#gil-estel

[eri-pl]

I realized something about the Silmarils again and now I am sad again.

So, Gil-Estel, Star of (high) Hope. The one that wasn't reclaimed/stolen* and lost by the Feanorians.

And there are three of them. You know what else comes in a set of three and contains Hope? Faith, Hope, and Love, the... Whatever it's called in English. Anyway we could have three stars, for three beautiful things.

Even more sad: the one that got away was Elwing's. She originally had two brothers. We could have a star per each of them. Somehow. (Yes, someone would have to steal them, but let's ignore this so I can blame everything on Celegorm, because I don't like the guy)

*your opinion may vary

Ok, this post seems not very interesting so let's add a poll

[anoriel-niqetilde]

Okay, I guess I’m doing this! Part 2 of Melkor in the Void, aka I mess around in Procreate as long as I don’t have to try to draw people. Based on a post by @curufiin. Featuring Eärendil this time (by way of his silmaril). Original idea and part 1 here.

(I discovered the flare brush btw. That’s the only reason he looks this good)

I have no idea how far my art skills will take this idea, but whatever. It’s good practice!

[narkinafive]

@gil-estel replied to your post “@transslehoff-burrfoot replied to your post...”:

I played survivor for about 3.6 hours on PC last night and the first cutscenes were a little laggy but it seemed to resolve itself by the time gameplay started? (AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, GeForce RTX 3080). There's been a patch, and it sounds like some of the issues are specific to certain PC builds

​^^!! thank u for the info!

[reyturnofbensolo]

😍

them: the rebellion needs pilots

me: get that girl in an x-wing stat

[youmisguidedmartyr]

What if you were born during a WAR and your dad became a STAR and your mum became a BIRD and your people were KILLED and then you and your twin were KIDNAPPED and then your kidnappers either DIED or fucked off to the BEACH and then your twin chose a MORTAL LIFE and then you became a HERALD and then your King got given a really cool RING but there was ANOTHER WAR because SAURON WAS ACTUALLY the RING GUY and then your King DIES and then your cousin/wife gets ATTACKED and then she SAILS and then your Foster son falls in LOVE with your DAUGHTER and then there's ANOTHER FUCKING WAR because SAURON IS BACK and then your daughter also chooses a MORTAL fucking LIFE and then you just FUCK OFF TOO but your twin sons didn't make up their MINDS

[thesummerestsolstice]

Elrond hides from the stars, at first. Morgoth's hazy corruption hid the sky, at Amon Ereb, and the Feanorians didn't spend much time outside at night anyway– it was dangerous, even for hardened warriors.

Maedhros and Maglor taught them about the stars of course, they were determined to give E&E education befitting of elvish princes, and no such education could be complete without thorough studies of both astronomy and the elvish star lore from the days of Cuivienen. Still, while they could chart the course of any star across the sky, and tell the tale of any constellation, E&E rarely actually got to see the stars.

They could, on rare nights when the smog wasn't so bad, see Gil-Estel, brightest of them all, faintly shining through the haze. They knew what it was. They didn't know what to think about it. The Feanorians didn't like discussing it, so E&E didn't either.

But then, Elrond and Elros left the Feanorians. Maedhros and Maglor sent them away from just about everyone and everything they'd ever known. They came to Gil-Galad's camp as traumatized children who were treated as objects of curiosity, veneration, even suspicion. Eyes follow them everywhere, and their gaze is never neutral– always approving or disapproving, angry or joyful, awed or fearful.

Gil-Galad's camp, guarded by Maiarin soldiers, is nearly free of Morgoth's corruption. For the first time, E&E see the light of the sun and moon in their full glory. They also see Gil-Estel, burning brightly against the dark sky; no faint light.

Elrond doesn't like it. He feels like Gil-Estel is watching him. When he tries to explain this to Gil-Galad, he's met with sympathy– of course Earendil is watching over him. But Gil-Galad doesn't understand.

Elrond hasn't gotten used to being watched, being evaluated, at Gil-Galad's camp. He'd never felt that way at Amon Ereb– where there had been far fewer elves and his presence had quickly become normal. All those elves watching him now? Viscerally uncomfortable. And the thought of the father he barely remembers being another set of eyes judging him is unbearable. After all, what if Earendil doesn't like what he sees?

[maironsmaid]

Watched Lotr with a casual Lotr fan and safe to say that they were kinda confused when I joked about Elrond's dad showing up

[aureentuluva70]

My brain is consumed by the way that Elrond is Elwing/Doriath's heir and Elros is Earendil/Gondolin's heir. How Elrond chose the fate of the Elves like Elwing before him, while Elros chose mortality, the path Earendil's heart actually favored. How Elrond's name means 'star-dome', named so in Elwing's dim memory of Doriath, and he builds what is essentially a refugee community like the Havens of Sirion. Elros's name, on the other hand, means 'star-foam' and his path ultimately led him to the Sea, as did his father's(and Earendil's father before him), following Gil-Estel to the place that would become Numenor.

[aquaregiaart]

Eärendil

[writerthatcannotwrite]

I am Earendil (one of the only people in my family that doesn't like football) with my silmaril (a stretchy headlight that my dad gave me) and I am tending the dark, solitary affairs of the Void (grilling chicken wings after dark while everybody else is watching the game) on my mighty ship, Vingilot (my brother's weightlifting bench that makes a very nice seat).

[eri-pl]

Reblogging the middle of a reblog, just because it is such a terrible thing to say (kudos to Elrond for not saying it actually) (also to post about my favorite word)

Also, this got me thinking: What is Elrond's definition of "estel", actually? (tldr: I have no idea) Who taught Elrond what "Estel" exactly means? I mena, who shaped his understanding of this word?

