#spring into arda

[arofili]

Eärwen Fic Rec List

for B2MeM 2023, I’ve put together a rec list for fics about Eärwen! @spring-into-arda :)

rulers make bad lovers by Chestnut_pod; Anairë/Eärwen/Elwing, rated E, 73k — I haven’t actually finished reading this but what I’ve read so far is amazing! Chestnut has such a beautiful, nuanced take on Elwing, and that absolutely extends to Eärwen and Anairë and their political situations.

Homecoming by @grundyscribbling; Eärwen & her mother (& Olwë & Arafinwë), rated G, 2.1k — A lovely exploration of Eärwen and her unnamed mother at the end of the War of Wrath.

Cherish by inigo1220; Eärwen + Anairë, rated G, 10k — I’m biased since this is written for my art, but this is a truly gentle, tender story about Eärwen and Anairë’s developing relationship through the ages. Queerplatonic fic always has a special palce in my heart <333

First Impressions (specifically ch3) by @lithgaeril; Eärwen/Arafinwë, rated G, ~2k — A super sweet first meeting between Eärwen and her future husband!

fill our gold cups with love by @crownlessliestheking; Eärwen/Anairë, rated G, 2.6k — Anairë and Eärwen argue in the aftermath of their husbands’ abandonment...and Arafinwë’s return. So angsty!!

all of Those Who Remain by @cuarthol, but especially His Brother’s Wife and Pleasures Never Before Imagined; Anairë/Eärwen(/Arafinwë), rated M, both about 4k — Really interesting take on Anairë, Eärwen, and Arafinwë post-Darkening, and a poignant exploration of female sexuality in a repressive society.

Flowers and Silk by @ladybrooke; Anairë/Eärwen, rated G, 300 — A lovely look into Anairë and Eärwen’s lives through an analysis of gems.

The Love of Their Mothers by @imakemywings; Anairë & Eärwen, rated G, 1.2k — Short & sweet fic about Eärwen and Anairë planning the futures of their not-yet-born sons :) 

Day three: Across the A-spectrum by @ambarto; Eärwen/Arafinwë, rated G, 1.2k — Arospec love <333

Another Life by @ladybrooke; Anairë/Eärwen, rated G, 100 — A sweet drabble of devotion.

mama’s boy by @lesbianhaleth; Eärwen & Finrod, rated T, 1.5k — A complex, angst-filled, deeply nuanced analysis of Eärwen and her eldest son.

rockrose & thistle by @kilegriel; Eärwen/Nerdanel, rated T, 944 — Hurt/comfort distilled to its truest essence!

So Let Us Shine by @edgeoflight; Anairë/Eärwen/Nerdanel, rated E, 3.6k — Sweet, playful, affectionate smut between three ladies who absolutely deserve all the good things!

[spring-into-arda]

B2MEM 2023 might be over, but the Spring into Arda team is not quite done yet!

We're introducing F3, an event to celebrate the friendships and families of the Hobbit, the Lord of the Rings and the Second Age!

This includes all the movies (yes, all of them), the Rings of Power, LOTRO and other Video games, Board/Card/Tabletop and Book Games and so on and so forth.

Your creations must be set in the Second or Third Age and they must be rated for General Audiences.

I will explain the main phases of the event below, but this link contains the detailed version.

Follow this link for the creator sign-ups (ending May 4)!

How will F3 work?

There are three phases to this event!

First phase starting immediately is prompt creation!

If you know this mod team, you know we like putting a bit of a twist on things, so all prompts must come in form of friendship chains or bracelets, instructions for which are provided in the detailed F3 documentation linked above!

Each chain/bracelet must contain at least 4 and at most 12 prompts.

Prompts are limited to one, two, or three words, and can include characters, scenarios, random words and places, but no relationship prompts.

Keep in mind that creations are limited to G ratings, and your prompts should reflect that.

Each prompter is allowed to submit two prompt clusters.

A photo of your finished chain/bracelet plus a list of your prompts should be emailed to b2mem.mods@gmail.com by April 29 at the latest.

Phase 2: New Creations (May 6 - June 15, 2023)

If you have signed up as a creator you are now allowed to claim a prompt chain!

