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velvet4510 · 1 month
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I love how Tolkien always punishes the men who mistreat women in Middle-earth. For all the evidence of sexism in his work, besides the amazing female characters he does include, fate in Arda always rewards chivalry and punishes sexual abuse.
One of many things that make Aragorn a hero is that he remains faithful to Arwen, even when being pursued by another woman.
One of many things that make Faramir a hero is that he treats Éowyn as an equal and showers her with the respect she deserves.
And both men live long, happy lives.
Whereas the chauvinists have…different outcomes.
Eöl is punished by death for being so awful a husband to Aredhel that she and their son had to flee from him.
Maeglin himself intentionally gets Gondolin destroyed just because he is lusting after Idril and trying to steal her when she is happily married to someone else, and his ultimate kidnapping attempt causes him to end up at the bottom of a cliff.
Ar-Pharazôn’s comeuppance for forcing Tar-Míriel into marriage and stealing her rightful crown is a total wipeout by Eru Ilúvatar himself.
Tolkien really said “Predators and abusive husbands shall never go unpunished.” 🎉👏🏻
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myceliumelium · 2 months
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From the combined braincell of @animeandbooksarelife and I, bc she is incredibly good at words and very good at cohesive narrative, while I sure do know how to draw. It took me so long though, you can see my art skills substantially develop and also my artstyle change. It's actually really neat if you ask me.
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eglerieth · 5 months
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Silm!
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nailsinmywall · 3 months
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Maeglin in gondolin (and curufin laughing at eol)
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jennydolfen · 6 months
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Patreontober - next four pieces
A lot of Mighty Nein 😄
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sesamenom · 2 months
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AU where Aredhel founded Gondolin and Eol nabbed Turgon (and little idril)
(click for quality)
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ela-draws · 2 months
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nevermindigotthis · 1 year
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Today on Silmarillion shitposts: It‘s not murder if you call it a death sentence!
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Silm fans decide: Who is the shittiest dad?
I wanted to include Earendil and Aule and then I thought "naaah, these two aren't that bad compared to the other ones" so I didn't include them.
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toastedbuckwheat · 7 months
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(click for quality - Tumblr hates me)
So happy to be able to share my submission for this year's @tolkienrsb Tolkien Reverse Summer Bang: Aredhel finding Eöl in Nan Elmoth.
Click here for @melestasflight ' s amazing story:
To Find a Home in the Twilight
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hirazuki · 9 months
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A tall Elf of a high kin of the Teleri, noble though grim of face; and his eyes could see deep into shadows and dark places.
A commission by @naarisz of Eöl -- LOOK AT HIM!!! Absolutely gorgeous work; the rendering and the colors and textures and the lines and the reflection and writing on the blade and his face ♡♡♡ I literally cannot stop staring at this and am far too incoherent with happiness to express myself properly; thank you so, so much!!
(psst everyone who can should go commission her, in addition to being insanely skilled she is also lovely to work with)
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viola-ophelia · 9 months
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happy father’s day LOL
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pothosrays · 7 months
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doodles
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ardafanonarch · 2 months
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Hi omg I love this thank you for doing it! I have seen a lot about what named sword did or didn't or might have belonged to whom - do we actually know the names of any First Age swords and who wielded them? (other than Eol's cursed pair).
Thank you!
[Anon, this one got so long that I have divided it into 3 parts so people can navigate more easily to weapons that most interest them. Thanks so much for sending this ask, I went down many rabbit holes researching and learned some new things myself.]
The Iron Gang: Anglachel-Gurthang, Anguirel, Angrist
Swords of the First Age, Part 1 of 3
Anglachel
Meaning: Uncertain. Possibly a combination of ang “iron”, lach “flame” and êl “star” (Eldamo). Sindarin.
Maker: Eöl
Owned/wielded by: Eöl, Thingol, Beleg, (Gwindor), Túrin
Notable for: forged from meteoritic iron; given as fee to Thingol for leave to dwell in Nan Elmoth; slaying Beleg
Fate: Reforged in Nargothrond as Gurthang
Then Beleg chose Anglachel; and that was a sword of great worth, and it was so named because it was made of iron that fell from heaven as a blazing star; it would cleave all earth-delved iron. One other sword only in Middle-earth was like to it. That sword does not enter into this tale, though it was made of the same ore by the same smith; and that smith was Eöl the Dark Elf, who took Aredhel Turgon’s sister to wife. He gave Anglachel to Thingol as fee, which he begrudged, for leave to dwell in Nan Elmoth; but its mate Anguirel he kept, until it was stolen from him by Maeglin, his son. The Silmarillion, ‘Of Túrin Turambar’
Discussion
Anglachel and its mate Anguirel are remarkable weapons. Not only because they were forged from “star iron”, against which the mere iron ores of Earth were no match, but also — certainly in the case of Anglachel and probably likewise with Anguirel — they seem to have possessed a sort of dark power, even sentience.
When Thingol gives Anglachel to Beleg, Melian says:
‘There is malice in this sword. The dark heart of the smith still dwells in it. It will not love the hand it serves; neither will it abide with you long.’
Melian’s words, as usual, prove prescient: Anglachel goes on to be the instrument of Beleg’s demise, wielded against him by Túrin as Beleg attempts to cut the fetters holding his friend captive. Gwindor then briefly carries Anglachel, until he and Túrin come to the Pool of Ivrin and Túrin is released of the madness of his grief over Beleg. Túrin notes that the blade has blackened and become blunt, and Gwindor remarks:
‘This is a strange blade, and unlike any that I have seen in Middle-earth. It mourns for Beleg even as you do.’ The Children of Húrin, Chapter 9: Death of Beleg
The implication seems to be that Anglachel has weathered unnaturally after losing its master.
