#really not nice to the Fëanorians

[squirrelwrangler]

Feanorians went after Dior with one Silmaril while Melkor here with two

Like...they used their forces and effords going after someone with a common enemy (Melkor) instead of going after said enemy?

Feanorians keep pullling people into their messes I swear

Their role is to be an unwitting fifth column.

“But Morgoth thought that his triumph was fulfilled, reckoning little of the sons of Fëanor, and of their oath, which had harmed him never and turned always to his mightiest aid; and in his black thought he laughed, regretting not the one Silmaril that he had lost, for by it as he deemed the last shred of the people of the Eldar should vanish from Middle-earth and trouble it no more.” [Silm 293]

[polutrope]

Vagueblogging a website but like do you really think the Sindar who followed the Fëanorians East were following Maedhros, whom they'd just met? Sure, that was a nice gesture handing over leadership, but I'm pretty sure from the Sindar POV he was never really a contender. He's a former thrall after all! Even if the northern Sindar were more sympathetic to thralls, I don't think they'd think it wise to take one as leader. I also don't think the Sindar were particularly in-the-know about the reasons for the Noldor in-fighting (and if so, not a word got to Thingol for ~60 years which I find implausible, even if there was tension there). I think Maedhros' former thrall status would be their main concern about him.

Anyway the point I'm arriving at is that it was Maglor they did ~30 years of cultural interaction with. What did the Sindar call themselves? Lindi, the Singers. Of course they followed Maglor the Singer, Maglor the Poet King. He's the reason the Fëanorians had the benefit of Sindarin allies. Not Maedhros.

[meadowlarkx]

grief and pride - embroidery for @tolkienekphrasisweek day 4, Gardening & Landscape Architecture! I was thinking about memory and how Elves might tell of particular places in adornments on clothing (imagining both of these designs on sleeves.)

First: Years of the Trees Fëanorian ornamentation, reminders of the Gardens of Lórien where Míriel lay, with Finwë's crest.

Second: Late First Age or Second Age Iathrim ornamentation, reminders of Menegroth and the First Kinslaying.

welcome to 'more photos and rambles at length'!!

Working on these little guys for a while I had time to think a fair amount about them. The concept of being literally clothed in one's sorrows feels very Elven and Tolkien to me. It's something about the long years and accumulating griefs, laying claim to and embodying them (powerful!), and the accompanying actions and grudges, and it's a thread that runs through both these groups. Fëanor is one of the first in the narrative to have this sort of memory/shadow on his heart, that of Míriel's passing. I love the similarities and connections between him and Míriel and the way she haunts the story, so I really enjoy the idea of Fëanor (and his sons!) reminding everyone of her absence subtly or unsubtly at every chance, including with their clothing--a mark of family loyalty which is also a nice fuck you to Indis and her children. Lórien is lush and verdant with golden flowers and mountain immortelle, don't @ me silvery tolkiengateway descriptions. I wanted this one to feel bright and vivid to echo the noontide of Valinor and the family's pride and brilliance. Finwë's crest got included in the design partly because it's less complicated than Fëanor's crest (shh), but also because I can completely see Fëanor making a(nother) claim to heirdom by wearing it.

Then of course he sets in motion greater horrors to remember. I am always thinking (@swanmaids has a great post about this) of the support Elwing canonically has in Sirion for her decision not to relinquish the Silmaril. And after seeing the 2nd kinslaying, it had to be a difficult, brave, potentially very controversial decision to hold on to it, but people are with her on this--I imagine motivated partly by real anger and grief over all they had lost and insistence upon memory, pride, dignity, identity etc. which probably remain with the few who survive the Sirion kinslaying too. And remembering Menegroth's beauty goes hand-in-hand with the grief--so I went for a bleaker look here, not the deep forest I usually picture (the 2 green vines, though, symbolizing in my head the surviving royal family/Peredhel!). This design being more of a picture of the place and less "abstract" was an attempt to gesture towards some cultural and stylistic differences in art, etc. I know this one isn't exactly a garden, but if we squint all of Doriath is an enclosed garden, so...!

Also here are the other pics. I'm imagining them bigger, but they are pretty little in real life!

[elerrinacrownedwithstars]

Why doesn't Thingol just give the Silmaril to Fëanorians?

One thing I find curious about the discourse around the Silmarils and their ownership issues is how it seems to often simplify the Sindarin and especially Thingol's perspective. I mean, Thingol giving the Silmaril Beren and Lúthien stole from Morgoth's crown to the Fëanorians is framed as somehow easy and obvious option. But I don't think it really is?

It's not even about whether Thingol is right or wrong to act as he does, it's about why his actions are justified from his point of view (and why it is more believable than him being compliant to Noldor).

1. Noldor disrespected and antagonised Thingol from the start. They have given him little reason to be nice or helpful.

When the Noldor arrive in Beleriand, they immediately start to do their own thing, and disregard Thingol, the local sovereign who is regarded as the overlord or at least respected and revered by the Elves native to this region. But Noldor (and Fëanorians) do not attempt to gain his friendship and alliance, they don't establish diplomatic relationships, they bring no gifts (which would be expected in this kinda medieval based society) and neither do they ask for help as Exiles, they don't let Thingol know where they are going to settle down or ask whether it's convenient but grab lands whether the locals like it or not, they don't recognise his position even as a friendly gesture, they don't disclose the nature of their expedition, withhold important information, and most of all, they bring violent trouble to his backyard. This must seem deeply and outrageously insulting to Thingol, especially because these princes are children and grandchildren of Finwë, Thingol's close friend - and yet they treat him without an ounce of respect.

