Archery #1 : Master the Basics

No doubt that one of the most exiting part about being an elf consists in shooting with a bow. Try to imagine the Fellowship without Legolas's archery skills ! 

So, here is an article to teach you how to begin with a bow in a few simple steps !  

Archery #1 : Master the Basics : 

• Step 1 : Determine if you're right-handed or left-handed

A lot of people tend to shoot with the same hand that they use for writing. Nevertheless, is not always the case, because it's in fact your dominant eye wich determines if you're right or left-handed.

To determine your dominant eye, extend your arms in front of you, and bring your hand together to form a small hole. Look at an object through that hole, then close one of your eyes. If you can still see the object, the eye you kept open is your dominant eye (otherwise it is the other one ^^ )
You're gonna aim with that eye, and so draw your bow with the arm that is on the same side than you dominant eye.

• Step 2 : Your shooting posture

Stand straight and tall, shoulders apart, and feet perpendicular to the target.

Grip your bow with your hand opposite to your dominant eye. Raise that arm to shoulder height when shooting.

• Step 3 : Place the arrow

Nock your arrow on the string, feather away from the bow. Hook the string placing one finger above the arrow, and two below it. Do not use your little finger. 

• Step 4 : Draw the bow

Raise your bow arm to shoulder height, and drawn the string until it touches your chin. Turn the elbow of your bow arm away from the string.

• Step 5 : Aim and shoot

Close your non-dominant eye. Aim at the target, and then release the string. Keep aiming until the arrow hit the target. 

And hit that orc, babe ;) 

The weaponery of legloas in LOTR

 Legolas's weaponery is a great source of inspiration for any elf in middle-earth. Here is an article about the awesome equipement he uses in the LOTR trilogy.

The Weaponery of Legloas : LOTR 

In LOTR,  Legolas is considered to have unmatched skills with a bow. Nevertheless, he is also a master when it comes to dagger : his two white knifes are dealdy to any ennemy who dares stand in his way.

Bows
When the Fellowship was forged Legolas carried with him a Mirkwood bow made of dark wood, carved in the style of Númenorean longbows and fashioned with a pattern of golden leaves.
It is very likely that Legolas made this bow himself in his youth. When strung, this bow stood at 60 inches and could easily fire an arrow with great force across a 250-yard reach.
The arrows of Mirkwood were stained to match the coloring of the bow and were sturdy. They were 30 inches long and pointed with narrow tips that were designed to pierce both armour and flesh.

In Lórien, Legolas was given a bow blessed by the Lady Galadriel; it was carved from a single piece of mallorn heartwood. This bow was paler than his other, and was carved so it appeared to have leaves and vines climbing over it. When the Lorien bow was strung it measured 68 inches and could send an arrow 400 yards with great accuracy. The string of this bow was rumored to contain a single strand of the Lady Galadriel’s hair.

The arrows of Lórien were 40 inches long and thinner than the Mirkwood arrows. The arrows are dyed green and their tips were crafted into the shape of the mallorn leaves, which greatly increased the damage inflicted on a target. The Lórien quiver was crafted from wood and covered with leather and was crafted with the design of a peacock. This quiver held two dozen arrows and was belted across Legolas’ shoulders and torso ensuring that it did not move during travelling or battle.



The White Knives
Legolas’s white knives were kept in scabbards  attached to Legolas’ quiver when not needed. These knives were about two feet in length and were both held by eight-inch long handles. Their curved blades were made from the finest steel and engraved with a fine pattern of vines and scrollwork. They were honed on the downward side, giving Legolas an edge when fighting.

The knives were fashioned so that Legolas could use them quickly, and in slashing stroke and short stabbing motions.

Armour

Legolas rely on his hand and body speed in order to keep himself from getting wounded, which explains the fact that he is barely wearing an armour. The only oone that Legolas was known to wear were leather braces, though when he was preparing for the Battle of Helm’s Deep he also wore pauldrons of boiled leather.

Speaking Elvish #2

Greetings, my friend ! What about learning what is your elvish name today ? 

Speaking Elvish #2 : Your Elvish name 

Learning Elvish is great, but sometimes it can seems a bit complicated. Let's begin with a fun thing : how to say your Elvish name !! Let's go ! 

An extremely easy method to write your name in Elvish : http://www.starchamber.com/paracelsus/elvish/elvish-in-ten-minutes.html

Whant your name translated into Elvish ? This way : http://www.councilofelrond.com/elvishnamecats/quenya-name-finder/

Lastly, here's a cool Elven names generator : http://www.chriswetherell.com/elf/

So, what is your Elvish name ? Please leave it in the comments below !!!

Fandom #1- Elvish diaries

Hey ! What about starting 2016 with unique diaries ? Here are some elvish ones I found on the internet :

In Roman writing :
http://www.ambar-eldaron.com/flip/agenda_roman2016/Default.html

In Tengwar writing :
http://www.ambar-eldaron.com/flip/agenda_tengwar2016/Default.html

First things first - Speaking Elvish #1

Now, you want to become an awesome silven elf ? What about Speaking Elf ? It's not as hard as it sound, (I promise)  give it a try !

 It took Orlando Bloom only a month to learn Elvish before filming the Fellowship of the Ring (and he had at the same time to learn his stunts, archery, horse bareback riding as well as how to fight with two swords)....Certainly you can do it !!

 So First things first ! : Learning Elvish #1


J.R.R Tolkien created many languages for the Elves. His interest was primarily philogical, and he said his stories grew out of his languages. The languages were the first thing Tolkien created for his mythos. To put it in an other way : you cannot completely enjoy Tolkien's work without an understanding (even tiny) of his invented languages.

The two main Elven languages are :

                    - Quenya, the language of the High Elves, the Noldor and the Vanyar ; it is the language proeminent in The Lord of the Ring as well as in The Hobbit.
         

         - Sindarin, also called "Grey Elvish", language of the Sindarin Elves of Beleriand.

I would recommend you to start with Quenya, so that you can exercice with the lines of the elves in Peter Jackon's movies , and what's more wich is really enjoyable due to the musicality of its words.

The great course of  Helge Frauskanger : http://folk.uib.no/hnohf/qcourse.htm

An useful guide for beginners : http://www.councilofelrond.com/content/guide-to-learning-elvish/

Translation of the lines for the Lord of the Ring trilogy : http://www.councilofelrond.com/content/lotr-elvish-in-the-movies-dialogue-subtitles-and-literal-meanings/

Useful Elvish phrases to learn : http://www.councilofelrond.com/content/phrases/

Here begin your elven journey .....

Elen síla lúmenn' omentielvo ! 

 Welcome !!! If you're here, you're problably a great fan of J.R.R. Tolkien's amazing books and their screen adaptation. I'm myself a huge fan, and I've always been particularly fascinated about the elves of Middle-earth. So I've decided to start this blog about how my fandom grew into an elven lifestyle, and how you can do the same !! So whether you're just here to kill the time, or you're really searching for an other way to live your fandom than staying hour in front of your TV screen (wich is awsome, I must admitt) I hope you'll find some interesting stuff in here ! Don't forget to leave comments, and let's go for an unexpected journey !!!

Anar kaluva tielyanna