Line #9 Fridge/TheSilmarillion


1	[[AC: FridgeBrilliance]]
2	* The whole ambiguity surrounding Eru's Gift of Men means that lots of people both in and out of universe regard it as more of a curse. While people familiar with Tolkien's own world view read between the lines and assume it means spending eternity with Eru in the Timeless Halls, it's not so obvious to the characters, up to and including the Valar themselves. Men have to live around all these immortal elves and demigods, all the while not knowing what happens to their own souls after their comparatively brief time in Arda. Morgoth uses this existential question to taunt Hurin during the First Age, and Sauron later uses the Numenoreans' growing angst over their mortality during the Second Age to get them to reject Eru and start worshipping Melkor. From a narrative perspective, the Gift's vagueness is a feature, not a bug. The in-universe accounts that comprise The Silmarillion are implied to be from an Elvish perspective, so that may also explain the other major InformedAttribute of the Gift: being ImmuneToFate.
3	* All the Valar come in pairs, with three exceptions: Ulmo, who chose to live alone, Nienna, and Melkor. It is stated that Nienna is sorrowful and patient, and weeps for the wounds of the world. Could it possibly be that Melkor is her lost love? That would make her sorrow even more poignant. Her patience seems infinite, also when we remember that Melkor actually wanted Varda for a spouse, but she rejected him. So Nienna can't do anything but weep.
4	** Nienna was also the only one to speak in Melkor's favour at his trial. It add a fascinating layer if that was part of her reason.
5	** Perhaps even more brilliant considering what these two represent: Melkor - all-consuming pride and kindness, compassion and wisdom for Nienna. They are polar opposites and can't be together.
6	* When Thingol heard about the massacre of his kin (the Teleri) by the Noldor, he banned the speaking of their language (Quenya) throughout Beleriand. This meant that the Noldor (whom he no longer trusted) had to speak in a language he and his people could understand, or risk being shunned. It also meant that, while he could not demand that the Noldor get rid of the swords that had killed his kin (since they were needed in the war against Morgoth), he could still punish them by banning the language in which the orders to kill the Teleri were given.
7	** Being a scholar of languages himself, Tolkien also knew the implications of this punishment. It was practically a death sentence to any attempt at exporting or preserving of Noldorin culture in Beleriand as the forced use of Sindarin would, without noticing it, gradually lead to an adoption of the culture of the Teleri. This is reflected by the time of the Third Age, when Sindarin is the high language of Middle Earth, with almost all locations having Sindar names; whereas Quenya, the language of the Noldor, is an isolated tongue known by few people.
8	* Meta-example: ''The Silmarillion'' itself was compiled from fifty years of Tolkien's manuscripts, layer upon layer of retellings, many of which were not consistent with one another in detail and often in fundamentals... just like different versions of real-world mythology.
9	** Or even real-world history.
10	* The elves are described dwelling far beyond the sea, on the other side of impassable mountains, beneath the earth in elaborate underground palaces, and in the deep, enchanted forests. In other words, in exactly the places where the Celts used to believe TheFairFolk to dwell. This is most definitely not a coincidence, but a deliberate attempt to tie ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' to the real world mythology.
11	* The three elvish ambassadors to Valinor seems to have a root in mythology and folklore.
12	** Ingwë, the leader of the Vanyar, is an equivalent of Ingwaz or Frøy. In norse mythology the elves live with him in Alfheimr. The vanyar live with Ingwë in Elvenhome, and hey is there a nominal resemblance between the Vanyar and the Vanir (the people of Frøy).
13	** Finwë was called ''Finn'' in the early drafts. Wayland the smith is the son of the Finn king in the Norse poem, and is called "Visi alfa" (elven lord). The Noldor are master smiths, as Wayland was.
14	** Elwë has a name that rings almost like "Elf". His people, the Sindar, seems to be the most traditionally "elvish" elves in the mythology. And like the woodland elves, they prefer twilight and dusk, being called the Grey Elves because of this.
15	* Not sure if this was intentional on Tolkien's part or not, but while Morgoth is BigBad for the overall story, each of the three "Great Tales" which form the most significant arcs of the mythology features a significant role from one of his three [[CoDragons chief lieutenants]] -- Sauron in "Beren and Lúthien", Glaurung in "Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin", and Gothmog in "The Fall of Gondolin".
