“About this time of year, when the leaves are gold before they fall, look for Bilbo in the woods of the Shire. I shall be with him.” - Elrond, speaking of the last journey to Frodo and the other hobbits as they departed Rivendell to return to The Shire (Return of the King)
Exactly on September 29, 3021 (Shire-reckoning), Bilbo & Frodo left Middle-earth forever with Gandalf, Elrond, Galadriel and the other remaining elves to the Undying Lands as Sam, Merry and Pippin watched them depart on their last journey. Join Rediscovered Realms, as we explore “Bilbo’s Last Song”
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I have been wistful of late. With the leaves starting to change color and a spate of celebrity deaths in 2024 - people that have been institutions throughout my life and our shared human culture, it’s brought on some feelings of melancholy & mortality.
Maggie Smith (Professor McGonagall from Harry Potter), James Earl Jones (Darth Vader from Star Wars, Thulsa Doom from Conan, Terence Mann from Field of Dreams), Bernard Hill (King Théoden from Lord of the Rings), Carl Weathers (Apollo Creed), Dabney Coleman (Jack Flack from Cloak & Dagger), Spencer Milligan (Rick Marshall from Sid & Marty Krofft’s The Land of the Lost), Donald Sutherland (from, well, just about everything), Martin Mull (from so many movies, shows, and TV/radio commercials), Shelly Duvall (Olive Oil from Popeye with Robin Williams, and Fairy Tale Theater), Dr. Ruth, Richard Simmons, Bob Newhart, Shannen Doherty, Gena Rowlands (The Notebook), Louis Gossett Jr., David Soul (Starsky and Hutch) . . .
Each of these deaths feels so poignant and starts a chain reaction of remembrances within me of other fellow travelers that have been lost in recent years.
You may feel a bit of that wistful poignancy in this week’s Rediscovered Realms theme song which has taken on a heroic acoustic ballad style:
Rediscovered Realms: Together We Will Find Our Fate1
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While brainstorming on what to write this week’s newsletter about, those thoughts were swirling through my head as I glanced over to the book laying on my desk for the past week or so.
An impulse buy, since it was on sale on Amazon, I picked up J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Bilbo’s Last Song”.
It’s a small book, both in size and pages . . . almost pocket-sized even.
I vaguely remember seeing it sometime in the past (this particular illustrated format was originally published all the way back in 2002) but put off purchase due to its seemingly childlike storybook format which didn’t appeal to me at the time.
Tolkien probably started “Bilbo’s Last Song” in the 1920s or 1930s and bequeathed it to his secretary as a gift in 1971 for all her hard work and care she showed over the years. After The Professor’s death, she sanctioned several posters to be made featuring this poem. After her death in 1991, it was then bequeathed to “The Order of the Holy Paraclete”. It became a picture book in 1990.
Well, I’m a firm believer that the right things come to you at the right times, if you allow them to.
The midnight blue dust jacket with silver-gilt title and cameo circle and the inner cover 2-page fairytale illustration endpapers of the elves and Bilbo approaching the Gray Havens sucked me in immediately.
By the way, the illustrations were done by Pauline Baynes in 1990. She was one of Tolkien’s favorite artists and was actually chosen by C.S. Lewis to illustrate The Chronicles of Narnia!
Reading through the 24-page story was a quick affair, reading Bilbo’s words, seeing images of both his current journey in large illustrations in parallel with his “The Hobbit’s” journey paintings in diminutive counterpoint.
Of course, it’s impossible to not envision Peter Jackson’s movie perspective while reading this, as well as the ingrained memories of reading the actual books for the first time so many years ago.
Bilbo’s final words as his ship approaches the Undying Lands:
"Farewell to
Middle-earth at last,
I see the Star
above your mast!"
If that’s all there was to this book, it would be a nice addition to my other Tolkien books, but to me, the next section of “NOTES ON THE PICTURES” brought it to a whole other level.
By describing the events, thoughts, and intentions behind the pictures was like adding salt to a bland dish . . . it makes the food come alive in such a way that you wonder how you could possibly not have loved it before its seasoning.
Reading through these notes hits you right in the heart - excerpts from both The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings that bring back to mind the very special journey of our friends from Middle-earth.
