My essay, “Some Contributions to Middle-earth Lexicography: Hapax Legomena in The Lord of the Rings”, appears in the new issue of The Year’s Work in Medievalism. The year in question is 2011, but the issue has been delayed until now. In fact, I haven’t seen it yet, but I expect my copy to arrive any day now. The issue, edited by E.L. Risden of St. Norbert College, includes several other very interesting-sounding papers. You can see the full table of contents here. This essay was originally written for the Scholars Forum on The Lord of the Rings Plaza (read it here), at the request of David Gransby (aka halfir), who, sadly, passed away last summer. He was a good friend — although we never met in person, since he lived in Thailand — and I would like to dedicate the publication of this essay to his memory.
About a year ago, I shared news that one of my essays had been translated into French for a special number of L’Arc et le Heaume, the journal of the French Tolkien Society, Tolkiendil. I’m very happy to report that the essays originally written in English and translated for the special anniversary issue are now available (in English) on the Tolkiendil website. Follow this link to read essays by Ted Nasmith, John D. Rateliff, Tom Shippey, Thomas Honegger, and of course, yours truly. Coincidentally, all the scholars named here were also contributors to my book!
And last but not least, more news from Tolkiendil. As some of you may know, the Society published a collection of essays last year called Tolkien, le façonnement d’un monde, Vol. 1: Botanique et Astonomie, edited by Didier Willis. Learn more about it here. Didier is now at work on a second volume, hopefully to be published this year. In addition to including a French translation of Kristine Larsen’s essay, “Sea Birds and Morning Stars: Ceyx, Alcyone, and the Many Metamorphoses of Eärendil and Elwing”, which was published in my book, Tolkien and the Study of His Sources (McFarland, 2011), the collection will include a translation of my own essay, “‘Circles of the World’: Speculations on the Heimskringla, the Latin Vulgate Bible, and the Hereford Mappa Mundi”, originally published in Middle-earth and beyond: Essays on the World of J.R.R. Tolkien (ed. Kathleen Dubs and Janka Kascakova; Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2011).
This will make two of my essays translated into French. I’ve also had requests for permission to translate others into Dutch and Bulgarian, and there is an unauthorized translation of one of my essays in Brazilian Portuguese online.
This is all excellent news, Jason, congratulations. I dedicated my recent article in Mythlore to David, too - we could end up with a self-built festschrift at this rate.
ReplyDeleteYou know, Saranna, that's actually a fantastic idea! What if we did a memoriam volume for David and the Plaza, composed of essays from the Scholars Forum all put into print?
ReplyDeleteWe could look for a publisher or self-publish if necessary. I doubt that would be necessary; I think I know a couple of publishers who would be interested. I would be happy to take the lead on this as the collection editor and reach out to the various Scholars Forum, nearly all of whom I already know personally anyway.
What do you think? Since you are familiar to all on the Plaza, would you like to propose the idea there and see what the response is? I would, but I continue to have trouble logging in there! (I don't know what that's about, but most of the time I can't get logged in to comment or post and give up in frustration.)
Well I kind of hoped you might suggest that! And we already have two pieces... yes, I'll talk to the Plaza, sorry you can't get in there easily, and hope that gets sorted out.
ReplyDeleteAnd here is my post in case you can't get in to see it - I started a new thread as this seems important to me;
ReplyDeleteDear Admins and other Plaza colleagues,
I promised to put this to you from Jason Fisher, who is still having trouble logging on to the site here.
I mentioned in his blog that like him, I had recently dedicated the publication of an article to halfir, and remarked that we were on the way to building up a festschrift. This is his reply;
You know, Saranna, that's actually a fantastic idea! What if we did a memoriam volume for David and the Plaza, composed of essays from the Scholars Forum all put into print?
We could look for a publisher or self-publish if necessary. I doubt that would be necessary; I think I know a couple of publishers who would be interested. I would be happy to take the lead on this as the collection editor and reach out to the various Scholars Forum, nearly all of whom I already know personally anyway.
