#things that make maedhros sad make me sad

[wanderer-clarisse]

"Mano po."

Pagmamano (Tagalog) - "honouring-gesture;" a sign of respect towards elders

A continuation of sorts, of this other drawing I made of the Feänorians, which was roughly inspired by Filipino culture. I originally planned on completing this for @nolofinweanweek, specifically the first prompt about how Fingolfin and Feänor's families got along, but life got in the way and I didn't finish it in time. More background/my long rambles under the cut:

Pagmamano - touching the back of an elder's hand on one's forehead - is not restricted to family, but it's usually done in the context of elder family members. I have many memories of attending family reunions and being told to follow the other kids to "mano po" a grandfather, aunt, or uncle. While Elves don't have elderly relatives, per se, I thought this image was too fun not to draw. Also, I love envisioning Feänor as that cool uncle who gives the most amazing gifts but like, the kids are intimidated by him, so they have to be told (and supervised) by their parents to line up and greet him properly. Fingolfin's just standing there making sure his kids all greet their uncle. (Maedhros, presumably having already finished his greetings, is sidetracking Fingon.)

All this to say, I think that these guys didn't have the perfect relationship. But. You can't convince me Finwë didn't get the whole family together from time to time on some sort of family reunion camping trip. And Feänor just has to begrudgingly tolerate it because he can't say no to his dad. While the kids, obviously, have a great time.

[papita474]

I think we should start talking more about the Nirnaeth,we only remember the sad and tragic and the "yeah and then everthing went to hell" part,but we should start talking more about how epic and amazing It was.

How Maedhros manage to make such a great union of different peoples,how powerful and influential were the mens for this war,the traitors and the good ones,how the dwarf were part of it thanks to their relation whit Mae,who even tough all of his plan went bad,it was a grear tactic and a amazing sign of his natural leadership,and a way to show how he would be able to be great King,and not to mention all the great stuff that happend there,Fingon standing whit Maedhros,when others kings such as Orodreth and Thingol did not,and his sacrifice in the end,Turgon showing up whit his army,leaving his safe kingdom to joing the battle,the sons of feanor protecting eachother and his people making their way out of the battle field,Huor and Hurin defending Turgon,Azaghal and his deeds,Gwindor(even if his acctions kinda fucked up the war a little) going right to Angband after seing is brother dead,and then being captured,and also he being one of the few of Nargothrond who werent cowards and went to war,such as Beleg and Mablug being the only one to come from Doriath. Im probably missing a lot of things,but you get my point,that is (for me) the best chapter in the book,and also the most tragic one.

[ramoth13]

Interesting Trends and Voices in the Silmarillion Fandom

~

Although I have been a lover of Tolkien since the earliest days of my youth and have been a Tolkien Scholar for over a decade, I have not made too many forays into the Silm fandom other than when I was younger and more recently a few years ago. Thus, I was rather surprised by the trends that seem to be mainstays of the Fandom and which ones I've seen big shifts in. I'll mention them briefly, but please note, although I may share differences of opinion regarding these characters or themes, we all share a deep love of the source material and that makes us fellow Enthusiasts. Whatever our differences, we have more in common with what we love than that which we do not.

With that said,

A "newer" trend I've noticed is the number of Fëanorian apologists, which is rather surprising, especially given their vocality. Some of the more common trends in this vein:

~A general indifference towards Fingolfin apart from a "if he had been through what Fëanor had, he would have been that way too" kind of approach, etc.

~All of Fëanor's sons (but especially Maedhros) are often given the best possible excuse for every action and bad decision. Others like Thingol or Elwing, less so.

~Finarfin and his children are generally regarded as boring, except for Galadriel who is either, loved as being awesome, wild, and wise or slightly disliked for having ill-opinions of Fëanor or some combination of the two.

~Fingolfin's line is seen as either goody-two-shoes or full of themselves, with the exception of Fingon who is close friends with Maedhros.

~The Valar are often illustrated to be antagonists, especially when in opposition to the Fëanorians.

~In the same light, I've seen a few posts that portray Luthien as being somehow problematic, seemingly to balance out the negative Fëanorian interactions she endures.

~One of the more sad effects of this apologist line of thinking is the Denegration of Elrond and Elros' parents. In order for Maedhros and Maglor to be considered "good" their actual parents are seen as "bad" despite little evidence of that being the case.

~ It seems Fëanor and sons have become the golden child of the Silm fandom, a spot once reserved for Sauron and Morgoth, if memory serves.

NOTES:

These are all fairly intriguing lines of discourse and I understand that they are tied up in and often heavily influenced by the fan-fictions and fannons. Still, it does make me wonder, with how vocal the Fëanorians are (especially on tumblr), how many Nolofinweans are in the Fandom? How many fans of Finarfin's cohort (or as one Tumblr user once called them), the blondes?

Some older trends that continue:

~Thingol still sucks (at least by common thought). It is interesting that despite all of the love of the Noldorin lines given their proclivity towards violence and bad decisions, the fandom still has not been able to lend some compassion towards the reigning Sindarin Monarch.

~Celeborn somehow ending up with Galadriel is still a big mystery (I do love this one).

~Sauron is still seen as Morgoth's boyfriend/lover/etc.

~The Valar are antagonists (before this was due to the Sauron/Morgoth apologists, and now it seems to stem more from a Fëanorian view)

~Turin and Beleg are still a ship (I am pleased).

~Halls of Mandos Reunions (always a classic).

~Gimli/Legolas ship.

Some older trends I don't see as much:

~Fingolfin/Fëanor ship (I'm not upset that this one is scarce. Even in Fantasy, incest isn't my thing).

~Fingon/Maedhros ship (see above note)

~Celebrimbor is the greatest elf of all time.

~Melkor/Manwe/Varda and/or Sauron love triangles.

I'm curious to see what others think of these trends. I'll be the first to admit, I have always had a fondness for the Nolofinweans, but it is interesting to see the growth of the Fëanorian fans and how quickly their voice has grown into one of the primary topics of fandom discourse (which is good, I love the discussions!).

~ Ramoth13

[aylen-san]

The Harbor of Númenor. Waves crash against the stones of the pier, and the wind flutters flags bearing the symbols of the kingdom. On the dock, amidst the crowd of greeters, stands a tall man with dark hair and a bright, welcoming gaze. It is Elros, the King of Númenor. He has been waiting for this moment, and when a ship appears on the horizon, his face lights up with a smile.

Maglor and Maedhros step ashore. Both look worn out from years of wandering, but something akin to peace glimmers in their eyes. They barely manage to step off the gangplank before Elros rushes to meet them.

Elros: (laughing, hugging them both at once) Two of my fathers — together in one place! What more could I ask for?

Maedhros, caught off guard, looks slightly bewildered, but after a moment, his expression softens, and he hugs Elros back. Maglor watches his foster son with a smile, barely holding back tears.

Maedhros: (with a skeptical but warm tone) You’ve grown even taller. Careful not to outgrow us old men.

Elros: (laughs) Too late, uncle. You both lag behind.

Maglor: (smiling, tilting his head slightly) We always knew you’d go farther than us.

Elros steps back to look at them both with warm affection. The sunlight reflects in his eyes, but behind the joy, a quiet sadness is hidden — he knows such meetings are now rare and precious.

Elros: So many years have passed. How strange it is to see you here among men, when it seemed that world was far behind.

Maedhros: (quietly, with a touch of sorrow) Some worlds stay with us, no matter where we are.

Elros: (seriously but gently) Then we will create a new world here, together. Like before.

He gestures for them to follow him into the city, and they walk behind him. The warmth of the sun on their faces and the noise of Númenor’s streets momentarily make them forget old losses.

---

Later, in Elros’s residence

The brothers and Elros sit at a long table, talking. The table is cluttered with maps, books, and wine cups. Maedhros leans back in his chair, listening to Elros recount tales of his rule, while Maglor silently plucks the strings of a harp lent by local musicians.

Elros: (smirking) You know, Maglor, your songs are still sung here. Though some have been changed so much that you wouldn’t recognize them.

Maglor: (weakly smiling) That doesn’t surprise me anymore. The important thing is that they are sung.

Maedhros: (nodding, but his expression becomes thoughtful) And what do you hope to build here, Elros?

