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alaric-greyson · 2 years

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A Fan Review of “Rings of Power”

Rings of Power launched this week and immediately finds itself locked in a conversation that makes it hard to really get a sense of what’s real criticism and what’s a social and/or political statement about the show. I figured some folks here might appreciate a relatively focused review from a more casual fan of the source material.

The TLDR: I like the show and think it has done a good job so far, but also recognize that it’s probably easier for Lore-experts to think of it as the equivalent to Tolkien Historical Fiction rather than thinking of it as an attempt to perfectly portray what we know of the canon of the Second Age.

For lore-focused fans it would be like medieval historians watching something like Orlando Bloom’s “Kingdom of Heaven” where plenty of historical fact exists, but is in service to making a good movie rather than perfectly reflecting the events leading to the 3rd Crusade.

Since any review of this show is overshadowed by the concerns about its canonical or political relevance I figured I’d throw out my lack of qualifications to judge the review.

From a Tolkien-specific point of view, I’m a significant fan of Tolkien but not to the level of amateur or professional scholar of the material. I’ve read the Silmarillion a dozen times over the years at least, but I only ever dipped my toes into the more extended collections of writing (though I’ve gotten lost in a few wiki-dives on characters over the years). So I have a pretty extensive knowledge of the lore, but largely the surface stuff, not the deep lore.

From a political/social space I’m a left leaning cis straight white male from the US. So you won’t get any complaints about the racial or gender make-up of the show, but I almost certainly have blindspots. For example: I saw some complaints about accents being assigned to specific groups of characters, but simply don’t know enough about British regional accents and the associated social implications to recognize any controversy over it.

Casting: The casting ranges from good to fine. The Elves of Lindon feel more “real” then Elrond or Galadriel did in the movies but that’s clearly an intentional choice as they’re major characters here rather than mysterious and magical encounters. While I generally like Elrond, Galadriel, and Arondir, a lot of the supporting Elves are a tad bland. Dwarves, Harfoots, and Humans all have pretty good casting for their main characters. We haven’t seen as much of their respective supporting casts. There’s so far no one who irritates me every time they’re on screen (as a bad actor as opposed to making dumb choices).

My only real objection comes down to “it’s a TV series” and that’s that at times the world seems unpopulated at times. Beautiful and soaring establishing shots move into rooms with only a handful of people present.

Lore:

As I mentioned I’m a surface Lore fan. Because of this I spotted some lore inconsistencies that bugged me at times. Some could be easily explained (Galadriel monologuing about the Noldor going after Morgoth just skips right over the Kinslaying, which seems like something she’d do). Others were just off but I just made some sarcastic comments to myself. My only really big lore objection that actively bugged me was Valinor’s “modern” portrayal. You could easily explain around it if you wanted to “repair” the lore but they seemed to me to be treating it more as a magical Heaven rather than as an actual navigational destination you could go to. It’s not remotely a deal breaker...but the whole sequence sort of bugged me.

Plot:

The plot itself is only just beginning but they’re clearly trying to build out the world to tell stories in it. As much as I commented that the TV budget leaves some of the world feeling unpopulated, the same has always been a bit of a pet peeve of mine about Tolkien himself in the Silmarillion. The stories of the First and Second Ages that we know of tend to be about small numbers of named individuals, and then an indeterminate number of other people who are following them. That’s completely in line with the genre conventions he was aiming for, but it has its negatives.

The show is making sure to build out six or seven distinct communities of characters so that the plot can be built by all of them, rather than limited to a handful of Elves and Numenoreans. Because of that it’s a little disjointed at the moment, but also implies that the seven or so main characters so far are eventually going to cross paths.

The plot itself is also built on an era we know very little about, namely the time between the end of the First Age and Sauron returning. They’ve clearly decided to lean on one of the classic “Evil is dead and can never return” tropes, with our heroes being the wise ones who see the danger. I suspect they’ll be “squashing” the timeline a bit since thousands of years would likely remove some of the characters they’ve already created.

So is it good?:

It’s fine. After two episodes I have no reason to stop watching it. My lore-based pet peeves are easy enough to disregard, and I actively like a couple of the characters. We’re obviously about to get some Numenoreans in the next episode, and that will give us another set of neat establishing shots.

If you don’t want to watch it for moral or political reasons...don’t. This is a nice enough show but I don’t see it turning into the dominant fandom of the moment the way Game of Thrones or Good Omens did on their respective releases. There’s no social obligation to watch this, or to support the creators.

If you’re a lore-first fan, you’ll absolutely have to be able to check that instinct at the door before watching. There’s no question they’re modifying and messing with timelines, events, and characters. Depending on who one mysterious character is could throw things wildly out of whack. Some lore-fans will be able to appreciate what the creators are aiming for with the changes...but a lot of the others are just going to hate the adaption of the canon. If you can think of it as historical fiction for Middle Earth you might be able to enjoy it more. But as with others, there’s no obligation to watch it if you don’t want to.

#lord of the rings #rings of power #a review #it's fine

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absynthe--minded · 3 years

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No pressure here, bit if you will ever feel like following up on that note you made about Maeglin characterization differing in the original text, know that there is at least one person out here who would read that gladly!

