I return there regularly to walk in the mountains above. It’s a magical place indeed. When I first came, on a ski trip in the ‘80s I didn’t know of Tolkien’s own trip there, but wondered whether the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau could be Caradhras, Celebdil and Fanuidhol. They are glorious to behold. I wasn’t far off. In fact, Tolkien’s “Silvertine of my dreams” is the Silberhorn, a sub-peak of the Jungfrau, beautiful in its triangular perfection.
For me, personally, long time fan of Tolkien’s work, having read the books multiple times, the movies’ greatest achievement was to put in perfect imagery all those things that my mind had imagined for so long. And they nailed it in almost every single detail. I remember how excited I was being able to actually see Rivendell, Lothlorien, the Shire and Moria!! Really amazing work of art that will be forever cherished as highly as the books are! P.S.: Rivendell is the place to retire!! Nice video (as usual). Cheers
I have always wondered who does the work at Rivendell? The cooking, the cleaning, the chopping of wood for the fires, the gardening, the serving at meal times, the dishes, the washing etc etc. a elf gardener would fit right in yes, There must be a staff surely. But it is a place that is a lot of peoples ideal including mine to be fair. An oasis in the middle of chaos.
Hm, I'd like to think elves wouldn't be above manual labour. And I don't think elves would trust their sanctuary's maintenance to others. This is all in my head of course, but I imagine elves would take pride in their craft and be rather secretive about their practices
The older I get the more appreciative I find myself of hand drawn art and paintings. Alan Lee's work is no exception, breathtakingly beautiful. The same goes for soundtracks and classical music too. On the subject, Stephen Oliver's soundtrack for the LOTR radio drama which is equally incredible, and one of the main reasons why I keep returning to that. Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your previous video, having also been brought up in a Hitchhiker's household😄Thankful that you covered a lot in your research. Can remember listening to the radio show as far back as when I was 5 years old on holiday in the Loire Valley, roughly 20 years later give or take, and I can still remember those being such great times.
Rivendell feels like the closest thing that Third Age Middle Earth has to a university: compendia of ancient knowledge, a place for people of many backgrounds to stay, common space to enjoy yourself with others So yeah, this is where I’d retire
I guess, since I'm not an immortal elf, I shouldn't worry about the fact that Rivendell and other such magical places are doomed to fade. I'll be long dead before it does. And I could sure get some writing done! Peace and quiet, good food, beautiful scenery, libraries of lore, music... a writer's dream! (Tolkien, of course, being a writer.) And yes, the Shire has its charm, but it could wear off pretty fast, being surrounded by dullbrained farmers and weed-smokers. Or whatever it is they're smoking. Another great video, Jess, and I sincerely hope that they don't demonetize you. A lot of us would be extremely, like really extremely upset.
I feel like Rivendell would be a great place to visit but by in large asides from the hero elves most elves are pretty snobby. I'd rather hang in the Shire.
I didn’t know the part about them building among the trees in the park and I almost cried with the longing to be there. Rivendell is my number one fictional place I would want to go, and now I want to more than ever. This is such a beautiful video Jess thank you
You can go there. They build a more permanent structure (the exit gate) in the trees. Its in the Kaitoke park which is north of Upper Hutt in the Wellington region of New Zealand
I think if I had to retire to anywhere in Middle Earth it would be Tom Bombadil's house. Things that happen there may not always make sense but I'd never be bored.
Lothlorien is probably the place I'd want to retire to. Together with Rivendell and Minas Tirith, it is one of the main repositories of knowledge in Middle Earth, with the advantage of having Valinorian elves there (and the knowledge they brought with them) . Couple that with the forest, mountains and rivers, and it seems ideal; it's also pretty centrally located.
One detail in the movies that I liked was that the season looked too be autumn. The leaves were falling, it was a nice way to show that the time of the elves was ending.
I tend to think of each of the places where the Fellowship rests as waystations. Thank you, Jess, for all the behind-the-scenes detail about the movies. Wonderful.
Hmm, Rivendell is tempting but the Shire has pubs. I feel that the Green Dragon, the Golden Perch and the Ivy Bush are essential to any good retirement plan but a month long holiday in Rivendell in between should get the balance right.
Rivendell is by far my favorite of all the Elven realms featured in the stories, and probably of all the major locations the Fellowship visits. As Sam says, "There's something of everything here..." I think the movies captured the feel of the city very well. As they say, Elves are Art Nouveau, Dwarves are Art Deco. My only nitpick is that the movie Rivendell seems a bit too austere, too serious. I always imagined it to be more a place of happiness, celebration, and contentment.
That's a fair criticism! I think that because it's a holdover from the Hobbit, in the books its infused with a bit more of the whimsical joy of the Hobbit
@@Jess_of_the_Shire I agree. I like the fun-loving Elves, especially in contrast to the more dour Dwarves. And I like that this most ancient and noble of people put so much value on singing happy songs and telling tales of great deeds, and enjoying the simple pleasures of the world Iluvatar gave them.
