#‘morgoth. balrogs. fire. morgoth. balrogs. balrogs. sauron. survived.’

[tanoraqui]

I just saw Six live (the ex-wives of Henry VIII musical), and I think I strained my voice from elated cheering, so let the record state: in the late Fourth Age, when they’re all alive (again), finally none of them are the currently elected High King nor have any other pressing duties, and they’ve all sufficiently reconciled to agree to this and sustain it without unbearable rancor, the seven* historical non-elected High Kings of the Noldor go on a musical apology/self-defense tour that is nominally a competition for who had the most epic tragic and/or heroic story—and, of course, death.

*Finwë, Fëanor, Maedhros, Fingolfin, Fingon, Turgon, Gil-Galad, Finarfin. Turgon’s inclusion is essentially, by design, an ongoing test of Fëanor’s temperamental tolerance of being arguably correct (in saying Turgon doesn’t count) but technically incorrect, and moreover outvoted.

[animatorweirdo]

The guardian angel beneath the wolf's clothing

(Fingon x reader)

Fingon was meant to die that day by the Balrog's hand, but he survived thanks to his mysterious savior.

Warnings: mentions of death, burns, injuries, violence, blood, problems with eating. Fingon trying hard to figure out a secret.

-------------------------------

Fingon could remember it like it happened yesterday. 

He stood alone before Gothmog, the vicious captain of Morgoth and the lord of Balrogs. All of his men and guards lay dead around him. The smell of their blood and the smoke from the fire dominated his senses as he could barely stand up with his sword. He could hear the screaming of men and his kin as the dragons laid waste to them with their deadly fiery breath. Fingon was exhausted. After days of fighting and trying to breach Morgoth’s fortress, he barely had any strength left to continue the fight. He wanted, no– needed a moment to rest. However, that was not an option as he stood before the creature of darkness and fire, the very being that killed Feanor. 

The fiery demon cackled at his state, mocking his stance in the battle and offering mercy if he surrendered. His kin and forces lay scarce. They lost. However, the dark lord might show some mercy if he surrendered.

Wielding the pride of Noldor, Fingon refused, and the two ended up in a fierce battle. 

He fought with all of his strength. Though tired, he managed to conjure enough energy to dodge and strike when the opportunity arose. The chances of victory were low, but he refused to go down without a fight. If he was to die, he would at least take the demon to death with him.

He fought fearlessly, yet his singular focus on one foe caused him to overlook another balrog sneaking up from behind, trapping him in whips of flame. He cried out in pain as the flames bit and burned his flesh, rendering him against the ground, unable to move or escape its fiery grasp. 

Gothmog and his treacherous kin laughed in mockery. Fingon felt anger for such a dirty play in battle and fear when he saw Gothmog raise his dark axe, ready to strike him down. 

At that moment, he knew it was the end. Turgon and Maedhros were too far away to reach him in time. He couldn’t move or raise his sword. He was all alone. 

All the memories of his family and loved ones rushed through his mind, and he was filled with dread and sorrow. He did not wish to depart so soon, not after getting so close, but there was nothing he could do. At least he would be reunited with his beloved father in Mandos. 

He was ready to meet his death by Gothmog’s hands, but then, something bright caught his eye. It looked like a light— shining through the dark battlefield. 

Something blurred past him with incredible speed, latching onto Gothmog's face and pushing him away from the elf. The Balrog roared in surprise and pain, seizing the creature and hurling it right before Fingon. Startled, Fingon stumbled back as it landed with a harsh thud, yet he swiftly regained his composure and had a chance to see what stood before him.

Before him stood a magnificent white wolf, its growls resonating as it bared its teeth defiantly at the Balrog. Fingon found himself both baffled and surprised by its sudden appearance. The wolf's fur was nearly white as snow, and a fierce determination filled its eyes. It stood tall like Sauron’s werewolves, yet it did not behave like any of them. It was protecting him. 

Gothmog cursed the wolf as one of his eyes bled from the attack. The wolf roared and lounged at the balrog without fear. 

Fingon watched the battle unfold. The wolf was fast and used Gothmog’s size to its advantage, dodging his attacks and climbing to reach his weaker spots, lunging its teeth through his thick skin. Gothmog roared as he attempted to grab or shake the creature off his back. 

Fingon felt a flicker of admiration for the courageous beast. Unlike most creatures of the earth, it did not cower in fear before the lord of Balrogs. However, he could not help but feel fear and worry for the creature. It exhibited incredible swiftness, deftly evading Gothmog’s slashing claws and swinging axe. Yet, its resilience did not render it immune to the blistering flames emanating from Gothmog. Fingon could already discern burns beginning to mar its fur and muzzle.

Gothmog cursed in black speech. The balrog behind Fingon suddenly freed him from the whips of flames. Fingon found himself kneeling on the ground in agony, his armor seared and his wounds bleeding profusely. Fearfully, he watched as the balrog hastened to aid its lord.

The wolf reacted swiftly upon noticing the presence of the other balrog, evading its attempt to grab hold. It held its ground against the pair, though the odds shifted against it as the demons unleashed their weapons. The battle began to overwhelm the valiant creature.

Fingon watched, fear evident in his eyes. The wolf possessed the advantages of speed and quick reflexes, yet even these attributes couldn't level the playing field against two balrogs.

The wolf continued to dodge, seeking an opportunity to counterattack, but a powerful strike from the fiery whip landed on its back. The wolf cried out in pain as the force of the blow – tossed it to the ground. 

Fingon crawled back as the wolf slammed right in front of him. It tried to stand back on its feet, emitting silent growls and stumbling under the pressure of its wounds. The wound caused by the Balrog’s whip began to blister in one painful line across its back. Its once pristine white fur had turned gray from all the smoke and scorched from the numerous burns caused by Gothmog’s flames. Fingon’s heart twisted with poignant empathy.

Blood seeped from the beast’s mouth, a clear indication of having tasted the scalding blood of the balrog. Heavy breaths left its mouth as it tried to focus but quickly lost footing and fell back on its belly. 

Fingon reached out, his hand extending to make contact with the wolf's fur in a gentle gesture, hoping to dissuade it from engaging further in the hopeless fight. Instantly, the creature turned its attention toward him, causing Fingon to pause. Its eyes were keen and brimming with vitality, yet there was something else in them, like someone looking back at him. After seeing his reaction, the beast softened its gaze, which was surprising. 

Gothmog began to insult the beast, calling it an insolent mutt and mocking the pathetic attempt to save the elf’s life. He then began to describe how he would make Fingon watch as he ripped the wolf apart, ensuring it would be a long and painful death before he would take the elf’s life. 

The wolf released soft snarls before pushing its large head beneath Fingon’s arm. Fingon held onto the wolf’s fur in surprise as the wolf picked him up on its back with the surprising strength it still had despite its injured state. He was momentarily baffled and unaware of what the wolf was planning. 

Gothmog seemed to realize what the wolf was planning and quickly acted, swinging his large axe at them both. 

Jumping out of the way and avoiding the deadly throw of the gigantic axe, the wolf began to sprint away from the balrogs, running across the battlefield toward the hordes of orcs that surrounded them. 

Fingon felt hesitation and held on tight as the wolf slammed through the lines of orcs that tried to stop them. They were no match to the wolf’s strength and incredible resilience as it continued running, dodging and avoiding arrows sent on its way while carrying him on its back. It didn't take long for the wolf to reach the edge of the battlefield and streak across the land, distancing itself from Angband and the lost battle with the dark lord. 

The wolf continued running across the land, but Fingon could hear the quickening, labored breaths and sense the wolf's gradual deceleration. It was clear the wolf was getting exhausted. Fingon tried to ask the wolf to slow down since it had carried him far enough from the battlefield to consider it safe. However, the wolf ignored him for some reason. His eyes then caught the sight of Maedhros’s banners. Hope surged within him. He now understood why the wolf persisted in its determined journey—to lead him to his cousin's encampment.

As they got closer, the wolf suddenly tripped. Fingon fell from the wolf’s back and groaned hard from the impact as it stung all his wounds, but he brushed them off when he laid his concerned eyes on the wolf. 

It laid against the ground, unmoving and heavily breathing. Fingon crawled over to the beast. He settled beside it, his gaze locking with the wolf's weary eyes. The creature appeared scarcely conscious, undoubtedly from the exhaustion and the pain inflicted by the wounds and the burns that marred its body.

He laid his hand against the wolf’s head, careful not to touch any of its wounds. The wolf looked back at him. "Thank you—" He uttered, acknowledging that he wouldn't have survived to see another day if it weren't for its bravery and unwavering spirit. He allowed his fingers to move slowly, tenderly caressing and scratching the wolf's head. A faint whine slipped from the wolf's mouth, its tail wagging ever so slightly, briefly lifting the weight from his heart.

Someone from Maedhros’s camp suddenly notices him and alerts the rest of Maedhros’s people. 

Fingon allowed the healers to pick him up and take him to the healer’s tent where many other wounded were gathered after the devastating battle, and was glad to see his red-haired cousin, who was convinced Fingon had died after being overrun by Morgoth’s forces and the treacherous Easterlings.  

He then remembered the wolf and turned around, hoping he would be able to convince his cousin to help his savior — only to find the wolf gone. The spot it laid upon was now empty save for the tiny pools of blood on the ground. There was no sight of it. It had vanished like a ghost in the air. 

