dawn_felagund | A M-m-m ... M-Word Thing!

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A M-m-m ... M-Word Thing!

Since coming back to LJ, I've been scouring around for an m-word thing to do. Because nothing says LJ like ~~a meme~~ an m-word thing! (Okay, so the revised version ain't nearly as catchy.) I got this one from

samtyr. I really like it because, during my rather long absence from LJland, lots of people friended me whom I know nothing about and haven't had much of a chance to talk with. So this is a good opportunity, if you are new to Ye Olde Flist, for us to get to know each other better. Of course, if you've been around since the dawning of my LJ (pun, ouch, yes, I know) and want to play, feel free!

It goes something like this:

If you want to play, leave a comment saying "when I'm dancing with you, tomorrow doesn't matter" Awwww ...
I'll respond by asking you five questions to satisfy my curiosity
Update your journal with the answers to my questions
Include this explanation and offer to ask other people questions

Simple, eh, and painless enough? (I hope!)

What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?

Tea. Any kind. Hot, iced, black, or herbal. Bobby and I can easily polish off a half-gallon jar of tea in one sitting, if the conversation's good or the food is spicy. A significant risk to our income is showing up at an SCA event and finding that the Tea Guy is there. The Tea Guy has dozens of different kinds of teas, with enticing names like "Christmas bakery" and "chocolate cherry." At the moment, my favorite tea that I make is black tea brewed in the sun with a sage leaf, mint sprig, and sprinkling of lemon balm leaves tossed in for good measure.

What do you feel is the worst problem with computers?

Heh. The people who operate them? Seriously, the number of misunderstandings that I see springing from people not understanding how tough communication online can be is depressing. I have wasted far too many hours of my life as the SWG owner on such kerfuffles as well. I love computers, but they have their limitations.

Who is the most misunderstood 'Silmarillion' character?

Sam, these are supposed to be simple questions, not subjects for essays! ;) I have lots of names fluttering through my head right now: Fëanor, Maedhros, Nerdanel, Celegorm, Indis, Maglor ... but I have to choose just one.

So I'll go with Maglor. Because, actually, I am writing an essay on this! :D It drives me nuts how authors tend to depict him as a tender-hearted, doe-eyed pacifist strumming a harp in the corner while his brothers scheme about going to war. Since I am writing an essay on this that I might one day finish, then I'll limit myself to 100 words on why this seems so wrong to me.

Until fostering the twins at Sirion, Maglor never stood up for anything. In fact, he was quite ruthless. It was Maglor who killed Uldor. He would have ultimately chosen to leave Maedhros hanging. He didn't stand aside at any kinslaying or Losgar. People tend to lean too heavily, imo, on his fostering of E&E and his musical talents in developing his character. "Bards" in the literature that inspired Tolkien, are not doe-eyed or soft but, in Celtic cultures, people of great power. Characterization focusing on the fostering of E&E seems rather weak after involvement in centuries of kinslaying and war.

Semi-coherent and cheating a bit with abbreviations, but 100 words exactly!

If you could travel in time to witness one historic event, what would it be?

Bobby and I were talking about this very question the other day. He chose Robert the Bruce's speech before Bannockburn, which is completely irrelevant to the question, yes, but I'm stalling for time.

I suppose I'd choose to witness a Druid ceremony. Because next to nothing is known about the ancient Druids except for obviously biased accounts by the Greeks and Romans. This makes it very hard when developing an SCA persona based on Celtic bards who were forbidden from writing anything down. And Druids are generally interesting.

Have you ever met anyone IRL that reminded you of a Tolkien character?

The Tea Guy mentioned above used to have a helper who looked like an Elf. My husband, when his hair is wet and not tied back, looks a lot like I'd imagine one of the Edain would look, similar to Viggo as Aragorn but not as gaunt in the face. (And, for the record, I was not a Tolkien fan when we decided that we wanted to marry each other!) I look for Maglor every summer on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, but no luck so far.

That was fun--who else wants to play? :D

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Yes, I think you were a founding member of The Defense of Maglor League, promoting the canon that Maglor is a hardass since 2010! I know we've talked about that before! :D

Okay, questions ...

1. Television or movies and why?
2. What Tolkien character do you think you are most like?
3. If you could spend one year studying anything, no matter how frivolous and with no regard for usefulness, what would you choose?
4. Outside of Tolkien, what is your favorite myth cycle?
5. What is your favorite time of the year?

OME, yes! In fact, I did write an essay (which inspired my Maglor essay that is now more than a year in the works) that touches on one manifestation of the irksome Maedhros-as-an-abuser trope: Take Pity upon Him: Did Maedhros Really Threaten to Kill Elrond and Elros at the Third Kinslaying? While we're on the subject, Feanor as an abuser annoys me as well. Okay, pretty much anything that reduces a character to a cliche irks me. I have much more respect for writers who manage to use in a thoughtful way dynamics that actually exist in relationships in order to create their conflicts.

