How hardcore are you?

[Mithrandir]

I was always wondering about the perfect hardcore Tolkien fan; they study all of the books he has written, memorize each and every family tree, and have read the entire hoME!! Not to mention, they are now fluent in Sindarin and Angerthas ;)

Then I thought to myself, ok, that is completely hardcore right? But then I wondered, are their people that have actually made a hole in the ground and live there?! Has anyone been that hardcore enough to create their own Bag End?! After establishing Bag End, they bought a beautiful white horse and named it Shadowfax?

I was just wondering is there anyone this hardcore out there!! :D

[Aragorn]

I tried that. Damn, it was cold. And the ants that had lived there before I totally trashed their home were a little annoying. I also bought a horse and named it Shadowfax, but it kicked me in the balls and ran when I asked it if it knew where Rivendell was. :D

[ragamuffin92]

If anyone tells you that they are that hardcore, you can be sure of one thing, and one thing ONLY -- that person is a BIG FAT LIAR!!! :)

[sepulchrave]

i think maybe in the sixties there might have been some Tolkien inspired hippies that attempted things like this....I have no evidence but all sorts of experimental and fascinating dwellings were created during this period, and it would not surprise me if someone had attempted a smial. Certainly underground accomodation was tried, the inspiration generally coming from the dwellings of the Northern peoples such as the Algonquin, Cree and some Siberian cultures. Perfect insulation, the earth.

[FrodoFriend]

Does a closet count as a smial?

I'll say this much, I do have a makeshift shrine in my closet, complete with incense. :)

[Kamyel]

I've seen at least two homes that were built into the earth. Whether or not they were Tolkien inspired I can't be sure of since I don't know the people who own them.

[luinilwen]

in agreement with ragamuffin's comments, i hate the word hardcore! it implies that certain people get obsessed with something (eg. tolkien) purely to gain the label or "superior status" of being "hardcore," rather then having a genuine interest in that... something. (did that make any sense? *sigh*)

now excuse me while i return to my talan to mend my bow...

[Churl]

Sadly, I can't say that I qualify.&nbsp I am fascinated with all of Tolkien's work, but try as I might, I must admit that I can't plow (or "plough") through the linguistic stuff.

Anyway, I don't think that you can learn Quenya from a book or course.&nbsp You need total immersion.&nbsp Maybe if there was a way to become an exchange student to the Undying Lands… :)

[athelas]

im totally nuts about LotR and stuff, but there's a limit to what i'll do. Im currently trying to learn Quenya now, but I don't have much time. ( It's only the beginning of the year and those crazy teachers are giving us lots of tests. I hate the education system here. It aims to drive us all mad. grrr...:( ) I wouldn't go as far as trying to convert my house into a hobbit hole though. That's too crazy. I'll get killed by my mum and dad.

BTW, anyone who claims to have memorised all family trees and studied all of Tolkien's works is either lying through his teeth or doesn't have a life.

PS: Was Shadowfax white? :confused: I've always thought he was greyish or black.

[luinilwen]

*whispers* shadowfax was silver-grey. ;)

[markedel]

Actually to be really hardcore you'd be building scale models of middle earth-perhaps several one per age. Out of lego.

[aldesign]

i live in a big white tower, with 7 or so rings-of-wall around it,

its a nice tower, local to Osgiliath
Under Mt. Mindolluin,


i call it Minas Tirith, aka Andy's Tower.

;)

[Legolas_BowKing]

I have a pile of dirty laundry in my room that i call Mount Doom. :p

[ragamuffin92]

Does your pile of laundry emit heat and a steady stream of smoke and noxious fumes? I hope not... :)

[FrodoFriend]

Do you ever find the remains of Ring of Powers cast in by hopeful Questers in there?

[ragamuffin92]

Do you hear a little tiny voice, saying, "Ooch, ow, we're HOT, my Preciousssss. Feetses are burning!! We hates hobbitses and volcanoesesssss! Ouch! Ooch!"

[aldesign]

thats some nasty Laundry!!!!!!

[Evenstar]

Me and a friend went on our own little adventure!!! We drew maps...did the whole tea bag and fire thing to make them look old and then we got a bag...put some water...some food (which lasted us 10 minutes cause I ate it) ..a globe...and our own flag in and set off!!! I fell up hills and it was POURING!!! It lasted about 2hrs...then we got tired and went home!!!

