#but also yeah feanor and mahtan

[tolkien-feels]

oh I love your rotations tonight

consider: elven kinda-adoptions. sometimes you'll just find a friend of your kid's fits really well into your family, so you borrow them for a few days. it's common enough practice, especially among the elves of valinor, for even a not-fully-grown elf to stay over with a friend's parents for a long time; most homes have plenty of rooms to accommodate all sorts of guests.

for ease of language, the hosting parents will fairly often just refer to all of the children as their own while they're over; they're not going to replace their biological parents, of course, but they're still parenting the children.

now think about fëanor and mahtan

It's always delightful to have rotations approved by you, ngl!

My mind is going places and my first thought was Thingol who refers to Turin as a son but always in the context of "unless Hurin shows up to reclaim him" and now I'm just imagining like... Maybe this was a thing even before the Long Journey, but the customs diverge and in Aman, the understanding tends to be "I'm borrowing your kid for Enrichment for a few days :3" while in Beleriand it's much more frequent for the situation to be "I'm taking this child for my own while their parents are off on a dangerous journey/injured/captured/dead." That would be very interesting, I think, if during the First Age Amanyar and Umanyar come to realize just how much of an impact peace or danger make to even shared customs.

Anyway yeah Feanor and Mahtan, this is already pretty much how I headcanon them, this might as well happen. It's extra interesting because Feanor is, if not 100% an adult, very close to it. I wonder what kind of expectation there would be then. Maybe in Aman, an adult borrowed child is expected to be taught things (as well as just generally hang out, of course)? On Middle-earth, it might still be "Okay this child is an adult but I would very much like for them to Not Die so please ensure That"? Depends on how peaceful Middle-earth is at the moment, I guess.

This tangent is brought to you by: Finrod will not admit to this under torture because it would make things very awkward for Beren, but a non-insignificant part of his brain is very much conceptualizing the Quest as "I have borrowed Barahir's adult child to ensure his safety for a little while."

Also Celeborn and Elrond. You know I have to bring them up.

[amethysttribble]

Yeah, no, what would have helped Feanor most is an unstructured group of supportive friends with similar ages and interests and there isn't exactly evidence that he didn't get that but also he's: 1) The firstborn son of the king 2) A prodigy in like every craft ever (basically maxed out the skills the Noldor value most) 3) His mother died from giving birth to him ("Valinor was supposed to be safe from tragedy, we aren't supposed to be losing people anymore") ("look at him, is it no wonder Miriel couldn't handle bearing his fea")

So between those things I think there's not that many people who could form a proper friendship with him on level ground. Maybe a handful, maybe just Nerdanel, and I think it took him a while to even make those friends because who he was as a person had to overshadow who he was as a point in space first.

So umm, I guess what I'm saying is that Feanor needs besties to have sleepovers and go to performances and just fuck around with, not therapy.

I get where you’re coming from, anon, these are lovely thoughts.

That being said, and this is just personal headcanon, but I tend to think Feanor was a very social person and had quite a lot of friends! I think he was very well-liked by most people, charming and confident and affable. Especially once we went to study with Mahtan, but even younger. This is just my pet peeve, but I don’t like the common trope that ‘royalty is so isolating no one likes me, I’m being looked down upon and bullied’, because it’s just… not how things work, lol.

I also think Feanor was loathe to be alone.

This is just another personal feeling, but I don’t think there was any fixing that particular family’s issues nor that of the characters therein; it’s a very well constructed tragedy on Tolkien’s part, in that regard.

[aureentuluva70]

You know what I would like to see more of from the Tolkien fandom? More content of Maedhros with his Grandpa Mahtan. Maedhros apparently inherited his red hair from him, and Maedhros was mentioned to have worn a copper circlet, copper being a mineral which Mahtan is associated with and may have even given to his grandson as a gift. Feanor was also Mahtan's apprentice at some point and I always liked to imagine the two were quite close, so of course Feanor would want Maedhros to get to know his grandpa. Even their names, Rusco and Russandol, are similar to each other. So yeah, I need more Maedhros and Grandpa Mahtan content.

[procrastinationonvacation]

K so, elves only have beards if they’re really old and wise yeah? But Mahtan has one in the slim even though none of the other unbegotten have one.

Which leaves only to options, either Nerdanel was such a hell-child that the stress caused him to literally age three ages in 100 years, OR he’s the equivalent of those dudes that go bald at 26.

