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Silmarillion Primer: The Sons of Fëanor

Art by Heget

Fëanor had seven children with his wife, Nerdanel. Which was unusual given that most elf women are content to bear at most three to four, and usually then only one or two. All seven were sons and all of them swore an oath with their father to take back the Silmarils. They swore to pursue with violence anyone who kept a Silmaril, no matter who and no matter the reason. This oath was sworn to Eru himself and the Valar as witnesses. This oath would drive the Sons of Fëanor to commit great acts of evil in their pursuit of the jewels and much of it to the pleasure of their enemy, Morgoth Baughlir.

Maedhros- The eldest son. After being saved by Fingon from Thangorodrim, he waved his claim to the title of High King of the Noldor to his uncle Fingolfin. He tried to keep his brothers in check and moved them eastward in Beleriand to avoid confrontations with the Sindar and other Noldor factions. He attempted to form the Union of Maedhros when he heard of Beren and Luthien's successful raid on Angband, however, the evil of his brothers kept Doriath from joining and it failed. He was present for The First, Second and Third Kinslayings, all in pursuit of the Silmarils. When he finally managed to get his hands on one, it burned him. He was unable to bear the pain and cast himself into a fiery chasm along with the Silmaril.

Maglor- the second son of Fëanor. He was a great poet and singer and wrote a lament about the downfall of the Noldor after The First Kinslaying. Like all of his brothers, he was driven to great evil in pursuit of the Silmarils and attacked Doriath and the refugees get one. His attack on the refugees of Doriath orphaned Elrond and Elros, the children of Eärendil and Elwing. So Maglor took upon himself to foster the boys since their parents had disappeared westward. He was the only other brother to survive the War of Wrath with Maedhros and stole one the silmarils from Eonwë’s camp. However, his evil deeds made the jewel burn his hand and he cast his jewel into the sea. No one knows what happened to him after other than his sorrowful singing can still be heard near the shores of the sea.

Celegorm- the third son of Fëanor. He was a great huntsman and Oromë, the Huntsman of the Valar, gifted him a great hound named Huan. He and his brother, Curufin, were always traveling together. After the Dagor Bragolach (Battle of Sudden Flame), he and Curufin lived in Nargothrond. He and Curufin kept Finrod from amassing much help for Beren’s quest for a Silmaril. He and his brother came upon Luthien as she tried to find and help Beren. He wanted to take her as a wife, thus forcing Thingol into a kinship through marriage. His hound, Huan, saw his treachery and helped Luthien escape. He attempted to kill Beren and Luthien after they had fled Angband, but his hound turned on him. He died at the hands of Dior, Beren and Luthien’s son, at the Second Kinslaying in Doriath.

Carathir- fourth son of Fëanor. He was present for the First and Second kinslayings. He also held the furthest realm east in Beleriand along the Ered Luin. He died in the Second Kinslaying in Doriath.

Curufin- fifth son of Fëanor. He was always with his brother, Celegorm. He became the only Noldo to become great friends with the dwarves and learned their language. He assisted in the downfall of Nargothrond by persuading the people not to help their lord help Beren. He and his brother captured Luthien, and attempted to force her to marry Celegorm. He also attempted to murder her afterwards. He had one son by his unnamed wife, Celebrimbor. He eventually died at the Second Kingslaying in Doriath.

Amrod and Amras- the sixth and seventh sons of Fëanor. Not much is known about them other than their mother, Nerdanel, wanted at least one of them to stay in Valinor, but Fëanor denied this. They were great hunters and rendered aid to their brothers willingly. They held a realm in eastern Beleriand. They both perished at the Third Kinslaying on the refugees of Doriath.

All of Fëanor's children died before the beginning of The Second Age. The only survivors of the House of Fëanor were his estranged wife, Nerdanel and their grandson, Celebrimbor. Celebrimbor would go to be just as accomplished a craftsman as his grandfather. For the crafts of his hands would go on to influence Middle-Earth in as much the same way the Silmarils had, when he created the Rings of Power.

