#finrod is a badass

[prattling-she-elf]

Rating Rings of Power Characters: Elves Edition!

(As of Episode 5)

Welcome to the show where you get to hear my opinions which nobody asked for!

Are you ready?

Let the frivolity commence!

Aaaaand first up, we have the Elves! Starting with....

Galadriel:

Elegant. Graceful. Proud. Restless. A fighter.

Everything I expect and look for in a young Galadriel. 10 points.

10 points for putting baby Elrond in his place. She has seen shit, and no patronizing from Elrond (who literally has not seen said shit) is making her forget that.

Another 10 points awarded for the iconic line and delivery of "There is a tempest within me!"

20 points for slapping that man in the ass with a sword. That had me howling with laughter.

-5 points for her lack of husband. Seriously, where the hell is Celeborn? Minus another 10 for being shorter than Halbrand. Our woman should be like 6 feet tall. It doesn't matter if Morfydd Clark is only 5'3. They made John Rhys-Davies (Gimli) who is 6'1 look short next to the rest of the OG cast. They could have done the same here and made her look tall. Big boo.

Galadriel comes in with a total of 35 points.

Next up, we have.....

Arondir:

Quick. Agile. Diplomatic. Just. Kind. Serious. Handsome.

This guy has it all. Solid 20 points for a great original character.

Another 10 points for his subtle expressiveness. He's pretty closed off, but the way he looks at Bronwyn.... *swoons*

10 points for the face he makes at Adar when Adar asks him if he is from Beleriand from "the mouth of the river".

*derisive laughter*

Arondir's incredulous face says it all. There are roughly 35 rivers in Beleriand, which drain into around 4 mouths, all of which have some settlement of some kind. Like, I know the writers probably mean he's from the Havens of Sirion, but that was still the elvish equivalent of asking an American, "Are you from America, from 'the state'? I've been there once, you know".

-5 points for speaking Quenya. Not a single Silvan Elf born in Beleriand would be speaking Quenya, ever. Elu Thingol banned the language from being spoken throughout the realm when he learned of the horrors of the First Kinslaying. It's an absolutely massive faux pas on the writer's part.

That has Arondir sitting pretty on 35 points.

Next, we have ....

Celebrimbor:

He's..... old?

That's -5 right off the bat. He's not the oldest elf, so why does he look old? I mean, he also saw some first-age shit, but so did everyone else here. The writers do realize that he's younger than Galadriel, right?

Otherwise, he's a little sassy and ambitious, but relatively a nice guy. +10 points for Celebrimbor.

That leaves Celebrimbor with ..... ouch, 5 points. You know what will make you popular my dude? Forge some rings. What could possibly go wrong?

Next up is.....

Gil-Galad:

+10 points for looking exactly as Gil-Galad should, but what did they do to his character?

Since when did Gil-Galad become.... dare I say it... a dick?

The Gil-Galad I know was kind and benevolent, and overall a gentle ruler who always sided with Galadriel. I was not expecting a sneaky, manipulative, Mithril-hungry, ship-your-best-mates-off-to-Valinor, arrogant bastard, and I do not approve.

I mean, where is the man worthy of the "Gil-Galad was an elven king" poem? The writers so did him dirty.

-10 points.

That leaves Gil-Galad with a great big 0. Shape up, laddy.

Moving on to....

Elrond:

He is a perfect sweet baby. An angel. Kind. Polite. Understanding. He has a lot to learn. The character is so good I can entirely excuse the hair.

10 points for Elrond!

His bromance with Durin is iconic. Another 10 points.

He is also pure and loyal to his friends, and he is starting to learn to do both what is right for his friends, and what is right for his people. Oh, how this series is going to crush him. Another 10 for our poor baby.

That has Elrond sitting on a nice even 30 points.

Next up....

Elros:

Lore checks out. +10.

