Lord of the Rings Costumes and Lore

The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit books have been favorites of generations of readers. The epic tales of Middle Earth by J.R.R. Tolkien have been enjoyed by readers for decades. The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit opened a new world of Elves and Orcs, White and Dark Wizards, Good Kings and Witch Kings.

Now that the trilogy has been made into epic movies, there are many costumes for men, women and children available. In the click of a mouse, you can become Arwen, Aragon, Gandalf or Frodo. If you prefer the darker side there are Ring Wraith and Orc apparel available. Accessories such as Arwen's necklace and the Fellowship of the Ring leaf clasp can be purchased to make your outfit complete.

If you are a fan of Lord of the Rings, like I am, you may enjoy just browsing this page to plan your next Cosplay, Halloween or Mardi Gras costume.

We hope this map will aid you in your quest, whether it be toward the dark or the light.

In the Hobbit we meet an unlikely hero, Bilbo Baggins, a small Hobbit from the Shire who becomes the bearer of the one ring, the ring that binds them all. He later passes this powerful ring onto his adopted son, Frodo, thus beginning a great journey through the forests, plains and mountains of Middle Earth with the Fellowship of the Ring including the other members from the Shire, brave Sam Wise and young Merry and Pippin.

I would love to visit this snug little home. Hobbit holes are so tidy and organized and are filled with good foods and warmth. With this poster, you could take an imaginary trip there whenever you wanted.

We begin our journey through the costumes of Middle Earth with the small hero, Frodo the Hobbit.

There are other items which will help to complete your Hobbit and/or Dwarf costume. Add a short sword for the Hobbit and any short human could travel through Middle Earth in perfect disguise. A Hobbit's large feet are unique and are covered with hair. Such feet are also available to complete the look. Frodo's outfit would work well for dressing as a dwarf.

The "one ring" which was forged by Sauron the Dark Lord thousands of years before in order to enable him to dominate and enslave all of Middle-earth. The ring was lost for many years, then found by Smeagol and later won by Bilbo who passed it on to his adopted son, Frodo, making it a very important accessory for Frodo, Bilbo or Gollum. You must have "my precious", the ring of power that was thrown into Mount Doom after the long and perilous journey through Middle Earth.

If you are a Tolkien fan, then you know that the story of the Hobbit begins the tale of the ring bearer when Bilbo wins the riddle contest and the ring. More costume ideas can be found in the movies an Unexpected Journey and The Desolation of Smaug which tells the tales of the Dwarves, Hobbits and Gandalf on their journey to the mountain where Smaug the Dragon has his hoard of treasure. The last offering, the Battle of Five armies will soon be out on DVD as well.

Short, stout and grumpy Gimli the Dwarf is the perfect counterpoint for the tall, handsome Legolas the Elf. At first enemies, then later competitors at Orc killing quests, these two members of the Fellowship eventually became friends. A Dwarf would be a fun outfit for a short person, especially if paired with a taller person dressed as an elf.

This replica of the fellowship of the rings leaf clasp which fastened the the magical traveling cloaks that Galadriel, Lady of the Golden Wood of Lothlórien, gave to each member to aid them on their journey. It will add the special touch to a brown hooded robe or gray cloak.

Tolkiens words and descriptions are so powerful that everyone who read of the struggles between good and evil are transported into the magical world that he describes. He even created the Elvish language in poems and songs.

Rivendell the magical city of the Elves in eastern Eriador, stronhold and sanctuary with its majestic cliffs and dwellings in the clouds is where Elrond is king. Oh what I wouldn't give to visit the Elves of Rivendell.

Beautiful and fearless Arwen, daughter of Elrond, who gave up immortality and chose to love a human king. A warrior princess who fell in love with a human mortal. She gave Aragon her Evenstar necklace to wear as a talisman when he rode off with the other members of the the troup.

I would like to wear this Arwen costume... and to marry Aragon!

This necklace is a "must have" accessory for either Arwen or Aragon. It is a significant talisman which changes hands several times throughout the trilogy.

Next to Gandalf and the Hobbits, excellent archer Legolas is my favorite Lord of the Rings character. He is the son of the "Elvenking" of the wood-elves of Northern Mirkwood.

Legolas and Gimli would make a great costume pair for 2 children in a family..

Elven ear tips will make an elf costume more realistic. They can also be used for other characters from Middle Earth.

The group named the Fellowship of the Ring was organized to protect Frodo, the Ringbearer on the perilous journey to Mount Doom. Members include:

• Gandalf the wizard
• Aragon also known as Strider the Ranger, but actually the true King of Gondor
• Legolas of the Mirkwood Elves
• Gimli the dwarf
• Boromir
• Hobbits, Frodo, Samwise, Merry and Pippin

Aragon riding in to save the day. I love all of these posters, especially this one.

When the four Hobbits first encounter Strider the Ranger in the Prancing Pony tavern in Bree they did not know that it was Aragon, future King who protected them and lead them to safety with the Elves. Before they reached safety in Rivendell, they were ambushed by the Nine Riders. Frodo puts on the ring and their leader stabs him with a blade of evil enchantment, and he nearly dies as they race for Rivendell. This was the first of many tight squeezes that Strider would get them out of as they fought their way to their destiny.

An outstanding portrait him in the early years before his transformation after the battle in Moria.

Gandalf the Grey, then later the White after battling the Balrog in the lower regions of the ancient Dwarf dwelling, Moria and coming back to life to finish the quest. Wizard, leader of the Fellowship of the Ring battles evil trolls, orcs and dark wizards on all fronts, friend of Hobbits, Dwarves, Elves and Kings.

Or would you rather be the more powerful, Gandalf the white. The white robe could also be used if you choose to be the evil wizard, Saruman.

Once on the outskirts of Mordor, Sam and Frodo did not have much further to go until they reached Mount Doom but there are hoards of Orcs and other dark creatures to evade or battle. The ring is growing stronger with each step and Frodo weaker. Then comes the final test...

Poor Smeagol, once a being, much like Frodo, now a miserable creature called Gollum who is ruled by the ring known as his precious is an unwitting but important member of the Fellowship. At times you feel sorry for poor Smeagol, but then his alter-ego surfaces and the rings pull turns him back to the dark side.

Gollum, gollum, who wants to be Gollum? Wonderful masks for this character and others from the dark side are available. I wish that I could show it to you to make your quest easier, but alas, I have reached my quota of Amazon products for this hub.

If you lean toward the evil characters, a ring wraith is a good choice. These robes could be used for a number of those from the dark side including Nazgûl, wizards and those from other fantasy books such as the dementors.

There must be evil characters for good to conquer. There are more costume pieces if you lean towards darkness.

One of the most evil in Middle Earth, the Witch King, Angmar, leader of the 9 Nazgûl who ride the terrible winged fell beasts. He and the others are drawn to the ring and are constantly searching for Sauron. There were thousands of Orcs, but the most vicious of them all is Orc Lurtz. Many masks from the dark side are available.