#sinda elf

[larkaloke]

After quite a lot of interruptions, I finally finished this drawing. Earilin, one of my MERP characters (a Sinda elf scout), going about their usual not-in-the-party-right-now business, which is sailing aboard a privateer vessel. Also cataloguing dangerous fish, but that's not shown here.

#oc art #rpg character #oc #original art #sinda elf #scout #yes it is often piracy

[abadpoetwithdreams]

Fun fact about me is that I for some inexplicable reason have never in a lifetime of Silm-obsession been able to decide what hair color I visualize Beleg with. It’s like his hair changes color with the seasons, from dark to warm brown to ashy-silver?? But anyway I’m just going to say is actually what’s happening now, it’s canon, you’re welcome

#‘it’s a sinda thing’ #beleg cuthalion #silm #coh #Turin’s men when they realized they could tell spring is approaching bc the boss’ weird elf friend’s hair is lightening: #:O

[camille-lachenille]

I was thinking about how, in fanfictions and in the fandom in general, Elrond is often depicted as a pure Noldorin lord, if not a die hard Fëanorian. And while I do enjoy Fëanorian!Elrond, the more I think about it the more I am convinced Elrond is not the fëanorian one of the twins. Elros is. Elros who adopted seven eight pointed stars as the heraldic device of his whole dynasty, a symbol still used 6000 years after his death. Elros who had Quenya be the official language of Númenor. Elros who decided to leave Arda for an unknown fate after his death; not Everlasting Darkness but not the rebirth in the bliss of Valinor either. He choose to go to a place Elves aren’t supposed to go, just like Fëanor and his sons went back to Beleriand. Elros, the mortal man, who decided to forge his own path in the world.

And I am not saying Elrond didn’t, because Eru knows how much strength, patience and stubbornness Elrond must have to become who he is in LotR. But when I first re-read LotR after reading the Silm, he did not strike me as Fëanorian at all (except for the no oath swearing rule that seems to apply in Rvendell). In fact, Elrond, and all three of his children, are defined by being half-Elven. Elrond is so much at the same time they had to creat a whole new category for him. He is described as kind as summer in The Hobbit, but also old and wise, and his friendly banter with Bilbo in FotR show he is also merry and full of humour. Elrond is both Elf and Man despite his immortality, and this is made quite clear in the text.

But. If I had to link him to an Elven clan, I’d say Elrond is more Sinda than Noldor, and even that is up to debate. Rivendell, this enchanting valley hidden from evil thanks to his power, is like a kinder version of Doriath. Yet, the name of Last Homely House and Elrond’s boundless hospitality make me think of Sirion: Rivendell is a place where lost souls can find s home, where multiple cultures live along each other in friendship and peace.

In FotR, Elrond introduces himself as the son of Eärendil and Elwing, claiming both his lineages instead of giving only his father’s name as is tradition amongst the Elves. It may be a political move, or it may be a genuine wish to claim his duality, his otherness, or even both at the same time. But from what is shown of Elrond in LotR, he seems to lean heavily in the symbols and heritage from the Sindar side of his family, rather than the Noldor one. I already gave the comparison with Doriath, but it seems history repeats itself as Arwen, said to be Lúthien reborn, chooses a mortal life. Yet Elrond doesn’t make the same mistake as Thingol by locking his daughter in a tower and sending her suitor to a deathly quest. Yes, he asks Aragorn to first reclaim the throne of Gondor before marrying Arwen, but this isn’t a whim on his part or an impossible challenge. Aragorn becoming king means that Middle-Earth is free from the shadow if Sauron and Arwen will live in peace and happiness. Which sounds like a reasonable wish for a parent to me.

Anyways, I went on a tangent, what strikes me with Elrond is his multiple identity. Elrond certainly has habits or traits coming from his upbringing amongst the Fëanorians, and he loved Maglor despite everything. The fact he is a skilled Minstrel shows he did learn and cultivate skills taught by a Fëanorion, that he is not rejecting them. There is a passage at the end of RotK, in the Grey Havens chapter, where Elrond is described carrying a silver harp. Is this a last relic from Maglor? Possible.

But while Elros choose the path of mortality and showed clear Noldorin influences in the kingdom he built, Elrond is happy in his undefined zone he lives in. He is an Elf, he is a Man, he is Sinda and Noldo and heir to half a dozen lost cultures and two crowns. He is the warrior and the healer, the only one of his kind in Middle-Earth. And that is why I will never tire of this character and I love so much fanworks depicting him as nuanced and multiple yet always recognisable as Elrond.

#tolkien #the silmarillion #the lord of the rings #peredhil #half elves #elros #elrond and elros #elrond #elrond peredhel #one blorbo to blorb them all #half baked ramblings by a sleep deprived tolkien fan #tolkien meta

[the-writing-goblin]

We know that canonically, by the Third Age, there mortal stories about Galadriel, telling of the creepy elf-sorceress whose powers are unknown and undefined. That those who enter her woods do not leave again the same.

Personally, I suspect elves have the same ideas, they're just not stupid enough to say them out loud because she might hear. Yes they're currently in Imladris and she's in Lothlorien, what's your point?

Like, I really feel like it's important to note how utterly alien Galadriel would be and feel to pretty much everyone else by the Third Age. Even other elves.

The most obvious difference would be that she's looked upon the trees, but I also think the fact that she was born and raised in Aman is... actually probably a big deal?

Like: she grew up near the only direct source of light in her time, and much of the food she was eating was probably blessed by Yavanna, Vanna, or one of their Maia. The men in her family, Turgon and Maedhros most famously, are notably tall. Galadriel herself is described as 'no less tall than' her husband Celeborn in lord of the rings. I take this to mean they're the same height but... the wording doesn't technically rule out her being taller? She could be a damn giant.