Confusion filled his heart, and an ounce of sorrow as he did not know if the wolf had died or not. It had saved his life, so he would have at least wanted to return the favor. 

The white wolf’s appearance and disappearance remained a mystery. No one really knew anything about it except that it had appeared during the battle and vanished after bringing him to safety. Some speculated it was a spirit sent to protect him or a beast that fought against its creator's tyranny. Many rumors were born out of the event, and none of them really felt right with Fingon. He sensed there was something much more than meets the eye with the wolf, which he couldn’t put a finger on or find out since he never saw the wolf again. 

He stayed with Maedhros after recovering from his injuries and being able to walk again. His lands were overrun by Morgoth’s forces and most of his people were scattered due to the catastrophic defeat in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.

It was a difficult predicament. As the high king, he should take responsibility and find a way to stable things for his people, but he didn’t know how. He half considered relinquishing the title of high king back to Maedhros. He did not feel like the right leader for his kin, and he knew some of Maedhros’s brothers would love to have the opportunity to reclaim the title back to their house. 

Fortunately, Maedhros provided unwavering support, and together they established some footing and stability in their shared predicament. 

He met you by chance in a human town made by refugees from Hithlum and all the other places taken by Morgoth. You were one of Hurin’s people from Dor-lomin.  

You managed to escape with your family when the Easterlings unexpectedly invaded and seized your home. Their sudden attack led to the destruction of your house, leaving you with burn marks and bandages that now covered your hands.

Fingon felt sympathetic since losing Nirnaeth Arnoediad resulted in the loss of your home and the freedom of your people to the Easterlings. He remembered how Hurin fought bravely, which allowed his brother to escape. At times, he offered solace when homesickness and concern for Morwen and her children overtook you. They were your younger cousins, and you used to play with them in the past. The only good news you had heard from them was that Turin had been taken to safety. 

You two shared a curious friendship. Fingon found comfort in your presence and the time you two shared, talking freely about worries and families. It helped to ease his mind even though he found it odd when some of your people considered your family strange and overprotective. 

You explained your parents had always been protective of you — ever since Morgoth sent the plague that took the lives of many and the recent loss of your home. Fingon understood it and didn’t inquire about it further. 

He didn't know why or how, but something drew him to you. You had a calming presence, and your eyes flickered a sense of familiarity in him like he had seen them before. 

When he one day told you about the white wolf that saved his life, you had an interesting reaction. You listened attentively, though your expression bore the weight of contemplation. Your hands absently stroked your bandages as if a familiar itch had returned. He had not seen you act like that before, and when he ended the story and caught your attention — your demeanor changed to your usual one. 

You called the wolf brave for standing up against a balrog out of all creatures. You two conversed about its potential origins, and you ended up mentioning the possibility of the wolf being a shapeshifter. Fingon considered it as he began to observe you from afar. 

He was busy keeping up the alliance between your people and his, but when he had time – he would carefully observe you from a distance. Personally, he would never intrude on someone’s privacy, but his suspicions only grew when he began to think of the possibilities of you — being the white wolf. 

It had not been too long since the battle, so the timing of your burns and wounds matched. You claimed you got burned when you tried to escape from your burning house and picked up a burning log to save your father, but they could have been from somewhere else — like from the flames of a balrog. Fingon remembered quite clearly how the wolf had used its claws to climb and tear on Gothmog’s skin, which resulted in them burning from the touch. 

You seemed familiar to him, and now he found out you had trouble eating properly. You had not mentioned anything about your problem with eating, so he couldn’t help but ask about it when he saw your plate filled with smashed and cut vegetables and fruits. You claimed you inhaled too much smoke and embers, so your mouth and tongue got damaged during your escape. 

It sounded too strange for him, especially when he noticed how exceptionally slowly you ate and appeared physically uncomfortable– despise the food being cut and smashed soft enough even for a baby to eat.

He continued observing but couldn’t uncover any other possible clues of you being the white wolf or a shapeshifter. He couldn't cast accusations solely on observations and because you shared similar injuries with the white wolf. And he didn’t know how to approach the subject with you without risking his friendship with you. 

You began to notice his prolonged absence and the strange looks he threw your way. He looked hesitant and suspicious about something, so when you had the chance – you approached him and asked if you had done something to upset him. 

Fingon was startled when you suddenly appeared to him but when you explained his sudden change in behavior and avoidance, he felt remorse and apologized, assuring you had done nothing to upset him. 

You told him he could rely on you if he needed help. Fingon felt touched and admitted that it was simply the stress that was getting to him. He would never bring himself to put you under any pressure. Your company and friendship were more than enough in these crucial times. 

Fingon felt ashamed of his antics and suspicion. He had not noticed he appeared to be avoiding you, thus causing you unnecessary negative feelings. He did wish to unravel the mystery of his beastly savior, but there was no reason to put you under stress for it. There was a chance your burns and injuries in the same places as the wolf’s injuries were a mere coincidence, so he decided to leave it there. 

He valued the friendship you two shared. You were gentle and honest, which he found precious despite the darkness that gloomed over his kin and the threat of Morgoth. 

He thought there were no secrets between you till one day — he got his answer to his long unknown mystery of his savior. 

He was riding through the forest, wishing to have some alone time and peace after dealing with demanding politicians and Maedhros’s roguish brothers, who had their eyes on his crown. There never seemed to be an end to their antics and insubordination. 

He incidentally wandered into a moment between you and your mother. You two were seated near a riverside with medicines, towels, and bandages lying around you. It looked like you two were doing something private since you had fewer clothes on you, so he prepared to leave before you could notice his presence and possibly get angry for indecent staring. However, your mother then began scolding you for something that caught his attention, and he couldn’t help but stay and listen. 

Your mother was furiously scolding you for being reckless and injuring yourself while adding ointment and cream to the burns on your hands and arms. Fingon frowned at the sight since they looked much more severe than he thought. She then mentioned you secretly sneaking into the battle between the elves and Morgoth and revealing yourself. 

Fingon perked at the new information as you mentioned being at home while your father joined the assault upon Angband.

You quietly explained that you only wanted to look out for your father and that Fingon would have perished if you had not intervened when the Balrog was going to take his life. 

Fingon watched as your mother smacked you in the head and commanded you to turn around and pick up your shirt so she could add the medicine to your back. You begrudgingly turned around and pulled your shirt to reveal your backside. Fingon was shocked when he saw a familiar burnt scar line across your back.  It was red and had blistered over time and on the exact spot where the wolf got struck by the Balrog’s whip of fire. 

There was no denying it. You were the white wolf— his mysterious savior. 

He should have felt angry for upholding such truth but couldn’t help but feel joyful for the discovery. It all made sense now, the close connection, the familiarity in your eyes, and all of your similar injuries and burns. You had met before because you were the one who saved him from the harsh fate of death. 

Fingon looked as your mother added the cream to your back, making you silently hiss from the coldness and the pain that had lingered for months. He felt pity for your pain since it was because of him you were in such a state. You risked your own well-being to save him from a creature no other would daringly face in battle. 

He continued watching for a while before deciding to leave you alone with your mother since he had eavesdropped more than enough. He rode back to the town, thinking about the discovery and your shared time together. 

He wanted to thank you. You saved his life. However, he wasn’t sure how since he had unintentionally discovered your secret himself. He didn’t want to startle you since you hadn’t told him yourself. He thought about your burns. Maybe—he could express his gratitude by aiding in healing your wounds. Elven medicine was more potent and could most likely even help you eat better in the future. That was it. He will keep your secret safe and wait until you are ready to tell it to him yourself.

[eri-pl]

Silm reread 15: Sudden Flame

The 15 is a good number for it, as Melkor was 15-th Vala (before Feanor's curse kicked him out from being a Vala, somehow) so I hc this as an unlucky number.

So, Fingolfin has a lot of army and plans a war. And with the language of it, I'd bet that if he managed to convince everyone and attack Morgoth, the result would be exactly the same (he would lose terribly).

Why? First: "he saw how numerous the Noldor were and how strong his allies were" makes my Bible-sense ring with "oh, he will lose this so hard" (the whole "betting on your power" vs "betting on God" thing. sorry, I forgot the proper word, so "betting" it is today). Second: "the plan seemed wise". seemed. Which very much feels like "but was not".

Oh wait, it's even explicitely said later that the war was hopeless.

Anyway we don't get to see it, because most Noldor disagree with Fingolfin anyway, they think the siege works perfectly well and why would we go to a battle, which is inconvenient and somebody may even die.

Especially the sons of Feanor don't like this idea. Sorry, what? The "we swore vegnence on Morgoth" guys? the "we must reclaim our Silmarils" guys? they don't want to fight? I don't get it at all.

Only Angrod and Aegnor agree with Nolo, which, of course, has the added irony of "Aegnor will die on this battlefield" (I don't remeber what happens to Angrod, probably dies too.)

Morgoth gathered army and grew even more evil, somehow. And kind of dumb, because he was too inpatient and that's why any Eldar survived that battle. Yea, he's the worst, but anyway.

Iron Mountains "spew fire in various poisonous colors" is such a cool description. I imagine itt as Disney-villain-green + magenta, mostly.

