The Witches of Appendix N: J. R. R. Tolkien

This one is partly a "Witchcraft Wednesday" post and partly "In Search Of..." and a whole lot its own thing.

For the last couple of years, I have been rereading all almost all the books listed in Gary Gygax's Appendix N. 

In case you don't have your DMG handy, here is the list.

Anderson, Poul. Three Hearts and Three Lions; The High Crusade; The Broken Sword
Bellairs, John. The Face in the Frost
Brackett, Leigh.
Brown, Fredric.
Burroughs, Edgar Rice, Pellucidar series; Mars series; Venus series
Carter, Lin. "World's End" series
de Camp, L. Sprague. Lest Darkness Fall; Fallible Fiend; et al.
de Camp & Pratt. "Harold Shea" series; Carnelian Cube
Derleth, August.
Dunsany, Lord.
Farmer, P. J. "The World of the Tiers" series; et al.
Fox, Gardner. "Kothar" series; "Kyrik" series; et al.
Howard, R. E. "Conan" series
Lanier, Sterling. Hiero’s Journey
Leiber, Fritz. "Fafhrd & Gray Mouser" series; et al.
Lovecraft, H. P.
Merritt, A. Creep, Shadow, Creep; Moon Pool; Dwellers in the Mirage; et al.
Moorcock, Michael. Stormbringer; Stealer of Souls; "Hawkmoon" series (esp. the first three books)
Norton, Andre.
Offutt, Andrew J., editor. Swords Against Darkness III.
Pratt, Fletcher. Blue Star; et al.
St. Clair, Margaret. The Shadow People; Sign of the Labrys
Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit; "Ring Trilogy"
Vance, Jack. The Eyes of the Overworld; The Dying Earth; et al.
Weinbaum, Stanley.
Wellman, Manly Wade.
Williamson, Jack.
Zelazny, Roger. Jack of Shadows; "Amber" series; et al.

This is not the first time I have talked about this list, but this series is likely going to be the most in-depth.

I talked about "Reading Appendix N" and what books I have added to it. My own "Appendix O" of occult and other supernatural-type books that have influenced my own games. I have that page linked under the banner for this blog. And last year, I mentioned I was getting started on this project.

With this new feature I want to go back to these books and talk about the witches who have appeared in them.  I am not going to talk about every book. I am not going to talk about every witch, even. Just the ones that spoke to me. 

There are many ways to do this, but I'll just jump in and go with the ones I remember the best and work around that.

Tolkien, J. R. R. 

Let's start with the heaviest hitter on the list. I should not have to explain the level of influence Tolkien had on D&D to anyone reading here. So let go past that and on to the topic at hand.

Where are Tolkien's witches?

Well, they are there, if you don't mind squinting a little. 

The Necromancer. This guy shows up in The Hobbit and is the reason the Dwarves have to go through Mirkwood instead of around it. Now we know that this guy was later retconned to be Sauron in The Lord of the Rings Lore. But for a moment, for me, before reading The Lord of the Rings, I had *ideas* about who or what The Necromancer was. So much so that "the Necromancer" has become a consistent villain in many of my games, D&D and others. 

But he is not really a witch is he? Reading The Silmarillion, Sauron certainly has aspects of a witch or a necromancer, including the ability to turn into a large vampire bat. 

Witch-king of Angmar. Now this guy has "witch" in his name. He is introduced in the Lord of the Rings and he is the captain of the Nazgûl. We is set up to be the counterparts to Gandalf in many respects (but not "overmatched") and Aragorn, but he is not a Wizard. Are there differences between Wizards (immortal) and Witches (mortal)? Maybe. He could be called "witch" because of the parallels with his fate and what Shakespeare writes in Hamlet; "No Man may slay me." "Not of Woman born." 

He is interesting, for certain. But is he a witch? Reading some of Tolkien's letters it would also seem that the Witch King was associated with necromancy.

