valardoommerung

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Sauron was not a beginner of discord; and he probably knew more of the ‘Music’ than did Melkor, whose mind had always been filled with his own plans and devices, and gave little attention to other things. The time of Melkor’s greatest power, therefore, was in the physical beginnings of the World; a vast demiurgic lust for power and the achievement of his own will and designs, on a great scale. And later after things had become more stable, Melkor was more interested in and capable of dealing with a volcanic eruption, for example, than with (say) a tree. It is indeed probable that he was simply unaware of the minor or more delicate productions of Yavanna: such as small flowers.

Melkor never went out to touch grass. [CONFIRMED]

It's entirely possible the first time he saw a flower was when he was finally brought to his knees in the fall of Angband.

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Femme Námo giving away bits of snarky wisdom was not on my bingo card but it's strangely fitting. He so would say that. Right and rude at the same time, classic Mandos.

You know what, it can be made even more rude:

Finrod: Why do bad things happen to good people?

Námo: They don't.

Finrod: Ah, you mean suffering is a construct of the mind and our judgement of what's bad is flawed!

Námo: No. I mean none of you are good.

wait was anyone (eg the guy doing the lecture series) going to tell me Boethius was proclaimed a saint or was I meant to learn that from Wikipedia

yea apparently I was meant to learn it from wikipedia

anyway now to the proper post that I intended to write

So I am having a quite niche problem (ok maybe it's not a problem. a question to ponder at least). So. "The consolation of philosophy". Is very cool. But Lady Philosophy has a particular vibe that … idk why but I feel a strong urge to assign this vibe to one of the Ainur, ideally one of the Valar and initially I thought Nienna, but no.

She (Philosophy) had this almost-agressive anti-despair "stop talking bs" attitude that reminds me of Gandalf. But also at some points she's like "You ask why bad things happen to good people? The answer is simple: they don't." and he would not say that. And yea, Nienna very much would not say that.

I can imagine Námo (esp with his relationship to time*) being like "No, I've never seen bad things happen to good people, you're simply mistaken" and generally going a similar route of argumentation. But I already have a strong HC for his personality. But also, it may fit together… I need to rotate it more in my brain.

(To be clear: she's not being cruel or very dismissive. There's some context. But she is being a little, how to call that, Gandalf-like. Snarky? A little bit.)

BTW I can absolutely see pre-Exile Finrod unironically claiming that suffering is an illusion etc (but in a very compassionate way) and driving his half-uncle into a rage by this.

(oh and ofc the text has soo much Númenorean vibes, I mean the Faithful in late Númenor. I'm surprised that I haven't thought of this earlier but... if we change Plato and similar guys to some Elves and change the geographical names and maaaybe some astronomical details (round earth) and make the personifications ambigiously "maybe I imagined it maybe it was a Maia" etc... without any change to the theology I can see it as a text originating in there. and I'm sure Tolkien would agree. Like… It removes exactly the right amount--- I know it was because he wanted it to make sense to the pagan Greeks--- anyway aaaargh I will simply HC it there it fits so very very well)

edit: I found the video that made me rant on the philosophers&Greeks, & probably on Boethius for choice of words. (It's in Polish)

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Gandalf's reaction to Frodo saying his famous "I'll do it" line will never not leave me deceased, because Gandalf himself, a literal angel, when tasked with a difficult mission in Middle-Earth was like "Please Lord no, I'm scared shitless of Sauron" and here comes this little guy, 4 feet tall in a hat (+2 hairy ones) and goes "Fine fine, I'll walk straight into the devil's maw if you'd like. Just have to find it first. Would appreciate general directions concerning its whereabouts".

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Have we ever thought about what Feanor does for eternity in the hall of Mandos? Just hang out angrily? Play chess? Compose poetry? Mope?

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What's the airspeed velocity of an unladen Ainu?

Let us reach the level of absurdity normally reserved for medieval theologians and consider the question seriously. So, there's this:

They [the Valar and Maiar] could go where they willed, that is could be present at once at any point in Eä where they desired to be.

Which gives the impression they do not need to obey the lightspeed limit, but it seems wrong from the physical perspective. If they are bound to Time, they should also be bound to Space (relativity something something). But if not, then in Eä-verse causality works in funny ways. You can have effect preceding cause and instant message passing (extra flavour to Ainu = angel = messenger).

On the other hand, there is less wonky and more tragic possibility they cannot go faster than light, and as the universe expands, the Ainur from different regions drift apart and lose contact forever.

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The Children yearn for the mines.

~ Aulë, probably

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Oromë: *creates horse*

Oromë: Hmm, how should I call you?

Horse: *neighs*

Oromë: Perfect.

I don’t think we make fun of Oromë enough for naming his horse so stupidly.

Like no wonder Celegorm named his dog Dog. Oromë fucking named his horse Neigh

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Behold: a very canon and legit question

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You know I’ve been thinking recently, cus it appears that my mind likes dividing images of “mandos” and “namo” and it does it like this

Where mandos is the one who pulls the hood on and the shit gets real. Where did he get all that ungodly amount of aura? Comes in one set with the gift of foresight from Iluvatar I suppose.

