#lathrim

[valacirya]

Literally agree with your opinion on prev anon's ask. I've read and enjoyed so many feanorian-related fics/hcs, so I don't have a problem with them wearing one, especially if people like it that much (don't wanna rain on their parade), but I do have a problem when on that same narrative the twins are written either: a) shitting on elwing and/or earendil, b) antagonizing or invalidating traumatize people's anger over the feanorians, c) the painful/cringe way they write elrond defending them over his own mother, d) the erasure of elwing and earendil in the twins life, e) the even more painful erasure of their lathrim heritage in favor of the feanorian one, f) the 'fluffy' reunion not being with their parents but rather with their captors. It's such a case where the fandom took that one headcanon and popularized it cause they love sympathizing with horrible men but would crucify women who made decisions that impacted their lives. Honestly, when the story/post goes in that direction, that was the only time I actually get annoyed/irritated with elrond and elros (which is shocking because I love them a lot), like I immediately clicked the back button.

100% agreed! I will admit that there are more balanced/Elwing-positive fics being published now compared to a few years ago, when the hate against her and Earendil was almost vicious. It makes the fandom experience a little more enjoyable.

[echoofthemusic]

I have yet to write about a rather shy Nellas trying to befriend a rather awkward Nienor in Doriath which sounds amusing but right now I’m thinking about another amusing thing re: height difference, like, Nellas is said to appear like a child, so she could be young by elf standards and she’s petite, and Nienor is said to blend well with the elf guards and only smaller than the tallest among them. Nienor standing beside Nellas like a willowy giant is quite a cute image lol.

#I’m just…Hadorian heights… #It’s intimidating for tiny me lol #Except Húrin lol but that’s more about Haladin heights #Also Túrin is taller than common lathrim and Tuor is likely taller than common Gondolindrim as well #Why do I get that impression fandom tends to assume elves are taller than men #I think average elf height > average men height but there are variations #nellas #nienor #the children of húrin

[child-of-hurin]

I’m not sure Elwing is officially a queen without the realm, but the lathrim might regard her as one? I do think Elwing has a queenly air, born and then cultivated. Maybe to the Teleri she at first seems a scared girl but they see that air and feel…courage? Maybe Elros has that air the Edain see? It’s easy for me to see them both giving off such vibes, whereas kingly Eärendil or Elrond is…amusing…

I love what you said about Elwing and the Teleri, that's definitely what I think too! When she starts talking some of the older ones are reminded of Elu Thingol convincing them to take on the Journey... I had NOT thought of Elros in these terms but it is also easy to see him showcasing the charisma necessary to make people follow you into a journey to an unknown land, full of bliss and promise, to make a home there :')

Re: the scaffolding I use to hold up my queen Elwing headcanon (I got wordy):

We know the Sindar have hereditary monarchy because Dior inherited from Thingol; we don't know whether Lúthien was skipped because they don't have women queens (like every other goddamned Tolkien monarchy) or because she clearly had No Interest in doing that (my hc and IMO a reading that makes the most sense regardless of what Tolkien intended for Sindar laws of succession). Regardless, there are no other heirs who could claim that title during her lifetime.

The matter of Earendil as a king is tricky because Turgon was king of Gondolin; Earendil should have inherited that throne (since Idril can't because Woman), but Gondolin was destroyed. Some fellow nerds argue Turgon WAS High King of the Noldor, but to me that's a big fat joke lol, maybe he had an arguable claim but that's all... Earendil COULD inherit that possible argument for a claim but it doesn't seem like he does or like anybody ever considers it. He has no means to enforce it even if he wanted to. The only claim to kingship Earendil would have would be to Gondolin, if it still existed. 

disclaimer that this is just my preferred HC at the moment, but here goes:

Thingol was their king since before the First Age, and many of them are only there in Beleriand because they didn't want to leave without him in the first place. My HC is that the Sindar are greatly attached to Thingol as a monarch figure. I think that plays into how easily they adopt Dior as the new king: I think they WANT to have a king.**

My HC also is that being the king of the Sindar involved, for Thingol, much less administrative work than for the kings of the Noldor. Why this headcanon? IDK, just vibes. The Sindar are no longer actively participating in a war effort, and inside the Girdle we don't really get a farming vibe. We know Círdan sends Thingol pearls, but there's nothing very clear on whether that's like, tribute, or just a gift. There's trade, of course, with Dwarves and other elves, but that's a Doriath issue, not a Sindar issue. He's not telling Círdan who to trade with or how to do it... But when he issues the Quenya ban, for example, he's not (unlike some very creative fans seem to think) sending a secret police of Sindar elves to enforce it. He counts on his people's willingness to listen to his commands, even those who are beyond the Girdle, and it seems like that's exactly what they do. They defer to his authority when he requests it, but it doesn't seem like he (needs to) request it very often.

