#melian the maia

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

thingol as melian's own one ring, into whom she poured her spirit and power and divinity, is such a heartrendingly romantic concept

[serene-faerie]

I wasn’t going to say anything originally, but I’m still really annoyed with that one reblog on my bingo card post.

So let me make this very clear:

MELIAN IS NOT A SELFISH NARCISSIST FOR ABANDONING DORIATH

I can’t believe this needs to be said, but apparently it must. Not only is it such a bad faith argument, but it’s completely wrong.

Melian was going through a tremendous amount of grief that was completely alien to her as a Maia. First, Lúthien became mortal and left Doriath to live a mortal life, and Melian has to deal with the fact that one day, she’s going to outlive her own daughter. Then she gets a chance to be a mother again when she and Thingol adopt Túrin, but despite her best attempt to raise him well, he runs away and ends up dying by his own sword. Which means she’s lost another child of her own.

She’s going through the kind of grief that no parent deserves to endure. Túrin may not be her biological son, but his death would’ve really hurt her, without a doubt.

Then, Thingol is suddenly murdered by the dwarves after a fight over the Nauglamir. Her beloved husband, the one she gave up Aman for, is dead, and by this point, Lúthien and Beren are both getting old and they’re also going to die in a couple of years. Melian is realizing that she’s going to basically outlive her entire family.

Can you imagine how that must feel for a Maia like Melian? She must’ve been going through so much pain and grief and heartache. I bet that this is when her Girdle around Doriath begins to fail— the Girdle doesn’t fall yet, but the sheer depth of Melian’s grief is enough to start weakening it.

Being in Beleriand would’ve been completely unbearable for her now. It actively starts to hurt her very spirit, and her powers weaken. I think she realized that if she stayed any longer, her powers would fail her, and she would probably fade away.

Melian didn’t abandon Beleriand because she was selfish. She left Beleriand because she realized that she could no longer live there without the one thing that made her powers flourish— her family.

I’m begging you, have some compassion for female characters and read through the book again PLEASE!

[yashmel]

I tried to draw eldritch Luthien for a Luthien week, but ended with just Melian at her normal.

I guess I have to invent something else for the event now

[velvet4510]

Lúthien Did Not Die Merely because of Grief for a Man

It’s important to remember everything that had happened to Lúthien, leading up to the moment where she lost the will to live and followed Beren’s spirit to Mandos.

Because the thing is, contrary to popular belief, Lúthien - 2,000+-year-old that she was - did NOT just “die for a man she’d known for a few months.” Yes, her grief for Beren was a major factor, and yet it was actually the final nail in the coffin after a string of overwhelming trauma and betrayal.

Think about it.

Over the course of those few months, Lúthien went through an absolute nightmare in her personal life:

she was betrayed TWICE by her best friend who she grew up with

her dad sent the man she loved to die rather than be happy for her newfound love

she was imprisoned by her own dad

her own mom never lifted a finger to help her or stand up for her

both she and her boyfriend almost died multiple times while trying to fulfill the task that her dad demanded in the first place

she lost her new best friend Húan after all that he did for her

and THEN her new husband was killed while shielding her dad on their wedding day or at most a few days later, after they’d survived so much and were about to start a life together

So basically, Lúthien lost her entire support system. Other than Beren and Húan, everyone she ever loved betrayed her trust and actively fought against her happiness. Regardless of the intentions of Daeron, Thingol, and Melian, there is no denying that from Lúthien’s perspective, she just kept getting stabbed in the back over and over and over again by the last people she ever expected would do that to her.

When she lost Beren, she lost the last person in the world who genuinely respected her agency, who had earned her trust, who she could truly rely on. She really did have nothing and nobody left to live for. Why should she believe that, or care if, her loss would devastate her parents? They’d broken her trust and her father was the cause of this disaster in the first place. Her husband had just left her alone in a place that had become utterly toxic to her.

She could never just go back to her life before Beren, not when her parents and best friend proved that they weren’t worthy of her calling them family, not when they caused this to happen.

And all of this also contributed to her choice of mortality. It’s not just out of love for Beren. She genuinely didn’t want to spend eternity with her Elvish family anymore, not after what they did. She’d rather spend eternity with the person she could trust.

This is further emphasized by the fact that she and Beren moved to Tol Galen to raise their family after returning to life. They didn’t stay in Doriath, her own kingdom. Because that place and those people had forfeited the privilege of her trust and faith. So she moved on to have a fresh start.

