Silm Reread: "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor" Discussion Post

[independence1776]

Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor

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Important: This is not a spoiler-free zone. It is hard to discuss any chapter in depth without referring to things that happen in later chapters. Proceed at your own risk!

Summary

In the Noontide of the Blessed Realm and its Days of Bliss, Míriel, wife of Finwë and a great weaver and embroiderer, gives birth to Fëanor. She is wearied after her pregnancy and says that she will never again bear a child. She remains weary and ends up dying in the garden of Lórien. Finwë grieves and gives all of his love to his son.

Fëanor grows up swift and strong of mind. He creates the Tengwar and discovers how to create artificial gems that shine. He marries Nerdanel, who is likewise stubborn but desires to understand rather than dominate; for a while, she manages to positively influence Fëanor. However, their marriage did not survive Fëanor’s later deeds.

Finwë eventually marries Indis, a Vanya who is entirely unlike Míriel. They have children together. But Fëanor is displeased and gives them little love. Some believe that the breech in the House of Finwë was the cause of much latter evil, and that Finwë should have been content with Fëanor. But Indis’ children have their own parts to play in the history of the Eldar.

During this time, Melkor’s imprisonment in Mandos comes to an end. He sues for pardon and feigns that he wishes to heal the hurts he’s caused. He is, for a while, constrained to live in Valmar but his good behavior releases him from his parole. Neither Ulmo nor Tulkas are deceived, but they cannot act without becoming rebels against authority themselves. Melkor thus continues with his subtle plan of discontent. He ignores the Teleri and the Vanyar pay little heed to him, but many Noldor listen to his teachings. Melkor later claims that Fëanor took instruction from him, but this is false, as Fëanor listened to no one (save briefly Nerdanel) and worked alone.

Favorite Quotes

“The love of Finwë and Míriel was great and glad, for it began in the Blessed Realm in the Days of Bliss.”

“All his love he gave thereafter to his son; and Fëanor grew swiftly, as if a secret fire were kindled within him.”

"Few ever changed [Fëanor's] courses by counsel, none by force."

“The first gems that Fëanor made were white and colourless, but being set under starlight they would blaze with blue and silver fires brighter than Helluin; and other crystals he made also, wherein things far away could be seen small but clear, as with the eyes of the eagles of Manwë. Seldom were the hands and mind of Fëanor at rest.”

"Nerdanel also was firm of will, but more patient than Fëanor, desiring to understand minds rather than to master them, and at first she restrained him when the fire of his heart grew too hot; but his later deeds grieved her, and they became estranged. Seven sons she bore to Fëanor; her mood she bequeathed in part to some of them, but not to all."

“Now it came to pass that Finwë took as his second wife Indis the Fair. She was a Vanya, close kin of Ingwë the High King, golden-haired and tall, and in all ways unlike Míriel. Finwë loved her greatly, and was glad again.”

“But the children of Indis were great and glorious, and their children also; and if they had not lived the history of the Eldar would have been diminished.”

"For Manwë was free from evil and could not comprehend it, and he knew that in the beginning, in the thought of Ilúvatar, Melkor had been even as he; and he saw not to the depths of Melkor's heart, and did not perceive that all love had departed from him forever."

“But Ulmo was not deceived, and Tulkas clenched his hands whenever he saw Melkor his foe go by; for if Tulkas is slow to wrath he is slow also to forget. But they obeyed the judgement of Manwë; for those who will defend authority against rebellion must not themselves rebel.”

“For Fëanor was driven by the fire of his heart only, working ever swiftly and alone; and he asked the aid and sought for the council of none that dwelt in Aman, great or small, save only and for a little while that of Nerdanel the wise, his wife.”



Earlier Versions

– Family issues

~ In The Book of Lost Tales 1, Fëanor’s father is Bruithwir, not Finwë. There is no mention of any brothers. (1) Finwë is Fingolfin’s (currently called Turgon) father. (2)

~ In “The Flight of the Noldoli” in The Lays of Beleriand, Fëanor has become Finwë’s son and gained his brothers. Turgon has become the name of Fingolfin’s son. (3)

~ In “The Earliest ‘Silmarillion’” in The Shaping of Middle-earth, Fëanor is younger than Fingolfin, but that was swiftly switched. (4) They remain full brothers for the rest of the early/pre-LotR stages of the Silmarillion.

