How To Read The Silmarillion

From Wikibooks, the open-content textbooks collection

Contents

1 Introduction 2 The Noldor Family Tree 3 First, Some istory ! " Top ea#y $ook % Time Scale & 'an(ua(es "nd Words ) Women * "inulindale+ The ,reation -yth o. the /ods 0 1ala2uenta+ The /ods o. -iddle-3arth 14 5uenta Silmarillion+ The Family 6e7els 11 The 5uestion 8. 6e7elry "s " -oti#e 12 9ey 3l#ish :elationships To :emember 13 The Front 'ines+ 3l#es and -or(oth 1! 9ey $attles 1% Stories 8. -en and 3l#es+ The -isery 8. /reed "nd Fate 1& The Story 8. urin and Turin 1) The Story 8. $eren "nd 'uthien 1* The Story 8. Tuor "nd The Fall 8. /ondolin 10 $ack To Where It "ll $e(an+ 3arendil 24 "kallabeth+ The Sinkin( 8. Numenor 21 The Fall 8. the Noldor "nd The :emnant 22 ,onclusion

Introduction
Note+ This is a text ori(inally published under the ;esi(n Science 'icense in the early 2444s< ;onated here .or .ree - please take this and turn it into somethin( use.ul< What is 6<:<:< Tolkien=s book The Silmarillion all about> The book is kno7n .or bein( di..icult to approach and understand< The book is a stone soup o. the most mouth-man(lin( names e#er seen in print< " reader 7ho s7allo7s these is con.ronted 7ith a dense m?lan(e o. mytholo(y, theolo(y, lan(ua(e, history,

(eo(raphy, and (enealo(y @all in a made-up 7orld 7hich doesn=t e#en existAB 7hich the reader is expected to master be.ore any (ood stories are told< " reader 7ho mana(es to man(le the material and master enou(h o. it to continue is then thro7n into a spider=s 7eb o. plot t7ists 7hich han( on the thinnest strands o. subtle el#ish .amily relationships< The reader 7ho plou(hs ahead by sheer determination to read the actual narrati#e stories is then pitched and rolled on a sea o. narrati#e 7hich s7irls .rom extremes o. lush detail 7here e#en the most minor moment is belabored to an elliptical contraction 7hich can summariCe e#en the most interestin( plot t7ist or darin( deed in a .e7 mea(er 7ords< What can anyone make o. all this> Those .e7 and rare darin( scholars 7ho attempt to study the sta(es o. composition o. this 7ork are likely to be o#ercome by the almost incomprehensible layer upon layer upon layer o. el#es 7ho (o throu(h some o. the most mind-bo((lin( name chan(es o#er the almost sixty years o. The Silmarillion=s de#elopment< ere, I attempt to 7rite the (uide I 7ish 7as a#ailable 7hen I .irst picked up The Silmarillion around 10*%, 7hen I 7as about thirteen years old @7hich 7as the (oldco#ered, pocket-siCed paperback editionB< I had de#oured Lord of the Rings o#er the pre#ious year, and 7anted more o. the same to read+ yet I .ound The Silmarillion incomprehensible and sou(ht re.u(e in the last section about the third a(e< In this document, I try to pro#ide a road map that sho7s ho7 the parts .it to(ether, and some landmarks .or the reader to steer by< I try to be brie., but it=s di..icult to 7rite about The Silmarillion 7ith any de(ree o. conciseness or bre#ity, because the book is so unusual< It is not an epic .antasy like Lord of the Rings, and is not a no#el< It=s a compendium o. le(ends about the el#es and men< 87in( to the uni2ue nature o. this 7ork, I must sometimes take 7hat seem to be lon( di(ressions a7ay .rom the text itsel.< These 7ill @hope.ullyB help the understandin( o. the 7ork as a 7hole< I should note that I am discussin( @mainlyB the published book, and there.ore the names, places, and e#ents are con(ruent 7ith the book< They may not al7ays be con(ruent 7ith para-book in.ormation in #arious other sources<

The Noldor Family Tree

"ny (ood sur#i#alist in the 7ilderness needs supplies< The intrepid explorer o. The Silmarillion needs to do7nload a copy o. my Noldor .amily tree< I su((est printin( this out and usin( it as a bookmark, or attachin( it to the book in some 7ay so that you are able to constantly re.er to it< Ima(e+Noldor<pd. In 1003, I created this chart, 7hich includes material .rom the published charts in The Silmarillion and other data embedded in the text< It di..ers .rom the other charts in that it tries to reproduce the complex .amily relationships amon( the di..erent el. clans on one pa(e<

First, Some History

I do not kno7 o. any 7ay to di#orce a discussion o. the book 7e ha#e 7ith the title The Silmarillion on the co#er .rom the almost sixty year history o. its de#elopment< 3#en the reader uninterested in this history needs to kno7 ho7 the arti.act came to exist in (eneral terms< In 101&-1), 7hile 6<:<:< Tolkien 7as ser#in( in the trenches o. the First World War @a .act 7ith not inconsiderable conse2uences .or The Silmarillion, so .ile it a7ayB, he ima(ined a man named 3riol came to the ,otta(e 8. 'ost Dlay, 7here el#es 7hom he met told him the le(ends o. the elder days< Some le(ends 7ere 2uite settled .rom the moment they 7ere 7ritten, and chan(ed little or not at all .rom their initial en#isionin( in 101) in their chie. details< 8thers 7ere to under(o seismic uphea#als< 8#er the next sixty years or so, until his death, Tolkien 7ould continue to 7ork on this masterpiece< @Those interested in Tolkien=s relationship to The Silmarillion should read the autobio(raphical story E'ea. $y Ni((leE in The Tolkien Reader<B 6<:<:< Tolkien employed a modus operandi in his 7ritin( o. 7orkin( in E7a#esE 7here he 7ould be(in 7ith a proFect, pro(ress 7ith it to a certain point 7here he stopped, and then re#isit the 7ork either by startin( o#er or en(a(in( in hea#y re#ision< The Silmarillion consists o. .our such 7a#es<

The Cottage Of Lost Play+ The primordial mass o. le(end and story 7as 7ritten in lon(hand in notebooks< Surprisin(ly, many o. the stories 7ere ne#er chan(ed substantially< The earliest stories are the darkest+ the tra(ic li.e o. Turin, the ruin o. $eleriand, the corruptin( (reed o. those 7ho co#et the Silmarils, and other stories all set in a dark backdrop o. constant 7ar< These stories 7ere de#ised by Tolkien as he literally ser#ed in the trenches o. the Somme< "ll o. The Silmarillion tends to be dark and tra(ic< The 7orld at that time 7as a dark, tra(ic place< Tolkien experienced (reat personal tra(edy at that time< The only EhappyE story is that o. $eren and 'uthien @and as 7ill be seen sho7, it 7as taken directly .rom Tolkien=s o7n li.eB< The Silmarillion=s theme is one o. disaster, bad decisions, betrayal+ not unlike the .eelin( o. those 7ho sur#i#ed the disastrous battles, bad decisions by leaders, and betrayal o. the trust o. soldiers by their leaders durin( the 7ar< The Lays+ "s a pro.essor o. "n(lo-Saxon, Tolkien=s interest 7as in alliterati#e #erse, a peculiar style o. poetry .ound in "n(lo-Saxon 7orks like Beowulf and almost no7here else< Tolkien turned to 7ritin( his stories as lays @lon( epic poems or son(sB in alliterati#e #erse< These may be the most .ormidable components o. the Tolkien corpus to approach, since this style is almost unkno7n to most people .amiliar 7ith other .orms o. 3n(lish poetry< The First Silmarillion+ Tolkien turned to creatin( a more compact and approachable summary .orm o. The Silmarillion, 7hich is close to 7hat 7e ha#e today< "t the time 7hen Lord of the Rings came to li.e, Tolkien used this material as his le(endarium< @Thus, 7hen a character like "ra(orn says that somethin( he chants is part o. a lon(er piece, that=s the literal truth<B 3

The Post Lord of the Rings Second Silmarillion+ ".ter .inishin( his narrati#e epic, Tolkien (enerated a tremendous burst o. creati#e .orce and unleashed it on his le(endarium< e re#ised the material .rom the .irst Silmarillion #ersion< e also created se#eral lon(er narrati#e pieces beyond those used in the published book< -ost o. this, as 7as not uncommon, ne#er reached a .inal state< "s 7ill be seen, the Dost-Lord of the Rings #ersion had si(ni.icant chan(es .rom the earlier material, and the t7o 7ere ne#er .ully reconciled be.ore Tolkien=s death<

We ha#e the published book bearin( the title The Silmarillion only because o. the heroic e..orts o. his son, ,hristopher, to edit the manuscript chaos into publishable order< ,hristopher Tolkien, 7ho amon( 6<:<:< Tolkien=s .our children seemed the most like his .ather, inherited his .ather=s papers and became his .ather=s literary executor< Without his heroic e..orts @and anyone 7ho has seen manuscript pa(es o. 6<:<:< Tolkien=s hand7ritin( 7ill kno7 ho7 truly heroic these e..orts 7ereB, -iddle-3arth 7ould ha#e remained a much smaller place< ,hristopher Tolkien took up the challen(e o. publishin( some .orm o. the le(endarium posthumously so that the readers o. Tolkien=s belo#ed -iddle-3arth books 7ould ha#e some .orm o. these stories to appreciate< ".ter The Silmarillion, ,hristopher Tolkien 7ent on to publish Unfinished Tales @an a la carte reader o. stories .rom all a(es in -iddle-3arthB, and then the t7el#e-#olume History of Middle Earth< Tolkien=s readers may ha#e ar(uably e#erythin( that 7as 7ritten and intelli(ible about -iddle-3arth in .e7er than t7enty #olumes< @The only 7ork published posthumously 7hich 7as not edited by ,hristopher Tolkien that I kno7 o. is the obbitlike children=s story Roverandom 7hich is a piece like Farmer iles of Ham not set in -iddle-3arth< The !nnotated Ho""it does not publish any unkno7n manuscripts, althou(h it is a most important 7ork<B To .ully appreciate the published book 7ith the title The Silmarillion on the co#er, the reader must understand ho7 Tolkien=s creati#e mind approached the creation o. stories< Tolkien o.ten 7rote do7n a .inished narrati#e set in a .ixed tableau 7hich ne#er chan(ed substantially a.ter his initial conception< $ooks such as Return of the Shadow @7hich traces the early de#elopment o. the openin( o. Lord of the RingsB contain countless examples o. scenes 7ith .ixed characters @in their roles, althou(h names assi(ned to the roles are extremely .luidB and dialo(, e#en thou(h the meanin( o. the scenes 7ould radically and sometimes completely chan(e by the time the 7ork 7as .inished< Tolkien rarely abandoned his initial #ision o. a scene, do7n to the exact 7ordin( o. the dialo(, but 7ould constantly chan(e 7hat the scene meant by chan(in( almost e#erythin( else, includin( 7ho characters 7ere, their moti#es, the sense o. dan(er or import o. the scene, external .orces, etc< I. Tolkien actually 7rote somethin( do7n, once it 7as committed to paper, it seemed in#iolable, and Tolkien 7ould (o to amaCin( len(ths not to chan(e the 7ords he had 7ritten< $ut he 7ould chan(e anythin( and e#erythin( else to make the 7ords .it the story he 7anted to tell< Thus 7e ha#e both the E.inishedE Silmarillion in the sense that much o. the stories did not chan(e substantially a.ter the initial conception in 101), e#en a.ter sixty years o. 7orkG and 7e also ha#e an Eun.inishedE 7ork 7ith 7hich Tolkien 7as 7restlin( e#en up until

his death, as he tried to sort out philosophical and ethical 2uestions< The Silmarillion 7as .inished as soon as Tolkien had the ori(inal stories appear in his mind< We ha#e a book containin( the exact stories Tolkien 7anted to tell, but 7hat he 7anted them to mean in terms o. their ethical and moral .rame7ork 7ill al7ays be ambi(uous since he ne#er resol#ed these issues< The stories by themsel#es can be enFoyed .or 7hat they are< This apparent paradox is not surprisin( to those 7ho study Tolkien=s modus operandi .or creati#e 7ork< Tolkien 7orked back7ards< is mind=s eye sa7 a speci.ic end o. a story, and he conFectured about ho7 this end came to pass< In his pro.essional li.e, he studied ancient manuscripts .rom the "n(lo-Saxon era< 8.ten, he 7ould encounter a 7ord .or 7hich the meanin( 7as lost< e 7ondered 7hat that 7ord meant, and tried to ima(ine both ho7 the 7ord 7as de#ised, and 7hy its meanin( 7as lost< is lo#e o. 7ords and their meanin( came out in the lan(ua(es he in#ented as a hobby+ or, more precisely, he in#ented not so much ima(ined lan(ua(es, but 7ords .rom his ima(ined lan(ua(es< e ima(ined the 7ord in the lan(ua(e 7hich the people used to re.er to themsel#es, and asked himsel. 7hat it meant< What did the 7ord actually mean, and 7hy 7as this chosen to represent identity> "s Tolkien in#ented stories, he used the same common mode o. ima(inin( the end+ the destruction o. the :in(, or 3arendil sailin( throu(h the sky, or the Fall o. /ondolin< e then 7orked his 7ay back7ards< When Tolkien 7rote about characters rather than 7ords, like most sur#i#ors 7ho .ou(ht in World War I, he exhibits a stron( post-modern sensibility in the 7ay that he abandoned the 10th-century 7orld o. rationalism @7hich ended .or 3n(land on 6uly 1, 101&B and instead tries to sho7 the psycholo(y o. the people in the stories< Tolkien 7ould not ha#e called 7hat he 7rote Epsycholo(yE, and .rom his perspecti#e as a ,atholic 7ould ne#er ha#e identi.ied 7ith the discipline o. psycholo(y created by Si(mund Freud< Het psycholo(y, in a real sense, is 7hat Tolkien is all about< In almost e#ery story, he sa7 an endin(, 7hether happy or sad, tra(ic or pathetic, (ood or bad, and asked himsel. 7hat moral decisions 7ere made by 7hich characters to brin( this end to pass< Thus Tolkien 7rites about a -edie#al 7orld, but 7hat he 7rote is de.initely not -edie#al< "s an example, look at Lord of the Rings+ Students 7ho mine the dra.t material and notes preser#ed in The History of the Lord of the Rings @7hich is three and a hal. #olumes .rom The History of Middle#EarthB 7ill see that there are t7o main sta(es o. composition+ 7hen Tolkien did not see the end, and 7hen Tolkien sa7 the end< The .irst sta(e consists o. .alse starts, #a(ue notes, random encounters 7ith characters Tolkien had in#ented pre#iously, and an almost patholo(ical .ixation on unimportant matters in the story @the character 8do, Trotter=s shoes, etcB< This sta(e piddled out in -oria, and Tolkien basically started o#er< We see that Tolkien .inally had seen the end+ the :in( must be destroyed in 8rodruin=s .ire< 8nce he had, althou(h the earlier chapters 7ere re7ritten, the chapters a.ter -oria are almost a steady, direct march to the conclusion< Tolkien .irmly introduces $oromir=s betrayal and re(ret, /aladriel=s decision, /ollum=s t7o sides, Theoden=s rea7akenin(, ;enethor=s pride, Farmir=s (entleness and 7isdom, and all the others 7hose moral decisions 7ould shape the 2uest .or the :in(=s destruction< The dra.ts