[Agburanar]

I made EXTREMELY faithful props for a touring theatre company's production of 'The Hobbit'.I:\saur3.jpg

[Aragorns Dimple]

Interesting concept to live underground, many people do around the world and still have all the mod cons of electricity, running water, etc. (One small example of this is the town of Coober Pedy in outback South Australia, where they mine a hole for Opals, then live in it :> )

Personally I'm still waiting for some ultra-rich squillionaire entreprenur-type person to build a Lord of the Rings Theme Park, so we can all get dressed up and go Live Action Roleplay! Hey, who wants to go on the Crazy Collapsing Bridge of Khazad-Dum ride with me? Woo hoo!

[emplynx]

I would consider my self hardcore. I have only been a fan for a year thought so I don't know everything yet.. I am working on it! I just bought HotLotR. (History of the LotR)

[Agburanar]

Wohoo! So I'm not the only person to think up crazy Nazgul-coasters and Bilbo's teacup rides!

[Sakata]

I would consider myself a hardcore fan, I have the gates of moria painted 5ft high in my room, with dwarven runes going around the top of my room (and this was years before the movie came out mind you) I speak and study Quenya and other lanugages -though I still cant get english right. I got lotr calandrs, books, swords, rings, goblets...you name it, and to top it all off, i am a 16 year old girl, how weird is that?

[Agburanar]

My best friend has always wanted a crossbow, anyone know where I can get her one?

[Earniel]

I don't think I'm hardcore. I like Tolkien a lot, well that's an understatement I adore Tolkien. But I'm not learning Quenya or Sindarin (I'm already having trouble with German and French as it is) and I definately have A LOT of reading and catching up to do. And the point is even if I tried to be a fully learned Tolkienscholar, I know I never will. Gosh, now I'm depressed... hand me that crossbow, will you Agburanar?

[KGamgee]

I don't think I'm really hardcore. I love LOTR, I read it every night before I go to bed,so don't get me wrong. But I don't have each book memorized from cover to cover and I don't know everything there is to know about Tolkien the way some of you do. I just love the books.

[Aragorn]

I call my washing machine the Crack Of Doom and once threw my mom's wedding band in there. Does that make me qualify?

[Sakata]

Agburanar, its called e-bay my friend, you can get anything on there, I have bought 2 swords of there already.

[Evenstar]

Originally posted by Aragorn
I call my washing machine the Crack Of Doom and once threw my mom's wedding band in there. Does that make me qualify?

It may make you qualify for a mental asylum!!! Hehe:D

[Laurelyn]

Oooh, a mental asylum?? Can I go?

:D

I don't really think I'm "Hardcore." I am, however, a fan.

[Starr Polish]

I am most definately not hardcore, but I am a fan, as stated above :D I'm getting there though.

All of my friends think I am odd.

[Nibs]

From the way you put it, you're saying that hardcore fans (short for "fanatics") don't merely invest their time into this cause; they invest their LIFE (all too true, I suppose).

I'm actually taking a class here at college studying the works of Tolkien. We learned how the diphthongs (yes, that's a word), or the juxtapositioning of consonants, in Quenya resembles (more than coincidencidentally) that of Finnish. Also, the vowel and consonant replacements between singular and plural nouns (i.e. [in Quenyan], "orch" means "orc" while "yrch" means "orcs") is exactly the same to that of Welsh.

That's my claim to Tolkien fame. I don't think I'll ever live in a Smial or a glistening white tower, but I may get a few other fans to go on a camping trip, LotR style... that would be splendid...

[FrodoFriend]

That sounds really interesting, Nibs.

I can't say I wouldn't want to live in a Smial and speak Quenya all the time, but it's rather unlikely to happen. So I guess I'm a mental hardcore fan. If that makes any sense. :)

[ragamuffin92]

Re FrodoFriend's: "So I guess I'm a mental hardcore fan...."
And I think that I am just plain MENTAL, period!! :D

[aldesign]

Originally posted by Sakata
I would consider myself a hardcore fan, I have the gates of moria painted 5ft high in my room, with dwarven runes going around the top of my room (and this was years before the movie came out mind you) I speak and study Quenya and other lanugages -though I still cant get english right. I got lotr calandrs, books, swords, rings, goblets...you name it, and to top it all off, i am a 16 year old girl, how weird is that?


ooooo 16yo Female, can u speak some Elvish to me, in an Arwen/Liv kinda way, and ur bound to turn me on!

heheh :D

[bropous]

I may be a big fan of Tolkien, but I'm not really "hardcore". I've read LotR repeatedly, as well as Silmarillion, but simply cannot get into history of Middle Earth. I love discussing the books, arguing this point or that, but when it comes down to it, my truck is not named Shadowfax, my cat is not named Shelob, and I do not call my tv the "palantir". I do, however, think of Redhorn Gate everytime I am mountain climbing [which is often], saw the Fellowship of the ring seven times [so far], and virtually came unglued when I thought some poster had said JRR Tolkien was a poor scholar. Maybe the first step to dealing with Tolkienist tendencies is to admit you have a problem...

