Oxonmoot 2024: Full Schedule

arrow_back View All Dates

12:00am BST

The Conquering Power of Madness: A Postcolonial Approach to J.R.R. Tolkien's Legendarium

Sunday September 1, 2024 12:00am - 12:30am BST

Does the masculine colonizer transfer its madness to its feminine colonized victim? To answer this, I go beyond the approach of analyzing individualistic decisions of characters in Tolkien’s legendarium. Instead, I view their choices as a symptom of past and current colonization by applying the postcolonial concept of the ‘mad woman’ to collective races and their history in Arda rather than the individual. This study is an attempt to further Tolkien postcolonialism scholarship, specifically regarding Orientalism, while simultaneously moving past the separation of the colonizer and colonized in Tolkien’s legendarium.

Speakers

Elizabeth Turello

The same week as the 50th Oxonmoot, Elizabeth continued her academic journey, beginning graduate school at Seton Hall University; she will be earning her M.A. in English with a concentration in Literature, specifically Tolkien. Through her research, Elizabeth hopes to bring new interpretive... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 12:00am - 12:30am BST
0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

Online, Presented Online

12:30am BST

The Nameless Enemy: How Do You Solve a Problem Like “Mairon”?

Sunday September 1, 2024 12:30am - 1:00am BST

0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

“[N]othing is evil in the beginning, even Sauron was not so.” These words from The Fellowship of the Ring express both a theological axiom and hint at a character arc whose beginnings we are never shown. The pre-fallen Sauron remained mostly hidden and entirely nameless—until 2007. With the publication of Parma Eldalamberon volume 17 we learned that Sauron had once been “Mairon” (The Admirable). What can we glean from this name amid the dozens of other names and epithets applied to Sauron across the Legendarium? How does “Mairon” compare to names of the other Ainur in general or Sauron’s maia foils Melyanna, Curumo, and Olórin in particular? What might it suggest about the telos of its owner? What about his virtues, vices, and the circumstances of his unshown Fall? In the spirit of Croft’s and Broadwell’s work on onomastics in Tolkien, I will explore these questions with regard to how they help shape a potential “capsule story” for the Lord of the Rings, himself.

Speakers

Cameron Bourquein

Scholar, Designer, Artist, Manifest Reality Design | Independent Scholar

Cameron Bourquein is an independent scholar who received her BA from Anderson University in 2006 (Theatre Studies, Graphic Design, Information Systems). Her undergraduate thesis integrated her love of sculpture, set design, acting, and the photography of Josef Sudek into a one-woman... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 12:30am - 1:00am BST
0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

Online, Presented Online

12:45am BST

Languages Drop-in

Sunday September 1, 2024 12:45am - 1:45am BST

0.2 - Online Only (Meeting Strand)

Tolkien's invented languages lie at the heart of his creation of Middle-earth.

Join this drop-in to meet others with a shared interest in languages. Share knowledge, or seek answers to the questions you have always wanted to ask.

Sunday September 1, 2024 12:45am - 1:45am BST
0.2 - Online Only (Meeting Strand)

Online, Drop-in

Interests Languages

12:45am BST

Writing Drop-in

Sunday September 1, 2024 12:45am - 1:45am BST

0.1 Online Only (Meeting Strand)

Ever since Tolkien's works were first published, people have been inspired to write their own fiction - both original, and "fan-fiction" set in his worlds.

Join this drop-in to meet others who share a passion for writing. Compare notes, share ideas, exchange hints and tips, or maybe even come up with a plan to collaborate!

Sunday September 1, 2024 12:45am - 1:45am BST
0.1 Online Only (Meeting Strand)

Online, Drop-in

Interests Writing

1:00am BST

The Science of the Silmarils

Sunday September 1, 2024 1:00am - 1:30am BST

0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

Fantasy stories and the elements therein are not necessarily held to scientific standards. Suspension of reality is accepted–but could there be scientific foundations to explain the properties of the Silmarils? Analyzing the attributes of the Silmarils requires examination of Laurelin and Telperion, the gold and silver light-giving trees of Valinor, and the exploration of biological and chemical possibilities. The construction of the Silmarils is also of interest, leading to investigation of the geological, lapidarical, an alchemical options which would give the gems the ability to shine brightly in darkness, burn the hands of those who hold them, and theoretically be manipulated to allow for the light to someday be released. Delving into various scientific fields, this talk will present both scientific considerations as well as historical curiosities as they relate to Fëanor’s greatest creation.

