An Elven Twist on History
Author's Notes
Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings is the work of J.R.R. Tolkein. I own none of the characters the reader will recognize from Tolkein's work and am making no money from this story. Only the original characters are mine.
This story is based mainly on the trilogy, but I do refer to events and information found in the Silmarillion occasionally. It should be understandable as long as you've read the trilogy. I've tried to footnote anything that wouldn't make sense to someone who hasn't read the Silmarillion (so there will be minor spoilers if you're planning to read it). I've tried to be succinct in the footnotes, so if anything doesn't make sense, let me know. There's also a lot out of the appendices to Return of the King.
In writing this story, I finally found the purpose for taking Western Civ in college! :-)
This is slightly AU. Instead of crossing over the Sea after she was injured, Celebrían was killed. More information will follow in later chapters.
I enjoy feedback, so please review. I will update every day or two. Enjoy!
Ch. 1
Dr. Amy Carmichael walked into a classroom filled with young faces. Looking around, she found one not so young, as well. She always enjoyed having non-traditional students in her class. Dr. Carmichael was stylish with dark hair and grey eyes. She could have been anywhere from twenty-five to thirty-five. She didn't look old enough to have finished a Ph.D., much less to be teaching college history. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, which was doubled up so it was impossible to tell how long the hair was. She moved with a poise many models would envy. She was very tall, even though she wasn't wearing high heels. She was slender, but not overly so. Dr. Carmichael looked at the class for a moment, then smiled a bit. She walked to the blackboard and wrote "Chem 331: Advanced Organic Chemistry" in large letters. A few students looked down at schedules and some shifted nervously in their seats. The older man in the second row grinned at her with a knowing look in his eye. Just as a young woman was standing to leave, Dr. Carmichael cleared her throat.
"This is not Organic Chemistry. Don't worry. You're in History 102—second semester Western Civilization. I'm Dr. Carmichael. This course will be a general overview of Western Civilization from roughly the Reformation onward, but it will also be somewhat different than other Western Civ. courses you might take. I know they're useful, but I don't like to hand out document studies and endless pages of dry reading to the exclusion of all else. While I do expect you to read the textbook, I have also assigned the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkein. I know it seems like a lot, but you have until midterm to complete it. Please do read it. If you read just one or two of the books, you'll miss the point. The movie or Cliffs notes just don't cut it. The Lord of the Rings books are a fictional account of epic history. They will allow you to distance yourself from the actual facts of history and enjoy the retelling. There will be one research-style paper, but there are also several creative writing assignments. I don't think of history as a dry collection of facts, but rather a way to put yourself in someone else's shoes and catch at least a glimpse of what their life was like. Sometimes, like the Romantics, you may find yourself wishing for an earlier time, or you may find new appreciation for your own. Regardless, I think the pursuit is valuable. For the rest of you, putting up with me will help fulfill your general ed. requirements. Now, let's talk through the syllabus…"
After class, the older man walked up to her and shook her hand. "Dr. Carmichael, I'm Peter Janson. I enjoyed watching those kids squirm there. If they'd thought about it, they would have realized they were in the wrong building for chemistry, but at that age, you just don't think that way." Dr. Carmichael chuckled, and Peter continued, "I hope I'm not overstepping myself, but you seem awfully young yourself to be teaching history."
"Not everyone teaches history from memory, Mr. Janson." She grinned at him. "That's the whole point I'm trying to get across. History really can be interesting, but you have to make it interesting. Say, I'm thinking about starting a reading group to work through a variety of historical literature and modern historical fiction. Would you be interested?"
"I think I would, provided you don't keep me so busy with class that I won't have time for anything else." She flashed him another grin at that.
"I think you'll manage. I've been asking around the faculty, but so far I haven't gotten much of a response."
"Why don't you ask your students? They're young, but there might be interest, anyway. They might just surprise you."
"I might just do that. For now, though, I think the next class needs to get in here." She quickly erased the board before collecting her things and leaving the room.
The class got underway with no more pranks by either professor or the class. Dr. Carmichael taught as if she was remembering the events of her own past, not just reciting facts from a book. She clearly had a passion for the subject. She talked about events that occurred hundreds of years ago as if they were yesterday. At the end of the second week of class, she closed lecture saying, "I have been trying to start a reading group among the faculty, but so far I haven't had much success, so I'd like to extend the offer to all of you. It will be an opportunity to study historical literature and modern retellings of historical events. It's the 'living history' I'm trying to get across to you. Please email me if you're interested. There is no set time, so please let me know what works for your schedules."
