silwritersguild | Back to Middle Earth Month: Downfall

The Silmarillion is a tragic story, and few are the characters who do not experience some measurable downfall. Often marking "the beginning of the end," these falls can be moral, political, and often literal. And so, as we look at endings this week, today we consider Downfall.

Today's entry opens with the illustration "Kinslayer" by Tarion Anaroe. "Love not too well the work of thy hands!" she warns; it often portends a downfall. Ranger1 writes of Feanor's death and how, at his death, his insistence on renewing the oath prolonged the downfall of the Noldor. Isil Elensar's excerpt from "The Consuming Darkness" is a chilling reminder of the downfall of a whole people: the Numenoreans.

"But what about those who loved the so-called guilty," asks Ellie. "How guilty are they?" Her excerpt asks how the wives of Finwe's sons shouldered their share of the guilt over the ruin of the Noldor. Among the Noldor, few characters embody downfall like Maeglin, and Rhapsody the Bard's "Shattered Twilight" looks at his last moments, his literal fall to his death and the acknowledgement of the cause of his downfall. Dawn Felagund's "The House of Unexpected Light" considers how the mighty Feanorians fall; yet how even their darkest deeds end up doing good in the world. Finally, Elleth gives us a poem "Batina" about the downfall of Numenor, written in Adunaic (kindly translated as well!), and the various paths taken by the Numenoreans.

Today's stories, poetry, and artwork about Downfall can be found at http://www.silmaril lionwritersguild .org/b2mem2008/ downfall. php

On Friday, we look at Partings to end of this week's theme on Endings.

_{(Apologies for the lack of special characters...)}