#black numenorian

[alisalisovsky]

Amazing Gollum Adventures in Middle-Earth!

Screenshots from promo video game The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum by Daedalic Entertainment

Gollum will have a pet!

2. Smegol will meet elf girl and they will become friends

3.Smegol will visit Barad Dur

3.1 Nobody controls him, so Gollum can go everywhere in Dark Tower. Like a tourist in museum

Solar system model in Barad Dur

Middle Earth model

The Meeting room in Barad Dur. Black Numenorians use carpets as a tablecloths.

In the appartaments of Sauron's servant

In Mordor, Gollum will meet spymaster Candleman . He will tell Smeagol his sad story.

Spymaster Candleman has got a daughter, dark priestless

Gollum will escape Barad Dur and travel to Mirkwood

#middleearth

[thesummerestsolstice]

Whenever Numenor experienced a plague or outbreak, Elrond came, without fail, to treat the sick and offer the people of the island comfort. He did it for many reasons– to honor the legacy of Elros and his descendants, because he sometimes considered the Numenorians more his people than either elves or men, because he was a healer who believed deeply that all life had value.

Of course, treating mortal plagues is a hazardous business– especially for a part-human medic who is just as susceptible to the disease as his patients.

Elrond, never one to be dissuaded from trying to save lives, tries to find a way to protect himself from the infection while being able to treat his patients. No one in Middle-Earth knows exactly how mortal diseases spread, but it's clear that it spreads from the healthy to the ill– through bad air, coughing, infected blood, or some other means. So, Elrond has to find a way to not make contact with or breathe the same air as his patients. While treating them.

Eventually, he settles on a set of robes that leaves no inch of his skin uncovered, along with heavy, opaque veils and a mask of his own design for his face. The mask– full of athelas flowers to purify the air– is fashioned in the shape of a bird as an homage to Melian, who was said to have healing powers. He made the main piece mask with his own hands, carved it from dragon bone– sturdy, and thought to have protective powers against against diseases and curses. The eyes are made of dark tinted glass that glows faintly– a gift from Celebrimbor.

In all fairness, Elrond did not realize how creepy the bone white mask and fully-black outfit was, especially given his general aura of strangeness ad birdlike mannerisms. He had bigger concerns at the time. That said, his outfit, which kept him from getting sick even during the worst of the outbreak, was soon adopted by many of the Numenorian healers. Over time, the story of the plague doctor shifted became part of Numenor's legend– that healers dressed in such strange outfits to frighten disease away. In that way, the odd, birdlike appearance of the plague doctors soon became a comfort to the Numenorians, rather than a fright.

As gifts for helping with various outbreaks over the years, Elrond also got several plague doctor masks that were decorated, more for style than for purpose. He wears them at fancy elvish events sometimes, just to mess with everyone. And whenever he heads off to Numenor, he always makes sure to bring his full plague-doctor regalia, just so the people there will know he's always there to protect them from any lurking plagues.

[mirra-kan]

HISTORY UNPRAISED: FAITHFUL HARADRIM

«…evil labours with vast power and perpetual success – in vain: preparing always only the soil for unexpected good to sprout in…» - J.R.R. Tolkien.

@lotr20 LOTRWEEK: Day 1: memory | history | home

Although it can also be almost any day ❤ I'm constantly thinking about Faithful people of South and East: What did they have to face? How hard their inner struggles had been? What songs did they sing and who their heroes were? We can only guess but it’s important to remember this part of the story, I believe. I'm trying to speak to others through my art and humbly remind them that: ✔ There were Faithful among peoples of South and East. ✔ There were heroes fighting and dying for the sake of better future for their children. ✔ And their role shouldn’t be lessened. And finally, let me recall a famous Aragorn’s quote:

Deeds will not be less valiant because they are unpraised.

I painted this one thinking of all the things written above. And the image wouldn't leave my mind until I portrayed it. Thus couple of lines become a "living human being", with a gray-eyed gaze. Mixed marriage? Numenorian heritage? I'll leave to your liking. Ifocus on Near Harad for now but am going to gradually make more art about Far Harad, Rhun\Khand, Numenorian expansion and all the things related to the complicated history of Middle-Earth. PS I strongly believe that different tribes of men wore different colors – not sticking to red ’n’ black hues. PPS Pardon my English - I'm not a native speaker ❤

[windemere-wicklow]

I can't believe Halbrand got away with wearing red armor when the Numenorians wore white and same with how Annatar was wearing all black in Eregion when nobody in the whole city was even close to the shade and material he's wearing. I mean if he was questioned about his fashion choices things could've gone a lot different and he'd be figured out.

[antiracist-tolkien]

Harad Through Fandom Eyes

Plenty of people acknowledge that LOTR's Haradrim, Easterlings and Variags are racist. However, I've seen less discussion about how fandom adds even more racism into the mix. This seems to be mostly because many people have very little knowledge about West Asia and North Africa, aka WANA [Why say WANA/SWANA instead of Middle East?] and what anti-WANA racism looks like.

I'm going to focus on Harad because this is the region that we know the most about. If you need a brief refresher:

Harad, or Haradwaith, is the region south of Gondor. There's a long history of violence between Harad and Gondor which dates back beyond Gondor even existed, to when Numenorians colonised Harad and repressed the people. Since then there were multiple wars and for long periods of time Gondor occupied parts of Harad. The Haradrim fight for Sauron in LoTR, partially due to their hatred of Gondor.

Harad is divided into two. Near Harad is strongly North Africa coded, and Far Harad is sub-Saharan Africa coded.

(Image description in alt text.)

Tolkien uses multiple different names to refer to the people of Harad (Haradrim, Southrons, Swertings, etc.) However, these seem to be the people of Near Harad, who he differentiates from the people of Far Harad. (There's some serious anti-blackness in this next quote, so skip over it if you need to. I only put it here as evidence that the use of Haradrim/Southrons in LOTR refers to Near Haradrim.)

[...] Easterlings with axes, and Variags of Khand, Southrons in scarlet, and out of Far Harad black men like half-trolls with white eyes and red tongues. - Return of the King

There is more to say on this than I would be able to fit into this post. There's a discussion to be had about Tolkien's textual and real life relationship with Black people. There's also a discussion that needs to be had about how Tolkien's racism is often excused with the idea that he was a 'benevolent' or well-meaning racist, a product of his time. It's an excuse that ignores the violence of quotations like this and the way that he wielded his whiteness against Black people in academia and writing.

I don't have time or space for those discussions in this post, but I want to acknowledge them.

What I want to discuss here is fandom portrayals of Haradrim. I'm not going to talk too much about the in-text racism, because that has been extensively covered elsewhere. But in summary:

The idea of the good white guys conquering the lesser brown 'Men of Darkness' is inherently racist

Tolkien's description of the Haradrim, such as repeatedly describing them as a cruel and warlike people, is also racist

The one paragraph where Samwise feels empathy for a dead Haradrim soldier does not lessen the racism.

With that out of the way, let's talk about fandom.

There's a gaping void in the information we're given about the Haradrim, so of course fandom attempts to fill the gaps. Fans often take inspiration from WANA. But many fans don't actually know that much about WANA and don't realise how much of their perception of it is based on racist and imperialist propaganda.

In fannish depictions, Harad all too frequently becomes an exotified fantasy that pulls from Western perceptions of WANA. Orientalist ideals of a mystical, magical, and yet dangerous place predominate the fannish idea of Harad.

The first thing that you should know about WANA is that it's an extremely culturally, religiously and geographically diverse place. If your depiction of Harad is entirely desert, or made of a culturally homogenous people with a narrow range of skin tones and features, you need to expand that. Equally, depictions of Harad as more 'socially backward' than other areas of Middle Earth stem directly from racist propaganda.

Too many stories write Harad as misogynistic and homophobic, often in direct contrast to other areas of Middle Earth. As many WANA people have pointed out, these kinds of sweeping generalisations are often specifically targeted at WANA because of racism.

Mysterious cursed objects from the 'far away lands of Harad', decadent sultans, the fetishization of cultural practices like belly dancing; these are all forms of Orientalism. Female characters may be sexualised, shown as seductresses or members of harems. (By the way, Westerners tend to have a very incorrect understanding of what harems actually are/were. They were the part of a Muslim household reserved for women and pre-pubescent boys. It was outsiders who perceived them as fundamentally sexual spaces and created the modern tropes of sexual harems.)