Multiple people are permitted to claim the same chain in the first round, and if not all chains get claimed during initial claims, you may also claim more.

You can now use your prompts to create any of the following:

a written work (at least 100 words)

a visual work (art, moodboard, craft)

an audio work (podfic, music, playlist)

You should create a chain of works (that's 3 or more items) based on the prompts you have claimed. These can be of the same type or a combination of two or more categories.

All creations for phase 2 are due by June 15.

And then it's time for Phase 3: Derivations (June 1 - June 30, 2023)!

You are now allowed to offer derivative works for either your own works or other works created for this event!

This can include a podfic of an existing story, a story inspired by a piece of art you created for round 2, or a craft based on a playlist for example.

You can also create additional treats for chain prompts!

[eri-pl]

Silm reread 3 - spring of Arda etc

Almaren was pretty, but Tulkas got married and got drunk with his brother-in-law. Yea...

So, Melkor messes it up and they go fortify themselves in a corner. (Which is at least semi-canonically a sub-optimal decision). Also, they gather most of the light and pretty things in there (which sounds very sub-optimal considering how things work in the Legendarium).

Making of the Trees is very interesting. Yavanna sings them into life and the Valar listen and Nienna (mentioned separately) sits in thought and cries. This fits my hc that while Namo is the omniscient one, Nienna handless all the difficult emotions that he would normally have from the extra knowledge. So of course she's already sad about the Trees, even not knowing why.

Or maybe simly she's sad because the Valar plant the Trees in a corner and are (in their opinion) unable to share them with the world (and later, CoI).

I forgot, but Laulerin was giving warmth too, not only light.

Manwë is canonically the Vala of poetry (and one of those most related to singing). Also, he's got blue (light in) eyes and blue robes.

Ulmo's music is the happy-sad mix we all know so well, also the foundations of the world are very sad.

Salmar, the least-known Maia. (serves Ulmo, made his horn)

Yavanna argues for a war with Melkor. Interesting.

The awesome part of Men being Weird™, but it's prefixed with "it is said, that after the Valar left, Iluvatar said…". I'd really like to ask about the source for that. Like, even the Valar weren't there! (probably were told it later, but still, the text is a little fuunny here) (or it's a case of source: Mannish lore. Feels a bit like it. (Pengolodh censored the best parts of what Finrod told him though))

Aulë and Yavanna. So, Aulë is very much like Melkor here (gets inpatient, and goes alone to do stuff because he fears the other Valar wouldn't like it), but his reasons are better (wants students to teach, not subject to dominate over). I guess this makes the difference.

And he gets over it after some talking. This too.

However… we don't hear about Melkor (when looking for the Flame Inperishable) being asked "What do you think you are doing?". Either it's because Aulë was more willing to share his story, or because Melkor was being more of a jerk. Probably the first one.

Yavanna is like "oh, king, is that true what my husband told me….". I don't like her vibe. It would be less passive agressive to just say "is it true". A little thing but I'm getting a bad vibe from her tone. But tbh Yavanna is one of my 2 least favorite proper Valar, so I may be biased. (Orome is the other one).

[annellspethraven]

More Back To Middle Earth month! Enjoy our guild's list of 'everyone's favorite villian or is he?' fanfic recs. My personal answer to this is, It's Complicated. But, I say that about a lot of things...

[searchingforserendipity25]

I was intrigued and amused and inspired by all the comments on your Maglor playlist post. Would love to see the final list if you want to share!

Thank you so much @sallysavestheday, you’ve given me a reason to finish my Maglor playlist and go off about it! It’s mostly classical music instrumental with a focus on strings, plus a bit of opera, hymns and bluegrass for spice. I am making a bit of a route (libretto?), because I have made it chronological to his arc and put too much thought into it.

Here's the breakdown, with highlights:

Prelude - Technically two different pieces, Zoe Keating’s lovely, lonely strings in Seven League Boot, and then a big operatic start with Agon’s prelude. A prelude for a prelude is kind of cheating, I admit. 

For the Valinor period -  I wanted to start with the purest, most charming of virtuosity, with a sly edge increasing. Strauss stuff mostly, I thought, and some Valinor-worthy religious pieces. The Agnus Dei might be too much, but in my defence: it is very pretty. 