And she's the only elf who we know looks visibly Vanya. Elrond, the only other named elf who we know had Vanya heritage seems to take after his mother (probably, at least in coloring). Even if there are other elves with some Vanya looks kicking around by the time the fellowship roles up pretty much all of the elves any of them would have seen would be some combination of Sinda, Silvan, and Noldor. We know that canonically her coloring is quite different from these, with her hair being closer to Vanya gold than Teleri or Noldor colorings. It's not clear exactly how different these groups are in appearence, but it could be dramatic. Certainly, her hair is... ya know... kinda a big deal. In the books. Just a bit.

Basically, she is tall, stunningly gorgeous in a deeply unfamiliar way, powerfully magical in a way no one else in middle earth is and her eyes are fucking glowing because of the treelight. She learned magic from the Middle Earth equivalent of a minor god and she's at least somewhat telepathic.

Everyone with any sense is afraid of this woman.

#back on my Eldritch Horror Galadriel bullshit #Galadriel #lotr #silmarillion #silm

[tathrin]

The Extremely Serious and Scientific Legolas Fandom Hair Colour Poll:

What colour hair do you picture in your head for your personal mental image of Legolas of the Woodland Realm? (Not necessarily which one you think is more or less "canonical"; rather just what you see in your head when you're reading something.)

Ideally, you can also share when and how you were first exposed to Lord of the Rings in the tags or reblogs, and what you think most influenced your mental image.

No I'm not procrastinating from writing stuff, go away.

#personally i've pictured him and his dad both looking just like saaski from eloise mcgraw's ''moorchild'' since my first read of the hobbit #(and it'll take a lot more than his silhouette against the stars to pry that image from my cold dead and re-embodied hands lol) #that's just too good a visual to give up ESPECIALLY with all the gimli ''hands shall flow with gold'' stuff that comes in later #but i was around in the 2000s for when the fandom divided into two very distinct and passionate camps on this question #with the fact that he'd been often illustrated with blonde hair and occasionally with dark getting subsumed by Movie vs Book Snobbery wars #where everybody had to be Very Certain And Concrete In Their Canon Arguments about which was his One True Haircolor #so i'm curious what the general consensus (or if there even is one) is now #but i don't expect an actual answer from the ten people following my blog who will see this poll so instead let's do something silly with i #because what else are tumblr polls for? #polls #legolas #lotr #lord of the rings #lotr polls #fandom polls

[lamemaster]

The Curse of Bloodlines (Thranduil x Feanorian reader)

Thranduil x Feanorian reader

Genre: angst (shit ton of it)

Summary: You wonder if your child would be born before the passing of Spring or if they would be born in the creeping days of fall. 'Not long now,' you whisper to your belly.

Part 2: The Curse of Heart | Part 3: The Curse of the Uncursed

Day 475th of staying in your room. The air carried hints of creeping spring. The cloying fragrance of blooming flowers made its way into your room from wide open windows that were never closed. You could not bring yourself to close them. They were the only reminder of the world that existed outside your room.

The afternoon sun left you feeling drowsy as you huddled closer to your favorite nook next to the windows. Resting your head on the wall, you stretched your back to alleviate the hovering ache that rarely left you these days. You gently massaged your swollen feet, or at least tried to with your belly getting in the way.

You wondered if your child would be born before the passing of spring or if they would be born in the creeping days of fall. "Not long now," you whispered to your belly.

"You would be the prince of the Woodland Realm. Everyone would love you like they do for your father. You would grow up with so many people looking after you," you sniffed as you felt the butterflies of your child's movement under your hands. "Your father would give you anything you could wish for. He is an ellon who cares immensely for his people."

You tried to focus on the little flutter that tickled your palm or the cool breeze. You tried to ward away the thoughts that plagued your mind. They had been frequent these days. A premonition of what was to come. You avoided those thoughts to protect your child from their shadow.

However, a sense of mourning clouded your heart. It was the realization that you would not live to see your son. You could feel it in your soul and your body. Long ago, your great-grandmother Miriel had been the first-ever elf to die on the blessed lands, and now you felt the same fate looking back at you.

You were a Finwean, the granddaughter of Feanor, and the daughter of Celegorm. You hadn't known it for the longest time. You had grown up with a single mother who never spoke of your father. You didn't dare stir the grief that lay heavy on your mother's heart. Your father's name was never uttered in your household.

Maybe that was the reason why you assumed your silver hair to be from your Sinda mother. You simply did not fathom the possibility of it being a paternal trait. You did not care for your green eyes, which seemed to be a gift from your grandmother Nerdanel. Never had you ever thought of belonging to the cursed bloodline of the Noldor. The Silmarils had never called for your soul, you were not oath-bound, and your soul didn't long for your home beyond the seas.

It fooled you and Thranduil, who once loved you. He truly did, at the beginning of your courtship when every second of your existence was spent next to him. You both had wed early, and none had objected. You had once been the crown princess of Greenwood the Great.

Then it had come. A letter from your uncle who wandered unknown shores. It was a letter that shattered your world. And the beloved crown princess of Greenwood the Great became a kinslayer's daughter. Child of an ellon who had once slain the King of Beleriand.

All was lost when you learned of your father. Your people were no longer yours. Your mother, an unknown elleth who had picked you up from an abandoned camp. Most of all, your husband and all his love were gone.

