#Tolkien meta

[camille-lachenille]

What if Andúril/Narsil originally was Beren’s sword? I know the popular hc is that it belonged to Maedhros and was passed on to Elros.

But hear me out. What if Finrod gave a sword to Barahir, along the famous ring. It’s something harried, in the middle of war: Barahir lost his sword and Finrod gave him a spare one. It’s not important, bc it’s just a useful tool needed in the moment, and Finrod has plenty of fine weapons forged by Dwarves. Barahir leaves his sword to Beren.

Or maybe the sword is a wedding gift from Thingol to Beren, since he too, has plenty if swords and weapons forged by Dwarves and we know Telchar, who made Narsil, also worked with Thingol. It doesn’t really matter, in the end, where this sword comes from.

What matters is that Dior inherit of his father’s sword, and that sword is salvaged from the ruins of Doriath after the second Kinslaying and brought to Sirion or Balar for Dior’s heir to use in case of need but Elwing never touched it and it sat in some armoury, nearly forgotten, until Elrond and Elros find their way to Gil-Galad.

And then Elros takes this sword as his, because why let this fine blade gather dust when there is a war going on? He gives it a Quenya name, the language of his new kingdom, and has his coat of arms of seven stars etched along the runes. Nobody really remembers where Narsil comes from at this point, except that it’s old and probably from Doriath since the inscription on the blade is in cirth. And after several thousands of years, Narsil is reforged into Andúril and wielded by the heir of Beren to fight the enemy.

[eri-pl]

Dear Feanorians and people who know Quenya:

How do I know which words do the Feanorian "th" and which words are always "s"? ("They're spelled with suule vs with silme" is not an answer: How do I know how they're spelled?)

Do I compare them with Sindarin and if Sindarin has "s", it's always "s"? Like, "estel" is always s, right?

Thank you.

[growingingreenwood]

Here are my thoughts on Elves re-growing their teeth that nobody asked for:

Since Elves can live for literally ever if they're careful enough, I think it's super unlikely that one single set of teeth would be able to make it through all of the ages without even getting knocked out, rotting, or getting eroded overtime until they are flat to the gum. Unless of course Eru made them with invincible teeth (more invisible than any other part of the elves.) 

Personally, I think that it's most likely and the most PRACTICAL that Elves do the same thing as Crocodiles do where their teeth hollow out as they age so that a new tooth can grow into the space and eventually force the old tooth to fall out. Revealing a mostly fully grown tooth underneath. 

I think the FUNNIEST would be if it was like rodents and one single set of teeth slowly grows for eternity, so that if they don’t eat enough or wear them down their teeth get significantly longer than is ‘normal.’ Imagine the weird fashion trends the elves could come up with by purposefully growing out specific teeth.  

However, I think it would be the SCARIEST if it was the same as Sharks where they grow new teeth behind the old ones, and slowly force the older one’s forward until they become loose enough to fall out of their mouths. Could you imagine if elves had 2 - 3 sets of teeth at any given time in their mouths. Fucking terrifying.

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

I feel like legolas is the kind of elf that, while he absolutely can take the reins of a situation and lead people, is also absolutely chill with being the second in command. Unless it’s needed or the one in charge is gonna do smth stupid, he’s fine letting other people deligate tasks and make decisions and such.

Legolas walks the fine line between being more of a solo act and being a team player

And you can see this pretty clearly in lotr too, like he lets Gandalf and Aragorn take the lead for the most part bc he knows this isn’t his area of expertise, but we also see his initiative and confidence when he volunteers himself for the quest instead of letting someone else take part (like glorfindel).

It’s also really important to me that legolas is someone who follows orders because he chooses to follow orders. He doesn’t follow orders bc he has to or bc it’s what he’s supposed to do, he lets other people tell him what to do only when he trusts them/trusts their decisions/agrees with them.

[echo-bleu]

Alright, I've seen a lot of different descriptions and depictions in art, but I don't think this is actually settled in canon, so help me with something:

No "I want to see the results" you cowards, just make up your opinion on the spot if you don't have one.

I used round-shaped fruits but we also don't actually know the shape of the Silmarils, so assume for each answer that we're talking about whatever the largest diameter is in your shape of choice.

