Abby Epplett, Historian

In previous case studies, I have combined information from the text of The Lord of the Rings with historical documentation to explore character behavior through a modern medical lens. These descriptions cannot be considered true diagnoses, as I am not a licensed psychiatrist, the characters are fictional, and the terminology that I use did not exist when the books were written. However, I hope that explaining these conditions will provoke empathy for people in the Real World who live with similar circumstances. While I will briefly cover the plausibility of two conditions that I have seen mentioned by other Tolkien enthusiasts on social media, I will spend most of the essay explaining my own interpretation.

Back in July, I visited the National Mall & Memorial Parks in Washington, DC . During the first part of my hike around the Mall , I visited many memorials dedicated to political leaders and veterans. During the second part, I visited even more memorials along with passing Smithsonian museums with distinct architecture.

During my trip to Washington, DC back in July, I visited the National Mall & Memorial Parks . Maintained by the National Park Service, this massive urban park contains monuments to Americans who made a difference to the country, especially political leaders and soldiers. The Mall is so big that I am dividing this adventure into two sections. Additionally, since most of my readers know about the Mall and have likely visited, I will keep the text more brief than usual and allow you to enjoy a selection of my many pictures.

Back in July, I visited my friend Jenny who lived near Washington, DC. During our trips around the capital, we toured the National Museum of African American History and Culture located on the National Mall . I had previously talked about the creation of the museum during my book review of A Fool’s Errand by founder Lonnie G. Bunch III , and I had learned more about the collection during the first day of the Smithsonian Education Summit in 2023 . I was excited to visit in person and see what I had long heard about.

When Frodo invited his twenty closest friends to his annual celebration of Bilbo’s birthday, these young hobbits were most likely his cousins from the Took branch of his family, as I cannot imagine a Baggins displaying such ridiculous behavior. By the time of Frodo’s generation and that of his younger cousins, members of the Took clan had married into nearly every other respectable clan in the Shire, bringing their wealth and quirky behavior with them. Besides reviewing the Took family tree and a potential cause of their unusual actions, I will explain how the clothing of wealthy hobbits changed from the time of Bilbo’s 111 st birthday to seventeen years later when Frodo was again visited by Gandalf. Finally, I believe the Took cousins were based upon a group of young people in the Real World who were contemporaries of Tolkien, and I will compare the behaviors of the two cultures.

This post was supposed to launch yesterday, but I spent longer than expected at a delightful Christmas party, so you will get the post today. A quick content warning: the National Museum of Health & Medicine is dedicated to the preservation of human remains for conducting research and to raise public awareness. I have included two images with human remains at the bottom of the article; there is an extra paragraph of text before these pictures, allowing you space to click away if needed. Additionally, I will be describing human remains, injuries, and medical inventions throughout the post. If you do not enjoy this topic, consider reading one of the many other articles on my blog.

Back in July, I took a trip to the Washington, DC area to visit my friend Jenny and see historic sites. I spent a day in Silver Spring, MD, where I visited the National Park Seminary and local religious buildings . During that day, I also hiked the extensive trails connecting Silver Spring to neighboring Chevy Chase. As an aside, this town is named for medieval English folk hero Chevy Chase, who was immortalized in a once-popular ballad . While I did not see any minstrels on my trip, I did cross pedestrian bridges, view historic buildings, and enjoy nature.

I recently read the book How to Be a Victorian: A Dawn-to-Dusk Guide to Victorian Life by Ruth Goodman published in 2014 by Liveright Publishing Corporation . I had previously watched several informational videos hosted by Goodman through the YouTube channel for HistoryExtra , the history magazine of the BBC , and wanted to know if her writing style was similar to her presentation style. I found the book fun, factual, and easy to read, a great way for people first learning about the Victorian era to establish a solid base, and for those knowledgeable about the period to fill in gaps about the lives of everyday people.

On the same day I walked through National Park Seminary , I visited two vastly different religious buildings in Silver Spring, MD. I visited the massive Washington DC Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly called Mormons) and the much smaller Knox Orthodox Presbyterian Church . I enjoyed meeting the people at both locations and comparing the differences between faiths.

On Sunday, November 16 through Friday, November 21, I watched the new six-part, twelve-hour documentary The American Revolution , which played on PBS and can be streamed on its website . The in-depth miniseries was co-produced by Ken Burns , Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt. The documentary tells a delicately balanced story of the war that led to the establishment of the United States and includes perspectives from famous Founding Fathers, everyday soldiers, and voices that had previously been hidden. While occasionally feeling too long, I believe this is the most comprehensive overview of the war found in an easily accessible video format.

For the second essay in a two-part series on my interpretation of Frodo’s wardrobe, I focus on clothing worn in different types of weather, including coats, hats, boots, early sunglasses, and floral outfits. Besides comparing clothing from the Real World to the version I made for Middle-earth, I examine how technology and culture shaped what people wore.

