Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)

@timbolton

🧙‍♂️ Graduate in Art History, #Tolkien fan, explorer of new places and gamer. #LOTRO. Organiser of #TolkienTrewsday. Fan of #TROP #TheRingsOfPower 💍 Runs "The Gathering Hall" community RPG space 🎲 📗✍️

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Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· 29d

🧙‍♂️🧵 5/ 🔥 THIS MONTH 🔥 📢 #TolkienTrewsday July 2026 themes: ⭕ Week 176 (07/07/26) City ⭕ Week 177 (14/07/26) Horses ⭕ Week 178 (21/07/26) The tower and the ruin ⭕ Week 179 (28/07/26) Pity #TolkienTuesday #Tolkien

Theme poster for July 2026 displayed in the Tolkien Trewsday calendar format along with a still from Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King” (2003) showing Gandalf clothed in white robes on Shadowfax riding across a grassy plain towards Minas Tirith, shadowed by Mount Mindolluin and the White Mountains.

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· 29d

🧙‍♂️🧵 2/ Let’s begin! This week’s theme (Week 177) is “Horses”. Please use the following tags when you join in: #TolkienTrewsday #TolkienTuesday #Tolkien. You can tweet art, quotes, thoughts, blogs, academic work, reading recommendations, etc. 🗨️

Trewsday is the Hobbit name for Tuesday! Tolkien Trewsday is a community event
based on BlueSky but sometimes is run on other online spaces.
Each week we form a fellowship to collectively post about a pre-selected theme about Tolkien (his works and his life) as well as adaptions, academic writing and creative stuff such as fanfic, fanart and cosplay.
Themes are selected by myself (the organiser) and a steerage group but also by polls or guest hosts/curators. Together we will build a collective outpouring of creativity, knowledge and love for J.R.R. Tolkien.
The inspiration for this comes from the highly successful #FolkloreThursday which engaged lovers of Folklore, academics, artists and more to share their love of folklore.
We only ask that if you are joining in, please do so with courtesy and kindness in your posts/tweets. This is a positive-action community event, open to all and supportive of fan diversity. Intolerance, racism, bigotry have no place here. Thank you!
In 2025 Tolkien Trewsday had a redesign. The Two Trees remain symbolic but now Telperion (Silver Tree) has a sword trunk and Laurelin (Gold Tree) has a staff
trunk. There are two versions of this new design (Top and Left).

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· 29d

🧙‍♂️ #TolkienTrewsday 📆 Week 176 (14/07/26): “Horses” 🐴 Celebrating World Horse Day (11 July). 🐎 #TolkienTuesday #Tolkien

Calendar for Tolkien Trewsday, full text can be found here:
https://greenbookofthewhitedowns.blogspot.com/2026/03/tolkien-trewsday-year-four.html

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· 29d

ℹ️ You can find more information about #TolkienTrewsday here: greenbookofthewhitedowns.blogspot.com/2026/03/tolk...

shows a stylised photograph of the chalk Ridgeway in Oxfordshire, between Wayland’s Smithy barrow and Uffington White Horse, with the text “The Green Book of the White Downs” and a puff of smoke separating the words. The bottom image shows a graphic of the Two Trees of Valinor with the words “#TolkienTrewsday, #TolkienTuesday and #Tolkien” between them on a blue background.

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· 29d

🔥 AMON HEN ART CHALLENGE 🔥 📢 #TolkienTrewsday August 2026 themes: ⭕ Week 180 (03/08/26) Hidden Realms ⭕ Week 181 (10/08/26) The Way of the Wild ⭕ Week 182 (17/08/26) Heraldry and Symbols ⭕ Week 183 (25/08/26) Silmarils #Tolkien #TolkienTrewsday #AmonHen #ArtChallenge

Amon Hen Art Challenge official advert with the following text:
“One of the things that makes Amon Hen so great is the amount of artwork we are able to share with the community. Without the generosity of the artists who grant us permission to publish, Amon Hen would not be as you see it today, full of beautiful imagery. This year, we are once again teaming up with Tim Bolton & his team of TolkienTrewsday fame (https://greenbookofthewhitedowns.blogspot.com/2023/02/introducing-tolkien-trewsday. html) to curate a weekly prompt through August. Any and all mediums are accepted, and we cannot wait to see what our members will create this year! Please send any questions or submissions you have to amonhen@tolkiensociety.org.”

