Unquendor

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Tolkien Genootschap Unquendor (Tolkien Society Unquendor) is the Tolkien society in the Netherlands.

History[edit | edit source]

Unquendor was founded in 1981, on the birthday of Frodo and Bilbo, September 22th, after the example of the British Tolkien Society. It steadily grew up to its current member count of about 225 people[1] from all over the Dutch-speaking world, though Flanders has its own Society, Elanor, and South Africa, which had its now defunct Haradrim, was usually considered under the influence of the English Tolkien Society. In recent years Unquendor and Elanor have closely collaborated on events. The German Tolkien Society (DTG) has also joined on occasion.[2]

Members of Note[edit | edit source]

Gatherings[edit | edit source]

Unquendor organises a number of events throughout the Netherlands with attendance from throughout the country (and historically also some members from Flanders):

  • The "Joelfeest" (Yule party, December)
  • Hobbit Day and Annual General Meeting (September)
  • "Slotfeest" (Castle/End Feast, June),
  • "3-januari-diner" (Tolkien Birthday Dinner, January 3rd)
  • Tolkien Seminar (irregular, in collaboration with University Leiden)[3][4][5]

These events were discontinued:

  • "Tolkien Leesdag" (Tolkien Reading Day, close to March 25th] (the last event was in 2017)[6]

Unquendor also offers more regular meetings organised by its members throughout the Netherlands, called Herbergen ("Inns") in analogy of the Tolkien Society's smials. Unquendor's Lay of Leithian is the only inn that is also a Tolkien Society smial.[7] This inn also closely collaborates with a regulars table (stammtisch) of the German Tolkien Society just across the border.[8] Both groups share a similar regiolect (Low Franconian).[9]

Lustrum[edit | edit source]

Every 5 years, the most recent being 2021, Unquendor organizes a weekend event to celebrate an additional 5 years of the society being in existence. These events are more international in nature and usually include lectures by known Tolkien scholars and artists: Dimitra Fimi (2021), Thomas Honegger / Paul Smith (2016), Cor Blok (2006), Tom Shippey (2011), Rayner Unwin (1997), Arne Zettersten (2006).

Publications[edit | edit source]

Unquendor also publishes the magazine Lembas , four to five time a year, in Dutch, in which the accounts and announcements of events are published. Ardalogical and Tolkienistical essays are also included. These are typically written by members of Unquendor. Unquendor also publishes Lembas Extra . irregularly, in English. Longer length Tolkienological and Ardalogical articles are included therein. Lembas Extra includes articles by members and non members alike.

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Unquendor is Neo-Quenya for "Hollow Land", and is a translation of the often perceived etymology of Holland, "Hollow land". The correct etymology is of Holland, however, "Wooded land". "Hollow land" does apply to Holland in Lincolnshire, UK.

External links[edit | edit source]

References