You should have resented your uncle or your father, yet you could not bring yourself to. It would have been easy to deny the claim in the letter. It could have saved your marriage, but how could you? It seemed as if it was meant to be. How else could your father's name find you despite all that had happened? How else could your uncle, whom many called a wraith, remember you?

So you bore all the hate, anger, and resentment that came towards you. It was all you could offer these people. All that you could give your husband, who refused to look at you.

Thranduil had waited for you to deny the claim in the letter. He had expected it to be a lie. You would have too if not for everything pointing to one truth. Your silence had been the only answer you could offer your husband, a fact that broke his heart.

Your bond stretched thin with the barest presence lingering. It lingered on the edge of snapping. Had Miriel felt the same way too? You seemed to share a fate similar to your great-grandmother's. Maybe someday you would get a chance to ask her.

You would bear it all for the sake of your child. Even the confinement of your room was an acceptable fate to persevere for your and Thranduil's child.

It had been an unspoken sentence laid down by Oropher. You were banned from the gardens and woods you grew up in. Stables, lakes, halls, kitchens...you were prohibited from them. It started with guards following your every step and ended with the room you had not left for the past year.

It could have been a prison cell if you had not been carrying the heir of the Woodland realm. Or maybe you would have been kicked out of your home. You would have accepted it. Maybe that would have appeased all those who had been wronged by your father.

Therefore, you did not mourn the weariness that lay heavy on your soul. Whatever doom awaited you would free Thranduil and your child from your existence. None in Greenwood would burden them with your family's wrongdoings.

#the hobbit #the silmarillion #tolkien elves #noldor #thranduil x reader #Feanorian reader #celegorm #angst #middle earth #two shot #thranduil x wife #thranduil

[glorfindel-of-imladris]

The Case of Erestor Half-elven

It’s been a hot minute since my last fandom meta, but this one I accidentally stumbled upon gathering notes for—would you believe it—a Glorfindel meta I intended to write. Man, I’m not even going to question the process, so let’s just get right on to it!

I like to joke around that there are only six instances when Erestor was mentioned in the entire legendarium, and by this I mean in The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion (in which he does not even appear in the latter two). 

But let’s talk about the early draft of him that is often referenced in fandom. If one extends the search, in The Return of Shadow, which details the writing process of what ultimately would be The Fellowship of the Ring, Erestor does get a mention, and is described as follows:

“There were three counsellors of Elrond’s own household: Erestor his kinsman (a man of the same half-elvish folk known as the children of Lúthien), and beside him two elflords of Rivendell.” -- In the House of Elrond, The Return of Shadow 

By the final version of The Lord of the Rings, however, there is no more reference to Erestor as Half-elven. The final published version goes:

"Beside Glorfindel there were several other counsellors of Elrond's household, of whom Erestor was the chief..." -- The Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

By this final version of the story, the Half-elven trait no longer made sense for Erestor, and was replaced instead by him being Elrond's chief counsellor. 

The nature of Half-elves

Tolkien acknowledges three unions of Elves and Men:

“There were three unions of the Eldar and the Edain: Lúthien and Beren; Idril and Tuor; Arwen and Aragorn. By the last the long-sundered branches of the Half-elven were reunited and their line was restored.” –Appendix A, Return of the King

One of the later themes Tolkien came up with surrounding the Half-elven line (which likely did not yet exist at the early stages of the story when he was first forming the fellowship) was how they united and reunited all the houses of the Eldar and the Edain. Beren was a descendant of the three houses of the Edain—the Houses of Bëor, Haleth, and Hador—while Lúthien was the daughter of a Sinda (Teleri) and a Maia. Idril was the daughter of a Ñoldo and a Vanya. Lúthien and Beren had Dior, who then had a daughter, Elwing, who wed Eärendil, the son of Idril and Tuor. Elwing and Eärendil then had Elros and Elrond, and the line was separated for many generations when Elros chose to be counted among Men, and Elrond among Elves. The two lines were reunited with the marriage of Aragorn and Arwen.

One important detail here is that before the “Choice of the Half-elves” that was later gifted to Eärendil, Elwing, and their children, the children born out of an Elf-Man union led lives akin to Men. Dior was able to rule Doriath at age 33, and Eärendil and Elwing married at 22. These, as we know, would have been too young for Elves, given:

“Children of Men might reach their full height while Eldar of the same age were still in the body like to mortals of no more than seven years. Not until their fiftieth year did the Eldar attain the stature and shape in which their lives would afterwards endure, and for some a hundred years would pass before they were full-grown.” -- Laws and Customs of the Eldar, Morgoth’s Ring

and

“The Eldar wedded for the most part in their youth and soon after their fiftieth year […] Those who would afterwards become wedded might choose one another early in youth, even as children (and indeed this happened often in days of peace); but unless they desired soon to be married and were of fitting age, the betrothal awaited the judgment of the parents of either party.” -- Laws and Customs of the Eldar, Morgoth’s Ring

After the events of the War of the Wrath, Eärendil, Elwing, and their sons Elrond and Elros, for their deeds in the war, were gifted with the choice to be counted either among the Eldar or the Edain. Eärendil, Elwing, and Elrond chose to be counted among Elves, and the choice continued on to Elrond’s children: Arwen, Elladan, and Elrohir. Elros chose to be counted among Men, but in his case, the choice no longer extended to his descendants; every descendant of Elros was mortal. 

The only thing I can conclude for why Elros’ line did not get to choose is because the Gift of Ilúvatar—that is, a death that transcends the world of Arda—trumps all other gifts. It is a blessing that followed the line of Elros—never mind that the latter Númenóreans did not all agree that this was a blessing at all.

