Celebration, Ceremony, and Courtship
Signum University, in partnership with Hern Ennorath (Tolkien Fellowship Australia), invites you to join us from 24-26 January for OzMoot 2026. This hybrid, multi-day event will take place at Holt Neighbourhood Hall in Canberra, ACT. For our fourth OzMoot, and first in Australia’s capital, come explore Celebration, Ceremony, and Courtship in the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and the medieval worlds that inspired him. This will be a party of special magnificence with lots of fellowship, including our Tolkien Professor of Special Magnificence – Corey Olsen!
Register Here for OzMoot!
Price Breakdown:
- $100.00 USD / AU$153.00 for Adult In-Person Attendance
- $45.00 USD / AU$65 .00 for Student In-Person Attendance
- $35.00 USD / AU$54.00 for Remote Attendance
“When Mr. Bilbo Baggins of Bag End announced that he would shortly be celebrating his eleventy-first birthday with a party of special magnificence, there was much talk and excitement in Hobbiton.“
—The Fellowship of the Ring, “A Long-Expected Party”
In Tolkien’s legendarium, moments of joy, ritual, and love form the bedrock of Middle-earth’s culture: from Bilbo’s ‘Unexpected’ and ‘Long-expected’ parties, the significance of Durin’s Day to the Dwarves, the coronation of King Elessar, the funeral of Theodred, the Númenorean worship of Melkor, to the timeless courtships of couples such as Beren and Lúthien, Aragorn and Arwen, and Sam and Rosie Cotton. These celebrations, ceremonies, and courtships are not mere backdrop because they reveal the soul of Tolkien’s world, where shared traditions forge bonds, honour transitions, and kindle hope. Middle-earth’s practices were inspired by the medieval customs, Norse sagas, and rustic traditions that Tolkien admired.
In his own life, Tolkien clearly valued the joys of companionship, and his writings reflect that; with detailed descriptions of the food and drink enjoyed at feasts by Hobbits, Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Ents and even Orcs. Whether the quality (or lack thereof) of Eowyn’s soup, or Sam’s desire for “taters”, food and drink references are a nourishing reminder of what brings people together.
At OzMoot 2026, we will explore this tapestry through talks, workshops, and festivities that blend scholarship with fellowship. Some special activities we are planning, along with our traditional talks and presentations, include:
- Middle-earth Medieval Banquet
- Bardic Circles
- The Marketplace
- Costume Parade and T-Shirt Competition
- Pub Trivia Quiz
- Collectibles Display
- Medieval Keep Mugs
- An evening excursion and dinner in Canberra
- …and a few other surprises!
Join our party of special magnificence online or in-person and celebrate what unites us: the power of gatherings, the poetry of rituals, and the courage to love in dark times.
We invite you to propose presentations based on our theme of Celebration, Ceremony, and Courtship, whether academic or creative, workshop or discussion. Share insights on how celebrations echo Middle-earth’s resilience, ceremonies help shape our identity, and how courtship weaves through Tolkien’s romances. Such presentation topics could include:
- Birthdays and parties
- Feasts, food, and meals
- Courtships and weddings
- Leave-taking and funerals
- Commemorations
- Coronations
- Gift-giving and naming
- Fealty, oaths, and judgement
- Comparisons with European medieval and “Northern” cultures that Tolkien loved
- Comparisons with modern or indigenous cultures
The deadline for submitting presentation proposals is 14 December. OzMoot is a friendly, supportive environment for practicing and developing your presentation skills, regardless of your experience, and we welcome presentation proposals from all
Join us online or in-person to celebrate what unites us: the power of gatherings, the poetry of rituals, and the courage to love in dark times. Submit your proposals and prepare for a party of special magnificence!
Submit Your Presentation Proposal Here!
Our guest of honour is Professor Corey Olsen.
As the president of Signum University, Corey is the inspiring force behind a team of planners, educators, and visionaries who are revolutionizing education for the third millennium. In addition to teaching classes on J.R.R. Tolkien, Chaucer, and modern fantasy literature for Signum, Dr. Olsen has extended the concept of the digital classroom to include non-traditional outlets. Through the Mythgard Academy, he offers free weekly lectures on works of speculative fiction chosen by Signum University supporters, and he has embraced the “new literature” of cinema and video game adaptations through interactive programs such as The Silmarillion Film Project and in-game discussions of Lord of the Rings Online.
OzMoot is proudly supported by Hern Ennorath: the Australian Tolkien Fellowship and smial of the Tolkien Society. The Fellowship is a friendly community of Tolkien lovers from Australia, New Zealand, and fans from further afield. We look forward to welcoming all with open arms to our Australian moot. Over the past few years, OzMoot has proved to be a uniquely important event in forming and enriching our community, which keeps in touch via Zoom meetings throughout the year, and has provided us with an opportunity to visit different parts of our vast country.
