#sirion refugees

[raointean]

I think I found an answer to the Elwing problem!

(At the very least, I thought of another interpretation to make us all sad...)

Elwing is a very divisive character in the Silm fandom. Some believe she was a wonderful parent who was forced out of her children's lives. Others say she abandoned her sons and was possibly neglectful or even abusive before that. (Canon neither supports nor discourages either interpretation with its sparse details, meaning anything goes) I think I may have found a possible middle ground.

Elwing and Eärendil were young when they had Elrond and Elros

I hc that peredhil come of age at about 40 and they were both 29 when they became parents

Assuming human age of majority is 20 (which I do because I hate math), that would put them both at about 15

Of course Eärendil leaves to search for the Valar, he wants a safe world for his new little family

He's 15 and terrified and doesn't know what to do about the tiny new people in his life but this is one thing he can do

Elwing tries her best to take care of the twins on her own because that's what good mothers do, right? Sure she's busy running a refugee settlement, but she can multitask

(What do you mean I can't leave my three-year-olds home alone for a few hours? I survived a kinslaying at three, they'll be fine)

She doesn't understand how to parent because she doesn't remember any parents to model herself off of

She was passed from person to person as a young child and spent most of her time learning how to be a proper leader (yay generational trauma)

She jumps off that cliff for a million different reasons

She has spent her entire life keeping the Silmaril safe and is now face to face with her childhood boogeyman who has just burned her town and slaughtered her people

As she falls, she sees her sons in her mind's eye and hopes they're still alive, hopes someone got them out like someone did for her

(Someone did get them out, but it's nothing like she'd hoped)

She finds her husband and they agree that the only way to keep their children safe is to defeat Morgoth

(Neither of them speak of the fact that their sons may well already be dead)

[sesamenom]

@general-illyrin @tar-thelien @who-needs-words I think you all mentioned being interested in the reverse gondolin au - is anyone interested in helping with wrangling the timelines, especially the second age stuff? Here's the current outline:

(Edit: anyone feel free to help out if you're interested!)

YT 14365 - Birth of Lomion

YT 14373/FA 1 - Death of Argon

FA

2 - Aredhel adopts Lomion

300 - Birth of Idril

316 - Turgon & Idril kidnapped by Eol

400 - Turgon & Idril rescued. Death of Eol

465 - Finrod more-peacefully passes throne to orodreth while on Quest. Everyone except beren still dies

472 - Nirnaeth. Turgon named High King of the Noldor.

476 - Turgon abdicates official title. Aredhel named High King of the Noldor.

496 - Tuor comes to Gondolin

502 - Wedding of Idril and Tuor

503 - Births of Earendil and Elwing. Idril begins to have foresight dreams about the Fall.

506 - Second Kinslaying. C^3 dead, celebrimbor stays in gondolin. Aredhel denounces the oath/kinslaying and disowns C^3

Elwing survives & is found by Oropher & Thranduil // Galadriel & Celeborn. oropher, thranduil, oropher's wife, and thranduil's then-gf // galadriel & celeborn take Elwing to Gondolin as refugees. The Silmaril is left hidden in the woods of melian's domain.

507 - Elwing comes to Gondolin.

509 - Idril captured by Morgoth. Idril reveals the location of Gondolin in exchange for an Oath to not harm her family (Turgon, Tuor, and Earendil). Idril rescued.

510 - Gondolin prepares for war with Morgoth.

513-522 - Siege of Gondolin. Deaths of Duilin and Rog. Gothmog slain by Aredhel the Huntress. First use of the Three Rings by Lomion and Celebrimbor in defense of Gondolin. House of the Hammer of Wrath destroyed.

523 - Maedhros believes a Silmaril is with Elwing at Gondolin.

525 - Earendil weds Elwing. Lomion weds ???. Adoption of Gil-Galad

532 - Births of Elrond and Elros.

538 - Third Kinslaying at Gondolin. Death of Amras. Elrond and Elros kidnapped by Maglor. Deaths of Elwing and Turgon. Second use of the Three Rings by Lomion and Celebrimbor. Deaths of Maedhros and Aredhel. Lomion named King of Gondolin and High King of the Noldor. Deaths of Salgant, Penlod, and Tuor. Earendil named Lord of the House of the Wing.

540-549 - War declared between Gondolin and the Feanorians of Himring over the Third Kinslaying and kidnapping of Princes Elrond and Elros.

549 - Elrond and Elros recovered. Feanorians and Gondolin severely weakened. Celebrimbor // Gil-Galad declared heir to the High Kingship.

552-554 - Second Siege & Fall of Gondolin. Third use of the Three Rings by Lomion and Celebrimbor. Deaths of Ecthelion, Glorfindel, Egalmoth, and Turgon. Idril and Celebrimbor lead survivors through the Secret Way.

555 - Gondolithlim refugees arrive at Sirion.

556 - Idril departs for Valinor.

558 - Earendil searches for Valinor.

560 - Havens of Sirion destroyed by Morgoth. Gondolithlim/Doriathrim survivors scattered. Elrond and Elros rescued (as adults) by Maglor.

572 - Morgoth controls Beleriand. Earendil and reembodied Elwing come to Valinor and rally the Host.

575-617 - War of Wrath

618 - Maglor claims the Silmaril from Eonwe's camp and casts himself into the Sea. Death of Maglor.

620 - End of the First Age.

SA

1 - Founding of the Grey Havens and Lindon under High King Lomion

2 - Elros becomes the first King of Numenor

c. 500 - Sauron returns to Middle-Earth in the East.

650 - Eregion is founded

1000 - Galadriel is given Vilya; Lomion wields Nenya

1170 - Annatar comes to Lindon and Lomion turns him away. Lomion warns Celebrimbor of Eregion of his suspicions.

1200 - Annatar comes to Eregion. Celebrimbor takes him in to monitor.

1250 - Celebrimbor creates the Seven; Lomion creates the Nine.

1410 - Annatar is kicked out of Eregion.

1600 - The One Ring is forged. Sauron remains in hiding.

1610 - Sauron begins to gather and prepare armies in the East.

1673 - War of the Elves and Sauron begins.

1675 - Sauron invades Eriador.

1677 - Fall of Ost-in-Edhil. Celebrimbor and Lomion remain at the House of the Mirdain. Death of Celebrimbor in battle // Fourth use of the Three in battle. Sauron does not learn of the Seven. Founding of Imladris.

1678 - Sauron defeated by the Numenoreans and the Elves of Lindon.

1679 - Sauron flees to Mordor. First White Council held.

3147 - Civil war in Numenor.

3225 - Ar-Pharazon seizes the Sceptre.

3228 - Elrond claims the Sceptre. Ar-Pharazon disowned. Tar-Miriel named Ruling Queen.

