Elvish Writing & Tattoos

Have you ever wondered what your name would look like in the Elvish characters created by J.R.R. Tolkien for the Lord of the Rings? Want an Elvish tattoo, but don't know where to get started?

OPTION 1: Learn to do it yourself

If you are willing to spend a little time, you can learn how to write Elvish yourself. I've written a page where I explain how to do it: Write your name in Elvish in ten minutes. There's nothing secret or mysterious about it. I spell it all out for you.

OPTION 2: Let me do it for you

You can teach yourself Elvish and write it yourself, but do you have the time? Learning Elvish isn't hard, but it takes some effort, and you still need good handwriting to make your name look good. There are plenty of Elvish fonts out there, but they're tricky to deal with, you won't be likely to have much confidence in the result, and your name will end up looking like it was typed. Why not let me take care of it for you?

How it Works

Send me $30 (USD) via PayPal to the PayPal account gulley@gmail.com and I will write your name in Elvish characters. If you want a phrase, send me $3 per word ($30 minimum) and I will write the phrase of your choice. In the "Subject" line of the PayPal Send Money page, write "Elvish writing". In the "Note" section, tell me exactly what words you want written in the message.

If you can't do PayPal, e-mail your request to me at gulley@gmail.com with the subject line "Elvish writing" and you can arrange to pay me by check. Either way, you'll need to pay me first. If you're not satisfied with the result, I'll be happy to refund your money.

Details

• I write names and English words in Elvish text (Quenya Tengwar, to be specific). I do not translate English language words into Elvish language words. I do a literal letter-for-letter transcription using Elvish letters, not a phonetic transcription. I can do Sindarin-style writing too, but be sure to clearly ask for this option.
• To get an idea of what your writing will look like, take a look at the samples farther down this page. Please note I do not do the style of the One Ring.
• I will send you a high resolution .gif image of the Elvish characters and a short explanation of how the writing works.
• I will try to get your writing back to you quickly, but it may take as long as a week from the time I receive payment until you get your writing.
• If you get an Elvish tattoo, send me a picture of it and I will post it here.
• If you want to learn the basics of how Elvish writing works, read my quick introduction, called How Elvish Works.
• If you want to learn more about how to write Elvish yourself, look at my Elvish in ten minutes. If you're feeling more ambitious, a good place to start is the excellent Tolkien Script Publishing site.

Important Disclaimers

• I am providing my best interpretation of the Elvish characters for your request. It is provided on a strictly as-is basis.
• Interpretations of how to write any given phrase in Elvish characters may vary widely. Since Elvish is an invented language, there are no native speakers to consult. Furthermore, Tolkien himself describes several variations of Elvish, most notably Sindarin and Quenya. They look somewhat different.
• You should double-check my rendering, particularly if you are considering getting a tattoo or something similarly permanent. Mistakes are always possible. I'm not trying to keep secrets: my Elvish in ten minutes page shows exactly how I spell out your name. Verify that I spelled your name correctly, or check my Elvish against another site.
• Tattoos are permanent! Getting one is a very personal decision. This site should not be construed as encouraging you to get a tattoo.

Ned Gulley

Satisfied Customers

Ruth says: "Thanks so much for doing this for me! Your work is beautiful!!"

Oli says: "Thank you very much for the beautiful design of my name in elvish! Its perfect and I can't wait to get it tattooed!! You did a magnificent job!"

Stephanie says: "Thank you so much for writing out that phrase for me, Ned! Keep up the good work, and I'll be sending you a picture of my tattoo soon!"

Jessie says: "Thanks for writing my name! I loved it, I do plan on getting it tattooed and will for sure send pictures! Thanks once again!"

Rebekah says: "I just got my Elvish initials back today, and they are beautiful. I am just going out the door to get them tattooed. Thank you so much for the beautiful work."

Samples

Completed Tattoos

More photos are available here.

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