#freedom tuor

[novemberthecatadmirer]

One thing I always feel very important about the whole Maeglin selling out Gondolin for life & freedom matter is...

Morgoth promised him lordship and Idril AFTER Maeglin already told him about Gondolin’s location and defense secrets.

Yeah obviously the promise of power and Idril might be what kept him in line and continue to cooperate with Morgoth after returning to Gondolin (can be interpreted in various ways from “the world is ending better take care of my own desire” to “the world is ending better preserve what I can still save”)

But the lordship and Idril were NOT what directly caused the initial betrayal.

Here comes my dumb headcanon:

Maeglin initially cracked not because of anything related to Idril and Tuor. 

He cracked because of the torture & what Turgon did to Hurin.

When Hurin came to seek help nearly three decades after his imprisonment, Turgon assumed Hurin was released because he sold out the location of Gondolin for freedom. Turgon was overwhelmed by this assumption and let emotions run over his own judgement (again). He directly told the eagle “my heart is shut,” and refused to take Hurin in.

Of course Turgon changed his mind after calming down. But it took too long; the night fell and the eagles could not find Hurin again. From Hurin’s pov he was abandoned by his friend (or even a father figure), and thus was driven to complete despair, crying out in pain, accidentally letting Morgoth know the general location of Gondolin. 

I think it is rather possible that Maeglin knew of this, at the moment or later.

Then when he got captured by Morgoth and put through tortures, he would realize he was essentially in the role of Hurin.

Turgon did love Maeglin. But Maeglin knew Turgon treasured Hurin too. The king treasured Hurin enough to make an exception and let the brothers leave the city to return home. Probably after Unnumbered Tears Turgon also built statues in Gondolin honoring Hurin. But when Hurin actually showed up at door and seeked help? Turgon immediately grew suspicious and assumed that Hurin betrayed the city.

And Morgoth could even tell Maeglin what really happened to Hurin. How Hurin endured torture for 28 years without betraying Gondolin, but was viewed as traitor and abandoned by the king of Gondolin anyway. How Turgon became the last straw that break Hurin into leaking the location. How ultimately it was thanks to Turgon’s closed heart that Maeglin got captured.

In a word, I think what caused Maeglin’s betrayal was him realizing that

Morgoth could torture him forever

No one from Gondolin would come to save him (And other realms had fallen so there was really no hope)

Even he suffered forever to keep the secrets, it was expected and not appreciated by Gondolin

Even if he found a way to escape back to Gondolin, he might still be rejected/executed by Turgon because no one was allowed to lead danger to Gondolin (according to “of Tuor and his coming to Gondolin”)

Morgoth already knew the general location, no matter he cope or not Gondolin would eventually be found. And then Turgon would believe it was him that betrayed Gondolin anyway.

So yeah.

--------------------

I just think Turgon rejecting Hurin should has more long term damages than letting Morgoth knew the general location of Gondolin (which was already very bad).

It was something that could send out all the wrong messages and greatly damage the morale. I always imagine the event was kept as a secret, and even most of the lords did not know about the matter. 

I think Tuor absolutely was kept out of it and he never knew he was so close to meeting his uncle until after the Fall.

Idril probably knew it, and helped to keep the secret from Tuor, and felt guilty. And that was one of the crucial moments that made she further distrust Turgon’s judgement. (I want all the “my father did an evil thing and I am helping him to keep it as a secret” angst)

Maeglin... Actually fought the losing war along with Hurin and Huor and was there when they sacrificed themselves to help troop of Gondolin escape. IDK I think that’s another “silently pondering in horror” moment for him. And he kept thinking about it, and kept trying to not thinking about it, until Morgoth forced him to think.

#tolkien #The Silmarillion #silmarillion #silm #maeglin #turgon #hurin #Gondolin #Fall of Gondolin #silm headcanon #silmarillion headcanon

[velvet4510]

I guess I’m one of those weirdos who so deeply feels the essence of an instrumental leitmotif from a film score associated with a particular character or couple, that I start associating said leitmotifs in my head with ANOTHER character from an entirely different film/book/series. And I’ve built up a whole library of leitmotifs for LOTR characters even though I ADORE Howard Shore’s original score for the trilogy. I consider these leitmotifs to be add-ons, NOT replacements.

Nor do I intend to completely dissasociate all of these themes from their intended films/characters; some of them are perfect fits for the films they were written for. It’s just my mind going wild like usual. (But I admit, in some cases, the pieces are from films I dislike, and thus I would rather see these great songs associated with something of LOTR quality rather than what they were actually stuck with, especially when the lack of lyrics gives you the freedom to let the melody take you wherever it takes you, personally.)

In the case of Silmarillion characters and relationships, well, it’s a different story - it really is my attempt to cobble together what could be a hypothetical score, if it were brought to the screen. Obviously it’d never be this exactly, but I would hope a composer for a potential screen adaptation of The Silmarillion might be inspired by themes like these.

In some cases, the characters these themes were originally written for don’t resemble the corresponding LOTR characters very much, or at all. Also some of them have titles that by themselves could not be more different from and unfitting for Tolkien’s world. It’s just the melodies on their own, without context or even name, performed by these gorgeous orchestras, that have come to remind me of particular Tolkien figure(s).