The thing is I haven’t done enough research to really be able to speak confidently on it - a lot of my frustration comes from the fact that I’m just now starting this as a line of analysis. All that I know can really be summed up pretty quickly:

Maeglin’s early life was the last thing Tolkien was working on before his death - there’s a lot of maps and commentary about Eöl’s journey out of Nan Elmoth that enabled Maeglin and Aredhel to escape, and a lot of rewriting details

none of this included Maeglin’s time in Gondolin, all of that is pretty solid from draft to draft

Maeglin in HoME and Unfinished Tales can be best described as “attractive, charismatic, talented, loved and trusted by Turgon (that’s direct from The Shaping of Middle-Earth), beloved by the people in his House, respected by the people of Gondolin at large, accomplished in smithcraft, and renowned among the princes of the Noldor, loved more than all save one” (that one is probably Fingon, though we aren’t ever told for sure) and also “secretive, reclusive, slow to make friends, intensely private, powerful telepath, focused on what he wants to do and willing to break rules to accomplish his goals”

I’ve searched through all twelve volumes of HoME and Unfinished Tales and I’m working my way through the collected The Fall of Gondolin to see if there’s anything I missed, but I’ve not seen anything akin to what we find in the published Silmarillion chapter about Maeglin’s desires being weird by in-universe standards

also there’s not anything really conclusive about Maeglin loving Idril, only wishing to marry her, and the only speculation on his motivations there is in the Book of Lost Tales, where it’s stated that Turgon thought he was planning on using the marriage to elevate himself socially.

I started this because Idril and Maeglin being “too close” to marry has caused a lot of problems in terms of discourse about cousin marriage in Tolkien that frankly aren’t borne out by the rest of the narrative, and what I’m finding is that Silm!Maeglin might be just as much of a Christopher misrepresentation as Silm!Túrin. No conclusions yet! but it’s possible

#absynthe's meta #tolkien #anon replies

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warrioreowynofrohan · 4 years

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On Doriathrin Isolationism

I’ve seen a fair number of takes in the Silm fandom on the topic of either “the Noldor are horrible imperialists” or “the Sindar are horrible isolationists”, so I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at Doriathrin policy.

Firstly, how isolationist are they, following the creation of the Girdle of Melian? They still have close relations with the Laiquendi of Ossiriand, and some of them come to Doriath. They still have close relations with Círdan and are in communication with him. They’re fairly close with the children of Finarfin: Galadriel lives in Doriath, the others visit, Finrod is close enough with Thingol to act as an intermediary between him and the Haladin, and Thingol is the one who tells Finrod of the location for Nargothrond. The dwarves continue travelling to Doriath, and trading, and living there for long periods to do commissioned craft-work, through long periods of the First Age, even after the Nirnaeth - the Nauglamír Incident could never have happened if not for that. All these people can pass freely into Doriath. So we’re not talking about Doriath cutting itself off from the rest of the world, not by any means. We’re talking specifically about its relations with three groups: 1) the Fingolfinian and Fëanorian Noldor; 2) the Edain; and 3) the Northern Sindar.

Every time I try to write this post it gets really long, so here I’m going to focus on Doriath’s relationship with the first and third groups, other Elves, and leave the Edain for a separate post.

Doriath and the Northern Sindar

Thingol’s attitude towards this group is the least excusable, and something I wasn’t aware of until I got my hands on a copy of The Peoples of Middle-earth (HoME Vol. 12):

[Thingol] had small love for the Northern Sindar who had in regions near to Angband come under the dominion of Morgoth, and were accused of sometimes entering his service and providing him with spies. The Sindarin used by the Sons of Fëanor also was of the Northern dialect; and they were hated in Doriath.

Now, to be clear, Thingol is wrong about the Northern Sindar being shifty. They’re the ones more commonly described in The Silmarillion as the grey-elves of Hithlum. They make up a substantial portion of the people of Gondolin. They include Annael and his people, who raise Tuor. (Presumably others live in, or moved to, East Beleriand along with the Fëanorians, as the Fëanorians speak their tongue.)

Here is what I think probably happened. We have statements in The Silmarillion that Morgoth captured elves when he could, and that:

“The Noldor feared most the treachery of those of their own kin, who had been thralls in Angband; for Morgoth used some of these for his evil purposes, and feigning to give them liberty sent them abroad, but their wills were chained to his, and they strayed only to com back to him again; therefore if any of his captives escaped in truth, and returned to their own people, they had little welcome, and wandered alone outlawed and desperate”.

If Morgoth also captured some of the Northern Sindar - who, living closer to Angband, would be more at risk of this than Doriathrim, Falathrim, or Laiquendi - there could, as with later Noldor prisoners, have been some who were under his control and attacked and betrayed other elves. The Doriathrin Sindar, living further from Angband, might have been unaware of their capture, conflated this with deliberate and willful treachery, and so mistrusted the Northern Sindar.

That does not excuse Thingol’s attitude. He is stereotyping, and he is claiming kingship of all Beleriand while writing off a substantial portion of his own people, and this is unacceptable. One cannot claim rule of a people while simultaneously disdaining them and forswearing respinsibility for them. It is little surprise than the Northern Sindar largely joined themselves with various groups of Noldor and would have been glad of their arrival.

Doriath and the Noldor

This case is more complicated. I don’t like conflations of Thingol’s attitude towards the Fingolfinian and Fëanorian Noldor - or the Edain, for that matter - with anti-immigration sentiment. The basic concept of immigration is that you want to go to another country and live as a member of that country. When you enter an existing realm, claim its territory as your own, set up your own government, and justify it on the basis of “you’re not militarily able to stop us” that is not immigration. That is called an invasion, or annexation, or something of the sort. (Even if the realm in question is currently under invasion by enemies! Imagine if the British, after D-Day, had tried to annex half of France.)

