Tolkien Canon

When two Tolkien references differ in details, which details do you choose to portray?

Specifically, I adore the detailed and imaginative descriptions that J.R.R. Tolkien wrote in "The Book of Lost Tales".  They often amplify but sometimes differ in detail from his better-known "The Silmarillion".  Both books (and many others) were edited by Christopher Tolkien and published posthumously.  Both carry about the same authority because they're largely JRRT's own writing, but he didn't finalize either one of them.  Thus, neither is quite "canon Tolkien". 

 "Canon" (from the Greek kanon "rule") is defined

1. a general law, rule, principle, or criterion by which something is judged.

2.

 a collection or list of sacred books accepted as genuine

     3. the works of a particular author or artist that are recognized as genuine.

The two works JRRT published in his own life-time are recognized as canon:  The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.  While reenacting some events of "THE WAR FOR THE SAKE OF THE ELVES" told in both Sil and BOLT but not TH or LOTR, we must guess what would JRRT have written, had he written it out in full.

Happily, we have an example of that:  The last two pages of the 365 page-long Silmarillion collection tell all of Hobbit and LOTR.  Comparing the Silmarillion version and a canon version of the same story gives us what JRRT left out of "The Silmarillion":  Hobbiton, Sam's name,  Merry and Pippin,  all the families from Boffinses to Proudfoots, and that's just the first chapter.   Bilbo's name didn't make it to Silmarillion, even though he's the main character in the already-published The Hobbit,  and illustrates other differing details:  In Hobbit, Bilbo is fleeing goblins when he finds the One Ring; in Silmarillion, he's "a wanderer fleeing orcs"  These omissions and discrepancies are understandable: the Silmarillion is not a complete novel, but an outline of potential stories.  So "it's not in Silmarillion" is a bad reason to exclude people, places, and things that JRRT wrote about elsewhere. 

Discrepancies

In real life, factual accounts vary from witness to witness.  Ancient history is filled with guesses.   Modern history and news omit much.   It might be impossible to ever find the real "truth" of some real events, and even more impossible for fictional ones.  Like all authors, JRRT changed his mind about details.  He admitted sometimes that he forgot things then wrote something else in a later draft.
 

There are in-character reasons for discrepancies. The Silmarillion's lack of detail might be because the elves knew none of the details of the war for the sake of the elves.   They could not write about it unless the Valar had told them about it.  In BOLT,  a tourist hears the story from an ancient elf-princess who admits that even many elves do not know this history.  The ainu who might tell the elves what happened would differ in their tales, and not just because eye-witnesses accounts differ:  Aulë hides the truth when it suits him, Lorien distorts facts for fun, and Vairë says little but weaves pretty pictures.  The elves (and we) might never get the whole, consistent truth from them.

When bringing in non-canon elements that conflict or contradict, which do you choose to portray? Ultimately, "what is canon", like "WHAT IS TRUE"  seems to be an artistic question without an ultimate answer.   If you're exploring  literature, why choose at all?   Explore the ideas and versions and compare them. You'll enjoy the process and learn some things on the way.

Training Elves (Players)

What I'd considered to be "a few classes and seminars here and there" in Tirion regions of Second life, dedicated player and video archivist Fëafelmë shows to be an extensive, perhaps even definitive, curriculum in this video in her series titled



Tirion Bedtime Stories Part 11: "Training & Education" 

What Time Is It?

Short Answer:

In Second Life's "Tirion" Sim  for JRR Tolkien role playing, "today" is about 9600 years before the events in "The Lord of the Rings", or January 19, 12753 BC, fourteen thousand, seven hundred and sixty-six years from the date of this blog, more or less.

Long Answer:

We are role-playing the first seven chapters of the Silmarillion here in Tirion Sim. We feature the Noldor Elves in "Age the Two Trees". A time line of the events relates events recently passed and coming soon is here: http://aulethesmith.blogspot.com/2010/10/noldor-in-aman-timeline.html We can call 2013 AD representing 1241 Year of The Trees, since our lovely Anairë and stalwart Fingolfin wed in 2012, making our most recent key event, since Anairë has no children yet:
1240 Fingolfin weds Anairë.

To describe "Now"... ((And learn this, ye Guides of Tirion!))

Humanity is still just a dream
As Elves are in the flower of their age.
Dwarves and Ents are waking to their fates
But Evils are scattered or in cage.

The Sun and Moon have never yet been.
The world is flat here under star-filled skies
Gold and silver shining of Two Trees
Give oe'r the peaceful world, warm twilight lies.

Gandalf, Sauron and Saruman are
Glad, young and idealistic wizards who
Study under fair but different names.
Galadriel's parents have yet to woo.

Bilbo and Frodo of far Bag-End
Will live and write beloved stories someday
In perhaps a hundred hundred years
And over a half a great round world away.

This is where you are in time and space
Welcome, elves, to this first homely place

FROM LORD OF THE RINGS TO HERE

I wrote "a hundred hundred" when it's actually 9635 years for poetic licence. It's still doing math with timelines to relate ourselves to the Tolkien stories that almost everyone knows in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Arda#3018
All the events in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (four movies worth), beginning to end,  take20 years and 14 days. The first event in Fellowship of the Ring is a birthday party when Bilbo turns 111 and departs his party in the Shire for Rivendell on Sept 22, 3001. The last event is Samwise returning to the Shire after seeing the boats depart from Gray Haves to Tirion on October 6 3021.  If you wish to include the Hobbit, you can find the dates and times on the same timeline:
September 22, 2890 TA, meaning Third Age - Bilbo Baggins is born.

Note that TA, THIRD AGE, implies a First and Second age, so here we going backward in time now on the same page, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Arda#Third_Age
Several epic event events happened in "Second Age 3441" that were so significant and defining of the age that the year became a new "zero":

Elendil and Gil-galad face Sauron in hand to hand combat, but they themselves perish; Isildur takes the shards of his father's sword Narsil and cuts the One Ring from Sauron's finger. Sauron's physical form is destroyed and the Barad-Dûr is razed to the ground. In the aftermath of the War, many Elves of Gil-galad's following depart to Valinor: end of the Noldorin realms in Middle-earth.

The cutting of Sauron's ring was a stunning sequence used three times in the Jackson movies. Note this tiny line: END OF NOLDORIN REALMS OF MIDDLE EARTH. Most Noldor return to Tirion at that time, both those that had left Aman to help overthrow Sauron and those who had left Aman earlier in shame who had died or atoned.  Only a few Noldor remained in Middle Earth, notably Galadriel and her clan.

What signaled the change from the FIRST AGE (FA) and beginning of the SECOND AGE (SA) is again the a defeat of a major baddie and elves major motions in the world, per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Arda#Second_Age
Year FA 590 we find find Morgoth is cast into the Void; the Elves are summoned to Valinor and settle in Tol Eressëa; a small part of the Noldor and Sindar remain in Middle Earth Lindon or depart east and establish realms.

The FIRST AGE is CONFUSING

If you are a human, bad at math or history or both, fall asleep for a moment because SEVERAL entirely separate times can be called "First Age" in Tolkien.  Besides, humanity is not awake in most of these ages:

~First Ages where time is meaningless

• Before the Ainur were made.

• Before Eä (the universe) was made in the Ainulindalë

• Before Arda (the world) was made as the First Vision.
  

~First Valian Ages, where an Age is tens of thousands of years.

• The Valar enter and shape Arda.

• The Years of the Lamps.