[symphonyofsilence]

What I find fascinating about Galadriel's story, the story of the rebel Noldo who dreamed of ruling a land of her own, actually survived to rule her own land until the end of the third age, and all the while dreamed of home is that it's the story of someone taking all the risks, paying all the price, forgoing everything she had, going all the way, and getting what she wanted only to find out that that was not actually what she wanted. Only to want to go back to where she was at the beginning. Only to want to go home. Maybe it was as glorious as she imagined, but it wasn't worth the price. Maybe it was exactly what she had in mind, but she's got it years after she's wished for it & her wishes had changed since then. Maybe she was actually good at it, but "there's no place like home".

[lesbiansforboromir]

Categorically the most galling part of this universal perception that Boromir is a 'poor out-of-his-depth himbo whose completely ignorant of politics' is how it is blindingly canonically apparent that he put massive effort into being a political entity, to the point that his political opinions follow him even into the Council of Elrond.

Without the Council of Elrond, one could interpret his narrative positioning as a more 'Middle Man' and less 'high' as something forced upon him, a (narratively framed) negative aspect of his character that Faramir is critisising and lamenting as just 'part of his nature'. He is being associated with the Rohirrim and other 'lesser' men because he is also a 'lesser' man inspite of his heritage, due to his 'flawed' and 'weak-willed' personality.

Although that is still a bit of a stilted and awkward interpretation in my opinion, Eomer explicitely differentiates Boromir's treatment and manner around the Rohirrim from other men of Gondor he has known. He is 'less grim' etc etc, Eomer felt more at ease in his company, which implies to me more that Boromir interacted with the Rohirrim as equals, unlike most of this kin. Which seems more likely to be an active effort on his part.

But interpretations based off of that are entirely unnecessary, because the Council of Elrond exists! Where Boromir, when confronted with Aragorn's mistrust of the Rohirrim and Gwaihir's accusation that they pay a tribute of horses to Sauron, immediately and comfortably comes to their staunch defense. 'It is a lie that comes from the Enemy' he declares, literally pointing out propeganda that all these elves and dunadain are primed to believe given their own investment in the racial divide between them and these 'middle men'. A primer that also belongs to Boromir, whose place amongst the 'high men' is a right bestowed on him from birth, yet one he is actively discarding here in favour of defending the Rohir perspective.

And not only that! He even goes so far as to place the rohirrim's ethnic and cultural heritage as a reason for their trustworthiness, inspite of the fact that they cannot claim any relation to any so called 'blessed' lineage. They come from 'the free days of old', a statement that is similar to one of Faramir's but that, tellingly, Faramir uses as a method of infantilising the rohirrim 'they remind us of the youth of Men'.

These are all inherently and radically political statements for the heir of the Stewardship, the man next in line to be chieftain of the southern dunadain, to declare, especially when acting as emissary as he is now.

So now, all those moments when Boromir is linked directly with middle men, when his right to his 'high' heritage is questioned, when he is critisised with the same racially charged language as the rohirrim are (too warlike, "we are become Middle Men, of the Twilight, but with memory of other things" [-] "So even was my brother, Boromir") - all of that is now on purpose, on Boromir's part. He is the one distancing himself from the title of 'high' and questioning it's validity in the process, something Faramir clearly disapproved of and was a part of the breakdown in his respect for him. (Understandable, considering Faramir's equal and opposite effort to reclaim the title of 'high' for himself and his people.) Boromir is, essentially, engaging in some kind of racial-hierarchy criticism/abolishionism and activism.

That is not to say that his political opinions all entirely pass muster, he does still engage in racist rhetoric at least once, calling Gondor's eastern enemies 'the wild folk of the east'. But within the context of his own country and it's ethnic diversity, his position is maverick in comparison to pretty much everyone else.

And before anyone says it, let me head off comments like 'Boromir was just being himself, he didn't even know it was political he was just that stupid but I love him for it' No. Boromir's reputation in Gondor was complex and multifacetted but a great many people loved and supported him, clearly we see that there was a divide in political opinion between the two brother's stances on war and society. What you are essentially saying here is that Faramir is such a dull-witted statesman that he was incapable of swaying opinion his way against someone who didn't even know he was a part of the discussion, who wasnt even involved in the debates, against a high society that based their cultural identity on being descended from racially superior Numenoreans. The historical perspective is heavily weighted in Faramir's favour.

