#we all love beleg

[trecciolinoooooo]

some days ago I was in a videocall with my dear friend Morgan and we found out we both completely forgot that Beleg fought in the Nirnaeth

he started telling ne that since Beleg and Mablung came back to Doriath, if the whole Doriath had stopped obey Thingol and had fought not only they would have won but also Melian would defeat Melkor alone since she is Luthien's mother and Luthien trolled Melkor so bad

I just thought that Hurin too was in the Nirnaeth with Beleg so if he likes his son why shouldn't he like his father too? (we laughed for like 10 minutes)

[holytrickster]

also i finally finished the silm earlier and oh my god i understood narn i chin hurin so much better this time. like i know the whole thing isn't included but the fact the main parts are mentioned *after* i knew who the heck everyone in it was and where everything was happening made it so much more understandable now than when i first read it back when i was like 14 bc i went like hobbit -> lotr -> children of hurin with a lot of time in between where i forgot stuff

[doodle-pops]

Think You Can Warm Me Up

[Elves and Cockwarming x reader]

Request: What elves do you think would like cock-warming? - anon

A/N: This was a lot of elves to think for since I've added more over the months gone by. Enjoy!!!

Warning: smut, cockwarming

More: Brat Taming

Loves it – sometimes when they’re too busy to have sex with you but you want to feel them, they’ll suggest you sit on their lap, only to feel them raising your body slightly to slide themselves into you. When you lift your hips to move, their hands will be planted firmly on your waist with a stern look on their faces warning you to stay still. They’ll keep their hands on your waist, using it to pull you closer to rest against their chest and hold you down. Some use it for punishment when your bratty side comes out. They’ll rile you up by making out with you, having you grind on them feeling as though you two are about to have sex, but then when you’re about to ride them, they’ll lean in to whisper, “Not so fast love, no moving, sit right there and stay still or I’ll leave you empty. You thought I’d just give in and give you what you wanted, my poor confused little one” Other times, they’d use it to literally warm themselves up. When you two are relaxing as such, they’d throw the suggestion out to you and once you agree, the two of you will just be lounging about with their cock buried in you, staying warm. There are times you’ve fallen asleep with them buried in you. “You feel so warm and tight love, stop shifting so much, just stay still. This feels good, now we can cuddle.”

MAEDHROS, Maglor, CELEBRIMBOR, FINGOLFIN, FINGON, Finarfin, FINROD, AEGNOR, GLORFINDEL, GALDOR, BELEG, Rog, Elrond

Hates it – the first time you suggest the act, they were down to try it, but once you sank your warm hole onto their cock, it was over for them. Their hands would immediately shoot out to grab your waist, urging you to move but you’ll simply push it away and lean into their chest informing them that you’re not supposed to move. “It’s called cockwarming for a reason. Now stay still. Don’t get mad, remember you agreed to this, so sit and enjoy it.” This was absolute torture for them, they couldn’t take it anymore. Knowing that if they moved their hips right then, you’d probably hop off and that wasn’t part of their plan. Waiting till you were settled in and comfortable, with ease, their hands would sneak around your waist holding you firmly to their chest and without any warning, begin thrusting into you. You’d admit that this was not how you planned the session to go but with the way the tip of their cock was brushing against your soft spot, your moans gave it away. Now whenever you suggest it to them, they’d smile at you saying that they’ll behave, only to abuse your heat as soon as you sink down on their cock. The longest they’ve ever lasted was five seconds. “If you really thought I’d sit through all that torture, you’re absolutely wrong. Now be a good girl/boy and enjoy my cock.”

FEANOR, CELEGORM, Curufin, Turgon, ARGON, ANGROD, EGALMOTH, ECTHELION, MAEGLIN, ELLADAN

Mixed feelings – one minute it’s torture for them the other it’s blissful. It just all depends on their mood not so much yours. If they’re tired and just want to be warmed or you want to feel them, they’d let you go ahead without interrupting you. They’d simply wrap their arms around you and pull you in closer, pressing a kiss to your forehead and drifting off to sleep. Other times it’s when they’re busy doing paperwork and could do with a little relief. Letting you sit on their lap with the table hiding their cock buried deep in your heat, they’d let you lean into them so they could continue their work. “This feels good, didn’t think I’d be needing this, but after I’m finished here, I’d bend you over this table for a good fuck, hmm.” When you’re teasing them all day and acting up and then decide it’s time to kick it up a notch by making them feel you were about to ride them after your tedious torture only to sit still on their cock, now you’re just asking for it. They’d be grinding their teeth the entire time when you tell them not to move while pretending to do something important, informing them that when you’re finished then you two can go at it, they’re not going to listen, not when you were suffocating their cock. They wouldn’t care at that point, so say goodbye to whatever it was that you were doing. “Don’t you think this is a little too much love, don’t you think this has gone on for too long because I think so as well. How about we change that by having me fuck you, now.”

Maedhros, MAGLOR, CARANTHIR, Amrod, Fingolfin, FINGON, TURGON, FINARFIN, Finrod, AEGNOR, Glorfindel, GALDOR, Egalmoth, ROG, ERESTOR

Masterlist

Taglist: @spidergirla5 @eunoiaastralwings @mysticmoomin @aconstructofamind @lilmelily

[annoyinglandmagazine]

I love the idea of Finweans being transported into Years of the Trees Valinor as much as the next person but you know what I think could be just hilarious for a crack concept? A Sinda being transported into Years of The Trees Valinor. Think Beleg, Mablung, Daeron or maybe even Thingol himself (preferably with no one knowing who they are) getting out of Mandos and into Valinor but they don’t realise immediately that this isn’t current Valinor.

Thingol sees Maglor Feanorian in the marketplace which is a shock already because why would he get out before him but he doesn’t even have the decency to offer apologies when he sees them, how dare he in fact wait a minute he’s waving at him? What’s going on here why is he being friendly, he shouldn’t be able to be that friendly after killing so many people? Does he feel no guilt?

Mostly though for Thingol’s world to get absolutely shattered at meeting Maitimo Nelyafinwe, who yes technically is Maedhros Feanorian but how?! He doesn’t recognise Thingol of course so when he notices he seems a bit shaken by something he’s all polite and considerate and guides him to a bench before clapping him on the shoulder reassuringly and fetching him some tea. With the two hands he now has somehow.

And he sits with him and tries to find out if he’s alright but Thingol’s too confused to run like his life depends on it (and since this is the infamous Lord of Himring it might) because what is he even wearing? That’s practically a gown, not one he’d want to see Luthien in either, he’s not even wearing armour or carrying a blade? And he’s still smiling and it doesn’t look even slightly forced and his hair is actually long, not normal long either it’s down to his thighs for goodness sake.

All hope of sanity disappears when someone who looks no older than 20, comes up to them and starts tugging on Maedhros’ sleeve impatiently, ‘Nelyo, Nelyo, I can’t reach the tools I need for a project.’ Why in all of Arda would a child be approaching Maedhros Feanorian for anything? Why would they not be running in terror and avoiding him at all costs?

Maedhros shot him a conspiratorial glance as if he’d enjoy being in on some joke with a kinslayer ‘That’s most likely a sign you shouldn’t be using them Curufinwë,’ Curufinwë as in Curufin, possibly worse than even Maedhros himself. Of course it was.

‘But Nelyo.’

He smiled apologetically and asked him if he was feeling well enough now. He assured him he was mostly to get him out of his sight long enough to process the interaction and Maedhros Feanorian beamed at him, ‘Alright then, just feel free to come to me if you need anything, I’m always happy to help and Uncle Ara is very good at giving advice if something’s bothering you if you’d prefer.’

