#Angainor

[mothdalf]

Tolkientober: the final defeat of Melkor

“He was bound with the chain Angainor, his Iron Crown was beaten into a collar for his neck, and he was taken from the Earth and thrust through the Door of Night into the Timeless Void”

[mirkwood]

should i go from mirkwood url to mablung url.

[sesamenom]

war of wrath: second chaining of melkor

i also like this version bc its easier to see morgoth & angainor

and the sketch for finarfin's pose

[gauntletgirlie]

Your pain is my pain

Do you think in this moment he thought of Melkor, chained and alone in The Void?

Do you think he remembered how Melkor’s crown was made into a collar, as his own chafed and bit into his neck?

Do you think Melkor felt Mairon’s pain too?

When I saw this scene in The Rings of Power, it was what I immediately thought of. The show is known for its use of parallels in its story telling and this one stood out to me, whether it was intended by the writers or not.

The show decided to use Morgoth’s crown in a non-canon way, which irked me at first, but I didn’t hate how it ended up being using in TROP and, if anything, the crown got my boy mentioned (more) in the show so it’s a win in my eyes.

There’s also something fitting about Mairon being in possession of the crown of his lover/master/pick either or both. That crown caused Melkor pain due to the silmarils set in it. That crown caused Mairon pain in TROP because Adar stabbed him with it. Morgoth’s crown linked Melkor to the light he craved via the silmarils; it linked Sauron to the light he craved through him stabbing Galadriel with it and forging a connection to her through that action.

“There Morgoth stood at last at bay, and yet unvaliant. He fled into the deepest of his mines, and sued for peace and pardon; but his feet were hewn from under him, and he was hurled upon his face. Then he was bound with the chain Angainor which he had worn aforetime, and his iron crown they beat into a collar for his neck, and his head was bowed upon his knees.”

- The Silmarillion

[hailturinturambar]

When I think of Melkor, I think of Matteo Martari in Medici. I love stories about the Italian Renaissance and I became very attached to the series.

So when I think of Francesco Pazzi's final scene in season two, I always remember the moment when Morgoth was defeated and overpowered by the Valar.

Morgoth's final moments in Arda are shocking to read. We have the then Great Enemy, King of the World, on his knees before the Valar he so despised. Stripped of his crown that now imprisons him, mutilated and wounded, his Silmarils lost and imprisoned with Angainor.

Morgoth was forgiven many times, his brothers forced to trust his lies. And Morgoth proved each time that he was not worthy of that trust, that he was beyond redemption.

Melkor is like a wild beast, unleashed he causes destruction and ruin, always too unpredictable to let loose. When Morgoth pleaded before Mandos, Nienna was there, pleading with him. Trusting that he was worthy of this trust.

This time, he is alone. Nienna has already cried all her tears for him. Manwë, his brother, has chosen justice and the protection of Middle-earth above his kinship.

After conquering so much power and destruction, Morgoth is cast alone through the Door of Night to dwell until the end of time in the Timeless Void.

“But Morgoth himself the Valar thrust through the Door of Night beyond the Walls of the World, into the Timeless Void; and a guard is set for ever on those walls, and Eärendil keeps watch upon the ramparts of the sky..” ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion

Does he think it was worth it, when he is alone in the endless darkness? Probably. Because he will return to wage war on the Valar in Valinor, swearing revenge but never considering forgiveness.

What I like most about Morgoth and Sauron is that they build high pedestals for themselves only to bring about their own downfall. The drama of it all completely engulfs me. Both are always returning only to be destroyed completely.

[cilil]

Why did Manwë let Melkor out of jail? - Ainur answers

(by none other than JRRT himself)

Like Námo's silence regarding important events in the future (for an explanation of that, see here), the decision to free Melkor after three ages of captivity has been subject to very understandable confusion and frustration on the part of many readers. Instead of the unsatisfying, dismissive answer "we wouldn't have a cool story otherwise, duh", there actually are in-universe reasons, but the answers are somewhat hidden in deeper Elf and Ainu lore that not everyone comes across or finds pleasant to read and research (which, again, is very understandable).