Surprisingly, Dr. Carmichael got several responses to her request, and soon they had a Friday night reading group established. Friday night was an awkward time, but it was the only one that would work with busy college schedules. It also kept attendance low, but Amy didn't mind. In the end, one faculty member had joined, an older woman who taught harp. Elizabeth Olson was in her fifties and quiet. Peter Janson also joined the group. Four younger students also joined. Madeline Jackson, or Mattie, was outgoing, but isolated. She seemed to know almost everyone at the college, but no one well. Randy Clausen and Kim Howard pretty much kept to themselves. They'd grown up together in the same small town and were best friends. Randy was the only one of the group who looked really athletic, and Kim was pretty, but not remarkable, other than her hobby of fine embroidery. Mark Thorson was attractive, but studious and painfully shy. He had a 4.0 GPA. Despite the academic quietness, he carried himself well, like a dancer or a swordsman.
The group started at the local Barnes and Noble coffee shop, discussing Lord of the Rings. Amy kept to herself, letting the others discuss it as they would. Mark had read many of the reference books to Tolkein's works, including the Silmarillion and the Unfinished Tales. Once they got him talking, he was a fascinating addition to the discussion. He was willing to talk, but it took a lot to get him started. As they wrapped up the discussion, Mark seemed to realize just how much he'd said, and looked almost embarrassed about it.
Pete Janson was also a fascinating character. He was a Vietnam veteran and a widower. He remembered Kennedy's assassination as if it were yesterday. He was willing to talk about the Vietnam War and had a different take on things than the younger students. He was going back to school to try to get over bad memories from Vietnam and prove to his grown children that he could handle college and professional work. He wasn't close to his children, but he had put them through college, and they were almost condescending about the fact that he'd never even applied to college. Pete didn't know what he would study, figuring he'd figure it out after he took a few classes. He had worked for years as an auto mechanic, another reason for his children's condescension. He laughed that they probably never thought about his paycheck, nor the fact that he worked much saner hours than any of them in their "professional jobs".
Author's Notes
Disclaimer: The Lord of the Rings is the work of J.R.R. Tolkein. I own none of the characters the reader will recognize from Tolkein's work and am making no money from this story. Only the original characters are mine.
This story is based mainly on the trilogy, but I do refer to events and information found in the Silmarillion occasionally. It should be understandable as long as you've read the trilogy. I've tried to footnote anything that wouldn't make sense to someone who hasn't read the Silmarillion (so there will be minor spoilers if you're planning to read it). I've tried to be succinct in the footnotes, so if anything doesn't make sense, let me know. There's also a lot out of the appendices to Return of the King.
In writing this story, I finally found the purpose for taking Western Civ in college! :-)
This is slightly AU. Instead of crossing over the Sea after she was injured, Celebrían was killed. More information will follow in later chapters.
I enjoy feedback, so please review. I will update every day or two. Enjoy!
Ch. 1
Dr. Amy Carmichael walked into a classroom filled with young faces. Looking around, she found one not so young, as well. She always enjoyed having non-traditional students in her class. Dr. Carmichael was stylish with dark hair and grey eyes. She could have been anywhere from twenty-five to thirty-five. She didn't look old enough to have finished a Ph.D., much less to be teaching college history. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail, which was doubled up so it was impossible to tell how long the hair was. She moved with a poise many models would envy. She was very tall, even though she wasn't wearing high heels. She was slender, but not overly so. Dr. Carmichael looked at the class for a moment, then smiled a bit. She walked to the blackboard and wrote "Chem 331: Advanced Organic Chemistry" in large letters. A few students looked down at schedules and some shifted nervously in their seats. The older man in the second row grinned at her with a knowing look in his eye. Just as a young woman was standing to leave, Dr. Carmichael cleared her throat.
