Collected and translated by Lars-Terje Lysemose
From the yet to be published Athelas in English vol. 2.
Copyright Imladris - Danmarks Tolkienforening
The actual festival
Jan Bakke: The most positive surprise was Finnish. Toni Edelmann performed selfcomposed tunes made for a theatre series of The Lord of the Rings which sounded both beautifully and poetically. Especially his version of Boromir's song made an impression. It was therefore a pity that some of the play was ruined by the chorus he had brought along, three girls who killed the harmony with howls and false voices (Angerthas 37).
Nils Ivar Agøy: Much was really good. Toni Edelmann and his hobbit children was a true experience (I wish I had a tape recording). The exhibitions were interesting. The Finnish-Dutch room party met even highly exorbitant expectations (but it may have been a bit exclusive?). The meeting with old Tolkien friends was inspiring, as always. The planning of a divine service did I personally appreciate very much. The quiz was good, it seperated clearly the grain from the chaff and ought to become a tradition. My main impression of the festival can, nonetheless, be distilled into three words: lack of ressources. The ressources available (read: number of persons willing to do a concrete effort) simply did not suffice to plan and go through with so large an event in a truly good manner (Angerthas 37).
Helge Kåre Fauskanger: The exhibition at the honorable library consisted of a few glass cases with books by and about Tolkien; they had a loathsome tendency of being either translated or written by Åke Ohlmarks. There was also a copy of The Jerusalem Bible; it is said that Tolkien was among the translators (though nobody really seems to know exactly which part he translated, it seems). As the climax was of course the invaluable relic which lay in a frame of gold in one of the cases: a triangular piece of paper with sides of approximately five milimetres. Quite true, it was a fragment of the original manuscript for The Lord of the Rings! I wonder how many guaranteed genuine chips of Christ's cross the owner of the paper piece would have wanted in trade for it? (...) In the evening, cartoons were shown: The Rankin-Bass versin of The Hobbit (shall we cry or laugh?) and of The Lord of the Rings (we cry!). Little by little, people withdrew and celebrated the last evening of the festival in groups. By some Finns, Magne was poured something he later described as "an orcish bloody substanse"; I think I'm glad I passed (...) During our last meal, the Finnish delegation all as one suddenly began howling and pouring yoghurt in their hair! Were we perhaps witnessing some obscure Finnish ceremony developed to keep cool in the sauna? The Finns jumped up, lined up and marched out singing "Where there's a whip there is a way" which they had learned from the cartoon yesterday. It later turned out that this was some sort of protest action against... well, something. I never reallly understood what it was. A Finn later told me that it did not have any particular reason. They simply felt like pouring some yoghurt in their hair. They did this in the presense of everyone. One inevitably starts wondering what the Finns do when nobody watches them. Yet, they most certainly did set a memorable period to the Northern Tolkien Festival '94. (Angerthas 37).
At the fair in Midgårds Fylking
Helge Kåre Fauskanger: At one place you could try casting knives at and have them stick to set up timber targets. A little closer to the inn was a variant of the perpetual fun fair offer of here-you-can-at-last-have-your-childish-need-to-smash-Chinese-satisfied-and-even-get-a-reward-for-it. Soon, people were casting and it crashed and clinked. But the most dominating sound at the market was the cry of people trying to sell their products (...) Incredibly! The doughty Swedes in Midgårds Fylking had actually managed to re-create a bit of the atmosphere one would find at a medieval market (Angerthas 37).
In the Mines of Moria
Jan Boom: A helmet was put on, and through a door; we were forbidden to speak in respect for the stones (?), and there we found ourselves in the same situation as Bilbo after waking up and as the Nine Walkers after the hidden door was closed... dark... very little fire pots here and there. And like blind men (...) we stepped behind each other by touch hoow loong many many steps down down down steps incounted (spooky... where do we go? For how long?) Nobody is asking, hoping to find a place to rest a little but no, keep on going... and yes there is an end at the end of 49 (or 500) stair steps. We are standing in the Great Hall (info later: in a 318 m deep mine pit in a Silver mine, called the Treasure Room of Sweden. There are more than 20 km of galleries). And there we witnessed the Crowning of Glóin son of Gróin son of Farin. Which each of us present will remember all his life as a great fantastic event (Beyond Bree September 1994).
Helge Kåre Fauskanger: I soon stopped trying to count the steps but I later heard that some Finnish girls had come to 341 (or 349 depending on the exact definition of one "step") (...) A drum began to make slow enormous booms which echoed in the great chamber with the dim light. I repressed an unwelcome association with the human sacrifice scene in Indiana Jones (Angerthas 37).
Helen Armstrong: It says a lot about Tolkien fans that the entire crew went down and back again, many in full-length robes or cloaks (and some in high heels) without a single broken neck, and no serious trips, thumps or curses. You could cut the concentration with a knife. I stood at the bottom of the cavern, watching an endless stream of shadowy safety-hats pass out of the darkness fifty feet above and join the slow column, rattling with stately, infinitely careful tread down the winding stair. So this is what dwarves do, I thought (Amon Hen 130).
Banquet and embassies
Helge Kåre Fauskanger: Then toasts were proposed (...) All the Swedish Tolkien societies had their healths. Long live Midgårds Fylking! Long live Forodrim! Long live Angmar! ("but why" asked an inpolite voice when it came to Angmar). A number of times during the evening at 20.40, 22.04, 23.09 and 23.26 to be exact everyone got up, reached their glass to the west and made a toast for the Valar ("Help, I've made a monster, Doctor Frankenstein said. What would the devoted Catholic Tolkien have said?") (Angerthas 37).