ha#e little chan(e in them, short o. time synchroniCation amon( the #arious story threads, and extremely minor subplots< When 7orkin( on The Silmarillion, Tolkien used the same basic approach o. 7orkin( .rom the end back7ards< The key di..erence is, the material in Lord of the Rings had a .inite end and a .inite be(innin(, and Tolkien=s task 7as lar(ely to (et .rom point " to point $< In The Silmarillion, the ends are .inite and de.inite, and scarcely chan(ed since the initial conception< $ut the be(innin(s 7ere in.inite, and Tolkien ne#er .ully realiCed them< In some sense, The Silmarillion 7as ne#er .inished< Tolkien 7as ne#er able to create an internally coherent 7orld 7ith its o7n 7holly consistent reli(ion, metaphysics, epistemolo(y, le(ends, stories, and characters< "ny time he 7ould (et close, he 7ould essentially start o#er .rom the be(innin(< "s sho7n earlier, the ESilmarillionE le(endarium under7ent .our main phases o. re.inement< The last phase, a.ter the completion o. Lord of the Rings, sent shock7a#es throu(h the 7hole 7ork, as Tolkien tried to decide the nature o. e#il in his 7orld<

! To" Hea#y $oo%

The Silmarillion is a Etop hea#yE 7ork< What I mean by that is the (ood stu.., the chocolate cake, is at the end o. the book, but you must eat a 7hole lot o. #e(etables to (et to the (ood stu.. and truly understand it, or the (ood stu.. 7ill not be as (ood< There is no easy 7ay around this process< The book be(ins slo7ly 7ith @abstruseB historical details be.ore e#entually (ettin( to the narrati#e parts @startin( around chapter 10, E8n $eren and 'uthienEB that read more like Lord of the Rings< The ori(inal plan Tolkien brou(ht to his mytholo(ical compendium had Fust such a roadmap+ a .ramin( se2uence .or each le(end 7here a mediator @playin( the role, but not the character, o. a hobbit in the later booksB learns .rom an el. 7hat the le(end is about< Then the le(end is told< In.ortunately, in the years a.ter this ori(inal conception, the mediator 7as dropped< Tolkien himsel. ne#er (ot to brin( his 7ork to a .inal .orm, but i. he had, I 7onder i. this mediation 7ould return, i. .or no other reason than the demand o. the publishers 7ho 7ould 7ant the book to be more approachable< The reader is rarely (i#en a break at any point< 8ne o. the most si(ni.icant places, Than(orodrim, is not e#en on the map that comes 7ith the book, 7hich makes the reader 7onder Fust 7hat the lea(uer o. the sons o. Feanor is belea(uin(< It is located .ar to the north abo#e the place marked "NF"I/'IT @"rd-(alenB<

Time Scale
To set the scale o. time, to the hobbits o. Lord of the Rings, the le(ends o. /il-/alad are the most remote history they kno7 @and Frodo is shocked at the ,ouncil that 3lrond 7as actually a participant in these le(endsB, but The Silmarillion concerns e#ents many, many a(es be.ore /il-/alad .lourished< 8. the el#es 7e encounter in Lord of the Rings, only /aladriel 7as a si(ni.icant participant in The Silmarillion, and e#en then her role 7as

&

mar(inal< @She is, incidentally, the only el. 7e meet personally in Lord of the Rings 7ho has seen the li(ht o. the trees< 3lrond, 'e(olas, etc< are se#eral (enerations remo#ed< What this means 7ill be explained as this discussion un.olds<B The narrati#e o. Lord of the Rings is a densely o#erlappin( series o. scenes 7hich do not occur in consecuti#e order, but Fump up and do7n the chronolo(ical scale< Similarly, the episodes in The Silmarillion are not necessarily consecuti#e< -any e#ents in the di..erent episodes @chaptersB o#erlap each other<

Languages !nd &ords

The Silmarillion is similar to the $ible+ it is a book o. books, not a sin(le narrati#e .rom be(innin( to end like a modern no#el 7ould be< 'ike the $ible, the material #aries (reatly in nature .rom book to book< The 7hole has three main parts+ "inulindale, 1ala2uenta, and 5uenta SilmarillionG added to this are sections on the second and third a(es o. -iddle-3arth 7hich are not directly related to the proper ESilmarillionE but brid(e the (ap bet7een the early material and Lord of the Rings< Names like "inulindale and 1ala2uenta are part o. the approachability problem< The reader .eels like a World War I soldier pokin( his head up o#er the parapet, only to be met 7ith rapid-.ire machine (un bullets o. unpronounceable and lon( 3l#ish names< -ost 7ant to duck back do7n to sa.ety< The Silmarillion (re7 out o. t7o in#ented lan(ua(es that Tolkien 7orked on .or his entire li.e, but one o. the most unusual aspects o. his lan(ua(e creation is the .act that he approached it .rom a philolo(ical standpoint< "s a pro.essional, Tolkien studied 7ords, 7hich is the de.inition o. the philolo(ist @the 7ord is literally /reek .or Elo#er o. 7ordsE, philo- and lo(osB, but un.ortunately the discipline o. Ephilolo(yE under that name is almost unkno7n today amon( the (eneral public< Tolkien=s hobby 7as to create ne7 7ords< $ut all he did 7as to create 7ords, not a complete lan(ua(e 7hich other people could use< e le.t us 7ith EThe 3tymolo(iesE @see The Lost Road and $ther %ritingsB, 7hich trace the deri#ation o. #arious 7ords in both lan(ua(es back to ima(inary root lan(ua(es, as 7ell as densely technical philolo(ical speculation on 7ord ori(ins @see %ar of the &ewelsB, but he ne#er created anythin( that 7ould help someone learn and speak el#ish< Tolkien ne#er set do7n a (rammar .or either lan(ua(e @so 7e could learn ho7 to conFu(ate re(ular and irre(ular #erbs, decline nouns, etcB, and did not create a substantial #ocabulary< Hou can learn indi#idual 7ords in 3l#ish, but most o. the kno7n #ocabulary 7ords ha#e to do 7ith (eo(raphy or astronomy< So it=s di..icult or impossible to learn ho7 to say the normal thin(s you 7ould learn in the .irst .e7 lessons about a .orei(n lan(ua(e< While the con#entional 7isdom that Tolkien created the le(ends to (i#e his in#ented lan(ua(es a backdrop, it 7ould be more precise to say the le(ends 7ere created to explain the words< Tolkien in#ented t7o separate lan(ua(es+ 5uenya and Sindarin< 5uenya is Eel. 'atinE, a hi(her and more complex lan(ua(e< Sindarin is the E#ul(arE el. lan(ua(e @the lingua fran'a o. -iddle-3arthB, used in a day-to-day speech< -uch o. Tolkien=s made-up )

philolo(ical 7ork is tracin( ho7 7ords in one lan(ua(e came to the other and 7hat chan(es in meanin( and nuance the 7ords under7ent< The reader is (i#en little help in keepin( track o. these lan(ua(es< Fortunately, there is a (lossary in the back o. the book, and other books like :obert Foster=s can help<

&omen
" .re2uently cited .la7 in Lord of the Rings is the lack o. .emale characters< While this is clearly an issue o. hea#y debate, this un.air perception seems permanently embedded in the mind o. Tolkien=s critics< Incidentally, I 7ould say that in Lord of the Rings, there are .e7 maFor characters period 7ho under(o any si(ni.icant character de#elopment< In a book 7hich is dominated by the tellin( o. a maFor 7ar, in 7hich most maFor characters are military leaders, the .act that 3o7yn @one o. the .e7 characters at all 7ho under(oes si(ni.icant personal chan(eB, /aladriel, and "r7en @and others like /oldberry, :ose, etc<B sho7 up at all (i#es 7omen a moderately hi(h pro.ile< I. Tolkien has a 7eakness, it isn=t so much the 7omen aren=t there, but that the nature o. the epic means that a lot o. time is spent introducin( and keepin( track o. characters 7ho don=t under(o any si(ni.icant de#elopment< $ut that=s (oin( to happen in an epic, 7here characters are introduced to play a role or (i#e depth to the panoramic 7orld and 7ho are not intended to under(o character de#elopment< Since the predominant thrust o. the epic is the 7ar on Sauron at both the micro and macro le#el, more incidental characters tend to be men< When Tolkien s7itches .rom 7hat is essentially a .ictional 7ar story to the more di#erse le(endarium o. The Silmarillion, many more 7omen emer(e in di..erent roles< Tolkien 7anted The Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings to be published to(ether as a 7hole< ad this come to pass, the debate about 7omen 7ould ne#er ha#e arisen< Tolkien simply put most o. the 7omen in The Silmarillion< I. you like stron( 7omen characters, then The Silmarillion 7ill be a 7elcome addition to the Tolkien canon< Inlike "r7en, 'uthien is a po7er.ul .orce 7ho takes on Sauron directly instead o. stayin( home se7in(< 3l7in( is a dynamic and bra#e person< The Silmarillion is older, le(endary material< -ost real-li.e le(ends .rom .ar back in human history ha#e stron( 7omen characters< The $ritomarts @SpenserB, $radamants @"riostoB, er#ors @.rom the Sa(aB, etc o. ancient days 7ere stron(, .orce.ul 7omen< "s time passed, these characters diminished< $y the later "rthurian le(ends @-allory, TennysonB, the dominant .orce 7as male kni(hts 7ith s7oonin( .emales in the back(round< In much the same 7ay, Tolkien=s 'uthien, 7ho .ou(ht 7ith Sauron to rescue $eren, later became "r7en, 7ho stayed at home se7in( 7hile "ra(orn 7ent to 7ar<

!inulindale' The Creation (yth of the )ods

The creation myth is the cornerstone o. each culture=s le(end and myth< -ost readers 7ho come to Tolkien 7ill be .amiliar 7ith the book o. /enesis and its creation account in some capacity, either as part o. the 6e7ish Torah, the ,hristian oly Scriptures, or as literature and pure mytholo(y< Some readers 7ill be .amiliar 7ith The Epi' of ilgamesh and its o7n account o. the (reat .lood< /il(amesh has spa7ned a hu(e number o. popular translations @and seems to be a .a#orite o. colle(e coursesB, and scholarly books such as !n'ient (ear#Eastern Te)ts collect it and other, similar texts< Some readers 7ith exposure to ,lassical 7orks, either in translation or in the ori(inal lan(ua(e, 7ill be .amiliar 7ith esiod=s /reek creation myth Theogony< @Not to be con.used 7ith the classical poet Theo(nis<B $ut I ima(ine most ha#e ne#er heard o. the *alevala, a Finnish epic 7hich Tolkien disco#ered and used as inspiration .or many parts o. The Silmarillion, includin( the creation myth< In.ortunately, the *alevala is obscure, so much so that e#en throu(h a (ood popular translation in the 8x.ord World=s ,lassics series exists @and is a..ordableB, no one kno7s it is connected to Tolkien and as a result I ha#e ne#er seen it in a bookstore, either in the Tolkien or in the mytholo(y section< "ny sort o. .ull comparati#e study o. creation myths could be expanded to an extremely lar(e book by itsel., and is beyond the scope o. this (uide< Het Tolkien=s creation myth needs to be placed into a context, so I 7ill present some creation myths, and ho7 they relate to one another, but this is by no means exhausti#e< In this comparison, I .ocus on the relationship o. mortals to the (ods< -ost creation myths ha#e some sort o. similar basis in creation o. the 7orld e) nihilo .rom a darkness or #oid, and the emer(ence o. the (ods and .orces o. nature< Tolkien=s uni2ue approach to creation e) nihilo makes comparisons di..icult<

