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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 13h

The Great Pustaha is a large Batak magic book from North Sumatra. Written by nine generations of datu/priest, it contains spells and potions to destroy villages, kill enemies, inspire love, and heal. The cover has a carving of Naga Padoha, a giant primordial serpent of the underworld. #WyrdWednesday

Photograph of an open page of The Great Pustaha. The two large pages are made of agarwood barks, depicting a giant dragon-like creature extending on both pages. The creature is covered with symbols and surrounded by small human-like and animal-like figures, along with small texts.

Photograph of The Great Pustaha when closed. The covers are made of black wood with a carving of Naga Padoha, tied with a twine to help opening the book. The back cover has four wooden "legs" that serve as the book stand and the "hooves" of Naga Padoha.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

"Just do sport and stop being political." Idk, I grew up with stories about Muhammad Ali and then (just recently) found out about Jack Johnson, and they had no other option but doing exactly that because the world around them made their existence and basic moral principle, essentially, political.

A black and white photograph of Muhammad Ali doing a boxing pose underwater. He wore a pair of boxing shorts and stood at the bottom of a swimming pool, in a pose that resembled a moment before a fight. The photo was taken from his side.

A black and white photocard of Jack Johnsons showing him standing wearing boxing gloves, boxing top and tight, and shoes. He raised his left fist and kept the right one in front of his chest. The handwriting underneath said "Jack Johnsons, who defeated Jeffries in America on July 4th, 1910."

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I Sit Beside the Fire and Think is my favorite poem by Tolkien about "journey's end". As the aging Bilbo sang it in Rivendell, he gave it a contemplative air; recalling past events in sorrow while anticipating returning loved ones. Love the use of seasons to mark passing times. #TolkienTrewsday

I Sit Beside the Fire and Think: a poem by J.R.R. Tolkien

I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.

I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.

For still there are so many things
that I have never seen:
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.

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Derek Barrantes @molluskshell.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

#TolkienTrewsday Week 188: Journey’s end “So comes snow after fire, and even dragons have their endings!” Nothing new from me this week, so I’ll just be resharing these two illustrations I’ve drawn depicting the endings of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

A colored illustration of Hobbiton based on an illustration by J.R.R. Tolkien. At the foreground, Bilbo can be seen riding a pony.

A colored illustration of a white ship sailing to the West as the sun sets. Aboard are (from left to right) Frodo Baggins, Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf the White, Galadriel, Elrond, and Cirdan. Cirdan steers the ship.

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Brian Weaver @brianitguy.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Journey's End by Tudor Mint. Here's Bilbo writing There and Back Again in front of his fireplace. If you look closely you can see Sting and his Mithril shirt on the table #Tolkien #TolkienTrewsday #TheHobbit @timbolton.bsky.social

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

The Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan Airport in my hometown has an "art corner" (near the customer service desk) where traditional performers showcase their skills. Usually I see sape players, so it's nice to finally see an Enggang dance. Made me want to pick up the feather fans again.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

All my birthday books are HERE. From Indigenous horror short stories to anthology by South Asian LGBTQIA+ authors (courtesy of The Queer Muslim Project), nonfiction books by Palestinian authors, social thriller by Tamil authors, and the new novel by queer Iraqi-Palestinian-Lebanese author. #Booksky

A photograph of seven books arranged on a wooden bench, adorned by a keffiyeh and a colorful woven scarf. The books are Everything We Thought Was Beautiful, On the Brink of Belief, Never Whistle at Night, Floodlines, Pizza before We Die, Fieldwork as a Sex Subject, Your Driver is Here.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Manten Tebu (Sugarcane Wedding) is a tradition in various regions in Java where two newly-harvested sugarcanes are dressed like bride and groom. They are carried to the sugar factory in a procession and become the first to be milled, symbolizing a hope for good and safe production. #WyrdWednesday

A photo of Manten Tebu ritual where a man and a woman, dressed in traditional Javanese wedding outfits, are washing two decorated sugarcanes. There is a screen for wayang puppet show behind them.

A photo of Manten Tebu ritual where a man and a woman, dressed in traditional Javanese wedding outfits, walking in a procession to the sugar mill facility while surrounded by entourage with offerings and parasol.

A photo of Manten Tebu ritual where a man and a woman, dressed in traditional Javanese wedding outfits, blessing the decorated sugarcanes in a procession to the sugar mill facility while surrounded by entourage with offerings and parasol.

