An Overview of The Silmarillion: Part Three
Note: This is the third part of a series of essays summarizing J.R.R. Tolkien's greatest literary work. Click to read Part One and Part Two. I will not repeat links to characters, places, or events already discussed. See the earlier posts for those.
After 200 years in the secret city of Gondolin, Aredhel, sister to Turgon, grows restless and desires to travel outside the hidden vale to visit Fëanor’s sons. Turgon is hesitant but finally allows her to go with an armed escort. Soon, the escort is attacked by creatures of Ungoliant and Aredhel ends up alone at Nan Elmoth, an enchanted forest where Melian once walked.
Eöl, a Teleri Elf, dwells there. He used to live in Doriath but, like Aredhel, felt confined and desired to live outside the Girdle of Doriath. He shuns the Noldor and blames them for the return of Morgoth to Middle-earth. He makes friends with the Dwarves and visits them in their great halls of Nogrod and Belegost. He learned their craft and became a master of metal works.
He finds Aredhel in the forest and marries her. They have a son, Maeglin. Apparently, being two restless souls, their marriage is not a stable one. After a dozen years, Aredhel suddenly decides to return to Gondolin with her son while Eöl is away with the Dwarves. But Eöl soon returns home and tracks his wife and son, enraged that they have abandoned him. He is captured by the guards of Gondolin and brought before Turgon, who allows him to stay when Aredhel claims Eöl as her husband.
But Eöl’s hatred for the Noldor is so great that, despite the wonder of Gondolin, he wants Maeglin to return home with him. But Maeglin loves his mother more and decides to remain in the secret city. Furious, Eöl attempts to kill his son with a javelin but Aredhel leaps in front of her son and dies instead. Turgon wastes little time putting Eöl to death in return.
The Noldor are a patriarchical klan. Maeglin is now the heir to his uncle Turgon. This is because Turgon’s wife was one of the many Elves who died crossing Helcaraxë with Fingolfin many centuries ago when the Noldor followed after Fëanor’s quest to regain the Silmarils. This was not before she bore him a daughter, Idril. Maeglin falls in forbidden love with his cousin, for the Elves don’t marry so closely. Idril never reciprocates these feelings, setting the foundation for future trouble in Gondolin.
Meanwhile, ever-moving eastward toward the rising Sun, Men finally arrive in Beleriand. The tribe of Bëor is the first to be discovered by the Elves, who befriend them and teach them. Soon, many other Men follow and they settle in various places. These assorted tribes of Men are in awe of the Elves and the Elves call them “the Edain.”
As I mentioned in Part Two, Tolkien conceives of human mortality as a gift and Elfish immortality is a kind of curse. Though they can be killed, Elves theoretically can live forever. Their memory is equally forever and hence their ever-increasing sadness and nostalgia with the passage of so much time. Men are different.
When the Dark Elves ask Bëor about the history of his people, “…Bëor would say little; and indeed he knew little, for the fathers of his peoples had told few tales of their past and a silence had fallen upon their memory.” Mortality (and the ignorance of these first Men) offers a kind of forgetfulness that Elves can only imagine. This will all change going forward, of course. Once the Second Age arrives Men have long-remembered traditions. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Those who settled northernmost Beleriand are constantly raided by Orcs and many die. Some move southward just outside Doriath, which Thingol, ever the isolationist, does not like. But, gradually, he comes to accept them as scouts to keep watch for the approach of Orcs. This troubles Melian, however, and she expresses this to Galadriel. “Now the world runs on swiftly to great tidings. And one of Men, even of Bëor’s house, shall indeed come, and the Girdle of Melian will not restrain him, for doom greater than my power shall send him; and the songs that shall spring from the coming shall endure when all of Middle-earth is changed.”
Again, “doom” (or fate) plays heavily in the narrative. There is no question that Tolkien believes some things are inevitable (and they usually leave things worse than they were before). Indeed, he believes in sweeping predestination if we hold to the account of the Ainur’s music before creation (see Part One). Three Great Themes (one for each age?) are now being expressed throughout Arda. Yet, interestingly, although the Ainur sang these Themes they know only snippets of the future. They had no idea when either Elf or Men would come or what they would look like, for example, only that the First and Second Children would appear at some point. That they don’t fully comprehend the evil of Morgoth is another example (see below).
