#Losgar

[silmarillion-ways-to-die]

[eloquentsisyphianturmoil]

Why did feanor burn the ships if he brought with him only those he trusted? Could he not have left them docked and never sent them back? Could it be it was his eldest son he feared would disobey his orders? Could it be Maitimo’s very question, which ships and rowers shall we send back first, that pushed him over the line?

[busymagpie]

During the burning of the ships

( basically a companion piece to this one )

[kai-janik-art]

Then Maedhros alone stood aside (2024)

Mixed Media

(watercolour, ink, coloured pencil, gouache, procreate)

[a-tehta]

I painted a couple of traditional art pieces as Scribbles and Drabbles art submissions. Here is the second, "A Great Burning, Bright and Terrible". I did it in a bit of a hurry, so a few things bug me about it.

The weirdest thing about this painting is that one of my closest RL friends saw it and said, "wait, that's Feanor burning the Swan-ships, right?" She's not in online fandom, just a random Tolkien fan.

[dfwbwfbbwfbwf]

Things would not have been better if Fëanor hadn't burned the ships.

I'd actually argue that things would've ended up worse.

For one, we know Fingolfin was angling to be High King of the Noldor, hence his adoption of Finwenolofinwë. This wasn't something that he started doing on the Helcaraxë - he started using it after Alqualondë.

Maybe it wasn't intentional on his part, but he also didn't speak out against it, and he would have known his people called him that. Fëanor knew about it.

This power struggle was bad enough in Aman. Can you just imagine how much worse it would've been in Beleriand? Two sects fighting each other as much as they fought Morgoth. It really would have been a disaster. They probably wouldn't have fought each other physically, but they would be weaker together than apart.

One of them had to go.

Happenstance chose Fëanor in canon, but in this scenario, it could go either way.

But even if one of them died or, in a very unlikely scenario, gave up their claim, I doubt the other's people would follow whoever ended up king. Especially if the king they followed died.

It was probably for the best that Fëanor burned the ships tbh.

[tolkienillustrations]

Losgar by Ted Nasmith

[aotearoa20]

Feanor: okay, let’s hear the arguments. We left Fingolfin and his followers behind by the Helacarxë. Tall son thinks we should go back for him because…

Maedhros: He might be in real and extreme danger?

Feanor : Bu t have you considered that (sighs) He’s a prick, pretty ginger, A massive fucking prick.

Maedhros: Wait, who are we talking about again

Feanor : (lighting a match) Valar, it’s tricky….

[mossy-thing]

Originally posted on my side blog @evil-crayon , 17.11.24

I have nearly filled up an entire sketchbook in the past months and I haven't posted any of it whoops.

So have a redraw of sorts!

[thistlesandstories]

We might guess that the ships were as important to the Teleri as the Silmarils were to Fëanor. You are bound to love the creation you put so much effort, time and a piece of your soul into. It is a sad image of Fëanor burning the ships that were once so lovingly cherished, and with them he killed the Teleri once again.

[silmarillion-ways-to-die]

[eloquentsisyphianturmoil]

(It’s been said before, but) the political tension between the hosts of feanor and Fingolfin must have been fucking apocalyptic. Fingon clearly wasn’t motivated by friendship— he and Maedhros were already estranged before Losgar. That level of suicide mission is only attempted once after, by Finrod, who was compelled by an oath. Yet he went. The Noldor must have been that close to all-out civil war.

[evil-crayon]

I have nearly filled up an entire sketchbook in the past months and I haven't posted any of it whoops.

So have a redraw of sorts!

[violecov]

I would love to see Curvo in #6 ! :)

Curufin 6 regretting immediately the ship burning.

He was definitely okey with it, but now that it has been done, something feels odd.

[polutrope]

On the alternate version of the burning of the ships at Losgar and Curufin's culpability

So, many Silm fans know the version of the fate of Amrod where he is accidentally killed in the burning of the ships at Losgar. But I have been thinking about how, in this version, Curufin is the only son who helps his father burn the ships.

This has repercussions for the characters and story that are just as, if not more, far-ranging than killing off Amrod, such as:

Maedhros' character. There is necessarily no "whom shall they bear hither first? Fingon the Valiant?" and no "Maedhros alone stood aside". This changes where Maedhros stands in relation to his brothers and to Fëanor, and detracts quite a bit from the drama of Fingon's rescue later.

Curufin's character and his relationships with his living brothers (and the rest of the Exiles!), being the only son with real culpability in the death of Amrod, the betrayal of Fingolfin's people, and the destruction of the ships. Tolkien's choice to make Curufin Fëanor's sole accomplice from among the sons also says a lot about how Tolkien viewed him.

The characters of the 5 other brothers. I have always had a hard time wrapping my head around why none of them stand with Maedhros here (not even Maglor, who always stands by Maedhros - though arguably that was only a post-Dad's-death and/or post-Thangorodrim thing, but I digress).

What it says about Fëanor's paranoia and leadership at this stage. He doesn't even trust six of his own sons not to abandon the cause! There's also a detail about how his rash decision cost them goods that were still on board and the possibility of using the ships for further travel, about which "all save few were dismayed". His ratings among his followers are not looking good at all.

I always thought the alternate fate of Amrod was a bit of a passing idea but I also recently learned about more notes in HoMe concerning Tolkien's desire to retain and integrate the story. Did he mean this detail about Curufin also?

It's a lot to think about.

Passage quoted under the cut:

In the night Feanor, filled with malice, aroused Curufin, and with him and a few of those most close to Feanor in obedience he went to the ships and set them all aflame; and the dark sky was red as with a terrible dawn. All the camp was roused, and Feanor returning said: 'Now at least I am certain that no faint-heart or traitor among you will be able to take back even one ship to the succour of Fingolfin and his folk.' But all save few were dismayed, because there were many things still aboard that they had not yet brought ashore, and the ships would have been useful for further journeying. They were still far north and had purposed to sail southward to some better haven.

From 'The Shibboleth of Fëanor in The Peoples of Middle-earth (History of Middle-earth Vol. 12)