Tolkien Reading Day Leeds Pack

Tolkien Reading Day
A chance to celebrate the place of Leeds in J.R.R. Tolkien's life.

[This page will print, from most browsers, without the menus and page header, and without this sentence.]

If you are a dad, mum, grandparent, uncle, aunt with an interest in J.R.R. Tolkien's stories; if you are a young person with and interest in Tolkien, then Tolkien Reading Day is designed for YOU.

It provides a chance for grownups and children to read together and share their thoughts about the stories by Tolkien that they may have already read, and encourages them to discover new ones.

Did you know that J.R.R. Tolkien's first university teaching post was at the University of Leeds?

He became a Professor of English Language there in 1924. He had a lifelong love of language and his books are famous for the special languages he created and used in them, as well as for his wonderful use of modern English. Sometimes he uses very old words. Do you have a favourite piece of his writing? It may be part of one of his stories, or a poem. Read it and say why you like it. Is there something special about the language used in it, or does it create a picture in your head? Is it beautiful, or creepy, or just different? Do you like the scary bits? Can you say what it is about the language that makes the story feel scary?

Anglo-Saxon

Tolkien's Riders of Rohan use their own language and for their names. It is written down only twice, but it is based on the Old Mercian language of the Anglo-Saxons. If you can find it, you will be able to wish each other 'good health' in the language of Rohan, and Anglo-Saxon! Look for Éomer's and Éowyn's greetings.

When Tolkien was growing up in and around Birmingham he said he thought of himself as Mercian. Do you know what he meant?

There is also a study pack written for the Tolkien Society that will introduce you to more of the Anglo-Saxon that Tolkien uses. Follow this link for the Anglo Saxon study pack.

Sword Hunt

Leeds is famous for its Royal Armouries, and Tolkien writes about lots of different kinds of weapons and armour. The helmets of the Riders of Rohan in the films of The Lord of the Rings were based on a very famous helmet. If you can visit your local library, look up the Sutton Hoo treasure and the famous 'boar helm'. If you can remember the helmets in the films, how are they different?

There are lots of swords in Tolkien's books, and most have names. How many can you find?

Can you name some of the swords used in The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, or The Silmarillion?

Do you have a favourite name?

Do you have a favourite part of the story that explains how a sword has been made, or found, or broken?

If you have a copy of the short story Farmer Giles of Ham, don't forget the sword in that. Can you find out what the names of the swords mean (Tolkien tells you this), and how many languages are used to name each one? Only one is in Latin!

How many kinds of weapons can you find or remember from the stories?

Would they be easy to use?

Would they be heavy?

Can you find out what a 'hand and a half' sword is?

You will probably need to look this up or ask someone. If you have The Silmarillion, can you find the black sword, and its owners? This may be a job for the grownups!

Why not draw or paint your version of these.

Why not draw or paint your favourite sword from any of the stories?

If you don't like swords, why not paint or draw your idea of an ent or an entwife. Don't forget to give them a name.

Or you could paint of draw some of the creatures that live on the Moon in Roverandom.

This is not a competition, but if you send us a copy of the picture, the best pictures will receive a commendation from the Tolkien Society and be mentioned in Amon Hen, the Society's newsletter.

Tolkien and Industry

If you have read The Lord of the Rings, you could talk about the way Tolkien describes industry and things that are manufactured, things like swords and armour but also cutlery, cloth and flour.

Sam doesn't like the Sandymans' mill in Hobbiton when it has a smoking chimney, but what other ways are there of grinding grain?

Can you name some?

What could have powered the Hobbiton Mill?

And can mills be used for anything except grinding grain? The grownups might want to investigate this for you.

Saruman has furnaces and forges in Isengard. If you can go to your local library you might try to find out what a furnace does and what it produces, if you don't already know. What do you think Saruman is making?

If Saruman's forges are a bad thing, the elvish smiths who reforge Aragorn's sword, and the dwarf smiths who make other swords use forges too. What is different about them?
You might want to talk about this.