Re-reading Bilbo’s Song after these notes was a vibrant and sumptuous feast which I can’t recommend enough to other adventurers.
But imagine my surprise when I realized in a couple of the notes that the very day of this newsletter is the very day of Bilbo’s, Frodo’s, Gandalf’s, Galadriel’s & Elrond’s departure . . . September 29th.
“12. Evening, 29th September, 3021. The End of the Third Age. ‘Sam … saw a shadow on the waters that was soon lost in the West.’ The Ring-bearers depart, and from this moment the Fourth Age is dated.”
So, as you can see, I had no agency in the subject of this week’s newsletter. My life’s ship of thoughts had navigated through sad islands within earshot of Valinor, so lashing myself to my desk, I listened to Bilbo’s siren song.
And now, after returning to my own harbor, I can’t help but think . . .
As with the other persons & personalities in our oft mundane lives that shone so brightly before going on their final journeys, I miss these literary friends so very dearly.
Especially as those golden leaves begin to fall.
There’s power in song. To connect with each other, to share our triumphs, longings, disappointments, hopes, and especially our shared humanity.
The words of this book were not spoken or recited, but sung by Bilbo at the Grey Havens, right before he departed Middle-earth for his final journey. A journey so many have taken this year.
Celebrating them and Bilbo, raise your voices and join me now in singing the verses of Bilbo’s Last Song:
Bilbo’s Last Song
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Day is ended, dim my eyes, but journey long before me lies.
Farewell, friends! I hear the call. The ship's beside the stony wall.
Foam is white and waves are grey; beyond the sunset leads my way.
Foam is salt, the wind is free; I hear the rising of the Sea.
Farewell, friends! The sails are set, the wind is east, the moorings fret.
Shadows long before me lie, beneath the ever-bending sky,
But islands lie behind the Sun that I shall raise ere all is done;
Lands there are to west of West, where night is quiet and sleep is rest.
Guided by the Lonely Star, beyond the utmost harbour-bar
I'll find the havens fair and free, and beaches of the Starlit Sea.
Ship, my ship! I seek the West, and fields and mountains ever blest.
Farewell to Middle-earth at last, I see the Star above your mast!
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[Verse] In the Rediscovered Realms we find Old magic from another time Heroes rise and legends tell Of battles fought and dreams that swell [Verse] Art and games and tales of old Stories that need to be retold For those who seek adventure's light In the enchanted depth of night [Chorus] Rediscover realms so grand Take my heart take my hand In the wonders we create Together we will find our fate [Verse] Books of yore and deeds so bold Mysteries waiting to unfold Adults yearning to explore What their hearts have long adored [Verse] Movies bring the magic near Lost in worlds where we can cheer For heroes brave and villains wane In the realms where dreams remain [Chorus] Rediscover realms so grand Take my heart take my hand In the wonders we create Together we will find our fate
I watched Rings of Power S2 recently (which I assume will invoke the ire of many here). For it’s flaws, it’s sparked a hunger for LotR lore and got me going down the rabbit hole. I had no idea how wonderful it is, even having absolutely loved the original movies.
This was a lovely article J.Q. and it taps into my own sense of reflection that occurs this time of year. Plus, something weird happened the other day that made me think about the past and lost loved ones so naturally I wrote a story about it and I’m publishing it tomorrow! 🤔 🙂
Also, I had looked at this book before but decided against ordering it. I think your words have changed my mind. Sometimes a specific book, no matter how slight, finds us at the exact moment we need it to 👍🏼
I watched Rings of Power S2 recently (which I assume will invoke the ire of many here). For it’s flaws, it’s sparked a hunger for LotR lore and got me going down the rabbit hole. I had no idea how wonderful it is, even having absolutely loved the original movies.
This was a lovely article J.Q. and it taps into my own sense of reflection that occurs this time of year. Plus, something weird happened the other day that made me think about the past and lost loved ones so naturally I wrote a story about it and I’m publishing it tomorrow! 🤔 🙂
Also, I had looked at this book before but decided against ordering it. I think your words have changed my mind. Sometimes a specific book, no matter how slight, finds us at the exact moment we need it to 👍🏼