Thingol is no less proud or particular about his position than Fëanor or Fingolfin is. He probably has not had it challenged or ignored by anyone except Morgoth's servants. Also he may see it as indicative of general Noldor prejudice/disdain against Sindar.

Whether Noldor had justified reasons for the way they act upon landing in Middle-earth, you can't deny that they don't do even the bare minimum to win the locals over. Yeah, you could argue that bringing reinforcements at the time when Morgoth returns and becomes active in Middle-earth again is something, but this is still not a way to treat potential friends and allies.

2. The Kinslaying of Thingol's people and kin at Alqualondë and the burning of their ships.

Obvious, really. He may see himself as standing in for Olwë, and regards the Silmaril as weregild for slain relatives and friends - people he himself probably knew before Teleri were sundered. Also why would he respect Fëanorian property rights when from his point of view, Noldor don't give a damn about Teleri or their rights?

Thingol may also judge that the Kinslaying and burning of the ships disputes the Fëanorians' right to the Silmarils and their moral high ground to a degree where anyone brave and cunning enough to reclaim even one of them becomes a rightful owner. Obviously he is biased in Beren and Lúthien's behalf but it would be weird if he was not? After B&L's efforts and their suffering, and quite literally achieving the impossible, he may be of the opinion that they have more right to the Silmaril than Fëanorians who seem more invested in competing Morgoth for land than for the Silmarils. Thingol may share the same attitude as Dior has in one of the drafts: there are two more Silmarils in the same place where the one in his possession came from, so why don't the Fëanorians go get them first?

3. Celegorm and Curufin.

I mean, after the way Lúthien was abused and attacked by the two brothers, Thingol could be holding on to the Silmaril out of pure spite. His daughter never gets any apology for how she was treated, and Thingol has no reason to believe that C&C's actions - and the attempt to force Thingol into an alliance - were not sanctioned and approved by the rest of the brothers. These people have been consistently terrible at everyone Thingol loves and cares about, so why should he help them in any way?

4. The Silmarils mess with your brain.

It's clear that the Silmarils have an unwholesome effect on almost everyone who possess them. Time and again Tolkien describes how characters fall prey to this greedy, possessive lust for the Silmarils. I mean, Fëanor and his sons are ready to spill blood again and again just to get them back. There is something about the jewels that, if you desire them for their own sake, kind of enslaves you to them. Thingol won't give up the Silmaril to Fëanorians because he can't.

5. The Doom of the Noldor compels him.

It's explicitly stated in the Doom that while the Oath will drive the Fëanorians, it will never yield its objective, and the Silmarils will elude them. As soon as Thingol names a Silmaril as a bride price for Lúthien, he becomes involved in the Doom and what it dictates, limiting his control of the situation. Because of the Doom (and the effect the Silmaril has on him), Thingol is not free to give it to the Fëanorians.

[carmisse]

Of firstborns and births.

Fëanor : How did you feel when your first child came into the world?

Maedhros : There were many feelings at the same time. Joy, fear, panic, gratitude, it was too much to process, Artanáro left me speechless since I saw him for the first time, he was too small, more than we expected, however, he was the most beautiful jewel I have ever seen, under Findekáno's words, the baby seemed to be a star itself; and I couldn't agree more with that. While I had seen many babies born up to that point, Ereinion was the most perfect of them all. I felt I could duel Morgoth for him alone, he was the piece I needed to feel alive again.

Maglor : I wanted to cry, correction, I cried too much when I saw it; I was really scared about it. Daeron had not had a really nice pregnancy, and we were afraid that the delivery would be similar. However, thanks to Queen Melian, everything went well. When I finally carried him in my arms, my heart seemed to burst, I am not able to explain how I felt, only that my Lindir was more harmonious than any melody ever played, much more beautiful than Ainulindalë itself. He is magnificence itself, so majestic that many would be humbled to stand in his presence.

Celegorm : Eluréd and Elurín were a blessing from Oromë and Vána, a very unexpected one. I'm not going to lie, when I saw Eluréd it really bothered me not to think that he was the most beautiful baby in middle earth, you know those parents who say their babies were pure beauty, well, I was not one of those, Eluréd and Elurín were not exactly graceful when they were born, they were covered with blood and amniotic fluid, but they were very healthy, that was the important thing, although I can't say I didn't feel joy, they gave me back a part of me that I considered lost.

Caranthir : I must confess that after holding Artaresto already cleaned up, I couldn't help but curse Angaráto's genes. However, I can't deny that the little blonde hair on his little head was lovely. It was really unexpected to see that his cheeks had a tone similar to sweet apples, that made me fall in love with him, I longed too much to put my fingers on his face, I couldn't believe that he was really mine, he was too ethereal, although he was also a fussy baby, a true prince of the Noldor, if you ask me; it was inevitable not to feel proud of him, his mere existence did that.

Curufin : The phrase "You never love anything in the world as much as you love your first child" made sense when Telperinquar was in my arms; although in my heart I vowed to protect him from the moment I began to nourish his Fëa with my own. I know what I felt, a deep love for him, as well as a need for devotion. He was my greatest creation, nothing else I did in the forge compares to him, and even the Silmarils are nothing compared to my son, as I held him, I was aware that I would do the impossible to preserve his innocence, I was sure that he would bring out the best and the worst in me.

°•°

Headcanon's extra :

Daeron is an offspring of Thingol and Melian. Consequently, she has Maia ancestry and thanks to this she was able to father a child with Maglor. (In my AU she is a trans elleth.)

Vána and Oromë blessed Celegorm so that he could have the twins; Dior was puzzled.

Caranthir is trans and Curufin is trans non-binary.

Fëanorian Orodreth!

The other parents of the children :

– Findekáno.

– Daeron.

– Dior.

– Angaráto.