Speakers

Zhie

Tears Unnumbered Pub

Zhie has been an academic librarian for over two decades and teaching at the college level for nearly twenty-five years. While most contributions have been derivative fandom works and creation of STEAM-based OER for use in makerspaces and classrooms, activities have also included... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 1:00am - 1:30am BST
0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

Online, Presented Online

1:30am BST

The Evolution and Impact of Story: The Children of Hurin

Sunday September 1, 2024 1:30am - 2:00am BST

0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

In this presentation I’ll explain how Tolkien’s reading of the Kalevala led to the writing of his early short story, the story of Kullervo, which resulted in the writing of many versions of the Children of Hurin and impacted his creation of Middle-Earth. I will also note how it became a lifelong obsession to him, which prevented his finalizing the Silmarillion himself.

Speakers

Ross Nunamaker

Ross Nunamaker is a graduate of the University of Arizona, with a degree in interdisciplinary studies in political science, history, and philosophy. He later received a certification in project management at the University of California, Berkeley.He joined the Tolkien Society on 1... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 1:30am - 2:00am BST
0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

Online, Presented Online

1:45am BST

Art Drop-in

Sunday September 1, 2024 1:45am - 2:45am BST

0.1 Online Only (Meeting Strand)

Tolkien's stories have provided inspiration for illustrators and artists for many years.

Join this drop-in to meet other with an interest in Tolkien art. Share your projects, exchange hints and tips, or discuss your favourite artists and illustrations - the choice is yours.

Sunday September 1, 2024 1:45am - 2:45am BST
0.1 Online Only (Meeting Strand)

Online, Drop-in

Interests Art

2:00am BST

Death, Grief, and the Other in the Quenta Silmarillion

Sunday September 1, 2024 2:00am - 2:30am BST

0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

The main narrative found in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion, the Quenta Silmarillion, contains ninety deaths of named characters, as well as countless deaths of characters who remain unnamed. How these deaths are presented in the text varies, revealing narrative bias that shapes how readers understand the purpose and meaning of The Silmarillion within the wider legendarium. The Silmarillion narrator can be difficult to discern, but my prior research shows the narrator of much of the Quenta Silmarillion is most likely Pengolodh. Presentation of characters—including their death scenes—adhere to his biases, inviting consideration of how other perspectives might produce different "Silmarillions" with varying emphases and prejudices. In this paper, I continue prior research on death and grieving in the Quenta Silmarillion to consider depictions of the Other—characters who are not Noldorin or Sindarin—and how those characters are permitted (or not) to die with dignity and grieve.

Speakers

Dawn Walls-Thumma

Dawn Walls-Thumma is an independent Tolkien scholar whose work focuses on The Silmarillion as a pseudohistorical text and the history and culture of Tolkien fanfiction communities. Her recent publications include the Transformative Works and Cultures and the Journal of Tolkien Research... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 2:00am - 2:30am BST
0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

Online, Presented Online

2:30am BST

Ecclesiology Along the Withywindle: Tom Bombadil and Restoration in The Lord of the Rings

Sunday September 1, 2024 2:30am - 3:00am BST

0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

For Professor Tolkien, “subcreators” of fantasy never create ex nihilo—only from what is already made. Subcreators wield power to either corrupt (like Morgoth) or correct (like Elves). Tom Bombadil, one of Tolkien’s most mysterious characters, embodies Tolkien’s subcreative theories. Bombadil sang exhortation to the creation in his realm. And, indeed, the Bombadilic Episode (the “Episode”) in The Fellowship of the Ring impacted the hobbits in divinely significant ways as well. This article argues that Bombadil, and the entire Episode, are capable of “allegorical interpretation” as the Church herself. Bombadil, along with his wife, Goldberry, function as the Church for the hobbits during their stay. And, while in his realm, Bombadil functioned as prophet, priest, and king. While there, the hobbits encountered forms of all seven sacraments which Tolkien would have known well. Bombadil’s sacramental provision sustained Frodo until he saw the “far green country under a swift sunrise."