And as for questions ...

1. Why Tolkien?
2. What is your favorite place in the world?
3. What book or story do you think has been most influential on you?
4. Do you think it's possible to form actual friendships over the Internet?
5. What annoys you the most?

May I play too please? When I'm dancing with you, tomorrow doesn't matter!

My answers and my post are here!

Thank you--though

samtyr gets full credit for the questions. :)

Okay, now my turn ...

1. If you could "undo" the development of any technology or invention, what would you choose and why?
2. Why did you choose your LJ username?
3. Ocean or mountains and why?
4. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?
5. What word or saying drives you nuts?

Beautiful icon, too, btw! :)

I tend to be that way with fruit teas too. Of course, I'm weird generally in that I don't like sweet foods, so anything that adds "sweet" to something I already like will generally be subpar to me. The exception to that is berries--I love berries and berry-flavored teas! But members of my family are in love with iced peach tea, and I'd rather drink water.

And questions ...

1. What is a hope you have right now for the future? (It can be as small or sweeping as you'd like. :)
2. City or country and why?
3. If you could live anywhere on earth for one year, where would you go?
4. What is one story/subplot that you wish Tolkien had written differently?
5. Who is your favorite author?

And questions you shall have! :D

And OME. That link is so funny and yet so sad at the same time.

1. Which do you like more--the journey or the destination?
2. What character would you like to see given more attention in fandom? (I leave the fandom up to you. :)
3. On the subject of that link ... do you think social networking has been a good thing generally or not?
4. When you write, do you always know how a story is going to end, or do the muses sometimes surprise you?
5. If you could develop any talent overnight, what would you pick?

When I'm dancing with you, tomorrow doesn't matter.

Oh, I will have to try to find the Gikuyu's myth! :)

I think we need some more non-western myths and story's going around. There was far more to antiquity then Greek myth

So agreed. If, once I'm teaching, I can accomplish anything, I hope it is to give my students a more well-rounded view of literature and myth than I myself was given.

*dances!*

1. Choose an author. If you could ask that person one question, what would it be?
2. Where would you like to be right now?
3. If you could teach one lesson to future generations, what would it be and why?
4. If I came to visit you, where is the first place we would go?
5. If you could keep any creature as a pet--imaginary, mythological, dangerous--without any harm to you or it, what would you choose?

I do have lots of requests, but I'm slowly plugging through them! :D

Maglor thanks you and extends an invitation to The Defense of Maglor League, promoting the canon that Maglor is a hardass since 2010. ;)

Okay, questions ...

1. What is the craziest thing you've had happen in your class as a teacher?
~~2. Will I ever finish poor dreamflower02's essay for References?~~
2. What was your favorite part of your trip this past summer to Europe?
3. If you could ask Tolkien one question, what would it be? (Okay, I stole that one from Dreamflower ... ;)
4. What is your biggest pet peeve?
5. What is a story that hasn't been told that you think needs to be told? (Fanfic or o-fic, of course)

Dawn scouring her flist for a meme? o_O ;)

I know, it's scary, isn't it? :D

Celegorm is pouting now btw, he oh so often is ignored in favour of Maglor. ;)

Awww ... poor Tyelko! He knows I love him, I hope. I chose Maglor mainly because at least the people who depict one-dimensional Tyelkos use actual events from the book to do so. The Maglor-as-a-wimp trope isn't based on anything more than wishful thinking.

Speaking of essays, I hope to finish my essay about 1st age singers

Oh! I am excitedly awaiting that one!

Okay, questions ...

1. Speaking of fanons, which annoys you the most?
2. What story or book do you want most to pass on to your children? (Or already have! :)
3. Who was the Feanorian you fell in love with first?
4. What is one talent that you don't have but wish you did?
5. Who was the best teacher you ever had and why?

Answered!

Also that essay is awesome; mind if I forward it to a few people?

I would be honored! :) I'm glad you liked it!

Now off to read your answers ...

Hahaha, nr 1 has already made me go like o_0 I haven't thought about those for a looong time.

He knows I love him, I hope.

I think he feels neglected. I haven't been paying attention to him and neither have you. I think he is intimidated by lil' girls with a temper. And there we go, a bunny looks around the corner to see how Celegorm would have been as a toddler. Methinks both Nerdanel and Fëanor didn't get that much sleep (going like Maitemo and Makalaure never did such things when they were of that age!).

The Maglor-as-a-wimp trope isn't based on anything more than wishful thinking.