(I will also note here that Thingol did not abandon the rest of the people of Beleriand prior to the Noldor’s arrival. The First Battle was the Doriathrim fighting alongside the Laiquendi. When Morgoth’s invasion became too large to fight on every front, the creation of the Girdle was the right choice. When assaulted by an overwhelming enemy force, the best, and indeed only militarily possible, option may be to withdraw as many of your people as possible to your fortress (as Thingol does - many of the Laiquendi and as many as possible of the grey-elves of Western Beleriand are evacuated to Doriath) and buckle down for a siege.)

And the Noldor didn’t come with the Sindar’s benefit in mind. (As I have noted before, they were not even away of Angband’s existence. The Return was focused on fighting one very dangerous individual, regaining the Silmarils, and setting up realms in - if we’re being generous to the Noldor - presumably unoccupied territory. If we’re not being generous, the aim can equally well be read as setting themselves up as the rulers of the elves of Middle-earth. If their goal, or even a tiny part of their goal, was “rescue the Sindar”, then they could have pitched that to Olwë to get him on board - “help us rescue your brother from Morgoth” is a way stronger argument than “you owe us, you cultureless barbarians”.)

So, given that they’re annexing his territory without even considering that it might be someone else’s territory, it’s very understandable that Thingol isn’t pleased by the Noldor.

On the other hand, Beleriand does benefit from the Noldor’s presence. Maedhros is quite correct when he points out that Thingol’s alternative to having the Nolder in northern Beleriand would be having orcs there [ironically, the Fëanorians do more harm to Doriath than orcs ever do, but that’s far in the future]. So given that the Sindar and Noldor have a common and very dangerous enemy, Thingol should at least try to work wth them. His deliberate isolation from the Noldor even prior to finding out about the Kinslaying comes across as prideful and petty. I am thinking particular of the absolutely minimal Doriathrin participation in Mereth Aderthad, when Fingolfin was specifically seeking to build a Beleriand-wide alliance, something that was in all their interests; and, addtionally, of not allowing the Nolofinwëans into Doriath. It automatically precludes any high-level negotiations or, just as importantly, any amount of in-person interaction that could lead to greater understanding. I can understand Thingol’s attitude towards Mereth Aderthad on some level - Fingolfin is in effect acting as though he is High King of Beleriand, something Thingol would resent - but it is nonetheless shortsighted.

It’s also worth noting, though, that acting with more tact and treating Thingol as King of Beleriand - as in fact he was throughout the Ages of the Stars - would not necessarily have posed any great difficulty or impeded Noldoran autonomy in decision-making in northern Beleriand. Notably, Thingol is on good terms with Finrod, gives him the location for building Nargothrond, and has no problems with him setting up a realm governing a large swath of West Beleriand. And yes, being relatives doesn’t hurt, but what stands out in this relationship is that Finrod treats Thingol with respect. He understand that Thingol knows more about Beleriand than him, and asks advice; when the Edain arrive, he’s the only one of the Noldor to consult with Thingol on his decisions (and that willingness to consult is what gets Thingol to agree to the Haladin settling in Brethil). And none of this prevents Finrod, or Orodreth after him, from having autonomy from Doriath in their decisions as lords of Nargothrond.

However, another interesting point is that Thingol’s early attitude towards the Noldor is not driven only by resentment of their infringements on his authority, but also by outright mistrust that doesn’t seem to be clearly grounded. Note that, after Galadriel tells Melian about Morgoth’s slaying of Finwë and theft of the Silmarils (which is well after Mereth Aderthad), Melian and Thingol talk, and Thingol says of the Noldor, “Yet all the more sure shall they be as allies against Morgoth, with whom it is not now to be thought they shall ever make treaty.” [Emphasis mine.] Which means that prior to this, he was genuinely worried about the Noldor allying with Morgoth! To paraphase The Order of the Stick, Thingol took Improved Paranoia several levels ago. (But he always seems to be paranoid about the wrong things. The Fëanorians are a threat, but not because of any possible league with Morgoth. Likewise, he is hostile to Beren because of dreams of a Man bringing doom to Doriath, but Thingol’s death and the first destruction of Doriath is instead set off by the actions of Húrin in bringing the cursed Nauglamír.)

So on the whole, neither the Noldor nor Thingol are behaving ideally in their early relations. After Thingol learns about Alqualondë, I find his hostility - especially to the Fëanorians - very warranted. These aren’t some distant, once-related group of elves, these are his brother’s people! And “willing to betray and attack their friends” is not a quality anyone is looking for in an ally, nor something that is going to lead to trust.

This also carries over to everything relating to the Leithian and the Silmaril. (Again, it is important to note with respect to the Leithain that Thingol states outright, after giving Beren the quest that he has zero expectation of - or desire for - Beren to obtain the Silmaril. It’s a combination suicide mission and “when pigs fly” statement, and most people who say “when pigs fly” aren’t aiming at the invention of animatronic flying pigs.) In a theoretical world where the Kinslaying didn’t happen and the Fëanorians had no involvement in the Quest of the Silmaril, they might have had a good shot at negotiating for it! (A much better shot than they had at getting it out of Angband, which they never even tried.) But of course Thingol would have no interest in handing it over to the people who, on top of the Kinslaying, also 1) betrayed his nephew and sent him to his death [that’s kind of on you as well, Elu], 2) kidnapped and attempted to rape his daughter; and 3) attempted to murder his daughter. And there should not be any reasonable expectation that he ought to do so! By their actions, the Fëanorians have forfeited any right to demand anything at all from Thingol, or from Beren and Lúthien, or from their descendents.