Then he stood, making Thingol concerned enough about the loose swathes of material to look away as a precautionary measure (was this a seduction attempt? He’d never heard of the Lord of Himring employing such dishonourable tactics but did he really know anything anymore?) and swept the child who could not be Curufin into his arms spinning him around above his head until he was in fits of giggles, ‘Now how about we ask Ammë about your project and if she says no I can take you somewhere instead? There’s an exhibition on in the city you might like? Sound good to you?’

The person who has to have just stolen the face of the eldest son of Feanor walked off with the elfling balanced easily against his hip and chatting away. This must be a weird fever dream.

[maedhrosdefender]

i love the silm fandom and idc that i’m getting sappy on main. i love that we call maedhros nelyo and maitimo and russandol. i love that we call maglor kano and celegorm tyelko. i love that we affectionately call it silm and not the silmarillion. i love that we write heartwrenching fics and then the cutest, fluffiest oneshots right after. i love scrolling through my dash and seeing the most beautiful fanart known to man because if we don’t have a screen adaptation you better know the artists are gonna make one themselves. i love seeing edits that are literally just animated fanart and phonk music but that are on another plane of reality. i love headcanons. i love fanon. i love the canon. i love that we can all read silm and though we might have different opinions on characters and themes and blorbos we all are united in our overwhelming, indescribable love for it. i love how we all collectively defend maedhros. i love seeing the most unhinged ship tags ever on fics and them being actually really well written. i love that i’ve never read a single badly written silm fic in my life. i love that we can make shitposts about our fav kinslayers and then 2k word essays on the length of turgon’s sword right after. i love russingon. i love beleg and turin. i love how we took material that has such rigid, archaic language and made it our own, brought it to life. idc i love this fandom so much y’all are everything.

[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

[lamemaster]

Elves with morosexual tendencies

AN: Random af idea. Sorry Nerdanel but I cannot resist writng Feanor with this one.

Genre: Fluff

Maedhros✋🏻:

Let's just say elder brother tendencies tend to carry on to other aspects of life. Specifically, when he sees you struggling with "deteriat" for the fifth time. Maedhros stifles a smile, the memory of your early love letters flashing in his mind.

He could still recall the scandalized heat that rose to his cheeks when one enthusiastic letter declared "coitus welcome" instead of "courteous welcome." Another endearing misspelling had him picturing you at court, charming dignitaries as a "courtesan" instead of a "courtier."

"Hey! It's not my fault that your world doesn't offer autocorrect," you mumble, your brow furrowed as you return your attention to the report – a rather dry document on trade routes that desperately needed a touch of your usual spark.

"My love, I am your autocorrect," Maedhros chuckles, his amusement evident as he plops down next to you. He reaches over, gently taking the parchment and circling the misspelled word. "It's 'deteriorate,'" he writes with a flourish, the familiar fondness warming his gaze as he watches you pout playfully.

🌲Beleg🌲:

He is no stranger to this special brand of humans. Turin Turumbar was a handful, but you... you were a different kind of chaos. Beleg blinked, taking in the scene before him. The door to your shared home lay in splinters on the floor, a gaping hole now marking the entrance.

"You did what?" he finally managed, his voice a mixture of disbelief and weary amusement. You stood there, a sheepish grin plastered on your face, your hands twisted together in a nervous knot.

"Listen!" you began, your voice taking on a frantic edge. "The door wouldn't open, and the baker was just leaving these incredibly heavy rolls, and I—"

"And you decided the best course of action was to batter it down?" Beleg interjected, his eyebrow raised. "Because apparently, pulling is a concept that eludes some humans."

"Well, it wouldn't budge!" you protested. "And I needed the rolls for lunch! Besides, I thought perhaps it was just slightly jammed."

Beleg sighed, shaking his head. Maybe living with a human wasn't such a bad idea after all. It certainly kept things interesting. He grabbed a nearby broom and gestured towards the splintered remains of the door.

🔥Feanor🔥:

"We cannot use flamethrowers to melt driveway snow," Feanor declared, his voice laced with a barely contained fury. A vein pulsed ominously in his temple, and his normally fiery eyes seemed to crackle with indignation.

You, however, remained undeterred. "Why not?" you countered, tilting your head in innocent curiosity. "It will get the job done quickly and efficiently."

"And burn the house down in the process?" Feanor retorted, his voice rising in disbelief. Had you truly lost all sense of reason?

"But Feanor," you persisted, a mischievous glint in your eyes, "think of the time we'll save! Plus, the dramatic exit the melted snow will make leading right down to the street? Unforgettable!"

Just then, a curtain twitched across the street, and a bewildered neighbor peeked out their window. "Is everything alright over there? We saw sparks!" they called out, their voice laced with concern.

"Oh nothing just my elf tweaking," you smile blindingly at the neighbor, completely oblivious to Feanor's growing sense of dread.

Feanor groaned, burying his face in his hands. He could picture the headlines already: "Couple Sets House Ablaze in Attempt to Melt Driveway Snow."

The sound of heavy boots stomping towards the front door did little to soothe his nerves. Curufin sauntered out, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and slung the coveted flamethrower over his shoulder with a dramatic flourish.

[ardafanonarch]

Hi omg I love this thank you for doing it! I have seen a lot about what named sword did or didn't or might have belonged to whom - do we actually know the names of any First Age swords and who wielded them? (other than Eol's cursed pair).

Thank you!

[Anon, this one got so long that I have divided it into 3 parts so people can navigate more easily to weapons that most interest them. Thanks so much for sending this ask, I went down many rabbit holes researching and learned some new things myself.]

The Iron Gang: Anglachel-Gurthang, Anguirel, Angrist

Swords of the First Age, Part 1 of 3

Anglachel

Meaning: Uncertain. Possibly a combination of ang “iron”, lach “flame” and êl “star” (Eldamo). Sindarin.

Maker: Eöl

Owned/wielded by: Eöl, Thingol, Beleg, (Gwindor), Túrin

Notable for: forged from meteoritic iron; given as fee to Thingol for leave to dwell in Nan Elmoth; slaying Beleg

Fate: Reforged in Nargothrond as Gurthang

Then Beleg chose Anglachel; and that was a sword of great worth, and it was so named because it was made of iron that fell from heaven as a blazing star; it would cleave all earth-delved iron. One other sword only in Middle-earth was like to it. That sword does not enter into this tale, though it was made of the same ore by the same smith; and that smith was Eöl the Dark Elf, who took Aredhel Turgon’s sister to wife. He gave Anglachel to Thingol as fee, which he begrudged, for leave to dwell in Nan Elmoth; but its mate Anguirel he kept, until it was stolen from him by Maeglin, his son. The Silmarillion, ‘Of Túrin Turambar’

Discussion

Anglachel and its mate Anguirel are remarkable weapons. Not only because they were forged from “star iron”, against which the mere iron ores of Earth were no match, but also — certainly in the case of Anglachel and probably likewise with Anguirel — they seem to have possessed a sort of dark power, even sentience.

When Thingol gives Anglachel to Beleg, Melian says:

‘There is malice in this sword. The dark heart of the smith still dwells in it. It will not love the hand it serves; neither will it abide with you long.’