[istar-ingolmo]

Silmarillion Primer: The Edain

The Edain (Ee-day-in) are men who came west over the Ered Luin (Blue Mountains) and fought with the elves against Morgoth. Although the name Edain is a Sindarin word that simply means Men, it is usually only used in reference to the noble people of the House of Bëor, the House of Haleth and the House of Hador and their descendants.

Art by Heget

The House of Bëor

The first group of Men to come west over the mountains of Ered Luin, were of the House of Bëor. Bëor, known as Balan to his people, came west in search of the High Elves or the Valar, for his people had heard rumors of them in the east. Finrod Felagund was the first elf to encounter them as they camped in the region of Ossiriand just west of the Ered Luin. There was a language barrier between the two, but they could eventually understand one another since their language was based on the old elvish of the elves in the east. 

Finrod moves The House of Bëor out of Ossiriand and into the land of Estolad in the realm of Amrod and Amras of the Sons of Fëanor. Bëor became a vassal of Finrod and went to live with him in Nargothrond. The descendants of Bëor would ever be friends with the House of Finarfin, Finrod’s father. 

Bëor’s fourth great grandson, Barahir, would save Finrod at the Dagor Bragollach. For which, Finrod gave him what would be known as the Ring of Barahir, a token of their eternal friendship. That ring would be passed down to his son Beren Erchamion,and then through the generations from father to son until the end of the Third Age. When it would come to King Aragorn II Elessar of the Reunited Kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. 

Notable Members of The House of Bëor:

Beren Erchamion- The Son of Barahir, he would travel into the Guarded Realm of Doriath and fall in love with Luthien, the daughter of Thingol and Melian, its rulers. He would brave the dungeons of Angband with Luthien to claim a Silmaril. His son would become the Ruler of Doriath, and the Father of Elwing, Eäredil’s wife and the grandfather of Elrond and Elros.

Morwen- 1st Cousin Once Removed of Beren (His Cousin’s Child), she married Hurín of the House of Hador. Bore him three children: Turín Turambar, Lalaith, and Niënor.

Rían- 1st Cousin Once Removed of Beren and Cousin to Morwen. She married Huor of the House of Hador, the brother of Hurín. They had one child: Tuor.

Through the marriage of Elwing to Eärendil, the two Houses of Bëor and Hador would produce the Kings and Queens of Númenor. The Númenoreans known as The Faithful would be primarily descended from the House of Bëor, and by extension the Dunédain of the North. 

Art by Heget

The House of Hador

The third house of the Edain to migrate west of Ered Luin. They were initially called the House of Marach, after their patriarch. When they were given the lands of Dor-lomín as a fief under Hador Lórindel, the name of the House became The House of Hador. They were the largest of the three Houses of the Edain. They would intermarry with the House of Bëor and together these two house would make up the majority of the Men of Númenor.  

Notable Members of the House of Hador:

Hurín Thalion- He was a great hero of men and a great friend to Turgon, High King of the Noldor and ruler of Gondolin. He and his brother, Huor, were brought to the city by the eagles of Manwë, which began that friendship. He would marry Morwen of the House of Bëor and have three children. One of which was Turín Turambar, who would also be a great hero of men. However, Hurín was captured at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad (Battle of Unnumbered Tears) and refused to tell Morgoth where Gondolin could be found. He was cursed by Morgoth to watch all the evil that befell his children. When he was finally released, he unknowingly led Morgoth to the general direction of Gondolin. Thus, preparing the way for Gondolin’s ultimate destruction.

Huor- brother of Hurín and of the House of Hador. He married Rían of the House of Bëor. They had one child, Tuor. He was friends with Turgon of Gondolin. At the Nirnaeth Arnoediad he and his brother bought Turgon’s army time to flee by holding the Fen of Serech. He would fall in that battle. He never met his son. 