I don't know what is behind that reasoning, I can imagine that some people would look at Maglor to grasp him and say: look, of the seven not all could have been that bad. I think the last lines of him in the book where he's said to wander the shores in regret and pain (don't have the book near), lamenting might be that bit where folks go like. But look at him, what man should do that, he must be weak.

In this sense I love working on Bard Rising, to bring out that character (in my view) trait, his strength and that dangerous edge of which I think he absolutely has, balancing it with so many other things. It's a wonderful work of labour (for three to four years now). Whoops, sorry this soapbox came out of nowhere.

I promised hubby to buy him some sushi for father's day, better see to that now!

What a terrific drabble-essay about Maglor, I cheered a lot reading this! :D I think many people who depict him as a weak character like to draw on the fact that he is mentioned as being closer in temperament to Nerdanel, and use that to paint him as an effeminate wet blanket. Also, with creativity in fandom circles being a largely female domain (I know I am still surprised when happening upon one of the rare male fanfic writers every now and then, and then kick myself for it) it probably only underscores the notion mentioned above, 'real men' and fine arts? Don't exist, or said man is a sissy - and of course people being unfamiliar with Tolkien's source material (that is, the Celtic bards you mentioned) might not be aware of conceptual differences. It's hard to look past one's nose.

All of which is absurd and nonsensical, of course, to varying degrees, I think, and there really is no need to elaborate on any of this, neither on the strength of character Nerdanel would have needed to stand up to Feanor (and what if she was quiet and preferred observation in social situations, is that somehow detrimental?), nor do I have to list acclaimed male poets, authors, musicians, etc, nor -- you get the gist. I wonder how much of this actually stems from a misunderstood notion of Sentimentalism, but that's not the point here -- the point is that equating Eldarin and contemporary art and music is impossible, what with the former being (capable of) functional magic (wrong word, I know, but you're aware of that as well) - look at Lúthien's hair-growing spell or Finrod's harp-playing upon meeting the mortals, his abilities of disguising himself and his companions into orcs - which always struck me more like the glamours that Celtic fairy-folk were able to cast, and of course Finrod's song of power and near-defeat of Sauron -- this from the same elf who slew a werewolf with his teeth. Sissy? I don't think so. And he wasn't even mentioned among the most powerful three, so I fail to understand how anyone could conceivably cast Maglor as a wimpy little... I don't know what. (Not to mention, that similar to underappreciated Finarfin and his return, Maglor's initial standing up to Maedhros' plan of stealing the remaining Silmarils from the Valar and then his decision to remain in a self-imposed exile doing penance - presumably - must have taken a whole lot of strength. There may not have been accounting for sanity at that point, but this just adds up to the rest of the above.)

End rant. ;) When I'm dancing with you, tomorrow doesn't matter.

Here are your answers!

I know I'm sometimes guilty of making Maglor seem wimpier than he canonically is. It's such an easy trap to fall into! But anyone who was trusted to hold the weakest point of the entire northern defensive line, and who could slay Uldor the Accursed could hardly be as meek and weak as most fanfic portrays him to be!

I think the last lines of him in the book where he's said to wander the shores in regret and pain (don't have the book near), lamenting might be that bit where folks go like. But look at him, what man should do that, he must be weak.

I agree that that likely has something to do with it. Isn't it interesting how regret and contrition are seen as weak and effeminate, whereas being a bullheaded asshat who sticks to a course for no better reason than an unwillingness to be seen as wrong is seen as strong and masculine? Imo, Maglor's choice at the end of the book has always seemed to me to be one of strength. Maedhros kills himself and puts his fate in the hands of another (Mandos, Eru), but Maglor retains that self-control and exacts his own penance.

Hey, we're going to Ocean City this weekend, so Bobby and I will dance a reel on the Boardwalk near Shenanigans just for you! ;)

And at least your misery up on the stage was likely nothing compared to that of those poor Danish people having to sing in a language most didn't even speak at the bequest of the Danish Pusher. I'll never forget the rapacious tone of her voice as she said, "I'll have more Danes for you next week ..." o.O

You probably forgot that you even asked for questions! ._. Better late than never, I hope, here they are:

1. What do you hope to accomplish in your new job?
2. What first made you want to study and work in Africa?
3. Of the fandoms you've done artwork for, which do you find the most arresting or inspiring?
4. What is one place where you've traveled that Bobby and I must visit at some point and why?
5. What is your proudest creative achievement?

Okay, here be questions (horribly late--I'm sorry! :( )

1. Since we haven't talked in a while, what is one major thing that has happened since in your life that you want to tell me?
2. If you could wake up tomorrow and find that one thing had changed in the world, what would it be and why?
3. Would you rather read or write and why?
4. What or who is your greatest creative influence?
5. Where is a place in the world that you have never been but you hope to see someday?

