The Fellowship Of The Ring - Blog Posts

I was discussing with a friend about the translation choice for The Fellowship of the Ring in French. In the first translation, the translator Francis Ledoux uses ‘communauté’ for ‘fellowship’, in the meaning of ‘a group of people united by a common goal or shared traditions’*. This is almost exactly the same definition the online Cambridge dictionary** gives for ‘fellowship’. However, ‘fellowship’ has another meaning, a little outdated, that keeps the idea of a shared goal or interest but with the added nuance of a bond of friendship formed over this goal.

And that’s where the new French translation comes in, with the title La Fraternité de l’Anneau instead of La Communauté de l’Anneau. Daniel Lauzon chose ‘fraternité’ for fellowship, meaning ‘the bond between people within a same group, working toward a same goal’*** There is an outdated and specific use for ‘fraternité’ in the context of a medieval, feudal society, to design the bond between knights who swore to protect each other in battle and always fight for the same cause. And knowing just how much Tolkien was influenced by the Middle Ages for his universe, this seemingly trivial difference of translation has me foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog. Because it means the translator, Daniel Lauzon in this case, really took the time to study and look for the exact nuance of a word to best render the idea of The Fellowship of the Ring in the translated title of the book. This is so in line with Tolkien’s love for languages and words, I am over the moon.

There is a big debate amongst French speaking Tolkien fans about old vs new translation but I am a hardcore defender of Daniel Lauzon’s translations of The Lord of the Rings because it’s the one that made me fall in love with Tolkien’s style and poetry even though it was not the original version, and that’s a feat. It’s not perfect, no translation is ever perfect, but it had this feeling of deliberate choice for each word to best render the multiple meanings of a sentence or poem. Francis Ledoux’s translation feels too dry and artificial to me, even though I love how he translated Strider by Grand-Pas, or ‘Big-Steps’

* https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/communaut%C3%A9/17551

** https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/fellowship

*** https://www.larousse.fr/dictionnaires/francais/fraternit%C3%A9/35113

Boromir: "We can use this ring-"

(Name): You have literally spent less than 10 minutes with a ring you just thought was a legend and you think we can use it to save us?? Brother let us ask the hobbit what he had to face just to get to Rivendell *Turns to Frodo*

some quick lotr studies :]

prints

Bilbo Baggins X F! reader

“Unnoticed love?” PT1

Being the only girl in the company was undoubtedly challenging, especially as a hobbit. The dwarves had never encountered a hobbit lass before, and they initially hesitated to let Y/n join the journey, fearing she would slow them down with their preference for comfort, specific meal times, and plumper physiques compared to other races. However, Y/n's unwavering determination eventually won them over. She vividly recalled the events that led to their acceptance.

The moon bathed the Shire in its ethereal glow, casting a beautiful blue tint upon the ground. Y/n observed Bilbo cooking and preparing tea for both of them.

"I apologize for missing tea this morning. A wizard tried to recruit me for an adventure, but I declined," Bilbo said, placing a cup of tea in front of Y/n. The sweet aroma wafted towards her face. Bilbo knew exactly how she liked her tea, with a touch of cream and plenty of sugar.

"No need to worry, Bo. I witnessed the interaction on my way to the market," Y/n replied, lifting the cup and taking a small sip, her laughter escaping as she did.

"What's so amusing?" Bilbo asked, curiosity evident in his voice. "Oh, just the expression on your face when you went inside. It's not every day one sees a displeased Bilbo, unless it involves those Sackville-Baggins," Y/n chuckled, picking up one of the sweet treats Bilbo had prepared and taking a bite.

The two of them often shared meals together, almost like a tradition, which had led some of the other hobbits to speculate about their romantic involvement. However, Y/n knew deep down that her feelings were unrequited, despite her yearning for more. If only she could see the way Bilbo looked at her.

Their comfortable silence was shattered by a loud, insistent knocking on the door, startling both hobbits. "Were we expecting company?" Y/n placed her pastry down and stood up. "I don't believe so," Bilbo replied, joining her. He approached the door, hesitant about turning anyone away. What if they needed help? Taking a deep breath, he grasped the doorknob and opened the door. A dwarf stood before them, his features highlighted by the moon's glow, giving his beard a bluish undertone.

"Dwalin, at your service," the dwarf introduced himself, bowing and eyeing both hobbits. The interaction was awkward as he barged in and helped himself to some food, leaving the hobbits dumbfounded. "I guess what they say about dwarves is true," Y/n huffed, observing him devour their food.

