Back to Middle-Earth Month: Betrayal

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As quickly as friendships are forged on Arda, they are broken. Betrayal is common throughout The Silmarillion, and today's writings illustrate this, coming from across the ages and Arda.

We open today's post with pandemonium_ 213's chilling double drabble "Broken Star" about Sauron's betrayal of his friend Celebrimbor. Tárion Anaróre writes of one of the most notorious betrayals in the pages of The Silmarillion--the burning of the swan ships by the Fëanorians--from the perspective of a musician turned traitor. Ellie's "Conflicted Radiance" considers the betrayal the Sindar felt after discovering that their Noldorin "saviors" were in fact murderers of their kin.

"Dark and dangerous though Tolkien's world may be," writes Elleth, "within it few things - if any - happen without a reason." So she tells of Maeglin's betrayal of his people ... and how this shaped the history of Arda. Ranger1 portrays the burning of the ships from the opposite shore: the final act in a series of betrayals committed against Fingolfin's people. And in Dawn Felagund's double drabble "Perspective," Fëanor questions whether the Valar deserve the reverence they've been granted by the Eldar ... or are they in fact traitors?

Today's theme of Betrayal can be found here:

http://www.silmaril lionwritersguild .org/b2mem2008/ betrayal. php

Having now considered War and Betrayal, on Friday, we turn to a lighter, more frivolous form of conflict: Rivalry.