Turín Turambar- The only son of Hurín and the heir to the Lordship of Dor-Lomín of the House of Hador. He would go on to do great deeds, but the wrath of Morgoth followed him always, causing all he did to go astray. He would eventually kill Glaurung the dragon, but he would take his own life shortly afterward when he learned that last bit of evil the dragon had done to him.

Tuor- The only son of Huor. He grew up with Sindar elves in Mithrim before being driven by fate to seek for the hidden city of Gondolin that his father and uncle once visited. His errand was to advise the High King of the Noldor, Turgon, to abandon the city while there was still time. Turgon heeded it not, but he did give Tuor the hand of his daughter, Idril, in marriage. They became the second union of Elf Maid to Mortal Man. He had one child, Eärendil. 

Eärendil- The Great Mariner. His family managed to escape the destruction of Gondolin and make it to the sea near the Mouths of the Sirion. There he married Elwing, who was a refugee of the destruction of Doriath at the hands of the Sons of Fëanor. They had twin sons, Elros and Elrond. He took the Silmaril that Elwing had inherited from her great grandfather, Thingol, and asked the Valar to save Elves and Men from the forces of Morgoth. He then became The Evening Star, wearing the Silmaril on his brow as his ship sailed the skies.

Art by Heget

The House of Haleth

The reclusive house of the daughter of Halad. There is not much to tell of them. When they came west of the Ered Luin, they refused to live in Estolad with the Houses of Bëor and Hador. They lived apart from them in the further north. 

However, they were surprised by orcs and much of their people were destroyed. They removed to the forests of Brethil in the realm of Doriath and did not participate much in the wars of The First Age. They were, however, not friends of Morgoth.

Hurín would, in his grief over the loss of his family, cause the destruction of the House of Haleth, for blamed them in part for the ruin of his son. He would lead the remnants of the House of Haleth to the ruins of Nargothrond, where he would abandon them. Few members of the House of Haleth survived the end of the First Age to become a part of the Númenoreans. 

The most relevant member of The House of Haleth, was the Daughter of Halmir, Hareth. She married Galdor of the House of Hador, and was the mother of Hurín and Huor. 

[istar-ingolmo]

Silmarillion Primer: The Maiar

The Maiar are Ainur that are in lesser stature than the Ainur that are The Valar. They are spiritual beings that are the product of the thought of Ilúvatar, but they do not have the same power as the Valar. The realms of influence and power are more focused and less broadly felt. They are for the most part servants/assistants to the Valar in their deeds. 

Unlike the Valar who are numbered 14 (15 before Melkor fell to darkness), the number of the Maiar are unknown. Most do not take on physical appearances like the Valar and choose to remain in the Unseen World. We only know a handful of names.

Melkor corrupted many Maiar to his service. The Balrogs were perhaps Maiar of fire before they were turned to evil purposes. Sauron, himself, was a Maia that was in service of Aulë, but Melkor turned his desire for order to evil and he became one of the greatest of Melkor’s servants.

All the Istari, the Wizards sent to Middle-Earth to help the Children of Ilúvatar in their fight against Sauron were Maiar. Saruman was the Maia Curumo who also served Aulë and Gandalf was ever with Nienna under the name Olorín, where he learned pity and patience. The words of Olorín could stir the hearts of who heard out of despair.

There are other Maiar that will appear in The Silmarillion more prominently. Melian, a Maia that tended the gardens in Loríen, is chief among them. She wandered in the forests of Beleriand and when the elves were marching westward to Valinor, she managed to entrance Elwë, one of the kings of the Teleri, while she was singing with her nightingales. They became married and Elwë called himself Thingol. She is the mother of Luthien, and through her daughter she is the ancestor of the Half-Elven, the Kings and Queens of Númenor, and the line of Kings of Gondor.

Others also appear in the narrative, Eonwë, the herald of Manwë. Ossë and Uinen are Maia that are in service to Ulmo. Ossë is wild and violent, but his wife Uinen can restrain him. Ossë was almost swayed for a time to Melkor's service, but he able to repent. It is to Uinen that many mariners say prayers to give them safe passage on the seas. The sailors of Númenor would place a Green Bough of Return on their ships to ask for the blessing of Uinen.