A photo of two dolls of Javanese bride and groom surrounded by offerings and multiple sugarcanes at the mouth of the milling facility.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Thror's Map (left), drawn by Tolkien in 1936, and the sketch (right), featured in "J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator" by Hammond & Scull. The moon runes were cut and pasted to the map since Tolkien wanted them to shine through from the reverse when held up, like in the story. #TolkienTrewsday

An image of Thror's Map with blue and red inks. It depicts a map with a route to the Lonely Mountain with the moon runes pasted below. There are lines of runes in red ink on the left margin.

A rough sketch of Thror's Map featuring a cursory drawing of Lonely Mountains region, a hand that pointed to the Lonely Mountains with red runes nearby, and curved line that represented the route.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Inspired to share recommendations on IG after getting two books by queer South Asian authors for my birthday. I love the way they bring distinctive perspectives on how they depict queerness, which I can relate (one of my birthday books is among these top three 😊) #Booksky 1/3

An opening slide titled 10 Queer Novel Recommendations by South Asian Authors. The slide is by Putri Prihatini. The background image is a collage of five book covers.

Deviants by Santanu Bhattacharya. A family saga about three generations of gay men in an Indian family. Vivaan was the teenager who seek love and connection in online world. Mambro, Vivaan’s uncle, fell in love with a classmate during the enforcement of colonial-era law criminalizing homosexuality. Sukumar, Mambro’s uncle, had a secret relationship with another man because of social taboo. All fought for love and dignity against the specific currents of their times.

Your Driver is Waiting by Priya Guns. Priya Guns expressed biting social commentary about the pressure of gig work, class disparity, and authenticity of activism through the eyes of Damani, a rideshare driver who lived paycheck-to-paycheck. Her tumultuous, fiery, rather toxic relationship with a rich white girl Jolene snowballed into devastating chains of events that made her question everything she had been fighting for.

How to Date a Fanatic, by Aruni Kashyap. Aruni Kashyap wrote a poignant queer campus novel about navigating relationship under Modi era. Trapped in an unrequited love toward his best friend, New Delhi professor Rohit embarked in relationships with multiple men until he met a charismatic literature student Sayan. Political tension, Hindu nationalism, and student activism became tipping points that changed Rohit’s life as he navigated the challenges and triumph of queer love.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Found a tiny cow in a frozen chicken cuts package (for some reasons). Anyway, her name is Dhenok and she's my bookmark now.

A photo of an open book page with a little 2D bookmark in the shape of a round, spotted cow.

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Brian Weaver @brianitguy.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Tolkien in Oxford was a #BBC documentary first aired in 1968. Still avaialable on the BBC archive and well worth a watch. His hat reminds me of Sam's "he had put on his head a tall shapeless felt bag, which he called a hat" "Dreaming Spires" #TolkienTrewsday @timbolton.bsky.social

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

As a queer Indigenous coming-of-age road movie, Wildhood is a sweet, decent watch. Honestly worth the scene where Pasmay joyfully danced with Link in full regalia. Also, love Michael Greyeyes as a boisterous Native baker who would've gladly smacked you if you misgendered his trans nephew. #Filmsky

A still from the movie Wildhood depicting an Indigenous boy dancing in a full Fancy Dance regalia, with a short-haired, bare-chested boy and his younger brother who danced along joyfully on a beach. The movie title appears as a black text above their heads.

A still from the movie Wildhood depicting an Indigenous boy dancing on the beach in a full Fancy Dance regalia, with a short-haired, bare-chested, blonde, mixed-blood Native boy

A still from the movie Wildhood depicting two Native boys embracing with their foreheads touching each other. One is a Native boy with slightly long black hair and the other is a mixed-blood Native boy with short, blonde hair.