Glaurung debuts as an adult + volcano + Balrogs, generally it is bad and many die.

the Noldor get split and lose communication, Thingol grows in power. dfw is sad ;)

Yep, Angrod the angry dies too. But Finrod does not die and we have the Barahir situation. C&C go to Nargothrond, the narration comments on this.

Maedhros is ultra cool and the orcs fear his face and generally he is awesome. The Feanorians generally have to regroup (run away).

Fingolfin decides that this is the end of the Noldor and gets so upset that he goes to get killed by Morgoth. I don't think it's an overstatement.

"Nobody listened to me, so now we are destroyed. I'll get killed and they'll understand that they should have listened to me. Then we would surely win the war!" — that's how I imagine his decision-making process here.

But he is cool nonetheless, looks like Orome, is so angry, disses Morgoth enough to get him out of his castle. Morgoth is still the most powerful being (says the book) but regardless the only reason he agrees to fight Nolo is that otherwise he would lose face in front of all his minions. This is so… he's so cowardly that it's cringe.

Also, Nolo has a gem-incrusted shield. Peak Noldorin style.

He hits Morgoth 7 times, and each time Morgoth screams like a baby and his soldiers are so scared that they fall down. And the foot is the eight hit. Wow.

Everyone is sad. Maybe Turgon is a bit less sad because he gets to build his dad a grave.

Especially Morgoth, who has permanent pain in all those places + Thorondor messes up his face.

Another scary forest is made.

Beren's mom is really cool!!!! Her name is Emeldir and she is brave and fights with the reast of her family, only later she leaves with the other women (many plot-relevant ones)

Sauron makes the Werewolf Island, also gets a description. He is the mightiest and scariest of all Morgoth's servants. And warps everything he touches (that sounds interesting!). Also his skill at torture is explicitely mentioned.

Also, he starts by cursing the island. Which, I guess, makes it more habitable for evil forces?

Doriath is surrounded. Many elves are captured and enslaved and investigated and sometimes send back as sleeper agents.

Also, an explicite mention of Morgoth's spies who shapeshifted and lied and manipulated Elves and Men this way. Spies. Plural. So sauron was maybe like, a chief of the "shapeshifting spies" division, but by far not the only one. (I imagine him making courses on "how to lie more subtly" — especially for that one guy from that one scene. Yes, I will keep making fun of that.)

Morgoth is apparently not as dumb as it seemed, because he pretends to pity Men and tells them it's all because they listen to the evil, disobedient Elves, and they should listen to him instead. Unless it is just Sauron doing the PR… Morgoth canonically stayed in Angband. No, wait, it mentions the Men not buying that even when tortured in angband, so he did say that. Maybe Sauron wrote his speeches. Or maybe Morgoth was less dumb at this point than I assume.

Easterlings appear. Excuse me, professor, but this part is pretty racist. Even if you tell me that "not all" of them served Morgoth, you clearly show the three tribes as superior. Anyway, let's move on.

We get Bór!!! My favorite Easterling.

We get many family trees, also edain seem to have a thing with "two sisters amrry two brothers", ok, why not if both pairs are ok with marrying. It was a thing in some cultures, iirc.

Sirion is a very Ulmo-infused river.

And, speaking od Ulmo, he does sent Turgon a lot of messages, telling him that things are getting worse and to treat Hadorians well. Micromanagement continues.

Also, the relationship between Turgon and Ulmo confuses me. Ulmo giveshim detailed manuals for some things (historically relevant, mostly) but no advice about "maybe don't kill all the trespassers?" (unless there were really no legit trespassers there before Eol). Turgon listens to him (mostly), but doesn't go "My lord Ulmo, please protect my siter / can you tell me where my sister is / generally anything about that stuff". And no "My lord Ulmo, I am really angry at this Dark Elf who killed my sister, any advice what to do with him?"

Anyway, Hurin and Huor visit Gondolin, because Eagles. Turgon likes them, but Maeglin does not. Maeglin doesn't like Men in general (Why? Too loud?).

Also Maeglin gets passive-aggressive at Turgon for, idk, forcing him to stay in Gondolin? But he seems to like to be there? OK, I think he gets passive-aggressive at Turgon for putting Eol in a position that resulted in him killing Aredhel, but tbh it's unfair. Turgon wasn't the one who killed Aredhel.

Also, Turgon sends people in secret to try to sail to Valinor and ask for help. And, as with most cases of "secretely", it doesn't help. Also, Turgon, my guy, Ulmo talks to you, coulnd't you at least check this with him??? (Iirc, Voronwe was one of those guys. So don't blame the Valar for his death. Blame Turgon's strange mental process.)

He's starting to get into the "tall as a birch, stupid as a goat" mode. Which we'll see more of later.

At least Morgoth is afraid of him.

Also, Hurin becomes the ruler of Hadorians, and he is short. Yay, finally a short heroic character! (He will end badly but anyway)

[melestasflight]

This is an amazing concept @eccentricmya! The Feanorians refusing to pass within the domain of the Valar, including Mandos' Halls is such a rebellious act.

On your question about burial customs in the drafts, from what I've been able to find (and there's very little), burial does seem to be pretty common in Beleriand among the Noldor and Edain:

Fingolfin is buried under a cairn at the top of the mountains around Gondolin.

Finrod is buried at the hill of the isle of Tol-Sirion, presumably underground given that grass starts growing on his grave.

Glorfindel is buried under a cairn on a hill along the pass out of Gondolin.

In one version the Hill of the Slain is built by the Feanorians and not Morgoth after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad to bury all the fallen.

Feanor is specified to not have a burial as is customary, and the same is mentioned for Ecthelion because of the Balrog's fire. So death by fire seems to be the exception as the body cannot be recovered.

Beleg is buried underground by Gwindor of Nargothrond with Turin's help (not sure if this is done in accordance with the Sindar's customs or if Gwindor just does what his people practice).

Several of the Edain bury their dead as well such as Beren who builds a cairn for Barahir in the manner of the Elves. Morwen, Turin and Niennor are buried at the Stone of the Hapless.

Huan Celegorm's hound is also buried by Beren and the Iathrim.

Very little is mentioned about death in Valinor, other than Miriel's case whose body remains without decay in the gardens of Lorien. There is no mention of the specifics around Finwe's burial, tho I'm not sure he ever received one given the ambiguous description of its state in Morgoth's Ring: "In that evil time Finwe was slain by the Marrer himself, and his body was burned as by lightning stroke and was destroyed." (He is later described with a smashed head, so there could be a body but no details of burial).

In The Nature of Middle-earth (chapter "Death: II. Death of Incarnate Bodies"), Tolkien insinuates a few interesting things:

That a dead body falls into decay to the shock of severance from the fëa.

A body without its fëa does not decompose in Aman where nothing decays and may keep living (this would explain the case of Miriel): "Such a body, therefore, will wait much longer, maintaining coherence and resisting decay, but then it will usually seem to sleep, lying passive and essaying nothing, not even the search for food, without the command of its master. (It cannot be fed without waking it, and thus killing it with shock, or rendering it beastlike.)"

In Middle-earth, the body itself could live on and become a kelva (an animal or beast) that is only concerned with feeding. It happens "seldom" on its own, but it's not unheard of when done on purpose: "For it is recorded in the histories that Morgoth, and Sauron after him, would drive out the fëa by terror, and then feed the body and make it a beast."

From all of this, I'm deducing that there are several treatments of the bodies of the dead among the Noldor:

Maintaining a soulless body a la Miriel until its fëa is able to return, which happens only in Aman and only if the body has not experienced a violent death.

A burial, underground or under a mound of stones if the body perishes in Middle-earth and is likely due to violent reasons (injury or grief). There seems to be a preference for mountains or other guarded areas where the grave cannot be disturbed.

Inability to recover the body, generally associated with the elements, for example, water/Ice in the case of Elenwë on the Helcaraxë, or fire in the case of Fëanor and Ecthelion. These are all noted as exceptions and seem to be a grievous thing for the Eldar.

Death by fire also seems to be a frequent choice of suicide, Maedhros of course, but there's also Aerin of the House of Hador.

In rare instances, the body can survive on its own and turn "bestial" which Morgoth or Sauron seem to use as a terror mechanism.

tl;dr Stay in Aman or make sure to bury your dead.

I think, after Fëanor's fiery death, the Fëanorians burned their dead. Which went against the custom of burying the dead among the Eldar.

Burial was seen as the acceptable method of returning the hröa to Eru, to be reworked into the Song. But burning was frowned upon as it disintegrated the body Ilúvatar had given. It was considered a deliberate destruction of His creation.

So Fëanor's act of self-combustion and his followers' insistence on well, following in his steps was yet another act of defiance on their part.

[youareunbearable]

I've been thinking, but what if Beren knew Meadhros before the Dagor Bragollach and the Silmaril quest went down

Sure his father was sworn friends with Finrod, but Meadhros was the Watcher of the North, he probably had worked and fought alongside Beren’s father, Barahir of Dorthonion, Lord of Ladros and Chieftain of the house of Beor. Maedhros worked alongside a lot of men, and he was smart and likeable and a strong general, so he probably kept good relations with the Men that lived nearby that would be willing to lend willing swords to help him protect the March.