I also have found lots of “love themes”, both romantic and platonic, for character relationships, as you’ll see. I’ve included romantic themes for canonical couples, as well as for pairings that I personally ship. I know Shore already gave Aragorn and Arwen a theme, but as I said, these are all extra additions and not replacements.

And yes I have a lot of Star Wars stuff in here, because I love Star Wars…but I love Tolkien more.

For the heck of it I’ll share some of these, with links to each song on YT. It’s hard to explain why I made these choices/associations, but maybe you’ll get it if you listen to some of them.

CHARACTER THEMES

Frodo = “Romeo” by Nino Rota

Sam = “Rey’s Theme” by John Williams

Aragorn = “The John Dunbar Theme” by John Barry

Gandalf = “Yoda’s Theme” by John Williams

Legolas = “Rose Tico” by John Williams

Lúthien = “Once Upon a Time in the West” by Ennio Morricone

Éowyn = “Marion’s Theme” by John Williams

The Valar = “Guardians of the Whills Suite” by Michael Giacchino

THEMES FOR LANDS/LOCATIONS

The Undying Lands = “Out of Africa” by John Barry

ROMANTIC LOVE THEMES

Frodo x Sam = “Love Theme from Ben-Hur” by Miklos Rozsa

Beren x Lúthien = “Love Theme from The Godfather” by Nino Rota

Faramir x Éowyn = “Han Solo and the Princess” by John Williams

Aragorn x Arwen = “Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso” by Ennio Morricone

Sam x Rosie = “Love Theme from Dances with Wolves” by John Barry

Bilbo x Thorin = “Wuthering Heights” (1970) by Michel Legrand

Thingol x Melian = “Indecent Proposal” by John Barry

Fingon x Maedhros = “Wuthering Heights” (1939) by Alfred Newman

Finrod x Bëor = “The Scarlet Letter” by John Barry

Aegnor x Andreth = “Laura” by David Raksin

Túrin x Beleg = “Across the Stars” by John Williams

Tuor x Idril = “Conversation Piece” by Bernard Herrmann

Eärendil x Elwing = “Tennessee” by Hans Zimmer

PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP THEMES

Legolas & Gimli = “Rain Man” by Hans Zimmer

Boromir & Faramir = “Luke and Leia” by John Williams

Bilbo & Frodo* = “The Mother’s Love” by Miklos Rozsa

Elrond & Elros = “Brothers” by Hans Zimmer

I may add to this as I think of more, or even replace certain songs entirely if I come across a better match.

* Bilbo & Frodo’s melody is heard in the first minute of the linked track, 0:00–1:01, and again at 1:48. Also, the love theme I associate with Frodo & Sam starts playing at 1:03, making this whole thing fit all the hobbits even better.

#lotr #jrr tolkien #lotr books #lord of the rings #film music #frodo baggins #samfro #frodo x sam #bagginshield #bilbo and frodo #legolas and gimli #eowyn x faramir #eowyn #aragorn #gandalf #luthien tinuviel #beren and luthien #aragorn x arwen #boromir #faramir #valinor #nienna #the valar #bilbo x thorin #farawyn #leitmotif

[caenith]

Maeglin was no weakling or craven, but the torment wherewith he was threatened cowed his spirit, and he purchased his life and freedom by revealing to Morgoth the very place of Gondolin and the ways whereby it might be found and assailed. Great indeed was the joy of Morgoth, and to Maeglin he promised the lordship of Gondolin as his vassal, and the possession of Idril Celebrindal, when the city should be taken; and indeed desire for Idril and hatred for Tuor led Maeglin the easier to his treachery, most infamous in all the histories of the Elder Days.

Ok, so which one was it?

Because the reason why exactly Maeglin decided to reveal Gondolin's secrets to Morgoth is crucial to how the readers perceive this character.

Was his betrayal caused by the torment and fear for his life? Because c'mon, this can be excused both by the readers and also by other characters appearing in the story (the question of 'would Turgon - either reborn or still stuck in the Halls - be ever able to forgive his nephew?').

Or maybe was it what the second part of the paragraph suggest? The promise of getting the girl and a job as Morgoth's vassal? This one straight-up makes Maeglin a first class villain tbh.

Would Maeglin betray the city if he wasn't tortured and/or afraid of losing his life?

Yeah, his later actions during the attack on the city don't really show him as a poor little guy who was forced to betray Gondolin but that's not the point here.

#tolkien #silmarillion #silmarillion daily #maeglin #back on: things that the fandom has discussed already but I am late to the party as always #but anyway #as a comparision #Gelmir's motivation for betraying Barahir & co #HE WANTED TO SAVE HIS WIFE #(he still got his friends killed but it's still a more understandable motivation than 'yeah I hate that dude and I want his wife') #Maeglin is difficult #Respect to everyone who writes about him 🫡🫡🫡

[imakemywings]

“Ah, and yonder, you may view the Fountain of the King,” said Turgon, pointing. His companion went on chewing at his sleeve and did not respond. “You will have passed it many times on your way into the palace, but is it not interesting to see it from a new perspective?”

            Eärendil kicked his feet, which reached just to the edge of the balcony railing. One firm hand on his chest kept him from going anywhere as Turgon point out this and that landmark that could be seen stretching out across Gondolin under the marbled blue sky.