(This is, in fact, the very point made in the Doom of Mandos: their oath shall drive them and yet betray them. Every Fëanorian action driven by the oath is counterproductive to them obtaining any of the Silmarils.)

Conclusion

In short:

- Yes, the Noldor are imperialist in their goals, but in they end they’re not ruling anyone who isn’t willing to be ruled by them. And the Northern Sindar who are part of their realms are people who Thingol had explicitly written off, which doesn’t reflect well on him.

- Doriath is not as isolationist as it is often portrayed and has close relations with many of the peoples in Beleriand. It also does participate in the wars against Morgoth (I’ll go into that in more detail in my Edain post). And they have valid grievances against the Fëanorians. However, Thingol’s deliberate snubbing of the FIngolfinian Noldor (and even before he knew about the Kinslaying), despite the evident benefits of planning a common defense of Beleriand, is selfish and petty.

#tolkien #the silmarillion #doriath #thingol #sindar #noldor #beren and luthien #sons of fëanor

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calendille · 6 years

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Thoughts about Angband, food and light

I worked on Uruk society in the First Age for one of my fics and one of the big question to build something coherent was the matter of light and food.

Light in the caves This one was easy because I think Uruks can see really well in the dark. They would need minimal light do deal with most of their every day tasks, the exception being precise craft and writing (in my headcanon Sauron created a writing system for the Uruks as soon as he heard the dwarves had one). I think a society controlled by Sauron would have lamps powered with petrole early one. Hallways and rooms would be lit mostly with biolumuniscent flora:

I am mostly thinking about mushrooms since they grow well in dark places, but there are other kinds of light sources for caves like glow-worms! Here are some from the Waitomo cave in New Zeland:

So there are some places in Angband that look like this:

While others are filled with lamps. I also headcanon that they would have “portable natural ligh” by putting big glow worms into bottles and carrying them where they go.

Food in the caves Food is another problem because caves cannot sustain crops or herds of animals, though that means that probably nothing should grow in Beleriand before the sunrise, so we can expect the caves in ME to be more fertile than our own caves.

One of the main source of food would be mushrooms (not the bioluminscent one because they are toxic). Proteins would come from insects, with meat being consumed only by the high cast Uruks. Insects are just the most efficient source of proteins and they can grow everywhere, and fast enough that they would not require large space to be bref. Cave fishes and shrimps can also be consummed, though not in large quantities unless the magic of Arda somehow make fishes strive in caves (but then, Beleriand before the sunrise; so perhaps there are very fishy underground lakes in Angband). I wonder about algae but why not.

Other options are the flora that strives in the “twilight zone”, closest to the open world: ferns, lichen and some plants and flowers. And let us not forget bats, who can be a source of meat, though I think it would be a delicacy rather than common food.

Food from the outside world Orcs are not peaceful creatures. If they want something they take it. I do not think Angband is actually self sufficient, but they do have something the other elves of Beleriand do not have pre-Noldor: like the dwarves, they have accept to smithing (no one will convince me that Sauron did not know of smithing back then). The Sindar are buying all their metal weapons from the dwarves, and that’s mostly Doriath.

And then there is Thingol’s dislike of the North Sindar, “servants” of Angband or tainted by Angband. I think Thingol was not entirely wrong and Angband was, in part, fed by tribute from tribes in North Beleriand that would rather give some goats, sheeps and vegetables than to be raided for it. Another source of food would be legitimate trade, especially with the Avari, who may not necessarily view Angband as “the lair of those rebel dudes who dislike the Valar”.

We do not know what Sauron was up to before Melkor’s return, but the Silmarillion tells us of no open was between Angband and Doriath, or at least, nothing that compared to the post-Darkening disaster. North Beleriand did not have any recorded cities, but Melkor did not breed the orcs that overwhelmed Beleriand in a day: they were already there and they could have attacked sooner, but they did not.

Why? Because I think that Sauron already had some Annatar in him. Why make war when you could use more advanced crafting to trade things with your more agrarian focused neighbours? If the North Sindar have wool, you can expect Sauron to design a loom that makes better fabric; if they make pots, you can be sure Sauron can make better ones. And he knows how to work metal: he sells tools and jewelry and they pay with food.

The problem is that once open and generalized warfare begins, and the Noldor become the “protectors” of North Beleriand, Angband would starve. Perhaps Morgoth waited more than 60 years to attack after Fëanor’s death because the Battle Under the Stars and Lammoth destroyed all his troops, or perhaps he was busy fixing the Angband flora to cope with the loss of trade and tribute. Perhaps he travelled into the East to meet Men, but also to find elven friends who would be ready to trade with Angband (or most likely to pay tribute because this is Morgoth we are talking about). Perhaps there are, in the East, other maiar like Melian he can discuss with.

Cannibalism They definitly do it. Keep in mind that food is scarce and those people were raised by Morgoth and Sauron, two amoral creatures at their best. Why would Morgoth be against cannibalism? Once something is dead, if it’s eatable, there is no reason to waste good meat!

Grog I have no idea ok. Anyone knows where this comes from?