He maybe even was a guest to Barahir’s wedding, he maybe even sent a gift at the birth of his son. Beren fell in love with an Elf, and that love must have come from somewhere. As a child he must have visited Maedhros’ kept in Himring for a summer celebration that his family was invited to. He had never seen so many Elves before, and they were as beautiful as they were strange. There was one Elf, tall with dark hair, who could sing Songs so beautiful Beren felt as if he could reach out and wrap the sound around him like the world’s loveliest cocoon.

Even the Lord of Himring, the tall being with survival scars and glowing eyes and hair like living fire, looked gorgeous when he laughed. Apparently the singer he just complimented was his younger brother Maglor, and not in fact a beautiful maid. No one seemed to mind his blunder, and Maglor gave him a warm smile and a head pat so all was water under the bridge.

(Years later, Maedhros would continue to tease Maglor that his beauty and voice must be second to Luthien, if his young lover was able to forget him upon seeing her. Maglor just sniffs)

When the Dagor Bragollach happened, many of Beren’s people fled to Maedhros’ fort, and Maedhros kept them safe. When things calm slightly, he might even send out a search party for the missing Chieftain and his son. The scouts return months later with a sobbing Beren and the Ring of Barahir. Instead of letting the man wallow in his grief alone in the wilds, Maedhros would help him, help him be the leader his people need, help him take his grief out on the swarms of the Enemy at their gate, and help him deal with the grief of losing a father. He might even show him his father’s ring, the Feanorian star signet ring that he keeps as a necklace after his father’s death. Tells him how he gave this ring to his brother Maglor when he went off to go fight Morgoth, and how his brother returned it to him 30 years later after his rescue. Maedhros mentors and guides Beren for four years, long yet also just a blink of the eye.

Beren would lead fighting parties, he would become a swift and terrible blade under Meadhros’ wing, and a kind and just leader. But the bounty that Morgoth put on his head is still the same in this version, and he is still chased and hunted by Sauron until he flees into the woods of Nan Dungortheb, then into Doriath, and still falls in love with Luthien at first glance.

She still loves him back just as fiercely, and when Beren asks Thingol for Luthien’s hand, this time when he asks for a Silmaril, it is a snub towards the Noldor who have hosted and trained and, one could argue, even raised Beren. It is still just as an impossible task as before and Beren still accepts.

He knows he cannot go to Maedhros for this, he has his own battles at the North and Beren could never ask him to go back into the Enemy’s hands, so he writes him a letter explaining that he will not be returning home and still goes to Finrod. Celegorm and Curufin still try to stop their foolish cousin and his men from going on this quest. Finrod once again leaves with his small group of loyal men.

Except this time, as they leave Nargothrond, Amras and Amrod ride on to intercept them and encourage them to first rest, plan, and wait for Maedhros’ backup at their fort in Estolad. There they have more Men and Elves that want to join their group, and when Maedhros comes (furious about Thingol, worried about Beren going on this impossible task, sick with the feeling of the Oath forcing him to want to help send this young Man to his doom on the slim chance he might succeed) they create a real plan, get the schedules of the Enemy’s movements, and maps (a map of Fingon’s path into Angband, a map of Sauron and his lieutenants recent movements, patrol paths, and some secret paths that the trolls and slaves they rescued gave, and the layout of Morgoth’s halls that Meadhros himself remembers from his enslavement)

Maedhros also gives him a small, thin blade of Mithril. "It’s to hide on your person, if you get captured, this blade won’t break and is light as a feather." He gives him this blade, not to free himself or the others, as the purpose his brother Curufin had in mind when he made the blade for Maedhros after he was rescued by Fingon, but as another method of escape. The eldest of Feanor’s Sons grips Beren’s arm and tells him that there is nothing worse in Arda than being at the mercy of Morgoth and his pet Sauron. He tells him this blade may seem like a curse, but it is a gift. Meadhros doesn't pray, he hasn’t in centuries, but he dearly hopes that Beren will not have to use it.

This time, when Finrod sings his Song of disguise, it's over much more than a handful of followers. This time, when they reach Minas Tirith they are better prepared to sneak past the fallen city.

(This time, Curufin and Celegorm don’t kidnap Luthien so Celegorm will marry her, but to keep her safe. She still doesn’t appreciate it and still steals their dog. Well, it’s not stealing if the dog escapes with her. This time, when the brothers are still forced to leave Nargothrond, it's not under exile but as a polite but firm request to leave. This time, when they chance upon Luthien and Beren again, Celegorm isn’t fighting over his ego and heart being bruised, but because this bitch stole his dog, and because they made their dormant Oath writhe under their skin, which one could argue is worse. They still lose against the Man and the Half Maiar, and Celegorm’s dog still won’t come home. This time, when they make to to Maedhros’ Himring fortress, they aren’t screamed at for their political fuck ups, but they get a stern “Why do you two always make things so difficult for me” lecture of disappointment while Maglor plays an unsympathetic and taunting accompaniment)

They still fail. Finrod still fails in his battle against Sauron but he is able to do more damage to the former Maiar, and they free more of their trapped men before he is killed by a werewolf. This time it’s not only Arafinweian Elves that fall, but Feanorian as well. When Luthien comes to save him and carry Finrod’s body away, it is Meadhros’ men that send the news to his nephew in Nargothrond, and this changes things.

When they go into Morgoth’s halls again, this time, Beren uses the little mithril blade he was given. This time, he escapes with not one silmaril, but two. One for Thingol, and one for Meadhros and his Oath.

His hand is still eaten with the Silmaril by Carcharoth. And Beren still grieves for the loss, not because he has nothing to bring Thingol, but because he knows he can’t give Maedhros his due if he wants to marry the love of his life.

When he gives Thingol the Silmaril, he also gives a warning before doing so, that the gem may be cursed with Morgoth’s taint and while it’s shine is beautiful, it hides something darker, for nothing so lovely should make people bleed and die for it. And if Thingol was wise, he would give the Silmaril to the sons of Feanor before the Oath and the Curse of Feanor catches up to him.

Melian agrees. She is ignored. This does not change.

Beren and Luthien are wed, and Beren invites the Feanorians on the Hunting of Carcharoth, and it is Amras and Amrod that slay the beast with the help of Huan after it attacks Beren. Huan still dies. Beren still dies. Luthien still dies. Yet the Fenorians gain a Silmaril. This is different.

The Oath is not completed with just the one, but it is sated. This time, the Sons of Feanor do not send a letter to Thingol asking him to surrender the gem. This time Celegorm and Curufin do not threaten to burn Doriath to the ground on a refusal that never came. This time, Thingol does not tighten security on his borders. Melian still suggests that they give the Sons the stone after she catches her husband staring at it for too long. Once again she is ignored. That, at least, does not change.

Luthien still sings her husband back to life. They still retire tp Amros and Amrad’s lands, and this time Beren’s people in Himring join them. Dior is still born, and he plays and hunts with two red headed uncles.

(Nirnaeth Arnoediad is still fought. Maedhros is not betrayed by Ulfang, who had seen the light of the Silmaril the Sons hold, and does not cave to the sweet honeyed words of Sauron. His people are not cursed. And his sons still live to fight to survive the battle. This time, Nargothrond sends forces, and Luthien convinces her father to send troops as well. This time Fingon, and his men are not focused and he is able to defeat Gothmog. Fingon is wounded from this battle, and he still dies, but not to a Balrog. He dies as his father did, managing to land five blows on Morgoth before he is slain and the Dark Lord flees. Morgoth’s forces are dwindled down deeply, and there is a unity amongst the Free People’s of Beleriand. They still count heavy losses, but not as heavy as before. Maedhros grieves the death of his dearest companion, and retreats to Himring. While he was successful, he is still the shadow of the Elf he was before. He still wears golden ribbons wrapped around the stump on his right arm and he still weeps. His brother’s still don’t know how to help him. But this time, they do not suggest a second Kinslaying)

Thingol still dies to the Dwarves. Melian is still wounded and returns to Valinor in her grief. But this time Beren doesn’t kill the Dwarf Lord of Nogrod, he lets him keep the necklace but takes the Silmaril. Luthien, in her anger and grief, curses that the Dwarves of Nogord will one day succumb to their greed and become a stain upon their people.

(Unknown to Luthien or the Dwarves, thousands of years later, it is a descendent of a Nogord dwarf that convinces the King of Khazad-dum to continue to mine until they woke Durin’s Bane. It is a descendant of Norgord that was a spy for Sauron which allowed him to overtake Mount Gundabad. It is a descendant of Norgord that uncovers the Arkenstone. It was Narvi, a descendant of Norgord and Durin’s Folk that marries Celebrimbor, and whose death caused such a profound grief that became a weak point which Annatar was allowed to breach and convince Celebrimbor to craft with him. And it was in Narvi’s memory and honor that Celebrimbor crafted the Seven Dwarven Rings of Power. However, that tragedy could also be blamed on Feanor’s Curse.)

Dior still married Nimloth, he still had two sons and one daughter. His parents still die of mortal age and he once again becomes King of Doriath. This time, he gives his father’s bridal gift to his Elven foster uncles, Amrod and Amras. For this Dior was raised on the belief that this stone was indeed tainted by Morgoth. He knew and saw the death and destruction left in its wake. He heard Feanor’s Twins whisper about their broken eldest brother. How he blames himself for the deaths of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, and for the death of the former High Noldiran King Fingon. All because he was spurred on by the confidence the Silmaril gave him. He saw how it turned the greed of the Dwarves into slaying his grandfather and wounding his grandmother. This time, he saw and he wanted no part in it.

