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#alqualonde
fflewddur-feanorion · 5 months
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tanoraqui · 1 month
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the Kinslaying at Alqualondë is sooo interesting because it is both the Noldor's original sin (everything before that was just family drama and/or dramatic, if binding, rhetoric) and the LEAST of their great crimes. Eonwë literally does not name it when saying why the House of Fëanor has lost their right to the Silmarils; he highlights the other two Kinslayings - "and most of all because of their slaying of Dior and their assault upon the Havens" - but not Alqualondë. It is a BLATANTLY obvious parallel to Morgoth coming in the Darkness, killing Finwë and stealing the Silmarils, for "these [ships] are to us as are the gems of the Noldor; the work of our hearts, whose like we shall not make again." The Noldor did NOT plan to start killing: "[Fëanor] went to the Haven of the Swans and began to man the ships that were anchored there and to take them away by force. But the Teleri withstood him, and cast many of the Noldor into the sea. Then swords were drawn, and a bitter fight was fought upon the ships..." [emphasis mine] It's not clear who made the first killing blow, but actual weapons were clearly drawn only AFTER the Teleri proved themselves willing and able to fight. Did Fëanor mean to simply intimidate them into giving him the ships? Did he think Olwë only refused because he was cowed by the Valar, and would surely give aid with a nod and a wink if he had an excuse? Every single one of these people had grown up in blessed peace, except those who had Journeyed, who still (so far as we know) had no experience of battle. The only person other than Fëanor named as playing a key part in the whole mess is Fingon, "rush[ing] in before they knew rightly the cause of the quarrel", portrayed in all the rest of the text as the closest the Silmarillion gets to an archetypal hero. It was the greatest loss of peace and collective innocence that Aman ever faced, and it was such a MESS.
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thranduilofsmirkwood · 3 months
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Made me laugh waaay toooo hard ⤵️
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aracaranelentari · 5 months
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People always talk about Fingolfin "following Fëanor" during the Flight, but hardly ever mention that his words to Fëanor are just an afterthought, a bonus, not the main reason he went. The first and one of the two most prominent reasons was because Fingon urged him. And Fingolfin marching in the Flight of the Ñoldor against his wisdom because Fingon urged him is so fascinating to me, mostly for what it may imply for Fingon angst.
I mean he was at the forefront of Fingolfin's host until at least Alqualondë; though after Alqualondë it's never mentioned again, so I wonder if he stopped leading first after that. But my point is: Fingolfin marched behind him, he followed Fingon. And what became of him following Fingon into exile? The Doom of the Ñoldor, Alqualondë, Fëanor abandoning them, them needing to cross the Helcaraxë and losing tons of people, Argon and Elenwë's deaths, etc etc...
Not that any of this is directly Fingon's fault, of course, but I wonder if Fingon had a moment where he looked at his father after Fëanor abandoned them and just thought "This is my fault, he's here because of me. He could have been happy with his wife, mom, and brother in Valinor but instead he followed me and now we're Doomed and in despair".
Because after that, Fingon followed Fingolfin. He followed his father across the Helcaraxë, he saved Maedhros in part to heal the rift between their hosts and make things easier for his father, he held Dor-Lómin for his father and then vacated it when it was given to Hador, he worked seemingly directly for his father as a war commander during the Siege (beating back Glaurung, that orc host that tried attacking them from the north etc). It just seems to me that he was glued to his father's side and did almost everything for him, for his sake. I wonder if this was to "make it up" to Fingolfin in his mind for dragging him into this mess, and/or maybe because after Alqualondë Fingon no longer trusted his own rash decisions.
This is just one potential theory/interpretation, I know, but... Mmm, yum, yummy angst,,,. ..
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kai-janik-art · 5 months
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Alqualondë - 2023
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emyn-arnens · 10 months
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ATLAS OF ARDA ⇢ ALQUALONDË
Many jewels the Noldor gave them, opals and diamonds and pale crystals, which they strewed upon the shores and scattered in the pools; marvellous were the beaches of Elendë in those days. And many pearls they won for themselves from the sea, and their halls were of pearl, and of pearl were the mansions of Olwë at Alqualondë, the Haven of the Swans, lit with many lamps. For that was their city, and the haven of their ships; and those were made in the likeness of swans, with beaks of gold and eyes of gold and jet. The gate of that harbour was an arch of living rock sea-carved; and it lay upon the confines of Eldamar, north of the Calacirya, where the light of the stars was bright and clear.
