You can leave Tolk Folk, but never Tolk Folk again – report from the 21st edition of the festival

One ring, one Tolk Folk – this is the inscription on the accreditation band, which I look at now with a smile. The 21st edition of the Tolk Folk festival called “Fires over Middle-earth” had dragons as its leading theme. It is true that they did not fly much, gold and trinkets were not lost, but I will remember the march to protect these creatures for a long time. What else stuck in my memory? How did I have fun?

 

The Bielawa festival is an event “from fans for fans”, fulfilling itself in the idea of ​​co-creation and shared responsibility. Currently, a grassroots initiative is also responsible for its organization – the Tolkien Association TOWER, whose members could also be found at the campsite. This year, Tolk Folktook place on July 8-14. Although I had to come back the day before, I will definitely stay for the last evening in a year. And even if I do not pull out the whole week to have fun together, I will get there for a few days. Because the truth is that you can come to the festival at any time, every day … and even for a few hours. Vin, for example, only dropped by for two days that year. And when asked about encouraging people to come to Tolk Folk, she replies: “It is worth coming once, for a moment, even for one day”, because “when you see it from the inside, how you will feel this atmosphere, you will surely be very eager to come. will come back. ” Full agreement!

Once upon a time, behind seven mountains, behind seven forests …

On a cold Monday for this summer, I set off towards the Sowie Mountains – a well-rested tourist backpack, stuffed to the brim and pockets, the space of which I used to the maximum. In addition, I burdened one shoulder with a bag with a mattress, and the other with a tent, which in 2 seconds becomes a light-tight dream temple. I started from Wrocław by PKS bus and already when getting on board I met the tolkfolkowicz people, thanks to whom about two hours later I happily reached the campsite, though with curses on my lips. Where did these ugly words come from? After reaching Bielawa, we decided to go to Tolk Folk in the old style – on foot. I didn’t want to go out to complain, so I abandoned my plan to call a taxi, shifted the round tent with which I was hooking to the ground in my hand, and followed a group of nice comrades saying,

However, I advise you well, if your luggage weighs 1/3 of your weight, better think twice or three times whether you want to go uphill with it through the ruts. Even though I felt like a strongman at competitions, the journey passed quickly because we started discussions about fantasy right away… and the whole week flew on similar conversations.

The entrance of the dragon to “Sowigórskie Middle-earth”

Already during the first walk to my destination, I felt that I was entering a slightly different world. As we walked slowly through the streets of the city, and the mountain landscape slowly emerged from behind the buildings, my imagination began to give in to the allusive definition of the space to which I was heading as “Sowigórski Middle-earth”. As it turned out, I was not alone in these associations. For Vin, for example, the lake and the city above it resembled Esgaroth. A descendant who is on Tolk Folkhas been coming since he was 5 years old, numerous fields and meadows were reminiscent of the rural regions of Middle-earth. But let’s go back to the first day, or rather the first hours. We passed the built-up Bielawskie Lake, walked along the road among tall grasses and soaked up the surroundings with smiles on our faces. We also had a dragon entrance – and dragons were the theme of this edition, so it was perfect. Well, our arrival was heralded by a fire engine, and our pedestrian cordon was crowned by a car with other participants. After crossing an easily overlooked bridge and going through the Tolk Folk gate, I was greeted by a young girl dressed in potter-maniacs, and a moment later hugged by others for “good morning”. It couldn’t be better. In the end I came there quietly, hoping to track Potter somewhere in the bushes [1]. Moments later, I unfolded all the things and ran towards the people by the fire to find out what and how it works.

“Muddy reggae, an adventure on Tolk Folk …”

Tolk Folk was a mystery to me. Accustomed to conventions for several or tens of thousands of people, held in market halls or in castles, I did not know what to expect from an event that takes place at a campsite, among the mountains, without a bursting program. Therefore, I adopted the carpe diem strategy – I did not plan what to participate in. I wandered around the field and waited for events to find me. And I sincerely recommend this approach. You don’t have to do anything on Tolk Folk (as long as you don’t break the law, of course). And if you want or want something, you will quickly find companions for it or you will meet people who, smiling under their breaths, will allow you to pursue solo realization in peace.

