#How very feanorian

[eloquentsisyphianturmoil]

[eleneressea]

the Valar seem pretty content to primarily punish the ringleaders and let their followers go, so the Fëanorian followers probably get re-embodied well before their lords do

thus when Elrond shows up Formenos is not so much a lone fortress of exile as a bustling city where all the Fëanorians live, as most of them don't really want to swear loyalty to Finarfin and also don't tend to get along with the various other factions in Tirion

[armenelols]

I feel like this implies I do a lot of maedhros-posting but I really don't. I am not sure I've ever posted about Maedhros. I don't think about Maedhros. Sometimes I forget Maedhros exists. Handless ginger who? I blame this on pretty art and pretty art only

[thedeadthree]

🎶✨when u get this, list 5 songs u like to listen to, publish. then, send this ask to 10 of your favorite followers (positivity is cool)🎶✨

AIRIKA HI TY TYY DEAR this is the cutest thank youu and i hope ur well!! i adore yelling about tunes EEEK 🥀💌☺️

𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃 𝐔𝐏𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐍𝐎𝐖 — hozier, bear mcreary.

𝐒𝐘𝐌𝐏𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐊𝐍𝐈𝐅𝐄 — charli xcx.

𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐎𝐑 𝐋𝐀𝐒 𝐕𝐄𝐆𝐀𝐒 — cocteau twins.

𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐑 𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐄𝐒 — the crane wives.

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐄𝐓𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐊 — ramin djawadi.

[thesummerestsolstice]

See one of my favorite Rivendell headcanons is that even though it's a wonderful, peaceful sanctuary, pretty much everyone there could be incredibly dangerous if they wanted to be. Like, let's think about who lives in that valley.

Elrond Peredhel, resident healer and eldritch crime against nature, self-explanatory

Glorfindel, slayer of balrogs, self-explanatory

Erestor, probably Feanorian, definitely dangerous

Old Feanorian diehards, all of whom are probably looking for an excuse to commit morally justified violence

Old Gondolindrim/Iathrim, who, despite what they might tell you, are exactly as dangerous as the Feanorians

Garthaglir the Library Orc, who absolutely remembers how to use the giant battleaxe he keeps behind his desk

A strange, shadowy figure roaming the valley who I'm *sure* isn't Maglor Feanorian, but who is nonetheless a terrifying singer

Elladan and Elrohir, who have spent the last several centuries becoming nightmare fuel for Sauron's forces

Arwen, eldritch, bites

Bilbo Baggins, not to be underestimated, can defeat a grown man with nothing more than his scathingly polite commentary

Dunedain visitors, vaguely feral, highly trained

Aragorn, very feral, highly trained

Lindir, not actually dangerous, but if you upset him you are going to have problems with everyone else on this list

I actually really like the idea that a lot of the people who live in Rivendell are inherently kind of dangerous, because it means that they're actively choosing peace and kindness for themselves and I love that.

[soothingmoonlight]

#silm#fëanorians#the sons of fëanor explored all over aman in their youth they're used to life on the road#and specifically noted as “abode seldom in one place for long”#makes sense they'd have little diffculty adopting to the Laiquendi lifestyle#I mean even during the siege they're less stationary than eg the Nolofinwëans#constantly visiting each other and organizing patrols out into lothlan and ard-galen#(Celegorm and Curufin are off visiting Caranthir when Aredhel reaches their territory as just one example)

tags by @waitingforsecretsouls

A meta I must write, and will.. one day, is about how in the Silmarillion is stated that the sons of Fëanor were “scattered” after the Nirnaeth and, at first glance, the thing makes remarkably little sense, particularly since they apparently manage not only to keep their own safe while scattered (after a retreat to Amon Ereb), but also to have an army co-ordinated and organised enough to march on Doriath during the winter and win that war in unfamiliar enemy territory and, likely, heavily outnumbered.

Still the thing starts making more sense if we consider the perspective from which the “writer” of the Silmarillion writes: the perspective of Gondolin, a society founded around the city as a hidden haven, which sees (with its own reasons) leaving it behind as impossible, with Doriathrim influences, thus yet another culture founded around the concept of a “hidden haven” the fall of which would mean death. Yet this is not true for the Fëanorians, or even the people of Fingon and Fingolfin who, living in territories so near an active border, would have to have developed a “fallback plan” to use should the worst come to pass.