Just tell me, what idiot decided Elros gets a beard? Tolkien makes it very clear that half-elves don't get beards and it takes many generations for their descendants to acquire that mannish trait (see the princely house of Dol Amroth). -5 points.

That leaves Elros with 5 points as well. You need to shave, my dude.

Aaaaand, last but not least.....

Finrod:

Right off the bat, wtf did they do to his hair?!? Terribly unsexy. -10 points.

And what exactly happens with his death? Finrod dies in the dungeons of Sauron, not on the fields of battle. While the former (and correct version) would perfectly explain Galadriel's extreme hatred of Sauron, the show heavily implies the latter. -10 for such a vague corruption of his backstory.

+5 for his absolutely awesome quote, "Sometimes we cannot know [the light] until we have touched the darkness."

Finrod finishes with a grand..... -15 points.

AND THE WINNER IS.......

Galadriel and Arondir for a tie!

Elrond comes in a close second!

Tune in next time for Rating the Númenóreans!

[thestaroffeanor]

King of Nargothrond, Finrod Felagund

Or the unfortunate boy that earned himself a very stupid nickname with me during the process of this portrait... thing xD

I'm so sorry, he's actually pretty badass, but that didn't stop my sleep deprived mind

[valacirya]

Indis appreciation post!

Disclaimer: All the canon info is taken from Morgoth's Ring and Peoples of Middle Earth. Also, this isn't a character analysis/meta. It's just a list of stuff I love (plus some headcanons) about one of my favorite characters in the legendarium.

1. She's athletic and outdoorsy. We're told that Indis is "exceedingly swift of foot" and that "she walked often alone in the fields and friths of the Valar, turning her thought to things that grow untended." When Finwe sees her, she's chilling on a mountainside. I love that she's associated with nature, specifically the wilderness. She parallels Feanor in her exploration of Aman and interest in the imperfect. Also, this is purely self-indulgent but ever since reading HoME for the first time, I've pictured Indis as tall and broad, and muscular beneath a layer of fat.

2. She doesn't let her unrequited love affect her life. "There was ever light and mirth about her." She's not the pining, languishing princess stereotype. She goes on. She doesn't let it make her bitter or depressed, and she is so restrained that only Mandos and possibly Ingwe are aware of her feelings.

3. Part of her attraction to Finwe is intellectual. In HoME we're told that his "mastery of words delighted her." Considering that Indis is also a poet/composer ("wove words into song") and that the Vanyar enjoy linguistics, it makes sense. It's also just really cute.

4. She's politically minded. Her reasoning for pronouncing 's' instead of 'th' is: "I have joined the Noldor, and I will speak as they do." This is the right thing to do to gain the respect of the Noldor and their acceptance of her authority. I also think she makes a statement with Fingolfin and Finarfin's mother-names. Arakano ("high chieftain") and Ingoldo ("the Noldo, eminent among the kindred") are not only powerful, prophetic names, they're also strikingly similar to Ingwe ("chief of chieftains") who is the High King not just of the Vanyar, but all Eldar. What a power move.

5. She's able to balance her own culture with the culture she marries into. Indis integrates into Noldorin society easily while remaining Vanyarin at her core, as is evidenced by Finwe saying that "above all her heart now yearns for the halls of Ingwe and the peace of the Vanyar." Her sons also respect and are proud of their mixed heritage; Finarfin "loved the Vanyar, his mother's people" and is said to be like them (as are Finrod and Galadriel), and Fingolfin's daughter-in-law is Vanyarin (plus the Nolofinweans have a special connection to Manwe).

6. She gets an awesome prophecy about her line. "But I say unto you that the children of Indis shall also be great, and the Tale of Arda more glorious because of their coming. And from them shall spring things so fair that no tears shall dim their beauty; in whose being the Valar, and the Kindreds both of Elves and of Men that are to come shall all have part, and in whose deeds they shall rejoice. So that, long hence when all that here is, and seemeth yet fair and impregnable, shall nonetheless have faded and passed away, the Light of Aman shall not wholly cease among the free peoples of Arda until the end." Fuck yeah.

