#tolkien shit post

[coveredinsun]

i just had a thats so raven-esque vision of one time after the war when legolas and gimli are on Their Travels and they encounter none other than legolas’ old one-sided situationship tauriel. and he’s working his way through a catch-up session that’s family reunion level of awkward. he’s like “heyyyyy it’s been like a month (60 years) since i’ve seen you. how have you been since ummm. well. since that guy died. and my dad banished you.” and tauriel is like “well actually i’ve been great! just sort of living off the land. i visit rivendell sometimes that’s fun. i suppose besides The Grief i’m doing fine but i do miss the spiders sometimes. oh and no hard feelings about your dad banishing me by the way! i mean it was pretty fucked up but i don’t blame you for it.” and legolas is like “good, good………. yeah. the spiders.”

and then there’s a very long silence and tauriel is like “so………. care to introduce me to your friend?” and legolas (he’s absolutely 100% fucked and he knows it) is like “Um. Well. This is………. Gimli. Say Hi Gimli.” and gimli is like “hi i’m gimli. son of gloin and husband to legolas. pleasure to meet you my lady!” and legolas has to keep himself from exploding cartoonishly at the sheer >:3 face tauriel gives him before she’s like “wow husband? how novel for a dwarf and an elf to fall in love!” and it’s legolas’ worst day on middle earth and tauriel’s greatest. gimli and tauriel exchange phone numbers

#yeah……. the spiders. #the chronicles of cringefail shit tier ass elf legolas never end #i love making these posts they’re so fun #gimleafposting #lord of the rings #the hobbit #lotr #legolas #gimli #tolkien #tauriel #gimleaf #gigolas #coveredinsunposting

[potato-dragons]

You know... I really thought I was crazy about how ROP's costumes look so shitty until I came across pic below of this character and saw she's actually wearing a long-sleeved shirt underneath her chestplate with the exact same gold scale design printed on.

Remember folks, the budget of this show is half a billion dollars compared to Peter's Jackson Lord of the Rings 250 million budget released twenty years ago and still looking beautiful.

#lord of the rings #lotr #lotr fandom #rings of power #amazon #i cant believe people are excited about this shit show #i hope this show crashes and burns so that amazon never agains touches anything JRR Tolkien related again #im honestly to angery to post anything right now cause of this #what a bunch of fucking liars and snakes #cant believe im actually trigger by this

[aroace-moron]

So like, after the first elves awoke, they woke up the others that were still sleeping, right? What if one of them was just. Not noticed. By any of them.

(Maybe he was under a bush or something)

What if he kinda stayed there.

What if he was found a few thousand years later under a pile of moss and fungus. What if he was GIL GALAD EREINI-

#shit post #literally if tolkien can't decide where the guy came from then his backstory is public property #and I can do whatever i want so there #honestly i like the idea #it doesn't have to be gil galad just sone dude #wouldn't that be funny #silmarillion #gil galad son of plothole

[lesbiansforboromir]

"If Tolkien were here he-" "Tolkien's intent was-" "Tolkien would be rolling in his grave if-" "You soil Tolkien's vision when-" "-which was Tolkien's whole point when he wrote-" "Tolkien would actually support x social issue-" wooooah there bucko.. buckeroono, buckyboy... was Tolkien your fucking dad? Your priest? Was your uncle a Tolkien? Was Tolkien literally without moral fault? No? Then please ask yourself #1 how the fuck you would know any of that and #2 why the hell you should even care in the first place. Love is love, stories are stories, discuss Tolkien's work without invoking him like some kind of avenging angel of literature 2023. He's literally just a guy.

#tolkien #lotr #lord of the rings #text post #BEGGING you #saw someone be like 'so many people don't think of feanor as a nuanced character and I think tolkien would find that so disappointing' BRO #he's not looking over our shoulders checking our work!! we're not reading tolkien shit just to make him proud!! why are you guilting #people about making tolkien sad oh my god

[argonapricot]

People accusing Shin of having no personality/characterization to dunk on her is so annoying... First of all, it's totally fine and normal to like a Star Wars character who hasn't gotten a canon personality yet (i.e. Darth Maul in Phantom Menace) based on their design / story / performance / vibes. It's normal for mysterious characters to exist, and it's normal for people to like those characters. But we do actually already know some cool stuff about Shin; she does have A Characterization and A Story even when the show is holding back with her.