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· 29d

Thank you all for the contributions to #TolkienTrewsday #TolkienTuesday this week, your support and love for #Tolkien is much appreciated! Coming today... (in 5 minutes 😀 - sorry for the lateness of this post)

Picture of Waldreg from The Rings of Power with the following text: #TolkienTrewsday #TolkienTuesday "Had a bit of a thrill in here, Trewsday last."

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jul 7

🧙‍♂️ #TolkienTrewsday 📆 Week 176 (07/07/26): “City” Suggested by a member of the Tolkien Trewsday steerage group. #TolkienTuesday #Tolkien

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 30

💧🌱🧵 8/ "Forgiveness takes an age. Rain washing clear the long memory of soil. New bark, covering old scars." -- Winterbloom the Entwife, "The Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power Season 2 Episode 4" ("Eldest")

Winterbloom looks towards the viewer, her face is long, eyes deep, her skin of bark.

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 30

🧙‍♂️🧵 5/ 🔥 THIS MONTH 🔥 📢 #TolkienTrewsday June 2026 themes: ⭕ Week 171 (02/06/26) Mothers/Fathers ⭕ Week 172 (09/06/26) Childhood ⭕ Week 173 (16/06/26) Companions ⭕ Week 174 (23/06/26) The Sea (is sometimes right) ⭕ Week 175 (30/06/26) Forgiveness #TolkienTuesday #Tolkien

Theme poster for June 2026 displayed in the Tolkien Trewsday calendar format along with a detail of “The Rainbow Cleft” by Alan Lee showing the ravine of Cirith Ninniach and a large rainbow created by the waterfalls. In lore Cirith Ninniach is the "Rainbow Cleft", a pass through

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 30

🧙‍♂️ #TolkienTrewsday 📆 Week 175 (30/06/26): “Forgiveness” Celebrating Forgiveness Day (26 June). #TolkienTuesday #Tolkien

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 28

The Hunt for Gollum begins... Meanwhile the poor little bloke just wants to enjoy spending time with his fish.

Smiley happy Gollum. Moisturized. Happy. In his lane. Focused. Flourishing. Unbothered.
Postbox topper in Banks, June 2025.

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 28

🧙 Amazing when you remember that @guydavisart.bsky.social did orc design work for #TROP #TheRingsofPower! I used to love Guy's comic work on BPRD. Also both (late) Scorpios. www.guydavisartworks.com/lotr-rings-p... #Tolkien

"Orc warlord helm" by Guy Davis from the linked website in the post. The "Ent-face" looking visor can be put in an up-position or down to protect the wearer's face. It does look Ent-like, perhaps orcs chose this because they were terrified of being squashed by the big folk?

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 28

Watched the stream by @warhorsestudios.bsky.social where they talk a tiny bit about their upcoming #LOTR #Tolkien game and then they do a livestream of Kingdom Come - even watching a few minutes, I think we are in good hands (at least) in terms of landscape!

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 27

🧙 A special announcement for #TolkienTrewsday in August! #TolkienTuesday #Tolkien

AMON HEN ART CHALLENGE AUGUST 2026

One of the things we love with Tolkien Trewsday is the incredible creativity of the community - and the chance to help share and celebrate outstanding Tolkien-inspired artwork.

This August, we’re delighted to once again collaborate with Amon Hen, the bulletin of The Tolkien Society, to present a special series of weekly art prompts. Thanks to the generosity of artists who allow their work to be featured, Amon Hen is filled with stunning imagery - and this challenge is a wonderful opportunity to contribute to that tradition.

Artists of all kinds and in all mediums are warmly encouraged to take part, and we’re excited to see what the community creates over the coming weeks!