7. Her name means "valiant woman." This is the only definition given in Morgoth's Ring, I believe. I highly prefer it over the "bride" meaning because it's a badass name and is similar to Artanis ("noble woman") and Astaldo ("the valiant"). A headcanon that I'm particularly attached to is that Indis's mother-name is Indome, meaning "will of Eru."

8. She's popular with most of the Noldor. We're told that "Finwe, King of the Noldor, wedded Indis, sister of Ingwe; and the Vanyar and Noldor for the most part rejoiced." The majority of the Noldor also follow Fingolfin and Finarfin instead of Feanor.

9. She's friends with Nerdanel. HoME states that Nerdanel went to "abide with Indis, whom she had ever esteemed."

10. She gets pissed off at Finwe when he sides with Feanor. So much so that he thinks she won't want to see him if he's re-embodied. I know this is from his perspective but I'm inclined to agree. [However, this is still very presumptive of him, and his comment that "Indis parted from me without death" is super shitty. Eugh.]

11. She's close to her kids. Finarfin takes after her, Fingolfin passes on the name she gave him, Findis lives with her, Lalwen goes by the name she gave her. Finwe also says that "she hath dear children to comfort her."

So there we have it! What little info we get about Indis is pretty awesome. And this is just a list; I could write a whole essay on her fortitude and unconventionality and my numerous headcanons about her.

[myceliumelium]

It's Finrod! Objectively, a badass. There are only so many people who can say that they've bitten a werewolf.

[aipilosse]

✨ for any worldbuilding element you'd like to talk abt!

✨ - Worldbuilding or background story elements.

oooohh ok this is another one I have a lot of, so I think I'll go with my ósanwe headcanons.

Basically, because of ósanwe, I assume all elves have the equivalent of a shitty cellphone. Like a cellphone they both a) need the other's number b) need reception and c) need the phone to be charged, but if all of those elements are in play I assume important information has been shared from one to another.

So, to get more specific:

a) need the other's number: they need a fairly close relationship to assume there's ósanwe between the two. AKA Fingon might tell Maedhros about his badass dragon battles, but Finrod is only going to find out through conventional channels.

b) need reception: there are places ósanwe does not work! Nan Dungortheb is an ósanwe dead zone (hence why Celeborn couldn't sext Galadriel in my most recent fic), as is Nan Elmoth and Angband. This has no basis in canon BUT doesn't everything make so much sense if there are just some locations where ósanwe is impossible because of psychic vibes?

c) need the phone to be charged: this is more about ósanwe ability. Some elves have the equivalent of my 4 year old phone battery *cough*Nolofinwions*cough* where they need to be in excellent mental shape in order to use ósanwe , and even then once they do it's hard to communicate more than concepts. Other elves *cough*Finrod*cough* use ósanwe effortlessly and can yap at you almost like an actual conversation. It might be awkward next time you run into them, but it is VALID and really the only thing you can do sometimes to unsubscribe to the Arafinwion group text.

With these three elements I can either have information travel with ease from one end of Beleriand to the other or explain why no one knows anything ever and also add some juicy interpersonal drama along with it.

[laurefindele-thegolden]

I've decided to write down my favourite Silmarillion quotes/passages

This is what I have so far, feel free to add yours

• "You have my leave but not my love." - you tell him Curufin

• "And Morgoth came." - three words yet the power they have is perfect

• "But Finrod walks with Finarfin, his father, beneath the trees in Eldamar." - que the waterworks

• "Last of all Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed; and it is sung that the axe smoked in the black blood of the troll-guard of Gothmog until it withered, and each time that he slew Húrin cried: 'Aurë entuluva! Day shall come again!' Seventy times he uttered that cry."

