#Barahir

[elena-kukanova]

In the meantime, a whole plot bundle has come together

Fen of Serech

[ayaosguqin]

King of Nargothrond , Five Act Tragedy

“I go now to my long rest in the timeless halls beyond the seas and the Mountains of Aman. It will be long ere I am seen among the Noldor again; and it may be that we shall not meet a second time in death or life, for the fates of our kindreds are apart. Farewell!' He died then in the dark, in Tol-in-Gaurhoth, whose great tower he himself had built.

Link to my Ko Fi

[forestials]

“…but Barahir came up with the bravest of his men and rescued him, and made a wall of spears about him; and they cut their way out of the battle with great loss. Thus Felagund escaped, and returned to his deep fortress of Nargothrond; but he swore an oath of abiding friendship and aid in every need to Barahir and all his kin, and in token of his vow he gave to Barahir his ring."

[eilinelsghost]

The Ring of Felagund/The Ring of Barahir

I confess that (despite mostly enjoying the films) I hold onto several longstanding and extremely petty beefs with Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy. And, surprising no one, my pettiest and fiercest grudge is their design for the Ring of Barahir.

I think (besides the One Ring) it's the most clearly described piece of jewelry in the legendarium:

two serpents with emerald eyes, one upholding, one devouring a crown of golden flowers

And yet! When you look at the film's design, there is a) no crown of golden flowers, b) the serpents do not seem to be either upholding or devouring anything, but kind of just chilling there, and c) the serpents do not have emerald eyes, but rather a single, giant emerald that's plopped in the middle, presumably in place of the golden crown.

It's a lovely ring! But it's not the ring Finrod gave to Barahir.

Anyway, all that to say I finally caved and drew the one that has lived in my head for 24 years. Please clap.

[arlenianchronicles]

After a million years' absence, I come back to you now at the turn of the tide ... with some @allthatglittersisnotgoldrush fanart! Rest assured I have other Silm art to share once the time comes (they're for TRSB and S&D, so I can't post them until the events are over loll)

The recent AU installments got me back into the Beren-Luthien-Finrod mood, which led to these portrait attempts! For starters, we have Barahir, Emeldir the Blind, and Beren, once again inspired by the Pacific Northwest tribes. For Barahir in particular, I based him off of Michael Greyeyes in the movie, Woman Walks Ahead, hence why his hair is down for now XD

The other three are Luthien, Melian, and Thingol! For Melian, her hairstyle and clothes are inspired by the Qing Dynasty since she was born during that time. I'm not quite satisfied with Thingol's look, but I'm at least glad I knew of his mustachio from the Pharmakos fic lololl

[azalearanger]

"For the valour of the Edain the Elves shall ever remember as the ages lengthen, marvelling that they gave life so freely of which on earth they had so little." - Ulmo to Tuor (The Fall of Gondolin)

How tragic, how heartbreaking and bittersweet, that the greatest gift of undying friendship of men to elves must be cut short by death.

How heart-wrenching for the Eldar to linger on with the memory of that gift, a hole torn in the flowing fabric of their ageless years, a friend never returning, never to meet again beyond the western sea.

What choice do they have, but to return this gift to the children of their dearest friends, fleeting though their time may be.

[aotearoa20]

lil’ Beren: Master Elf! I… I… this is my rabbit! I love him so much!! Do you like rabbits more than Men?

Finrod: (crouching down) Well little one, all sentient beings are important and so I don’t think you can love any sentient creature more than another. We should care about everything and love everything unless…

Finrod: (pause) unless, of course, it attacks you

Finrod: in which case, lovingly see it off with a big stick

Barahir: (trying not to laugh) that’s… that’s so profond Nòm

Finrod: But! Love all things buddy :)

Lil’ Beren: unless..

Finrod: unless it’s coming at you mate, then… dispatch it with love

[velvet4510]

I’ve read some criticisms that Beren doesn’t listen to Lúthien and keeps trying to leave her behind even when she’s proven herself capable … and I’m like … are you even aware of Beren’s life story?

This man has lost everything he’s ever loved.

He had to part ways with his mother and sister for their safety, and then came back from a hunt to find his entire clan brutally murdered, including his father. He tracked down those responsible to take revenge and get his father’s ring back, because what else could he do? What purpose did he have without his family and his comrades? What was the use when the enemy was hunting him down 24/7? While his survival instincts won out, he was still a man who had no hope, afraid of love and attachment after what he’d lost, completely alone and isolated for years.

Then he met Lúthien. And she made him want to live. She gave him something to fight for: her. He found a new purpose, a new dream: he could be her husband, he could give her love and a family, happiness and freedom, everything she deserves.

He invoked Finrod’s promise to his father just so he could achieve his new goal…and how did that turn out? His entire group of helpers got captured and killed, because of him, including his dear friend. Every time he gets attached to someone in the heat of danger, he loses them. Every time. The poor guy must feel like he’s cursed.

And suddenly here’s Lúthien, in the middle of Sauron’s fortress, targeted by the sons of Fëanor, vowing to follow him into the lion’s mouth to end all lion’s mouths that is Angband.

And Beren just…can’t bear it. She is his hope, his light, his love, his Tinúviel…he can’t let that “curse” on him affect her. He can’t drag her into further danger when that has spelled doom for everyone else he’s loved. Not when the enemy has proven time and again that he can and will conquer everyone Beren cares for, no matter how strong.

He pushes her away not because he doesn’t respect her, but because he does.

He insists that she go back to Doriath and he go on alone, NOT because he thinks she can’t handle herself - he knows her far too well to believe that - but because he can’t lose her too.