Art By @gerwell

Maiar also possess the ability to change their appearance as the will. As mentioned, many choose to remain invisible and take no forms, but some like Sauron, were able to take any form they chose. This was not only the ability of the Maiar, but all Ainur. Sauron lost this ability at the Downfall of Númenor so that he could no longer take on the fair appearance of a friend. 

[istar-ingolmo]

Silmarillion Primer: Melkor, the Fallen Vala

Melkor was the greatest of the Valar before his fall into darkness and evil. He and his brother, Manwë, were held in the highest esteem in the mind of Ilúvatar. However, Melkor’s pride and ambition turned from the will of Ilúvatar and onto a path that was in discordance with The Music. 

He desired to create things of his own that he could be lord over and spent forever looking for The Flame Imperishable to secure those ambitions. For without that Secret Fire, all his creations would be nothing but puppets that he would have expend his own will to animate. He only desired to create. However he was turned to evil and instead became a tool of destruction and corruption. He and the other Valar fought over Arda in the beginning of days. Until the coming of the Children of Ilúvatar, when they assaulted him at his fortress in the north, Utumno. There, Tulkas seized him and threw him on his face. Melkor was put in chains and imprisoned in the Halls of Mandos for several millenia. 

When he was released from bondage and placed under house arrest at the urging of Nienna, he began to sow discord amongst the Eldar, the elves. For he was jealous of them and hated them because they were the reason for his humiliation and imprisonment and his pride would not allow it to pass. His lies and manipulations managed to take hold in the hearts of the Noldor, specifically Fëanor, who also suffered from a swollen sense of pride. 

Art By DymondStarr

Melkor used the cover of a celebration in Valinor to destroy the Two Trees, sapping their light with help of a spirit of ravenous darkness named Ungoliant. He then, assailed the house of Fëanor in Formenos and killed Fëanor’s father, then took the Silmarils. They were the last thing that still possessed the light of those trees. 

His evil deeds and the lies he wove caused Fëanor to rebel against the Valar and whip up the other Noldor to go with him into Middle-Earth. After the attack at Formenos, Fëanor gave Melkor the name that he bore the rest of the First Age: Morgoth Bauglir. Dark Enemy and Tyrant. 

Morgoth remained the chief adversary of the First Age against the Elves of Beleriand until the War of Wrath where the Host of Valinor assailed him at last. He was pulled from his great prison of Angband, locked again in chains. His iron crown was beat into a collar placed around his neck and at the urging of Manwë was cast out of Arda through The Door of Night. He was never to return until the Dagor Dagorath (The Battle of Battles) at the end of Time.

[istar-ingolmo]

i’ll be honest the crushing weight of the silmarillion bearing down on lotr really elevates it to exquisite new heights

[istar-ingolmo]

Silmarillion Primer: The Valar

The Valar (The Powers of Arda) are 14 of the greatest Ainu that descended into Arda to prepare it for the coming of the Children of Illúvatar. Each was the master of a different sphere of influence and power. In much the same way as the gods of the Greeks and Romans.

Before breaking down each of the Valar, I think it best to dwell on what exactly an Ainu is. Ainur, the plural of Ainu, are spiritual beings produced from the thought of Eru Ilúvatar at The Beginning of The Universe. They helped Eru create a vision of Arda through song. Those that wanted a more active role in Arda's creation descended down into it. Some stayed behind with Eru. The greatest were called The Valar. The lesser Ainur that went into Arda became known as The Maiar.

It is also worth noting, linguistically, that all three of these words' plural forms end with -r. So when speaking of a singular one, drop the -r. EX: Vala, Maia, Ainu.

THE VALAR

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Manwë

The chief of the Valar. He is the Lord of the Air and is partnered with Varda. The Great Eagles are his servants. His throne sits atop the highest mountain in Arda, Taniquetil. If Varda stands beside him, together nothing can evade his sight. He and Melkor (Morgoth) are brothers in the thought of Ilúvatar. Manwë knows more of Eru's purposes and is made The first of Kings and Lord of Arda.

