis is concerned. So anyone can p much do anything, and did, if their name was Luthien.

christmashippo:

And here is Vaire, the weaver. I’ve had the sketch in my folders for a few weeks, and somehow managed to finish it in one night.

The line-art is black again because using overlay didn’t look good this time. Also, FOUR HANDS!? What was I thinking???

christmashippo:

Here, have a Mandos. Finally managed to find a look for him.

mutisija:

friendly reminder that sauron is not even nearly as cool as lotr made him look like:

once he literally laughed evil villain laugh at his evil plan so hard that he didnt notice that the entire island was sinking into water and his body ended up drowning. he had to make new body out of anger.

Arwen, Eowyn, and Dis … The power clique I never knew I needed. +20 if the group also includes Mizim, more lady dwarves, Dol Amroth and/or other ladies.

Eowyn and Gimris = warrior-healers and BADASS LADIES EXTRAORDINAIRE (plus chatty old Ioreth too)

Arwen and Dis = do you want steely endurance beyond all imagination BC HERE WE ARE

Selga, Merilin, Bomfris and Mizim = don’t piss em off, they can and will shoot you

Lothiriel of Dol Amroth and Baris = will make music that destroys you utterly, takes you apart and breaks your heart and you will thank them for it

Bani, Thira, Narvi and Nerdanel = THEY CAN FIX IT, YES THEY CAN

(together they fight crime)

Anon who asked about elf ages- elves reach maturity after 50 and stop aging at 100. At that point they are physically the equivalent of a human 25-year-old (more or less), but there isn’t any chronological equivalent. BUT, there’s a theory that 144 elven years = 1 human year after the elf hits 100. In that case Tauriel, for example, who is above 600, would technically be in her early 30s, though in comparison to older elves it could be considered as young as the early 20s. (contd.)

(contd.) The elf’s lineage also plays a part. Like if you take Elrond, who is a Peredhel, he would physically look older than a full-blood elf like Galadriel even though she is much older in years. The Thranduilion boys would therefore all look roughly the same age (25-27) and the difference would lie in how careworn/weary they look rather than actual physical signs of aging, if that makes sense. Chronologically though, it isn’t possible to equate elven age with human age. Hope this helped! 🙂

Nonnie – look at this! Thank you so much, Rippy, you’re a gold-plated pal! *hugs*

a while ago you said something that all of the elven bros (legolas, laindawar, laerophen) were older than what the usual age for elves to marry at. so, what i wanted to ask is how old do you think they would be in human years if that makes any sense. so, as an example, if legolas as an elf is 2,000 and something or whatever (i don’t know his age), then he would about 34 in human years?? i’m sure if that makes anymore sense, sorry!.

god, I don’t know if there really IS a comparison to be made to human ages here, Nonnie. There is effectively no end to an Elf’s life, if they are not killed or do not become weary of living, and so there’s no real thing as a human equivalent of 30′s, 40′s, middle-aged, old-age, etc.

That said, we do know from Tolkien that most Elves are married at around 100 years of age. So that’s why that line is there.

We also know that some Elves are OOOOLD. But doesn’t mean that they are frail or their life is drawing to a close, like it would for a human? Their bodies simply do not age. So yeah.

As Elves go, Legolas is young-ish. Arwen is older than him. But Tauriel was meant to be only 600? But she’s an Elf that is 600, not a ‘twenty-something’ human, nnngh.

I don’t want to make you feel like I’m totally negative towards the idea, or that I’m being a snob about it. I’m glad you asked me, Nonnie, even though I feel like am not explaining this well! But I find it really hard to think of Elves and immortality and all that jazz being at all similar to the assumptions we make of mortal age brackets.

IDK, I can’t see Legolas (or any Elf, for that matter) having an equivalence to a human age, considering their agelessness. To me there’s just Elves, and older Elves and younger Elves… and the difference is: Young Elves aren’t as tired – or as wise. Older Elves CAN GROW BEARDS (hey Cirdan!) and get weary of unchanging life.

Other people who know Elves better than me might have some notions to put here, and I’d be glad to hear em! But that’s my little understanding of it, Nonnie, I’m sorry if it isn’t helpful *sheepish sort of look, pushes the cookies over*

markedasinfernal:

So has anyone ever noticed that Cadbury Creme Eggs have a full fledged Fëanorian star on them?

For it is said that Fëanor began a long and secret labour, and he summoned all his lore, and his power, and his subtle skill; and at the end of all he made the Creme Eggs. As great jewels they were in form. Like orbs of richest chocolate they appeared, yet they were tastier than all others, so that no mortal could disparage or refuse them within the Kingdom of Arda. Yet that chocolate was to the Creme Eggs but as is the body to the Children of Ilúvatar: the house of its inner fire, that is within it and yet in all parts of it, and is its life. And the inner fire of the Creme Eggs Fëanor made of the blended fondant of the Sugar Canes of Valinor, whose glucose lives in them yet, though the Sugar Canes have long withered. All who dwelt in Aman were filled with wonder and delight at the work of Fëanor. – The Silmarillion, Cadbury™ Ed. 2015.

your fav is problematic: sauron

songsoftheirdeeds:

okay when I started this series I sort of assumed sauron did not actually have fans

i hadn’t been on the internet long enough, apparently

is a Maia of Aulë; that never ends well

has as many names as Túrin Turambar without the excuse of being an angsty teenager

tortures finrod’s backup singers to death in his dungeons

sinks a continent with the socratic method

sends out the werewolves one by one to fight Lúthien what

for that matter why couldn’t he figure out who finrod is without the torture? how many blonde Elven princes were there in Beleriand at the time?

there were two. finrod and orodreth. and tbh if you can’t figure out whether the Elf who just challenged you to a song duel is Finrod or Orodreth then you don’t deserve to be Melkor’s right hand

oh, yeah, chief lieutenant of the embodiment of evil there’s a case that that is problematic