~The Years of the Trees. , where an Age is a thousand years

• The first Era of the Two Trees, and the beginning of the count of Time.
• The second Era of the Two Trees,
  • The Age of the Stars, when the Elves awoke,
  • also, the first age of the captivity of Melkor.
  • The second age of the captivity of Melkor.
  • The third age of the captivity of Melkor. (YOU ARE HERE!)
  • The age in which Melkor lived in Valinor.
    

~ First Age of Years of the Sun, where an Age varies by history

• The First Age. 450 Years of the Trees + 583 Years of the Sun.

Note that this last "First Age" is the one almost always called "First Age", containing our existence here in Tirion AND the creation of the Silmarils AND  the end of the Two Trees AND the first Elven battles AND the Flight of the Noldor AND the first rising of the Sun and Moon AND the Awakening of Humanity AND a major change in the way time is reckoned.  More on that last in a moment.

Finally, non-First Ages in any Tolkien Reckoning:

• The Second Age. 3441 Years of the Sun.
• The Third Age. 3021 Years of the Sun.
• The Fourth Age. Not specified, but likely another 3000 years.
  

Here are references for that information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_Middle-earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Arda#First_Age http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Arda#Years_of_the_Sun_in_the_First_Age

Now, wake up, humans! It gets easier.

SUN RISE!

Aulë thinks of the sun rising as a major event in time. From the first rising of the sun and the first Awakening of Humanity, it's 583 sun years to the Second Age, 3441 more years to the Third age, and another 3001 to LOTR, making it 7025 years of sunrises til the sun rises over Bilbo's Birthday party.


Now, backwards to now before the sun or moon ever rose, Quoting http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valian_Years#Valian_Years

In the 1930s and 40s Tolkien used a figure which fluctuated slightly around ten before settling on 9.582 solar years in each Valian year. However, in the 1950s Tolkien decided to use a much greater value of 144 solar years per Valian year, and included this figure in The Lord of the Rings appendices as the length of the elven year (the yen).  Tolkien described time as having flowed more slowly in Aman, such that a Valian year there would 'feel' like the passage of a single solar year in Middle-earth despite being much longer.

Since a year in these ages before the sun rose was somewhere between nine and one-hundred-and-forty-four sun-years long, we can't compute our time precisely, but I like to use (as Anairë suggests) ONE Tree Year is TEN Sun years.

So, now it's 1241, Trees Time. Sun rise happened in 1500 in Trees Time. 1500 less 1241 makes 259 Tree Years before the Sun rises. 259 times 10 is 2590.  We'll ignore the plus or minus 9 sun years margin of error for now.  Add to 2590 the ages first and second, 583 and 3441, and 3021 TA more till Sam's home, and it' 9635 or about 9600 sun years from "Now" thru the Lord of  The Rings.

FROM "NOW" TO NOW

In an exceptionally thoughtful page http://3rings.webs.com/chronology, the author Ash Branch quotes JRR Tolkien writing around 1955:

“... I hope the, evidently long but undefined, gap(*) in time between the Fall of Barad-dûr and our Days is sufficient for 'literary credibility’, even for readers acquainted with what is known or surmised of 'pre-history’.

“I imagine the gap to be about 6000 years: that is we are now at the end of the Fifth Age, if the Ages were of about the same length as S.A. and T.A. But they have, I think, quickened; and I imagine we are actually at the end of the Sixth Age, or in the Seventh.”

and the following quote from "The History of the Lord of the Rings"

“The moons and suns are worked out according to what they were in this part of the world in 1942 actually... I mean I'm not a good enough mathematician or astronomer to work out where they might have been 7,000 or 8,000 years ago, but as long as they correspond to some real configuration I thought that was good enough.”

Then follows Ash Branch's mathematics, astronomy, calendar making, and reasoning, resulting in dates for the Ages of Middle-Earth, and (thank you for permission to quote, Ash):

"the first uprising of the sun occurred on 25 March, 10,160 BC"

Going backwards from that first sun-rise, recall our 2590 years, give or take 9 years. Add 10,160 and 2,590 to get 12750 BC. Since today is Jan 19, 2013, take today's date and the "3" from the current year as our error factor because we can't compute any closer.  So, now in Tirion RP sim, "now" is

January 19, 12753 BC.  That is 14,766 years ago.

At 11:20 PM. Good night.

History of Noldor

This note was found in the Tirion library in Second Life. Who wrote it exactly, I cannot tell, but twas likely a Noldo.

--------------------------

Noldor in Valinor

The Noldor are accounted the best of the Elves and all the peoples in Middle-earth in lore, warfare and crafts.

In Valinor "great became their knowledge and their skill; yet even greater was their thirst for more knowledge, and in many things they soon surpassed their teachers.

 They were changeful in speech, for they had great love of words, and sought ever to find names more fit for all things they knew or imagined."

They were beloved of Aulë the Smith, and were the first to discover and carve gems.

On the other hand, the Noldor were also the proudest of the Elves; and, by the words of the Sindar, "they needed room to quarrel in".

Their chief dwelling-place was the city of Tirion upon Túna.

Among the wisest of the Noldor were Rúmil, creator of the first writing system and author of many epic books of lore.

Fëanor, son of Finwë and Míriel, was the greatest of their craftsmen, "mightiest in skill of word and of hand",and creator of the Silmarils.

The Noldor earned the greatest anger of Melkor, who envied their prosperity and, most of all, the Silmarils.

So he went often among them, offering counsel, and the Noldor hearkened, being eager for lore.

But Melkor sowed lies, and in the end the peace in Tirion was poisoned. Fëanor, having rebelled against Fingolfin his half-brother, was banished, and with him went Finwë his father.

Fingolfin remained as the ruler of the Noldor of Tirion.

But Melkor had yet other designs to accomplish.

Soon after with the aid of Ungoliant he slew the Two Trees, and coming to Formenos he killed Finwë, stole the Silmarils and departed from Aman.

  Fëanor then, driven by the desire of vengeance, rebelled against the Valar and made a speech before the Noldor, persuading them to leave Valinor, follow Melkor to Middle-earth and wage war against him for the recovery of the Silmarils.

He swore a terrible oath to pursue Melkor and claimed the title of the High King; but though the greater part of the Noldor still held Fingolfin as King, they followed Fëanor to be not separated from their kin.


 Exile to Middle-earth

The Noldor led by Fëanor demanded that the Teleri let them use their ships.

When the Teleri refused, they took the ships by force, committing the first kinslaying.

A messenger from the Valar came later and delivered the Prophecy of the North, pronouncing Doom on the Noldor for the Kinslaying and rebellion and warning that if they proceeded they would not recover the Silmarils and moreover that they all will be slain or tormented by grief. 

At this, some of the Noldor who had no hand in the Kinslaying, including Finarfin son of Finwë and Indis, returned to Valinor, and the Valar forgave them.

Other Noldor led by Fingolfin (some of whom were blameless in the Kinslaying) remained determined to leave Valinor for Middle-earth. Prominent among these others was Finarfin's son, Finrod.


The Noldor led by Fëanor crossed the sea to Middle-earth, leaving those led by Fingolfin, his half-brother, behind.

Upon his arrival in Middle-earth, Fëanor had the ships burned. When the Noldor led by Fingolfin discovered their betrayal, they went farther north and crossed the sea at the Grinding Ice which cost them many lives. With the Two Trees destroyed by Melkor, the departure of the Noldor out of the Undying Lands marked the end of the Years of the Trees, and the beginning of the Years of the Sun when the Valar created the Moon and the Sun out of Telperion's last flower and Laurelin's last fruit.