So I was spinning while assembling and launching the rainbow pallet bridge called the Bifrost. I played board games. I listened to the lecture. I was reading a book. I started a fire with a flint. I did research interviews. I watched the masters and amateurs of archery in action. I helped a seven-month-old participant walk a few steps. I drank for the health of both fictional and real characters and those, in a way, half and half. I urged us to go to the ghost burial mounds, which kept us awake. I walked and looked at the stars, feeling like a dreamy heroine of some kitschy fantasy – which is just right! I was looking for a pig, but one that can only be seen in the eyes of the imagination. I supported the demands of dragon defenders from the side. I went to a concert. I sang and danced around the fire. I asked Merewenna for henna tattoos. I’ve read pizza boxes (you read it right!). I discussed, laughed and moved. And while doing all of this, I was resting. And I had a great time.

Family atmosphere, freedom, freedom

There is an undeniable family atmosphere at Tolk Folk. However, the family was not only because we felt at ease with each other, but also because whole families with children came there. In addition, the youngest participant was seven months old, and the oldest participant was already over ninety – but it is also worth noting that age did not affect what activities you took part in, it did not matter. Especially that I wasn’t the only one who “seized the day”!

“Nobody’s judging anyone here. Everyone accepts each other regardless of their views and beliefs, ”Rafał, who has been coming to Tolk Folk for 5 years, told me. Indeed, even when there were political discussions in the background, neither fists nor even raised voices moved. In such an idyllic atmosphere, nobody wanted to argue – and nobody wanted to. However, there was a lot of discussion! Anyway, laughter and distance to each other as well.

It is also worth adding that the hours (or days) of program points should not be treated with the utmost severity, because sometimes time passed like crazy, and the planned (or not) attractions were prolonged due to having fun with them. Punctuality geeks could be outraged … or be carried away by events to the point where they would forget about their watches. It should also be remembered that the weather is also changeable, which affects the plans during a fantastic camping – but rarely negatively. Wind and rain were able to activate new layers of creativity of many participants. And without it, no one lacked ideas.

“Slime”

Beloved orgs, that is the organizers, provided help, with a good word, and if it was necessary, also an accurate reprimand. They solved every problem, even if it was duplicated, but they adhered to the principle of two times rather than three times art. Admittedly, they found effective methods. For example, when the shower key got lost again, he got a padlock weighing over a kilogram with a thick chain. This weight could not be forgotten, so that the key disaster never happened again. In the evenings, the so-called ” Achievements”, symbolized by cardboard medals with handwritten paintings on them. People who were the main characters of any un-arranged situations with an unintentionally funny / absurd course and / or effect had a chance to get them. Guess who won one trophy first? It was “I was walking.” Because … I was really just walking before I got hurt.

Why Tolk Folk?

I also asked folks from the folks why they come back to Tolk Folk or why they go there at all. So if my impressions were not enough to convince you to participate in this unusual convention, the words of other participants should help.

“I came back, because most of all I have the feeling that this is a place where I can rest, where I do not have to hurry anywhere, and at the same time I spend my time in the company of really fantastic people who are also very open to making new friends, so it is not a problem that, for example, you come knowing few people or even nobody. And this is a space where you can talk about topics that usually have no one to talk to, because few people would go so far into various topics in the field of fantasy “- Vin, 25

“Above all for people and for the atmosphere. I met many interesting people here, and also managed to broaden my horizons when it comes to Tolkienist knowledge, thanks to numerous lectures and lectures “- Rafał, 17 years old

And so to the question: “Will he come back to Tolk Folk?” Victoria replied, reaching him for the first time:

“Yes! Of course! It is always a good experience. Even if I don’t like it, it’s always an experience for the future. And let me tell you, I felt very uncomfortable at first, but all it took was a couple of beers by the fire and I settled in. Generally people are nice. There is a great atmosphere. ”- Victoria, 19

Fires over Middle-earth

Tolk Folk turned out to be a convention different from all others – an intimate, somewhat camp-like event, isolated from civilization, although held close to it. It is an ideal festival for people tired of crowds who want to experience an adventure close to nature. Not only Tolkien fans will find their place there, because Tolk Folk is actually a friendly, family fantasy and leisure event. Besides, a member of this folk folk family, you can feel after the first fire – and this statement is ambiguous because the fire at Tolk Folk is still burning. And with the warmth of this fire one returns home. Anyway, as Mona said, one of the orgies: “You can leave Tolk Folk, but never again Tolk Folk”. That’s why we see you next year!

 

Research work financed from the budget for science
in 2018-2022 as a research project under the “Diamond Grant” program.

 

[1] The trip to Tolk Folk was part of a research grant I am carrying out at the University of Wrocław. The project is called “Lower Silesia as an imagined world of Harry Potter” and thanks to it I will be able to write a research paper about the location of fantasy worlds in the region and the activities undertaken within them. While Potter is my main case study , other worlds are also within my scope of interest.