In July, I visited Washington, DC and saw an astonishing range of historic sites. On the first day in the area, I visited Museum of the Bible, which took an entire day of exploring. The next day, I traveled to Silver Spring, MD, which has many hidden history gems. My first stop was National Park Seminary , a historic district in the village of Forest Glen, to see unique architecture. Despite its name, the site is not associated with the National Park System and has instead been transformed from a resort to a women’s college to an army medical facility to residential housing. With plenty of informational signage and easy walking, this was a pleasant visit.

I recently listened to the audiobook The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell and his production team. The audiobook was published in 2021. I was inspired to listen after finishing his MasterClass, Malcolm Gladwell Teaches Writing , having read most of his other books, and listening to podcasts in his network, Pushkin Industries . (The podcast Cautionary Tales , which I reviewed in 2023 , is part of the network.) I was intrigued by the concept of a book created audio-first, rather than text-first, as it expanded upon material first presented on his podcast, Revisionist History . Listening time was 5 hours and 14 minutes, and I listened to the book for free through the Libby app , available with a public library card. The book also appears in physical and digital text forms at 256 pages in length. Additionally, during the audiobook, Gladwell mentions a 28-page listener’s guide with original photographs of people...

Past Abby would have written this post as one giant essay. Present Abby knows better. During today’s post, I will describe the leisurewear I designed for Frodo’s wardrobe with a special focus on the banyan, the smoking jacket and its matching hat, and Celtic clothes like argyle, tam-o’-shanter, and brekis . Next week, I will discuss weather-themed clothing, including coats, hats, and boots. Since Frodo was implied to have inherited the “rooms full of clothes” from Bilbo, the audience needs to see what he has: no pathetic blue shirt and suspenders for this Frodo.

This is the third of three posts in a miniseries about my visit to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC, which I visited back in July with my friend Jenny. During the first post , I talked about several high-tech interactives and a few historic Bibles. During the second post , I showed more of the same, along with impressive reproductions, in sections known as “Bible in America” and “The History of the Bible”. For this post, I will finish up “The History of the Bible”, describe a fascinating exhibit about translation, and talk about a few others must-see stops before giving my conclusion.

This is the second of three posts on my trip to the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., which I visited with my friend Jenny back in July. During the first post , I talked about several high-tech interactives and a few historic Bibles. In this section, I show more of the same, along with impressive reproductions, in sections known as “Bible in America” and “The History of the Bible”. Since this fits nowhere else, I want to note the creative names giving to the three different dining experiences at the museum: Milk+Honey Cafe, Manna Restaurant, and Creations Cafe; Jenny and I packed our lunch.

This post begins a series that will take us to the end of the year: my trip to Washington, D.C. to visit my friend (and body double?) Jenny, learn even more about American history, and walk long miles around the nation’s capital. My first stop in Washington was the Museum of the Bible , a massive collection of Bibles and Christian publications on display in a state-of-the-art facility. While marketing towards a Christian audience, the museum does an excellent job of navigating the heterodoxy of the religion, a fancy way of saying that Christians have a wide range of beliefs, some of which conflict with each other. The museum has been open since 2017 and regularly hosts new exhibits, along with collaborating with other organizations. I will preface this three-part review by saying if you are an American Christian, or if you want to better understand the mindset of American Christians, this is the best one-stop source to comprehend the culture.

At long last, I have managed to reach Book I, Chapter 2. During these past two weeks, I carefully read the chapter using multiple lenses of interpretation, including those of history, literature, world religion, and potential animated musical. I have written the first draft of the script to be used while crafting the animatic for this section, something I should have considered while creating the first chapter instead of building the landing gear while landing the proverbial plane. I have scheduled the essays I plan to write leading up to the release of the next animatic, which brings its launch to about a year from now, on October 25, 2026. Faster production is relative; I spent almost a year and nine months on the first chapter, and this is an improvement.

On the same day I visited Coggeshall Farm at Colt State Park and Linden Place in Bristol, RI, I made many quick history stops around the historic downtown. Throughout this sidewalk hike, I followed the Historic Bristol Walking Tours provided by Bristol Historical and Preservation Society . During the first part , I saw beautifully preserved historic buildings and monuments. In the second part , I continued down Hope Street and walked through an area known as Bristol Waterfront Historic District . For the third part, I admired the diverse architecture of private houses, small businesses, and public buildings.

On the same day I visited Coggeshall Farm at Colt State Park and Linden Place in Bristol, RI, I made many quick history stops around the historic downtown. Throughout this sidewalk hike, I followed the Historic Bristol Walking Tours provided by Bristol Historical and Preservation Society . During the first part , I saw beautifully preserved historic buildings and monuments. In the second part, I continued down Hope Street walked through an area known as Bristol Waterfront Historic District , which has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1975.