Perhaps in time, she did come to forgive her parents and Daeron. But in the heat of the moment when Beren died and all the hell that she went through came crashing down upon her, Lúthien had every reason to lose the will to live. Not just grief for her man, but also grief for the family she thought she had, for the friendship she thought she had, for the centuries-long bonds that were broken at a time when she needed them most, for the fact that there was nobody left in the world for her to turn to or trust.

[stardustmuguet]

Melian & Thingol, Inktober 2024 day 2 - Discover

[imbadwithprofilenames]

I would love a fic of Elrond with some secret Maia powers. But like kind of realistically since he's only 1/16 Maia. Or just something to do with his Maia heritage. pretty please

[spruceneedles]

But Melian looked in her eyes and read the doom that was written there, and turned away; for she knew that a parting beyond the end of the world had come between them, and no grief of loss has been heavier than the grief of Melian the Maia in that hour. -Silmarillion Ch. 20

[flamingcentaur]

Paint marker experiments 🧊🔮🖊️✨

A take on Melian: I think she’d look sort of unsettling.

[marybeatriceofmodena]

Kind of insane that half the bad shit that happens in the Silmarillion boils down to "Melian gives very sensible advice. Person then proceeds to shrug and do the exact opposite of said very sensible advice."

[aotearoa20]

May Fic Recs

All That's Best of Dark and Bright

Author: clothonono Characters: Thingol/Melian Rating: Gen Word Count: 1844

Tell me more about married. "I do not know very much," Thingol said. "I have never been married before.” The night laughed. The woodland breeze caressed his hair. A nightingale settled on his shoulder. We are the same. He thought they must be the two most different people in all of Arda. He tried to think of more to tell her. "Among my people, marriage is a bond in the spirit and the flesh." Flesh! So much of you is flesh. What is it like to be matter? "I am matter?" You are enormous! she said. And you are very full of water. "No lady has ever given me such a compliment," he said. He could tell that it was a compliment, a strong one.

In which Thingol and Melian finally take stock after the dissipation of the enchantments of Nan. I think this is one of my favourite fics of this pairing that I read so far. They are both so delightfully weird and low key creepy but in a way that shows how perfect they are for each other. I love it so much!

Read here. Author’s Tumblr: @clothonono

Note: This fic is archive locked

[chaos-of-the-abyss]

can't believe it's canon that luthien says shit like "unless thou desirest to see thy daughter tinuviel weep" to thingol. she deadass pulls the "you don't want to see me cry do you dad?" on him. i know melian had to study up on ways to be effectively strict with one's children because thingol was the embodiment of go on girl give us nothing for that

[serene-faerie]

When Melian returns to Aman, she returns as a stranger in a strange land.

Her time in Beleriand has changed the very essence of her spirit, and she quickly finds that Aman is no longer the same as when she'd first left.

Melian can no longer find beauty in the unchanging perfection of the Blessed Realm. Though the landscapes are lovely, there is always something missing.

She misses the rugged but natural, cavernous beauty of Menegroth. The sparkling, open cities of Tirion and Alqualondë are strange to her, with their many buildings that glitter in the sun. Both cities are lovely, but they're too perfect, too clean.

She misses the cool air of the forests of Doriath. Though the forests of Aman are lovely, they are too pristine, too perfect. They don't grow tall and wild like Nan Elmoth, and there's no sound of rushing water like there had been in Neldoreth.

She misses the nights of Beleriand. In Doriath, the forests always came to life, with fireflies drifting through the trees and crickets chirping alongside the songs of nightingales. Nights in Aman are too peaceful, too quiet, unless you were in Tirion or Alqualondë.

Melian struggles to fit in with the rest of the Maiar. Many of them cannot understand the emptiness she feels. Her time among the Children of Ilúvatar has changed her so much, she cannot go back to how she used to be.

She misses Elu Thingol, her beloved husband and life partner. She misses the Iathrim, the people she loved. She misses Lúthien, her only daughter, and Beren, her brave mortal son-in-law. She misses Dior, her willful and spirited grandson. And above all, she misses Doriath so much.

However, she doesn't regret her life in Middle-earth. She was able to be a wife, a mother, and a queen. She was surrounded by people who loved her, and she loved them all with every fiber of her being. She had a beautiful family of her own, and they were her greatest treasure.

And even after all of the sorrows and heartache, Melian knew that she would gladly live that same life again if she could.

[lledron]

Sauron Mairon Halbrand y Alicent

I always make the joke that Sauron is Aule's daddy's boy and keep it canon. So I have an idea:

AU Where Sauron in human form ends up in Westeros and sees Yvanna. She is Yvanna, she is the wife of dad / Aule. She is mom. And mom is crying. And yes, I'm adding to the theory that Melkor's giant spider is from Lovecrath's universe, so crossovers are possible!