In the story Roverandom the Man in the Moon is always busy in his workshop. You could read this part of the story together and find out why, and what he is doing.

If you have read The Silmarillion, you might try to find the black sword, and find out who made it. This is a bit tricky so look up Eöl in the Index. What happens to the sword?

Is this story you enjoy reading?

How do you feel about it?

Do you both/all feel the same way?

Can you say how it is different from the stories of swords in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings?

Have you liked the same things, do you feel the same way as each other? Do the grownups like different things to the young people? Talk about why.

RUNES

The story of The Hobbit uses Anglo-Saxon runes for secret messages. Tolkien uses runes to create the message that is the clue to opening a stone door. If you read the runes in The Hobbit you will be able to send messages to one another using the ones Tolkien uses.

• Can you find out who translates the runes for Bilbo and the dwarves?
• He uses other runes in The Lord of the Rings.
• Can you find out where?
• And what do they say?
• And what is the problem they cause? Ask Gandalf!
• Where would you find Daeron's runes?
• Can you find them together?
• Are you going to read them?

There is a Study pack on Runes with more information and ideas for playing games with runes. The pack is free.

There is a chart that shows all the rune shapes so children can make up their own messages for the grownups to read. This is a suitable game for slightly older children.

Have you liked the same things, do you feel the same way as each other? Do the grownups like different things to the young people? Talk about why. Tell us what you read, and how much you enjoyed reading together via the contact page for the Education section.

Other Reading Day Activity Suggestions

For smaller children:

Grownups could read the arrival of the dwarves from The Hobbit, or help them to read it.

A good game can then be played:

• Ask the child/children to tell you what kind of mark Gandalf makes on Bilbo's door.
• Ask them to count how many dwarves come in.
• Ask them what the dwarves wear.
• Ask them if there is anything odd about their names.

You can easily discover the answers with the child/ children by re-reading.

• Point out the way the dwarves are named
• And the different colours they wear
• And the different things they bring with them
• And the different things they want to eat and drink

If there are any words the child/children don't understand, help them to look these up in a dictionary and find out what they mean.

Next:

You could ask the child/children to create their own dwarf. If you are good at drawing you could create an outline, or maybe find one on a free website. Dwarves can be either male or female. All Tolkien's dwarves are male, but there is not much difference in shape between male and female dwarves! All are short, but not so small as hobbits, and stocky.

• The child's dwarf should have its own name, one that fits in with the way Tolkien names his.
• The new dwarf should have its own colourful hood, and tunic, and boots.
• It should have something that it brings, like a pick, or shovel, or harp. Anything will do.
• Ask the child/children what their new dwarf would like to eat and drink.

If your child/children draw a picture of a dwarf that they would like to share with everyone, please send it to The Tolkien Society. The very nicest ones could be sent to the Tolkien Society to be published in the journal Amon Hen during the year, or put on the society's website.

For slightly older children:

Look at the start of The Hobbit and create your own dwarf:

• If you can draw then make a picture, but you will also need to write about your dwarf.
• He or she will need to have a colourful hood, and belt, a tool or weapon, and a name.

If you look at Tolkien's dwarves you will see that each one likes different kinds of food and drink. So you will need to decide what your dwarf likes to eat and drink.

• Then you can need to decide if they are grumpy, angry, lazy, happy, sleepy, hungry, thirsty, footsore, inquisitive, enthusiastic, kindly, or polite.
• Use lots of adjectives and adverbs - words that describe what things look like or how things happen.

Whatever you decide on this should show in the way they greet Bilbo when they arrive at his door.

• Can you make up a sentence that shows how your dwarf greets Bilbo?

Here are two examples:

Mynni a footsore and grumpy dwarf arrives at Bilbo's front door with the grey dust of the road all over his new scarlet hood and shiny black boots. He puts down the sack his is carrying and knocks on the door with his rough red knuckles, and when Bilbo opens it he says, "About time too. I've walked miles today and my feet are killing me. I wouldn't have come if I'd known it was such a long way to walk. Well, aren't you going to ask me in for a cup of tea?"

