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The Blog of Mazarbul Posts

“…World-dominion by creative act” – On ‘On Fairy Stories’ and role-playing games

To the elvish craft, Enchantment, Fantasy aspires…Uncorrupted, it does not seek delusion nor bewitchment and domination; it seeks shared enrichment, partners in making and delight, not slaves. On Fairy Stories, by J.R.R. Tolkien I’m really stuck on On Fairy Stories at the moment.  I mean, if I’m honest, I’ve been thinking about OFS on some level ever since the very first time it truly made an impact on me some years back.  But at the moment, it’s obviously really playing on my mind, because wherever I look, I see some fresh relevance to it in my day to day life…

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The Passing of Joy

‘Twas on the borders of Elfland that they met, and this was but the first and the least of the many wonders in their tale.  For she was dreaming under a rowan tree when he came swift and soft upon her; and she was wrapped in slumber and crowned with flowers upon her dusky hair.  Then startled he cried at this fleeting vision of loveliness and she woke! and saw him elfin-bright, clad in green and of noble bearing, and there was a song in his smile and his feet were light. And she would have fled, but his eyes…

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Prehistoric Theology: On the Faerie of Dinosaurs and Dragons

It is, at long last, time to fulfil one of the promises of the Blog of Mazarbul. Ever since I started writing this blog, I have held true to my idea that it will mostly be about Tolkien.  I have veered from the course from time to time to touch on broader concepts in fiction or on specific fictional works, or even to touch on games and the arts and theology.  Heck, I’ve even expanded the blog’s scope a little and given myself licence to publish a few short original works of my own on it.  But there is one…

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The Coming of Bilbo to Rivendell

Out of the East he came, far-traveller and great-hearted, and they welcomed him with song and merriment and awe.  For mighty he seemed in their company, and strange were the tales of those deeds by which he had won renown, the aged hero come now to rest. In starlit truesilver was he clad, and girt gleaming at his side was ancientry forged by their own forefathers in the height of their fearsome splendour, and many were the sad years that had passed since their glory failed.  Threadbare worn was his cloak, for far and wide had he roamed, the great…

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Notes on ‘The Coming of Bilbo to Rivendell’

Please do read this short story first, if you have not already – the following article is merely an unjustified and unrequested attempt at an author’s commentary upon that work! This is a short creative work that I was inspired to write some months ago, by way of a prompt offered by an artist group I’m part of. The prompt itself was simply to explore ‘Faerie’ (and perhaps inspired this entire blog series!) and, from the first, I knew that I wanted to examine it through a slightly novel perspective. I love Bilbo. I have always loved Bilbo as a…

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