The much more likely state of affairs is that Boromir and Faramir have both been working towards their own social change and against each other, causing an opinion divide within the country. And apparently Boromir has not been losing that fight, even if he hasn't been definitively winning it either. Some people call him reckless where Faramir is measured, others say Faramir is not bold enough, Denethor himself claims Faramir is placing his desire for nobility and 'high-ness' over the safety of himself and his people. Culturally Gondor is going in for more pursuits of war-sports (wrestling perhaps) and the adulation of the soldiers that defend them, above the men of lore if Faramir is to be believed.

Society is changing around this debate and Boromir is actively, purposefully and directly involved in that debate! Hells bells, he even describes a part of how he works in the political sphere to Frodo! 'Where there are so many, all speech becomes a debate without end. But two together may perhaps find wisdom.' Boromir is!!! A politician!! On purpose!!

The neutral political position of 'Heir to the Stewardship' given to him by his birth is so ludicrously weighted towards faithful that the effort it must have taken to push the needle and associate with the middle men as such a divisive yet loved figure is MASSIVE. Boromir believed the Rohirrim and middle men of Gondor were his social equals and counted them amongst his people and that was a stance he upheld in PARLIMENT! Stop!! Acting like he's just a blockheaded soldier who cares about nothing else- he cares!! He cares a lot!! Professionally in fact!!

[anipologist]

There is not nearly enough said about Tolkien's ability to encompass volumes into very short sentences. Mostly because, yes the man was a master of lush descriptions and certainly he loves to wax long and poetically about stars and trees and far green fields under the wind...

But the skill with which he can pack an emotional punch into a couple of words...

Consider the following

"Then Fingolfin beheld (as it seemed to him) the utter ruin of the Noldor, and the defeat beyond redress of all their houses; and filled with wrath and despair he mounted upon Rochallor his great horse and rode forth alone, and none might restrain him. He passed over Dor-nu-Fauglith like a wind amid the dust, and all that beheld his onset fled in amaze, thinking that Oromë himself was come: for a great madness of rage was upon him, so that his eyes shone like the eyes of the Valar. Thus he came alone to Angband's gates, and he sounded his horn, and smote once more upon the brazen doors, and challenged Morgoth to come forth to single combat. "

And the final sentence "And Morgoth came."

All of that imagery of Fingolfin coming upon Morgoth like a Vala himself and throwing down his figurative gauntlet and then the fallen Vala coming forth with just a three word sentence.

Or the entirety of the Duel of Sauron and Finrod (that is renowned) all gorgeous imagery, the Lord of Wolves against the disguised king of Minas Tirith...

"Reeling and foundering, as ever more strong The chanting swelled, Felagund fought, And all the magic and might he brought Of Elvenesse into his words."

....

"The wolf howls. The ravens flee. The ice mutters in the mouths of the Sea. The captives sad in Angband mourn. Thunder rumbles, the fires burn"

And the final line "And Finrod fell before the throne."

The brevity and the switch from Felagund to just Finrod, from the dwarf-given title to his Telerin-originated father-name as he falls defenseless to the reminder of the kinslaying is devastating in its simplicity.

There is a time for lush descriptions and a time for brevity, a time for gorgeous, expensive imagery and allegory and a time for literary simplicity and Tolkien knew it...

[ettelenethelien]

The thing about the Valar paroling Morgoth is that it's easier to judge in hindsight.

Basically, the reader always knows their trust will be betrayed. Even if you don't know the Silm yet, heck, even if you don't know LotR, you're familiar with the Dark Lord archetype and this right here is Tolkien creating it. This is how Palpatine, this is how Voldemort, this is how Sauron Expy №14 would have acted.

And furthermore, I don't know if it's that obvious to everyone, but to someone familiar with Christian beliefs, it's very visible from the start that Morgoth pretty much represents the devil. Yeah, it's Tolkien, it's never 1:1 - but it's as close to 1:1 as it gets in the Legendarium, and it's pretty darn close. Of course the devil is a liar, that's pretty much in the definition, you don't trust him, how well did you think that could end?

