Happy birthday to one of Middle-earth News’ finest! Our own Britta Siemen celebrates her 25th birthday today! Around these parts, we call her “Tolkien Britta” and she’s known for her gaming articles as well as more in-depth pieces about Tolkien and Middle-earth, like Could the Arkenstone Be One of the Silmarils? She is also a long-time MMO player, so if you want to call her by another name, you could also refer to her by her official LOTRO title: The Brittamower.
So who exactly is Britta? She was able to take a few moments out of her busy schedule to answer the question that’s on everyone’s mind.
*When did you first discover Tolkien’s works and the world of Middle-earth? Did anyone in particular influence you to seek it out?
I was always more interested in science fiction than fantasy as a kid; but I stumbled upon Brian Jacques’ Redwall series and latched on to that. My mother suggested I give The Hobbit a try, since I enjoyed medieval stories. At first I kind of scoffed at the idea: I didn’t know what a hobbit was, but it certainly didn’t pique my interest. After some more gentle prodding from my mother, and my uncle generously loaning me his copy, I gave it a try and instantly became hooked.
*How did you become involved with Middle-earth News?
I started a Tolkien blog (“use well the days“) in June of 2011, where I shared personal experiences as well as updates regarding The Hobbit films. Shortly thereafter, Arwen e-mailed me asking if I’d be interested in writing for the Middle-earth News, and the rest is history.
*If you could hang out with any Middle-earth character (or characters if you can’t choose just one!) for a day, who would it be and why? What adventures would you get up to?
Tough question! I would probably want to spend a day with the Elves, enjoying nature and maybe studying some lore.
*You are also a gamer who has characters on multiple servers in LOTRO! How many toons do you have and which one is your favorite? And don’t forget to brag about your high levels and awesome achievements!
I have 10 VIP characters on Landroval – one of each class – and a free-to-play account with 5 more characters. I lost track of the other servers because I have a tendency to make new characters “for later” and then forget about them.
Of my VIP toons, two are at the level cap (with another toon just five levels away) and the rest of my toons range from levels 36-76. Perhaps one of my greatest “achievements” to date was power-levelling from 1-75 (when that was the level cap) in under three months. I actually ran out of quests, so to make it to the level cap, I had to complete a few rounds of tasks.
*When not involved with events related to the realms of Middle-earth, what can we find you doing?
I love going to classic car shows, watching horror films, and periodically playing other MMOs – mainly Star Wars: the Old Republic, Rift, and Guild Wars 2.
*Now it’s time for a “favorites” round! Favorite Middle-earth film?
I love the Rankin/Bass Hobbit film. I think they did a great job capturing the essence of Tolkien’s story.
*Favorite Tolkien book?
The Hobbit and The Silmarillion.
*Favorite character from the films versus favorite character from the books?
Films: Gandalf
Books: Gandalf, Smaug
*Favorite Middle-earth location?
Lothlórien.
*Favorite Middle-earth race/culture?
I love the Rohirrim, but have also always been fond of Dwarves.
*Favorite piece of Middle-earth memorabilia (books not included)?
I recently got my hands on the soundtrack for the Rankin/Bass Hobbit film, which for years I’d been dying to own. But I am also very partial to my silver One Ring and my replica Thrór’s key necklace – both of which are interpretations of Tolkien’s work, not Peter Jackson’s films.
You can follow Britta on her blog and on Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter, and her personal website.
The Middle-earth News staff each had something to say about our beloved Britta in honor of her birthday!
Alice
I discovered Britta’s blog even before Middle-earth News and I was so fascinated by her incredible project ‘365 Days of Middle-earth‘. She’s my go-to resource when I need to know something Tolkien related and I love that she’s always happy to explain me things (also about LOTRO!). Another thing I love about Britta, in addition to her love for animals and Viking stuff, is her passion for social media and websites, haha. Seriously, Happy Birthday Britta! I wish you all the best.
Lily
Britta and I joined Middle-earth News at about the same time, but for the first year or so, I felt a little intimidated by her reputation in the Tolkien community. It turns out that I needn’t have wasted all that time worrying about it because she is such a genuinely nice person! It was great to finally meet her (and the rest of the US Middle-earth News team) last May and stay up late into the night chatting and admire her Arwen cosplay (and Tolkien tattoos and awesome jewelry) in person! I’m so happy that we’ve become friends and that, even though she is fierce in LOTRO, she’s not nearly as scary in real life. 😉 Happy Birthday, Britta!
Myla
I feel extremely lucky to have Britta as a friend! She gets my obsession with Tolkien collecting and the simple joys of relaxing with your favorite episodes of Spongebob on a Saturday morning. I admire her beautiful cosplays, I mean have you seen her Arwen dresses?? They’re awesome! I also admire her kick-ass LOTRO skills and her overall personality. She’s one of the kindest people ever and it’s a shame we don’t live closer to each other because we’d probably have epic LOTR marathons and book hunting adventures. Happy happy happy birthday, Britta! #tolkienpenpalsfolyfe
Valdis
When I think of Britta, the word “beauty” springs to mind. Not just because Britta is a beautiful woman – that fact is quite obvious – but also because Britta has a way of making me think of beautiful things. She posts beautiful cosplay photos and lovely photos of the natural world. She also makes me think of the beauty within us, reflected in friendship, fellowship, camaraderie, and commitment. There is definitely an Elvish air about Britta. She balances my hot-headed Dwarvish personality quite well, and often makes me stop to think of other perspectives and ideas. Her passion for Tolkien runs deep, and she is a critical member of our Middle-earth News team. She also loves to play LOTRO, and has been working on coaxing me into playing for a long time. Some day, Britta, some day!