Fëanor's company was soon attacked by Morgoth. When Fëanor rode too far from his bodyguard during the Battle under Stars, he was attacked by several Balrogs including their Lord Gothmog, who had issued forth from Angband, the enemy's fortress in the north. Despite a valiant fight, Fëanor he was mortally wounded and would have been captured and taken to Angband had it not been for the swift arrival of his sons. However Fëanor died whilst being taken back to his own people.

Because Fëanor had taken the ships and left the Noldor led by his half-brother on the west side of the sea, the royal houses of the Noldor were feuding, but Fingon son of Fingolfin, saved Maedhros, son of Fëanor, from Morgoth's imprisonment and the feud was settled. Maedhros was due to succeed Fëanor, but he regretted his part of the Kinslaying and the abandonment of Fingolfin and left the High Kingship of the Noldor to his uncle Fingolfin because he was the eldest, who became the first High King of the Noldor in Middle-earth. His brothers did not agree to this, and began to refer to themselves as the Dispossessed, because the High Kingship had passed them by. It should be stressed that after the fall of Fingolfin that there is little evidence that the Feanorians respected the command of his successors.

In the north-west of Middle-earth the Noldor made alliance with the Sindar, the Elves of Beleriand, and later with Men of the Three Houses of the Edain. Fingolfin reigned long in the land of Hithlum, and his younger son Turgon built the Hidden City of Gondolin. The Sons of Fëanor ruled the lands in Eastern Beleriand, while Finrod Finarfin's son was the King of Nargothrond and his brothers Angrod and Aegnor held Dorthonion. Fingolfin's reign was marked by warfare against Morgoth and in the year 60 of the First Age after their victory in Dagor Aglareb the Noldor started the Siege of Angband, the great fortress of Morgoth. In the year 455 the Siege was broken by Morgoth in the Battle of Sudden Flame, in which the north-eastern Elvish realms were conquered. Fingolfin in despair rode to Angband and challenged Morgoth to single combat. He dealt Morgoth seven wounds but perished, and he was succeeded by his eldest son Fingon, who became the second High King of the Noldor in Beleriand.

In the year 472, Maedhros organised an all-out attack on Morgoth and this led to the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. Betrayed by the new-come Easterlings, and surrounded by the forces of Morgoth, the Noldor, Sindar and Edain were utterly defeated. Fingon the Valiant was slain by Gothmog and other Balrog; he was succeeded by his brother Turgon.

Morgoth scattered the remaining forces of the Sons of Fëanor, and in 495 Nargothrond was also overridden. Turgon had withdrawn to Gondolin which was kept hidden from both Morgoth and other Elves. In 510, Gondolin was betrayed by Maeglin and sacked. During the attack Turgon was killed; however, many of his people escaped and found their way south. Turgon had no sons, so Gil-galad, last surviving male descendant of Fingolfin, became the fourth and last High King of the Noldor in Middle-earth.

Finally the Valar came to Middle-earth and in the years 545-583 the War of Wrath was fought and Morgoth was cast into the Void. But Beleriand sank into the sea, except for a part of Ossiriand (Lindon), and a few isles. The defeat of Morgoth marked the end of the First Age and the start of the Second.

Second and Third Ages

Most of the Noldor sailed back to Aman at the End of the First Age; but some, like Galadriel (daughter of Finarfin) or Celebrimbor (grandson of Fëanor), refused the pardon of the Valar and remained in Middle-earth. Gil-galad founded a new kingdom at Lindon, and ruled throughout the Second Age, longer than any of the High Kings except for Finwë. He was also accepted as High King by the Noldor of Eregion. But after a while Sauron had replaced his master Morgoth as the Dark Lord. With the aid of the Ruling Ring he fortified Mordor and began the long war with the remaining Elves. He attacked Eregion, destroying it, but was withstood in Rivendell and Lindon. With the aid of the Númenóreans, the Noldor managed to defeat him for a time.

However, in the year 3319 of the Second Age Númenor fell due to Ar-Pharazôn's rebellion against the Valar, in which Sauron had a great part. When Elendil with his sons escaped to Middle-earth and established the realms of Arnor and Gondor, Sauron tried to conquer Gondor before it could take root. Both Elendil and Gil-galad set out for Mordor in the Last Alliance of Men and Elves and defeated Sauron in the Battle of Dagorlad and finally in the Siege of Barad-dûr. There Gil-galad perished, and so ended the High Kingship of the Noldor. No new High King was elected, as no one claimed the throne; for this reason, the High Kingship of the Noldor was said to have passed overseas, to the Noldor of Valinor, ruled by Finarfin, the third son of Finwë who had never left. In Middle-earth of the descendants of Finwë only Galadriel and Elrond Half-elven remained (and the Númenórean Kings through Elrond's twin brother Elros).

In the Third Age, the Noldor in Middle-earth dwindled, and by the end of the Third Age the only big communities of Noldor remaining in Middle-earth were in Rivendell and Lindon. Their further fate of fading utterly from the World was shared by all Elves.

 High Kings of the Noldor

In Valinor:
Finwë, first High King
Fëanor, first son of Finwë; claimed the title after his father's death
Fingolfin, second son of Finwë; held to be the High King by the majority of the Noldor
Finarfin, third son of Finwë; ruled the Noldor remaining in Aman

In Middle-earth:
Fingolfin, after Maedhros son of Fëanor gave up his claims
Fingon, first son of Fingolfin
Turgon, second son of Fingolfin.
Gil-galad, son of Orodreth, son of Angrod, the last High King of the Noldor in exile.

It is not known exactly how Finwë became High King: he may have been a descendant of the Noldorin primogen "Tata", or simply have been accepted as leader based on his status as ambassador to the Valar. The Noldor had many princely houses besides that of Finwë: Glorfindel of Gondolin and Gwindor of Nargothrond, while not related to Finwë, were princes in their own right. These lesser houses held no realms, however: all the Noldorin realms of Beleriand and later Eriador were ruled by a descendant of Finwë.

The Mannish descendants of Elros (the Kings of Arnor) now claimed the title High King, although there is no indication that this referred anything other than a High Kingship over the Dúnedain. As descendants through the female line Elros and his brother Elrond were not considered eligible, and Elrond indeed never claimed Kingship.

It is perhaps notable that Galadriel, the last of the House of Finwë in Middle-earth (other than the Half-elven) and Gil-galad's great-aunt, likewise never claimed a king title let alone the title of High Queen. Indeed the only known Elven Kingdom in Middle-earth after the Second Age was the Silvan realm of Mirkwood, ruled by the Sinda Thranduil.

Aulë and the Dwarves

In a blog post titled "The Real First Born", Lord of the Rings Online dwarf role player Haakon Stormbrow writes:


Although the Dwarves have long since ignored the whole argument, Elves being better record keepers and slippery opponents in any debate, they have long held themselves to be the older race. Elves love nothing more than to glory in the title of the Elder Race, Firstborn, etc. They lord it over the other races like a spoiled Kindergartener, and their self declarations hold as much authority.  Let us now examine the record. We shall even deign to use the Elvish record of events from the Silmarillion to prove their own argument in error.