Melian’s words, as usual, prove prescient: Anglachel goes on to be the instrument of Beleg’s demise, wielded against him by Túrin as Beleg attempts to cut the fetters holding his friend captive. Gwindor then briefly carries Anglachel, until he and Túrin come to the Pool of Ivrin and Túrin is released of the madness of his grief over Beleg. Túrin notes that the blade has blackened and become blunt, and Gwindor remarks:

‘This is a strange blade, and unlike any that I have seen in Middle-earth. It mourns for Beleg even as you do.’ The Children of Húrin, Chapter 9: Death of Beleg

The implication seems to be that Anglachel has weathered unnaturally after losing its master.

Presumably because of this damage, Anglachel is reforged in Nargothrond. We do not know who specifically reforged the swords, but it is popular fanon that Celebrimbor, who remained in Nargothrond following his father’s expulsion, may have been involved. After reforging, Anglachel becomes Gurthang.

Gurthang (Anglachel reforged)

Meaning: Iron of Death. Sindarin.

Maker: Eöl, reforged by smiths of Nargothrond

Owned/wielded by: Túrin

Notable for: slaying Glaurung, Brandir, Túrin

Fate: Broken under Túrin’s body in his suicide. Shards buried with him.

The sword Anglachel was forged anew for him by the cunning smiths of Nargothrond, and though ever black its edges shone with pale fire. The Silmarillion, ‘Of Túrin Turambar’ Then they lifted up Túrin, and saw that his sword was broken asunder. So passed all that he possessed. The Children of Húrin, Chapter 13: The Death of Túrin

Discussion

Anglachel’s seeming-sentience is amplified by its reforging as Gurthang. In this incarnation, the weapon frequently flickers and flames as if it houses a fire of its own. Most notably, when Túrin prepares to take his own life, Gurthang speaks:

Then he drew forth his sword, and said: 'Hail Gurthang, iron of death, you alone now remain! But what lord or loyalty do you know, save the hand that wields you? From no blood will you shrink. Will you take Túrin Turambar? Will you slay me swiftly?' And from the blade rang a cold voice in answer: 'Yes, I will drink your blood, that I may forget the blood of Beleg my master, and the blood of Brandir slain unjustly. I will slay you swiftly.' Then Túrin set the hilts upon the ground, and cast himself upon the point of Gurthang, and the black blade took his life. The Children of Húrin, Chapter 13: The Death of Túrin

A Tangent: The Enigma of the Sentient Sword

There is no explanation in the legendarium for why or how Gurthang speaks, but a speaking sword is an enduring feature of Túrin’s story that goes all the way back to the earliest version, Turambar and the Foalókë (c. 1917-19, published in The History of Middle-earth Vol. 2: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two). So why did Gurthang speak, and why was this feature so dear to Tolkien? Well, here’s a passage on the death of the hero of the Tale of Kullervo in the Kalevala, a Finnish epic that Tolkien read as a teenager and which was a major inspiration behind the story of Túrin.

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Grasped the sharpened sword he carried, Looked upon the sword and turned it, And he questioned it and asked it, And he asked the sword's opinion, If it was disposed to slay him, To devour his guilty body, And his evil blood to swallow. Understood the sword his meaning, Understood the hero's question, And it answered him as follows: "Wherefore at thy heart's desire Should I not thy flesh devour, And drink up thy blood so evil? I who guiltless flesh have eaten, Drank the blood of those who sinned not?" Kalevala, Rune XXXVI, translated by W.F. Kirby (1907)

Very familiar, isn’t it? The existence of a talking sword in-universe provides opportunity for all sorts of imaginative explanations, but the influence of Kullervo offers, I think, a compelling Doylist one.

Finally, it’s common to read interpretations where Anglachel and Anguirel exhibit the same properties as Gurthang. But there’s not, to the best of my knowledge, explicit canonical evidence that “speech” was an ability these two swords had from the time of their forging by Eöl. (I was also fascinated to find, during research for this post, that Anglachel and Anguirel were probably not always black. I made a separate post about it.)

Anguirel

Meaning: Uncertain. Possibly a combination of Sindarin ang “iron”, (unattested) uir “fiery” (or Noldorin uir “eternity”), and êl “star” (Eldamo).

Maker: Eöl

Owned/wielded by: Eöl, Maeglin

Fate: Unknown; presumably lost in the fall of Gondolin

Discussion

Compared to Anglachel, we know little of the history of its mate Anguirel, save that it was stolen from Eöl by Maeglin, presumably at the time Maeglin left Nan Elmoth for Gondolin.

Angrist (knife)

Meaning: Iron Cleaver. Sindarin.

Maker: Telchar of Nogrod

Owned/wielded by: Curufin, Beren

Fate: Breaks in Beren’s attempt to cut a second Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown.

Then Beren did Curufin release; but took his horse and coat of mail, and took his knife there gleaming pale, hanging sheathless, wrought of steel. No flesh could leeches ever heal that point had pierced; for long ago the dwarves had made it, singing slow enchantments, where their hammers fell in Nogrod, ringing like a bell. Iron as tender wood it cleft, and sundered mail like woollen weft. But other hands its haft now held; its master lay by mortal felled. The Lay of Leithian, 3051-3063

Then Lúthien rising forbade the slaying of Curufin; but Beren despoiled him of his gear and weapons, and took his knife, Angrist. That knife was made by Telchar of Nogrod, and hung sheathless by his side; iron it would cleave as if it were green wood. The Silmarillion, ‘Of Beren and Lúthien’

Discussion

Although of a different maker (and of unknown metallic composition), Angrist has interesting similarities with Anglachel and Anguirel. Besides the initial ang- element, all three blades are noted for an ability to cut through iron, and both Anglachel and Angrist end up “turning against” their masters as a pivotal moment: Angrist by breaking as Beren tries to cut a second Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown, and Anglachel by being the instrument of Beleg's death. As Eöl is also noted to have learned from the Dwarves, some fans have imagined these three blades may have been forged from the same meteoritic iron, or at least to share some of the same “enchantment”.

Note that the quote from Lay of Leithian does not explicitly apply to Angrist, which is a name for Curufin’s knife that Tolkien first used in the 1937 Quenta Silmarillion.

Part 2 | Part 3

[felagund-the-valiant]

In All Shapes and Sizes - Beleg x shapeshifter!reader

Love comes in all shapes and sizes. Beleg got to experience this first-hand.

Words: 612

Tags: fluff

A/N: a tiny little something I wrote for @doodle-pops underrated character event :D

A chill lay in the air, announcing the slow approach of autumn. The leaves crackled ever so slightly under his boots as Beleg tread the narrow path that led to your shared home, humming absentmindedly. The birds overhead seemed to pick up on his song and joined in with cheerful chirps and coos, entirely unbothered by his presence. A couple of deer trotted through the forest, watching him curiously before going separate ways. He spotted fresh paw prints on the same trail he was walking on – his tracking abilities told him they were left by a fox. A knowing smirk crossed his face, and he sped up his pace ever so slightly, wondering if he could catch up before either of you reached home.

Mere moments later, Beleg heard a rustle in the bushes but couldn’t spot anything moving, or so he thought. A flash of red fur appeared in the corner of his eyes out of nowhere and he felt a pair of arms and legs wrap around his body as you leapt into his arms. He stumbled back a little and let out a breathless laugh.  “Slow down there,” he gasped as he set you back on the ground, but you paid him no mind. “How I have missed you, meleth. Are you well? Any wounds that need tending to?” You scanned his body and did a gentle pat down. “I’m fine, no need to worry.” Beleg stopped your hands from wandering by taking them into his own and smiling reassuringly at you. “You know I’m always careful. And more than capable of tending to wounds, as you should know.” You lowered your head bashfully at his comment, catching the reference to your first meeting.