Sauron can't help. Here he is nobody and he has not recovered his powers. He is sickened by the mess, by the Targaryen traditions of marrying each other. Sauron notices that Mama is biting her nails. Mom should be happy and have trees. And mom should pay attention to it and be happy with those creepy trees with faces.

Alicent does not understand who gives her personalized jewelry with the theme of Mother and Maiden. She knows Sauron. "Hello my lady"

Sauron disguises himself as a cat to attend Alicent and Viserys' meetings. He is against Otto's plan, mom is fifteen years old. Fifteen fucking human years.

This can go two ways:

Sauron kills all the dragons because Alicent made a comment that while Syrax is beautiful she would never ride a dragon. Mom is afraid, now I have to protect her, be the man of the house because mom can't be married to another man who isn't dad.

Daemon boasts that he took Alicent's virginity and is killed by Sauron. Mom is from dad.

Sauron manages to find the equivalent of Aule in this world and cheats on the parents.

Alicent is very sure she is ready to have children after stopping Sauron from conquering Middle-earth.

Sauron takes the form of a child. More shenanigans to come, now he has everything he wants, for now.

Alicent and any poor man who is Aule in this universe, congratulations. Their son is a narcissistic sociopath who loves them with all his heart.

In another line, Alicent marries Viserys, but Mairon has not regained his power, so he cannot prevent his mother from being raped.

Sauron discovers that his siblings are nuisances, but they will give Mom more power. Mom is a goddess, a Valar, but also a 15-year-old girl.

So Sauron takes over Aegon, comforts Mum, tells Aegon he's a little shit worse than Curumo and Aegon's first word is shit.

Helena is born. And here she is different. Sauron hated Curumo for stealing Daddy's attention, but he respected Melian. He now has another sister, who is also a woman in a world of shit. But Heleana has magical potential, so he will teach her well. He will teach her to lie, to deceive, to put on makeup.

All of this happens while Sauron takes the form of a little boy so he can stay with the queen alone. Alicent hugs him and hugs from mom feel good. On one hand, Alicent recognizes that Mairon/Sauron has a connection. She loves him, she is his mother in all the universes. But her son is evil and she knows it. But he hasn't proven to be more evil than the other men.

Aemond is born and Sauron throws a tantrum. He doesn't want another brother and hates him as much as he hates Aegon for hogging Mom's attention. Then Daeron is born and Sauron screams because there is so much evil in the world! Criston Cole is horrible, but he makes mom happy. As long as he isn't platonic, Sauron will keep it. Suddenly, Sauron can shapeshift into a dragon. Since he hates Rhaenyra's bastards he plans to play a little prank at Laena's funeral. Nothing to go wrong. He just needs Aemond's help. Aemond claims a dragon and that dragon leads everyone to see Rhaenyra doing it with his uncle.

And shit breaks loose. Aemond is happy to have a dragon, the Velarions are angry, and Laenor calls for a duel against Daemon for his sister's honor.

Laenor wins and kills Daemon. Rhaenyra will go on trial for being an adulteress and Harwin will be her champion. Then Criston Cole kicks Harwin's ass. Heleana uses her magic to make Rhaenyra admit the truth about her bastards. Alicent rebukes Sauron because now there is a political mess and because his brother thought he had a dragon. "It was just a joke, mom, I didn't know it would go this far," she says with puppy dog eyes.

[ramoth13]

I completely agree! No question.

.... but also, I do really love Thingol, and mostly forgive him but also imagine the constant eye-rolling from Melian lol.

***

Thingol: "How dare you, human, ask for my daughter's hand in marriage, she's an elf, do you know how much better she is than you? You could never measure up."

Melian: *side-eyeing the camera*

Things the Silm fandom seems to have collectively agreed on:

Finwe messed up.

Fingolfin is badass.

Feanor did nothing wrong.

Huan best boi.

Eol should never get reembodied

Aredhel has bad taste in men. Also, she deserved better.

Not everyone is strait.

Divorce should be an option.

Maglor will reunite with Elrond… eventually.

Aegnor should have forsaken his holiness and have had cute half-elven kids with Andreth.

Amrod and Amras have to be mischievous lil buttheads because they’re redheads and babies and they remind us of the Weaslys with a dark twist.

Celegorm looked like Miriel, or at the very least inherited her silver hair.

Caranthir and Haleth had something going on.

Elu Thingol is a prick no one wants to forgive even though he isn’t a kinslayer unlike some other elves.

[mfelewzi]

The family tree of Eldarion, son of Elessar/Aragorn and Arwen, Heir of all the Houses of Edain and Eldars, with Maia's Blood too!