Instead, they know comparatively small things. Turgon is informed by a Vala about future signposts in relation to others coming to Gondolin. The Doom of the Noldor was not inevitable so much as a punishment issued by the Valar for Fëanor’s rash behavior and the Noldor’s continued commitment to him. They know things are unfolding but they don’t fully realize how they will play out because they only understand Middle-earth as musical themes not as events.
When wielded by Ilúvatar, the Ainur collectively have vast power and yet their foresight is often unclear. The Valar only know the parts they sang and even then they only possess general knowledge of harmony and discord. Even if the unfolding of Middle-earth is completely predetermined it will still appear as happenstance to anyone who does not comprehend what is happening. The inevitability is meaningless because no one acts out of inevitability. Most (Maiar, Elf, Dwarf, and Human) act as if their own volition matters, with or without “doom.” For Tolkien, any predestination has a certain blind irony about it.
So the Edain are scattered and settled throughout the Eldar. Most Men learn the tongue of the Grey Elves. Eventually, the Elves give the Edain lands of their own and they appoint the first chieftains to rule Men. The Noldor share much of their knowledge with them. This enrages Morgoth, for he has tried by his usual lies and deceit to make enemies of Elves and Men.
As mentioned above, Tolkien writes that, for all the experience and wisdom of the Noldor, they “did not yet comprehend the fullness of the power of Morgoth, nor understand that their unaided war upon him was without final hope, whether they hastened or delayed.” If fate is blind to the Ainur, it is incomprehensible to the Elves. Fingolfin attempts to get the Noldor, reinforced by Men, to preemptively assail Angband but the majority of the Elves oppose warfare. They have become complacent within the peace that settled so long ago over their lands.
This is how matters stand when Morgoth unleashes the fourth great battle of Beleriand, the Battle of Sudden Flame (Dagor Bragollach). Glaurung is now full-grown and attacks with many Balrogs and large armies of Orcs. Much of the Noldor’s lands are overrun and many are slain. Fingolfin, fearing utter ruin, goes forth and challenges Morgoth to one-on-one battle. Morgoth accepts, fearing that a refusal might lessen his power over his servants.
Fingolfin rides to Angband’s Gate upon his mighty horse Rochallor and is armed with his great sword, Ringil. Morgoth wields Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld. Fingolfin manages to wound Morgoth seven times and even cut off the Dark Lord’s foot. Even so, Grond and Morgoth are powerful and ultimately slay Fingolfin. Morgoth rips apart Fingolfin’s body in order to feed it to his wolves but Thorondor flies there, claws at Morgoth’s face and takes the body to Gondolin where a sorrowful Turgon entombs it. Morgoth never recovers from his wounds.
But the victory is his as Glaurung and the rest of his forces overrun much of the north and east. Sauron comes and takes up residence in Minas Tirith (not the same city as in The Lord of the Rings) and turns it into a watchtower. Many Noldor and Sindar are captured and sent to Angband as slaves. Spies infiltrate the houses of Men and Elves to sow further deceit.
At this time, a people Tolkien refers to as "Swarthy Men" come out of the East. Most of them have already sworn to do Morgoth’s bidding. But, Bór is different and faithfully swears allegiance to Maedhors. This is the only exception, however. The Edain have little interaction with the people they call “the Easterlings” and they remain apart.
Bëor’s folk are all but wiped out in the battle. Other Men become trapped in their lands. The Men serving as scouts for Thingol battle the Orcs and send word to Doriath for reinforcements when Sauron captures Minas Tirith. The Elves come and Men fight alongside them, wiping out the Orcs in that part of Middle-earth.
As the battle continues to rage, two Men, brothers, Húrin and Huor, fight in another region and are cut off from their kinsmen by Orcs. Thorondor, with the assistance of a Vala, again saves that day by flying them to Gondolin for protection. It is worth noting that this is the first time that a Vala has directly aided Men. Up to this point their interventions have all been either of their own volition or to assist the Elves. And even this intervention is primarily due to the Elves, not specially for Men. It fulfills a prophecy (one of the "smaller" things the Valar foresee).