Male characters may be violent, cunning, greedy, dangerous and strange. There may be public executions and enslaved peoples, regardless of the complete absence of a textual basis. All of these things stem directly from racist ideas of WANA as 'barbaric' and 'uncivilised'.

In fact, Haradrim were once enslaved by Numenorians. They were victims of violent colonisation that continued into the days of Gondor. They have every reason to hate the 'Men of the West' and fight against them.

On a final note, the most major and dangerous WANA stereotype is the portrayal of WANA people as terrorists. This isn't a trope seen in Tolkien's works because it's primarily a post-911 phenomenon. But it's something that you must be conscious of if you're writing about Harad or other WANA-coded regions.

[seanofbeankeep]

You know there is one way for Celebrimbor/Charles Edward’s to reappear

Book spoilers

Imagine if he finished his healing time in hall of Mandos in time to witness the Numenorian invasion fleet with black and gold Sauron banners block out the sunset over Valinor. Eldar did flee the landing party

He went to a place Sauron can’t follow but not if Sauron manipulated Ar-Pharazôn to sail over there.

They defo won’t do this tho since he prob has bucket load of healing time in the hall and might be over kill

[brighter-arda]

Arwen Evenstar

☆

[Image description: six blue images

1: a dark skin black woman with a net veil

2: trees. Text = Lúthien walked before his eyes in Rivendell, clad in a mantle of silver and blue, fair as the twilight in Elven-home; her dark hair strayed in a sudden wind, and her brows were bound with gems like stars

3: hands embroidering blue cloth. text = from afar she watched over him in thought; and in hope she made for him a great and kingly standard, such as one might display who claimed lordship of the Numenorians

4: tangled tree roots and a drawing of a ship sailing in stars

5: plants and a drawing of Arwens necklace

6: the moon and Venus in the sky. Text = I would rather spend one lifetime with you than all the ages of the world alone]

[baby-dragons-art]

Strangers become shadows part one

Short story/ imagine

Sauron X OC

Cute, yandere, stalker, no mercy, short story (loosely based on the fall of Numenor)

{When a stranger, she met as a child, became an unwanted, dangerous advisor to your king.} Part one.

Read more below

Looking back, the signs were obvious. Being so young, how was she to realize the difference between good and evil, friend and enemy?

It was autumn. The arbor gardens of Numenor had taken on their rich colors, welcoming cooler winds from the north.

Her mother was tending laundry in the palace under wings, a task that was exceedingly boring to the child, and that drove her to wander, often into trouble. She couldn't help it. Living in the common burrows of the city made working in the palace something of a fantasy. She was surrounded by beauty, wealth, and majesty of the numenorian kingdom when coming to work with her mother. It was nearly impossible not to go and explore.

Her favorite game was to lose herself in the palace gardens and pretend she was someone of importance. A princess, a lady of wealth... the queen. On one of her many wanderings, Nena was holding a humble banquet to a loyal host of twigs, acorns, and picked flowers as she gave a long speech of how happy she was to be queen. She promised her subjects that the next banquet would be far grander and everyone in attendance should expect to gift her with various pets upon entry. Her heart felt speech was interrupted when in the gardens she heard a bell chime six times. Sunset.

She must have been in the garden far longer than she thought. The last call for her mother's duties concluded at five bells. They were often home when the palace bells rang 6. How long had she been away?

Immediately, Nena rose to her feet and tettered away from her subjects as fast as she could. She could only imagine how furious her mother would be when she found her. A swift pop on the head would be the least of Nena's worries when she got home. The girl fretted about what punishment she would receive as she ran, not seeing that the path before her was blocked entirely.

In an instant, she ran into a firm obstacle that sent her back into the dirt with a thud.

"Oof!" Was her only exclamation. When she opened her eyes and looked up, she saw a person. A very tall, darkly dressed person. At first, Nena did not move, a swift unease washed over her, like a wave of cold water. She could not understand why but the sight of this person made her feel small and alone.

This individual stood over as though he were a tree. Black, rather tattered robes pooled on the ground around him like tar. That did not give her pause to be uncomfortable as much as his eyes did. They were glowing.

The expression on his face was one she had seen before. Disgust.

Nena swallowed hard. "S-sorry...." she muttered and recalled what her mother had taught her when interacting with anyone from the palace. She got to her feet, picked up her skirts, and did a clumsy bow. "It was an accident...".

The man did not reply. He instead took a step back and looked down at her from the bridge of his nose. Nena stared. She knew it was rude to stare, but.... she had never seen anyone with eyes like his before.

Curious, she spoke.

"Are candles stuck in your head?" She asked as she dropped her bow and pointed to his face. The man blinked harshly. Certainly, this had been the most bizarre question anyone had asked him. From Valinor to Angband to now, no one had ever uttered such words to him, especially not child. The man leaned back further, grimacing as he replied.

"What...?"

Nena leaned forward, on her tip toes, pointing at his face again. "Do you have candles in your head? Your eyes are bright. Does it hurt?"

He paused at the question. Breifly, he looked about them and endeavored to see where this child had come from, why she was wandering about. There was no one else. The gardens were quiet, and there was no indication of who she belonged to.

The man readjusted, stood straight, and now looked down at her directly with a critical but eased expression.

"There are no candles in my head." He said flatly.

This seemed to confuse the child as she scrunched her nose and narrowed her gaze.

"You ate fireflies?"

His brows shot up.

"I don't eat them." She said as a matter of fact, now suspicious of this man who she knew must have eaten many fireflies to get his eyes to glow.

"You shouldn't eat bugs. Mother says it will make you sick. How many are in there?"

He was silent, watching as this child tilted her head at him to see him better. Never had anyone posed such foolish questions to him. Why would they? The fact that this human child persisted in her questions and not run from him in terror was irritating but also slightly curious.

"Let me see!" She insisted, now grabbing hold of his cloak, pulling on it. Her other hand reached upward expecatly, as though he were to give her the fireflies at once.

He hesitated, staring down at the child, raising his hand, fingers curled. Despite his intention to be in those gardens alone, he now had this small human child grabbing onto him, talking to him. If he had wanted conversation, he would have sought out his captor and endured the gloating of a pompus king. However, this was new.

Despite her dank smell, dirty hands, and face, the man knelt down and was level with her. The folds of his cloak engulfed them both and made for what certainly was a horrific sight should any behold it. A small human child, face to face with the horror of Arda. If only she had known.

At last, Nena could see his eyes fully. They were like looking into a blacksmiths forge. Two black slits surrounded by molten rock, churning and swirling with in hues of amber that glowed warmly. Nena huffed in confused.

She reached with her tiny, round hands and held his face at the cheeks. The man grunted at the sudden contact but did not move. He was stunned. She must be dull whitted.... what human would ever touch him so?

Squishing his cheeks slightly, Nena looked intently into his eyes, trying to see any of the fireflies he had eaten. But none could be found.

"Where are they?" She frowned, tilting his head side to side. The man took her little arms and pulled her hands away carefully. It was amusing how intent the child was in believing he had consumed vast amounts of inscects to have his eyes glow. A small smirk pulled at the corner of his mouth as he humed an answer.

"I don't eat fireflies." He said simply, his tone softer than it had been. "But I do eat children." His tone became smug, squeezing her arms slightly as though to test how plump she was.

Nena blinked at him, her mouth agape slightly, his answer catching her by supprise. "My favorite children to eat are the ones that ask too many questions." He smiled, now showing a set of white teeth and two sharp fangs for canines. "The more questions, the better. It helps me decide which child is the better to cook."

Nena stared at him a moment more. You could almost see her brain trying to figure out how he could possibly eat children who asked too many questions. With the silence growing, he was sure she would have turned her skirts and ran, screaming in fear. Instead, she cracked a smile, and his smile dropped.

"No, you dont." She chuckled. "Only ogres eat babies, you're a person." She stated firmly. "A person who eats fireflies."

She was wholly amused by this, laughing at him as though he were the most absurd thing she had ever seen. The man grimaced at her laughter.

".... Not very bright, are you?" He asked, poking a finger on her head, frowning. Though his attempt to scare the child had failed, he was not angered or insulted. The smalles huff of his own amusment puffed from his mouth. What a strange child...

