Occurences of Tengwar use in Rogue Trader

[Arthfael]

We all know (or ought to know) that the name Eldar is a lazy ripoff of the name of one of the main kindred of elves in Tolkien's legendarium. Conveniently and perhaps prophetically, in this context Eldar actually meant the people/children of the stars.
Now, I have nothing against most high fantasy being blatantly inspired by Tolkien (he also came up with the name "Orc/Ork" after all). But specific uses of his writing systems is where I would draw the line, because this smells of laziness and is too closely associated with Tolkien's world.
Today I was looking at the attached picture from good old Rogue Trader. I really enjoy the old pictures, not because they are better but because of how much inspiration they can provide. I also like recent artwork, though the one in 6th edition codices is definitely subpar - and often recycled, badly coloured old BnW pictures. Anyway, I digress.
So, I was looking at the most famous picture of Eldar corsairs from RT era... and noticed something on the fin of the ship in the upper left corner of the image: 5280

Although this is too small to actually read, this is definitely Tengwar. I wonder if someone with a paper copy of RT could actually read that. I can read some modes of Tengwar but here the res is not enough, and whatever I can make out doesn't correlate with names for early eldar (such as the minis listed here: http://www.collecting-citadel-miniatures.com/wiki/index.php/Eldar%28Warhammer_40,000_Rogue_Trader%29_-_Collectors_Guide#First_40K_Releases )
Is anyone aware of other uses of Tengwar before illustrators decided to introduce Eldar runes?

[YorkNecromancer]

Is this seriously another thread complaining about what a rip-off of Tolkein 40K is?

GAAAAAAAHH!!!

*facepalm*

Ignoring that (because seriously, if we have to get into another discussion about How It's Okay To Rip Things Off I may actually go mad), what is written on the sail is going to be nothing that adds any value to your life. Because if you're asking what the squiggle on the sail is, I can tell you now - it's a squiggle. Now, if you suspect it may be a made-up language of Tolkein's that some artist was enough of a fan to include to demonstrate his love of Tolkein, I have no idea. It'll probably be something tedious like "Honour" or "Glory" or "Valour" because that's how people talk in 40K. Either that or it'll be something silly, like "Lunch" or "Pixies" because that's what 1st ed 40K was like.

Did they "officially" use this made-up language That Only Tolkein Is Allowed To? No. If you see it, it's because the artist was a Tolkein fanboy.

Not unlike everyone here except me.

I literally cannot believe I wasted even a moment of my life looking up what Tengwar is. I'm entirely with Requires Only That You Hate when it comes to Tolkein.

[ElectricPaladin]

I'm an enormous Tolkien nerd myself - I'm rereading The Fellowship of the Ring for the seventh or eighth time right now - but I am also a writer, and this gives me a different perspective. I have to agree the the Necromancer.

All writers steal. The best writers steal shamelessly. When I'm experiencing writer's block, I reread my favorite books, or go down to the local bookstore and read the blurbs on the backs of novels until something gels into a new idea. I read something and think "I want to try my hand at that premise/setting/character." So, I mess it up, twist it around, and spit it out again as mine.

And so what if a little of the original script, or one of the original words, gets stuck in there? Who does it harm? What's the point of getting all worked up about it?

[Morgrim]

Given the age of the original Rogue Trader books I hardly think it is relevant, but tengwa I have seen used in scifi before as a one of the easiest to find 'flowy alien scripts', because the only human language that can pull off a similar look is arabic. Should it have been used in a piece of published, deliberately commissioned artwork by a company as anal about copyright as GW? No. Does it matter? Nope.

If they do it again in a modern work then you can throw the book at them.

[Cap'nSmurfs]

All war stories are ripoffs of the Iliad. Homer should sue.

[Quaade]

As should the writers of the Edda since all the names are stolen from that.

[Bigred]

Also remember that back in the Rogue Trader era in 40Ks founding days, almost all of the art was commissioned by various freelancer artists with loose design objectives. These guys usually worked out of the studio, completely independently. So the RT art is more of an art anthology, more akin to flipping through a Heavy Metal magazine, than a tight coherent visually designed product like we see today.

I would totally expect some Tolkein to slip in to some pieces under those art direction conditions.

[Joe TwoCrows]

Well, after a bit of tinkering, I don't think it's Quenya, although I'd not wager more than a fin. ($5 to non-Yanks). It just doesn't flow right.

Also, 'orcs' has quite the etymology. Tolkien discusses it at length (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orc, so to simply state 'he made it up' is at best misleading. If nothing else, the OED has the word used in 1590 as a variant of 'ogre'. Still, GW undoubtedly used the Tolkien meaning, and ***in my opinion*** probably took the visual inspiration either from Bakshi's LoTR animation (1978), or possibly his 'Wizards' from 1977

[Gotthammer]

It's using elements of tengwar script, some of the characters are legible as copied, but it is essentially gibberish.