~ The first appearance of a story for Fëanor’s mother comes in Morgoth’s Ring in “The Annals of Aman.” This is a very brief note that was immediately crossed out. Indis bore Fëanor on the Great Journey and he was the eldest of all the second generation Elves and originally named First-begotten. Shortly afterward, Indis fell from a great height in the Misty Mountains and Finwë refused to leave the area until Oromë told him that Elves who die are reborn in Aman. (5)

~ The second appearance is also found in the Annals of Aman, where Míriel appears for the first time, as an early addition to the text. Her death is a later addition. (6) A physical description of her and her talents appears in “The Later Quenta Silmarillion” chapter “Of the Silmarils and the Darkening of Valinor”, but she does not yet die. (7)

~ The first appearance of the story of Finwë, Míriel, and Indis comes after the publication of The Lord of the Rings. The general gist of the tale (Míriel dying after birthing Fëanor, Finwë wishing he could marry again, petitioning the Valar to allow it, and eventually marrying Indis) does not change from this version, though details are added and subtracted throughout the remaining versions. In this specific tale, as opposed to the bare bones summary in The Silmarillion that doesn’t even mention the Valar , Mandos speaks his judgement allowing the second marriage to occur. (8)

~ The second version is part of the longer essay “The Laws and Customs Among the Eldar”. The first half of the essay is concerned with Elven customs (of Fourth Age or later Tol Eressëa as recorded by Aelfwine). The second half, attached to the older version of LACE (as Tolkien abandoned rewriting the essay before reaching it in the newer version), is a longer version of the tale of Finwë and Míriel as well as a recounting of the debate of the Valar that led to the Statute of Finwë and Míriel. This version of the tale is greatly expanded, with more detail about Indis’ character-- such as her being a musician and swift of foot-- added. (9)

~ The third version-- called FM2-- of the story differs somewhat from the LACE text, if only to make the narrative flow in chronological and logical form. (10) The fourth text-- called FM3-- is not printed in Morgoth’s Ring because Tolkien deemed the reductions and omissions unsatisfactory and swiftly discarded it. Christopher Tolkien says that FM3 was explicitly a chapter in Quenta Silmarillion. (11)

~ The fifth text (FM4) is the final text of the story of Finwë and Míriel. In this re-expansion, little detail from previous versions was omitted. (12)

~ There is another treatment of this tale in “The Shibboleth of Fëanor.” While the tale is the background for the linguistic battle that Fëanor and the Noldor engage in, a significant change occurred: Míriel here dies after Fëanor is grown. (13)

~ Indis has more children than those listed in The Silmarillion. In Morgoth’s Ring, she has three daughters: Findis, Faniel, and Írimë/Finvain. (14) In The Peoples of Middle-earth, she has two: Findis and Írimë. (15)

~ Although Fëanor has seven sons from the earliest drafts of the Legendarium, the mother of these sons does not appear until LQ2, i.e. Tolkien's revision of the materials after the publication of The Lord of the Rings. Originally, she was named Istarnië, but even in the first typescript it was soon changed to Nerdanel. The meaning of her original name, however, was retained in her sobriquet "the Wise". The typescript offers quite a lot of detail (some of which did not make it into the published Silmarillion) such as Nerdanel's journeys on which she met Fëanor, the amazing realism of her sculptures as well as her ventures into abstract art, and how her desire to understand minds manifested itself in company. The same text introduces Fëanor's teacher and father-in-law, Mahtan. (20)

~ The "Shibboleth of Fëanor" offers some more information about Mahtan. Mahtan loved copper above all other metals, and was therefore widely known as Urundil, "copper-lover". He is also mentioned to have red-brown hair, earning him the nickname Rusco, "fox". This rare hair colour was inherited by Maedhros, Amrod and Amras. The wording seems to suggest that Nerdanel did not share this trait, but merely passed on the genes. (20) This reading is supported by a note in the Vinyar Tengwar, according to which "Nerdanel herself had brown hair and a ruddy complexion". (22)