3232 - Sauron taken to Numenor as a prisoner.

3274 - Elrond kicks Sauron out of Numenor and outlaws the morgoth cult.

3310 - Morgoth cult publicly reappears.

3319 - Downfall of Numenor. Tar-Miriel leads a greater force of the Faithful away.

(green // blue means two main options, red means i need to think about it more)

The main details I'm figuring out right now are

does Celebrimbor still die at Eregion - I don't think he's getting captured/tortured, but he could still die in the battle. On the other hand, he could probably survive by using Narya & Lomion using Nenya, but that would definitely have repercussions further down the line

how does Idril's deal work - I'm currently thinking of Idril exchanging the location of Gondolin for her family's guaranteed safety, because it seems in character for Reverse Idril? But on the other hand, even if I limit it to immediate family at the time of the oath (tuor, turgon, earendil) then idk where turgon dies? Maybe Maglor can kill him but that seems kind of random

where and how does Turgon die

how does Prince Elrond's character even work

how does Numenor still fall when factoring in Prince Elrond - I'm thinking that the morgoth death cult gained enough traction during the time sauron was there that even after Elrond kicks him out, the cult still sticks around and reemerges later? The Fall still happens, but they never go to attack valinor and there's a good deal more Faithful (maybe 40-60%?)

[imakemywings]

There’s another draft (“the Draft”) of The Silmarillion where Amrod and Amras (then still Damrod and Diriel) primarily lead the Third Kinslaying, with Maedhros and Maglor offering “reluctant” aid, and this is fascinating to me because it offers, frankly, the most characterization of the twins we get anywhere in the Legendarium.

We know almost nothing about them and I think they often get the treatment of a youngest sibling or set of twins by the fandom which is that they’re kind of cheeky and run a bit wild but are generally amiable and comedic. The picture painted by this brief mention in the Draft is very different. It presents a much darker side to the twins which perhaps existed before, or perhaps developed only after they had been apart from their brothers for a long while in Middle-earth.

Generally I still picture Maedhros as the “leader” but the idea of Amrod and Amras driving the effort to attack the Havens at Sirion even after the events of the Second Kinslaying is quite juicy. Not only are they the champions of this effort in the Draft, Tolkien describes how they “ravaged” Sirion. They were fearsome in their efforts to regain the Silmaril, perhaps to the point that their own willingness to violence led to their deaths there. This was not “just as much violence as we need to get what we want,” this is characterized as wanton brutality, which to me smacks of revenge for the deaths of their brothers.

They would have also been likely to know that the Gondolindrim--the remnants of their cousins’ people--were there as well, but clearly this did not stay their hands, if they knew it.

There’s something narratively fascinating about the twins returning from their travels and sojourns abroad in the wilds of Middle-earth as people their brothers don’t recognize anymore, in becoming drivers of the violence that’s now taken three of their brothers. Was it an act of revenge, primarily? Did they see themselves as avenging Celegorm, Caranthir, and Curufin on the refugees of Doriath? Was it about the Silmaril? And if it was, was it about retaking something that belonged to them, or avenging their father’s murder and robbery, or just about having something to show for all the years they had been chewing over that oath?

(I come again to the fact that Melkor still possessed two Silmarils, but the Feanorians chose to pursue Luthien’s--and again I think Amrod and Amras were not out for the Silmaril, but for revenge.)

And as to Maedhros and Maglor--why allow the twins to talk them into this? Did they see no other way and so considered it a necessary evil? Was it just that Amrod and Amras were willing to suggest that they all saw as the only path? Were they unwilling to let Amrod and Amras go alone, for safety? Did Amrod and Amras convince them it was necessary to avenge their brothers, or that none of them would be at peace without Luthien’s Silmaril? And what were Maedhros and Maglor’s feelings on it in the long run, when it became clear what a mistake they had made?

I know this part didn’t make it into the published Silmarillion, so it’s deuterocanonical at best, but being as it’s basically the only evidence we have of what Amrod and Amras were like as people, I can’t help but return to it. What were the twins like? Going off this, every bit as terrifying as the rest of their brothers.

[gwaedhannen]

[Excerpt from Sorrow Beyond Words: Collected Testimony of the War of Wrath, 4th Edition; ed. Elrond Peredhel. Archive of Cîw Annúminas, inaugural collection]

“Simply reaching Menegroth was a struggle. Doriath had become a twisting nightmare of overgrowth and rot and mists, as Morgoth’s power warred with the remains of the Girdle and our old songs. Ai, our home, our haven! I know the name of every holly in Region, before the exile. We found deadfalls surrounded by dozens of animals who’d lain down beside the trees and rotted before they died. Blind moose more antler than flesh staggered towards us even after a dozen arrows. Vines covered in dripping thorns reached for our eyes. The cherry trees were overladen with fruits that smelled like gangrene. Deildhod stumbled into a nest of maddened vipers, and only escaped because their tails were all tangled together into a festering mass and could hardly move. We never saw or heard a single bird. I’m amazed we lost no one in that whole push through Region. No, I speak a lie. I know how we passed through with nothing worse than scrapes. Elrond was with us, and the ghost of Melian’s love still recognized her kin.

“Esgalduin had nearly been dammed by one of Hírilorn’s fallen boles, but the bridge still held. We crossed and reached the ruined gates, wrought twice and broken twice. Within there was only darkness to be seen; we knew not what manner of horrors Morgoth had sent to infest the city, but Ingwion was unwilling to leave them at the rear of his forces as he moved north, if it could be helped. Celeborn stood at Elrond’s right and myself at his left. Far less an honor guard than the heir of Elu Thingol and Melian Besain deserved. Yet in those dark days it was all the honor we could muster. King Dior Eluchíl had known thirty-six summers when he was unrighteously slain. Queen Elwing Nimaew thirty-five when despair took her to the sea. Lord Elrond Peredhel beheld the city of Elu for the first and only time in his twenty-ninth summer.

“Elrond stood before his inheritance and Sang. He sang a lament, for the lost endless years of joy and peace, for deep halls lit by birdsong and echoing with wisdom, for the Forsaken People who awoke the forest and earth with many voices, for the works of beauty never to be seen again on this side of the sea. He sang a promise, that the glory of Menegroth will be remembered in the songs of Middle-Earth for as long as its children endure. He sang thanks, for the protection the halls granted us until it could shelter us no more. As his song at last ceased, I thought I heard nightingales answering him.

“Stars shone on his brow, and his hair glistened as the vault of night, and the memories of our once-eternal bliss in the woods of Thingol’s realm under Elbereth’s gifts arose in my mind. Let Oropher dream of a deep hall for his own; let Celeborn reign where he will at his wife’s side! I knew in my heart, as the echo of nightingale songs faded, that there was no lord or king I would ever stand beside save Elrond Elwingion.