This time Doriath is the one to host the refugees of Gondolin. This time, it burns by the followers of the Enemy that followed the refugees there. This time, Elrond and Elros are not raised by the ones who burned their city. But instead they were carried out by their twin uncles Elured and Elurin. This time, they were found by Meadhros and Maglor (they were on the run, as Himring was forsaken and overrun by Morgoth’s filth) who takes in not one, but two sets of twins in.

For all their mannish blood, Elured and Elurin aged more like Elves, and therefore looked and acted like Elves of thirty-one, which meant they were children themselves when they fled their burning home. This is compared to their father and younger sister, who grew like Men and were fully grown by their mid twenties.

Elrond and Elros are still raised by the Sons of Feanor. Elrond still follows his love of healing by trying to help the broken Meadhros, and still learns to sing at Maglor’s knee. Elros still learns to fight and foster his love of leading by watching and copying and learning from Maedhros and still learns to love and care and cook from Maglor. Their travels across Beleriand still make the younger twins open minded and still want to love the other races. Elrond still wants to create a city that acts as a safe haven for everyone. Elros still wants to live amongst men and make the choice that his grandmother made.

This time, Elured and Elurin get a chance to live. This time, Elurin will learn that he loves working with horses. This time, Elured will learn he likes to build things with his hands. This time, they will live long enough to join Elrond in his safe haven of a city, and this time they will help him raise his children, this time they will help guard Celebrain on her travels to visit her mother and their family. This time, they will be captured and allow her to escape back to her husband and their children. This time, it is them that will sail because they can’t escape the feeling of being chased, running wounded through tunnels, and being tortured. This time, Elrond grieves, but his children don’t grow up without a mother.

But that is a tale for another time.

In this time, when the War of Wrath ends, Maedhros and Maglor leave their two sets of twins in Lindon. They gather their brothers who live there, and collect those that don’t. This time, all seven of the Sons of Feanor fight in the War of Wrath in an attempt to take the single Silmaril from Eonwe. Curufin and Celegorm are still slain together. Amrod still burns, but this time to a balrog.

This time their Oath is fulfilled, but for attacking a Maiar it still burns them. Meadhros, lost to the pain of his remaining hand and centuries of grief, leaves his remaining brothers and still tosses himself and one of the Silmarils into the fire of the earth. Maglor weeps, tosses the second Silmaril in the ocean, and tries to drown himself. For it was he who urged his brother to join the War under the cover of taking the last Silmaril, but Caranthir pulled him back, weeping himself.

Amras, weeping, throws the final Silmaril to Eonwe, who has caught up to them. He curses the stone and with the Oath complete, refuses to let it tear apart what is left of his family. Eonwe sends the stone into the sky, and it still becomes a token of repentance, and it is still cast as a star in the sky.

Amras, Caranthir, and Maglor limp back to Lindon, and they are welcomed by Gil-Galad and Celebrimbor.

Caranthir will choose to stay with Celebrimbor in Eregion. He will continue to do trade with the Dwarves, he will continue to make lots of wealth on his trade routes, and he will continue to raise his own Half Elven children he created with Haleth. This time, he will see Annatar for the evil he is and refuse to accept any of his gifts. This time, when Celebrimbor accepts Annatar into his halls, he calls his nephew a fool and he leaves Eregion Numenor. This time, Caranthir will help Elros’ descendants create Gondor and there he will live with his children well into the Fourth Age. He will die being ambushed by a small band of highway robbers traveling to Lothlorien with trade goods.

Amras will continue to travel the world until he finally settles with a band of Green Elves which eventually settle in Greenwood. This band will soon join Oropher's group of Sindarin Elves. Amras will eventually marry a Green Elf and they will have one daughter, Tauriel. Amras will join the Last Alliance during the end of the Second Age, and he will die in battle. His wife will be left to raise their baby daughter alone, and soon she will fade after a thousand years of grief. Tauriel will be raised as a ward of Thranduil’s (in honour of her father, who was Lord of Elves and who’s own brother raised two generations of their children) and becomes dear friends his own son Legolas and spends many evenings babysitting him and teaching him the shapes of the stars.

Maglor will continue to sing by the water, he will still have a hand burned by the Silmaril, and he still will have a mind half lost to grief and guilt. But he will stay with Elrond, Elured, and Elurin in Lindon, and he will join them in Rivendell after the War of Sauron and the Elves, and he will be a grandfather to Elrond’s children, and he will walk Elured and Elurin to the Grey Havens, and he will sing on the shore until he can no longer see their disappearing boat. And come the end of the Third Age, he will sail west with his son and his daughter-in-law with the ring bearers.

This time, the Sons of Feanor will all be reunited on the Shores of the Undying Land.

[fairestfall]

@bxlakor​ asked: How does your character behave around children?

I would argue that Snow is most herself when she is around animals and children because their perceptions are relatively untainted by others. When most children look at her, they’re not quite as unnerved by her appearance as adults because they can sense her benevolent divine energy-- similar to the idea that children are more sensitive to the paranormal. They’re open and honest and innocent, and as a result, Snow opens herself, as well. She is more quick to smile and laugh, honestly answer their questions, and engage in simple intimacies such as hand-holding or shoulder rides. 

Say what you want about Snow, but all of her children, adopted or otherwise, knew that they were loved. 

@okcnshld​ asked: In what situation was your character the most afraid they’ve ever been? // in the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

In Tolkien verse, that would be practically every moment trapped in Utumno and Angband, although some notable events would be her separation from her mother, her failed escape attempt after the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, and the War of Wrath. Regarding the second event, this occurred after she had finally gained her freedom. She could have remained in the forests, hiding away from her father and his spies, but she didn’t. She decided to aid the Noldorian elves and fight alongside them in an attempt to defeat evil and free Arda. She was risking her life and her freedom to do this; even though she feared her father above all else, she challenged him to single combat. 

She was gravely wounded and dragged back into the dark. She remembers struggling and crying out for help from her allies, but none would risk death at Morgoth’s hands for her sake, a creature they trusted only as a weapon. They left her to her fate. So, you definitely have a fear of betrayal that’s in her to this day.  Now, you have Snow after the battle whose main fear is losing people she can call her own-- her mate and her child. Although she originally seduced a high-ranking uruk in a desperate bid for escape, she did grow to love him. She let herself be vulnerable. She dared to dream of a future where she could be happy. She even conceived a child, before Sauron caught them on their flight out of Angband. She was forced to watch as her mate was executed for desertion, and she was thrown into a fiery shaft. Her child did not survive. She was helpless to protect any of them, and that’s still a prominent fear of hers. She frets day and night over her clan because they are all she has. She has to protect them. She cannot lose anyone else. 

And, regarding the third event, the War of Wrath was just terrifying overall. Imagine that you have no real allies and that you’re trapped in a fortress that the Valar themselves are attacking. The Silmarillion describes the battle like this: “Beleriand was ablaze with the glory of their arms, for the host of the Valar were arrayed in forms young and fair and terrible, and the mountains rang beneath their feet... all the North was aflame with war... The Balrogs were destroyed, save some few that fled and hid themselves in caverns inaccessible at the roots of the earth; and the uncounted legions of the Orcs perished like straw in a great fire, or were swept like shrivelled leaves before a burning wind.... and all the pits of Morgoth were broken and unroofed, and the might of the Valar descended into the deeps of the earth” (Tolkien 270). Definitely a reason to panic.  Snow fully thought that the Valar were going to destroy her and what few uruk-hai she’d hidden in caves with her. She is the Vala of the Night. Their resplendence burned her eyes, and she fell to her face, much like her father, begging for mercy. They did not punish her nor did they take her back to Valinor. She would have preferred either option at the moment. Instead, they consigned her to countless ages spent righting her father’s wrongs in Arda. She’ll never forget that day. 

Now onto your second question: Snow will be the first to admit that she is flawed. She appreciates others’ honesty and correction, if they are someone she completely trusts and who she knows have good intentions. If a stranger were to criticize her, she will become extremely defensive. In her mind, if they do not know her, they do not have the right to critique her decisions. 

[silverlakes]

The Silmarils do not burn them.

They do not know why this is shocking. They run. The War is over now, Morgoth banished in the Void and they have two Silmarils (after all this time). The third one is impossible to acquire but it is fine (the Oath is not silent it never is but it is better it is bearable).

Time passes and still they keep moving (Elros is a king and Elrond has no need of them now).

When Elros dies they feel it in their bones. His name is one of many etched upon their souls and they know when he breathes his last just like they know their own names (they let Elrond find them then on a beach).

The world breaks and splinters and Elros’ legacy drowns under the rage of a God who abandoned them long ago. (they are not surprised though, the doom of Mandos rings in their ears) (Elrond sends news that the descendants of his brother managed to survive)

The Silmarils do not burn them.

War comes again. Sauron is nearly desperate in his attempt to continue what his master started and he either forgot they were alive or decided to ignore them (he can’t ignore them when they charge against him standing tall beside their son, Silmarils upon their brows)

They fight. Sauron has neither Morgoth’s power and might nor his army of balrogs and dragons. But he is still a Maia.