A still from the movie Wildhood depicting a roadside encounter between a Native middle-age man with long, black hair, black shirt, and vest, with a teenage mixed-blood Native boy with short, blonde hair in white shirt.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

"I Vene Kemen" is Tolkien's vision of the world as a Viking boat, which appeared in the early version of his Middle-earth legendarium. Names include Nūme (West), Oronto (East), Haloisi Velike (The Great Sea), I Tolli Kuluvar (The Magic Isles), and I Nori Landar (The Great Lands). #WyrdWednesday

The black and white diagram of I Vene Kemen, the crude map of a flat earth in the form of a Viking boat with an open sail. The sun and moon appeared on the sail with the names ur and sil. The mountain appeared on the prow, the mass of land as the deck, and the outermost waters as the hull. There are words Nume for West and Oronto for East. The layers of air are symbolized by two rows of cloud-like lines that say, from the top to the bottom: Vaitya, Ilwe, and Vilna.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

This is also for #TolkienTrewsday as an Indonesian Tolkien fan! I first read Tolkien to cope with the chaotic downfall of Soeharto. I love connecting the themes with local folklore I grew up with, including putting Tolkien and Kanjeng Ratu Kidul in a presentation together (proof in the post below!)

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

New age, new glasses, with a book that has become my favorite Indigiqueer novel (let's see if any of my new birthday books could topple it). Achievement at 41? Hmm, first in my family to read this much Tolkien and queer lit? First to be openly queer? Otherwise, just your same old resident bookworm.

A photo of me in checkered shirt, grey t-shirt, abstract hijab, and beaded bracelet. I wear glasses and hold a book titled Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead in front of my face.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

Sometimes, my favorite local ghost stories are more mischievous in their scare. Like the Javanese Glundung Pringis, a grinning head that disguises itself as a falling coconut to shock people, or Begu Ture of Karo folklore, who grabs people's ankles when walking up the stairs. 1/2 #WyrdWednesday

A photo of a cluster of green coconut fruits growing out of a giant coconut tree.

A photo of a wooden staircase that leads to the upper story of an old wooden house.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

After Edith passed away on 29 November 1971, Tolkien sent a letter to Christopher, asking his opinion about adding the inscription of Lúthien on her gravestone. Tolkien said that his decision was made under grief, but it was not a sentimental fancy. He had a really good reason. #TolkienTrewsday

I never called Edith Luthien - but she was the source of the story that in time became the chief part of The Silmarillion. It was first conceived in a small woodland glade filled with hemlocks at Roos in Yorkshire (where I was for a brief time in command of an outpost of the Humber Garrison in 1917, and she was able to live with me for a while). In those days her hair was raven, her skin clear, her eyes brighter than you have seen them, and she could sing - and dance. But the story has gone crooked, & I am left, and I cannot plead before the inexorable Mandos."

Letter 340, 11 July 1972, from J.R.R. Tolkien to Christopher Tolkien

A framed black and white photograph of Tolkien standing outside the fence of his Oxford house. Edith was standing next to him behind the fence door. Both were smiling to the camera.

An excerpt from a letter to Christopher Tolkien: 11 July 1972. I have at last got busy about Mummy's grave... The inscription I should like is: EDITH MARY TOLKIEN 1889-1971, Luthien: brief and jejune, except for Luthien, which says for me more than a multitude of words: for she was (and knew she was) my Luthien. July 13. Say what you feel, without reservation, about this addition. I began this under the stress of great emotion and regret, and in any case I am afflicted from time to time (increasingly) with an overwhelming sense of bereavment. I need advice. Yet I hope none of my children will feel that the use of this name is a sentimental fancy. It is any rate not comparable to the quoting of pet names in obituaries.

A grave of Tolkien at Wolvercote Cemetery. It is surrounded by concrete borders, with a gravestone that says Edith Mary Tolkien, 1889-1971, Luthien, and John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, 1892-1973, Beren. The grave is covered by flower bouquets and lush green plants and several letters from visitors.

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Andrew Ferguson @trotter.tolkienguide.com · 01/09/2026

Letter from Joy Hill to Mr Abetts about #Tolkien's Death @roadshowpbs.bsky.social 2022 episode www.tolkienguide.com/guide/letter... #TolkienTrewsday

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Derek Barrantes @molluskshell.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

#TolkienTrewsday Week 184: Death Out of all the depictions of Boromir’s death, I have a particular soft spot for Ryuichi Terashima’s illustration from the Japanese edition of The Two Towers. Here, the fallen Boromir, redeemed and at peace, makes one final journey down the falls of Rauros.

Ryuichi Terashima’s black and white illustration for the chapter ‘The Departure of Boromir’ as featured in the first volume of the Japanese edition of The Two Towers. The illustration depicts the fallen Boromir with a peaceful expression lying down on a boat which is just about to sail down the Falls of Rauros.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

I started writing queer short stories set in my East Borneo hometown. Every detail has familiar landmarks, food, soundscape, and atmosphere that I'd recognize with my eyes closed. What do I do with them? Don't know. Right now, I just want to see queer stories unfolding in my hometown, that's it.

