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I think there's no better fandom to be a nerd in than the Tolkien fandom. Mostly thanks to the professor himself. People I know be like "You're learning a language just because of a book?! Girl, you're so obsessed!"

Well, at least I'm just learning a language, not inventing one! And at least it's just one language, not ten! You think my hour long rants are annoying? You can be glad my current obsession-level is maybe 5% of Tolkien's, or we'd be having an entirely different conversation right now.

Really, Tolkien was the worst of all of us, and no one can tell me otherwise. You can also see in the way he wrote his characters that he was just fangirling the entire time. I literally see him waking his wife in the middle of the night, like "I can't sleep, I just keep thinking about Fingon, he's so cool and epic and tragic and aahhhhhh!". I also think nothing makes a better story than the author being just as much in love with the characters as the fans are.

#tolkien #lord of the rings #you can’t ever be more feral about a book than the author #jirt is just the fanfic author crying about what they wrote in the corner #except he literally invented it so it’s worse

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MORE ERU. THAT WAS THE BEST HEADCANNON

#tolkien #akallabeth #númenor #😂😂😂

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like

Fingon was very much a Kinslayer

he might have thought his cousins had been unfairly attacked at Losgar and rushed to defend them, but he was very much down with killing Teleri to do it - he thought that inventing a wholly unknown crime was a valid response

and this is not mutually exclusive with the famous Silm passage that describes him as just and fair and the most renowned son of Finwë, hating only Morgoth - I know kind and righteous people who are still absolutely insufferable assholes, if only because they are completely, to a fault, self-assured

give me a Fingon who walks all over people with the force of his convictions, who is just right often enough that he doesn’t accept input, who is so accustomed to leadership and authority that he can’t see from any perspective but the top

give me a Fingon who is a good person, but a deeply obnoxious ass

I feel like haughty feanorians is a pretty common characterization, but if fingon was that close of a friend of maedhros I think he would have to be equally haughty. Pretentious pretty boy eldest sons that talk shit behind people's back

#tolkien #fingon #let fingon have some sharp edges okay #you don’t accomplish the things he did by being likeable to everyone

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Fingon is the archetypical hero. He does great deeds of valor and daring, notably Maedhros’ rescue and rushing out to defeat Glaurung. He is not terribly afraid of consequences, which is wonderful when he is the only one he’s responsible for. His talent is forging ahead and inspiring everyone to follow him.

Fingolfin is the archetypical king. He is the one that holds his people together across the Helcaraxë and brokers peace with Maedhros after he’s rescued. He’s incredibly aware of every possible consequence, which is wonderful when he’s responsible for a whole kingdom. His talent is uniting everyone and inspiring them to move forward together.

When Fingolfin dies, he acts as the hero, not the king. He tries to borrow his son’s talent for incredibly inadvisable stunts, but it isn’t in his nature. He believes the Noldor are doomed, and thus dies in despair fighting Morgoth because he does not see another path forward, only defeat.

When Fingon dies, he acts as the king, not the hero. He tries to borrow his father’s talent for forging political unity, but it isn’t in his nature. The Nirnaeth’s forces are disunited from their conception to their defeat, and Fingon dies full of hope fighting Morgoth because he does not see any other path forward, only victory.

Fingolfin’s legacy was despair, though he left a lasting blow against Morgoth. Fingon’s legacy was hope, though he did not so much as touch Morgoth.

#my post #tolkien #silmarillion #fingon #fingolfin #just chewing on this father and son pair like tough jerky #how tf does jirt put so many narrative parallels in a book he didn’t even fucking finish

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A Refutation of Claims Made by Professor Basil Dyer in the Minas Tirith Review

for @silmarillionepistolary | M | ao3

It has come to my attention that The Minas Tirith Review has recently published an essay by one Professor Basil Dyer detailing and reinterpreting letters exchanged between Fingon, son of Fingolfin, and Maedhros, son of Fëanor, in light of recent translations and publications of long-censored exchanges. In his composition, Dyer claims the letters show evidence of long-established homoaffective relationship between the two, beginning shortly after Fingon’s arrival and in Beleriand, and continuing until his death.