It was in this moment that hurried footsteps stomped toward them. A shrill cry split Nena's ears before she felt two arms rip her away from the man. It was her mother. The poor woman's face was red, her eyes wide with terror as tears filled them. She held onto Nena as though death itself had come for her daughter.

"Valar protect us. /STAY AWAY/ from my daughter!!" She screamed at him as sweat glistened on her face. Nena began to whimper slightly, frightened by her mother's scream and by how roughly she had been picked up. Certainly, she was in trouble for wandering off, but her mother was not mad. No, she was terrified.

The man rose to his feet slowly, his expression darkly blank as he glared at the woman. He said nothing.

"Mother..." Nena tried to speak, but a hand was covered over her mouth, and immediately, the woman ran with her daughter.

"Did he hurt you?!" She gasped. Nena shook her head no, not understanding why her mother was so upset. The man did nothing wrong.

He could hear the woman fret and coddle over her daughter as she ran hysterically through the gardens. He stood listening until he heard no more of them, and all became silent once more. He stared down at the spot the child had been, then used his hands to brush his face clean of dirt.

"Nena." He quietly remarked to himself, then turned and continued his walk through the gardens.

"A strange child."

It would be 15 years before Nena would ever think of that man in the gardens again. She grew and forgot about childish games, imaginary friends, or men who ate fierflies. Fantasies were left behind in the shadows of childhood.

As she grew, Nena would soon take her mother's place as a maiden of service in the palace and partake in her most favorite pastime. Laundry.... it was not the life of wealth and leisure she had hoped for. But it kept food on the table and a roof over her mother's head.

Nena had chosen to take on her role full time, living in the servants wing of the palace and sending what coin she could to her aging mother. It was Nena's duty and pride to watch over her mother in this way, a repayment for all the years of labor and love shown to her. Now, secured in her place, a reliable, steadfast maiden, she prided herself in hard work and the satisfaction of her lords and ladies. She was unremarkable to her superiors, loyal to her friends.

Her labor had doubled in recent days as more and more laundry was sent to the under wings in preparation for a rather festive occasion in Numenor. The king, Ar-Pharazon was going to announce his next advisor.

Though it was a simple announcement, the whole kingdom would see fit to celebrate the news and make merry. Such events were taken seriously, and with such grandure, that the Valar themselves would be envious. The name of the kings advisor to be was kept secret. No one, not even palace gossip, could determine who the king had chosen.

Nena, arms deep in a bath of suds, listened as her fellow maidens discussed the whole affair.

"Not even the queen knows." One said with bewilderment. This caused some uproar with the other women as they gasped in unison. "How can she not know? Does his majesty intend to leave the kingdom in doubt?"

"What if the chosen is unfit to advise?"

"I hardly see a reason why it is kept secret. It's not like anyone would disapprove of his magesties' decisions."

Nena pulled wads of washed, soapy linen from the tub and pulled them onto a table to be scubbed.

"I think we should attend the announcement and see for ourselves." One spoke up. "What do you think, Nena?"

She looked up from her brush and rolled her eyes dismissively, a smile on her lips.

"I don't mind a good celebration. So long as I can get to my bed by the end of the night, I don't see why I can't attend. Besides, the kingdom could use a good cheering up."

Stick around for part 2!

(If you like the story and want to see more, leave a comment! Criticism is welcome!)

[lamemaster]

The Silmarillion Elves Finding My Mutual's Blog

AN: why am I doing this? Lack of brain cells, I tell you. But here we go (lmk if you would like to be removed...I don't intend to offend anyone). A small gift for mutuals and feel free to add more blogs if needed.

Summary: How would characters from the Silmarillion react to finding my mutual's blogs. Purely based on my interpretation which may or may not be messed up.

@asianbutnotjapanese: the loremaster with all the records. Elrond and Finrod. Do I need to say more? This trio would sit together to appreciate all the writings together. A group that thrives together as they compare their findings.

Finrod's appreciation might originate in the form of odes complimented by the notes of his harp.

Kings and queens of reblogging stuff for easier access.

@doodle-pops: There's going to be a crowd here. But the chief guest of this gathering can be none other than Fingon. Accompanied by Glorfindel and Fingolfin (because I see you with that sugar daddy fic Mina).

I completely expect Fingon to encounter the blog, binge-read everything and then create his own the very next day (and yes, he will write the most cursed ships). This elf will create multiple other accounts to comment on the Fingon fics...Will jokingly compare the note count of his fic with that of Maedhros'.

Glorfindel is just another golden retriever. He will meticulously thank you and the rebloggers (celebrates humbly at his popularity). And he will be the one to send super sweet 'you're amazing' kind of asks to the writer.

Fingofin will become an established annon on the blog. No one knows it's him. His online personality is 180 from his real life. (He's got some ships and opinions and mans won't stop from stating them *aggressively*.

@a-world-of-whimsy-5: The Ainur. Sauron, Namo, and Irmo (Manwe and Eonwe are lurking) are here and they will read everything. Don't be surprised if you get a bunch of passionate Sauron requests by an 'annon' the next day. Very specific requests.

Irmo on the other hand reads even the spiciest fics with a poker face late at night. I can just imagine him laying with his phone in his hand as he scrolls through the blog. A quiet existence but don't be surprised when you wake up with 50 notes and a new followers.

Namo will start by restraining himself to the sfw fics but somehow ends up reading nsfw and goes down the rabbit hole. Next day the he can't look anyone in the eye (especially Manwe). Decides never to do that again only to come back for more (don't even bring him close to hurt no comfort, this Ainur cried for Luthien. He can't handle angst).

@wandererindreams: Ulmo, Manwe, Eru, and The Void. Just a merry group having existential conversations. You all would be sitting there with your copy of texts and believe me Eru will pull out receipts to prove shit.

The sight of the Void being hyped by all the extensive headcanons...chef's kiss. Literal black hole feels included in the fandom for the first time.

Manwe and Ulmo would be there with wisdom and appreciation for your deep contemplation. Both commenting their piece and views about the subject in lengthy comments.

Eru will be taking notes. I can envision Iluvatar, playing devil's advocate (ironic) and arguing against anything and everything. Eru likes hooman who challenge him (ask Numenorians).

@animatorweirdo: Maglor and Sauron. The second eldest Feanorian will be found blushing as he reads your works and he will revisit the blog in bouts of day-dreaming of his true love. Leaves adorable emojis in the comments.

Believe me, Sauron would get some pretty interesting ideas from all your sci-fi fics. Now he really really really needs a vampire plus werewolf SO so bad. This maia will flourish under all the attention given to him. Follows fervently but will like sparingly (he's got an image to maintain).

I would also spy a lingering Maedhros but he's got the tired mom energy so he'll be a flickering presence who remembers Tumblr once every 3 months.

Lamemaster: dead. Feanor or Finwe will smite me the second they see my blog.

[illwynd]

I am the very model of a modern Numenorean

I just remembered this and miraculously found a link

I am the very model of a modern Númenorean; My voice is clear and ringing and its volume is stentorian,. I'm Estel and I'm Aragorn, and Elessar and Strider, too I've hunted orcs and trolls and wargs, and sometimes a Black Rider, too. I'm pretty good at fighting and you'll find me where the dangers are; I'm fearless and invincible, as all the other Rangers are. My walking pace is what for lesser peoples would be scurrying - I never tell old Butterbur the reason for my hurrying.. He never tells old Butterbur the reason for his hurrying He never tells old Butterbur the reason for his hurrying He never tells old Butterbur the reason for his hurrying My sword is old and busted but I wield it with impunity And draw it out and flourish it at every opportunity. From Anduin to Arnor and from Cardolan to Lorien, I am the very model of a modern Númenorean.

I'm very good with herbs and stuff, my hands are deft and surgical; My power with things like athelas is almost thaumaturgical; I can summon back the Nazgûls' dying victims to reality, And track you down a Stoor with a divided personality; I got a gal in Rivendell who's centuries my senior, And rival even hobbits with my skill at Nicotinia. In all the wars of Gondor there is no-one who is gallanter - And no-one else who has the strength to look into a Palantir And no-one else who has the strength to look into a Palantir And no-one else who has the strength to look into a Palantir And no-one else who has the strength to look into a Palantir I can guide you from the northern ice to distant plains alluvial. And sing you all the songs about my ancestress Tinúviel: From Anduin to Arnor and from Cardolan to Lorien, I am the very model of a modern Númenorean.