Omg anon, your MIND

Definitely Nerdanel being a hell-child! He also taught Feanor too, right? So double hell children.

Imagine on his first day Mahtan comes in and there’s Nerdanel and his new student running around the forge w/o protective equipment because they’re Inspired and don’t have Time for that.

And he’s just sitting there like “oh god there’s two of them”

[undercat-overdog]

Then [Feanor] began a long and secret labour, and he summoned all his lore, and his power, and his subtle skill; and at the end of all he made the Silmarils.

Secrecy is a huge fault of the (Age of the Trees) Noldor. Collaboration is so necessary in science – the Noldor were holding themselves back. And I bet the Second Age Elves, reconstructing their civilization after an apocalypse, were just tearing their hair out over it all. (And they weren't helped by how Elven culture seems to have been at least partly oral* – not to mention how the majority of the population either died or sailed.)

And it all seems so sad to me. Think of what else the Elves could have made with silima. Think of what Feanor could have made had some bright young student come to him and said, “well, what if we do this?”

And ok, yeah, he might not have made something better than the Silmarils. But someone else could have done great things with silima. Or consider the palantirs. The knowledge of their making was lost. Perhaps Galadriel's Mirror was an attempt to reengineer them. Had whoever made her Mirror known how the palantirs were made, they could have created something greater still.

And Feanor's hardly alone in his practice of secrecy. Aule taught Mahtan things he didn't teach to other Elves, and Mahtan doesn't have seen to taught that many other people either. And then of course there's the weapons that various Noldor were making in secret**.

*I bet Pengolodh was the Elf who invented libraries. A culture of secrecy and canonically perfect memories? I bet writing was used mostly for letters, notes, and other ephemera before the Elves realized that lol, we can die.

**interestingly, though beside the point, the Silm says “the Noldor began the smithying of swords and axes and spears. Shields also they made displaying the tokens of many houses and kindreds that vied with one another.” Who were those houses/kindreds? Many implies more than just Feanor's/Fingolfin's/Finarfin's – was Finwe's rule shakier that it seemed?

[thelioninmybed]

misc replies

imindhowwelayinjune replied to your post “What are your MOST and LEAST favorite things about asoiaf?”

I had somehow forgotten the fat pink mast, probably due to years of effort, and now you brought it back. God fucking damn it grrm

I kinda like knowing the fpm exists - whenever I’m questioning my own ability to write smut, I think of that and am consoled. 

curufins-smile replied to your post “What are your MOST and LEAST favorite things about asoiaf?”

bUT ITS SAVING FANTASY RAH RAH etc ad nauseam ughhhhhhh. basically agreed 200% haha. the tv show makes me hate it even more and the hype machine just makes me want to punch people in the face when they try and claim that it's anything but tits and violence... i have strong feelings about asoiaf/got haha. I really enjoyed the books at first but subsequent books and fan hype have just really soured me to them :/

 Yeah, it’s a series with serious flaws, that’s nowhere near as revolutionary as its hype claims it is. And HBO’s approach to sex and violence is reprehensible. But on the other hand there are aspects of it that I really really like and I am gonna but the next dumbass book if it ever fucking comes out.

actualmermaid replied to your post “plump elves. which one would be?”

I'm here for thicc Nerdanel (and the house of Mahtan in general)

I was just gonna be like ‘- Feanor’ but can’t with the Mahtan proviso.

vardasvapors replied to your post“plump elves. which one would be?”

Fifi! The canon wrestler!

yes, let’s all take a moment to think about him naked and oiled up, I think this is a v. productive course. 

erotetica replied to your post “plump elves. which one would be?”

caranthir tho

Y U P

imindhowwelayinjune replied to your post “plump elves. which one would be?”

...fingon with love handles really does it for me

-maedhros

the other feanorians watch with increasing frustration as he redirects as much of their harvests as he can get away with to Hithlum. 

valaraukars replied to your post “Prompt? Because I miss your Russingon stories: Fingon and Meadhros...”