It is told that in their beginning the Dwarves were made by Aulë in the darkness of Middle-earth; for so greatly did Aulë desire the coming of the Children, to have learners to whom he could teach his lore and his crafts, that he was unwilling to await the fulfillment of the designs of Ilúvatar. And Aulë made the Dwarves even as they still are, because the forms of the Children who were to come were unclear to his mind, and because the power of Melkor was yet over the Earth; and he wished therefore that they should be strong and unyielding. But fearing that the other Valar might blame his work, he wrought in secret: and he made first the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves in a hall under the mountains in Middle-earth.
Now Ilúvatar knew what was done, and in the very hour that Aulë’s work was complete, and he was pleased, and began to instruct the Dwarves in the speech that he had devised for them, Ilúvatar spoke to him; and Aulë heard his voice and was silent. And the voice of Ilúvatar said to him: ‘Why hast thou done this? Why dost thou attempt a thing which thou knowest is beyond thy power and thy authority? For thou hast from me as a gift thy own bring only, and no more; and therefore the creatures of thy hand and mind can live only by that being, moving when thou thinkest to move them, and if thy thought be elsewhere, standing idle. Is that thy desire?’
Then Aulë answered: ‘I did not desire such lordship. I desired things other than I am, to love and to teach them, so that they too might perceive the beauty of Eä, which thou hast caused to be. For it seemed to me that there is great room in Arda for many things that might rejoice in it, yet it is for the most part empty still, and dumb. And in my impatience I have fallen into folly. Yet the making of thing is in my heart from my own making by thee; and the child of little understanding that makes a play of the deeds of his father may do so without thought of mockery, but because he is the son of his father. But what shall I do now, so that thou be not angry with me for ever? As a child to his father, I offer to thee these things, the work of the hands which thou hast made. Do with them what thou wilt. But should I not rather destroy the work of my presumption?’

Then Aulë took up a great hammer to smite the Dwarves; and he wept. But Ilúvatar had compassion upon Aulë and his desire, because of his humility; and the Dwarves shrank from the hammer and wore afraid, and they bowed down their heads and begged for mercy. And the voice of Ilúvatar said to Aulë: ‘Thy offer I accepted even as it was made. Dost thou not see that these things have now a life of their own, and speak with their own voices? Else they would not have flinched from thy blow, nor from any command of thy will.’ Then Aulë cast down his hammer and was glad, and he gave thanks to Ilúvatar, saying: ‘May Eru bless my work and amend it!’
But Ilúvatar spoke again and said: ‘Even as I gave being to the thoughts of the Ainur at the beginning of the World, so now I have taken up thy desire and given to it a place therein; but in no other way will I amend thy handiwork, and as thou hast made it, so shall it be. But I will not suffer this: that these should come before the Firstborn of my design, nor that thy impatience should be rewarded. They shall sleep now in the darkness under stone, and shall not come forth until the Firstborn have awakened upon Earth; and until that time thou and they shall wait, though long it seem. But when the time comes I will awaken them, and they shall be to thee as children; and often strife shall arise between thine and mine, the children of my adoption and the children of my choice.’ Then Aulë took the Seven Fathers of the Dwarves, and laid them to rest in far-sundered places; and he returned to Valinor, and waited while the long years lengthened.

-The Silmarillion
(Illustrations above by Ted Nasmith)


Now, in the simplest terms, to come first would mean to be created and sentient first. It is possible that the Elves were created first and were lying dormant somewhere in Middle-Earth even during the time of the interlude described above. However, it is clear that the dwarves were actually awake and sentient at this time, if only for a few minutes. Unfortunately, you, I, or even Eru can’t undo what was done. The dwarves were awake first, so, it becomes apparent that the Dwarves were, in fact, the firstborn race.
But, the Elves are indeed a noble race, blessed with unending life, and grace and charm above all others. Do not be disheartened just because you are not the oldest race on Arda.

To Haakon's mildly edited post above I'll add this photo, made in Second Life today,

The Firstborn of the Firstborn

and two remarks:

~ While clearly first created, no dwarves were BORN before any elves were born.  The very "first born" would not be Durin, but some anonymous elf at Cuivienen.  Elves can legitimately claim the title "firstborn". 
~ Aulë still feels some embarrassment over his folly in that event, but none at all over the outcome.

Customs about Aulë

Since my first post, I've imagined a few things I like to play about Aulë:

Home Life

Aulë is fond eating. While Aulë is not a strict vegan, like Yavanna, nor even a vegetarian, since he is the inventor of husbandry, he prefers to dine on cleverly prepared dishes from fresh ingredients where no plant nor animal met an early death in the making.  Wines and distillations are a special favorite and a recurring topic of his own experimentation. Some experiments are most delicious and healthful; others are not palatable.

"Live and Learn."

"Make good"

Yes, Ainu can breed. So can Dwarves. No, you do not need details.  

Gift Giving

If Aulë comes to visit you, you will certainly receive a gift from him. When you visit him, it is good manners to bring a gift of your own, preferably something you had some hand in the making. Edibles that can be shared are always appropriate.  If you give Aulë a gift, he will give you one also.

Things you have made are intensely interesting. One should vocally admire cleverness.

Weaponry

Since they too easily cause disaster, avoid sharpened edges or explosive or poisonous charges on tools or weaponry. When they must be used, learn extreme respect and caution.

"Make armory with a heavy heart: regret what those creations will cause."

"I do not teach others to make the most destructive devices invented: there is no merciful cause for their use."

A Vala cannot reasonably expect others to sanctify his symbols utterly to peaceful purposes in a dangerous world. Those who worshipfully use a hammer in battle receive a hesitant blessing. Those who seek a non-destructive end to battle receive a joyous blessing.

The hammer shape of "T" resembles the second tengwar letter of the name "Aulë" (the "L") .

Battle
 

Ever since Eru Ilúvatar prevented his deadly hammer from slaying newly forged dwarves, Aulë uses the hammer against no living thing. Further, he shuns deadly violence to ANY thinking creature since The One allowed such mercy to his dwarves.  Aulë considers the living creations of The One and Yavanna superior to his attempt in this area, but he is still proud of his Dwarves.

Aulë will not violently battle in the presence of elves. Even his physical attacks and defenses damage nearby elves too easily.  Even chanting phrases of the Ainulindalë that form every part of existence can create a profound magical effects. Since some elves are terrified and dismayed by the powers wielded, Aulë is cautious about invocations.   Thus, in active conflict, he may help arm his allies, but absents himself or takes takes the role of healer.   He will help clean up and repair the battle-space.

Others naturally must be free to act as predator and executioner. Aulë's nearest kin are among the fiercest combatants in all creation. That is how The One made them.

Aulë's preferred tactics:

• Inventive, non-destructive solutions
• Enchant sleep
• Restrain with cages, webs, chains, or earth.
• Find where then enemy belongs and get them there.
• Arm then heal allies already present and engaged. 
• If all foes are mindless, throw boulders.
• Bring Oromë or Tulkas there

Education

Aulë main purpose is "To Teach", all else he does is to help make the world a place where learning can happen.  Building for himself is secondary, sharing is primary.  

Aulë will attempt to teach anything to anyone who asks.  He prefers to refer a question to an existing reference or an advanced student: it teaches the questioner how to research (a most basic study skill) or solidifies the advanced student's knowledge by codifying it for another.

Without skill and practice, talent cannot express.  Skill can be taught: Talent cannot. One can be skilled without much talent yet be productive in any craft.  Not all have the ear, voice or will for music, chanting, or magic. Not all have the eye, mind or strength for stone, metal, earth and wood work; nor have all the touch, heart, or artistry for writing, drafting and design, yet anyone can do these things with some success. 

"Gain skill. Talent may follow."

Criticize another's work only on invitation. It's better to ask what the student finds improvable in his own work, then agree with guidance or disagree with examples. It's bad form to criticize a beginner for failing to create a master-work.  Offering a work up for sale is an invitation to criticism. Selling instead of gifting or donation is also a reasonable act: it's good for the soul that the receiver give something in exchange for work for able hands.