• "Death you can give me earned or unearned; but the names I will not take from you of baseborn, nor spy, nor thrall. By the ring of Felagund, that he gave to Barahir my father on the battlefield of the North, my house has not earned such names from any Elf, be he king or no." - I'm in a love hate relationship with Thingol at times so you tell him bby

• "For little price,’ he said, ‘do Elven-kings sell their daughters: for gems, and things made by craft. But if this be your will, Thingol, I will perform it. And when we meet again my hand shall hold a Silmaril from the Iron Crown; for you have not looked the last upon Beren son of Barahir.” - also as above

• "Get thee gone from my gate, thou jail-crow of Mandos." - love him or hate him but Fëanor is badass.

[thelordofgifs]

Obscure Tolkien Blorbo: Round 4

Haleth vs Andreth

Haleth:

The Chieftain of the Haladin who kept her people alive during a siege by orcs and later led them to the Forest of Brethil.

Love her so badass 😍

She's a badass good girl, proud and a lesbian queen (just trust me on that one)

Andreth:

A woman of the First Age, one of the central characters of the Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth. In her youth she had a romance with Finrod’s brother Aegnor.

She's wise, she's angry, she's bitter, she's everything to me. Blorbo to end all blorbos.

Old philosopher woman who challenges elves about their understanding of reality

Round 4 masterpost

[gratuacuunart]

Turgon the Wise, King of Gondolin. (When he was younger, anyway. :-P)

I have so many different feelings about Turgon. When I first read the Silmarillion, I was very angry at Turgon for "abandoning" his father and brother and basically vanish for a few hundred years. And then I was even more angry at him for staying in Gondolin. But as I reread the Silmarillion for the xth time and read all the other versions of his tale, my feelings changed. First to puzzlement, that so many heroes like Glorfindel, Ecthelion, all the Gondolimdrim basically would follow Turgon, then later to pity at his loss and eventually understanding, that he was the one to take on that burden to exile himself for the sake of his people. Okay, he wasn't completely alone, he had Idril and Aredhel, and all the badass lords. But then if you think about it, he never saw his best friend Finrod again and never had the joy of going hunting with his family again... pretty sad. He is probably not my absolute favorite elf (Because Glorfindel exists), but the Fall of Gondolin is definitely my favorite story. I just wanted to show you my rendition of Turgon, why am I writing a mini-essay for my not favorite elf?! Anyway, enjoy. XD (I guess Argon or Aredhel is next.)

[yourlocalnetizen]

Rating Silm deaths

Miriel: 9/10 - Not a fun way to die but at least the child she died giving birth to was a special snowflake and not an average joe.

Finwe: 3/10 - Pretty lame if you ask me but gets points for trying to be a good dad.

Feanor: 11/10 - Spontaneously combusting sure sounds interesting. Athough it was stupid, I admire his bravery for fighting all those balrogs alone.

Elenwe: 6/10 - Poor thing. She was so brave going to middle earth with a bunch of crazy Noldor. The fanart of her death looks awesome though.

Argon: 7.5/10 - It’s said he killed an Orc Captain in the battle he was slain which seems pretty badass.

Fingolfin: 10/10 - Actually accomplished something by dying. Gets full points for his heroic sacrifice.

Angrod & Aegnor: 5/10 - I’m sorry my sweet summer children. You deserved so much better. Your deaths were unfortunately little more than footnotes though.

Aredhel: 7/10 - Took a Javelin to the shoulder to protect her son but I don’t see why she couldn’t have pulled both herself and her son out of the way.

Fingon: 8/10 - I cried like a b*tch when he died. His death sounded so painful, being held by a whip while being slaughtered by Gothmog.

Turgon: 2/10 - He got played like a fiddle by Maeglin.

Maeglin: 1/10 - Pfft. Lame. Imagine getting defeated and thrown off a wall by human with less than half your experience.

Glorfindel: 4/10 - Sorry dude. Your death wasn’t that cool. A million dudes guys died fighting balrogs and you weren’t the first to do it either.