I thought long and hard about how I could present this in a digestible way and upon revisiting the texts, I realized that, conveniently enough, Tolkien himself has provided an explanation for Melkor's release from Mandos, which of course is even better than anything I could have scraped together.

The passage in question can be found at the end of the essay "Ósanwë-kenta". I'm going to summarize Tolkien's explanation in a hopefully clear and helpful manner and am happy to provide screenshots from the PDF (best I have access to right now, sorry) if needed. There's also a tldr at the bottom.

⪼ Previously, Tolkien has described how ósanwë works. The key takeaway is that not even someone as powerful as Melkor can forcibly "read someone's mind" or perform "mind control" or anything of this sort because every sentient being is able to close themselves off and not reveal their thoughts unless they choose to. Thus Melkor was able to deceitfully approach some people, convince them to "let him in" and gain access to them that way, but others essentially blocked him. He learned language as a secondary tool to circumvent that barrier by other means of communication.

⪼ Tolkien then moves on to the issue of the Valar being deceived by Melkor. He acknowledges that it may seem strange to a reader that the Valar couldn't see Melkor's true intentions and how Manwë "appears at times almost a simpleton compared with him" (his words), especially when we as readers already know that Melkor is too absorbed in hate and pride to repent

⪼ He states that Melkor could read Manwë's mind because his was open, but Manwë couldn't do so in return because Melkor had closed himself off/projected a sort of false openness that hid his true intentions

⪼ Tolkien then poses the question: "How otherwise would you have it? Should Manwë and the Valar meet secrecy with subterfuge, treachery with falsehood, lies with more lies? If Melkor would usurp their rights, should they deny his?"

⪼ According to him, Manwë's mind was always open, both as in receiving instructions from Eru and doing his will and as in being open to others because he had nothing to hide. Melkor knew this and relied on Manwë being consistently honest and acting in accordance with Eru's rules and laws, even if he (Melkor) broke them and did whatever he wanted

⪼ Tolkien writes: "Thus the merciless will ever count in mercy, and the liars make use of truth"

⪼ He makes it clear that Manwë couldn't force Melkor to reveal his true thoughts. Melkor had to be believed until proven false and be given an opportunity to fulfill his promises

⪼ The force that was used against Melkor - Angainor, the captivity, etc - was, as Tolkien clarifies, not a way of forcing any sort of confession ("which was needless"). It could be called punishment, but should more accurately be thought of as "putting Melkor in timeout" (not his words), so that he has the opportunity to reconsider; for the sake of Arda, but also his own

⪼ Tolkien stresses that, should Melkor choose to return to the allegiance of Eru, he has to be given his freedom back and could not be enslaved or denied his part

⪼ He also stresses that Manwë's task as Elder King was to keep everyone in Arda in the allegiance of Eru and bring back those who strayed, BUT he is to leave them free within that allegiance. This is important to understand about Manwë's role and kingship in general

⪼ Because of this, it was only when Eru finally allowed it that the Valar went after Melkor (presumably referring to the War of Wrath, but the same idea applies to the Chaining)

⪼ Tolkien describes Manwë as acting reluctantly when he went to war against his brother. The reasons given include grievous hurt to Arda, as is the result of Ainur fighting, but also that, while the use of force was lawful here, it didn't accomplish much: Melkor's evil wasn't eradicated and couldn't be; only maybe if he had repented, but he didn't. The captivity made him more hateful, more adapt at lying, more vengeful

⪼ Next Tolkien argues that while great pain, suffering and loss came from Melkor's release, this chain of events also led to his ultimate defeat which otherwise maybe couldn't have happened

⪼ Finally, he discusses the question whether Melkor's continued captivity in Mandos would have led to a better outcome. Even when diminished, his power is "beyond our calculation". It could have been that, being denied his freedom and when he asked to be released, there could have been a "ruinous outburst of his despair"

⪼ But Tolkien says that this wouldn't have been the worst outcome. Rather the main concern is that Manwë breaking his promise to Melkor would have been a step down the same dark path his brother chose, even if done with good intentions. He would have acted like a mere worldly king who takes advantage of a defeated rival and ceased to be Eru's representative