The Unrest of the Noldor - Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture, and I'm not even sorry about it.

The First Kinslaying, the Burning of the Ships, the Siege of Angband - This is the one song I knew I had to use when I started the playlist. Listz's Mephisto Waltz, which is not strings technically, but is one of my old favourites. 

The Rescue of Maedhros - the well-titled Emotional Violin and Strings Concerto.

The Gap of Maglor and the Long Peace - Dvorak’s Rusalka Op. 114, as I headcanon the Long Peace as a period of cultural revisionism and the sort of folklore adaptation 19th century Romantics loved.  La Traditora. Fadinho Picado! I can’t resist adding the Portuguese guitar, and it’s the sort of style that develops best in isolated, fraught circumstances. Ends with Vivaldi’s Cello Concerto in E Minor, II Alegro - which has a funereal, flight-like hurry, to tie in the narrow escape from dragon fire. 

The Dagor Bragollach - in earnest now. Or, Maglor invents atonality, to cope! It had to be the Second Viennese School. Schoenberg Chamber Symphon nº 1, op 9, a shameless jump to adagio. Schoenberg & co. should start making appearances whenever things get worse, but tbh? I do not like Schoenberg, so I did not invest a lot on him. 

The Lay of Leithian - Quinto Passagio, a pretty fast, anxious, layered harp piece - somewhere far away in the dark, Finrod’s song is coming to an end, and his old duet companion feels strangely uneasy.

Nirnaeth Arnoediad - First a big conquering song, Beethoven’s Lenore Overture (II), and then Adam Hurt’s Forsaken, which articulate well enough together in this context. I am actually pretty proud of as choices - might reconsider if I find better, more epic battle songs that aren’t already in use in the Russingon playlist . Followed by Minha Alma on the guitar, for when the sons of Feanor are scattered like leaves in the wind. 

The Ruin of Doriath - Schubert’s String Quartet nº 4 in D Minor, the Allegro. Deceitfully pretty with bursts of force, very repetitive, it does bring the sense of a cycle of violence, by the second minute becomes a siege. I just realized it could have been Vivaldi’s Winter! Well, never mind. 

The Sacking of Sirion - Shaskotovich Cello Concert nª 1 in E Flat. This is Kurtag’s quartets in the Elwing/Earendil playlist - I tried not to repeat, but the influence is there in the cello-as-horror genre. 

Capturing Elros and Elrond - Paganini’s compelling, unnerving, pitying, pitiful Caprice nª 24 - it works, and not just because of the title. Followed by an almost idyllic part, from Carmen’s Act III, Entr’acte - it really is an in-between acts moment. Again, Zoe Keating on the contemporary violin for Optimist, which despite the name is full of tension. I chose it regarding the conversation with Maedhros, and as a tie-in with the inevitable fate foretold in Seven League Boots, also Keating’s right at the start. 

Forth Kisnlaying, Maedhros’ Death, the burning of the Silmarills - Maglor’s fun psychic break is also a genre break! Our one and only not-classical entry, with I am a Man of Constant Sorrow, by the Soggy Bottom Boys. 

Wanders ever by the sea - I admit, searching for songs for this was my favourite part. I’m partial to Sillaba’s Na on the kora, Rob Korb’s Sea-Swept cliffs. Also Ricardo Parreira again, now with Meditando.

The End: Phillip Glass's sparse, involving harp composition, in Metamorphosis II - a lot of enjoyable space to dwell on whatever Maglor might become, lamenting by the thankless sea. 

In conclusion: I hope this is enjoyable! I like how it is now, but might review it a little bit (the Feast of Reuniting is missing, Maedhros deserves a song of his own here at least), before presenting it as part of the Spring into Arda event, which started this in first place early this month. Not enough harp, maybe? If anyone has harp recs, please do share.

[tenth-sentence]

And it is sung that in that feast of the Spring of Arda Tulkas espoused Nessa the sister of Oromë, and she danced before the Valar upon the green grass of Almaren.