I'm with you on the CGI comment you made. The problem is that many movies place too much reliance on CGI, and this ends up with the computer artists not having enough time to create actually good, and believable looking CGI.
"Glorfindel takes Frodo across the Bruinen to safety." If you said that Glorfindel's *horse* takes Frodo across the Bruinen to safety, you'd be more closely correct. Glorfindel himself remained behind with Strider, Sam, Merry and Pippin while his horse carried Frodo ahead. They hastily kindled fire so as to have effective weapons against the Nine, and when the Bruinen flooded they rushed out with torches, while Glorfindel charged ahead of them, shining with the light of Aman.
A detail I loved in Return of the King (I think?) was seeing a wooden telescope somewhere in Elrond's place. Good reminder that Elves are not anti-technology, they're good at making things, they just do so with much more care than industrial era humans.
Well NOW I want to retire to Rivendell 😂 Depending on my mood, my answer to this swings from the Shire to Rivendell to Lothlorien to Rohan to Mirkwood -- preferably before it was covered in spiderwebs. I think perhaps I would most prefer to be a traveler, to make a home in all of these places, but never a permanent one, and to the follow where the wind took me until it took me west. Thanks as always, your videos are such good company 🥰
I’ve visited a place or two that reminds me of Rivendell, usually college towns, always towns near a body of water. I would totally retire in Rivendell, as I ponder retirement in a place like Cannon Beach in Oregon, which also takes me out of time as you say, easily makes me ponder life in another realm as I watch the waves or go to the book stores.
I love the Shire, but I think the gossiping of many a shire folk might get on my nerves after too long. I think I am with you- Rivendell would be the place to settle down. Visiting monastic communities remind me of Rivendell and vise versa. The timeless quality, the hospitality and rest, and preparation for your journey after you live it. Also both being repositories of wisdom, knowledge, and arts, and being places enmeshed with the natural beauty of the world around them.
As one of those who asnwer 'Rivendell" when you asked where you should go next, yay. and yes it was the place to retire to, a nice walk among hose pine trees before dinner i think.
Love this video. Rivendell is one of my favorite stops in Lord of the Rings Online. The music and homely feel makes me feel like I'm coming to a safe place. The Shire would still be where I would retire, though. Way too cool and chill not too though :)
Rather than retire there, I'd love to live in a place like Rivendell. Thanks to some of my mental barriers, I struggle with high productivity at work, and when I get home, I'm often at a rush trying to fulfill chores I don't have the energy for before I have to sleep and get back to work. It's a horrible cycle. Rivendell seems like it still requires work to maintain, but they allow nature to take care of some of that work, and things seem slower and far more manageable. Add onto that the general positivity, surrounding natural lighting and environment (scientifically proven to brighten peoples' moods), and insight such a place provides and I'd feel safe and at peace. Also, I see lots of books. I love games and anime and movies, but I'll gladly live a life of just books, too.
Retirement? I’d be a “snow-eagle.” 😉 Summers in the Shire, winters in Rivendell. Yes it probably still snows there, but it’s one big house so there’s less need to venture outside away from the Hall of Fire.
I read the Lord of the Rings first when I was 16, and ever since I dreamed about building this last homely house. In Rivendell, you can clearly see the kind of magic of Vilya, the ring of air, tribute to Manwe himself. It is a place of remembering, where the mind and spirit become clear. In contrast, Laurelindorenan is a place for the heart, a piece of the old world when the two trees were still alive, conserved in a time bubble. Rivendell is not like this, it is very well aware of the real world, but Rivendell remembers.
Oh good. Just got home-made bread out of the oven, working on Philly cheesesteak filling. Will tune back in when it's in front of me ready to eat. Wish I could share some with Jess. ;)
I would actually like to retire to Bree. The only place in Middle Earth where two species coexist; at an important crossroads where you would get many different kinds of travelers, and a place that would be homely in its own way. Love to spend my evenings at Butterbur's inn.
My middle-earth retirement place would probably be the Grey Havens. I've always lived on the coast and I don't want to live anywhere without open water nearby.
Many great old lung sanatoriums high in the Alps that have that vibe. The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann (my other favorite writer) describes one in detail.
I remember once seeing one of those memes of fake dictionary listings that people like to share which referred to a nearly pain-like longing for a place that doesn't exist. For me that's been Rivendell ever since I first saw 'Fellowship' in theaters. I was completely unfamiliar with the books at the time, but I was immediately taken with it on screen and felt in my heart right then that if such a place actually existed I would like to spend my life there. That still holds true here 20 something years later.
Regarding visual communication: In the world of architectural design drawings, one of the things that we stress in our studio, is that if a drawing (plan, detail, etc.) is well-executed so that it's easy to understand what is being communicated, just by the drawing, then a missing note or instruction or label becomes less of an issue. If it's a well crafted drawing, the person reading the drawing can more easily surmise what the missing information should have been, and you get fewer questions and misunderstandings.