“The living stone in which our kingdom once thrived knew his voice, and at long last laid down its burden and passed. The darkness over Menegroth was lifted, and we went forth into its corpse, and no beast or orc could stand before us. I do not sing of what we found and left behind when we cast down the bridge and gave leave for the river to flood the caves. It is not worth remembering.”

[thevalleyisjolly]

The modern Noldolantë would be Bohemian Rhapsody.

[lordgrimwing]

How Elwing Lost A Silmaril

The first letter—sealed with an eight-pointed star pressed into red wax and delivered just before dawn—left Elwing trembling in her small office, stomach rolling and the taste of bile thick on her tongue. What was she to do? What could she do? Her parents’ murderers were coming here.

The letter didn’t say as much outright. The writer (Maedhros, she’d learned his name eventually, but he would always be the red-haired orcish monster that took her home away and haunted her worst nightmares) veiled every threat behind eloquent lines of meaningless placations and enteritis for the silmaril. He asked her, granddaughter of a thief, to return it to him, eldest son of its maker and rightful heir. But she could read what he did not say: that if she did not bend to his will he would do to Sirion as he did to Menegroth. He would come with his fell army and slaughter everyone in his way.

But how could she give up the jewel? It protected them, kept the forces of darkness at bay just enough for the refugees to eke out a living on the shores. And should Eärendil, her dear, brave husband, find a path to Aman, its light might be the only thing that could stay the Valar’s Doom long enough for them to listen to him. She could not give up their hope.

The second letter—sealed in red wax and delivered as the barley fields were harvested—brought more promises of horrors unnamed falling upon the settlement. She wept after throwing it in the fire. She could not do this on her own. The city council was terrified into inaction at the thought of what lay before then, and Eärendil was still out at sea. She missed him. She missed him so terribly when the councilors looked at her with fearful eyes and asked for her decision.

The fifth letter arrived in the hands of an underfed Mannish girl as the first winds of winter blew in from the sea. Elwing gave her food and a family offered a spot in their home, but the girl said her lord instructed her to go nowhere else until she had a reply for him. Elwing thought of banishing her from the city unanswered, of telling the guards with their rough-made weapons to see that the Fëanorian did not return. She regretted the thought nearly as soon as she had it. The girl was young and it was not her fault that her parents joined themselves to a mighty Elf lord. She could stay for a day.

Tell me whatsoever you desire, the greatest or smallest need of your heart. 

The letter said in handwriting that was fast becoming too familiar. 

I will give unto you that thing and greater still if you would part with my father’s Silmaril. I would bring you all the provisions of my camp, all the weapons of my army, every other precious thing of power left in this land if you would but willingly part with that one small thing that I must otherwise be driven to take by force in the spring. Tell me your desire, and I will give it unto you. Let this not end with blood.

She fumed in her office, angrily pacing the thin rug gifted to her by the weary-eyed wife of one of her father’s guards who fell in the tunnels of Menegroth. She does not need anything from the murdering bastard! Sirion has all it requires. They would be safe if only they were left alone. How can Maedhros think that he could ever give her anything to make up for what he’s done, to convince her to do what he wants? He’s a monster and a coward who wishes to soothe his conscience by acting as if the attack is all her fault, an inevitable consequence of her resistance. He wishes to absolve himself of yet more evil.

She will not let him. If it is the only thing she can do, she will defy him.

Elwing takes up precious ink and paper. She throws herself into her chair and leans over the beaten desk, pouring her anger and helplessness into the words she scratches across the page.

You’ve taken everything from my people. You wish to take everything from me again. You are monstrous, servant of Morgoth. May the Valar stand against you as I cannot. What would I have, you ask? I would have what you’ve taken from me restored: I would have Dior, my father, and Nimloth, my mother; I would have Eluréd and Elurín, my brothers, alive again and in my arms. But I shall never have them for they died at your hands and at your command.  You cannot give me my parents. You search for my little brothers but still cannot give them to me.  So, what would I have? I would have your brothers. Give me your two youngest. I have lost my twin brothers for this gem. You must do the same.

She signed the bottom with a vicious strike that split the quill’s nip, blotting the page with ink as dark as orc blood. Her heartbeat in her chest, thumped against her ribs under her breast as though it would escape fate. Her letter would change nothing and she hesitated for a moment before dripping wax from a flickering candle for the seal, tempted to throw the paper to the fire. 

She’d written in a tantrum, a final kicking of her feet against what would come in an impotent rage. But what did it matter? Did she not deserve to beat her fists against the Doom once? Everyone looked to her for leadership and guidance as Dior’s heir but she felt like little more than a child. This would be so much easier to handle with Eärendil at her side but he still had not returned and at times she doubted he ever would (what Doom had befallen him on the waters? What lonely fate for him and the crew on the waves?). She would send this letter then say goodbye to all childishness and face what came bravely as her parents and grandparents did. 

Resolved, she dripped the wax and sealed the letter. She’d give it to the messenger tomorrow with what small food they could spare so the girl did not starve on the journey. And then…

And then all would be out of her hands and fate would fall as it would.

The sixth letter came in the hands of two red-haired Elves on tall horses. The men sat straight and tall in the saddle, their heads held high. Elwing would have called them haughty if they hadn’t dismounted and bowed deeply before her, falling to one knee as one might before royalty. A third Elf, dark-haired and somber-eyed, rode with them, though he kept himself aside and astride his steed.

“Queen Elwing,” one of the red-heads said, his face fire-scarred. He paused, waiting for permission to go on.

She nodded and waved her hand impatiently, wondering what new trick Maedhros was playing or if this was how he announced an impending slaughter.

The speaker went on, looking up slightly though he stayed kneeling. “We are Ambarussa–” he gestured to the other– “youngest sons of Fëanor. We give ourselves up at your request in exchange for the silmaril.”

Elwing stood in frozen silence as he continued, icy sea breeze biting at her fingers and face. 

[aureentuluva70]

My brain is consumed by the way that Elrond is Elwing/Doriath's heir and Elros is Earendil/Gondolin's heir. How Elrond chose the fate of the Elves like Elwing before him, while Elros chose mortality, the path Earendil's heart actually favored. How Elrond's name means 'star-dome', named so in Elwing's dim memory of Doriath, and he builds what is essentially a refugee community like the Havens of Sirion. Elros's name, on the other hand, means 'star-foam' and his path ultimately led him to the Sea, as did his father's(and Earendil's father before him), following Gil-Estel to the place that would become Numenor.