"The Silmarillion" - J.R.R. Tolkien

[ylieke]

Melkor began the delving and building of a vast fortress, deep under Earth, beneath dark mountains. That stronghold was named Utumno. The evil of Melkor and the blight of his hatred flowed out thence, and the Spring of Arda was marred. Green things fell sick and rotted, and rivers were choked with weeds and slime, and fens were made, rank and poisonous, the breeding place of flies.

[brethilach]

The Silm talks a lot about Morgoth "marring" Arda and mutating the creations of the Valar, but beyond the geography of Arda (including entire continents, the Lamps, The Misty Mountains, Two Trees etc), along with certain vague implications (that may or may not be true) of his "monsters" originating from mutated people or animals (Orcs from Elves, Trolls from Ents, etc), there doesn't seem to be much information about WHAT creations Morgoth actually destroyed and/or changed. So I've been thinking about it

Millions of years ago the tectonic uplift of the Appalachian mountains created a lot of weathering and sequestration of CO2, consequentially changing the entire climate (from a greenhouse climate to an icehouse) and chemistry of the ocean(s) — What if, by raising the Misty Mountains, Morgoth forced Arda into a Glacial Ice Age? (It's already canon that Sauron caused at least one of the Long Winters in Eriador!)

What if Morgoth delving Utumno created volcanic activity and tectonic uplift that triggered a mass extinction event? What if prehistoric animals or plants were alive during the Spring of Arda but were destroyed by Morgoth? Like it would make total sense that the Sleep of Yavanna, "a time of darkness and stillness of nature", is just a poetic way of describing something like that

WHAT IF MORGOTH MADE DRAGONS FROM DINOSAURS AND PTEROSAURS

the possibilites are endless

[riding-with-the-wild-hunt]

"[Tulkas'] spouse is Nessa, the sister of Oromë, and she also is lithe and fleetfooted. Deer she loves, and they follow her train whenever she goes in the wild; but she can outrun them, swift as an arrow with the wind in her hair. In dancing she delights, and she dances in Valimar on lawns of never-fading green." - J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion, "Valaquenta"

@ainurweek day 7 ⇢ NESSA

[ID: an edit comprised of six posters in shades of red, black, and brown, with some white and gold accents.

1: Sheerah Ravindren, a tamil model with brown skin and long black hair, some of which is braided. They are looking over their shoulder at the viewer with a neutral expression, surrounded by gold foliage on a red background. The image is framed by a white rectangle which cuts off in the upper left corner, where white cursive text reads "Nessa." White serif text in the bottom right corner reads "the dancer" in all caps / 2: A red-handled knife with a dangling tassel beside its matching red sheath on a black background. White text, some in cursive and some in the serif font, reads "And it is sung that in that feast of the Spring of Arda / 3: A deer's face emerging from dark shadows. Text in the same format as Image 2 reads "Tulkas espoused Nessa the sister of Oromë, and she danced" / 4: Sheerah Ravindren, this time facing the viewer with their hands resting on either side of their head. They wear no shirt, and their hair hangs over their chest, as well as several gold necklaces. Same text as Image 1, but the text has switched to the bottom left and top right corners / 5: Sheerah Ravindren facing the viewer and crossing their arms above their head as if dancing. Same text and format as Image 1 / 6: An indian classical dancer. The image shows multiple exposures, making the figure look like they are in several poses at once. Text in the same format as Images 2 and 3 reads "before the Valar upon the green grass of Almaren." //End ID]

[valacirya]

Indis appreciation post!

Disclaimer: All the canon info is taken from Morgoth's Ring and Peoples of Middle Earth. Also, this isn't a character analysis/meta. It's just a list of stuff I love (plus some headcanons) about one of my favorite characters in the legendarium.

1. She's athletic and outdoorsy. We're told that Indis is "exceedingly swift of foot" and that "she walked often alone in the fields and friths of the Valar, turning her thought to things that grow untended." When Finwe sees her, she's chilling on a mountainside. I love that she's associated with nature, specifically the wilderness. She parallels Feanor in her exploration of Aman and interest in the imperfect. Also, this is purely self-indulgent but ever since reading HoME for the first time, I've pictured Indis as tall and broad, and muscular beneath a layer of fat.