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Varda

The Lady of the Stars. Her power is in light. She kindled the stars, the light of The Two Lamps and with the help of Yavanna, the light of The Two Trees. She is seldom separated from her partner, Manwë. She is able to grant him a piercing sight, and he can give her sharp hearing. Thus together, they can know all that is going on in Arda. Her ability to see allowed her to know Melkor’s heart, even before his attempt at mastery during the making of the Music. She rejected him and he hated her for it. Yet, she is the Vala that he fears above the others, because nothing is hidden from her. Varda is the Vala that the elves love the most, to them she is Elbereth. For when the elves first awoke by the shore of Cuiviénen, their eyes beheld the light of stars. 

Alan Lee

Ulmo

The Lord of Waters. He has no partner and he has no permanent abode, for he is always in motion, moving where he wills. He is the mightiest of the Valar after Manwë. He does not always take a shape in the manner of a body like the other Valar. He prefers to remain a spirit. He also seldom comes to the councils of the Valar, unless it is gravely important. He keeps all of Arda in his care, and of the Valar, was most active during the events of the First Age. For he loves Men and Elves dearly, and not even under the wrath of the Valar did he forsake them.

Aulë and Yanvanna by @zipavika on Twitter

Aulë

The Craftsman of the Valar. His dominion is everything that makes up Arda. He takes great joy in the art of making. It was he who fashioned the land, the mountains and the valleys, the gems and the veins of gold. He and Melkor are similar in the desire to create, but Aulë’s spirit is more attuned with the will of Ilúvatar. He shared much of his knowledge of craftsmanship with the Noldor. His other students were the Maiar Mairon and Curumo or as they would be known in the Third Age, Sauron and Saruman. Aulë is also responsible for the creation of the dwarves, whom Ilúvatar adopted as part of his Children.

Yavanna

The Giver of Fruits, she is the partner of Aulë. If he is shaper of earth, she is the giver of life. Her dominion is all things that grow in Arda. She nurtured the trees, the bushes, and the flowers. She filled Arda with all things green. The elves call her the Queen of the Earth. When she learned that Ilúvatar had allowed Aulë’s dwarves to exist, despite not being a part of the Music, she created the Ents, to be a check on those who would hew her trees without care.

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Vairë the Weaver by Jade Perdrillat

Mandos and Vairë

The Doomsayer of the Valar and the Keeper of the Halls of the Dead. His true name is Námo. He is usually called by the name of where he dwells, the Halls of Mandos. He knows everything that shall be, except that which is still left for Ilúvatar to decide. He only speaks of what he knows when Manwë commands him. He is the brother of Loríen and together they are known as the Fëanturi, masters of spirits.

Vairë is his spouse, and the weaver of fate. All things that have ever been are woven by her into a great tapestry that adorns the Halls of Mandos. The tapestry of time grows, so do the Hall of Mandos.

Loríen and Estë

The Master of Visions and Dreams. His true name is Irmo and Loríen* is the place of his dwelling. His gardens are the fairest place in all of Arda. Together with his wife, Estë, the Healer of Hurts and Weariness, all who come to their gardens find refreshment. 

*This is a different place than the woods near the Anduin that would be called Loríen or Lothloríen.

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Nienna

The sister of Námo and Irmo. She lives by herself in her halls, which are near to her brother's, Mandos. She is the Lady of Pity and Grief. Her song in The Music was one of sadness, for she cries for all the hurts done to Arda by the hand of Melkor. She often travels to Mandos to help ease the sorrows of those spirits waiting within. Those who harken to her learn pity and endurance in hope. For her sadness is not one of despair. Her pity is what moved the Valar to pardon Melkor from his first imprisonment. Her greatest student, who learned most from her pity, was Olorín, who was known by the people of Middle-Earth as Gandalf.