⪼ Tolkien concludes by saying that this would have resulted in a world split between two proud Valarin lords striving for the throne and reminding us that one evil Vala was more than enough to handle, especially for us incarnates

Tldr:

Due to the way ósanwë works, nobody had any way of knowing if Melkor was speaking the truth or not and he couldn't be forced to reveal his true thoughts

Manwë had to, according to Eru and Eru's laws, give Melkor the benefit of the doubt

Not doing so would have been an evil act and disqualified him from being Eru's appointed vice-gerent

Melkor's lies and ultimate refusal to repent caused untold sorrow, but also his own final downfall which otherwise may not have happened

Obligatory disclaimer: As should be evident in the text, this is Tolkien's opinion, Tolkien's answer to this question and Tolkien's intentions for his own universe. The above summarized explanation he gave is not an "opinion" or "headcanon" of mine. You are entitled to your own opinion on this, I merely felt like it's only fair - and arguably necessary or at least helpful in terms of understanding - to hear out what the author himself has to say.

Like I said in the beginning, the intention behind this post was to compile his take for your convenience. The intention is very much not to attack anyone or their takes. In return, I ask you to please don't attack anyone either, please don't bash characters and please keep the conversation nuanced. Thank you!

[outofangband]

@melestasflight my thoughts for you! These are random I’m sorry

I think a lot about the similarities between Tulkas and Húrin; both are golden haired warriors whose names mean steadfast, whose second name (Astaldo and Thalion) mean courage or strength, and who openly mock Morgoth. Both also have family members likened to or connected to deer though this I believe to be coincidental

Húrin tells Morgoth, nothing you are but an escaped thrall of the Valar and their chain still awaits you. In early Histories of middle Earth, Tulkas aided Aulë in the creation of the chain Angainor which bound Melkor. In most versions, it is Tulkas who binds him.

Húrin telling Melkor these words is an echoing of his worst fear from what Eru told him; that there is no action he can take that will not be in his plan. I think this is part of the nature of the curse. Morgoth is inflicting upon Húrin’s family this fatalism, this inescapable doom that he himself feels trapped by. 

I believe at the time of Húrin’s death Morgoth felt victorious.

I also believe that following the War of Wrath, when Melkor was once again bound by Angainor, he looked up to see the image of Tulkas appear fleetingly as Húrin Thalion.

[mura171]

So gold was created by the collision of two neutron stars and then fell to earth 3.8 billion years ago in the form of meteors .

And in tolkiens early drafts the reason gold is so corruptive is because melkor created gold but what if melkor didn't intend to create gold but instead when varda rejected his advances he spitefully destroyed two of her greatest stars and gold was created .

When melkor noticed this new metal forming, he worried that this byproduct would later on aid his siblings against him For he that attempteth this shall prove but mine instrument in the devising of things more wonderful, which he himself hath not imagined, he caught a glimpse of angainor in the music and thought gold would be an essential component in forging it .

Thus he put a lot of his spiritual essence into gold while it was forming to corrupt it and thought for while that he managed to divert his fate and was proud of himself .

[thesilmarilliondrawn]

The Binding of Melkor. Melkor flees the destruction of his fortress Utomno, down into the deepest shaft, but Tulkas chases him down, wrestles him to the ground and binds him with Angainor, the chains built by Aulë.

[furious-haste-of-malice]

❝ "Does my brother – your husband – know that you still desire me?" 

"Unlike you, he is pure and good and so very agreeable. Unlike you, he knows when to obey." ❞

⊱ Prompt: BDSM, painal ⊱ Pairing: Varda x Melkor ⊱ Synopsis: After Melkor has been captured, Varda decides to try her hand at making him submit to his rightful queen - and doing it her own way. ⊱ Featuring: Eldritch Ainur, tentacles made of holy light, sadistic domme Varda, double/triple penetration (spicy bingo) ⊱ Warnings: Non-con, non-consensual BDSM, infidelity*, Varda's holy light hurts Melkor, the painal prompt in itself *I personally hc that Ainur couples tend to be quite liberal with physical love (as their bodies are just raiment to them), however Varda is doing this behind Manwë's back and he might not be ok with his wife assaulting his brother, so... make of it what you will, warning just to be safe.

𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒓'𝒔 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒆: Another one for @tolkienpinupcalendar's Dead Dove December that I'm still writing in February because yes. Enjoy~

It had pleased her to see him in chains. 

And it pleased her even more to have him kneel in front of her. 

Varda had ordered Melkor to be brought to her observatory within the highest tower of Ilmarin. Whether it was to settle an ancient dispute or it was merely pleasure she sought she herself couldn't tell, but what she knew for certain was that she finally had the arrogant Vala all to herself, away from the gaze of her sweet, all too kind husband. 

Though, of course, said Vala wouldn't make it easy to teach him a lesson in humility. 

Melkor looked up at her, a dark, triumphant grin twisting his fair features, and Varda swore to herself that she would wipe it off his face.

"So you wanted me all along, hm?" 

"The only thing I could ever want of you is your complete and utter surrender and submission to my rule," she said coldly and gripped his jaw. 

The searing heat of her hallowed hand elicited a sharp hiss of pain from the Dark Vala, and it was Varda's turn to smile. 

Even so, Melkor remained defiant. "Does my brother – your husband – know that you still desire me?" 

"Unlike you, he is pure and good and so very agreeable. Unlike you, he knows when to obey." 

"True." His attempt at regaining his haughty smile was more akin to a beast baring its teeth, but Varda was undaunted; rather, she felt a surge of excitement. 

One brother, already tame within her capable hands, and the other to be tamed by her, so that he might never challenge her or her subjects again. 

Melkor took advantage of her pensive silence. "But you are wrong if you believe I will be your little pet like he is – as amusing as it would be to see you admitting how much you have wanted me this whole time. Really, Varda, the true Elder King and Eru's impostor? How greedy of you." 

Without warning, Varda slapped him. 

"You shall not insult me or my husband in my presence. And whether you will learn to submit or not, we shall see." 

She could sense that it was slowly dawning on him how serious she was, and she wondered how Melkor would look if he was terrified, how he would sound if his mighty voice was reduced to a pleading whimper – something she quite enjoyed doing to Manwë. 

Fascinated, Varda looked at the handprint she had left on the Dark Vala's cheek, then her own hand, still faintly glowing with furious starlight, and finally at his bound form. He was trapped in his flesh in more ways than one thanks to Angainor, and the sensation of pain seemed more acute and intimate than what she had observed with other Ainur. 

Light, too, had served Melkor once, yet now its holy purity hurt him – retribution for his crimes – and it obeyed her command rather than his; and it was then that she knew exactly how she would teach him a lesson. 

With an elegant flick of her wrist, Varda sent forth a wave of starfire that incinerated the tattered remains of his clothes, leaving him bare under her merciless gaze. 

Fallen or not, he was still a sight to behold. Where Manwë's form spoke of lithe grace, Melkor's contained raw strength; where Manwë's hands were made for shaping clouds, holding quills to write his poetry and gentle touch, Melkor's carved valleys, broke mountains and accomplished many other evil deeds and feats of destruction. 

Varda allowed herself to behold his naked fána a while longer, until she found her eyes once again lingering on the mark she had left, marring skin that was cool, smooth and pale like snow. 

The temptation to touch him was great, but he was unworthy of such pleasure. 

Instead she gripped the collar Tulkas had so kindly put around his neck and forced him down on all fours with his head bowed in supplication. Melkor attempted to fight back, but Angainor sapped his strength and her light threatened to blind and burn him once more, so he acquiesced, though most unwillingly; his pride, as always, remained strong. 

Not for long, Varda promised herself, then asked aloud, "Will you be good for me?" 

"You should know better than to ask," Melkor snapped. 

"Very well." As far as she was concerned, his fate was sealed. 