– Concerning Melkor

~ As has been mentioned before, in the first version of this tale Melkor has been released from Mandos before the Eldar ever reached Valinor. He is living as a servant in the house of Tulkas but grows increasingly discontent and desires the jewels that the Noldor create. As Tolkien makes a point of how generous the Noldor were, Melkor probably received his fair share of gems; but this doesn't satisfy him, and he seeks to upbraid the Noldor against the Valar by telling them deep knowledge they cannot wholly comprehend, half-truths and cunning lies. Some listen to him with "half their hearts", although Nólemë (Finwë) continually refutes the falsehoods of Melkor. Melkor does not yet take a specific interest in Fëanor. (1)

~ In the "Earliest 'Silmarillion'", Melkor's imprisonment in Mandos lasted for seven "ages" (at one point, Tolkien even seems to have considered nine) but now ends after Melkor has sued for pardon. Even in this early version, Ulmo and Tulkas resent Melkor's release but cannot act against it. (4)

~ In the "Earliest 'Silmarillion'", Melkor also begins to "fan the flames of the heart of Fëanor". (4)

~ The "Quenta" implies that some of the Vanyar also listened to Melkor's teachings ("Gnomes [Noldor] were most of these. Of the Teleri there were none."). Here is the first mention of Melkor specifically using the Coming of Men to incite the Noldor to unrest (16); in earlier versions, he merely accused the Valar of being jealous and afraid of the Noldor's strength and skill, suppressing them and keeping them imprisoned. (1; 4)

~ The "Earliest Annals of Valinor" introduce the idea that Nienna's prayer aided the release of Melkor. Here, it is not Ulmo but Aulë who especially objects to the pardon (along with Tulkas). (17). In the "Later Annals of Valinor", Tulkas, Aulë and Oromë are recorded to (privately) object. (18) The "Annals of Aman" return this part to Ulmo and Tulkas. Poor Tulkas clenches his fists so tightly that his fingernails bite into his palms. (6)

~ The only change to the events surrounding Melkor's release that can be found in the final revision is that his term of imprisonment has now been reduced to three ages. Other than that, Tolkien seems to have been satisfied with this aspect of the Legendarium. (7)


– Miscellaneous

~ In the Book of Lost Tales, the invention of "alphabets and scripts" is ascribed to Aulë (although "aided by the Gnomes", i.e. Noldor). Fëanor has nothing to do with letters at all. (1) The "Lhammas" mentions writing and inscriptions several times, but does not say what kind of writing was used or who invented it. (19)

~ The "Annals of Aman" introduce the invention of letters by Rúmil (rather than Aulë) in the year Fëanor is born. In V.Y. 1250 (aged 71 Valian Years = 680 Sun Years), Fëanor comes up with his superior script. (6) The "Later Quenta Silmarillion" notes that Fëanor created his script "in his youth" (i.e., presumably earlier than recorded in the Annals of Aman). (7)

~ In the earlier versions, the Noldor create artifical gems (in fact, all gems appear to be a Noldorin creation). (2, 4, 16, 17) The "Later Annals of Valinor" no longer list this detail, but neither do they offer a different explanation for the origin of jewels. (18) The "Annals of Aman" finally introduce the idea that the Noldor discovered jewels while mining rather than creating them. The sole creator of artificial jewels is now Fëanor. (6)

~ The "Later Quenta Silmarillion" specifies that he also made light-stones and seeing stones (=Palantíri) as well as the Silmarils. (7)


Food for Thought

~ In the "Earliest 'Silmarillion'" and the "Quenta", it is said that Morgoth (sic!) has passed his imprisonment in the halls of Mandos "in gradually lightened pain" (4)/"each age in lightened pain" (16). Does that imply to you that Mandos has more in common with Angband than just mando, the shared Quenya element of their names?

~ In what ways do you think the history of Arda would have been different if Tolkien had stuck with the idea that Fëanor wasn't part of the Noldorin royal family?

~ Why do you think Tolkien came up with the Míriel—Finwë—Indis story after LotR’s completion?

~ Why is so much focus put on the fact that Indis is "in all ways unlike Míriel"?

~ Do you think that Tolkien changed his idea about Noldorin gem-making – from all jewels of the world being the result of Noldorin craftsmanship to a clear division between naturally occurring jewels plus the (purely Fëanorian) invention of artificial gems – in order to make Fëanor's ingenuity more apparent?

