#out of silmarils

[first-son-of-finwe]

Apparently there’s a bit in Morgoth’s Ring that says “Aulë named Fëanor the greatest of the Eldar” and excuse me a moment

You’re telling me that the whole “Greatest of the Eldar” thing….was SPECIFICALLY Aulë?!

Because if so, this vala is just….so normal about this elf. Never mind “lover of Fëanor” and the general “leave him alone guys, oh my god” at the darkening. Now we also have this.

Other Valar: You can’t just name one elf “greatest of the Eldar” because he happens to be good at your favourite skill! What about hunting, weaving, singing, poetry? Do none of our skills count??

Aulë: Well yes, good point. But have you considered….that he is MY special boy, therefore he is the greatest?

Other Valar: …..

Aulë: I thought not.

[lendiel]

„I try to avoid shit because my temper can go from 0 to life in prison in 2 seconds.“

- Maedhros to his brothers at any point

(He snapped shortly after)

[first-son-of-finwe]

r.e. "he's also a criminal", etc etc. Yes he is, but I think Khodorkovsky puts it best.

[lissomelace]

THE EUROPA CLIPPER LAUNCHED THIS MORNING, AND I AM SO NOT NORMAL ABOUT IT!!!!!

Space is so fucking awesome. We're headed to one of JUPITER'S MOONS!

Every time a launch happens, it makes the latent space enthusiast in the back of my brain jump up and down. It also derailed all my plans for today. I did have plans.

Instead, someone made one comment about how I could now maybe make mission patches on my embroidery machine, and the space thing crossed over with my current hyperfixation (silm) to produce THIS:

Mission patch for the launch of Gil-Estel! A bit messy, but a good place to start!

Design and linguistics details under the cut, because I put WAY too much thought into it and now must talk SOMEONE's ear off about it. Feel free to ignore this bit:

So, to start: Elvish NASA. I chose to call them Vardildi Elengolmo Vilciryamoyë, or VEV. The Followers of Varda, Astronomers and Astronauts. This could very much be totally wrong. Vardildi is Varda+the suffix used in Yavannildi, the followers of Yavanna. Elengolmo comes from the coined word for astronomer, Elengolmë (star-lore), with the -o suffix from nolmo, wise person. Vilciryamoyë takes the vil- from the root of vilya, meaning air, sky. ciryamo is mariner, and yë is the suffix added to the second word meaning 'and'. (I may be very, VERY wrong on this! If anyone has better ideas, I very much welcome input/guidance/constructive criticism)

So I stuck the tengwar for this on either side of the patch. (None of the tengwar is all that legible, though, I'm working on getting that sorted out) Most NASA mission patches don't actually have NASA on them, but I put it on anyway. Here is the tengwar and the start of a logo I made an attempt at (the tehta is supposed to be a shooting star, but that did NOT come through clearly in the embroidery [because it's tiny]):

(Probably going to try to make an elvish NASA patch before too long, honestly)

Most NASA patches (from research I did with great self-restraint here) have the (last) names of the astronauts. Not sure if they also have the name of the craft or if that's generally somewhere else, but I put both--Eärendil Ardamírë (his fathername and mothername) are the tengwar at the bottom of the patch, and Vingilotë is written on the keel of the ship. None of these are legible because they are small, and my machine has limits. It's a work in progress. Also I apologize for the bad lighting in the photo.

NASA patches sometimes also have a mission motto. That's the tengwar across the top of the patch here-- aiya Eärendil elenion ancalima, Hail Eärendil, brightest of stars (a common cry among elves and Frodo [when facing Shelob]).

(I half wanted to do something a bit more funny--maybe something like 'Now I have become Venus,' or 'Do I get to come down?' but this was a bit easier since it comes pre-translated into Quenya and tengwar, and also I have no faith in my Quenya translations that are any longer than a word)

The horizon is flat because Númenor exists, in the middle there between the shore of Middle-Earth and a teensy bit of Valinor and the Enchanted Isles.

