Archive Software Upgrade and Downtime on April 19, 2025
Expect site outages on Saturday, April 19, 2025 as we perform a major software update on the archive.
SWG News
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with cloudyhymns by Shadow
Dragons are one of the most familiar creatures in Tolkien's world and one of the least understood. In this interview, Shadow spoke with cloudyhymns about his Mereth Aderthad presentation "The Design of Dragons and the Doom of the Dwarves," the nature of dragons and their connections with Dwarves, and the musicality of Tolkien's works.
Instadrabbling Sessions for April, May, and June
The first Saturday of each month, we will be hosting instadrabbling on our Discord server.
Mereth Aderthad Interview: Interview with polutropos by Dawn
"And love grew after between them"—those words have fascinated a fandom intent on revealing the how and why of the "kidnap fam" plot point in "The Silmarillion." In this interview, polutropos discusses her upcoming Mereth Aderthad paper on the topic, “'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium."
New & Updated Fanworks
[Writing] High in the Clean Blue Air by StarSpray
They passed out of Lhûn and the wider coastline of Middle-earth opened up before his eyes. He had wandered those shores for centuries, and even now he felt the pull of that same wanderlust, and knew he would miss them for the rest of his life. Their wildness, the untamed waves, the rocky…
[Series] I made loving you a blood sport by atlantablack
In which Fëanor & Fingolfin are re-embodied in 4th age Aman, are nowhere near as healed as everyone believes them to be, and decide to pretend that sleeping together will fix their relationship instead of causing more problems.
[Writing] evidence of a love that transcends hunger by atlantablack
Fëanor does not even get a chance to finish being annoying before Fingolfin’s eyes flash with something far too dark to be only fury and his hand snaps out to grab a handful of Fëanor’s hair. He wrenches Fëanor’s head back in a move that is so surprisingly painful it throws him off balance. In…
[Writing] Not Going Without You by StarSpray
Daeron is caught by orcs in the shadow of the Ephel Dúath, but is rescued by someone entirely unexpected.
[Series] Instadrabbling by SWG Moderators
We get together from time to time on the SWG Discord and produce spontaneous fanworks based on randomly chosen prompts. This collection includes drabbles, ficlets, and other flash fanworks produced as part of our instadrabbling sessions.
[Writing] April Fancies by AdmirableMonster
A series of short responses to instadrabbling prompts on Sat, Apr 5, 2025.
[Writing] She Hath My Love (Drabbles about Women) by Elrond's Library
A collection of drabbles about women in Tolkien's Legendarium.
Current Challenge
Birthday Bash
Daily word, image, and poetry prompts are loosely structured around events and milestones leading up to our 20th birthday. Read more ...
Random Challenge
Strangers in Strange Lands
Your character arrives for the first time in a new place. Maybe he journeyed there with a purpose, or maybe she ended up there by accident. What does she perceive? What new experiences and conflicts will he have? This month's challenge asks you to bring a character to a new, strange place for the first time and to develop a story around his or her experiences there. Read more ...
New in References
Interview with cloudyhymns by Shadow by cloudyhymns, daughterofshadows
Shadow spoke with cloudyhymns about his upcoming presentation for Mereth Aderthad 2025, "The Design of Dragons and the Doom of the Dwarves," where he shares his theory about how Dwarves and dragons are connected in the legendarium, a topic full of implications for fanworks.
Interview with polutropos by Dawn by polutropos, Dawn Felagund
Dawn spoke with polutropos about her upcoming presentation for Mereth Aderthad, “'Kidnap Fam' and the Living Legendarium," including the appeal of kidnap fam, the appeal of Maglor's character, and how The Silmarillion as an incomplete, complex word makes it ripe for both fanworks and scholarship.
Maglor by polutropos
As one of the most beloved Silmarillion characters, Maglor is a bundle of contradictions undergirded by a complex textual history. Warrior, musician, wanderer, and survivor, Maglor brings to the fore key themes in Tolkien's early legendarium, such as the role of music, oaths, and exile.