            “You prefer a different one, perhaps? Lord Ecthelion maintains quite a few in the area around his home.” Turgon gestured in the direction of Lord Ecthelion’s estate. “Has Lady Idril taken you to see those as well? If not, we will have to remedy it!”

            At this note of firm enthusiasm in Turgon’s voice, Eärendil chirped, releasing the king’s sleeve from his gummy mouth at last, a wide wet mark left behind.

            “Yes, it may even be a matter of urgency,” Turgon agreed gravely. “We will attend our schedule and see if time allows for a field trip.” He scooped Eärendil up in one arm and brought him inside. Out of the chilly mountain air high up on the balcony, he removed Eärendil’s fur-lined coat to allow him better freedom of movement. None had been sure how Eärendil’s mortal blood might affect him, but thus far, Turgon had not found him overly different from most babies. He smiled, he laughed, he cried, he slept—he kept his parents up at all hours.

            When Idril returned for her son, he was bouncing on the king’s knee at his desk while Turgon penned some intra-city correspondence.

            “What’s this? Adar, I would not have taken you from your work for this,” Idril said. “You might have asked someone else to take him.”

            “Eärendil is assisting me with these letters,” Turgon insisted soberly, finishing his sentence before he looked to the baby and then to his own daughter. “He has proven a most useful discussant for deciding the most efficacious response.”

            Eärendil tipped backwards against Turgon, reaching up for one of the king’s dreadlocks, which he loved to pull, but Turgon gently dissuaded his grasping hand. Idril made a soft sound of amusement.

            “I should have foreseen you would put him to work!” she said, plucking the child from Turgon’s lap to settle him on her hip. “What a taskmaster you are, my lord!”

            “He will be an excellent addition to the king’s council shortly, I’m sure,” said Turgon.

            “I will pass the word on to Tuor,” she said with a wry smile. “Doubtless he will find the occasion worthy of commissioning another new outfit for Eärendil.” She gathered up Eärendil’s things scattered around Turgon’s office, choosing to leave one wooden duck on wheels, just in case Eärendil found himself there unexpectedly.

            “I am sorry I’ve been so busy lately,” Idril began, but Turgon waved a hand.

            “No trouble, Idril,” he said. “Please. It is always a pleasure to spend time with my grandson.” There was a hint of softness in her father’s usually stern face that assured her of his genuineness, and she smiled.

            “I’m very sure it’s mutual,” she said.

            “Ah, one item for you before you depart,” Turgon said, shuffling some parchment on his desk. “Eärendil tells me he hasn’t yet had a tour of Lord Ecthelion’s fountains. This must be remedied as soon as possible.” Idril suppressed a snort.

            “Yes, of course, my lord,” she said. “I will be certain to attend this with the urgency required.” Eärendil cooed and Idril bounced him in her arm.

            “Good. I trust you will.” Father and daughter exchanged matching half-smiles and Idril took her leave. The king gave Eärendil a little wave on his way out.

On AO3

#turgon #idril #earendil #the silmarillion #tolkien tag #fanfiction #tolkien fanfiction #rocky writes #Turgon just strikes me as someone who does not go in for baby talk #Earendil is conscious? he can have discussions about the merits of various architecture styles then!

[thelordofgifs]

Obscure Tolkien Blorbo: Round 2

Haleth vs Tuor

Haleth:

The Chieftain of the Haladin who kept her people alive during a siege by orcs and later led them to the Forest of Brethil.

Love her so badass 😍

She's a badass good girl, proud and a lesbian queen (just trust me on that one)

Tuor:

A hero of Men, the husband of Idril and favoured of Ulmo who led the survivors of Gondolin after its fall.

Descended from two out of the three houses of the Edain. Escaped slavery like a badass. Killed so many of Morgoth's mannish servants, they put a bounty on his head. WAS LITERALLY A MESSENGER OF ONE OF THE VALAR! Found Gondolin. Y'know, the one city MORGOTH HIMSELF COULDN'T FIND!? Was so well liked in Gondolin, that Maeglin was the only one who didn't love him. He killed Maeglin. Wrote "The Horns of Ylmir" for little Eärendil on the way to Sirion (which is the first poem Tolkien wrote). Mysteriously disappeared. No one knows what happened to him after he sailed West and the elves like him so much they just pretend he's definitely still alive. That would possibly make him the oldest full-blooded man to ever live. Actually, it would make him the oldest part-man to ever live as well, because Dior (who was born only two years before him) died. All other peredhil are either younger than him, descended from him, or both. Also helped create Elrond, which is the best thing a person can do

Tuor is (possibly) the only man to be granted immortality, he's a special little guy. I think he was pleased to see his adoptive elf dad again and more people should be sad about how he lost two whole families. He's ulmo's favourite guy and he got to marry idril with no fuss (unlike literal every other man-elf couple) AND he might have got to go to valinor despite the ban and tuor being a human, everybody makes exceptions for this guy!

Tuor is a trans woman because fuck we need trans representation and who better to provide us that than the human adopted by an Elf, who loves the song and freedom of the sea, who was chosen by the sea-god to be the messenger of the sea, who led the survivors of Gondolin to safety and said fuck it, we're gonna sail to the west and be together with my awesome wife forever! In conclusion: vote for Tuor, she's best girl together with her Elf wife.

Round 2 masterpost

#obscure tolkien blorbo #haleth #tuor #queuevienen #(yes I have a new queue tag. yes it's very cool.)