Light erupted from her chest, back and shoulders, swiftly coalescing into long, tendril-like limbs – reminiscent of Yavanna's vines or even the tentacles of Ulmo's sea creatures, Varda thought with idle amusement. One wrapped around Melkor's neck, others pressed down on the back of his head and his shoulder blades to keep him down, more reached for his legs, while she calmly walked out of his sight and stood behind him, eager to witness the punishment she would bestow on him for his wicked ways. 

"You wouldn't," was all Melkor managed to say, though his voice shook just enough for Varda to know he was uncertain. 

"It doesn't have to happen," she said. "Renounce your false claim to kingship, call me your queen and abjure your evil deeds. Otherwise... yes, I would, and I will."

"Never!" 

Knowing that he couldn't see the delighted smile on her face, Varda allowed herself to indulge in her darkest impulses. 

"I knew you would say that." 

Hidden within the folds of her luxurious dress was, as always, a phial with water from her beloved wells that she now gleefully poured over his exposed backside, revelling in his vulnerability. The hallowed liquid was enough to make Melkor shiver in discomfort, and Varda knew full well it wouldn't provide sufficient lubrication either, but such was also not her intention. 

She wanted to purify and cause pain. 

And when she felt hot, tight flesh desperately clenching around one of her additional appendages and heard Melkor's scream within his ëala even before the sound tore through the air, she knew she had succeeded. Varda took her time pushing deeper and deeper, both curious to find the limits of his fána and aroused by the sight and sensation of penetrating the rebellious Vala that had caused her endless frustration. There was a certain pleasure to be found in breaking resistance, she noted, one that she couldn't derive from her sweet and docile husband. 

To her own surprise, Varda felt laughter bubbling up inside her chest. 

"You have your uses after all. Perhaps I was wrong to dismiss you as a lover," she taunted. "Though..." 

Willing a smaller tendril to wrap around the base of Melkor's cock, she drank in the panicked cry that followed with haughty indifference. 

"... make no mistake, this is not for pleasure." 

Yet Varda was lying to him, and she knew it as soon as she said those words. While she wouldn't allow Melkor to enjoy any of this, she would very much take pleasure in it herself. His screams and sobs whenever her light came in contact with his unholy flesh and moved inside him were bliss to her ears, even with the discord tainting his once-beautiful voice, and the desire to touch herself became unbearable when a second appendage joined the first, painfully penetrating her now-subdued nemesis. 

Varda slipped one hand under her dress to take care of herself ��� even serving her pleasure would be too high of an honour for Melkor – and waited. If necessary she would burn every inch of his skin and tear his hole open with more and more limbs of all shapes and sizes, but in the end she would have him begging for mercy.

No sooner than that would she grant it. 

She commanded a third appendage to enter her helpless prisoner, stretching the delicate ring of muscle to its limit, and soon felt something wet staining her luminous limbs, droplets of black blood. The sharp scent of iron assaulted her senses, and Varda knew not whether to be disgusted or excited. 

And for all his strength, Melkor was both captive and slave to his own flesh, and his will was swiftly eroded by blinding hot pain, causing him to break. 

"Stop it, please – please! I..." 

"Yes?" Varda stilled inside him, yet her fána was shuddering with pleasure. Her hand moved faster now, almost erratically. 

She was close and so was he in a way, though they arrived at wholly different limits. 

"Please... my queen..." 

Melkor was in a pitiful state, Varda noticed even as lust clouded her mind. Crying, sobbing, nearly collapsing on the floor from the pain he was in; a prideful being reduced to beautiful submission. It was this thought, this raw feeling of triumph and dominance that pushed her over the edge, and she took her time basking in the warm glow of her orgasm before pulling out and letting go of his neck. 

Black marks remained where her tendrils of light had restrained Melkor's fána and his hole was loose and raw as if he had been taken by the entire Valarin council. The mental image elicited a small chuckle from Varda; if he misbehaved again, she might consider doing exactly that and sharing him with the others. 

Nienna, of course, would tell her to pity him and Manwë would ask for mercy on behalf of his brother, but she found that she quite enjoyed the view and felt no regret. 

