by Anthony S Burdge and Jessica Burke Note: Throughout this series the actual Book of Rammoth text will be in black bold and commentary will be in italics brown
Here are the remaining pages from the Book of Rammoth, a compilation of the histories of the Rammoth Valley and the people who dwelt there. It is in no way complete, being handed down through such times, and much of the book is now marred beyond comprehension. What remains, however, is enough to obtain insight into the ways of the Valley.
Editor's Note: Liberties have been taken with the translations, since in some cases words were smeared or illegible. The language of the Rammoth, known as Reamilya, is not fully understood due to its relative insignificance in the world at that time. Let it be said that reading The Books of Lore is akin to reading the ancient sagas. These commentaries are meant to only provide our own thoughts on the tales to a wider audience for those that will have them. We feel honored to even be able to do so and to analyze various versions is an even greater honor and we love every step of the way. In Tolkien's posthumous publications of The History of Middle-earth, The Unfinished Tales and The Silmarillion, his son Christopher comments on the varying versions of this father's work as we do for for Chapter 4. The author of The Books of Lore and Ancanar Filmmaker, Sam Balcomb, is a young man who has many, many years before him, and to have created a work such as this in his early years is an accomplishment worthy of praise. It is with great respect for this work that we set down our thoughts of it.
Upon rereading the first chapters and Chapter 4, "Of the Failing Days" we sat back deep in thought, personally when a tale does that, causing us to reflect on it and our lives, it is quite worthy of further study and analysis. It has kept us pondering and contemplating, desiring to revise previous commentaries and to further reflect the depths of the tale. Each chapter is a step closer to the story of the film, which will undoubtedly be rich in this enormous mythical landscape. Though we may not have unlocked the vast mysterious tapestries that exist in The Books of Lore, we realize that they are reminiscent in part to the troubles of our own society and how we should overcome them. In her wonderfully insightful book, Tolkien in the Land of Heroes, author Anne Petty states:
For Balcomb and The Books of Lore we feel as Petty does with regards to Tolkien and his work. The appeal of both Tolkien and Balcomb is in the universality and spirituality without any man-made, societal framework upon it. A community has a beautiful beginning to their civilization and throughout its evolution it slowly dwindles and fails due to the weakness of men. It was the intent of the original commentary to provide a glimpse into our thought process upon 1st studying the Lore of the Rammoth. Upon re-reading The Books of Lore and initial commentaries a lot more has come to mind. The love we have for these tales has grown considerably, equaling the love we have for the works of Tolkien. There have been many fine contributions to the fantasy genre but none have captured the spirit of Tolkien's work so perfectly, and with such respect as that of Sam Balcomb and Raiya Corsiglia. Each time we walk the paths of the Rammoth Valley, it causes the body and soul to well with joy. Many of Tolkien's themes, death, immortality, war, enchantment, are all themes we care deeply about and hold close to our hearts. These self-same themes are so well treated by Balcomb and Corsiglia that it is almost impossible not have the some range of emotion called upon during the experience. Whether you are an independent scholar, a well-noted academic or a casual fan, Tolkien's work has inspired millions of people to live their lives better through its universality and applicability. The ancient sagas that inspired Tolkien are upheld as well. The work of Balcomb and Corsiglia is a unique treatment of the applicability of Tolkien's work while honoring and respecting all that inspired him. When a work, such as Balcomb and Corsiglia's, warrants further readings and study we aren't dealing with generic fantasy but the stuff of myth and legend. Which educates our world. In the Q&A section of Ancanar.com Balcomb answers a question pertaining to Book of Rammoth "...Book of Rammoth was created just for the film. Originally I had written it just for back story to the script -- something to help me visualize this world and its characters...it's a great way to gain insight to these characters and their history." The insight we gain from The Books of Lore provides major threads into the Rammoth tapestry and subsequent film. These "remaining pages" of Rammoth history illustrate a time and people similar to our own and perhaps over time more "pages" will be discovered. Reamilya, the language of the Rammoth, "is not fully understood due to its relative insignificance in the world at the time." The beauty of this statement is that it leaves us with the question of why? Was it insignificant in the world as a whole? One of the best ways of connecting to an ancient people, aside from artifacts, is through their language. What is wonderful is that we have samples of this very poetic language throughout the text. We also have samples of it on some of the recently introduced arms and armour, which further leaves clues to the Rammoth culture. What is also great is the mystery about the creative influences of this original language. What were Balcomb's inspirations? With Tolkien's invented languages we have all his inspirations and mechanics pretty well documented, as opposed to that of Balcomb. With Reamilya it stands out as a lonely mountain. The territory of Reamilyan is relatively uncharted land waiting to be explored. When we arrive at The Book of Aglanar answers to these questions and more will be said of this captivating language. It is our hope that by writing these commentaries a further appreciation and love for these tales can be experienced by the reader. By applying our own thoughts and knowledge to the Books of Lore it is our hope also to incite their study and education.
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