Featured Themed Collection
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features fiction, artwork, and essays that transcend the idea of Orcs as the enemy, instead considering their humanity.
Alliterative Verse for Arda by Rhunedhel
Part of our Themed Collection series for our newsletter, this collection features alliterative poems about Middle-earth.
Beyond the Silmarillion
[Writing] Paradox of the Fourth Age by Alassante
One wrong decision can make a world of difference. When one of the Fellowship makes the mistake, the consequences are so severe that only the Valar can repair it. But will they?
Glorfindel daughter's life is in Elrohir's hands and only she remembers th eir love for each other. The fate of…
[Writing] By Mirrormere by bunn
A new Age dawns, and Moria is retaken at last.
[Writing] Beneath the Bitter Rain by bunn
The Gardens of the Entwives are fallen, but two Entwives remain.
Around the World and Web
April Challenge at tolkienshortfanworks
The tolkienshortfanworks challenge for April has been posted to the Dreamwidth community. The thematic prompt is: wood. The formal challenge is: linnod (Gilraen's canonical verse form). These can be filled separately and freely combined with other challenges and prompts that allow this.
Celedriel Week 2025
Celedriel Week is a Tumblr events for fanworks about Galadriel and Celeborn.
Tolkien Ekphrasis Week 2025
This is a Tolkien-fandom-wide event dedicated to the art of ekphrasis in Tolkien's worlds. Its goal is to illuminate the artistic surroundings of the places, people, and stories we love, in as many media as possible.
Teitho March/April Challenge: Mothers
The Teitho Contest theme for the months of March and April is mothers.
Fanworks Tagged with Humor
That's Not Funny! by oshun
In their youth in Valinor, Maedhros has a secret crush on Fingon, his younger half-cousin, and Maglor loves to tease him about it.
A ficlet of 550 words in response to the SWG Back to Middle-earth Month challenge, day 11, humor misunderstood. (R-rated for language and implication only.) Also, translation of Quenya names at the bottom for those who want them.
Fairest by spookystoy
Yeah, yeah, Celegorm's the fairest of the Sons of Fëanor, but how many times does he need to hear it? Curufin cannot resist tweaking his brother's vanity.
Eau de Olórin by pandemonium_213
Olórin spies on the Doomsman of the Valar and the Master of Dreams, hoping to catch them in flagrante delicto. What he sees is terrifying yet oh, so compelling.
MEFA 2009: Honorable Mention - Humor: General
Update! Chibis by whitewave added! Please see her Gallery of Chibis on Photobucket. Many thanks, whitewave.
Of Lúthien and Huan by Moreth
For Huan, consenting once more to be her steed, had borne her swiftly hard upon Beren's trail.
A grittier and more macabre version of the 'fairystory'. Warning: Contains some rather grotesque imagery.
Lúthien's Tale by clotho123
So what made Lúthien go overboard for an unwashed mortal? The world's only half-Elf half-Maia gives her side of the story.
Feanorian Haiku plus Ulmo by Los Gloriol
Today is national haiku day in America.(no I am not making it up.) So, in honor of this most celebrated occasion, I have devised 9 haiku for you. The metric phrases 5,7,5 respectively.
Enjoy complete silliness! Maybe make your own and share:)
The Last Word by Alassante
Boys will be boys and the middle Feanorian brothers take it a step too far.
2nd place winner of ALEC's (A Long Awaited Contest) September challenge - 'Don't Tell Me, I Don't Want To Know'
Do You Believe in Ghosts? by oshun
Happy 2008 Halloween Birthday to IgnobleBard, dear friend, generous and stalwart Beta, who loves scary stories. Credit goes to DarthFingon for the prompt from a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon of the same name. Warnings: language you might expect from a house filled with testosterone-challenged males; references to sexual intimacy, both het and slash, but no explicit content.
MEFA 2009, First Place - Humor: Children
All About Names by Still Anonymous
When Melkor and Sauron next meet after their humilation at the hands [or paws] of Luthien, Beren, and Huan, they discuss how best to restore their damaged reputations. Humor. Very definitely humor.