For more details about Tolkien Trewsday, see: https://greenbookofthewhitedowns.blogspot.com/2026/03/tolkien-trewsday-year-four.html

If you have any questions or would like to submit your work for consideration in Amon Hen, please contact: amonhen@tolkiensociety.org.

Thank you,

Calvin (Amon Hen Editor-in-Chief), Tim (Tolkien Trewsday lead) and the Tolkien Trewsday steerage team

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 34/ The full bibliography can be found on the blog post: academic papers, magazines and video interviews. I'll add to that when I find more. 📗📜✍️ Blog here: greenbookofthewhitedowns.blogspot.com/2023/07/tolk...

Screenshot of the bibliography from the blog.

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 31/ If you want one #Tolkien book that will help you understand Númenor/Second Age get this book! It gathers all the sources from various other books including: The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales & Nature of Middle-earth 📗 "The Fall of Númenor" by JRR Tolkien / edited Brian Sibley.

Cover for "The Fall of Númenor", artwork by Alan Lee showing a huge wave washing over a darkened city.

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 30/ “Joseph, Overseer of Pharaoh’s Granaries” by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1874). Dahesh Museum, New York City (USA).

“Joseph, Overseer of Pharaoh’s Granaries” by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1874). A robed figure sat on a woven chair holds a staff to their side whilst a sitting figure reads from a scroll. Behind them are elaborate wall decorations.

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 29/ The Stroke of Doom

‘Yes, we wait for the stroke of doom,’ said Faramir. And they said no more; and it seemed to them as they stood upon the wall that the wind died, and the light failed, and the Sun was bleared, and all sounds in the City or in the lands about were hushed: neither wind, nor voice, nor bird-call, nor rustle of leaf, nor their own breath could be heard; the very beating of their hearts was stilled. Time halted. And as they stood so, their hands met and clasped, though they did not know it. And still they waited for they knew not what. Then presently it seemed to them that above the ridges of the distant mountains another vast mountain of darkness rose, towering up like a wave that should engulf the world, and about it lightnings flickered; and then a tremor ran through the earth, and they felt the walls of the City quiver. A sound like a sigh went up from all the lands about them; and their hearts beat suddenly again. ‘It reminds me of Númenor,’ said Faramir, and wondered to hear himself speak. ‘Of Númenor?’ said Éowyn. ‘Yes,’ said Faramir, ‘of the land of Westernesse that foundered, and of the great dark wave climbing over the green lands and above the hills, and coming

-- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Book Six Chapter 5: The Steward and the King)

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 28/ Architectural masterpiece of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires: Hagia Sophia (Istanbul). Source: www.hagiasophia.com

Architectural masterpiece of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires: Hagia Sophia (Istanbul). A central tower with dome, four minarets and many levels. A backdrop of gardens and a river with city buildings in the distance.

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 27/

So, Minas Tirith looks like a part of Númenor, but it's not enough of it to actually represent the grandeur of the city. We looked at that Romanesque architecture we see in the movies, and we wanted to dial way up from that in terms of grandeur, beauty, and richness. That and this sense of Venice gave us a conceptual and an emotional standpoint for Númenor.

From there, I looked into what the cognates for that might be in our world. I wanted to get into the sense of history, so I looked back to very old bits of architecture and culture for us, like Babylonian architecture, and Sumerian architecture, and Minoan architecture, all of which are these big, blocky shapes.

-- Ramsey Avery, “The Rings of Power Production Designer on Building Death into the Walls of Númenor [Exclusive Interview]” by Vanessa Armstrong from Slashfilm.com (12 September 2022)

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 26/ Concept art by for the Númenor Palace by Rodolfo Damaggio. Source: www.artstation.com/artwork/klbGJK

Concept art by for the Númenor Palace by Rodolfo Damaggio. A multi-levelled complex with towers, steeples, domes and more.

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 25/

"The architecture of Venice is full of domes and white Istrian marble, with Gothic archways. It's also structured around the water it is famous for. Even a quick look at an overhead view of the Italian city makes it very clear why Tolkien said this in the letter. Later in the interview, Avery discusses the watery touches that were built into the Númenor set, like carved octopuses and oyster shells embedded in the walls.