And even if one was to be somehow unfamiliar with both Christianity and three fourths of pop-culture, it's a story, and I think the rules of story in the majority of cultures imply that if someone's been evil without any redeeming qualities for three chapters straight, they're not going to suddenly change allegiance in the fourth. (Also, let's not kid ourselves, we're straight up told he feigned it.)

That said - from the perspective of the Valar? We like to talk - or at least I like to talk - about how many of the mistakes that the Noldor (and the Fëanorians in particular) make are much more understandable in the light of them living at the very beginning of history. Fëanor doesn't know any better than to leave half his army behind, because he really cannot know any better. It's a moral betrayal, sure, yet as a tactical blunder it feels foolish, but can be explained. (And of course, despite ample historical evidence to the contrary, even we, every time there's a war, believe we'll be home by Christmas). They don't have any historical examples of overcharging leading to failure, they don't have any cautionary stories about rash oaths; they're only going to become one for future generations. And the Valar pardoning Morgoth is even farther back.

This is the first instance of treachery within the count of time! Heck, I doubt the Valar even know one of their number can lie at this point! Maybe they understand the concept as something Elvish children do before they know any better; maybe not even that. This is Paradise, and treason intruding into Paradise, and they cannot see into his heart, and he's always been very open about his goals before.

Does the situation scream "this is going to end very, very badly", even without the additional in-text explanations of Morgoth's purposes? Very much so. But is there an easy explanation that does not assume incompetence on the part of the Valar? Also yes.

[silvergifting]

do you ever think about the sheer grief that pervades so much of fëanor's story in general...? his grief and his resentment towards míriel seem to make up such an integral part of his being and what drives him as a whole. for him, even the mere suggestion that something might be perceived as an insult against his mother is just too much to handle. in a sense, he's still so obsessed with protecting her honor, even when she has long since passed into the halls of mandos and vairë.

there's just this profound sense of loss that makes so much more sense when you think about fëanor as an individual who is still grieving the loss of his mother and grappling with the consequences of his father's actions.

in the The Shibboleth of Fëanor from The Peoples of Middle-Earth, there's this lovely little passage that tells fëanor's story a bit differently, amongst a description of his Linguistics Snobbery: it describes míriel's death (which, notably, does not occur soon after his birth, but a bit later on) as a 'lasting grief to fëanor', which influenced many of the disastrous actions he took later on. when she dies, fëanor takes guard of her sleeping body and hröa, for a time.

to me, it's such an accurate depiction of grief: it's not something that fëanor struggles with for a time and then forgets, and it's not beautiful and tragic: it's ugly, it's life-long, and it cuts fëanor so deeply that he never fully recovers from it. it's a shame that this particular narrative of grief doesn't get as much attention as it should; people tend to dismiss fëanor as unhinged and nothing more, but, like... grief makes you do crazy things and it changes you so much. it doesn't justify what fëanor does throughout the silmarillion, of course, but it explains a great deal.

[aracaranelentari]

Was Fingolfin's death a suicide?

This is one of those questions that I've pondered for years, and can have different answers depending on your own interpretations of the text. The Silmarillion never had me convinced that he intended to die, or that it was his main goal in challenging Morgoth. Honestly, I don't think he was thinking or intending anything at all - his final charge and fatal duel were acts of complete despair and madness, there was no goal.

HOWEVER. I was going through Shaping of Middle-Earth a little bit ago while looking for something unrelated and came across the version of Fingolfin's duel as written in the 1930s "Quenta" typescript. Please read this with me:

"Most grievous of the losses of that battle [Dagor Bragollach] was the death of Fingolfin mightiest of the Noldoli. But his own death he sought in rage and anguish seeing the defeat of his people." (SoME p.128)

He SOUGHT HIS OWN DEATH. He may not have directly killed himself, but in this early version of the story at least, the text implies that Fingolfin was absolutely riding to his death on purpose. He intended to die.

