Persona Concept: Cimrandir...Dunedain Archaelogist?
Posted: Tue Apr 28, 2020 3:12 am
Don't call it a comeback - I've been here for years.
Hey guys, long time no see. While I wouldn't often log in, I've never forgotten the folks here at MERF and I would often wander over here to check out the latest happenings. Life is slowly stabilizing for me and honestly now that I'm no longer a young'n (hard to believe that I was fourteen years old when I joined), I have a little more time and discipline to actually commit to this undertaking. I've always been attracted to the "realness" of the folks here and how they don't simply cosplay Rangers - they have the skills and experience to back it up. I come from a background of self reliance and woodcraft but I've let time and not practicing rust those skills away.
Time to get back in the saddle.
I've still got work (like most of you) and school (like some of you) so those will take priority like always but this has been bumped up this list. Time to sharpen the sword so to speak.
So while I plan to focus on the skills and know-how side of things, still got to make it fun and y'know, Middle Earth. So I'm taking a tactic from real-world reenactment and first things first this time around, I'm creating a persona. Something to guide and inform my decision-making process and kit construction. It helps to add a little depth to the Middle Earth reenactment as well.
Considering the lack of information on Middle Earth cultures and on the Dunedain in particular, I'm trying to make it vague enough to allow me to go in multiple directions and to avoid the more "fanfictiony" aspects. I also wanted to make it a bit more "real" for me and try to include some of my own personal background.
----------
Born in T.A. 2994, Cimrandir spent his youth learning the way of the Rangers and exploring the North. His parents instilled in him a love and respect for the past and he often would reflect on the glory days of the Northern Kingdoms. With the outbreak of the War of the Ring in T.A. 3018, Cimrandir reluctantly switched from his defensive Rangering to one of the offense. Serving with distinction in the war, he was never the less glad when the war was finally over with the fall of Sauron.
With the dawn of the Fourth Age and the reestablishment of the Kingdom of Arnor by King Elessar Telcontar, he knew his duty was to help restore the fallen kingdom. The years without a king and hiding from evil forces had taken its toll on the culture of the Dunedain. Cimrandir realized that they needed to establish a link to their past and revive the old ways in the renewed Kingdom. History is a funny animal in Middle Earth with the ageless Elves that could recite the traditions and deeds of Men of Old. But deeds and adventures do not a culture make. The ways of building a house, of carving a statue, of jewelry making and styles of swords do. The material culture if you will, that link people together in their ways. Sadly, those are not often recorded by those immortal Elves. Those ways of the past needed to be rediscovered. In addition, the majority of the Elves had already sailed across the sea. So that left Men to reclaim their heritage.
To that end, Cimradir began to explore the wild, recording and documenting all that he came across. He became known as an Iorengollon or "Scholar of the Old Days" in Sindarin. His mission was not entirely one of peace though. Despite the fall of Sauron, there still lurked evil in the forest needing to be driven out. The new settlers and re-emerging Dunedain still needed protecting. So Cimrandir still wandered the forest doing what a Ranger does best.
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The seed for this concept was the translation of "archaeology" into Sindarin. I am an archaeologist by trade and I was curious to translate my profession into a tongue that I much admire. The fine linguists at Parf Edhellen and their discord channel Vinyë Lambengolmor were an invaluable help in making sure the translation was both accurate and worked within a Middle Earth context. To make Iorengollon work, I came up with the backstory above to justify the creation of the word. I took inspiration from real world antiquarianism and historians such as Herodotus. But perhaps most of all, from Nabonidus and Flavio Biondo. It is not perhaps "true" archaeology but more along the lines of proto-archaeology perhaps. Enough to count.
As for Cimrandir, it is "Edge-wanderer" in Sindarin. With Edge meaning the frontier or border as in Edge of the Wild. Appropriate for both a Ranger and myself who surveys so much in the wild. Thanks to /r/sindarin for the help with that translation.
Hopefully, that does not read as too much fiction of my own design. I like to think that the Professor wouldn't have too much issue with it considering he himself paid close attention to the archaeological world and in fact served as a consultant once for a dig.
Sabo, Deborah. Archaeology and the Sense of History in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth Earth
Ring of Silvianus
As for the rest of it, my imagination filled in the blanks. As I said before, I tried to keep it simple and straightforward. I set him at the beginning of the Fourth Age so he could be free to wander in pursuit of a goal other than simple protection of the innocents. I tried to keep him "common' and I make no claim to be a member of the illustrious Grey Company.
So what does this mean going forward? How does this inform my kit?
For one, I think I should carry multiple maps. Perhaps a notebook? Practice my sketching and note taking. If I were cheeky, I'd fashion a sheath for my trowel and carry it on my belt but that would be a little over the top, I think. Other than that, I am unsure. Something to work on as I progress and earn.