"You wanted me once and now you are whimpering and crying at my feet. Isn't this what you wanted? Does the light no longer please you, dear?”

Thanks for reading! ♡

[niennawept]

Could you share a quote and/or tell us about pax valarum 👀?

Oh, I'd be happy to; thank you for asking!

pax valarum is a fic set during the Chaining of Melkor and told from his perspective. I'll be writing a series of 100 short chapters (preferably drabbles) to explore his psyche and his relationships with the Valar that do interact with him during this time (mainly Námo, but to a lesser extent Nienna and Manwë). I think it's going to end up being a meditation on what makes the Valar think it's alright to let him out and the extent to which what he showed them was true or false.

This is the first drabble:

The chains bound him, but did not bite. Aulë’s work wouldn’t. Not as Mairon’s did. No, the great Angainor locked his power down deep, where he could scarce even feel it. When Tulkas kicked him, he fell to kneeling; his knees flared with vulgar, common pain. Weak as an elf. “Melkor.” Manwë’s voice rolled down from the throne like thunder over the mountains. “You have been—industrious.” It took all of his strength to muster a carefree smile. “Thank you for noticing, little brother.” But Manwë’s gaze lay behind him; a slim hand landed on his shoulder. “Well met, Námo.”

[wisteria53]

Melkor chained by Angainor. Not repentant.

Chaining of Melkor

[sesamenom]

happy some-number-of-days-till-halloween!

This year's halloween costume party features Aule for the group costume theme (he is also invited).

feanor's fire effect is achieved through slightly-glowy tiny gems sewed onto a bodysuit with actual stone chunks attached. the mini-Lamps are glass lanterns containing one silmaril each and carried on a really long fishing line by the ambarussa. feanor made a mini-angainor (complete with sock monkey melkor) just for the costume.

celegorm's orome costume is a slightly upgraded version of his costume from last year's party (x)

mahtan and nerdanel (as mairon) are the only ones who didn't have to get a wig/fake beard.

curufin spent more time helping feanor with the mini-Lamps and mini-Angainor than working on his own costume. also celebrimbaby is a dwarf because why would you *not* go as aule and a dwarf when you have a small toddler.

[cilil]

Mairon x Ar-Pharazôn - I know you ship it, but tell me why :)

*rubs hands* Ah it's time for the Mairazôn manifesto. I'll put some of this under a cut because I will have to discuss some dark stuff later on, as you can already guess, but for everyone else - tw captor/captive, non-con and just the fact that these two are awful men.

So first of all the entire canon scenario around these two is super interesting. We have a political intrigue plot and really get to see the "Deceiver" part. Mairon is so good at making men thirst after him that he works his way from prisoner to advisor and high priest, getting an arc that parallels Melkor's Valinor arc while also being even more "egregious" in terms of deception. We have this huge corruption arc, we have fucked up religious undertones, we have essentially a Garden of Eden narrative and most importantly we have juicy power dynamics.

The power dynamics are particularly interesting to me because on one hand Ar-Pharazôn is "the man in charge", but on the other hand Mairon is vastly more powerful than any individual in the kingdom. If he wanted he could break/melt those chains, kill the king and everyone else he hates and escape before he gets overwhelmed by numbers (plus not everyone may have a weapon that can hurt a Maia as powerful as he is, especially since he has the One Ring).

He could have also avoided capture in the first place, I doubt mortals are any good at chasing Ainur once they cast off their fána and just leave or have anything like Angainor available. But no, Mairon chose to let Ar-Pharazôn capture him and is playing the long game (well, long for mortals anyway). He wants to ruin that man and wants to do it thoroughly.

Ar-Pharazôn is canonically a rapist, at least in the version of the story where he took Míriel to wife by force (there's also one where she loved him... girl, your standards, please), and my headcanon is that he wanted Mairon as well and ended up having sex with him that he allowed, but didn't want. A very muddled consent situation to say the least.