The design for the Silmaril is sort of taken from the heraldic device Tolkien designed for the Silmarilli (though it isn't clear), and it is rayed with the six-pointed star from Eärendil's device. (I stuck the moon phases from the same source around the edges as well)

This was really fun, even if it might be the silliest thing I've ever made! It definitely needs some workshopping--i don't mind the black lines framing some sections from the background fabric, but I might try turning all the tengwar into lines of stitches instead-the satin columns really are illegible.

I now need to restrain myself from doing some sort of NASA/Astronaut Earendil AU, because it now sounds kind of fun (I do not have the background knowledge for this)

Sources:

NASA patches here: https://www.shopnasa.com/collections/patches

Quenya translations here: https://www.elfdict.com/

Tengwar transcriptions here: https://www.tecendil.com/

And if you want info on the Europa Clipper mission, here: https://science.nasa.gov/mission/europa-clipper

Embroidery digitization done with Embrilliance Stitchartist 1, embroidery done with a Brother SE630 machine. Thread is Brothread Cotton and YLI cotton bobbin thread, with a little sulky rayon on the Silmaril. Cloth is a black linen from Fabric Wholesale Direct.

[nevermindigotthis]

My favourite Silm drawing subject: Fëanaro and his silmaril(s)

[stitcherofchaos]

Kidnap Fam vs Earendil and Elwing controversy: Regarding the twins

Maybe I’m too practical-minded, but I see a lot of people either supporting or exaggerating kidnap fam, hating it with all their being, or ignoring the whole ‘love grew between them’ to translate into ‘emotional manipulation, hatred, resentment… etc (being anti-canon)’. I’ll respect opinions, frankly, I really could care less about them, but it does get irritating when people throw canon away for the drama (I certainly get annoyed when extreme pro-kidnap fams fans make it all sunshine and rainbows as if it wasn’t a difficult time or situation).

By the way, I can and will say that the twins can feel emotions, they are allowed to do that. Resentment and love can exist at the same time (for only a period of time) but one or the other must fade in order for the other the linger. One has to be consumed in order for the other to burn.

But just a thought, Elrond and Elros could love all of their parents equally, no more, no less than the others. One became a healer and the other, a king, I think they came to understand their foster father(s) and their bio-parents’ decisions.

(Ay maybe I just suck at emotions and all this feelings stuff and have no idea what I’m tolkien about)

And I’m not trying to call out or bash anyone!

I saw (and wanted to share) the quote,

“if your anger burns the furnace in your soul your whole life, you will be forever cold in the grave.”(I’m paraphrasing, I can’t remember the exact quote)

I cannot imagine Elrond or Elros being resentful to the point were they are vicious or unforgiving, whether it was towards Elwing, Eärendil, Maglor, or Maedhros (I really don’t think he was involved too much but if you swing that way).

I don’t want Elros to be cold in his grave, and I certainly don’t want Elrond's fëa to be burning for the rest of his immortal life.

Then I also had the thought, 'if the Fëanorians had never committed the third, worst, kinslaying, then Elwing would have never flown the Silmaril to her husband and they would have never gotten the help of the Valar.'

I personally headcanon that it was Eru’s work at hand to have Maglor raise Elrond and Elros. Think about it, what if they were spoiled in an alternate universe? What if something worse had happened to the twins? What if? What if?

What if they didn't become who they were meant to be if it wasn't for who they were raised by?

By the way, I read LOTR, I know Elrond refers to Eärendil publicly as his father and he makes no mention of Maglor. I analyzed this in three ways. 1.) Elrond must keep (the memory of) Maglor closed off, locked in his heart rather than talking about him more. 2.) It would've caused drama in his realm and in the counsel. 3.) Elrond really doesn't care, his father is his father, that's it. Zip. Maglor raised him, but Maglor is gone now. In a way, Eärendil is more present than Maglor in Elrond's life by the third age. Elrond can physically see the star, but he can't see Maglor.

I see it in the third way mostly. Eärendil is Elrond father, biologically, so why would he do this "My 'real' father" BS? It just seems like a waste of time. Tolkien probably didn't want to confuse anyone since the Silmarillion couldn't be published with LOTR.

