Wed Jan 25, 2017 4:36 am (PST) . Posted by: mirach_ravaia
I have a confession to make. When posting a theme, I usually check if we did't have the same or similar one before. I forgot to do that last month, and so we have duplicate Resolutions in our theme list. So how about making that our theme for this month? Let's write about Originals and Copies (or Copies and Originals) in February!
The topic of copies and originals is usually connected with falsification - gems, documents, coins... A ruler would probably be faced with such matters sometimes, be it in Gondor, Mirkwood or Ithlien. Or even something more serious - theft and falsification of some of the precious heirlooms of their houses. How do you find and recognize the original?
But a copy doesn't need to be made with ill intentions. There is the story of Elendilmir, the white gem that Aragorn wore on his brow during and after the Battle of the Pelennor fields. After the original was lost with Isildur, Elrond let a copy be made for his son Valandil, and it became one of the symbols of the Northern kingdom. The original was later found in Saruman's vault in Orthanc, and king Elessar wore both for different occassions. With such a piece of history behind both copy and original, it is hard to choose only one and proclaim the other invalid...
The theme of copies and originals would also fit some persons, too, not just objects. Arwen is often described having the likeness of Lúthien, and Aragorn is compared to Isildur, although not through phyical likeness. While Arwen walked in the footsteps of Lúthien even in her choice of destiny, Aragorn rose above the one he was compared to.
There are also several pairs of twins in Middle-earth, who could argue about who is the "copy" and who's the "original". And how about look-alikes and body-doubles? Even those who knew him at first mistook Gandalf for Saruman after he returned. A king could use a body-double to sneak out from boring meetings, or an imposter with his likeness could claim to be the king, like in the classical tale of the Prince and the Pauper.
The deadline for this challenge is February 25th, but can be extended until the end of the month. If you need an extension to finish your story or picture, just write to the email below!
For writers: send your stories to teitho.contest@gmail.com mailto:teitho.contest@gmail.com. The contest is anonymous and the story can't be posted publicaly until the results of the challenge are announced. Aragorn or Legolas don't have to be main characters, but at least one of them must be mentioned in the story.
For artists: Submit your picture into the Teitho gallery folder of Arda-Inspired http://arda-inspired.deviantart.com/ at deviantArt. The picture should be new, drawn specifically for the challenge. State that you are submitting it to the contest in the artist's comments.
Happy writing and drawing!
Your Teitho-moderator,
Mirach http://mirachravaia.deviantart.com/