Tulkas by @steamy on DeviantArt

Tulkas and Nessa

Tulkas is the strongest of the Valar and the last to enter Arda. He came to aid The Valar in their early struggles with Melkor. He delights in all kinds of contests of strength and endurance. He can outrun anything and needs no weapons but his hands. The wife of Tulkas is Nessa, she is the friend of the deer and other woodland creatures. She is fleet-footed and loves to dance. 

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Oromë and Vána

The Hunter of the Valar. He rides a mighty white steed named Nahar. He wields a mighty horn called The Valoromá, the sound of which is like the rising of the sun. He looks after all the beasts of the world and trains his dogs in the hunting of the fell beasts of Morgoth. He was last to go West to reside in Valinor, and rode ever eastward in search of the Children of Ilúvatar on his swift horse. His partner is the sister of Yavanna, Vána, who causes the birds to sing and the flowers to open.

[istar-ingolmo]

Here in the coming weeks I will be beginning my series of essays on The Silmarillion. In preparation, I will be posting some breakdowns of some of the key players in the events of The Silmarillion. This will help you to be familiar with these characters before they show up in the narrative.

So look forward to those this week.

Namárië

[istar-ingolmo]

Additional Reading

Amatúile!

For new scholars in the lore of Middle-Earth, I thought it would be a good idea to compile a list of all the official materials released about Tolkien's Legendarium. They will be divided into a few categories, prose, drafts, literary analysis and miscellaneous.

Prose are stories that are complete and read like most novels. Drafts are books that contains stubs and unfinished pieces that Tolkien never finished or meant to polish up. Literary analysis are books that contain collection of Tolkien's other discarded drafts, usually meant to illustrate Tolkien's creative process or other ideas he had regarding The Lord of the Rings and his First Age stories. Finally, miscellaneous are materials that provide new or consolidated information, the stuff that is fun to look at or read.

PROSE

The Silmarillion- A collection of stories from The First Age. It does not read like The Lord of the Rings, but more like an ancient historical text, like for instance Herodotus' The Histories or Thucydides' The History of the Peloponnesean War. Pace yourself. I will be preparing chapter summaries for The Silmarillion in the future.

The Children of Hurín- This is expanded tale of a chapter from The Silmarillion. It follows the story of Turín Turambar, son of Hurín, a tragic hero of Men. The style of its prose strikes a balance between The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings.

Beren and Luthien- another chapter from The Silmarillion that was expanded into a more detailed story. It tells of the epic adventure/love story of Beren and Luthien as they fight against all the odds to be together. One of the most important relationships in all of Middle-Earth.

The Fall of Gondolin- Another expanded Silmarillion chapter. This one concerns the fall of the hidden kingdom of Gondolin, the last stronghold of the Noldor to the forces of Morgoth. It features know characters such as Glorfindel and a young Eärendil.

DRAFTS

Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-Earth- This is a book of drafts of different stories that appeared in The Silmarillion as well as drafts that never were never up to Tolkien's liking. The longest chapter is a tale about the prince of Númenor and his betrothed, Aldarion and Erendis. The story is mostly finished. The book has commentary from Christopher Tolkien regarding each draft presented in the book.

The Book of Lost Tales I & 2- (Books 1 and 2 of The History of Middle-Earth series) This is a collection of some of the first drafts of some of the first writings Tolkien ever made about Middle-Earth. The framing device is a modern man accidentally washes up on Töl Eressea (Avalon) and talks with an elf who shares lost history with him, which he writes into a bookl. There is also commentary from Christopher Tolkien.

LITERARY ANALYSIS

The Lays of Beleriand- (Book 3 of THME) a collection of half-written epic poems about Beren and Luthien, and Turín Turambar.

The Shaping of Middle-Earth- (Book 4) analyzing how the stories of The Book of Lost Tales matured into what would eventually end up in The Silmarillion.

The Lost Road and other Writings- (Book 5) more fragments on different versions of stories before they appeared in The Silmarillion. It also contains a time-travel story where these stories get connected with 20th Century England.