16	* Which characters get the primary focus is something that changes throughout ''The Silmarillion'' -- first the Valar, then the elves, then men, and finally at the end of "Of the Rings of Power", the hobbits. This reflects Middle-Earth's gradual transformation from a purely mythological world inhabited by embodied elemental forces into a a more mundane world like out own (or possibly our own altogether, if some of Tolkien's DirectLineToTheAuthor comments are to be taken seriously).
17	** This is reflected in the narrative in a few different ways. The conflict with Morgoth becomes less and less fantastical as the story goes on. What started a war between titantic gods who can move mountains and part the seas ended up as a greatly depowered despot hiding out in a besieged castle while his enemies (mostly elves with the occasional human, with only a handful of Ainur noted to be involved) finally beat him through pure military might and drag him out. Even the rotating perspectives are all "lesser" as they go on. We start with the Valar themselves, then the nigh mythical founders of the Elven tribes, their direct descendants who are the great kings of the Noldor and the Teleri, then their sons and daughters who run much less impressive kingdoms in Beleriand, all the way down to the humans, and eventually hobbits. This degradation is a visual indicator of the "magic" leaving the world and the ending of the ages of gods and heroes that is often referenced in ''The Lord of the Rings''.
18	* It is mentioned that Elrond kept and compiled the stories of the Elves in Middle-Earth in Rivendell, and that Bilbo translated works from Elvish to the Common Tongue while he was in Rivendell. Presumably, ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'' was written by Elrond, translated into the Common Tongue by Bilbo, and then translated into English by Tolkien. That would explain why it is told from an Elvish point of view, though with a very generous regard for select humans.
19	* In the ''Literature/TheLordOfTheRings'' when the Fellowship is formed Elrond tells them (with the exception of Frodo, who is charged to carry the Ring) to swear no oaths to see the quest through to the end. When Gimli insists, Elrond again cautions against it, saying that there is no way of knowing what they're getting into and it's better not to trap yourself in an oath you may not be able to follow through with. Elrond isn't just being paranoid. He knows better than anyone in the room how an oath can backfire. He was raised for part of his childhood by Maglor, one of the Sons of Fëanor (The Fëanorians being pretty much the ultimate cautionary tale in NEVER SWEARING AN OATH or just acting without thinking in general). He saw first hand what the Fëanorian Oath compelled the Sons of Fëanor to do and how it ultimately destroyed them.
20	-->'This is my last word,' said Elrond. 'The Ring-Bearer is setting out on the Quest of Mount Doom. On him alone is any charge laid... The others go with him as free companions, to help him on his way. You may tarry, or come back, or turn aside into other paths, as chance allows. The further you go, the less easy will it be to withdraw; yet no oath or bond is laid on you to go further than you will. For you do not yet know the strength of your hearts, and you cannot foresee what each may meet upon the road.'
21	-->'Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens,' said Gimli.
22	-->'Maybe,' said Elrond, 'but let him not vow to walk in the dark, who has not seen the nightfall.'
23	-->'Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart,' said Gimli.
24	-->'Or break it,' said Elrond. 'Look not too far ahead! But go now with good hearts!'
25	* This also leans into the fridge horror part, during Sauron's stay with the Númenóreans he tells them about the divine lord Melkor and all his wonders and a lot of them end up believing him. Why? Because Melkor hasn't gone by that name since the Sun first rose in the heaven in the late First Age, and hundreds of years have went by since then, where the somewhat younger Númenóreans might have only heard his tale through the name Morgoth.
26	** It's more likely that Sauron called his master by his original name because of the meaning. Melkor, meaning He Who Arises In Might -- awesome. Morgoth, meaning [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast The Dark Enemy Of The World]] -- not so much. It is as if some dark cultist would introduce Satan as "Lord of Lies" or something like that instead of "Lightbearer". Of course, some people fall for the more sinister name, but if you want to go for numbers, pick the one that sounds more appealing.
