Lord of the Rings -- a different version

 Icons are "images" to be blunt. They are used by Eastern Christians (Orthodox and "Eastern Rite" Catholics as well as the Coptic and Armenian Christian churches) in their worship. Icons often adorn the Churches and are situated on the screen (the Iconostasis) that stands between what we Western Christians would call the "nave" and the "chancel." To look into an icon is to look into heaven through the person depicted. (I am for sure simplifying the theology and I apologize for such.)

An example of the icon screen.

Another example with your humble blogger vested.
(A long, long time ago.)

In roaming the virtual wasteland that can be the Internet, I recently ran into some works by a Russian artist, Sergei Lukhimov. He has illustrated events and characters of J.R.R.Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in a Russian iconographic style. I'm sure many people might feel this is disrespectful to either Christian icons or to Tolkien's works. I feel it is an interpretation using a well-known style without insult to either the concept of icons or the written work. This my own opinion.

Christian Icons often look "busy" with multiple symbols and even multiple activities depicted.

the Nativity of Jesus Christ
Angels, the star, Jesus born in a cave, terrified shepherds.
Joseph speaking to someone (lower right), someone else playing
the schwam outside the cave... 
There's a lot going on.

Here are a few examples. This may require two blog entries.

Gandalf arrives at the Unexpected Party
(Note the hobbit scamp at the bottom right. Cheeky!)

The fireworks at the Birthday Party.

The Council of Elrond
The names are in English but written in an Elvish style.

The Fellowship leaves Rivendell.
Scale is less important in icons than the message.
They (and these) are works of art that tell a story.

The Bridge at Khazad Dum

Gandalf the Grey battles the Balrog and undergoes a change into Gandalf the White

The death of Boromir

Merry and Pippin are taken away into Fangorn by the Orc
(whose name I can't recall.)

Merry and Pippin drink the Entdraught with Treebeard

The March of the Ents

Aragorn, Legolas, and Gimli meet the Rohorrim.
Notice the artist depicts the Riders of Rohan in Russian/Slavic armour.
Tolkien was a scholar of the Anglo-Saxon language and the Rohorrim are often depicted
as Normans or horsed warriors of Western Europe. But why not in Russian kit?

"Stormcrow" meets Theoden King
The major players are all there - Gandalf, Theoden, Wormtongue, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli and Eowyn

There are more illustrations and I'll continue them in my next blog post.