Jess, you may or may not believe this, but I’ve seen my Heaven, and as I’ve told my family, it looks like Rivendell… maybe a little smaller, but the house had a beautiful stone porch that was perched on a mountainside overlooking the valley far below. When I saw the movies, I was drawn back to that memory, so it’s how I describe my own personal Heaven.
I mean no disrespect, because I'm aware you're in a relationship, but, I have to tell you that I am absolutely enchanted by you. You're so intelligent, articulate and beautiful that one cannot be throughly enthralled by you.
Rivendell was settled by the refugees from Eregion - mostly Noldor elves. Their focus would have been more on craftsmanship and lore than on trees or growing things. Lothlorien, though ruled by a Noldor and a Sindar, was a Sylvan land where they cared far more about growing things than the Noldor. That is why I would likely choose to retire in Lothlorien. I think growing up in Rivendell would be amazing!
I went to the exhibition of props and costumes from the films that was presented at Casa Loma in Toronto in late 2000 before Fellowship was even released. It was set up to resemble a museum exhibit and the level of detail was quite amazing and made it seem very convincing.
My elderly adopted Auntie Ann moved to a retirement home named Rivendell, although I didn't know the reference at the time. I think I would retire in Rivendell, or the Shire as a second choice, I do live on the Edge of the New Forest after all. And yes please to more talk of Biggatures, Mary and John are Legends in my book.
Never even considered it, but now that you mention it... Retire in either Rivendell or the Shire... I'm perplexed 🤔 As a mortal, the Shire As an immortal, Rivendell
The One Ring Roleplaying Game also did an outstanding job of realizing Rivendell (both visually and in print). I do prefer how it is depicted in Cubicle 7's first edition as opposed to the second edition from Free League.
I'm fortunate to live in Switzerland, so I keep coming back to Lauterbrunnen for holidays. I would love to at least have an appartment there someday... I know there are so many beautiful places in the Alps, but I always end up in Rivendell imagining I'm an elf who stayed behind. It makes the overtourism and ski lift lines more bearable. 😅 (Did you know there is a ski lift - and probably a meadow - called Arven? It's a nice little blue slope :))
13:20 OMG it’s been so long since I heard the wonderfully awkward voice of Richard Taylor. I need to break out those dvds and rewatch all three movies with all four commentary tracks again…..
I would like a video of you ranting about some specific movies that do not respect the audience. You talking about how Rivendell will dissapear with the end of magic reminded me a quote from Pirates of Caribbean: At World End. Barbossa: The world used to be a bigger place. Sparrow: The world's still the same. There's just... less in it. The writings of Tolkien seem to have an inevitable decay in them. Middle-Earth used to be a magical place where epic deeds where done, and now it becomes a mundane place. Magical Elves and Heroes fought against fallen angels, now it is regular men against regular men.
I'm with you on the CGI overreliance now. Or even a decade ago. Ehm...The Hobbit...ehm. When I saw LOTR as a young teenager Rivendell was my dream. I fell in love with it immediately and wanted to live there. As I got older The Shire took its place. Less perfect, but more natural. The green rolling hills win over the mountains I guess.
I didn't know about Lauterbrunnen, but here's something you didn't mention in the video: Lauterbrunnen translates to 'Louder spring', and the river that protects Rivendell gets its name from that in both languages. 'Bruinen' sounds a lot like 'brunnen', and the westron name 'Loudwater' is also a direct link to Lauterbrunnen.
I felt a spiritual kinship with Hobbits when I first read The Hobbit, almost 50 years ago. So I might pick the Shire as my Middle-Earth retirement spot. But I ended up retiring and moving to Colorado, because I felt that I wanted to see mountains again. Although I moved to a mountain rather than a secluded valley, I might have imitated Bilbo a bit. Just as long as I can wait many more years before I have to sail from the Grey Havens.
Interesting fact about the miniatures is that that entire system was started in 1927 for the film Metropolis. It was revolutionary to film and even things like Lord of the rings utilized it to amazing lengths. ❤❤❤
First thought was Rivendell, but then I thought about it. Osgiliath. (Once it's rebuilt, obvs.) City girl at heart, but Minas Tirith is too hilly. Also of course, standing at the start of the Fourth Age, one of these places (Rivendell or Osgiliath) has a future. I may be thinking too much about it now.
Lothlorien, Rivendell, and the Shire all call to me. Early Numenor, prime Lindon, Gondolin. Valinor in the years of the Trees. Annuminas by Lake Evendim must be great too. There’s so many great choices. I feel like the answer has to be Rivendell or Lothlorien… the latter is probably the closest to Valinor in Middle-earth.
Where would I retire to? I can't choose. There are so many great locations to retire, including the Shire itself, Rivendel, Lothlorien, the Glittering Caves, Ithilien, Minas Tirith, or even Belfalas if you like the sea. Thing is, Tolkien never shied away from old age. In modern society, getting old is something that is pushed away from our conscience. But in Tolkien's world, you find old folks enjoying their latter years in peace everywhere.
