The Bee-Charmer

Boromir and Pippin are my favorites, hands down. I'll write more on this later. You can find my stories at www.fanfiction.net under the name Pipkin Sweetgrass. I've also created a story archive at LiveJournal for the purpose of archiving my own fan fiction as well as the fan fiction of other writers. You can find the link below. All my stories are nice and clean, though one does deal with a kidnapping and rape of a little girl. It's called Turn the Page. But I recommend you read The Bee Charmer first.

I first read Tolkien in 1969. The experience was like no other. I was an avid reader, but I had never had a reading experience like the first time I read The Lord of the Rings. Today there are endless fantasy novels to enjoy (some more than others) but in 1969, fantasy was only just coming into its own. Tolkien's immortal tale was the book that launched what is now a popular genre, but at that time, pickings for fantasy was slim.

I loved it for the beautifully precise writing, for the astounding imagination, and the wonderful descriptives. The dialogue, the history and completeness of the land of Middle Earth moved me; her people, the different races and cultures fascinated me. So rich in themes layer upon layer, one reading alone can never fully explore them. I fell in love with the story. I'm still in love with it, and expect I will be all my days.

The plot-line was complex and moved like a well-oiled machine, and then there were the characters, all of which I loved, hated or was indifferent to, just as in the real world. The characters seemed so complete that reading the book was like meeting them and learning them, heart, mind and soul. Many of them I loved and still love. All were wonderful, even those who were less than sterling in quality.

But two in particular captured my heart.

I became immediately enamored with Boromir, to the point where I felt he should not have died. While I realize his tragic and untimely death makes his character more interesting and is important to the plot, I still hate it that he died. His sacrifice was as great as that of Frodo's own sacrifice, for here was a man who lay his life down for the sake of his two small friends. As much as he loved his home and family, the sacrifice of his life is made all the more poignant by the fact that Merry and Pippin must have meant much to him. His love of home and family was so great that I feel he would not have sacrificed himself unless he loved them a great deal. Even after he died, his presence was felt throughout the entire story. I even catch a glimpse of him in the Shire, unseen but not unfelt, standing by the sides of his small friends.

I wished he had lived. He certainly deserved to live; and at least in my heart, he does live.

Pippin is my favorite hobbit. I loved him for his innocence and for the sacrifice of his innocence, because it is after all a kind of self-sacrifice. I loved him for his cheekiness and pluck as much as for the tenderness of his heart. I loved him for his devotion to Merry, Frodo and Sam. I loved his relationship with Gandalf, so like that of grandfather and grandson. I loved him for his nature, a beloved trickster who forced the hand of friend and foe and fate itself.

Boromir, Merry and Pippin had a special relationship, which makes me love them all the more. Although Merry was affiliated with Rohan later on while Pippin bravely served Gondor, Merry and Pippin were a matched pair. I can't think of Pippin without thinking of Merry. Boromir loved them both, and so did I.

And so I came to ask..."What if...?"

How wonderful it would have been if Boromir could have lived, could have ridden through the gates of Gondor at Aragorn's side as the rightful Steward and Prince of Ithilien, how wonderful it would have been for him to visit the home of his little furry-footed brothers!

I only recently discovered fan fiction a few years ago, and have since fallen in love with it. It started with Baylor's "The Care and Feeding of Hobbits: Ruminations on the Little People by Boromir, Man of Gondor", and grew from there. I began my first awkward steps as a writer, and in 2004 I was nominated for a Mithril for my story, "The Bee Charmer". Since this time, I have finally gotten a beta reader, the magnificent Lindelea, to help me smooth the story out.

Since that time, I won 2nd place for an unfinished story in the Middle Earth Fanficion Awards 2005! It can be found in this version at

This is the only version available as I have taken the original one down in spite of the fact that I will lose my precious reviews. I wrote it in my early months of writing, and I've progressed too much to ever be satisfied with it. So, though I have fond memories of that version, I would rather the new version be the only one available. I have written other stories, and some of my stories were chosen as a Marigold's rec.

But back to "The Bee Charmer"! It came to me as whole cloth, as if it had written itself. The story was simply too good not to write, and so I wrote it. It is a story of a spiritual journey. I believe strongly in this story, and it reflects my values and beliefs. If you've read it or are planning to, please bear in mind the original version has been removed.

The reaction to this story has been wonderful. Because it is a story of hope and light, it has apparently touched the hearts of many people from all over the world. This is exactly what I hoped it would do, and is the single most important reason I could think of to put this tale into words and share it with anyone who wished to read it.

I'll be archiving at my C2 community at Fanfiction.net some enjoyable fan fiction, my own and that of other writers. I call the archive and the award "The Bee Charmer" because the story, which inspired it, is a very spiritual story that deals heavily with self-redemption as the major theme and familial-type love between friends. Another theme is death and the afterlife. If you want to know how Boromir lived and if a Man can become a hobbit, you'll just have to read the story. I can't do a spoiler...but it's a very hope-filled story, which is why I wrote it; I wanted to offer hope and comfort to readers of fan fiction in need of hope and comfort.

There are a good many fics out there where Boromir lives. My archive will be for those, though I will make an exception for a fic where he doesn't. If the presence of Boromir, Pippin and Merry can be felt in the story then I will accept those which do not feature them, but for the sake of clarity, they will be required to make at least a minimal appearance. However, most will be Boromir Lives stories, because there are many people out there who, like me, wish he had lived. Pippin and Merry must figure heavily, especially Pippin, due to his affiliation with and love of Boromir and, of course, Faramir. (I can no more separate Boromir and Faramir than I can Merry and Pippin)

Still with me? Now let me explain "The Bee Charmer Award". I got the idea to send out awards for fan fiction, web sites, art and poetry that meet or exceed the category requirements. The ones I'll give most consideration to are those that offer more than just a story. I want to use my talent and that of other writers and artists to encourage people to find strength, comfort and hope in fan fiction writing and in fan art. It's my way of giving something good back to the world. It isn't a competition so much as a way to encourage people to reach out to each other through the magic of the written word and the enchantment of the graphic artist. There are no winners and losers because when you enter into the spirit of my tale, The Bee Charmer, everybody wins. Unless you try to overthrow the king.

Then you're toast.

Anyway.

In time, I may expand The Bee Charmer to also accept a wider variety of Tolkien-based fan fictions if enough interest is shown, so do remember that nothing here is carved in stone just yet.

So... welcome to the little cabin in the Old Forest. Have a seat beneath that big oak. Quill, ink and paper are waiting for you to take them up, or, if you're a reader and do not write, have a seat and pick a tale. If you can think of a way to make this endeavor look or function better, please let me know! I look forward to getting to know you all.

The challenge is to write quality AU that features Boromir, Merry and Pippin, or that features a friendship which remembers the spirit of their relationship. The most consideration will be given to those where Boromir lives. There are more than a few ways this could be done, so anyone wanting to write one can choose from any number of scenarios, from Boromir being captured instead of killed, to intervention by Istarii or other higher powers to Pippin's fairy blood protecting and preserving his life, or whatever the imagination can come up with. The possibilities are endless as the writer's imagination, so the challenge is actually a permanent one.