27	* During the Númenórean Invasion of Valinor, neither the Valar nor the Eldar had any confidence of victory against Ar-Pharazôn and his army, because they had no control over their fate in the first place, Humans having free will and all. And by this point, the Númenóreans had grown in such power that all attempts by the Valar and the Eldar to subdue them would be doomed to fail, and as such only Ilúvatar himself could stop the Númenóreans from claiming what they sought to claim.
28	** Actually it's mentioned that one reason Morgoth feared Turin was because he had the potential to grow to such power that he could break free of Morgoth's curse. Turin was just an Edain... the Númenóreans were their empowered descendants and they were at the height of their power so there's actually a good chance that the Númenórean race at this point could defy the 'fate' decreed by the Valar for the world and impose their decision on it. Sure you could argue that the Valar didn't act directly against Númenor for fears of collateral damage... until you realize that Manwë invoking Ilúvatar caused just as much collateral damage as a Valar intervention. For the look of it, the Númenóreans by that point had surpassed even the Music of the Ainur (which is what Men are actually meant to do as per the Gift of Ilúvatar aka free will) and only [[{{God}} Ilúvatar]] had the capability to stop them.
29	** Or Manwë wanted to know how the Valar should act against Númenor. Should they just destroy the armies or the whole island?
30	** Except that the whole destruction of Númenor and the changing of the world was described to be the work of Ilúvatar and not the Valar.
31	** [[http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Gift_of_Men The Gift of Man is death]]. Through that gift they are made free of destiny. This does not mean they control reality. The Númenóreans could not have claimed what they sought because they sought immortality which is the exact opposite of the Gift given to them. The Undying Lands do not confer immortality. Frodo and Bilbo do eventually die even though they sailed West. Immortality is impossible to achieve for men by the decree of Eru Ilúvatar. The Valar didn't call upon Ilúvatar because they were afraid of the Númenóreans, they called on him so he could remove Valinor from the circles of the world to prevent anyone else as deeply stupid as Ar-Pharazôn from wasting their time committing highly elaborate suicide.
32	* Ar-Pharazôn wants to be immortal... and by invading Valinor, he ''does'' get to live at least until the end of the world, albeit [[AndIMustScream not in the sense that he intended]].
33	* The Elves being slaves of the Valar is ridiculous, so why does Fëanor believe it unquestioningly despite ''knowing'' Melkor is a liar? Well, he’s lived in a paradisiacal utopia his whole life. He’s lived a more charmed life than even the most privileged [[BeingHumanSucks Man]] who ever was, both within the legendarium and in RealLife. That is, Fëanor has absolutely no idea what slavery is or what it entails. He’s the equivalent of a [[OldMoney trust-fund kid]] thinking they’re being unfairly punished when their rich father doesn’t bail them out of a DUI!
34	* Aulë is a foil to Melkor[=/=]Morgoth. While Melkor's attempts during the Song were either changes to the other's Music or destructive in intent, Aulë attempted to make an independent creation in the Dwarves. Melkor wanted to have his "contributions" known as his own idea, but when discovered Aulë pointed out how he was inspired by Iru, and presented the dwarves as a gift, for Iru's approval. Melkor (eventually) wishes for all of creation to bend to his will; when Iru pointed out that Aulë's creation had "no will independent of him", Aulë was crestfallen, not wishing to have mindless slaves bound to him- he merely wanted companions to also enjoy Iru's universe, in their own way, with their own will. This is why Iru decided to give the dwarves their own souls, since Aulë cared about ''them'' and not his own glory... in contrast to Melkor.
35
36	[[AC:FridgeHorror]]
37	* In ''Literature/TheSilmarillion'', the Dark Lord Morgoth ''[[Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin imprisons Húrin and forces him to watch from afar his family be destroyed by Morgoth's curse]]''. Among other misfortunes, Húrin's two surviving children unknowingly marry and conceive a child. Just how much did Morgoth show Húrin, exactly? It makes it even more amazing that Húrin never screamed once.
38	** A good question, since Morgoth's claim that Húrin will see "through [his] eyes" can mean two things, either that he can see everything -- for example, Húrin could see Morwen going to Thingol and soon leaving and Túrin trying to look for her a bit later while Finduilas was dragged away and killed as well -- or that everything Húrin saw was distorted to give him more pain, focusing on the tragedy and loss and mistakes.