Of course before the apparently inevitable “did they get it right” question as it pertains to books and movies is the question “was there ever an intention, obligation, reason or practical purpose to “getting it right”. Movies from books are ADAPTED from one format to another. Not copied or transferred 1:1. Wanting that to happen simply means one does not understand the formats and their inherent restrictions and advantages. Adaptation does not mean “intention to randomly make into something else according to to taste” either. It simply means understanding and working with the formats. Very often that means omitting or changing things to achieve consistency of “what we can do with the time ande means we are given”.
My high school English teacher had a big old country home he called Rivendell and they were famous for hosting students and families for weeks of study and fun. The original Rivendell is still the one place in ME I would have wanted to visit.
Rivendell in lotr to me undermines even more the Tom Bombadil part, since at that point there hasn't been many perils. But when they reach Rivendell l, real evil has shown its face and they are completely hopeless, it's a great break. It's perfect.
After the Hobbit and before LOTR, Imladris appears in That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis, and there is a note at the end of the book which said that if you are interested in Imladris or Numinor, to keep an eye out for an upcoming book by his friend J.R.R. Tolekin.
If such a place existed, Rivendell would seem well suited for a person like me, much better than the Hill in the Shire, or Lothlorien. It makes perfect sense - to me - for Elrond (half human and half elf) to create such a dwelling for himself and his kindred. I think Tolkien thoroughly thought his creation through, even in the first mention of it.
If I couldn't pick Rivendell for retirement (presumably because Sauron has been defeated), then I'd say Minas Tirith. It's got a bunch of ancient writings, it's got some nice somewhat elven architecture, not to mention a new entire generation of peace.
Shire takes too much work. Rivendell feels like a place where you are allowed to just exist, and that sounds real nice as I'm sitting here eating a sad sandwich on my dinner break. 😂
idk but nosy neighbours is not what i want to deal with in my retirement. that rules out the shire. Lothlorien comes to mind since i love the forests, but not sure i would vibe with the elves. same issue with rivendell. maybe the ents would allow me to dwell in their midst. i cant imagine anything more relaxing
The fact the filmmakers forgot to include the Ring on Sauron's finger I think could have worked into the lore canon. Therefore the artists intentionally forwent depicting Sauron wearing the Ring to not portray him having that semblance of Power.
Go to www.squarespace.com/jessoftheshire to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain!
Elrond is awesome!
Does anyone here love this content, and sometimes use it to fall asleep-her voice is amazingly soothing! Great storyteller.
Me, me!
I was in Lauterbrunnen this spring so the fact that it helped to inspire Rivendell is pretty cool and very understandable.
That's so neat!
@@Jess_of_the_Shire It's also about 2hrs by public transit (at the right time of day) from another location of literary note: Reichenbach Falls.
I return there regularly to walk in the mountains above. It’s a magical place indeed. When I first came, on a ski trip in the ‘80s I didn’t know of Tolkien’s own trip there, but wondered whether the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau could be Caradhras, Celebdil and Fanuidhol. They are glorious to behold. I wasn’t far off. In fact, Tolkien’s “Silvertine of my dreams” is the Silberhorn, a sub-peak of the Jungfrau, beautiful in its triangular perfection.
@@tonybalinski2398 We were only there for a very short visit but I can see just what you mean.
For me, personally, long time fan of Tolkien’s work, having read the books multiple times, the movies’ greatest achievement was to put in perfect imagery all those things that my mind had imagined for so long. And they nailed it in almost every single detail. I remember how excited I was being able to actually see Rivendell, Lothlorien, the Shire and Moria!! Really amazing work of art that will be forever cherished as highly as the books are!
P.S.: Rivendell is the place to retire!!
Nice video (as usual).
Cheers
I'll be in Rivendell. Maybe visit Tom now and then. But after a while, as a mortal, somehow I'll never get around to leaving.
I have always wondered who does the work at Rivendell? The cooking, the cleaning, the chopping of wood for the fires, the gardening, the serving at meal times, the dishes, the washing etc etc. a elf gardener would fit right in yes, There must be a staff surely. But it is a place that is a lot of peoples ideal including mine to be fair. An oasis in the middle of chaos.
Hm, I'd like to think elves wouldn't be above manual labour. And I don't think elves would trust their sanctuary's maintenance to others. This is all in my head of course, but I imagine elves would take pride in their craft and be rather secretive about their practices
I guess someone in the anarcho-syndicalist commune?
The older I get the more appreciative I find myself of hand drawn art and paintings. Alan Lee's work is no exception, breathtakingly beautiful. The same goes for soundtracks and classical music too. On the subject, Stephen Oliver's soundtrack for the LOTR radio drama which is equally incredible, and one of the main reasons why I keep returning to that. Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your previous video, having also been brought up in a Hitchhiker's household😄Thankful that you covered a lot in your research. Can remember listening to the radio show as far back as when I was 5 years old on holiday in the Loire Valley, roughly 20 years later give or take, and I can still remember those being such great times.