My theory is that the Fëanorian and the non-Gondolidhrim Noldor to a lesser extent, had planned a possible “nomadization” well in advance and thus their scattering served the double purpose of making them less visible to Morgoth and preventing them from ending up in a non-defensible position. Which would also explain how Maedhros can try and offer allegiance later to Elwing as a bargaining chip, and have an army strong and organised enough to survive on his own and even win armed conflicts.  Naturally becoming a nomadic people had its prices, particularly for the Noldor, still I think it was a smart move and a well planned one, particularly since Amrod and Amras already seem to lead a semi-nomadic people.

[nerdanelparmandil]

Yes, Fingon rescued Maedhros because of the strife between their families , yes, there are few mentions of them together in the rest of the Silmarillion, but...he braved Angband. For him! He braved hell, and brought him back, and was ready to kill him to bring him mercy and release.

Because if Fingon had went, killed Maedhros and returned empty handed, would the conflict not have escalated even further? Yet, he was ready to risk that, because Maedhros begged him.

(What was the political justification behind such a daring action? Did Morgoth send them constant reminders/proof that Maedhros was indeed alive? Was Maedhros so vital in keeping his people and his brothers in check - was he so beloved by his people that they would not strive for peace or recognise another king while the hope of him being alive remained? Were none of the Noldor in Fingolfin's host really comfortable with the idea of "usurping" his crown and be done with it? Like yes, I know that the Feanorians would have never, and if the Nolofinweans had even tried, war would have ensued - but what did Fingon *really* think rescuing Maedhros would accomplish? Had he faith that Maedhros would be reasonable enough, skilled enough, to solve the strife, instead of opposing Fingolfin? Was he sure that the Feanorians would have felt so indebted to him that they would put aside their strife? How much the political overlap with...love and hope?)

And Fingon did the impossible, and only Beren and Luthien ever entered Angband, and similarly, only Frodo and Sam braved Mordor.

He did it for his people, but what spurred him on was their ancient friendship, and hope, and the very obvious but significant fact that you do not leave someone you love to suffer in the hands of the enemy, no matter how unlikely the rescue is. Yet, only Fingon dared.

The Valiant indeed.

[havenotwillnotreadthebooks]

Okay but consider; The Sons of Elrond reminding people of the Sons of Feanor.

Like, in Middle-Earth (ME) it wasn’t a big deal that E&E followed their dad around because it was just accepted as Harmless Peredhel Oddness.

But in Valinor, all these relatives keep visiting The House of Elrond because he’s the baby of every Finwion branch in existence. So these Finweans come around and just see Elrond’s sons somewhat hovering around him or staying in the general vicinity. Furthermore, Elrond isn’t just their dad, he’s also their lord-father and to Elrohir & Elladan, Elrond’s authority is above all else. Anyone, else.

Elrond casually tells his sons to do something simple and they do it without protest because it’s just getting a teapot or something, they may whine or groan like elflings for fun, but they get the teapot without question. That’s just how that relationship is. When the twins protest it’s loud and rare, and usually they just wanna follow their family members around (Arwen, Estel, Elrond, Celebrian).

But it’s just Elrond and Celebrian in Valinor, with Glorfindal, Lindir, and Erestor settling their own business elsewhere for a bit.

So these Finweans just see The Sons of Elrond (which they are canonically called) following their father around loyally, and mostly down to do anything for him (they swore an oath against all orcs for their mom, c’mon), and these Finweans start getting flashbacks to the Sons of Feanor in their youth.

The average Middle-Earth elf just sees the very close Peredhel Fam being a close family. The average Valinorean elf looks at the twins following Elrond around like ducklings and starts seeing ghosts.

It’s worse if Elrond is Feanorian, but even without that headcanon, it’s an uncanny likeness and it disturbs the Finweans that visit The House of Elrond.

(Celebrian, personally, thinks it’s funny).

[eloquentsisyphianturmoil]

A little something concerning a line of Tolkien’s—

"Earendil took Elwing to wife, and she bore him two children"

This says no more of Tolkien's view on marriage than the fates of the Feanorians say of his view on punishment - and certainly neither say aught of how he wants us to view them.

The silmarilion is explitly devoid of allegory. Its archaic style is deeper than wording and permeates the presentation of the story itself, most relevant to this discourse being the genre's effect on morality and punishment.