I agree that for now there are many unknowns about her, and fans are having to speculate about her while we wait for the show to fill in the gaps and give us canon answers. (I agree that it would be nice to know more of what the showrunners undoubtably know but have kept hidden so far, like any information about her backstory at all. I am sure they are planning to explore more backstory in the next season, but it's a huge shame just bc Ray Stevenson can no longer be part of that exploration :( )

However, the information we do have about her is totally sufficient to make her cool and interesting. Imo.

"Baylan Skoll's feral, ruthless apprentice, who has a padawan braid, who is dark side-y enough that she seems eager for violence but still asks 'like me?' when Baylan is talking about Ezra being a Jedi." like yeah sorry that's all I need I'm sold! Sorry!

Seeing her make this facial expression before her first duel/encounter ever with another padawan:

Is enough for me! That's already something really interesting to work with! Or the dynamic between her and Baylan in this specific moment

For one moment he just suddenly beams fondness/pride at her and she seems so intense and excited when she bows back, as she goes off to try to murder some people. Then she gets so visibly upset later when Sabine tells Ahsoka to go get the map, thwarting the assignment she was given here of holding off the both of them.

That's an exciting and interesting master-padawan dynamic! I am going to be interested in Baylan Skoll's padawan who has this dynamic with Baylan Skoll as a foil to Ahsoka's relationship with Anakin and u Cannot Stop Me.

Sometimes I like to look at an actor's performance and observe what they seem to be feeling. Sometimes I like to wonder about things that have not yet been revealed to the audience, I find that an interesting experience... I am sorry that u cannot appreciate her Sublime & Unique Vibes....

The way she acts when she fights is part of her characterization! As with everyone in this show, her fighting style is designed and choreographed to be expressive of her character. The way she moves is expressive. She's so aggressive and excited and alive when she fights. That's information about who she is! It's fun information!

Look at this. Look at how she reacts when Baylan tells her to go up against Ahsoka Tano's ex-apprentice.

I admit I cannot tell u with 100% certainty what she is canonically feeling in this moment, but whatever it is she is feeling it SO INTENSELY. The fact that she reacts like this is interesting information about her character, bc every single conceivable explanation for why she is emoting this way is interesting and cool!

She seems kinda excited. She seems to find it significant and momentous. That's fun. We don't know why she feels this way, but it's too late she is already interesting sorry

Sorry for observing the facial expressions that a character makes and learning things about them that way

It's annoying that the show hasn't taken the time to reveal more things about her yet I agree but why are you being mean 2 her... Having mysterious characters is normal Star Wars procedure :/

Like yes we all know this is not Andor, the writing is not always brimming with deft characterization, that's a shame, but that doesn't mean the show hasn't given us a lot of interesting canon building blocks to work with.

tl:dr this is a skill issue and I love her very much

It's honestly kind of funny coming from the silmarillion fandom... some people simply know how to appreciate cool and unique characters based on limited information.

#shin hati #disclaimer i am kinda intoxicated #hopefully i will not regret posting this I'm definitely not trying to actually Start Shit with anyone #i just wanted to be excited about her for a little bit #because like lowkey i am Extremely Passionate about how good she and baylan are #the quality of their vibes is basically unmatched #they feel so Old Republic-y. they feel so tolkien-y. their soundtracks go crazy. i am sooo interested #they are Interesting To Me #ahsoka series #baylan skoll #i just have to assume that nobody who finds shin boring is a lesbian #i feel like if you are a lesbian you are Paying Attention To Shin #and if you pay attention to her she is actually::: very interesting and cool #anyway #this took me like two hours to write what the fuck

[imakemywings]