The Return of Shadow- (Book 6, Volume 1 of the History of The Lord of the Rings) a book containing old drafts of The Fellowship of the Ring. It illustrates how the sequel to The Hobbit went from being similarly light-hearted and episodic to the epic tale it is know as.

The Treason of Isengard- (Book 7, Volume 2) same as the previous but for the first fourth of The Two Towers up to Gandalf's return and the rescue of Theoden.

The War of the Ring- (Book 8, Volume 3) covers the Battle of Helm's Deep, the drowning of Isengard, Frodo, Sam and Gollum's journey to Mordor and Aragorn's arrival at the Battle of Pelennor Fields.

Sauron Defeated- (Book 9, Volume 4) covers the destruction of The Ring and other writings.

Morgoth's Ring- (Book 10) More writings about The Silmarillion. It contains drastic draft updates to his stories. It also has essays on Elven naming conventions and laws. As well as a story about a conversation between a elf and a mortal woman about the nature of death and what that means to mortals compared to elves.

The War of the Jewels- (Book 11) more Silmarillion drafts. There are essays on the history of the elven language. The origin of the ents and Great Eagles. There is also a fragment of a elvish folktale regarding the awakening of the elves.

The Peoples of Middle-Earth (Book 12, Final Installment) contains more drafts of Tolkien's. Notes for the Prologue and the Appendices in The Lord of the Rings. Contains The Shibboleth of Fëanor, a story about elvish language shifts but also about Galadriel. Other notes on the Istari, Cirdan and other notable characters. Also drafts of an abandoned sequel to The Lord of the Rings called A New Shadow focusing on Aragorn's son as king.

MISCELLANEOUS

The Atlas of Middle-Earth (Revised Edtion)- Karen Wynn Fonstad, a cartographer, takes everything we know from The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion to help created a collection of detailed maps of Middle-Earth. A fun way to get a sense of scale and direction. Pretty maps too.

The Nature of Middle-Earth- The unofficial 13th book in The History of Middle-Earth series. It contains various stubs of notes regarding things from how elves mature, how they experience time, how long were The Years of the Trees. And questions regarding the minutiae of Middle-Earth. We also learn that most Númenorean men were beardless. Sorry everyone, Aragorn, Boromir and Faramir had clean, smooth faces.

Whew, that is a lot. Hopefully this list isn't too daunting. The purpose is only to help you find the next book you might want to delve into. I am also happy to answer question!

Until next time! Namârië!

[istar-ingolmo]

The Problem of Galadriel

There is a problem with Galadriel. It’s not with her actions in LOTR and It’s not with her as a person. The problem is prior the Fellowship arriving in Lothlorien to meet the Lord and Lady; she did not exist. Galadriel, as a character, was invented as Tolkien was writing his sequel to The Hobbit. He needed someone who was wise and powerful to help the Fellowship, and, more importantly, Frodo after the loss of Gandalf in Moria. So, he creates Galadriel and her husband Celeborn, to serve as the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. We find out in The Fellowship of the Ring that not only is she quite powerful, but she also possesses one of the three elven rings of power. Nenya, The Ring of Adamant.

Therefore, to have this kind of power she must be an immensely important elf. This is where we run into our problem. Galadriel is this immensely powerful elf, one of the rulers of one of the last elven kingdoms still in Middle-Earth. However, neither she nor her husband, Celeborn, are mentioned at the Council of Elrond. They appeared as they were needed in the narrative. Then Tolkien spent the next nearly thirty years of his life trying to reconcile them with the rest of his legendarium. This resulted in the problem of having to rewrite much of what he wrote since 1914 concerning the First Age. This makes Galadriel's backstory inconsistent at best.

There are essentially four different versions of these characters, first is in The Lord of the Rings where she originated. The second is in Appendix B that appeared in the Return of the King. Then her history is related in The Silmarillion and finally, two versions of her and Celeborn’s history that were published in Unfinished Tales. There are other tales that Christopher Tolkien later collected for his History of Middle-Earth series. We also get some lore on her in an unlikely place, the book of sheet music called The Road Goes Ever on by Donald Swann.