The simarillion places an emphasis on actions as morally absolute regardless of circumstance, and inaction as morally neutral, a position commonly taken most notably by the church (just look at the abortion controversy) and prevalent in literature of the kind Tolkien is mimicking.

This mindset should not pass into a modern evaluation of the situations concerned; the phrase "that doesn't make it right” is overused and usually one-sided. It was not right for Celegorm to attack Doriath, yet it also was not right for Thingol to refuse aiding the Union of Maedhros. The motivations, familial history, for each action is the same, and perhaps those fallen at Doriath would equal those who may have been saved had Thingol offered his forces. These characters should be judged as much for what they do as for what they don't do.

[tathrin]

The Fëanorians were Doomed to begin with...

Even if the sons of feanor had been handed a silmaril freely at any point in Beleriand it would not have helped them. Hey. Are you listening. The silmarils were hallowed. Ever since the first kinslaying they would have rejected the feanorians. Luthien could have walked right up and dumped it on their heads and it would not have saved them. Earendil doing what he did walked a very thin tightrope to an outcome where Morgoth is defeated. But either way, whether or not they knew it, the silmarils were lost to the feanorians almost the entire time they sought them.

"If Dior did this, if Elwing did that," it doesn't matter!!! Not even taking their perspectives and situations and political landscapes into account at all, it didn't matter!!! The silmarils COULD NOT be held by the sons of feanor. They were on an impossible quest and did not know it... only at the end could they see their own mistakes, and then there is little to be done. Self destruction of one kind or another.... they are in the narrative. They cannot escape it.

[eleneressea]

Elrond can get sick. As a little treat for me.

[silmarillaure]

Something I noticed about the Feanorians…

A&A seem to take mostly after Nerdanel, specifically in the later drafts

Amrod clearly had very different ideas from Feanor at Losgar, wishing to leave & get back to his mother who initially pleaded with him to stay. Or if he wasn’t on the ships to go back, he at least seemed to expect the ships would be sent back to his uncle’s host.

Amras was brave enough to speak against Feanor after losing his brother, something the others did not do, & then minded his own business in ME instead of causing trouble besides his involvement in the Kinslayings, which may be inherited wisdom from Nerdanel as she also stayed out of conflict.

3C almost take exclusively after Feanor

Celegorm is Feanor with a greater fall from greatness

I think Celegorm started out as a better person than Feanor. Maybe it was due to lacking the trauma & grief that plagued Feanor since birth, but he seemed to have held no ill will towards even those his beloved father held in contempt. He was once someone who befriended so many of his half cousins with little reason to have an ulterior motive for doing it, and was a valued companion of Orome, being the most famous elven hunter in the Legendarium.

He doesn’t sound like someone rotten from the start, yet he became someone more infamous & hated than Feanor had ever been.

Caranthir is Feanor who changed for the better

The dark one, the angry harsh one, the loner. You’d think this would be the son of Feanor who turned out the worst & most hated right, rather than his fair & social brother who was once favored by a Vala?

Caranthir’s descriptions do not paint him pleasantly. He inherited a temper from Feanor & he was undoubtedly being a little cruel, like his father was capable of being, in that scene with Angrod. Yet unlike Feanor, he changed. He never became a perfect person, but he learned to keep his emotions in check & became a better person. He went from a haughty a-hole who fought with everyone he was displeased by to a guy who helped others, made alliances, & saved people.

Coming to Middle Earth improved him as much as it worsened Celegorm. Had it not been for the oath & kinslayings, I think he could have been fulfilled to his greatest potential as much as Finrod & Turgon were.

Curufin is Feanor without an identity

I have less to say on him than I do the other 2 Cs because we already know how Curufin is like Feanor. He’s Curufinwe, but he’s not Feanaro.

He has the face & body, but not the soul. The spirit of fire, an essential component to who Feanor is.

Feanor was revered as much as he was hated, Curufin is just hated. Feanor was everything Curufin is, yet Curufin is nothing close to what Feanor was.

M&M have both so much of Feanor & so much of Nerdanel in them at once, yet in different ways

Maglor's temperament is canonically his mother's. He has her gentleness & rationality. But though he is kind, he has a brutally unforgiving side to him, which likely comes from Feanor. He's an artist like both his parents, but like Feanor, he's a prodigy.

Maedhros's most famous feature, his hair, is Nerdanel's. His kindness, wisdom, & morality are his mother's.

