Yomenië

A few months ago, I was going through J.R.R. Tolkien's appendices and looking at online resources, trying to find the Quenya, (elvish) phrase for, "Show yourself." The best approximation I could find was pathimlë.

I should probably back up.

In the early nineteenth century, as Europeans and Americans began exploring further beyond the edges of the western borders of the newly formed United States, mountain men and fur trappers became the premier trailblazers. Once a year, these trappers would gather at the annual meeting they called "The Rendezvous," from the French for "show yourself." They shared maps and stories, warnings and advice, drank, gambled, and found a myriad of other ways to blow through their money earned from selling pelts.

If a trapper, scout or guide wasn't at the Rendezvous, it's because they were dead. That's how important this meeting was to the community and to the process of mapping the wild.

Today, there's several groups that do Rendezvous re-enactments, dressing in period clothing, sleeping in tents or similarly contemporary lodging, and trading or selling period crafts, like wrought iron or hand forged tools and other products, hand carved necessities, furs and textiles, etc.

As I thought about this several months ago, I wondered - did the Rangers of the North and the Rangers of Ithilien have a similar meeting? In Middle-earth, these were the two groups that knew the most about the wilds of Eriador and Rhovanion. What about the elves of Mirkwood? The nomadic dwarves formerly of Moria and Erebor? Surely it would have been valuable to meet regularly to update maps, gather information about the movement of hostile forces such as orcs and goblins, and establish trade relationships.

Why not have a Middle-earth rendezvous -- that is, a gathering of free peoples interested in adding to their knowledge of the wilderland, trading their wares, sharing stories and song, and forging relationships in the shadow of the Third Age? But "rendezvous" is French -- not Adûnaic, Quenya, Khuzdul, Westron, or any other language of Middle-earth. Tolkien would be spinning in his grave if I called it that. I'd need to find the right phrase.

And there it was. Of course Tolkien had devised a word for a "meeting of three or more people" --Yomenië.

And so it begins. Here, and on my other platforms, I'll be sharing my process of creating Yomenië, as well as building my persona, whom I have named "Rubezal, the Mountain Mage." Hope you enjoy the journey! Namárië!