Each of these four Galadriels tells us something different, and there are sometimes years between these character revisions. In brief, Tolkien changed his mind constantly on where he wanted her to originate from and her involvement in the events of the First and Second Age. She went from a Sindarin Elf to a Noldorian Elf. She also went from desiring lands and lordship to simply being a seeker of knowledge. She went from participating in The First Kinslaying at Alqualondë to defending the Teleri. Finally, Galadriel went from being barred entry to Valinor to simply choosing to linger in Middle-Earth. With each revision, Galadriel’s importance grew.

The creation of Galadriel for The Lord of the Rings created a 'problem' that spurred on countless revisions of many of Tolkien's oldest tales concerning Middle-Earth. If Tolkien had lived longer, it is very likely the stories we got in The Silmarillion would be considerably different from what we ended getting in 1977.

History of Galadriel (in brief and in order as Tolkien revised her):

In LOTR:FOTR she is a Sindarin Elf of Nargothrond

In Appendix B at the end of The Return of the King, she is now the sister of Finrod Felagund of Nargothrond, making her now a Noldorian Elf. Finrod notably saves Beren from Sauron. Her husband is kinsmen of Thingol of Doriath, the father of Luthien. Galadriel's daughter, Celebrian, is married to Elrond.

In Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn, her travels have bouncing as round Middle-Earth. She is distrustful of Annatar (Sauron), while the rest of the Noldor in Eregion are taken with him. A coup happens and she flees Eregion though Khazad-Dûm. She rules over Lothlorien before passing the lordship to her son. When he dies, she and Celeborn return to Lothlorien.

In Of The Rings of Power and the Third Age she is elevated to the status of mightiest and fairest elf that remained in Middle-Earth.

In The Silmarillion, Galadriel participates in Fëanor's rebellion, seeking to be a ruler of realm of her own. She is present at The First Kinslaying. She meets Celeborn in Doriath. She is also unwilling to return to Valinor with the other Noldor and lingered in Middle-Earth.

In The Road Goes Ever On, a sheet music book by Donald Swann, we learn that Galadriel is actually banned from returning to Valinor unless certain conditions are met. Implying she is not repentant enough to be allowed back in Valinor.

In The Shibboleth of Fëanor we learn that Galadriel can perceive people's mind and judge their heart. She sees Fëanor for what he is and dislikes him. She is not swayed by his rebellion and actively fights against his forces when they commit The First Kinslaying. She follows him to Middle-Earth out of revenge. It is also here where we find out that Fëanor was enamored with her silver-golden hair and asked for a tress. She wouldn't lend him a single hair. It is implied that her hair inspired Fëanor to make the Silmarils.

Some final notes in 1973, removed Galadriel even further from Fëanor's rebellion. She intended to go to Middle-Earth beforehand, but was barred by the Valar after Fëanor's rebellion. She meets Celeborn in Alqualondë this time while visiting her mother. She goes to Middle-Earth in despair of the violence of the Kinslaying.

Until Next Time! Namárië!

[istar-ingolmo]

The Purpose of This Blog

My purpose here is simple: To share my love and knowledge about the world of Middle-Earth. I have a deep fascination and appreciation for the beauty and poetry of Tolkien's Legendarium. This was first kindled upon viewing Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings Trilogy in high school.

I will discuss various things that Tolkien wrote about, from what we get in the canon texts (The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion), his notes and other revisions shown to us in The History of Middle-Earth series and Unfinished Tales to later publications that expand on the canon stories such The Children of Hurín and The Fall of Gondolin. I will also talk about the movies (both new and old) and the new series from Amazon, The Rings of Power.

My essays are intended to help others grow to appreciate Tolkien's Legendarium in a similar way that I do. Some of this stuff, other Tolkien Content Creators might be able to present better or snappier, but I won't let that stop me.

Come with me!