"Eggs cannot harmonize."

Damaging a student or letting a student damage himself is an abomination, no matter what the provocation, circumstance or device. When a student is a likely danger to himself or others, touch or restrain him to get his full attention.  Only in safety and respect can correction and instruction occur.

Incognito in Last Ages

In later ages, long after the events of the Lord of the Rings, Aulë travels as an humble itinerant tinker  "from a large and diverse family from Almaren" crafting, repairing, selling and gifting doodads, gadgets, and knickknacks using one of his many names.  (( This is merely to open up role playing possibilities, since he likely stayed in Aman til the wide world ends))  He will teach crafts should students and need appear.  ((If we role play this, Aule will really teach you something of Second Life  content creation as the scene warrants.))

He'll stay a while, set things better, then move on. Repeat for many, many years.   As this kind, magical, and generous fellow gains a fondness of mortals, he may become a mysterious yet legendary jolly old elf of fable, considered a saint even.   We'll see how that plays.

A History of Elvish Weaponry, Part 1

JRR Tolkien gives weapons and armor special attention in his books. To clarify, this article ranges a bit larger than simple weaponry, since warfare includes not only the tools and weapons, but defenses, tactics, and natural ability.

The elves very first tactic for defense was "safety in numbers". To illustrate, the elves' first foes were Melko and his cohorts, and it was hardly fair warfare: Elves were newly created, babes though appearing adult while Melko's forces were mature in their ainu powers and seasoned campaigners, two wars already waged among the aniu. Even at Cuivienen, though, Melko and his minions did not directly attack the elves newly awakened there; they hunted only those who wandered off from the group. Still, while some elves were lost in that first campaign, the far majority survived. Elves, en masse, between their shared wisdom and might, are never defeated. Is there ANY group of elves that lost a battle to another race?  The elves greatest asset is their unity and safety in numbers.

Orome, the Hunter

Granted, the first elve's foes were keeping a low profile at the time because Oromë was on the hunt.

As Melko began corrupting and despoiling the world by creating many unnatural monsters, weapons became necessary, if not preferred, by Oromë, the great hunter. He's recorded as often in Middle-Earth hunting these unnatural abominations with bow, arrow, spear and javelins.Those first weapons are the same as those of Human antiquity.  Archaeologists of the Prehistoric eras claim that humans used wooden clubs, sling and stone, shaped spear, knife, bow and arrow. The elves would have copied and constructed those first weapons on the Great Trek and learned to use them from Oromë himself and each other.

Aulë, the Vala Inventor in Aman would have crafted tools and  weapons that human history records ancient: the hammer, the shield, the staff, the sickle, the chain, the shackle, and the bola. They are only incidentally weapons, firstly being used as agricultural, husbandry, and crafting tools.

Quenya words for weapons of antiquity:

• Dagger, Knife: sicil (Noldorin Sindarin: sigil
• Axe:  pelekko, (North Sindarin: hathol, Khuzdul: baruk or burk )
• Bow quinga, ( Noldorin Sindarin: peng also poetically cû ("arch"))
• Helmet: cassa, harna, harpa and carma 
• Shield: turma, umbas (umbaÞ); (Þ is the letter "thorn" with a "th" sound)
• Spear: hatal and ehte

This would be partial list of names, since elves name everything several ways, including weapons.  Naming and even inscribing names on them is wholly in elvish character. Many elvish and ainu tools and weapons had individual names, especially if the object is meaningful and unique. (Wikipedia List of Middle-earth weapons and armour)

 

ANCIENT WEAPONRY:

This brings elvish warfare into the Ancient era of Earth warfare: bronze then iron sword, shield, helmet, armor, crossbow,

The Silmarillion chapter 7

when Melkor saw that these lies were smouldering, and that pride and anger were awake among the Noldor, he spoke to them concerning weapons; and in that time the Noldor began the smithying of swords and axes and spears. Shields also they made displaying the tokens of many houses and kindreds that vied one with another; and these only they wore abroad, and of other weapons they did not speak, for each believed that he alone had received the warning. And Fëanor made a secret forge, of which not even Melkor was aware; and there he tempered fell swords for himself and for his sons, and made tall helms with plumes of red. Bitterly did Mahtan rue the day when he taught to the husband of Nerdanel all the lore of metalwork that he had learned of Aulë.

The passage implies Mahtan taught Feanor to make swords before Melko put the idea in their heads. Thus the swords Noldor elves might bear before Melko is out of prison are the very earliest ones ever made, so sword-craft and technique are new in the Age of the Trees, making instruction classes on sword use and defense especially appropriate.  Noldor invented it.

it clear that Feanor's "fell swords" are a new invention, but it's highly likely more normal swords already existed.  Fell: (in this sense) destructive, deadly, from Middle English "felon"[wicked], related to "villain", "filet", and "warlock"

a few other notes about swords: images: http://www.squidoo.com/lord-of-the-rings-swords

• Sword: makil, macil, (Noldorin Sindarin: crist, magl, magol, North Sindarin magor)

• Variations: lango (broad sword),  lhang (curved, long two-handed sword for movie Elves)

•  Armor has no Quenya word, but elves had it.

The Kinslaying at Algualondë

Ted Nasmith's fantastic art clearly shows armor, including the red-plumed helms and others in the not-too-distant future, showing Noldor in melee with shields, swords and armor before humanity had awoken.  

Looking even farther forward in time....

When Melkor returned to Middle-earth after stealing the Silmarils, his armies attacked the Sindar elves. Those elves were almost totally unprepared, lacking in heavy weapons and suffering heavy casualties but not succumbing.  This event was the beginning of thousands of years on and off warfare against the forces of darkness. The elves or dwarves of Middle-Earth may have been developed some Ancient and Antiquity weaponry independently later, but JRRT makes the high Noldor elves the solution to this imbalance. Here are two quick quotes:

from -Unfinished Tales, The Disaster of the Gladden Fields. [Of the Dúndain:]

“They had with the teaching of the Noldor acquired great skill in the forging of swords, of axe-blades, and of spearheads and knives.”

from -The Silmarillion, Akallabêth [Of the Numenorian]

"Eönwë came among them and taught them great lore."

Eonwë is one of the strongest of the Ainu, and a sword master himself, but nowhere is he the inventor of the thing; although he is a herald and messenger, apparently Eonwë learned sword work from the Noldor, mastered it, and passed it on.

Even Men get armor with Noldor guidance, once both meet in Middle Earth.  Noldor elves continue their innovations in warfare, including other "Ancient" techniques: fortifications, rams and ladders, the war horse and , chariots and war-ships. In later ages, full "medieval" warfare is paralelled in Lord of the Rings: siege towers, ramps, cavalry with lances, infantry formations, plate armor, and the introduction of explosives.

Fingon and Gothmog,  Ted Nasmith

But for "here and now", year of the trees 1240, ... the summary is thus:

we have several hundred years of elvish experience
with the bow, the arrow, the knife, the stone.

the javelin and the spear are well known,
as are healing with herbs and rest.

Noldor are just leaning the use of swords, armor, and shields. 

And the first elvish defensive technique: safety in numbers.

Their shared wisdom and skill is undefeated.

This was a presentation and discussion of his fictional history of armaments, warfare and tactics as regards JRR Tolkien's works.

Tirion Forest is a Noldor Elf roleplaying sim, set in the age of the Trees, the noon-time of Aman, when evil is securely bound and the elves and the world are in harmony. Mostly.

Name the Bad Guy Entries.