It had been more than unexpected. One rainy day, Beleg had found himself nursing a poor hurt fox he had encountered while on patrol and was more than surprised when a couple of days later an Elf was sitting in his hut with no sign of the fox. He had heard rumours of so-called shapeshifters from other wardens but never thought he would see one in the flesh, much less fall in love with one. Many a times he had asked you if you wouldn’t come live with him in the city, but you refused, preferring the solitude of the forest to the hustle and bustle of civilisation. It wasn’t difficult for him to make the decision to join you in living in nature and he had never once regretted it. Living with the one he loved was worth more than any comfort the city could ever hope to offer and he had already spent large portions of his life in the forest anyway.

“Race you home?” You asked excitedly and he snorted. “I return after a long watch, and you want me to physically exert myself even more? Also, we both know I don’t stand chance. You just want to brag about winning again,” Beleg teased. In your Elven form he might have been able to outrun you with ease, but foxes were faster than the Elves and he knew you would not pick the easy route for him. You sighed dramatically and he halted any complaints you might voice by bending down and kissing your forehead. “All I want right now is to be home, enjoy a good meal and cosy up with my beloved. Does that sound good to you as well?” You bit your bottom lip and pretended to ponder his request before nodding. You stood on the tips of your toes to press a kiss to his lips and interlaced your fingers with his. “That sounds wonderful, actually. Let’s go.”

[dfwbwfbbwfbwf]

Do you have a top 5 of your favorite Tolkien characters, whether they be from The Silmarillion, LoTR, or The Hobbit?

(If you have more faves that just 5 that you'd like to mention, I'd love to hear about them too.)

Fëanáro and his sons. I put them all in one space because they'd be the whole list otherwise. Plus the particular order shifts around. (Current fave is Curufin.)

Telperinquar Celebrimbor.

Elrond and Elros. (How can I just pick one?)

Celebrían.

Ereinion Gil-Galad.

Boromir.

Faramir. (Wherever you are-amir.)

Bór and sons. (It's a crime we know so little of them. We don't even know their own names.)

Olórin Gandalf.

Salgant. (I relate to the fat, cowardly Elf. Plus I think he's portrayed unfairly by the Silm narrator. I know Pengoloð is only semi-canon, but he's not fully uncanon, and he has reason to portray Salgant, Eöl, and Maeglin very unkindly.

Beleg Cúthalion.

Legolas Greenleaf.

Maeglin. (I have a more sympathetic reading of him than most.)

Peregrine Took.

Samwise Gamgee.

.... This was originally just going to be five, then I thought of more people, and I felt bad not including them. X'D

This isn't the most accurate, but it's a list of all the people I thought of in two minutes.

[middleearth-polls]

Please see each moment quoted below the poll under the cut.

1. Sam finds Frodo in Cirith Ungol:

‘I can hardly believe it,’ said Frodo, clutching him. ‘There was an orc with a whip, and then it turns into Sam! Then I wasn’t dreaming after all when I heard that singing down below, and I tried to answer? Was it you?’ ‘It was indeed, Mr. Frodo. I’d given up hope, almost. I couldn’t find you.’ ‘Well, you have now, Sam, dear Sam,’ said Frodo, and he lay back in Sam’s gentle arms, closing his eyes, like a child at rest when night-fears are driven away by some loved voice or hand.

2. Aragorn finds Boromir near Parth Galen

A mile, maybe, from Parth Galen in a little glade not far from the lake he found Boromir. He was sitting with his back to a great tree, as if he was resting. But Aragorn saw that he was pierced with many black-feathered arrows; his sword was still in his hand, but it was broken near the hilt; his horn cloven in two was at his side. Many Orcs lay slain, piled all about him and at his feet. Aragorn knelt beside him. Boromir opened his eyes and strove to speak. At last slow words came. ‘I tried to take the Ring from Frodo,’ he said. ‘I am sorry. I have paid.’ His glance strayed to his fallen enemies; twenty at least lay there. ‘They have gone: the Halflings: the Orcs have taken them. I think they are not dead. Orcs bound them.’ He paused and his eyes closed wearily. After a moment he spoke again. ‘Farewell, Aragorn! Go to Minas Tirith and save my people! I have failed.’ ‘No!’ said Aragorn, taking his hand and kissing his brow. ‘You have conquered. Few have gained such a victory. Be at peace! Minas Tirith shall not fall!’ Boromir smiled. ‘Which way did they go? Was Frodo there?’ said Aragorn. But Boromir did not speak again.

3. Pippin finds Merry in Minas Tirith:

Pippin’s face was anxious. ‘Well, you had better come with me as quick as you can,’ he said. ‘I wish I could carry you. You aren’t fit to walk any further. They shouldn’t have let you walk at all; but you must forgive them. So many dreadful things have happened in the City, Merry, that one poor hobbit coming in from the battle is easily overlooked.’ ‘It’s not always a misfortune being overlooked,’ said Merry. ‘I was overlooked just now by – no, no, I can’t speak of it. Help me, Pippin! It’s all going dark again, and my arm is so cold.’ ‘Lean on me, Merry lad!’ said Pippin. ‘Come now! Foot by foot. It’s not far.’ ‘Are you going to bury me?’ said Merry. ‘No, indeed!’ said Pippin, trying to sound cheerful, though his heart was wrung with fear and pity. ‘No, we are going to the Houses of Healing.’

4. Bilbo reunites with Thorin after the Battle of Five Armies

‘Farewell, good thief,’ [Thorin] said. ‘I go now to the halls of waiting to sit beside my fathers, until the world is renewed. Since I leave now all gold and silver, and go where it is of little worth, I wish to part in friendship from you, and I would take back my words and deeds at the Gate.’ Bilbo knelt on one knee filled with sorrow. "‘Farewell, King under the Mountain!’ he said. ‘This is a bitter adventure, if it must end so; and not a mountain of gold can amend it. Yet I am glad that I have shared in your perils - that has been more than any Baggins deserves.’ ‘No!’ said Thorin. ‘There is more in you of good than you know, child of the kindly West. Some courage and some wisdom, blended in measure. If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world. But sad or merry, I must leave it now. Farewell!’ Then Bilbo turned away, and he went by himself, and sat alone wrapped in a blanket, and, whether you believe it or not, he wept until his eyes were red and his voice was hoarse. He was a kindly little soul.

5. Beleg and Túrin reunite in the woodlands

As night drew down they were all gathered about him, and Ulrad brought a brand from the little fire that was lit in the cave-mouth. But at that moment Túrin returned. Coming silently, as was his custom, he stood in the shadows beyond the ring of men, and he saw the haggard face of Beleg in the light of the brand. Then he was stricken as with a shaft, and as if at the sudden melting of a frost tears long unshed filled his eyes. He sprang out and ran to the tree. ‘Beleg! Beleg!’ he cried. ‘How have you come hither? And why do you stand so?’ At once he cut the bonds from his friend, and Beleg fell forward into his arms.

6. Gollum finds Frodo and Sam asleep

Gollum looked at them. A strange expression passed over his lean hungry face. The gleam faded from his eyes, and they went dim and grey, old and tired. A spasm of pain seemed to twist him, and he turned away, peering back up towards the pass, shaking his head, as if engaged in some interior debate. Then he came back, and slowly putting out a trembling hand, very cautiously he touched Frodo’s knee – but almost the touch was a caress. For a fleeting moment, could one of the sleepers have seen him, they would have thought that they beheld an old weary hobbit, shrunken by the years that had carried him far beyond his time, beyond friends and kin, and the fields and streams of youth, an old starved pitiable thing.