Turgon welcomes them, the first Men to see Gondolin, for the Valar foretold of their coming to him. They remain for a year and learn the Noldor’s lore. Then, when peace is again secure in Beleriand, Thorondor returns them so that neither of them ever learn the geographic passage into Gondolin. The way to the vale remains hidden.
Nevertheless, Turgon fears that Morgoth’s victorious ruin of Beleriand will eventually mean the downfall of his city. So he secretly sends companies to the coast in order to build ships and sail back to Valinor. He will beg forgiveness for the Noldor ever leaving to begin with, begging for mercy from the Doom of the Noldor. But none of his companies ever make it to the coast. They are killed or captured by Orcs.
In yet another part of the vast battlefield the Elven King Finrod is "cut off from his people and surrounded with small company...he would have been slain or taken, but Barahir came up with the bravest of his men and rescued him..." This is one of the most heroic feats of Men coming to the aid of Elf-kind in The Silmarillion. And Finrod rewards the lord of the house of Bëor by swearing "an oath of abiding friendship and aid in every need" to Barahir. The Elfish king gives his ring to Barahir as a token of appreciation. This is an important plot point in the narrative. Tolkien takes oaths seriously and this comes into play soon.
The battle is a costly victory for Morgoth, both in terms of his army’s casualties and his own grievous wounds. Plus, he still does not know the location of either of the two great, secret Elfish strongholds, Gondolin and Nargothrond. So, he withdraws his forces to rebuild, except for spies that are constantly sent forth to learn what they can.
After seven years, Morgoth renews his assault upon the Elves and Húrin’s people. They fight bravely but are badly outnumbered and are about to be overrun when the timely arrival of reinforcements saves the day. The coastal Elves sail in great strength up the coast and maneuver, attacking the Orcs from the east, driving them back into the Iron Mountains.
But constant raiding still occurs. Sauron sends out parties of Orcs in search of remnants of Elves and Men in the forests of northern Beleriand. Many Men, their tribes shattered and destroyed by battle, live as bands of outlaws. Among them is Beren son of Barahir, who, after repeated raids and skirmishes finds himself alone, his family and companions captured or dead. He escapes the ruin and this brings him to the edge of Doriath.
(to be continued)
After 200 years in the secret city of Gondolin, Aredhel, sister to Turgon, grows restless and desires to travel outside the hidden vale to visit Fëanor’s sons. Turgon is hesitant but finally allows her to go with an armed escort. Soon, the escort is attacked by creatures of Ungoliant and Aredhel ends up alone at Nan Elmoth, an enchanted forest where Melian once walked.
Eöl, a Teleri Elf, dwells there. He used to live in Doriath but, like Aredhel, felt confined and desired to live outside the Girdle of Doriath. He shuns the Noldor and blames them for the return of Morgoth to Middle-earth. He makes friends with the Dwarves and visits them in their great halls of Nogrod and Belegost. He learned their craft and became a master of metal works.
He finds Aredhel in the forest and marries her. They have a son, Maeglin. Apparently, being two restless souls, their marriage is not a stable one. After a dozen years, Aredhel suddenly decides to return to Gondolin with her son while Eöl is away with the Dwarves. But Eöl soon returns home and tracks his wife and son, enraged that they have abandoned him. He is captured by the guards of Gondolin and brought before Turgon, who allows him to stay when Aredhel claims Eöl as her husband.
But Eöl’s hatred for the Noldor is so great that, despite the wonder of Gondolin, he wants Maeglin to return home with him. But Maeglin loves his mother more and decides to remain in the secret city. Furious, Eöl attempts to kill his son with a javelin but Aredhel leaps in front of her son and dies instead. Turgon wastes little time putting Eöl to death in return.
The Noldor are a patriarchical klan. Maeglin is now the heir to his uncle Turgon. This is because Turgon’s wife was one of the many Elves who died crossing Helcaraxë with Fingolfin many centuries ago when the Noldor followed after Fëanor’s quest to regain the Silmarils. This was not before she bore him a daughter, Idril. Maeglin falls in forbidden love with his cousin, for the Elves don’t marry so closely. Idril never reciprocates these feelings, setting the foundation for future trouble in Gondolin.