Elros: (with a mixture of confidence and sadness) A home. For those tired of war and suffering. A place where people can live as they never could in Middle-earth.

Maedhros: (bitterly, but softly) A home... I hope you succeed where we failed.

Elros places a hand on Maedhros’s shoulder, as if to show he is not alone. Maglor watches them, feeling the warmth of the moment. For the first time in a long while, it feels as if they have found something akin to peace — even if far from home.

Elros: (gently) I need you here. It’s not Aman or Middle-earth, but we can start anew.

Maglor and Maedhros exchange glances. A silent understanding passes between them: they have lost much, but not everything. And now they have a chance — not perfect, but a chance for a new beginning. In the silence, broken only by Maglor’s light melody, they agree without words.

---

At sunset, the brothers and Elros step out onto a balcony. The sea breeze brings fresh air, and on the horizon, beyond the golden waves, lies their new future.

Maedhros: (looking into the distance, almost hopefully) This place... could be home.

Maglor: (nodding, looking at Elros) And we will be with you for as long as we can.

Elros: (smiles, embracing them both) Then it’s settled.

[eri-pl]

Silm reread 22: Earendil (and very vague Elwing)

Earendil rules the people in the area. Elwing, despite being the heiress of the crown of one of the two groups who joined in there, is simply his wife. Huh.

Also, he's got sea-longing and wants fo find his parents (not a good reason to leave your wife and kids) and find Valinor and ask the Valar for mercy (ok, this is a better reason). So, Círdan makes Vingilot (from birch tree) and Earendil sails off. Elwing is sad.

But… his sailing is still a good thing, because he wants to ask the Valar for help? I guess? I have a hard time with Earendil, I'm not a fan of absent husbands. But I guess his mission is important.

And also, maybe they did discuss it with Elwing before they got married ("I dream of sailing far and for long periods of time." "ok, I may be sad with it but I still want this marriage.")…. You know what? I am going to HC that they did have this talk. It makes him 20x more sympathetic to me.

Meanwhile, among the Feanorians… Maedhros is restraining himself (again!) because he is remorseful for Doriath. But. the oath tornments them all (ok, so it is a compel, but not absolute. Not "dominate person", but it does give them mental damage for not following it. Unless it is just honor and stuff, but it doesn't sound like it.)

The Feanorians gather. (Which is a bad sign). They send messangers to Elwing, demanding "politely but clearly", the Silmaril. Well, you should have tried "politely" with Thingol, now, after Doriath, your politeness feels a bit empty.

[Also, Maedhoros' life would be much, much easier if he had the ability to just throw C&C under the bus and blame everything on them. It was even mostly true! And might have worked. But he is loyal to his brothers. And this is a good thing. This is tragic: he has one good trait, but can't manage another (not murdering people), and so he fails both morally, and fails at his chosen goal.]

Elwing, and the people of Sirion didn't want to give him the Silmaril. Because:

people have died and suffered for it (the usual argument, which I feel is increased by the nature of the Silmaril)

their ruler was not home, and they didn't want to make the decision without him (this is stupid, on a very mundane level. Earendil should have chosen someone to make important decisions when he's away. Also, Elwing seems either very indecisive / shy, or not respected by the people. My bet would be on "shy", or eldritch/shy, somewhat Varda-style)

it seemed to them that the Silmaril was the reason of their health and prosperity (this is a new idea)

So: it is not Elwing's decision. And it is not based mostly on "we hate them, they killed our people", but on survival needs (and a misconception). And again, there is no textual evidence that the people of Sirion know about the Oath.

Yes, there are people from Gondolin there, but who exactly? Turgon died. Idril was a child when the Oath happenned. They may not know, or they may not share the knowledge (but the later would be unwise).

Based on what the people of Sirion know and assume, their reply makes complete sense to me.

(Also, it seems like it was less a clear "nope" and more of a "umm, let's wait till Earendil returns, but we can't give you an ETA for that".)

The remaining soF suddenly attack the poor people of Sirion and the book is pretty clear that this is bad. It's so bad that some of their followers change sides and die trying to protect Elwing (because of course they do die, we can't have any characters getting any sort of redemption… yea, I understand, it makes sense realism-wise that they all die. But still, non-lethal wounds causing unconciousnes are a thing and I think it was a thing among the Elves? I can't remember an example)

Anyway, A&A die (because this is the unburned version).

Oh, and also Gil-Galad comes to the (too late) rescue (with Círdan). Which means that the mainstream Noldor are (for the first time) willing to fight the Feanorians. They just miss the party. Hmmm, this one detail makes me more fond of G-G son of Fingon. Because: think of the angst. (Or even better: G-G son of one of the Feanorians. But this has other problems)

There are a few survivors who join G-G.

It is told that E&E were captured. It is told that Elwing jumped to the sea with the Silmaril.

For the capture we later get a confirmation. But not for how exactly Elwing landed in the sea.

No info on how much she knew about her sons (already captured? assumed dead? hidden? whatever?). No info on whether she panicked and run blindly, or tried to distract M&M from killing other people, or wanted to maneuvre them into falling into the sea too, or one of myriads of possible scenarios. Or just even fell by a lucky "accident".

You want a perfect, flawless Elwing? The text doesn't contradict it (though she is at least a bit indecisive or not in such a position of power that would make sense given her parentage).

You want a stupid, indecisive Elwing who does a random thing? The text doesn't contradict it.

You want a young, lost, completely panicked Elwing? The text doesn't contradict it.

You want Elwing putting the prosperity of her people (which is assumed to be based on the Silaril) and them not dying of hunger above her own children? The text doesn't contradict it.

(No, we can't have a canon-compliant terrible mom Elwing, we'll get a counter for this.)

She joins Earendil and they are really terrified about their captured sons. So yes, they do care about their sons. they fear that M&M will kill them.

Kidnap fam mentioned, Maglor is sad and tired because Oath. :,(

Earendil wears the Silmaril on his forehead. So… what happenned to the necklace? Did Ulmo take it when he shapeshifted Elwing? The text very much sounds like the necklace is now gone, it's just the gem.

It is said among the gnomes wise, that the Silamril was what guided them to Valinor and let them pass all the magic barriers/traps.

Elwing has Lúthien vibes of "No, I am your wife, you aren't going to do the deadly risky thing alone!"

Earendil comes during a celebration and we are reminded that it's just like Morgoth and Ungoliant did (but he does it by accident). Nice bracketing, I guess? He is scared that even if Valinor something bad happenned. I like this scene.

Eonwe gives him a really cool (however very formal) greeting. "the looked for that cometh at unawares, the longed for that cometh beyond hope." I love this line. Yes, a lot of Tolkien's good lines give the vibe of "wrote it as part of a prayer, rewrote it to fit in his fantasy book". It's not a flaw. But I do find it a peculiar kind of funny.

Anyway, stuff is happenning. The Valar summon even Ulmo for a conversation. They talk. Námo plays the bad cop, which peronally I don't like but ok. I guess somebody has to, it is his job.

Manwë goes "we won't punish them, because they took this risk out of love" which is a solid argument. Earendil&Elwing (and by mention their sons) get the choice.

Also, interesting wording (or translation): they will be judged according to the laws of the species they chose. Huh. Interesting phrasing, I'm not sure what to think of it.

I totally forgot Elwing chilling out with the Teleri in the meantime.

Anyway, Vingilot gets an upgrade, the three sailors get a new ship. Also, doors of Night mentioned. Also, Earendil comes back to Valinor at sunrise and sunset. And it does seem like he does land, he is banned from the mortal lands, but not from Aman? So I guess he does spend some time home with Elwing. When she flies to him it's just to meet him earlier.

But I may be wrong.

Estel / "High Hope" mentioned.

M&M notice a new star. Confirmation that they saw the Silmaril sinking in the sea. Mae is like "Sure it's the silmaril." Maglor is like "we are supposed to rejoice." Anyway they do, at least they are no longer despairing.

And Morgoth is freaked out. :D But he doesn't expect the war (as they say), because the Valar were upset at the Noldor, and he doesn't get what pity is.

The army has white banners, the Vanyar are there (all of them? I suppose Ingwë stayed with Manwe, because before we were told he never went back to ME? Maybe only some Vanyar went to war.) And so are the non-Exile Noldor.