Rivendell feels like the closest thing that Third Age Middle Earth has to a university: compendia of ancient knowledge, a place for people of many backgrounds to stay, common space to enjoy yourself with others
So yeah, this is where I’d retire
“I can’t imagine anyone who would need a vacation more than Frodo at this point in the story.”
I can.
Frodo at the end. ;)
I guess, since I'm not an immortal elf, I shouldn't worry about the fact that Rivendell and other such magical places are doomed to fade. I'll be long dead before it does. And I could sure get some writing done! Peace and quiet, good food, beautiful scenery, libraries of lore, music... a writer's dream! (Tolkien, of course, being a writer.) And yes, the Shire has its charm, but it could wear off pretty fast, being surrounded by dullbrained farmers and weed-smokers. Or whatever it is they're smoking. Another great video, Jess, and I sincerely hope that they don't demonetize you. A lot of us would be extremely, like really extremely upset.
I feel like Rivendell would be a great place to visit but by in large asides from the hero elves most elves are pretty snobby. I'd rather hang in the Shire.
In a billion years we'll all be ash round a dying star.
I didn’t know the part about them building among the trees in the park and I almost cried with the longing to be there. Rivendell is my number one fictional place I would want to go, and now I want to more than ever. This is such a beautiful video Jess thank you
You can go there. They build a more permanent structure (the exit gate) in the trees. Its in the Kaitoke park which is north of Upper Hutt in the Wellington region of New Zealand
@@paulmcneil9971 omggg??? I am sadly very far from New Zealand but if I ever get to go there, that is definitely going on the visit list!!!
I think if I had to retire to anywhere in Middle Earth it would be Tom Bombadil's house. Things that happen there may not always make sense but I'd never be bored.
Mountains, river, the most bad ass lodge that is part of the forest, and the most comfortable beds ever. Rivendell to live and retire
Lothlorien is probably the place I'd want to retire to. Together with Rivendell and Minas Tirith, it is one of the main repositories of knowledge in Middle Earth, with the advantage of having Valinorian elves there (and the knowledge they brought with them) . Couple that with the forest, mountains and rivers, and it seems ideal; it's also pretty centrally located.
One detail in the movies that I liked was that the season looked too be autumn. The leaves were falling, it was a nice way to show that the time of the elves was ending.
🧝🏻♀️ YOU are my Rivendell 🏞 in the vastness of UA-cam. Thank You for Your calming beauty. Your words are enchanting elvish music in my Hobbit ears 😌
You're so kind! Thank you so much!
Totally.
Couldn't have said it better. Her voice is soft and dreamy...and her content isn't boring!
Awe!!! All true things. 😊❤
And lovely breasts.😊
I tend to think of each of the places where the Fellowship rests as waystations. Thank you, Jess, for all the behind-the-scenes detail about the movies. Wonderful.
Hmm, Rivendell is tempting but the Shire has pubs. I feel that the Green Dragon, the Golden Perch and the Ivy Bush are essential to any good retirement plan but a month long holiday in Rivendell in between should get the balance right.
Perfect! Being a horsewoman, I’d have to have a month or so in Rohan each year, too …
Your videos are like medicine for my anxiety and have gotten me through tough times recently. Thank you 💜
You really do a great job telling these stories of Middle Earth. Thank you so much and happy Hobbit Day next Sunday!
Rivendell is by far my favorite of all the Elven realms featured in the stories, and probably of all the major locations the Fellowship visits. As Sam says, "There's something of everything here..." I think the movies captured the feel of the city very well. As they say, Elves are Art Nouveau, Dwarves are Art Deco. My only nitpick is that the movie Rivendell seems a bit too austere, too serious. I always imagined it to be more a place of happiness, celebration, and contentment.
That's a fair criticism! I think that because it's a holdover from the Hobbit, in the books its infused with a bit more of the whimsical joy of the Hobbit
@@Jess_of_the_Shire I agree. I like the fun-loving Elves, especially in contrast to the more dour Dwarves. And I like that this most ancient and noble of people put so much value on singing happy songs and telling tales of great deeds, and enjoying the simple pleasures of the world Iluvatar gave them.
I'm with you on the CGI comment you made. The problem is that many movies place too much reliance on CGI, and this ends up with the computer artists not having enough time to create actually good, and believable looking CGI.
And the 3D movie craze did not help :-( Some of the tricks used with models, forced perspective in particular, won't work in 3D
@@hughfisher9820 Totally agree. Those 3D glasses always gave me a headache, I'm so glad that's a thing of the past.
Last time I was this early, the Elves had just been created by the Valar!!! 😮
Through song?..... asking for a friend?
The valar didn't create the elves though.
Trying to steal credit from The One, eh? Could this be some kind of disguise..?
Weren't the dwarves created first?
The last time I was that early my GF left me.