In short, when Rhûn and Harad have been battered to docility, When Faramir has yielded up supreme responsibility, When all surviving orcs have switched to diets vegetarian, And when my son is reconciled to being called Eldarion: When Isengard has been secured so none get in or out of it And Gimli's lot have fixed the gates that Grond had knocked about a bit; When I have learnt from somebody the rudiments of government And a sapling of old Nimloth has consented to discoverment And a sapling of old Nimloth has consented to discoverment And a sapling of old Nimloth has consented to discoverment And a sapling of old Nimloth has consented to discoverment. To be the King of Gondor is my duty and I'm bound to it, And one day it may happen when I finally get round to it, From Anduin to Arnor and from Cardolan to Lorien, I'll be the very model of a monarch Númenorean.

I hurl myself against the foe with courage and avidity, And maybe just a soupcon of inherited stupidity. So if you want a sherpa for a toddle through the Hithaeglir, Or need a human champion who's not a jerk, like Boromir, Check out the heir of Isildur with any good historian; He'll tell you I'm the model of a modern Numenorian.

[alisalisovsky]

Mouth of sauron By suumum

[thekingofwinterblog]

What were the "High Men" of Numenorians really? A Tolkien Theory

In the two towers, Faramir gives an overview of how the Gondorians measure the different "races' of men, High men(themselves, that is to say the Edain), the men of twilight/middle men(men who were related to the Edain, but didnt go to Valinor during the migration after the war of wrath) and the men of Darkness(Everyone else why by their definition must have served Morgoth.

There are a lot of problems with this catagorization of men.

The DruEdain that Gan-buri-ghan belongs to is, as the name implies amongst the High Men, for their ancestors joined the trip to Numenor and was presumably blessed with all the same gifts as the rest, before much later, seeing which way the wind was blowing, left back to join the kin on the mainland, and mixing with them, creating thw modern Druedain, who presumably still have all the same blessings as the numenorians, even if they long ago forgot much of the arts and lore they learned in Numenor.

This very close ethnic and cultural connection is forgotten by both Dunedain and Druedain, but they are far, far closer than any other people of numenorean connections, other than maybe the Black Numenorians.

Sinilarily, the accusation that anyone not related to the Edain are "Men of Darkness" who served Morgoth is blantantly false, as the Dunlendings fit neither criteria.

And finally the middle men is very much played loose with, as while there is a distant, distant relation between the Gondorians and the Rohirrim, it's way, way more distant than the Gondorians make it out to be.

However, while very, very faulty, there is one bit of truth to this artificial catagorization of how "important" people are deemed to be.

Namely that the Numenoreans were and still ARE different than other men.

The different peoples of the Edain, that mixed together on their new island to form the new ethnicity of Numenoreans(with only the Druedain remaining apart from the rest, despite there no doubt being intermarriages through the years) blessed with a masaive, stupidly tall height, enormous lifespans, a natural capacity for creating magical marvels unseen in any other race of men, and when they started out, a distinct non fear of death.

All of these are said to have been a direct blessing from Eonwe, Manwe's herald who defeated Morgoth at the end of the War of Wrath.

This is very much historical fact in Middle earth.

The Numenorians for their part was blessed with amazing capacity, and they got the island kingdom of Numenor raised from the bottom of the sea for them to live on as a reward for their loyalty.

It was certainpy not a paradise, as the men of Numenor were capable of misdeeds, anger and all the other bad sides of the human condition, long before they came back to middle earth, but there is also no denying that just on a mental level, during that early period the Numenorians had become something... Very different in temperment. More like the Elves mayhaps, and yet not quite, for they accepted that they had to die in those early days, and they knew when it came, and so got their affairs in order before time was up.

There was no mentions of massive civil wars or internal conflicts during that first period, instead they seemed to have gotten along incredibly well on the island, on the same level as the early Elves before war and kinstrife, or maybe even like the hobbits of the shire.

Not perfect maybe, but as close as one can reasonably have it on earth.

Then that began to change as the centuries moved past, and especially as they made contact eith the outside world again, upon which they once more began to grow leaner and meaner, and the fear of natural death began to creep back in.

What i find most interesting aboyt this though, is that their blessed powers began to wane... Not because they interbred together with the "lesser" men of middle earth, but rather because they began to decline as Numenoreans become mroe wicked and cruel.

In other words, the blessings were interconnected with the people who carried them being good people. It had nothing to do with race itself, though that is how the numenorian percieved it.

And we see this as Numenor fell, as the two different kingdoms went very different ways.

The Dunedain of Arnor eventually split into 3 distinct groups, but it's very telling that the bulk of the nation's numenorians, the people who made up the successor state of arthedain, and who would be the only survivers of the kingdom in the form of the rangers from the North, whom would eventually spawn Aragorn, are NOT "Pure blooded" numenorians, for all 3 of the Dunedain groups that made of Arnor's 3 successor states intermingled and mixed together with their respective native populations of Eriador, "Middle men" all.

And yet only Arthedain, who managed to keep the nobility of early Numenor alive, did they retain their enormous lifespans, they still had great capacity for magic both in healing and smith crafting that far surpassed Gondor, and their kings very much had that old supernatural force of will that Gondor's Kings eventually lost, which Aragorn would showcase many times during the course of Lotr.

This was best shown as the great plague ravished the entirety of western middle earth... Only for the Dunedain of Arthedain to stand left as the only kingdom the plague didnt really seem to get any sort of foothold inside.

Clearly the old blessings of long life and health had a massive hold yet in Arthedain, while it smashed through the other two successor states as well as Gondor.

Meanwhile, Gondor managed to retain a lot of those old Numenorian blessings, if nowhere near as well as Arthedain.

The Numenorians blamed the fact that many of their clans were losing these blessings, slowly but surely, on their bloolines becomingless "pure".

There is some truth to that... In the sense that once a family lost their noble character, their blessings did indeed begin to wane, and it would rarely return, except maybe if one intermarried with someone who had the blessings still.

The ultimate example of the fact that it was character, NOT race that determined wheter the Nomenorians would keep their inborn gifts, is showcased nowhere as clearly as with King Eldacar, who was the result of his father's marriage to a northern "barbarian" princess.

This marriage outside of Numenorian nobility would cause a horrible civil war that slaughtered a huge part of the numenorean nobility, but by all accounts Eldacar was as blessed as every other king who came before him, despite only being half numenorean. His father and(presumably) his mother were of good character, and so was he, and he lived for a whooping 235 years, proving that the idea of the Numenoreans blessings weaking because of intermarrying with "lesser" peoples were complete nonsense.

No, the Gondorians numenorean gifts would decline for a variety of reasons(the kinstrife wiping out a huge percentage of the numenorean descendant population, their genocidal actions against the men of Rhun during eastern campaigns, and them losing sight of their own living relations in favor of their ancestors), but intermarrying with the non gondorians of their realm was not one of them.

So with all of this in mind, we have established how the Numenorean's divinely granted gifts work.

With this in mind, what exactly the high men of numenor were are self explanatory. They are(or at least their ancestors were) divinely blessed bloodlines who managed to keep that spark of nobility that the Herald of Manwe managed to impart to the Edain, and so retained the gifts that the Valar bestowed upon them.

Case closed. Or it would be, if not for one, single conversation from from the first age, between and elf and a human woman.

In the book "Morgoth's Ring" we get the debate of Finrod and Andreth, where we get our one, and only glimpse into what Mankind was when they first awakened to the world. Before the fall. before the corruption of Morgoth twisted the entire race. before the first sin.

The debate is between Finrod, that famous king of Nargothrond, and Andreth, a Human wisewoman who knows some human lore of the first days of man, which Elves know not of.

And here we learn a lot.

We learn that Humanity at it's beginning, used to be greater, stronger, completely unafraid of death, seems to have had very long life(described as immortality, though that is probably just because none of the early pre corruption humans lived long enough in that state to die of old age), lacking fear and hatred, and with a capacity for creation that far, far surpassed even the elves and maybe even the Valar themselves, as they would surpass the vision that the Valar had been shown of the world's future during those first sets of music.

Fingon who has been blessed with the gift of sight, even managed to see what Humankind's purpose in the world was supposed to be. Namely healing Arda, that is to say undoing, or at least halting and stopping the marring of Arda, the process which Moegoth used to infuse the essence of Evil into every bit of the world.