[queerofthedagger]

One thing I think about a lot is that when Nargothrond falls, it is heavily implied that as good as everyone perished or, if not, got captured. Like, unlike with the Fall of Doriath, there is no mention at all of any refugees removing to the Mouth of Sirion - and yet, I assume that is very likely where Celebrimbor, at least, went? I definitely think he would have fought, but clearly he survived and neither Doriath nor Gondolin really were an option for him, and I doubt even more that he would have gone back to his family.

And there are a lot of implications to all that, but maybe the one that keeps me up most is that this means he would have likely been there when the refugees of Doriath arrived, when they told of what his family did. That his father is dead. What would he have been thinking? What would the survivors of Doriath been thinking? Like, I know there were technically several different camps to some extent, but I doubt they would have been wholly separate, especially upon arrival. What kind of horror to find someone who looks just like one of those guys who just slaughtered your friends and family. What kind of horror to look like someone who just committed such horrors.

He also would have been there when the third kinslaying occurred, or at least very close to it. What an experience, to end up on the other side of it. To see exactly what might have become of him had he not foresworn his father years ago, and also to see yet again what became of his family. Like yeah, everything before/during the Nargothrond Disaster would have already been formative for him and his future choices, but I do feel even being in the vicinity of all of that would have been such a dire reinforcement of all those convictions and reasons that made him disavow them in the first place. And especially in terms of the third kinslaying, it's also why I personally really doubt that there is a chance at any kind of reconciliation with any of the brothers, whether it's his father or I don't know, Maedhros or Maglor. Like, I just don't think there is any coming back fromt hat, really, if there ever was.

[tanoraqui]

[spins the Silm Headcanons Nobody Else Shares (Yet) wheel]

Though Elrond was, inevitably, involved in the politics of building Lindon, he was not only NOT Gil-Galad’s official herald yet at the start of the Second Age, but he was only tangentially involved with the new government. Instead, Elrond spent the first few centuries of the Second Age as an adventuring anthropologist/archeologist.

He traveled around Lindon, and inland and up and down the shore, talking to all variety of refugees and recording the histories and cultures of their people, from ancient myths to recent war stories to how this group of Men (or Elves or Dwarves) cooks their porridge vs how that one does. He dug and sometimes dove into ruins of forts rent by Light and Shadow, often with foul lingering malaise, to retrieve papers and goods warped by flame, sea, and worse.

Because Elrond’s childhood was filled with many refrains of loss, and one was,

“This is how we baked nutcakes in Menegroth!” his mother explained, hands sticky with chestnuts and honey. Under her breath, not meaning her even stickier sons to hear, she added, “I think.”

“Oh yes, there were…” Eärendil’s fingers twitched as he counted in his head. “…eleven different major fountains in Gondolin! One for each Great House, though all were managed by Lord Ecthelion—oh, no, but then that must be ten…?”

“Now, in a proper course of musical education, I would be starting you on basic dancing songs today. But Filúriel is the only one of us left who knows how to dance a good gavotte—”

“Filúriel died three years ago. Orcs on the way back from Sirion.” Maedhros didn’t look up from the daggers he was sharpening. Only his words gave any indication that he was even aware of the lesson taking place across the room.

“—But there is no one left who knows how to dance a good Tirion Gavotte.” Maglor never missed a beat. “So instead I will start you on basic Songs for striking fear into the hearts of your enemies. Have you both done your warm-up exercises today?”

[smash cut to 200 years later]

Elrond: Are you telling me. That there is a chance. That a portion of the Great Library of Thargelion, greatest collection in Beleriand of books and art brought physically from Aman, is still intact?

Random improbably still alive Nargothrond-Fëanorian #6: If the cases were water-proof as well as orc-proof and fire-proof…if they were orc-proof and fire-proof at all…especially dragonfire-proof…or dragon-ice-proof… If they stayed hidden, if we even shut them all properly in the first place, as we evacuated just ahead of the— my lord, where are you going?!

Elrond, sprinting past them down the corridor: Deep-sea diving!

(In the late Third Age, the Library of Rivendell is widely regarded as Arda’s single greatest repository of historical records of life in Middle Earth. This is incorrect—the single greatest such repository is an ever-growing library on Tol Eressëa, to which Elrond spent 3000 years sending copies of everything from Hobbit almanacs to Dwarvish epic poems to account books from three Elvish kingdoms to an Age’s worth of Dúnedain Ranger journals. Anyone Sailing with extra cargo space has been cajoled into taking at least a few tomes. People and places may be lost to time, but part of why he chose an Elvish life is so that they will not be forgotten.)

[glorfindel-of-imladris]

The Case of Glorfindel: Kindness Over Valour

@glorfindelweek Day 6: Reawakening | Relationship with the Ainur | Returning to Middle-earth

I have been meaning to write a meta piece around Glorfindel, focusing on his nature and why it was that he was the one chosen to return to Middle-earth as emissary of the Valar. Part of this is also to help explain the kind of characterisation I go for when I write him in fanfiction, and so it was also to help lay down my character notes for him. Again, thanks to Glorfindel Week, I finally got to it. ☺️

Over the years, I often see the question around why Glorfindel—specifically and seemingly uniquely—was chosen to return to Middle-earth, and not other characters of equal or even greater valour.

What we can conclude is simple: the Valar did not look for the strongest warrior. They looked for something else, and here, I put together relevant parts of the lore to show the kind of person they ultimately chose.

A capable warrior

The Valar not choosing the strongest warrior does not mean they did not need someone capable. In the end, the job they tasked Glorfindel with was to aid Middle-earth in its battle against Sauron, and ultimately the legacy Morgoth left behind. This could not have been done by anyone who couldn’t hold their own against the forces of the enemy.

Glorfindel was one of Turgon’s most trusted, rivaled only by Ecthelion, who I would argue was in fact the greatest warrior among the lords of Gondolin, just by mentioned achievements alone. When Aredhel wanted to leave Gondolin, in early versions of the story, Turgon entrusted her to three captains: Ecthelion, Egalmoth, and Glorfindel. And when Gondolin came to aid in what later would be known as the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, Turgon was flanked by two captains: once again, Ecthelion and Glorfindel.

There are many reasons why a king would favour certain lords or knights, but in the case of these captains, it does seem as if skill plays a factor. During the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, for example, it was said:

Then Turgon took the counsel of Húrin and Huor, and summoning all that remained of the host of Gondolin and such of Fingon’s people as could be gathered he retreated towards the Pass of Sirion; and his captains Ecthelion and Glorfindel guarded the flanks to right and left, so that none of the enemy should pass them by. (The Silmarillion)

“None of the enemy should pass them by” speaks of the prowess of these two captains, and how skilled they were in the face of the forces of the enemy. Remember that by this point, they were already overwhelmed and losing; they were seeking to flee. Turgon had just become the High King of the Ñoldor, and so instantly had a target on his back. It was crucial he be brought to safety.

