silwritersguild | Mar. 13th, 2008

At the root of many conflicts in The Silmarillion is Rivalry, and today's B2MeM selections focus on this seed of conflict.

Ranger1's "Love of the Elven Kind" introduces two sorts of rivalry: the rivalry between equals in a royal court and perhaps the most infamous rivalry of the Tolkien fandom concerning the interpretation of Elven laws. Ellie's excerpt from "The Dark of the Night" presents a playful form of an age-old rivalry between Elven kindreds. Noliel considers, in verse, on of the most infamous rivalries of The Silmarillion: that between Fëanor and Fingolfin.

In their own words, Robinka's and Rhapsody's "Written in the Starlight" considers "rivalry amongst kin, rivalry between races" as the sons of Fëanor and the Sindar of Doriath try to overcome ancient rivalries to join forces against Morgoth. Elleth writes of a rivalry that might well have existed between the wives of Fëanor and Fingolfin, and Dawn Felagund tells of a childish rivalry between Celegorm and Fingon that gives way to reluctant friendship. And Rhapsody the Bard's excerpted "The last words" considers a rivalry as bitter as any: that of Nerdanel and the Silmarils.

Today's selections may be found at http://www.silmaril lionwritersguild .org/b2mem2008/ rivalry.php .

This wraps up our second week of Back to Middle-earth Month: The Circles of the World. Next week, we ponder the myriad and complex relationships that exist between the characters of The Silmarillion, beginning with perhaps the most enchanting of all: Love.