7. Húrin and Morwen reunite at their son's grave

But suddenly her eyes looked into his, and then Húrin knew her; for though they were wild now and full of fear, a light still gleamed in them hard to endure: the elven-light that long ago had earned her her name, Eledhwen, proudest of mortal women in the days of old. ‘Eledhwen! Eledhwen!’ Húrin cried; and she rose and stumbled forward, and he caught her in his arms. ‘You come at last,’ she said. ‘I have waited too long.’ ‘It was a dark road. I have come as I could,’ he answered. ‘But you are late,’ she said, ‘too late. They are lost.’ ‘I know,’ he said. ‘But you are not.’ ‘Almost,’ she said. ‘I am spent utterly. I shall go with the sun. They are lost.’ She clutched at his cloak. ‘Little time is left,’ she said. ‘If you know, tell me! How did she find him?’ But Húrin did not answer, and he sat beside the stone with Morwen in his arms; and they did not speak again. The sun went down, and Morwen sighed and clasped his hand and was still; and Húrin knew that she had died.

8. Isildur's son encourages Isildur to leave

Elendur, not yet harmed, sought Isildur. He was rallying the men on the east side where the assault was heaviest, for the Orcs still feared the Elendilmir that he bore on his brow and avoided him. Elendur touched him on the shoulder and he turned fiercely, thinking an Orc had crept behind. ‘My King,’ said Elendur, ‘Ciryon is dead and Aratan is dying. Your last counsellor must advise, nay command you, as you commanded Ohtar. Go! Take your burden, and at all costs bring it to the Keepers: even at the cost of abandoning your men and me!’ ‘King's son,’ said Isildur, ‘I knew that I must do so; but I feared the pain. Nor could I go without your leave. Forgive me, and my pride that has brought you to this doom.’ Elendur kissed him. ‘Go! Go now!’ he said.

9. Lúthien finds Beren in Tol-in-Gaurhoth

Then side by side from stone to stone o'er Sirion they climbed. Alone unmoving they him found, who mourned by Felagund, and never turned to see what feet drew halting nigh. 'A! Beren, Beren!'came her cry, 'almost too late have I thee found? Alas! that here upon the ground the noblest of the noble race in vain thy anguish doth embrace! Alas! in tears that we should meet who once found meeting passing sweet!' Her voice such love and longing filled he raised his eyes, his mourning stilled, and felt his heart new-turned to flame for her that through peril to him came.

10. Eärendil is greeted by Eönwë and asks the Valar for help

Therefore he turned back at last towards the sea; but even as he took the shoreward road one stood upon the hill and called to him in a great voice, crying: ‘Hail Eärendil, of mariners most renowned, the looked for that cometh at unawares, the longed for that cometh beyond hope! Hail Eärendil, bearer of light before the Sun and Moon! Splendour of the Children of Earth, star in the darkness, jewel in the sunset, radiant in the morning!’ That voice was the voice of Eönwë, herald of Manwë, and he came from Valimar, and summoned Eärendil to come before the Powers of Arda. And Eärendil went into Valinor and to the halls of Valimar, and never again set foot upon the lands of Men. Then the Valar took counsel together, and they summoned Ulmo from the deeps of the sea; and Eärendil stood before their faces, and delivered the errand of the Two Kindreds. Pardon he asked for the Noldor and pity for their great sorrows, and mercy upon Men and Elves and succour in their need. And his prayer was granted.

11. Galadriel shows Gimli understanding and kindness

‘[...] If our folk had been exiled long and far from Lothlórien, who of the Galadhrim, even Celeborn the Wise, would pass nigh and would not wish to look upon their ancient home, though it had become an abode of dragons? ‘Dark is the water of Kheled-zâram, and cold are the springs of Kibil-nâla, and fair were the many-pillared halls of Khazad-dûm in Elder Days before the fall of mighty kings beneath the stone.’ [Galadriel] looked upon Gimli, who sat glowering and sad, and she smiled. And the Dwarf, hearing the names given in his own ancient tongue, looked up and met her eyes; and it seemed to him that he looked suddenly into the heart of an enemy and saw there love and understanding. Wonder came into his face, and then he smiled in answer. He rose clumsily and bowed in dwarf-fashion, saying: ‘Yet more fair is the living land of Lórien, and the Lady Galadriel is above all the jewels that lie beneath the earth!’

12. Merry, Pippin and Sam tell Frodo that they will stick to him

‘It all depends on what you want,’ put in Merry. ‘You can trust us to stick to you through thick and thin – to the bitter end. And you can trust us to keep any secret of yours – closer than you keep it yourself. But you cannot trust us to let you face trouble alone, and go off without a word. We are your friends, Frodo. Anyway: there it is. We know most of what Gandalf has told you. We know a good deal about the Ring. We are horribly afraid – but we are coming with you; or following you like hounds.’ ‘And after all, sir,’ added Sam, ‘you did ought to take the Elves’ advice. Gildor said you should take them as was willing, and you can’t deny it.’ ‘I don’t deny it,’ said Frodo, looking at Sam, who was now grinning. ‘I don’t deny it, but I’ll never believe you are sleeping again, whether you snore or not. I shall kick you hard to make sure. ‘You are a set of deceitful scoundrels!’ he said, turning to the others. ‘But bless you!’ he laughed, getting up and waving his arms, ‘I give in. I will take Gildor’s advice. If the danger were not so dark, I should dance for joy. Even so, I cannot help feeling happy; happier than I have felt for a long time. I had dreaded this evening.’

Quote sources

J. R. R. Tolkien – The Lord of the Rings

J. R. R. Tolkien – The Hobbit

J. R. R. Tolkien, edit. Christopher Tolkien – The Silmarillion

J. R. R. Tolkien, edit. Christopher Tolkien – The Children of Húrin

J. R. R. Tolkien, edit. Christopher Tolkien – Unfinished Tales of Numenor and Middle-earth

J. R. R . Tolkien, edit. Christopher Tolkien – The Lays of Beleriand

[growingingreenwood]

Also, I was going through your posts here and it came to me: when did Elrond realized that Thranduil was just That Old?? And how exactly did he reacted?

Not only Thranduil's father was one of the awakened (and he's pretty much part of Thingol's family), but also that his best friend for a long while was Luthien of all people??? That he saw The Fucking Sun come up on the sky for the first time?? Idk why but I'm sure that whatever reaction he had was the funniest thing for Thranduil to witness for some good time lmaokdjs

Hello lovely, thank you for the ask!! (and all your reviews!!!!!!!) 

To be honest, I don’t think that Elrond, being the avid horder of history that he is, would necessarily be surprised about Thranduil’s actual chronological age (especially because that his Mother and Father in law are also Old As All Hell, in the the case of Celeborn lived in the same city as Thranduil for most of the early days.)

What I DO think shocked Elrond so badly he nearly snorted wine out of his nose on several occasions is the casual comments about exactly what shenanigans Thranduil was up to or otherwise experienced the entire time. And also probably gave him several heart attacks as Thranduil altered his entire perspective on historical events/ people. 