This all to say that it is my common assumption that being a loyalist to Thingol and his line is a cultural thing for many Sindar, including, ofc, the ones who escaped with Elwing to Sirion. It makes a lot of sense to me that she would be seen by her people as the queen of the Sindar, so I like to HC that :)

#i kept going off about turgon x gil galad and having to erase it dshbfdjfd #I DON'T care about queen and king and monarchy titles like that usually like zzz couldn't care less #like posts taking a legalist approach to the matter of turgon as high kind always put me to sleep mostly bc im very finrod abt it #*king #BUT thingol gets so much hatred from this fandom lololol meanwhile in the book his people love him so much #they stay behind to look for him #so anyway... i think the sindar have a big cultural thing about having a King and also big Line of Thingol loyalty issues #and yup i do think Elwing's rank surpasses Earendil's #:3 #it's very hot #the vagueness of Earendil's lordship is so funny to me too tbh like... one day I would love to read a good fic about Elwing being the one #to grant him the title... since the land is technically hers?? #Does Círdan have a claim? He is Thingol's kin and vassal #so he defers to her authority if she's queen #but they're trying to establish Gil by then i suppose #would love to see some clash between gil and elwing... it'd be so funny lol #before círdan comes up with a ridiculous diplomatic solution like she grants him the land but gil grants him the title or smth #it would also be really funny if Elwing just tells Círdan like 'hey i'm gonna marry earendil... i just made him a lord to make it more #proper... so now he's the lord of arvenien :) sending you the proclamation soon.. love you unc xoxo #elwing #círdan

[senjutsv]

The Choice of Luthien was something undeniably shared between notable Elves of Doriath, specifically the House of Thingol. (unrelated, but also Maedhros).

I simp for Elwing 24/7

DO NOT INTERACT if you hate Thingol, Oropher, or female characters. DO NOT INTERACT if you love Earendil. You gonna be big mad at the end of this raw unedited piece.

They are all willing to die for what they believe in, Luthien, Elwing, Oropher, and Arwen. All of their choices might inspire certain shallow perceptions like they were selfish, or they gave up something, immortal good death bad, impulsive rash irrational etc etc. Don't pretend like you've never seen such head empty no crit takes on their characters.

But, I want to tell you that's not it, that's not the Choice of Luthien.

They died to protect, to give life to others. So that others could live the life they know they wouldn't have in their time, because of the trauma associated with this particular Lathrim House. They chose death instead of revenge, instead of kinslaying. This makes them leagues above ~ you all know who (plural) ~

Luthien became mortal so that Beren can live. BEREN DIED FOR NOTHING ELSE BUT LOVE. No, he didn't die for a fucking Silmaril. Beren died for his love of Luthien. Even without the Silmaril, he will still choose to die for her. So she also chose to die for him so that they can love each other for a while longer.

Elwing chose suicide over letting Maedhros reap the rewards of the humiliation and slaughter of her entire family, people, and her sons ( to her knowledge at the time, i'm sure she definitely assumed this, that her twin sons were lost to her like Elured and Elurin! ). If Elwing did not make this choice, who else can have the charisma and courage to beg the Falmari of Alqualonde to sail their ships for the fuckers who did honestly ~ fuck all ~ as their people get slaughtered by the Houses of Feanor and Nolo? Bearing the Host of Valinor to slaughter fucking MORGOTH the literal Satan of the legendarium!!!!

YES, I KNOW, WHY IS OROPHER ON THIS LIST? Because I kid you not he would have killed himself anyway if he'd been stopped from following after his people's charge. Look, I also simp for Oropher 24/7. I think it speaks volumes of his wisdom and character that he chose to move his entire people instead of vengeance WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN HIS LEGITIMATE RIGHT TO KINSLAY BACK AND ALSO ROAST DWARVES FOR DINNER. I'm sure that murder would take less resources than moving your entire lives across the expanse of Greenwood the Great THREE FUCKING TIMES. If at the end of his very short page, all you come out with was "Omg Oropher is so rash and bad" I don't know what to say except your head seriously empty. Oropher was the bigger Sinda here. (block me if you mad)

Arwen Arwen Arwen, kindest baby might as well have crushed your father's heart with thine own hands. BUT ELROND WOULD UNDERSTAND HER. Far too well. Far, far too well. Elros and Elrond were with Elwing the whole entire time Earendil did ~ fuck all ~ (please don't contest this, not in front of me. again, you better block me now if u are mad.) Elwing is insane. Her whole family is insane from Elros and Elrond onwards. They're so fucking insane because the heartbreaks they all go through would have killed us mere peasants ten generations ago. And yet, and yet, and yet this particular line descended from all Three Houses of the Eldar and all Three Houses of Man, progenitor of the REUNITED KINGDOM Arwen Undomiel gave her right to Frodo so that the rest of his life can be slightly better in Valinor. THE CHOICE OF LUTHIEN EVERYONE.

#tolkien #The Silmarillion #the hobbit #lotr #oropher #luthien #elwing #arwen #lord of the rings #suicide mention #suicide mentioned #suicide tw