[swanmaids]

🐅, 💛, 🕊 and ✨️ for Celegorm? (<- this is me trying to hold back lol); also ✨️ for Starwing if you're generous?

Love love love you for this one.

Celegorm

🐅 - Characterization: character habits, personality, etc.

Positives - proactive, charismatic, quickwitted, intelligent (& has a lot of esoteric knowledge), ambitious, loyal*

* - to a point.

Negatives - impulsive, quick tempered, callous, spoiled, self centred, self destructive, misogynistic, domineering, frequently careless, jealous.

Likes - the smell and taste of the forest air, the freedom to roam, feeling important and adored, boar hunts, horse meat, fermented mare’s milk, proving himself to be cleverer or more competent than others, the bonfire smell, rough and hard sex (on either side), very cold or very hot baths, battlefield adrenaline, the mixture of exhaustion and elation after a long day of hard activity.

Dislikes - boredom, the feeling of wearing metal armour, the taste of most fish, embarrassment, feeling trapped, indecisive people, cold rain, walled cities, introspection.

💛 - Familial relationships

As a young child, was closer to his nanny/wet nurse than either elder sibling. He slept in her bed and went to her first when his parents were not available and he needed comfort. When Celegorm was a young child his older brothers were already late adolescents/young adults and building their own lives, and had little interest in the new baby. Plus, Maedhros and Maglor’s relationship was too close for the addition of anyone else.

🕊️ - Platonic relationships (friends, enemies, etc).

I do enjoy the draft idea of Celegorm and Curufin being close friends with Aegnor and Angrod in YT era and even wanting to take them onto the swan ships. I think when Nolofinwe’s people reached Beleriand, Celegorm had some hope that the friendship would pick up again, but A&A couldn’t forgive C&C, so it didn’t.

During his time with Oromë’s hunt, Celegorm was friendly with some of the other hunters, but his closeness with Oromë meant that they always kept him at arms length to some degree, either out of jealousy or confusion over the relationship.

✨ - Worldbuilding or background story elements.

Was never quite able to give up the hunting rituals that he learned from Oromë while in Beleriand, and even taught several of them to a young Celebrimbor - while entreating him not to tell Curufin. And in turn, Celebrimbor found himself carrying the rituals with him long after he wanted nothing more to do with his uncle, and passed them on to his friends and students as well.

~

Earendil/Elwing

✨ - Worldbuilding or background story elements.

When they got married, the public exchanging of vows (I.e. the version without sex lmao) took place on the deck of Earamme in front of a small group of their closest family and friends shortly before Idril, Tuor, and Voronwe left. The after party was at Sirion’s town hall and basically everyone in the town showed the fuck up for THE biggest party in Sirion’s history. Tales of that night were spoken of long into the third age….

But Earendil and Elwing didn’t feature in many of those stories, because they left the party early to get married in the Elvish way.

#ask game

[gondolinweek]

HEAR YE! HEAR YE!

Note: This will be the last early details revealed before we unveil the individual scenarios for our daily prompts.

May 14th Feast of Summer Turgon, Idril, Eärendil

May 15th Ceremony of Silence Aredhel, Maeglin, Rog

May 16th Songs of Sunrise Ecthelion, Salgant

May 17th Dance of Daylight Duilin, Egalmoth, Penlod

May 18th Tales of Triumph Galdor, Glorfindel, Pengolodh

May 19th Parade of Passage Tuor, Voronwë

May 20th Freedom of Summer FREE

While we cannot stop you from using this information to begin creating your works (and, in fact, encourage you to), we would ask that you consider using tumblr's scheduling feature to post your works. Regarding works posted in the AO3 archive, the collection will be moderated throughout the event, and works will be revealed once Gondolin Week begins on May 14th.

#gondolinweek2023 #gondolinweek #gondolin week #gondolin #ondolinde #tolkien #jrr tolkien #the hobbit #the lord of the rings #lotr #the silmarillion #writing challenge #art challenge #glorfindel #ecthelion #turgon #aredhel #idril #tuor #earendil #maeglin #pengolodh #salgant #egalmoth #rog #duilin #penlod #galdor #voronwe #morgoth

[tolkien-feels]

So, I was thinking about your lap sits = adoption post, and realized it raises two related questions:

Do you have any thoughts on how first age elves deal with war orphans? Orodreth's family suggests that at least a notable minority DID have kids during the long peace, so what do you think the official or unofficial default for caring for war orphans would be? (I'm thinking in cases where there are no distant relatives to take them in, or those relatives are somehow unsuitable/inaccessible. )

Do you think elves handled human war orphans the same way, or would be be more "?!?! Oh heck, uh, Blorbonwe, you're friends with a human, right? Where do humans send their orphans??" And the kid gets shunted to the nearest human community, whether or not it's the same cultural group?

(I am asking for pure spontaneous headcanon, no research required. I am also assuming that Tuor's situation was atypical, or at least atypical in a world that isn't actively apocalyptic. Elrond and Elros are also atypical on account of hostage potential and political value.)

Excellent questions I will Not research atm but if anyone has actual canon-based answers let me know because I'm curious now!