"Glorfindel takes Frodo across the Bruinen to safety." If you said that Glorfindel's *horse* takes Frodo across the Bruinen to safety, you'd be more closely correct. Glorfindel himself remained behind with Strider, Sam, Merry and Pippin while his horse carried Frodo ahead. They hastily kindled fire so as to have effective weapons against the Nine, and when the Bruinen flooded they rushed out with torches, while Glorfindel charged ahead of them, shining with the light of Aman.
Justice for Asfaloth.
@@claytonberg721I love Asfaloth
Nora Dunn Asfaloth, Nora Dunn
A detail I loved in Return of the King (I think?) was seeing a wooden telescope somewhere in Elrond's place. Good reminder that Elves are not anti-technology, they're good at making things, they just do so with much more care than industrial era humans.
I was always fascinated by Mithlond. Just love the sea and would be awesome to be in the presence of an elf like Cirdan.
Well NOW I want to retire to Rivendell 😂 Depending on my mood, my answer to this swings from the Shire to Rivendell to Lothlorien to Rohan to Mirkwood -- preferably before it was covered in spiderwebs. I think perhaps I would most prefer to be a traveler, to make a home in all of these places, but never a permanent one, and to the follow where the wind took me until it took me west.
Thanks as always, your videos are such good company 🥰
I’ve visited a place or two that reminds me of Rivendell, usually college towns, always towns near a body of water. I would totally retire in Rivendell, as I ponder retirement in a place like Cannon Beach in Oregon, which also takes me out of time as you say, easily makes me ponder life in another realm as I watch the waves or go to the book stores.
I could see myself retiring to Rivendell as well. Just as long as Elrond keep my wine glass topped up. :D
I love the Shire, but I think the gossiping of many a shire folk might get on my nerves after too long. I think I am with you- Rivendell would be the place to settle down. Visiting monastic communities remind me of Rivendell and vise versa. The timeless quality, the hospitality and rest, and preparation for your journey after you live it. Also both being repositories of wisdom, knowledge, and arts, and being places enmeshed with the natural beauty of the world around them.
As one of those who asnwer 'Rivendell" when you asked where you should go next, yay. and yes it was the place to retire to, a nice walk among hose pine trees before dinner i think.
Love this video. Rivendell is one of my favorite stops in Lord of the Rings Online. The music and homely feel makes me feel like I'm coming to a safe place. The Shire would still be where I would retire, though. Way too cool and chill not too though :)
Lothlorien for meeee. Especially at night 🌌🌳✨🤩
I've been especially looking forward to this one. Thank you!
Rather than retire there, I'd love to live in a place like Rivendell. Thanks to some of my mental barriers, I struggle with high productivity at work, and when I get home, I'm often at a rush trying to fulfill chores I don't have the energy for before I have to sleep and get back to work. It's a horrible cycle. Rivendell seems like it still requires work to maintain, but they allow nature to take care of some of that work, and things seem slower and far more manageable. Add onto that the general positivity, surrounding natural lighting and environment (scientifically proven to brighten peoples' moods), and insight such a place provides and I'd feel safe and at peace. Also, I see lots of books. I love games and anime and movies, but I'll gladly live a life of just books, too.
The perfect vid to watch while working on my Rivendell lego set. 😊
Retirement? I’d be a “snow-eagle.” 😉 Summers in the Shire, winters in Rivendell. Yes it probably still snows there, but it’s one big house so there’s less need to venture outside away from the Hall of Fire.
I read the Lord of the Rings first when I was 16, and ever since I dreamed about building this last homely house. In Rivendell, you can clearly see the kind of magic of Vilya, the ring of air, tribute to Manwe himself. It is a place of remembering, where the mind and spirit become clear. In contrast, Laurelindorenan is a place for the heart, a piece of the old world when the two trees were still alive, conserved in a time bubble. Rivendell is not like this, it is very well aware of the real world, but Rivendell remembers.
Your Hitchhikers video was very well done.
Oh good.
Just got home-made bread out of the oven, working on Philly cheesesteak filling.
Will tune back in when it's in front of me ready to eat.
Wish I could share some with Jess. ;)
That sounds like a perfect meal! I hope you enjoy it!
I would actually like to retire to Bree. The only place in Middle Earth where two species coexist; at an important crossroads where you would get many different kinds of travelers, and a place that would be homely in its own way. Love to spend my evenings at Butterbur's inn.
In Dale/Eribor Men & Dwarves coexist.
My middle-earth retirement place would probably be the Grey Havens. I've always lived on the coast and I don't want to live anywhere without open water nearby.
Love you Jess! Thanks for another great video! 😊
Love and respect for your work lady Jess ❤ respect form Croatia❤
I would love for someone to recreate Rivendell in full people size and make it a retreat center.
Many great old lung sanatoriums high in the Alps that have that vibe. The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann (my other favorite writer) describes one in detail.
As an older gentleman now, I'm with Bilbo. Someplace quiet and peaceful. Maybe I'll see you there someday.
I remember once seeing one of those memes of fake dictionary listings that people like to share which referred to a nearly pain-like longing for a place that doesn't exist. For me that's been Rivendell ever since I first saw 'Fellowship' in theaters. I was completely unfamiliar with the books at the time, but I was immediately taken with it on screen and felt in my heart right then that if such a place actually existed I would like to spend my life there. That still holds true here 20 something years later.