In other words, preventing the decline of magic and wonders that would pass on as the ages moved on, only to meet it's final ending at the beginning of the fourth age when wonder and sorcery began the the road to being snuffed out once and for all.

The age of man was always going to supplant the age of the elves, but as Eru Illuvatar originally intended it, it was not necessarily meant to be a literal supplanting, where Elves were doomed to either leave for Valinor forever, or begin to eventually fade away in physical form due to the Marring of Arda.

Now, we dont know the exact details of what derailed this vision of the future, other than the fact that Morgoth corrupted the entire Human race and made them acknowledge him as God, and in the end, by rejecting Eru, they lost that incredible potential.

But lets go over what we know of unspoiled Humans.

They were stronger, their spirits greater, their capacity for creation surpassed everyone else, they were untouched by(but not immune to) the corrupting influences of Morgoth in a way that elves are not, they did not fear death, had long lives, and it was their destiny to become masters of the world.

Now this might just be me... But this sounds a LOT like like early Numenor.

The very long lives, the non fear of natural death, the greater strength and spirit compared to other men, the unmatched capacity for creation and making of wonders, somehow lacking a lot of the darker aspects of humanity, even if they are not non-existent, and a natural destiny to fight sauron and bring greatness to the world.

My theory then is this.

The blessing's Eonwe gave the Numenorians, were not so much a boon granted to them and them alone, as it was given them the capacity to reclaim their birthright. The birthright of ALL of humanity.

A birthright that was stolen from them, and yet at this point could seemingly still return, and if things went well, maybe Eru's original plan might play out yet in some form(though wheter or not that was Eonwe's intent or not who can say).

If so, the Numenoreans intended destiny in the second age, was to defeat sauron and the rest of Morgoth's forces, somehow halt the long defeat that was the marring of Arda, and begin a slow reversal of the corruption of man, the relaiming of the entire race's birthright, as they willingly shared their gifts, their technology and lore with the rest of the world, and and ushering in the Age of man, not as a heralding that the age of all otgers were over, but that it was time for mankind to spread it's wings and lead the way.

If that truly was the case, then that is certainly how it began. But alas, that was not how it ended.

The fall of Numenor, and the bending of the world signaled that one way or another, there was no turning back.

The poamssibility of an age of magic and wonders as Humanity took dominion of the world died with the great island.

Any true healing for the Marring of Arda would now need to wait until the end of the world, after which it would be remade withouth Melkor's influence.

However, there is one, final note i want to end on.

Because there is one people amongst the race of man, that seems to have avoided the shadow of Morgoth, and been untouched by the darkness that swalled the rest of the race.

That of course being the hobbits. The hobbits fit almost all of the traits seen amongst pre corruption humans, other than great strength and capacity for grand creations.

They lack a lot of the inborn brutal nature of the rest of mankind, even if it's not completely non existence, they are not immune to the corrupting shadow, but it lacks the natural bite it has on bigger humans, or the allways there pressure it has on elves. They have a remarkably relaxed attitude to the idea of their own natural deaths, they live relaticely long lives, and has a surprising apptitude dor courage in the face of adversity, and capacity for pushing through hardships and pain, and they have a natural kindness and love of peace about them, almost unseen anywhere else amongst the rest of the known race and peoples of men... Other than that brief moment of early numenoreans, before they let fear and greed seep back in.

[myfanfictiongarden]

Currently at my first re-read of the LotR trilogy (hey, maybe I´ll do it around every new season of RoP) and in Return of the King I just came upon that part where Aragorn talks with the Mouth of Sauron in front of the Gates of Mordor, and… what you you mean by that that it was actually a ordinary human dude in black armour? A “Dark Numenorian of the line of those who in ancient days sided with Sauron and worshiped Morgoth”.

WTH, Peter Jackson???? Wth, was that thing in the Extended Cut of the movie then?

[deer-with-a-stick]

It’s been nearly a year (10 months?) since the Rings of Power show was released and yet somehow I keep finding it on my dash. I have Thoughts and decided to share them.

This will be my attempt to review the show (keeping in mind that I’m part of the group that started it and never really finished but still got spoilers) as civilly and eloquently as I can.

A lot of the debate over this show has just ended up in a screaming match, with some die-hard fans screaming “racist bigot racist bigot racist bigot” while some die-hard haters scream back “woke shit woke shit woke shit”.

I am going to try and express my opinions of the show without that, and if anyone wants to have a civil conversation, feel free to talk to me :)

(Also, this got very long holy moly) 

Going to preface this entire thing with “I do not condone criticisms of this show just because it’s ‘woke shit’ nor do I condone bashing the actors themselves for decisions the directors made”. I think it’s wonderful that they’re adding diversity to a world like Middle Earth and I honestly don’t think that canon really contradicts this.

I do have to say something about the whole “token POC character” thing though (please don’t attack me for these opinions. I do also have to say that I am a POC, albeit not black.) Some might argue that they have multiple POC characters that are important to the plotlines and that therefore there isn’t a ‘token POC character’ trope in this show. 

One of my main issues with this is that there is only one POC character per race. It feels token-y, especially since the background characters are still all...white. 

The second main issue: the diversity in this only extends as far as white people and black people. There is no Middle Eastern representation, there are no South Asians, no Pacific Islanders, and there aren’t even East Asians (who, unfortunately for the rest of Asia, tend to be people’s go-to “Asian diversity casting” these days). It would have been easy to make some of the dwarves some flavor of Asian, seeing that Khazad-Dum has had dwarves come in from all over Middle Earth. You could have made at least some of the Numenorians Pacific Islanders, and the elves could quite literally have the most diverse range of ethnicities.

Moving on from the whole diversity casting thing, I’m going to talk about the changes.

I’m fully aware that the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Hobbit were modified, but they’re adaptations. Changes are expected. I am also fully aware that had I been one of those Tolkien fans before the movies were released, I too would have likely been pissed over some of the changes: Faramir and Denethor’s personality changes or the army of the dead in Minas Tirith, for example. That being said, I likely would still have enjoyed the trilogy and some of the changes. Changing Glorfindel in for Arwen might have made me a little annoyed, but in the end, I could see why they chose to give Arwen the role of saving Frodo or why they cut Tom Bombadil and the Burning of the Shire.

I have tried to extend this same courtesy to Rings of Power. I have a lot of issues with the things they did, but I am not entirely sure how much of this is actually my opinion and not the influence of social media, so I will be typing them out and working through why these changes bothered me. 

Making Galadriel have to work towards the version of herself we saw in Lord of the Rings was something I’d expected to enjoy. But I hadn’t expected them to go for the whole “angry warrior out for revenge” type of thing. For me, it compressed the timeline too much. Had this show been set in the First Age, I would have been all for it. 

That Galadriel, having crossed the Helcaraxe and having witnessed the elves that she’d grown up knowing all her lives die horrible deaths on the ice as they tried to make their way to Middle Earth, only to find everything in flames, is one I could see as being this type of character. But this is the Second Age, and this is character development I’d expected her to already have gone through. I had expected her arc to around trying to heal, perhaps, from the scars left by the kinslayings and from the threat of Sauron to this new life and realm she’d been trying to build. That would have created timeline issues as well, but it would, at least for me, have been more believable, especially with the timeline compression they’ve been doing.

I really liked Galadriel because she was a strong female character that didn’t have to be all angry and brash and, I’m not sure if I want to use this phrase but I don’t know how else to say it, hyper-masculine. Strength doesn’t always mean physical strength, and I liked that Galadriel was very obviously portrayed as a strong character without having to lug a sword around everywhere.

For me, I think, I would have enjoyed an arc about Galadriel struggling to put down the sword, or having to pick up the sword again against Sauron after having struggled to put it down, especially with Celebrian alive now.

Furthermore, I find her reactions to certain people...confusing. She’s certainly older than Gil-Galad, and I certainly believe that she wouldn’t seem to act like a petulant child next to him. The whole “Valinor as a gift” also confused me. The Noldor, including Galadriel, had the opportunity to sail back whenever they wished after the War of Wrath. Galadriel chose not to, and sailing isn’t something the High King can demand of the other elves.

Bronwyn and Arondir had potential. I won’t get mad about introducing new original characters because that can go very well, especially in things that take place in worlds like Middle Earth (and also I would be a very big hypocrite because I didn’t mind Tauriel in the Hobbit). I would have loved to see the events of the Second Age and the Last Alliance from the perspective of a common elf and human.

