In The Lord of the Rings, in “A Part of the Tale of Aragorn and Arwen” (from Appendix A) we learn that Aragorn’s birth name was Estel, which means “hope” in Elvish (Sindarin specifically). But did you know that in Middle-earth, in Arda, and possibly the real world, there are two varieties of hope: estel and amdir?
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Rush is the real article. What you see (and hear) is what you get. In this era of “alternative facts,” religious and political hypocrites, and legions of performative actors and rage-baiters (“blankers and boasters / all the bluffers and posers”), this band remains a breath of fresh, very real air.
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With the third season of The Rings of Power coming later this year, Amazon is starting up its promo material. This—combined with ongoing political turmoil, war, and the powerful “charismatic” demagogues that make the real world worse than it needs to be—seems like the right time to talk about Sauron again. That is, Sauron the Third Wheel, as he is portrayed in Amazon’s adaptation.
Sauron in the books and in other adaptations is fairly clear cut: he’s terrifying, faceless, and evil, and had been evil since long before Elves and Men even awoke in Middle-earth. His time of moral ambiguity took place before time was measured.
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This post touches on literature, spirituality, and inevitably, politics. While I have no interest in talking politics straight-up on this site, nearly all forms of media have some form of politics in it, and the passage I want to share characterizes a certain strain of performative spirituality very much present in a political faction in the United States.
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Okay, I’ve seen Masters of the Universe (MotU). Here are my initial thoughts not just as a fan of speculative fiction but as a big fan of He-Man since I was six years old. I’ll do my best to keep the spoilers light!
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I have been so busy with the logistical (and less fun) parts of finishing The Silmarillion Primer, and life in general, that I haven’t had time for very much else. But I’m here to say right now that it’s been killing me not discussing and anticipating the Master of the Universe movie. . . which I’m going to see for the first time later today with my wife and son. I’m excited.
I have the power! -
The Rings of Powers Season Three press release is out now. I’d like to comment on just one passage from it.
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This post is just a place that organizes the articles I’ve written about Amazon’s The Rings of Power TV show—praises, criticisms, surprises, gripes, wonder, and the many comments that fall between.
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Did you know? If you owned a particular book that came out in 2003 (23 years ago!), you would read that Wizards of the Coast proposed that you could potentially ride a gelatinous cube in your game. No one at the time, that I can recall, protested that WotC had therefore sanitized or spoiled Gary Gygax’s original vision for the gelatinous cube. If you can imagine that.
Ohh, right: This is a post specifically about Dungeons & Dragons and lore adjustments. It might not make much sense to anyone else outside the hobby.
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I learned that one of my favorite musicians passed away a couple of days ago: Máire Brennan of Clannad. Not very big news in the States, I’m afraid, but it’s a big loss for anyone with an appreciation for traditional Irish/Celtic music.
Her name is often Anglicized as Moya—which I guess was to help the rest of the world pronounce it properly—and I got to meet her in 1998 when she was promoting her album Perfect Time. She had a brief performance and a CD signing at Borders Books & Music at the World Trade Center store, where I was working at the time.
A strange voice calling ‘Journey’s at an end…
Foreshadowed and Foresung 