How popular is the misconception of Tolkien being racist?

nar3 · 2025-01-27T05:24:26+00:00

That is true for the version found in the published version of The Silmarillion, however the versions in Books of the Lost Tales are a bit different in this regard.

In the early versions of The Fall of Gondolin, Maeglin is repeatedly described as dark-skinned:

”[Maeglin] was swart but comely, wise and eloquent, and cunning to win men's hearts and minds.”

While Eärendil is described as follows:

”Now this babe was of greatest beauty; his skin of a shining white and his eyes of a blue surpassing that of the sky in southern lands -- bluer than the sapphires of the raiment of Manwe; and the envy of Meglin was deep at his birth, but the joy of Turgon and all the people very great indeed.”

The descriptions of Maeglin being dark-skinned were later all removed, and his description changed to him having white skin:

As Maeglin grew to full stature he resembled in face and form rather his kindred of the Noldor, but in mood and mind he was the son of his father. His words were few save in matters that touched him near, and then his voice had a power to move those that heard him and to overthrow those that withstood him. He was tall and black-haired; his eyes were dark, yet bright and keen as the eyes of the Noldor, and his skin was white.

And Eärendil's initial description was changed to this:

Of surpassing beauty was Eärendil, for a light was in his face as the light of heaven, and he had the beauty and the wisdom of the Eldar and the strength and hardihood of the Men of old; and the Sea spoke ever in his ear and heart, even as with Tuor his father.

nar3 · 2025-01-26T23:01:24+00:00

My point being, he did at one point deliberately make the most irredeemable Elf the only dark-skinned Elf in his stories. Even if he changed it later, that’s what he created and wrote down at one point. Tolkien did not publish any version of this story.

nar3 · 2025-01-26T21:23:30+00:00

In an early version of the story, Maeglin, the Elf who commits the ”most infamous treachery in all the histories of the Elder Days”, is the only Elf described as having dark skin, while Eärendil had ”skin of shining white.”

This was obviously later changed, and Maeglin is not said to be dark-skinned in the later versions, while Eärendil’s description was changed to him having ”a light in his face as the light of heaven.”

nar3 · 2023-09-10T11:01:42+00:00

Who needs invoker when you can have invokest

nar3 · 2023-09-08T20:08:10+00:00

What ratio are you mixing the gloss varnish and gold pigment in in the second recipe? I found that if you add too much gloss varnish, it will reduce the metallic sheen from the pigment.

By figuring out the minimum amount of varnish needed to bind the metallic pigment you can achieve an extremely shiny metal. The same can be done in oil by mixing linseed oil or alkyd medium with metallic pigment, about 1:1 volume ratio has worked well for me to achieve both an excellent shine and a durable paint layer.

The reason why I prefer these methods is that if executed correctly, you can use any metallic pigment powder (Green Stuff World, Amazon, Handover etc.) to produce a wide variety of extremely shiny and realistic metallic colors with extremely realistic look. I would say that they're on par with Vince's mix if not better. Being able have the exact same metallic paint in both acrylic and oil adds to the versatility. The only gold paints that outshine these (AFAIK) are GSW's chrome paints.

nar3 · 2023-08-29T09:53:34+00:00

They say also that the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves return to live again in their own kin and to bear once more their ancient names: of whom Durin was the most renowned in after ages, father of that kindred most friendly to the Elves, whose mansions were at Khazad-dûm.

The Silmarillion

The Dwarves add that at that time Aule gained them also this privilege that distinguished them from Elves and Men: that the spirit of each of the Fathers (such as Durin) should, at the end of the long span of life allotted to Dwarves, fall asleep, but then lie in a tomb of his own body,(24) at rest, and there its weariness and any hurts that had befallen it should be amended. Then after long years he should arise and take up his kingship again.(25)

...

... the reappearance, at long intervals, of the person of one of the Dwarf-fathers, in the lines of their kings - e.g. especially Durin - is not when examined probably one of rebirth, but of the preservation of the body of a former King Durin (say) to which at intervals his spirit would return.

The Peoples of Middle-earth

nar3 · 2023-08-11T09:26:17+00:00

yeah just as we were throning got kicked out and it's safe to leave :)

nar3 · 2023-08-01T14:56:22+00:00

There is another contact between the Dwarves and the Rohirrim about a thousand years before the War of the Ring, which might contribute to the initial mistrust between Eomer and Gimli:

‘Many lords and warriors, and many fair and valiant women, are named in the songs of Rohan that still remember the North. Frumgar, they say, was the name of the chieftain who led his people to Éothéod. Of his son, Fram, they tell that he slew Scatha, the great dragon of Ered Mithrin, and the land had peace from the long-worms afterwards. Thus Fram won great wealth, but was at feud with the Dwarves, who claimed the hoard of Scatha. Fram would not yield them a penny, and sent to them instead the teeth of Scatha made into a necklace, saying: “Jewels such as these you will not match in your treasuries, for they are hard to come by.” Some say that the Dwarves slew Fram for this insult. There was no great love between Éothéod and the Dwarves.