Before long, more dwarves arrived, including Balin, the brother of the first dwarf, and two brothers named Fili and Kili. The wizard himself also made an appearance, followed by a swarm of dwarves stumbling over each other as they entered.

Y/n found amusement in watching their squabbles as they struggled to regain their footing. One dwarf tipped his hat and winked at her. "Bofur," he introduced himself, extending his hand, which Y/n shyly shook. "Y/n, a pleasure," she replied in a soft, cautious voice. Bofur placed his other hand on top of hers, grinning. This gesture did not go unnoticed.

The situation escalated when the group began singing, resulting in chaos. They clanged silverware together, tossed food, and spilled wine everywhere. It was a spectacle that surely alerted the neighbors. Y/n attempted to catch plates, while Bilbo desperately tried to prevent further damage, including potential plumbing disasters.

Now in the kitchen, washing the dishes, a young dwarf named Ori approached Y/n. She smiled, looking at his bashful face, as he handed her a plate. "Thank you, Master Dwarf," she said graciously.

Since that fateful night, Y/n found herself surrounded by the dwarves. Initially, there was tension due to her outburst with Thorin, but she felt more at ease with the others. When she wasn't conversing with Bilbo, she would engage in discussions with Bofur or Balin. Bilbo observed from a distance, his stomach churning with a sense of neglect. He couldn't quite pinpoint whether it was jealousy or anger, but he despised the feeling. He would watch Y/n return from the river, her wet hair clinging to her face, her flushed cheeks after a battle, or her cheeks puffing out when she ate. Observing her lick her lips only heightened his desire.

"Are you alright, Master Burglar?" Fili nudged Bilbo, snapping him out of his reverie. "Hm? Yes, I'm quite alright," Bilbo replied, fumbling with his hands, worried that he had been caught staring at his beloved friend. "It must be challenging being away from home, let alone on a perilous mission. But at least you still have some comfort with you," Fili remarked, glancing at Y/n. "I don't know how you manage to stay focused," he continued, his gaze lingering admiringly on her curvaceous figure. Bilbo couldn't blame them; he himself was guilty of such thoughts. He watched Y/n's every move, her hair still damp and sticking to her face as she walked alongside Ori, listening to his rant about his older brothers.

Bilbo's desire for Y/n remained unspoken, buried deep within. One side of him yearned to claim her as his own, to let the world know that she belonged to him. But he knew the truth—she was not his. They weren't courting, which meant she was available for others to pursue. The other side of him simply longed to drag her away into a secluded tent and express his desires, hoping she would reciprocate.

"Bilbo," Thorin's voice echoed, breaking the momentary trance. "Tend to the horses," he commanded. Bilbo sighed, watching Y/n fulfill her duties.

The company continued their journey towards Erebor, which meant passing through Mirkwood—a prospect that displeased Thorin but left him with no alternative. It was no surprise when they were captured by the elves. While the other dwarves underwent thorough searches, the elves were uncertain where to begin searching Y/n. One male elf patted down her sleeves, but that was the extent of it. "Hey! Why are you putting your filthy hands all over us but ignoring her?" Kili exclaimed, but the elf sighed and ignored his question. "We should have hidden our weapons on her," Gloin grumbled. "Excuse me?" Y/n turned her head, astonished by the remark.

They were presented before the king himself, Thranduil. Thorin gritted his teeth, looking beyond him. "Mr. Thorin, are you alright?" Y/n glanced at her leader, witnessing a softening in his gaze when he looked at her. She appeared so vulnerable, restrained—though they all likely did—yet he remained silent.

A gentle hand slid under Y/n's chin, redirecting her attention from Thorin to Thranduil. "Sweet hobbit, what brings you so far from the Shire?" Thranduil cooed, treating her as if she were a child. Y/n remained silent, her mind plagued by numerous

questions. Would everyone be alright? Would she be safe? And, most importantly, where was Bilbo? Unbeknownst to them, he observed everything from his hidden vantage point. He had never seen her look so fragile before, kneeling before a king, beneath someone who wasn't him.

"Are you at a loss for words? No matter, we will take good care of your friends," Thranduil declared before instructing his guards to remove them, leaving the two alone. Bilbo knew he had to act swiftly, despite the heartache it caused him. He had to find a way for them to escape as soon as possible.