#uruk #orc culture #angband #food #light #sauron #melkor #morgoth

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elesianne · 7 years

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A Silmarillion fanfic

Summary: Not all of the Noldor who rebelled were great lords or warriors. Here we meet one woman who with her family follows Fëanor to Beleriand.

Genre: Gen; Rating: Teenage audiences and up; Warning for blood

Some keywords: flight of the Noldor, Formenos, Alqualondë, Losgar, family, hurt/comfort, canon compliant because the OCs exist between the lines of canon

A/N: Originally posted for Legendarium Ladies April. This is the first part of a longer story that works as a standalone. I might rework and post later parts of this OC’s story later. On its own, this 2,000-word fic shows some of the tumultuous events among the Noldor as seen through the eyes a Noldorin OFC, a seamstress called Alasselië. (AO3 link)

This OC was born out of a desire to examine famous events from the point of view of someone who is neither nobility nor a warrior – after all, most of the Noldor who went to Beleriand were ordinary people, though Tolkien tells us little about them.

Alasselië is close to people in positions of power but she herself has no power over anything except her own decisions, and sometimes not even those. Even so, she encompasses many of the same virtues and flaws as the more well-known, more aristocratic Noldor. I hope you like her; we'll see if I ever get more of her story into publishable shape.

Some quotes about the Noldor that inspired this fic:

‘--- the Noldor advanced ever in skill and knowledge; and the long years were filled with their joyful labours, in which many things new and wonderful were devised.’ (The Silmarillion, p.64)

‘--- the high courage of the Noldor and --- their eagerness and unrest ---’ (The Book of Unfinished Tales, p.296)

Eagerness and unrest

I // FORMENOS

When Fëanáro is exiled from Tirion, Alasselië has to choose between her parents for the second time in her short life. Her father Quildalacon, who has served Fëanáro for years as his seneschal, is going to Formenos, but her mother is staying in Tirion.

It is no surprise to her: her parents have been estranged for several years now, and besides, her mother has her workshop, apprentices and clients in Tirion. It is also no surprise that Alasselië's older brother Hendunáron is going to Formenos, as he has been a trusted companion of Fëanáro's eldest son Nelyafinwë for years.

That's what decides it for her. If two of her three family members are going to Formenos, so is she. Her mother Vorondië doesn't approve, but Alasselië doesn't feel too bad about that. She has been both living and working together with her mother ever since her parents separated, and she thinks that a little distance will be good for both of them.

For the large workshop where they both work creating beautiful and luxurious clothes, curtains, tapestries and other textiles for the nobles of Noldor has been feeling too small for the both of them lately. Ever since her mother declared Alassë's apprenticeship over a decade ago, she was supposed to get to work independently. However, it has proved hard for Vorondië to keep her fingers out of her daughter's work and her opinions to herself.

Their differing approaches to their working environment don't help them stay away from discord. Alasselië likes her workspace to be in perfect order, every supply and tool in its own place, whereas Vorondië thrives amidst a creative chaos. There isn't really room for both in the workshop.

So Alasselië goes readily with the rest of Fëanáro's folk. They ride out from Tirion in high spirits though they go into exile, for Fëanáro and his sons are much too proud to do anything else and the rest follow suit. Alasselië rides beside her father and doesn't glance back at the city where she has lived all her life. She is resolved and eager to get a chance to practise her talents independently, and there will certainly be work enough for a skilled weaver and seamstress in Formenos while the new settlement is built and decorated.

Life in Formenos is different, even if it is still good. The atmosphere is very different, more focused on work – the crafting of many things, from glittering jewels to fell weapons – and less on courtly affairs, even though the main residents of the stronghold are the king of the Noldor, his eldest son and his grandsons. People are also more serious and there is less laughter than before, especially among the sons of Fëanor who until now had lived a charmed life at the top of society in Tirion.

The one who seems most altered by the change in circumstances is Fëanáro's eldest son who has always felt his station and responsibilities very keenly and seems to have taken his father's exile and the strife among their people more heavily than Fëanáro himself. He is much more serious now, appearing to have moved from a long, gilded youth to adulthood overnight.

But even if he now smiles less often his luminous smile that no one can resist, he is still heartbreakingly beautiful and the epitome of powerful masculinity with his tall form that towers above everyone else, that perfectly proportioned, slender body for which his mother gave him the name Maitimo. And of course those shining, flowing locks of dark red hair that are rare and admired among the Noldor.

Alasselië kicks herself when one day she finds herself listing all of his attractive qualities. She resolves to keep an ever firmer eye on herself to not join the ranks of infatuated girls who stare at Nelyafinwë and by turns giggle and sigh after him. She concentrates instead on enjoying the company of the group of textile artisans that she is part of, and the new friends she has made at Formenos. For here there is still laughter and friendship and pleasure in work well done, in new methods and patterns invented.

The next time she has to decide between her parents is much harder, as this time the distance will be vastly greater and there is no guarantee of ever again seeing the one she doesn't choose. Her father and brother are joined in Fëanáro's rebellion and will follow him to Middle-Earth. Her mother is again staying in Tirion, for her heart does not rebel against the Valar so much nor does she long for other lands.

Vorondië begs her daughter not to go, not to leave her again when Alasselië has already been absent for years, not to leave her alone. (For Vorondië knows that she cannot with any amount of pleading persuade her son to not follow Nelyafinwë to whom Hendun��ron has been devoted practically ever since the two were born within the same month.)