So there you have it. I leave it to you fine folks for comments and criticisms. Any and all are welcome.
Thank you.
Hey guys, long time no see. While I wouldn't often log in, I've never forgotten the folks here at MERF and I would often wander over here to check out the latest happenings. Life is slowly stabilizing for me and honestly now that I'm no longer a young'n (hard to believe that I was fourteen years old when I joined), I have a little more time and discipline to actually commit to this undertaking. I've always been attracted to the "realness" of the folks here and how they don't simply cosplay Rangers - they have the skills and experience to back it up. I come from a background of self reliance and woodcraft but I've let time and not practicing rust those skills away.
Time to get back in the saddle.
I've still got work (like most of you) and school (like some of you) so those will take priority like always but this has been bumped up this list. Time to sharpen the sword so to speak.
So while I plan to focus on the skills and know-how side of things, still got to make it fun and y'know, Middle Earth. So I'm taking a tactic from real-world reenactment and first things first this time around, I'm creating a persona. Something to guide and inform my decision-making process and kit construction. It helps to add a little depth to the Middle Earth reenactment as well.
Considering the lack of information on Middle Earth cultures and on the Dunedain in particular, I'm trying to make it vague enough to allow me to go in multiple directions and to avoid the more "fanfictiony" aspects. I also wanted to make it a bit more "real" for me and try to include some of my own personal background.
----------
Born in T.A. 2994, Cimrandir spent his youth learning the way of the Rangers and exploring the North. His parents instilled in him a love and respect for the past and he often would reflect on the glory days of the Northern Kingdoms. With the outbreak of the War of the Ring in T.A. 3018, Cimrandir reluctantly switched from his defensive Rangering to one of the offense. Serving with distinction in the war, he was never the less glad when the war was finally over with the fall of Sauron.
With the dawn of the Fourth Age and the reestablishment of the Kingdom of Arnor by King Elessar Telcontar, he knew his duty was to help restore the fallen kingdom. The years without a king and hiding from evil forces had taken its toll on the culture of the Dunedain. Cimrandir realized that they needed to establish a link to their past and revive the old ways in the renewed Kingdom. History is a funny animal in Middle Earth with the ageless Elves that could recite the traditions and deeds of Men of Old. But deeds and adventures do not a culture make. The ways of building a house, of carving a statue, of jewelry making and styles of swords do. The material culture if you will, that link people together in their ways. Sadly, those are not often recorded by those immortal Elves. Those ways of the past needed to be rediscovered. In addition, the majority of the Elves had already sailed across the sea. So that left Men to reclaim their heritage.
To that end, Cimradir began to explore the wild, recording and documenting all that he came across. He became known as an Iorengollon or "Scholar of the Old Days" in Sindarin. His mission was not entirely one of peace though. Despite the fall of Sauron, there still lurked evil in the forest needing to be driven out. The new settlers and re-emerging Dunedain still needed protecting. So Cimrandir still wandered the forest doing what a Ranger does best.
----------
The seed for this concept was the translation of "archaeology" into Sindarin. I am an archaeologist by trade and I was curious to translate my profession into a tongue that I much admire. The fine linguists at Parf Edhellen and their discord channel Vinyë Lambengolmor were an invaluable help in making sure the translation was both accurate and worked within a Middle Earth context. To make Iorengollon work, I came up with the backstory above to justify the creation of the word. I took inspiration from real world antiquarianism and historians such as Herodotus. But perhaps most of all, from Nabonidus and Flavio Biondo. It is not perhaps "true" archaeology but more along the lines of proto-archaeology perhaps. Enough to count.
As for Cimrandir, it is "Edge-wanderer" in Sindarin. With Edge meaning the frontier or border as in Edge of the Wild. Appropriate for both a Ranger and myself who surveys so much in the wild. Thanks to /r/sindarin for the help with that translation.
Hopefully, that does not read as too much fiction of my own design. I like to think that the Professor wouldn't have too much issue with it considering he himself paid close attention to the archaeological world and in fact served as a consultant once for a dig.
Sabo, Deborah. Archaeology and the Sense of History in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-Earth Earth
Ring of Silvianus
As for the rest of it, my imagination filled in the blanks. As I said before, I tried to keep it simple and straightforward. I set him at the beginning of the Fourth Age so he could be free to wander in pursuit of a goal other than simple protection of the innocents. I tried to keep him "common' and I make no claim to be a member of the illustrious Grey Company.
So what does this mean going forward? How does this inform my kit?
For one, I think I should carry multiple maps. Perhaps a notebook? Practice my sketching and note taking. If I were cheeky, I'd fashion a sheath for my trowel and carry it on my belt but that would be a little over the top, I think. Other than that, I am unsure. Something to work on as I progress and earn.
So there you have it. I leave it to you fine folks for comments and criticisms. Any and all are welcome.
Thank you.