Further, in texts describing Glorfindel and the House of the Golden Flower, it is also mentioned that Glorfindel’s house made up a great number of warriors. Their prowess can also be gleaned from the fact that during the attack on Gondolin:

Glorfindel and his men guarded the Great Market, which was a prominent place in the city and would have been one of the larger common areas. Here, they were overwhelmed and Glorfindel called urgently for aid, but they were betrayed by Salgant so that help came very late. Despite this, they were able to salvage their numbers enough to rejoin Tuor and the others later on, strengthening their odds during the escape from the city. Glorfindel himself, with Tuor, cleared the square that let all their men withdraw from battle, and allowed people to escape the burning city.

Despite their losses in the Great Market, during the march through Cristhorn, the House of the Golden Flower remained among the great houses “the largest band of men battle-whole”, and so took up the rearmost end of the refugees, and protected them from the enemies pursuing them.

So Glorfindel himself is the lord of a great house of warriors. We also know from all the battles where he was mentioned, including his most famous one with the Balrog, that he himself is a strong warrior even before he was reincarnated in Aman.

Glorfindel as someone noble, humble, gentle and beloved

We have established that Glorfindel is a capable warrior, but there are many capable warriors throughout the history of Middle-earth. The Silmarillion, in fact, is an entire book of strong Elves. So why single him out?

What is best established about Glorfindel is how he is well beloved. Proof of this is scattered in the text:

[The Balrog] shrieked, and fell backward from the rock, and falling clutched Glorfindel’s yellow locks beneath his cap, and those twain fell into the abyss. Now this was a very grievous thing, for Glorfindel was most dearly beloved – and lo! the dint of their fall echoed about the hills, and the abyss of Thorn Sir rang. (The Fall of Gondolin)

Because of their love, despite the haste and their fear of the advent of new foes, Tuor let raise a great stone-cairn over Glorfindel just there beyond the perilous way by the precipice of Eagle-stream and Thorondor has let not yet any harm come thereto, but yellow flowers have fared thither and blow ever now about that mound in those unkindly places; but the folk of the Golden Flower wept at its building and might not dry their tears. (The Fall of Gondolin)

Not only was Glorfindel deeply mourned by his own house, who knew him best, but the entire people of Gondolin loved him and mourned him. He was even mourned up until the refugees reached the Vale of Sirion, already many miles away from Gondolin:

There they rested a while, and were healed of their hurts and weariness; but their sorrow could not be healed. And they made a feast in memory of Gondolin and of the Elves that had perished there, the maidens, and the wives, and the warriors of the King; and for Glorfindel the beloved many were the songs they sang, under the willows of Nan-tathren in the waning of the year. (The Silmarillion)

The mourning of Glorfindel is singled out from all the losses they incurred in Gondolin. One can argue that this can be because his battle and death was one that had many witnesses, and what saved them on that last stretch, as opposed to the other lords, but the text repeatedly qualifies Glorfindel as beloved even before these deeds. Such things can speak for the kind of person he was while still alive.

Another striking thing when it comes to the texts around Glorfindel is that his deeds in battle are always described matter of fact; these are things he does, but these are not what define him. Instead, it is in lines that describe how he is beloved, how he is mourned, the things he himself regrets and what he chooses to protect that are what define his character.

The Peoples of Middle-earth is the most definitive text that describes the nature of Glorfindel. Here, it is said:

Now Glorfindel of Gondolin was one of the exiled Ñoldor, rebels against the authority of Manwë, and they were all under a ban imposed by him: they could not return in bodily form to the Blessed Realm. Manwë, however, was not bound by his own ordinances, and being still the supreme ruler of the Kingdom of Arda could set them aside, when he saw fit. From what is said of Glorfindel in The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings it is evident that he was an Elda of high and noble spirit: and it can be assumed that, though he left Valinor in the host of Turgon, and so incurred the ban, he did so reluctantly because of kinship with Turgon and allegiance to him, and had no part in the kinslaying of Alqualondë. (The Peoples of Middle-earth)

Kinslaying is the gravest of sins committed by the Ñoldor in Middle-earth, and which also most goes against their case in returning to Valinor. Tolkien, therefore, was particular about who among his characters did not take part in the kinslaying. Galadriel was one, and many from the host of Finarfin. Among the host of Fingolfin, only Glorfindel was mentioned to have not taken part in the kinslaying. Given Glorfindel’s closeness to Turgon and his loyalty to him, and knowing that Turgon did certainly participate in the kinslaying and was "one of the most determined and unrepentant supporters of Fëanor’s rebellion" (The Peoples of Middle-earth), that Glorfindel stayed his hand, perhaps even likely tried to stop them, was no easy feat.

Glorfindel had sacrificed his life in defending the fugitives from the wreck of Gondolin against a Demon out of Thangorodrim, and so enabling Tuor and Idril daughter of Turgon and their child Eärendil to escape, and seek refuge at the Mouths of Sirion. Though he cannot have known the importance of this (and would have defended them even had they been fugitives of any rank), this deed was of vital importance to the designs of the Valar. (The Peoples of Middle-earth)

I very much appreciate the line “and would have defended them even had they been fugitives of any rank”. We don’t often get lines like this in the text, and putting it there is a deliberate choice by Tolkien to drive home the kind of person Glorfindel is. Glorfindel is a lord of Gondolin, “an Elf-lord of a house of princes”, as Gandalf would later describe him, but he does not look at such things and would put his life on the line for anyone of any standing.

He even proves this still later on, two ages later, when Frodo and company meet him on the road. Fellowship of the Ring actually has some of my favourite quotes around Glorfindel; there is a reason why he became my favourite character very early on, even without having yet read The Silmarillion and the other histories at the time.

This part, hands down, is my favourite, and it came from Glorfindel himself when he was describing events of the past days before he found Frodo and the others:

‘They said that the Nine were abroad, and that you were astray bearing a great burden without guidance... There are few even in Rivendell that can ride openly against the Nine; but such as there were, Elrond sent out north, west, and south… It was my lot to take the Road, and I came to the Bridge of Mitheithel, and left a token there, nigh on seven days ago. Three of the servants of Sauron were upon the Bridge, but they withdrew and I pursued them westward. I came also upon two others, but they turned away southward. Since then I have searched for your trail.' (The Fellowship of the Ring)

Glorfindel said it so simply, but actually on hindsight, especially after learning everything that we know of the context of this world and its histories, there is so much to unpack! Let’s go through them one by one:

“There are few even in Rivendell that can ride openly against the Nine…” – The reason for this, as Gandalf later explains, is because the only ones who can ride openly against the Nazgûl would have only been Elves from Valinor, who “live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and Unseen they have great power”. We know there are very few of them remaining in Middle-earth by the Third Age, and even among these, likely they can only send warriors. This early, we get a clue that Frodo and company have met someone extraordinary.