The Epi' of +reation, a $abylonian @or, "kkadianG the .irst re.ers to (eo(raphical location, the second to lan(ua(eB epic 7ith some creation content in common 7ith The Epi' of ilgamesh, has the uni2ue perspecti#e that mortal men 7ere created as sla#es in order to do the manual labor o. the (ods< @See the be(innin( o. tablet &<B This is a particularly lo7 opinion o. the 7orth o. human li.e, 7hich is not unusual in the ancient 7orld< esiod=s creation story, Theogony, does not mention mortals much at all< The concern is 7ith ho7 the (ods 7ere created< ,haracteristic o. /reek mytholo(y, there is a lot o. sex and #iolence< @Temperin( the lack o. emphasis on mankind is the .act that 7e do not, o. course, kno7 i. the preser#ed manuscript is e#en the complete story, or 7hy it 7as 7ritten< Derhaps there 7as a se2uel that has been lost to Theogony, 7hich literally means the (eneration or creation o. the (ods, 7hich discusses the creation o. mankind<B 8ther /reek creation myths exist< :obert /ra#es= book The reek Myths summariCes these @and is an excellent resource .or someone 7ho doesn=t ha#e access to an extensi#e classical library, since /ra#es cites many obscure sources not a#ailable easily at bookstores in 3n(lish translationG e#en .or those 7ho do, /ra#es has done a tremendous amount o. research in or(aniCin( .ar-.lun( source materialB< In these, man has a particularly lo7 place, and human li.e is not o. any particular #alue< @See EThe Fi#e Sta(es 8. -anE, section % in /ra#es, in 7hich

the only mortals o. 7orth 7ere sired by the (ods<B None o. these myths ele#ates mankind< From these early myths, 'atin 7riters such as 8#id 7ere able to pick and choose< In .act, 8#id is in.luenced by the $abylonian ilgamesh @see Metamorphoses, book 1G the .lood is recounted circa line 2&2B< 8#id=s Metamorphoses 7as a synthesis o. existin( mytholo(y, and an attempt @much like /ra#es=B to collect, i. not harmoniCe, the mytholo(ical corpus in one bookG it 7as not an attempt to break ne7 (round< The ,oeti' Edda contains a creation myth 7hich must ha#e been 7ell-kno7n to Tolkien< In -oluspa, the Seeress. ,rophe'y, mankind is created in para(raphs 1) and 1*< "sh @sometimes E"skEB and 3mbla are similar to the $iblical "dam and 3#e, the .irst o. mankind, (i#en breath by 8din< The si(ni.icant di..erence bet7een this account o. "sh and 3mbla @7ho are said to be pieces o. dri.t7oodB and the $iblical creation story is that the physical, material 7orld is not sancti.ied by 8din the 7ay the dirt .rom 7hich "dam is made 7as by /od< While the ,oeti' Edda has a more ele#ated #ie7 o. mankind than other creation myths, the spirit o. mankind has been ele#ated, but the material .rom 7hich man 7as created has not been< "lon( 7ith this, note that the creation o. mankind is not, as it is in other creation epics, a one-time e#ent+ the Norse belie#ed time 7as an endless cycle o. :a(narok @the total destruction o. e#erythin( in a battle o. the (odsB and recreation< Tolkien does not use this idea o. cyclical time in his mytholo(y< @"lso, readers may 7ant to contrast the creation o. mankind .rom dri.t7ood 7ith the 7ay the d7ar#es are created in The Silmarillion<B The *alevala=s creation story be(ins 7ith a bard sin(in( a son( about creation< Tolkien must ha#e seiCed upon this and made the leap to ha#in( the (ods themsel#es sin( creation into bein(< The $ible=s creation story has a sin(ular di..erence .rom the others+ 7hile the others look at what is, and attempt to explain creation based entirely on the current state o. human li.e, the $ible explains what should have "een and ho7 the current state came to be< This di..erence is critical because Tolkien absorbed it into his o7n creation myth<

8ther ENorthernE creation myths, and the creation myths o. other cultures, are beyond the scope o. this article< 8. the myths listed here, Tolkien 7as most .amiliar 7ith and in.luenced by the $iblical account, the *alevala, and the ,oeti' Edda< e 7ould ha#e some .amiliarity 7ith 8#id and esiod @i. nothin( else .rom the ,lassical part o. his educationB, but the ,lassics 7ere not his area o. expertise< I do not belie#e 7e kno7 i. he had any .amiliarity 7ith $abylonian myths, 7hich 7ere not a#ailable in mass-market paperbacks as they 7ere today+ they 7ere the pro#ince o. scholars 7hen Tolkien .lourished, and .ar outside his realm o. study< The el#es ha#e a creation epic called the "inulindale< This myth is like and unlike any other creation myth< The parallels bet7een the $iblical creation account and Tolkien=s are important< In the $ible, /od spoke, and creation occurred< In Tolkien=s account, 3ru sang and the creation

14

happened< Tolkien then has the (ods 7hich 3ru created sin(in( their o7n parts, and uses musical harmony as an analo(y o. all creation bein( in harmony 7ith /od< -elkor, 7ho is analo(ous 7ith 'uci.er, tries to ele#ate himsel. in this musical harmony, yet can=t transcend the music that 3ru created< $eyond the (ods, the created bein(s @.irst el#es, and then menB also ha#e speech as their de.inin( characteristic< 3l#es call themsel#es E2uendiE, 7hich essentially means those 7ho can speak< In the published Silmarillion, the most important passa(e is .ound in chapter 3, E8. the ,omin( o. the 3l#esE+ the el#es Ebe(an to make speech and to (i#e names to all thin(s that they percei#ed< Themsel#es they named the 5uendi, si(ni.yin( those that speak 7ith #oicesE< 3ru created both the (ods and mortals< Note 1+ Tolkien 7as either slo7 to .inish this idea o. identi.ication by speech, or he considered it so ob#ious that he did not need to 7rite it do7n< This idea o. the el#es namin( themsel#es a.ter their speech is not present in The Book of Lost Tales, 7here the ori(in o. el#es is not discussed, nor is it present in the E3tymolo(iesE @.ound in The Lost Road and other %ritings, the .i.th #olume o. the History of Middle#EarthB< The E3tymolo(iesE are simply notes Tolkien made .or himsel., and 7ere ne#er intended .or publication, and they are extremely di..icult< The entries are not a lexicon o. el#ish< There are no entries under the initial letter 5< E5uendiE is .ound s<#< E9W3N@3;B-E, a 7ord stem that became the 5uenya 7ord E2uendiE< This entry merely su((ests the 7ord means Eel.E 7ithout elaboration< 3#en in the later essay, E5uendi and 3ldarE @.ound in %ar of the &ewels, #olume 11B, Tolkien 2uite curiously does not press the etymolo(y o. the 7ord J9W3N3 @the asterisk is a philolo(ical notation .or a 7ord 7hich is not recorded, but speculated to ha#e existedB to speech< 8ther than the brie. passa(e in chapter 3, Tolkien ne#er elaborated on the aspect o. speech< Note 2+ The .act that el#es are both mortal @they can dieB and immortal @they do not die .rom the a(ein( processB presents a challen(e in the discussion o. EmortalsE in their relationship to the (ods< In .act, Tolkien 7as haunted until the end o. his li.e 7ith a need to reconcile these t7o aspects o. el#es, and he 7as ne#er able to< e had introduced the concept that el#es could be reincarnated @not in the sense o. eastern philosophy, but literally+ their spirits could be (i#en mortal bodies a(ainB, but 7as ne#er able to .ully 7ork out ho7 this system 7orked< @Derhaps it is 7orth a note that EreincarnateE is one o. the precious .e7 'atin terms Tolkien brou(ht into his mytholo(y, 7hen he 7as particularly care.ul to use modern 3n(lish 7ords o. "n(lo-Saxon ori(inG and it is one o. the .e7 concepts he 7as not able to .ull inte(rate into is #ision o. -iddle-3arth<B The $iblical account o. the creation o. mortals also in#ol#es speech< /enesis 2+) says+ Ethe '8:; /od .ormed the man .rom the dust o. the (round and breathed into his nostrils the breath o. li.e, and the man became a li#in( bein(<E @NI1B " literal translation o. the 6e7ish ,humash @the .irst .i#e books o. -osesB, in the .irst book called $ereshit @i<e< /enesisB, says+ E/od breathed into the nostrils o. man, and man became another speakin( spirit<E This translation hi(hli(hts exactly 7hat Tolkien expresses in his o7n creation myth< Speech, the ability to use lan(ua(e to express onesel., is 7hat sets apart mortals .rom other .orms o. li.e like animals and plants< Speech is 7hat makes us like /od @in the $ibleB, or like the (ods @in Tolkien=s #ersionB< /enesis 2+10 says+ ENo7 the

11

'8:; /od had .ormed out o. the (round all the beasts o. the .ield and all the birds o. the air< e brou(ht them to the man to see 7hat he 7ould name themG and 7hate#er the man called each li#in( creature, that 7as its name<E /od 7as not (i#in( "dam busy 7ork, but sho7in( him ho7 to think abstractly, a (i.t (i#en to the man @created in the ima(e o. /odB, and not any other li#in( creature could< $y (i#in( names to obFects, "dam learned ho7 to create abstract symbols @7ordsB that stood .or concrete obFects, and ho7 to reason abstractly< Note+ al-5ur=an @the 9oranB says /od Etau(ht "dam the names o. all thin(sE @;a7ood=s translation, see circa Surah 2+34B, 7hich does not say the same thin(< ere "dam is a E;eputyE o. "llah, 7hich harkens back to the $abylonian creation stories in 7hich mankind 7as the sla#e o. the (ods< From the sur#ey o. other creation myths, the $iblical creation story stands out because mortals are created .or a hi(her purpose by a creator 7ho lo#es them< Tolkien uses his poetic license to cast the creation in music, makin( it e#en more beauti.ul and lush< Tolkien sa7 in mankind not an animal 7hich had e#ol#ed some cle#er techni2ue o. speech, but a hi(her kind o. li.e 7hich 7as endo7ed by the creator 7ith the ability to think abstractly, and to create 7ords 7hich 7ere precise symbols that represented ideas< The word is the key to storin( in.ormation inside the mind in symbolic .orm< Dicto(raphic 7ritin( systems topple under their o7n 7ei(ht+ 8ne picture per idea is not compact enou(h .or the human mind to absorbG certainly, it is an abstraction, but one 7hich is not e..icient< The human mind 7orks better 7ith layers o. complexity< " person 7ho internaliCes an alphabet 7hich represents sounds, and then arran(es those sounds into 7ords, creates a much more e..icient and compact 7ay to represent abstract in.ormation< Tolkien as a philolo(ist 7ould appreciate this< To understand The Silmarillion, the reader must .irst understand the basis o. Tolkien=s creation myth and the .all o. created bein(s< When -elkor added disharmony into the 7orld, somethin( 7ent 7ron(, and a .la7 7as entered into creation< Thus the creation has .la7s, and as The Silmarillion sho7s, these .la7s and the 7ork o. -elkor 7ho becomes -or(oth ha#e horri.ic implications .or the mortals o. -iddle-3arth< Het+ ,onsistent 7ith the ,hristian doctrine o. sal#ation, the disharmony is sho7n to be part o. 3ru=s (reater plan, and somethin( he anticipated and prepared .or .rom be.ore the music be(an< Thus the disharmony can be brou(ht back into harmony< N$+ What our 3n(lish $ibles translate as Esal#ationE, 7hich has come to mean Esal#ation .rom death and Fud(ment 7hich leads to eternal li.eE, is the /reek 7ord soteria, 7hich has a much lar(er meanin( in its scope than the 3n(lish term 7hich has become a theolo(ical Far(on 7ord o#er the centuries< Soteria has the connotation o. bein( 7hole and complete, in e#ery aspect o. one=s li.e< This /reek 7ord is used in the Septua(int @the /reek translation o. the ebre7 $ible, the ,hristian 8ld TestamentB to represent the ebre7 7ord shalom, 7hich de.ies translation< It is translated peace, prosperity, 7holeness, and many other terms< Shalom is true sal#ation, and o.ten de.ined as Enothin( missin(, nothin( brokenE< This de.inition o. sal#ation is important to remember 7hen

12

tracin( the theme o. sal#ation in Tolkien=s 7ork, since he does not ha#e a clearly .ormulated Eli.e a.ter deathE belie. in the -iddle-3arth subcreation< When Tolkien deals 7ith the theme o. sal#ation he is dealin( 7ith 7holeness and completeness< @,.< the characters o. Frodo and 3o7yn in Lord of the Rings< Neither is Esa#edE in the theolo(ical sense, but both are e#entually made 7hole<B Tolkien has a ,atholic 7orld #ie7 in the matter o. a .la7ed and .allen 7orld< e presupposes this 7orld #ie7 in e#ery 7ord he 7rites, .rom the most harmless children=s story to his most epic mytholo(y< The 7orld has lar(ely adopted a positi#istic belie., that people are basically (ood and i. they only can eliminate some o. the old belie.s 7hich hold them back, they can achie#e utopia on earth< While this is expressed in countless philosophies, .rom e#olutionary rationalism to Ne7 "(e eastern philosophies, and e#en some pseudo-,hristian belie.s, the history o. mankind de.ies and .louts it< -ankind is .allen, and the only 7ay to belie#e to the contrary is to thro7 out all o. human history< Tolkien=s 7ork, althou(h set in a .antasy 7orld, seems real because he takes the 7orld .or 7hat it is instead o. tryin( to make it 7hat it is not< Tolkien belie#ed the $iblical 7orld #ie7, 7hich explains ho7 the 7orld should be, and also ho7 it is no7<