And namo is like a family-friendly version, quite an awkwardly-introverted vala with the vibe of a grumpy grandpa

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snatched

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GLORFINDEL PROPAGANDA (art by @misswhalie):

Second elf ever to have canonically been reembodied

“Glorfindel was tall and straight; his hair was of shining gold, his face fair and young and fearless and full of joy; his eyes were bright and keen, and his voice like music; on his brow sat wisdom, and in his hand was strength” this is from LOTR but i think it’s cute

One of the mightest elves in Middle-earth

Slayed a balrog!

Dearly loved by the Gondolindrim. Also lord of the house of the golden flower. Adorable name

Guarded Turgon’s flank with Ecthelion during the Nirnaeth

He actually survived the fall of Gondolin, and died defending the survivors from an Orc ambush

Grass and yellow flowers grew on his cairn…

Spiritual power enhanced by reembodiment. Good for him. Wonder if it also enhanced his pussy power

The Maiar that he lived with considered him an equal

Manwë’s special guy that he sent across the sea :)

I mean come on look at his glorious golden hair

MAGLOR PROPAGANDA:

Valinor Taylor Swift except with 10000% less pollution

Literally called “Maglor the Mighty Singer, whose voice was heard far over land and sea”

Disappeared mysteriously… perhaps turned into a crab… who knows

Maglor’s gap <3 what gap? Yes.

Slew Uldor who betrayed the Union of Maedhros personally. Don’t cross Maglor I guess!

his heart was “sick and weary with the burden of the dreadful oath” 🥺🥺🥺

Also he raised Elrond and Elros! After kidnapping them and throwing them into a cave but y’know.

Also tried to be a decent guy. “And Maglor answered: ‘If it be truly the Silmaril which we saw cast into the sea that rises again by the power of the Valar, then let us be glad; for its glory is seen now by many, and is yet secure from all evil.’ Then the Elves looked up, and despaired no longer”

“Then Maglor desired indeed to submit, for his heart was sorrowful, and he said: ‘The oath says not that we may not bide our time, and it may be that in Valinor all shall be forgiven and forgot, and we shall come into our own in peace.’” He felt sooo bad about it :((

He’s like the sad wet puppy that someone abandoned on the street that wants pets but keeps biting your hand for getting near

Forever wandered the shore singing in pain and regret

Pulled an unnamed wife somehow?

Could’ve also died! Tolkien writes that “The last two sons of Fëanor, compelled by their oath, steal [the Simarils], and are destroyed by them, casting themselves into the sea, and the pits of the earth.”

Macalaurë is just such a cute name. His names are all so cute. He is so cute

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I think it is 'canon' if by canon it were, as there is no word is no word in Evish, Entish or the tongues of men for Tokien's 'canon'.

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I'm almost certain that Gandalf found hobbits so early only because, as the chief advisor of Irmo (the drug monopolist of Aman Entire), his first thought after arriving in ME was "I can't do this shit sober" and his first action was going look for some pipeweed.

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The tragedy of Ned Stark is playing GoT with LotR rulebook

The tragedy of Denethor is playing LotR with GoT rulebook

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"[D]irect" resort to Eru was not allowed to them [the Valar], or at least not expected of them, except in gravest emergency."

~NoME XII

That makes the whole Lúthien brouhaha even better. Like-

Mandos, shaking Manwë: GIVE ME. ERU. NOW.

Manwë: You know we're not supposed to unless it's-

Mandos: DO I LOOK LIKE IT IS NOT AN EMERGENCY?

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Mandos propaganda:

“He is the keeper of the Houses of the Dead, and the summoner of the spirits of the slain. He forgets nothing; and he knows all things that shall be, save only those that lie still in the freedom of Ilúvatar. He is the Doomsman of the Valar.” Clearly he is also so fucking cool

Puts up with Fëanor’s crap all day. How does he do it? I don’t know. He must have infinite patience which is very hot in a man

Just like Manwë, he can appear however you want him to… Sexy Mandos Real

Yes I know his name is actually Námo hush

Understood most clearly the Vision of Iluvatar, whatever that means

Grimmest of the Valar… supreme mysterious… if that’s your kind of guy then he must be sexy as hell

LOVES the word Doom. Me too dude

He had a dog at some point :)

Thingol propaganda:

Tallest elf Ever ever.

He was the greatest lord of the Sindar and supremely hot. So hot he scored a Maia wife, a feat that has never since been replicated. Sorry Beren your wife doesn’t count

“In Beleriand King Thingol upon his throne was as the lords of the Maiar, whose power is at rest, whose joy is as an air that they breathe in all their days, whose thought flows in a tide untroubled from the heights to the deeps” what else do you need to say!

He was such an ass but assholes are apparently extremely hot otherwise the Feanorians wouldn’t be so popular

Has one of the sexiest heraldic devices ever. Tolkien popped off with that one

Fair and noble! Says so right there on Tolkien Gateway.

Fathered the most gorgeous most beautiful daughter in the history of ever so daddy must’ve also been incredibly handsome.