A year ago today, I attended my first Tolkien Studies conference, hosted by the Tolkien Society of Kansas City at Park University. I even helped re-enact the scene where Frodo is wounded by the Witch-king (I played the part of Wraith #5 in the video taken by Corey Olsen which is no longer available according to Twitch).
I’m looking forward to my second Moot next weekend in Waterloo, Iowa, also called MiddleMoot (because we alternate years between the two locations – back in KC for 2020).
And since I start off October by celebrating or at least contemplating being another year older, I decided to start a Twitter post series based on the Hammond & Scull Reader’s Companion to The Lord of the Rings, in which the timeline is very accurately tracked as the story unfolds. So on the morning of September 30th, the last day of that month, I finished reading “The Uruk-hai” chapter in The Two Towers and picked up the Reader’s Companion to read their research and notes on the same chapter, but instead I wondered what was happening “on this day” in Middle-earth? So I returned back to the chapter “A Knife in the Dark” from The Fellowship of the Ring and found the corresponding entry for last Monday:
Last day of September in Bree, a dark and steely night #tolkien #strider #nazgul #hobbits @prancingponypod @TolkienKC @tolkienprof
— Jon Moss (@mossjon) September 30, 2019
Which I followed up the next morning with a three-day placeholder:
More midges than water for 3 days #hobbits #strider #Tolkien @mythgardian @TolkienKC @prancingponypod @tolkienprof
— Jon Moss (@mossjon) October 1, 2019
But I was impatient, and on October 3rd, I referenced the Tale of Years from the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings and noted what Gandalf was up to:
“Oct 1 – Gandalf leaves Bree.
Oct 3- He is attacked at night on Weathertop.”
~ Appendix B: The Tale of Years in ‘The Lord of the Rings’ by J.R.R. Tolkien #OTD #Middle-Earth #LOTR— Jon Moss (@mossjon) October 3, 2019
While commuting, I finished listening to Episode 127 and started Episode 128, parts 2 and 3 of the Prancing Pony Podcast‘s treatment of “A Knife in the Dark” chapter.
For Friday the 4th, I woke up several times during the night, thanks to a typical autumn thunderstorm, and posted:
A dark & stormy night on #Weathertop #Gandalf #Nazgul #Tolkien @TolkienKC @tolkienprof @mythgardian @prancingponypod #OTD
— Jon Moss (@mossjon) October 4, 2019
I worked a double-shift on Friday so I was less witty and more obvious Saturday morning:
Waxing moons #OTD @TolkienKC @tolkienprof @mythgardian @prancingponypod #Tolkien #hobbits #strider #LotR
— Jon Moss (@mossjon) October 5, 2019
Thus we’ve reached today, Sunday, October 6th, a fateful day for Frodo that will have long lasting consequences to the end of his days and those of Middle-earth:
Wraiths in the wind #OTD #hobbits #strider #witchking #wraiths #weathertop #tolkien @TolkienKC @tolkienprof @prancingponypod
— Jon Moss (@mossjon) October 6, 2019
I may continue this Twitter series until Frodo reaches Rivendell, where the Council of Elrond occurs and the Fellowship is formed. In other words, no one is traveling until nearly Christmas.
I must thank Mythgard Institute‘s @mythgard #TolkienWeekChallenge which started on Hobbit Day (September 22nd) and wrapped up the last Sunday. I participated in the challenge everyday except the last one. Here’s an example: https://twitter.com/mossjon/status/1175729489738907648