Of course this is an early version of the story, and since this wording is only ever found in this one typescript, it's possible Tolkien rethought Fingolfin's intent or didn't like the suicidal implications, so he purposely left it out of later versions. However, the whole passage was rewritten for later versions in ways that echoed the Lay of Leithian more than this version in the "Quenta", so it's also possible that Tolkien simply left it out because it didn't flow with the rest of the new paragraph, not because he went back on the idea of Fingolfin seeking his own death.

So, yeah. I just thought that was interesting. Was his death suicide? Still debatable I think, depending on how you define the word suicide. Did he want to die? Very VERY likely, yes.

[camille-lachenille]

I was thinking about how, in fanfictions and in the fandom in general, Elrond is often depicted as a pure Noldorin lord, if not a die hard Fëanorian. And while I do enjoy Fëanorian!Elrond, the more I think about it the more I am convinced Elrond is not the fëanorian one of the twins. Elros is. Elros who adopted seven eight pointed stars as the heraldic device of his whole dynasty, a symbol still used 6000 years after his death. Elros who had Quenya be the official language of Númenor. Elros who decided to leave Arda for an unknown fate after his death; not Everlasting Darkness but not the rebirth in the bliss of Valinor either. He choose to go to a place Elves aren’t supposed to go, just like Fëanor and his sons went back to Beleriand. Elros, the mortal man, who decided to forge his own path in the world.

And I am not saying Elrond didn’t, because Eru knows how much strength, patience and stubbornness Elrond must have to become who he is in LotR. But when I first re-read LotR after reading the Silm, he did not strike me as Fëanorian at all (except for the no oath swearing rule that seems to apply in Rvendell). In fact, Elrond, and all three of his children, are defined by being half-Elven. Elrond is so much at the same time they had to creat a whole new category for him. He is described as kind as summer in The Hobbit, but also old and wise, and his friendly banter with Bilbo in FotR show he is also merry and full of humour. Elrond is both Elf and Man despite his immortality, and this is made quite clear in the text.

But. If I had to link him to an Elven clan, I’d say Elrond is more Sinda than Noldor, and even that is up to debate. Rivendell, this enchanting valley hidden from evil thanks to his power, is like a kinder version of Doriath. Yet, the name of Last Homely House and Elrond’s boundless hospitality make me think of Sirion: Rivendell is a place where lost souls can find s home, where multiple cultures live along each other in friendship and peace.

In FotR, Elrond introduces himself as the son of Eärendil and Elwing, claiming both his lineages instead of giving only his father’s name as is tradition amongst the Elves. It may be a political move, or it may be a genuine wish to claim his duality, his otherness, or even both at the same time. But from what is shown of Elrond in LotR, he seems to lean heavily in the symbols and heritage from the Sindar side of his family, rather than the Noldor one. I already gave the comparison with Doriath, but it seems history repeats itself as Arwen, said to be Lúthien reborn, chooses a mortal life. Yet Elrond doesn’t make the same mistake as Thingol by locking his daughter in a tower and sending her suitor to a deathly quest. Yes, he asks Aragorn to first reclaim the throne of Gondor before marrying Arwen, but this isn’t a whim on his part or an impossible challenge. Aragorn becoming king means that Middle-Earth is free from the shadow if Sauron and Arwen will live in peace and happiness. Which sounds like a reasonable wish for a parent to me.

Anyways, I went on a tangent, what strikes me with Elrond is his multiple identity. Elrond certainly has habits or traits coming from his upbringing amongst the Fëanorians, and he loved Maglor despite everything. The fact he is a skilled Minstrel shows he did learn and cultivate skills taught by a Fëanorion, that he is not rejecting them. There is a passage at the end of RotK, in the Grey Havens chapter, where Elrond is described carrying a silver harp. Is this a last relic from Maglor? Possible.

But while Elros choose the path of mortality and showed clear Noldorin influences in the kingdom he built, Elrond is happy in his undefined zone he lives in. He is an Elf, he is a Man, he is Sinda and Noldo and heir to half a dozen lost cultures and two crowns. He is the warrior and the healer, the only one of his kind in Middle-Earth. And that is why I will never tire of this character and I love so much fanworks depicting him as nuanced and multiple yet always recognisable as Elrond.