– Findaráto (¿?)

[riding-with-the-wild-hunt]

oough hate hate hate maglor as the ‘nice fëanorian.’ i don’t care for fandom woobification in general, but this one just puts me in such a pugilistic curl that i can’t leave it in peace. maglor will always be the most self-victimizing character in the silm to me (imagine a person who is unable to be accountable at such a strong and fundamental level that it transforms or replaces the existing narrative to the point where even the audience believes in their lack of culpability!!) and it really shivers my timbers (negative) to see him be portrayed as the cute kind of pathetic. he’s weak and gross and sad because he’s a manipulative, propagandizing, entirely self-made martyr who suffers out of a desire to be pitied rather than because he’s actually interested in taking responsibility for any of his actions: if he’s a kicked puppy, then he’s the one wearing the steel-toed boots. he doesn’t actually want to get better because that would require accountability, but he needs the security of moral righteousness to feed the old superiority-inferiority complex—so he clings to perennially self-fulfilling, self-perpetuating victimhood….biting n biting and then showing off the wound until someone sympathizes

[the-elusive-soleil]

State of the Union: Maglor

I did one of these for Curufin a while back, and I haven't really been subtle about who I think Caranthir's married to, so it's clearly high time I complete the trio of Women Who Married Into This Family For Some Reason.

The more I think about it, the more strongly I feel like the Fëanorian wives should be...a little not normal. A little nuts, even. There are plenty of takes where they are the Nice Ones who stayed behind in Aman to provide guilt trips, but I want to see ones who didn't. Ones who came along, who were part of the war - who maybe even were part of the kinslayings if they lived long enough.

And I've mostly seen Maglor's Wives who are Teleri or Noldorin, so on a whim, the one in my head has become Vanyarin.

Her name is Ainalámë (one of her parents must've thought very highly of her), and she grows up not unlike those overachieving piano kids for whom imperfection is Not An Option.

She's very very gifted musically, specifically with voice and zither, and because she's Vanyarin, this means that from about adolescence onward, her life centers around playing music for the Valar on Taniquetil.

Her technical perfection is second to none, but there's always room for improvement, so periodically she'll go elsewhere to study with this or that music master.

Which is how she runs into Makalaurë Fëanárion. Who has spent pretty much his whole life being the greatest musician around, but is open to some friendly competitiveness when Ainalámë shows up.

She is not impressed with this Noldo prince and his virtuosity. Almost at once, it becomes her mission in life to take him down a peg.

Well, fine, if she's going to be like that about it. He'll show her. Her and her boring perfectionism and total inability to improvise and her pretentious name and snooty attitude and no he doesn't fancy her Nelyo, shut up.

What ends up happening is that the ensuing fervent one-upmanship actually makes both of them improve in ways they didn't know were possible. They've both spent ages with everyone around them telling them they were already the best, but now they're having to prove it, work for it.

Makalaurë's technique gets honed razor-sharp. Ainalámë practices until her fingers bleed and it's still not enough, and in desperation she resorts to adding flourishes to match his.

She calls him out on every mistake. He starts calling her Sinyacarë, new-maker, as a dig at her reluctance to deviate from written music.

And, well, she doesn't want to improvise. Improvising means that there's room for error. You can't have error when you're performing for the King and Queen of Arda.

But he's making her eat her words about his precision, so she has to make him eat his about her creativity.

And she does. Once she finally lets go, it's even surprisingly fun. She...doesn't quite remember the last time music was just fun.

Slowly, she and Makalaurë reach a kind of accord. They keep pushing each other, but they collaborate sometimes now, too. He still calls her Sinyacarë, but it's affectionate now.

At some point, she realizes that she doesn't want to head back to Taniquetil. She wants to stay in Tirion and keep on experimenting and trying new things (and seeing Makalaurë - which, when did that become something she wanted?), wants to keep writing music that's about things other than birds and stars and the mighty wisdom of the Valar.

(Not that those are bad things. But they've been her subject matter for decades; she's ready for a change.)

She falls in love with the creative freedom and the lack of pressure before she falls in love with Makalaurë, but that eventually comes along, too.

He's been in love with her since the first time she really, truly lost her cool during a song duel with him and let out a string of wildfire arpeggios that almost got away from her; he knew he was a goner then.

Their courtship is slow, to give her parents time to come around to the idea of her lifestyle changes and to give Fëanáro time to come around to the idea of a Vanyarin daughter-in-law. Insofar as there's any kind of timeline for this, I think they'd start courting not long before Curufin and Kestë meet, but would get married sometime after Curufin does.

Fëanáro's issues with the Vanyar aside, Sinyacarë actually finds she likes Makalaurë's family quite a lot. They're very chaotic, but that means that no one will really notice if she messes something up while she's still finding her feet. And there's music in their chaos; she writes a nocturne that's Ambarussa trying to sneak in late after a hunt, or a fugue that's everyone talking over each other at dinner.

She and Makalaurë mean to have kids. They talk about it. But there's always something going on, always other music to work on, and after all, they have forever.

Until, of course, the Trees go out, and they don't.

Sinyacarë joins in the host going over the Sea without a second thought. What exactly she'll do in Middle-earth, she isn't sure, since she's average at best with a sword, but her husband and his family are going, so she's going too.

The Oath...bothers her a little. There's something about the way it warps the song of the world, and it sounds disturbingly like a twisted version of a marriage vow, and she doesn't like what she can feel it doing to Makalaurë's soul. But it's not like there's anything they can do now.

Alqualondë is a mess. Everything happens very fast, and before Sinyacarë can quite decide what to do, there's a Teler coming at her husband and Moryo from behind with a fishing spear. And then there's not, and she's standing over a body.

