The wonder of Christmas resounds for one reason. Tolkien made it clear in his poem, "Noel".

Smaug - Clive Lauzon

Commentary: "The Ring is in a certain way 'der Nibelungen Ring'". Tolkien: "Both rings were round, and there the resemblance ceases." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien responding to the commentary on the Swedish introduction to The Lord of the Rings - February 23, 1961.

Children of Feanor - Jenny Dolfen

"[After discovering Finnish Grammar], I gave up the attempt to invent an ‘unrecorded’ Germanic langauge, and my ‘own language’ – or series of invented language – became heavily Finnicized in phonetic pattern and structure." ~ J.R.R. Tolkien, June 1955.

RT @torc: The Dimrill Stair and the Mirrormere - Alan Lee

Bilbo Baggins - Alan Lee

"Most important perhaps, after Gothic was the discovery in Exeter of a Finnish Grammar. It was like discovering a complete wine-cellar filled with bottles of an amazing wine of a kind and flavour never tasted before. It quite intoxicated me. " ~ J.R.R. Tolkien, June 1955.

The Dimrill Stair and the Mirrormere - Alan Lee

His names are brilliantly appropriate; the tongues he has devised for the elves & orcs perfectly express, just by their rhythms & phonemic systems, the natures of these races; his style is full of joy, the joy that follows the making of a perfect gesture." ~ D. Barr, NY Times.

The Front Gate - J.R.R. Tolkien

"To preserve Tolkien's voice, if a scene didn't exist in the book we'd filch lines from elsewhere. I'd say, "There was a bit about such-and-such, but can't remember where it was." And Philippa could always pinpoint material! She was our invaluable encyclopedia!" ~ Peter.

RT @torc: Fifth Day After Weathertop - Ted Nasmith

"But I should say, if asked, the tale is not really about Power and Dominion: that only sets the wheels going; it is about Death and the desire for deathlessness. Which is hardly more than to say it is a tale written by a Man!" ~ J.R.R. Tolkien, letter to Herbert Schiro, Nov 19.

Fifth Day After Weathertop - Ted Nasmith

"And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns. In dark Mindolluin's side they dimly echoed. Great horns of the North, wildly blowing. Rohan had come at last." ~ The Return of the King.

At the Prancing Pony - Greg and Tim Hildebrandt

RT @torc: The Crossing of the Anduin - Alan Lee

The Crossing of the Anduin - Alan Lee

"In our break at Christmas 99 when we got fabulous material with the hobbits acting their hearts out-real tears, not fake ones-in a mood that was intensely emotional, only to find that due to a complication with one of the cameras all the shots were out of focus." ~ Peter Jacks.

Approaching Caradhras - John Howe