Choosing is already a heartbreak. Alasselië thinks that it must be part of the darkness that Moringotto brought upon Valinor, for she could not have even imagined such a wicked choice and such anguish of the heart before the light was destroyed. For many days she paces at her mother's house and agonises over her decision while around her the city of Tirion bustles with preparations. Nine tenths of the Noldor are going, among them all of her friends from Formenos and most from Tirion, too.

It is impossible for her to choose which one of her parents she loves more, this she knows of old. In the end, seeing no better way to make her choice, she lets cold numbers choose for her as before. All whom she loves except her mother are going, so she shall go too.

And she does have in her heart a curiosity to see other lands, though she has spoken of it little, and a desire to carve out a place for herself in a new realm like she did in Formenos. She would also do her part, however small, in vanquishing the enemy who darkened her people's home and killed their king.

But it is a bitter thing to have to leave her mother, and Alasselië cries when she tells her, and she cries herself to sleep that night, terrified to leave the only country she has ever known even though she is also excited to see new lands. Yet she is able to gather her courage again by the time they leave: when she rides from Tirion in Fëanáro's host by her father's side once again, she waves at her mother and then does not look back and does not cry.

II // ALQUALONDË

She is one of the many who stay behind at camp when Fëanáro goes with the strongest of his host to take the ships of Alqualondë by force. Her brother goes, of course, as Nelyafinwë's right-hand man, and her father goes as well. The swords in their hands gleam with red in the light of torches when they bid goodbye to Alasselië.

It is still a shock when those that stayed behind realise that the taking of ships has turned into fierce fighting, and a coldness fills Alasselië's heart at the thought of her folk slaying their own kin. Yet the cold is nothing compared to how it feels when the first wounded are brought back into the camp. Unaccustomed to seeing violence, all who stayed behind are horrified and disgusted but hurry to help.

Alasselië has no training as a healer, but one of the healers present knows that she is good with a needle and recruits her to stitch up some of the wounded. The first time she feels her needle pierce skin instead of cloth and sees blood welling up around her fingers, slick and warm, she almost throws up. With difficulty she forces the sick feeling away and does as she is instructed. After she's closed the wound and knotted the thread, she runs off and throws up behind a tent, and then goes back and stitches more.

'Alassë', says a familiar voice behind her and she turns and sees her brother returned from the battle. 'I'm all right', Hendunáron tells her. 'I'm not hurt. Father's well too.'

She is relieved to see him and to learn that he is unhurt, and she goes to embrace him but as he steps into torchlight she realises that he is covered in blood. It's on his tabard and the mail beneath and on his face, and hair, and hands, and his shield that was bright as sparkling silver just hours ago and is now stained dim.

She takes a step back from her brother, as dear to her as her own heart, the earlier nausea returning as she sees the evidence of him killing their own kin. She can also see in his eyes the familiar fire that their mother named him after, but it is grim and fades away as he watches her face.

'I'm glad you're well', she forces herself to say though speaking is hard. She knows that if seeing him like this is difficult for her, it must be a thousand times worse for him who spilled the blood.

She lifts a hand to touch his cheek to comfort him, and maybe herself, but now he is the one to step away. 'You shouldn't touch me', he says. 'You'll get blood on your hands.'

She glances at her hands that still bear traces of red from the last man whose wounds she stitched up, for she hasn't had time to wash properly. And she touches Hendunáron anyway, a fleeting brush that joins Teleri blood into the Noldor blood on her hand. If he can withstand the blood, so can she. 'Where is father?'

'He got on a ship. Come on, we have to go too, quickly.'

He turns from her to go help the wounded get up and she follows. She still finds it hard to believe that her brother would kill other Eldar, but at the same time she knows that Hendunáron would walk into fire for Nelyafinwë. And their family, her father and brother and herself, are all bound to the fate of Fëanáro's house now, however bloody it may be in the end.

III // LOSGAR

In Losgar Alasselië watches the burning boats, and she shivers in spite of the heat of the fire and her heavy cloak and her father's arm around her shoulders. The red-hot flames remind her of the blood in the city of the Falmari. Though the burning swanships light up the ever-night and banish for a moment the darkness that has plagued them since Moringotto's evil deeds, she cannot rejoice in the light.

This new betrayal of their own kin brings back the nausea she felt in Alqualondë and she mutters something to her father, then flees to a remote spot on the cliffs to fight the sick feeling in private.

Many people she knows, some of them her good friends, were in Nolofinwë's host, and now she is sundered from them by an ocean and a betrayal. She'd promised Laniel, a weaver and her closest friend, that she would see her again soon. Clutching Laniel's hand fervently on their last night in Tirion, Alassë had sworn that she wouldn't let the fact that her own family serves Fëanáro and Laniel's follows Fingolfin separate them for good. Though it is not through her own actions, the promise is broken now.

When Alassë is confident that her mind has regained control of her body she goes to return to the others, but as she turns back towards the sea she notices a man standing alone on the shore. There is no mistaking the tall figure as the flames he is staring at turn his dark auburn hair into a brilliant red-gold.

As she walks back Alasselië goes as quietly as she can and chooses a route far from him, not wishing to disturb. She knows now the pain of grieving for decisions that others have made.

A/N: Thanks for reading! I apologise for this being a bit clunky, it's because this is actually one of the first bits of Silmarillion fanfiction that I ever wrote.

EDIT 1st December 2018: There is now a sequel!