“It was my lot to take the Road…” – By “Road”, Glorfindel meant the East Road, the great and ancient road that cuts across Eriador, from Rivendell to the Grey Havens. This would have been the most perilous of the roads because it would have been the most obvious path away from the Shire, and so would have been most guarded by the Enemy. Again, once one knows his history and achievements, it is no surprise that Glorfindel was assigned this road. But Glorfindel himself only says it in passing—as if taking the most perilous road is just a walk in the park and only to be expected.

“Three of the servants of Sauron were upon the Bridge, but they withdrew and I pursued them westward. I came also upon two others, but they turned away southward.” – Here already is the proof of what I said above: just by taking the East Road, Glorfindel encountered five of the Nazgûl. But here’s the funny thing: the enemy was running from him! Here was the terrible evil Frodo and his friends were afraid of and running from, but they turn away from Glorfindel. Glorfindel “pursued” them, and they escaped him; when he encountered more, they “turned southward”.

The Nazgûl have long had a history of trying to avoid Glorfindel. The Witch-king himself flees from him, as we have seen in the Battle of Fornost, where the Witch-king showed he was unafraid of Men, and even laughed at and mocked Prince Eärnur, but ran away when Glorfindel arrived. But you barely catch these things when Glorfindel describes them. He simply encounters them on the road like it’s nothing. This is once again one of those times when the text downplays Glorfindel’s prowess as a warrior—because again, this is not what is most striking about him. Instead, we get more of these:

‘My master is sick and wounded,’ said Sam angrily. ‘He can’t go on riding after nightfall. He needs rest.’ Glorfindel caught Frodo as he sank to the ground, and taking him gently in his arms he looked in his face with grave anxiety. [...] He searched the wound on Frodo’s shoulder with his fingers, and his face grew graver, as if what he learned disquieted him. But Frodo felt the chill lessen in his side and arm; a little warmth crept down from his shoulder to his hand, and the pain grew easier… (The Fellowship of the Ring)

From the beginning, Glorfindel was friendly and kind to the Hobbits and established himself as a friend to them. He grew concerned hearing about their story and showed visible anxiety over their plight. At the same time, his presence was a comfort to them, no doubt also influenced by Strider’s obvious relief that Glorfindel was now with them, but I daresay Glorfindel himself just naturally brings this feeling along with him wherever he goes, explaining why he is beloved wherever time he lands.

‘You shall ride my horse,’ said Glorfindel. ‘I will shorten the stirrups up to the saddle-skirts, and you must sit as tight as you can. But you need not fear: my horse will not let any rider fall that I command him to bear. His pace is light and smooth; and if danger presses too near, he will bear you away with a speed that even the black steeds of the enemy cannot rival.’ (The Fellowship of the Ring)

Even in the face of danger, Glorfindel is kind and thoughtful. He not only offers Frodo his horse, but he thinks about what a Hobbit would need to be comfortable on said horse. He also has thought about what worries Frodo might have, what he would be afraid of, and sought to allay them even before Frodo spoke about them.

An emissary of the Valar

One important thing in answering the question of “Why Glorfindel?” is to go back to the task at hand. What the Valar looked for was an emissary for them, someone who represented them and brought with them their good intentions.

Manwë, for all his faults and his inability to understand the nature of evil, and so actually was very poor adversary for it, still sought to help Middle-earth when he could. Glorfindel, in fact, was returned as an answer to prayers, from the very people of Middle-earth themselves:

[Glorfindel’s] return must have been for the purpose of strengthening Gil-galad and Elrond, when the growing evil of the intentions of Sauron were at last perceived by them… In 1600 it became clear to all the leaders of Elves and Men (and Dwarves) that war was inevitable against Sauron, now unmasked as a new Dark Lord. They therefore began to prepare for his assault; and no doubt urgent messages and prayers asking for help were received in Númenor (and in Valinor). (The Peoples of Middle-earth)

Prior to his return in 1600 S.A., Glorfindel has already been living in Valinor for many years, from near the end of the First Age (shortly after his death) and well into the Second Age. Within that time, he has grown to be an even better version of his old self, learning from the Ainur, and growing in strength and wisdom:

For long years [Glorfindel] remained in Valinor, in reunion with the Eldar who had not rebelled, and in the companionship of the Maiar. To these he had now become almost an equal, for though he was an incarnate (to whom a bodily form not made or chosen by himself was necessary) his spiritual power had been greatly enhanced by his self-sacrifice. At some time, probably early in his sojourn in Valinor, he became a follower, and a friend, of Olórin (Gandalf), who as is said in The Silmarillion had an especial love and concern for the Children of Eru. (The Peoples of Middle-earth)

This connection with Olórin is also a critical aspect of the case we’re making about Glorfindel here. Olórin is one the Ainur most sympathetic to the Children of Eru, and was even said to have learned mercy and patience from Nienna herself. Glorfindel already started out as somebody who would protect people. It is therefore not surprising that he would gravitate towards those who have similar sympathies. Likely, he was already known to Manwë before his being chosen as emissary.

One indulgent concept I often think about is how, given all of these, one can even argue for Glorfindel being in the same category as the Istari. The Istari, as we know, were Maiar who were tasked to come to Middle-earth’s aid. Glorfindel returned to Middle-earth around the same time that Morinehtar and Rómestámo came; they would have been the first wave, after which Gandalf, Saruman, and Radagast followed in the Third Age. Glorfindel was already compared to the Maiar in terms of strength; the only difference they have at this point is Glorfindel’s nature as someone incarnate. The timing also works, the similarities in mission striking. Likely, Glorfindel was returned within the same context that the Istari were formed in the first place.

Could anyone else have returned?

As far as the text is concerned, it is very likely that Glorfindel is the only Elf to have returned to Middle-earth. The circumstances surrounding his return is extraordinary. Tolkien was also seen to have considered others who shared the same names with people in the First Age (e.g., Galdor, Legolas), but these were scrapped and only Glorfindel remains. In fact, out of all the exiled Elves who fell in Middle-earth, only Glorfindel and Finrod are specifically mentioned to have been brought out of Mandos and reimbodied and returned to Valinor.

