Silm reread: "Of the Darkening of Valinor" Discussion Post

[independence1776]

Of the Darkening of Valinor

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Welcome to this fortnight's chapter discussion!

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!


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Summary

After fooling the Valar into thinking he purposed to return to his Middle-earth strongholds, Melkor travels south to the region of Avathar, which lies between the Pelóri and the sea south of the Telerin lands. It is a dark, unexplored region where Ungoliant made her lair. Ungoliant is in the form of a giant spider who eats light.

Melkor, now wearing the form of the tyrant of Utumno he wore in the past and remains in in the future, recruits her to his cause. Ungoliant is wary at first, unwilling to risk disturbing the Valar, but Melkor promises (with every intention of breaking it) to give her whatever she desires. Ungoliant spins a cloak of darkness that no one can penetrate and they make their way to the plains of Valinor.

During this time, the Valar declare a festival on Taniquetil to celebrate the harvest and to heal the lies of Melkor. Tirion and Valmar are deserted. Fëanor is commanded to come, but he does so alone and without the Silmarils. Fëanor and Fingolfin are reconciled to each other in front of the Valar and Fingolfin swears to follow his half-brother where he leads.

At this very moment, Melkor and Ungoliant cross the plains and attack the Trees. Melkor uses a spear to wound them deeply. Ungoliant sucks up the spilled sap and then drains the Trees of the remainder. They die. However, Ungoliant is not satisfied and drains the containers of liquid light Varda keeps. She swells to an enormous size, worrying Melkor.

On Taniquetil, Varda looks down and sees the swift-rising shadow as the Light fails. No sound can be heard in the Darkness, save the cries of the Teleri in the wind blowing inland from the sea. Manwë alone can see through the darkness and he spots a blot of even greater darkness moving north. Pursuit swiftly follows, but upon reaching the Cloud of Ungoliant, it fails. Neither Oromë nor Tulkas can stand against it. Melkor has achieved his vengeance.

Favorite Quotes

~ "For [Melkor] was yet as one of the Valar, and could change his form, or walk unclad, as could his brethren; though that power he was soon to lose for ever."

~ “That narrow land [Avathar] lay south of the Bay of Eldamar, beneath the eastern feet of the Pelóri, and its long and mournful shores stretched away into the south, lightless and unexplored.”

~ "Therefore Melkor said to her: 'Do as I bid; and if thou hunger still when all is done, then I will give thee whatsoever thy lust will demand. Yea, with both hands.' Lightly he made this vow, as he ever did; and he laughed in his heart.”

~ “Below them lay the woods of Oromë, and westward shimmered the fields and pastures of Yavanna, gold beneath the tall wheat of the gods. But Melkor looked north, and saw afar the shining plain, and the silver domes of Valmar gleaming in the mingling lights of Telperion and Laurelin.”

~ "For though the escape of Melkor portended toils and sorrows to come, and indeed none could tell what further hurts would be done to Arda ere he could be subdued again, at this time Manwë designed to heal the evil that had arisen among the Noldor; and all were bidden to come to his halls upon Taniquetil, there to put aside the griefs that lay between their princes, and forget utterly the lies of their Enemy."

~ 'For said Finwë: 'While the ban lasts upon Fëanor my son, that he may not go to Tirion, I hold myself unkinged, and I will not meet my people.'"

~ “'Half-brother in blood, full brother in heart will I be. Thou shalt lead and I will follow. May no new grief divide us.'”

~ "It is told that even as Fëanor and Fingolfin stood before Manwë there came the mingling of the lights, when both Trees were shining, and the silent city of Valmar was filled with a radiance of silver and gold."

~ "But Ungoliant sucked it up, and going then from Tree to Tree she set her black beak to their wounds, till they were drained; and the poison of Death that was in her went into their tissues and whithered them, root, branch, and leaf; and they died."

~ “So the great darkness fell upon Valinor.”

~ "Yet no song or tale could contain all the grief and terror that then befell. The Light failed; but the Darkness that followed was more than loss of light. In that hour was made a Darkness that seemed not lack but a think with being of its own: for it was indeed made by malice out of Light, and it had power to pierce the eye, and to enter heart and might, and strangle the very will."