I’ve seen a lot of fanon to the effect that Maedhros refuses to go by “Maitimo” anymore after Angband (for a variety of reasons) and I can get behind this. I also think that, with this in mind, if/when he gets to set foot living in Aman again all it takes is one “Maitimo” from Nerdanel for him to collapse sobbing on the ground because that is his MOMMY who gave him that name in love and tenderness because he was her beautiful baby boy and even after everything that he’s done and everything that happened, he is still and will always be her Maitimo

#all his healing in Mandos still did not totally prepare him for seeing Nerdanel again #Nerdanel and her post re-embodiment collection of emotionally damaged war criminals #i mean they're def better off after patented Mandos Therapy(TM) but they still have shit to work through #nerdanel #maedhros #the silmarillion #tolkien tag

[nighttimepatrons]

The Silmarillion but Fëanor has a gun.

100% inspired by this post

#feanor #silmarillion #the silmarillion #silm shit post #balrog #tolkien #middle earth #watch out watch out watch out! #it's feanor!! with a gun!! #unus annus edit #silmarillion memes #feanorians #balrogs #the silm #silm fandom #fëanor

[amethysttribble]

Eol’s fucking death man, it gets to me

It’s just… Maeglin spends his youth hearing two different stories about his mother’s people. On one hand, they’re the cleverest elves with the most beautiful cities and on the other they’re kinslayers and invaders

Emphasis on the kinslayers

And then Maeglin, Eol, and Aredhel converge on Gondolin, and it is a beautiful city, but they’re also given a choice: stay or die

And Eol chooses death.

He tries to choose so for his son, instead kills Aredhel (that notably being her choice), betrays part of what he so hated about the Noldor, and then they throw him off a fucking cliff

Christ. So here’s my question. Where did the Noldor get the idea for state-sanctioned murder?

For state-sanctioned kinslaying

Where/how/why does Turgon get the idea that this is okay based on previously established Elf morals on killing? Did he invent state-sanctioned executions?

Did Valinor have state-sanctioned murder, and this was considered acceptable because they become ‘jailcrows of Mandos’? Where do Elves get the concept for jails otherwise? I mean, I doubt this is the case, but otherwise this has some serious implications for Turgon’s character.

Because it means he saw the First Kinslaying (which his brother participated in) and decided: this is okay when I do it for a good cause.

Which is exactly what Feanor thought

He just adds bureaucracy and the veneer of civilization to it, decides this doesn’t /really/ count as ‘kinslaying’ and starts murdering anyone who stumbles on his city but doesn’t want to be imprisoned in it. That’s some fucking hypocrisy there, by Elf morals

And Maeglin, whose been told his whole life that his mothers people are murderers, upon entering Gondolin, has that immediately proven right

#ELF MORALS #turgon is so low key crazy and fucked up I love him #also maeglin baby I don’t blame you for anything you did nothing wrong #that’s some crazy shit to go through #maeglin #Eol #turgon #tolkien #the silmarillion #tribble post

[kradogsrats]

thinking again today about Beren going to the nethermost hall of Angband to take one of the three Silmarils from Morgoth's crown for Luthien as demanded by her father and Callum going to (the top of?) the Starscraper to take (one of?) the three quasar diamonds from the Corona of the Heavens for Rayla as demanded to rescue her parents

#that didn't work out great for beren btw #pride overcame him after successfully freeing one silmaril and he attempted to take another #he lost both the silmaril and his hand #the small number of weirdly precise parallels between tdp and the silmarillion drives me insane #like yeah both scenarios are fairly straightforward orpheus and eurydice derivatives #but then you get to the shit like three jewels formed from heavenly light set in a crown and i'm like *narrows eyes* #and don't even get me started on laurelion and telperion/laruelin #i should probably find all my silmarillion posts and tag them for archiving #tdp tolkien

[the-gnomish-bastard]

Alright, let’s settle this. Which version of The Black Crack (Down Down to Goblin Town) is best, lyric and rhythm wise?

You all better listen to the whole songs. In the last one, there are two parts, one plays as the dwarves are brought in and one plays after they are condemned to death. Just watch the whole scene.