Galadriel. Sometimes referred to as a "witch" of the Elven woods, Galadriel is not exactly a witch, but she isn't not not exactly one either. What do we know about her that is witch-like? She has magic. She has her pool where she can see things beyond time and space. She acts as a guide to Frodo, a role similar to that of Circe or Calypso. She is one of the wise. Or even one of Wise. If you can catch my meaning of the difference there. She gave out magical gifts as well. The Phial of Galadriel, the dirt she gave to Sam, the "cloaks of elvenkind," and even her hair had magic. Just ask Fëanor.

In Peter Jackson's movies, ok not a perfect source, but bear with me, her witch-like qualities are even more pronounced. 

Is she a witch? Not really...her powers are due to being a really old, really powerful elf. Though we don't see anyone else doing this.

Melian and Lúthien. On the topic of elves, I have to mention Lúthien (elf) and her mother Melian (Maia). Melian was a Maia, so the same as Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast. Pretty much every power she has screams "witch." She could cast enchantments, magic "circles" of protection ("Girdle of Melian"), and while she was of the Light, she loved the Shadows. 

Lúthien Tinúviel was by every account a complete bas ass. I mean she was not out there defeating armies or slaying ancient evils. But she was powerful. When Morgoth had stolen the Silmaril her lover Beren (a human man) went to go get them to prove his love. He got captured. Not taking this lying down, Lúthien rides Huan, the Hound of Valinor. Confronts Sauron while he is in the form a great vampire bat, breaks into Morgoth's stronghold, sings everyone to sleep, saves Beren and gets a Silmaril from his iron cown. She later dies, comes back to life, and then goes off to the West.

She might not explicitly be a witch, but I think she should get honorable mention.

Hobbits. Wait, what? Ok, hear me out on this one. How does Tolkien describe hobbits?

Hobbits are an unobtrusive but very ancient people, more numerous formerly than they are today; for they love peace and quiet and good tilled earth: a well-ordered and well-farmed countryside was their favourite haunt. They do not and did not understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a hand-loom, though they were skilful with tools. Even in ancient days they were, as a rule, shy of ‘the Big Folk’, as they call us, and now they avoid us with dismay and are becoming hard to find.

- Concerning Hobbits, The Hobbit

Sounds rather Pagan to me, and their magic sounds very much like Hedge Witchcraft. Hobbits are supposed to be the "everyman," the sensible Englishman/Englishwoman, the everyday folk. The same people were talked about by Gerald Gardner when he was creating Wicca. I am NOT trying to draw a connection between Tolkien and Gardner. Tolkien was one of the greatest authors ever to draw from his Christian upbringing, and you can find evidence of it in all his works. But their heroes are the same people.  In my games, halflings are completely pagan in their lifestyle and practices. I even say in my The Witch that every halfling village has a witch, and she is seen as a source of wisdom. 

I am currently reading "The Fall of Gondolin," which was one of the reasons I picked Tolkien for today. It is interesting on how much closer to Old English faerie lore Tolkien's work started out as. The Noldor were originally gnomes, and their name comes from gnomes and gnōsis. Though he later abandoned this idea. This also happened with his idea of "Fairy." Though there is still a reference to that in The Hobbit with one of Bilbo's ancestors described as a fairy, and the rather frivolous elves in Rivendell.  

Letters and Other Details

We know from Tolkien's letters that he envisioned two types of magic in Middle-earth, using the Greek words μαγεία (mageia "ordinary magic") and γοητεία (goeteia, "witchcraft"). While there are some good-evil connotations, Tolkien points out that Elves use "witchcraft." Hmm. Maybe Galadriel is a witch.

I think one thing is overly clear and that is magic has a price. Abusing it leads to evil and corruption.  It would have been interesting to see this difference in magic played out a little more in his works, I think.

There are more examples, but these are good enough for me for now. 

While I could dive more into his letters, other books and even other RPGs about Middle Earth, I think a rule I should establish for myself is to limit these posts just to the books mentioned. With the occasional step outside. For example I can't imagine talking about Fritz Leiber and not mentioning "The Conjure Wife."

Maybe Leiber will be my next post.

#AtoZChallenge2024: H is for Hobbit

 "In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit."