This turn in the discourse is troubling, both because of the undue and perverse attention which it may attract to this noble publication and for the aspersions which it may cast upon the already well-sullied reputation of the historiographer. Perhaps if there was any academic merit behind them such faults may be forgiven, but they consist of nothing besides applying an all-too-modern understandings of customs (and the ever-loosening morality of the age of Man!) onto the long-gone age of the Eldar. 

That said, I shall begin by laying out the terms of the engagement. Let us assume, for the sake of simplicity and brevity both, that there is no doubt on the matter of authenticity of the letters exchanged between our two principal figures during the Long Peace. Even the most recently recovered—and most hotly contested—of these letters, dated F.A. 345, referred to in the previous publication by the first lines (“Concerning the matter of honey…”) and sometimes abbreviated as the “honey missive” (alternately, in particularly tasteless publications, the “honey-thigh letter”) in such discourses, shall be accepted into our metaphorical evidence box (though indeed any reader familiar with my previous publications might be predisposed to hold its veracity in some doubt). I shall also reference the K. M. Singer translation of all available letters as the most widely-accepted and aspire to make no reference to the probable inaccuracies in Singer’s understanding of Quenya terms of endearment and vocabulary regarding parts of the body. 

It may be wise to note before we begin that ladies of a delicate composition and children may find frank discussions of homosexual activity unnerving and inflaming. I would urge readers to exercise caution. 

And so, our terms of engagement well-laid, I shall begin by establishing the reasons any romantic or sexual entanglement between Fingon of the House of Fingolfin and Maedhros of the House of Feanor is entirely impossible, then move on to a sensible and scholarly interpretation of the letters. 

First, I draw the attention of noble reader first to the matter of cousin-marriage among the Eldar. While laws prohibiting cousin-marriage may appear novel and controversial to the modern Gondorian—indeed even a generation ago such unions were common among Men—the Eldar have once again proved perceptive beyond the ancient days during which they lived, and our betters in matters of morality and purity. 

I will not bore the reader with a recounting of the Fall of Gondolin, but work only to draw the reader’s attention to the doomed romantic entanglement at its center. Maeglin, the nephew of the King, coming out of savage darkness, saw Idril, the king’s daughter, and loved her. Given the depth of infatuation he purportedly developed it seems likely to the modern sociologist that for some time she encouraged this attention. Of course, as a highborn Noldo raised among a peoples of impeccable moral discretion, she had known for the beginning that such an affair could not bear any fruit. Such knowledge could not be expected from Maeglin, and many attribute his eventual decline and betrayal of the city to a broken and aching heart. 

That such an understanding was so plain to her and yet not to him may seem strange. Were they not both elves, living in the first of age of Arda, and nearly of the same blood? The answer to such a query might come from the relative moral tightness of Noldor society. Recall that Maeglin was no native Gondolian, but a son of the house of Eöl, and so of mixed Sindar and Avar heritage. All recording of first-cousin marriages among Elven Kin, as few as they are, come from lowborn elves among these two tribes. Recall that neither grey-elven nor dark-elven tribes, as their names suggest, had ever journeyed to the sacred light of the Blessed Isles, nor received council from the Valar. Their traditions and customs, then, may seen as more akin to those of Men than elves, lacking the moral rigor of their light-elf counterparts. 

Though I do not claim to liken homosexual acts to the sacred institution of marriage, one must admit that the act of bodily union is shared among the two, and so may be held in common as forbidden under the laws of the Noldor. 