#wizardposting #wizard tumblr #wizard posting #wizardblr #wizard shit #wizardcore #wizard #wizards #artificer #gnome #gnome post #goblins #music #tolkien #tolkein #lord of the rings #lotr #the hobbit

[coveredinsun]

it sings to me inside

Then the recollection returned—of the final remaining orcs meeting their ends with pained screeches in the distance; and how Legolas, despite his battle-fatigue and his weary eyes, searched far for his companion, entering a frenzy not unlike what befell him at Helm’s Deep.

And how his gaze fell on the dwarf, and then all of the elf’s feelings fell upon him, heavy like all the stars falling upon him at once at the break of night; at that moment all care for propriety in their reunion was perished, and without a word Legolas dropped to a knee and embraced Gimli, immediately and openly.

“Why, this is not the first time we have done this,” said Gimli, through his gladdened laugh and the return of the embrace. “Death is foolish to keep knocking on our door, the way she does, for we deny her every time.”

They parted, but remained very close. “That we do, meleth nín.”

my gimleafposting finally comes to fruition! behold my amalgamation of book and movie characterizations to create these stupid gay people. seriously i operated on vibes and that one “shit tier ugly ass elf” post to write them. you know the one. so bask in the “ach nae i love him”-ness of it all and enjoy <3

#okay HERE is my proper post for it #they’re silly. so silly. #legolas is melodramatic what’s new #my very favorite shit tier ass elf #shoutout to florence and the machine. i looped the shit out of ‘all this and heaven too’ and ‘heartlines’ to write this <3 #gimleaf #gigolas #legolas #gimli #legolas greenleaf #gimli son of gloin #full names bitch. i need the clout #legolas x gimli #lord of the rings #lotr #tolkien #my writing

[anghraine]

I know I talk pretty regularly about Faramir's weird command over animals, both because he's my fave and it's cool, and because it's just such a strange detail. But I've also been thinking for awhile about some less direct but still intriguing quotes about how he relates to animals.

So, the usual ones first. Here's Beregond, describing Faramir getting his horse to run towards five Nazgûl while the other horses are fleeing:

‘They will make the Gate. No! the horses are running mad. Look! the men are thrown; they are running on foot. No, one is still up, but he rides back to the others. That will be the Captain [Faramir]: he can master both beasts and men.’

Then there are nameless soldiers in Minas Tirith, watching the orderly part of the retreat across the Pelennor:

The watchers held their breath. 'Faramir must be there,’ they said. 'He can govern man and beast.’

(For context, the ancient Númenóreans he takes after could summon particularly beloved horses by thought alone.)

But also, back in TTT, we heard some interesting details that may be pertinent. Firstly, there's Faramir himself, speaking to Sam:

'Were I as hasty as you, I might have slain you long ago. For I am commanded to slay all whom I find in this land without the leave of the Lord of Gondor. But I do not slay man or beast needlessly, and not gladly even when it is needed.'

And when Anborn reports glimpsing the creature that turns out to be Gollum, he says to Faramir,

'You will not have us slay wild beasts for no purpose, and it seemed no more, so I tried no arrow.'

I think the suggestion here is that it's not standard policy for them to avoid killing wild animals, but a command from Faramir specifically. And he's clear here that he doesn't kill animals for any purpose other than necessity.

And I mean ... if I could get nervous animals to run straight towards Ringwraiths, I'd probably feel weird about killing them, too. But it all does fit together very neatly.

#i joke about horse girl faramir rights but actually faramir is a friend to all animals! of course he is! #we know gondorians and rohirrim do hunt as a practice #that's how the stewards created boromir's horn and the rohirrim hunt drúedain apparently #one hopes not for food #that practice is thankfully over but they'd still hunt animals and such—and iirc the vala they most reverence is oromë the hunter #so i'm just imagining faramir parked in rohan and politely declining to join any of the hunts #which probably seems pretty wimpy if they don't know why. and then he ends up befriending an ungovernable horse or something #but also i really enjoy how it escalates from 'maybe he's a pacifist vegetarian at heart?' to like. berúthiel shit if she weren't evil. #long post #anghraine babbles #faramir #jewel of the seashore #legendarium blogging #jrr tolkien #lord of the rings

[shrikeseams]

Welp, @nailsinmywall and @skyeventide were chatting on twitter and woobiefied!Celegorm came up. And I’ve realized that I have two semi-elaborate Celegorm headcanon/interpretations spawned from attempts to make Celegorm less fucking tedious to me. I don’t think they quite make the cut for woobiefication, but they ARE marching in that direction. I think this at least qualified for meow-meowification.

