Let us know if your favorite site is missing from the list.
The Works of J.R.R. Tolkien
Council of Elrond – In addition to the usual (news, photo gallery, collection of wallpapers, fan fiction, themes and video clips), the site includes a reference to Elvish and other languages and a guide to decorating your home in Middle Earth styles. Forums discuss all aspects of J.R.R. Tolkien’s books, the movies, games and collectibles, and general community topics.
Encyclopedia of Arda – Extensive reference guide to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. Hundreds of articles, with most entries sorted both alphabetically and topically. Maps, illustrations, dictionary of archaic words, “movie-goers guides” detailing differences between books and movies.
Henneth Annûn Research Center – Amazing database of the characters, places, things, and events in Tolkien’s world. Searchable by timeline dates as well as names and keywords.
Middle Earth News – News, discussion board, book clubs. Information about fan merchandise and gaming side by side with literary discussions.
One Wiki to Rule Them All – Wiki focuses on Lord of the Rings, but also covers J.R.R. Tolkien and his other works. All are invited to edit.
The One Ring – Huge fan site includes news, message boards, articles, galleries, and other resources.
TheOneRing.net – Smaller site with primary focus on news, fan activities, conventions, collectors, and memorabilia.
Thain’s Book – An encyclopedia of the people, places, creatures, things, and events in writings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Also includes the Chronology of Middle-earth and Numenor, a timeline of events in the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Ages with a day-by-day breakdown of events during the War of the Ring. Rescued from tuckborough.net.
The “Thain’s Book” Project – Blog explores stories from Tolkien. Not to be confused with Thain’s Book.
Tolkien Estate (official site) – In depth information about Tolkien’s many creative and philosophical pursuits: writing, painting, languages, and more.
Tolkien Gateway (wiki) – Extensive wiki for all things Tolkien. Volunteer editors welcome.
Maps of Middle-earth
Most of these are interactive.
- LOTR Project – interactive map shows the paths each character took in the course of the book.
- Arda Maps – still a bit rough but shows the transitions of Middle-earth from the First Age to the Second and Third Ages.
- Ennorath project – interactive map illustrated with calligraphy; see the About page to get an idea of what it can do
- TheOneRing: Maps/Calendars/Genealogies – lots to choose from, many at high-resolution.
- Tolkien’s Map and The Messed Up Mountains of Middle-earth – a geologist complains about the organization of mountain ranges in Middle-earth and tries to make sense of them.
The Lord of the Rings – Quotes
Note that these are quotes from the films, not necessarily from the book.
IMDb: Memorable Quotes from Fellowship of the Ring – Several pages of quotes and dialogue excerpts from the film.
Aragorn: “Are you frightened?”
Frodo: “Yes.”
Aragorn: “Not nearly frightened enough. I know what hunts you.”
IMDb: Memorable Quotes from Return of the King – Several pages of quotes and dialogue excerpts.
IMDb: Memorable Quotes from The Two Towers – Several pages of quotes and dialogue excerpts.
The Lord of the Rings – Communities
Land of Rohan – Active, friendly group. Forums range from idle chat to serious discussion of Tolkien’s books. One section is devoted to role-playing and writing.
Middle-earth Journeys – Discussion forum about the works of J.R.R. Tolkien created by Riv Res and Philipa of Viggo Works and Merry from Writers of Rohan (WRoR). Site includes calendar of Middle Earth events, links into the WRoR’s descriptive Tolkien library, and rich discussion.
The Lord of the Rings – Fan Fiction
Stories of Arda – A collection of fanfiction stories set in the universe of J.R.R. Tolkien, with respect for his original work. Rated G-R, no slash. The goal is to offer entertaining and well-written stories created by people who take pride in their work. Authors are screened but individual works are not reviewed.
The Lord of the Rings – Cast and Crew
No doubt you have noticed that Viggo Mortensen gets an unfair share of space on this web site. This section is a modest attempt to compensate.
Sean Astin Official Home Page – In-depth site covers Astin’s career as an actor and director. His writings include poetry, and a book on the making of The Lord of the Rings entitled There and Back Again, to be published fall of 2004.
Sir Ian McKellen Official Home Page – Site chronicles Sir Ian McKellen’s four-decade career, including stage appearances worldwide and leading roles in scores of films, television, and radio productions. In addition to his detailing his acting achievements, the site catalogues Sir Ian’s writings and his activism as an openly gay man. Lord of the Rings fans will be particularly interested in his journals, FAQs and many photographs of the filming of the movies.
The Compleat Sean Bean – “Compleat” says it all. This site seems to cover everything Sean has done since birth, focusing of course on his stage, film and TV career. Filmography, biography, news, interviews, stories, photographs, links. A wealth of LOTR information is linked from their Lord of the Rings section, including pages of production notes on Fellowship of the Ring.
The Lord of the Rings – Humor
Ballad of Bilbo Baggins by Leonard Nimoy – Yes I know this little music video from 1968 is about The Hobbit, not The Lord of the Rings. You may find it hilarious or revolting but it’s hard to be neutral. What’s this? You want stills? See Sagralisse’s Ballad of Bilbo Baggins screen caps and icons.
Condensed Parody Version of The Two Towers – Lemonlye (Molly Winter) manages to capture the essence of TTT in one funny page:
ROHIRRIM GUARD: Sire, there are some really femmy people at the gate. They have bows.
ARAGORN: Those are Elves. Let them in.
ROHIRRIM GUARD: Oh! Elves! Wow, I didn’t expect that.
PEOPLE WHO READ THE BOOK: Neither did I…
Tolkien Name Generator – This handy script will generate your elven, hobbit, wizard or dwarf name. I rather like being “Nenoic ‘Headstrong’ Leagallow of the Shire” especially the headstrong part. And how else would I have known my wizard name to be Annatar Ever-young? From MyPrecious.us.