Of course! You are one of my oldest LJ friends. :)

And sorry to have taken so long in actually writing the questions ... :(

1. Where do you hope to be in ten years?
2. If you could ask any person, living or dead, one question that they'd have to answer honestly, what would you ask and of whom?
3. What is your biggest pet peeve in a story? (Fan or o-fic or both!)
4. What has been your proudest accomplishment?
5. Forest or sea and why?

*dances!* :)

1. If you could teach Arianna one thing and trust that she would learn/follow it, what would it be?
2. What inspired you to become involved in fashion and costume design?
3. You are definitely a polymath, so if you had to choose one art to practice, which would you choose and why?
4. What inspired you to write/create based on Tolkien's books?
5. What is your favorite guilty pleasure?

I return a round of applause because I so agree with everything you said here! :D

Also, with creativity in fandom circles being a largely female domain *snip* it probably only underscores the notion mentioned above, 'real men' and fine arts? Don't exist, or said man is a sissy

I think this has a lot to do with it. I have collected some data on this from fandom but haven't fully developed a way to demonstrate the possible connection. (I was surveying stories for certain themes and certain words, but that was so long ago that I'm afraid I'll have to start over again. >.<) I also agree that part of it has to do with many people not realizing the traditional Celtic connection between music and power/magic. I mean, the creation of Arda was founded in music! I think many people think of Maglor plucking a harp and lisping poetry in the corner at a feast while his brothers tear at meat with their teeth, not as someone whose very songs had powers to create, destroy, and alter the world and people around him. (For this reason, I've always seen Maglor--not Curufin--as the son most like Feanor in talents.)

I also agree with you that his choice at the end of the First Age shows his strength. Rhapsody and I are having a similar conversation in a thread further up. Maedhros chose to end his life and put his fate in control of those more powerful than him. Maglor chose to command his own fate and sentenced himself to penance. However, I also think that Maglor's character really had to evolve to that point, but that I ramble lots about that in the essay, so I'll shut up for now! :)

Anyway. End rant! ;) Now for questions ...

1. What inspires you to write? Do you start with a plot idea, character sketch, strong image, something else entirely?
2. Related to our shared rants, which character do you think that fan writers get most wrong of all of Tolkien's characters?
3. What silly peeve annoys you the most?
4. If you could walk out your door and end up anywhere in the world, where would you go?
5. Which character in literature do you think is most like you?

1. In ten years my pie-in-the-sky hope is to have had at least one novel published, (and be well on my way to being richer than J.K. Rowling!) at which point I would want to have a large house in the country with room for a dog or two! More realistically, I would be happy to still be at the Met Office, but with a couple of promotions from where I am now. Maybe a slightly larger house in Exeter - one with a garden.

2. I've been trying to think of something I'd want to ask an important historical figure, but the trouble is narrowing it down to one question, so I'll just go with asking Tolkien why he intended Feanor & sons to spend longer shut up in Mandos than Morgoth did after he messed up the world the first time around.

3. That's tricky - it's hard to decide between abuse of adverbs and excessive epithets. On balance I think the epithets win it, if only because it's easy to ignore the adverbs, whereas trying to remember who is the oldest/tallest/blondest/most Elvish can really throw me out of the story.

4. Probably the first time I wrote 50000 words for NaNoWriMo! It ought to be getting my degree, or getting into the County Youth Orchestra, but I knew I could do both of those things before I started, whereas at the beginning of November 2005 I thought those 50000 words would be impossible for me to write in a month.

5. I love both, and my current favourite place is Dartmouth, where the woods go right to the edge of the water. But if I had to choose one, it would be the sea, because I don't think I could bear to live inland for any length of time. When I was living in Michigan I didn't realise just how much I missed the sea until the end of the year, when I travelled across Canada, and when I got to the Pacific Ocean it felt like I was home, even though I was actually further away! Quite often I like to go to the beach and take in the sea air (it has to be the proper salty air of the sea, not a lake) and it sort of recharges my creative batteries!

I wonder if it has something to do with the masculine pov our society seems to love. As if: 'damn you all, I am going down with' (aka the Jeremy Clarkson approach) it breathes more power than a looser who wanders upon the shores while singing and lamenting. Knowing that Tolkien initially had four different scenario's for both in mind...

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A M-m-m ... M-Word Thing!

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Re: Shall we dance?

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Re: when I'm dancing with you & with our girl because she doesn't like to share,tomorrow doesn't mat

I will gladly squee for the Magnificent Seven!

Re: I will gladly squee for the Magnificent Seven!

Re: when I'm dancing with you & with our girl because she doesn't like to share,tomorrow doesn't mat

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Re: when I'm dancing with you & with our girl because she doesn't like to share,tomorrow doesn't mat

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Re: when I'm dancing with you & with our girl because she doesn't like to share,tomorrow doesn't mat