39	*** Some editions of ''Literature/TheChildrenOfHurin'' include some explanation on this matter in the form of a short prologue by Christopher Tolkien. According to this, Húrin was semi-forced to look into Morgoth's eyes, and then either saw with his own eyes what happened or had visions of it. How much Húrin saw and how accurate that was is still a question though, but the explanation adds that Húrin indeed could have looked away himself and wouldn't have had to beg, he was just that desperate for infos, even from an unreliable source... and he was just that confident that he would be able to tell truth from lies.
40	* Possibly the biggest {{mind screw}} in all the book but when Eru told Melkor that all things he thought he could make were merely an extension of Eru himself it's pretty clear that the whole fall of Melkor and his subsequent evil agenda were actually anticipated and factored into Eru's plans for the creation of the universe.
41	** Eru's flame of creation, the only thing capable of giving free will and true life would be pointless if living things didn't have evil to choose apart from good. Melkor's deepest desire, of having that flame, which eventually drove him to madness actually stems from his existence being complementary to it.
42	** When Melkor tried to destroy the realm of Ulmo with cold he inadvertently created all beautiful and marvelous shapes of ice and snow, and a new environment for Yavanna's creatures. When he tried to evaporate the sea, he created clouds that carried water inland. When he destroyed the Lamps he forced the Valar to replace them with even more beautiful creations (the Two Trees), and when he destroyed them in turn, the Valar created the Sun and the Moon... whatever evil Melkor does, it eventually has also good results that enhance the World. It is impossible having those good things without the evil that causes them and the eternal struggle between good and evil, so even though evil is and must be fought, its existence is necessary in the great scheme.
43	* After trying and failing to eat Morgoth, Ungoliant runs away. We never find out what happens to her, and while it says that she may have finally eaten herself after running out of things to devour, we don't know that for a fact. Now, Ungoliant is the embodiment of darkness and gluttony, and would eat the whole world if she has the chance. [[CosmicHorrorStory So she could still be out there... Devouring anything she can find... Until there's nothing left at all.]]
44	** Considering she's never mentioned again, she's most likely dead.
45	** In an early draft Tolkien had Eärendil slay Ungoliant and this was never outright done away with. So it could be this is what happened but Eärendil never bothered to tell anyone.
46	* After making the Dwarves, and being admonished by Eru for overstepping and attempting to create life, Vala Aulë takes up his hammer and prepares to destroy them, only to have them cower in fear. Thus demonstrating that they have free will and are alive. The first emotion the Dwarves felt upon being born was fear. Their first memory was that of their creator trying to undo them as a "mistake." Explains a lot about Dwarf psychology.
47	** Technically, after creating the dwarves, Vala Aulë got to teaching them the language he had made for them, but after some time, Eru found out, and then the events said happened. Now the dwarves were no more than automatons at that point, but there first memory was probably of Vala Aulë teaching them, and their first emotion intrigue, though they didn't really have free will at that point, and were completely subservient to their maker. But to be fair, who knows.
48	* The Silmarillion tells that the elves of Beleriand mistook the Petty-Dwarves for animals and hunted them. Now, considering that the elves are typically seen respecting nature and not killing living beings only for sport, there's a good chance that they also ''ate'' the dwarves that they caught.
49	** Maybe at some point of their hunt they saw the Petty-Dwarves displaying signs of higher intelligence, maybe language, and then were like "OhCrap"
50	* If the Oath of Fëanor really is impossible to break, then that implies that Eru [[SkewedPriorities would condemn oathbreaking harsher than murdering thousands of people]].
51	** On the other hand, that might be just his sons' fear - or a pretext even. We can't know if Eru ever heeded the oath in the first place...
52	* The Door of Night, which Morgoth was thrown out of during his second punishment by the Valar is described as being guarded by stone dragons. But...[[DragonsAreDemonic dragons]] are explicitly an evil creature, they were created by Morgoth. Why would the Valar have their own, even as decoration? Maybe they aren't [[EldritchAbomination dragons at all]] and just a quick warning of what kind of scary stuff is waiting for you out in The Void.
53	** Maybe they were dragons and they were just bribed, since dragons love gold.

Context Fridge / TheSilmarillion