But how they handled it...I think that this could have been an excellent tragedy. I’m not a Tolkien scholar or anything, but I personally think that having this specific arc end up as a tragedy would fit with Tolkien’s themes really well. Bronwyn’s village is relatively small, I think, and Arondir is a soldier stationed there. 

The story that could result from the two groups they’re from banding together to stop the orcs as much as they can, knowing that they’ll be overrun but at least it will be worth it because the next generation will survive to continue the fight for a better future, is a story that is more appealing to me than the Sauron’s sword plotline and the mini resistance. 

In many of Tolkien’s stories (in the Third Age at least), the hero is one of the common people. In the Second Age, where we have Numenor and the Elves and Khazad-Dum, I think I would have been more impactful to see a village and some soldiers, people whose names wouldn’t normally have been passed down through history and to those Third Age characters, take a stand against the inevitable darkness. And, like the common people, they die, they fail, but they don’t fail in the ways that matter. 

They slow the orcs down just enough, perhaps, so that the heroes that history would laud can finish the enemy off. They protect their children the best they can because what they’re fighting for is a future for those children. The common people might not care about the fate of the world as a whole, but they certainly will care about that which they love. 

This kind of story, I think, would show that they aren’t the exceptions; they mounted a resistance and they all died in the end. But despite that, their actions mattered, and even if their names won’t be passed down through the history books, the final victory wouldn’t be possible without them, their courage, and their sacrifice.

The Harfoots...alright. I lied. I haven’t moved away from the diversity casting thing. The Harfoots definitely could have been cast better. From what I know, they are described as being “browner of skin” and again, this would have been an excellent opportunity for the show makers to actually display diversity, instead of placing a singular person of color into each race. 

I don’t necessarily understand the whole of what is happening about the Irish accent debate, but seeing as I am not Irish and I do not actually know what is going on, I won’t discuss this.

That being said, with the compressed timeline, I suppose it makes sense if the show makers wanted to introduce some Hobbits early. They would have had to come from somewhere, but I think they tried too hard to make them relevant to the plot. The storyline was cute, but if I am going to be honest, the Harfoots plotline is a fairly large part of this show’s “too much going on” problem.

I disliked how they introduced the Stranger. I suppose that it’s fairly obvious that they wanted to get in references to The Lord of the Rings, but they already had Galadriel, Elrond, the Balrog, and the Hobbits. The entire point of the Istari being introduced to Middle Earth was because Sauron had lived, despite the effort of the Last Alliance.

The Valar only sent the Istari because a: they themselves could not interfere with Middle Earth’s affairs directly, due to having sunk all of Beleriand the last time they did, and b: a massive alliance between the three major races of that time, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since Nírnaeth Arnoediad (I believe), had failed in defeating Sauron.

The Second Age has no reason to send the Istari. The inhabitants of Middle Earth have not shown that they are incapable of dealing with Sauron by themselves, so the Valar won’t interfere.

I suppose an argument could be made about how Gandalf showing up early is like how Legolas showed up early in The Hobbit, but in The Hobbit’s defense, it makes sense for Legolas, someone who lives in Mirkwood, to appear when the Company travels through Thranduil’s realm. Gandalf is not native to Middle Earth, and originally, he didn’t want to go out of fear.

Moving on from Gandalf, I’m going to talk very briefly about Celebrimbor and the rings of power. I am quite upset that for a show called The Rings of Power, the rings themselves aren’t all that important until the last episode, and even then, they’re forged in a few moments. I am also fairly upset that Celebrimbor and Sauron’s (or rather, Annatar) relationship that completely thrown out of the window (even if I would have gotten annoyed at the influx of Silvergifting in the fandom). 

The show technically wasn’t able to use the Silmarillion, but if they were, I certainly hope that they would have kept this relationship because it’s another illustration of how the Noldor continue to bring their own doom onto themselves.

I think the show tried too hard with the whole “decay of the elves” plotline, but I will accept it for plot and timeline purposes.

I will take issue with the whole “tree with the last light of the Silmaril” thing. I recognize that this is a myth, and would have accepted it had Gil-galad and Celebrimbor not accepted it as truth. But since they do... which Silmaril? Maglor’s? I don’t think Ulmo will give that one up. Is it Maedhros’? That one is in the core of the earth, how could it have gotten into a tree? It certainly isn’t Earendil’s, seeing as that was the first one to be “lost” and that it’s still in the night sky. 

Myths and folklore are fine, but it doesn’t work so well when the elves, the immortal race who still remember the truth of these things, believe the myths. Gil-galad and Celebrimbor were both born during the Year of the Trees; Feanor is Celebrimbor’s grandfather (Gil-galad may or may not be related to him, as he is still Son-of-Plothole). I don’t see how both of these two would believe this myth.

If a young elf, one born after the Sinking of Beleriand and part of a family that had (somehow) been disconnected from the Sons of Feanor business in the First Age had proposed this, I might have said “alright, I can accept that this elf doesn’t really know what actually happened to the Silmarils,” especially if an elf who had been alive in the First Age contested that later. 

But as it is now...Even if they didn’t have access to the Silmarillion, they had plenty of other options to explain mithril. They could have, for example, explained mithril as Aule taking the few scarce remnants of the Trees’ Light and scattering it across Middle Earth as a last gift to his dwarves and as a way to show to Yavanna that not all her work was lost.

I have mixed feelings about Halbrand. I understand that they didn’t have access to the Silmarillion so they had to make do. I can kind of understand why they chose to have Halbrand echo Aragorn in a way, but I do wish that they’d kept his storyline something close to Annatar’s anyway. Maybe part of my issue with this is the way they compressed the timeline.

Barad-Dur was supposed to rise before Sauron’s deception of the Noldor in Eregion and I think that the mystery aspect of this show could have been more interesting if these two were happening at the same time (if the timeline had to be compressed). They could have explained Halbrand as perhaps an escaped thrall, going to the Noldor with blueprints of a secret weapon that could keep Middle Earth safe from Sauron.

Halbrand and Galadriel’s relationship is something I firmly dislike. Not only does Celeborn deserve more than a throwaway line implying his death, but Celebrian deserves to exist. 

Shipping Galadriel with others has been a recurring problem, I suppose, with the specific scene in The Hobbit, but I actually never read that scene between Galadriel and Gandalf that way. For me, the kiss on the forehead was just a form of endearment (although this might actually just be “blind aroace things”).

Halbrand and Galadriel, on the other hand, are explicit. The ship does not make all that much sense to me and frankly, I don’t see the point of including this. Most changes when adapting something have a point. 

Denethor’s character was changed likely due to timing issues (especially since we get more book-canon Denethor if the extended versions are considered), Faramir’s character was changed to be more flawed (and more “interesting” for some), and even changes like the Ghost Army have a purpose (even if that purpose is just ex-machina and possibly getting through canon faster).

But there is no purpose to Halbrand and Galadriel, besides perhaps to make Halbrand’s betrayal more potent and give Galadriel further motivation and a tiny bit of character development.

The thing is though, Halbrand’s betrayal should already have been potent. In the books, Eregion falls and the last confirmed living member of the House of Feanor (as well as the kindest), Celebrimbor, is tortured to death. This destroys a haven for the elves and for the Noldor and Galadriel loses yet another relative.

Her character development, in my option, should have been one of gaining confidence as a leader and balancing her desire to put down the sword with the need to pick the sword back up. The “character goes from brash and arrogant warrior to mellowed out and wise person” arc is better given to a human, dwarf, or even a younger elf. What’s more, is that elves tend to change slowly. Galadriel’s arc in the show is very human in terms of timing.

It would make sense for immortal creatures like elves to change slower (although this particular nitpick might just be a me thing). Even a change as drastic as Maedhros’ (from a relatively new leader and fighter that could be argued as relatively innocent and naive to a seasoned war general, tactician, and diplomat) was brought on by roughly thirty years of torture within Angband.

Back to Galadriel, I don’t think she needed more motivation. Finrod was killed by Sauron (in both show and books) and Celebrimbor was too, not to mention that Sauron posed a threat to everything she’d built in Eriador and to the relative peace she’d found after the First Age.