And here are the headcanons based on Nothing:

For the first question, I want to say that it probably depends a lot on where we're talking about. If an elf of one of the hidden realms dies and leaves behind children, I imagine (assuming the kid has no relatives, which seems unlikely given how insular the hidden realms seem to be) that the child would be raised by a close friend. I already headcanon the hidden realms have communal childrearing practices anyway - I mean, Arda being pseudo-feudal it's already unlikely that we're supposed to be thinking of strictly nuclear families anyway, but I feel that's extra true for the hidden realms for Reasons (insularity, strong social bonds, great security that allows greater freedom for children, etc.)

For the non-hidden realms, I feel like it's probably the same for places and periods that are relatively safe. If things begin to get dangerous, or if the place itself is no place for a child (eg Himring), I imagine they would be sent away to somewhere with ties to whoever the parents were; barring that, I imagine the default would be being sent to allies of whoever was the lord of the dead parents. The reason for this headcanon is that elves seem to greatly value children, and they're also somewhat rare, so I imagine protecting children would be a priority, even for non-royal children. The exception being, maybe, elves who have not quite come of age but will very soon; I think then their opinion would be considered but they would probably stay where they are (although that strikes me as a choice that would be given to male elves more often than female elves because I subscribe to Elven Society Is Sexist headcanons.)

Now for mortals, I feel like the situation is much more complicated. To begin with, even very small elflings can probably communicate well - it's not that easy for a mortal, especially because they might not speak Sindarin even if they speak a little of their own language already. I feel like in general the kid would be dropped off at the closest mannish settlement, yeah. But there would be exceptions. For instance, I don't think they'd drop a blond kid with the Haladin. If a kid looks like they belong with a certain people (physically, or maybe they're wearing something very distinctive, or an elf happens to recognize the kid's specific accent, etc) I think that's where the kid would end up.

And as a general rule, barring emergencies, I think a child old enough to talk to might be taken to speak to a figure of authority among the elves (I'm not thinking kings here, just like, a captain of some sort) - I think elves would consider this a matter requiring wisdom and experience.

Having said this - it probably depends a lot on (1) the individual elf who finds the kid and (2) the culture of that elf. I don't imagine there is a specific protocol for this kind of situation (although there should be!!), so if the kid happens to be found by a kind elf in a pro-mortal culture, the situation will be considered much more carefully than if the kid is found by an indifferent elf from an arrogant culture.

And then there's also the matter of battles. Of course, major battles that kill like half the elven population are outliers and shouldn't be counted, but I think in general, if I, a mortal, die in a minor skirmish serving my elven lord (if I have one), that lord will offer some measure of aid to the family I leave behind (especially if I only leave children.) Not even necessarily out of kindness, but just because a lord who offers inadequate protection to his vassals would quickly earn a reputation for bad leadership. Although I assume that obligation is much lessened if the kid is part of a thriving community.

[yellow-faerie]

Idk if you're still taking those writing prompts, but if you are, #40 with young Earendil & Elwing (fluffy)? <3

So long as the prompt list is pinned, I'm always taking prompts! And this is a really sweet one, how could I not write it?

From this prompt list.

40 - "Its raining! Come on [name], let's go play!"

Eärendil is a free spirit, his mother always tells him. It's easy enough to see, for Eärendil has always been easy with smiles, even after Gondolin fell and his Uncle had-

Eärendil likes to look on the positive side of things. It's a trait he inherited from both his parents and in such an adverse world as this, he thinks it's quite useful actually.

For example, he could be sad right now that his home was gone and his grandfather and almost all his friends were with Mandos now, but he prefers to think about how if this hadn't happened, Eärendil would never have met Elwing.

And Elwing, in Eärendil's opinion, is worth it.

Elwing has lost her home and her friends and her family too, and Elwing is very melancholy.

She's sad and Eärendil has made it his personal mission to cheer her up: after all, if she is the one being sad for the both of them then he must be the one to be happy for them.

The day is grey and their tutors have kept them inside since they woke up, working on their maths. Elwing has been staring out the window wistfully and Eärendil can feel the oncoming storm against his skin and can't sit still.

Evranin gave up on them learning anything sometime around lunchtime, and now she sits by the fire with her knitting.

Eärendil is sitting next to Elwing in the window seat, pretending to read his book. Really, he just wanted to be near his friend and he knows her well enough to be sure she wouldn't want to play with his wooden boats.

And then the first raindrops hit the window.

Eärendil has always liked the rain. There's something electric about heavy water falling from the sky and landing against his skin and it's utterly thrilling.

"It's raining!" He exclaims, scrambling up to his knees to press his face against the glass. The sea outside is a churning mass of grey and blue and a lightning bolt threads the sky somewhere far out towards the horizon.

He jumps up at the following thunder and turns, bright-eyed, to Elwing. She blinks, a little taken aback by his excitement, before her face breaks out into a tentative smile.

"Come on, Elwing, let's go play!"

She nods, the smile growing stronger and surer, and lets Eärendil take her wrist to drag her out of the room and down the spiral staircase.

They pass Meleth, on her way up with a pot of something warm and delicious, and Eärendil only pauses long enough to apologise for nearly overbalancing her. They skid through corridors, past servants and courtiers and everyone in between and have nearly made it to freedom before strong arms swing down and pick him up.

"Oh no you don't," his father says, throwing him over his shoulder.

Eärendil shrieks. "Da! This is so unfair!"

"Mhm? It won't be unfair when you both catch a cold."