A handful of entrants gave multiple entries to "Name the Bad Guy"

Our Elven RP leader, Maralee Greenwood, teaches that The Silmarillion states that the Noldor do not speak Melkor's name and that JRRT wrote "The Fallen One" for them to use instead. Quoting Valaquenta, "Of The Enemies":

"Last of all is set the name of Melkor, He who arises in Might. But that name he as forfeited; and the Noldor, who among the Elves suffered most from his malice, will not utter it, and they name him Morgoth, the Dark Enemy of the World."

This could justify the Noldor calling the bad guy Morgoth from the very beginning. Since the Noldor had not suffered anything unusual of his malice by the Noontide of Valinor, we play that the elves call The Bad Guy neither "Melkor" for fear of the power of the name, nor "Morgoth" for it hasn't been coined yet.

The phrase "Fallen One" never appears in Tolkien's the Silmarillion. The word "fallen" appears less than 20 times, and never in reference to Melkor. Still, the elves might indeed use "Fallen One" as the Quenya lantë (a moral fall) suggests "Lantwë". Of the Ainu, though, only Aulë claims "I have fallen into folly" in his chapter. Hearing the useful "Fallen" or "Lantwë" would make Aulë, fallen yet forgiven, regretful.

The Entries:

• ~ "Lantwë", Quenya for "The Fallen One"
• ~ "Límilawë" for "The Chained One"
  
• ~ "i túra nancar" for "The great destroyer"
  
• ~ "Morier" for Dark One,
• ~ "Feuyaer" for the disgusting one
• ~ "Ksher" for the Evil one
• ~ "Oklem" or "Roklem" are Melko and Melkor backwards, so as to mimick his feature that he never did anything on this own but only corrupted and distorted what others had made before, so we do not give him a "new" name but rather take the "old" one and corrupt it ourselves.

the entrants did not attempt to translate these last into Quenya, but I did:

• ~ "First of tyrants", Quenya has no word for tyrant. Perhaps "First Night Lord", or "First Slave Lord" will do: Lómëheru-minya or Mólheru-minya
• ~ "Sourvoice", as stink- holwë + voice óma = "Holoma"
• ~ "Badsong" as bad Olca + song linde = "Olcalin"
• ~ "Shouty" or "Shouter" as "Ramando"
• ~ "The Discordant" deserves some thought:

in JJRT's Ainulindale, other words appear for the Bad Guy once each: "loud", "vain", "clamorous" "braying" "disturbed" "turbulent" "uproar". Three times the word "discord" describes what the Bad Guy makes:

Dis-cord
~Lack of agreement among persons, groups, or things.
~Tension or strife resulting from a lack of agreement;
~strife, dispute, war, dissension.
~confused, harsh or inharmonious sound or sounds.
~a dissonance in music.
~To fail to agree or harmonize;
~clash.

"Discord" isn't in Quenya wordlists, nor most above, but these are:

"NOT" ú-, in-, un-, prefix usually has a "bad" connotation
MUSICAL SOUND lin, lind-, linda
PEACE sérë, rainë, sívë;

suggesting "Úlinwë", "Úlin", "Úlinda", "Úsérë", "Úrainë", and "Úsívë".

The etymological roots of discord offer another direction:

[Middle English, from Old French descorde, from Latin discordia, from discors, discord-, disagreeing : dis-, apart; see dis- + cor, cord-, heart; see kerd- in Indo-European roots.]

HEART hón (physical heart), órë (inner mind), indo (mind, mood), enda (centre, soul or mind), elwen (is early “Qenya”).
BREAK APART terhat-; hat- ; ascat-

suggests: "Hatórë", "Hatenda"

Judging

JRRT's own names that the Noontide elves called The Bad Guy could fit our needs nicely "The Hunter" ("Roimë" in Quenya), "The Dark Rider", ("Moroquen") and "Dark Hunter" ("Moroimë"), even if all are similar to "Oromë".

Top prizes go to "Lantwë" (Fallen One), "Morier" (Dark One), and "Roklem" (arising in might backwards) for whimsey, style and brevity. Honorable mention goes to "The Discordant", translated as "Úlin", "Úrainë" or "Hatórë".

I'd like to make one entry myself, obvious yet overlooked:
"The Bad Guy": "Olcawë", or better, "Úwë".

The Noldor of Tirion in Second Life will soon get ALL these entries and the JRRT to use as they wish. I will take a survey among them after March 14 regarding which of these names actually get used and award another prize at that time.

Name the Bad Guy Contest

Arth Karas here, not quite fully in character as Aulë

Melko has many names in later Ages, but few in the Age of the Trees. As you can see in the chat below, the ones we have are a bit unwieldy or being avoided. Thus, we need a unique and appropriate name to call him.

NAME THE BAD GUY CONTEST

Acceptable names will be:
~ Either chosen or translated directly from JRRT Tolkien sources
~ rooted in Quenya or Valarin or English, since Sindarin, Latin and other such languages are unknown yet in our RP.
~ clearly not some other character nor confusingly similar to such
~ accurate to Melko's character
~ not overly respectful (for reasons of story arcs to come)

Please look over what I have here and send me names by SL IM, which forwards to arth.karas@-at-gmail.-dot-com. Multiple submissions accepted. I will choose the acceptable submissions (and likely write an article here about which and why) based on creativity, originality, duplication and whimsy. After entries are collected thru Jan 1, 2012, I will split a L$ 1200 entry prize among to Sheriwood and ~Aglarond~ group members. All accepted suggestions will go to Noldor Elves of Tirion to use in role play. From their natural selection by use, I will choose a grand prize winner of another L$ 600 by March 4, 2012.

Learn more:

http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Morgoth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melkor
http://aulethesmith.blogspot.com/2010/09/aule-versus-melkor.html
http://users.bestweb.net/~jfgm/valaquenta/texts/21%20Melkor.htm

Open Chat excerpt prompting this contest:
Second Life, Tirion Forest Sim 01Dec2011 ~ 1400 PST
During a 3 player discussion on Melko's character.

Marwen: The One's mind has turned so bad
Aulë: WHAT?
Marwen: this cannot be a mere coincidence
Aulë is agitated. WHAT ARE YOU SAYING?
Anairë: The evil one do you mean?
Marwen: My lord
Aulë mimics Marwen: The One's mind has turned so bad
Marwen: forgive me Mylord
Marwen: my wording is poor indeed
Aulë: THE ONE is Eru, Ilúvatar.
Aulë: WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU MEANT?
Marwen: The Fallen One
Aulë: pfff.
Aulë: Just call him Melko.
Aulë: Melkor.
Aulë: he's not "fallen" any more than I am.
Marwen: we are not supposed to say his name
Marwen: that's why
Anairë: Lady Yavanna suggested we not name him?
Aulë stammers a moment.
Marwen looks down ashamed
Anairë: You may be safe from his attention Vala Aule...but if we came to his special notice
Aulë: composes himself.
Aulë: Your respect of the Lady Yavanna's suggestions are wholly commendable. I'm proud of you.
Aulë: and I see her point... and yours.
Anairë: We are a little more vulnerable than you are Vala Aule...smiles
Aulë: I'm already Melko's target for mischief.
Aulë: aye... and your keeping a low profile makes sense.
Anairë: Oh he has caused you harm?
Aulë waves aside the question impatiently...
Aulë: but when the names you chose to use infect your very speech and ideation to say such silly things as I just heard...
Aulë: you need to choose another solution.
Anairë: nods
Marwen: we learned at the last barding his name among the Noldor is "The Fallen One"
Aulë: might I suggest something less similar to Eru's name?
Anairë: mmm thinks of a name
Aulë: in my own though, he is often "HotHead"
Aulë: and lately... "Chained"
Anairë: He who is chained would not be mistaken
Anairë: Well unless any Noldor are taken and chained.... shudders
Marwen: and you made the chains
Aulë: aye. I made them special just for him. Fire is my domain as well among the Vala now.
Marwen: so it would be your domain to make an exception here too
Aulë: I have no objections to naming Melko after chains or fire. They are his more than mine.
Aulë: Perhaps I should host a contest...
Marwen: this would leave us at "the chained one"
Anairë: What aspect was he who is chained supposed to have dominance over if the song was perfect?
Marwen: deliberately without capital letters
Aulë: Melko is an aspect of extremes: very hot, very cold, very beautiful, very abhorrent.
Aulë: and he has great gifts in all areas of creation.
Aulë: "what to name Melko, when you must speak of him"
Aulë: yes.... I think I will do that. Sponsor a creative contest to find names for that character...
Anairë: Evil seems a good description of him
Anairë: but there are many names for such an evil one
Aulë: names that are at once accurate, yet not overly respectful.
Aulë hums in thought, taking up quill and scroll.