For Example #1 

Elrond: “Celeborn once told me that the only competition that Beleg Cuthalion was ever disqualified from for poor sportsmanship was during a match that was with you.”  Thranduil: “Sounds about right. If I recall correctly, I was also disqualified for poor sportsmanship during that match.”  Elrond: “Wow, you two must have hated each other or something to get so carried away.”  Thranduil: “Not at all. Beleg owed me a favor and so I got him to throw the match so that another could win.” 

Example #2 

Elrond: “I read somewhere that the first sunrise was the most beautiful one, and that nothing will ever come close again.”  Thranduil: “I mean, if you consider going Entirely Blind from the strength of the light with literally zero warning as ‘beautiful’ then, yeah, sure. It's irreplaceable.” 

Example #3 

Thranduil, to mostly Celeborn and Celebrian after another song in the Hall of Fire about how Beautiful and Perfect Luthien was: “Once, Luthien and I stole an entire barrel of wine and tried to see if we could drink it all before either of our fathers found us and at some point she got sick at such a velocity that it launched overtop of the entire dining room table without a single drop touching it.  Thranduil after Elrond nearly choked to death in front of him: “When we went to go clean it up there was an entirely unchewed piece of dried jerky which she had apparently swallowed whole, like some kind of feral Warthog.” 

At least half the stress of each of Thranduil's visits is Elrond's constant anticipation of some truly Unhinged and (previously) Unreported Lore about history's favorite elves being given to him at any moment. 

He’s also never sure when or if Thranduil is making everything up just to get a reaction from him, and Elrond will never know because Thranduil Literally Does Not Care if Elrond believes him or not and therefor refuses to go into any more detail of offer supporting evidence for his claims. Unless of course, the supporting Lore is somehow even more unhinged than the original earth shattering revelation.

[doodle-pops]

Alright big BIG question!

Which elves are more likely to fall for a mortal lover and why in your opinion?

I really like your blog by the way! 😃

A/N: I love you for liking my blog 😘. Could have sworn I had an ask like this done before...

Falls for you regardless of your mortality because love is love and all they wish to do is be in your presence…

— Maglor, Celebrimbor, Fingon, Argon, AEGNOR (we all knew this), Galdor, Glorfindel, Rog, Beleg, Elladan, Elrohir, Gil-Galad

Falls but (struggles a bit) has to come to terms with your mortality, and the idea of suffering an endless heartbreaking form of pain scares them, knowing one day you will leave and never reunite…

— Caranthir, Finrod, Ecthelion, Elrond (and I solely believe that he would be frightened because of all the people he loved and easily lost, he doesn’t want to bear the pain of your death)

[ladysternchen]

You know, I'm quite glad that we're getting the fanon vs canon concerning Elu Thingol and the Sindar in general into focus a bit. When I first came to Tumblr, it felt to me as though I were just about the only one who cared about him (which of course was never the case, but I at least had no-one to talk to about my elf).

But there's a stale note to it- that it seems there must be more fighting, and hardened fronts, more never-ending discussions that always burn down to one thing- do we accept canon or not.

And really, I don't want to go down that road anymore. I really don't want to spend so much time quoting and explaining and re-reading to make sure I get my argumentation right only to have the other side say stuff like 'yeah, true, but I still get a different vibe so I'm gonna ignore canon and keep hating'

And while I really want to emphasise that there is nothing (!) whatsoever wrong with feeling a story, feeling characters and liking or disliking them (yes, happens to me, too. Canonically, Aredhel has done absolutely nothing wrong, and yet I really dislike her), basing actual character-bashing on these 'vibes' is a problem. Excluding people who defend their favourite characters with CANON from discussions. Making up yet more hateful fanon. Accusing people of certain political beliefs because they like the Sindar (and yeah, I did delete a lot of what I've written here. It just... this makes me so so is angry, but starting to insult people is not what I want for this post, so I deleted, and sat on my fingers until I was able to pick up civil tones again).

But I can't change it. I can't change what other people think, and who knows, maybe I'm no more right than they are. Maybe there is no right. Maybe we could accept that this fandom is vast enough for ALL OF US?

So dear fellow Sindar-stans, let's stop arguing and fill Tumblr instead with the content you want to see. Share your headcanons, write your fanfictions, draw and share your fan art.

Let's discuss it all, dive deep. Comment on the works you like, ask for things to be written. Yeah, I have an obsession with character death, I find grief and mourning an incredibly beautiful thing to write and read about, and as I kill off my favourite characters in general, Elu Thingol's death is my prime motive. (who would have guessed, ey? 🤣) And I'd love to read it from time to time, rather than always write it myself. But that is my very specific hyper fixation and understandably not everyone's cup of tea. But give me all those tender moments of love and friendship and loyalty. Give me the conversations between Elwë, Olwë and Elmo on the journey, give me Daeron's backstory, give me Mablung and Beleg standing unwavering behind their king. Give me drunk Elu and Melian and HER found family. Give me an insight into Nimloth's head. Give me loving reaper-like comics with Elurín and Eluréd and Námo Mandos. And hell, yes, all you talented artists out there, give me some spicy Elu and Melian, please? Give me an insight into all those tender moments. Give me the moment of their reunion, and please please please will anyone draw the moment that Elwë stumbled into Olwë's arms on legs that would not yet carry him (lol, ok, that's too specific. But I have that weird hc that Elves that are released from Mandos need some time to get accustomed to their body again, like a butterfly needs to dry after it emerges from its cocoon).

Ok, now I waffled enough, but will we try that, please? Spread some love instead of discord? That belongs to Bauglir after all.

[eri-pl]

Silm reread 19: Game of Thrones the Children of Hurin

Also maybe this time I will remember to put it in the queue instead of posting immadiately.

TW: you all know which ones apply here. (No details, even less than in the book.)

So, Rían. What's with her??? Postpartum depression?

Anyway, we leave her at her enigmatic death and go to Túrin. He is born in the same year when B&L meet. I guess the bad/good luck is budgeted per year…

Morwen is cool, and it comes to her head to send Túrin to Dorriath in secret. So, we know where we're headed.

Thingol is now a fan of Men (good for him, but in this case— no, wait. It does not bite him personally in the rear. Húrin does later, but maybe he would anyway.

Morwen doesn't want to leave her house where she lived with Húrin, which is more understandable than the version in (poetic text? I don't remember) where she just says that she doesn't want to be given alms by elves. She sounds proud in that one, and in a bad sense.

Saeros. He is a Nando… which ones were those, Green Elves? Riven Elves? anyway he's a jerk. He is jealous because the king likes Túrin. also, his insult (Mannish women running naked in forests) seems kind of prophetic or at least foreshadowy. (Nienor) Also, I only now realized that Túrin's revenge is simply "now you do the thing you've just said my people do". Which is… not nice but stylish in a way.

He dies on bad luck, Turin feels guilty and is afraid that Thingol will put him into prison. So he runs away. Which isn't fair to Thingol, I would say. Or the right thing to do.

He joins a band, they attack everyone from either side of the war.

Thingol forgives Túrin without talking to him, which is very kind of him. also he sends Beleg to go find Túrin because he misses the guy. Which is very lovely.

In the meantime Túrin calls himself "the Wronged". By whom? saeros maybe, but he's already dead. Thingol??? Maybe go and check your assumptions with reality, my guy? Go talk with your elven foster-dad?

Beleg gets beaten, Túrin is sorry and promises to only attack Morgoth's minions from now on. This will be important later.

Morgoth (or something in his hierarchy? Easterlings?) is poetically referred to as "the Black Hand" which is quite unique.

Beleg tells Túrin that Thingol forgave him… and Túrin is too proud to accept it. Seriously, my guy, come on. why. why are you so stubborn to be upset?