~ "Then the pursuit was begun; and the earth shook beneath the horses of the host of Oromë, and the fire that was stricken from the hooves of Nahar was the first light that returned to Valinor."

~ “But when the Darkness had passed, it was too late: Melkor had gone whither he would, and his vengeance was achieved.”

Alternate Versions

~ In The Book of Lost Tales 1, the story of the Darkening is vastly different. The death of the Trees comes after the theft of the jewels of the Noldor. Melko and his followers stumble upon Móru [Ungoliant] while looking for a place to hide his stolen treasure. Móru is a spirit of unknown origin whose light-eating nets are the reason the light from the Trees does not spread over the world. The Eldar give her many names, including Ungoliont. She and Melko strike up a friendship and he offers her all of the jewels save the Silmarils if she will help him.

The Valar and Eldar notice the cloak of Ungoliant crossing the plains, but think it is a work of Ossë’s (who is currently a Vala). The two safely reach the Trees and Melko nearly dies when his sword pierces the sleeping Laurelin due to the fiery radiance that pours forth, but Ungoliant eats it first. He warns her against attacking Silpion, but she does so and Melko takes out his knife to help. Ungoliant is attacked by an Elf who had a foreboding of great danger, and he is swiftly caught and killed. Melko uses the Elf’s knife-- now stained with Ungoliant’s poison-- to stab and kill the remaining Tree. Melko and his followers flee north and they escape capture by Melko’s tricks. Ungoliant flees southward unimpeded and unpursued. (2)

~ In “The Flight of the Noldoli” (an early alliterative poem abandoned after 146 lines), it’s said that Morgoth and Ungoliant bled the Trees and her webs of venom lead to them escaping the pursuing Valar. (3)

~ The details of the story have greatly changed between The Book of Lost Tales and “The Earliest ‘Silmarillion.’” Here, the order of events is reversed: Morgoth and Ungoliant kill the Trees and then steal the jewels. Also, more details of their journey from Ungoliant’s lair to Valinor appear, such as the ladder Morgoth climbs up the mountain. Morgoth stabs the Trees with his sword and Ungoliant sucks the life out of them at midday. There is no one around to see them. They escape by losing their pursuers in Ungoliant’s glooms. (4)

~ In “The Quenta,” their attack happens at the Mingling of the Lights. More details, such as Fëanor's habit of wearing the Silmarils at great feasts and Melkor laughing as he came down the mountain, appear. (5)

~ “The Earliest Annals of Valinor” as well as "The Later Annals of Valinor" merely record a summary. (6, 7) The latter features a note on the consequences Melkor's return had for Beleriand (increasing number of Orcs; death of Denethor; Thingol builds his underground realm and Melian weaves her magic girdle; Elves either withdraw into Doriath or dwell by bodies of water that are protected by Ulmo). Supposedly, this was added by Pengolod to Rúmil's account of the Darkening. (7)

~ In the Quenta Silmarillion, Melkor first uses a spear to stab the Trees. There is still no mention of Fëanor's and Fingolfin's reconciliation; indeed, none of the Noldor who attend the festival are named. (8)

~ The "Annals of Aman" introduce the idea that Melkor knew Ungoliant from the past and sought her out in Arvalin (Avathar) on purpose. This is also where the festival is first specified as a harvest/thanksgiving festival. (9) In contrast, it started out as a seven-day festival to commemorate the Coming of the Eldar into Valinor, held every seven years, combined with a festival to celebrate the arrival of the Teleri, held every three years (2). After that, the occasion for the festival is not explained (4; 7; 8) or there is no mention of a festival at all (3; 5; 6; 7) until the "Annals of Aman".