"Dressed like this, you absolutely will. And you shouldn't go near the rough sea without an adult, you both know that." Tuor puts him back down on his feet next to Elwing and smiles. "How about we get you both coats and hats and boots and then we can go out?"

"But Da!" Eärendil complains but it's mostly for show as he lets himself be bundled up into the waterproofed fabric and have his feet shoved into the welly boots.

He and Elwing make quite the pair, both dressed in bright yellow, but his father doesn't look like he'll agree to let them take any of this stuff off.

"Now, Elwing - you take my right hand - and Eärendil - you take my left. There, now we're all set."

Elwing opens the door and it bangs open with the wind. A maid walking past exclaims as the pile of clothes she's carrying threatens to turn over.

"Sorry!" Tuor calls over his shoulder but Eärendil doesn't let him hang around in that hallway. He's sure the maid will be fine and he wants to see the sea before they're inevitably told it'll be too dangerous.

He shares a look with Elwing as the wind tears at their clothes and she is grinning.

She must feel it too, Eärendil decides, the electricity before the storm. It's nice to have someone to share that with.

#This was very fun to write! #fluffy little Elwing and Eärendil my beloved #plus Tuor being the excellent father he is #Eärendil #Elwing #Tuor #Meleth #Evranin #Silmarillion #Tolkien #Fanfiction #Fae's Fic #Fae's Stuff #Prompt #Prompt List 3 #Ask #lyndeth-halfelven

[taanoir]

Dior began helping tutor the twins in their academics. Idril was was a quick study that ate up new facts and knowledge with vigor. Tuor was quite the opposite and would rather be doing anything else. Idril wanted to become a scribe in the libraries so she could spend her days transcribing scrolls or dedicate her self to one of the temples to become a vestal virgin.

Muirenn sat her down and explained the uncomfortable truths. Afon and Murienn had always encouraged their children to learn and to create. But, women had a place and a responsibility, she wouldn't be able to pursue those paths. It wouldn't be long until she she would be at an age to marry. Like Muirenn, she would be a wife, run a household, possibly have a business and would likely become a mother. Her intelligence and skill would serve her well in many aspects of life but her love of books would not take her down a path to academics. Idril felt defeated, there were so many things she wanted to see and do, being tied to a house felt like a punishment.

Muirenn, felt for her daughter. She had come across the sea with her clan to settle in the Valley. She had chosen Afon and he, her. There was much more freedom then. When Earendil was born, Khur moved them here. The river people were kind, they helped shelter them, helped Khur build this house, and taught them so many things. The army arrived when the kids were young and declared this area for their king, which for Afon and Muirenn meant taxes. The army moves in and out of the area, but the house was too far from their roads for them to bother with, and they always paid their taxes. So many things had changed, the options open to her were not available for Idril. She hoped Idril would change her mind as she grew older, she didn't want her only daughter to be miserable. Earendil had gotten lucky, his wife was both a love match and a business match. Castor and Pollux had done well with negotiating it. Afon had been working to find a match for Dior with little luck, at this rate the twins will be married first.

#ts4 gameplay #historychallenge #Gen2 #ChildrenOfCalisto

[novemberthecatadmirer]

The thing is

It’s not “Maeglin was so young he stood no chance”

It’s “Most people got taken to Angband to be tortured for information stood no chance”

Maedhros was Maedhros. (I headcanon he cracked a little bit too but at that time there was not so much useful information for Morgoth to get and use. And he lasted enough for his brothers to swiftly move away before he revealed their camp site

(In lost tale version Morgoth tortured him to get information on jewelry making… I always feel that part is so funny because SERIOUSLY Maedhros probably did not know anything about crafting of Silmarils he probably wasn’t even interested

Finrod was Finrod. He and his ten went on their quest prepared for the possibility of getting caught and tortured for information. And they were the crazily brave ones they were not ordinary people.

Hurin didn’t but then Morgoth changed tactics. Isn’t Hurin’s release after seeing his children die another form of torture? His freedom was an extension of the torture and it was under this torture he finally cracked and revealed the general location of Gondolin. (Turgon did the last blow

—————

The thing is I never headcanon Maeglin as a broken little boy. He was charming, brave, and wanted to help people. He had his unresolved trauma but he was able to manage his life pretty well.

He had ambition and wanted power, but ambition was also a form of hope. Having ambition means you believe there is a better future for yourself and you can get it through hard work and careful planning.

Yeah he had his little crush but unrequited crush is normal and he knew to not express it when the feeling was not returned. (The Silm version)

The thing is I think he would be pretty fine if he did not get Morgothed

He was just an ordinary person, braver than many but not the most brave ones, smarter than many but not wise enough

He just happened to have higher chance of getting snatched up due to his profession. And I think he’s already on the top wanted list as lord and loyalty

Morgoth exploited his love for Idril and likely poked at all his trauma very hard. But the thing is, for first age elf trauma was common.

If it was someone else I bet Morgoth would still find enough weak spots to exploit

Him staying silent was bad but not surprising. The interesting thing was no one noticed except Idril, or no one tried to do anything. If anything this means Gondolin had a HUGE security hole. And possibly so many people were a little bit crazy in the end that Maeglin being crazy did not even stand out.

—————

What is rather unnerving is, think about it, basing the security of your city on nobody revealing its location was just an awful idea.