Speakers

Jonah Echols

Jonah is an Atlanta, Georgia based attorney working in estates, trust planning, business law, and intellectual property. His educational background includes the following: Juris Doctor, Cum Laude, Liberty University; Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, Summa Cum Laude, Bachelor of Arts... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 2:30am - 3:00am BST
0 - Online only (Webinar Strand)

Online, Presented Online

8:00am BST

Breakfast

Sunday September 1, 2024 8:00am - 9:30am BST

7 - Dining Hall

Provided if you are staying in College accommodation

Sunday September 1, 2024 8:00am - 9:30am BST
7 - Dining Hall

Meals

8:30am BST

"She was not conquered": Of Morwen and Motherhood in Middle-earth

Sunday September 1, 2024 8:30am - 9:00am BST

1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

In a Legendarium with proportionally few female characters, only a subset of whom are mothers, it is perhaps unsurprising that motherhood in Middle-earth has not emerged as a subject of much discussion. In this paper, I consider how Tolkien depicts the experience of mothers, and how this evolved over the course of his writing career. The focus is on Morwen, the mother of Túrin, Lalaith and Nienor, whose identity as a mother is central to her character, from the Book of Lost Tales through to Tolkien’s late writings. Here I ponder the Húrin’s final epithet for Morwen ‘She was not conquered’ in the light of her story as a mother and what it means in Tolkien’s work for a mother to be ‘conquered’ or otherwise.

Speakers

Ilana Mushin

Ilana Mushin is a Professor of Linguistics at the University of Queensland, Australia. She is unsure whether she became a linguist because of her love of Tolkien, or whether, like Tolkien, she was drawn inexorably to the study of languages, with a shared interest in relationships... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 8:30am - 9:00am BST
1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

Hybrid, Presented Online

9:00am BST

The Lost Children of Middle-earth

Sunday September 1, 2024 9:00am - 9:30am BST

1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

"In Australian history since the arrival of the first fleet, the children of our first peoples have been taken and placed with families and in institutions of a different colonial culture, a genocidal crime.

This talk will briefly look at:
* the fostering or guardianship experience of Ronald Tolkien and his brother, Hilary.
* fostering in Anglo-Saxon England, the historical period that Tolkien studied in depth
* the institutional and foster experience of a member of Australia’s stolen generation, Jack Charles.
* and overview of lost children in Tolkien’s writing and, in particular, of Tuor, Turin and Aragorn.
The talk reveals how Tolkien wrote his personal experiences and medieval themes in to his works, and the authenticity of these writings. It helps us reflect on the dispossession and loss of Australia's first people and children.
This talk was originally presented at Ozmoot 2023 - ""Deep Roots"", the first moot of Hern Ennorath, the Australian smial of the Tolkien Society."

Speakers

Lauren Brand

Australian Hern Ennorath Smial, Canberra Tolkien Fellowship

Lauren Brand was introduced to The Lord of the Rings through the Bakshi / Zaentz movie and unsuccessfully attempted to read the Silmarillion in her first year of high school as the Lord of the Rings was out on loan from the library. Finally, she devoured The Lord of the Rings in... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 9:00am - 9:30am BST
1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

Hybrid, Presented Online

9:30am BST

Bilbo’s Return and the Tichborne Affair

Sunday September 1, 2024 9:30am - 10:00am BST

1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

"According to J. R. R. Tolkien’s 'The Hobbit', Bilbo Baggins and thirteen dwarves left Bywater on ‘just before May’; and he returned home on 22nd June of the following year, finding it the scene of an auction. The reason for all this was that he was ‘“Presumed Dead”’. Bilbo’s return had legal and social consequences, being ‘a great deal more than a nine days’ wonder. The legal bother, indeed, lasted for years’.