They fight and fight and fight besides elves who hate them (with good reason), besides men who flinch from them (even better reasons) but nobody contests that they have been fighting since before the moon and sun existed and so they remain undisturbed.

The Silmarils do not burn them. (but their light burn the orcs and other creatures and gives hope to their comrades)

The War of the Last Alliance ends bitterly. So many elves and men dead in a war that started so long ago even they forgot. Sauron may be gone but his power is still tied to the Ring (lost as it is with Isildur’s death). They have been alive for too long and are too jaded to hope that it will stay lost and forgotten. Sauron will rise again and war will come. They just don’t know when.

They are in Imladris when Gandalf comes with the dwarves. They are not invited to the White Council (and even if they were they wouldn’t have gone they have no wish to impose their presence on Galadriel) but they don’t need to be. They know what has started. Maglor doesn’t know whether to feel smug that they were right or sad. In the end all he feels is tired. He has lived too long to feel anything else. Maedhros doesn’t say anything (it has been a long time since he spoke) but the fire that burned in his eyes after Thangorodrim is still as strong and fiery as the color of his hair.

They leave Imladris the next day. And they wait.

The Silmarils do not burn them and the Oath is nearly silent.

Before they know it (time had stopped having meaning for them millennia ago) the War starts. They return to the world just as Frodo arrives in Imladris. Elrond invites them to his Council. The Ring is plain and Maedhros can nearly hear his father scoff at the inferior workmanship (they cannot be corrupted by it, they have the Silmarils). When Gandalf dares speak the Black Speech Maedhros is the only one who doesn’t flinch (after years of hearing it in captivity he has become desensitized to it)

They fight. They win. Elrond sails. They remain. Ages pass and history forgets. They do not fade. They wander the world and wait. War will come again. And they will fight (they know nothing else now)

[valasania-the-pale]

I think it’s interesting too how Tolkien treats fire in general throughout his canon; it is both a force of great usefulness and great terror. The balrogs are spirits of shadow and flame - the ‘Dark Fire’ - at once Morgoth’s corruption and Eru’s secret fire, neither fully cancelling the other, but instead warped into something truly awful. We see it too with dragons like Smaug, and places like Thangorodrim, volcanic mountains that belch smog and pollution unending and smelt the fires of war. Arien is said to have scorched Iliun when he wanders too near her in the mornings and evenings, leaving his vessel pocked and scarred. The ‘fires of war’ also leave tangible marks on the world, as well as that of industry. Tolkien, whose greatest loathing was for industry and the destruction of the natural world, can’t have missed the presence of fire at the core of these things; the consumption of one thing as fuel for something else is the essence of fire at its core.

And that makes it interesting that he selects this particular element as the core of his analogy for what he saw as divine creation - the secret fire dwells within the Ainur as enduring parts of their spirits, and within all but the beasts (orcs are apparently a question mark? Apparently they’re said in Morgoth’s Ring to be equivalent to dumb animals, with their speech being the equivalent of parrots mimicry, but that also doesn’t really jive with their being corrupted elves, so I’ll shrug and move on for now). Light, the ultimate product of fire, is the core symbol of purity and goodness in Tolkien’s works, and sits at the heart of his stories. There is Arien the sun, who destroys corruption by her very presence and turns Morgoth’s works to stone and ash, and Gandalf, Tolkien’s surviving and triumphant Istari, who while not a servant of Aule, the Vala of Fire, wields Narya, the ring of Fire.

I think it combines very nicely with Tolkien’s conception of the creation process - he has a lot of inventors and innovators in his stories, from Eru himself down to lowly Gollum and his makeshift rafts. Most of them are smiths (those who work directly with fire), however, and a lot of them fall into the same traps - Feanor, Morgoth, Sauron, Saruman, Maeglin, Eol, even to an extent Celebrimbor (depending on your outlook). Tolkien’s view, imo, seems to treat creation with the same delicacy as one treats fire itself; it is useful, incredibly useful! But it is so, so easy to burn oneself, even to knock over the candleflame and scorch a town. The main exceptions seem to be Eru (who is God and frankly, doesn’t count, because Tolkien didn’t write him with fallibility in mind), and Aule, who works with fire directly as its Vala, but seems to understand best the risks and is keen to avoid its pitfalls. I think it’s still telling that two of the primary villains in the canon were his, originally.

And... yeah. I think there’s something interesting that Tolkien would almost lump himself in with the likes of his antagonists, as he was a creator himself. He seems to find the process fraught, to say the least. I also have to wonder whether ‘burnout’ was a relevant term 80 years ago lol.

Metaphysical question - what do you suppose Tolkien meant to indicate by making the 'Flame Imperishable' so important in the early Valaquenta? It's supposed to technically be the thing that really drew Melkor off-course, is the stuff of souls, yet it winds up as this very mysterious, undefined force. Do you think it's the same light that filled the trees (and thus the Silmarils)? Tolkien loves his light, but I wonder how much these forces are connected in canon.

Oh my friend, you just ask the best questions. *evil cackle*

So, as for what the Flame Imperishable does, literally, that's pretty straightforward. (It's also sometimes called the Secret Fire, in case you wanted to search for that in an electronic version.) Eru uses it to kindle life in all beings from the Ainur to the Children, and without this force, that's impossible. Melkor goes searching for it and can't find it, and Aulë makes little dwarf puppets until Eru sparks them to life personally. Ye Olde classic subcreation examples, so on and so forth. Probably sounds familiar from our first thread ever!

I think that this theme of subcreation is really what Tolkien meant to hammer home with the Flame Imperishable, especially in the Ainulindalë. It's a force to give to living beings, not for them to control—and we never see it outside of this "life force" application. So, I don't really think that the Trees or the Silmarilli literally contained the Secret Fire, though I admit that would make a neat explanation for why Melkor was so obsessed with destroying the first and keeping the second.

But neither are we supposed to put the Flame Imperishable out of our minds when we think of these things. Remember how I mentioned searching for "secret fire" in an electronic copy? Well, I did! And the only time it's mentioned outside of the capitalized, proper force of Eru is in reference to... Fëanor.

...Fëanor grew swiftly, as if a secret fire were kindled within him. He was tall, and fair of face, and masterful, his eyes piercingly bright and his hair raven-dark; in the pursuit of all his purposes eager and steadfast... He became of all the Noldor, then or after, the most subtle in mind and the most skilled of hand.

And there's just too many connections here to dismiss, because when the man named Spirit of Fire grows to become a creator like there's a secret fire, the force of creation, inside of him? And he when makes three jewels with literal bits of his spirit, like a secret fire, inside? Isn't a coincidence. And notably, Tolkien says "as if," not "with," so this is still a simile—but it's a deliberate and telling one all the same.

[joeysharku]

The Pantheon of the Uruk-hai

and of course by uruk-hai I am speaking of all orckind as they named themselves in the sole language to survive their apparently total extinction.

Ur-furzuk the Maker, the Inverse Crown, the God Who Bleeds, the Allhob: called Morgoth by the elves and Melkor in origin, Ur-Furzuk is a terrifying figure to the uruk. They prefer to call him First or Firstborn (of God) in deferential acknowledgment that he was rightful heir to the throne of the world. Such deference was wise for the uruk-hai feared their Maker with the desperation of a hunted man. It was said those who fell under the gaze of his ire were burned to ash and all feared to meet their dread commander in his Thousand Iron Hells. All the uruk scriptures state without illusion that they were made to fight for the Firstborn's inheritance and it appears ancient uruk-hai accepted this responsibility with pride. They believed without doubt Ur-furzuk was supreme in all things, that he would slay the usurpers, the elfgods, and all the lights in the sky. He would gift his children an unlit world over which he would reign eternal. Of course, worship of the Firstborn was rare in the Second Age and rarer still in the Third; their records of the War of Wrath simply state that those elf-gods finally declared true war against their elder and though they were all slain in the attempt, Ur-furzuk also fell. Despite his pyrrhic victory, reverence for their Maker also fell and precipitously - the uruk-hai had few thoughts to spare the dead in their brutal lives. An interesting consequence of losing their generative deity on uruk religion and psyche, the uruk-hai have already lived through their Dagor Dagorath. All their metaphysics, all their prophecies were *proved* false. Fatalism, nihilism, and individualism are thus popular philosophies and may have severely undermined the uruk's subsequent discipline for war for generations to come. Ur-furzuk lingers in the uruk imagination as a figure of strength, the greatest truth upon which to make oaths, and a melancholy promised paradise lost. They called him the God who Bleeds for of all the gods, only he had the uruk spirit to fight his own wars, and it was from his blood that the uruk-hai were made. Why they did not know is true name is unknown. Perhaps Morgoth forbid his lieutenants from revealing it to them, perhaps his name was considered blasphemy to speak or maybe only to record.

