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tanaquiljallA drabble series written for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
elena_tiriel's birthday.
Bedtime Tales For Little Orcs
Playin' With Fire
“They sez as 'ow, when the world was first made, them 'igh-an'-mighty types in the West wants light, so they sets fire to the sky. An' it burns and burns, an' we was scorched, an' there weren't no rest.
“So the Great Lord, 'e takes the seas and puts out the sky.
“Now, them 'igh-ups, they're mad 'bout that, an' they takes the light an' 'ides it. But the Great Lord steals us a torch so we can 'as fire. An' sparks from the torch goes up and catches the sky, an' that's 'ow we gets them stars up there.”
'Ere Be Dragons
“Up there,” the orc-sage waved his arms Eastwards, “tha's the Dragon. 'Orn an' tail, see?” Claws pointed to one cluster of stars and then another. “Strong an' cunning, 'e was, an' them as stood against the Great Lord, they feared 'im an' is fire. Many's the battle 'e led, and many's them bastard snagas of the 'igh-ups an' them whinin' tarks as 'e left all crisp an' toasty.”The orc-sage snickered for a moment. “'Course, 'e was done in by some bright-eyes trick in the end. An' now 'e sleeps until we 'as greatest need, an' then 'e'll wake again....”
Friends In 'Iigh Places
“Our friends is there too, o' course.” The orc-sage extended one claw South. “The trolls is there...” his claw moved sideways “.. an' the red-flag tarks there. Now the trolls....”
He turned back to his audience, who were hanging on every word. All except for young Lúgnuk and Ufghâsh, who were scuffling. The orc-sage reached out and banged their heads together. Hard.
“Now, the trolls,” he continued, as if nothing had happened, “terrible strong they are. They ain't too bright, mind. Not like us Orcs. An' the tarks, they 'as brains, but they're weak. Mostly good for eatin's, truth be told.”
Up'eld By 'Orror
“See them four stars to the North as makes a square? Tha's the Fortress, that is. These caves we got 'ere ain't nuffink compared to that. Even that dwarf 'ole in the South as we took years ago, that ain't nuffink. 'Uge it was. 'Alls an' towers an' gates an' dungeons.” The orc-sage smacked his lips and sighed happily. “Oh, there was dungeons, all right, an' prisoners too: bright-eyes an' white-flag tarks. Bright-eyes was the best, they say, cuz they gives more sport, lasts longer. Them tarks, they mostly died quick, though I 'eard there was one as lasted years....”
A Crown o' Stars
“The Great Lord, 'e 'ad 'is throne in that Fortress, an' tha's where 'e wore 'is crown. Mighty fine it were too. Made of iron, see, but with three sparklers. An' them three jools? Oh they was real quality, they was. Ain't no wondering at that. Made with 'is own craft they were.
“Course, them bastard bright-eyes ups and says them jools belonged to them, but them lyin' scum never knew nuffink 'bout stuff like that without 'e taught 'em. Tries ter steal 'em, the bastards, but 'e showed 'em. Took 'em back, rightful-like, an' weren't nuffink they could do.”
Ol' Red Eye
“O' course, the Great Goblin 'as 'is place, too: Ol' Red Eye at the centre of things, watchin' over us, keepin' us safe. Most of all, 'e keeps us safe from that bastard Pirate King as sails his ship 'ere an' there, causin' mischief so's a body can't 'ave no trouble jumpin' out at travellers an' suchlike.” The orc-sage spat in disgust. “Sometimes they comes together, like now,” a claw waved heavenwards towards a fiery red dot and a glittering white one that stood close in the inky blackness, “an' then they fights. Course, Ol' Red Eye, e' always wins....”
Author's notes
Because Tolkien based the Elvish and Mannish cosmology and asterisms in his works on Greek constellations (such as Ursa Major and Orion), I wanted to use a different cosmology and set of asterisms for the Orcs. The other widespread cosmology in our world is the Chinese one. While I couldn't find out nearly as much as I would have liked about the significance of the various asterisms in the Chinese system, several of the names did fit well with aspects of Middle-earth and with what we know of the orcish perspective on events.
