:: Who I am ::

 

My name: Ryszard Igor Jerzy Derdzinski but my friends call me Rysiek (Eng. Rich). Ryszard is English Richard, Igor comes from Russian and is an equivalent of Old Norse Ingvarr and Jerzy is a Polish version of English George. The family name Derdzinski is connected with a place name Derdzin or with a common Old Polish nickname Derda. Pronunciation: "Reeshard Eegor Yahzhee Dardzhinyskee". 

 

In the Polish Tolkien Society I am known as Frodo G. Maggot and among the Elvish linguists as Galadhorn Galachalion Elvellon. Galadhorn is a literal Sindarin translation of English name Richard: < gala- 'prosperous, *rich, blessed' (LR 357) + dorn 'stiff, tough, *hard' (WJ 413). The second element undertakes the soft mutation d > dh which is a common feature of Sindarin. Recently I have started to interprete this name as "Stiff Tree" or Sindarin galadh-dorn.

 

Galadhorn is also a fictional Man of the First Age of Middle-earth. Here you can read about his life. 

On the left you can see my Elvish device designed by my Friend, Adaneth.

 

Born: February 20, 1974. I will appreciate when you remember about my birthday ;-)

 

E-mail address: derdzinski@gmail.com

 

My philosophy: Christian Roman Catholic

 

Political opinion: liberal-conservative, Silesian regionalist. 

 

Education: I am a postgraduate student of Political Science at Silesian University in Katowice, Poland. My goal is the doctor's degree in Political Science and Linguistics. I studied also Public Relations at Economic Academy in Katowice. I speak Polish (my mother-tongue), English, Spanish and Russian and I study Elvish languages, Old English, Gothic, Old Church Slavonic and ancient Greek. I work as a tour-leader (main directions: United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Ireland, Italy and Spain). I am also a guide of the Jewish groups in Poland.

 

My ancestry: In spite I live in a part of Poland called Zaglebie (former Russia in the Tzar times) my family comes from another regions of today Poland. The family of my father comes from Lancut in Galicja (former Austia) and my mother's family comes from Katowice in Silesia (former Prussia in Germany, 2 miles from my home) [in case of former Russia and former Austria the word former refers to the long period from 1772 to 1918 when Poland was divided into three parts by the occupant monarchies of Prussia, Austria and Russia. In case of Silesia this region was separated from Poland in ca. 1317]. I am very close to my mother's family called Wolf  (written also Wolff in old documents). My great-grandfather Rudolf Wolff was born in Pilchowice and his ancestors were the German colonists who settled in Silesia in 14th c. The family name Wolf and Wolff occurs in the local documents from middle age.  

 

My interests: Elvish linguisitics and J.R.R. Tolkien's literary world is my main hobby and interest. I am interested also in ancient Germanic and Slavic history and culture in Central Europe. I love reading and discussing about religions (I admire books by Mircea Eliade and Robert Graves), archeology (I belong to the school of the Polish allochtonists: I think that the Slavs arrived to the land of today Poland in 6th c. and earlier the Germanic Goths and Vandals lived here) and history. 

I am the editor of two Tolkienian periodicals Gwaihir and Simbelmynë of the Polish Tolkien Society 'Parmadili'. I am also a coordinator of Polish Tolkien Society. My most important publication is the Sindarin Dictionary, a wide wordlist of the Sindarin entries found in the Professor Tolkien's writings. I am a webmaster of three webpages and I help in making another one. Here they are:

 

[ Gwaith-i-Phethdain | Silesian Homeland | Germania Libera | Polish Tolkien Society ] Elendili Forum

 

       

 

:: From Galadhorn's Life ::

 

Life of Galadhorn Elvellon

by Ryszard Derdzinski


Galadhorn was born in 495 FA in Mithrim as the only son of Galachal and Meleth. His parents were fugitives of Dor-lomin and they found help and rest among the Grey Elves of Mithrim. There Galadhorn met the Elves for the first time and befriended many of them. Other Men called the boy 'Elvellon' that means Elendil in High Elvish. Galadhorn's mother-tongue was Mannish that later became the usual language of Númenor, but he loved Mithrim Elvish dialect so much that he began to compose short poems and songs in this language. Later - as will be told - he found out the beauty of Quenya.

When Galadhorn was fifteen Gondolin fell and some of the Gondolinrim people escaped to the Mouths of Sirion. There they founded the last Elvish kingdom of Beleriand.

