Book of Lore by Anérea

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Fanwork Notes

Chapter 1: My original art submission for TRSB 2023, adopted by Eilinel's Ghost who wrote the wholly remarkable Atanatárissë for it.

Chapter 2: Her description of the Edain creation myth was so compelling, I was in turn inspired to render it.

Also for the Roaring Twenties prompt "La Création du monde", a ballet inspired by African creation myths taken from Blaise Cendrar’s Anthologie nègre.

(Give yourself a little gift and go and read the fic!)

Fanwork Information

Description:

Pages from a book of ancient Edain lore, including an illustration of their creation myth.

Major Characters: Legendary/Mythical Character(s), Original Character(s), Arien, Manwë, Tilion, Ulmo, Yavanna

Major Relationships:

Genre: General, In-Universe Artifact

Type: Drawble/Finished Sketch, Illustration

Challenges: Roaring Twenties

Rating: General

Warnings:

Posted on 7 September 2023 Updated on 21 September 2023

The Song of the Dark

Inspired by Eilinel's Ghost's description of Beör's drawing in the book in the first chapter of her fic, Atanatárissë, which contains the most beautiful Edain creation myth. It made my heart sing, and I simply had to draw it.

Quoted from Chapter One: Song of the Dark:

   In the beginning of time there was the Dark.

   Within the Dark dwelt Melishk, the goddess of earth. And within the Dark dwelt Guënid, the god of water. Long they danced in the time ere forms were bound, long they wound together in the shapeless mingling. Each pressed into each, seeking ever to lessen the substance wherein they lay separate from the other, until from their union was wrought clay, there amid the timeless spheres. 

   A pair of imposing figures held the majority of the page, the first wrought from rough earth and rock, the second winding with the supple bends of a river. These met within the center of the sketch, one rising and one descending, and their bodies rested back to back, each with one hand raised in warning, the other extended in welcome. The substance of their forms merged together in a circle of flowing ink, and its circumference was adorned at each point with the sun atop, the moon below; fire upon the left hand and wind upon the right.

Illustration of a page from a manuscript

Chapter End Notes

Pencil on paper. Main illustration, book page, and writing drawn separately, composited and coloured digitally. (And phew! did I ever enjoy having my undo and layers back after no few irrevocable erasures in pencil!)

My vision differed slightlyfrom her original description, and I felt so honoured when she changed it to match.

One of the many things I love about this myth is the way some of the Valar are represented, in a similar way that mythical gods often appear with different names and varying yet recognisable forms in different cultures from around the world. (I'm not entirely sure which of the Ainur Fon (fire) might correspond with — what are your thoughts?)

(right click to fit the images to the screen)

Book of Lore

My original TRSB 2023 submission.

A sketch of an open book of lore

Chapter End Notes

Pencil on paper.

Tale of the Ghomennin

A little sketch from Chapter 4 of Atanatárissë by EilinelsGhost: Through the Wildwood Unwary, which relates an Edain cautionery children's tale about the dangers of the ghomennin, shining spirits which lured Men away from their homes:

"Slowly her eyes moved out over the rest of the spread. It was decorated throughout with a trail of rough drawings, each leading into each, and the spaces between were filled with tight clusters of words. The central of these sketches showed a man seated upon a hilltop, his knees drawn up and his body depicted in shadow. Before him knelt a second figure, seeming to brim forth with light through the lines of the illustration. This held the face of the first within its hands and the scribbled stars above were marked with lines showing their passage while the figures sat in stillness beneath them. It was haunting, rough as the style was rendered, and Andreth felt a new shiver move through her, only this came up from the base of her gut and radiated out through every vein."

sketch of figures on a hill surrounded by forest under wheeling stars

Comments

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Thank you! I'm so pleased you like it.

The original submission actually only took me an afternoon to draw — I had a zot of inspiration at the right moment (yes it was Last Minute Panic — I'm noticing a theme here!), and I  mostly just did the doodles my hand likes to do naturally. The pseudo tengwar was fun too.

The illustration inspired by the description in the fic was another matter, however, and took lots of drafts over a few months. (Although it coincided with some pretty stressful months!) The creation myth was very inspiring and also very specific, so a fun challenge. And lots of practice with pencil — although finishing it off digitally felt almost relaxing without the worry of irrevocably messing something up. (I drew the main drawing, the book, and the writing separately and bright them together in Photoshop.)

I often thought of you while I was reading the fic drafts, and was bursting to tell you about it, so here's your personal rec: I think you'll thoroughly enjoy it!

♡

Beautiful art but also fantastic concept!! I love this, pages of a book - very inspirational!  Reminds me so much of the Voynich Manuscript - beautiful!  The figures in that second uh.. first one (lol), the plants, the moon phases (?) - all so so so beautiful!! <3

I'm so delighted that you like both the art and the concept! (I think someone had mentioned a manuscript on the art suggestions list, and I was fully in manuscript mode after my Bestiary of Arda"research". (wandering through wonderful rabbit warrens.)

(Ha! You must have been looking when I was updating, as I jiggled them around!)

And you're spot on, in the double page spread, the right page was inspired by the Voynich manuscript (what a trip that is!!) and the left is from a Persan manuscript (wow! are those ever so beautiful!).

And the one with the figures was inspired by the description in Chapter One of the fic — the creation myth is just so beautiful, I've wanted one for the early Edain, and what EilinelsGhost had created is just perfect.

After reading your Finrod collection (which I so thoroughly enjoyed, not just your 30 days, but all the ones I found) I'm 100% certain you're going to enjoy Atanátarissë, and I look forward to reading your comments on it. (I always enjoy your comments, btw. And thank you for comment here!)

Oh, thank you! I'm so happy the joy comes through. I really wanted to convey her description from the fic:

Iuthap [the sun/Arien] awakened too at the call of her sister and illuminated the bare world about them. She set her lips to the face of each figure and sight came into their eyes. Then she leapt laughing into the firmament to take up once more the gods’ dance in the sky.

In one of my many concept/pose sketches I just did a quick scribble without thinking too hard on it, and I just loved the whole vibe, so I really hoped I'd be able to recreate that, because sometimes I just can't!

concept sketch