*ala+uenta' The )ods of (iddle ,arth

1ala2uenta+ This short section is a resume o. the (ods< This is such a short, succinct summary that little needs to be said about it, other than that it is a (ood re.erence .or later in the book 7hen (ods tend to pop up out o. no7here< 8. note in re(ards to Lord of the Rings is a brie. mention o. 8lorin< When Frodo and Sam talk 7ith Faramir @in book !, chapter %, EThe Windo7 on the WestEB, they learn that Faramir has met /andal. on the 7iCard=s trips to /ondor=s archi#es @trips 7hich /andal. mentions at the ,ouncil o. 3lrondB< Faramir remembered many names o. /andal., includin( both -ithrandir @a Sindarin name used in the current days in -iddle-3arthB and 8lorin @a 5uenya nameB< @Note also that the text says the name /andal. itsel. 7as used Ein the NorthE, perhaps as an ackno7led(ement that the name is not .rom -iddle-3arth at all, but .rom the Norse 3ddic le(ends<B Why 7ould /andal. tell Faramir @o. all peopleAB his 5uenya name, 7hen to Faramir Sindarin el#ish 7ould be unusual, and 5uenya all but unkno7n> The Numenoreans ori(inally took 5uenya names, but their rebellion 7as marked @characteristically o. TolkienB by the adoption o. names in their o7n lan(ua(e< When Numenor 7as dro7ned, men 7ho did not participate in the e#il such as 3lendil escaped to -iddle-3arth 7here they took Sindarin names< They mixed 7ith the remnants o. the Noldor .rom $eleriand 7ho still li#ed in -iddle-3arth, such as /il-/alad< These re.u(ees .rom $eleriand spoke Sindarin, lar(ely, and rarely used their ancient mother ton(ue o. 5uenya< @We must remember here that /andal. is perhaps the 7isest li#in( bein( on -iddle-3arth, and he does not let thin(s slip, no matter ho7 absent-minded he mi(ht 7ant people to think he is on occasion< /andal. kne7 the character o. Faramir, and his lo#e o. learnin( and lore< e had to kno7 Faramir 7ould remember such a curious list o. names< I. this list 7ere merely incidental and unimportant, 7hy 7ould it contain t7o el#ish names>B 13

-ost o. the re.u(ees .rom Numenor, 7ho became the rules o. "rnor and /ondor, tended to take Sindarin names< 8ne maFor exception to this is the name E"ra(ornE, 7hich is a caution, because Tolkien someplace explicitly denies that the name is made up o. Ear-E royal and E-(ornE tree, e#en thou(h "ra(orn=s destiny is to .ind the saplin( o. the White Tree and replant it in -inas Tirith< Tolkien has created 2uite realistic lan(ua(es 7hich ha#e exceptions, co(nates o. inexact meanin( @as any 3n(lish speaker 7ho studies :omance lan(ua(e learnsB, and the like< We ha#e insu..icient e#idence .or speculation in any number o. cases< @I belie#e this passa(e about "ra(orn is in a letter, but I can=t remember<B Faramir 7ould likely be in the same situation as a reader o. Lord of the Rings, ha#in( (reat di..iculty tellin( apart 5uenya and Sindarin names< We are ne#er told the exact meanin( o. 8lorin, but it seems to be related to 'orien, 7here 8lorin is said to ha#e li#ed< @That is, the 'orien in 1alar in The Silmarillion, not /aladriel=s realm<B See E3tymolo(iesE s<#< '8S-, 7here the 5uenya 7ord olor is re.erenced< What has this abstruse discussion o. names and lan(ua(es to do 7ith /andal.> First o. all, these sorts o. points 7ere 7hat Tolkien lo#ed< That any readable .iction came .rom him at all is amaCin(, because these sorts o. tan(ents and preoccupations absorbed him< -uch o. the unpublished 7ritin( in The History $f Middle#Earth is o. this nature+ dense philolo(ical Far(on about the meanin( and ori(in o. 7ords, ho7 they shi.ted in di..erent lan(ua(es, and 7ho spoke 7hat lan(ua(e 7hen< @Those 7ho do not similarly lo#e not only 7ords, but made-up 7ords in an in#ented lan(ua(e, 7ill .ind these passa(es dull and incomprehensible<B This 7as Tolkien=s li.eblood and obsession< What he 7rote that actually 7as published in his li.etime seems some7hat secondary to this< Second o. all, as temptin( as it is to say+ Gandalf (Lord of the Rings) = Olorin (The Silmarillion), 7e can=t< In one late, un.inished scrap o. paper @discussed in Unfinished TalesB, Tolkien makes this e2uation, but it is not a .inished 7ritin( and can=t be taken as the .inal 7ord< Tolkien himsel. seemed to spend a lot o. time tryin( to .i(ure out 7ho the Istari 7ere, a.ter the publication o. Lord of the Rings, and 7hat he 7rote is incomplete and sometimes contradictory< 5uite simply, /andal. and the other 7iCards had appeared in Tolkien=s 7ritin( .irst, and he spent the rest o. his li.e tryin( to explain them< Tolkien himsel. ne#er .ully kne7 7ho the Istari 7ere< Het the clues he le.t behind can=t be i(nored< These sorts o. puCCles, 7hich ha#e pieces that can almost but not 2uite be made to .it, are 7hat The Silmarillion is made o.<

-uenta Silmarillion' The Family .ewels

The *alevala contains somethin( called a Sampo, 7hich is ne#er .ully explained< It is stolen< It is lost< From this, Tolkien created the idea o. a Silmaril, a Fe7el< Three o. these 7ere .or(ed by the cra.ty smith Feanor, and contained the li(ht o. the T7o Trees @precursors o. the Sun and -oonB< When the trees are de.iled, and the Silmarils stolen by -or(oth @the embodiment o. e#ilB, these Fe7els are so #aluable that centuries o. 7ar.are and destruction .ollo7<

1!

The history o. the Silmarils, the .amily Fe7els o. Feanor and his sons, make up 7hat is properly EThe SilmarillionE or /uenta Silmarillion< This le(endarium contains the stories o. the el#es concernin( the deeds undertaken by those 7ho 7ould recapture the Fe7els .rom -or(oth< The e#ents concern the sons o. Feanor and their oath, as 7ell as those cau(ht up in the #ast 7eb this 7ar 7ea#es o#er the entirety o. -iddle-3arth< Inlike the 8ne :in( o. Lord of the Rings, the Silmarils are not in themsel#es obFects o. po7er< They are simply pretty baubles that brin( out the 7orst .la7s o. character< "nd /uenta Silmarillion can be di..icult to approach, because it seems like a 7hole lot o. nothin( happens be.ore the .irst real narrati#e story be(ins in chapter 10, E8n $eren and 'uthienE< I am reminded o. an education in mathematics+ students must learn al(ebra be.ore they can (o on to hi(her math such as calculus 7hich has real-7orld applications, but at the time al(ebra seems pointless and (ood .or nothin( but busy 7ork< " reader o. The Silmarillion must di(est the story up to chapter 10 .or the book to make much sense< The narrati#e stories themsel#es can be read independent o. this back(round, but they lose most o. their impact on both the micro and macro le#els< For example, in E8n $eren and 'uthienE, the reader must understand el#ish history to appreciate the story at both the micro-le#el @such as the exchan(e bet7een $eren and ,uru.in and ,ele(ormB and the macro-le#el @7hy the outcome o. a (rey el. like Thin(ol possessin( a Silmaril is (enerally a bad ideaB< Het 7hen the reader be(ins E8. $eleriand "nd Its :ealmsE, the point o. this history lesson seems remote, at best< "s the reader pro(resses throu(h the material in these early chapters, .acts must be remembered, e#en thou(h the reader has no 7ay to kno7 in ad#ance 7hich .acts are (oin( to be important and 7hich are not< The sheer bulk o. detail can make retention o. e#erythin( di..icult< The only solution is multiple readin(s< The reader may 7ish to skim the early material be.ore chapter 10, then read the stories, and then (o back and read the introductory material, and then re-read the narrati#e stories< These le(ends and stories ha#e as a (i#en the 7ar o. the Fe7els< ,ertainly, almost all o. the maFor characters cau(ht up in the 7ar, other than 3arendil and 3l7in(, come to no (ood end< The 7ar o. the Fe7els destroys the el#ish kin(doms o. -iddle-3arth one by one until the el#es are dri#en to7ards the sea and about to be utterly destroyed< Het 7hat point is Tolkien tryin( to make by sho7in( this 7ar> Dossibly, the point is as simple as the .act that mortals (o to 7ar .irst and .ind reasons later+ Tolkien certainly li#ed throu(h this in 101!, 7hen a 7orld 7ar be(an that at the time @and e#en no7 throu(h the lens o. historyB had no real reason other than people liked to .i(ht< Feanor and his Silmarils are a stru((le to understand+ i. Feanor hated -elkorK-or(oth @7ho plays the role o. the $iblical 'uci.er, or Satan, in the storyB and 7as not in.luenced by him in the .or(in( o. the Fe7els, and i. -elkor 7as the source o. the e#il taint in 1alinor and -iddle-3arth, then .rom 7hence came the taint on the li#es o. Feanor and his sons, and the curse upon the Fe7els> o7 did the .all o. Feanor that led to the kinslayin( come to pass> Is Feanor e#il, and i. so, ho7 did he become that 7ay> The ori(inal music o. creation had disharmony in it courtesy o. -elkor, and those mortals 7hich 7ere created must, themsel#es, ha#e an innate and latent thread o. discord in them< Feanor already had the makin(s o. the .all in himsel.< The .all did not come .rom -elkor<

1%

-elkor=s o7n inter#ention to steal the Fe7els and de.ine the trees simply brou(ht out the taint more 2uickly< Feanor, and each el. in turn, made a decision to participate in the kinslayin( and (i#e in to their .allen nature< 3#en the el#es 7ho did not made a decision to be kinslayers but 7ho decided to lea#e 1alinor also brin( about their o7n .all< Thus, in the same 7ay the decision to taste the .orbidden .ruit led to expulsion .rom the (arden, did the el#es= decision to abandon 1alinor to chase a.ter -elkor cause their o7n .all< $y chasin( a.ter (reed in the darkness, the el#es .ell .rom the li(ht< "nd, their taint spread as they came into contact 7ith other el#es, and men, and dre7 them into the 7idenin( 7eb o. 7ar< @-en do not come into these stories much at all< Their o7n .all, and death, are not 7ell understood by the el#es throu(h 7hose eyes these stories are .iltered< -or(oth .inds them easy to corrupt, but 7e do not kno7 7hy< We also do not kno7 7hy some men are noble<B

The -uestion Of .ewelry !s ! (oti#e

The central theme o. The Silmarillion concerns -or(oth stealin( Feanor=s .amily Fe7els and the 2uest by his sons to (et them back< Thousands upon thousands o. years o. tra(edy are spent o#er Fe7elry< Some people are dra7n to possessin( Fe7elry< These people understand mind=s (rip on the possession o. Fe7elry, as 7ell as the desire .or the reco#ery o. #aluables at all cost< 8thers, such as mysel., ha#e no interest in Fe7elry @I=#e ne#er o7ned any in my li.eB, and think it is a silly moti#e< Why 7ould anyone spill blood o#er some rocks> I 7ould be unable to tell the di..erence bet7een Silmarils and Circonium .akes< The reader must, in order to suspend disbelie. and allo7 the story to un.old 7ithin its o7n parameters, allo7 that thousands o. el#es o#er thousands o. years 7ould spill their blood to (et Fe7elry back< 3#en those 7ho understand this burnin( desire must, at some point, e#entually 7onder 7hen the el#es should call the 7hole thin( o.. and let -or(oth keep the Fe7elry< ".ter all, i. the .unction o. the tainted Silmarils is to make li.e miserable .or those 7ho 7ant to possess them, 7hy 7ouldn=t the el#es simply lea#e them 7ith -or(oth, 7ho is already corrupt> The 8ne :in( o. Lord of the Rings is an obFect o. intrinsic po7er, althou(h there is room .or debate concernin( Fust 7hat the nature o. that po7er is< @Since, a.ter all, 7e ne#er see the 8ne :in( used in any serious 7ay durin( the story .or 7orld domination, and Sauron loses e#erythin( both 7hen he has the 8ne :in( and 7ithout it<B With the Silmarils, there is no doubt at all+ the Fe7els themsel#es ha#e no intrinsic po7er< They are not the source o. -or(oth=s po7er, and he doesn=t (ain po7er by possessin( them< The Fe7els are merely obFects 7hich brin( out 7hat is already in the heart o. the -aiar, el., d7ar., human, or anyone else 7ho lusts a.ter them< The Silmarils are a symbol o. that 2uality 7hich is inside .allen mankind 7hich produces (reed, sel.ishness, sel.destruction, bad decisions, and plain e#il< In themsel#es, they are not important< $ut 7hat they stand .or is a uni#ersal 2uality o. the human experience< Frank erbert, in 0une, 1&