~ What do you think of LACE? Do you follow it in your stories or disregard it? Do you take pieces of it and ignore others? Do you look upon it as a binding legal document, a moral document, someone writing down what he observes, or something else entirely?

~ Do you think that if Finwë hadn’t remarried that “great evil might have been prevented” or was the fall of the Noldor inevitable?

~ Do you believe that Manwë might have been a wiser ruler of Arda if he had been able to grasp the concept of evil?

~ Nerdanel first appears in the LQ2 manuscript from around 1957. From 1951 to 1967, Christopher Tolkien was married to sculptor Faith Faulconbridge. Could there be a connection?


Works Cited

(1) The Book of Lost Tales 1, “The Theft of Melko and the Darkening of Valinor”
(2) The Book of Lost Tales 1, “The Coming of the Elves and the Making of Kôr”
(3) The Lays of Beleriand, “The Flight of the Noldoli,” poem and commentary
(4) The Shaping of Middle-earth, “The Earliest ‘Silmarillion,’” 3
(5) Morgoth’s Ring, “The Annals of Aman,” The Third Section, Note 3 and Note 5
(6) Morgoth’s Ring, “The Annals of Aman,” The Fourth Section, §78 and its note in the commentary, §79, 80, 83, 88 and 89
(7) Morgoth’s Ring, “The Later Quenta Silmarillion”, The First Phase, “6 Of the Silmarils and the Darkening of Valinor,” §46b
(8) Morgoth’s Ring, “The Later Quenta Silmarillion”, The Second Phase, “The Earliest Version of the Story of Finwë and Míriel”
(9) Morgoth’s Ring, “The Later Quenta Silmarillion”, The Second Phase, “Laws and Customs Among the Eldar”
(10) Morgoth’s Ring, “The Later Quenta Silmarillion”, The Second Phase, “Later Versions of the Story of Finwë and Míriel,” FM2
(11) Morgoth’s Ring, “The Later Quenta Silmarillion”, The Second Phase, “Later Versions of the Story of Finwë and Míriel,” FM2 ending notes (FM3)
(12) Morgoth’s Ring, “The Later Quenta Silmarillion”, The Second Phase, “Later Versions of the Story of Finwë and Míriel,” Of the Silmarils and the Darkening of Valinor: Of Finwë and Míriel
(13) The Peoples of Middle-earth, Late Writings, “The Shibboleth of Fëanor”
(14) Morgoth’s Ring, “The Later Quenta Silmarillion”, The Second Phase, “The Earliest Version of the Story of Finwë and Míriel”
(15) The Peoples of Middle-earth, Late Writings, “The Shibboleth of Fëanor,” The Names of Finwë’s Descendants, 3
(16) The Shaping of Middle-earth. "The Quenta", 4
(17) The Shaping of Middle-earth. "The Earliest Annals of Valinor", 2900.
(18) The Lost Road. "The Later Annals of Valinor", V.Y. 2700.
(19) The Lost Road. "The Lhammas", 4 & 5.
(20) Morgoth's Ring. "The Later Quenta Silmarillion", The Second Phase, "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor". §46c
(21) The Peoples of Middle-earth. Late Writings: "The Shibboleth of Fëanor". "The names of the Sons of Fëanor with the legend of the fate of Amrod".
(22) Carl F. Hostetter (ed.): Vinyar Tengwar. The Elvish Linguistic Fellowship. Volume 41, July 2000. "From The Shibboleth of Fëanor".


Please note: We don't know everything and it's perfectly possible that we missed something. These summaries and questions are by no means supposed to be complete and exhaustive. If you have looked further into this particular topic or would like to discuss something that we've overlooked, please share it! (The questions are starting points, not the only things to discuss.)

Also, please don't be afraid to talk amongst yourselves. We don't want this to be an echo chamber or for us to be lecturing to you. We want this to be a discussion among the community as a whole.

“Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor” is due March 23.

Comments

[anna-wing.livejournal.com]

I always thought that the reason that Nerdanel had so many children was that she was fiddling with their genes to try to get the genius without the personality defects. The Yavannildi surely had more interesting biotech than just growing the special grain for lembas.