Moving on from Galadriel is Elrond. I actually don’t have as many issues with Elrond, I just wish that they’d not tried to go for the whole “politically ambition son of no-one” kind of plotline. Tolkien loves his “power corrupts” arcs and Elrond has consistently rejected power. He has embraced his duties, raising Rivendell after Eregion fell and leading people when they require it of him, he does not seek it out. He doesn’t want the role of High King of the Noldor, and he rejects it when the crown is offered after Gil-Galad dies. 

His lineage is one that could invite genuine criticisms of “Mary-Sue” as he is quite literally part elf, part human, and part angel, with connections to most of the important people throughout history. He is descended from the rulers of Doriath and of Sirion, and his brother founded Numenor. His father is Earendil and his mother defied the Sons of Feanor, and he marries Celebrian, Galadriel’s daughter.

The derisive tone Gil-Galad adopts when he said “Peredhel” in one of the first few episodes rubbed me the wrong way. There is quite literally one person who could claim that title and therefore claim a relationship to Beren and Luthien, and it is viewed with scorn? I don’t understand that particular decision.

All of this being said, I loved Elrond’s friendship with Durin and Disa. Those parts were the only parts I actively looked forward to and enjoyed. The friendship felt natural and the banter was very much reminiscent of Legolas and Gimli’s relationship in some parts. It also made some excellent memes. (I do wish that they didn’t cut Celebrimbor and the Noldor’s friendship with the dwarves, however.)

I love Tolkien’s dwarves, for all their flaws and occasionally problematic portrayals. The thing that drew me to them was, in part, because of their designs. Erebor and Khazad-Dum in the movies were beautiful, and one could easily tell the difference between elven and dwarvish architecture. 

Khazad-Dum in the show, on the other hand, takes after elvish sensibilities. The show’s creators explained this as how Khazad-Dum had looked before greed and corruption and decay had set in. But I disagree with Ramsey Avery. Perhaps I am reading into this too much, but I dislike the implication that the elves are the pinnacle of perfection. To me, what this statement implied was that the dwarvish fashion was a result of corruption and greed and that the elvish style was superior in its perceived purity. Those geometric columns, symmetry, and towering ceilings? You can find those in nature. Dwarves try to make their stone beautiful. With gems they shape and polish it and with rock formations like the ones in the Glittering Caves, they leave them alone, so it makes sense that the dwarves would shape and mold the stone.

Dwarvish culture and elvish culture are very different, and their architecture shows this. Elves prefer spaces open to the sky, greenery, bright colors, and curved lines and arches. Dwarves prefer grand halls, jewel and metal tones, sharp angles, and straight lines. The stark differences showed that, without a doubt, these two cultures were vastly different and unique and I would have preferred them to have kept this.

Now that we’ve moved away from lore changes and characters, I’m going to continue talking about the world in this show and its design. The still shots and cinematography of this show are stunning and from a distance, it’s beautiful. I still couldn’t help but be disappointed when the camera came in closer, however. 

The production quality for the clothes and armor is...not as good as I’d expected. The metals seem to be made out of tinfoil or spray-painted cardboard at times and there is often a strange quality to the props that reminds me of a cheap cosplayer’s prop that was thrown together in a few hours. The armor was particularly bad. Who proposed the armor-design-printed-onto-shirts idea?

Some of the outfits were decent, but most of the time, I found myself wondering “What are they wearing?”

My main problem is most likely that the clothes they wear don’t give me the problem vibes. The elves seem too...human (as evidenced by the scene where the ship-wrecked humans don’t recognize Galadriel as an elf until they see her ears), Disa’s white-cloth-with-gold-triangles outfit just straight up confuses me every time I see it, and some of the outfits that the humans wear seem out of place and out of time.

Some people find the short hair elves fine, some find them a sin, and I am...somewhere in between. I really would have preferred long hair elves, although if some of them had shorter hair due to the whole “going to war against Sauron” aspect, I would be fine with it. But the modern fade haircuts...they break immersion for me. The way the show makers explained this change also angered me greatly.

The thing about elves, and I will say this again, is that as immortal beings, it would make sense for them to change slowly. Beyond the show makers’ explanation of “oh, hairstyles change over time,” I have been given no reason as to why they all have short hair and why they all have a specific style of hair.

And for a show that liked to laud the fact that they had a strong female character that broke molds, I find it a bit strange that only Galadriel’s hair wasn’t touched. The show makers said they made Galadriel a warrior because of the etymology of her name (which implied a pinned-up hairstyle I believe), but they kept her hair down and loose in fights while giving Finrod (who’s name means Great Hair Guy) a generic fade haircut.

I disliked the beardless dwarf women immensely. At that point, when I saw female dwarves without beards, all I could think of was “Why do elves and dwarves have to follow modern human standards of beauty?” Dwarven culture is “the bigger the beard the more beautiful,” so why are all of the female dwarves beardless? I had really looked forward to see the female dwarves and was sadly disappointed.

(I will address the possible hypocrisy of my criticism here as I quite like The Hobbit. Thorin (as well as Fili and Kili), for the movies, was given the excuse that he’d shorn his beard short after Erebor fell as a way to remind himself of the dishonor of losing Erebor. This is a bit of a thinly veiled excuse to have the actor’s face less covered and more appealing to the audience, but in the flashback scenes that took place before Erebor fell, Thorin does indeed have a longer and slightly more elaborate beard.)

Moving on: Numenor was particularly bad and was honestly like 75% of why I quit the show. Perhaps some people might find beauty, but I got whiplash. I think they tried to mix in too many forms of architecture (I am saying this as someone who has only a few crumbs of architectural knowledge) and the Roman, Greek, several other types of architecture, and the marine life-inspired designs didn’t mesh very well. I would see stone columns (all hard straight lines) and then be immediately hit with a fish carved into an arch.

The armor and fashion did the same thing and the dissonance nearly made me quit. Nearly.

The tipping point was really the army. Numenor, the Atlantis of Middle Earth, known for their powerhouse of a navy, had five ships? Two of which were burnt? If we consider the HMS Victoria (one of the largest wooden warships ever built), she held around 1000 people. So let’s say that Numenor’s navy consisted of somewhere between 5000 to 6000 people (since it’s possible that a few stayed behind). 

Comparing this to the Imperial Japanese Navy (as Japan is also an island nation that had been previously isolated from the rest of the world), we see that the Imperial Japanese Navy had lost around 300,000 people by the end of World War Two. This means that there were definitely more than 600,000 people serving in that navy during the war. Even with the Industrial Revolution in my example, it’s clear to see that Numenor’s navy is a joke.

The landing party for the beaches of Normandy was 156,000 people in comparison. Unless the Numenorians decided to abandon their three ships, this means that the landing party and the resulting Numenorian army was less than 5000 people, no where near the “massive army” that had been raised to defeat Sauron in the books.

I am also upset about the changes to Numenor’s story. Numenor is Atlantis, a fact that is widely established. But whereas in the books Numenor falls because of the kings’ pride and hubris, the pride and hubris are shown to be traits that Queen Miriel does not share. Personally, I think that by changing Pharazon to be a simple advisor instead of the King means that the story is less impactful.

I can’t help but get the sense that even in a show like this (that loves to call itself progressive), the female characters have to be irrevocably good. Miriel refuses Galadriel’s demands (and I would have thought that Galadriel would find the act of killing people and stealing their ships abominable) because she wants to protect her people, only agreeing later because she believes the Valar/Gods themselves told her to.

I see a pious and good ruler, a ruler that would have fit in perfectly if the story had not been set near the end of the Second Age (which seems to be between 100 to 200 years due to the compressed timeline). What I do not see are the final warning signs before Numenor’s collapse. Numenor’s story has less of an impact if their rightful ruler, the one whose lineage is directly blessed (as their ancestor was Elros, brother of Elrond, descendent of Luthien and Beren) had been trying to follow the Valar’s rulings and protect their people.

(Also, where is Isildur’s brother, Anarion?)

Adar and the Orcs are...interesting. I suppose that I don’t have too much to say beyond “they might be trying too hard to make a ‘grey’ villain with the whole ‘orcs just want a homeland’ story beat.”

The volcano scene I won’t touch on because I find myself laughing uncontrollably every time I think of it, and also because I left off before that episode. Well. I won’t talk about it beyond “the science isn’t there, although this is a fantasy show, so they’ll get some leeway.” Whether or not I am willing to bend the laws of the natural world enough for me to believe that scene is still up for debate.

