Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

For discussion of Dunedain culture, what it might have looked like and how it worked.

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Greg
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Greg »

NOW we're getting somewhere!

We just all need to wind up in the same place at the same time...I'll write an arrangement of something appropriate, and we'd show up, bard it up like we owned the place, and it'd be amazing.
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Straelbora »

Greg wrote:NOW we're getting somewhere!

We just all need to wind up in the same place at the same time...I'll write an arrangement of something appropriate, and we'd show up, bard it up like we owned the place, and it'd be amazing.
So long as my part of the arrangement is 'plunk, plunk, plunk,' I'm in.
Vápnum sínum skala maðr velli á
feti ganga framar því at óvist er at vita
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs um þörf guma
Hávamál
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by BrianGrubbs »

Greg wrote:"It is a sad tale, as are all the tales of Middle-Earth."
I love the so much about this post, Greg, I can't even begin to tell you. I sing the Lay of Leithian (the short version that this quote precedes) to my daughter at night before bed. The sadness mixed with hope that pervades the history of Middle Earth (the Silmarillion in particular) is so beautifully captured in those verses.

On a side note, the song Pippen sings in the ROTK is one of my favorite things about that movie. Even though it wasn't really from the book, I thought it captured the spirit of the Third Age rather well.

On another side not, I might or might not be doing a video singing the aforementioned Lay of Leithian for my submission to the Lord of the Rings "Picture Book" Project.

Brian
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Greg
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Greg »

Wonderful, sir.
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Stormraven »

Very nice. As one who attempted one time in his life to learn to play the bagpipes and failed miserably (sick cows come to mind), I have great respect for your talent Sir.
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Greg »

When starting out, Highland pipes can generally be attributed to the sound of squeezing an upside-down feral cat under one's arm, and biting on its tail.

When starting out, the Uilleann pipes can generally be attributed to a similar sound, but that of a game bird, such as a turkey, under the arm, and biting on its head. Some of the sound comes from the turkey...others come from the "piper" when the turkey bites back.

Thankfully, I'm past that stage.
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Greg »

As promised.

Image
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Greg »

Proof of piping in middle-earth...a traveling piper plays for the pleasure of a stall to sleep in at the pony.
Shire Piping.jpg
Shire Piping.jpg (19.75 KiB) Viewed 16395 times
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Ringulf »

Great pic Greg!
What is this from, a story outside the Hobbit or Trilogy?
I would love to read it.
I am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed! :mrgreen:
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Greg »

It's not from anything. I've got a few fellow pipers doing some digging for me so I can find out the artist/title/period, but it's just a standalone painting.
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Udwin »

Frederick Goodall, 1847: The Irish Piper:
Image
Personae: Aistan son of Ansteig, common Beorning of Wilderland; Tungo Brandybuck, Eastfarthing Bounder, 3018 TA; a native Man of the Greyflood, c.850 SA
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Ringulf »

No, don't misunderstand, it is a great picture and I love the conception of its pertaining to piping in middle earth, (which I never had any question of it's inclusion) I just was interested in the reference when you stated it "proof" of piping in ME, and wanted to know were it may have been proven canonicle.
It would be very hard for me to fathom pipes not being part of a work written by one such as Tolkien.
I am Ringulf the Dwarven Woodsman, I craft leather, wood, metal, and clay,
I throw axes, seaxes, and pointy sticks, And I fire my bow through the day.
Come be my ally, lift up your mead! We'll search out our foes and the Eagles we'll feed! :mrgreen:
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Southwind »

The Dwarves in "An Unexpected Party" brought a bunch of musical instruments with them. I don't have a copy of The Hobbit to hand, but I'm pretty sure they had stringed instruments including viols and a harp (Thorin's, I believe). Also wind instruments, which may or may not have included pipes.

If ever I make it out to a Ranger meet, I promise to bring some appropriate musical offerings. :)
- Southwind (Gwaiharad)
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Greg »

To put Rimgulf's question to rest:
The leaves were long, the grass was green,
The hemlonk-umbels tall and fair,
And in the glade a light was seen
Of stars in shadow shimmering.
Tinuviel was dancing there
To music of a pipe unseen,
And light of stars was in her hair,
And in her raiment glimmering.


-Common-Tongue rendition of "The Lay of Luthien"; Aragorn, 'A Knife in the Dark', FOTR

I'll have a more detailed analysis down the road, but for now, well...there you have it.
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Re: Music, Laments, and...hi-res photos?

Post by Udwin »

Here are some further evidences, as if we needed more proof:

From the beginning of Creation itself:
"Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harps and lutes, and PIPES and trumpets, and viols and organs, and like unto countless choirs singing with words, began to fashion the theme of Ilúvatar to a great music..." (The Sil, duh, the Ainulindale

in the early versions of the mythos, the Vala Ulmo apparently had a curious pipe:
"Thither he bore too his great instrument of music; and this was of strange design, for it was made of many long twisted shells pierced with holes. Blowing therein and playing with his long fingers he made deep melodies of a magic greater than any other among musicians hath ever compassed on harp or lute, on lyre or pipe, or instruments of the bow." (HoME Vol 2 - III: The Fall of Gondolin)
Ulmo also taught the proto-Teleri (originally called the Solosimpi) to make "slender pipes of shells". (HoME Vol1 - V: The Coming of the Elves and the making of Kor)

In the First Age, Daeron (originally Dairon) was Thingol's minstrel (he is often referred to as 'Dairon the piper' - Line 867 &c.) and based on the draft of the Lay (line 713?), Luthien may have been dancing to his music in the passage which Aragorn tells the hobbits ^. (HoME Vol3 - III The Lay of Leithian)

And even more appropriate for Dunedain context, pipes also have a Numenorean heritage:
"Aldarion rode on to Hyarastorni, the house of Hallatan his cousin; for he had a mind to rest there a while and take thought. When he came near, he heard the sound of music, and he found the shepherds making merry for the homecoming of Ulbar, with many marvellous tales and many gifts; and the wife of Ulbar garlanded was dancing with him to the playing of pipes."
(Unfinished Tales - Part Two, II: Aldarion and Erendis)
Personae: Aistan son of Ansteig, common Beorning of Wilderland; Tungo Brandybuck, Eastfarthing Bounder, 3018 TA; a native Man of the Greyflood, c.850 SA
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