2. She doesn't let her unrequited love affect her life. "There was ever light and mirth about her." She's not the pining, languishing princess stereotype. She goes on. She doesn't let it make her bitter or depressed, and she is so restrained that only Mandos and possibly Ingwe are aware of her feelings.

3. Part of her attraction to Finwe is intellectual. In HoME we're told that his "mastery of words delighted her." Considering that Indis is also a poet/composer ("wove words into song") and that the Vanyar enjoy linguistics, it makes sense. It's also just really cute.

4. She's politically minded. Her reasoning for pronouncing 's' instead of 'th' is: "I have joined the Noldor, and I will speak as they do." This is the right thing to do to gain the respect of the Noldor and their acceptance of her authority. I also think she makes a statement with Fingolfin and Finarfin's mother-names. Arakano ("high chieftain") and Ingoldo ("the Noldo, eminent among the kindred") are not only powerful, prophetic names, they're also strikingly similar to Ingwe ("chief of chieftains") who is the High King not just of the Vanyar, but all Eldar. What a power move.

5. She's able to balance her own culture with the culture she marries into. Indis integrates into Noldorin society easily while remaining Vanyarin at her core, as is evidenced by Finwe saying that "above all her heart now yearns for the halls of Ingwe and the peace of the Vanyar." Her sons also respect and are proud of their mixed heritage; Finarfin "loved the Vanyar, his mother's people" and is said to be like them (as are Finrod and Galadriel), and Fingolfin's daughter-in-law is Vanyarin (plus the Nolofinweans have a special connection to Manwe).

6. She gets an awesome prophecy about her line. "But I say unto you that the children of Indis shall also be great, and the Tale of Arda more glorious because of their coming. And from them shall spring things so fair that no tears shall dim their beauty; in whose being the Valar, and the Kindreds both of Elves and of Men that are to come shall all have part, and in whose deeds they shall rejoice. So that, long hence when all that here is, and seemeth yet fair and impregnable, shall nonetheless have faded and passed away, the Light of Aman shall not wholly cease among the free peoples of Arda until the end." Fuck yeah.

7. Her name means "valiant woman." This is the only definition given in Morgoth's Ring, I believe. I highly prefer it over the "bride" meaning because it's a badass name and is similar to Artanis ("noble woman") and Astaldo ("the valiant"). A headcanon that I'm particularly attached to is that Indis's mother-name is Indome, meaning "will of Eru."

8. She's popular with most of the Noldor. We're told that "Finwe, King of the Noldor, wedded Indis, sister of Ingwe; and the Vanyar and Noldor for the most part rejoiced." The majority of the Noldor also follow Fingolfin and Finarfin instead of Feanor.

9. She's friends with Nerdanel. HoME states that Nerdanel went to "abide with Indis, whom she had ever esteemed."

10. She gets pissed off at Finwe when he sides with Feanor. So much so that he thinks she won't want to see him if he's re-embodied. I know this is from his perspective but I'm inclined to agree. [However, this is still very presumptive of him, and his comment that "Indis parted from me without death" is super shitty. Eugh.]

11. She's close to her kids. Finarfin takes after her, Fingolfin passes on the name she gave him, Findis lives with her, Lalwen goes by the name she gave her. Finwe also says that "she hath dear children to comfort her."

So there we have it! What little info we get about Indis is pretty awesome. And this is just a list; I could write a whole essay on her fortitude and unconventionality and my numerous headcanons about her.

[arofili]

Robin Smallburrow helps to tear down the New Mill.

A ficlet about the Scouring of the Shire for B2MeM! @spring-into-arda​

[annellspethraven]

Morrigan's Mathoms! Valuable (maybe), sentimental (!) and useless (arguably). A print of the clipper Dreadnoughtand a broken clock from my great great grandparents Sanders' home in S.C., my great-grandmother's Belleek sugar/creamer set and her peculiar 'jade and carnelian peony tree', a vintage Chelsea ship's bell, a Venetian Carnival mask and glass calligraphy pen, and brooches from each of my grandmothers - one biological and one adoptive. Last but not least, a two liter volumetric flask. I thought it was pretty Hobbitish. And of course, behind each object lies a grand tale to which I could speak (and write) to the edge of ruin...