Meanwhile, ever-moving eastward toward the rising Sun, Men finally arrive in Beleriand. The tribe of Bëor is the first to be discovered by the Elves, who befriend them and teach them. Soon, many other Men follow and they settle in various places. These assorted tribes of Men are in awe of the Elves and the Elves call them “the Edain.”
As I mentioned in Part Two, Tolkien conceives of human mortality as a gift and Elfish immortality is a kind of curse. Though they can be killed, Elves theoretically can live forever. Their memory is equally forever and hence their ever-increasing sadness and nostalgia with the passage of so much time. Men are different.
When the Dark Elves ask Bëor about the history of his people, “…Bëor would say little; and indeed he knew little, for the fathers of his peoples had told few tales of their past and a silence had fallen upon their memory.” Mortality (and the ignorance of these first Men) offers a kind of forgetfulness that Elves can only imagine. This will all change going forward, of course. Once the Second Age arrives Men have long-remembered traditions. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
Those who settled northernmost Beleriand are constantly raided by Orcs and many die. Some move southward just outside Doriath, which Thingol, ever the isolationist, does not like. But, gradually, he comes to accept them as scouts to keep watch for the approach of Orcs. This troubles Melian, however, and she expresses this to Galadriel. “Now the world runs on swiftly to great tidings. And one of Men, even of Bëor’s house, shall indeed come, and the Girdle of Melian will not restrain him, for doom greater than my power shall send him; and the songs that shall spring from the coming shall endure when all of Middle-earth is changed.”
Again, “doom” (or fate) plays heavily in the narrative. There is no question that Tolkien believes some things are inevitable (and they usually leave things worse than they were before). Indeed, he believes in sweeping predestination if we hold to the account of the Ainur’s music before creation (see Part One). Three Great Themes (one for each age?) are now being expressed throughout Arda. Yet, interestingly, although the Ainur sang these Themes they know only snippets of the future. They had no idea when either Elf or Men would come or what they would look like, for example, only that the First and Second Children would appear at some point. That they don’t fully comprehend the evil of Morgoth is another example (see below).
Instead, they know comparatively small things. Turgon is informed by a Vala about future signposts in relation to others coming to Gondolin. The Doom of the Noldor was not inevitable so much as a punishment issued by the Valar for Fëanor’s rash behavior and the Noldor’s continued commitment to him. They know things are unfolding but they don’t fully realize how they will play out because they only understand Middle-earth as musical themes not as events.
When wielded by Ilúvatar, the Ainur collectively have vast power and yet their foresight is often unclear. The Valar only know the parts they sang and even then they only possess general knowledge of harmony and discord. Even if the unfolding of Middle-earth is completely predetermined it will still appear as happenstance to anyone who does not comprehend what is happening. The inevitability is meaningless because no one acts out of inevitability. Most (Maiar, Elf, Dwarf, and Human) act as if their own volition matters, with or without “doom.” For Tolkien, any predestination has a certain blind irony about it.
So the Edain are scattered and settled throughout the Eldar. Most Men learn the tongue of the Grey Elves. Eventually, the Elves give the Edain lands of their own and they appoint the first chieftains to rule Men. The Noldor share much of their knowledge with them. This enrages Morgoth, for he has tried by his usual lies and deceit to make enemies of Elves and Men.
As mentioned above, Tolkien writes that, for all the experience and wisdom of the Noldor, they “did not yet comprehend the fullness of the power of Morgoth, nor understand that their unaided war upon him was without final hope, whether they hastened or delayed.” If fate is blind to the Ainur, it is incomprehensible to the Elves. Fingolfin attempts to get the Noldor, reinforced by Men, to preemptively assail Angband but the majority of the Elves oppose warfare. They have become complacent within the peace that settled so long ago over their lands.
This is how matters stand when Morgoth unleashes the fourth great battle of Beleriand, the Battle of Sudden Flame (Dagor Bragollach). Glaurung is now full-grown and attacks with many Balrogs and large armies of Orcs. Much of the Noldor’s lands are overrun and many are slain. Fingolfin, fearing utter ruin, goes forth and challenges Morgoth to one-on-one battle. Morgoth accepts, fearing that a refusal might lessen his power over his servants.