There are some Teleri in the army of the West!!! Just not many. At least that's how the Polish text reads. "Not many wanted to go to war" — so, some did want? some went?

More Teleri (convinced by Elwing) join as sailors, but those Teleri stay at the ships and don't touch tha land. (So yes, it seems there were other Teleri there)

I will leave the War of Wrath for later, maybe for the Morgoth into the Void day 1. Maybe not. Maybe i will do it sooner.

[thelordofgifs]

In Defence of the Sons of Fëanor

Wait, again? Yes, always. But not anything really bad! Kinslaying, I hope we can agree, is pretty indefensible. But an accusation I often see levelled against the younger sons - that they failed to rescue Maedhros from Angband out of cowardice/stupidity - is bugging me. So! Before I get a fandom reputation as "the Gil-galad poster", I thought I might write something about a character I actually care about - Maglor! Also his younger brothers, but Maglor is the one I’m particularly invested in defending.

In fic (particularly a lot of Russingon fic) the views I tend to see expressed by characters, and backed up by the narrative, go something like "The Fëanorions heartlessly refused Morgoth's offer to release Maedhros and left their brother to torture for thirty years! Dangling from a cliff in full view of their camp! But then heroic Fingon showed up and immediately rescued him with nothing more than a bow and a harp - he barely even stopped to eat first!"

Firstly, I obviously understand that views expressed by the characters are not that of the author. It is absolutely valid for Fingon to accuse the Fëanorions of cowardice, and completely in-character for Maglor to feel incredibly guilty about not rescuing Maedhros (and in fact a pretty essential part of their dynamic, in my opinion). My issue is with fics that very much imply that this view is the Only Correct One. There are a lot of things Maglor does wrong over the course of the Silm. This is not one of them.

Beginning with the refusal to surrender to Morgoth in exchange for Maedhros’ release - I hope nobody seriously considers this a bad decision? A crushing one, certainly. You can write really sad fic about this (I plan to). But the Noldor had just received an excellent lesson in why trusting Morgoth to parley was a bad idea. They had no reason to believe that Morgoth would actually release Maedhros if they surrendered - which is correct. He wouldn’t have. The published Silm adds, “and they were constrained also by their oath” - incidentally, a fairly compelling point of evidence in favour of the oath being binding in nature to some extent, but not the point here. The point here is that they couldn’t have surrendered to Morgoth, and shouldn’t have anyway.

So, with that out of the way, we can accept that what Maglor et al are being accused of is not refusing to parley with Morgoth, but failing to mount an independent rescue mission.

(Incidentally, it’s generally assumed that Maglor, the second-eldest brother, was the one in charge during Maedhros’ captivity. I usually subscribe to this myself, but I would also like to note that Maglor is not once named during the description of these events. It’s always “the sons of Fëanor”, as a unit. You could make a pretty strong case that they were deciding things together, or even that one of his younger brothers had usurped him somewhat - C&C have form in that area…)

Actually before I move on from Morgoth’s proposed deal, an important question: did Maedhros’ brothers know that he was alive? According to (I think) the Grey Annals, Maedhros was captured in YT 1497, and suspended from Thangorodrim in YT 1498 - presumably after his brothers had refused Morgoth’s offer. That’s potentially around 10 years in which they heard nothing, before Morgoth makes them the offer! Perhaps they reasoned that Morgoth wouldn’t have put such a valuable prisoner to death; perhaps not. It’s doubtful they were offered actual proof that Maedhros was alive, at any rate.

“Sure,” you might say, “but they definitely knew he was alive once they could see him suspended from Thangorodrim!” I can’t actually express how strongly I disagree with this common headcanon. The Fëanorions couldn’t see Maedhros on the cliff! Where did people get this idea from? I presume it’s because of Legolas’ various physics-defying feats of eyesight in LoTR. I would like to make the argument here that there’s no reason to assume Noldor accustomed to the light of the Trees could see as well in the starlight as a Silvan Elf of shadowed Mirkwood, but that’s not really necessary. There’s much stronger evidence pointing clearly to the fact that Maedhros wasn’t visible: Fingolfin’s host marches right up to the gates of Angband and nobody notices him. He even yells for help, and they don’t hear him! There is no way that anyone knew he was there (and the Sun had risen by this stage, too. If he was visible, they’d have seen him.) I’m allergic to geography, so don’t take my word on this, but my understanding is that Thangorodrim is a whole little mountain range or something, not like a single cliff. As additional support for this, Fingon gets lost on his eventual rescue mission (in which he’s trying to break into Angband itself, because that’s where he thinks Maedhros is) and only finds Maedhros when he hears him singing. The Fëanorions were absolutely not spending thirty years going “ooh look clear day today! Give Nelyo a wave!”

The next thing to tackle is the odd implication that rescuing Maedhros was really easy, actually, and his brothers were cowards for not even attempting it. Not only do I think this untrue, I don’t see why you’d want it to be true? Fingon’s rescue of Maedhros is one of the best parts of the silm. It’s moving because Fingon is so so brave, and he’s brave because what he attempted was impossible. There is seriously NO reason why that should have worked, and that’s what’s wonderful about it. Suggesting that Maedhros’ brothers held back from attempting a rescue because of cowardice or not caring about him, and not because it couldn’t be done, imo really devalues the magnitude of Fingon’s act of grace.

On a more practical level, nothing about the description of the rescue mission suggests it was easy and anyone could have done it? I genuinely hate to make this joke but… one does not simply walk into Angband. Fingon is specifically described as “aided by the very darkness that Morgoth had made” - a darkness which, you recall, he had made in response to the light of the new Sun. If you’d tried to walk up to Thangorodrim before Morgoth had made his smog, you’d have been caught! There were orcs there! And probably all manner of other fell beasties! Maedhros absolutely couldn’t have been rescued before the rising of the Sun, and specifically Morgoth’s response to it.

A final point - the somewhat common claim that Fingon immediately, the instant he learned what had befallen Maedhros, set out to rescue him, and didn’t even stop to like, brush his teeth first. This is a nice image! The Russingon feels are unparalleled! Unfortunately, I don’t think the text backs it up. The published silm states that Fingon went to Angband “resolved to heal the feud that divided the Noldor”. This rather strongly implies that Fingon only left on his mission some time after he arrived at Mithrim, since there was clearly time for tensions to arise between the two hosts. One of the Annals (Grey or of Beleriand? I get them mixed up - at any rate, the timeline on Tolkien Gateway) puts this in even starker terms, stating that Fingolfin’s host arrived at Mithrim in Year 2 of the Sun, and Fingon rescued Maedhros in Year 5. That’s three years of waiting around before he set out! Now, you could headcanon that maybe Maglor et al told Fingon that Maedhros was dead, and he only later learned that they meant “captured and we never found a body” - but it’s also possible that he knew Maedhros was a captive the entire time, and still didn’t do anything. Three years is obviously not the same as thirty, but I find this detail interesting even so. It rather muddies the dichotomy of “Maedhros’ brothers didn’t care enough to rescue him, Fingon immediately saved him” that I often see.

tl;dr the Fëanorions weren’t cowards who didn’t love their brother, they were sensible and it’s tragic.