Thranduil circled around Y/n, resembling a predator stalking its prey. "You never answered my question. Are you here to reclaim Erebor as well?" His tone carried a taunting quality, as if he couldn't believe a hobbit would willingly leave the comfort of their own home for an adventure. "Release them; they are my friends," Y/n spoke softly. Thranduil chuckled, ceasing his circling motion and kneeling before her. "Friends? Oh, my dear, you are merely a pawn in their game. Once they have the opportunity, they will discard you as if you were nothing," he said, gazing into her eyes. "Oh, little one."

He lightly caressed her cheek, smiling. "I believe it's only fair to say you will be treated much better here. I cannot allow your delicate hands to become even more roughed up than they already are," he remarked, alluding to the skirmish with the giant spiders. "Stay with me," he urged. "No," Y/n replied firmly.

"No?" Thranduil removed his hand from her cheek, repeating her answer. "No?" Rising from his kneeling position, he stared her down. "Why not? Do you truly wish to fight alongside these... these creatures? Oh, my dear, you should learn to choose your battles wisely because...," his voice darkened, "I'm afraid you won't be spared." "I'm doing this for someone I love!" Y/n blurted out. Instead of a chuckle, Thranduil burst into laughter. "You? You love one of the dwarves?" he exclaimed. "It's not the dwarves. It's..." Y/n's voice trailed off. Thranduil sighed, instructing Tauriel to apprehend her alongside the others.

Now sitting alone in a dark and desolate cell, Y/n was left with her thoughts. Worries washed over her, refusing to dissipate. They were trapped, and Bilbo was nowhere to be found. What if he had been devoured by the spiders?

elrond sipping his tea: how nice of you to join me for breakfast, thranduil. it’s certainly been a while hasn’t it. you remember bilbo, the hobbit from like seventy years ago? he has a kid now. i know you would just love frodo

thranduil:

thranduil: elrond, where’s my son

nah you‘re right :)

am i wrong

Lord of the rings

I present to you: this blessed group.

I love this photo

can't stop laughing

me and the girls

A little Aragorn for you in these trying times?

Does anyone have any fanfics of the fellowship just like living together in a modern house? like, middle earth turns into earth and they’re immortal. So like legolas is still an elf and the hobbits are hobbits and stuff like that. And they gotta, like, pretend to be normal? please tell me if you do. thanks in advance.

Lets talk about the Fellowship for a second. They’re all kinda outcasts, all very different from the rest of their races or family. Lets dig a little deeper into each one, looking at both their movie and book selves.

Frodo: Frodo’s an orphan, his parents drown and he went to live with Bilbo. Bilbo was already thought of as weirdo by the other hobbits because of his adventure, so Frodo, they thought, must be just as odd. Also movie Frodo is much to thin to be considered pretty by hobbit standers and both Frodos are a bit to adventurous.

Sam: Not much to say here, as Sam is an exemplary hobbit. His looks are hobbity enough and he enjoys gardening. The two things that set him apart are, his desire to meet the elves, and, of course, his association with the Baggins.

Merry: Merry is a Brandybuck, which are not all that respectable to the hobbits of Hobbiton, they go out in boats after all. Also he and Pippin definitely are a bit adventurous for hobbits.

Pippin: Pippin is very curious, and curiosity leads to adventure. He is a Took, an outcast from the hobbits of Hobbiton. Like I said befor, he and Merry are definitely a bit adventurous for hobbits.

Aragorn: Aragron is a ranger, lives on the outskirts of civilization. As we see in Bree, people are a bit afraid of him, he’s just too odd, too different. Aragorn also lived in Rivendell, but he was a man among elves, also too different. He’s too human for the elves, yet to elven for the humans.

Legolas: Legolas is the prince of Mirkwood. His father is Thranduil, who, after the death of his wife, turns cold and distant. Legolas also associates himself with humans, unlike the other Mirkwood elves.

Gimli: Gimli is entirely respectable before the quest. I can’t really think of any thing to say about him. (edit: Milkywhoreos is corenct, Gimli is to diplomatic and poetic.)

Boromir: Boromir is respected and loved by Gondor, but his family life? He probably had to raise his brother and loves him more than anything, but his father is a big jerk.

Gandalf: Do I even have to say anything here? Gandalf is completely bonkers (But, like, in a good way.)