A similar sentiment can be found in earlier versions of the Quenta Silmarillion, where Manwë said to Eärendil:

"Now all those who have the blood of mortal Men, in whatever part, great or small, are mortal, unless other doom be granted to them; but in this matter the power of doom is given to me." -- Quenta Silmarillion, The Lost Road and Other Writings

Although this was no longer included in the published Silmarillion, Christopher Tolkien still considered this in judging that Dior, son of Beren and Lúthien, would have been mortal, regardless of whether Lúthien was Elf or mortal when she begetted him.

Bonus extra: The fourth case of Elf-Man union

Despite the excerpt from Appendix A, there is another case of Elf-Man union that we know: Mithrellas and Imrazôr. This was alluded to in Return of the King when describing Prince Imrahil: 

“...and with him went the Prince of Dol Amroth in his shining mail. For he and his knights still held themselves like lords in whom the race of Númenor ran true. Men that saw them whispered saying: ‘Belike the old tales speak well; there is Elvish blood in the veins of that folk, for the people of Nimrodel dwelt in that land once long ago.’” The Siege of Gondor, Return of the King

Although it seems as though this was only a rumor among Men, in the wider History of Middle-earth, Mithrellas is indeed mentioned to have been the spouse of Imrazôr who bore him children, of whom Galador was the ancestor of the princes of Dol Amroth. Of their line, it was said:

“But though Mithrellas was of the lesser silvan race (and not of the High Elves or the Grey) it was ever held that the house and kin of the Lords of Dol Amroth were noble by blood, as they were fair of face and mind.” The Heirs of Elendil, The Peoples of Middle-earth

The princes of Dol Amroth, of course, are mortal, and this does not contradict anything that has already been established. It is easy to imagine how, in a world where Elves and Men co-exist, there could be many other undocumented cases throughout the years. But what we do know is that no other Half-elf outside of Eärendil’s line would have led a long life by choosing the path of Elves. Therefore, if there were any other Half-elves in the Council of Elrond, aside from Elrond himself, they would have been not much older than Aragorn or Boromir. 

Erestor’s age and role in Rivendell

We now return to Erestor. One of the clearest things in “The Council of Elrond” is the Elves’ reluctance to take the One Ring. Erestor is one of the most vocal about this, and this is one of my favorite themes to explore about his character in the Third Age.

Thematically, Erestor represents the fading of the Elves. He is most known for his quick suggestion to give the Ring to Tom Bombadil. This tells us:

The Elves do not want anything to do with the Ring anymore, a sentiment that would be especially potent for one who was there during the Last Alliance, in the Second Age when Sauron was at the peak of his power; and 

The time of the Elves is ending, and there is little more they can give to Middle-earth.

Granted, Legolas remained a member of the Fellowship and thus represented the Elves, but by Elven standards, Legolas was young, and did not have the weariness that someone older would have. Erestor reads to me as someone older, even older in spirit in comparison to Glorfindel. 

‘We know not for certain,’ answered Elrond sadly. ‘Some hope that the Three Rings, which Sauron has never touched, would then become free, and their rulers might heal the hurts of the world that he has wrought. But maybe when the One has gone, the Three will fail, and many fair things will fade and be forgotten. That is my belief.’ ‘Yet all the Elves are willing to endure this chance,’ said Glorfindel, ‘if by it the power of Sauron may be broken, and the fear of his dominion be taken away for ever.’ ‘Thus we return once more to the destroying of the Ring,’ said Erestor, ‘and yet we come no nearer. What strength have we for the finding of the fire in which it was made? That is the path of despair. Of folly, I would say, if the long wisdom of Elrond did not forbid me.’ -- The Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring

Erestor has a weariness to him that is even notable especially beside Glorfindel's vitality, whom we know was reborn in Aman as though young again, with "the primitive innocence and grace of the Eldar" (Peoples of Middle-earth). Glorfindel, however, is a special case even among all Elves in the Third Age, while Erestor arguably would have been more representative of them, at least of the ones that remained in Middle-earth.

Another case to be made about Erestor being one of the oldest in Rivendell is by virtue of his status as chief among Elrond’s counsellors. Considering the population of Elves in Rivendell, this is no small feat. As Gandalf told Frodo:

‘Here in Rivendell there live still some of [Sauron’s] chief foes: the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the furthest seas. They do not fear the Ringwraiths, for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power. [...] Indeed there is power in Rivendell to withstand the might of Mordor, for a while: and elsewhere other powers still dwell.’ -- Many Meetings, The Fellowship of the Ring

So what is he?

The last quote about the Elf-lords of Rivendell is one of the main reasons why I say Erestor is likely of the Ñoldorin Calaquendi. This makes the most sense given his position in Elrond’s household and given the sorts of Elves that dwell there. Fortunately, this still gives us many options: he could be an Elf from Gondolin, from Nargothrond, even among one of the many houses of the Fëanoryn. 

Could he have been any other kind of Elf? Sure! I even particularly have a soft spot for Erestor being Sindarin, but again, given his position, I would guess one of the older lines. Doriath, in particular, would make sense. Given how Elves seem to be “ranked” by wisdom defined by their exposure to the Valar and the rest of the Ainur, Doriath, with Melian’s influence, would have been a special kind of place. 

Could Erestor still be Half-elven? My easiest answer would be that it’s unlikely. But! Do not despair! With fiction, really anything is possible. Erestor could be an exceptional Half-elf and that is why he is chief counsellor. He could still be a kindred of Elrond’s by some obscure line, such as an unrecorded child in the line of Beren and Lúthien, or as a popular fanon, either Eluréd or Elurín survived. Or he could just be the son of some other Elf and Man. But whatever version it is, Erestor Half-elven would not have had the choice of the Half-elves, and so likely would not have been alive beyond the lifetime of a Númenórean.