In this drabble series, the Dragon is based on one of the four “symbols” in Chinese cosmology, namely the Azure Dragon of the East, which includes a number of “mansions” or asterisms including the Horn and the Tail.
The Trolls and the Red-flag Tarks (a name for the Wainriders borrowed from Elena Tiriel) are, respectively, the asterisms called the Ogre, Demon or Ghost and the Chariot. The names of the two orclings scuffling are also taken from Elena Tiriel's drabble series “Fell and Fair”, where they are brothers.
The Fortress is the asterism known as the Room or Encampment, while the Crown is the contellation of the Three Stars, which naturally suggested the three silmarils in Morgoth's iron crown.
Ol' Red Eye is the name I've used for Mars, while the Pirate King was the name I gave to Gil-Estel in another drabble I wrote about the Orcish view of the heavens. Gil-Estel is the star consisting of Eärendil the Mariner bearing the Silmaril across the sky in his ship Vingilot, and is associated with Venus in real-world cosmology. Eärendil, sailing Vingilot, slew Ancalagon the Black in the War of Wrath.
elena_tiriel's birthday.
Bedtime Tales For Little Orcs
Playin' With Fire
“They sez as 'ow, when the world was first made, them 'igh-an'-mighty types in the West wants light, so they sets fire to the sky. An' it burns and burns, an' we was scorched, an' there weren't no rest.
“So the Great Lord, 'e takes the seas and puts out the sky.
“Now, them 'igh-ups, they're mad 'bout that, an' they takes the light an' 'ides it. But the Great Lord steals us a torch so we can 'as fire. An' sparks from the torch goes up and catches the sky, an' that's 'ow we gets them stars up there.”
'Ere Be Dragons
“Up there,” the orc-sage waved his arms Eastwards, “tha's the Dragon. 'Orn an' tail, see?” Claws pointed to one cluster of stars and then another. “Strong an' cunning, 'e was, an' them as stood against the Great Lord, they feared 'im an' is fire. Many's the battle 'e led, and many's them bastard snagas of the 'igh-ups an' them whinin' tarks as 'e left all crisp an' toasty.”The orc-sage snickered for a moment. “'Course, 'e was done in by some bright-eyes trick in the end. An' now 'e sleeps until we 'as greatest need, an' then 'e'll wake again....”
Friends In 'Iigh Places
“Our friends is there too, o' course.” The orc-sage extended one claw South. “The trolls is there...” his claw moved sideways “.. an' the red-flag tarks there. Now the trolls....”
He turned back to his audience, who were hanging on every word. All except for young Lúgnuk and Ufghâsh, who were scuffling. The orc-sage reached out and banged their heads together. Hard.
“Now, the trolls,” he continued, as if nothing had happened, “terrible strong they are. They ain't too bright, mind. Not like us Orcs. An' the tarks, they 'as brains, but they're weak. Mostly good for eatin's, truth be told.”
Up'eld By 'Orror
“See them four stars to the North as makes a square? Tha's the Fortress, that is. These caves we got 'ere ain't nuffink compared to that. Even that dwarf 'ole in the South as we took years ago, that ain't nuffink. 'Uge it was. 'Alls an' towers an' gates an' dungeons.” The orc-sage smacked his lips and sighed happily. “Oh, there was dungeons, all right, an' prisoners too: bright-eyes an' white-flag tarks. Bright-eyes was the best, they say, cuz they gives more sport, lasts longer. Them tarks, they mostly died quick, though I 'eard there was one as lasted years....”
A Crown o' Stars
“The Great Lord, 'e 'ad 'is throne in that Fortress, an' tha's where 'e wore 'is crown. Mighty fine it were too. Made of iron, see, but with three sparklers. An' them three jools? Oh they was real quality, they was. Ain't no wondering at that. Made with 'is own craft they were.
“Course, them bastard bright-eyes ups and says them jools belonged to them, but them lyin' scum never knew nuffink 'bout stuff like that without 'e taught 'em. Tries ter steal 'em, the bastards, but 'e showed 'em. Took 'em back, rightful-like, an' weren't nuffink they could do.”