Right I hope that was a fairly measured and reasonable post (it was supposed to be at any rate) so now I can very quickly say how DARE you imply that Maglor didn’t love Maedhros consider how close he settles to Himring consider how he’s the only one Maedhros brings with him to the Mereth Aderthad consider their last debate ie the most heartbreaking dialogue in the entire book consider how he’s right and yet he still follows Maedhros in stealing the Silmarils consider how he only finally breaks after Maedhros’ death you can pry that tender loving codependent relationship from my COLD DEAD HANDS ok I’m normal now :)

[irrealisms]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Let's spread the self-love 💞

tagged by: @erstwhilesparrow

the autopsy garland -- dsmp hunger games au about rpf fandom and the horrors of celebrity. parts of it have aged poorly--it's about, in part, both the fandom and hatedom surrounding cc!dream and the dream smp as a whole, and also unrelatedly it's about sexual abuse, and, uh, it was published before the dream situation let alone any of the ones that came after it, i have no clue what it'd look like if i wrote it now but certainly it would look wildly different--but i'm still so fucking proud of it. the epistolary sections. the bits of canon dialogue. threading the line between "this guy did awful awful things" and "holy shit, the stuff happening to him is not okay to do to anyone"

between the moth and the moon -- lifesteal, a gentle moment between vitalasy & zam. i wrote this one bc i needed zam to tell vitalasy i mourned you. it's a missing scene and it's one i needed and it's gentle and soft and bittersweet and i go reread it whenever i'm sad about them (this is often)

i don't have the heart to match -- mdzs, my Trans Woman Jiang Cheng Manifesto. there is something so special in my heart for yunmeng shuangjie and jc's issues about wei wuxian and Duty and jealousy and. and. man

Your Body Is Not A Word -- tma fic about s4 jonathan sims exchanging sex for statements. it's about sexual trauma and it's about starving and it's about being both victim and monster and it's about not really being able to believe in the dialectic there and it's about making choices that hurt yourself because you don't having any good options left and not-doing-anything hurts too.

whatever a moon has always meant -- indis/míriel silmarillion fic which is nominally about LaCE and in practice about Catholic sexual ethics & the Catholic outlook more broadly. it's also about grief and doubt and a lot of other things but it's very very Catholic and struggling with that Catholicism. it gets kind of ... pretentious? overwrought in a very teenage fashion? at times, but the core of it is very important to me. considered doing one of my númenor or maedhros fics here instead, there's some good stuff there as well, but. idk. this one's got a soft spot in my heart and it's less Relentlessly Fucking Depressing lol

tagging: @consumptive-sphinx , @blocksgame , @honeyblockm , @peninkwrites , @crimeboys

[amethysttribble]

I'm rereading Everlasting Song in honor of the new chapter update (love it great job!!!) and thing I never noticed before: Do people assume that Maglor and Maedhros are lovers? Like Oberyn/Doran and others? As the explanation for why they are so close/devoted to each other? And, I really should have noticed this earlier, are the boys like well known for being super attractive since they are reborn elves which makes them hot and honorable? (With an approx least honorable elf = most honorable man in westeros metric) Is Varys considering this in his hot talented men who have show no interest in women conspiracy??????? (Curufins cute crush aside)

Thank you so much for this ask! It made me laugh so hard, sorry for the late reply.

Haha, yes; quite a few people think Maedhros Tully and Maglor Sand are lovers. I'm not surprised you didn't notice as it's a joke I play with very quietly, but it's there.

It's kinda a common rumor/salacious bit of gossip that's spread around, especially in Renly and Loras's circles and then also Edmure's circle.

Renly tells everyone that they're together (he has no proof of this), Loras maintains that 'perfect lord and knight Maedhros' hasn't 'realized' but does subconsciously return Maglor's feelings, while poor Mags is being strung along.

Littlefinger is also a hateful little gossip, and he actually refutes the rumor, saying he has a DIRECT line to Maedhros, there's no way he has a lover, he'd KNOW. Maedhros would come to him first if he was looking to dally. No no, he's much too uptight.

Meanwhile, Edmure HATES Maglor, because he has a general beef with singers and he's jealous that this random bastard is stealing his brother's time. He also thinks his brother could do much better, Edmure knows very accomplished knights of similar 'inclinations', what's so special about Maglor, anyway?

But after he finds Maedhros weeping on the floor about Maglor's 'death', he's extremely kind and sympathetic. He's goes to Cat and is like, "Here's the deal, sis, our brother's boytoy is dead and he's devasted as only two men bonded homoerotically can be, it’s a warrior’s bond” and Cat's trying to calculate all that in her head with everything she just learned about Maedhros's 'Fin', and suffice to say the two of them have had QUITE the background conversation about Maedhros's love life.

Oberyn and the Sand Snakes USED to think that Maglor was massively in love with Maedhros. Oberyn has tried to have a few conversations with him about it, to say nothing of his sisters, who were annoying about it, haha. But eventually they all got the hint that Maglor isn't lying, he's serious when he says he loves Maedhros as a brother, it's not like that, and also he's not interested in a relationship with anyone, actually.

This was a hard pill for Oberyn to swallow, lol. I think he's still doing the mental calculus about it, actually, but he's reached the 'if you say so' stage of acceptance, where he doesn't get it, but he's not questioning it.

And yes, the boys are all considered quite tall for Westerosi men (tho they certainly aren't their Elven heights) and pretty damn good looking (tho, again, not in an Elven way - their features have been adjusted. If you were to put portraits of the elf boys and the westeros boys next to each other, there'd be a pretty stark difference, even if it would still be obvious they're the same people). I do think the hotness is scaled, tho.

Celegorm 'the Fair' and Maedhros 'Well-Made' were the hot ones in Valinor, and remain such here (once Celegorm was older and knighted and the two of them were traipsing around the Riverlands together, they must have been a dangerous pair to look at, haha), while the rest of the boys are generally above average. But it's not like they're all a bunch of super models.

But Varys is kinda like ??? about the whole thing, because it is a pattern. I don't think he pays too much attention to the women thing, because his notes look like this-

Maedhros - Gay. Sad.

Maglor - ??? Sneaky. Visits brothels but does not buy. (His spy methods remind Varys of himself, so he doesn't think its weird)

Celegorm - Has the Ned Stark Raised Bastard Trauma, is terrified of conceiving.

Caranthir - Slut (Caranthir is interested in women! As mentioned in his last North to South chapter, he's had a handful of 'friends w/ benefits' in the Red Keep who he's gone to third base with; he was really hoping Arianne would take his 'virginity' lol, since there was no threat to her reputation, but alas. Politics.)

Curufin - Crush on Lady Sansa

Amras and Amrod - Nine Years Old

But they do all still clock as weird, as not one of them does the typical Westerosi man thing of going to brothels or participate in that culture. Not even Caranthir. He has consensual relationships with lower status women with clearly communicated boundaries and expectations. I think he might be the most suspicious one all, actually.

Thanks again for this ask!!

[verecunda]

For the ship thingy: Sauronwë 🔥 🐦

YESSSS. Sorry for taking so damn long about this, I've been so bloody unwell. x___x

Anyway.

Waaaaugh, they make me INSANE. Like, the reason I started shipping it in the first place is because we have exactly one (1) canon interaction between them, but it's just so fascinating! It comes at this absolutely crucial turning point: the overthrow of Morgoth and the ruin of Beleriand. We have Eönwë, leader of the Valarin host, probably very tired and very stressed, especially if he's already dealt with Maedhros and Maglor... and then here comes Sauron, very possibly genuinely rethinking his life choices, donning his fair guise and practically throwing himself at Eönwë's feet to beg for mercy. What is going through their heads at this point? Did they know each other before Mairon went over? Why is this our first canonical example of Sauron specifically trying to use beauty to get his own way?

Basically: if you imagine that they were once lovers, then this canon scene becomes gloriously fraught! Imagine all the messy emotions that must be swirling round this meeting! All the angst, all the love that never quite went away suddenly welling up through the cracks again, all the resentment and the longing and the wondering what if? I'm obsessed with the idea of Sauron clutching at Eönwë as the one familiar thing left among all the wreckage, something bright and beloved from his old life, a sign that if he can just play this right, he can claw his way out of this pit he's dug for himself... and there's Eönwë clutching back, only too aware of his duty, only too aware that he can't trust Sauron - but, oh he wants to, he wants to believe that maybe if he plays this right, he can bring Mairon back...

It's a complete, dreadful, delightful disaster in the making. >8D

And apart from all that, I find it really fun for exploring them both as characters. They're kind of each other's opposite numbers - the herald of Manwë vs. the lieutenant of Morgoth - so it's interesting to play them off each other to see what makes them different and what makes them similar, exploring Almaren backstories, all that good stuff. And though it's not my favourite thing to do with them, there's also tasty AU potential in redemption arcs for Sauron, or corruption arcs for Eönwë.

But also, just the angst of poor, sad Eönwë still secretly carrying his torch for Sauron the Abhorred all through the ages of Middle-earth... you can't beat that.

Send me a ship and I’ll explain why I do or don’t ship it.

[unendingwanderlust]

25 comments left in honor of the latest @justleaveacommentfest event! Every fic I read (and commented on) below the cut!