The talk explores the possibility that Tolkien’s portrayal of Bilbo’s return and its consequences might have been influenced by the Tichborne Affair (1865-98), an event extremely well-known and influential in its time. It began in 1865 when Thomas Castro, a butcher from Wagga Wagga, in the self-governing UK colony of New South Wales, Australia, claimed to be Sir Roger Charles Doughty Tichborne, Baronet, the heir to a title and estate of a long-established, landed English family in Hampshire, who had gone missing, presumed dead, in 1854."

Speakers

Murray Smith

Murray Smith was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland. A fan of Tolkien and his works since the age of twelve − when he began reading a copy of The Hobbit, found when moving house with his family − he joined the Tolkien Society in 2002. A member of the Bar of Ireland since 1999... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 9:30am - 10:00am BST
1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

Hybrid, Presented Online

10:00am BST

Melkor and the Magus

Sunday September 1, 2024 10:00am - 10:30am BST

1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

At the 2005 Aston conference, I lectured on William Morris's influence on Tolkien, and my lecture was published in the 2005 Proceedings. I divided the lecture-essay into four parts: the visual inspiration of the tapestries in Exeter College which were designed by Burne-Jones and woven in Morris's workshops, the influence of Morris's translations of the Norse sagas; of Morris's original Gothic romances; and his poetry. I have not changed my view of those last three parts, only reinforced them with more material. However, must revise my view of the tapestries, especially the Adoration of the Magi in the Chapel, as more information has surfaced, notably on Tolkien's likely source of the name Melkor, no longer initially inspired by the warrior Magus in the Chapel tapestry, but by a medieval text set for his Finals.

Speakers

Jessica Yates

Jessica Yates read English at LMH, Oxford, qualified as a librarian in London, and joined the, Tolkien Society in 1972; she is thus one of its longest-serving members. She has served as Secretary and Amon Hen editor in the 1970s, was a founder member of Oxonmoot, and has published... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 10:00am - 10:30am BST
1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

Hybrid, Presented Online

10:30am BST

Beyond the Romantic Spirit: Tolkien’s Voyage of Eärendil from Wandering to Heralding

Sunday September 1, 2024 10:30am - 11:00am BST

1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

"Eärendel has been considered as a Romantic and escapist figure as, despite being inspired by the homonym angelic herald of Christ in the 'Book of Exeter', original Tolkien’s poem 'The Voyage of Eärendel the Evening Star' depicts a purposeless character pursuing an otherworldly ideal.
Nevertheless, later, in 'The Silmarillion', such character, named Eärendil, is crucial for the victory against Morgoth.
Here I present a study linking the original Eärendel to the final Eärendil and showing that his development progressively follows the evolution of the entire Tolkien’s legendarium from his first poems and 'The Lost Tales' to the stage of the 'Quenta Silmarillion': in the first compositions the Silmarils’ fate is not central and the ancient Elvish lore is retrieved through Romantic wandering figures (e.g. mariner Eriol); while in the later stage Eärendil’s Silmaril has a prominent role in the narrative and directly links the Elder Days with Frodo’s mission in 'The Lord of the Rings'."

Speakers

Benedetto Ardini

"Benedetto Ardini, born in Italy in 1996, has been a J.R.R. Tolkien's fan since his childhood thanks to Luca, his cousin, from whom he got this passion. His interests span from the analysis of Tolkien's text on Middle-earth legendarium to his academic, artistic and philological works.Currently... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 10:30am - 11:00am BST
1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

Hybrid, Presented Online

10:30am BST

Costume Masquerade Show-and-Tell

Sunday September 1, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am BST

3 - Edoras (Discussions & Activites) & Online (Meeting Strand)

Costumers love learning from one another - and just because some of our Masqueraders are online doesn't mean we shouldn't provide an opportunity for people to share at Oxonmoot too. Masquerade participants and anyone interested in costume are invited to come together with the Masquerade team to discuss their experiences in making their costumes, and share the tricks and tips they used.