Ecthelion: 15/10 - What a way to go out my guy. Imagine killing the dude who killed badasses like Fingon & Feanor. Wouldn’t have expected it from a happy little musician.

Finrod: 11/10 - Lmho. He went feral. Fighting a werewolf while naked and weaponless is sure something.

Celegorm: 1/10 - Turko, I love you but what a lame way to go out. A little baby half elf who might have been biologically full human completely owned you.

Caranthir & Curufin: ?/10 - We literally get no info on their deaths except that they died in a kinslaying.

Amrod & Amras: ?/10 - Same as Caranthir and Curufin.

Maedhros: 9/10 - I’m definitely not pro-suicide but his death just feels so right. Refusing to let go of the Silmaril despite the pain it’s causing him. A very fiery end for the hottest Feanorian.

Celebrimbor: 8.5/10 - It was brutal but it was far from boring.

Gil-Galad: 8/10 - I’d say it was pretty hot.

[waitingforsecretsouls]

Everyone always brings up the ‘biting a Werewolf with his teeth’ thing to show Finrod as badass, when the whole ‘busting out of his magical chains by pure strength of will’ thing preceeding it is so much more impressive, smh.

[smilingdawn]

My thoughts on LOTR: The Rings of Power Episode 1 so far:

•Prologue was pretty weak. Given how big the events of the First Age were, I expected something grand scale that would be comparable to the opening of the Battle of the Last Alliance

•Not really feeling Galadriel as a protagonist, much less someone seeking to avenge Finrod

•Galadriel being a certified badass girlboss only works when us fans are doing it, but when the show did it, it came off as that "How do you do, fellow kids?" meme

•The elves look so dry and plain. They couldn't be bothered to give the same effort that the movies did to Thranduil and Legolas?

•I know they were trying to make Galadriel's conflict to be dramatic during the boat scene but it's just so funny because you already know she's staying in Middle Earth 😭

•I was not aware that Galadriel was under Gil Galad's command? Wasn't she (and Celeborn) in charge of their own realm at the time?

• I refuse to believe that that is the same Finrod who rap battle'd Sauron and wore Nauglamir. What is it with Amazon and not putting effort in styling their male elves

•HARFOOTS INTRODUCTION WAS SO CUTE

•Did I just see Finrod raise his sword in what looks like the oath before departing Valinor

•Finrod's statue doesn't have his own sigil for some reason (perhaps a rights issue?)

•What's with the female elves and their covered faces/hair? I am currently raising my eyebrows

•GIL GALAD GIL GALAD GIL GALAD

•At least visuals are great

•Some transitions looked awkward

•Sauron is as stupid sexy as always with what looks like a new armor and is that a spear? Lance? Staff? Whatever 10/10 he's hot

•lmao @ Arondir's friend just casually telling him what happens to elf-human couples

•Celebrimbor's introduction is so 😭 like what are you doing sneaking around, old man?

•Main music is already iconic

[lamemaster]

Weird urge to write an impeccably detailed fic about a hardcore spy with slick moves and a Silmarillion elf. From elf pov as they dream reader go through their insane missions. Ultimately dying in a sad failed mission. Only for the reader to wake up in Valinor with now their timelines aligned.

Write of healing and romance with a smooth badass reader that makes the entire Valinor swoon for them.

Should I do it? Or has someone already done it (if so, link pls 🤲)

Two options:

Is it just me or are you guys normal?

[imakemywings]

Weird ass fucking question but I just had a hangover and you answered one of my asks with a beautiful response so now I wanna know, which one of the elves (it doesn't matter which house or like clan) would you like to have as a dad and whyyy. Mine is Maedhros, Finrod, or Turgon, whichever depends on my mood lmaoo. The reason is I do not know and I have a massive headache but like I would like to be their daughter lololol I think they're neat.

