Background Information - A Time to Reap


 A Time to Reap

My  story "A Time to Reap" owes much of its inspiration to the Grail legends.

I was inspired by the legend of wounded Fisher King in search of healing and the wasteland which cannot flourish unless the King is healed.

The lake represents an "otherworld" where time and the usual pressures of life have no meaning. Tolkien's Lothlorien is an example of such a place.

You can read more about the myths here
http://www.celticgrounds.com/chapters/mytholsection/c-otherwrlds.htm

Lakes were an important part of Celtic mythology.For example in the King Arthur legends,he is given his sword by the Lady of the Lake and taken acros a lake to be healed after his last battle.

http://www.earlybritishkingdoms.com/bios/nimue.html

I often think of my favourite operas when I write and I had the music of Wotan and Brünnhilde's embrace from Act 3 of " Die Walküre " in my mind when I wrote Aragorn and Faramir's reconcilliation.

The Grail Realm in Wagner's "Parsifal" also helped inspire certain scenes.

Aragorn and Faramir's experience of oneness with all is best summed up in the Sanskrit phase "Tat Twam Asi" which is fully explained here,
http://www.mihira.com/mihmar99/THAT_YOU_ARE.htm

The story also contains other spiritual themes which will further unfold as the story unravels.

You can read more about the food in the story at www.GodeCookery.com

Aragorn used a cradle scythe to harvest the wheat.
You can learn more about reaping in olden days at

http://www.londonmuseum.on.ca/Artifacts/TheForks/mvc-899f.html
http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Reaping
http://www.saskschools.ca/~gregory/tools.html
Aragorn uses reflexology to treat Faramir.

http://www.ofesite.com/health/reflex/chart/index.htm
http://www.reflexology.org/
and accupressure in the previous chapter
http://www.beatcfs.info/accpress.htm
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002117.htm
Although, the creature that attacked Faramir is based on Shelob, I have also based his symtoms on real life spider bites. If you are interested, you can read more here.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-spider-bites/FA00048

This scene near my home was the inspiration for the river bank where Aragorn and Faramir sunbathe.

 

Traditional English cornfields adorned with poppies. Such sights are sadly rare nowadays but were commonplace before the Second World War.
http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/Photos/Vercors2004/d29v0426.html
shrewsbury.gov.uk/.../Gallery/outoftown.htm

 

 and this is what they were wearing when they swam in the river

These were based on a 12th century illustration.

You can see a whole range of replical mediaeval clothing at
http://www.historicenterprises.com/ from which this photo is taken.

  

Which is your favourite of the stories you've written?

It is a tossup between “A Time to Reap” and “Carefully Taught” and I’d take those to a desert island. I’m also proud of “Through all the Changing Scenes of Life”, Grace Bestowed” and “A Disgrace to Gondor.”

Favourite piece overall?

See above

Which was the hardest to write, in terms of plot?

Web of Treason

Which has the most "you" in it, however you'd define that?

A tough question to answer. I guess all the stories have bits of me in them. “Healing the Healer is based on my own experiences of chicken pox, the stories featuring cats are inspired by my own cats and so on.

What is an image/set of images that you're particularly proud of?

The scene in “A Time to Reap” where Aragorn and Faramir bathe in the hidden lake.

Idea that you always wanted to write but could never make work?

Aragorn and Faramir as slaves, Aragorn and Faramir marooned on a desert island.

Least favourite plot point/chapter/moment?

Éomer’s behaviour in “Burden of Guilt” and the way I resolved it.

  Favourite plot point/chapter/moment?

Aragorn and Faramir’s dip in the lake, in “A Time to Reap” Aragorn and Eldarion flying aboard a dragon in “Carefully Taught”. Aragorn and the children in “The King’s Holiday”.

Favourite character to write?

Aragorn

Favourite line or lines of dialogue that you've written.

“The King only has people who do bad things killed,” said Aragorn solemnly. “They are killed by the state executioner, not Lord Faramir.”