Because the enemy would turn to you after he destroyed all the other realms that served as distraction for you

Because you ended up relying your well-being on expecting other people losing everything they had to keep secret for you. Again and again until someone finally cracked

Because you started to do evil yourself. To force people choose between staying and death. To abandon your own people to darkness because no one was allowed to lead danger to your nice little doors. To kill innocents that unfortunately step into the land you claimed. (Implied by “of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin”; Tuor was pretty much spared because of his seaweed cloak

#tolkien #silmarillion #the silmarillion #silm #maeglin

[sauronnaise]

The Crow and the Swan

Tuor came to the Hidden City with a message from the Lord of the Seas. He urges the King to flee, but to avail. Confined, he despairs. He crosses paths with Maeglin, the prince who wishes to elope from these immaculate walls. A story of the inevitable battle against fate, and of freedom.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39521682/chapters/98923470

I hate writing story summaries, they can go get impaled by the horns of a Balrog. Tuor x Maeglin prompt for JazTheBard on ao3.

#fanfiction #tolkien #my fanfic #maeglin isn't an asshole #tuor #turgon #idril #ecthelion #rog #egalmoth #celebrimbor #the fall of gondolin #unresolved tensions #dramatic and humouristic #doom and fate are obvious themes #after all I can't get enough of doom

[imbizzler]

JB

#justin #justin bieber #justin drew bieber #justin drew icons #hailey bieber #bieberupdates #bieberfever #bieber #justice #purpose tour #purpose #freedom #freedom experience #freedom tuor #jb #bizzle

[imakemywings]

I can't help but notice how much Gondolin was shown as a symbol of hope. In Nirnaeth Arnoediad with the 'Turgon had opened the leaguer of Gondolin...' line, and the fact that Turgon had the initiative to send ships to Valinor to get help and the fact that through Gondolin, hope emerged in the form of Earendil, who brought the Host of the Valar which actually overthrew Morgoth. The fact that Gondolin was the last Elven realm to endure the power of Morgoth also makes me think that it's so unfair how much Gondolin is portrayed negatively, especially with how much it's described as a jailed city like I'd rather live there because I don't wanna die a senseless death. THIS IS JUST ME APPRECIATING MY BOY TURGON SO MUCH

Yeah! I think Gondolin did offer hope to the Elves, both as a place of safety for those who lived there, and the knowledge for those outside that they were not beaten by Morgoth yet, that there remained still an Elven stronghold in Middle-earth, and that perhaps help would come from Gondolin (as it does in the very long run, with Earendil!)

I think it gets that rep from fandom partly because we in the modern age are pretty accustomed to being able to travel even great distances very easily (as long as you have the $$), so the idea of being tied down in one city is probably a lot more unpleasant to us now than it would have been in the past, where it was very normal to be born and live and die in the same city.

Also, the most vocal opinions we hear on the "no exits" policy of Gondolin are Aredhel (known for being restless) and Maeglin (salty that Hurin and Huor get to leave and biased against mortals in general). Nobody who thinks this policy is good ever gets dialogue to that effect, and yet most of the city seems relatively content. Idril never balks against this policy, nor does Tuor. The lords of Gondolin never counsel Turgon against it. It seems to me that most people in Gondolin at least recognize this policy as a safety requirement even if they aren't in love with the practical reality of it. Even Aredhel originally agreed to the idea--she chose to go with Turgon to do this whole thing. And she never argues that it's bad policy--just that she herself is tired of it.

The reputation Gondolin has in Middle-earth--as one of the great Elven kingdoms, as a bastion of hope, as a city of great beauty and culture--is a very positive one. Now you could argue that its memory is divorced from its reality--but not much inclines me to think that.

And like yeah...if Morgoth was running around cursing people's entire bloodlines and turning people into orcs...I would want to be in the big walled hidden city too fuck freedom to travel let me IN for the love of Eru

#asks #anoymous

[thelordofgifs]

Obscure Tolkien Blorbo: Round 1

Mablung vs Tuor

Mablung:

A marchwarden of Doriath, known for handing the Silmaril to Beren at the end of the Hunt for Carcharoth and for being one of the few people who survived his life’s intersection with Túrin’s.

Best elf in Doriath !! Went to all the big fights !! Tried so hard to protect Nienor ! He searched her for so long ! And he was so devoted to his kingdom ! So dutiful !!!

He's one of the only first age elves with sense.

Tuor:

A hero of Men, the husband of Idril and favoured of Ulmo who led the survivors of Gondolin after its fall.

Descended from two out of the three houses of the Edain. Escaped slavery like a badass. Killed so many of Morgoth's mannish servants, they put a bounty on his head. WAS LITERALLY A MESSENGER OF ONE OF THE VALAR! Found Gondolin. Y'know, the one city MORGOTH HIMSELF COULDN'T FIND!? Was so well liked in Gondolin, that Maeglin was the only one who didn't love him. He killed Maeglin. Wrote "The Horns of Ylmir" for little Eärendil on the way to Sirion (which is the first poem Tolkien wrote). Mysteriously disappeared. No one knows what happened to him after he sailed West and the elves like him so much they just pretend he's definitely still alive. That would possibly make him the oldest full-blooded man to ever live. Actually, it would make him the oldest part-man to ever live as well, because Dior (who was born only two years before him) died. All other peredhil are either younger than him, descended from him, or both. Also helped create Elrond, which is the best thing a person can do

Tuor is (possibly) the only man to be granted immortality, he's a special little guy. I think he was pleased to see his adoptive elf dad again and more people should be sad about how he lost two whole families. He's ulmo's favourite guy and he got to marry idril with no fuss (unlike literal every other man-elf couple) AND he might have got to go to valinor despite the ban and tuor being a human, everybody makes exceptions for this guy!