Galadhorn's parents were killed in the meantime by the Easterlings and our boy escaped southwards with the other people of the Hador's folk. He found his new homeland in the Sirion's Havens and there he met Pengolodh and the other Lambengolmor of Gondolin. Finally Galadhorn could share his linguistic passion with the others. Pengolodh the Wise was his master and from him the young man learned a lot about Quenya and Sindarin and about the writing systems. Pengolodh was content too, because he could listen the true Northern Mannish dialect in the Galadhorn's mouth. Galadhorn's main interest was Sindarin with all its dialects. He composed a big Sindarin dictionary where he recorded the Grey-tongue of Beleriand. He wrote many poems and histories in Sindarin too. [His writings were taken to Númenor and later to Gondor (Minas Tirith) and Imladris - Bilbo Baggins found the manuscripts in Elrond's library and in this way they were transported to the Shire. Now I, Frodo G. Maggot, have a copy of one of the Galadhorn's MS]

Galadhorn fought with the Feanor's sons where they attacked the Havens and defended Pengolodh - his master. He was wounded in the battle but fortunately survived and could write a lament about the terrible Kinslaying.

In 551 Galadhorn being a man in his 56 was killed in the War of Wrath, at the Angband Gates. His sons - Galachal and Galdor - and his son's families emigrated to Númenor in the Second Age.

 

:: From Galadhorn's Life ::

 

Galadhorn and Pengolodh (A Fragment)

by Adaneth

 

Dear Sir ;)

I have ventured to send you what I found in one of my drawers, for it seems to me that it may concern you closely enough. Acting in accordance with an old tradition of my land, which is trying to tidy my house before Yuletide (which is also called Christmas in the vulgar tongue) I came across a piece of parchment which may have been lying there for years uncounted (you see, I am not a very tidy person...) It was written in strange characters but the language was known to me, except for one word which I could not read, though it comes several times in the text. I have put ***** instead. This word seems a name to me, but it also seems to mean "a tree" or even "trees", and I suppose it is a diminutive. Were I Fangorn, I would have rendered it "my little Enting", perhaps. Anyway, here it is and I hope you will find it of interest.

Yours sincerely, Adaneth

 

 

"Tell me, master, will I ever be able to write like that?"

Pengolodh smiled in answer.

The room was dark, only faint flickers of orange and red danced upon the floor - flames mirrored in the polished stone.

"It's all in me, somehow. But I cannot put it into words. And if I do, the beauty seems to fade," Galadhorn nervously wiped his forehead with a sleeve. A thick book fell from his lap as he moved. "The signs now, those what-d'you-call-them - Tengwi. I know them almost as well as I should, you say. But when I write, they come out clumsy and uncouth. And when it comes to reading, they never mean what I thought they would. And..." Galadhorn ran out of breath.

"You're young, too young, *****." Pengolodh raised to pick up the book. Two Trees portrayed upon the cover shone crimson in the firelight as he held it. "Nay, do not deny! I know you've seen much. But," he sighed, "such is the way of it. You fight if you want to gain, *****, you struggle if you want to achieve. As for the beauty..." he gazed in wonder at the cover of his book. "The real beauty is no more, nor does it belong here. Elves can see it in their memories, they say."

"And Men in their dreams," added Galadhorn. "Alas! that it should be in dreams only. No speech I know has the right words to describe it, not even the fair Elven-tongues." Here he stopped short, fearing he had said too much.

But Pengolodh did not frown. His fingers traced slowly the intertwining branches of the Trees. "Then maybe Men see more in their dreams than Elves can remember," he said slowly and now he was not smiling. "New things that no speech has words for. You cannot tell me about them, not yet. Perhaps you never will. Perhaps,  *****, your words will always be too small and your signs too clumsy. Still," he added giving the book to Galadhorn, "still I think that the right words will come. Time is what you need. And more dreams."

 

:: From Galadhorn's Life ::

 

Cuil Galadhorn

by Adaneth

Galadhorn was of the people of Malach Aradan, the people that dwelt in Dor-lómin.

His father, called Galachal (High Tree?) as a teenage boy took part in Nirnaeth Arnoediad (running errands, messages and that stuff). He was sent back home before the final stand of Dor-lóminians (which he did not like, but which saved his life). After the Battle of Unnumbered Tears with many of his folk he escaped to Mithrim, as Easterlings were harassing the land of Dor-lómin. In Mithrim Galachal married Meleth. He was then over 30 years old. (the year was 493 or so). Two years later their eldest son Galadhorn was born.

Galadhorn was bred among the Sindar of Mithrim, and he could speak two tongues. He was blue-eyed and fair-haired, but darker than most of the folk of Hador, among his ancestors on his mother’s side were also the Men of the House of Bëor who once upon a time had sought shelter in Dor-lómin.

His parents were killed by Easterlings just after Gondolin fell – there was an assault on Mithrim – Galadhorn not at home, went with some of his Elvish friends to the lake. When they returned, they found only burned houses and corpses. Galadhorn then 15 years old (more or less). After that all who survived decided to move away – join other refugees at the Havens of Sirion. Galadhorn did not want to leave, he meant to stay where his parents died and look for revenge or death, or both. But Muindis - a girl that was in love with him - persuaded him to leave, then in the Havens they married.

At the time of Kinslaying Galadhorn (43 years old) fights defending the Havens, so does his elder son Galachal. Then he watches Eärendil set off on his quest, but with little hope.

War of Wrath 551 – Galadhorn killed. Both his sons fight there.

Númenor...

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