Well. No turning back now.

She kills three people that day. She doesn't know their names, but she can never forget the number.

Fëanáro promised freedom when they came to Middle-earth. Fëanáro dies not very long after they arrive. And then Nelyo is gone and Makalaurë is left as a frayed, guilt-wrecked regent.

Sinyacarë might have married a prince, but she never thought that would matter, politically. But she picked up a few things in passing on Taniquetil, and Makalaurë picked up a few things in Tirion, and his (remaining) brothers pitch in and help, and everyone holds things together until Findekáno brings Nelyo back.

When the language shift kicks in, she Sindarizes her name to Saintân. She goes with Maglor to the Gap, and in some ways it's as ideal as Beleriand can get. The pressure of the regency is gone, their family is safe, and they roam free and hold back the darkness with song. Saintân becomes better, much better, with a sword because that's what's needed, and above all else she has always striven for excellence in anything she is called upon to do.

It's not perfect. Nothing in Beleriand is perfect. Morgoth's presence, his dominion, twists the song of it, and while the Sindar and Avari who were connected to the land before Morgoth's return do somewhat better, the Noldor get just a little more twisted in themselves over time. It's worse for those who are Oathbound.

The constant war and threat of destruction don't help either.

Saintân came to Beleriand for her husband and for freedom - the two have always been intertwined, to her - but it's becoming rapidly clear that there's no freedom for the Feanorians without the Silmarils. The gems themselves, she could take or leave, but she wants her family free of the Oath, to be happy again.

So she fights in the Nirnaeth, to try and get the Silmarils back from Morgoth.

When that doesn't work out and they turn to Doriath, she insists on going with them then, too. Maglor tries to talk her out of it, but time has only increased her stubbornness, and she insists that she's going to be at his side just as she was at Alqualonde.

Maglor can never quite forgive himself for capitulating, when she falls in battle with the Doriathrim.

He's incapacitated from the broken marriage bond and can't help Maedhros search for the missing twins, and perhaps it's partially that that leads him to take in another pair of twins a couple of decades later.

Saintân watches the tapestries and adores the peredhil and prays that Maglor will find a way out. She weeps when he ends up alone and burned. Despite her best efforts (she's no Luthien, but she's very good at coming up with irritating songs to sing at Namo), she does not manage to get reembodied anytime soon to go and get him.

But she does make it out of the Halls in time to meet Maglor when he sails with Elrond, and also to meet the son Maglor adopted in her absence.

[maglor-my-beloved]

New fic idea: Gil-Galad is crowned very, very young, so when M&M bring the twins to him and see him, their immediate reaction is "who put this child in charge of a country? change of plans, you're adopted too."

Gil is obviously outraged at being kidnapped by Fëanorians, but being high king was so stressful, and it is really nice to not have all that responsibility, and to have parents evil kinslayers who take care of everything and protect him and hug him...

[thelordofgifs]

Thinking about that line in the Shibboleth of Fëanor that even his sons might not have all adhered to the old-fashioned thorn pronunciation after his death - which immediately raises the question, so which ones did?? Random headcanons only vaguely supported by anything in the text below.

(Disclaimer that this all obviously became somewhat moot when Thingol’s Quenya ban came into play. Using crispy Amrod canon here.)

Maedhros: there are pages I could write on Maedhros’ complicated relationship with his father and his father’s legacy, it absolutely fascinates me. Initially Maedhros is the son of Fëanor who most openly defies his father - he stands aside at Losgar, he goes to parley with Morgoth literally as soon as Fëanor is dead, and, most notably, he gives the crown to Fingolfin. These are not the actions of a dutiful eldest son devoted to his father’s memory, which makes me fairly confident in saying that Maedhros definitely dropped the thorn post-Thangorodrim. It’s a fairly minor gesture of reconciliation compared to dispossessing his entire house, and I really don’t think Maedhros has many fucks left to give about linguistics after decades hanging from a cliff.

How did this change, say, post-Nirnaeth when there were effectively no descendants of Indis left to make nice with? I don’t know, but I rather like playing with the headcanon that Maedhros started using the thorn again in the last century or so of his life, especially when his mental state was particularly bleak.

Maglor: I don’t think Maglor’s feelings about his father were much less complicated than Maedhros’. He’s specifically noted as hanging out with Finrod and being trusted by Maedhros not to cause a scene at the Mereth Aderthad, suggesting that he very much follows Maedhros’ lead in reconciliation with the other side of the family. On the other hand, Maglor has always been rather fascinated by his dead grandmother, and he maintains that people’s names should be pronounced the way they want them to be pronounced. Also, several of his older works contain puns that absolutely hinge on the th/s distinction. He doesn’t drop the thorn.

Celegorm: actually never used the thorn consistently in the first place, a constant source of annoyance for his father. Celegorm values fast and efficient communication over linguistic precision - if foxes don’t have a word for what he wants to express, he’ll borrow one from Dog. Meaning over pedantry. Prescriptivism is stupid. He’s one of the fastest of the sons to pick up Sindarin, and displays zero interest in actually studying it. Post-reconciliation of the Noldor, he uses the thorn when the distinction is necessary for clarity, and doesn’t otherwise. Everyone is used to this.

Caranthir: I could go either way here, not having many headcanons about Caranthir’s relationship with his father. Since he’s not particularly on board with Maedhros’ efforts at diplomacy, let’s say he keeps the thorn, purely because nobody can tell him what to do.

Curufin: absolutely does not drop the thorn, that was his father’s hill to die on which means it’s his too. Is constantly furious with his brothers whenever they mispronounce something, this is personal, how can they just betray everything Fëanor stood for like that?? Will fully march Tyelpë out of the room if non-Fëanorian Quenya is being spoken there, his child’s ears are Pure and will not be Sullied with Improper Language. The Fëanorions are generally annoyed by Thingol’s Ban, but at least it gives Curufin a new target for all his linguistic aggression.