On this list, you'll find the fluffiest of fluff, body horror, and everything in between. Mind the tags and ratings for each fic, and don't forget to show the authors some love if you enjoyed them!

Fandoms: Tolkien, Lost Girl, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and one awesome Dracula-Barbie crossover (yes, you read that right!)

Silmarillion/LotR

Oubliette by Stramonium (Gen (Maedhros-centric), T, 1097 words)

In the bowels of Darkness, Feanor's firstborn takes an account of what is left.

Our Shared Monsters by theworldisquietheretooquiet (Eluréd & Elurín, Elrond & Elros & Maglor, Celebrían & Elladan & Elrohir, T, 978 words)

“It’s Fëanorians!” Elrohir grins. “They’ve come to steal our Silmarils and… and take us away so we never see Adar or Naneth ever again!”

3 sets of twins, 3 different forests, one suspiciously similar monster.

joy is a bird, a fragile thing by estuarie (Elrond & Elwing, G, 1003 words)

"Good day," he says and finds that his voice carries a tremor. Elwing is smaller than he remembers. "Good day," Elwing responds. Her grey eyes are wide and sad.

Elrond comes to Aman and meets someone who has been lost to him.

far over land and sea by ArgentNoelle (Maglor/Susan Pevensie, G, 2471 words)

Susan dreams of music, and she knows it is not the music of Narnia. It would have both eased and angered her if it were: the bright gold of Aslan’s mane, a warm breath: these things still come to her in stolen moments. And in the years since her exile she’d said it was play-pretend when what she meant was ‘we walked out of paradise full-knowing we would never come back.’

Melui Edlothia - Sweet Blossom by KimicThranduilion (Legolas & his mother, G, 1031 words)

Elfling Legolas gives his mother cause for worry before springing a sweet surprise on her.

Our Dark Master by Corsair_Caruso (Morgoth/Sauron, E, 2263 words)

Mairon finds his Master in agony after being rescued from the predations of Ungoliant by Gothmog and the Balrogs. But only Mairon can give the Dark Lord what he needs...

an anchor in the stormy sea by frosted_violets (Gimli/Legolas, T, 2730 words)

After the battle of Helm’s Deep, Legolas breaks down. The amount of death is too much for him to bear, and he finally realizes the mortality of his traveling companions. He shuts himself away, but Gimli finds him and puts him back together.

Come Tomorrow (You Won't Find Me Here) by Lorinand_Lost (Barefoot_Dancer) (Glorfindel/Maglor, E, 2215 words)

"They are tired of ghosts, the both of them, even ghosts they love."

[Glorfindel makes up his mind to sail for Valinor, but he won't be going alone]

Bedtime Storytime for Little Legolas by amloveabledeathmo (Thrandul/Thranduil's Wife, G, 2076)

Children are always too excited to sleep when something fun is going on the next day. Legolas's mother tries her best to settle him with a story of how she meet his father.

The Life and Times of the Witch-King of Angmar by Gheyn (Sauron/Witch-King of Angmar, E, 3880 words)

"I ought to slay you where you stand," the Witch-King growled.

"Come," Sauron laughed, walking from the tomb where eight stooped corpses stood waiting.

Middle-Earth's Greatest Tourist Trap by octopus_fool (Gen, T, 4225 words)

It was always Blorbo Baggins' big dream to visit Mount Doom. Sauron, on the other hand, hasn't been able to leave Mount Doom since the One Ring was destroyed.

elvenkings by am_fae (Oropher & Thranduil, Elrond & Oropher, Elwing & Evranin, G, 1524 words)

Thranduil sat on a pier and watched the silt swirl and mingle with the clear salt of the ocean. Something tugged in his young breast: he could not name it. It was not sea-longing.

The Sea’s Fury by SunflowerSupreme (Maglor/Salmar/Uinen/Ossë, E, 3298 words)

After centuries wandering alone, Maglor is pulled from his home on the shore.

Stars by politicalmamaduck (Arwen/Tauriel, Not Rated, 3088 words)

Tauriel journeys to Rivendell when King Thranduil decides to pay Lord Elrond a visit, and amid training sessions and late-night conversations, she and Arwen fall deeply in love.

The Crane Wife by Trebia (Thranduil/Thranduil's Wife, Lalwen/Thranduil, Legolas & Thranduil, Legolas & Lalwen, M, 4347 words)

Lalwen, on sailing east, had more history to her than most would recall.

Or, if you will, why Thranduil was so bent on those gems.

So Summer Comes by potatoesanddreams (Elrond & Elros & Elwing, G, 2655 words)

Nana is so tired. Elrond can see it in her stillness, in the slump of her shoulders, in the languorous blinking of her reflection’s eyes. She has been sitting at the window since noon, but it has worn out her strength as surely as if she had gone running along the snow-laden sea-cliffs with him and Elros and the youth who came along to mind them, searching for a vantage from which they might by good fortune catch sight of Ada’s ship.

Ada said he would be home by autumn equinox. It is winter solstice now.

the light in my life by likethenight (Sigrid/Tauriel, G, 3137 words)

Nothing ever happened in Lake-town, Sigrid thought, later, nothing ever changed, and yet in the space of two days and nights everything changed.

It takes her and Tauriel rather longer than that to untangle what they feel about each other, however.

Lost Girl

Waiting for the Rain to Fall by Arbryna (Bo/Tamsin, E, 1365 words)

Tamsin isn't as confident as she'd like everyone to believe.

Solace by Arbryna (Dyson/Tamsin, E, 2209 words)

Dyson is grateful for the distraction Tamsin keeps offering him; he just can't figure out what's in it for her.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

the face of someone (i don't know) by guin_ramble and zombiesam (Buffy/Giles, E, 6349 words so far)

Buffy, newly resurrected and in the throes of depression, seeks comfort in all the wrong places. When her despairs threatens to completely overwhelm her, she turns to the person she trusts most.

Dracula-Barbie Crossover

la petite mort by howlingmoonrise (TheDarkStoryteller) (Babie/Dracula, T, 3896 words)

“Well,” she says, long and drawn out, and from the glint in her eyes he can tell this is some kind of inner joke, kept from him. “I’ve been a diplomat, and a race car driver, and a chef, and an astronaut, and a veterinarian--”

“An astronaut,” he repeats dryly. He wants to call her on her lie - but. But. How strange. There’s no indication of a lie: no rise in temperature, no quickening of her pulse, no change to her eyes, nothing.

She laughs. “You don’t know the half of it."

[i-did-not-mean-to]

April - Maedhros & Maglor

Ah, MoonLord my dear reader has come up with quite an interesting batch of prompts for me!

So, after all the smut, have some gen stuff :D

Pairing: Maedhros & Maglor

Prompts: Sibling relationships, Babysitting, war, musical instruments, heat

Words: 2005

Warnings: Sadness, regret, loss

“Don’t,” Maedhros said automatically as something whizzed past his head. It was only when he saw the charred bone—a bleak, white accusation—roll down the hill that he remembered where they were.

Long gone were the days when the twins would throw clumps of dirt and paper-thin skins filled with water at one another and their older siblings in mischievous glee.

His heart ached as he thought back on those blessed days of carefree annoyance; their mother, dutiful and devoted, would sneak off with his half-uncle’s wives to gossip about their husbands and unruly children, and he’d be left in charge of a whole pack of feral youngsters.

Back then, he'd been the oldest, but he hadn’t been able to fathom yet how terrible it would be to feel old.

“Food shall be ready soon,” Celegorm declared in a voice so hollow, that it was clear to everyone that he didn’t care whether his brothers would devour the spoils of his ruthless hunt like wild animals or shun them like petulant children.

Once upon a time, his steps had been so light that it had been impossible for anyone but Huan to hear him approach, but his dark deeds and bitter regrets had weighed him down so much that his every movement seemed to set his surroundings atremble with cold dread.

Habit drove the old-familiar words onto Maedhros’s tongue, “Come on, children!”, “Food is ready!”, “Wash your hands!”, but he didn’t speak any of them aloud—what for?

They were elflings no more, and the blood on their hands could never be rinsed off.

It felt to Maedhros as if he already sensed that terrible, blazing heat that had taken their father lick at his ankles, and he thanked the Valar for his prodigious height. No matter how voracious the flames of their Doom were, they’d have a far to go yet before consuming him whole.