A year later, on that same beach by the Dayak warrior monument, the tide had been exceptionally low. The smell of exposed moss and salt was thick. Arman had swallowed down the dryness in his throat and said, “Don’t use my name anymore, Hendra. Call me Arman. Just once. I want to hear how it sounds.”

Hendra had blinked, his eyes shifting from the grey water to Arman’s face. He was confused for a moment, but he didn't ask why. His features had softened, losing the sharp, defensive edge he usually wore around the other boys at school.

“Hi, Arman,” Hendra had said. He sounded as if he had been waiting to say it all his life.

As the turmeric hit the mortar, the wet, rhythmic thwack-thwack of the pestle became the only sound in the house. The steam from the boiling water began to fog Raras’s glasses. Lestari stepped in close to check the color of the infusion, her shoulder resting lightly against Raras’s. Raras found herself leaning into the gentle pressure, a silent surrender to the heat of the stove and the woman beside her.

“The sugar,” Lestari whispered, reaching across Raras to grab the palm sugar discs. The salty scent of Lestari’s sweat mixed with the earthy fragrance of the brewing roots. It was an intimate, heavy smell that went straight to Raras’s pulse.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Sliman Mansour, who passed away on 24 August 2026, was a Palestinian artist who vividly and vibrantly captured the souls of Palestine. He depicted the bond between Palestinian identity and the land and the concept of Sumud: "steadfastness" that doesn't stop at survivorship, but also resistance. 🧵1/4

A 2014 painting titled Orange Harvest, depicting two Palestinian women in white and black thobes with intricate, colorful embroideries on the chest panels and hems. One woman holds an orange basket and the other kneels with her hands raised. They stand between rows of orange trees harvested by smaller Palestinian women. Behind them is the sea.

The Village Awakens, a 1978 painting that depicts Palestinian villagers walk in line holding farming and sculpting equipment. Behind them are village buildings, image of a boatman, farmers harvesting crops and olives, and a giant woman holding a vase and wearing an embroidered thobe and white headscarf. In the front are images of women harvesting olives and oranges and a sculptor working on several blocks of stones.

A 1976 painting titled Motherhood depicting a surreal view of a barren landscape. A giant Palestinian woman sits with one breast bare, feeding her baby. She is skeletal, sitting with her head bowed, and she holds a firearm while her baby looks healthy.

Holy Family, a 2013 painting depicting Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in traditional Palestinian thobes, white headscarves for Joseph and Mary, yellow robe and white thobe for Joseph and red thobe with embroidered chest panel for Mary, and white and orange robes with keffiyeh scarf for child Jesus. Child Jesus pointed two fingers upward. The three of them have halos around their heads.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Kukur Tihar/Kukur Puja is a part of a five-day Nepalese festival where people spoil dogs and adorn them with tilak paste and garlands. Dogs are seen as the messengers of Yama, the God of Death, guarding the underworld and guiding the spirits, which associate them with good luck. 1/2 #WyrdWednesday

A Nepalese girl smiling at a white, long-haired dog, adorned with red paste on its forehead and wearing orange flower garlands.

Three police dogs sit on their haunches, each decorated with orange flower garlands. A Nepalese girl throws an orange flower upward in adoration.

A long-haired white dog wearing yellow flower garland is fed by someone, who extends a small plate containing dog food.

A white, long-haired dog with red paste on its forehead is sitting like a good boy. Someone is adorning its neck with orange flower garlands. Another person extends a round bread with two hands, which the dog bites into.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

For #TolkienTrewsday theme of the Silmarils, I wrote about how a sacred weapon featured in Pararaton, a semi-legendary chronicle of Javanese monarchs, shows a unique parallel with the nature of the Silmarils. #TolkienTuesday #Tolkien #Silmarillion putri2wotan.wordpress.com/2020/12/24/g...

putri2wotan.wordpress.com

Greed and Blood: Powerful Objects in The Silmarillion and Javanese Book of Monarchs

The Silmarillion and Javanese book of monarchs found parallels in powerful, hallowed objects that caused trails of tragedies and bloodlust.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Suvannamaccha is a mermaid that appeared in Southeast Asian versions of Ramayana. She led other mermaids to spoil Hanuman's efforts to build a bridge across the sea. When confronting each other, they fell in love and began a courting dance. 1/3 #WyrdWednesday 📷: Photo Dharma, Neil McAllister

A detail of a mural painting depicting Hanuman, a white monkey warrior in golden jewelry and patterned knee-length golden pants. He is embracing a golden-skin mermaid with tall golden crown, elaborate jewelry, long black hair, and brown scaly lower body. They look at each other with love.