Fingolfin rides to Angband’s Gate upon his mighty horse Rochallor and is armed with his great sword, Ringil. Morgoth wields Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld. Fingolfin manages to wound Morgoth seven times and even cut off the Dark Lord’s foot. Even so, Grond and Morgoth are powerful and ultimately slay Fingolfin. Morgoth rips apart Fingolfin’s body in order to feed it to his wolves but Thorondor flies there, claws at Morgoth’s face and takes the body to Gondolin where a sorrowful Turgon entombs it. Morgoth never recovers from his wounds.
But the victory is his as Glaurung and the rest of his forces overrun much of the north and east. Sauron comes and takes up residence in Minas Tirith (not the same city as in The Lord of the Rings) and turns it into a watchtower. Many Noldor and Sindar are captured and sent to Angband as slaves. Spies infiltrate the houses of Men and Elves to sow further deceit.
At this time, a people Tolkien refers to as "Swarthy Men" come out of the East. Most of them have already sworn to do Morgoth’s bidding. But, Bór is different and faithfully swears allegiance to Maedhors. This is the only exception, however. The Edain have little interaction with the people they call “the Easterlings” and they remain apart.
Bëor’s folk are all but wiped out in the battle. Other Men become trapped in their lands. The Men serving as scouts for Thingol battle the Orcs and send word to Doriath for reinforcements when Sauron captures Minas Tirith. The Elves come and Men fight alongside them, wiping out the Orcs in that part of Middle-earth.
As the battle continues to rage, two Men, brothers, Húrin and Huor, fight in another region and are cut off from their kinsmen by Orcs. Thorondor, with the assistance of a Vala, again saves that day by flying them to Gondolin for protection. It is worth noting that this is the first time that a Vala has directly aided Men. Up to this point their interventions have all been either of their own volition or to assist the Elves. And even this intervention is primarily due to the Elves, not specially for Men. It fulfills a prophecy (one of the "smaller" things the Valar foresee).
Turgon welcomes them, the first Men to see Gondolin, for the Valar foretold of their coming to him. They remain for a year and learn the Noldor’s lore. Then, when peace is again secure in Beleriand, Thorondor returns them so that neither of them ever learn the geographic passage into Gondolin. The way to the vale remains hidden.
Nevertheless, Turgon fears that Morgoth’s victorious ruin of Beleriand will eventually mean the downfall of his city. So he secretly sends companies to the coast in order to build ships and sail back to Valinor. He will beg forgiveness for the Noldor ever leaving to begin with, begging for mercy from the Doom of the Noldor. But none of his companies ever make it to the coast. They are killed or captured by Orcs.
In yet another part of the vast battlefield the Elven King Finrod is "cut off from his people and surrounded with small company...he would have been slain or taken, but Barahir came up with the bravest of his men and rescued him..." This is one of the most heroic feats of Men coming to the aid of Elf-kind in The Silmarillion. And Finrod rewards the lord of the house of Bëor by swearing "an oath of abiding friendship and aid in every need" to Barahir. The Elfish king gives his ring to Barahir as a token of appreciation. This is an important plot point in the narrative. Tolkien takes oaths seriously and this comes into play soon.
The battle is a costly victory for Morgoth, both in terms of his army’s casualties and his own grievous wounds. Plus, he still does not know the location of either of the two great, secret Elfish strongholds, Gondolin and Nargothrond. So, he withdraws his forces to rebuild, except for spies that are constantly sent forth to learn what they can.
After seven years, Morgoth renews his assault upon the Elves and Húrin’s people. They fight bravely but are badly outnumbered and are about to be overrun when the timely arrival of reinforcements saves the day. The coastal Elves sail in great strength up the coast and maneuver, attacking the Orcs from the east, driving them back into the Iron Mountains.
But constant raiding still occurs. Sauron sends out parties of Orcs in search of remnants of Elves and Men in the forests of northern Beleriand. Many Men, their tribes shattered and destroyed by battle, live as bands of outlaws. Among them is Beren son of Barahir, who, after repeated raids and skirmishes finds himself alone, his family and companions captured or dead. He escapes the ruin and this brings him to the edge of Doriath.
(to be continued)
Comments