With those facts in mind we must return to the matter of Fingon of Hithlum and Maedhros of Himring, famously first-cousins through the lines of their fathers. There is no question that that both were elves full-grown upon their departure to Middle-Earth, that according to all sources Fingon was a particularly devout follower of Aran Einior, the lord of air and great judge. Though the latter acts of Maedhros indicate a rather tenuous connection to the sacred laws of his people, Fingon’s devotion did not waver in his lifetime. Raised in such a morally upright culture, neither of them likely would have been able to conceive of engaging in any unholy union. Indeed, such a thought must have been so far from their minds as to allow a certain looseness of the tongue and purity of platonic intimacy, as evidenced by some of the exchanges I address. 

Next we must discuss homosexuality among the Eldar. For years the historical establishment has maintained that no homosexual activity had ever existed among elven-folk; indeed, it is an affliction that appears to trouble only the modern Man. That school of thought has been challenged recently, with very little justice. Basil Dyer and Feya Patrice, two of the most infamous names subscribing to this school of thought, point to articles of elven art which they claim contain themes of same-sex entanglements. Most notable among these are Fragment #221 by Daeron the Bard, which appears addressed to a male lover, surviving recreations of Lalwendë and a Friend in Bed by an unknown artist, and a series of oil lamps recovered from Eregion which seem to depict various sexual acts between elves. This evidence is scant, and spurious at best. More detailed refutations of the first two—clearly expressions of deep platonic affection or affectation of a different character—may be found in my earlier bodies of work, while the last is plain done in the spirit of parody. 

Indeed writings by earlier historians indicate that no desire could occur between elves without procreative desire, plainly rendering same-sex unions impossible. Relationships which modern historians sometimes interpret as homosexual are indeed better described with the elven understanding of melotorni and meletheldi, translated as chosen love-brothers and love-sisters respectively. That some form of platonic physical intimacy might have existed within these bonds is inarguable, but plainly it did not rise to the unholy stirrings of the flesh. 

All of the surviving letters available to us are those addressed from Maedhros to Fingon. Though these do not use the term meletorni directly, it is plain to see that many terms of brotherly affection to enter their forms of address. The opening of letter #5, addressed F. A. 302, has been much maligned, for to a modern reader it appears rather excessive in its affection. “Most beloved of cousins,” Maedhros writes, “how I miss thy kisses, and the weight of thy body atop mine, and the sweet softness of thy ear-tips beneath my mouth” —and on, in such a fashion, for a time. A modern reader may see conventions of a love-letter within these words. A historian intimately familiar with the details of the correspondence of the eldest son of Feanor would argue otherwise. Indeed, Maedhros appears often expressive of his affection. 

Of his surviving letters only remains which is addressed to Maglor the Bard, the eldest of his brothers and his second in command, mailed in F. A. 456, pleads with him to “take heart, and hold close my kisses.” Similarly, journals kept by contemporaries note nothing unusual in exchanges of kisses between friends, brothers, cousins, and so forth. A later elven play following the events of the Fall of Nargothrond features a kiss between Finrod and Orodreth in parting; similarly, artistic depictions of Finwë’s death often show his son kissing his face and his lips. What may seem unthinkable to the modern Gondorian was indeed quite commonplace among the Noldor. 

Which brings us to another turn of phrase in letter #5, which has gained some level of infamy among those determined to read perversion into the intimacy of their friendship. Lines 304-314 read as follows: “I have received thy handkerchief, with the sweet scent of thy sweat and thy perfume, and the imprints of thy lip-paint kisses. Know that I have sewn it now against the heart of my sleep-robes, so each night I might feel thee upon my breast, and that a hundred times now I have kissed the same cloth as thou hast.” 

I would not blame the modern man whose mind conjures a young woman pressing lipstick-kissed onto a postcard for her beloved, but in cultural context the meaning of these words changes. While it may appear rather odd in our time, lip-paint was common for men and women both among the Noldor. Being, for all their nobility, at times a vain people, the Noldor historically likened physical beauty to battle-prowess. The sending of lipstick-prints can be read as a show of force and physical ability between two young men, somewhat akin to bragging. The answering kisses, then, signal not a desire for intimacy but answering show of strength and of power. 