A dark brown statue of Suvannamaccha, a mermaid with tall, pointy crown and elaborate jewelry in the middle of a pond in a Cambodian park.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Tolkien's various sketches of heraldic devices for #TolkienTrewsday: 1: "Heraldic devices for Beren Gamlost, Finrod and Finarphin”, from around 1960. 2: Earendel and Gil-galad's heraldic devices drawn on a postcard. 3: Sketch of one of Lúthien's heraldic devices.

Scanned image of an old yellowed paper, with three colorful pencil drawings of heraldic devices from Tolkien's characters. One is diamond-shaped with red and blue background and a single red hand, belongs to Beren. One is diamond-shaped with a harp on green background, belongs to Finrod. One is shaped like a blue six-pointed star, with white dots in the negative spaces, belongs to Finarphin. The images are surrounded by faded scribbling.

The scanned image of an old postcard with the name Professor J.R.R. Tolkien, 76 Sandfield Road, Oxford written on it. Three diamond shaped heraldic devices with dark blue and white colors were drawn on it, complete with names Earendel and Gil-galad. Each has stars as the design themes.

A scanned image of an old paper with a defined sketch of a round heraldic device, drawn with colored pencils. It's black with four white flowers forming a star shape, and a round yellow flower as the center. The negative space is filled with white dots and stars. Two lines of Elven script written on top of it, possibly the name Luthien Tinuviel.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Visited Papa today to tell him that I'm working hard to live on things he had taught me: on listening to my conscience, on being cautious about injustice dressed up in nice words, and being true to myself. And I told him about my new books and what I want to do on my next birthday (buy more books).

A photograph of my hand putting a single yellow flower on the gravestone of my father. It is black with golden engravings of his name, the dates of his birth and death, and an Arabic script from the Qur'an.

A photograph of an Islamic graveyard in my hometown, under the clear blue afternoon sky, surrounded by lush trees.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 27/03/2025

Some favorite entries from "The Queer Arab Glossary", a queer glossary book from Arab/Arabic-speaking regions. The 300+ entries were gathered by a dedicated team and edited by Marwan Kaabour, the founder of Takweer (a collective that gathers queer narratives in Arab history and culture). #Booksky

A photo of my hand holding The Queer Arab Glossary. The book cover is light blue with the title in black and the Arabic title in pink. The cover art depicts two birds with penis as heads.

An entry from The Queer Arab Glossary Book: Kahina (from Oman): "High priestess, an established, older gay "mother" who enjoys respect and stature in the community. Mostly used among lesbians but also sometimes by gay men.

An entry from the Queer Arab Glossary book: "Lubya": "Cowpea/white bean". Used by the younger generation in the LGBTQ+ community to refer to each other.

An entry from the Queer Arab Glossary Book: Nas al-Dunya: "Worldly folks": an oblique term for queer/LGBTQ+ people who enjoy living life to the fullest with all its pleasures.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

A series of stamps released by Pos Indonesia in 2016, depicting the solar eclipse story: Batara Kala swallowing the sun and vomiting it back. The man and the woman make noises with their tools as an eclipse ritual to chase away the evil energy. 1/2 Design: Agung EBW, Triyadi Guntur #WyrdWednesday

A series of three stamps depicting the head of Batara Kala trying to swallow the sun and creating an eclipse. The stamps say Solar Eclipse year 2016, Indonesia, valued 5,000 Rupiah. There are a Javanese man and Sumatran woman hitting a mortar, pestle, and wooden signaling tube as eclipse ritual.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

Gandalf: "I should say there were little bears, large bears, ordinary bears, and gigantic big bears, all dancing outside from dark to nearly dawn." That dancing bear comment might be a reminiscent of the Great Bear-dance of Númenor. - From "The Hobbit", chapter "Queer Lodgings" #TolkienTrewsday

The art by Tolkien himself for The Hobbit book cover, featuring the drawing of snow-capped Misty Mountain with green forest and a bunch of eagles flying.

