silwritersguild | Character of the Month: Tinfang Warble

Tolkien was a young man when his earliest work on the "Silmarillion" emerged in the form of the Book of Lost Tales. Full of whimsy, the Lost Tales present a version of Middle-earth where enchantment reigns and Faerie is a place where mortals sometimes land.

From this earliest work comes Tinfang Warble: a mysterious character whose eerie music enchants its mortal listeners and makes the stars burn brighter. Tinfang first appeared in Tolkien's writings even before the Lost Tales, and his character evolves along with Tolkien's work on the tales until he disappeared from the legendarium altogether. Tinfang survives in the two renowned (doomed) musicians of the legendarium: Daeron and Maglor. The difference between Tinfang's character and these later evolutions illustrates the stark shifts the legendarium underwent as it progressed from the Lost Tales to its final form. This month's biography, by Dawn Felagund, explores what we know of this obscure character and his shifting role in the legendarium.

You can read Tinfang Warble's biography here.