Published in 2012, the Lord of the Rings Project is the ultimate website for any and all of your LOTR needs, because we know you have them. Admit it.

I discovered the project by scrolling through the “view all” function under Who to Follow on Twitter, and checking out Emil Johansson’s profile page to see why he was recommended to me.

Thank you, Twitter.

As a child, Emil read and absorbed the trilogy with a full heart, and after years of wanting to know and learn more about Tolkien’s Middle Earth, he set out to do just that.

The Lord of the Rings Project is a beautifully designed and easily accessible website dedicated to sharing with fans maps, timelines, genealogy, and statistics from the beloved trilogy and beyond. If you’re like me and have tried to read The Silmarillion a handful of times to no avail, this website can either fill you in on what you missed, or help you through reading the material like your own personal Tolkien teacher.

“This project has proved to be, to me, what as a chemist I call a catalyst for my creativity. It has unlocked some things that I didn’t know existed,” he said in his 2012 TEDxGothenburg presentation. “It has, in a way, made me find my happiness. I love creating things.”

The project itself is inspiring, but so is the man behind it. A true fan, Emil not only yearned to know more, but he had the desire to share his findings with the rest of us. All in his own free time.

“I want to encourage you to do something just because it’s fun. Because you’re passionate about it. Because you want to feel creative. And I encourage you to pursue that geeky project you’ve been putting off for too long.” -Emil Johansson

Thank you for the Tolkien treat, Emil, and for representing fans across the globe who want to turn their geeky passion into something concrete and fulfilling.

Follow this link if you’d like to donate to the project.