[Celebwen]

I can't say that I'm hardcore....actually, yeah.....I'm more mental:rolleyes: I practically read LotR from back-front (it's more interesting!), I know how to *translate* Sindarin (still working on the speech), I can name the dwarves from TH off the top of my head, and I've made two languages of my own (writing, words, the whole thing). :cool:

Calling all FREAKS!

(((and my cat's named Galadriel...well, at least that's what I call her!)))

[Nibs]

I'm also working on a language... it's really tough but even more fun...

And in response to Bropous' comment, I nearly agree with the fact that Tolkien was a poor scholar, but strictly in the scholarly sense. Fantasists are not awarded much respect in many circles, and some of his peers argued that Tolkien was wasting his time with nonsense... after all, children do that type of thing.

However, as true as that is, he produced something of far greater value than (I think) if he adhered solely to his studies, and I'm glad that he showed so much creativity into his scholastic achievements.

[Ñólendil]

Wouldn't 'hardcore fans' be long for 'fanatics', Nibs? :p

[Nibs]

Well, I suppose so... except that I'm talking about a single word there, not a phrase... but I'm sure you knew that and was just joshing, considering that obnoxious smiley following your comment.

[markedel]

Has anyone read his scholarly papers?

And someone somewhere certainly studied under him.

[Wood]

I'm not that hard core but it would be kindove cool!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My sister and I have started to talk like Gullom Its funy

[Vanimdil]

Well, I'm not exactly a hardcore fan, I guess... I do wish I could go to a Middle Earth LARP and I have my room decorated what I imagine an elf's room would look like and my dog's named Bilbo and I'm constantly quoting from the books....Hmm, am I hardcore? :D

[luinilwen]

hehehehe i talk like gollum to my cats! i call them all sorts of names (i mean endearing ones not nasty ones) and when i call him precious my brother and i can carry on a bit... god i'm a geek heh :D

[Earniel]

Every time I come across my sister, I hiss 'Shire', she then hisses back 'Baggings'

[Earenya]

**In Virginia there used to be a restaurant called "Middle Earth", this was a bit before I was born (according to my folks), so early-mid 70's. As for whether it still exists, I do not know.
But I also remember seeing a house built into a hillside when I was a child. It was a wooden-fronted house, with a roof being the top of the hill, the walls being inside the hill itself. I was fascinated, and this was before I even knew of Bilbo. Several years later, when my dad began to read it to me, I recalled seeing this strange house.**

[Khadrane]

I dressed up like a Nazgul in a green sheet (I couldn't find black) and a sword and scared my sister when she came out of the bathroom. Does that count? I started a LOTR fan club. The only other members are Samwise and Glorfindel. Does that make me hardcore, or just insane?:confused:

[BeardofPants]

I post on Entmoot, instead of doing my Research Proposal... does that count? (BTW, I handed it in okay! :mad: :rolleyes: )

[silmälasi]

that kind of person is a sad anorak in my universe

[Elf Girl]

I'm not sure if this is quite on topic, but I know this store called Galadriel's, and I plan to go in there and ask how much they want for Nenya. ;)

[TinuvielChild]

Originally posted by Sakata
Agburanar, its called e-bay my friend, you can get anything on there, I have bought 2 swords of there already.

when you say everything, do you really mean everything??? As in a replica of Legolas's bow and arrows everything???:confused: :confused: :confused: :)

[Ahab]

At least in my opinion. And what about subscribing to all the Tolkien journals? And a real "Hardcore" fan would be able to make chain of reasonable quality and occasionaly go on Raids of small villages with a band of Elves. A real Fanatic would probly try to make his own ring to invest his dark and impotent will into it for the sole end of trying to get laid by a Harem of elf-wenches.

[ekrenbrand]

I have read lotr 8 times. Memorized all poems and song. Own my own first edition copy. My halloween costume has been related to middle earth for the past 6 years. I named my cat mithrandir, and my dog bilbo. I talk to my friend in elfish and am planning a trip to oxford just to research j.r.r. tolkien. If that is not fanatical what is?

