Larissa Pothoven is skilled in many aspects, including the flute, writing, German, and piano, but another more unconventional talent she possesses is being able to read and write in Elvish, the language introduced by the Elves in the popular Lord of the Rings and Hobbit book series.  She first learned how to do this in eighth grade, which would make her 13 at the time. “My friend Kayla Ferguson, a really big Lord of the Rings fan, knew Elvish, and I thought it was really cool.  Also, I have always been interested in different languages, especially ‘secret’ messages.  Elvish was a unique way to communicate in a language that not many people would be able to decipher.  I was bored over winter break, so I decided to learn,” says Pothoven.  

Pothoven wasn’t alone in this learning endeavor, as she did recruit some friends to accompany her in figuring out this new hobby, including Emma Wahlman and  Kayla Ferguson. “I am very glad that we learned it, and I don’t think it was a waste of time at all. It gives us a unique bond. Most people haven’t heard of Elvish, let alone know how to write it,” says Wahlman.  In a way, knowing the language does connect them because of the fact that not many other people can understand it, let alone know it exists.

This language is originally from the Lord of the Rings book series, which Larissa said she has read all of and seen all the movie adaptations of.  “I personally prefer the books. I feel that no movie ever really lives up to the book. I am not a fan of the Hobbit movies because they strayed so far from the book’s original plotline.  However, the movies really helped me visualize scenes from the books, which was very helpful,” says Pothoven.  

Pothoven and Wahlmann enjoy writing in Elvish, and plan on continuing to communicate with each other in this way. They are both proud of the fact that they have such a unique talent that most people do not possess, as they should be!