So, in conclusion? Each member of the Fellowship was practically alone before they found each other. They had small, broken or non-existing families, and/or were un-liked by others. Then they found these other alone people, and said “I didn’t really have anyone, and they all didn’t ether. But now we got each other, and I don’t care if you’re an elf, or a dwarf, or a hobbit,or a wizard,or a human, we’re now family.” They didn’t have family, so they found one.

Sorry for a minor art spam today. I had queued the Ekko post and now I'm just posting this last one that I recently made today. I am feeling unwell, so I drew my sillies and experimented with style a bit. :))

I really like when people draw hobbits with animalistic characteristics, and I tried... but ended up scratching that and drawing him more like his movie counterpart, since I could not capture the concept as good as I had liked lol. I tried to make Arwen look a bit less human-like and more... ethereal? But idk if I caught that vibe. Experimenting with this style was fun though.

Fun fact! I apparently (idk I don't look too much into this stuff, lmk if I am wrong) share a personality type with them both, INFP (if you believe in those types of sorting stuff— I just think they're fun), which is pretty funny because my name is inspired by her. ^^ I'll be looking like Frodo eventually though if I don't get my hair cut soon asjaskjs.

Sorry for a minor art spam today. I had queued the Ekko post and now I'm just posting this last one that I recently made today. I am feeling unwell, so I drew my sillies and experimented with style a bit. :))

I really like when people draw hobbits with animalistic characteristics, and I tried... but ended up scratching that and drawing him more like his movie counterpart, since I could not capture the concept as good as I had liked lol. I tried to make Arwen look a bit less human-like and more... ethereal? But idk if I caught that vibe. Experimenting with this style was fun though.

Fun fact! I apparently (idk I don't look too much into this stuff, lmk if I am wrong) share a personality type with them both, INFP (if you believe in those types of sorting stuff— I just think they're fun), which is pretty funny because my name is inspired by her. ^^ I'll be looking like Frodo eventually though if I don't get my hair cut soon asjaskjs.

elrond sipping his tea: how nice of you to join me for breakfast, thranduil. it’s certainly been a while hasn’t it. you remember bilbo, the hobbit from like seventy years ago? he has a kid now. i know you would just love frodo

thranduil:

thranduil: elrond, where’s my son

The Fellowship When I was a kid, my folks basically told me I was a hobbit. I cherish the memory of them reading all these books to me--and I turned around and read them to my little siblings and eventually to my partner! I've drawn and painted a lot for The Hobbit but never The Lord of the Rings, and this ECCC seemed like the right time to debut one!

the fellowship of the ring as bizarre t shirts

tag yourself I'm delululemon

All hail deep, eternal friendship and Professor Tolkien who showed us such good examples of it

I think one of the great things about the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit as well is the fact that while historically the most moving relationships in a narrative are usually romantic or familial. The Lord of the Rings is one long treatise in praise of friendship. The nearest relatives in the Fellowship are cousins. The parent-child relationships and the variation of uncle-wards that is Theoden and his sister's children are fraught with dysfunction. If we set aside the periphery relationships like Sam and the Gaffer and Beregond and Bergil there is upheaval in all the parent child relationships.

But friendship now that is wholesome and exemplified in all the races. For men there is Eomer and Boromir and their bonds with Aragorn. Hobbits of course speak for themselves throughout the whole trilogy and the Hobbit. There is mourning for lack of connection between Mirkwood and Lorien for the elves. A yearning for renewed friendship. And of course the standout friendship of them all for its unlikeliness if for no other reason. Legolas and Gimli. A friendship so fast and secure that Legolas cannot consider leaving Middle Earth for his rightful place in the west without bringing Gimli with him. A dwarf. The race that was not meant to be made and certainly no dwarf has ever been even near the undying lands and Legolas knows this.

The fact that friendship can be just as eternal as a marriage vow or the bonds of blood is something that doesn't get a lot of coverage in literature and yet it permeates the life of all the heroes in The Lord of the Rings. From Aragorn to Samwise

I love thinking about post-Return of the King life for the fellowship. I love how involved Pippin is with Faramir in Gondor and therefore Aragorn as well. Also this is an imagining of Aragorn offering casual praise for Faramir’s work as Steward but Faramir is so unused to praise for literally anything that he has to take a moment.

“I’m a hobbit, I know I can’t save Middle Earth. I just want to help my friends. More than anything I wish I could see them again.” - Merry

Sketch of my favorite Hobbit lad, Merry Brandybuck. I absolutely adore him.