XPost: rec.arts.books.tolkien   
   From: classic@teunc.org   
      
   > "Taemon"  wrote in message news:4e415bb8$0$5946$bf4948fe@news.tele2.nl...   
      
   > I am very sad and quite upset about this. Öjevind was a pillar of this   
   > group   
   when I started to post, which must have been about a decade ago. His warm   
   personality made him one of my favourite persons here, even though he and I   
   never spoke beyond the scope of discussion here. He is one of those people   
   that make you feel safe just being around them. He was also screamingly   
   funny.   
      
   > I wish his family and friends much strength in dealing with this loss.   
   > This   
   distant virtual acquantaince is going to mope around for a bit.   
      
   > Group hug,   
   > T.   
      
   Oh, that felt good, Taemon!  And what a lovely tribute. OK, remember that   
   naughty-yet-fitting webpage you found when the softrat died?  Well, don't   
   look for another one, but you should know that Öjevind found it very funny.   
   He just didn't think he should come right out and publicly confess it!   
      
   Öjevind enjoyed many things, but one of his favorite activities was posting   
   in these two newsgroups. In turn, he enriched the groups in so many ways. He   
   was a valuable, even passionate, contributor to any on-topic discussion he   
   participated in, as well as with related subjects such as mythology,   
   linguistics and history. And he put no less effort into his posts whenever   
   the topic went completely astray, with no sign of Tolkien anywhere!   
      
   He also had a great deal of fun writing and posting his semi-topical poems,   
   songs and stories. He wasn't seeking applause, though. As much as serious   
   discussions, he valued and nurtured the social aspects of the groups. He was   
   one of the first each time to welcome newcomers, and he enjoyed answering   
   questions and sharing information. He was delighted when lots of people   
   would join a discussion, which happened most often with the lurker-luring   
   "safe" topics started by him or others: the "Birthday" threads and the   
   "Where are you from?" threads, the "What's your favorite character or   
   passage?" threads and the "What should I read next?" threads.   
      
   On his own, he would drop all kinds of things in the groups, hoping   
   something would catch fire; and he was supportive of others' efforts. There   
   didn't seem to be any way to predict when this "fire" would happen and when   
   it wouldn't, but he was never discouraged for long. And sometimes the   
   results were glorious. Among his favorites was "Smog on the Barrow Downs" --   
   a build-on story -- which he was reminiscing about just recently.   
      
   Öjevind was an immovable anti-winger, a staunch defender of certain   
   less-attractive characters, and always very irritated with my favorite,   
   Pippin. ("But he's such a brat!") However, we did agree on one character:   
   while understanding the criticism about his inclusion, both of us remained   
   charmed and moved by Tom Bombadil, which leads me to this excerpt from a   
   2008 e-mail exchange:   
      
   Öjevind:   
   I think one of the loveliest passages in LotR is: "They heard of the Great   
   Barrows, and the green mounds, and the stone-rings upon the hills and in the   
   hollows among the hills. Sheep were bleating in flocks. Green walls and   
   white walls rose. There were fortresses on the heights. Kings of little   
   kingdoms fought together, and the young Sun shone like fire on the red metal   
   of their new and greedy swords. There was victory and defeat; and towers   
   fell, fortresses were burned, and flames went up into the sky. Gold was   
   piled on the biers of dead kings and queens; and mounds covered them, and   
   the stone doors were shut; and the grass grew over all. Sheep walked for a   
   while biting the grass, but soon the hills were empty again."   
      
   Haunting, isn't it? And clearly, those were people living in the Bronze Age.   
   "Kings of little kingdoms fought together, and the young Sun shone like fire   
   on the red metal of their new and greedy swords." That haunted me even as a   
   child, when I read it in a Swedish translation.   
      
   Laurie:   
   That's one of my favorites, as well. And it's followed up and connected so   
   movingly on the Barrow-Downs by: "He (Bombadil) chose for himself from the   
   pile a brooch set with blue stones, many-shaded like flax-flowers or the   
   wings of blue butterflies. He looked long at it, as if stirred by some   
   memory, shaking his head, and saying at last: 'Here is a pretty toy for Tom   
   and for his lady! Fair was she who long ago wore this on her shoulder.   
   Goldberry shall wear it now, and we will not forget her!' "   
   _____________________________   
      
   And we won't forget you, Öjevind.  Everyone, join me in a chorus of "My   
   Balrog (F)Lies Over the Ocean," and if someone shows up here and asks about   
   wings, don't point him to the FAQ. Think of Öjevind, welcome him in, and   
   talk about it.   
      
   --   
   Laurie Forbes   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)