used his addicti#e spice as a symbol, and explicitly e2uated it to oil in our modern 7orld< e also used 7ater as a symbol on the desert planet itsel. @c.< 6akarutu and the 7ater stealers in one o. the se2uelsB< In our 7orld, 7e ha#e such mirrors, althou(h they aren=t le(endary and are not pretty+ 8il< /old< -oney< 'and< Tolkien, in ele#atin( and beauti.yin( that 7hich is lusted o#er, creates a more extreme contrast 7ith the darkness in the soul< Tolkien may ha#e been 7ritin( .antasy, but his 7orks speak to us because they sho7 us 7hat lurks in the human heart< 3#en those uninterested in the .amily Fe7els are sucked into the do7n.all o. -iddle3arth< 6<:<:< Tolkien, as much as @or moresoB than any theolo(ian, had a deeply internaliCed understandin( o. the true $iblical ,hristian moral philosophy< is ability to embed the truth o. his understandin( into his .iction may #ery 7ell be his (reatest (enius< Tolkien doesn=t preach, he merely tells a story< Within the story, e#ery component o. the ,hristian .aith appears, 7ithout alle(ory, preachin(, or o#ert moraliCin(< Deople 7ill read Tolkien and absorb this moral philosophy 7ho 7ould ne#er take the E,hristian .aithE seriously< Tolkien simply takes as (i#en the basic ,hristian premise o. a .allen 7orld, and sho7s ho7 this morality plays out in the li#es o. his characters< e does not moraliCe< e does not sho7 that (ood thin(s happen to (ood characters, and bad thin(s happen to bad characters @7ho don=t .ollo7 the rulesB< In .act, Ethe rulesE do not exist+ there is no codi.ied Ela7 and prophetsE in Tolkien=s subcreation< e sho7s .allen man, (race, and redemption 7ithout le(alism o. any sort< -uch ,hristian Etheolo(yE is inane and simplistic, and there.ore is unappealin( to people 7ho are in touch 7ith the realities o. the 7orld< Startin( 7ith 6ob @7ho encountered catastrophe in a .allen 7orld, and 7as Ecom.ortedE by simple moralistic philosophies by his peersB, and the o#ersimpli.ication o. li.e continues to this present day< The basic messa(e o. the moralist is+ I. you obey the rules, (ood thin(s happen to youG i. you disobey the rules, bad thin(s happen< -oralists turn this around to pass Fud(ment+ i. bad thin(s happen to you, you disobeyed the rules and need to repent be.ore /odG i. (ood thin(s happen to you, you kept the rules and /od lo#es you< This is a pattern seen in a 7ide s7ath o. pseudo-,hristian teachin(< What Ethe rulesE are in any (i#en context depends on the philosophy+ it can be anythin( .rom old.ashioned Southern $aptist le(alism @don=t play cards, 7omen can=t 7ear pantsB to modern health-and-7ealth tele#ision preachers @i. you=re sick, you need to repentB< 6ob could identi.y 7ith almost any o. them, and the same basic easy ans7ers .or the hard 2uestions o. li.e ha#e been circulatin( since 6ob=s time< Tolkien does not seem to belie#e this, and doesn=t let this in.ect his .iction< Indeed, Tolkien=s E.ictionE seems more real than many other real-7orld messa(es simply because it is so true to reality and is not simplistic< e al7ays a#oids easy or .acile ans7ers< Tolkien realistically sho7s that e#en E(oodE characters are not exempt .rom the conse2uences .rom a .allen 7orld< The entire 7orld is .allen, and e#en morally (ood people are cau(ht up in this .allen nature and thin(s don=t 7ork out, and the inter#ention o. Dro#idence is needed at certain points< @Tolkien 7rote Lord of the Rings durin( the Second World War+ the ,hristian 7orld, E,hristendomE, as 7e kno7 it may ha#e ceased to exist but .or the 7eather on ;-;ay 7hich helped the in#asion o. France< Was this simply chance>B

1)

/ey ,l#ish Relationshi"s To Remem0er

3l#ish relationships bet7een .amilies and branches o. .amilies make up a hu(e part o. the stories< There are t7o main distinctions bet7een el#es to remember+ First is that some el#es 7ent 7est and sa7 the li(ht o. the trees, and some didn=t< Second is that some o. the ones 7ho 7ent 7est participated in the kinslayin( and some did not< $esides these t7o maFor .ault lines o. el#ish identity, most other distinctions are minor in comparison< Time in early el. history is marked by t7o epochs+ the li(ht o. the t7o trees, and the sun and the moon< 'i(ht ori(inally came .rom t7o trees, 7hich 7ere de.iled by -or(oth 7hen he stole the Silmarils< ".ter that, the (ods o. the story created the sun and the moon< The el#es 7ho 7ent to li#e 7ith the (ods, and 7ho sa7 the li(ht o. the t7o trees, are the hi(h el#es< Those 7ho did not are the (rey el#es 7ho stayed in -iddle-3arth and ne#er crossed to see the trees< The Silmarils 7ere .or(ed by Feanor, and then stolen by -or(oth< Feanor then be(an a pursuit o. -or(oth< The pi#otal plot point at the be(innin( o. E5uenta SilmarillionE is the kinslayin(, 7hen Feanor and his sons decide to slau(hter the Teleri el#es and steal their ships to (o to -iddle-3arth< This creates a ri.t amon( el#es 7hich ne#er heals< Those 7ho participated in the kinslayin( @the clan o. FeanorB are .ore#er estran(ed, to an extent, .rom the other Noldor< Those 7ho did not participate 7ith Feanor, the houses o. Fin(ol.in @Tur(on, Fin(on, etcB and Finar.in @Finrod, /aladriel, etcB did not cross to -iddle-3arth in ships, but tra#eled o#er a northern land-brid(e< The losses su..ered alon( this harsh Fourney helped .uel the estran(ement< In -iddle-3arth, the distinction is bet7een the (rey el#es @the SindarinB nati#es and the Noldor 7ho arri#ed .rom 1alinor< The reader must constantly remember 7ho belon(s to 7hich (roup< The primary (rey el#es o. note are Thin(ol and his .olk in ;oriath< "t all times, the reader must remember 7hich el#es are Noldor, and 7hich amon( the Noldor participated in the kinslayin(, and 7hich are (rey el#es< -ost o. the purely el#ish parts o. the stories hin(e on some con.lict bet7een these three camps< "lso note that the Noldor are Ehi(hE el#es 7ho speak 5uenya< The (rey el#es speak Sindarin< The Noldor learn and use Sindarin as 7ell<

The Front Lines' ,l#es and (orgoth

".ter their pursuit o. -or(oth, the Noldor settled in -iddle-3arth< The 7ar .or the .amily Fe7els takes on a stron( similarity to World War I, the #ery settin( in 7hich Tolkien .irst ima(ined the story< For #ast stretches o. time, the t7o sides are at an uneasy stalemate 7ith the sons o. Feanor .acin( -or(oth across a no-man=s land< Into the stalemate comes se#eral central pitched battles< @"lthou(h the temptation is (reat to dra7 parallels 7ith Tolkien=s battles and his World War I experience, the #ery nature o. 7ar.are in World War I has stron( parallels to -edie#al sie(e 7ar.are< Tolkien, by settin( his 7ork in a

1*

lo7-technolo(y en#ironment may simply ha#e inherited conditions similar to World War I 7ithout consciously tryin( to<B The Noldor 7ere not stron( enou(h to de.eat -or(oth< $ut -or(oth 7as not po7er.ul enou(h in -iddle-3arth to de.eat the lea(ue o. the Noldor surroundin( him< Stalemate< "dd (unpo7der, and the situation 7ould ha#e been the Western Front< "s it 7as, Tolkien added a no-man=s land around both -ordor @in Lord of the RingsB and "n(bad @in The SilmarillionB, and in both stories, durin( the main narrati#e action, there is lar(ely a deadlock bet7een the t7o main military po7ers 7hich checks their main .orces< 8nly to7ards the end o. both stories is the .ull mi(ht o. either side unleashed< In both The Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings, the emphasis is on psycholo(y @7hat (oes on inside indi#idual=s mindsB instead o. deeds< This makes the 7orks distincti#e products o. the t7entieth century< In Lord of the Rings, the trench line is dra7n bet7een /ondor and -ordor, and the mi(ht o. both .orces is locked in a stalemate< The decisions o. Theoden, Saruman, ;enethor, "ra(orn, and Frodo determine the outcome, and those decisions are lar(ely made be.ore pitched battle is Foined< Similarly, in The Silmarillion, .e7 pitched battles are .ou(ht< ;ecisions, (reed, .ate, and other matters conspire to cause rottin( and corruption 7ithin the #arious stron(holds o. the el#es< The opposin( .orces o. Ee#ilE mostly sit back and 7ait 7hile Tolkien paints moral studies o. .allen people< Tolkien brin(s a complex concept o. (ood and e#il to The Silmarillion< is stories mainly study moti#es+ ho7 do situations that present themsel#es cause .allen people to make decisions> Why is Thin(ol undone by a Silmaril, but 3l7in( heroic 7ith one> Is Tur(on truly a noble and heroic .i(ure, 7ho lar(ely escapes the taint o. (reed and mis.ortune 7hich in.ects the el#es, because he has committed himsel. to inaction and does almost nothin(> ,haracters are almost al7ays a study in ho7 di..erent personalities react in a .allen 7orld, .rom the t7isted and poisoned hearts o. ,aranthir and ,uru.in to the noble and pure heart o. 3arendil< Tra(ic characters, in the true sense o. the 7ord, ha#e a character .la7 7hich leads to their undoin(< "ll 7ho come to tra(ic ends in The Silmarillion typically ha#e a .la7< Some ha#e s7orn a rash oath, some are (reedy, and some are Fust un7ise< Het, The Silmarillion @much more so than Lord of the RingsB introduces .ate< Why is urin hapless and pathetic> Not to mention Turin< ,an 7e say these men brou(ht tra(edy on themsel#es throu(h their o7n actions> No+ Tolkien seems to su((est that in many cases tra(edy is merely the price paid .or li#in( in a .allen 7orld, and is not the direct result o. indi#idual decisions<

/ey $attles
Time in The Silmarillion is not measured as much by a calendar as it is in connection 7ith epoch-markin( battles< These are usually re.erred to by their lon( el#ish names, 7hich makes keepin( them strai(ht a challen(e 7hen the names pop up at random as part o. a narrati#e<

10

The unnamed first 0attle of $eleriand< ".ter -or(oth .led 1alinor, but be.ore the arri#al o. the Noldor, the Sindarin el#es led a peace.ul and scattered existence< -or(oth=s orcs s7armed do7n .rom Than(orodrim and cau(ht the unprepared Sindarin el#es by surprise< The el#es .ou(ht o.. the orcs, but 7ith (reat loss o. li.e< This led to the .astness o. the /irdle o. -elian, .or protection< The Second $attle' 1agor nuin )iliath' $attle 2nder Stars3 When the Noldor arri#ed in -iddle-3arth, -or(oth launched a blitCkrie( a(ainst the Noldor be.ore they could establish themsel#es< ,au(ht by surprise, the Noldor .ou(ht #aliantly and routed -or(oth=s army< @The name o. this battle comes .rom the .act that it occurred a.ter the T7o Trees died, and be.ore the Sun and -oon arose, hence the only li(ht 7as that o. the stars<B Feanor died a.ter this battle, and his sons s7ore their oath< The Third $attle' 1agor !glare0' the )lorious $attle3 The Noldor push -or(oth back to the stron(hold o. Than(orodrim, at "n(bad, to establish the trench-like stalemate that 7ould obtain .or the rest o. the time until the /reat $attle< $oth sides 7ere checked+ the Noldor couldn=t crack Than(orodrim, and -or(oth 7as not stron( enou(h yet to break the lea(ue 7hich encircled him< The Fourth $attle' 1agor $ragollach' the $attle Of Sudden Flame3 The lea(uer o. Noldor around "n(band 7as broken by dra(ons and balro(s @su((ested by .lame-thro7ers and tanks>B< The el#es 7ere put on the de.ensi#e and retreated to their stron(holds+ the sie(e became re#ersed, but still neither side could pre#ail< The Fifth $attle' Nirnaeth !rnoediad, the $attle Of 2nnum0ered Tears3 Derhaps best described as the $attle o. the Somme .or the el#es+ the mi(ht o. the el#es broke upon -or(oth=s host, and 7as itsel. broken< -aedhros son o. Feanor @7hose character .la7 seems to be hot-headed re#en(e more than (reedB .i(ured that i. $eren could slip in and steal a Silmaril out .rom under -or(oth, then -or(oth must ha#e exploitable 7eaknesses in his de.enses< Fe7 7ould Foin him, but 7ith the help o. the ;7ar#es, -aedhros launched an attack, 7hich 7as to be complemented by a .lankin( maneu#er by Fin(on .rom the 7est once -or(oth=s army 7as en(a(ed 7ith -aedhros< -or(oth sa7 this and launched a pre-empti#e strike to the 7est, and also en(a(ed -aedhros< 3#en 7ith the rein.orcements o. Tur(on, 7ho brou(ht an army out o. /ondolin, the tide o. -or(oth=s assault could not be turned< The battle pro#ed to be a disaster< Tur(on retreated, lea#in( the rest o. the Noldor to .ace their de.eat, but urin 7as captured+ a man 7ho kne7 the location o. /ondolin< The Si4th $attle' The )reat $attle3 "t the point 7hen -or(oth looked to be transcendent, and the last holdouts amon( the Noldorin re.u(ees .rom their .ormer stron(holds in dan(er o. perishin(, 3arendil and 3l7in( did 7hat anyone in a true le(end 7ould do+ pulled a deux ex machina< The /reat $attle in#ol#ed the host o. 1alinor comin( to put an end to -or(oth, and 7as such an e#ent that the continent o. $eleriand 7as destroyed< @The $lue -ountains on Lord of the Rings=s map at the #ery 7estern ed(e o. the continent are the same $lue -ountains, 3red 'uin, at the easternmost ed(e o. The Silmarillion=s map<B

What the battles ha#e in common is that they result in an almost constant stalemate until the #ery end 7hen the el#es are put on the de.ensi#e< "s the el#es 7in or lose, it is