Genuinely? Turgon would be a pretty badass dad. He also seems to do quite well with Idril, as well as Huor, Hurin, and Tuor (and I love me some good granddad!Turgon with Earendil). Elrond known around the fandom for Good Dad Vibes. I'm ruling Fingolfin out despite his good dad vibes because he's too sexy to be my father. Ditto Finrod, although I think he would be a very good dad, great at meeting kids where they are. Finarfin seems quite level-headed, that could be a useful parental quality. Also probably likely to forgive you for fuck-ups. Plus I read a very good short series recently on Finarfin welcoming his kids back to Aman after rebirth and it gave me SO many dad!Finarfin feels...I'm not sure if we're counting him as an Elf but I also feel like Earendil would be a chill dad. Takes you on impromptu surfing outings after school, doesn't get mad just "disappointed."

Okay but I think my ultimately answer is Finarfin.

[actual-bill-potts]

Had a sudden idea for a fic wherein a drunk celegorm sends Maedhros a message bragging abt his incumbent takeover of Nargothrond, only for the raven to be intercepted by Maedhros and maglor who are riding quite close by for…something idk, and of course they go haring off to tol sirion to rescue their dumbass cousin, and rescue finrod and beren, and then they team up with beren luthien huan and finrod and beat the shit out of morgoth

Only I can’t figure out how tf maglor and Maedhros are supposed to beat sauron without luthien and huan

I guess it could be a stealth mission and then luthien comes riding in after and does her badass thing of throwing the tower down

I just really want maglor and luthien teaming up to steal all the silmarils from morgoth

[marietheran]

LotR reread - book 1, chapter 11 - A Knife in the Dark

Wait, doesn't one chapter from the Little House on the Prairie books have an identical title?? (Sorry, those books were my life, before the Legendarium became my life...)

Back to Buckland!

"Open, in the name of Mordor" -- well now you've certainly made yourself look trustworthy...

Probably the only moment in the book where we're given the POV of someone on Sauron's side for a moment??? Unless we're given the POV of Shelob later, even if she may not actually count as that?

The Bucklanders are really badass though. I love them. If I had to live somewhere in Middle Earth and it couldn't be Rivendell, Lothlorien or Gondor, I would choose Buckland.

Neekerbreekers xdd

And midges :/

Gandalf fighting the Nazgul!

How is it dangerous to talk of Gil-Galad with Sauron's servants at hand, but not of Lúthien, which was as great a defeat of Sauron's??

Only reason I can think of is that the Ringwraiths weren't there when Lulu dearest rescued Beren from Tol-in-Gaurhoth.

Long was the way that fate them bore/ O'er stony mountains cold and grey/ Through halls of iron and darling door/ And woods of nightshade morrowless/ The Sundering Seas between them lay/ And yet at last they met once more/ And long ago they passed away/ In the forest singing sorrowless

I love the phrasing "Sundering Seas". Because that is what they are. They sunder - the Amanyar from the peoples of Middle-earth, the faithful from the Exiles, the living from the dead (as here. but they met once more!)

Wonder how "the great enemy, of whom Sauron of Mordor was but a servant" was received by people before the Silmarillion was out. On a first read, one skips over those things, but I wonder how rereads without having read the Silm would have went.

"The bride-price of Lúthien to Thingol" is an elegant way to put "Thingol trying to get Beren killed without bloodying his own hands together with a dose of 'when pigs fly'" haha

No mention of Finrod😡

"Her line shall never fail"... i.e. there will always be her descendants living in the world? But there must be millions by now, 60 generations from Elros (going through the long-lived royal line - going through "random Númenorean sailor who married a girl in Rhûn in S.A. 1200 to the outrage of his family" there'd be 160) That her descendants will always be good people? ❌❌❌ - Ar-Pharazon. That some of them will always be good people? Or that the eldest child to eldest child line of descent will never end?

"O Elbereth Gilthoniel!" Well done Frodo, you were brave, and even if that bravery might have amounted nothing, the cry worked in its stead.