Like all good headcanons, one revolves around Orome and one around Aredhel LOL. Honestly it’s all about motivation. Because bitches love to coddle a blorbo who does shitty things for “good” reasons.

Hokay, so. Celegorm and Orome. I realize that this is an unpopular opinion, but Celegorm/Orome is Not For Me, and I prefer to skew the relationship to focus on what Orome’s job represents to Celegorm, rather than a romantic relationship.

Because Orome’s role isn’t just hunting for funsies. His calling is to guard. “He is a hunter of monsters and fell beasts[.]” It’s not the same thing as hunting for food or trophies. It’s about being a first line of defense. It’s a very sincere and solemn duty, and one that would have been obviously important to someone who a) spent stretches of time in the more dangerous parts of Araman and b) intended to leave the safety of Aman with the rest of his family, like Celegorm. Depending on when you think Feanor started talking about leaving Aman, it’s very reasonable for Celegorm to pursue an apprenticeship etc in Orome’s hunt specifically to support the end goal of leaving Aman.  

So Celegorm has accepted this intense, important duty and obligation to Orome and the community at large, in a time and place where there is relatively little need for it. And then suddenly, Morgoth tips his hand and reveals himself to be unreformed! There is more need for Orome than ever!!! And Orome…

Stays home.

Celegorm arrives in Beleriand and fights orcs and wolves and ect etc and sees that Orome’s dedication to everything he taught Celegorm is conditional. Celegorm is in Beleriand, doing the work, whether for selfish or altruistic reasons, and Orome just… isn’t.

Now, there are different ways to interpret the emotional fallout here. But I’m included to say that Celegorm was… if no longer devoted to Orome once the family withdraws to Formenos, then at least still sympathetic and drawn to Orome’s ethos. If nothing else, Huan’s ongoing presence suggests that Celegorm still shares Orome’s calling, even if he’s no longer a member of Orome’s cult.

But I think once he arrived in Beleriand and seen the effects of Orome’s abandonment… he becomes increasingly bitter about his former god. Bitter in a way that I think is unique among the Feanorians, because Orome specifically has abandoned his professed calling in favor of obedience to Manwe. It’s not just the Exiles who have been abandoned, it’s everyone East of the Sea! It doesn’t matter if they aren’t Doomed and never thought of kinslaying, because they have been summarily judged and punished for actions they’re literally separated from by multiple generations and thousands of years. Celegorm has made this protective/defensive role his life’s calling, under Orome’s tutelage, and Orome has made it clear through his actions that the work he made central to Celegorm’s life was something Orome could just walk away from.

But throughout this all Celegorm is still doing the work. Orome walked away, but Celegorm didn’t, and I can’t imagine he’d be anything but bitterly proud about that. I don’t think it took long for him to be doing the work in spite of Orome, rather than in Orome’s honor or even far-distant partnership.

It's a bitter disillusionment and stripping of faith that I tend to think of as a hallmark of the religious lives of the Exiles. But Celegorm’s explicit textual relationship with Orome, and Huan, and (presumed) defensive work in Himlad makes it a good case study. The Valar’s collective failure to live up to their own PR would have made the Eastern forces at least feel justified in their actions.

 So now I have hopefully established that Celegorm’s (bloody, dangerous, violent) work on the front lines of Eastern Beleriand is part of the borderline religious cultural role that Celegorm has chosen for himself. He is perhaps glad to be applying his chosen craft, but scornful that he’s doing it with no greater help from Orome than Huan. He is very probably angry that Thingol doesn’t give two shits about these defensive obligations. Hypocritical, since Celegorm’s mostly there because of the Oath, but it’s mostly a constant low-grate irritation. Nothing too serious.