Amras: has never forgiven his father for Losgar and never will. Drops the thorn out of pure spite. 

[caenith]

The joy of that feast was long remembered in later days of sorrow; and it was called Mereth Aderthad, the Feast of Reuniting. Thither came many of the chieftains and people of Fingolfin and Finrod; and of the sons of Fëanor Maedhros and Maglor, with warriors of the eastern March;

Fingolfin organises the only Big Party that gets mentioned in the entire Silm and only Maedhros and Maglor come? What about the other brothers? Were they not invited? It's hard to believe that Fingolfin would not invite the rest of his nephews to the Feast of Reuniting. Political scandal something something. Maybe it was Maedhros that said that nope, he needed his evening off, he didn't want to babysit his brothers again. Or maybe they were grounded, and it was way after their curfew anyway?

Jokes aside, it has just always seemed so significant for me that it was specifically mentioned that out of all the Fëanorians only Maedhros and Maglor came to the feast.

I really doubt that the invitation was for Maedhros and his Plus One. Fingolfin would have wanted to reunite with all of his nephews. But was it Maedhros' decision to leave his younger brothers in the east? Possibly. Only twenty years have passed since he was rescued from Thangorodrim. We can call it either precaution or paranoia, but I can totally imagine Maedhros deciding that he couldn't leave his realm unguarded. What if Morgoth decided to attack when everyone was having fun at Ivrin? Maybe he even wanted to stay in the March himself - to keep an eye on everything personally. But again - he had to show up at the Feast himself, as a former high king and the head of his house. Not coming might have resulted in a political scandal and caused unnecessary gossip.

But maybe Maedhros' decision was caused by something entirely different? He might have decided to order his brothers to stay in the east, just because he wanted to avoid any potential conflicts. Two camps - the Fëanorians and their supporters & Fingolfin and his people - were still not... on good terms, which is one of the reasons why Maedhros took his brothers and their people and moved to the far east in the first place. He had already got a taste of Caranthir's temper, he might have suspected that something similar would have happened again. It was supposed to be the Feast of Reuniting, not the Feast of Unresolved Family Drama.

Maybe, just maybe, it was actually the younger Fëanorians who rejected the invitation? "Sorry, Nelyo, you really don't think that we will travel THAT far just to smile nicely at Fingolfin?".

Or maybe it was something entirely different or a combination of multiple factors? I guess we'll never know...

[squirrelwrangler]

I like the Easterlings's betrayal because in Silmarillion, I always wondered what the Feanorians's followers (elves or edain) thought of wasting their lives and time going after a butch of shiny rocks that will only belong to the 8 (7?9?) Feanorians, why would they even care about the Silmarils at all

Asoiaf/Hotd have that a lot, from Lord Karstark, Roose Bolton, House Frey in general, Willem Blackwood with Daemon

Minor houses, subordinates and even commoners and soldiers have their own will and goals beyond their lords's, their own reason to follow or not follow certain people and wars

Its interesting

Damn right it's interesting!

There's a missing Bór story that bridges the gap between Foremother Borte and Kreka, that of Marti and the Second Kinslaying. Bór (and Borte)'s reasoning for why they first joined the elves and gave loyalty when the majority of the Easterling factions did not has already been answered - and that it had nothing to do with the Fëanorians would offer distinct from any other elven group except that thanks to geography that's whom they met when entering Beleriand who had an opening. Then post Fifth Battle it's Borte's desperation and lack of other options and that she was able to shame the Fëanorians into giving her non-combatants a refuge. She and the Bór are the non-Oathbreakers and have that specific high ground in which to demand from the elves. Because the other routes are too dangerous and she had that angle of obligation with her sons' loyal service, staying with the Fëanorians felt like a safer option than trying to survive independently or trying to ask the Haladim or Sindar/Falathrim for shelter or wandering around trying to find the hidden Nargothrond. When her granddaughter, Marti, is an adult, there is fractiousness. Now the generation is one that has grown into adulthood with the outlaw Fëanorians as they're about to attack other elves (and dwarves in most versions of the Sarn Athrad battle) for those Silmarils. Followers doing seemingly counterintuitive actions that benefit their leaders but not themselves is nothing new. But it is what led into the Bór fic series. Kreka's sunk-cost mentality of staying with the Fëanorians because the safer options in Beleriand are very limited to begin with and her inherited family tie to them means that she's not welcome in Balar/Mouths of Sirion. She could let go of morals and go back to Easterling-controlled aka Morgoth-aligned Dór-lomin, as her brother did, if she hid her family and tribal heritage (that's the other missing Bór story, Ruga and the Underground). But after the Third Kinslaying, Kreka admits she's staying not out of any loyalty or love, but contemptuous pity and fear for her son and the two young half-elves. A mother staying in an abusive home for her children. When the War of Wrath happens, and there's elves that don't have the immediate ugly history with the Fëanorians that will automatically give her tribe guilt by association.

Consael and his family is another one where I deep-dived into that position (being based off House Westerling) - why they'd ...okay it's not so much follow the Fëanorians but that Celegorm and Curufin dumped themselves on Consael's family land, and why Consael's family stayed instead of leaving right then. But then why when the first round of events in Nargothrond happened, Consael follows Finrod and Beren. But even his ambitious mother drops C&C when the fallout in Nargtohrond happens.