His parents? I don't think a 6yo can have a complex concept of hope without proof. M&M? Well, excuse me, but they have no such concept at this point. Their peak estel is Maglor maaaybe not jumping into the sea.

Gil-Galad? Now it gets more interesting, because we need to look at G-g's educational history and who taught him philosophy and suddenly "who was Gil-galad?" becomes a more important question.

To make it more complicated, "estel" is a word both in Qenya and Sindarin, but I don't have a clear source on whether Sindarin keeps the sharp distinction between "high hope" and "regular hope". So how much does Elrond internalize those two being entirely different things?

Also, also, the Star of Earendil, Gil-Estel, who everybody hypes about and for Elrond it was initially a rather traumatizing thing, I suppose (one dad gone away to be a star, two dads dead/depressed because of those gems, how is that hopeful?)

So this whole naming thing has also a component of of "I'm going to name you after my dad".

Also, "I thought you were Estel... turns out you're just Amdir." is something I'm going to be saying to many of my projects from now on. It sums things up perfectly well.

Absolutely unbearable that Elrond looked at the snotty little kid and went, "your nickname, and not your 200 predecessors' whom i also raised, is going to be Estel." Elrond son of Gil-Estel, who "saw no hope left in the lands of Middle Earth, and turned back in despair and came not home."

[gwaedhannen]

Ways to poetically say "forever" if you're an elf

"Until the stars go out": classic from Cuiviénen, never lost its charm.

"When Laurelin frosts": rapid decrease in popularity for obvious reasons.

"While Telperion has leaves": rapid decrease in popularity for obvious reasons.

"Unto world's end": used once and very rarely thereafter.

"When the sun freezes": nothing quite like a reprise. Rapid decrease in popularity for obvious reasons.

"Until day comes again": popular in Angband, with varying sincerity.

"While Gil-Estel shines": If a fuckhuge winged dragon couldn't stop it from shining, what could?

"Until the last ship sets sail into the West": 95%+ of uses were by the guy building the dang ship.

"When Fëanor apologizes": What exactly he is apologizing for is sometimes included, but largely deemed unnecessary.

"When the world is mended": steadily increasing in popularity and decreasing in sincerity.

[ranscutedoll]

I have been thinking about getting a pet fish, a beta specifically. Now I had one a few years back, and I didn't know how to care for it(aka it was in a bowl...I am sorry gil estel). Now I do. My mind didn't shut up tonight with all the equipment I needed to buy if I wanted to make this a reality

[balrogballs]

Appreciation post for the little butterfly hairclip Elrond wears in Fellowship 🦋

10/10 accessorising, my friend, I too would wear the elven version of this hairclip from Claire’s to the most important Council ever that determines the fate of the world.

It has captivated me since the moment I saw it in the film. It’s a mullet. Business in the front, butterfly in the back. How do I show everyone that I mean business but I’m also just a cute little guy? Just a cute little guy with big feelings who just wants to spread my wings and go back to my wife and not entrust the fate of the world to a bunch of dudebros and not leave my daughter here to die? Simple. I wear my silver butterfly hairclip.

Too many times have I thought about him getting dressed that morning. Rootling through his drawers knowing full well he’s going to spend half the day glaring at everyone one by one and going to give his son/son-in-law a right old bollocking. He’s stressed. He’s depressed. He’s annoyed. He can’t do the fucking Ring talk again. He remembers Pippin is alive. He’s certain some motherfucker, probably fucking Pippin, is going to ask why he didn’t just shove Isildur into Mt Doom. My god, he just needs something to feel cute again!

And there it is!

Shining right there in the middle of his drawer like the Gil-Estel of hair accessories. He grabs the little butterfly clip and pins it right where it belongs because he’s Elrond fucking Peredhel and he’s pretty as hell and he can wear whatever the fuck he wants.

Also it hands down makes this scene 200% better:

[the-haiku-bot]

oh trust me no one

thought they were taking 8 hours

to complete THAT look

Beep boop! I look for accidental haiku posts. Sometimes I mess up.

GIRL, WE KNOW

[thesummerestsolstice]

Underrated Eldritch Peredhel: Earendil. Specifically, I love Earendil because he kind of starts out "normal," just being the child of an elf and a man. But then he marries the part-Maiarin Elwing, who's great-grandmother Melian affected her husband so much that he's described as being like a Maia lord afterwards. He steps foot on Aman, which in some of Tolkien's texts also physically changes him. He murders a giant dragon and doesn't die afterwards. He's nearly constantly exposed to the Silmaril. Like you know how Aman's light is supposed to be too much for mortals. And the SIlmarils have the remnants of Aman's light. And Earendil has mortal blood.

This is more headcanon but I also believe that no incarnate would naturally be able to do what Earendil does, sailing through the sky and void, possibly fighting the unknowable creatures in it. Varda had to give Earendil some power for him to be able to be Gil-Estel. I've also seen something about him being gifted wings but I forget where.

Just, imagine Earendil, the young sailor just setting out from Sirion, a man with elvish grace, or an elf with mannish features. And then imagine Gil-Estel, the warrior clad in dragon-scale armor, who's lived with the Silmaril for so long that the light shines from within him now. Who burns with Varda's hallowed radiance, so much that the creatures of the void can't even bear to look upon him. Who trails stardust and smiles with teeth that are just a bit too sharp. Who looks more in place aside Tilion and Arien than he does among elves or men.

I also firmly believe that Elrond was able to visit Earendil on the Vingelot– visiting a flying ship is much easier when you can turn into a bird, after all– and that the magic there also affected him, but that's a different post...