A very unassuming start to an epic adventure. Not just the epic adventure that propelled the hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, and his dwarf companions from the quiet of the Shire to a dragon's hoard and a great battle, but also how it shaped what would become Dungeons & Dragons.

It doesn't take a scholar of either J.R.R. Tolkien or of Dungeons & Dragons to see the similarities between the two. Elves, Dwarves, Orcs, Dragons, Were-bears, Goblins, Trolls, Hobbits-er Halflings, and Dragons. Ancient underground areas, dark forests, and a grand adventure. 

It was enough that "Chainmail" and the first version of Dungeons & Dragons (often called the "Original Edition" or 0 Edition), had Hobbits, Ents, and Balrogs in it. Which got TSR a lot of threatening letters from the Tolkien Estate. So instead, we now have Halflings, Treants (Tree + Ent), and Balors (like the Irish Balor, but in name only).

Where it Began, Part 1: Chainmail

Prior to D&D there was Gary's first game, Chainmail, described as "Rules for Medieval Miniatures."  These rules were for War Gamers and not Role-Playing games, which did not really* exist yet.

*Yes there were and have been close games and others that were RPGs in all but name, but the term and the genre did not exist yet.

Chainmail allowed you to play medieval war games with minis. Most often made of lead and played in a large sandbox.  It was released in 1971, but there are claims that the rules in one form or another, existed in Gary's basement since 1968 after the first Gen Con. As people played with these rules, they expanded on them. One of the expansions was the Fantasy Supplement. Here, creatures like dragons, orcs, elves, Balrogs, Ents, and Hobbits were added.

These additions proved to be very popular among some, and not so popular among older War Gamers. Yes. Even then the Edition Wars had their first salvos. 

This popularity and the notion that people wanted to play individual characters led to the first drafts of what would become Dungeons & Dragons.

The Tolkien Estate, of course, noticed. 

While sales stopped on TSR's "Battle of the Five Armies" (1975), copies of Dungeons & Dragons and Chainmail had to be edited to change to the more "Tolkien-approved" terms. My copy of Chainmail above still has Hobbits, Ents, and Balrogs. My 1st printing of OD&D has them, my more complete 3rd-4th printing does not.

Of course, there were missives in Dragon Magazine on how D&D was not even remotely inspired by Tolkien, but honestly they rang as hollow as the ones of D&D and AD&D being completely different games. Likely for similar reasons.

Years later on TSR had the chance to do a Lord of the Rings/D&D game and somehow managed to mess that deal up.  Competitor Iron Crown Enterprises (I.C.E.) would have their own Middle-Earth Role-Playing Game, and it was wildly successful. 

Where it Began, Part 2: Rankin/Bass

It is hard to think about a time when The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were exclusive to literate geeks. We are far removed from the time when you could see patches on student's backpacks that proclaimed "Frodo Lives!" While today we have the massive Peter Jackson movies, back in the 1970s we had Rankin/Bass and "The Hobbit."

The Rankin/Bass Hobbit movie, appearing on TV in 1977, was my generation's gateway drug to D&D. I consider myself the 2nd (maybe a little on the 3rd) generation of D&D gamers. I did not come to this hobby because of wargaming. I came here because I read The Hobbit.  In fact, the book pictured above was the one I got for Christmas in 1981 along with my Moldvay Basic set because I was tired of borrowing other people's copies.  I had first read it in Jr. High and had already been exposed to D&D; this was exactly the right book at the right time in my life. I would later go on to read the Lord of the Rings and try to read The Silmarillion. I would finally succeed years later. 

For me, and many others, the Hobbit/Lord of the Rings and D&D are deeply linked. I have even joked that everyone is allowed one "Tolkien rip-off" character while playing D&D. Mine was a Halfling with the completely uninspired name of "Bilbo Perrin."

I reread the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings every few years or so. They are still among the best "D&D" tales out there, even if Gandalf only has the spell-casting power of a 6th-level D&D Wizard.

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Tomorrow is I, and I will talk about Imagination.

Trailer: The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power

I am a huge "Lord of the Rings" fan.  

