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| Jewels by Lindelea | 5 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Mirkwoodmaiden | Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 5/8/2025 |
| Lindelea! I love the Remembrance ceremony. I can just see the little boats joining others from upriver. Grief and memory mingling, sharing and bringing hopeful healing. I love creating ceremonies and rituals for various peoples in Middle Earth. It is a favorite thing of mine and they are sprinkled throughout my stories. "'We have something else to remember this day,' he called out. 'Three years ago, on this date, the hobbits of the Shire arose against their oppressors, and cast them out. Freedom is not something we can ever afford to take lightly. We must stand ever ready to defend the Shire, that our hobbit lads and lasses may grow up to live in peace.'" So very true. "Merry stepped forward, raised his silver horn, and sounded a sweet note that echoed through the River valley. The hobbits stood a moment longer, then lifting up a new song, returned to their homes, to feast and share stories and remembrances." This passage makes me feel hopeful and happy. "Song followed song. At the last, Merry raised his voice to sing a sweet lullaby of hope for the morning. When he finished, he put one arm about Diamond and the other about his cousin. 'Thank you,' he said, looking from one to the other. 'Any time,' Pippin answered, but his eyes glistened with tears that belied his light tone. Merry gave him a great hug. 'I'll be all right, cousin. I wasn't so sure, for awhile, but I am now.'" Life. Sometimes we hurt too much and then healing comes on. Sometimes slowly; Sometimes in a rush. But it will come. Lovely. "Pippin shuddered theatrically. 'Oh, aye,' he breathed. 'Guess I'll just have to keep bouncing from Smials to Hall and back again, then!'" LOL!! I can just see Pippin doing his best Maynard G. Krebs, "WORK!" Lovely chapter! (((hugs))) MM Author Reply: MM! Oh my! I haven't thought about Maynard G. Krebs in a while! You made me laugh. I do love the rituals you've sprinkled through your stories. They add depth that makes the people and the setting feel more real. That makes the reading more enjoyable somehow, maybe because it helps me immerse myself deeper in the happenings being recounted. (I miscalculated when I originally wrote this story, setting Remembering Day as November 2 and thinking the Battle of Bywater took place that day, when the Battle was actually fought on the 3rd. I suppose it works, sort of, since the Travellers arrived in Bywater on the 2nd and set things in motion.) Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to share your thoughts! (((hugs))) Lin | |
| PSW | Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 3/1/2025 |
| What a lovely chapter, both sad and hopeful. I loved the ceremony - it’s such an important part of life, to remember those who have gone before. Merry won’t know what to do without Pippin always close by! Author Reply: Merry and Pippin seem like two halves of a whole, don't they? Kind of like the lyrics of a Disney song I remember a fragment of, they "finish each other's sandwiches..." Thanks so much for reading and stopping to leave an encouraging word. | |
| Pearl Took | Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 8/16/2007 |
| I do remember reading this before, with all the little remembrance boats. such a beautiful scene :-) Pip could probably use some good hard work. *G* Author Reply: Aw, thanks. Hmm. Good, hard work. I'll pass that on to the Powers That Be. *g* | |
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 8/14/2007 |
| Joy to them as the pain eases. It never dies, but it does ease. Author Reply: So very true. *hugs* | |
| FantasyFan | Reviewed Chapter: 23 on 8/14/2007 |
| The remembrance day tradition is so comforting. Grief shared is grief halved, because there's nothing like being reminded you're not alone in your sorrow to help lessen it. I like the idea of combining this custom with the blowing of the horn of Rohan on the battle anniversary. Tolkien says that hearing the horn brings joy to the hearts of friends. It somehow feels very hobbity to end a ceremony that is so inherently sad with a reminder that sadness and troubles end, that life goes on and can become joyful again. Very lovely. Later at Yule, song brings light to those who are still in gloom. And later yet, Pippin's light-hearted jests overlie a lot of apprehension about the future. It's been a hard half-year for them all, but they're still trying to retain that essential core of hope for the future, if not cheer in the present. Author Reply: I had forgotten what JRRT said about the blowing of the horn, but you've reminded me. I'm certainly glad that I didn't get it the other way round in the writing! I think of the ceremony at the hospice when my dad died. They covered him with a special memorial quilt, and he looked as if he was sleeping. They brought a bottle of Asti and one of sparkling cider and we toasted him (the children too) and told stories and laughed and cried together--more laughter than tears, for the stories were all the funniest and fondest ones; and they left us alone until the glasses were empty and we had no more words to say, only hugs. It was a lovely leave-taking, bittersweet, but a good way to say good-bye, if one had no choice but to say it. Yes, you caught that nicely, about Pippin's jests. It's not always easy to manage that hobbity custom of speaking lightly, but I do my best. | |