[anira-naeg]

House of Beor: Part 2

[prastevnik]

Still trying to figure out digital painting.

Finrod and Barahir moment (and Pikachu-faced Beren in the background)

Feanor and Nerdanel chilling in a greenhouse (by the way, congratulations, you unlocked my blue-sweater Feanor design. While reading the silm I imagined Finwe and all his sons wearing blue sweaters. Just wanted to share my curse. Thank you for your attention.)

[anna-dreamer]

Finrod and the Edain

And I returned to my beautiful city

Black skies change into blue

And though my love is so wise and so pretty

Some nights I'll still dream of you

[ayaosguqin]

“When you save a thousand something year old elf , who is all sunshine and smiles”

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Silmarillion Daily - Of the Finding of the Elves

This was one that struck me hard on the reread, because the parallels between Oromë encountering the Elves for the first time, and Finrod encountering Men for the first time in Beleriand, are so strong.

In both cases, they come upon them while hunting, on the edge of the eastern mountains, when they hear them singing:

And on a time it chanced that Oromë rode eastward in his hunting, and he turned north by the shore of Helcar and passed under the shadows of the Orocarni, the Mountains of the East. Then on a sudden Nahar set up a great neighing, and stood still. And Oromë wondered and sat silent, and it seemed to him that in the quiet of the land under the stars he heard afar off many voices singing.

Finrod Felagund lord of Nargothrond journeyed east of Sirion and went hunting with Maglor amd Maedhros…In a valley among the foothills of the mountains, below the springs of Thalos, [Finrod] saw lights in the mountains, and far off he heard the sound of song.

In both cases they see these new people and love them not in spire of, but because of, the fact that they are different from themselves:

And Oromë looking upon the Elves was filled with wonder, as though they were beings sudden and marvellous and unforeseen…And Oromë loved the Quendi, and named them in their own tongue Eldar, the people of the stars.

Then Felagund, standing silent in the night-shadow of the trees, looked down into the camp, and there he beheld a strange people…Long Felagund watched them, and love for them stirred in his heart.

Here is where things diverge - and I think this is very intentional on Finrod’s part. He grew up among the Valar. He would have heard the story of Oromë first encountering the Elves hundreds of times, and he’s suddenly found himself in a parallel situation. And he would remember from the story how so e Elves reacted when Oromë, a Vala, suddenly appeared among them:

Yet many of the Quendi were filled with dread at his coming; and this was the doing of Melkor. For by after-knowledge the Wise declare that Melkor, ever watchful, was first aware of the awakening of the Quendi, and sent shadows and evil spirits to spy upon them and waylay them. So it came to pass, some years ere the coming of Oromë, that if any of the Elves strayed far abroad, alone or few together, they would often vanish, and never return; and the Quendi said that the Hunter had caught them, and were afraid…Thus it was than when Nahar neighed and Oromë indeed came among them, some of the Quendi hid themselves, and some fled and were lost.

And some of these elves who hid or fled were captured by Melkor and turned into Orcs.

So Finrod thinks of this, and decides he doesn’t want to risk startling them and thereby endangering them. So he waits until they are all sleeping, and then goes down and plays music, and because of the beauty and the dreamlike feel of things, they are not afraid and don’t run.

Now men awoke and listened to Felagund as he harped and sang, and each thought that he was in some fair dream, until that he saw that his fellows were awake also beside him; but they did not speak or stir while Felagund still played, because of the beauty of the music and the wonder of the song.

In a way, it’s no wonder that Men at first mistake Finrod for a Vala - he’s reliving the experience of the Vala who first discovered the Elves, and he’s trying (and succeeding) to use that history to do better. And this continues in his later dealings with Men. The Valar gave the Elves a binary choice: come to Valinor and we’ll teach you and keep you safe, or stay in Middle-earth and you’re on your own. But Finrod leaves the choice up to Men: Bëor wants to come with him to Nargothrond, the others choose to stay in Estolad, later generations come to live in Dorthonion, and he does his best to look out for them and advise them whichever of those choices they make. I suspect he’s thinking of the history between the Elves and the Valar again here, and wondering what might have happened if the Valar had taken a different approach.

Now, that does not last. The Valar were not able to keep the Elves free from harm even in Valinor, and Finrod, who does not have a Vala’s power, is still less able to keep them safe in Beleriand. But he’s doing the best he can. And I think it’s the shock of that moment in the Fen of Serech, when not only is he unable to get to Dorthonion to help his little brothers and the House of Bëor, but the men of the House of Bëor are saving him and losing their lives doing it, that prompts his oath to Barahir. On the flip side, for Barahir, you can contrast this reaction to that of Fëanor and many of the Noldor at the Darkening. The Darkening is when the Noldor realize the Valar can lose; and the Bragollach is similarly when Men see that Elves can lose. But because Men’s relationship with Elves is already to some extent a collaborative one, seeing them lose just makes them seem more ‘human’ rather than prompting the sense of betrayal the Noldor seem to have felt towards the Valar.

[outofangband]

But still there lived in hiding cold

Undaunted, Barahir the bold

Of land bereaved of lordship shorn

Who once a prince of men was born

And now an outlaw lurked and lay

In the hard Heath and Woodland Grey

And with him clung of faithful men

But Beren his son and other ten

Happy extremely late birthday, @eilinelsghost !! I’m so sorry this is so late. I am always in awe of your world building and lore for the Bëorians, especially in customs and language. It’s incredible and you are so talented!

[eleanoraborealis]

The Rescue