#erestor #meta #the way i accidentally churn out meta sometimes is just #i don't know #wow this took up a sunday #but! #i'm glad to have been able to lay down my notes for it #i do love erestor a lot #and i love the challenge that comes with piecing together canon for all fandom character studies #erestor's obscurity and the challenge he gives me is probably why i like this guy a lot #that and because #he stood beside glorfindel at a wedding #LMAO #let's not pretend it started as anything more than that #90's things #tolkien #the lord of the rings #the silmarillion and other histories

[silvantransthranduiltrash]

Entirely mu AU and self indulgent:

Noldo elf: so how did the silvans and avari stay out of the war with morgoth.

Legolas: hm? Oh, we brokered a truce.

Noldo: so? We did too, that didn’t stop him.

Legolas: yeah, but, unlike you, we actually had ✨power✨ backing us up that forced him to back off untill further notice.

Legolas: also, our diplomats made it very clear that if he didn’t comply, he would not like the outcome. Very agressive, 10/10.

Noldo: ok, well, how did it go, because Maedhros didn’t even get to morgoth, he was ambushed.

Legolas: weeelllll-

*flashback to beginning of the first age*

The silvan ambassadors *shows up at morgoth’s throne room without notice* we’re here make sure you don’t do something stupid like declare war on our people.

Morgoth, amused: oh, and how are you going to do that? For that matter, what’s stopping me from killing you here and now.

Ambassadors: what’s stopping you is the fact that, if we do not come back within the next hour to where we have to check in, the silvans will assume that you killed us and thus has made a declerarion of war. If it is assumed you have declaired war on the silvans, the long standing alliance between all the avari and silvan nations, pertaining to the terrorism and violance commited by a member of the ainur, will go into affect, and all our international grievances will be put on hold untill we’ve dealt with you-

Morgoth:

Ambassadors: to put this into context: not only will you have attracted the attention and wrath of the silvans, elves who are masters of espionage and assassination and magically above average and a people who’s known for their warrior culture which has amassed over a total of 4000 years with a fully stocked and experienced army, but you will also have the might of the Arctic Empire, who’s succesfully taken over the world, the Okrean kingdom, who’s become completely independent from all things magic, the Agtep Nation, ruled by an elleth known as the God of War, the Bali’tsa Empire, home to the largest army of all the avari nations, the Qitian Empire, who produce some of the deadliest weapons known to this realm, and the Fawneli Tribes, who have the strongest elves in existence, bearing down on you like a rabid dog. And unlike the Noldo and the Sinda you so love to bully, each one of these Nations have a full 4000 years of military history that they will not hesitate to unleash on you like a dam that finally broke. Mind you, that’s before we even take into considerarion the many other smaller elven societies who won’t hesitate to join the slaughter, hell, even the Edireths have thrown their hat in the ring, and they’re particularly known for eating ainur for breakfast. Literally.

Ambassadors: so what will it be? Time is ticking, and you’re almost out.

Morgoth: fuckin- fine. But i won’t lay off forever.

Ambassadors: oh we know. And we’ll be preparing our armies for when that time comes. I suggest you do the same.

*back in the present*

Legolas: yeah, let’s just say they really went in there with a “fuck all” attitude.

#my au #not cannon #hc that the silvan ambassador was Thranduil #listen if the noldo and the sinda could go apeshit in the first age; then so could the silvans/avari #lord of the rings #lotr #lotr elves #the hobbit #silmarillion #silvans #avari #morgoth #4 silvan sibs au #house of edireth #morgoth did not fuck around and find out #incorrect tolkien quotes #legolas

[aragornsrockcollection]

Feanor @the children of Indis: You guys aren’t even Noldor you’re Vanyar. And Arafinwe’s kids are basically Teleri.

Finrod: There is nothing wrong with that! I’m proud of how Teleri I am! Teleri for life!

Galadriel: What’s that you’re lugging across the ice, Brother?

Finrod: Gems. Gems are always useful.

Galadriel: Right. And what’s that around your neck?

Finrod: Enough rocks to drown a man, why?

Galadriel: And what is it you did the moment you set foot in Beleriand?

Finrod: I built a watch tower, and then a whole underground city.

Galadriel: And how do you seal an oath?

Finrod: Well, I gave Barahir a piece of family jewelry.

Galadriel: And when you want to be dramatic you…?

Finrod: Throw my crown at my family who are betraying me.

Galadriel, hair down, vibing in the woods with her Sinda husband and a simple white dress, bonding with the Lindar side of their family: Right. Right. You’re the most Telerin elf I know brother. Uncle is right, you’re barely even a Noldo 🙄.

#tolkien #the silmarillion #jirt #silmarillion #jrr tolkien #feanor #finrod #galadriel #Finrod is so culturally Noldor #he’s just like #gems? 😃 #knowledge? 😃 #building stuff with my friends? 😃 #Being a dramatic bitch? 😃

[sotwk]

Hi, I was just wondering if you have any thoughts on Oropher’s wife/Thranduil’s mum? Is she dead? If so, how did she die? If she’s alive, is she still in the Greenwood or is she kicking about elsewhere? I have my own half-baked ideas but I wondered what yours were

Oooh thank you for asking for my thoughts on this! I got thoughts on everything, like a good Thranduil-obssessor. *pulls out my Notes folder* This dear, sweet lady never gets any attention, but she is certainly not forgotten by me!