And then everything falls out with Aredhel!

Because the thing is: years before Celegorm ever laid eyes on Luthien, one of Elu Thingol’s kinsmen seduced and eloped with the daughter of the high king of the Noldor, AT BEST. The most charitable version of that relationship is an illicit seduction, an elopement without so much as notifying Aredhel’s father, and then pursuing her like an animal when she decided she was done with the relationship. And even if that’s the reality and not just the most charitable explanation, I cannot buy that Celegorm felt remotely charitable about the situation.

So from Celegorm’s perspective, what happened is that one of the people he was pouring blood, sweat, and tears into defending had abducted, seduced, definitely abused, and very possibly sexually assaulted one of his favorite cousins. And then they both disappeared into the ether with no justice done that Celegorm would have heard of, and certainly no apology from Eol, let alone Thingol.

Who wouldn’t be in a blind rage at Doriath, in his shoes?

And then the Silmaril quest is Thingol very literally adding insult to injury. The silmaril quest is a very neat and tidy insult to both Beren (who Thingol obviously wants dead) and the Feanorian East. After all, the Feanorian East was just recently devastated in the Bragollach, and Himlad not the least. The silmaril quest is Thingol’s way of saying “You’re not a player on the field anymore. I’m top dog again, and I’ll treat you however I want.” Which is, even with the kinslaying, a pretty shitty move! And it’s one that, quite frankly, the Feanorians have to answer in some way, or they’re basically acknowledging that Thingol is correct. Letting it pass wouldn’t just make it more difficult for them to claim one silmaril, it would make it harder to get people to help them deal with Morgoth and the last two silmarils! It’s kinda dumb, but that’s politics bay-bee.

So when Luthien wanders on by… Hey! A hostage! Luthien offers a great opportunity to pay Thingol back tit-for-tat for both Eol’s treatment of Aredhel and Thingol’s deliberate insult to his former allies. His attraction to her is just gravy.

Essentially, I’ve decided to interpret Celegorm as someone who chose to devote himself, body, heart, and soul, to a god/personal calling to defend his family/community/species, and then had to find a way forward in life when the very same god abandoned that calling, and then some of the people he was defending stabbed his family in the back. Like, damn. I don’t think I would react any better. If I had spent centuries of my life dedicated to the bloody, violent defense of a frontier (a defense that had been abandoned by the powers-that-be that I had been raised to expect to help), only to find out that someone from another cultural group that I was defending had trapped one of my best friends in an abusive relationship? And then like, a century later the leader of the same political group (who never apologized for what happened to my BFF!) very explicitly made a major political challenge to me and my family? And then I get the chance to reprise the crime that he never apologized for on his daughter? I would be fucking tempted. And the threat alone, without intent to follow through, would be enough to pry apologies out of Thingol and stabilize the Feanorian power base.

#Tolkien #I think I’ve said almost all of this before in other posts #but it doesn’t hurt to have the whole vision of how I’m tentatively approaching celegorm in one place #not really sure how the kinslaying plays into all of this #increasingly feeling like I’m writing an essay for class but I’ve gone off-topic oh well #when celegorm heard what turgon did to eol he thought it was the only worthwhile thing turgon did during his whole time in beleriand #as always: any research done was half-assed at most #this also hinges in my assumption that Aredhel’s marriage was kept very hush until she ran #and that gondolin never told anybody shit about shit #this got out of hand

[labrysknot]

I understand it's difficult to find and/or post visual porn on tumblr, and most of it being lowest-common-denominator uncredited & unethical cishet schlock with tiny wasp-waisted white women is basically inevitable, but ugh. Why can't I have a wall of gifs of desperate, stupid-looking whores that actually look like the desperate, stupid-looking whores in my life? Where are the fat, hairy, dykey gaped asses? Where are the un-made-up faces smeared in spit and cum? Where are the black and brown fucktoys with their tits being beaten? Where now the horse and the rider? Where is the horn that was blowing? Where is the helm and the hauberk, and the bright hair flowing?