Certainly there is room for others in fanon. I am fond of ideas where other lords of Gondolin also return at the very least in Valinor, but this likely happened much later, well after the First Age. It was written:

Glorfindel remained in the Blessed Realm, no doubt at first by his own choice: Gondolin was destroyed, and all his kin had perished, and were still in the Halls of Waiting unapproachable by the living. But his long sojourn during the last years of the First Age, and at least far into the Second Age, no doubt was also in accord with the wishes and designs of Manwë. (The Peoples of Middle-earth)

“Kin” or "kindred" here can be understood to be the people of Gondolin, primarily. Glorfindel reads as somebody who identifies with people with whom he belongs; “kindred” therefore would have been “his people”, such as a clan or a large group. In fact, he used the same word in The Fellowship of the Ring, this time to refer to the people of Gildor whom Frodo met on the road, since Glorfindel’s people now are, of course, those Elves from Rivendell:

‘Elrond received news that troubled him. Some of my kindred, journeying in your land beyond the Baranduin, learned that things were amiss, and sent messages as swiftly as they could.’ (The Fellowship of the Ring)

None of the people of Gondolin were reimbodied, at least not as early as Glorfindel. Glorfindel is someone truly extraordinary. While it is true that this grand story of him was a product of Tolkien using his name twice in two important stories, I love that he elected to have them be the same person, and weave a story as to how this can be. We therefore now have a Glorfindel who is larger than life, but most importantly, someone immensely good and kind and enduring, someone who feels keenly his place in the world, and his nature, before his death but especially after it, is naturally inclined to service.

Even after so many years in Middle-earth, the way he associated with Frodo and company still shows someone who is deeply concerned with the worries of the world and its people, who is pushed to haste when someone is in danger, and this vitality he brings with him even at the end of the Age of Elves.

So, even with all the great warriors in The Silmarillion and in the First Age, looked at it in this view, on the question of “Why Glorfindel?”, the choice actually was not that difficult. The Valar chose the warrior whose history, innate nature and sympathies made him the one most likely to protect all the free peoples of Middle-earth, and to put this task consistently above himself.

[swanmaids]

Sorry I’m so sorry but I’m going insane about the Havens of Sirion again. Like. Do you get it. It was a refugee camp at the end of the world. It’s rulers were two refugees who also happened to be the only peredhil in the WORLD. The Falathrin dialect of Sindarin mingled with other Sindarin dialects at Sirion and became the common tongue for all elves throughout the second and third ages. It was probably the most diverse place in Beleriand, with Gondolindrim, Sindar, Noldor, groups of the Edain and Druedain living there. It was a place where art and history were recorded by at least Pengolodh and Dirhaval, and where art was lost when Dirhaval was murdered. It was a place of collaboration, working with Balar. It was a place where beautiful things were made, like Vingilot itself. DO YOU CARE

[raointean]

Tolkien of Color Week - Day 4: Home, Cultural identity, Growing up

Arondir's life, told through the places he calls home over the centuries.

Arondir took one final look around the land he used to call home. He was young, only barely an adult, but he had already grown very close to this place and the memories he had made there. He had walked the hills under the eternal starlight, herding livestock. He had played, and fished, and learned to swim in the little, winding rivers. During cold seasons, he swam with his siblings in the volcanically heated pools. He had explored the caves with his cousins and they had carved pictures in the living stone.

He would certainly miss this place, he thought to himself as he and his family crossed over the three-walled mountain range that had protected them for so many years. It was time to move on though. They were the only intelligent beings they knew of and, no matter how idyllic their home, it was incredibly lonely; particularly for his older cousins who were now old enough to marry.

With that in mind, they were leaving to go West, to follow the trail of what Grandfather had described as hundreds and hundreds of elves, more than any of them could imagine. As excited and nervous as he was, Arondir could not help the feeling of calm that came over him. He knew, somewhere deep in his bones, that he would be back someday.

—----

Arondir groaned as he hoisted the final box of produce out of the family cart and began unloading it into the open-air market stand. The market was a cheerful place, located in a peaceful clearing a few miles outside of Menegroth. On a clear day like this one, it bustled with buyers from the city and growers from all up and down the river valley. There were even a few other Silvan migrant families like his own.

As he placed the last bundle of asparagus in its place, he turned and came face to face (or, well, stomach to face) with his little cousin, Naurion. “Arondir! Look what I caught!”

He held out his hands to show off a dead, blood-covered squirrel. It was all Arondir could do to keep his breakfast down as he patted Naurion on the head. “Well done, rend. Go and show Grandfather."

The boy ran off excitedly, taking the horrid sight with him. Arondir had never quite had the stomach for violence that most everyone else he knew had. No matter how many animal carcasses he saw or how many times his mother had made him break down a chicken for dinner, he simply could not handle it.

Luckily, he thought to himself, he would never have to handle it. He could marry a woman who did not mind it and handle the other household responsibilities instead. In the meantime, he could continue bribing his brothers to do his butchering chores for him. 

It was not as if he would ever have to live entirely alone or face some kind of battle. Doriath was the most well-protected realm this side of the Sundering Sea, protected by a maia! The Enemy Himself would be hard-pressed to send any kind of force to hurt them there.

—--

In the end, it was not The Enemy they had to fear. First, it was the selfishness and wrath of the dwarves that destabilized their realm, causing Queen Melian to flee and leaving them all but defenseless against attack. Then came the kinslayers that killed their new king and slaughtered their people.

Sirion, where the river fed the sea, was the place the survivors fled to. Too few survivors in Arondir’s opinion; his own family not among them. His sister, as the princes’ caregiver, was almost certainly dead. His parents, hearing that Menegroth was under attack, had run to their daughter’s aid, but never returned. His grandfather and two of his brothers had been killed in defense of their farm. His third brother had received a wound that had soured on the road and he had died of it. He had no idea what happened to his aunt, uncle, and cousins, but he had seen neither hide nor hair of them since the attack.

Arondir did his best to make a life for himself at the Havens of Sirion, but it was hard. He was alone for the first time in his life. Nevertheless, he built himself a ramshackle dwelling like everyone else and employed his time by growing food for the community.

He grew all sorts of things; potatoes, water chestnuts, paw paws, and blackberries; but his favorite were the strawberries he grew next to his porch. That was where he was now, tending them. He could feel the warm sun on his neck, the soft earth under his fingernails. He could watch the slugs try to slither away from him as he pulled the weeds from the shoots and “relocated” the pests. He could smell the scent of the river and the sea mingling in the air, as well as the less-than-pleasant smells of daily life in a refugee village. He could hear the sounds of distant waves and the excited shrieks of the pack of children that ran the streets during the day.

They quieted down as they reached him. “Redhor Arondir,” the ringleader of the group spoke up. She was a peredhel girl by the name of Daniel and was by far the boldest of them all. “May we have some strawberries?”

They were all sweet children, fixing as many problems as they caused, and Arondir was always happy to provide them with treats on his days off. That didn’t mean he couldn’t have some fun with them first, though. “Hmm…” he said thoughtfully, enjoying the identical wide-eyed looks of suspense on each tiny face. “Do you happen to remember the magic word, children?”