Gorthaur the Dead, Sauron the Eye, Lord of Terror, the Machine, Master Mairon: though primitive uruk records and two nursery songs accurately name him Mairon, the uruk-hai quickly adopted Gorthaur from the Sindar and in the Third Age Sauron from the Dúnedain for the same reason: the sheer unreasoning terror his name could strike in their enemies. In the First Age Gorthaur was called King of Warlocks and all the uruk priests and scholars studied under his domain. These uruk-hai, as well as any common soldier garrisoned under his command, were feared as cannibals and kidnappers, and to all others only their Maker was more terrible than the Lord of Terror. It was said he was a vampire that drank the blood of a hundred elves every day but if the war went badly (no doubt due to uruk failure) he would be forced to feed on them instead. Following his reemergence after the War of Wrath, uruk doctrine on Sauron is split. Independent or distant tribes denounced Sauron as a pretender or at least a pretender to the Maker's throne. After all, if Ur-furzuk could not survive against the elves, how could his vassal? Those that fell under his thrall however came to see him as a force of endless creation. It appears nearly all of Mordor was converted by the raising of Barad-dûr - a feat utterly beyond the artistry of even the elves. Any hold-outs within his country and for many miles abroad were won using his Ring. To the uruk-hai its power was like a call joyous to answer. Sauron told them he alone had survived the War of Wrath and now there were none who could oppose his claim to the throne of the world. Likely uncertain he could ever assail Valinor, Sauron did not promise to murder the sun and the stars but instead promised the uruk-hai a perfect system in which they would finally reign as the master race. To the uruk-hai, this made perfect sense for they were mightiest and purest and bravest - dubious claims to be sure but not exactly surprising. In fact, everything Sauron said made sense and he eventually occupied the role of divine Truth in their minds. When Sauron held the One, his uruk-hai fought with savage ferocity that never quailed unless a soldier happened to find himself alone against multiple foes. Without the One, however, they reverted to their pack mentality and Sauron was forced to teach them basic tactics. He also began breeding them for strength and size. His fall in the War of the Last Alliance seems to have strengthend the divide between his cynics and his devotees, for the Witch-king of Angmar, later known to be the chief of the Nazgûl, convinced many tribes of Sauron's victory over death. Indeed, when he returned, even without the Ring the hosts that hearkened to his banner were without number. It is unknown what effect his ultimate defeat had on the uruk religion, for King Elessar I razed all existing uruk-hai nations to the foundations and if anything of their culture survived, it is lost to us.

Kosomot the Storm, Prince of Hell, the Axeman: known to the elves as Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs and High Captain of Angband, the uruk-hai believed Kosomot to be the son and heir of Ur-furzuk. It's unknown if this was intentionally cultivated by Morgoth or if it was a reflection of the presence he commanded on the battlefield. Kosomot, along with Boldog, was one of the only uruk gods to take the field and wherever he went victory followed. Unlike Ur-furzuk, Kosomot was a strength and valour that could be admired as well as feared. Extensive elven records exist on Gothmog so some concrete facts can be reported: Kosomot manifested at seventeen feet in height and burned with a heat great enough to melt elf-steel at close proximity. Like all balrogs, Gothmog utilized a flaming whip, probably to drive the barely sapient trolls of the First Age. His weapon was a single bladed axe of pure Utumno iron - many Eldarin lives were lost together in a single swing of that dread instrument. The uruk-hai report bloody civil wars occured between Kosomot and Gorthaur in which thousand of their lives would be traded for simple favor for the victor from Ur-furzuk. When Ecthelion of Gondolin slew and was slain in turn by Gothmog, he became a messianic figure for the uruk-hai for by his death the last of their enemies had fallen. He persisted following the War of Wrath as the pagan mannish gods do - as a superstitious name to give simple virtues.

Boldog the Soldier, Big Brother Boldog, the Big Bad Boldog: known as Makar the Brawler in Valinor, for a long time it was unknown if this Ainu went over to Morgoth's service or simply marauded about the Middle-earth. Now it is known that he indeed joined in Morgoth's rebellion for the love he held the uruk-hai, a people so alike to his nature that despite having no great loyalty to Morgoth he could not resist joining in their struggles. Indeed, Boldog - old orkish for "uncle" - seems to be the only deity of the uruk pantheon for which they have true affection and not least because of the affection the Boldog has for them. He called them "little brothers" and gave them what is arguably the most foundational and lasting aspect of their being: their love of combat. He was a constant presence in their lives and fought in all the wars and many raids. Because of his fundamental nature, Makar could suffer wounds that would have slain any other self-incarnate. Many times did Boldog fall in battle only to be mistakenly left for dead by the elves who could not tell this maia apart from regular, if exceptionally fit, uruk-hai. Tellingly, the death of Boldog is not recorded in any uruk scripture and in fact it is believed he raids still in some far-off country with his little brothers.

The Rioter, Wolf of Truth, Unknown Watcher: sister-spirit of Makar, Meássë's presence was deduced/assumed by the revelation of his identity as Boldog. The Rioter served a complex role as the goddess of deception, and as such was responsible for espionage, propaganda, and surveillance. The Rioter was feared almost as much as Gorthaur and Ur-furzuk for she was not met unless it was to accuse you of a capital crime. There is some evidence that Meássë was often abroad among the ancient tribes of Men, stirring up discord against the elves and one another. She is presumed slain in the War of Wrath.

Lungorthin the White, the Pale Fire, Lord of Slaves: Lungorthin, lieutenant of Gothmog, was a lord of Balrogs responsible for arming the uruk-hai. Grander projects clearly fell into Sauron's domain but the uruk-hai knew Lungorthin managed their armament and so worshipped him as their god of weapons. As such he also commanded the labor of the many slaves taken into Angband. It is said that of all the Balrogs, Lungorthin burned hottest and so was best suited to to manning the massive forges needed to arm Morgoth’s armies. While some artistry is evident in the earliest examples of uruk weaponry, their inability to match the Ñoldor on the battlefield quickly converted Lungorthin to a philosophy of mass production. It is worth wondering how Lungorthin felt about this station. It seems apparent the uruk-hai were loathed by most of their masters and being charged with seeing to their needs with cheap goods must have been galling. Indeed, many little morality tales seem to be about disobedient snagae falling into the fire of the forge - perhaps this is a reflection of a common occurrence in Angband? Lungorthin is known to have escaped the War of Wrath but he never again emerged in the histories of elves or men.

Âshurz the Grandhob: this figure emerges only after the War of Wrath as a substitute Maker in Ur-furzuk’s absence. However, Âshurz (a formal title meaning “father” as opposed to the more familiar “hob”) does not contradict Ur-furzuk’s place in the uruk-hai pantheon. Indeed, most of the Âshurz Heresy maintains existing scripture except in one key point. It states that uruk-hai were not spawned from Ur-furzuk’s blood but rather bred from elves with the fathers of uruk-hai - the hobgoblins - being former elves themselves. Âshurz is held to be the architect of this transformation. This is a disturbing development for it mirrors the most widely accepted elven theories for the origin of the uruk-hai. Perhaps if the uruk-hai in the east developed this doctrine one might assume they heard it through men who of course would learned it from the elves, but the Âshurz Heresy is almost entirely localized in the northern ranges of the Hithaeglir. Most likely this was always an undercurrent of the uruk-hai religion and merely had room to emerge after the War of Wrath. Âshurz is held to have been Ur-furzuk’s Master Breeder and father of the Úlairi, the Gongs, and even Dragons.

Ulbandi the Ogress, the Crown’s Horns: this figure seems entirely invented in the latter days of the First Age. Ulbandi, sometimes called the Forgotten God, was the bride of Ur-furzuk and mother of Kosomot. She likely served to urukify their otherwise inexplicable Maker and the elves have no records of such a being existing.

[ohmyarda]

Thesis on Morgoth and Sauron and their roles as Dark Lords (Part 2/4)

For my Tolkien project, I decided I was going to explore the dynamics of Morgoth and Sauron and see if I could make an estimate as to whether or not one was more effective as dark lord than the other. I did this in regard as I would not be able to debate whether or not one was more powerful (seeing as the Valar are higher beings then the Maiar, and seeing that Melkor was the eldest, he of course is indisputably stronger than Sauron).

However, just because you’re more powerful doesn’t always mean you’re more effective. We see this all throughout history in examples where generals themselves might not be very capable in battle but are able to gain mastery by being clever strategist. Therefore that inspired me to research if one could argue whether or not Morgoth or Sauron came closer to accomplishing their dominion over Middle Earth (or Beleriand).

I did this by looking at a few key characteristics-- longevity of rule (but more importantly, what was achieved), servants (those who served under them and attributed to their victories), their primary enemies (or the state of those they fought against), as well as their defeat (and what caused the finale fall). Then I concluded with their legacy and the impact they have throughout the legendarium.

Servants 

Armies are what win wars and it’s important to employ those who will help you and not hurt you under your command. What is also important is your relationship with said army and servants. Those who desire your victory will work harder to accomplish it. Those who are merely doing so in order to survive do not possess the same initiative.

General Disclaimer

I am not at all an expert, just a very passionate individual in Tolkien’s lore. Therefore some of what is stated throughout this essay may be based upon faulted research and weighed heavily by personal interpretation and opinion. So please do keep such in mind. Most of the information here was found within The Silmarillion, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, The Unfinished Tales, as well as Tolkien Gateway and Wikipedia.

Morgoth

Major Servants (* most of these summaries taken from the Tolkien Gateway)

Sauron: The greatest and most trusted servant of Morgoth before and during the First Age. Originally a Maia of Aulë named "Mairon", he was ensnared by Melkor and as "Gorthaur" he became Morgoth's lieutenant in his Wars of Beleriand. He demonstrated the ability to take the form of a wolf, a serpent, and a vampire.