My final thought will be on the strange white-clothed women. Who are they, why are they relevant, where did they come from, and what was the purpose of including them in this show?

That’s more or less all I have to say. If you’ve read this far, I have to applaud you because I wrote quite a bit and am not entirely sure if it all made sense. In the end, my issues with the Rings of Power is that it takes things too far. Changes to canon I can accept: it’s an adaptation, after all. But there are too many in Rings of Power and I am quite tired of having my immersion broken so much. It had potential, but they could have, should have done more with their plotlines in terms of fleshing them out and matching them to Tolkien’s themes. Ironically, the show also tries to have too many plotlines, and it got rather tiring of keeping track of Halbrand and Galadriel in Numenor, Elrond in Khazad-Dum, Nori with the Stranger, Bronwyn and Arondir, and also the various side plots in those four main arcs.

If you enjoyed this show, good for you. All I ask is that people be civil when they discuss things. 

[beyonddarkness]

Hi. There's mixed information for and against the Witch King being a black Numenorian but who knows, Tolkien kept changing his mind. There's some strong evidence, however in the Silmarillian, chapter Akallabeth, "Sauron was ever guileful, and it is said that among those whom he ensnared with the 9 rings, 3 were great lords of Numenorean race." So I guess we will never know 100%. Some believe since the Witch King is least afraid of water that he is Numenorean. Interesting.

If nothing is random, and everything has a purpose, then we can also look at: 1. Theo's and Galadriel's encounter with each other. Does it move him in a positive direction? It must mean something. 2. These characters settle by future Gondor. Isildur is also in Middle Earth now. So we can look at it through that lens. 3. The Faithful will also settle in this location. On this show if every little thing means something, the door is open to many possibilities. Theo Witch King, possible. Or not.

Also, Sauron death glare at Elendil in episode 3, so blatantly obvious, even when I didn't know he was Sauron. Sauron death glare at Arondir, the jury's out on that one. I rewatched all scenes several times and did not specifically see it. I am trying to, believe me. I love your observations but for show only characters there are too many possibilities available using the Easter eggs we are given. It can go in several directions and Easter eggs don't clear the way for 1 specific result.😀

Yes, isn't it great? There are so many possibilities!

Even though the phrase "it is said" could be viewed as ambiguous, I think there is an extremely high chance that we will see three Númenóreans receive some rings. I am really interested in spotting foreshadowing, and the shot below looks like a subtle piece of foreshadowing in the direction of what you quoted from the Akallabêth:

"Yet Sauron was ever guileful, and it is said that among those whom he ensnared with the Nine rings, three were great lords of Númenórean race."

"Take it."

(Not saying Tamar and his buddies are those Númenóreans; they're just guys. But the below exchange between Valandil and Sauron is pretty scary. Just saying! Not definitively suggesting that Valandil is going to get a ring. I haven't thought that much about it. But you know. Talk about foreshadowing. haha)

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You're right about the dynamic between Galadriel and Theo being loaded with significance. I don't know if the association itself guarantees a happy ending for Theo, although there certainly is a chance that her advice will get him out of pesky situations; he may go back and forth. Being around Galadriel, Isildur, the Faithful, and even Bronwyn and Arondir, is nothing to sniff at.

But I mentioned before how Theo says a bunch of things that show that his gaze isn't in the right direction. I think the most obvious example is in his conversation with Galadriel, when he says, "What light?" Meanwhile, Bronwyn told him before to "find the light," and he's apparently failing to do so.

He certainly ended on a high note in Season 1, but he is very vulnerable to Sauron's deceit in the future. I'm jumping headfirst into the shallow end by saying that he is going to be the Witch King, because I know how far-fetched it sounds. But 1) he's a main character, 2) he's vulnerable, 3) he's gazing downward into the vast and irresistible darkness of the water, and 4) I thought that Halbrand being Sauron was far-fetched, and look where that got me. Nothing is out of the realm of possibilities anymore (although there may be many said possibilities).

Food for thought: at Comic Con, before the show came out, Lindsey Weber said that Galadriel's armor was "a gift from someone else." That's a strong indication that Sauron (the Lord of Gifts) made her armor, but in addition to making her armor, he would have made that sword.

That might be one reason why Galadriel had to stop and think before giving it to Theo; at that point, she thought Halbrand had died on her account... making that sword a gift from a fallen friend.

In any case, we know that Sauron touching things (let alone crafting things) is not a good thing. The following quotations are just two indications:

"Sauron was become now a sorcerer of dreadful strength, misshaping what he touched, twisting what he ruled [...]" (Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin).

Galadriel: "The powers we forge today must be for the Elves alone, untouched by other hands" (1x08)

The fact that Sauron made that sword, which is now Theo's, seems pretty suspect to me. Theo already had a 'sword [hilt]' made by Sauron, and it had made him feel powerful. Once he no longer had possession of the hilt, he didn't just feel guilt, but loss. And now he has ANOTHER sword made by Sauron.

The kid can't catch a break!

Not to mention, Sauron steadily watched Theo walk by, right after Galadriel said to keep the sword.

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Speaking of death glares, you're right about the death glare Sauron gave when he hugged Elendil (assuming that's the one you're referring to; if you mean another one, let me know)...

...then yes, it's blatantly obvious. His death glare at Arondir is a little less obvious, sure, but it's pretty conspicuous if you consider the context. I can't put my finger on it, but something about Arondir's explanation of how Sauron was found (and the way he says it) is odd.

Is it vague? Too specific? Does it sound like something that someone might say if they made a deal to leave certain information undisclosed?

I don't know.

But it's off.

Arondir: "Southlanders found him on the road like this yestereve." Sauron: [glares at Arondir before lifting his gaze up to Galadriel]

We won't know what happened for sure until Season 2, so you can decide what it means (or does not mean).

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I admit, I'm a bit confused about the "Easter eggs" thing.

I've always considered Easter eggs to be fun elements hidden here and there, with no purpose or significance in the story, just nods to fans or the general audience. By that definition, I didn't think I was paying attention to that at all, since Patrick said:

"We’re not really coming from a place of wanting to add Easter eggs, although that’s there too. We’re coming from a place of wanting to create something that is as visually sumptuous and rich as those books are, literarily. If you like the show, hopefully, maybe you’ll watch it again and you’ll notice all kinds of new things, whether it’s something in the dialogue, or something in the set design, or something in the costuming, that is hopefully communicating a whole other layer of meaning. And if you’re a fan, there’s no end to the deep dive you could be doing. We wanted the show to be something that rewarded reviewing. We wanted the show to be rich and layered and overwhelming. The way you do that is to just keep adding ideas. And when you’re dealing with Middle-earth, there’s no end to how far you could go."

In my observations, if there is something from the book that ties into something in the show, I always frame my thought process with the presumption that it is not a mere nod to the fans, but carries real weight in the story. And sometimes, a character might be aware of something in the book (particularly The Silmarillion), as if it's written history, depending on when it takes place.

I don't know if that's the kind of Easter egg you're referring to, so I may be totally missing something here.

[nightbringer24]

I saw a news article about the new Lord of the Rings Magic the Gathering cards, and its titled “Magic: The Gathering Is Making Racists Mad, and That's Good", which really tells you all you need to know about it.

But there’s a phrase they use, which I can kind of agree with:

One’s fastidious reliance on lore is a crutch to expansive interpretation.

But it’s proceeded by:

Numenorians are the first men of Middle-earth. They can be Black, much like the first men of the world were African.

Now, this is a situation where someone hasn’t really done their research since... the Numenoreans weren’t the first men in Middle-Earth, by a long shot. The first men came from the East, the original Easterlings. The Numenoreans came from the West, from the Isle of Numenor, which is based on the myth of Atlantis. So at most... maybe a Greek look to them.

So... just categorically wrong to own the people being racist (there are people being racist, no point in denying that. It’s a fact).

But, ultimately they shoot themselves in the foot by admitting the truth:

Essentially, the change in this set is a deliberate aesthetic and (more cynically) a marketing choice.

Along with:

Honoring the books means bringing more depth, nuance, understanding, and, ultimately, a loving critique to the books.

The books HAD depth. They HAD nuance. They HAD understanding. What your doing isn’t a critique. It’s a cash-grab, nothing more. Nothing less.

Gatekeeping needs to be taken to a corporate level for sure. It really does.