Tengwar

SWG Tengwar challenge banner - parchment with two bands of tengwar calligraphy. In between is the text "Silmarillion Writers' Guild Challenge Tengwar April 15 - May 15 2024"

The Tengwar are one of the delights of visiting Middle-earth as a fan of Tolkien's work. Whether a serious student of the letters; dabbling with them, Appendix open, on a lazy afternoon; or simply admiring the way they flow across a title page (or the One Ring …), most Tolkien fans find them beautiful and packed with meaning beyond what it seems should be contained within a single letter.

This month (and a bit beyond!), we will feature a prompt per day taken from the Tengwar chart. The prompt will include a graphic of the tengwa and its name in Quenya and English. You can use any part of the prompt: the tengwa itself, the name, the English translation, the graphic, or some other creative interpretation we haven't even dreamed up yet! You may do as many or as few of the daily prompts as you would like. One prompt is worth as much as challenging yourself to do them all, so work at the level and pace that is comfortable for you. (However, there may be a special reward for anyone ambitious enough to try them all!)

Prompts will be posted daily at midnight UTC on our website, Tumblr, Dreamwidth, and the #monthly-challenges channel on our Discord. You do not need to do the prompt on the day it was posted; you can go back and do prompts you missed or do them out of order.

Thank you to Cuarthol and Anérea for the gorgeous banners and stamps this month!

This challenge opened in .

Prompts

Choose your prompt from the collection below.

View Prompts
calma tengwa with colorful lamps in the background April 15
calma (lamp)
ungwe tengwa with dewdrop-covered spiderweb in the background April 16
ungwë (spider's web)
alda tengwa with two trees silhouetted against a colorful sunrise April 17
alda (tree)
numen tengwa with gray night sky and sea with a light sheen of moonlight April 18
númen (west)
unque tengwar carved into reddish earth April 19
unque (hollow)
aha tengwar with red sun, collapsing mountain, storm clouds, lava in background April 20
aha (rage)
esse tengwar being written with a fountain pen April 21
essë (name)
esse-nuquerna tengwar over a woman with no face and her hands on her head April 22
essë nuquerna (name reversed)
parma tengwa on cover of a blue clothbound book held against a background of flowers April 23
parma (book)
quesse tengwa with peacock feather April 24
quessë (feather)
yanta tengwa with a photo of the Dames Point Bridge, in which the cable-stayed bridge appears to be bright yellow April 25
yanta (bridge)
formen tengwa with northern lights over snowy mountains in the background April 26
formen (north)
silmë tengwa with a backdrop of the Milky Way photographed at night April 27
silmë (starlight)
silmë nuquerna tengwa superimposed over the Event Horizon Telescope collaboration image of the black hole at the center of galaxy M87 April 28
silmë nuquerna (starlight reversed)
Lambe tengwa in bright pink superimposed on a photo of a monochrome cat licking its paw. The color of the cat's tongue matches the color of the tengwa. April 29
lambë (tongue)
anna tengwa with a pile of wrapped gifts April 30
anna (gift)
hyarmen tengwa in front of a group of South African penguins on a beach May 1
hyarmen (south)
ampa tengwa with a fishhook against a background of sea and sky May 2
ampa (hook)
ore tengwa in blood red with anatomical drawing of a human heart May 3
óre (heart)
umbar tengwa with close-up of braided blue-green rope in the background May 4
umbar (fate)
anga tengwa in metallic grey against a background of plate armor May 5
anga (iron)
anto tengwa with couple in old-fashioned dress covering their mouths with a fan as they move in to kiss May 6
anto (mouth)
Arda tengwa with a NASA/JPL image of Earth. No continents are recognizable, most of what's visible is ocean and cloud. May 7
arda (solar system)
vilya tengwa against a sky of colorful clouds (could be sunrise or sunset) May 8
vilya (sky)
anca tengwa with wolf Fenrir snarling with teeth bared May 9
anca (jaws)
malta tengwa in a light golden color against a background of golden rings in a gold foiled box, with a gold leaf diadem above and a gold plate below May 10
malta (gold)
noldo tengwa and hammer sitting on anvil May 11
Noldo (one of the Noldor)
nwalme tengwa in bright pink broken by a screw, tightly striped background May 12
nwalmë (torment)
Vala tengwa with an eagle against a galaxy May 13
Vala (one of the Valar)
rómen tengwa superimposed on a photo of a sunrise over a rural landscape wrapped in morning mist. the upper branches of the tengwa envelop the sun. May 14
rómen (east)
sule tengwa with a tree in the mist and a bright orb on the trunk and surrounding the tree May 15
súlë (spirit)
hwesta tengwa superimposed on a photo of flowering reeds swaying in the breeze, with light clouds in the background. the colour of the tengwa matches the colour of the sky. May 16
hwesta (breeze)
hwesta sindarinwa tengwa against a backdrop of a child blowing dandelion puffballs in a field full of them May 17
hwesta sindarinwa (breeze, Sindarin)
pale grey tinco tengwa superimposed on a photograph of a smith holding a piece of metal with iron tongs onto the horn of an anvil while working it with a hammer. like the metal, the tengwa is glowing red-hot at the edges. May 18
tinco (metal)
ando tengwa superimposed on a photo of a gothic-style wooden gate in a sandstone and slate wall. the gate is painted in bright colours, and the tengwa matches the orange of the paint and the sandstone. May 19
ando (gate)
ure tengwa alongside molten metal being poured into molds May 20
úrë (heat)

Fanworks Tagged with Tengwar

This is a Writing fanwork

Sunset, sunrise by Independence1776

Maglor, a Jedi in hiding, is a mechanic for the Rebellion during A New Hope.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Changing of the Guard by Grundy

Thranduil names an unexpected successor.