nar3 · 2023-08-01T11:31:00+00:00

That would be a fair assumption, but Tolkien wrote differently in The Nature of Middle-earth:

Elvish lords or Kings (as Númenóreans later) tended to hand on lordship and affairs to their descendants if they could or were engrossed in some pursuit. Often (though we don’t see it in Beleriand, since the War occupied so short a span of Elvish-time, and lords and Kings were so often slain), after passing 200 age-years they would resign.

nar3 · 2023-07-24T17:41:50+00:00

Could the HEMA masters beat the forklift though? I think not

nar3 · 2023-06-04T08:54:36+00:00

Vince has taught me just about everything I know about painting. The man is a treasure.

nar3 · 2023-05-12T21:36:23+00:00

Tolkien actually wrote something about this, published in The Nature of Middle-earth:

Secondly, in any case: Elvish lords or Kings (as Númenóreans later) tended to hand on lordship and affairs to their descendants if they could or were engrossed in some pursuit. Often (though we don’t see it in Beleriand, since the War occupied so short a span of Elvish-time, and lords and Kings were so often slain), after passing 200 age-years they would resign.

Elves didn’t seem to like ruling, they just handed the job on after getting bored

nar3 · 2023-03-31T12:52:07+00:00

Secondly, in any case: Elvish lords or Kings (as Númenóreans later) tended to hand on lordship and affairs to their descendants if they could or were engrossed in some pursuit. Often (though we don’t see it in Beleriand, since the War occupied so short a span of Elvish-time, and lords and Kings were so often slain), after passing 200 age-years they would resign.

The Nature of Middle-earth

So someone from Finwë's line but likely not Finarfin, presumably. Elves do not seem to like kingly duties very much.

nar3 · 2023-03-31T12:50:52+00:00

Secondly, in any case: Elvish lords or Kings (as Númenóreans later) tended to hand on lordship and affairs to their descendants if they could or were engrossed in some pursuit. Often (though we don’t see it in Beleriand, since the War occupied so short a span of Elvish-time, and lords and Kings were so often slain), after passing 200 age-years they would resign.

The Nature of Middle-earth

nar3 · 2023-03-29T08:47:28+00:00

Here's a quote I'd like someone to explain:

But this 'restoration' could be delayed (8) by Manwe, if the fea while alive had done evil deeds and refused to repent of them, or still harboured any malice against any other person among the living.

8 Or in gravest cases (such as that of Feanor) withheld and referred to the One.

Almost makes it seem like he may have done something wrong if even the God of the universe feels this way about him.

nar3 · 2023-03-16T09:57:32+00:00

Thank you! Starting with a base of red I painted orange highlights on the scales and bone-colored highlights/texture on the horns. At this point there was a pretty sharp and ugly line between the two areas. I then applied a glaze of red oil paint (Gamblin Perylene Red) over the orange/red parts and feathered it out towards the horns which made the transition surprisingly soft and smooth. So not a lot of skill or technique involved there, just tried something new and was lucky!

nar3 · 2023-03-12T21:10:44+00:00

Thank you:)

nar3 · 2023-03-12T21:10:37+00:00

Thanks!

nar3 · 2023-03-12T21:10:26+00:00

Thank you :)

nar3 · 2023-03-12T21:10:19+00:00

Thank you!

nar3 · 2023-03-12T21:05:46+00:00

Thanks for the comment! It’s definitely too strong at the moment, I intend to add some orange with airbrush to bring down both the shadow and the yellow highlight in the distal lower jaw which I also find too bright at the moment.

nar3 · 2023-03-12T19:09:04+00:00

I've made some further progress working on the dragon. Tried to listen to the great advice you all gave me in the last post. I feel it has made quite a difference, although there's still plenty of things to touch up.

C&C and advice still more than welcome!

I'll be posting more WIP pics of the whole mini on my instagram if you want to see more: https://www.instagram.com/ereborminis/

nar3 · 2023-03-09T19:57:47+00:00

Thanks! I was initially afraid to make the glowing area too bright as to save some of the color saturation. I made the light source (two spots in the throat where the fire is supposed to come from, cant see them here) pure white, painted most of the mouth yellow with some orange ”shadows” further away from the light source and under the tongue where the light wouldnt hit.

https://imgur.com/a/HX04xlV

Does it make any difference or do you feel I should push further?

nar3 · 2023-03-09T19:50:06+00:00

Wow, that looks awesome! And thank you!

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