24

al7ays at a (reat cost< -or(oth=s position is interestin(, since he rarely attacks, but creates stron( de.enses .or himsel.< -or(oth is similar to the /ermans in World War I, 7ho 7ere content to make hea#y de.enses and sit behind them as their enemies made the attacks< "t .irst, -or(oth is spread too thin+ he simply doesn=t ha#e enou(h chattel to consolidate his (ains and 7ipe out the el#es, and he is personally po7er.ul but not omnipresent+ he can=t chase el#es around the continent< So he di(s in and arms himsel.< The analo(y 7ith the First World War can be pressed+ only at the .ourth battle, -or(oth=s 1erdun, did -or(oth be(in a true all-out 7ar o. attrition, sendin( his o7n .orces a(ainst the el#es re(ardless o. the cost< In the other battles, -or(oth is content to be de.ensi#e unless he clearly has the upper hand< 3#entually, the el#es simply lose the 7ar o. attrition< The centuries o. 7ar.are, treachery, internecine el#ish .i(htin(, and the incredibly slo7 birth rate amon( el#es takes its toll 7hile -or(oth patiently 7aits<

Stories Of (en and ,l#es' The (isery Of )reed !nd Fate

The conceptual basis underlyin( The Silmarillion is the a(e-old idea o. mortals bein( cau(ht up into the land o. Fairie< Tolkien=s ori(inal three stories 7ere those o. Turin, $eren, and Tuor< These .ormed the cornerstone o. his le(endarium< These three men had their .ates locked up 7ith the el#es, and are cau(ht up in the #ast can#as o. the lar(er War o. the 6e7els< 3ach o. the three mortal stories are discussed in separate sections to .ollo7< In these sections, I am not tryin( to create a synopsis o. the stories @each o. 7hich is short in its #ersion included in The SilmarillionB, but to set them in the lar(er picture o. 7hat Tolkien tried to achie#e by them< They ha#e in common a peculiar theme 7hich blends corruption and .ate< Tolkien uses the three stories to re#eal somethin( about human nature< e does so in the context o. el#es and a .antasy 7orld, but these props are used to brin( out aspects o. human nature that can e2ually 7ell be brou(ht out in the ErealE 7orld< The "n(lo-Saxon idea o. a weird or wyrd @a noun meanin( someone=s .ateB is also a theme o. the stories+ each person has a doom, a .ate, a destiny @in the ori(inal de.inition o. the 7ordB< No matter 7hat a person such as Turin does, he 7ill .ul.ill his .ate< @I could easily 7rite an entire chapter on this, and it may 7arrant that le#el o. detail<B N$+ The 7ord fate is pre.erred to destiny, because the latter 7ord has chan(ed its meanin(+ ori(inally, one=s destiny 7as ine#itable succession o. e#ents in someone=s li.e dictated by a supernatural po7er, and 7as synonymous 7ith .ateG ho7e#er, pop psycholo(y has taken o#er the 7ord and chan(ed its meanin( to the path alon( 7hich one directs onesel. to achie#e one=s personal (oals in li.e<

The Story Of Hurin and Turin

The stories o. urin and his son Turin are both studies o. li#es 7hich are out o. control+ they unra#el in an unstoppable pro(ression to total disaster 7ithout any 7ay to stop 7hat is happenin(< $oth, on the balance, make E(oodE decisions, in the sense that they seem to 21

be makin( the best decisions they can at certain critical points o. their li#es< They are not per.ect, but attempt to be honorable< They are not tra(ic characters+ they seem to possess no innate character .la7s 7hich cause their o7n tra(ic ends< Instead, they are pathetic+ they are both #ictims o. circumstances beyond their control< No matter 7hat they do, their decisions simply hasten their doom< urin has stron( parallels 7ith Frodo .rom Lord of the Rings in the sense that his li.e is a study o. ho7 the in.luence o. enemy can be subtle and slo7 to de#elop, and ho7 e#en a character 7ith pure moti#es can be ruined by the in.luence o. e#il< Frodo and urin ne#er are 2uite broken, in the sense that they 2uit on their resolution to be (ood, but both su..er psycholo(ical and physical dama(e< Inlike Frodo, 7ho is sent to the West a.ter his encounter 7ith the enemy, urin must continue to li#e his li.e in -iddle-3arth< While he is tryin( to put his li.e back to(ether, he un7ittin(ly leads to the destruction o. t7o kin(doms @/ondolin and ;oriathB< Tolkien uses urin to raise 2uestions rather than ans7er them+ ,an anyone truly be innocent and abo#e e#il and not be a..ected by it> Is rehabilitation possible> ,an someone 7ho has been in 7ar and reduced to the le#el o. subsistence in mud and inhuman conditions .or years e#er truly inte(rate back into society> ,an someone 7ho is (ood be used .or e#il 7ithout e#en conscious kno7led(e> These 2uestions are at the core o. 7hat it means to be human, and .ramin( them in a .antasy 7orld merely (i#es them a .resh an(le< -any o. Tolkien=s characters are anti-reli(ious, in the sense that they repudiate the simplistic reli(ious notion that all people 7ho are (ood ha#e (ood thin(s happen to them, and all bad people 7ho act in bad 7ays ha#e bad thin(s happen to them< This teachin( is not somethin( that modern tele#an(elists in#ented< It has been around as lon( as there has been reli(ious thou(ht @c.< the 6udeao-,hristian book o. 6ob, or ancient .ar eastern philosophy in (eneralB< Tolkien, i. nothin( else, appreciated the true depth o. the ,hristian messa(e o. innate depra#ity and a 7orld under the dominion o. e#il< Tolkien takes (reat pains to build urin up slo7ly as a human o. exceptional 7orth, be.ore sho7in( his e#entual end< @Note especially that Tolkien 7as :oman ,atholic in his reli(ious a..iliation, but his 7ritin(s display a stron( dislike .or institutionaliCed reli(ion and do(ma< Tolkien seems more dra7n to mystical ,atholicism< The .ull implications o. this .act 7ill be sa#ed .or a .uture article<B The true (enius o. Tolkien=s 7ritin( is that he re.used to see the 7orld as black and 7hite< The dri#in( .orce o. Lord of the Rings, a.ter all, is /andal. the rey, 7ho 7ends the path bet7een the extremes o. black @pure sel.ishness, embodied in SauronB and 7hite @pure pra(matism, embodied in SarumanB< Tolkien was /andal. in that sense+ someone 7ho re.used to settle .or easy, pat ans7ers and 7ho al7ays do#e deeper< Tolkien=s personality led him to be a brilliant philolo(ist .or the same reason+ he 7as ne#er com.ortable takin( the easy 7ay out in the speculation o. the meanin( o. unkno7n 7ords< e al7ays looked .or somethin( deeper<

22

Throu(h many o. his characters, Tolkien also repudiates the non-reli(ious positi#istic, and simplistic, messa(e o. the Esel.-helpE and popular psycholo(y 7orld< This messa(e has al7ays been around, e#en i. Tolkien did not kno7 it in the same .orm that 7e kno7 it today 7ith its slickly packa(ed in.omercials< The sel.-help people say that anyone can do anythin( i. they Fust try harder and do more< While this sounds (ood, and sells a lot o. product, the re#erse implication o. the messa(e is stark+ "ny .ailure is your o7n .ault because you 7eren=t (ood enou(h< @"(ain, this sel.-help messa(e, 7hile not bein( reli(ious per se still comes almost directly out o. the .ar eastern philosophical tradition that has (i#en us the idea o. karma<B Derhaps Turin is the classic example to the contrary o. sel.-help+ he did e#erythin( ri(ht, and his li.e still .ell apart into tra(edy< Turin=s name is a by7ord .or sorro7 in The Silmarillion and in all o. Tolkien=s 7ritin(s< @The treatment o. Turin in The Silmarillion is au(mented by a lon(er piece in Unfinshed Tales, 7hich 7arrants inclusion in that book by bein( un.inished< Tolkien later in li.e returned to some o. the philosophical 2uestions raised by the story he had de#ised, but ne#er completely resol#ed them<B :emember that Turin=s story is set in the dark time a.ter the $attle o. Innumbered Tears, in 7hich small, isolated kin(doms tried to hold out in the .ace o. relentless pressure .rom the enemy< Tra#el 7as di..icult, open stretches o. land 7ere la7less, and ro#in( bands o. 2uasi-military .i(hters sho7ed 7ildly #aryin( de(rees o. moti#es in their dealin(s 7ith others< Turin had a turbulent youth, ha#in( le.t his .amily to be raised in the court o. Thin(ol< e (ot in trouble early, 7hich happens to many people, but 7ith the help o. his .riend $ele(, turned his li.e around and be(an to be a champion o. (ood< is mis.ortune came 7hen he helped to de.end Nar(othrond, 7hich 7as .inally sacked< e .ell under the dra(on-curse, and one disaster happened a.ter another until he .inally killed himsel.< Derhaps in Turin=s story, more than any other, Tolkien dre7 directly .rom the *alevala< The in.luence comes .rom 9uller#o, 9aler#o=s son, 7ho in a chapter entitled E$rother and SisterE, .inds a 7oman, attempts to seduce her, is reFected, and rapes the 7oman< 8nly then does 9uller#o .ind out that the 7oman is a dau(hter o. 9aler#o, and that he has raped his o7n sister< The 7oman then kills hersel.< 9uller#o then has a short solilo2uy in 7hich he laments he 7ould be better o.. had he not been born< e then con.esses to his mother, 7ho su((ests he (oes into hidin(< Thus 9uller#o does, sayin( EI 7ill (o be.ore doom=s .aceE< Tolkien took the (erm o. a story and ele#ated it< Turin is not a brutal rapist, but an honorable man< While he becomes an outla7, it is only .or a youth.ul mistake @easily .or(i#enB, not the result o. a reprobate character< "(ain, Tolkien is bein( a psycholo(ist, studyin( ho7 decisions shape destiny< What i.> What i.> What i.> These stories read as i. Tolkien 7as poundin( himsel. 7ith that 2uestion< Which 7ere the bad decisions> o7 could characters ha#e kno7n 7hat they 7ere doin( 7ould a..ect their li#es> The e#il s7ord "n(lachel is similar to the :in(, or at least one o. the tainted minor rin(s< It o..ers (reat po7er, but at a (reat price< This concept 7as inspired by The Saga of Hervor and *ing Heidrek the %ise in 7hich er#or (oes into a barro7 to (et the s7ord Tyr.in( .rom a dead #ikin(=s shade, and the s7ord turns out to be cursed< In Deter

23

Tundsall=s translation, the shade says+ E<<<this blade Tyr.in( @you=d better belie#eB 7ill, (irl, your o..sprin( all destroy<E " descendant o. er#or kills his brother 7ith the cursed s7ord< There=s an old country son( that sums up the li.e o. Turin+ EI. I had no bad luck, I=d ha#e no luck at all<E $ut is 7hat happened to Turin simply luck> Fate> ;oom> ,ould his li.e, and by extension, could any li.e, be di..erent> o7 do 7e kno7, 7ithout the per.ect #ision o. hindsi(ht, 7hich decisions 7ill be o. momentous, li.e-chan(in( importance, and 7hich 7ill not> "nyone lookin( "a'k a.ter readin( the story o. Turin kno7s exactly 7hat 7ent 7ron(, but as the character Turin li#ed out his li.e, ho7 could he ha#e e#er kno7n>

The Story Of $eren !nd Luthien

EI met the 'uthien Tinu#iel o. my o7n personal =romance= 7ith her lon( dark hair, .air .ace and starry eyes, and beauti.ul #oice<E @Tolkien 7ritin( to his son -ichael, .rom Letters, 332<B E<<< .or she 7as @and kne7 she 7asB my 'uthien <<< I ne#er called 3dith Luthien - but she 7as the source o. the story <<<< In those days her hair 7as ra#en, her skin clear, her eyes bri(hter than you ha#e seen them, and she could sin( - and dan'e<E @Tolkien 7ritin( to his son ,hristopher, .rom Letters, 3!4<B -ost .amiliar o. all the le(ends is that o. $eren and 'uthien, .or it echoes stron(ly in the pa(es o. Lord of the Rings< For 6<:<:< Tolkien, this 7as the central story o. his li.e, and his mytholo(ical and philolo(ical dabblin(s are diminished 7hen set beside it< In short, and the tale is better and most .ittin(ly told in ,arpenter=s Biography @and all other accounts I ha#e seen in any other book are adapted .rom this tellin(B+ Tolkien met 3dith $ratt 7hile a teena(er, and .ell in lo#e< is (uardian at the time .orbade any contact 7ith her until Tolkien came o. a(e< So Tolkien 7aited se#eral years< "t the #ery stroke o. midni(ht 7hen he came o. a(e, Tolkien mailed 3dith a letter askin( her to marry him< They had a short time to(ether be.ore Tolkien entered the First World War, 7here death 7as an e#er-present reality, lea#in( 3dith behind< In this lon(in(, consumation, separation, and reunion came the spark o. the mytholo(y Tolkien built< The story is Tolkien, all o. his heart and soul, and because the tale 7as so sacred, it chan(ed not at all< 8#er sixty years, Tolkien reshaped and molded his subcreation, but lar(ely le.t this story alone< "nd, unsurprisin(ly, this most intimate and personal story 7as one Tolkien ne#er seemed able to .inish or publish, and it 7as .inally published only a.ter Tolkien=s death< I. the reader 7ants to kno7 6<:<:< Tolkien as a person and not a philolo(ist, the story o. $eren and 'uthien sums up e#erythin( that 7e can kno7 about the man< The theme o. the story is simple+ Thin(ol @Tolkien=s (uardianB asked $eren @TolkienB to do the impossible and (et a Silmaril o.. o. -or(oth=s cro7n @a .eat sli(htly less di..icult than askin( a youn( man to break o.. all contact 7ith the (irl he lo#es .or three yearsB to 7in the hand o. 'uthien @3dithB< 3#entually, $eren dies, and 'uthien chooses to die 7ith him< @In a minor detail, 3dith died se#eral years be.ore Tolkien<B They are resurrected 2!

