#wars of beleriand

[melestasflight]

Maedhros and Fingon at the Dagor Aglareb

An illustration of Monster done by the amazing @tzitzki. Fic snippet below the cut.

-

'I cannot command my heart to stop loving you, Maedhros.' Fingon had told him by the frozen shores of Mithrim more than fifty years ago. 'But not all wounds can be healed.'

Silence colder than the Helcaraxë had descended between them, and soon after, Maedhros had announced his decision at Fingolfin's council. The House of Fëanor was to defend the Eastern Marches.

The Noldor had been on the verge of civil war, and Fingon had said nothing. After that, it was short letters, patrolling reports, and seeking formal council at times. It had opened a terrible void in Fingon's heart, robbing him of all joy, but he was proud. He stubbornly let the full length of Ard-Galen stand between them.

Yet now Maedhros was before him, fiercer and more beautiful than in any of Fingon's memories. Their people sang together upon a field of victory, drunk on ecstasy and dry Sindarin wine. Fingon's resolve was falling apart, and he forced his speech.

'You fought well today, cousin, and your brothers too. My father is grateful and Aegnor and Angrod as well.' The words felt bland in his mouth, and Fingon cursed himself.

'They think me a monster, Fingon.' Maedhros retorted calmly, no surprise reflected on his features. His voice dropped then, barely above a whisper. 'You do too.'

From Monster

[inahandful-of-dust]

Events of the First Age shown in Rings of Power

From The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (2022-) Episode 1 "A Shadow of the Past"

The DARKENING OF VALINOR was the destruction of the Two Trees of Valinor, Laurelin and Telperion, by Morgoth and Ungoliant.

The OATH OF FEANOR, sworn by Feanor and his seven sons after the theft of the Silmarils.

The FLIGHT OF THE NOLDOR from Valinor to Middle-Earth, led by Fingolfin across the Helcaraxë following the First Kinslaying at  Alqualondë.

The WARS OF BELERIAND, probably either the Dagor Bragollach (Battle of Sudden Flame) or the Nirnaeth Arnoediad (Battle of Unnumbered Tears).

The WAR OF WRATH, last of the Battles of Beleriand, and the subsequent SINKING OF BELERIAND

[whats-in-a-sentence]

This is the fashion of the lands into which the Noldor came, in the north of the western regions of Middle-earth, in the ancient days; and here also is told of the manner in which the chieftains of the Eldar held their lands and the leaguer upon Morgoth after the Dagor Aglareb, the third battle in the Wars of Beleriand.

"The Silmarillion" - J.R.R. Tolkien

[humbleschilder]

Raw concept of Finarfin led the Noldor into battle. The war of wrath is definitely one of my favorite chapters in Silmarillion.

Tolkien elves are basically superhuman, and I love the idea of how the elves rides the horse without any saddle or rein.

[aureentuluva70]

You've heard of Grond but have you heard of MANWE'S LIGHTNING SWORD?

(From the War of the Jewels, The Lay of the Children of Hurin, and Morgoth's Ring)

[fadedfrost]

Battles of Beleriand for @maedhrosmaglorweek

[sesamenom]

Finarfin in the War of Wrath

inspired by @actual-bill-potts' amazing writing

[awkwardtuatara]

The last two Silmarillion Daily posts have gotten me thinking about the War of Wrath again, specifically these points:

Why didn't the Elves remaining in Beleriand fight in the War? Were they tired, incapable, unwilling, or prevented from fighting by the Host of the Valar? Also notable is that Gil-galad is High King of the Noldor at this point, regardless of his genealogy, and working to maintain refuges for the Eldar. And given that this war shook the ground and spanned the entirety of Beleriand, there's no way they didn't know about it.

For that matter, why did the Edain fight when the Elves didn't?

This war took forty years. With its large scale and the ensuing destruction of the land, conditions must have been dire by the end - lack of supplies, low morale... The Siege of Angband lasted 400 years, but they didn't have to supply enough resources for an army that can cover an entire continent, and the land was more hospitable then.

How was the Host of the Valar ready to fight so soon? As far as we know, the Vanyar have never been involved in any combat. The Noldor wouldn't have had much experience in fighting or strategy either. This means that either: 1) at some point in First Age Valinor something occured to make the inhabitants arm themselves and learn to fight; 2) in the span of 1-2 years they gave themselves a crash course and procured all their resources, possibly assisted by the Valar (which is possible, depending on whether or not time passes differently in Valinor); or 3) the grand Host of the Valar was severely underprepared upon arriving to Middle-earth.

What were Elrond and Elros doing all those years? Did Earendil ever see them again?

[mamawasatesttube]

<- experiencing shrimp emotions (listening to the return of the king ost: battle of the pelennor fields)

[velvet4510]

Y’all, don’t underestimate Elwing. Yeah Eärendil does a lot, but Elwing does a lot too.

To start with the little things, it is she who preserves and passes on the Ring of Barahir to her son Elros. But that’s not the only thing she saves.

She saves the WORLD!

Elwing saves the Silmaril from the sons of Fëanor! Without her, there would be no Star of Eärendil because Eärendil would have no Silmaril.

