
We absolutely ADORE The Encyclopedia of Arda! Their $4 US iPad App is so handy, well worth the money! It is similar to the Tolkien Gateway. The Tolkien Professor and Mythgard Institute also shared Signum University‘s awesome app for studying The Silmarillion – excellent!
For determining dates until our main website is back up – please use EoA’s calendar function. Also see our Calendar Page and Quenya 101’s Calendar Resource.
Elvish Language Resources:
Earendil of ElvenScholar.org has a free and paid version for learning Quenya which is based on the free Ardalambion course (approved by Christopher Tolkien). For webmasters looking to code accents, diphthongs and umlauts, use this HTML Coding Chart. Other sources are: Parf Edhellen ElfDict.com, Learn Elvish Language and Quenya101.com
For Elvish Writing Systems, including the runic-looking Cirth and the writing system we usually associate with Elvish and appearing to be a form of cursive, the Tengwar:
If you wish to write Tengwar by hand, try Elvish in 10 minutes. One may also wish to have on-hand Volume 3 of 3 of the Lord of the Rings: the Return of the King for Appendices E, or pages 9-14 of Parma Eldalamberon #22.
If you want to use a computer, you can use the Mac and Windows version of Elvish Tengwar Fonts by Mans Bjorkman (using keyboard mapping of Dan Smith, who also created the Cirth, or Rune/Runic Fonts). (Note: The Dan Smith Font keyboard layout is not based on sound, so, it is rather complicated to use. Here is a tutorial that actually has some other fonts to download. Another solution is to use is PopChar).
Also – check out some Online Tengwar Transcribers: Tecendil.com (our favorite), Tengwar Transcriber, and Glaemscribe – nice!
For those interested in Elvish Names (Quenya or Sindarin), perhaps you feel pulled to start with your birth name – see Elvish.org’s Name Website. Take a look at the Sindarin Elvish Name Generator as well as this link – look into the “themes” options for the best matches.
Recent Find! Download the PDF: Dimitra Fimi’s scholarly study of the Tolkien languages!
For those of you who are looking for how the Tengwar and/or the Cirth can make a system of divination (not unlike the Runes but of course different) – start here with the 36 Taratir on Middle-earth Reunion’s website.
Other Finds:
At Gnosis.org, find materials that feature JRR Tolkien here and here.
This was recently located, Elven Wedding Customs. You may explore other topics in the left-hand column there too.
Here are some thought-provoking articles from Michael Martinez. You may also try here to reach him.
This is a a rather interesting spiritual take on Tolkien from Jay Weidner and Sharron Rose – enjoy!
Dr. Stephen Hoeller and Dr. Lance Owens of Gnosis.org has a couple of wonderful links to explore recordings on a Gnostic viewpoint of Tolkien’s work – here and here (scroll down to find) – enjoy!
And yet another find about Spirituality and Tolkien – and why even non-Christians can find deep spiritual appreciation of the Legendarium – Click HERE.
On that note – we’ve had lots of questions about how fairies (faeries) relate to the stories of JRR Tolkien (Legendarium) – here is an excellent passage from the Lost Tales 1 for your reference!
Dr. Lance Strate wrote an amazing poem about our formation, entitled the Inklings of the Hidden Realm, and it was translated into Quenya Elvish by Rodger Ashton Smith. We love this so much!
For those of you interested in a scholarly look at Tolkien-based Elven Ritual – consider reading Dr. Markus Davidsen’s work – he has been published in a major academic work, called the Handbook of Hyper-Real Religions! By early 2017, stay tuned for the publication of his extensive work – we cannot wait! This work will not only be useful for spiritual paths based on Tolkien’s work, but also for other spiritual paths based on what can be viewed as modern fiction (consider Jediism, which is very popular as an alternative spiritual choice, despite the lack of material – luckily, George Lucas accomplished what he wished through the Star Wars saga, which was just to awaken true spirituality on a grand scale). ***His completed 525-page thesis may be found here: https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/29078 – this is NOT lightweight reading! He even made a presentation at the 2018 Tolkien Society seminar, in Peter Roe Series XIX, a copy of which can be obtained from Luna Press Publishing for a print copy or an ebook copy.
A most excellent study: Leonid Korablev’s True Elves of Europe!
A different emphasis: A PDF download: Significant Other: a Literary History of Elves
Curious about possible sources of Tolkien? See Sacred Texts for starters, and Middle-earth Reunion for more possible material.
A starting place to study the Stars in the Legendarium.
We like these links from Dr. Kristine Larsen on Astronomy of Middle-Earth, the Stars in Middle-Earth and (V)Arda Marred – take a look.
On the note of Stars, see Valacirca, the Big Dipper, shift over time here (we used the 3rd Gif File version)
Where the Term “Legendarium” comes from – thank you Nathan Elwin!
Nice article on Rune Soup about Tolkien, spirituality and even magic.
Some of our readers have also found this interesting comparison.
A few of our readers have found this helpful when determining timelines within Tolkien’s work, aligning the sinking of Atlantis with the sinking of Numenor, and the overlay point showing a few things.
There are those who are curious why the Elven Star (also called the Faerie Star or Otherkin Star) is common, and you can read two stories: One from FaeryCraft Author Emily Carding, and one from the infamous Silver Elves, who have been around since the 1970’s. While we’ve been around since 2005, we became a non-profit organization by 2019/2020, and needed a different symbol: the Septaquetra (meaning 7-cornered) when forming, to differentiate our path with these well-established paths. Photos forthcoming but for now, you can see it on Facebook and Instagram! Enjoy some history! And for more information on how the 7 relates to Tolkien – here’s an interesting forum thread from years ago that gives many clues. (And on the same forum – this thread makes us chuckle a bit! – Here is a link shared there as well).
Here are two links for Dr. Strange’s Invocation of the Tolkien Star Goddess that have been around awhile.
Years ago, we discovered the Fifth Way Mystery School’s interesting take on Elven Ritual, and while it is not like the one that is used by Tië eldaliéva, it is interesting to see how they arrived at this piece.
Music:
Carvin Knowles and The Fellowship have done an absolutely wonderful re-release of In Elven Lands!
Iluvamil (the All Mother) has an amazing free MP3 download of Galadriel’s Namarië! Stay tuned for a rerelease of the Yestarë Suite as well!
Also check out Jessica Rae Butler Peng’s Elvish Music HERE and HERE.
For a very comprehensive list – check out Tolkien Music.
Music is only ONE of the things discussed here at the Council of Elrond – take a look!
Don’t forget, we are always keeping our Links page updated too!