Ol' Red Eye
“O' course, the Great Goblin 'as 'is place, too: Ol' Red Eye at the centre of things, watchin' over us, keepin' us safe. Most of all, 'e keeps us safe from that bastard Pirate King as sails his ship 'ere an' there, causin' mischief so's a body can't 'ave no trouble jumpin' out at travellers an' suchlike.” The orc-sage spat in disgust. “Sometimes they comes together, like now,” a claw waved heavenwards towards a fiery red dot and a glittering white one that stood close in the inky blackness, “an' then they fights. Course, Ol' Red Eye, e' always wins....”
Author's notes
Because Tolkien based the Elvish and Mannish cosmology and asterisms in his works on Greek constellations (such as Ursa Major and Orion), I wanted to use a different cosmology and set of asterisms for the Orcs. The other widespread cosmology in our world is the Chinese one. While I couldn't find out nearly as much as I would have liked about the significance of the various asterisms in the Chinese system, several of the names did fit well with aspects of Middle-earth and with what we know of the orcish perspective on events.
In this drabble series, the Dragon is based on one of the four “symbols” in Chinese cosmology, namely the Azure Dragon of the East, which includes a number of “mansions” or asterisms including the Horn and the Tail.
The Trolls and the Red-flag Tarks (a name for the Wainriders borrowed from Elena Tiriel) are, respectively, the asterisms called the Ogre, Demon or Ghost and the Chariot. The names of the two orclings scuffling are also taken from Elena Tiriel's drabble series “Fell and Fair”, where they are brothers.
The Fortress is the asterism known as the Room or Encampment, while the Crown is the contellation of the Three Stars, which naturally suggested the three silmarils in Morgoth's iron crown.
Ol' Red Eye is the name I've used for Mars, while the Pirate King was the name I gave to Gil-Estel in another drabble I wrote about the Orcish view of the heavens. Gil-Estel is the star consisting of Eärendil the Mariner bearing the Silmaril across the sky in his ship Vingilot, and is associated with Venus in real-world cosmology. Eärendil, sailing Vingilot, slew Ancalagon the Black in the War of Wrath.
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no subject
Date: 2009-03-14 09:50 pm (UTC)I'm sure Elena Tiriel will love it too.
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Date: 2009-03-20 04:40 pm (UTC)Love your icon, btw... very pretty!
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Date: 2009-04-07 05:41 pm (UTC)First of all, I can't help but hearken back to your two other superb constellation series - the contrast just makes me laugh all the harder!
Second, you really are a master when it comes to dialect. I can seriously "hear" the storyteller.
Third, the interpretations are brilliant, as always. I love the foundation of Chinese astrology. And an orc-sage: by golly, that idea needs more drabble-time! Of course they would think so.
Fourth, it's a detail-lover's treat how you very smoothly wove in people and events from the Silm and LotR: The coming of the sun, Hurin, Moria, Ancalagon (at first I thought Glaurung, but then readjusted per the bright-eyes trick). Did I miss any?
Love the orc perspective about the Silmarils actually being made by Morgoth, and how the Elves/Men learned skills originally from the orcs, and Ol' Red Eye always winning. A species must have its pride, eh?
Wonderful series, Tanaqui! Thank you for sharing with all of us.
no subject
Date: 2009-04-17 05:16 pm (UTC)the contrast just makes me laugh all the harder!
Oh yes, that was part of the fun of it! Plus I knew Barbara would enjoy stars and orcs, being two of her favourite things.
I'm glad the dialect worked (I was a bit worried I'd overdone it), and that you like the mythology and the orc-y perspective on events.
The coming of the sun, Hurin, Moria, Ancalagon (at first I thought Glaurung, but then readjusted per the bright-eyes trick).
Actually, the first drabble was meant to be about the two lights on pillars (that I'm too lazy to look up the names of) that were the first lights the Valar set up, before they retreated to Aman (although... hmm, there weren't any orcs at that point -- but hey, it's mythology!)
Well guessed on the others. What else - hmm, the Fortress is Angband. And there's a reference to the Greek myth of Prometheus in there, along with a nod to Arthurian myth as well.
Y'know, I have far, far too much fun writing these....
Anyway, thanks again for your lovely comments - they're always such a pleasure to read.
no subject
Date: 2009-10-17 04:07 am (UTC)