Speakers

Mike Percival

Chiefest and Greatest of Calamities (Head Dragon)

Mike Percival joined the Tolkien Society in 1983. A year later at his first Oxonmoot he thought to himself "the ambience of this party would be improved by using some stage lighting for the Ents". And the rest is history. Apart from doing tech at Oxonmoot almost ever since, Mike has... Read More →

Maggie Percival

Maggie Percival joined the Tolkien Society in 1979, and has been known to say that doing so changed her life. She is best known in Tolkien circles as a costumer, notably for Elwing the White and Aratalindalë, the latter being her second Best in Show set at the World Science Fiction... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 10:30am - 11:30am BST
3 - Edoras (Discussions & Activites) & Online (Meeting Strand)

Hybrid, Presented in Oxford

11:00am BST

"I have lost myself" - Visualising Liminality from ‘The Sea Bell’ to The Silmarillion

Sunday September 1, 2024 11:00am - 11:30am BST

1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

"Exemplified by the speaker in the poem The Sea Bell, many characters in The Silmarillion exist in states of liminality, forced to the margins of their societies, inhabiting marginal regions, passing physically and emotionally from one condition to another while always linked by allegiance or longing to a previous existence – always on the threshold between places and identities.
This paper explores a small but significant selection of examples of liminality that are focussed on the threshold between land and sea and considers the ways in which Tolkien describes the liminal state in which characters find themselves, depicting these episodes in ways that frequently cross the threshold between linguistic and visual art, while exploring the deeper significance of proximity to the sea in all cases."

Speakers

Lynn Forest-Hill

My Tolkien research has recently included exploring the relationship between his works and the English medieval romance Sir Bevis of Hampton as part of wider topics. One essay on Tolkien and Cultural Memory has already been published and one on The Romantic Spirit in Tolkien is forthcoming... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 11:00am - 11:30am BST
1 - Mary Ogilvie Lecture Theatre & Online (Webinar Strand)

Hybrid, Presented Online

1:00pm BST

Coaches to Wolvercote

Sunday September 1, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm BST

8 - Meet at Porters' Lodge

Sunday September 1, 2024 1:00pm - 2:00pm BST
8 - Meet at Porters' Lodge

In Person Only

2:00pm BST

Enyalië

Sunday September 1, 2024 2:00pm - 2:30pm BST

9 - Wolvercote Cemetery & Online (Webinar Strand)

The traditional end of Oxonmoot, and the one event which has featured every year, Enyalië is our time for reflection on the man who has brought us all together – Professor J.R.R. Tolkien.

Speakers

Elena Davison

Oxonmoot Co-chair

Elena joined the Tolkien Society in 2012 at The Return of the Ring in Loughborough. They seemed like a good bunch and many a friendship blossomed that week. Over the next few years, she picked up running the art show at Oxonmoot, followed by chairing the event itself in 2015-2017... Read More →

Asli Johnston

Oxonmoot Co-Chair, The Tolkien Society

Asli (she/her) is a Chief Officer aboard the merchant ships.For those familiar with how a cargo ship's command line works ; a Chief Officer is first in command after the Captain, in charge of anything you can imagine including the Captain. For the ones not familiar; she is Riker to... Read More →

Shaun Gunner

Chair, The Tolkien Society

Shaun is the Chair of The Tolkien Society.First elected in 2013, Shaun has overseen the Society's expansion from 600 to 3,800 members, and its growth in assets to nearly £500,000. Shaun regularly speaks about adaptations of Tolkien's works and the future of Tolkien scholarship whilst... Read More →

Sunday September 1, 2024 2:00pm - 2:30pm BST
9 - Wolvercote Cemetery & Online (Webinar Strand)

Hybrid

2:30pm BST

"Dead Orcs" Breakout Rooms

Sunday September 1, 2024 2:30pm - 4:00pm BST

0.1 Online Only (Meeting Strand)

After the formal end of Oxonmoot, "Dead Orcs" refers to the informal gatherings of exhausted mooters who reflect on what they've done, look forward to next year, and wish each other a fond farewell.

For our online delegates, we will re-create this experience using Breakout Rooms which will remain available for as long as anyone wants to use them.

Sunday September 1, 2024 2:30pm - 4:00pm BST
0.1 Online Only (Meeting Strand)

Online