I may go on for some time to discuss each mention on kisses in the surviving letters, I would assume any discerning reader would be able to understand them by now as brotherly affection. And so, without further delay, I will move on to address the honey missive.

First, let us examine lines 2-13 of the honey missive, the most hotly debated in meaning: 

“Concerning the matter of honey; while I should be glad to sample any taste of the spring of Hithlum thou shouldst be willing to share with me, we have no great need of in trade. The wiry clover and harebell of Himring make for surprisingly subtle yet fragrant honey, thick and amber-gold. But indeed so taken with thee I am that even thoughts of trade I return to thee, and of honey; how I sit and think of thee bare before me—of how I might take such sweetness and spread it upon thy handsome thighs, to work clean with my mouth. I would be much obliged if thou wert to write to me of how thou wouldst stir beneath me, and call my name—indeed nothing now could make me happier.” 

In interpreting this passage, we must remember the positions of the Noldor as craftsmen and admirers of art. Despite being remembered now primarily as a warlord, Maedhros was born the son of a gem-smith and a sculptor, and was raised in a society which placed much appreciation on both masculine and feminine beauty. That in his time Fingon was considered beautiful is undoubtedly true. The rest, while resembling a sexual act to some readers, is plainly ridiculous, meant in all likelihood as a joking exaggeration. It is common among young men even in our time to joke crudely with each other; if we had Fingon’s letter of response I am certain we would see a laughing refusal. 

Having examined the scope of the evidence before us, I believe any reasonable reader would be forced to yield to the rightness of my position, and to admit there is nothing at all to the claims of those like Dyer, who seek to introduce perversion into the annals of history. We must then examine the motivations behind these claims, and wonder if Dyer and his ilk might not mean to work backwards, seeking justify their modern-day inclinations by creating precedent where is none. It is said, after all, that Basil Dyer has not cohabitated with his wife since the first two weeks of their thirty-year marriage. 

#tolkien #silmarillion #russingon #maedhros #fingon #this is absolutely hilarious op #I love the deliberate references to the whole trope of historians claiming flowery love language is just bros being bros #the funniest was the honey-thigh quote for sure #‘I want to make you naked and lick honey off your thighs so I can see how you writhe and call my name’ #ghost of a future historian whispering in the corner: platonically of course #it’s totally normal to appreciate physical beauty with your tongue

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"haunting the narrative" is one of those phrases i wanna put up on a shelf. not all characters that are dead haunt the narrative. not all characters that are dead haunt the narrative. not all characters that haunt the narrative are dead.

#fëanor is the classic actually-dead haunting the narrative in the silm #but I must also propose húrin #he isn’t dead but Morgoth cursed his family for defying him during the nirnaeth #he isn’t dead but he has to watch everything fall apart for his family #he isn’t dead but everyone must go on as if he is

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This came into my room and stared at me at 3 am and called me out over having my phone be my primary stim. That, or I end up reaching for a patch of hair on the base of my scalp that I really need to leave alone because it’s been damaged from repeated twisting.

Time to find some stims, I think.

also re the attention span post, something that's really helped me with my ADHD is to just...work with my brain, and not against it?

Like here's the thing, looking at your phone when you're doing other stuff (standing in line at the grocery store, watching an episode of a TV show or a movie, avoiding writing your essay etc etc) is just a socially acceptable form of fidgeting and stimming. Even neurotypicals do it. But at least for me, that's exactly what I'm seeking when I'm looking at my phone in this moments -- just that extra bit of stimulation and dopamine.

So a) don't beat yourself up for reaching for your phone and b) stop trying to brute force your way to a better attention span because your focus (if you have ADHD) does not look like neurotypical 'sit still and pay attention' focus.