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tolkienosaurus · 10 days
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theworldsoftolkein · 2 months
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The Ships of the Teleri Drawn by Swans - by Ted Nasmith
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violecov · 3 months
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Old Feanor animatic from some time ago
Erased accidentally from my tablet, but I have this video :DD gosh... Would have loved to finish it
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foedhrass · 4 days
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Happy Tolkien Reading Day.
My Teleri OC Aegrathil watching over the shores of Alqualonde.
Photo by goldiepond during our the_eldar_cosplay vacation last year.
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Great Elven-Cities of Middle Earth
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actual-bill-potts · 1 year
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A question I’ve always struggled with when writing about the First Age is: how did the non-Fëanorions (particularly the Arafinwions) react to the first Kinslaying?
Alqualondë has an outsized impact on the narrative - it’s responsible for the ban on Quenya, for most of Thingol’s hostility towards the Noldor, and of course for the Doom of the Noldor, which is arguably one of the over-arching conflicts of the story. But we don’t really get to see anyone’s reactions to it (besides Thingol’s), and - oddly - in-text, no one performs any action in response to it. Finarfin explicitly turns back after the Doom is pronounced, not after Alqualondë itself!
Isn’t it odd that no one saw all the dead bodies and stayed behind to help? Not one of the Arafinwions - you know, the kids of Eärwen, Teleri princess? That it was never even under discussion?
In my opinion, the only way you can justify this without making most of the Noldor completely morally bankrupt (and you can certainly argue that at this point in time, they’re already remorseless killers - but I think there’s some moral difference between a fight that got out of hand in the heat and desperation of the moment, and coming upon the aftermath of a fight where people are lying dead and dying everywhere, and completely ignoring it) is if the Teleri basically kicked them out. And I think what’s ignored in a lot of readings of the Arafinwions’ decisions is the agency of Eärwen (understandable, Tolkien doesn’t really mention her at all, nobody ever said the Silm was a feminist text lol).
Here’s one plausible interpretation of what happened, feat. Eärwen making actual decisions that help drive the plot:
To the Teleri, the idea of leaving Aman to honor Finwë would be insanely disrespectful. Finwë pled with the Valar for years to bring the Teleri to Aman! Finwë led his people through great danger to Aman! And now that he is dead, they want to immediately undo his actions and abandon his life's work? No way! Fëanor will do what he wants, but surely the rest of the Noldor won't go along with it...?
Eärwen is of like mind with the Teleri - of course she grieves Finwë, along with Finarfin, but in her mind the best way to honor him is to stay in the place of safety that he gave his life for. To leave would be a grievous insult.
But Finarfin won't abandon his brothers, and their children are also set on going, for all the textual reasons: Finrod for Turgon and to see Beleriand, Aegnor and Angrod for Fingon, Galadriel for new lands to rule. Orodreth doesn't want to leave, but he's the consummate middle child and doesn't want to be left out by his siblings either. Eärwen is furious: from her point of view, her husband is choosing his insane brother over her (as he's probably done at many points during the relationship if we're honest...), and he's taking her children with him!
But she's also the daughter of Olwë: she knows how hard it is to travel between Valinor and Beleriand. She doesn't think they'll make it. So she just says, come to me when you've come to your senses, and goes to take refuge at her father's house.
But then! The Kinslaying happens. oops :)
From the Teleri point of view: the Noldor tried to steal their ships, they fought back, and they were slaughtered. From Eärwen's point of view, the brothers that her husband and children chose over her killed her people. Her sons and daughter betrayed and murdered their childhood nursemaids, their swimming teachers, their friends, their people. She declares to Olwë: I have no husband, and I have no children.
Olwë says: all right then, there goes my one remaining reason to play nice with the Noldor. He decrees that no Noldor will be allowed within their city, on pain of death. Maybe a slight overreaction? But if the Noldor are allowed to be insane in their grief then so are the Teleri.
From the Arafinwion point of view: they came upon a battle already done, and the ships gone. They saw Noldor and Teleri bodies mingled together, and probably couldn't get a clear answer out of anyone about what happened. Then they're chased out of the city at spearpoint when they try to help. Finarfin, without fully knowing what's happened, tries to play the peacemaker bc that's his automatic response, and says, "is there any way we can make amends/make this up to you?"