Remind me of that quote from Yondu, "He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn't your daddy." But I really didn't want to refer to that quote considering Peter and Yondu's relationship is not the best example to compare this cluster of daddy issues to. Nevertheless, there is a point to be made in that statement. There is a difference between relation in regard to Nature vs Nurture, and the effects of it.

I guess the whole point of this post is, the fandom tends to take canon lore to the extreme or over analyze things to the point where they're just projecting. Trust me, I've been there, done that. I've learned my lesson (I think) and I wanted to share what I've learned.

Also (this is purely opinion) I don’t think Maglor was manipulative about anything, in the book, he just didn’t come off that way, for as little as he appeared, he actually seemed to be pretty optimistic (*regarding Eärendil) and honest (*the debate with Maedhros). He didn’t try to excuse himself or get the twins to pity him. Maglor raising the twins was out of pity/mercy, yes, but love grew (like what Tolkien said). He probably educated them on the facts and encouraged them to form their own opinions, whether that costed him their love or not. Maglor did have the more accurate moral compass compared to his brothers (in the end of the book!- Put down your pitchforks Maedhros stans!), especially if he knew that the Silmaril was better beyond their reach than where the enemy can also reach it. It was an accurate moral compass, although not a big one.

Argue, agree or disagree, or discuss with me! I want to hear different perspectives or opinions on this matter.

[sesamenom]

arwen's goth phase, aka the most stressful decade of sauron's life

with the full mask & veil without the white makeup

[first-son-of-finwe]

"Feanor would hate AI" my brother in eru, this elf is specifically known for doing rapid technological advancement without pausing to think whether or not it's a good idea. If he didn't invent AI, you bet he'd be all over it

[and-the-times-we-had]

I'm generally very much supportive of different takes on characters in the Silmarillion because a lot of stuff is really vague and can be interpreted in a lot of ways.

However, it is wild to me that some people interpret Feanor as being on the same level (or worse) of villainy as Morgoth. Like, you guys do you, but to me, that is not a reasonable comparison. Feanor stole some boats, engaged in one potentially unintentional act of mass violence in the course of a confusing situation, and did one count of arson. Morgoth infused his evil will into the very heart/core/fabric of Arda so much so that it is still there even after both he and Sauron faced their ultimate defeats and it cannot be undone by any force in Arda other than Eru himself. Not to mention all the torture, slavery, manipulation, and murder he did for hundreds of years both before and after his initial imprisonment in Mandos. Like I'm not trying to absolve Feanor of his actions, but compared to Morgoth, they cast a far smaller shadow.

Feanor and Morgoth have one thing in common in the fact that they both stole something that was important to someone else and committed violence during the act of the theft. But honestly, given everything else Morgoth does in the course of the Silmarillion, I think it's pretty silly to put Feanor anywhere near Morgoth when it comes to villainy.

[first-son-of-finwe]

Why do I see feanor himself being mortified by this 🤣🤣

Feanor: Father, please. I’ve made you PLENTY of proper crowns to the highest levels of craftsmanship. Why do you insist on wearing this childhood nonsense?

Finwe: 🥺🥺 because 🥺🥺

one of Fëanor's very first creations was a crown for Finwë, but he was 5-equivalent and the crown was made out of macaroni.

Finwë still wears it sometimes.

[erendur]

"It's a big, bloody stupid [Silmaril] with a big, bloody stupid curse on it, and every time you decide to [keep it], something bloody stupid terrible happens !" Melian (probably)

I've made a serious post yesterday so feel like I deserve a shit one today !

For those who have both read the Silm and seen the series What We Do In The Shadows, don't you feel like there is a parallel between Doriath's Silmaril and Lazlo's cursed hat ?

For those who haven't seen What We Do In The Shadows (I don't know how to capitalise in English, sorry), this guy above (Lazlo) owns a hat that is made of witches' skin, and is cursed. Every time he wears it, terrible catastrophes happen (the Irish potato famine, for instance).