#this is nothing at all i just wrote an annoyed vaguepost and realized i could do a tolkien bit #to our brave sapphic sisters and brothers sourcing posting and reblogging the good shit i salute you #if yall try to start discourse on my blog i will take a hacksaw to your elbows and kneecaps

[thranduilswifesblog]

Disa : do you ever meet someone so academically smart, yet but that motherfucker is sooo dumb at the same time?

Durin : *pointed at Elrond* that would be him

Gil Galad, out of nowhere : agreed...

Elrond : .....

#i am back! #I am on my period now so I am back with my shit posts for eight days #the lord of the rings #the hobbit #rings of power #incorrect tolkien quotes #elrond #incorrect lord of the rings quotes #tolkien #hugoweaving #robert aramayo #gil galad #benjamin walker #prince durin #durin #disa #incorrect rings of power quotes

[imakemywings]

Why Ship Eärendil/Elwing?

I think there are a lot of good reasons so let’s have a look (｡･∀･)ﾉﾞ

1. They have a lot in common. Both of them went through pretty traumatic events as children that involved being driven from their homes by an attacking force, losing family to that attacking force (Eärendil’s grandfather, Elwing’s parents and her brothers), and ending up refugees. They’re also at this point the only Peredhil in Middle-earth. There are a lot of difficult experiences they share, which allows them to understand each other on a level people without those experiences can’t as well.

2. They grew up together. They grew up in the Havens at Sirion and childhood-friends-to-lovers is a fire trope as far as I’m concerned. It’s very possible they played together as kids and they were there through each other’s awkward adolescent phases and talked each other through other crushes before they finally got together.

3. They obviously care about each other. We don’t see the details of a lot of marriages in The Silmarillion. Many of them are left wholly to the imagination as to how those characters acted around each other, but Eärendil and Elwing are explicitly devoted to each other.

“Eärendil found not Tuor nor Idril, nor came he ever on that journey to the shores of Valinor, defeated by shadows and enchantment. driven by repelling winds, until in longing for Elwing he turned homeward....” (Emphasis added)

Eärendil attempting his first voyage to Valinor is beset by all kinds of dangers, but it’s missing Elwing that finally makes him turn back and call this trip a bust.

“For Ulmo bore up Elwing out of the waves, and he gave her the likeness of a great white bird, and upon her breast there shone as a star the Silmaril, as she flew over the water to seek Eärendil her beloved.” (Emphasis added)

Beloved remains one of the peak terms of endearment, lbr.

“Then Eärendil, first of living Men, landed on the immortal shores...And Eärendil said to [his companions]: ‘Here none but myself shall set foot, lest you fall under the wrath of the Valar. But that peril I will take on myself alone, for the sake of the Two Kindreds.’

But Elwing answered: ‘Then would our paths be sundered for ever; but all thy perils I will take on myself also.’ And she leaped into the white foam and ran towards him...”

Elwing really said “if you’re damned then I will be too.” Here she accepts Eärendil’s fate, just as Eärendil later accepts hers and chooses the Elven path.

“But when all was spoken, Manwë gave judgement, and he said: ‘In this matter the power of doom is given to me. The peril that he ventured for love of the Two Kindreds shall not fall upon Eärendil, nor shall it fall upon Elwing his wife, who entered into peril for love of him...” (Emphasis added)

Even the Valar recognize how much these two care about each other!

“And at times, when Eärendil returning drew near again to Arda, she [Elwing] would fly to meet him, even as she had flown long ago, when she was rescued from the sea. Then the far-sighted among the Elves that dwelt in the Lonely Isle would see her like a white bird, shining, rose-stained in the sunset, as she soared in joy to greet the coming of Vingilot to haven.” (Emphasis added)

After their journey, even in spite of all their grief, they still find joy in one another. Their marriage is still strong even through everything they’ve seen.

4. They saved Middle-earth together. These two did what no one else had managed and sailed back to the Blessed Realm to get help for Middle-earth. Clearly, power couple moves.

”Yet Eärendil saw now no hope left in the lands of Middle-earth, and he turned again in despair and came not home, but sought back once more to Valinor with Elwing at his side.”