Tuor is a trans woman because fuck we need trans representation and who better to provide us that than the human adopted by an Elf, who loves the song and freedom of the sea, who was chosen by the sea-god to be the messenger of the sea, who led the survivors of Gondolin to safety and said fuck it, we're gonna sail to the west and be together with my awesome wife forever! In conclusion: vote for Tuor, she's best girl together with her Elf wife.

Round 1 masterpost

#obscure tolkien blorbo #queue #mablung #tuor

[arofili]

three houses of the edain ✾ house of bëor ✾ headcanon disclaimer

          Elwing was the youngest child and only daughter of Dior Eluchíl and Nimloth Galathiliel, born to them in the dusk of Lanthir Lamath and named for the reflection of the stars within the waterfall’s spray beside her father’s house. When she was yet an infant, her father took up the crown of Doriath and the Silmaril of Lúthien, won by his own father Beren in their renowned quest.           As a child of only three years old, Elwing’s family was ripped apart amid the Second Kinslaying, when the Sons of Fëanor assaulted Doriath and sacked it in search of the Silmaril they claimed as their birthright. Nimloth and Dior were slain, and their twin sons Eluréd and Elurín abandoned in the wintry forest to die, but Elwing herself survived and bore the Silmaril with her to relative safety at the mouths of the River Sirion.           Protected by the her nursemaid Evranîn and the warrior Gereth, Elwing grew into the Lady of the Havens, the princess of fallen Doriath beloved by her people and respected by the other elven refugees from Nargothrond and Gondolin who dwelt by the seashore. She befriended Eärendil, son of Tuor and Idril, who was likewise a peredhel and soon won her heart. At an age counted young for the Eldar, though not for the Edain to whom they were also kin, Elwing and Eärendil were wed amid a grand celebration where, for the first time, she wore the Silmaril openly upon her breast. Within a matter of years, Elwing bore twin sons, whom she and Eärendil named Elrond and Elros.           But the happiness of this young family would be short-lived. Eärendil was a mariner, lured ever to the sea: with three companions he sailed often in the Belegaer, yearning for Valinor and the parents who had left him for the promise of those blessed shores. In many ways he took more after his father’s Mannish kin, but in this the sea-longing of the elves dominated his spirit. Yet Elwing did not share his love of the great waters and missed him dearly whenever he departed. To remember him by, Eärendil gave his wife an enchanted stone known as the Elessar that he had inherited from his mother. Yet Elwing already wore a necklace with a stone of greater power, so she passed this gift along to her sons so they might have a token of their father while he was away.           Though for many years Elwing had succeeded in hiding from the Sons of Fëanor, at last the news that she bore a Silmaril reached her foes and they began to stir amid the torment of their Oath. She denied their demands to the jewel, trusting that it would protect her family and her people from any assault and refusing to surrender the jewel her parents and brothers had died for. Within a year, the Fëanorions descended upon the Havens of Sirion with a furious desperation, and the last peaceful haven in Beleriand was destroyed.           As the battle raged, Elwing entrusted her children to the care of Evranîn, who managed to hide them in a wardrobe before she was slain. Elwing herself fled to the highest point in all the city, a clifftop tower overlooking the unforgiving sea below, and there made her final stand.           The eldest sons of Fëanor, Maedhros and Maglor, cornered her upon her ledge and entreated her for the Silmaril once more, promising to call off the attack if only she returned it to them. But Elwing was proud, and distrustful, and seeing her city burn below her she was filled with despair. These Kinslayers had slaughtered her parents and left her brothers to die, and they would do the same to her and her sons; they could in no way be trusted and in no way be allowed to gain the for which she had lost so much.           Thus Elwing turned and leapt into the sea, plummeting toward the unforgiving rocks below. Yet miracle of miracles, her unspoken prayer was answered, and in one swift moment she was transformed by Ulmo into a white bird, soaring to freedom with the Silmaril yet hanging from her breast. She flew across the ocean to Eärendil aboard his ship, where she turned back to her original form and told him all that had happened. Together, believing their sons dead at the hands of the Fëanorions, Elwing and Eärendil set their courses for Aman and sailed forth, carrying the last hope of the Free-peoples with them in one final attempt to beg aid from the Valar.           Had they known that their sons yet lived, cared for by Maedhros and Maglor rather than killed by them, perhaps they would have sailed back to the ruins of Beleriand. But they did not, and though they left their children behind, Elwing and Eärendil would prove invaluable in the final assault against Morgoth, for none other than scions of both the Kindreds of the Children of Eru could have swayed the hearts and minds of the Valar to finally march against the Enemy whose influence wreaked such havoc upon Beleriand.

#tolkienedit #oneringnet #silm #silmarillion #havens of sirion #edain #elwing #earendil #elrond #elrond peredhel #elros #elros tar minyatur #third kinslaying #my edit #my writing #edit writing #headcanons #tefain nin #three houses of the edain #house of beor