#legendarium ladies april #the formatting of this post looks all messed up in my mobile app??#but it's fine on laptop #so I'm sorry if it's messed up for you too – try non-mobile browser or AO3!#silmarillion fanfiction #tolkien fanfiction #noldor #my fics #alasselië aka merelaineth #eagerness and unrest #darker threads series #elesianne's fics

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warrioreowynofrohan · 4 years

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The Silmarillion as a TV/Netflix Show (Part 5)

Season 5 centres on Túrin, Tuor, and Dior - and, later, Elwing and Eärendil. The last two seasons have looked hopeful for a while but ended on tragic notes (the Bragollach and the Nirnaeth); this season is going to flip things by being almost unremittingly tragic but ending on a hopeful note.

There are a few key things to do here:

1) Draw out parallels and common threads between our main characters. At first I wanted to shift the timeline a little and have key events in Túrin and Tuor’s lives happening at the same time: Túrin as outlaw, Tuor as thrall and then outlaw; Túrin in Nargothrond, Tuor in Gondolin; Túrin and Finduilas, Tuor and Idril. But it felt like there were too many big events happening simultaneously, and it was hard to fit them all in. Still, the parallels between the cousins are present.

Dior needs more characterization in order to be able to hold his own, narratively speaking; we have very little on him in canon.

2) The Fëanorians will be very important in the last few episodes of the season, so they need to be worked into the storyline of at least some of the earlier episodes to keep them in view. I’m going to go with them being based on Amon Ereb for this period; it fits some of Tolkien’s versions, and having them in Ossiriand at the same time as Beren and Lúthien and Dior would feel like a massive Chekhov’s Gun that is never fired.

So, with that in mind:

Episode 1: Túrin is going to take centre stage here, with the episode covering everything from his departure from Hithlum up to the death of Saeros and Túrin’s departure from Doriath. (And the episode will start with the Words of Húrin and Morgoth.) There will also be a few scenes from Tuor’s and Dior’s childhoods, which were comparatively more stable. Since Beren and Lúthien had such a large part in the last season it will be nice to see their experiences of parenthood. Lúthien, never having met mortal children, will be shocked at how fast Dior grows up. (He definitely ages on a Mannish scale - he’s married at 22, a king at 27, and dead at 30.)

Near the beginning, the episode will also include a scene where the Fëanorians attempt to invade Doriath and are turned back by the Girdle of Melian. It doesn’t function as a direct, physical barrier; it causes confusion and disorientation and strange visions and a loss of sense of direction, and you look around and find you’ve ended up outside Doriath again. This eerie, hallucinatory quality fits Melian’s background as a Maia of Lórien, Master of Dreams. (And hey, if you can work some subtle prophetic/ominous foreshadowing into the visions, all the better!) The purpose of the scene is to show that the Fëanorian’s aren’t idle; they do want pursue the Silmaril, but for the moment it is beyond their reach. The brothers will have varying levels of enthusiasm about the plan, with Celegorm and Curufin being the ringleaders.

Episode 2: Heavily focuses on Túrin’s time as an outlaw, from his first meeting with the bandits through to Dor-Cúarthol, the fall of Amon Rudh, and the death of Beleg. This is a lot of material - joining the bandits, becoming their leader, the first meeting with Beleg, finding Mîm and Amon Rudh, Dór-Cuarthol, and the fall of Amon Rudh and the death of Beleg. There may be a need to streamline it, with Beleg only finding the outlaws once they are at Amon Rudh, and staying with them then.

There’s a lot of good characters here, and a lot of good personality confllicts - it’s practically a short movie in itself. Particular care needs to be taken with Mîm, who cannot be allowed to become a caricature.

This episode introduces Anglachel, so it would be good to have a short Gondolin scene with Maeglin (bearer of Anguirel) to establish the symmetry. And also to keep Gondolin in the viewers’ minds. A short scene in Nargothrond showing their reaction to Dór-Cúarthol (positive: it is or was their realm, and he’s doing more to defend it that they are) will set up later events,

Episode 3: The focus splits between Túrin in Nargothrond - particularly his relationships with Gwindor and Finduilas, and his growing prominence, with him becoming de-facto in charge at the end of the episode - and Tuor as a thrall and later outlaw. Tuor’s personality really comes to the fore here: he’s patient, and steady, and kind. He puts up with considerable abuse an a thrall, escapes when there’s an opportune moment, and can’t be effectively pursued because he’s made friends with all of his captor’s hounds. (I especially like that last fact.) The episode ends with him leaving Dor-lómin by the Gate of the Noldor.

This is also a good time to build up the romance between Dior and Nimloth. Nimloth must be Laiquendi, as those are the only other people Beren and Lúthien would meet in Ossiriand; I rather like the idea of them being childhood friends, to offset some of the more love-at-first-sight romances. Dior is now in his late teens and - this is important - very, very good-looking, even by elf standards. He’s also very interested in his Doriathrin heritage, and asking his parents a lot of questions about his grandparents; that sets up his determination to be Eluchíl later on.

Episode 4: Tuor’s meeting with Ulmo and his coming to Gondolin, the Fall of Nargothond, and Túrin in Dórlomin. The fall of Nargothrond and deaths of Gwindor and Finduilas form a nice counterpoint/contrast with Tuor’s meetings with Voronwë and Idril and his arrival at Gondolin. Túrin’s impulsive actions in Dor-lómin contrast with Tuor’s approach in the prior episode as well.