Surely, it was also that secret fire’s pervasive, poisonous smoke that made his breath come in shallow, ragged bursts and drove tears into his bright, gentle eyes.

There was no place for pity or nostalgia in a war camp, and if he missed Caranthir’s rare fits of raucous laughter or Curufin’s earnest devotion to crafts of beauty rather than of violence, it was a small price to pay in the pursuit of Fëanor’s expectations.

Suddenly, the dutiful, unerring uncrowned king wondered why their father’s wrath and single-minded determination felt shockingly alive when everything else—their hope, their joy, their very vivacity—seemed to have died so long ago.

These things were not for him to consider or to know, though, and he turned his attention back to the gaggle of brothers, all beloved and regretted already, who closed in on the fresh kill like hungry wolves.

He wished Fingon could be there—he’d always been so good at distracting them by making a witty joke or feigning interest in the various interests that kept the infamous sons of a genius enthralled.

No, Maedhros corrected himself harshly, he was being unfair to one whose heart had ever been more generous than he himself could even fathom—thus, Fingon had probably genuinely cared.

He’d cared so much that he’d died for a cause that had never been his own, many times over, and Maedhros welcomed the crippling pain of loss and guilt washing over him like a wave of sharp-toothed darkness—he deserved to be denied even the comfort of mourning the death of his best friend and true love.

Some of his brothers might have wailed and raged, others would have curled up around the throbbing core of their suffering, but he was allowed neither.

The one person who might have understood and had wise words of comfort to impart was Turgon, and Maedhros knew that he’d probably never hear that calm, grave voice again.

That, he also more than deserved.

“Will you not eat something?”

Maglor appeared with a shallow, cracked bowl in his famed hands. He resembled their father’s family much more than their mother’s on the surface, but he had inherited Nerdanel’s gentle, calming smile and the look of indulgent fondness they all missed so desperately.

“I’m not hungry; give my portion to the…”

“Little ones?” Maglor laughed mirthlessly. “Do you know that, for the longest time, I was convinced that you abhorred sweetmeats and treats? You’d always pass on your cake to me, and I believed that it was due to a personal dislike rather than a sincerely stupid act of self-denial.”

Kneeling gracefully before his older brother, he held out the simple meal stubbornly.

“You need to eat, lest you fade completely. We need you—and I know how cruel and selfish that sounds, but we cannot do this without you. I cannot do this alone.”

And, because he remembered what his interim kingship had done to his creative, wild-hearted brother, Maedhros accepted the proffered bowl wordlessly, nodding his thanks.

“Eat, brother,” Maglor insisted; he’d known Maedhros for too long to be fooled by his courteous manners and his uncanny ability to dissimulate how much he was buckling under the burdens put upon him. “I shall sit with you and make sure that you’re honouring Tyelko’s effort appropriately.”

Grimacing, Maedhros took a tentative bite—the meat was chewy and tasted like wet coal, but he forced a smile onto his lips to assuage the swirling worry in his brother’s eyes.

“It’s not very good,” Maglor whispered conspiratorially, “but it’s warm and nourishing—that’s all we can ask for.”

Maedhros heard the “all we deserve now” even though it was not spoken, so he bowed his head in agreement and went on spooning the tasteless sludge into his numb mouth mechanically.

“Come over, sit by the fire with us,” Maglor went on as he took the empty container back. “Surely, you won’t refuse a bit of comforting heat out of petulant brooding and self-flagellation?”

Not sure whether his wickedly witty sibling was referencing the warmth of the reluctant but unbroken brotherhood or the mundane effect of the small campfire, Maedhros cocked his head and waited.

“I could play the harp,” Maglor went on, unrelenting. “Like in the old days when I’d help you babysit the horrors.”

Out of habit rather than real annoyance, Maedhros sucked his teeth. He might have been prejudiced, but he’d always staunchly claimed that none of his brothers was even half as terrifying as their female cousins.

Indeed, he’d ever believed that Finrod had been dealt the trickiest hand, but the mere thought of his former flippancy on these matters made him now flinch as if struck.

Too many of their kinspeople had perished, and he felt terrible for ever having had a single ungracious thought about them.

“Nobody wants to hear your howling,” Caranthir hissed, but—as per usual—nobody paid his ill-tempered outbursts any heed. Moreover, his two oldest brothers hadn’t forgotten the seemingly endless period when that little red-faced boy had only been able to fall asleep in Maedhros’s arms while Maglor hummed lullaby after lullaby.

“Father would not want you to isolate yourself,” Curufin agreed in Fëanor’s voice, mirroring Fëanor’s grave mien, moving his strong fingers in a perfect imitation of Fëanor’s gestures.

“I…I can’t stop seeing those who are no longer there,” Maedhros replied, shielding his sensitive eyes from the flickering light of the fire—he’d grown to dread the devastating element that had robbed him of all he’d held most dear.

If his brothers understood his words as a thinly veiled reference to their parents, he would not correct them, but he knew that his mazy thoughts comprised others whose very names had become anathema to the precarious survival to which they clung with despairing obstinacy.

Their Flight, the Ice, the burning of the ships, the confrontation at the feet of King Thingol—there had been too many incidents that had torn them apart, but—just for one dark, bleak night—Maedhros allowed himself to miss the children he’d watched grow up in the Blessed Realm until his chest hurt with suppressed sobs.

It was generally accepted that the Oath had erased all other considerations in their crazed minds, and—once again—he wouldn’t correct anyone who believed so, because the truth was so much worse.

He remembered everything: every ephemeral sandcastle, every scraped knee, every impromptu nap against the narrow, bony ribcage of a young, hopeful prince of yore.

How he wished that he could forget that he’d held, defended, comforted, and loved them long before they had righteously started loathing him! If he could excise those memories from his heart, he might well have reclaimed the Silmarils by now; instead, he was torn to pieces by contradicting loyalties until every minute movement made his body and soul writhe in agony.

Maglor had unpacked the battered, old harp he carried around in a worn, oiled skin as if in defiance of their present situation and their hopeless quest.

Little by little, the conversations died as the initially random, mournful notes melted into a variation of an old lullaby, overwhelming in its simplicity and never-changing beauty.

Eyes closed and lips pursed, Maglor conjured up visions of lush gardens and mellow, silvery reveries which stung and soothed their hearts in equal measure.

With every stroke of his calloused, weary fingers, the melodies grew more intricate and enchanting, and even the dead trees around them seemed to bend towards the life-giving solace flooding the barren clearing like a wave of pure light.

The last time his brothers had heard this piece performed, there had been many different instruments interweaving their precious song with Maglor’s flawless harp play, but the stark absence of a supporting accompaniment felt oddly fitting now as it perfectly mirrored his solitary, desperate effort to dispel the omnipresent, suffocating gloom miring them down.

Cruelly aware of how tense and unmoving his forcibly dispassionate mien must have looked, Maedhros tried to let the music drown out the painful knowledge that, had they lived, neither Fingon nor Finrod could have resisted joining their skill and voices to this pitiful concerto.

Alas, they had fallen, and no fire or flame in all of Arda could have replaced the healing, cheering warmth they might have dispensed.

“You have everything you need to succeed,” Fëanor had said as he’d lain, broken and burned, in the loving, trembling arms of his oldest son, and Maedhros had nodded, ready to swear any oath if only his words could soothe his father’s evident agony.

He’d been right, the disenchanted, weary minder of his quasi-orphaned brothers now realised; at the moment of his demise, Fëanor could not possibly have foreseen the terrible, devastating losses his sons would have to face and bear in the single-minded pursuit of their ill-fated vow.

It might well have been a wilfully naïve stance, but Fëanor—having himself left his beloved wife behind in the Blessed Realm—had been convinced that helplessly, uselessly yearning for those who were happy and safe within the keeping of their ungracious jailors was counterproductive and needlessly distracting.

Maedhros wondered how their father’s tune might have changed if he’d known his wife, his brother, his very followers to have died miserably.

In many a way, it was a mercy that he’d died before learning of Fingolfin’s arrival or his subsequent death—despite all his bitter words, Fëanor might not have stomached that knowledge as comfortably as he wanted to make others believe.