I mentioned Thranduil's mother in this headcanon post about his birth, as well as my one-shot fic The Crown, but I am happy to provide more info below!

Thranduil's Mother in the SotWK AU

Oropher's wife was Lady Meluiel of Doriath, a Sinda from the same clan of Teleri that migrated into Beleriand, following Elu Thingol.

Apart from being Thranduil’s mother, she was also the younger sister of the great Beleg Cúthalion, which made Beleg Thranduil's uncle and mentor. (more HC info on their relationship here)

Meluiel was a trusted handmaiden to Queen Melian, and for a time also helped raise Lúthien Tinúviel during her childhood.

She was known for her sweet and cheerful disposition, contrasting with Oropher's more somber personality, but Oropher loved her so very deeply.

Thranduil was a bit of a rebellious child, with a wilder spirit than Lord Oropher would have preferred, so it was not uncommon for Meluiel to have to play mediator between father and son.

She would often encourage Thranduil to pursue the interests Oropher disliked, and behave according to his true self, rather than adjust his personality to please his father. Thranduil took this to heart and developed a fierce independence from his father (and his like-minded kinsmen) early on.

Sadly, Meluiel was among the many Elves of Doriath who perished in the Second Kinslaying. At the time, she was a lady in Queen Nimloth's court and was with her at the time of the attack. Meluiel was slain in a final stand trying to protect the young princes, Eluréd and Elurín.

For this reason, Oropher developed an unforgiving prejudice and hatred for the Noldor, which he carried with him for the rest of his life. This is also why he fought against Thranduil's love for Maereth (of direct Fëanorian descent--the horror!) for centuries before he finally (and reluctantly) consented to their union.

Thranduil was only 54 years old when his mother died; enough to have memories of her and to miss her terribly. As a result, he too was angry at the Noldor, and remained biased against them.

However, his bias was not strong enough to prevent him from fighting alongside Noldorin warriors during the War of Wrath. During this war, Thranduil befriended a few Noldor, some of whom he continued to associate with in the Second Age while he lived in Lindon. The most notable of these friends is Ivenil (a SotWK OC, appears in "Greenleaf's Day Out"), who followed Thranduil and his Sindarin kin to Greenwood. He eventually became an important member of King Thranduil's council.

Thranduil's openness of mind and ability to see past his own hate and prejudices in effect made him a stronger ruler than his father, since it allowed him to foster relationships with the other Elf-lords and peoples of Middle-earth--even the Dwarves!

His beloved mother would have been proud. <3

For more Thranduil/Mirkwood headcanons: SotWK HC Masterlist

Elves HC Tag List: @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @achromaticerebus @aduialel @asianbutnotjapanese @auttumnsayshi @blueberryrock @conversacomsmaug @elan-ho-detto-elan-15 @entishramblings @freshalmondpandadonut @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @glassgulls @heranintomyknife23times @ladyweaslette @laneynoir @lathalea @lemonivall @LiliDurin @quickslvxrr @ratsys @scyllas-revenge @stormchaser819 @talkdifferently6 @tamryniel @tamurilofrivendell

Other useful links:

Introduction to SotWK

Fanfiction Masterlist

Fanfiction Request Guidelines

#sotwk answers #sotwk headcanon #the hobbit #thranduil #tolkien #lotr #thranduil headcanon #oropher #mirkwood #greenwood the great #doriath

[valardynasty]

Legolas

Legolas Vertefeuille, prince of Mirkwood.

"Legolas Vertefeuille est un Elfe Sinda, qui faisait partie de la Communauté de l'Anneau, au Troisième Âge. Fils du roi elfe Thranduil, du Royaume Sylvestre, dont il est le prince, un messager et un valeureux guerrier. Avec sa vue perçante, son ouïe sensible et son excellente maîtrise de l'arc, Legolas a été précieux pour la Communauté durant la Quête de l'Anneau à travers la Terre du Milieu. Il était bien connu pour être devenu ami avec le nain Gimli, malgré leurs différences de longue date."

Création par Intelligence Artificielle.

#lord of the rings #lotr #lotredit #silmarillion #tolkien #tolkien fanfiction #the rings of power #ainur #maiar #valar #valardynasty #legolas #the fellowship of the ring #two towers #the return of the king #le seigneur des anneaux #the hobbit #mirkwood #thranduil

[larkaloke]

Earilin, Sinda elf scout (he/they)

Earilin is a recent addition to my MERP characters, a pirate-turned-privateer who joined the White Wolf Company when his captain began sailing for Gondor. They aren't so much for direct combat, although they're a good shot with the bow, and have generally been more help when investigating things (and at sea).

More recently Earilin accepted a probably-rather-unwise deal with some dubious allies which has him hearing them in his head, and we'll see how that goes, but for now it's not going to stop them from cateloguing the monstrous fish of the world.

And since this is part of my yearly Pride Month queue where I post art of my various LGBTQ+ characters, it's worth mentioning that Earilin is genderqueer and transmasc.

#original art #oc art #art #rpg character #oc #middle-earth roleplaying #sinda elf #scout #pirate #pride month #genderqueer characters #transmasc character

[thelegolashairappreciationclub]

My two favourite FAVOURITE Gil Galad theories are Gil Galad son of No-one Really and Gil Galad son of Everyone Kind Of?

Like I adore the idea that someone who by blood is no-one, parents were random noldo or sinda soldiers, doesn't even know who his parents are, that this strange elf becomes one of the best Kings of the Noldor and the only one to rule mostly in peace since finwe. That this person who was not Finwe's heir is the one to inherit his mantle in its truest form.

But also... what if he's everyone's son?