The Fëanorian camp has true believers- but mostly opportunists. Some of the desperation driving that is more noble, but most isn't. The true believers bought into the myth of Silmarils' specialness that Tolkien did a piss-poor job of convincing me, the reader, of. And because those followers have placed their identity in the sons of Fëanor as their team, then the sons of Fëanor need those special rocks to have proof of their greatness and righteousness (and therefore legitimacy to carve kingdoms out of Beleriand and give the spoils to their followers).

[polutrope]

Arafinwëan caffeine habits

Finarfin: Makes a large glass pot of jasmine pearl tea every morning and sips it while going through the morning’s work from a handmade cup Indis gave him. Will drink coffee socially but doesn’t particularly like it. Orders whatever everyone else is having. 

Eärwen: Strong black tea with honey in the mornings, iced in summer. Enjoys a matcha latté now and then, unsweetened, but only if she’s confident the café prepares it properly. 

Finrod: Doesn’t really need caffeine but loves the Expérience of the café. Scans the menu for something he’s never tried and enthusiastically asks the barista what it is and whether they like it, and what’s their favourite drink? And what about their favourite pastry? He’ll have one of those please, and another half-dozen to-go (for friends/family/colleagues, of course). Likes to have his order to stay when there’s time and if it's busy will happily take the excuse to ask someone sitting alone if he can join them. 

Orodreth: Makes his own coffee in a percolator, for some reason. If found ordering it, he speedruns a full emotional arc in the four seconds it takes to approach the counter then hastily orders a drip coffee. Becomes nervous when asked what roast, size, and whether he needs room, even though he always gets medium roast medium size and always takes cream. Never says anything if the barista gets his order wrong.

Angrod: Americano, black. Latté with coconut or equally unusual flavouring if he’s feeling interesting. Will tell the barista if they get his order wrong. Nicely -- if a little intensely.

Aegnor: Enables Fingon’s cola habit because he, too, has one. Or had. He immediately gave it up when Andreth looked askance at the three 2L bottles in his refrigerator. Now limits to two cups of drip coffee in the morning. Sometimes three. Okay maybe four, on really long days. Lactose intolerant but can't stand black coffee or alternative milks, and will use regular milk and suffer if lactose-free isn't available.

Galadriel: Triple-shot espresso with a teaspoon of sugar every morning. When not in need of a good hit of caffeine, she enjoys a chai latté but, like her mother, only if the café knows how to make a good one. None of that chai concentrate crap. 

Nolofinwëans | Fëanorians

[stacytea]

Let me drop some ideas that I haven't been able to kick out of my head lately

there we go

1 ) muchacho

so I've been casually doing my lessons on duolingo , when suddenly I've been blessed with this word being brought back around. Since my last encounter with this word had been while watching the movie ,,Coco" my brain quickly brrrrrrrrred and what came out of it is:

kindnap family in spanish

and yes I could say here how much I would love to see them in a setting similar to that one episode of ofmd where we have Jim's backstory and everyone is just so badass

but the truth is

what I desire is just to read a spanish fic where Mae calls teenage Elros muchacho , like idk , it's cute and feels like something Mae would say. Sure english ,kid' is nice

but muchacho @everyone

idk I've just grown to like this word a lot

basically could've just shortened it to ,Mae calling Elros muchacho' , but I'm in the mood for some ramble

2 ) ,,She stole his dog and dyed it key lime green" (from ,,The Last Great American Dynasty" by Taylor Swift")

so another idea that I bring to the table today is my favourite line from my favourite song (yes, I'm a swiftie)

now everyone close your eyes and imagine it with

Irissë

Celery

& Huan

basically story happens back in Valinor when they're still young and having fun

imagine Irissë getting angry at Tyelko because he's a dumbass (affecionate) or just wanting to mess with him or trying to win a bet with someone or whatever reason

just let's have it result with her stealing Huan for a day or a night and

KEY LIME GREEN HUAN!!!!!

by Irissë

and then Tyelko sees it the next day and falls down crying because ,,NOOOOOOO, NOOOOOOO , EVERYTHING & EVERYONE , BUT NOT HUAN, NOOOOOOO; IT SHOULD'VE BEEN ONE OF MY BROTHERS IRISSË! WHY NOT MAGLOR IRISSË?! "

(confused Maglor in the background)

two days later Celery is still trying to wash the dye off of his dearest friend ; ,,how could she do it to you? *crying intensifies

Note: no magical dog was hurt during these happenings ~ Huan didn't really mind this short change in looks

3 ) Argon and golden ribbons

here I just drop an image of little Argon braiding some stolen from Fingon golden ribbons into his hair because he wants to be like his big brother

and Fingon sees it and just melts

and this is because these moments where he feels like the big brother he is are so rare , mainly because he personally radiates this kind of younger sibling energy

Irissë treats him almost as if they were twins (they have very similar personalities and both of them are secretly dating a fëanorian cousin, just so many things in common between them) , Turgon basically took over being the oldest siblingTM in this family and he may not have told him that it's because he sucks at being an eldest brother figure, but Fingon doesn't need him to voice these thoughts to be aware of them

so yeah, Turgon steals the older brother vibe while Irissë and Fingon just vibe the younger sibling vibe together, but then Argon appears in the picture....

and by that time Fingon has grown up enough to pass the big bro vibe check

so Argon does acknowledge him as the big brother

and Argon wants to be like him

and Argon braids golden ribbons into his hair to look like him

and Argon looks up to him for all of his childhood and even a little longer

and then adult Argon follows him at Alqualondë

and Argon gets doomed

and Argon dies

and it's all because of him

and Fingon might've never agreed with Turgon's overall opinion of him not being a good older brother , but as he looks at his little brother's dead body he wonders

he wonders if Turgon might be right

(okay, enough angst for today)

(or is it?)