The other element, Avery said, was the feeling that Númenor is akin to the myth of Atlantis. "In the third age of Middle-earth [the time period that ends with the events in "The Lord of the Rings" films], we see what leftover elements there are of Númenorian architecture and culture — we see Minas Tirith and Osgiliath — and we know that what those things look like."

-- Jenna Busch, “Númenor's Design in the Rings of Power Mixes Myth with Real-Life History [Exclusive]” from Slashfilm.com (13 September 2022)

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 24/ “Ghosts of Númenor”

Letter 131 To Milton Waldman (1951)

In the south Gondor rises to a peak of power, almost reflecting Númenor, and then fades slowly to decayed Middle Age, a kind of proud, venerable, but increasingly impotent Byzantium.

-- Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Letter 131 To Milton Waldman, 1951)

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 23/ Entering the port of the (so-far) unnamed city on Númenor in Amazon Studio’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (Season 1 Episode 3: “Adar”)

A lighthouse, enormous statue and a tiered harbour city is shown in Amazon Studio’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (Season 1 Episode 3: “Adar”)

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 22/

“Well, I think there are two elements that actually set the signposts for Númenor. One was this letter that Tolkien wrote where he says, "Gee, I just got back from Númenor. Oh, I mean Venice." Venice evokes a certain sensibility in our heads, that there's a sense of wealth, a sense of beauty, a sense of lots of history, that it's been built up over time. Plus water, a lot of water.

The other element is this sense of it as the Atlantis of Middle-earth. In the third age of Middle-earth [the time period that ends with the events in "The Lord of the Rings" films], we see what leftover elements there are of Númenorian architecture and culture — we see Minas Tirith and Osgiliath — and we know that what those things look like.

In my head, the idea was that those are the ghosts of Númenor. That's what's left ... maybe a 1,000 people got rescued from a civilization of millions of people, so not every bit of technology, or culture, or knowledge, was able to be transferred from Númenor back to Middle-earth.”

-- Ramsey Avery, “The Rings of Power Production Designer on Building Death into the Walls of Númenor [Exclusive Interview]” by Vanessa Armstrong from Slashfilm.com (12 September 2022)

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 21/

When contemplating what such a city could be, Avery found himself thinking of European infrastructure. “Strangely enough, the first image that popped into my head was in Germany; there is a freeway that goes underneath a canal. There’s this photograph of a barge going over this waterway, that’s a bridge of a waterway over the freeway.”

This concept of water management influenced the design of a city where water was a key and abundant element. To further support the concept, one member of the team, a designated “Tolkien expert,” confirmed that the author himself had referenced Venice as a kind of signpost for Númenor.

“That kind of gave me this sense of a three-dimensional Venice,” says Avery.” It’s no longer just on one plane, but that you want to stack up the hills.”

-- Karen M. Peterson, “‘Lord of the Rings; Rings of Power’: How the Canals of Venice and Germany Inspired a Multi-Layered World” from Variety.com (7 December 2022)

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 20/ Númenor from the air showing canal systems. From Amazon Studio’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” (Season 1 Episode 3: “Adar”)

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 19/ "Númenor... I mean Venice"

Letter 168 To Richard Jeffery (7 September 1955)

“Dear Mr Jeffery, Thank you very much for your letter.... It came while I was away, in Gondor (sc. Venice), as a change from the North Kingdom, or I would have answered before.”

-- Humphrey Carpenter and Christopher Tolkien, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien (Letter 168 To Richard Jeffery, 7 September 1955)

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 18/ J.R.R. Tolkien’s drawing of the crown of Gondor from Letter 211.

J.R.R. Tolkien’s drawing of the crown of Gondor from Letter 211. A long conical helm with winged parts around the bottom of the headwear.

Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him)@timbolton· Jun 23

🌊🐚🧵 17/ “The Obsequies of an Egyptian Cat” by John Weguelin (1886). Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmak (New Zealand). Source: www.aucklandartgallery.com/explore/art-...