"This is not Organic Chemistry. Don't worry. You're in History 102—second semester Western Civilization. I'm Dr. Carmichael. This course will be a general overview of Western Civilization from roughly the Reformation onward, but it will also be somewhat different than other Western Civ. courses you might take. I know they're useful, but I don't like to hand out document studies and endless pages of dry reading to the exclusion of all else. While I do expect you to read the textbook, I have also assigned the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkein. I know it seems like a lot, but you have until midterm to complete it. Please do read it. If you read just one or two of the books, you'll miss the point. The movie or Cliffs notes just don't cut it. The Lord of the Rings books are a fictional account of epic history. They will allow you to distance yourself from the actual facts of history and enjoy the retelling. There will be one research-style paper, but there are also several creative writing assignments. I don't think of history as a dry collection of facts, but rather a way to put yourself in someone else's shoes and catch at least a glimpse of what their life was like. Sometimes, like the Romantics, you may find yourself wishing for an earlier time, or you may find new appreciation for your own. Regardless, I think the pursuit is valuable. For the rest of you, putting up with me will help fulfill your general ed. requirements. Now, let's talk through the syllabus…"
After class, the older man walked up to her and shook her hand. "Dr. Carmichael, I'm Peter Janson. I enjoyed watching those kids squirm there. If they'd thought about it, they would have realized they were in the wrong building for chemistry, but at that age, you just don't think that way." Dr. Carmichael chuckled, and Peter continued, "I hope I'm not overstepping myself, but you seem awfully young yourself to be teaching history."
"Not everyone teaches history from memory, Mr. Janson." She grinned at him. "That's the whole point I'm trying to get across. History really can be interesting, but you have to make it interesting. Say, I'm thinking about starting a reading group to work through a variety of historical literature and modern historical fiction. Would you be interested?"
"I think I would, provided you don't keep me so busy with class that I won't have time for anything else." She flashed him another grin at that.
"I think you'll manage. I've been asking around the faculty, but so far I haven't gotten much of a response."
"Why don't you ask your students? They're young, but there might be interest, anyway. They might just surprise you."
"I might just do that. For now, though, I think the next class needs to get in here." She quickly erased the board before collecting her things and leaving the room.
The class got underway with no more pranks by either professor or the class. Dr. Carmichael taught as if she was remembering the events of her own past, not just reciting facts from a book. She clearly had a passion for the subject. She talked about events that occurred hundreds of years ago as if they were yesterday. At the end of the second week of class, she closed lecture saying, "I have been trying to start a reading group among the faculty, but so far I haven't had much success, so I'd like to extend the offer to all of you. It will be an opportunity to study historical literature and modern retellings of historical events. It's the 'living history' I'm trying to get across to you. Please email me if you're interested. There is no set time, so please let me know what works for your schedules."
Surprisingly, Dr. Carmichael got several responses to her request, and soon they had a Friday night reading group established. Friday night was an awkward time, but it was the only one that would work with busy college schedules. It also kept attendance low, but Amy didn't mind. In the end, one faculty member had joined, an older woman who taught harp. Elizabeth Olson was in her fifties and quiet. Peter Janson also joined the group. Four younger students also joined. Madeline Jackson, or Mattie, was outgoing, but isolated. She seemed to know almost everyone at the college, but no one well. Randy Clausen and Kim Howard pretty much kept to themselves. They'd grown up together in the same small town and were best friends. Randy was the only one of the group who looked really athletic, and Kim was pretty, but not remarkable, other than her hobby of fine embroidery. Mark Thorson was attractive, but studious and painfully shy. He had a 4.0 GPA. Despite the academic quietness, he carried himself well, like a dancer or a swordsman.
The group started at the local Barnes and Noble coffee shop, discussing Lord of the Rings. Amy kept to herself, letting the others discuss it as they would. Mark had read many of the reference books to Tolkein's works, including the Silmarillion and the Unfinished Tales. Once they got him talking, he was a fascinating addition to the discussion. He was willing to talk, but it took a lot to get him started. As they wrapped up the discussion, Mark seemed to realize just how much he'd said, and looked almost embarrassed about it.
Pete Janson was also a fascinating character. He was a Vietnam veteran and a widower. He remembered Kennedy's assassination as if it were yesterday. He was willing to talk about the Vietnam War and had a different take on things than the younger students. He was going back to school to try to get over bad memories from Vietnam and prove to his grown children that he could handle college and professional work. He wasn't close to his children, but he had put them through college, and they were almost condescending about the fact that he'd never even applied to college. Pete didn't know what he would study, figuring he'd figure it out after he took a few classes. He had worked for years as an auto mechanic, another reason for his children's condescension. He laughed that they probably never thought about his paycheck, nor the fact that he worked much saner hours than any of them in their "professional jobs".