Everything except for his father's craft, Maedhros's shares with Feanor. His fury, his pride, his fierce unshakable love, his loyalty, his bravery, his soul, are all his father's.

[thesummerestsolstice]

Notes on Keeping the Children Alive, by Maedhros Feanorian

One of them tried to bite me yesterday. A spirited effort, but doomed to failure. I will teach them how to do it better– their teeth are certainly sharp enough for it.

Woke up with flowers growing through the crack in my bedroom window. I suspect this is their doing. They are not very good liars.

Letting them climb on me has proved an effective bribe for good behavior.

They appear to like being tall. (possibly related to being descended from Turgon and Thingol??)

They stopped being afraid of me faster than most adults. Am I losing my touch???

Disregard previous note. Eldritch monsters recognize each other.

Am teaching them how to make the most of their shapeshifting abilities for political intimidation. They are shaping up to be menaces. Good.

Twins are old enough to begin swordfighting, and clearly eager, regardless of what Maglor says.

I have taught the children to argue with Maglor. I am certain they will eventually wear him down.

Gave the children more blankets so they would stop using my cloak as a blanket. New blankets have been resolutely ignored.

I am sure they'll stop commandeering my coat if I ask them.

I have decided not to ask them. (They are very cute when they are asleep)

Children are now attempting to negotiate their way out of bedtime.

Small animals appear to like the children. Especially birds.

They found a kitten in the stables yesterday. They would like to keep it.

Teaching the children to argue may have been an error.

Children asked whether it was possible to have three fathers. I am uncertain why. (Thingol homophobic??)

One of the children called me "Atar" today. Definitely did not cry about it. Not even a little bit.

It appears the children were asking about three fathers because they would like to be adopted.

I informed them that two fathers was the limit, but that Maglor could be their second mother, if they like.

Kano was too stunned at being acknowledged as the children's parent to correct them about calling him "Amme." Another successful plan.

(Kano, if you're reading this, then yes, this is payback for referring to me as a "brooding drama queen" for patrolling Himring's walls, in a very un-dramatic way, like a normal, responsible lord)

(Also, you of all people do not get to criticize me for being dramatic)

The children's Quenya is finally good enough for them to start reading higher level diplomacy treatises. I couldn't be prouder.

The children have never done anything wrong, ever, in their lives. I know this and I love them.

[mamwieleimion]

Morgoth hated the Feanorians. Or no, that's not quite it. He hated the Finwëans, he loathed them.

The whole line of Finwe had his hatred (and the hatred of Sauron as well, but that's a bit different pice of cake).

He hated them because that whole lineage, from Finwe himself to his very last descendants were the only ones of this world who could look him in the eyes and stand straight, to oppose him.

(Because Luthien doesn't count, now does she? She wasn't fully of the Eldar after all, no. She was other, and half. But the line of Finwe had no such advantages!)

Morgoth hated and feared them, thought not in ways that often could be perceived.

He saw weak, worthless elves who could look at him and say 'you are nothing'. Elves who could look the Darkness into the eyes and burn brighter, bright enough to banish the shadows.

Finwe, who stood between him and the Silmarils (Morgoth was wrong, Finwe wasn't protecting the Silmarils only). The High King of the Noldor who knew he will die and died with his head high and back unbroken, with eyes fearless and blood boiling with fire (where did you think Feanor got it from huh?).

Feanor, who slammed the door in his face, who spat and ragged and could not be contained. Feanor who he manipulated but couldn't corrupt. Feanor who lost only due to himself, whose death was his own no matter what Morgoth would give to be able to say that the Spirit of Fire was his at the end.

Maitimo, Maedhros, who endured torment and torture, humiliation and agony under which any other would break. Nelyafinwe who was rescued and came back, making himself the wall and shield between Morgoth and the whole world. Russandol who died by his own hand, because of his own pain and his own mind, his own actions. He who was never Morgoths, even at his lowest.

Maglor, a singer of such renown and talent one could be forgiven for mistaking him for a Maia. Makalaure who bend the reality in ways that should have been impossible to the elves and that were alien to Ainur. Kanafinwe who walks upon Middle Earth, enduring through his pain because it is his, his crimes, his mind, his hands. He is his own.