4 ) ,,Marjorie" by Taylor Swift

and as much as this whole song gives me the vibe of adult Elrond in Lindon reminiscing his fëanorian upbringing (don't get me started on the angst of him not being allowed to speak about his childhood openly because ,,wdym you consider those MURDERERS your parents alongside your actual parents?????? Oh you poor traumatised thing!!!!!" )

anyway

let me focus here on the

,,The autumn chill that wakes me up/ [...] / Long limbs and frozen swims/ You'd always go past where our feet could touch"

part

like

let's think about these autumn days that are awfully cold in the morning , but then at noon it's almost as warm as during cooler summer days

now let's imagine Mae taking E&E to a nearby lake , so they can learn/practice swimming

(I imagine Mae would consider swimming a potentially important survival-enabling skill and deem it important for E&E to learn it)

ofc they would have to bring a small troop with them because it's apocaliptic end of first age Beleriand and there are orcs everywhere , but still Mae bringing the kids to the lake would be a very fun ,cherished moment for all of them. Mae being tall and going far from the shore, Elros always trying to follow him without caring that water gets too deep for him, Maglor seeing this and having a heart attack Maglor repeatedly telling Elros not to go past where his feet can touch. Elros going anyway, because Maedhros is there, so even if something happens, it's not like he's gonna die dad Mae would save him. Maglor forbiding Mae from taking them to the lake because this little shit Elros is a menace to himself Mae secretly taking them to the lake anyways because ,,they NEED to know how to swim, Mags , you don't understand , what if they DIE someday due to not knowing how to swim????'' let me quote the song again ,,The autumn chill that wakes me up/ [...] / Long limbs and frozen swims'' Mae waking them up early, so they can leave before his little brother is up; and it's still quite early when they arrive at the lake, so the water is freezing And then, centuries later, in Lindon it's just Elrond and these memories because the rest of the family is dead, gone, dead

[aylen-san]

A Guide from Finrod, Former Lord of Nargothrond

Dear friends, yes, friends, because who else but us is still trying to survive amidst orcs, dragons, and other abominations, including, at times, our own relatives? I know what you're thinking right now. "Finrod, is that really you? The former Lord of Nargothrond, singer, philosopher, tactician, and, well, overall life of the party, why are you suddenly talking about wills?" My answer is — yes, it’s me, and wills are actually an important thing.

Today, I, Finrod, encourage you to think about a noble tradition — writing a will. You might ask, “But why, Finrod? We’re immortal elves, who’s going to touch us?” And I’ll reply: “Listen, if I — an immortal elf — ended up in Mandos, then maybe things aren’t as cloudless as they seem, and having a will wouldn’t hurt!”

So, let’s begin. A will is not just a document; it’s your final word in a world where every third relative is trying to start a coup or, at the very least, marry a dubious character. Examples? Sure: “Don’t let suspicious ladies into your palace.” Celegorm, do you hear me? That’s exactly why you should write a will in advance.

What to Include in Your Will?

First of all, think about what you own. Of course, you’re not obligated to leave behind something like Sauron’s one (and unforgettable) ring, which symbolizes nothing... (yeah, I totally believe that). Make sure you have something valuable. Swords? Magical artifacts? Well, if you at least have a stash of Caranthir's wine, that’s something. Don’t forget to leave it in trustworthy hands. (Just not to Túrin. Honestly, it's scary to trust him even with wooden swords.)

1. Your Personal Belongings.

That famous silver belt you’ve been wearing for so long... Better decide in advance who’ll get it. Don’t repeat my mistakes. And yes, if you have a magical crown, it’s wise to specify who gets it. Otherwise, in a few centuries, one of your heirs might decide to go on a “conquest tour.”

2. Nargothrond.

If you happen to own an underground city (and no, it’s not as fun as it sounds), make sure to clarify what should happen to it when you're gone. Should it stay a tourist attraction or turn into yet another dragon lair? As my experience shows, the probability of a dragon appearing is never zero.

3. Your Pets.

If you’ve got any favorite predatory cats or other mystical creatures (for example, someone's embodiment of dark magic), be sure to leave instructions about who should feed them. Seriously. You don’t want everything to fall apart after you're gone, do you?

4. Family Heirlooms.

For instance, your most prized weapon. If you have several (which is quite common among us Noldor), specify who gets what. Otherwise, you might have a repeat of the story with a certain sword that everyone had their eyes on. Yes, you guessed it right: it’s better to clarify that your saber is not for settling family disputes.

5. Moral Obligations.

Ah, this is probably the most important point. Whatever you decide to leave to your heirs, don’t forget about moral duties. For example, don’t promise anyone they’ll overthrow Morgoth. It may sound nice, but in practice, it causes problems for all your neighbors and relatives. Trust me.

A Few Tips from an Experienced Will Writer:

Who Gets What?

Let’s say you’ve figured out what you own. Now, think about who should get it all. If you want your will to be respected, try to avoid giving things to the Fëanorians — they have a habit of believing everything rightfully belongs to them anyway, and they’re not great at following others’ wishes. Especially if glowing artifacts accidentally fall into your possession.

Specific Requests.

And of course, don’t forget to include specific requests. For example, what you want done with your body. Let me remind you not to ask for any elaborate rituals involving necklaces or magical mushrooms to bring you back. Trust me, those things rarely end well. And if you do end up in Mandos, send Namo my regards and ask if he’s seen Thingol, because ever since he started negotiating with the dwarves, he’s gone off the radar.

What Not to Leave:

Your Songs.

Leaving behind songs is a trend that’s long outdated. Writing new songs? I highly discourage that. Some, like me, have tried, but if you’ve got nagging warriors around who hear the phrase, “Hey, what a song I’ve written,” as “Call more friends and start a revolution,” you might want to think twice.