the Naming of Elves

JRRT's elves, according to the notes Christopher Tolkien compiled into a collection called "the Ring of Morgoth", always have at least three names. There is some ceremony about the essë "naming" of High Elves.

1. the public essi ("father-name") is given at birth. Usually the son's name takes after the father and the daughter's name takes after the mother. The father announces it to the extended family and thus the world. The first Noldo king Finwë named his first-born son "Curufinwë" after himself [curu- "skill" + fin "nimble, clever" + -wë "man"]

2. the given-names, most prominent and earliest of these is the amilessë ("mother-name"), based on sight, insight or foresight. These might be public or private, but have more to do with character than family. Finwë's same eldest son was mother-named by Miriel as "Fëanáro" [ fëa "spirit" + nár "flame" + -o masculine]. This, later translated into the Middle-Earth elvish language Sindarin, become "Fëanor". In SL's Arda, that same character as gathered a few of these informal names, "Mundotarië" [nose-high for "Arrogant one"] among them.

3. the epessë ("after-name" or honorific) is a self-chosen name taken at a time of childhood and again infrequently when the elf deems it suitable, usually at times of life changing importance as assumption of a throne or staggering loss. Again these might be public or private, but the first chosen-name is taken and kept private (but not secret) to family when the child has mastered language. That same elf likely kept his own chosen names to himself, since I find no record of it. In SL's Arda, though, that character answers to 'mela' [beloved] from Nerdael (and no one else) and the name of the SL account, "Tlaloc"

Another example of naming is Gil-galad ("Star of Radiance"), which was the mother-name of the last High King of the Noldor. His father-name was Rodnor. Upon becoming king he was given the epessë Ereinion ("Scion of Kings") and called Ereinion Gil-gilad.

In role-play, then, Elves have at least three names: an everyday name from the father about the family, a personal name from the mother about the appearance, and one too private to be uttered out loud. The name players choose for the character can be be assigned to one of the three major sources: father, mother (and other seers) and self for family, appearance, or something ineffable [too private, large or sacred to be said aloud], thus attributed to a childhood source.

Substitute "elf" for "cat" below, and T.S Eliot echoes J.R.R. Tolkien:

The Naming of Cats
- T.S. Eliot
(from "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats")

The Naming of Cats is a difficult matter,
It isn't just one of your holiday games;
You may think at first I'm as mad as a hatter
When I tell you, a cat must have THREE DIFFERENT NAMES.
First of all, there's the name that the family use daily,
Such as Peter, Augustus, Alonzo or James,
Such as Victor or Jonathan, George or Bill Bailey -
All of them sensible everyday names.
There are fancier names if you think they sound sweeter,
Some for the gentlemen, some for the dames:
Such as Plato, Admetus, Electra, Demeter -
But all of them sensible everyday names.
But I tell you, a cat needs a name that's particular,
A name that's peculiar, and more dignified,
Else how can he keep his tail perpendicular,
Or spread out his whiskers, or cherish his pride?
Of names of this kind, I can give you a quorum,
Such as Munkustrap, Quaxo, or Coricopat,
Such as Bombalurina, or else Jellylorum -
Names that never belong to more than one cat.
But above and beyond there's still one name left over,
And that is the name that you never will guess;
The name that no human research can discover -
But THE CAT HIMSELF KNOWS, and will never confess.
When you notice a cat in profound meditation,
The reason, I tell you, is always the same:
His mind is engaged in a rapt contemplation
Of the thought, of the thought, of the thought of his name:
His ineffable effable
Effanineffable
Deep and inscrutable singular Name.

"Peace and Joy and wisdom"

Several years ago, searching thru Tolkien, I found this as a motto for the Arda groups of Second Life in "the Book of Lost Tales"

of more worth than all the glory of Valinor and all the grace and beauty of Kor is peace and happiness and wisdom,

I translated the "peace and happiness and wisdom" using [site] into quenya, " Sére ar alasse ar saila!", meaning (Peace and joy and wisdom!)". This short gesture has been popular since then.

But much darker than the snippet I give is the full quote from a speech of Manwë (King of the Valar, called "Gods" in this version). The Noldor from Kor (Tirion) had behaved selfishly and unfriendly to the Valar and each other. Taking advantage of this created sorry state, Melko caused the first death of an elf, the first regicide, and the first orphan.

Without the Gods who brought you to the light
and gave you all the materials of your craft,
teaching your first ignorance,
none of these fair things you love now so well
ever would have been;

what has been done may again be done,
for the power of the Valar does not change;

but of more worth than
all the glory of Valinor and all the grace and beauty of Kor
is peace and happiness and wisdom,
and these once lost
are harder to recapture.

Cease then to murmur and to speak against the Valar,
or to set yourselves in your hearts as equals to their majesty;

rather depart now in penitence
knowing full well that Melko has wrought this evil against you,
and that your secret trafficking with him has brought you all this loss and sorrow.
Trust him not again therefore,

nor any others that whisper secret words of discontent among you,
for its fruit is humiliation and dismay."

While Manwë certainly preaches eloquently, I am simpler spoken:

if you must chose between
your friendship and your stuff,
choose your friends.
They are harder to come by and harder to make
than anything made by hands.

And, when you make that mistake, as we do because we love our stuff,
apologize and atone to your friends and those that helped you.
and turn away from those that lead you astray.

Appearances

(This is a mirror post from Second Life note card by Lihan Taifun of JRRT quotes.)

"Now the Valar took to themselves shape and hue; and because they were drawn into the World by love of the Children of Ilúvatar, for whom they hoped, the took shape after that manner which they had beheld in the Vision of Ilúvatar, save only in majesty and splendour Moreover, their shape comes of their knowledge of the visible World, rather than of the World itself; and they need it not, save only as we use raiment, and yet we may be naked and suffer no loss of our being. Therefore the Valar may walk, if they will, unclad, and then even the Eldar cannot clearly perceive them, though they be present. But when they desire to clothe themselves, the Valar take upon them forms some as of male and some as of female; for that difference of temper they had even from their beginning, and it is but bodied forth in the choice of each, not made by that choice, even as with us male and female may be shown by the raiment but is not made thereby. But the shapes wherein the Great Ones array themselves are not at all times like the shapes of the kings and queens of the Children of Ilúvatar; for at times they may clothe themselves in their own thought, make visible in forms of majesty and dread.
...
"Then Melkor saw ... that the Valar walked on earth as powers visible, clad in the raiment of the World, and were lovely and glorious to see, and blissful. ... His envy grew then the greater within him; and he also took visible form, but because of his mood and the malice that burned in him that form was dark and terrible.