Celegrom who was hild, of the forest and rivers and streams, of the Hunt. Turcafinwe who rode against dark beasts and hunted in Oromes train long before Morgoths was released. Tyelkormo the Fair, the Cruel, master of his own soul, untamed and free as the wind. He who looked upon the shadows and walked right through them, he who looked at it and grinned with blood on his mouth and said at it 'i am better'.

Caranthir, never seen or heard but always there. Morifinwe who walked the thin line of Dark and Light with ease seen in none other before. Carnistir who burned with cold fire and walked in the shadows of others with skill unparalleled. He who was called The Dark, and he who carried that name with grace of the night sky. Unbending, master of his own life.

Curufin, so like his father and yet so different. Atarince who instead of jewels made draggers, he who forged armour that somehow was as unbreakable as the house that wore it. Curufinwe, The Crafty they called him, not knowing how close to the truth they were. He burned brightly, which made it all more tragic when he met his own end.

Ambarussa, one never without the other, red hair as the fire raging within. Amrod and Amras, wild as Celegrom, yet as silent as Caranthir. They who were twins, one an extension of the other. They who were so like their brothers, while being entirely different. They who burned the hottest.

[myceliumelium]

I think Dior deserves a beard and almost completely round ears. Just some real human vibes coming off this guy if you ask me. Iconic how he told the Feanorians to fuck off (king shit) and forgot that the girdle was gone (less king shit).

Side bar, I think it would be very much the vibe if he wore golden ear caps sometimes for appearing more elven purposes. also I am so unwell about the Nauglamir getting the silmaril glued into it.

[starsofarda]

I have seen that post about Maedhros being found in Moria by the Fellowship after being woken up by the longest unvoluntary nap ever. And yes, I know "Archaeology", anfic on a similar premise.

But today I wouldlike to linger on the comedic aspects of "the Fellowship expected a Balrog to come, but instead First Era Maedhros Feanorian appeared, albeit slightly charred, and now the Fellowship is adding a 10th member to the Fellowship".

For the sake of story I am still gonna say that Gandalf fell down the bridge, because ACTUALLY there was a Balrog.

Anyway the Fellowship minus Gandalf and plus Maedhros waltz in Lothlorien giving Galadriel a whole new range of emotions.

"I WAS EXPECTING GANDALF YOU ALL HAVE BROUGHT BACK A WAR CRIMINAL FROM AN ERA BYGONE AND ALSO MY COUSIN THRICE REMOVED."

Maedhros picking up IMMEDIATELY on the effect that the Ring is having on everyone and having a heart-to-heart with everyone and explaining the whole Silmarillion ordeal.

"Yikes." Everyone nods in agreement to the sentiment epressed by the Hobbits.

As an extra layer Mae asks if they are bound by any oath. "No, Elrond was quite insisting that we would NOT swear ANY oath."

Cue Mae crying.

Somehow Sam clicks immediately with Maedhros and when Frodo leaves the Fellowship Sam is already there all geared up for literal war and with all advice and tips on how to effectively kill orcs.

Somehow Merry and Pippin manage to make Mae smile. Their next mission is to make him laugh.

This reminds him of the Ambarussa. Mae cries again.

Gollum will underestimate that and it will be his doom.

"No Mr.Frodo, Sir Maedhros explained to us very clearly what happens with cursed artifacts, we are leaving Gollum here. Sir Maedhros was so kind, he explained to me everything I need to know."

Boromir lives, because killing Orcs turns out way easier with someone who can instill in them the very fear of the Valar.

Saruman has an incredibly short span.

"Oh? A palantir? My father's invention? Here? Yeah, I am gonna take that."

Somehow everything is a little easier?

Gimli crying because somehow he heard (ancient) Khuzdul from an Elf and now Maedhros has to understand since when Dwarves and Elves do not get along.

The company coming back to Imladris and causing Elrond to break down crying uncontrollably and in a very undignified manner.

"Lindir" hears the cries and when he sees Mae he's crying as well. It is revealed that "Lindir" is actually Maglor.

When the last ship sails for Valinor, the Valar grant M&M to come back due to repentance and various services in aid to destroying the Ring.

Galadriel is still not over the fact that MAEDHROS FEANORIAN was in Lothlorien and she could not even slap him.

At least in Valinor M&M can now hug mama Nerdanel and stay with her. Eventually all brothers will be reimbodied.

Thoughts? Comments? Prayers? Silmarils?