I started keeping a box of fidget toys on my coffee table and I pull those out every time we watch movies or shows - and wow wonder of wonders I no longer feel the need to look at my phone. I have a quiet one that I can use when I'm at the movie theater. I keep them on my desk so that when I get stumped on a piece of writing I can pull out my fidget toy and stare into space and give myself that stimulation I need while still working on the problem by thinking about it while fidgeting, and so then I keep my focus on my project.

So if you have ADHD and you struggle with your attention span and with looking at your phone a lot I am begging you: please let yourself fidget. Stop masking it. Give yourself tools and opportunities and make it easy. Looking at your phone all the time while doing other tasks is literally just your brain seeking that elevated stimulation that you, in your neurodivergence, need to function.

#adhd

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The Lord of Rivendell

"The face of Elrond was ageless, neither old nor young, though in it was written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful."

Can’t believe this is the first time I’ve actually drawn my favourite character. Easily my best piece of this year if not in forever, I achieved something with that lighting somehow.

#lord of the rings #tolkien art #elrond #elrond peredhel

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poll plagiarism <3

#American 100% #did I take this multiple times to get there? #absolutely

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Bonus internet points will be awarded to anyone who actually tries this exercise before voting.

Assume you need to get the spelling at least somewhat close, and if a character has multiple names, only one counts. Also, if a character doesn't have a canonical name, I'm sorry, but "that guy's wife" doesn't count.

For reference, if you can name the 9 members of the Fellowship, the eponymous Hobbit and his 13 dwarf buddies, 3 prominent women, and the guy who runs the Rivendell B&B, that's 27 characters right there. And you probably also know the name of a dragon.

For further reference, Tolkien Gateway has 637 (!!) pages dedicated to Third Age characters. (Don't click that link until you've voted, of course)

#163 total #almost all from the silm just because there are so many #shhh I definitely didn’t do this at work

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Call me a pick me, but if some creator decides to write about a minority group I belong to but that they themselves are not a part of I'll be willing to overlook small inconsequential inaccuracies as long as the big picture feels accurate and respectful. If we want more representation we can't take the burden of making all of our representation ourselves and let outsiders take a shot at it as long as they're willing to do their research and listen to feedback. And if a little nuance or detail escapes the filter of accuracy I wouldn't mind if the whole sum of its parts is still good rep.

#media representation #yeah like #if we get so concerned over perfection we have nothing at all #that’s a net loss y’all

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Yeah!

The big point of exploring fantasy racism, in my opinion, is to give you a metaphor for how it works in real life. One of my favorite authors, Brandon Sanderson, has a series called the Stormlight Archive where society’s castes are split between light and dark eyes. Wow! you say. That’s so stupid! Nobody can help the color of their eyes and it doesn’t mean anything! Gee, yeah. Almost like body pigments don’t mean shit about who you are as a person.

Now you can also write stories about some group of people who did a terrible thing and now are oppressed for it. But making those racially coded really isn’t necessary. People can display prejudice for any number of reasons, understandable and not, up to and especially including no reason.

hey writers if you want to make a metaphor for racism, please maybe remember that racism is literally based on nothing. Africans weren’t enslaved en masse because the Robo-Musa threatened to destroy the world, they were enslaved because it was economically rewarding and politically convenient. If at any point your allegory for racism includes “so <oppressed group> did this major catastrophe and” then you have not only missed the point but you are literally reinforcing the ideas that racism have let racism self-perpetuate (that e.g. black people are naturally dangerous and violent and must be contained or begrudgingly accepted by the Nice White People)

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#lots of holes

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✨️Varda✨️

#we’re so glad you’re back!!! #tolkien #tolkien art #silmarillion #varda

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FOR EVERY NOTE THIS POST GETS I WILL SPEND 30 MINUTES STUDYING FOR MY COMPUTER STATISTICS EXAM

(aka 25 mins studying + 5 min break)

#hey I dunno how much I know about computer statistics #but I was a stats major #and I’m currently an actuarial analyst #in case you ever want to ask me something