An engaging and insightful essay, as usual.
I'll go with retiring in Ithilien in the 4th Age. Something about how that was described in the LOTR reminded me of where I grew up.
Was just thinking of Rivendell and your channel yesterday.. Nice
Regarding visual communication: In the world of architectural design drawings, one of the things that we stress in our studio, is that if a drawing (plan, detail, etc.) is well-executed so that it's easy to understand what is being communicated, just by the drawing, then a missing note or instruction or label becomes less of an issue. If it's a well crafted drawing, the person reading the drawing can more easily surmise what the missing information should have been, and you get fewer questions and misunderstandings.
Jess, you may or may not believe this, but I’ve seen my Heaven, and as I’ve told my family, it looks like Rivendell… maybe a little smaller, but the house had a beautiful stone porch that was perched on a mountainside overlooking the valley far below. When I saw the movies, I was drawn back to that memory, so it’s how I describe my own personal Heaven.
I mean no disrespect, because I'm aware you're in a relationship, but, I have to tell you that I am absolutely enchanted by you. You're so intelligent, articulate and beautiful that one cannot be throughly enthralled by you.
you’re my favorite lotr UA-camr you do such an amazing job with these videos!
Love your deep dives in your videos. They feel authentic and relatable.
I'd Love to visit Rivendell and The Shire, but if I were going to retire to some place for the duration, I think I'd like to live in Ithilien.
Your videos are wonderful. Love you so much.
Wonderful video, great job. You and your voice are quite lovely.
I loved Rivendell in the film. Thanks for this explanation.
Thank you
Rivendell was settled by the refugees from Eregion - mostly Noldor elves. Their focus would have been more on craftsmanship and lore than on trees or growing things. Lothlorien, though ruled by a Noldor and a Sindar, was a Sylvan land where they cared far more about growing things than the Noldor. That is why I would likely choose to retire in Lothlorien. I think growing up in Rivendell would be amazing!
i agree, i would also love to retire in Rivendell!
Please keep making the videos.
I went to the exhibition of props and costumes from the films that was presented at Casa Loma in Toronto in late 2000 before Fellowship was even released. It was set up to resemble a museum exhibit and the level of detail was quite amazing and made it seem very convincing.
That sounds incredible
@@Jess_of_the_Shire It was. I even still have a poster from it and my Wife took pictures (even though you really weren’t supposed to).
My elderly adopted Auntie Ann moved to a retirement home named Rivendell, although I didn't know the reference at the time.
I think I would retire in Rivendell, or the Shire as a second choice, I do live on the Edge of the New Forest after all.
And yes please to more talk of Biggatures, Mary and John are Legends in my book.
Lindon, being at the gray harbors by the sea sounds like a very nice place to retire
Never even considered it, but now that you mention it...
Retire in either Rivendell or the Shire... I'm perplexed 🤔
As a mortal, the Shire
As an immortal, Rivendell
The One Ring Roleplaying Game also did an outstanding job of realizing Rivendell (both visually and in print). I do prefer how it is depicted in Cubicle 7's first edition as opposed to the second edition from Free League.
This particular episode sounds like a y2k guided meditation video and I love it.
Rivendell is a great retirement choice. I almost thought Lothlorien, but its eeriness might be incompatible with long term relaxation.
Humans wouldn't even fit into a Shire bed. Rivendell it is!
I'm fortunate to live in Switzerland, so I keep coming back to Lauterbrunnen for holidays. I would love to at least have an appartment there someday... I know there are so many beautiful places in the Alps, but I always end up in Rivendell imagining I'm an elf who stayed behind. It makes the overtourism and ski lift lines more bearable. 😅
(Did you know there is a ski lift - and probably a meadow - called Arven? It's a nice little blue slope :))
13:20 OMG it’s been so long since I heard the wonderfully awkward voice of Richard Taylor. I need to break out those dvds and rewatch all three movies with all four commentary tracks again…..
I would like a video of you ranting about some specific movies that do not respect the audience.
You talking about how Rivendell will dissapear with the end of magic reminded me a quote from Pirates of Caribbean: At World End.
Barbossa: The world used to be a bigger place.
Sparrow: The world's still the same. There's just... less in it.
The writings of Tolkien seem to have an inevitable decay in them. Middle-Earth used to be a magical place where epic deeds where done, and now it becomes a mundane place. Magical Elves and Heroes fought against fallen angels, now it is regular men against regular men.
Well what a lovely look! Your hair is amazing today! Yes queen. Slay. Girl boss!
from each of your videos i feel you would love fromsoft games more and more
I'm with you on the CGI overreliance now. Or even a decade ago. Ehm...The Hobbit...ehm.
When I saw LOTR as a young teenager Rivendell was my dream. I fell in love with it immediately and wanted to live there. As I got older The Shire took its place. Less perfect, but more natural. The green rolling hills win over the mountains I guess.