It is his most prized possession and he absolutely refuses to believe it is cursed, or to get rid of it. He also thinks it makes him look cool (see picture above).

His wife keeps trying to make him get rid of it, because it is OBVIOUSLY cursed, and she has some common sense. Hence :"It's a big bloody stupid hat with a big, bloody stupid curse on it, and every time you decide to wear it, something bloody stupid terrible happens !" (Nadja, Lazlo's wife, in the series).

Elwing, and the people of Sirion : "You know what ? We have a great feeling about this ! The Silmaril is totes bringing blessings to us and our houses and our boats. NOTHING could possibly go wrong. We're totally keeping it."

The Silmaril, which at this point is either directly or indirectly the cause of (at least) the death of Finrod, the destruction of Nargothrond, the death of Thingol, the fall of Doriath, the destruction of the dwarves of Menegroth, the death of Dior, the death of Nimloth, the death of Elured and Elurin, probably the death of quite a few others as well and has been cursed at least twice : ...

Melian, from Valinor : *facepalming*

[quixoticanarchy]

you know those trucks with the LED headlights that scour your retinas at night like some kind of mobile interrogation room well I think the effect of Morgoth's Silmaril crown should be something like that. the real reason everyone keeps a respectful distance in Angband and always bows before him isn't just about worshipful fear it's also a necessary safety precaution

[fistfuloflightning]

You promised— He always liked to think that Earendil hated him. It made it easier, somehow. To push back the grief and the guilt and the filthiness that clung to his bones. But his nephew was constantly in his presence, laughing and chattering like a little bird. And Maeglin hated himself all the more for what he had done.

Day 4: Earendil & Maeglin for @nolofinweanweek

[first-son-of-finwe]

Number 5 though.

“The lies of Melkor you will unlearn in bitterness.” YOU?? LITERALLY RELEASED HIM?? AND TOLD EVERYONE HE WAS CURED OF EVIL??

The absolute zero responsibility that the valar take for anything will always be amazing to me.

So like - I'm continuing this post so it doesn't get too long - I wasn't remembering a pre boat doom, this is what I remembered.

The valar finally say something after failing utterly in their promises to the elves. And they say it to feanor.

1. They call his viewpoint folly

2. They say don't go, your path will lead to sorrow that you can't see (bc the valar have soooooo much credibility rn)

3. We won't help you (as if they ever had - excepting what's his name, the Smith, who taught feanor and is mostly ignored by the others)

4. We won't stop you either. You came freely and can leave freely - but btw you're exiled.

5. Melkor lied and now you're gonna suffer until you figure that out

6. Btw it's cute that you swore vengeance on melkor. But you can't defeat a Vala, EVER. Not even if you were three times what you are.

You know the carrot and the stick? The valar only ever use the stick with feanor. And my god they are proud. I don't think they get to say shit about feanor's pride when their own is so clearly stung!

They also give him no path out. By the time they speak to him after the death of his father (under their watch), all they have to say is "lol you are exiled and doomed no matter what."

Don't fucking Pikachu face that he didn't back down! He had no way back and his children with him, and no safety anywhere in the world, since every god has turned their back to him. Literally the only path was forward. Also - "we won't hinder you?" What do you call the grinding ice? The teleri would not help in part because they feared to displease the valar. Their opinion hindered him!

This is not to say that feanor should have invented kinslaying. I don't think that could be excused. But i also have trouble figuring out what else he could do...I do not think he could have held his people to cross the grinding ice. Again, his children are with him. They are EXILED. They literally can't stay in Aman and if they try to cross the ice alone they will die.

I feel like this sounds like murder apologia and that's not how i mean it. The killing was evil, and the stealing of the ships hypocritical. But I think it's very convenient of the valar to wash their hands of responsibility and be like "Oh that was all feanor" when they very much backed him into a corner.

[koyunsoncizeri]

Feanor, wearing the Silmarils for the first time.

Watercolor (scanner broke :I photo of the work)

[wilwarin-wilwa]

what if miriel lived but her newborn baby died. what then