What do you think? Since you are familiar to all on the Plaza, would you like to propose the idea there and see what the response is? I would, but I continue to have trouble logging in there! (I don't know what that's about, but most of the time I can't get logged in to comment or post and give up in frustration.)
We could look for a publisher or self-publish if necessary. I doubt that would be necessary; I think I know a couple of publishers who would be interested. I would be happy to take the lead on this as the collection editor and reach out to the various Scholars Forum, nearly all of whom I already know personally anyway.
What do you think? Since you are familiar to all on the Plaza, would you like to propose the idea there and see what the response is? I would, but I continue to have trouble logging in there! (I don't know what that's about, but most of the time I can't get logged in to comment or post and give up in frustration.)
This is a very generous offer from Jason, and I too would be more than happy to help. Given his problems getting on here I suggest your post your responses to this thread and I can forward them by email? Or you could perhaps go directly to his blog if you prefer.
I think it's an excellent idea, and hope many of you will agree.
Hi, Saranna. We have considerably more than two pieces, because (assuming permission is forthcoming) we could include any or all of the Scholars Forum essays contributed to the Plaza. Thanks for posting the idea on the forums. I think I've sorted out my login problem, so I should be able to join in as the conversation develops.
ReplyDeleteGreat that you are back on the Plaza - so far the idea seems to be appealing to the right people. I realise now I should probably have referred to you as 'Lingwe', I hope you aren't too negative about your real name appearing there? (Some folk are.)
ReplyDeleteAnyways - yes, I did at length realise you meant to draw the content from the Scholars' Forum, and I hereby give permission for my own to be included if you wish. I am also happy to help if I can. Once I've got over the excitement at the idea I shall be quite sensible and useful!
Comments on the hapax essay:
ReplyDeleteI realize that you had to limit yourself, but the dis legomenon heathen, used once by Denethor and once by Gandalf in speaking to him, would have been an excellent choice for the religion section. It appears in Book V, chapter 4: "We will burn like heathen kings before ever a ship sailed hither from the West" and in chapter 7: "And only the heathen kings, under the domination of the Dark Power, did thus, slaying themselves in pride and despair, murdering their kin to ease their own death."
I don't think that Over-heaven even alludes to a Christian(ized) heaven. First, because it is said to be a calque of tar-menel, which appears in the Earendillinwe in the line "a wind of power in Tar-menel", showing that it is the physical sky (where the winds are) rather than the metaphysical Heaven. Second, because of the contrast with Middle-earth and the Sundering Seas, both physical features.
As for God, capitalized, he appears twice by title in Appendix A, first in the sentence "But when Ar-Pharazôn set foot upon the shores of Aman the Blessed, the Valar laid down their Guardianship and called upon the One, and the world was changed" and again in Arwen's line "For if this is indeed, as the Eldar say, the gift of the One to Men, it is bitter to receive."
Hi again - I realise you must be the rold's busiest person, but was wondering if there is anything likely to happen as yet with the tribute volume? I would still like to help if it can be got off the ground.
ReplyDeleteIt's a year this month since David's death, and I still miss him badly on the plaza and in general.
make that 'world's busiest"!
ReplyDeleteYes, I’ve been totally swamped, Saranna. I’ve talked to a couple of the contributors to the Plaza and Scholars Forum, but I need to circle back to this when I have a little more free time. I think there’s a good chance this collection could still happen, but academic publishing is a notoriously slow process. Not least because nobody can afford to make a living doing it, hence, it is never anybody’s sole, or even top, priority. But I’ll take your inquiry as a nudge to try to get back to this. :)
ReplyDeleteOnly a gentle nudge - and I'm here if I can help :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I originally commented I clicked the "Notify me when new comments are added"
ReplyDeletecheckbox and now each time a comment is added I get
several emails with the same comment. Is there any way you can remove people from that service?
Thanks!
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I'm sorry, Anon. I don’t think I have any control over that.
ReplyDelete