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This is a Artwork fanwork

One-handed Anonymous by Lyra

Imagine a self-help group for fictional characters who have lost one or several hands. That's it. That's the idea.

A very rough sketch to get in just under the wire to respond to three challenges at once:
- Tengwar (ampa - hook; technically Noldo)
- Crossroads of the Fallen King (Crossover with Star Wars, Peter Pan, the MCU, the Aubreiad, real world history, Mad Max and the Queen's Thief series)
- Funky 70s (Star Wars; some of the fancy drinks)

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This is a Writing fanwork

Esse Nuquerna by AdmirableMonster

Nimruzimir's father interrupts him while he is reading the most recent novel in his favorite series.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Quite Ready To Go On Another Journey by Grundy

The Straight Road is barred to mortals. But he's not a mortal anymore...

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This is a Writing fanwork

Valiant and Dauntless by Himring

Fingon and Hurin: I. A Common Root

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This is a Writing fanwork

All The Heart's Orthographies by sallysavestheday

A perfect drabble for each of the Tengwar, for the Tengwar challenge.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Darkened paths by daughterofshadows

Aredhel walks a dark path.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Finarfin and Eärwen on the Beach by UnicornsInSpace

A poem Finarfin writes about Eärwen after a walk on the beach together.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Like a vast shadow moved by Quente

Nimloth drags her feet about a certain decision; Melian has no time for that.

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This is a Writing fanwork

The Merchant of Valinor by Tehta

A series of acrostics based on the letters provided in the Tengwar challenge, telling the story of one enterprising Telerin merchant.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Weaver of Gloom by Flora-lass

Ungoliant gets a chance to have her say.

Written for the Tengwar challenge, with the prompts silmë nuquerna (starlight reversed) and ungwë (spider's web).

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This is a Writing fanwork

On a night of stars, a bird by Quente

Nimloth and Dior meet, and he is naked.

Alternatively,

Melian travels south to visit her daughter, and meets a familiar looking bird.

Written for the Tengwar prompt, Quessë (feather).

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This is a Writing fanwork

Apprentice by Quente

Dior is in Menegroth learning to be his grandfather's heir -- but his grandmother decides to take him as apprentice too.

Written for the Tengwar Challenge, May 15: Súlë (spirit).

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This is a Writing fanwork

A blip on the radar by daughterofshadows

Humanity took to the skies. Eärendil and Ilmarë adjust.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Tengwar Acrostics by Himring

Responses to the Tengwar Challenge in which first letters spell out the name of a tengwa: 1) Early Encounter (Nerdanel, Indis); 2) Numenorean Lullaby (Almarian, Aldarion); 3) Tink-Tink (Telchar); 4) Such lamps as once shone in Khazad-dum (Celebrimbor).

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This is a Writing fanwork

Tengwar Drabbles by cílil

A collection of Silmarillion-centric drabbles written for the Tengwar Challenge. Short and sweet!

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This is a Writing fanwork

Tehtar by Tehta

A collection for any ficlets I manage to finish for the Tengwar challenge.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Words of Wisdom by AdmirableMonster

One or more drabbles about Pengolodh and his babysitter Salgant.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Upon Cirith Thoronath by StarSpray

A horrid cacophony of cries erupts ahead of them, as orcs appear—up the cliff on hidden ledges, on the path, with bows and swords. And behind them rises a figure of darkness and flame. The heat rolls down the path over them, bringing the smell of burning flesh and bitter fear with it. Someone screams.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Fire in Four Quarters by sallysavestheday

For the Tengwar challenge, four poems in which Beleriand and Middle-Earth are threatened by flames (once from each cardinal direction).

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This is a Writing fanwork

Utumno by Himring

One of the earliest elven captives in Utumno, one of the Quendi finds speech slipping away.

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This is a Writing fanwork

Remnants by Grundy

Something not seen since the Years of the Trees comes to light. (A sequel of sorts to What A Tangled Web We Weave...)

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This is a Writing fanwork

Do you cut down down blossoming trees in the spring for firewood? by Himring

In western Numenor, there is an area famous for its trees and plants. But the Faithful have been banished to the east. And in the last days of Numenor, on the coast an army assembles... 

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This is a Writing fanwork

Family Gossip by StarSpray

“You,” Fingon pronounced, “are drunk. I am not going to give you anyone’s name just so you can make up a silly drunken ballad."

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