I reread the trilogy and the hobbit every couple of years, and I always find new enjoyment. I have read and re-read The Silmarillion a couple of times now and I think it gets better each and every time.  I have enjoyed his unfinished tales, I loved The Children of Húrin, and I have been dying to start The Fall of Gondolin.

I have all the Lord of the Rings movies and yes I did rebuy them each and every time they were released on a new medium, DVD, Blu-Ray, and Ultra HD Blu-Ray.

So I am a fan.

And I am REALLY looking forward to seeing Amazon's new The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.

I cannot adequately describe what it is like to see the Two Trees after only seeing them forever in my thoughts. Reminds me of the line from Stairway to Heaven. "In my thoughts, I have seen, rings of smoke through the trees, and the voices of those who stand looking."

I love the Harfoots as proto-ish-Hobbits. I think Morfydd Clark will make a FANTASTIC Galadriel.  People complaining about Galadriel wearing armor and fighting obviously know nothing of her history. Before she turns into Cate Blanchet she was a warrior, a rebel and who was the "only woman to stand tall in those days" according to the Unfinished Tales and Silmarillion. She has a dark past full of murder and war.  

We have Pharazôn, before he becomes the last King of Númenor. No word yet on whether or not Annatar will appear, but I am betting he will. In fact. I am sure of it.  No word on Fëanor though. 

Yes, there are certain liberties being taken.  But that is the nature of storytelling and I am fine with it.

But yes. I am really looking forward to this.

5 x 5: End of the Year Top Fives. Movies

Continuing my Top 5 for the year's end.  Here are my all-time Top 5 Movies.


Lord of the Rings

Raiders of the Lost Ark

Star Wars

Star Trek: Wrath of Khan

Army of Darkness

#RPGaDAY2019: Guide

Today's topic is Guide.

This is a topic that is likely to come up many times today.

Games work best with guides, not just books, but people and things to help show you the way.

I think my first real guide to D&D actually predates my D&D exposure.
I have mentioned in the past that my true introduction to what would become my D&D was d'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths this was nearly immediately followed by Tolkien's The Hobbit.

In between my reading of these two books was when I discovered D&D.  The line is pretty direct for me from Greek Myths to D&D and the Hobbit. These two sources were my guide to what D&D could be if not what it should be.  In fact it is not too much of a stretch to say my D&D then was very much Greek Myths + The Hobbit.

The next guide I picked up were D&D proper.

While Holmes Basic might have been my first set of D&D rules, it was the AD&D Monster Manual that was my first exposure to D&D.   But I have detailed these two books and their impact on me many times here.

From here my guides were less about books and more about people.  When I was learning to how to play and moving through my first few years of D&D I got to play in a lot of different groups and knew of several more.  Here other's experiences and their readings came to influence me.

While I had read many of the books on the infamous Appendix N, they were only a tertiary impact on me and my games.  Usually, either through someone else have read them and applying them to their games and what was in the RPG books. 

Over the years I have had the chance to play with others who have helped guide me (and vice versa) through many RPGs.  Each time I take away something to aid me or push me on.

There were my high school games where I got the chance to play with a lot of different groups. The summer from college that I played in an OD&D campaign.  Games at college and striking out all on my own in 2nd Ed to recreate my own worlds.  Campaigns with other games like ShadowRun, Vampire, and eventually WitchCraft. Meeting people online and talking games with them discovering that even though we all did things in a different way there are common stories and share experiences.  To the message boards, blogs, and social media of today.

Even reading these posts today will help guide me in other directions. 

Lord of the Rings fan films

Was doing a little research today and discovered these Lord of the Rings fan films.

I have not watched them all yet, but the production values are really good and they look good as well.  Yeah, they are fan films so the acting isn't Oscar level, but what they lack in skill they make up for in enthusiasm.

The first is Born in Hope a story of Aragorn's parents and The Necromancer/Sauron's search for the Ring.



The other is The Hunt for Gollum. It deals with Aragorn's hunt for Gollum and Gandalf's search for more information on the Ring.



These are based on Tolkien's works but are more akin to the movies than the books, but there is a lot of love in both of them.