I didn't know about Lauterbrunnen, but here's something you didn't mention in the video: Lauterbrunnen translates to 'Louder spring', and the river that protects Rivendell gets its name from that in both languages. 'Bruinen' sounds a lot like 'brunnen', and the westron name 'Loudwater' is also a direct link to Lauterbrunnen.
I felt a spiritual kinship with Hobbits when I first read The Hobbit, almost 50 years ago. So I might pick the Shire as my Middle-Earth retirement spot. But I ended up retiring and moving to Colorado, because I felt that I wanted to see mountains again. Although I moved to a mountain rather than a secluded valley, I might have imitated Bilbo a bit. Just as long as I can wait many more years before I have to sail from the Grey Havens.
Interesting fact about the miniatures is that that entire system was started in 1927 for the film Metropolis. It was revolutionary to film and even things like Lord of the rings utilized it to amazing lengths. ❤❤❤
First thought was Rivendell, but then I thought about it.
Osgiliath. (Once it's rebuilt, obvs.) City girl at heart, but Minas Tirith is too hilly. Also of course, standing at the start of the Fourth Age, one of these places (Rivendell or Osgiliath) has a future.
I may be thinking too much about it now.
Lothlorien, Rivendell, and the Shire all call to me. Early Numenor, prime Lindon, Gondolin. Valinor in the years of the Trees. Annuminas by Lake Evendim must be great too. There’s so many great choices. I feel like the answer has to be Rivendell or Lothlorien… the latter is probably the closest to Valinor in Middle-earth.
Where would I retire to? I can't choose. There are so many great locations to retire, including the Shire itself, Rivendel, Lothlorien, the Glittering Caves, Ithilien, Minas Tirith, or even Belfalas if you like the sea.
Thing is, Tolkien never shied away from old age. In modern society, getting old is something that is pushed away from our conscience. But in Tolkien's world, you find old folks enjoying their latter years in peace everywhere.
Is that a painting of nevrast? That’s would be so cool and so subtle.
Of course before the apparently inevitable “did they get it right” question as it pertains to books and movies is the question “was there ever an intention, obligation, reason or practical purpose to “getting it right”. Movies from books are ADAPTED from one format to another. Not copied or transferred 1:1. Wanting that to happen simply means one does not understand the formats and their inherent restrictions and advantages. Adaptation does not mean “intention to randomly make into something else according to to taste” either. It simply means understanding and working with the formats. Very often that means omitting or changing things to achieve consistency of “what we can do with the time ande means we are given”.
My high school English teacher had a big old country home he called Rivendell and they were famous for hosting students and families for weeks of study and fun. The original Rivendell is still the one place in ME I would have wanted to visit.
Rivendell in lotr to me undermines even more the Tom Bombadil part, since at that point there hasn't been many perils. But when they reach Rivendell l, real evil has shown its face and they are completely hopeless, it's a great break. It's perfect.
After the Hobbit and before LOTR, Imladris appears in That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis, and there is a note at the end of the book which said that if you are interested in Imladris or Numinor, to keep an eye out for an upcoming book by his friend J.R.R. Tolekin.
I agree with you. Maybe I'd learn how to play the lap harp.
If such a place existed, Rivendell would seem well suited for a person like me, much better than the Hill in the Shire, or Lothlorien. It makes perfect sense - to me - for Elrond (half human and half elf) to create such a dwelling for himself and his kindred. I think Tolkien thoroughly thought his creation through, even in the first mention of it.
Branksome Chine where Tolkien spent his last days is very much a riven dell a deep cloven valley in the Dorset coast. I know it well myself.
If I couldn't pick Rivendell for retirement (presumably because Sauron has been defeated), then I'd say Minas Tirith. It's got a bunch of ancient writings, it's got some nice somewhat elven architecture, not to mention a new entire generation of peace.
Shire takes too much work. Rivendell feels like a place where you are allowed to just exist, and that sounds real nice as I'm sitting here eating a sad sandwich on my dinner break. 😂
idk but nosy neighbours is not what i want to deal with in my retirement. that rules out the shire. Lothlorien comes to mind since i love the forests, but not sure i would vibe with the elves. same issue with rivendell. maybe the ents would allow me to dwell in their midst. i cant imagine anything more relaxing
Crossing a river (or a bridge) to enter Rivendell, reminded me of crossing the river Styx to enter the realm of the dead of the ancient Greeks.
That was the smoothest of segues lol
Great video
Rivendale or Lothlorian for sure.
I would retire to the Grey Havens so I could chill and make boats with Cirdan.
An excellent choice!
Sounds like a place that Godbrand from Castlevania would love. That dude *loves* boats!
The fact the filmmakers forgot to include the Ring on Sauron's finger I think could have worked into the lore canon. Therefore the artists intentionally forwent depicting Sauron wearing the Ring to not portray him having that semblance of Power.
Retirement: Bree. More my size. And once per year I could travel to Rivendell.