Thingol is sad (very relateable, very sweet, in this story he is the good guy in general, very lovely of him).

Beleg gets Anglachel, ignoring Melian's advice. Also, Anguirel is mentioned.

Túrin and his men attack some Dwarves. So…. remember when he promised to only attach Morgoth's minions? Yea. He doesn't keep to it. As we will see, Túrin is one of the worst at keeping his word. And the characters that are on par with him about this are clear bad guys, namely Morgoth and Ulfang.

So of course it goes wrong. But this is not a summary, this is a "things I did not remember and my thoughts" post, so I won't recap all the Mîm story.

Also, we see Mîm complaining on "Elves gave new names to everything" which sounds like a Tolkien's in-joke. Because he loves giving names to stuff.

Túrin is sorry for the death of Mîm's son. As we will see, his "learning from having killed someone and becoming better" skill is on par with Maglor "apology videos songs" Feanorian.

Also, he promises Mîm that if he ever becomes rich, he will pay a weregild in gold. Another promise that later goes nowhere. Also, funnily, the place where Túrin will become rich is Nargothrond. And who years later gets the treasures of Nargothrond? Mîm. So, fate makes this promise fulfilled (more or less), even though Túrin does not.

Túrin gets vibes from Brethil, I'm not sure why.

Mîm forgives him, more or less, convinced by his sadness and/or promise of recompense. they talk a lot and Túrin learns things. also, we get the story of the "Petty" Dwarves and how the Sindar hunted them out of ignorance and how that hate the Noldor for living in Nargothrond which was initially their. (I am certain Finrod did not know this and is not at fault here, this doesn't seem to me like his kind of bad decision. Not talking about things: yes. But chasing other race out of their homes? No.)

Also, weather note. Morgoth becoming more powerful = winters are worse. (Cut to CSL chuckling in the background ;D …but no this is an older trope I think.)

Beleg again, Túrin doesn't want to return to Doriath again. we arent told whether Beleg asked "how is the 'not attacking non-evil peoples' thing going?" but part of me wishes he did)

Anthropology… well, Eldarology: the Noldor have more skill and lore, but the Sindar are wiser. Or are they just wiser than Men? Translation unclear.

Anyway, Mîm hates Beleg, because racial prejudice, and because the bandits respect him.

Morgoth gets a paragraph he totally does not deserve the poetics of, even if technically it is true. Also, we are told that he knows a lot and knows more about his opponent's plans than anyone suspects, even Melian. whom BTW he thinks a lot about.

Also, this paragraph is in present tense which means that either a) the text was written pre-War-of-Wrath b) the translation is messed up again.

Anyway Morgoth hears about the Dragon Helm, realizes it's Húrin's son and sends spies to the area. And orcs.

So, betrayal and capture. Beleg is powerful! Also, Gwindor.

Orcs are afraid of the storm! They think it's the work of the Valar. do they react to every lightning like this? But…. Morgoth can shoot lightnings too (see: B&L)? Maybe they are afraid only of lightning strikes accompanied by rain. (Rainless storms are a thing and they are creepy, make the air feel exhausting, give people headaches and look quite Morgoth-coded)

Beleg dies and from now on Túrin is in mourning, and it never fully goes away. even though he is healed by Ulmo's magic spring.

Also, Anglachel is a heavy sword! Two-handed? At least one and a half probably. I will need to pay more attention to details of the fights. I would love to know what type of sword is it.

Finduilas and the love triangle. Poor girl tbh. Poor Gwindor too,. And Túrin isn't at fault in this particular situation either.

Túrin changes his name again. Plus we get a description: pale, grey-eyed, dark-haired, more beautiful than most Men then (unclear how this compares to modern people). Also, he's got Elven manners and …seems like a Noldo? Does it mean he can speak Quenya? Maybe not.

Anglachel gets a makeover.

Also, túrin gets a dwarven armor, and finds a golden dwarven mask and … I think he is pretty wealthy at this point. And, despite the fact that Mîm had betrayed him (which I'm not sure he knows? Maaaybe from Beleg via Gwindor?) he could at least try to fulfill his promise. Because, you know, promises.

Seriously, if Túrin and the Feanorians averaged with one another on their attitudes to "keeping your word" everyone would be much happier.

But no, he fights in a precious Dwarf-made armor and doesn't care about the poor Dwarf whom he promised to pay for the death of his son.

Finduilas falls in love, it is "stronger than her will". OK, feelings happen. And can't be controlled. I love how they all behave about it, all three are civil and respectful and don't make much drama about the romantic stuff.

Gwindor is like "I love you, but if you don't love me, don't try to force it, follow your heart. But maybe don't marry this guy because he's got a bad vibe." Plus some talk about how such relationships Should Not Be Unless Fate. (I'm not a fan of this. But then, Gwindor had spent a lot of time in angband so I can dismiss some of his opinions as "warped by Morgoth's influence".)

Also, he tells her who Túrin is, which I'm not sure what I think about. I believe that he doesn't try to get her back, just to make sure he's safe. But also, this is betraying of a frnd's secret. But also, this secret was stupid and Gwindor did not, I think, promise to keep it, just was asked to. Anyway I don't think it changes much.

OK, I take it back. It does change something. Just not in the love triangle. Orodreth starts to favor Túrin. which has good effects (the people of Nargathrond stop being trechearous cowards) and bad effects (the bridge, nor enough caution).

Gwindor is against Túrin's ideas, but is ignored, because he's not a good warrior. (there will be a similar situation near the end).

Another good consequence of it is Morwen and Niennor getting to Doriath.

Ulmo sends a warning to Orodreth, but Túrin is too proud to listen and loves his big bridge. and Orodreth seems to be bad at having his own opinions tbh.

We are told that Túrin is proud and wants everything to go according to his will, which reminds me of similar line about Maeglin. Those two parallel each other very much in this moment. The main difference is their romantic situations. Maeglin is in unrequited love, Túrin is loved and … when did he even learn about Finduilas' love for him? Oh, wait, she told him her conversation with Gwindor, so I guess then. It must have been somewhat awkward. anyway he doesn't seem to care much about her.

Nargothrond falls, Gwindor curses the day when he saved Túrin (they all love cursing things) and tells him that only Finduilas is between Túrin and his doom. which seems like one of those I-am-dying-so-have-a-prophecy things (which Brandon Sanderson totally did not borrow from the Silm, along with an assortment of various visuals, but not so much to look unoriginal)

The bridge. And the dragon, who is, like werewolves, inhabited by an evil spirit. It enchants Túrin and gives him a warped self-image and toxic sense of guilt. Also, an obsession about finding his mother and sister.

So, Gwindor's advice was too late. Ulmo's advice was not too late, but has been ignored. and here we are.

Some madness and stuff.

Turin comes to his senses, but decides to go looking for his mother and sister, because he would bring doom upon them. This doesn't sound like a good idea to me, also, he changes his mind all the time. If he kept doing one thing and went to Doriath, maybe he would not land in the incest situation? But I don't know the timeline this well. anyway, it rings wrong, like a bad decision.

He finds Finduilas' grave. And names himself Turambar, which … is Quenya? So he is fluent in Quenya too. huh. I guess Orodreth taught him. Or Finduilas.

Poor Anglachel is put away, but I guess it is a good sign.

Morwen and Niennor leave Doriath…. So yes, this checks out, he probably should have gone to Doriath back then. Also, their motivarions are "despair" and "an unlucky hour of hope" so… this can't go well.