to(ether @Tolkien insisted that 3dith con#ert to ,atholicism, a point 7hich almost ended their relationship, but e#entually she relented, so they both share today in the same a.terli.eB< In this one instance, abo#e all, I do not belie#e that the meanin( o. this story could be separated .rom Tolkien=s o7n li.e< This is Tolkien=s o7n story< $y readin( it, 7e are (limpsin( his innermost soul< Note+ The plant EumbrelsE plays a key role in the .irst meetin( o. $eren and 'uthien< $io(rapher 6ohn /arth says that Tolkien used this obscure name .or the plant commonly kno7n in "merica as 5ueen "nne=s 'ace<

The Story Of Tuor !nd The Fall Of )ondolin

,haracteristic o. The Silmarillion, the earliest stories are o.ten the least .ully told< 8ne o. the earliest (limpses Tolkien e#er had o. -iddle-3arth 7as the .all o. /ondolin, the hidden city o. the el#es, and this epic story 7as the one he could ne#er tell in .ull< Tolkien al7ays called this story the EFall o. /ondolinE, but the story he 7anted to tell 7as too massi#e .or him to e#er complete in the de(ree o. narrati#e detail promised by the piece retitled E8. Tuor "nd is ,omin( To /ondolinE in Unfinished Tales< The story 7as one Tolkien could ha#e 7ritten, since @in accord 7ith his style o. storytellin(B he sa7 the end, the fall o. /ondolin, .irst< e 7orked back7ards to disco#er 7hy /ondolin .ell, but in so doin( created a story that 7as simply too bi( .or him to complete in .ull narrati#e .orm< The sta(e is set .or the .all by care.ully buildin( up the e#ents in -iddle-3arth to the point o. the story< The Sons o. Feanor ha#e been scattered< Nar(othrond is a ruin< ;oriath has been ra#a(ed by 7ar, and then destroyed< 8nly the isolated, hidden kin(dom o. /ondolin preser#es any o. the stren(th or (lory o. the (reatly diminished Noldor< The enemy is stron(, and prepares to unleash all its mi(ht on this last remainin( stron(hold o. the Noldor< Het /ondolin .alls as much .rom 7ithin as .rom 7ithout, and the story .rom the inside has t7o maFor aspects< The .irst maFor aspect is Tur(on himsel.< Is he a (reat and noble kin(> 8r is he merely a paranoid kin( 7ho 7ill not commit himsel. to any course o. action> @We do not kno7, directly, because Tolkien ne#er told the story on the le#el o. detail that 7ould be re2uired to (lean a true character portrait o. Tur(on<B Tur(on, o. course, has the .a#or o. the 7ater-(od Ilmo and the kin(dom remains hidden< ,ompared to the other realms o. $eleriand, and their rulers, /ondolin has .ared 7ell under Tur(on=s rule+ Tur(on did not make any (ods an(ryG is not under any o#ert curseG he has been only on the extreme periphery o. the (reed and bad decisions o. those 7ho 7anted the SilmarilsG his commitments to battle @in 7hich the Sons o. Feanor are in#ol#edB ha#e come only in the times o. the most dire needG he has a really cute dau(hterG and he has o..ered sanctuary to those 7ho are tryin( to escape -or(oth=s e#il< 8n the balance, Tur(on is one o. the most noble and respectable rulers o. the el#es< Het e#en the mi(hty Tur(on could not escape the 7eb o. .ate surroundin( the Fe7els< The unans7ered 2uestion, o. course, is why he can=t escape<

2%

Tur(on has the simple strate(y that the best o..ense is a (ood de.ense< This de.ensi#e strate(y 7orks, but he accomplishes little as a kin(< Tur(on=s conser#ati#e leadership becomes his do7n.all+ is decision to retreat .rom the maFor battle in 7hich he had le.t /ondolin to .i(ht led to the capture o. a top (eneral, urin, 7ho later betrayed /ondolin=s location< Tur(on does not deal 7ith problems 2uickly+ is kin(dom rots .rom 7ithin, as the poison o. e#il slo7ly seeps into the cracks o. /ondolin as Tur(on (i#es aid and com.ort to the one 7ho 7ill betray him< "s perhaps the least a((ressi#e el. leader in -iddle-3arth, Tur(on sho7s a tendency to delay handlin( ob#ious problems< @There may be some parallels bet7een Tur(on and the $iblical ;a#id, in the sense that both stand tall in the pa(es o. the books as (reat leaders, but under a microscope sho7 a tendency to let small problems (et out o. control< ,.< ;a#id=s handlin( o. "bsalom< I. ;a#id had acted more 2uickly and .orce.ully to stem "bsalom=s rebellion and plottin(, he could ha#e been spared much pain<B In the EFall o. /ondolinE story, once more, a lar(e component o. 7hat happens is determined by subtle el#ish relationships< The reader must read chapter 1&, E8n -ae(linE, and remember that "redhel is Tur(on=s sister, and the black sheep o. Fin(ol.in=s .amily 7ho had hun( out 7ith the sons o. Feanor back in 1alinor< What sorts o. trouble these el.-kids (ot into back then is le.t to the reader=s ima(ination, but one can picture Fin(ol.in as a .ather tellin( his rebellious dau(hter that he doesn=t like her .riends, and the typical reaction that 7ould cause in a rebellious youn( person< 'ater, "redhel=s relationship 7ith Tur(on is strained @does he remind her o. her .ather> as usual, 7e don=t kno7, since the story is not told on a su..iciently detailed le#el to (lean character=s moti#esB, and she decides to lea#e /ondolin< 8n her 7ay to .ind the sons o. Feanor, "redhel .alls in 7ith a ;ark 3l. named 3ol< She is apparently attracted to that type @since it is hard to ima(ine her time 7ith the sons o. Feanor 7as spent sin(in( hymns to 3lberethB< The reader 7ho dili(ently .ollo7s the threads 7ill remember 3ol as the one 7ho .or(ed the cursed s7ord "n(lachel, and someone 7ho is thick 7ith the d7ar#es at a time 7hen d7ar#es 7ere bad ne7s .or the el#es< EIt is not said that "redhel 7as 7holly un7illin(,E is Tolkien=s master.ully understated and indirect hint that "redhel 7as enFoyin( so7in( her 7ild oats< She has a son, 7hich the reader must remember is Tur(on=s nephe7< The Silmarillion does not say exactly 7hat a E;ark 3l.E is< Technically, any el. that did not see the li(ht o. the trees is considered one, but there seems to be a more subtle distinction< Some el#es seem darker than others @7ild, ro(uish, untamedB, but the exact details are le.t unsaid< The hint is made, 7hen one o. the sons o. Feanor calls Thin(ol a dark el., that a deadly insult has been (i#en< Het 7e do not kno7 i. 3ol is a dark el. because o. some personal choice, or i. he is merely bein( 7ho he is+ Is he intent upon e#il, or merely someone 7renched out o. his role in li.e and asked to be someone he could not be> Is 3ol a EdarkE el. because he has been excluded .rom Ehi(h el.E society> Is 3ol social commentary on the elites o. society @similar to the commentary in ,<S< 'e7is= That Hideous StrengthB> 8r 7as 3ol a (rey el. 7ho 7as dra7n to e#il> "s usual, the story itsel. doesn=t (o into enou(h detail to kno7<

2&

Thus -ae(lin is born, Tur(on=s nephe7< e is a study in contradictions+ you can take the el. out o. the darkness, but you can=t take the darkness out o. the el.< No matter ho7 much the el. 7ants this to happen+ -ae(lin is painted as a character 7ho honestly 7ants to 7alk in the li(ht, and does not 7ant to be e#il< e absorbs the stories o. the Noldor< e 7ants to be part o. that 7orld< $ut no matter 7hat he tries, he can=t escape his past< e and his mother .lee to /ondolin, only to be perused by 3ol< Tur(on mercilessly kills 3ol, the ;ark 3l., in a summary Fud(ment, 7ith -ae(lin 7itnessin( the execution< @Tur(on stays consistent to his mission o. de.ense, but the price he pays is (reat<B This plants a seed o. bitterness in -ae(lin< Then, -ae(lin becomes the opposite o. $eren+ e lo#es one so .ar abo#e himsel. that the lo#e is hopeless, and 7hen he is utterly reFected it 7arps his mind< The second maFor aspect is Idril< She is another o. Tolkien=s .emale characters 7ho is ne#er .ully real< She is a symbol, a Dlatonic .orm, o. beauty< She reminds the reader o. elen o. Troy, someone so lo.ty that you can=t ima(ine her eatin( dinner or ha#in( a .a#orite son(, but only as some remote para(on o. beauty< @Het, bear in mind that 7e do not kno7 Idril because her character 7as ne#er sketched in any real detail on the le#el that 7ould be re2uired to make up our minds about her<B In a sense, Tolkien=s critics are correct that his .emale characters aren=t .ully real, but in another sense they=re not supposed to be< They are .oils 7hich expose the hearts o. mankind< The pieces are no7 in place .or the Fall< -ae(lin 7ants Idril @his cousinB in a bad 7ay< EIdril lo#ed -ae(lin not at all,E Tolkien tells us< The Noldor do not appro#e o. cousins marryin(< Idril .alls in lo#e 7ith a ne7comer to /ondolin, a handsome youn( man named Tuor< @The reader 7ill be .or(i#en i. some o. these details slip the mind+ Tuor is the son o. uor, 7ho is the brother o. urin, 7ho perished in the disaster o. the $attle o. Innumbered Tears< Ilmo the 7ater-(od has preser#ed Tuor=s li.e and sent him to /ondolin, 7here Tur(on takes him in because o. his debt to the house o. ador and its lon( association 7ith the el#es<B -ae(lin could not ha#e been happy 7hen Tur(on 7elcomed a 7ild human man into /ondolin 7hile killin( 3ol 7ithout clemency< Tur(on has played a de.ensi#e strate(y in the 7ar o. the Fe7els< "ll around him, one by one, kin(doms .ell< No7, Tur(on=s kin(dom is the tar(et o. an all-out assault by -or(oth, 7ho at this point must ha#e been .eelin( like he 7as 7innin( the 7ar< -any o. the sons o. Feanor 7ere dead, ;oriath 7as ruined, Nor(othrond 7as ruined, and most o. the el#es 7ere in disarray< -or(oth had played a hunch, releasin( urin .rom capti#ity, and it had led him to Tur(on=s kin(dom< With .e7 other enemies to contend 7ith, -or(oth had no real reason not to come do7n hard on Tur(on< Thus .ell /ondolin, and thus 7ere dashed the last hopes o. the Noldor< 8. all the stories o. -iddle-3arth, the Fall o. /ondolin is perhaps the most perplexin(< What has been 7ritten is not narrati#e+ the story in The Silmarillion is a summary o. a book 7hich 7ould ha#e been @i. it had been completedB e#ery bit as lon( as Lord of the Rings, and perhaps lon(er< Tolkien describes 7hat happens, but does not moraliCe or e#en elaborate< The reader must come to a conclusion about 7hat this story si(ni.ies based on inconclusi#e e#idence<

2)

The .all is no one person=s .ault, in particular, and occurs because o. the accretion o. conse2uences .rom small acts o. corruption< "redhel=s dissipation, Tur(on=s un7illin(ness to act, 3ol simply bein( a E;ark 3l.E @7hate#er that isB, -ae(lin=s internaliCation o. his personal issues, urin=s de#otion to duty, and many other small pebbles start an a#alanche that is totally out o. control by the end< These almost random eddies o. the .lo7in( current o. -iddle-3arth someho7 culminate in the .all o. a (reat ci#iliCation< $ut 7ould /ondolin ha#e .allen any7ay> "re there any set o. circumstances that 7ould ha#e pre#ented the .all> In a .allen 7orld, is it possible .or anyone to be completely isolated .rom e#il> The story mainly ser#es to ask 2uestions, not ans7er them< No7here else does Tolkien tell the story o. mankind=s lon(in( .or the .airy realm 7ith more acute insi(ht< Tuor is the ultimate symbol o. the mortal hero 7ho is .a#ored by the (ods, 7ho tra#els to the .airy realm, 7ho marries the .airy-princess, and 7ho li#es in the bliss.ul realm< $ut it all comes crashin( do7n around him< Such a land is one o. the primal lon(in(s o. mankind, a lon(in( .or the completeness o. the .ully realiCed Dlatonic .orms, but it is al7ays snatched a7ay<

$ac% To &here It !ll $egan' ,arendil

The a#era(e reader 7ho has read nothin( but The Ho""it and Lord of the Rings 7ill be understandably ba..led by "ra(orn=s remark about $ilbo ha#in( the cheek to make up #erses about 3arendil in the house o. 3lrond, and the remark @a passin( sentence in a 7ordy epicB 7ill likely not e#en re(ister< Derhaps someone 7ho di(s into the appendices 7ill piece to(ether the story o. 3arendil and his relationship to 3lrond, but only in The Silmarillion is the le(end .ully expounded< "lthou(h the story ends the proper ESilmarillionE, it is the .irst story Tolkien e#er ima(ined, and 3arendil sailin( amon( the stars may ha#e been his .irst (limpse into -iddle-3arth< The idea o. 3arendil emer(ed 7hen Tolkien read the 8ld 3n(lish poem +rist, 7hich is part o. the 3xeter $ook @a collection o. many di#erse 8ld 3n(lish 7ritin(sB< In.ortunately, there is no (eneral translation o. the entire 3xeter $ook a#ailable in modern 3n(lish, and no antholo(ies o. "n(lo-Saxon @at least none that I=#e e#er seenB contain the poem +rist< The most important t7o lines are circa line 14% o. the ori(inal+
Eala <font color=red>Earendel</font> / engla beorhtast Ofer middangeard / monnum sended