Maedhros' pragmatic and goal-oriented approach to dildoacquisition is almost as inspiring as his blatantly streamlined manipulation of brothers

also, we talk a lot about maedhros having to deal with his siblings and what a cross to bear that is, but this shows not to underestimate the other POV. Poor curufin, indeed

I was gonna say ‘if the silmarils could be used as a sex toy they’d have reclaimed them centuries ago’ but...i already wrote that fic so...

they all deserve each other tbh. Hell is being trapped in the darkness everlasting with your awful fucking brothers. 

imindhowwelayinjune replied to your post “Prompt? Because I miss your Russingon stories: Fingon and Meadhros...”

it strikes me that if it weren't for certain factors, mae would rule the world

he is d i a b o l i c a l

and apparently v good at dick, well done him

i also adore 1) inconsiderately considerate love and 2) curufin covered in smuts 3) (lol)

he already rules fingon’s butt, what is the word compared to that? 

I will not stand for this talk of smuts on my blog, it’s positively filthy.

erotetica replied to your post “Prompt? Because I miss your Russingon stories: Fingon and Meadhros...”

'that was the nargothrond issue solved' ahHAAHAadgdj

I love how curvo is only of violent temper if he can also keep his stuff neat

Forge safety is important, okay!? If the feenerians do nothing else right, you can be damn sure they tie their hair back and keep a waterbutt close at hand (if not initially, they sure did after Dad spontaneously combusted)

[procrastinationonvacation]

I loved your Angband answer! I would love to keep hearing your thoughts (they’re really interesting!), so could I possibly ask about your opinions on The Wives (Nerdanel, Anairë and Eärwen)?

- Captain Anon (I like the name :))

Hello Captain anon!! I’m glad you like it :)

ok I think it was @feanorianethicsdepartment who came up with this: but they all suffer from being Chaotic as hell. To sum up what the post was, these three Voluntarily chose to be in this family, where no one has had a “chill” day in their life. (as usual im putting the bulk of this under a cut cause it got long)

The one exception in this family *might* be Arafinwe bc 1.did not join this life voluntarily and 2.seems pretty chill. So fine maybe Earwen isn’t That chaotic. They do have the most operative children after all.

-

anyways:

Nerdanel: “the wise.” pfft yeah right. The only person crazier than her is feanor and I say that endearingly. Arguably worse when it comes to crafting. Listen, Feanor is in part the way he is about his creations because he’s angry at everyone and generally has unresolved issues with his parents. The guy is like “my motivation is to be better than everyone. Because I hate everyone.” That’s our boy. Nerdanel has none of that, she wants to be better than everyone because she is. It’s pure hubris, unchecked ambition and “what even is that, how can I make it Cooler (more sparkly).” Mahtan and Finwe should run.

Obviously this gets a little toned down when her husband goes crazy over his three shiny-s. Obviously she realizes that considerations should be made before just rampantly making a thing when she sees what swords have done to her friends. I’m imagining it kind of like Walton in Frankenstien listening to Frankensteins story and thinking “ok it’s time to go back to my community because all consuming ambition has some pretty shit consequences”

Remember in some appendix some place they’re like “oh we mean wise but like,, only in being technically smart,,, these people were legit idiots” when talking about the Noldor? Yeah.

-

Anaire: Look at their kids and her husband and just TRY and tell me she was a normal person. Like yeah they all pass for normal, especially considering their relations, but the moment things start going south they go straight to eagle flying and morgoth challenging. Anyways I never rally say Fingolfin as an aggressive influence so I guess what I’m trying to say is it had to come from somewhere and Anaire will wreck your shit. Like at elven thanksgiving dinner, when the whole family gets together, if there’s a fight theres a 90% chance it’s Feanor and Anaire going at it, 10 seconds away from the first kinslaying at all times.

Also this is a complete reach, but her name means holy or something like that, so I imagine she’s pretty tight with the valor. And she and Earwen are friends, so all I’m saying is that they are the Worlds Best Gossips and have shit on Manwe himself.

Please understand I say this all affectionately.

-

Earwen: the one for who’s sanity a case could actually be made. She and Arafinwe are generally pretty removed from the drama, but that doesn’t mean they dont get visits. just imagine Anaire showing up to their house like “Arafinwe, you’ll never guess what your dumb brother is up to now. “ and then it’s time to play “is she mad at Feanor or Fingolfin” (plot twist it’s Findis’ husband)

Also I’m assuming she’s pretty forgiving because Arafinwe came back from the revolt of the noldor, and no one said anything about them having a divorce or something sooooooo… 100% uses it to get him to do stuff in later ages tho: “hey can we watch star wars” “no we watched it last week” “wow you’re really killing my dreams. Just stabbing them through-“ “star wars! such a great movie!! we should do a marathon!”

-

Thanks for the ask!!! I really enjoyed it!!