“Do you mean bad things like pulling my hair and dropping my favourite doll in a puddle?” the little girl asked eagerly.

“I meant very bad things like killing someone,” Aragorn said gravely.

The little girl looked disappointed. “Oh, my brother hasn’t killed anyone – not yet at least!”

. If I'm showing off just one of your pieces to someone, which one should it be?

It would depend on the person. Maybe “The Accused”,” The Light Bearer” “The Reluctant Bride” or “Of Perfume and Pondweed.”

 What WIPs do you have going now? Are you excited about them?

I’ve had a Faramir angst epic, “Danger in Ithilien” hanging around for years, which I ought to finish but seem to have lost interest in.

 Are there any things that might have happened in any of your stories, but you changed them at the last minute? (So-and-so dies, they don't actually kiss, main character has long extended ballet-based dream sequence, etc.)

I was planning initially to have Aragorn and Faramir quickly reconciled in “Web of Treason.” I added an extra dream sequence chapter to “At the Rising of the Moon. It took me a while to decide the fate of one of the OC’s in “Too Long a Sacrifice.”

 Would you want to write canon for any of your fandoms (like be hired by showrunner to do an episode)? Which one?

Who wouldn’t wish one’s stories were canon?

Does font matter to you when you're writing a draft?

I always use Georgia size 12

4 favourite comments ever received on stories.

This review will be a poor and meagre thanks for this beautiful story you've created. I read this and its prequel over two days, and am awed by the effort and creativity that gave rise to them and made them, in my opinion, of the highest quality I have ever read on this site. I am so thoroughly impressed with the dialogue, your original characters, and with the story itself, I can hardly find words to express it. I feel I owe you paragraphs of praise, yet alas! I have not the talent to write them. nothing I could say would do you justice. It is rare that a story engenders such emotion in me as this one did, and it is that that I find most impressive. Thank you for all the work you've done on this. It's a shame if some of those who read "Web of Treason" didn't follow it with this! I was truly scared for a moment when I thought the story would resolve without Aragorn forgiving Faramir! Thank goodness that's not what happened!

This is truly one of your best stories, which is saying a lot since your stories are so lovely! I'm especially warmed and heartened by reading such a hopeful, giving tale on a day where the news is full of such senseless tragedy.
I have failed these people for too long
How like Aragorn to take the blame for this! I'm so happy for these parents, and all the folk of this land. How I love your stories.

 This is so sweet, Linda.
I have had rather gloomy thoughts lately, and this helped me smile.
Thank you for posting the story.

The Steward nodded for by now he was almost accustomed to the humility of Aragorn’s ways. He could never have imagined his father performing such a lowly task even for Boromir. 
Would you look at the time!!!! 2am... I was going to read one chapter and then finish packing for my vacation... but I was so drawn into your story and so enjoyed the friendship of Faramir and Aragorn that I couldn't stop reading!
Wish me luck in getting ready in just a few hours for a very long trip!
I love it when some little phrase kind of knocks me for a loop - the one above about Denethor not performing such a task upon even Boromir surprised me - yet I felt it sounded real and possibly true!
Thank you for sharing this tale!

Any mean comments? How'd you deal with it?

I was most upset when a person I was friends with who lives near got hold of one of my stories and said it was “disgusting and disgraceful.” It upsets me most to be accused of any sort of immorality in my stories. Often sour comments I’ve received online are from people who have little idea of history, such as arranged marriages. I rarely delete nasty comments, as most are downright silly. It annoys me if the reader has got the wrong end of the stick and I cannot reply to them.

If you could go back and revise one of your older stories, which would it be?

“Burden of Guilt” as it is way over the top and implausible. I did revise “Shadow and Thought” and am glad I did. Oddly enough, they are two of my most popular stories!

 Do you make up scenes at work/on the bus/at the gym? Who are the characters that pop up the most? Do you write them down?

I  usually make up scenes in my head in bed just before going to sleep, or sometimes when I go for a walk. I don’t write anything down until I begin the story.

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