[lamemaster]

A Breathless Affair

"I loved the sound of your name. The way it felt to call it out aloud and not just my mind. To feel it crisp on my lips was surprising."

His name, Thranduil Oropherion, which felt like a foggy winter morning riddled with the scent of pine. The crackle of a twig under a fawn's hoof. A name intertwined with Greenwood the Great. A prince's name, only a few could say out loud.

You close your eyes fearing the look in his eyes. The vulnerability of heart laid bare was too much even in love like yours. To make him aware of the power he held over you was too intense. So you eluded whatever he held in his eyes.

The air stills. Heavy with a weight that makes your heart rush wildly. Thranduil. The name that you had cherished. The one you cherish even now.

Thranduil feels joy blooming in his heart. Like an overbearing flower that sprinkles a colorful spring in the world around. Is this what love is?

Intoxicating sugar of joy. Unbearable, unrestrained urge to cherish. Words so simple that could leave him gasping worse than a mortal.

Gathering the remnants of your courage you continue, "So like a fool, I stood in front of my vanity uttering your name, again, and again," you chuckle breathlessly as if sharing his turmoil.

Of all the uncertainties of Arda. Your love for him and his for you was one unwavering constant.

His arms wrap around you, pulling you close to him. Taking away the space and air that separated you from him. To rest your ear next to his rushing heart. That was all he could do, for words often fail matters of soul.

[tenth-sentence]

In that guarded land the Valar gathered great store of light and all the fairest things that were saved from the ruin; and many others yet fairer they made anew, and Valinor became more beautiful even than Middle-earth in the Spring of Arda; and it was blessed, for the Deathless dwelt there, and there naught faded nor withered, neither was there any stain upon flower or leaf in that land, nor any corruption or sickness in anything that lived; for the very stones and waters were hallowed.

"The Silmarillion" - J.R.R. Tolkien

[azalearanger]

The description of the beginning of the Years of the Sun is so vivid I can taste it:

"In that time the air of Middle-earth became heavy with the breath of growth and mortality, and the changing and ageing of all things was hastened exceedingly; life teemed upon the soil and in the waters in the Second Spring of Arda, and the Eldar increased, and beneath the new Sun Beleriand grew green and fair."

I also love that this was when Men awoke, at this time of simultaneous life and decay, ageless yet ageing.

[outofangband]

mini geographical resource: waterfalls of Beleriand

I’m in the process now of updating my geographic resources to make sure all information is accurate and as extensive as possible! I originally had waterfalls on the same post as lakes and springs but I decided to divide them up for clarity

Flora, fauna, geography and environment of Arda Masterlist

Dimrost (”rainy stair”) or Nen Girith (”shuddering water”) was a waterfall on Celebros, a tributary to the river Taeglin in Brethil.  Taeglin is itself a tributary to the river Sirion. Dimrost was located on the southwestern side of Brethil where the river Taeglin bordered the Talath Dirnen. The name Nen Girith comes from the reaction that Niënor had upon approaching it; she began to shudder violently and seemingly without cause. It would be again at this spot where she would later witness the death of Glaurung.

The Falls of Esgalduin was a waterfall in Doriath Northeast of Menengroth on the river Esgalduin, a tributary to the Sirion. They are mentioned only once, briefly, in the story of Beren and Lúthien.

The Falls of Sirion were South of the twilight meres or Fens of Sirion. The water fell underground here and emerged at the Gates of Sirion after flowing through the hills of Andram in the mid south of Beleriand.

Lanthir Lamath was the waterfall of Echoing Voice on the river Adurant in Ossiriand, the easternmost region of Beleriand. It was near the house of Dior. The spectacle of starlight hitting the falls inspired the name of his daughter, Elwing meaning star spray. 

The falls of Ivrin were the waterfalls at the source of the spring called Eithel Ivrin. These fell into a pool which fed the river Narog, the southernmost tributary to the river Sirion. The waterfalls themselves fell from the sides of an unnamed mountain in the Ered Wethrin range, on the border of Hithlum to the north and Nevrast to the west.