Through a veil of flickering flames, Maedhros caught the knowing, understanding gaze of his favourite brother, and his mouth curled into a genuinely fond smile as Maglor intoned a simple song he’d learned at Maedhros’s elbow so long ago.

For the first time in what felt like ages, comfortable drowsiness descended upon the camp as their younger brothers pulled up their bedrolls around their shoulders, bowed with grief and unspoken fear.

They’d sleep soundly tonight, and that alone was worth the terrible loneliness of the two elders whose wakeful watch would not end until the merciless sun came up once more.

-> Masterlist

@fellowshipofthefics: I am still on it :D

[outofangband]

Your culture and crafting mood boards for the Noldor and Teleri are wonderful! They are so evocative and thought-provoking (and so carefully and beautifully composed). Your visuals are always such great worldbuilding references. Thank you so much for sharing! 🙂

This is such a kind ask I really really appreciate this. World building is one of my favorite things 🐢🐢🐢🐢

I love your writing! I often think of your fic where Maedhros is jealous of Húrin for his cheer and energy; it’s charming and funny and also makes me so sad knowing of course what will happen to Húrin :/

[marietheran]

So I just read the part about how Fingon had to cut off Maedhroes' hand and that Maedhroes recovered in body but "the shadow of his pain was in his heart" and immediately thought of Frodo having to go to the undying lands eventually and never recovering from his experiences with the ring and being stabbed.

It really does take a different light when you think about Tolkien fighting in WW1 and how those horrible experiences clearly influenced him, in even the most obvious ways, like these bits.

I also wonder how much of these parts are influenced not only by his own experience but just from his friends and seeing their responses after coming back from the war.

It makes me so sad but also amazed at how God used his writings to inspire and encourage so many future generations

Huh, I never really thought about Maedhros specifically in the context of WW2, but yeah that fits. Could be an old-fashioned way of saying PTSD; I mean, Tolkien's known for being very realistic about the consequences of going through awful things - perhaps unconsciously, just because of what he had seen.

--------

Personally I really get struck by what Maedhros went through - especially since he had hardly known about hardship before. It's not something you can prepare for in any case, but when you've known about concentration camps since you were nine... it has to be so much more shocking when (semi)paradise is all you've ever known.

And Fingon is cool, and Manwë has a curious definition of wrath (which was supposed to "lie on the house of Fëanor from the west to the uttermost east" et cetera - btw the Doom might be my favourite part of the book if we were to take into account just the writing - the rhythm of it!), but ultimately that's a plus.

[imakemywings]

i swear we have the same thought when it comes to silm characters that are unfairly hated (or written so ooc). i saw that turgon post and i'm sorry but i had to hop in because i've been wanting to yap about him because well i like his character and the fact that the fandom (well not all) seemed so harsh on him is just sad. what i hate the most is when he is described as a prude (just like the straight-laced/uptight take on him) like ??? my bro has a wife and daughter, im pretty sure he rizzed tf out of elenwe while y'all faves died virgins lmao and the thing that pissed me off (still is lol) is when he is written as the (always) homophobe sibling or the fact that his older brother (who he has a good relationship with) would always choose his red-headed cousin over him like sure

LOL no worries, you are not the first person to visit me about the Turgon post

There's nothing wrong with not having sexual partners (aroace sex-repulsed Maedhros will always be my h/c for him) and certainly married people can be prudes or uptight, but there's just nothing in the text that leads me to think there's a canonical basis for this view of Turgon so I wonder how it became so widespread

It feels relevant also to me that Turgon at no point appears to have any issue with Idril marrying a mortal (which to me pushes back against the notion of his being uptight) and he himself befriends mortals and would have gladly let Huor and Hurin live on in Gondolin for life.

He's described in the same sentence as Fingon as being "bold and fiery of heart" which to me says a) Turgon and Fingon have at least some pretty core similarities; and b) Turgon obviously has some fairly intense passions, which tracks with the rest of the house of Finwe tbh None of them are very wishy-washy or nonchalant people XD

There is a lot of room for interpretation with Silm, and some pretty widely divergent character interpretations can fit within what we get in canon, but I personally am not a fan of when Fingon's entire world revolves around Maedhros, and I prefer to think that Turgon generally has a positive relationship with his siblings, at least at the outset.

I do think it's interesting when Fingon and Turgon have opposing ideas about what the Noldor should be doing in Middle-earth (ex: Fingon views reconciliation with the Feanorians as the only viable path to long-term survival while Turgon thinks the Feanorians are untrustworthy and will only lead to trouble) as well as Fingon's potentially complicated feelings about Turgon's departure for Gondolin, but I do think that even where things become fraught between them, they love each other, and they respect each other.

I absolutely love those moments of the Nirnaeth when it's the arrival of Turgon that makes Fingon take heart again, and when he hears the sound of Gondolin's trumpets is when he cries "the dawn has come" (or whatever the exact quote is I don't have my book with me rn).

Furthermore like I've said before I think that although Aredhel ended up peacing out of Gondolin, the fact that she came with at all and was willing to go in on this whole experiment shows how much she loved and respected Turgon. I will always maintain that they were especially close among Fingolfin's children.

Also, Turgon gets some of THE most badass descriptions in Lays of Beleriand in MY humble opinion. Go off king.

[eri-pl]

Silmarils, grief and hope.

We all know grief is a big theme and all that, and related to Tolkien's life. But. The Silmarils.

Long chaotic post about "wanting the Silmarils is related to having unprocessed grief" and "the Silmarils are hope, but Not Like That".

(I'm not sure how many there are for whom it makes a difference, but I assume it's a non-zero amount: sort of Morgoth-pov at the very end which may be emotionally intense. For convenience, it's separated with a picture. The rest is much more calm, I think. Just chaotic and may have autocorrect errors.)

Why do so many people (allegedly) want them more than it would make sense, even if they aren't cursed?

So many events on the story of those jewels are related to grief. Feanor makes them after his mother does and he cannot process his feelings properly (which is not his fault; where would he learn to process them? But it is a thing.)

Then he loses them when his father dies and really wants them back, swears the oath. Then he does and his sons swear the oath again, and of course they don't process their grief properly either.

Oh and I forgot, before that, the Valar. They lose the Trees and want them back. Interestingly, it's not Manwe (the king) who is most focused on getting the Silmarils for that, nor Varda (most associated with them), but Yavanna (sure, it was her trees, but also she's the most loss-avoiding Vala, she misses each tree that is being cut) and Tulkas (lowest emotional intelligence of all proper Valar). Again, the perceived need to get the Silmarils is where there's some unprocessed grief, and most intense in those Valar who would have the hardest time processing it.

(and Aule! He actively advocates for granite keeping it. But I'm sure the "my best Maia joined Morgoth, I'm constantly bullied, my wife doesn't like me, and I am never a jerk despite it all" guy is pretty good at processing his negative feelings.)

(Also, how the sun and moon are made? The fruit grow when Nienna cries, and it is Nienna, she is processing the grief in a proper, healthy way. And it... It solves the problem (lack of light) for which the Silmarils were "necessary". Sure, the moon and sun are lesser, not as beautiful... But there's a theme there. Namely, the third of them. 🙂 Things change. You can't fix anything important by going Ctrl+Z on it. You have to go forward, not backwards.)

The Silmarils are the feeling of hope (see: reactions to Gil-Estel, and it's very name) they are a promise that it all will be good. They are a good thing, but to an untrained eye the promise seems much more immediate, much more like something that can be done here and now.

If I only had them, all would be fine.

And they are not this, Nienna would know, I'm pretty sure Varda knew too when she blessed them (she may have not realized how others see it). They are just a reminder of something unsaid. Estel, not amdir. (It's a little funny to me how this means "looking up" but it's not for this post)

Anyway, the Silmarils. Thingol who realizes he'll lose his daughter (doesn't know how much he would lose her, but a sad marriage to a diet Man is enough, also a kid growing up can be a grief in itself. Or maybe it is because she will be mortal, maybe he suffers from what @dfwbwfbbwfbwf called "pre-traumatic stress disorder"). And a Silmaril is the only thing that could let him through the pain of losing his daughter.