Episode 5: Focus is on Túrin’s story. Journey of Morwen and Nienor to Nargothrond and its consequences, and Túrin in Brethil, through to his slaying of Glaurung and his and Nienor’s deaths.

For extra bonus irony points, parallel the wedding of Túrin and Níniel with the weddings of Idril and Tuor and of Dior and Nimloth.

Episode 6: Wanderings of Húrin through to the Sack of Doriath and Beren and Dior’s fight with the dwarf-army. (Dior isn’t mentioned as being part of this fight in the Silm, but it’s an excellent moment to include him here.) The Fëanorians reenter the scene, attempting to intercept the dwarf army carrying the Silmaril, but arriving too late. This is the best chance they’ve had st recovering a Silmaril yet - they’re not going to ignore it.

The line “while Lúthien held the Silmaril no elf would dare assail her” is typically read as it just being something no one would consider on a moral level - and that’s a valid reading - but I like the idea that the Fëanorians aren’t going after her because they’re freaking terrified of her. This is the woman who defeated Morgoth single-handedly! Holding one of the most powerful artifacts ever created! Who knows what she could do! (The Fëanorians absolutely make concessions to practicality when it comes to the Oath - otherwise they would have attacked Angband sometime in the 400 years of the Siege, or after the Nirnaeth as a way to die pursuing their oath in a decent way rather than slaughtering kin. It’s only the final attack by Maedhros and Maglor after the War of Wrath that they attempt in the face of impossibility, and by that time I think suicide-by-Valarin-army makes up a solid portion of their motivation.)

Episode 7: The refounding of Doriath, the Second Kinslaying, and the capture and treachery of Maeglin. Broad theme of the episode being Bad Elvish Behaviour all round, with elves doing Morgoth’s work either directly (Maeglin) or on their own initiative (the Fëanorians).

My idea on the refounding of Doriath, and on Dior’s title of Eluchíl (Thingol’s Heir) is that this quickly and breifly becomes the core of Elvendom in Beleriand. Dior, as Lúthuen’s son and Melian’s grandson, likely has some degree of ‘magical’ power beyond what is usual for elves. Not enough to reestablish the Girdle of Melian, but enough to provide some general deterrance against evil forces. Doriath is also, for the first time, open to all the other free peoples of Beleriand, and is the only true realm remaining aside from secret and mysterious Gondolin. Not only do the Doriathrin Sindar and some of the Laiquendi and the northern grey-elves unite around Doriath, various Noldor, remants of lost realms and destroyed armies, join them. Dior is becoming in truth what Thingol claimed to be: King of Beleriand. All the more so when the Silmaril comes to him and Doriath blossoms like a memory of Valinor in the Ages of the Trees.

And this would fit with why the Fëanorians would regard Dior as ‘proud’, this would offend them more than anything, because what he’s achieving is exactly Fëanor once boasted that he would achieve, long ago in Tirion. This would fit with the sheer visciousness of the Second Kinslaying, with the abandonment of Dior’s young sons in the forest. Celegorm’s people aren’t even thinking in terms of hostages; they just want to destroy Dior’s entire family line, because his existence, his kingship, what he’s achieved are such an affront.

But Elwing escapes, and the Silmaril is still out of their hands.

(The attack is at Yule, whuch sets up a strong and deliberate parallel - Morgoth’s earlier attacks on the Lamps and the Trees were also at times of festival/celebration, so the Fëanorians’ actions are being deliberately equated with his.)

Episode 8: The Fall of Gondolin. This is your absolutely epic big battle scene. Balrogs! Dragons! Eagles! Maeglin acting like a cackling B-movie villain! (I have not read The Fall of Gondolin, but I’ve hear that Idril swordfights Maeglin in it, and this absolutely needs to happen.) Ecthelion kills a Gothmog! Glorfindel kills a balrog! It’s tragic, but it’s also extremely exciting television (unlike the kinslaying the previous week, which was mostly just really depressing and horrific.)

The episode ends with the survivors of Gondolin making their way to Sirion, where the survivors of Doriath have already settled. I think that the survivors of Nargothrond should also be there, to keep things simple and allow for some extra drama.

Episode 9: This one starts with a timeskip, so we can have adult Eärendil and Elwing. The episode is a quieter one, mainky setup for later events: the departure of Tuor and Idril, the marriage of Eärendil and Elwing, the birth of the twins, and Eärendil’s departure to seek the aid of the Valar. The voyage of Eärendil is dramatic and can take up some of the episode.

Episode 10: The Third Kinslaying, the destruction of the Fëanorian base on Amon Ereb, the voyage of Eärendil and Elwing to Valinor, and the Valar’s decision to go to war. The nain reason I wanted the Nargothrondim in Sirion is so that we can get Celebrimbor fighting against the Fëanorian forces here, because that just increases the level of emotional drama. The whole thing’s a traumatic mess. Fëanoruan solidiers throwing down their swords and surrendering. Fëanorian soldiers switching sides to defend the people of Sirion. It’s hard to overstate how teagic this is - here is almost the last remnant of elves in Beleriand, and they are being destroyed not by Morgoth (from whom they would be protected by Ulmo’s waters), but by their own people.

But at the end of the episode, Valinor is marshalling for war, and things are finally. finally, looking like they could get better.

#tolkien #the silmarillion #edain #elves #túrin #tuor #dior eluchil #eärendil #elwing #sons of fëanor #nargothrond #fall of gondolin #idril #maeglin #adaptation

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