The bears, the black bears especially, had curious dances of their own, but these seem to have become improved and elaborated by the instructions of Men. At times the bears would perform dances for the entertainment of their human friends.

The most famous was the Great Bear-dance (Ruxöalë) of Tompollë in the Forostar, to which every year in the autumn many would come from all parts in the island, since it occured not long after the Eruhantalë, at which a great concourse was assembled.

To those not accustomed to the bears the slow (but dignified) motions of the bears, sometimes as many as 50 or more together, appeared astonishing and comic. But it was understood by all admitted to the spectacle that there should be no open laughter. The laughter of Men was a sound that the bear could not understand: it alarmed and angered them.

Depiction of the Great Bear-dance in The Nature of Middle-earth: Part Three, Chapter XIII: Of the Land and Beasts of Númenor (ed. Carl F. Hostetter)

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Derek Barrantes @molluskshell.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

#TolkienTrewsday Week 181 and Amon Hen Art Challenge Week 2: The Way of the Wild Bilbo and Gandalf meet Beorn and his animal friends.

A colored illustration depicting Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey meeting Beorn. Next to Beorn are two horses (one black and one white), a dog, and three large bees.

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Tim Bolton 🐿 | 🏹 Ranatuor of Meriadoc 💍 (He/Him) @timbolton.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

🧙🎨🧵 9a/ #TolkienTrewsday Week 181 (10/08/26) The Way of the Wild: At ArdaCon in Manchester artist Caleb Peregrine unveiled his latest painting, “Warden of the Woods” showing Radagast with a group of woodland animals. None other than Radagast himself, Sir Sylvester McCoy did the unveiling. /more

Sir Sylvester McCoy and Caleb Peregrine with "Warden of the Woods" - painting unveiled at ArdaCon in Manchester over the weekend (8-9 August 2026). Photo from Caleb's Facebook page. Source: https://www.facebook.com/artofcalebperegrine/photos/and-a-drull-roll-please-as-sylvester-and-i-unveil-my-newest-work-warden-of-the-w/1535557705040848/

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

My beloved Transit Bookstore Jakarta just stocked up the newest translation of White Elephant, a historical novel by Tamil author Jeyamohan, so of course I got one. It was inspired by the Great Indian Famine and early Dalit uprising (it also made me want to know more about Iyothee Thass). #Booksky

A photo of a book titled White Elephant by Jeyamohan. It has a black cover with the illustration of an elephant in a giant ice block. There is a bookmark with a pink and blue painting of a boat with a person in it.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Pasola, a mounted spear-fighting competition of western Sumba, East Nusa Tenggara, celebrates the rice-harvesting season. A part of Marapu belief that considers horses as sacred, any rider's blood that spills on the soil is seen as a sacrifice for a bountiful harvest. 🧵1/2 #WyrdWednesday

A photograph of Pasola rider on the back of a dark brown horse. The horse wears fringed adornments with red ropes on its head, mid-running. The rider raises a blunt spear, his face intense.

A photograph of a Pasola rider team. All of them wear yellow shirts with thick sashes around their hips. They all wear tall headdresses, and their horses have fringed adornments. Every rider carries several blunt spears.

A photograph of a Pasola rider in yellow shirt and wide sash around his waist. His horse and him both wear tall headdresses with long straps and yellow fringes. The rider carries three blunt spears.

A photograph of a Pasola event. A rider in white shirt and riding bareback on a brown horse is seen throwing a blunt spear. Another team of riders is seen in the background wearing blue shirts.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

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Joel Merriner @joelmerriner.bsky.social · 23/07/2026

Bored Éowyn waits for Théoden to snap out of it. No wait, this is the King and Queen from the 12th century Lewis chess set. #Tolkien

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Rivendell as a sanctuary reminds me of The Peach Blossom Spring (Tao Yuanming, 421 CE). It depicts a fisherman who got lost when sailing on a river surrounded by peach trees, and found a hidden ethereal village. The villagers' ancestors had fled the political turmoil and never left. #TolkienTrewsday

A colored illustration of Rivendell, a valley with lush vegetations and a river running through it. An Elven sanctuary can be seen perching above the river, surrounded by trees.

An ink and watercolor traditional Chinese painting depicting a small village surrounded by peach trees and mountains.