[eri-pl]

All the brothers...

I can't grasp it well yet, but I feel like Tolkien really loved writing a dynamins between two (exactly 2) brothers, especially twins, and making them a stark contrast.

Melkor and Manwe, of course. The good Vala and the bad Vala. Both into the same woman. One is the king, the other wants to be the king. Names start with the same letter, we'll see more of it later. Good / purity vs evil.

Do the lamps count? Do the trees count? Sun and moon? Generally: silver light and golden light.

(skipping Feanor, and two other Fs, because there were 3 brothers)

Another M-pair: Maedhros and Maglor. Fire and water. Not only in their final fates, but music is of water too. (and the third Silmaril ends up free in the air)

Curufin and Celegorm, Indoors and outdoors guy, but both pretty awful. (Caranthir doesn't count, he spent less time with them)

Amrod and Amras, and of course, on twin dies, the other lives (for now). Also, again one is tied to fire and fell fate.

Huor and Hurin, extended to their sons: Tuor and Turin. One did great deeds, one was doomed. Destiny at its best and its worst.

Dior's sons, surprisingly they probably both died? But at least they were twins, so maybe I should include them.

Elrond and Elros. Twins theme at its peak. Men and Elves. Immortality and death. Fading into background and short-lived, doomed glory. Also, they tie to M&M. also, Elros's heritage dies in water, which ties him even more to Maglor. And Elrond is, surprisingly, tied to the element of air, because of his Ring.

Elrond has twins again (+Arwen) but we aren't told their fates.

Isildur and Anarion?

I probably forgot some more pairs.

Well, after I wrote it down, it's not a lot, but I still feel like it's a strong theme in the Silm. Dualities. Mostly

silver / gold and Elves/Men, I would say those map on one another and maybe West / East is also similar. Silver-elves-West and gold-Men-East

also, the lines of Numenor kings and Andunie tie to the previous one partially

One lives (at least for some time) and weeps, the other dies quickly.

some subset of Fire/Air/Water

Maybe it's just me. I was always sad as a kid that I was the only one.

Thoughts?

[viola-ophelia]

let me know what your favorite is in the tags! ^w^

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

Wait, how is it that Legolas could walk over snow, yet fingolfin’s host had elves that fell through the ice when they were walking on the grinding ice?

And don’t say “magic” because i’m asking why it’s not consistent. Either elves are light enough or something to not fall into snow, much less ice, or they are heavy enough to fall through snow/ice.

I don’t care about the explanation, but it has to be either/or, or there needs to be a specific reason why one does work and the other doesn’t.

[echo-bleu]

Noldor hair headcanons (2/4)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | On AO3

By the time they’re settled in Beleriand, the Nolofinwëans have largely switched from elaborate styles done by someone else to (slightly) simpler self-braided styles. They’re at war now, so they turn toward practical braids that keep their hair out of their face during combat. There’s more and more of a gap between everyday styles and ceremonial styles.

The Fëanorians however are still doing things the old way. Maedhros is very unhappy that he can no longer braid people’s hair properly (especially Fingon’s) (he learns to do it one-handed eventually, but it’s never as perfect) (Fingon doesn’t mind).

The Sindar wear their hair half-up or even loose. However, they like to play with each other’s hair, and it’s not reserved for family, which is Very Weird for the Noldor to see. Galadriel has a hard time getting used to it and doesn’t let anyone touch her hair beside Celeborn, but she eventually figures out that her hair dazzles people even more when it’s loose, so she starts leaving it down.

It’s even harder to untangle as a result, and Celeborn suffers. (Galadriel is not not into hair pulling.)

Melian and Lúthien’s hair is so silky that braids just undo themselves. Elrond and Elros partly inherit that, and Elrond spends his whole life mourning that fact (he wants to do his hair like Maedhros, okay?).

Finrod is the first elf to let a Man touch his hair. He’s travelling alone and he’s touch-deprived, can you blame him? (It’s Bëor. It results in several uncomfortable conversations.)

Curufin makes himself and his brothers sharpened hairpins and various other weapons disguised as hair jewellery.