Enemy Artifacts.

If your will says that your shiny golden artifact should be “kept in a prominent place,” burn that will and write a new one.

Mention Your Enemies.

No, this isn’t about revenge (we’re noble elves, right?). It’s just better to leave instructions on what to do with those who’ve been giving you side-eye for the past millennia. For example, maybe leave Sauron a personal letter. Something like: “Don’t touch my library; it’s too good for your filthy hands.”

Don’t Forget Your Relatives.

Seriously, the moment you're gone, they’ll start dividing your modest estates. Better leave clear instructions on who gets, say, your best blanket or rare instrument collection (Maglor, if you’re reading this, don’t touch my collection — let’s start with that).

Add a Clause on Who Not to Invite to the Funeral.

Why not? It’s important! Some people really shouldn’t be invited to such ceremonies. For example, Tevildo — not the company you want at such an event. As wonderful as cats are, they can really spoil the mood.

Sample Will:

And so you don’t think I’m joking, here’s an example:

Will of Finrod Felagund

“I, Finrod, former Lord of Nargothrond, a great fan of chess and Go (how’s that for a twist, dear heirs?), being of sound mind and good memory (I hope), do solemnly bequeath:

1. My trusty sword — to someone who doesn’t plan on staging bloody dramas or vengeful campaigns to Angband. Besides, I hardly used it.

2. My books — to Galadriel. Though I know you probably won’t read them, let them be yours anyway. After all, you’re my sister, even if a bit headstrong.

3. My chess set — to those who’ll finally realize it’s an intriguing game. Though, considering the local crowd, I’d be happy if anyone even learns how the knight moves.

4. And lastly, if you decide it’s worth bringing me back from Mandos... think again. Or maybe twice.”

Conclusion:

Writing a will is a noble and very useful endeavor. It’s like a chess game with orcs — you don’t know who’s going to win, but well-thought-out moves increase your chances of success. And remember: if you write your will in advance, you’ll sleep soundly knowing your relatives won’t fight over the family silver, and your friends won’t confuse your last wishes with something you said over a cup of wine.

Now, if you’re ready to write this important document, I suggest arming yourself with patience and a good quill. Once it’s done, you can finally rest in peace. No matter where you end up: at Namo’s in Mandos, at yet another party with Elrond, or, heaven forbid, playing chess with Sauron. Good luck, friends, and may the Valar guide you in this tricky matter. Or at least not make it too complicated.

[nelyos-right-hand]

Re: fandom disagreements about Elwing/Fëanorians/whoever - what irks me here is that none of this was a problem for years when it was a common practice to piss on Elwing and various other female characters, but when people start defending them and acting in the same way against their rivals, people are suddenly amazed at how much it sucks to have your faves hated even in their tags. I don't think it's in itself a sign of misogyny to dislike Elwing or someone else, but when the fandom comes up with completely unfounded ideas in order to villainize these women while woobifying and explaining away the actual canon crimes of male characters, one can't help but draw some conclusions. So let's talk more when this fandom learns to respect women.

Hey Anon, thanks for writing me!

One thing I should probably say in advance: When I talk about "fans should be nice to each other in the kidnap fam/Elwing corner" I meant both Elwing and kidnap fam fans, I hope it didn't sound like I was only criticising the Elwing side, because that really wasn't my intention. I also only mean a small minority of people, and I don't know you, but since you came here to talk civilly about it and explain your issues, I assume you're not one of them, so I hope you didn't feel offended.

I absolutely understand your frustration, and I know that it's not easy for Elwing fans in the fandom; liking Elwing isn't a hot take anymore, but it's also far from mainstream. Nobody likes it when a person they love is portrayed negatively, and you have every right to defend her.

On the topic of disliking Elwing and misogyny - There might very well be misogynistic people in the fandom. It's actually rather likely. There're probably also racists in the fandom. This is the internet, and it's never completely free of idiots. And even though we can't change that, that's of course still not a good thing. But I don't think it's possible to identify those people based on their opinions on characters. The reason for that is that the characters we like don't mirror our moral compass. If Maedhros was a real person, he should go to prison for the rest of his life, and I would never even come close to defending him, but as a fictional character I can like him. It's like dark romance: No one would actually date their murderous stalker, but it's nice to read about it in a book.

Now, I'm not saying that there aren't any fans who dislike Elwing out of misogynistic reasons, only that I'm not in the position to judge that. And while I don't actually know any of the people in this fandom personally, I have met many very nice people, for example my beloved mutals, and some of them like and others dislike Elwing, and I do feel the need to defend them; There might be bad people in this fandom, but most of those I have interacted with are absolutely wonderful.

But I'm getting off topic and sappy. I think whether or not we have the right to draw conclusions based on these kind of things is a rather philosophical and complex question, so I get it if you disagree. The problem I addressed in my post also wasn't really about whether some people out there are misogynistic, but that some people say "Everyone who likes/dislikes Elwing is a bad person" and that's wrong and hurtful.

Now, this post has gotten way longer and chaotic than I was planning (I'm so sorry for rambling, I have to get that under control), so maybe a short summary: You're right that Elwing has been hated for many years and that it's good that her fans are standing up for her, you're also right that it sucks to only hear negative things about the characters you love. I don't think we can draw conclusions on people's moral compass based on their opinions on characters, but that's a rather complex question. What's important to me is that we treat each other with respect, don't insult others because they like/dislike a character we don't, and accept it when someone has different views on something.

I hope this helped/adressed your issues/answered your question. If not, or if I maybe misunderstood you, or something else, feel free to contact me again, I found it very interesting to hear your opinion on this and it helped me understand some things!