[TinuvielChild]

welcome to the Moot ekrenbrand! and my question is: are you fluent in elvish? Quenya or Sindarin? (dumb question, obviously Quenya) and i would say fanatical is moving to New Zealand and living as close to "The Shire" or Caradhras as possible, plus everything you mentioned, and making lembas and elven rope and trying to walk across a river on aforesaid rope, going camping with just the rope and lembas. :D

[RosieCotton]

Originally posted by ekrenbrand
I have read lotr 8 times. Memorized all poems and song. Own my own first edition copy. My halloween costume has been related to middle earth for the past 6 years. I named my cat mithrandir, and my dog bilbo. I talk to my friend in elfish and am planning a trip to oxford just to research j.r.r. tolkien. If that is not fanatical what is?

Pretty good.
Rosie

[RosieCotton]

Originally posted by TinuvielChild
welcome to the Moot ekrenbrand! and my question is: are you fluent in elvish? Quenya or Sindarin? (dumb question, obviously Quenya) and i would say fanatical is moving to New Zealand and living as close to "The Shire" or Caradhras as possible, plus everything you mentioned, and making lembas and elven rope and trying to walk across a river on aforesaid rope, going camping with just the rope and lembas. :D

He's fluent.
Rosie

[ekrenbrand]

to answer your question i am relatively fluid in elvish, but am limited on what i can actually say. So i can talk to my brother and right things in it, but i cannot express myself or interpretted poems as much as i would like. Thanks for the warm welcome i really believe that people at tolkientrail are friendly and enjoy when it actually shows.

[ekrenbrand]

Originally posted by sepulchrave
i think maybe in the sixties there might have been some Tolkien inspired hippies that attempted things like this....I have no evidence but all sorts of experimental and fascinating dwellings were created during this period, and it would not surprise me if someone had attempted a smial. Certainly underground accomodation was tried, the inspiration generally coming from the dwellings of the Northern peoples such as the Algonquin, Cree and some Siberian cultures. Perfect insulation, the earth.


There were they usually originated from the west. They actually did created hobbit holes, but i doubt that they lived in them for any amount of time.

[TinuvielChild]

yeah, i intend to design and build my own house when i get older. i was planning on creating something partially underground like a hobbit hole, but with a tower or something opening into a tree so that i could have something resembling the flets of Lothlorien. what you people think? anyone got suggestions as to design of either of those ME elements?? :)

[Twilight]

I want to live in a tower. Maybe build myself a place like Orthanc to live in. I am not too much of a fanatic, but I have read the books several times, and i do very much enjoy anything Tolkien.

[Menelvagor]

Well I spend at least an hour every day in a tree, and only were shoes when I absolutly have to. (ask TinuvielChild ;) )

[TinuvielChild]

yeah, Menelvagor, you corrupted me too! "the shoeless wonder" :) gravel kinda hurts until you get the thick skin on the soles of your feet! (like outside Sanders) :)

[Earniel]

A hobbithole sounds cool. I've always admired houses who make up a perfect part of their surroundings. Have to make sure they're watertight though. Aren't there in Germany a few houses actually built in the hillslopes? Or was it only on drawing? I think I once saw a documentary about it from an architect who loved to integrate buildings within the landscape. It's been ages ago, can't remember correctly. Anyway it sounds like a dream. I'm not sure if you can combine it decently with a tree house, they're of a different kind. But you can always try.

[Elf Girl]

I've been in a house built into a hillside. I, also, really hate shoes. In summer, I go without shoes for weeks at a time.

[Agburanar]

I love reading the books, I would love to live in a tower, I collect any associated board/card games and I consider myself a bit of an expert, but I wouldn't say hardcore. I don't know that term would apply to any fan short of the obscure and insane people who reinact the events of the book! They are wierd (sorry if any of you come under this descripton!). They are books and you should have fun with them but not pretend they are real!

[Elf Girl]

Originally posted by Agburanar
They are books and you should have fun with them but not pretend they are real!

I'm not sure if this is the right board for you. This board is for people who are obbsessed. You might want to seek out a board for people who are interested. Also, what do you mean; "pretend they are real"? The books of lore are not to be doubted.

[TinuvielChild]

these may be books, but they're history texts! they are telling the history of Middle Earth! would you claim that the history texts used by public schools are books to not pretend are real? and that people who are members of the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) who reenact medieval times (out of books, i might add), or Christians who reenact Jesus's birth at Christmas (also out of a book, the Bible) are "weird"??? i rest my case.

(i rest it over there, in the corner, please don't trod on it anyone :D)

[Fladrif]

I wonder if I can use this "hardcore" idea to justify smoking my old pipe again... naaaaaaah...

I had a bird named Galadriel once. :)

[Agburanar]

Um, yes. Beats a hasty retreat.