Elisabeth Edin: Two fires were lit, and so, embassies in honour of Elrond and Glóin followed on the heels of the ful-filling banquet. Gifts were graciously given to the two friends in the cool twiligt of the northern night. Some were serious and ceremonial, others (...) aroused a roar of laughter. Then some-body said: "Beware of the dragon!"An enormous bulk of a dragon was seen high up in the air between two tall trees. Its eyes shone with a red fiery light and a courageous elf appeared. He was armed with a burning arrow, and with the help of a few uncertain cheers, he fired... but oops missed and nearly set the banquet tent on fire... When the commotion died down again, he shot anew (...) and bull's-eye! The dragon came crashing down and was con-sumed by fire. When the dragon was finally vanquished, a handsome, great firework display commenced, ending a most exciting evening (Beyond Bree September 1994).
The arrangement as a whole
Jan Boom: I had no idea what to expect of the Northern Tolkien Festival. Let me tell you it was great. As our good friend Beregond (Anders Stenström) tries to organize everything almost alone, of course little things of an organizational nature will go wrong, but in my opinon who cares? It is not relevant between meeting friends. And let me tell you that is what it was (Beyond Bree September 1994).
Jan Bakke: The first Northern Tolkien Festival was not the great event I had been looking forward to. It wasn't bad but not that much to look back on either. For my part, I suppose it had something to do with the jubilee celebration of Midgårds Fylking which the festival quite one-sided had been built up to. There I did not go since a Middle-earth dress was compulsory. I could have said much about this, of course. It should be enough to say that I do not like that sort of fancy-dress balls, in any case not in connection with Tolkien. A lack of sewing skills also had its influence (...) A certain organisation is always needed. Here it generally failed. After what I heard from more conference accustomed people this was typical for arrangements of that kind and just a matter of habit. I myself felt it was unnecessary. The thesis that everything has to be done in the last moment was confirmed to excess. To give but a few examples: The paintings for the art exhibition had far from all been set up when we arrived. And to find out where the various lectures were to be given wasn't easy until some poor Swedish souls of fire came running and put up a piece of paper when the lecture was about to begin of course. And there was barely anyone who reminded people to go to them. Not nice since the organisation was the responsibility of all the participants. I myself was ashamed when I realised how little I had helped but at that point it was too late. In spite of everything, this festival was the first of its kind. The followers of Tolkien are not so numerous that they can afford to isolate. Cooperation and festivals are necessary to renew the glow. That's why I believe in and look forward to the next Northern Tolkien Festival (Angerthas 37).
Magne Bergland: The programme of the festival except from the party was too thin! Of course there were bright spots: Inger Edelfeldt's and Lars Physant's paintings, Toni Edelmann's songs, an exciting quiz, interesting workshops and lectures. There just had to be more in order to give the festival more wealth and weight (Angerthas 37).
Nils Ivar Agøy: Perhaps the programme was too bursting with too few features which gathered everyone; however, I tend to believe there arose a kind of disorganisation because noone seemed to have responsibility for anything at all and because much of what happened seemed improvised. I think it's characteristic that the festival banquet itself was quite informal and even a bit awkward affair without any joint features Fine enough for us veterans, perhaps, who can always get together in a corner but hardly equally pleasant for those who are new to the environment (...) The next Northern Tolkien Festival for I believe in and hope that there will be more should be planed more carefully in detail, be closer and more wholely. The responsibility for practical stuff (everything from information, cooking and washing the floor to sitting by the counter, taking care of guests and see to it that chalk and microphones are put in their places) and programme features should be divided into practicable parts to people who have time to concentrate on them and duty to report if anything goes wrong. If there is not enough people to do this or if it turns out that there are not enough programme features, then the whole thing should be postponed (Angerthas 37).
Sjoerd van der Weide: Organisation is also a feat. Although some programme features failed, my overall memory of the Northern Tolkien Festival is mainly positive (Lembas 66).
Helen Armstrong: On the bus back to Arlanda Airport, I thought of all the things we had not done. We had not danced the springle ring, nor had we presented an Embassy (...) We had not inspected the art of Inger Edelfeldt (...) or Lars Physant. We had not inspected the books and Tolkien letter at the Univer-sity (but we did find the local comic shop). We did not come home laden with produce (...) But we did made it to the Nordens Tolkien-Festival (...) and had a very nice time. Even the effects of wine and beer encountered here had a certain grace to them. Both the serious stuff and the entertainments were of quality and interest. Everyone joined in a bit of everything. A huge amount of work had gone into setting it up. Our only regret (apart from that the potato pottage in the Market hadn't been stewed for a bit longer) was that we couldn't stay a few more days and re-visit Stockholm as well (Amon Hen 130).
Elisabeth Edin: During our busride home a very quiet and tired, but happy bunch grew smaller at given intervals. Thus, a happy and rewarding reality slowly turned into joyous memories with the last wave of my hand, as I saw the bus disappear into the horizon. Thank you, all of you, who participated for making my trip! One last word to all involved: I don't know half of you half as well as I should like. Now... now... who wrote that... it's tickling on the tip of my tongue... it's... it's... no.. ah... who? (Beyond Bree September 1994).