Presumably because of this damage, Anglachel is reforged in Nargothrond. We do not know who specifically reforged the swords, but it is popular fanon that Celebrimbor, who remained in Nargothrond following his father’s expulsion, may have been involved. After reforging, Anglachel becomes Gurthang.
Gurthang (Anglachel reforged)
Meaning: Iron of Death. Sindarin.
Maker: Eöl, reforged by smiths of Nargothrond
Owned/wielded by: Túrin
Notable for: slaying Glaurung, Brandir, Túrin
Fate: Broken under Túrin’s body in his suicide. Shards buried with him.
The sword Anglachel was forged anew for him by the cunning smiths of Nargothrond, and though ever black its edges shone with pale fire. The Silmarillion, ‘Of Túrin Turambar’ Then they lifted up Túrin, and saw that his sword was broken asunder. So passed all that he possessed. The Children of Húrin, Chapter 13: The Death of Túrin
Discussion
Anglachel’s seeming-sentience is amplified by its reforging as Gurthang. In this incarnation, the weapon frequently flickers and flames as if it houses a fire of its own. Most notably, when Túrin prepares to take his own life, Gurthang speaks:
Then he drew forth his sword, and said: 'Hail Gurthang, iron of death, you alone now remain! But what lord or loyalty do you know, save the hand that wields you? From no blood will you shrink. Will you take Túrin Turambar? Will you slay me swiftly?' And from the blade rang a cold voice in answer: 'Yes, I will drink your blood, that I may forget the blood of Beleg my master, and the blood of Brandir slain unjustly. I will slay you swiftly.' Then Túrin set the hilts upon the ground, and cast himself upon the point of Gurthang, and the black blade took his life. The Children of Húrin, Chapter 13: The Death of Túrin
A Tangent: The Enigma of the Sentient Sword
There is no explanation in the legendarium for why or how Gurthang speaks, but a speaking sword is an enduring feature of Túrin’s story that goes all the way back to the earliest version, Turambar and the Foalókë (c. 1917-19, published in The History of Middle-earth Vol. 2: The Book of Lost Tales Part Two). So why did Gurthang speak, and why was this feature so dear to Tolkien? Well, here’s a passage on the death of the hero of the Tale of Kullervo in the Kalevala, a Finnish epic that Tolkien read as a teenager and which was a major inspiration behind the story of Túrin.
Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Grasped the sharpened sword he carried, Looked upon the sword and turned it, And he questioned it and asked it, And he asked the sword's opinion, If it was disposed to slay him, To devour his guilty body, And his evil blood to swallow. Understood the sword his meaning, Understood the hero's question, And it answered him as follows: "Wherefore at thy heart's desire Should I not thy flesh devour, And drink up thy blood so evil? I who guiltless flesh have eaten, Drank the blood of those who sinned not?" Kalevala, Rune XXXVI, translated by W.F. Kirby (1907)
Very familiar, isn’t it? The existence of a talking sword in-universe provides opportunity for all sorts of imaginative explanations, but the influence of Kullervo offers, I think, a compelling Doylist one.
Finally, it’s common to read interpretations where Anglachel and Anguirel exhibit the same properties as Gurthang. But there’s not, to the best of my knowledge, explicit canonical evidence that “speech” was an ability these two swords had from the time of their forging by Eöl. (I was also fascinated to find, during research for this post, that Anglachel and Anguirel were probably not always black. I made a separate post about it.)
Anguirel
Meaning: Uncertain. Possibly a combination of Sindarin ang “iron”, (unattested) uir “fiery” (or Noldorin uir “eternity”), and êl “star” (Eldamo).
Maker: Eöl
Owned/wielded by: Eöl, Maeglin
Fate: Unknown; presumably lost in the fall of Gondolin
Discussion
Compared to Anglachel, we know little of the history of its mate Anguirel, save that it was stolen from Eöl by Maeglin, presumably at the time Maeglin left Nan Elmoth for Gondolin.
Angrist (knife)
Meaning: Iron Cleaver. Sindarin.
Maker: Telchar of Nogrod
Owned/wielded by: Curufin, Beren
Fate: Breaks in Beren’s attempt to cut a second Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown.
Then Beren did Curufin release; but took his horse and coat of mail, and took his knife there gleaming pale, hanging sheathless, wrought of steel. No flesh could leeches ever heal that point had pierced; for long ago the dwarves had made it, singing slow enchantments, where their hammers fell in Nogrod, ringing like a bell. Iron as tender wood it cleft, and sundered mail like woollen weft. But other hands its haft now held; its master lay by mortal felled. The Lay of Leithian, 3051-3063
Then Lúthien rising forbade the slaying of Curufin; but Beren despoiled him of his gear and weapons, and took his knife, Angrist. That knife was made by Telchar of Nogrod, and hung sheathless by his side; iron it would cleave as if it were green wood. The Silmarillion, ‘Of Beren and Lúthien’
Discussion
Although of a different maker (and of unknown metallic composition), Angrist has interesting similarities with Anglachel and Anguirel. Besides the initial ang- element, all three blades are noted for an ability to cut through iron, and both Anglachel and Angrist end up “turning against” their masters as a pivotal moment: Angrist by breaking as Beren tries to cut a second Silmaril from Morgoth’s crown, and Anglachel by being the instrument of Beleg's death. As Eöl is also noted to have learned from the Dwarves, some fans have imagined these three blades may have been forged from the same meteoritic iron, or at least to share some of the same “enchantment”.
Note that the quote from Lay of Leithian does not explicitly apply to Angrist, which is a name for Curufin’s knife that Tolkien first used in the 1937 Quenta Silmarillion.
Part 2 | Part 3
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velvet4510 · 8 days
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