Daniel straightened and took a deep breath. “Is it listo?”

“No.”

“Mecin?”

“No.”

“Enel?”

Arondir heaved a great sigh. “Oh, I suppose I can spare a few berries for a maiden who asks so sweetly.”

He ducked his head in an attempt to hide his smile at the cheers that rose up from the little group and produced the basket of strawberries he had picked for them fifteen minutes before. They raised the basket above their heads and ran off, crowing about their “victory” and sharing their “spoils” amongst themselves. A few of the older children threw a brief “thank you!” over their shoulders and promised to bring his basket back when they were finished with it.

After watching them go with a fond smile, Arondir turned back to his strawberry patch. Perhaps this was not so terrible a place to make a home. His family had built a new life from scratch once before and, while it would certainly be more difficult on his own, the war was far north of their peaceful little corner of the world. If they were careful, watchful, prepared, they would have time.

—----

Arondir looked out over the Southlands from the top of the guard tower. More than 600 years after the War of Wrath and twenty years into his current deployment, things were quiet. He had established a routine and befriended the (largely Sindarin and Noldorin) other soldiers within his regiment, but still he couldn't truly relax. The Enemy could still be out there, waiting to strike, waiting to corrupt these Men.

The Southlands looked different now than it did in his youth, under an endless starry night. Hundreds, maybe thousands, more people roamed the land he once called home. They had built and carved the land according to their needs. 

And yet, in many ways, it was still the same place. The hills he had walked, the rivers he had bathed in, the geothermal pools he had played in, and the petroglyphs he had carved were all still there (although the petroglyphs were faded and worn a little by now).

People still herded cattle on those hills. People still bathed in those rivers. People still warmed themselves in the volcanic pools. Children with too much time on their hands still wandered the caves, carving pictures by torchlight. 

There were times when Arondir felt more kindredness with the Southlanders than with his own regiment. He had been sent there to keep the outside world safe from the Southlanders; but the longer he stayed, came to know them and their ways; the more he found himself trying to protect them from the outside world. 

@tolkienofcolourweek

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

and here i was thinking you were kidding and being dramatic because i thought we were already way past the 'blaming elwing with the kinslaying and destruction of sirion' (its 2024 already) because i did not just see posts saying that elwing is no better than literal murderers that destroyed her home twice because she *squints* didn't give the jewel and didn't submit to the demands of the dude that orchestrated the destruction of her home so she is to blame for the destruction 😭

anon, i wish i was being dramatic and that the silm fandom has evolved past its moronic victim-blaming, but alas you're giving some people's reading comprehension too much credit. it truly is mind-boggling because it could not be clearer in the silm that elwing is a victim of the sons of feanor who did her very best in the terrible circumstances that they put her in, and that she is in no way at fault for their decision to attack a refugee camp. i wish that type of feanorian "fan" (i'm always going to put fan in quotes because they don't love the feanorians, they love their ocs with the feanorians' names who are poor uwu babies that were unfairly oppressed and bullied by their victims and the families of their victims) would stick to their wattpad fanfics and ya novels about problematique violent spicy men who are really just tortured and misunderstood and sad and sexy, and leave the actual canon silm in peace. what they think they're gaining from claiming to be fans of a story wherein their fanon account of its events blatantly contradicts canon presentation is beyond me

[imakemywings]

Since I’m still thinking about the twins, the last post got me thinking about why I’ve never been a huge fan of the crispy Amrod plot point. I don’t hate it, I just don’t vibe with it and I think it’s this: I think the narrative value of all seven of Feanor’s sons dying as a result of their own violence far outweighs the angst value of Feanor accidentally killing one of his own kids.

We already know how far gone Feanor is. We just watched him invent kinslaying and slaughter his way through a bunch of unarmed Elves to steal their ships, then burn those ships condemning his brothers and their people to the Helcaraxe (or more generously, simply excluding them from his quest) and in another half a page we watch him charge into a battle that gets him killed. Accidentally torching Amrod doesn’t tell us anything about Feanor’s mindset; we can already see how much Melkor and the Silmarils and revenge for Finwe’s murder dominate his thoughts to the exclusion of things he used to care about.

Amrod dying alongside his twin because they perpetrated “the cruelest of the slayings of Elf by Elf” is much more satisfying, imo. (I think this is especially compelling if you buy that Amrod and Amras were the driving force behind the Third Kinslaying, but even without that, I still think this is narratively tasty.) Five of Feanor’s seven sons die in battles they started, attacking other Elves to get back what they viewed as their property. Maedhros kills himself after realizing all the violence they committed was for nothing. Maglor arguably fades away after his actions help leave him entirely alone in the world.

I think a central element of the story of the Feanorians is that they all meet miserable ends stemming directly from their own behavior and Amrod dying at Sirion fits with that. Crispy Amrod takes Amrod’s death from the brutal (and inevitable?) outcome of his own violent choices and makes it into simply a tragic accident of Feanor’s making. Crispy Amrod dies as a result of Feanor’s choices; untoasted Amrod dies as a result of his own choices.

*Obligatory disclaimer this is not an attack on anyone who prefers crispy Amrod nor a claim that the “correct” take is untoasted Amrod, just my own preference.

[vidumavi]

one thing about elwing & kids that drives me insane is how they follow in her footsteps without her being there ... both elrond and elros establish what essentially starts out as refugee communities just like sirion. especially rivendell is such a clear parallel. crying forever

[theivorybilledwoodpecker]

Angsty idea: Elrond hates sleeping alone.

In Sirion, he and Elros were so young that they always slept in the same room as their parents. Then Earendil needed to leave and it was just the twins and Elwing. Then Elwing and everyone else they knew were torn from them in an incredibly traumatic way.

For years, Elrond and Elros just had each other. They were convinced that if they spent a moment apart, they'd lose their last family member. Maedhros and Maglor initially kept them together just out of convenience, but when M&M stopped seeing the twins as hostages and offered them separate rooms, the twins looked terrified and begged them not to "take their brother," so M&M didn't press them. (Also, possibly the first time the Feanorians realized just how much trauma they'd inflicted on the twins.)

In Lindon, the twins shared quarters. After Elros went to Numenor, Elrond adapted to sleeping alone, but he never liked it.

When he and Gil-galad became lovers, Elrond would often sleep in the King's bed.

But when he flees with the refugees of Eregion and forms Imladris, there's a time when he's very alone. Yes, he has friends, but they are all his subordinates. He's the leader of a settlement under seige. Everyone's depending on him. He's inexperienced in this precise type of leading. He knows Gil-galad will come if he can, but he has no way of knowing if Sauron's started some type of trouble elsewhere to aplit the elvish forces.

And Elrond is exhausted by it, but it still takes him forever to fall asleep because he's all alone.