Hairstyles mingle during the Siege until, in the more cosmopolitan realms, Noldor and Sindar are no longer identifiable at first sight. Some Noldor elect to keep their hair mostly loose (though almost never entirely) while many Sindar learn the Battle Braids. They are very convenient, after all.

Avari hair customs are very different. It’s mostly about hair brushing/care being very intimate. They usually wear hairdresses or hair covering of some kind, depending on the tribe they belong to.

Gondolin has stayed highly conservative about hair, with hairstyles almost as complex as Tirion in its noontide.

Maeglin hates having his hair touched even more than his mother.

I’m tempted to make Eöl an asshole on this too, who cuts Aredhel’s hair or something, but I think she just never lets him touch her and he doesn’t care enough to try.

Maeglin grows up with his hair loose up until Aredhel takes them to Gondolin, where she remembers how Turgon is about hair, and braids Maeglin’s and her own in hopes of Looking Natural.

Maeglin’s first impression of Gondolin is that Hair Braiding Hurts (though not as much as adar’s hands). It goes downhill from there.

He’s still jealous when he catches Idril doing Tuor’s hair. Tuor doesn’t even have the decency of having beautiful Noldor hair, so it doesn’t even look that good. The next day, Idril’s braids are very wonky and Maeglin, upon seeing her, completely messes up the hair clip he was making her.

Eärendil has Tuor’s hair. It’s fine, because Elwing refuses to do Noldor braids.

Glorfindel is a Vanya and wears his hair completely loose.

We all know how that ends.

Maglor’s hair is partly burned off in Dagor Bragollach. He spends an uncomfortable few years growing it back and recovering from smoke inhalation. He revives some ridiculous hair-related ditties from his youth as voice therapy and they’re soon heard throughout Beleriand.

Finrod, badly injured and with no bodies of his brothers to bury, makes up a self-braided version of the Mourning Braids (It involves only braiding the hair from the shoulders down. That’s largely because he couldn’t raise his arms at that point, but it becomes a feature of all Mourning Braids—except Maglor’s style—for two ages to come.)

For the first time since the Ice, Fingolfin asks Fingon to do his hair, the morning after they hear of Morgoth’s victory.

He braids Rochallor’s mane and tail before setting out.

Rochallor walks back into Hithlum some days after the Eagle comes, his hair still braided. He lies down and dies with his head in Fingon’s arms.

Turgon braids his father’s hair before burying him, as he did with Elenwë, as he did with Aredhel. There is a custom that’s been developing among the Noldor of Beleriand to only give the dead a single, simple braid, so that they don’t risk being too attached to their body and miss the call from Mandos, but Turgon doesn’t know of it. No one has died in Gondolin since it was built, aside from Aredhel and Eöl.

Finrod and his Ten braid each other’s hair the night after they leave Nargothrond. Beren watches them with no understanding of the custom.

They later find out that werewolves spit out the hair when they devour someone.

It’s not a nice sight.

Beren and Lúthien do their best to clean Finrod’s beautiful golden braids of blood before they bury him, even though neither of them quite get what the braids mean to the Noldor.

Fingon’s golden ribbons are marred with blood when they find his body on the battlefield. His braids are the only way to identify him for certain.

Maedhros revives Maglor’s Mourning Braids. Mostly because Maglor does them for him. Maedhros would be fine with No One Ever Touching His Hair Again, but he’s close to catatonic.

Then the Oath awakes once more.

Celegorm’s white hunting braids and Dior’s black silky hair mingle on the blood-stained floor of Doriath’s throne room.

It takes Maglor longer to find Caranthir and Curufin. He carefully braids their hair into a single plait before they burn the bodies, in case it could help them find Mandos.

Maybe they are for the Void, but at least he feels like he’s done something.

The years up to the Third Kinslaying are awful. Maedhros and Maglor are codependent to an unhealthy degree, while the twins will barely speak to them, or each other. Maglor still does Maedhros’s hair. Maedhros doesn’t return the favour. They scream at each other daily.

Sirion is unthinkable. They attack anyway. Maedhros and Ambarussa’s braids look like bloodstains in the twilight.

Elwing’s hair floats around her as she falls.

To be continued