Also, while Eärendil convinces the Valar to help, it is Elwing who persuades the Teleri to lend them their ships so the army can actually get to Middle-earth. Instead of just slaying and stealing like the Noldor, Elwing uses common sense to get ahold of those ships. Rather than waste time building new ships, the Army of the West reaches Middle-earth in time thanks to Elwing securing ships that were already built and ready. Eärendil’s efforts would’ve been for nothing if there were no ships to actually transport the army.

And also, she gets to shapeshift into a bird and fly around whenever she wants.

Elwing is AMAZING!

[kitcat22]

Logically i know that Elrond is the descendant of a whole bunch of famously really tall people and is more elven than he is edain however…. 5’7 Elrond and 6’5 Celebrían also has an appeal to it.

[pacificgasandelectric]

has anybody done the meta on how the second kinslaying was probably also motivated by the knowledge that with the Girdle fallen, Morgoth’s forces WOULD make it into Menegroth sooner or later, and they’d kill everyone there and then take the Silmaril, and then the Fëanorians would be Right Back Where They Started (morgoth 3, them 0) but actually in a worse position than before on account of the Multiple Crushing Defeats the Noldor had suffered since arriving in Beleriand

[voxiiferous]

@melpomaen | Everyone else excuse the break from our regularly scheduled programming for some Tolkien nerdiness.

I Wanna Be In The Calvary Noldor edition (as sung prior to the Burning of the Ships)

I wanna be in the cavalry if they send me off to war I wanna good steed under me like my forefathers before I wanna good mount when the trumpet sounds and I hear the dragon's roar I wanna be in the cavalry if they send me off to war

I wanna horse in the volunteer force that's riding forth at dawn Please save for me some gallantry that will echo when I'm gone I beg of you sir let me lead the charge when the battle lines are drawn Lemme at least leave a good hoof beat they'll remember loud and long

I'd not a good foot soldier make, I'd be sour and slow at march And I'd be sick on a swan ship, and the Belegaer'd leave me parched But I'll be first in line if they'll let me ride, by god, you'll see my starch Lope back o'er the heath with the laurel wreath underneath that vict'ry arch

Let me earn my fleurs in the battle's blur where the day is lost or won I'll wield my lance as the ponies dance and the blackguards hit their drums A sabre keen, and a bow notched and an army at my back Where the minstrels lead with the cold, cold steel let me be a cav'lryman

Let 'em play their flutes and lace-up my boots and place them back to front For I won't be back on the Helcaraxë until I'm finished in my hunt I wanna be in the cavalry if I must go off to war I wanna be in the cavalry, but I won't ride home no more

-

I Wanna Be In The Cavalry: Reprise (Written sometimes in the late first age)

I wanna be in the cavalry if they send me off to war I wanna good steed under me like my forefathers before

Courageous at first we took their worst, our positions we held stout We clung to belief and we hung on the speech from our trusted leaders' mouths Overwhelming odds and a hopeless cause and our cities overrun There were them that said we was badly led and that were we outmanned

I lost count of the worthy mounts that from under me were cut My favourite mare with her head in the air took poisoned arrows in her gut In the first two weeks on the Ard-Galen my brother lost his arm Was only sixty years till all we prayed was get us home unharmed

O for the day that we changed our names and the well that we were wished The men's congrats and the pats on the backs and the ladies that we missed The band that played and the grande parade and the patriotic shouts All faded fast, didn't even last till the uniforms wore out

And there were none to replace nor to help us face the winters cold and bleak That chilled to the bone the pneumonia prone and froze our bootless feet Then the red-clad came with oath-bound fits, blood and stolen gem That proved in the end to have killed more men than the vilest enemy

We were finally forced to feed on horse and carcass we could scrounge When the wagons stopped and we'd burnt their crops to charred and barren ground With morale in doubt and our pride run out no honour did I see All I seen were a thousand dreams piled dead in front of me

I wanna be in the cavalry if the send me off to war I wanna be in the cavalry but I won't ride home no more

[urwendii]

When will my husband (my will to write) come back from war (the writer's block) ?

[melestasflight]

I’m sure you’ve read it but @welcomingdisaster’s fic Lakesong has a terrifying Maglor! If you’re still looking for ideas for your Rec list

-@outofangband

Read it twice and loved it each time!

Lakesong (1.2k) by @welcomingdisaster savage!Maglor, songs of power, brotherly relationships and cocky Orcs, what's not to love?

There are more goodies in this Battles of Beleriand AO3 collection. It's open and always welcoming bookmarks.

[that-angry-noldo]

tw torture (flashbacks)

"They let him go," Finrod snickered, trying to ignore the hysteria building in his chest. "I can't believe it. They just. They let him... go."

Finarfin said nothing. Galadriel grit her teeth, her fists turning white.

"He was granted pardon," Finarfin said, his usually calm voice echoing with something dark. "He refused to go to the Aman."

"And the bastards let him go," Artanis hissed.

Finrod took a sharp breath.

"They let him go," he whispered.

Scars ached with phantom pain. Finrod was trembling.

Wrists bound in chains, dark cell stinking of blood and gore-

Pain, whips landing on the back, knifes cutting the skin-

Hands in hair, yanking his head back from the bucket of water-

Eyes and flames, wolves and orcs, and pain, pain, pain, and fire, and smoke, and screams, and rattling of swords, and death, death death-

And they simply let him go.