#whee reckless meta posting

[berrysphase]

so it just occurred to me that one of the reasons why the host of the Noldor following Fingolfin were, on the whole, ready to forgive Maedhros was that they were already deeply invested in the idea that suffering brings absolution.

The people that struggled across the Helcaraxe see themselves as wronged: the Kinslaying at Alqualonde is not their sin, their hands are (mostly) clean, they are righteous in their anger, they were betrayed.  (Let us not ask about how many of them would have sailed on the stolen ships.)  They have paid in blood and toil, their suffering shrives them (it does not; Finrod learns this).

Maedhros stood aside at Losgar, he suffered mightily at the hands of Morgoth, his suffering shrives him (it does not; Maedhros, and all Middleearth, learn this).

The thing is, I think: this suffering does buy something.   But it is only partial coin, and the fatal mistake of the Noldor in Middleearth is to mistake the partial coin for the whole.

#whee reckless meta posting #i have actually remembered that maintags are a thing #so #maybe this doesn't go there #for once #silmarillion #meta