Kevin's Watch

I'm just at the bit where Beren has left Luthien with the Hound Huan to go off and fulfil his vow to obtain a Silmaril from the Iron Crown of Morgoth. The story has suddenly taken on a more .....human tone - for obvious reasons I guess, but more than that - which is a fantastic juxtaposition set against the high history of the elven races. Off the top of my head (and I think it has been mentioned once in the Silmarillion) Gandalf was called Mithrandear by (was it ) Denethor in TLOTR - but I don't recall any other names. In the index of the Silmarillion Gandalf is refered to as being of the Mithrandear people (or from Mithrandear - I forget which), which indicates that there is more to the name than it being just a personal appellation for the wizard himself.

Of the former situation between Beren and Luthien, one cannot but have an understanding of the dismay such a union might rouse in her father Thingol. She being of a lofty immortal race and he a mere human, it must have been akin to say one of our royal family Scions falling for a Gypsy boy. The situation was iirc mirrored between Aragorn and Arwen in TLOTR, and if I recall correctly, Elrond, Arewn's father was not one hundred percent happy about it either. He, again iirc, was less - say - haughty about it, being more concerned about the problem of the mortality of the one being set against the immortality of the other (or was it that Arwen {I hope that's her name} would forfeit her immortality in union with Aragorn - surely not, surely he, Aagorn, would never have allowed such a thing). Whatever, Thingol seems more concerned with the difference in 'class' between them than the immortality versus mortality aspect, which seems somehow less acceptable as an objection and to reduce him in stature somewhat by the virtue of his holding it against the happiness and desire of his daughter.

Great stuff all round I say!

March 25th is Tolkien Reading Day.

Tolkien Reading Day is an annual event, launched by The Tolkien Society in 2003, that takes place on 25 March. It has the aim of encouraging the reading of the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, and the use of Tolkien's works in education and library groups.

When is Donaldson Reading Day? (Surely, there is a Donaldson Reading Day. Don't we deserve a Donaldson Reading Day?)

I vote for Duran Duran and their 1993 single 'Ordinary World' - the guitar solo by Warren Cuccurullo one of the very best in any pop song ever -
I believe they did it better. Packing it all into a few minutes beats a heck of a lot of reading.

By coincidence, I thought yesterday that it might be time to dust off my copies of the Chronicles (especially given the amount of time we are likely to have on our hands at present). But yes - Donaldson Day has been proposed and I second the motion. All those in favour say "aye"..........

(Surely said Day would have to be held on the Spring equinox - wasn't that the day of the dance of the wraiths in Andelaine? Any other fixable dates to put forward as candidates?)

peter wrote:(Surely said Day would have to be held on the Spring equinox - wasn't that the day of the dance of the wraiths in Andelaine? Any other fixable dates to put forward as candidates?)

Close to perfect.

Perfect would be Banas Nimoram, "the dark of the moon on the middle night of spring." Except that only happens every 28 years or so. "Not in my generation has there been such a night, such a time of rareness and beauty."

However, the middle day of spring is a good choice. May 5.

We can choose the day of the new moon that is closest to the middle of Spring, which would be April 23 or May 22. (Sadly, May 5 is practically the full moon this year. Last year the new moon was May 4!)

So ... yeah. May 5th.

+JMJ+

To what am I committing by voting 'Yes'?

But srsly folks, May 5th, given the reasoning behind the choice, assuredly sounds condign.

The Spring equinox is a fine idea.
Without the dance of the wraiths at the Celebration of Spring, Loric could not have made his magic sword...

I concur that this is the optimal choice in terms of annual regularity - but there is a bit of me that pines for the 'specialness' that a once every twenty eight years (or whenever the event happens to fall) would give it. (Can anyone tell me when the next true Banas Nimoram would actually be?) Sort of a way of introduction of a new generation to the works of Donaldson, if you get me.

But in practical terms, yes, May 5th would seem to be the best day.

Wos - in voting yes you are agreeing to take the role of Secretary of the Day, organising say a banquet and entertainment events globally (each for say, 1000 people) and raising funds to finance said gatherings and agreeing to cover out of pocket expenses out of your own pocket. Not so much really.

May 5 is also the day Menolly always puts a jar of Best Foods (which she persists in calling Hellmann's) in the sink.

And what, exactly, are we reading?

The GAP seems inappropriate for the Spring Equinox; every volume of the Chronicles is touched by pain and darkness rather than being a mere celebration; The Man Who Seemed Too Far Removed From A Celebration of Nature; Mordant's Need, perhaps?

Or is there an appropriate short story from Reave the Just or the other one (the name slips my mind at the moment, oh the shame)?

Daughter of Rigel...er Regals.

YES! Let's read "Daughter of Regals."
Can we have a VC (where "VC" is videoconference or voice-chat; take your pick) component to it, too?
And also a thread!

Savor Dam wrote:May 5 is also the day Menolly always puts a jar of Best Foods (which she persists in calling Hellmann's) in the sink.

Sink-o de Mayo.
Wowzers.
(umm, so I know of another online community that needs a mind like yours.)

Anyways, speaking of humor, Peter- NICE one with your response to Woz!
cracked me up.

Linna Heartbooger wrote:YES! Let's read "Daughter of Regals."
Can we have a VC (where "VC" is videoconference or voice-chat; take your pick) component to it, too?

SRDRD always involves a videochat, it's a tradition that goes back to it's very beginnings.

(I was thinking along the same lines.)

Let's split this off into a new topic, I say.

Hellman's! oy vey.