Glaurung: First of the dragons and one of the foremost lieutenants of Morgoth during the First Age-- possessed a unique power to charm and ensare his prey and said to be the mightiest of dragons.

Ancalagon: Greatest of the winged Dragons of Morgoth. Morgoth unleashed the winged dragons, with Ancalagon at their van. Ancalagon drove back the forces of the Valar, but was stopped by Eärendil.

Gothmog: High-captain of Angband, one of the chief servants of Morgoth with a rank equal to that of Sauron. One of the Maiar that followed Melkor to exile, and because of either his brilliant mind or because of his ability to assume an immensely powerful physical form, he was made the Lord of Balrogs.

Carcharoth: Bred from the foul breed of Draugluin, the first Werewolf, and fed with elvish and mannish flesh by Morgoth himself. He was the greatest, most powerful wolf to ever live. Carcharoth was set as a guard on the Gates of Angband, and later he mortally wounded both Huan, the Hound of Valinor, and Beren

Minor Servants

Dragons: Also known as the Great Worms; they were evil creatures seen mostly in the northern Middle-earth. Greedy, cunning, seductive and malicious, a creation by Morgoth out of fire and sorcery sometime in the First Age. Included species such as fire-drakes and cold-drakes.

Balrogs: Balrogath ("Balrog-kind") were Maiar corrupted by Morgoth during the creation of Arda, who cloaked themselves in shadow and flame and carried whips and swords. Famed Balrogs include Gothmog, slain by Ecthelion, and Durin's Bane, slain by Olórin (Gandalf).

Draugluin: The first werewolf. Bred from wolves and inhabited with an evil spirit sent by Morgoth himself, Draugluin was the sire of all Werewolves of Beleriand, and dwelled with his master Sauron in Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the former watchtower of Finrod Felagund. He was slain by Huan during the Quest for the Silmaril, though informed Sauron that Huan was present. Beren and Lúthien used his pelt to sneak into Angband

Giants, Goblins, Trolls: Twisted creatures, created by Morgoth.

Orcs: Orcs were the footsoldiers of evil overlords - Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman. Made in the mockery of elves sometime during the Great Darkness.

Ungoliant (and her children): Ungoliant was an evil spirit in a form that greatly resembled a massive Spider. Ungoliant's origins are shrouded in mystery. It is thought that she may have been one of the Maiar, or a lesser spirit, whom Melkor corrupted long ago, but she is not listed among the Ainur. It is also said that she came from the darkness above the skies of Arda, leading some to believe that she may be an incarnation of darkness or emptiness itself.

Maeglin: Maeglin was an Elf, the son of Eöl the Dark Elf and Aredhel daughter of Fingolfin. He lived in the First Age of Middle-earth and was a lord of Gondolin, chief of the House of the Mole. Morgoth promised both Gondolin and Idril in return for the location of the hidden city, thus luring Maeglin into the greatest treachery done in the Elder Days. He gave him a token that would allegedly keep him safe from the sack.

Conclusion

If one thing could be noted is that Morgoth had a decent understanding of hierarchy. He expressed a remarkable ability within the Silmarillion to gain trust in those around him-- something in which could be his greatest ability besides strength.

It could easily be said that Morgoth possessed greater servants than Sauron; seeing as many were of his own creations. He had the Balrogs under his authority, as well as dragons and being of unknown origins. He wasn't suffering in terms of followers and it could even be said that he was a decent lord in terms of servitude.

While man suffered under his lash, the orcs were seen as masters in their own right. Maeglin was offered Gondolin upon it's surrender and the hand of the woman he loved. Gothmog led armies; Glaurung, Ancalagon, and Carchathor were given life. Morgoth didn't make empty promises-- perhaps they weren't always honest, but he was able to give individuals a purpose.

He didn't abuse what trust was granted to him once he had what he desired and therefore possessed a rather impressive relationship with those who followed him. While some, such as Ungoliant, would come to betray him-- such were few and far between, unlike Sauron whose servants often had their own ideas..

Sauron Major Servants

Nazgûl: Known as the Nine Riders or Black Riders, were Sauron's "most terrible servants" in Middle-earth. Sometime during the Second, Sauron gave nine Rings of Power to powerful mortal Men. It is said that three of the Nine were lords of Númenor corrupted by Sauron, and one was a king among the Easterlings

One-Ring: An artifact created by Sauron in the Second Age for the purpose of ruling over the Free peoples of Middle-earth, mainly the Elves. It was also known as the Ruling Ring, Great Ring of Power and Isildur's Bane because it caused the death of Isildur.

Thuringwethil: Vampire servant of Sauron during the First Age. She was Sauron's messenger, but was caught in the battle between her master, Lúthien and Huan at Tol-in-Gaurhoth ("Isle of Werewolves"). She was slain either by the Hound of Valinor or in the collapse of Minas Tirith. Lúthien later used her cloak to sneak into Angband during the Quest for the Silmaril. Because of Thuringwethil's ability to change forms, she may have been a Maia

Witch-king: The Witch-king of Angmar was the chief of the Nazgûl, King of Angmar and Sauron’s great captain in his wars. A wraith, the Witch-king of Angmar was nearly indestructible, a terrifying warrior, and a cunning strategist.

Mouth of Sauron: Sauron's servant and representative at the end of the Third Age. He had the title Lieutenant of Barad-dûr, since he was so strongly devoted to the Dark Lord. The Mouth of Sauron was one of the Black Númenóreans.

Saurman: Saruman the White was the first of the order of Wizards (or Istari) who came to Middle-earth as Emissaries of the Valar in the Third Age. He was the leader of the White Council. In Sindarin his name was Curunír, which meant "Man of Skill”. It soon became clear that Saruman desired to possess the One Ring himself.

Shelob: A great spider-like creature akin to those of Nan Dungortheb in Beleriand, the last offspring of the demonic Ungoliant. Shelob fed off with all living things, such as Elves and Men, but as these became scarce in the area, she fed upon orcs. Sauron would sometimes send her captured prisoners for whom he had no further use and amuse himself watching how she played with her prey.

Minor Servants

Ar-Pharazôn: Ar-Pharazôn the Golden was the twenty-fifth and last King of Númenor. He was the son of Gimilkhâd, who was the younger brother of the twenty-fourth King, Tar-Palantir. Ar-Pharazôn's willful rule, and his great pride, led directly to the world-changing Downfall of Númenor and the founding of the realms in exile of Arnor and Gondor.

Fellbeasts: Winged creatures with beak and claws, similar to birds but much larger than any other flying beast. They were used as winged mounts of the Nazgûl

Giants, Goblins, Trolls: Twisted creatures, created by Morgoth.

Orcs: Orcs were the footsoldiers of evil overlords - Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman. Made in the mockery of elves sometime during the Great Darkness.

Smeagle/Golum: was a creature who bore the One Ring. He lived in the Misty Mountains for most of his life. In T.A. 2941, he lost the Ring to Bilbo Baggins. For the rest of his life he sought to recover his "precious". Eventually he would come to seize the Ring from Frodo in Sammath Naur. In his euphoria he died and destroyed the Ring after falling into the cracks of Mount Doom.

Werewolves: Wolves, inhabited by dreadful spirits, they were created (or a least corrupted from some other form) by Sauron, who was their master, and who took the shape of a great wolf himself at least once.

Wargs: An evil breed of demonic wolves, suggesting that they were inhabited by evil spirits. The origin of the breed is unknown - perhaps they were among the creatures bred by Morgoth in the Elder Days. In any case, Gandalf listed the Wargs among Sauron's servants in the late Third Age.

Vampire Bats: Vampires were mysterious bat-like creatures in the service of Morgoth and of Sauron. The only vampire whose name is recorded in the annals of Arda is Sauron's servant Thuringwethil, but Sauron himself took the form of a vampire on at least one occasion, to flee Huan.

Flies: Tiresome, flying insects.

Conclusion

For an individual who was as persuasive and charismatic as he, it was almost more so beneficial to be an enemy of Sauron than among his servants, to which he arguably held a weak relationship with.

The orcs within the Lord of the Rings constantly confess to fearing him and seem almost bitter of their existence-- often being fed to Shelob; who she herself remarked that Sauron believed her to be nothing more then a pet, in which he was gravely mistaken.

Saurman and Golum both expressed a willingness to betray Sauron as soon as they were able and the Nazgûl, his chief servants, were only obeying on the account that their fates were doomed to the One Ring.

Even Ar-Pharazôn humored Sauron in a mere attempt for immortality and therefore many trusted little in the Dark Lord himself.

One could then argue is that Sauron's greatest servant was the One Ring, which in reality, was him. Which-- if one were familiar with the characteristic of Sauron, would be of no surprise that he trusted himself first and foremost.

Therefore Sauron was ignorant in the needs and desires of those in servitude to him and perhaps that was why he favored the more animalistic creatures in his service. Something to which couldn't and wouldn't doubt him.

Overall Conclusion

Both possessed a various assortment of powerful individuals under their authority. However, Morgoth expressed a more natural ability to lead and keep those beneath his authority, sedated. Sauron was perfect at manipulating those around him, but could not establish a relationship as seemed almost natural to Morgoth. Besides, Morgoth even had the undying loyalty of Sauron, who trusted himself most of all. If he could seduce a maiar such as he, then that speaks levels to Morgoth's influence in those who listened.