I have seen this done both as weird magic stuff and also as the worlds most complicated polycule and the kid that resulted. But i prefer the Hot Potato Origin: That in his life Gil Galad has been passed through so many of the Noldorin and Sindarin Lords and been adopted so many times that no one is sure at this point who actually contributed genetically.

Post rebirth there's a tally system of whose traits he shows the most of out of the finweans (concerningly, Argon is currently in the lead) and no one wants to ask him directly because if They are one of the parents it would be horrendously embarrassing to not Know That. This also means that most of them have adopted a sort of parental attitude towards him even if they're fairly certain that they aren't related.

Some of them have become full conspiracy theorists about it (Fingon: what if I DID have a wife and i just FORGOT because of head trauma?? Galadriel: subtly interrogating all her siblings to build a full timeline of their entire lives in Beleriand) others are throwing fuel on the fire for their own amusement (Nerdanel: actually he's our Secret 8th Son, we sent him on later, that's why he has freckles. Elrond: he's actually Elros, we were lying for fun, ignore that we dont look at all alike.) Some of them have just kind of shrugged and acknowledged that they are a possible candidate and moved on (Caranthir: if Haleth had a child she Absolutely would not have told me and she's clever enough to have organised this, the timeline works out. Aredhel: unfortunately large chunks of my time in nan elmoth are fuzzy and i would not put it past Eol to rid himself of any "unsuitable" children.) Finrod and Maedhros have remained So silent on the issue that others are Sure they Know something (the pestering results in Both of them suddenly claiming to be his parents: Finrod is his father, Maedhros his mother Actually. The charade of being star crossed lovers is convincing enough that people start doubting their real marriages.)

Gil Galad is honestly completely uninvested in this and is just glad that they're bickering between themselves instead of questioning him constantly. Besides he has lunch with his birth parents every Wednesday; if they wanted to stop the rumours they would.

#silmarillion #ereinion gil galad #gil galad son of plothole #important to this theory is the fact that Gil Galad Has been a member of most of their households at some point or another #just in the chaos of the latter centuries of beleriand no one can exactly remember When they got him or who they gave him to later #also all of the finweans enjoy complicated thought puzzles more than Knowing the answer #this is enrichment #easiest way to stop arguments at family dinners post reimbodiment: hey so Gil Galad walks a lot like Uncle doesn't he? #BOOM! you immediately have a whole new argument 😀

[grey-gazania]

Throwback Thursday Sunday

@swanhild tagged me to share a fic that's more than a year old, so I'm picking one of my Girl-galad WIPs, which I started writing in 2019 and started posting in 2022.

The Kids Are All Right (Rated G, 6/? chapters posted)

As the survivors from Nargothrond come to Balar and the Fell Winter sets in, the girl who will become Gil-galad struggles alongside her friends to find a ray of hope in a darkness that seems unending.

I will fully admit that this story is self-indulgent, because the entire Woman King AU is self-indulgent. I didn't expect it to have many (if any) readers, and so far I've been right, but I'm enjoying writing it and that's what counts! It's allowed me to explore a lot of my ideas and headcanons, such as:

Life on Balar, which at this point in time contains refugees from three longstanding communities (the Falathrim, the Northern Sindar, and the Noldor of Hithlum), with the survivors of the destruction of Nargothrond newly arrived at the beginning of the story. Thinking about how these disparate ethnic groups would interact has been fun.

Following on that, I'm also exploring what it would be like for Gil-galad to grow up between these communities. Her father is the crown prince and later the High King of the Noldor, and her mother is from a high-status family of the Mithrim Sindar, but Ereiniel has in fact spent most of her life among the Falathrim. This frequently leaves her feeling like she's too Noldorin for the Sindar and too Sindarin for the Noldor, but in this story she's coming to realize that her understanding of and affection for all three groups could actually become one of her strengths.

The arc of Ereiniel's relationship with Círdan. The major question I always ask myself when I write a genderswap AU in any fandom is, How would so-and-so being female change things? Círdan's relationship with young Gil-galad is one of those changes. Ereinion, as crown prince and Fingon's heir, would have been much more involved with Círdan as a child. But Ereiniel, being female and not in the line of succession, isn't perceived as needing the same degree of fostering that her male counterpart would. She respects Círdan and knows she can rely on him, but her care was left largely to her mother when she was growing up, and her education was left to a tutor Fingon had selected before his death. She wasn't fostered in the traditional sense because no one ever expected that she would end up ruling her people.

Young people coming of age in the decline following the Nírnaeth Arnoediad. Most of the young adults in this story were born sometime within fifty years before the Dagor Bragollach, when the Siege of Angband was still in place and things were looking more hopeful. Their families were intact and they grew up being told that Morgoth would be defeated. But that's not how things are anymore. What is it like to be the Elf equivalent of an 18-30 year old in a world that's now suffering one catastrophic defeat after another, where your parents and their parents and all the other older adults in your lives have, through no fault of their own, neither a plan nor the ability to stand against the monster Vala who's doing his damnedest to destroy the world and all its people? How do you plan for life in a future that you know there's a good chance you may not have? How do you grow up with the possible deaths of you and everyone you love hanging over your head like a sword?

Elvish local government. Yes, Círdan is in charge on Balar, but he can't possibly being seeing to every little thing. Someone has to make sure the roads are in good repair, and the snow is getting shoveled, and the cesspits are being emptied and composted. Somebody has to adjudicate the smaller disputes and hear the local concerns. So I've invented local neighborhood councils for this purpose.