~ In the "Annals of Aman", Fëanor's invitation and Finwë's refusal to come to Taniquetil are introduced. Finwë's reasoning features a line absent from the final version: '[…] I hold myself unkinged, and will not meet my people, nor those that rule in my stead.' [Emphasis ours] Here is the first mention of Fëanor's and Fingolfin's reconciliation (in words), of Fëanor's attendance without the Silmarils, and of Ungoliant emptying the Vats of Varda after she has killed the Trees. (9)

~ The "Later Quenta Silmarillion offers a more detailed account of the meeting between Melkor and Ungoliant. Ungoliant can no longer leave Avathar because she has grown too weak without any light to nourish her, but Melkor has brought a few jewels to lure Ungoliant out of hiding which also give her strength enough to go with Melkor and weave a cloak of darkness about her. Apparently, she is so strong that she can pierce the rind of the Trees without any help from Melkor, who does not accompany her into Valinor. (10)

~ This account gives us the wording of Manwë's invitation to Fëanor: "Fëanor son of Finwë, come and do not deny my bidding! In my love thou remainest and wilt be honoured in my hall." Fëanor reads this message as a command. Finwë and Fëanor's sons remain in Formenos. (10)

~ In the "Round World Version", Tolkien's explanation for the Darkening of Valinor after the destruction of the Trees is this: Sun and Moon are in existance, but because Melkor has "sullied" their light (Text III) or in order to keep out Melkor's spies (Text IV), Varda has made a dome of cloud over Valinor. This dome is covered with stars in imitation of the 'real' firmament, but it doesn't let sun- or moonlight through so the major sources of light in Valinor are the Two Trees (made before Sun and Moon were "defiled"). After the death of the Trees, the dome is eventually removed and the "polluted" light reaches Valinor, taking away its blessing (11).

Food for Thought

~ If Manwë and Varda could together see and hear further on Taniquetil, why were they unaware of Ungoliant on their borders? Why did they not think someone or something could be hiding there?

~ How likely is it that the Teleri gave no care to the Valar’s concerns or the lies of Melkor? Did they truly not care or did they not wish to be embroiled in the conflict of the Noldor?

~ Was Fëanor playing politics by reconciling with Fingolfin or did he truly do so? If the Darkening had not occurred, could it have become a true reconciliation?

~ Why do you think Tolkien chose to remove the Elf attempting to defend the Trees? Which version do you like better?

~ If you prefer your Arda round and sun-lit from the start, do you find the "dome" explanation for the Darkening satisfactory?

~ This chapter makes mention of the Valar's ability to change their appearance or to go invisible. How do you think they use this ability in everyday interaction with the Eldar – frequently, rarely, not at all? If you think the Valar commonly change their physical form or go "unclad" among the Eldar, do you think the Eldar would have recognised them (as individual Valar) by some other means?

Works Cited

(1) The Silmarillion. Chapter 8, "Of the Darkening of Valinor."

(2) The Book of Lost Tales 1, “Of the Theft of Melko and the Darkening of Valinor.”

(3) The Lays of Beleriand, “Poems Early Abandoned,” (i) The Flight of the Noldoli, lines 1-16 and 23-29.

(4) The Shaping of Middle-earth, “The Earliest ‘Silmarillion,’” 4.

(5) The Shaping of Middle-earth, “The Quenta,” 4.

(6) The Shaping of Middle-earth, “The Earliest Annals of Valinor,” 2990–1.

(7) The Lost Road and Other Writings. Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, "II. The Later Annals of Valinor". V.Y. 2990.

(8) The Lost Road and Other Writings. Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings,"VI. Quenta Silmarillion." Ch. 4 §§ 55 - 59

(9) Morgoth's Ring. Part Two. "The Annals of Aman", Section 4, 1492 §§ 105 – 106 and 1495 §§ 107 - 116

(10) Morgoth's Ring. Part Three. "The Later Quenta Silmarillion", The First Phase, "6. Of the Silmarils and the Darkening of Valinor", and The Second Phase, "Of the Darkening of Valinor", §§ 55b – 59b

(11) Morgoth's Ring. Part Five. "Myths Transformed", Text III, IV and V.


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!

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: everybody's got something to contribute!

Finally, don't forget to rec your favorite fanworks related to this chapter in the fanworks rec post.

“Of the Flight of the Noldor” is due April 20.

Comments

[moetushie]

Do we even need to ask who the FATHER of Ungoliant's children is?

[independence1776]

Well, it does say in "Of the Flight of the Noldor" that other spider-shaped beings inhabited Nan Dungortheb and that she ate them after mating with them. But that doesn't rule out Melkor entirely… *shudders*

[hhimring]

The story by Aearwen that I added to the fanworks rec post today more or less says just that!