Glaurung has to use 100% of his power to be able to do anything to Nienor, which is extremely cool of her. She's more strong willed than many elves, i think.

But she gets enchanted and runs and runs naked through the forest, which was foreshadowed by Saeros.

Brandir is another instance of "I love you, I won't try to get you but please don't matty Túrin". And he is, just like Gwindor, not great at fighting, because disability.

Anyway, Túrin and Niniel get married. Yay.

Also, we learn that Glaurung sent orcs to Brethil. So, he commands orcs. Dragons are in the chain of command. this is an interesting tidbit for fics.

people ignore Brandir's reasonable opinions (just like Gwindor's), he is upset and stops loving his people.

Túrin ills the dragon and it might have ended better, but he wants to a) get Anglachel back, and b) the satisfaction of seeing his enemy dead. Bad reasons, bad results.And since it's Túrin, the results are unproportionally bad.

Glaurong dies and his magic disappears instantly. It is how this works in the Legendarium, I suppose.

Turin and his sister/wife get a Romeo&Juliet scene.

Brandir kills Dorlas. WHY??? For his cowardice?

Túrin realizes that fate is upon him, curses Brandir and kills him (a rare combo), then goes to sit on the grave and be sad about what he did. Maglor vibes intensify, but he seems to be reaching a little bit of progress here? He asks Finduilas for advice (for her own good, I hope she's in Mandos and not listening to him) because he's got no idea what to do and what would be good for others. Hey, he is willing to take advice! This is a new thing.

But instead, Mablung comes. BTW Mablung is a kind of guy that is in the background of many important events, but surprisingly survives (until he does not).

So, now Túrin sends him to bring his curse to Doriath. (And curses Mablung's mission too)

Yes, definitely Maglor's approach to "learning from your regrets" :Þ

Seriously.

My guy.

Mallory would— You know what? Túrin just landed above the Feanorians on my list of "take them from Tolkien and give the custody of them to sir Thomas Mallory".

Yes, I know the gerne and stuff. but still. I am upset. I keep being upset on reading those even though I know what happens.

…but we're gonna sing it anyway.

[cilil]

Eönwë Week - Day 3: Celeg Aithorn

AN: I'll be doing meta/headcanon posts for some of these days, hope you find them entertaining as well💙

Today's topic: Celeg Aithorn, or: We know the name of Eönwë's sword?

𓅛 To answer this question, we first have to gather some tidbits found in several sources. I'll present those first - that will be the canon part - and then move on to talk about my headcanons based on them. Let's begin!

𓅛 Celeg Aithorn was mentioned in Beleg's whetting spell in The Lay of the Children of Húrin. Here is the passage in question:

There wondrous wove he words of sharpness, and the names of knives and Gnomish blades he uttered o'er it: even Ogbar's spear and the glaive of Gaurin whose gleaming stroke did rive the rocks of Rodrim's hall; the sword of Saithnar, and the silver blades of the enchanted children of chains forged in their deep dungeon; the dirk of Nargil, the knife of the North in Nogrod smithied; the sweeping sickle of the slashing tempest, the lambent lightning's leaping falchion even Celeg Aithorn that shall cleave the world. (The Lay of the Children of Húrin, "II. Beleg", p. 45)

For now, let's just take note and put a pin in the "cleave the world" part.

𓅛 The name Celeg Aithorn is Early Noldorin, with different sources providing slightly different meanings. According to elfdict.com, it may mean Lambent Lightning.

𓅛 In The Annals of Aman (Morgoth's Ring), we then learn of a sword that Manwë carried during the War of the Powers:

Thence, seeing that all was lost (for that time), [Melkor] sent forth on a sudden a host of Balrogs, the last of his servants that remained, and they assailed the standard of Manwë, as it were a tide of flame. But they were withered in the wind of his wrath and slain with the lightning of his sword; and Melkor stood at last alone. (MR, p. 75)

This is relevant because, according to The War of the Jewels, Manwë later gave this sword to Eönwë.

𓅛 As for the final puzzle piece, there is the old version of the Dagor Dagorath prophecy provided in Lost Tales, part of which states:

So shall it be that Fionwë Úrion, son of Manwë, of love for Urwendi shall in the end be Melko's bane, and shall destroy the world to destroy his foe, and so shall all things then be rolled away. (LT Part One, p. 219)

As many of you already know, Fionwë Úrion is the same character who later became Eönwë, changed to Manwë's herald and Maiarin servant instead of his son because the concept of the Valar having children was abandoned.

𓅛 So we have a sword named Celeg Aithorn "that shall cleave the world", an old prophecy stating that Eönwë is going to destroy the world and Manwë giving him his sword. It has therefore been suggested that these two swords are in fact that same, and I would say that a sword originally owned by Manwë and seen with lightning would fit the proposed etymology of Celeg Aithorn as well.

𓅛 Now, as you've noticed none of the sources cited above are from the Silmarillion and canonicity is a fickle thing in this fandom as is. Whether Tolkien, if you asked him today, would say that yes, this sword of Manwë canonically exists and Eönwë wielded it in the War of Wrath and is also the same as Celeg Aithorn, I can't say for sure. Best I can say is that it all fits together.

𓅛 This is why I've adopted this concept into my personal headcanon (note: I will from now on refer to it as just one sword, based on the theory that it is the same, and just call it Celeg Aithorn).

𓅛 I like to think that Aulë forged Celeg Aithorn for Manwë, either as a gift similar to the scepter the Noldor would later make for him or as a weapon to use in battle against Melkor. Manwë accepted it and also carried it, though I'm admittedly not sure if the part where he fights the Balrogs is something I'm keeping in my default verse; in verses where he is, for one reason or another, more "combative" for sure, but my take on current canon!Manwë is that he's not really a fighter (much like Melkor, funnily enough) and doesn't enjoy any sort of fighting, only defending himself or others if he absolutely has to resort to that.

𓅛 Seeing the destruction caused by the War of the Powers, knowing that going to war time and time again wasn't what Eru intended for him and also driven by his personal aversion, Manwë then gave Celeg Aithorn to Eönwë instead. Eönwë had already made a name for himself as one of the best warriors among the Maiar and Manwë sensed that there would difficult battles in his future, telling him that the sword would be of better use to him ("It's dangerous to go alone! Take this", if you will).

𓅛 This was also a symbolic act foreshadowing how Eönwë would be the one to lead the Host of Valinor in the War of Wrath, not Manwë himself, as well as both of them accepting their fates: Manwë accepting that the role of the Elder King was to stay behind and Eönwë accepting his role of fighting Melkor alongside the Children.

𓅛 Eönwë has used Celeg Aithorn ever since and it has served him faithfully. It's possible that it would betray him if he ever ceased being loyal to Manwë, but this remains in the realm of pure theory so far, given how loyal to his lord Eönwë has been.

𓅛 Being a sword crafted by a Vala and for a Vala, Celeg Aithorn is very powerful. It also shares the moral alignment of its current and previous owner and is therefore one of, if not the best weapon to fight evil creatures with (similar to the Master Sword in The Legend of Zelda, to draw a popular comparison). It was likely blessed by Manwë and hallowed by Varda, like she did with the Silmarils.

𓅛 Eönwë may have kept his old sword - the one he used before receiving Celeg Aithorn - for sentimental reasons, since he used to have it sharpened and maintained by Mairon. This may, unbeknownst to him, have saved him if Mairon, during his time as a spy, tampered with it to give Melkor an advantage.

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