Erestor. My Erestor is not nobility, nor is he half-Elven, nor is he a Fëanorian. He's a regular-degular Falathron Sinda, but he's intensely curious, a voracious learner, and hungry for knowledge. It's his mind that makes him notable, not his family background.

Celebrimbor and Gil-galad. The published Silm is pretty sparse on what Celebrimbor does in the First Age following his renunciation of his father, so I kept him in Nargothrond, and he arrives on Balar with the first wave of Nargothrond refugees. He's cut ties with his family. Ereiniel, on the other hand, is hungry for connection with her father's kin. And I truly believe that Gil-galad and Celebrimbor were friends before the whole Annatar thing, so this story is allowing me to explore the early days of that budding friendship.

With my OCs Henthael and Gurvadhor, I'm fine-tuning my ideas regarding Fingolfin's followers -- how loyal they would feel to him as the one who led them across the ice and ruled them for four and a half centuries, and how that loyalty might or might not transfer to Fingon, who was his father's heir but also a Kinslayer. Whose loyalty might that fact affect? Who would overlook that pesky detail and who wouldn't?

And last but not least, Elvish gender roles and sexual norms, which I'm exploring via bisexual baby butch Ereiniel. I love her, your honor. ❤️

I am tagging: @vidumavi, @melestasflight, @cuarthol, @polutrope@, leucisticpuffin, @emyn-arnens, @polutrope, @swanmaids, @sallysavestheday, @thelordofgifs, @zealouswerewolfcollector, @hhimring, @elfscribe, @lucifers-cuvette, and anyone else who hasn't done this yet but wants to!

#dash games #gil galad #girl galad #woman king AU #genderswaps my beloved

[sesamenom]

just finished watching loki (verdict: no idea what they're doing but it's very shiny) so here's some more elf-ified marvel!

he's a House of the Tree sinda who survived the fall of gondolin and later sailed w/ the rest of the folk of the tree and various laiquendi during the mid-second age. (the horns are styled after dragon/balrog horns that he wears as a self defense thing after witnessing ecthelion's death) valinor he takes up an apprenticeship with Námo and gets himself some therapy in the halls

#not silm #marvel #loki #crossover #elfify #had lots of fun with this design #he was actually really easy to elfify from his s2 finale design #rearrange some fabric; swap out his time cape thing for a sinda styled one; add some armor and keep the goofy shoes; and voila #he started wearing horns after he saw ecthelion headbutt gothmog and figured it might be a good idea to do that on purpose #show-loki is one of the few non silm characters who might actually benefit from getting adopted by maglor #hes already an orphan and his brother can probably fend for himself so really what's maglor going to do orphan him again #now hes just hes sad and lonely and accomplished very little in the long run and can probably relate to maglors lamenting #it might be healthy for him to write a lament idk

[lamemaster]

Origins of Love (Thranduil x Reader)

Thranduil finds himself seated in an aloof corner of his library. A book chosen for the night and his wineglass next to him. Another day of his life as the King had come to an end.

Another day that he spent detesting the act of existence. Maybe...if he were better he would treasure life. He would look for his son who has been gone for months. But he is not the elf he once was. Weariness lays heavy on his shoulders.

Sighing he picks up the book only for a withered page to fall in his lap. Its edges folded yet, time had preserved it. Curious Thranduil flipped it open.

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

To the King of Greenwood the Great,

How does one come to love? I have always wondered about this question. Is it the strings of fate that pull two people or is the will of those people that bring them together in bond so special?

Reading books and listening to tales I thought maybe it was the beauty of thought and face that nurtured love. Some argued that it was the alignment of stars. While others contended that it was the matching of interests that led to it. Gods, fate, looks, personality. All seemed right but wrong at the same time.

I looked for love for so long. I knocked at all the doors others claimed to find it from. But all failed.

Even the open seas of Lindon promised the same confinement of my own mind and heart.

However, soon the answer came to me like a prancing doe in your thick forest. A haughty Sinda with the most curt replies to even the most pleasant greetings was the answer.

I found that it could lead to an attraction of virtues, faith, fate, or beauty but love stems from vices. It slithers in like a vicious snake and crouches in the heart. And despite the venom, the heart can't help but beat.

Love comes with the acceptance of a person despite their vices. And I have accepted you for all of yours. Your excessive drinking, your scathing remarks, and your prevalent tendencies to be obnoxious at the most unwarranted times.

These and other vices have failed to stop me from loving you. Such has been the case for ages. Instead, these vices fashion themselves into your infamous parties, your hilarious wit that I adore, your glorious cloaks that make me unable to look away from you.

Thranduil I am in love with you and your flaws. So much in love that I can't fathom any wrong in you.

Dragon burns or outward beauty matters little to me. I yearn for you and all of you not a figment of the past. I urge you to allow me to meet you and tell you how much I am in love with you in front of you while I hold your hand.

Let me be a part of your grief. Let me be a part of healing.

Waiting for You,

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

Thranduil's hands tremble as he barely holds on to the letter. Your letter from so long ago when he just became the King of Greenwood. After he had returned burned from the external flames of the dragon and continued burning ire the of his father's loss.

He had locked himself away from a world crueler than ever. He had done that uncaring of you. He isolated himself but in doing so he alienated you.

The letter had gone unread in his anguish. Buried in the pages of an unread book. He had kept you waiting for so long and you waited until life left you. 

So, alone, the King of once Greenwood the Great, which is now Mirkwood, waits. He waits for a day he can meet you on the shores untouched by sorrow.

#tolkien #tolkien elves #elves #sindar #the silmarillion #lord of the rings #lotr #the hobbit #thranduil x reader #thranduil #thranduil x wife #angst #romance #letters #drabble #one shot