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| Long-Awaited by PSW | 6 Review(s) |
|---|---|
| Larner | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 3/12/2023 |
| Wise he has been, and wise he is to follow her lead now. Is it a Hobbit he meets now? I'd so love to see that.... | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/12/2022 |
| You know … I hadn’t really thought about it. I guess I just assumed they would need some sort of system to at least move goods and services between people, and I can’t really picture how purely barter-based system would really work there. (The Noldor especially seem to me like the type to develop a monetary system.) Of course, if I remember correctly there are gems just scattered on the beaches, so I don’t think anyone would be without means…. Really interesting question!! Interesting. One of these days, I hope to explore the differences amongst the various groups of Elves. I've always been a bit daunted by the Noldor, actually. I guess my experience with a local historical site, which served as an interface between the British and the native tribes and was a meeting place for multiple tribes and cultures (including Victorian British, French-Canadian voyageurs, Polynesians, and various tribes who lived in or visited the area and who communicated using a mutual trading language), makes it easy for me to imagine a culture that uses trade and barter rather than money (even the British followed the custom of the local area and traded in goods rather than money, which had no value) and has a view of possessions and "ownership" that is very differently from ours. Sorry if this sounds a bit muddled. I just finished working on a project and looked at the clock. Sigh. Wee hours. Again. But I couldn't resist a peek at SoA in general and your review replies in particular, lol! Off to bed. Author Reply: Not muddled at all! It sounds like a really cool historical site - right up my alley. :-D I love this kind of thing ... It's not barter as a system itself I have trouble picturing. My trouble, I think, is picturing how it would work for the Noldor. (And, I suppose, the Teleri. The Vanyar I know so little about that I couldn't even hazard a guess.) This is all based on early First Age, of course, because after that I don't think we spend much time in Valinor ... but the Noldor were craftsmen - big time jewels and precious metals, smiths and jewelers, etc. Some of them were completely obsessed with it. The Teleri were ship builders - big beautiful ships. So we have some people who work on very precious expensive (and perhaps quite large, depending what they're crafting) objects that may take a long time to craft. We have the Teleri ships, which I assume are large and would require multiple people to build them. And then we have the necessities of life - food, clothing, maintenance type work, etc. It could be that I don't understand barter systems well enough - I haven't studied much about them. I'm not sure though how it would work when some people have fewer and far more expensive objects at their disposal, and some maybe helped build ships and don't have anything actually in their hands at all to trade, and some have more vital but less expensive goods to offer (food, clothing, etc). I guess I just figured, with the disparities there, it would be easier to have a monetary system. Not coin, probably - small jewels and/or precious metals changing hands maybe. I hope this makes any kind of sense! Must say, I love this question - it's a really fun exercise to think this through and see where it goes. :-) Ah, the Noldor. They are a bit intimidating. And often (to me at least) infuriating. But we would not have Aragorn, Elrond, and so many others without them! :-D I always kind of liked the Doriathrim the best (though not Thingol, he drives me nuts). I try to picture living in the huge forests under the bright, bright stars before the rising of the sun, and it sounds so beautiful ... Author Reply: Of course, we're also on Tol Eressea here anyway, and not the mainland. So many people on the island are from Middle-Earth that maybe they just brought the concept of money with them ... ;-) | |
| Conquistadora | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/10/2022 |
| I love your insights into how different Valinor can be. I imagine it must be very disorienting for a hot minute, like but a bit more intense than losing your depth perception with a new pair of glasses. :D Author Reply: That’s a great comparison! It seems a very apt description of what newly arrived Elves probably go through… Thx as always for your comments! :-) | |
| Lindelea | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 10/6/2022 |
| I love how careful and thoughtful his loved ones are being. And I read some of the reviews and review replies and am delighted at the thought of hobbits! (One question: a rented house, not a borrowed one? I guess I am not all that familiar with the Firstborns' economy in the West. I don't know why, but I have trouble envisioning money in that context. But then, I haven't had more than a few glimpses of the West, so I haven't given it much thought, really.) Author Reply: Thx so much for reading and for all your comments! I too am looking forward to Hobbits. :-D You know … I hadn’t really thought about it. I guess I just assumed they would need some sort of system to at least move goods and services between people, and I can’t really picture how purely barter-based system would really work there. (The Noldor especially seem to me like the type to develop a monetary system.) Of course, if I remember correctly there are gems just scattered on the beaches, so I don’t think anyone would be without means…. Really interesting question!! | |
| UTfrog | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/28/2022 |
| So very happy you are continuing this lovely story. Thank you. Author Reply: I’m happy you’re enjoying it! Thx so much for your comments! | |
| shirebound | Reviewed Chapter: 3 on 9/26/2022 |
| Celeborn the Wise has distinguished himself in counsel and in blood against far greater foes than most of these will ever see. He need court the favor of none here What a comforting and loving thing to tell him. I'm SO glad you're expanding this story. :) Author Reply: Thank you! :-) I’ve often imagined how Celeborn’s arrival would go - I’ve seen various versions, but thought I would try my hand as well. The next chapter should, I hope, be a fun one. :-) | |