And:

A cheerful dwarf in a pale mauve hood and yellow boots, with blue bows in his bear, rapped on the door with his trowel and shouted merrily, "Hey Bilbo! It's me Mungo son of Kringo. Are you there? Open the door, I'm starving."

This format can be used in schools to encourage comprehension and creativity in writing.

If you draw a picture of a dwarf and make a sentence or two that describes him or her and you would like to share it with everyone, please send it to us. The very nicest ones could be sent to the Tolkien Society to be published in the journal Amon Hen during the year, or put on the society's website.

Other things grownups and children can do together

Discuss the story

Try reading your favourite bits of any of Tolkien's books or poems out loud to one another.

Short sections:

Such as half a page at a time (or a poem, or song).

Take it in turns to say what you like about the bit you have chosen. Let the person listening say what they like or don't like about your choice.

No one is allowed to just say I don't like it, or I like it.

Everyone must say why, even if it is only e.g. I like it because it has an elf in it, or I don't like it because it has spiders in it. You may agree to disagree, but you must be as polite and courteous as Aragorn is to Elrond.

Using longer bits from the books:

If you like the same longer bit (a page or two, maybe more) and read it aloud with you each taking turns for each character; it will be like a play as you speak the words of the characters. If it does not have any characters in it, take turns to read paragraphs, or alternate verses if it is a poem.

If you are having difficulty deciding what to read:

Favourite scary bits:

• The first encounter with the Black Riders in the Shire, don't forget Fatty's encounter with them at Crickhollow.
• The barrow wight.
• The encounter in the dell on Weathertop.
• Gandalf and the Balrog.

Talk to each other about why these bits are scary?
What sort of language does Tolkien use to make us scared?
Is it just the words he uses, or are we scared by other things in the bit you have read?

Favourite beautiful bits:

• The description of Arwen at the banquet in Elrond's house.
• The description of Lothlorien.
• The conversation between Galadriel and Gimli at the gift-giving.
• The description of Ithilien before Gollum brings the rabbits.

Talk to each other about why these bits are beautiful?
What sort of language does Tolkien use to make us think places or events are beautiful?

Favourite comic (funny) bits:

• Sam's Troll Song.
• Théoden's arrival at Isengard and the reunion with Merry & Pippin.
• Gollum's argument with Sam about the rabbits and fish and chips.

More Reading Day Fun

For Tolkien fans:

Challenge the grown-ups (this quiz gets harder, so you will need to use The Silmarillion as well as The Lord of the Rings), or you can try using one from one of the quiz books available on Tolkien's works, there's even a couple of Tolkien or The Lord of the Rings trivia games:

1. Who is Bilbo's father?
2. Who is Aragorn's father?
3. Who was Denethor's father?
4. Who was Théodred's father
5. Who was Éomer's father?
6. Who was Lord of Balrogs?
7. Who was Galadriel's brother?
8. What did he want from her?
9. To whom did she eventually give it?
10. Who was the Dark Elf?
11. Who married this elf?

Tolkien consequences

Ideally you should be using names and places from the books but you can make them up if you like.

Here are some suggestions for how to frame the consquences:

• Hobbit name
• Met
• Elf name
• At (Place or time)
• Hobbit said
• Elf said
• The consequence was
• Sauron said

• Elf name
• Met
• Dwarf name
• At (Place or time)
• Elf said
• Dwarf said
• The consequence was
• Galadriel said

• Hobbit name
• Met
• Rohirrim name
• At (place or time)
• Hobbit said
• Rohirrim said
• The consequence was
• Treebeard said

• Uruk name
• Met
• Orc name
• At (place or time)
• Uruk said
• Orc said
• The consequence was
• Barliman Butterbur said

• Feanor
• met
• Barahir
• At (place or time)
• Feanor said
• Barahir said
• The consequence was
• Earendil said