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Robin Propst @robinpropst.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

TolkienTrewsday: Hidden realms - At the Mirror of Galadriel #TolkienTrewsday #TolkienTuesday #Tolkien #AmonHen

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Brian Weaver @brianitguy.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

Plenty of Hidden Realms to be found in this #TheHobbit postcard sent from Sweden. Even a little Gollum hidden away in his cave. Illustration by Hans Arnold, a children's book illustrator. Wonder if Mrs Evans or the sender was a #Tolkien fan? #TolkienTrewsday

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

Pa'tedong (tedong: water buffalo) is one of the motifs carved on tongkonan houses in Tana Toraja, South Sulawesi. It represents prosperity and honor since buffalos indicate wealth. The numbers of horns displayed on these old tongkonan houses give you the clue to the family's standing. #WyrdWednesday

A photo of a black water buffalo head carving with long horns attached on the front part of a wooden tongkonan house. It is surrounded by colorful carved wooden panels. There are multiple buffalo horns attached near the head carving and on a pole in front of the house.

A picture of a woodcarving panel depicting a black water buffalo with curved horns and tall red, black, yellow, and white crown.

A photo of a tongkonan house wall filled with wooden panels, adorned by carvings of water buffalo heads, roosters, and geometric spirals and curves. One of the windows is open, and two little girls can be seen inside.

A photo of a row of tongkonan houses. They are old and the roofs are covered by overgrown plants. The roofs are shaped like boats or buffalo horns.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Another pairing between Tolkien character and batik motif! Nienna, the Lady of Pity and Mercy, could wear Udan Liris ("soft rain") for how her tears brought forth the Sun and Moon from the damaged Two Trees, or Sido Asih ("lasting love") because Pity was the foundation of LotR. #TolkienTrewsday

An illustration of Nienna by Jenny Dolfen. It depicts a painting of a dark haired woman wearing a grey dress and robe. Her eyes are somber and full of Pity.

An Udan Liris batik motif. It consists of multiple diagonal stripes. Each stripe is filled with different patterns, such as a long stalk with leaves, wavy lines, and feathery stalk.

A Sido Asih batik motif. It consists of repeated wing-like and floral shapes as the main patterns, surrounded by smaller leaves, stalks, umbrellas, and stalks.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

When Susan Abulhawa managed to enter Gaza in 2024 through the Rafah crossing, she mentored 18 young Palestinians so they could write their own experiences. Here they are, in a bilingual book (both English and the original Arabic texts). The opening notes are worthy of reading, too. #Booksky

A photo of my hand holding up a book titled Every Moment is a Life: Gaza in the Time of Genocide, an anthology of Palestinian writers compiled by Susan Abulhawa. The cover art is a painting of Palestinian refugees of Gaza huddles together, one standing under the same fabric, one holding a bag, one has an orange cat perching on their head. The sky above me is bright blue.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

I was born and raised in East Borneo, so the familiar sound of sape instrument is a sleep aid. This Dayak Kenyah sape composition, Lan E Tuyang (tuyang: friends) depicts an invitation to share a joyful moment under the moonlight outside the longhouse. #WyrdWednesday www.youtube.com/watch?v=MscE...

youtube.com

Lan E Tuyang - Uyau Moris (Dayak Kenyah Song)

YouTube video by Uyau Moris

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

I love how Zeyn Joukhadar used 12th-century Sufi poem The Conference of the Birds (Mantiq al-Tayr) and the history of Little Syria as thematic frame for his trans protagonist's journey in The Thirty Names of Night. The storytelling is lush and poetic, laden with bird imagery. #Booksky #TransAuthors

A cover for The Thirty Names of Night book by Zeyn Joukhadar. The cover depicts a painting of a bird's wing in light blue, light orange, brown, and dark hues. The wing is surrounded by Arabic script in light blue color.

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Putri Prihatini @putriprihatini.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Gebug ende is a martial art game and a rainmaking ritual from Karangasem, Bali, that uses a rattan bat ("gebug") and cowhide shield ("ende"). Traditionally played during dry season, drawing blood is seen as a form of sacrifice to wish for rain. 1/2 #WyrdWednesday 📷: Edy Gautama for Lensa Jawa Pos

A photograph of two Balinese men making a jump to attack each other with a rattan bat on the beach. They scream at each other as they are ready to strike the opponent.

A photograph of two Balinese men attacking each other with a rattan bat while their other hands hold cowhide shields. One jumps higher than the other in an effort to land a downward strike. They wear traditional headbands called udeng and black and white checkered sarong.

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