The translation is+ E ail 3arendel bri(htest o. an(els, o#er -iddle 3arth sent to menE, althou(h the ori(inal 7ord E3arendilE is the most important aspect o. this excerpt< Tolkien .ound the unexplained 7ord, E3arendelE, and 7ondered Fust 7hat it could mean< 8b#iously, 7hoe#er 7rote these lines kne7 7ho @or 7hatB 3arendel 7as, and included his name, but that in.ormation has been lost< Tolkien ima(ined 3arnedel 7as a mariner, 7ho sailed amon( the stars< 3#entually, this moti. .it into The Silmarillion as 3arnedil the mariner 7ho takes the Silmaril o. 3l7in( and appeals to the (ods to sa#e the peoples o. -iddle-3arthG and the (ods do< 3arendil is allo7ed into 1alinor, but spends his time sailin( amon( the stars<

2*

3arendil @the son o. Tuor and Idril o. /ondolinB and 3l7in( @(randdau(hter o. $eren and 'uthienB happen to be t7o o. the most le#el-headed and honorable characters in the entire Silmarillion< They realiCe the dire situation o. the el#es a.ter the .inal de.eat o. /ondolin, the last el. stron(hold, and realiCe that the complete end o. the el#es is near< They make a decision to put the Silmaril that 3l7in( has inherited .rom ;ior @son o. $eren and 'uthienB to (ood use, by attemptin( to use it to contact the (ods o. 1alinor and ask .or help< This is one o. the most important moral decisions made in the book+ .or the (ods listen, and inter#ene< In the end, mortals could not sol#e their o7n problems throu(h their o7n e..ort and cle#erness< Tolkien repudiates humanism< To the humanist studyin( the text, the endin( must be hollo7 and unsatis.yin(+ an author ploddin( throu(h hundreds o. pa(es o. sheer dense plot that (oes no7here, only to run out o. ideas and employ the ancient techni2ue o. deus e) ma'hina to end the story< To the ,atholic, and ,hristians in (eneral, the end is a satis.yin( con.irmation o. the sad .act o. the .all o. mortals and the need .or di#ine (race 7here none is deser#ed< I. any people deser#es to be 7iped out, it the pride.ul el#es< Het the (ods sa#e them in the end, 7ith unmerited .a#or< Het 7e are haunted+ Why didn=t the (ods simply take the Fe7els back, and then kick -or(oth out o. 1alinor> The same 2uestion haunts the ,hristian+ the Eri(ht no7 K not yetE paradox o. sal#ation and li.e in a .allen 7orld< -uch like the la7 had to be (i#en so that mankind 7ould understand the meanin( o. (race, the el#es had to li#e throu(h the 7ar o. the Fe7els to understand the (race o. the (ods< Note also that 3l7in( chan(in( into a (ull is taken .rom the *alevala<

!%alla0eth' The Sin%ing Of Numenor

Tacked on to the proper ESilmarillionE le(endarium concerned 7ith the .lourishin( o. the el#es on -iddle-3arth are the "kallabeth and a small section about the Third "(e< The latter is so short and needs no real explanation, so I i(nore it< "kallabeth concerns the mysterious Second "(e, about 7hich little comes into the stories o. either the First "(e or Third "(e< @"s an aside, the circum.lex, also called a Etop hatE, o#er the .inal e in "kallabeth indicates an unaccented lon( #o7el, 7hich is ho7 the circum.lex is used in some ortho(raphical systems< I remark on this, because I 7as tau(ht that the Etop hatE 7as a short #o7el marker 7hen I 7as in "merican public school< In contrast, a #ertical bar indicated a lon( #o7el< I ha#e no idea 7hether current Espellin(E classes still use textbooks 7here this situation obtains or not< This made my pronunciation o. Tolkien=s ton(ue-t7istin( names e#en .arther .rom 7hat 7as intended< :ules .or 7here accents naturally .all in el#ish are discussed in the #arious appendices, but .rom listenin( to Tolkien=s recorded el#ish recitations, the lan(ua(e has a sin(son( 2uality 7hich is notably di..erent .rom the cadence o. 3n(lish or any :omance lan(ua(es I ha#e heard spoken< Tolkien uses the acute accent, 7hich slants up7ards .rom ri(ht to le.t, to mark 7here accents .all unnaturally in 7ords< The name 'uthien, .or example, has the accent on the .irst syllable, 7hich is not natural in el#ish< I can recall no place 7here Tolkien used the other accent, the (ra#e accent 7hich slants do7n .rom ri(ht to le.t, in his 20

ortho(raphy 7here he transliterated el#ish into the 3n(lish alphabet< 8. course, Tolkien 7as ne#er .ully consistent 7ith his transliteration, so it=s not al7ays the same in all books< Issues like this are the sorts o. pedantry one trips o#er 7hen studyin( TolkienAB ,<S< 'e7is and 6<:<:< Tolkien a(reed one day that they 7ere (oin( to 7rite a spacetra#el and time-tra#el story, respecti#ely< Het only 'e7is= space-tra#el story e#er (ot into print< @"lso note that 'e7is be(an his o7n time-tra#el story @see EThe ;ark To7erE in The 0ark Tower !nd $ther Stories, but ne#er .inished the story<B In one sense, Tolkien ne#er .inished his time-tra#el story< Darts o. the inchoate story can be .ound in the #olume Sauron 0efeated, part o. the History of Middle#Earth< "s mi(ht be expected, the story has such 2uantities o. philolo(ical speculation on made-up lan(ua(es that it 7ould likely ha#e ne#er been 7idely read< In .act, a lar(e part o. the reason 7hy this story 7as ne#er completed 7as because Tolkien took a detour 7ith it< In another sense, the detour that 7as taken became the essential brid(e bet7een the el#ish stories o. The Silmarillion and the later EmannishE e#ents in Lord of the Rings< The timetra#el story 7as ne#er told, but its essence became the story o. Numenor< Without this brid(e, the link bet7een the older stories and the later ones 7ould ha#e been much thinner and 7ould ha#e had much less impact< Without the depth o. the rise and .all o. Numenor, men and el#es in -iddle-3arth 7ould ha#e little or no reason to interact 7ith one another, makin( the .irst t7o books o. Lord of the Rings, 7hich depend hea#ily on el#es helpin( men, a7k7ard< In Lord of the Rings, the story o. 7hat happened in Numenor is not .ully told, althou(h many hints and obli2ue mentions o. it can be .ound< 8nly the appendices, in a hi(hly abbre#iated .orm, tell much about the island< The Silmarillion contains a sort o. appendix on 7hat happened in Numenor, under the stran(e name "kallabeth< 1irtuous men 7ho helped .i(ht in the /reat $attle on the side o. the (ods o. 1alinor 7ere (i#en an island, Numenor, bet7een -iddle-3arth and the $lessed 'ands< The only strin( attached 7as that they could not come to the $lessed 'ands< "kallabeth is the story o. ho7 corruption seeped into 7hat should ha#e been paradise, and ho7 men decided they 7ere entitled to li#e in bliss 7ith the el#es, and the disaster 7hich ensued< Sauron, 7ho is seen in Lord of the Rings only as a distant eye, is sho7n as a personality 7ho interacts 7ith mankind< 8ut o. the ruin o. Numenor came the kin(s o. /ondor and "rnor< The lan(ua(e o. the Numenorians, 7hich 7as ne#er .leshed out as .ully as either o. the t7o el#ish lan(ua(es, is perhaps e#en harder on the eyes and on the mouth than el#ish< 3#en those 7ho try to pronounce el#ish 7ill be .or(i#en i. they 7alk a7ay .rom Numenorian< The story o. Numenor 7as inspired by the myth o. "tlantis, the island @or continentB 7hich sank< This is an ancient .olk le(end< @Which still, to this day, has ne#er been pro#en nor dispro#en<B "(ain, this is an example o. Tolkien, in his element as a storyteller, 7orkin( back7ards+ e took the .act that a le(end o. "tlantis sinkin( existed, and 7ondered ho7 that came to pass, and 7orked back7ards to sho7 ho7 corruption entered into paradise @a .a#orite themeB<

34

Note+ The Den(uin ,lassic translation o. Dlato=s Timaeus and +ritias @trans< ;esmond 'eeB has a lon( appendix on Dlatonic "tlantis 7hich 7ould be o. interest to the (eneral reader 7ho 7ants a summary o. the back(round issues<

The Fall Of the Noldor !nd The Remnant

What be(ins in The Silmarillion casts lon( shado7s across the pa(es o. Lord of the Rings< /aladriel may #ery 7ell be the oldest el. le.t in -iddle-3arth durin( the e#ents o. Lord of the Rings=s primary narrati#e< She is the dau(hter o. Finar.in, and a hi(h el. o. the purest pedi(ree< She 7as not a kinslayer< /aladriel=s husband ,eleborn is a (rey el.< /aladriel li#ed lon( 7ith -elian, and perhaps de#eloped a taste .or (rey el#es as a result< We are not told, but perhaps ,eleborn stays in -iddle-3arth 7hen his 7i.e departs because o. his roots as a (rey el.< e is called Ethe 7iseE, but has no role in the story< e seems diminished beside /aladriel< @Dlease note that readers o. the History of Middle#Earth, as 7ell as Unfinished Tales, 7ill disco#er that Tolkien under7ent a process o. tryin( to disco#er Fust 7ho /aladriel and ,eleborn 7ere< They are a couple 7here the EcanonicalE published in.ormation is the tip o. an iceber(<B Similarly, Thranduil and his son 'e(olas are (rey el#es< They are not the same el#es as ,eleborn=s ilk< " minor distinction exists amon( the (rey el#es, bet7een those 7ho 7ent 7est across 3red 'uin to $eleriand and participated in the Noldorin actions, and those 7ho stayed in the 7estern parts o. -iddle-3arth< "lthou(h ,elebrimbor is not in the actual story itsel., he casts a lon( shado7 as the maker o. the Three :in(s o. the el#es< e is the son o. ,uru.in=s son, and the (randson o. Feanor< e seems to ha#e inherited the .amily=s (i.t at cra.tiness, as 7ell as their temperament< /il-/alad @7hose real name is 3reinionB 7as a contemporary o. ,elebrimbor, and also does not appear directly, but is mentioned .re2uently< e, also, is a hi(h el. o. the house o. Fin(on< is .amily did not participate in the kinslayin(< 3lrond is an el. o. the hi(hest pedi(ree, but much youn(er than most o. the other el#es< e 7as a lieutenant o. /il/alad in the 'ast $attle< e descends .rom $eren and 'uthien on the dista.. side, and Tuor and Idril on the paternal side< @The hal.-el#es o. Lord of the Rings, 7hich include 3lrond, "r7en, 3lladan, and 3lrohir, are actually doubly hal.-el#es, because their .amily descends .rom both unions o. el#es and men<B ,irdan is a (rey el. 7ho became connected 7ith the sea and shipbuildin(, hence he is al7ays kno7n as Ethe Ship7ri(htE @7hich is the meanin( o. his nameB< e apparently ne#er 7ent to 1alinor in the .irst place, so his status as a rin(-bearer must ha#e been the reason .or him passin( o#er the sea in his last ship<

31

@,irdan is an example o. a complex relationship+ he is a Teleri, a sea-el., but not one o. the Teleri 7ho 7ent to 1alinor<B The el. named /lor.indel in :i#endel is a peculiar case< The ori(inal /lor.indel died durin( the sack o. /ondolin, 7hile protectin( the escape o. 3arendil< Tolkien ori(inally recycled the name, but a.ter completin( Lord of the Rings, the duplication o. the name caused much introspection on 7hether this el. 7as reincarnated a.ter death the same 7ay 'uthien 7as< @,urious readers can read Tolkien=s essay on /lor.indel in the last #olume o. the History of Middle Earth<B The attempt to reconcile the use o. the name 7as part o. a series o. subcreation-shatterin( 2uestions @such as the ori(in o. orcsB 7hich rocked Tolkien=s mytholo(ical .rame7ork o.. o. its .oundation, and he did not li#e lon( enou(h to rebuild it< @"lso note that some names are simply duplicated .rom The Silmarillion to Lord of the Rings< "s an example, the minor character Finduilas almost had her un-euphonious name recycled as "r7en=s appellation, but 7as later shi.ted to another minor character< The recyclin( o. a name does not ipso fa'to imply a connection<B

Conclusion
I. 6<:<:< Tolkien had seen The Silmarillion throu(h to its .inal .orm, perhaps it 7ould ha#e been si(ni.icantly easier to approach< Derhaps he 7ould ha#e returned to the .ramin( se2uences o. his ori(inal conception< Derhaps he 7ould ha#e .ound someone to 7rite an introduction 7hich 7ould summariCe the 7ork in a 7ay he could not< $ut 7e 7ill ne#er kno7< Tolkien 7as a lea.-painter, not a tree-painter, and the only 7ay he e#er painted a tree 7as one lea. at a time, and The Silmarillion simply had too many trees in too many .orests .or him to paint each lea.< e be(an his stories by 7ritin( epic ad#entures o. el#es and men in a .ar-o.. place, and ended 7restlin( 7ith the same moral issues o. (ood and e#il 7e are con.ronted 7ith today< -aybe The Silmarillion should be an un.inished 7ork, 7hich is open-ended .or each ne7 person 7ho .inds it, and re.lects on it, to paint their o7n lea#es< Some day the .inal tree 7ill be .inished+ i. not by us, then by the "lpha and 8me(a 7ho 7ill .inish all thin(s< :etrie#ed .rom Ehttp+KKen<7ikibooks<or(K7ikiK o7LToL:eadLTheLSilmarillionE

32