Olwë hears that and assumes that Finarfin participated in the Kinslaying. He's like "HELL no, get the FUCK out and your children with you!"
Finarfin and his kids ask to see Eärwen. They're vehemently refused.
From there, what can they do but go forwards? They can't help the Teleri, or do anything to make amends; the Teleri won't let them. Finarfin&co can't even see Eärwen! They have no reason to go back to Tirion, and every reason to go forward with the host - they still don't know what happened, and they can at least help the Noldor, who were also killed in droves.
But then they get the full story out of the Nolofinwions, and they're horrified. No wonder Ammë didn't want to see me, Finrod says miserably, I wouldn't want to see me either.
But they still can't go back to Alqualondë. And all the reasons they had for leaving Tirion are still there: friendship, the desire to see Beleriand, wanting vengeance for Finwë and to regain the Silmarils (which are, remember, the only remaining source of light they have besides the stars). And besides, pretty much everyone besides a few assholes and Fëanor is torn up about the Kinslaying, and regrets what happens.
At least some of the Arafinwion host is still on fire to go on - if Finarfin and his kids turn back, they'll be leaving their people to the leadership of Fingolfin and Fëanor, who are both completely insane with grief and rage currently. And they'll also be leaving their cousins to the responsibility of....all that...alone. Finrod and Galadriel decide to go on. Orodreth wants to turn back. Aegnor and Angrod are undecided. Finarfin is so torn up he doesn't know what to think.
Then the Doom is pronounced. And I think the response from the Arafinwion host would be: what the fuck?!
Remember, the Arafinwions (and at least some of Nolofinwions) have done absolutely nothing wrong besides express a desire to leave. And now they're being told that the wrath of the Valar lays on them just as much as on the bloodthirstiest of their Kinslaying brethren. Maybe, they think, Fëanor had a point about the Valar. Maybe Olwë was in the wrong to not let them have the ships. Maybe the Kinslaying wasn't so bad after all! Most of the Arafinwions are now completely enraged with the Valar and totally ready to follow Fëanor.
But Finarfin - Finarfin cannot believe his brothers. He cannot believe what they have condemned him and his people to, in their rage and pain. They have lost him his wife. Their people killed many he counted as close friends. They have placed him and all his children under the wrath of the Valar.
For the first time in his life, he gives up on peacemaking. He tells his children, "Let's go home."
But they won't go. They're as furious with the Valar as anyone else. They're angry with their mother, for refusing to see them, for believing that of them; and they won't let their cousins face their doom alone. Besides, Finrod at least still doesn't want to abandon their people.
Galadriel and Finarfin get into a screaming fight, the first of their lives. Finrod tries unsuccessfully to mediate and ends up snapping at his father and leaving. Orodreth is weeping in the background. Aegnor and Angrod, angry with their father, turn heel and go to stand with Fingon.
Finally, Finarfin just...gives up. He takes those who are willing to go, and leaves without a word to his children or brothers.
After he has received a pardon, he eventually reconciles with Eärwen. Apologies are made on both sides.
But Finarfin's biggest regret is the way he parted with his children - and he won't get to see his youngest again until three Ages of the world have passed.
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harpist-errant · 1 year
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The Swan Princes of Alqualondë
Since there is not nearly enough baby Arafinweans, I present a newly minted big brother Ingoldo and baby Angaráto.
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I've seen a lot of Finrod and Galadriel, and Finrod and Aegnor and Finrod and Turgon or Maedhros and Maglor or Fingon so its Angrod's turn. And baby elves are adorable. (In other news, I still can't draw clothes).
Ingoldo is the name that Finrod's siblings called him.
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lordgrimwing · 1 month
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There is something just so funny about the Teleri bodily throwing the Noldor off their ships.
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general-illyrin · 1 year
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I have been listening to a lot of Lay of Leithian rock opera recently. Yesterday, I saw an Aquafina water bottle, but it was turned so I could only read the "Aqua" part of the label clearly, and I thought the bottle said "Alqualondë!" That inspired these edits:
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melianinarda · 9 months
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The Silmarillion aesthetics | E ä r w e n
Eärwen, known as the "swan-maiden of Alqualondë", was the daughter of Olwë, lord of the Teleri.
beautiful art “Earwen & Olwe” by sandoakato
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