Aside from juicy dark fic and kinky porn (and everyone is welcome to read it as just that and not more), I like taking Mairazôn (as well as Tulkas/Melkor) to really challenge society's "perfect victim" nonsense. Mairon is as "imperfect" of a victim as it gets: He's a man/male-presenting, he's a literal angel, he's evil, he's more powerful than Ar-Pharazôn one on one and known to set people on fire, he's seen it coming and maybe even "provoked" it in some way or at least acquiesced, so that people might say: "He was asking for it". They may also enjoy seeing him get raped as a sort of a justice/punishment thing.

By showing how he experiences these unwanted encounters with Ar-Pharazôn I want the reader to think about what they consider to be just and how their perception of sexual violence differs in regards to different victims. Do you think it becomes "okay" at a certain point if the victim has "allowed" themselves to get into a situation or if they're a bad person themselves (also while Mairon is to my knowledge not canonically a rapist, there is some fanon around and in my opinion it's not exactly far-fetched or OOC)? How do you perceive the power imbalance in this and can you see it going both ways? Are you willing to face the tough and morally challenging situations of victims becoming perpetrators and perpetrators becoming victims? Where does your compassion lie? How do you feel about revenge?

And this entire mess becomes even messier with my headcanon that Mairon thought he as an Ainu, a shapeshifting spirit being who wears physical forms like clothes, would be above being affected by such an act committed against him. Hell, depending on how the individual reader sees past Angbang it may have happened to him before. What does this do to his psyche? Just how far is this man willing to go for his perfect revenge? And where does it leave him in the end?

So yeah. Tldr: For me, Mairazôn is dark, messy and asks the tough questions. It's an excellent ship to explore all of these themes.

[outofangband]

Since you mentioned it, I’ve noticed that The Children of Húrin has a LOT of foreshadowing for its later twists and developments.

All of Tolkien’s works have foreshadowing of these things of course.

But I’ve noticed a LOT more of it in The Children of Húrin.

Yes there is lots of foreshadowing!

Some of my favorite examples are:

-Morwen’s dark feelings at the mention of Brethil which will of course be the place where she and her children die and where Húrin is again imprisoned. Especially pertinent because Morwen really isn’t the sort to bring up this kind of feeling especially when it’s so vague. I often wonder if there’s pre shadowing as well? Especially because Morwen was in Brethil as a young child after escaping the invasion in Ladros.

-Húrin telling Morgoth “nothing you are but an escaped thrall of the Valar and their chain still awaits you” obviously, this doesn’t come to pass in this book but it will at the end and I so dearly like to think that when Morgoth is chained once more by Angainor, he remembers those words

Perhaps the image of Tulkas flickers and for just a moment he sees in his place another golden haired warrior who dared to laugh at him (there are actually so many fascinating connections between Tulkas and Húrin from the fact that both of their names mean steadfast to the fact that both of them have loved ones who have a connection to deer)

In addition to foreshadowing, there’s also repeating motifs that I really enjoy; sight and blindness and obscuring, hunters and hunted, fire and waters, names (from the names of the flowers Nellas teaches Túrin to the names of Niënor Nínel and more), violation and control, etc

And of course there is so much foreshadowing you can do in writing fanfiction for this book. Currently, I am working on one that has so much foreshadowing about Aerin burning the house down and I feel so gleeful at all the little hints seemingly innocuous out of context knowing where it will all end 

Somewhat related, I also LOVE foreshadowing later stuff with Melkor interacting with Maedhros, Finwë or Fëanor in Valinor. There’s so much to work with there. So much suspense and dread and innocuous statements that the reader knows are not at all innocent

[victorie552]

"Morgoth was utterly defeated, fled into the deepest of his mines, and sued for peace and pardon, but the Valar crippled him and cast him upon his face. He was bound with the chain Angainor, his Iron Crown was beaten into a collar for his neck, and he was taken from the Earth and thrust through the Door of Night into the Timeless Void, outside Time and Space and outside Eä altogether."

Guys, I think we know Finarfin's door-related insult.

Feanor: shut his door in Morgoth’s face

Fingolfin: banged on Morgoth’s door to come out and fight

Finarfin: did some other door related insult to Morgoth that was never recorded? Ding dong ditch? Fake pizza order?