And then he carries it, of course he does, if he let it go he would have to face his pain. He dies and Luthien wears the jewel, then after her death - Dior. A chain of deaths and losses and a beautiful gem.

It is too much for their half-mortal eyes, too much hope to be able to let go of it even if they had a reason.

And Maedhros starts demanding it after Unnumbered Tears (unnumbered, unprocessed, unhealed), which sure, has also a more political/reasonable explanation (he's out of other options), but also, it's a lot of grief.

And it goes into a chain of deaths.

Melian never cared about the Silmaril (she cared about it as a problem, but not about having it). Beren gave it up easily. Earendil have it to the Valar (they have it back later).

The dwarves... There are two things here. One is generational trauma of "the sindar hunted our ancestors for sport"+general racism. The other is that dwarves generally have more need of hope I think... Elves are reborn, Men are said to go somewhere beautiful and mysterious, and the Dwarves??? It's very uncertain.

And at the end it is Makalaure "singing apology songs which doesn't make me less of a murderer, just a hypocrite, but at least helps me process my traumas" Kanafinwe who throws the hope away because someone else would make a better use of it probably, and goes on to live through his darkness.

It's so hard to face your pain and start looking not only at hope for you, but at hope for the others. And sometimes what the world needs to have more hope, is you facing your pain.

I can't find a clear name for what the Silmarils are/mean in this... Something close to hope, but also something you must let go of to process your grief... It's inherently good, but can be overused... I'm sure there's something fitting, I just can't find it.

And the "Feanor will break the Silmarils" thing? For the trees? Seriously? No. He will break then because he will learn to live without them, to live with his pain. He breaks then because they aren't relevant anymore. (Who said that about fulfilled hope not being called hope anymore? My favorite "I can write more weird and more enigmatic stuff that you, but it makes waaay more actual sense than your posts anyway" guy?) He breaks them, but it's not necessary, it's just natural.

(but also tbh they do look a little like seeds so idk why not have new trees, they are kinda cool... well my perception of them looking like seeds is based mostly on "need to break" anyway... My thinking goes in atypical ways)

And there's Morgoth. Oh of course there's Morgoth. The dark Vala who couldn't (wouldn't) process his feelings even if they came with a manual. (He's an Ainu. They very likely initially came with a manual. But he thought he knew better)

He wants to steal hope and blacken it, and destroy it, right?

So... He feeds the Silmarils to Ungoliant? Tries to break them? Hides them far away?

No.

He wears them on his face, even if it hurts terribly. It hurts like dying. This is how clinging to your ego defences feels like. "the pain demands to be felt", to quote my favorite psychology YouTuber writing someone else. If you don't face it, it will still burn. If you run away from it, it will still be there. If you cling to the "I am not sad, everything is fine, it's great", it will burn your face.

But anything else would mean admitting there's a problem. Admitting that they burn would mean admitting that he was wrong. That his pain is there, and also it's not purely (not mostly tbh) others' fault, that he's not the victim in here.

What pain?

Well if you want my opinion, it's funny that it was Finwe who guarded the Silmarils. Finwë who favored his older, more temperamental, more brilliant son and made him the crown prince. Finwë who never told Feanor to sit down and cut his BS. Finwë who everyone says it's such a great father. So if everyone says that, it is rational to expect such behavior, right? It's valid to be angry about being treated in a different way? It must be. Anything else would mean that he was wrong.

It's better to burn.

[thelordofgifs]

On Maglor’s Fate

(and why it’s a good thing)

I’ve seen several excellent posts by people far more knowledgeable about HoME than I pointing out that Maglor’s fate in the published silm – wandering the shores in eternal lament – was in fact taken by Christopher Tolkien from a single draft of the legendarium, and that JRRT’s later conception of Maglor’s fate was that he died by suicide at the same time as Maedhros, casting himself into the sea along with his Silmaril. This is a very good point, but despite the fandom’s general lack of adherence to published silm canon (see the prevalence of crispy Amrod truthers, or the lack of consensus on Gil-galad’s parentage) most people seem to have cleaved rather strongly to the idea of Maglor’s survival. Why?

Well, I would like to argue, because it’s SO much more interesting.

Of course, your headcanons are valid! If you prefer thinking that Maglor died at the end of the First Age, go for it; most of the texts support you! But for all the Maglor girlies (gender-neutral) out there, here’s a non-exhaustive list of reasons why Maglor’s survival is better, more satisfying storytelling, and you should continue to cling to this one outdated draft of the silm.

It fits Maglor’s arc better. For such a popular character, I always find it interesting that Maglor is only really developed in the final chapter of the silm – but what we do get in that final chapter is so fascinating. He takes pity on Elrond and Elros, he speaks against stealing the Silmarils, and, most pertinently to my point here, he effectively relinquishes his claim to Eärendil’s Silmaril. The straight line from "its glory is seen now by many, and is yet secure from all evil", to wanting to surrender to Eönwë, to actually throwing a Silmaril into the sea is SO delicious. A lot of that character growth is wiped out if Maglor instead casts both himself and the Silmaril into the sea.

It better sets up Maglor as a foil to Maedhros. I will never shut up about how Maglor's last debate with Maedhros is the best and most heartbreaking dialogue in the book. Its construction is exquisite, and one of the things I love about it the most is the way they mirror each other's words, becoming, in a way, reflections of each other. ("Who shall release us?"—"If none can release us...") All of Maglor's actions in the final chapter are in direct contrast to Maedhros': compare the fostering of Elrond and Elros with Maedhros' failure to save Eluréd and Elurín, and then consider why it is that Maglor still seems to have some hope that things will all work out (which is why he wants to surrender) while Maedhros despairs completely. That contrast makes it important to me that Maglor reacts in a different, more optimistic manner than Maedhros to the Silmarils burning them. ("More optimistic" by the bleak bleak standards of the end of the silm, at least.) I also really like the kidnap fam parallels of Elros and Maedhros both choosing death in very different ways, whereas Elrond and Maglor both choose life - E&E almost repeating M&M's decisions in a healthier and more wholesome manner.

It better preserves Maedhros' arc. Leading on from the last point, but, I think, separate. Maedhros' suicide, in addition to being just ridiculously tragic, is fascinating. The despair, the profundity of the realisation that it was all for nothing, the idea that Maedhros, who spent decades as a captive of Morgoth, is the one person knows exactly what being burned by the Silmarils means - aahh it's so good I can't dissect it all here. But do also consider Maedhros begging Fingon to kill him, and how he finally got his wish, centuries later! That terrible fall from grace is Maedhros' story. I think having Maglor also die by suicide actually diminishes Maedhros' tragedy, with the rather perverse outcome that two deaths end up being less sad than one.

Unresolved endings are good. This is a rather more personal one, tbh - but I love those last messy loose ends, and Maglor's survival is a quintessential one. Don't the great tales never end? There is, of course, so much excellent fanfic potential in Maglor still wandering Middle-Earth into the Second and Third Ages. Here's a legend from the Elder Days, and you can have him stroll into Rivendell if you want! So much more satisfying than neatly wrapping the story up and tying a bow on top.

As far as I can tell, Tolkien's own reasons for having Maglor die instead were that he wanted Galadriel to be the last surviving leader of the rebellion of the Noldor; I've also seen it argued that Maglor needs to die so that Celebrimbor can be the last surviving Fëanorian. To be honest, I don't think Maglor's survival does much damage to either of these arcs. He's effectively a non-entity after the First Age; the text specifies that he "came never back among the people of the Elves". So you can definitely prefer a version of canon where Maglor lives without losing all those Very Important Feelings about Celebrimbor!

There are, of course, myriad self-indulgent reasons why you might also prefer to think Maglor doesn't die. Maybe you just like him and it would be too sad if he dies; maybe you ship him very specifically with someone born in the Second Age; maybe you just want Elrond to have one thing left after everyone he's lost. I didn't include these in the above list because that was attempting to focus more on literary reasons why Maglor's survival makes for a better story, but they are all so valid and I agree with all of them! But hopefully Points 1-4 can be emphatically whipped out the next time someone implies that the fandom is clinging to Maglor's survival for solely sentimental reasons. There are good, solid grounds for wanting Maglor to live, we promise! It actually improves the story!

you're just jealous our blorbo survives and yours doesn't—