The Dark Foe Wears Feanaro by whitewave
Timeline of major events in the trend-setting House of Fëanaro, the undisputed leader in the Eldarin fashion industry.
Reflections in the Deep by Alassante
One of the greatest of all times doubts the current situation.
~This is a birthday fiction for Robinka/Binka~
2009 MEFA 3rd Place Winner, Genres: Humor: General (Singing Silmarils Series)
Your Dungeons are Inadequate by Aiwen
A letter from Sauron to Finrod Felegund sent shortly after the fall of Minas Tirith. Sauron has some complaints he wishes to make.
Findekáno the Valiant by oshun
Response to Claudio/Darth Fingon's challenge to write how Fingon got the label of "the Valiant." Warnings: crack fic, language (somewhat crude), and could be read as foreshadowing slash (years down the road).
I Ain't Got No Body by IgnobleBard
Glorfindel can't seem to stay out of Mandos.
Never Met a Fore Before by viv
Finwe and Elwe discuss descriptive language and wine in those first days at the Cuivienen. (For the SWG "Inventions" challenge.)
The Scented Pleasure Garden by whitewave
A very irreverent and heretical look at the Silmarillion Elves in terms of their "horticultural" potential. Has very strong sexual innuendo and adult language. You have been warned. *Complete!
***Some varieties were updated on Jan 1, 2009 to include my LJ friends' names in their particular muse's entry.
Chibis generated from this site: http://www.tektek.org/dream/
The Revenge of Curufin's Horse by Moreth
How that 'Song of Parting' made it to the public domain... The Himring Codex version.
Denial by oshun
This is a birthday gift for Kenaz. A ficlet involving Maglor and Maedhros, which is set in the Time of the Trees in Formenos, at the home of Fëanor and his wife and sons. It is set in the same universe as my story Maitimo and Findekáno and occurs a couple of years earlier. I hope it is obvious from the ficlet that Maedhros and Maglor are very young adults and Fingon is the equivalent of a teenager. (There is a reference to slash in this piece but no sexual content.)
MEFA 2008 Second Place: Elves - House of Finwë
An Ordinary Woman by Dawn Felagund
For Jenni, a more realistic interpretation of Luthien's story, how she came to enter her people's legends, how she met Beren, and how Finrod got himself into deep trouble. MEFA 2008 nominee.
Full Brothers in Blood by oshun
Gift story for Dawn Felagund, Christmas 2007, Fingon and Turgon as young brothers. Honorable Mention, MEFA 2008
The Election Farce of Nargothrond: Of Dumbness, Treachery, and Brotherly Love by Dawn Felagund
A satirical look at how an election for the King of Nargothrond might have gone based on current political events. Silly, irreverent, and full of bad metaphors. Updated especially for Fanged Geranium.
Something to chew on. by ford_of_bruinen
Mablung and Saeros enjoy a day of seduction in the woods of Doriath, at least until they realise they are in the prescence of a voyeuristic goat...
Written for Zhie in the 2007 Slashy Santa exchange.
Midwinter Sweetness by ford_of_bruinen
These are two different stories, the first one was a Christmas tale for Christmas 2004 and retells the Christmas Story in a Second Age setting. The second one is a very short ficlet written as a Christmas present the following year for Keiliss and Ilye, using their favourite pairing.
Warnings: There are some VERY mild slash references in the two stories and one of the stories need an MPreg warning... just cos it would not be the same take on the christmas story without it.
And Then There Was Cake, or Begetting Day Horrors by Klose
A little ficlet in which Maedhros muses on the frivolous affair that is the Begetting Day Celebration. (Warnings for potentially offensive language and bawdy humour, or attempts thereof!)
This was written for Oshun's 2007 birthday, and was originally posted to the SWG LiveJournal community.
Young Fëanáro Makes A Stone by oshun
A Birthday Story for gandalfs_apprentice on the Elessar and is also a bit of take-off on the Sorcerer’s Apprentice in honor of her penname.