Friendly remind this journey is supposed to be impossible, but they are determined to do it because they know Middle-earth cannot survive without the intercession of the Valar.

“Few of the Teleri were willing to go forth to war, for they remembered the slaying at the Swanhaven, and the rape of their ships; but they hearkened to Elwing...and they sent mariners enough to sail the ships that bore the hose of Valinor east over the sea.”

But for Elwing, the Teleri would not have engaged in the war effort at all; she alone convinced them to help.

“But Eärendil came, shining with white flame, and about Vingilot were gathered all the great birds of heaven and Thorondor was their captain, and there was battle in the air all day and through a dark night of doubt. But before the rising of the sun Eärendil slew Ancalagon the Black, the mightiest of the dragon-host, and cast him down from the sky...”

From start to finish Eärendil and Elwing have been committed to saving Middle-earth from Melkor’s menace and boy do they see it through.

5. Eärendil chooses immortality to stay with Elwing. In a mirror of Beren and Lúthien’s story, Eärendil surrenders a mortal fate to stay joined with Elwing.

“Then Eärendil said to Elwing: ‘Choose thou, for now I am weary of the world.’ And Elwing chose to be judged among the Firstborn Children of Ilúvatar, because of Lúthien; and for her sake Eärendil chose alike...”

Eärendil both trusts Elwing to make this choice for both of them and makes the same choice as her even though it isn’t his first preference.

6. Eärendil named his boat, which becomes the immortal vessel in which he sails through the skies, after Elwing. Can we say romance?

7. Elwing gives Eärendil the Silmaril. In general, most people who get their hands on a Silmaril are not keen to give it up. Yet Elwing passes the Silmaril onto Eärendil without a fuss and never again takes possession of it.

8. Their super rad mythological couple energy. Half-Elven couple who braved the sea to voyage to a realm it was supposed to be impossible for them to find to bring back divine help for their home? Last queen of the forest kingdom who in her moment of greatest despair is lifted up by divine forces and transformed? Hero of the last bastion of the Elves in Middle-earth who uses his mariner skills to make an impossible voyage, bearing back a jewel thought lost forever? Former Elven queen who now abides in a white tower on the sea and talks to birds and transforms into a bird herself to fly up to greet the return of her husband? Immortal captain of a flying ship that slew a dragon and now keeps watch over the stars? They are killing it y’all.

Feel free to add on o(*￣▽￣*)ブ

All quotes in this post are from the “Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath” chapter of The Silmarillion!

Convinced? Not convinced? Try these fanfic recs under the cut:

At the Water’s Edge by crackinthecup - G - 3,349 - Eärrámë is nearly ready to sail. Tuor and Idril’s days at the Havens of Sirion are drawing to an end. It is a time of loss and hope for all, and Elwing is no exception.

Elwing, Survivor by crownlessliestheking - T - Elwing and Earendil after arriving in Valinor.

From the Ones Who Came Before by Krita - T - 5,247 - Elwing was young when Menegroth fell. Melian's line is complicated, but far more so is growing into yourself.

A Glimpse of the Harbor by me - G - 1,925 - Elwing watched for the return of Earendil's ship.

How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful by mochimilku - T - 1,185 - Eärendil, Elwing, and the ocean.

Let Us Taunt Old Care with a Merry Air / And Sing in the Face of Ill by me - G - 643 - When Elwing lands in the Havens, she befriends a young princeling from Gondolin.

The One With All the Birds by clothono - G - 46,543 - Elwing and Nerdanel in Valinor in the Fourth Age; a story about children coming home.

So Summer Comes by potatoesanddreams - G - 2,654 - Ada said he would be home by autumn equinox. It is winter solstice now.

Untitled by simaethae - G - E-squared family fluff.

#elwing #earendil #the silmarillion #meta #tolkien tag #let me just be clear I do not want to hear about why you think they were terrible #or why you want to portray them as shit parents #this is not the post for that #I am trying to be positive dammit #starwing #earendil x elwing #mine #earendil defense #elwing defense