Silmarillion, "Ainulindalë"

[Ulmo] does not love to walk upon the land, and will seldom clothe himself in a body after the manner of his peers. If the Children of Eru beheld him they were filled with a great dread; for the arising of the King of the Sea was terrible, as a mounting wave that strides to the land, with dark helm foam-crested and raiment of mail shimmering from silver down into shadows of green. ... Ulmo's voice is deep as the deeps of the ocean, which only he has seen.

Silmarillion, "Valaquenta"

In the form of a woman, [Yavanna] is tall, and robed in green; but at times she takes other shapes. Some there are who have seen her standing like a tree under heaven, crowned with the sun; and from all its branches there spilled a golden dew upon the barren earth ...

Silmarillion, "Valaquenta"

In Angband Morgoth forged for himself a great crown of Iron, and he called himself King of the World. In token of this he set the Silmarils in this crown. His hands were burned black by the touch of those hallowed jewels, and black they remained ever after; nor was he ever free from the pain of the burning, and the anger of the pain.
...
Nonetheless his majesty as one of the Valar long remained, though turned to terror.

Silmarillion, "Of the Flight of the Noldor"

[Arien, Maia of the Sun] was chosen because she had not feared the heats of Laurelin,, and was unhurt by them, being from the beginning a spirit of fire, whom Melkor had not deceived nor drawn into his services. To bright were they eyes of Arien for even the Eldar to look on, and leaving Valinor she forsook the form and raiment which like the Valar she had worn there, and she was as a naked flame, terrible in the fullness of her splendour.

Silmarillion, "Of the Sun and Moon"


Of old there was Sauron the Maia..... He became the most trusted of the servents of the Enemy, and the most perilous, for he could asssume many forms, and for long if he willed he could still appear noble and beautiful, so as to deceive all but the most wary.

Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"

[During the fall of Númenor] the world was broken, and the land was swallowed up, and the seas rose over it, and Sauron himself went down into the abyss. But his spirit arose and fled back on a dark wind to Middle-Earth, seeking a home.

[After the fall of Númenor, Sauron returned to his old haunts in Mordor, in Middle Earth.] There now he brooded in the dark, until he had wrought for himself a new shape; and it was terrible, for his fair semblance had departed for ever when he was cast into the abyss at the drowning of Númenor.

Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"

But at last the siege was so strait that Sauron himself came forth; and he wrestled with Gil-galad and Elendil, and they both were slain, and the sword of Elendil broke under him as he fell. But Sauron also was thrown down, and with the hilt-shard of Narsil Isildur cut the Ruling Ring from the hand of Sauron and took it for his own. Then Sauron was for that time vanquished, and he forsook his body, and his spirit fled far away and hid in waste places; and he took no visible shape again for many long years.

Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"

[Gandalf describes his battle with the Balrog:]
" ... I threw down my enemy, and he fell from the high place and broke the mountain-side where he smote it in his ruin. Then darkness took me, and I strayed out of thought and time, and I wandered far on roads that I will not tell.
"Naked I was sent back -- for a brief time, until my task is done. And naked I lay upon the mountain-top. ... There I lay staring upward, while the stars wheeled over, and each day was as long as a life-age of the earth. ... And so at the last Gwaihir the Windlord [Chief of the Eagles] found me again, and he took me up and bore me away."

The Two Towers, "The White Rider"
(According to the timeline in Appendix B, Gandalf was dead for 19 days.)

"If you must know more, his name is Beorn.
He is very strong, and he is a skin-changer.
"... He changes his skin: sometimes he is a huge black bear, sometimes he is a great strong black-haired man with huge arms and a great beard. I cannot tell you much more, though that ought to be enough. Some say that he is a bear descended from the great and ancient bears of the mountains that lived there before the giants came. Others say that he is a man descended from the first men ... I cannot say. ... He is not the sort of person to ask questions of. At any rate he is under no enchantment but his own. ... As a man he keeps cattle and horses that are nearly as marvelous as himself. ...
As a bear he ranges far and wide."

The Hobbit, Chapter 7

"The realm of Sauron is ended!" said Gandalf.
"And as the Captains gazed south to the Land of Mordor, it seemed to them that, black against the pall of cloud, there rose a huge shape of shadow, impenetrable, lightning-crowned, filling all the sky. Enormous it reared above the world, and stretched out toward them a vast threatening hand, terrible but impotent: for even as it leaned over them, a great wind took it, and it was all blown away, and passed; and a hush fell.

Return of the King, "The Field of Cormallen"

"To the dismay of those that stood by, about the body of Saruman a grey mist gathered, and rising slowly to a great height like smoke from a fire as a pale shrouded figure it loomed over the Hill. For a moment it wavered, looking to the West; but out of the West came a cold wind, and it bent away, and with a sigh dissolved into nothing.

Return of the King, "The Scouring of the Shire"

High Elvish marriage

Researching High Elvish weddings is a relatively fruitless task. JRR Tolkien's trilogy and Hobbit contain none of them. The Silmarillion, often detailed, give no details at all about ceremony. "While still in his early youth, [Fëanor] married Nerdanel" is about the longest Elvish description you will find. The only Valar wedding described is thus:

Now it came to pass that while the Valar rested from their labors, and watched the growth and unfolding of the things that they had devised and begun, Manwë ordained a great feast; and the Valar and all their host came at his bidding...
And it is sung that in that feast of the Spring of Arda, Tulkas espoused Nessa the sister of Oromë, and she danced before the Valar upon the green grass of [the island] Almaren.
Then Tulkas slept, being weary and content.

One unusual wedding website quotes extensively from a "Morgoth's Ring" chapter: "Laws and Customs among the Eldar"

"At the end of the feast the betrothed stood forth, and the mother of the bride and the father of the bridegroom joined the hands of the pair and blessed them. For this blessing there was a solemn form, but no mortal has heard it; though the Eldar say that Varda was named in witness by the mother and Manwë by the father; and moreover that the name of Eru was spoken (as was seldom done at any other time). The betrothed then received back one from the other their silver rings (and treasured them); but they gave in exchange slender rings of gold, which were worn upon the index of the right hand.

Also, among the Noldor, it was a custom that the bride's mother should give to the bridegroom a jewel upon a chain or collar; and the bridegroom's father should give a like gift to the bride. These gifts were sometimes given before the feast. "

I extract these elements from the entire quoted text:

Courtship

♥ usually with familial approval
♥ sometimes since childhood
♥ no pre-marital conjugation

Handfasting

♥ in early adulthood, soon after age 50
♥ the father physically giving the daughter's hand to the groom
♥ the families announce betrothal.
♥ the two exchange silver rings
♥ handfasting lasts one year at least, often much longer.


The return of the rings signals revocation of intent to wed. Recall "one year" in age of the Trees is about 9.5 sun-years, so that is a nice long hand-fasting. In modern parlance, the "engagement" is similar: a time where the couple and their families learn to deal with each other and a large project of arranging the wedding celebration itself.

Marriage Ceremony

♥ brides mother and grooms father join the couple's hands.
♥ those parents bless them, solemnly invoking Manwë, Varda and Ilúvatar
♥ the silver rings are returned to one another
♥ gold rings are exchanged

Júli meldanyan, cuilenya ar melmenya

'To Juli my beloved, my life and my love'

The Wedding Feast

♥ occurs before or around the ceremony
♥ the king and/or father usually presides
♥ jewel and jewelry gifts are given to the couple
♥ food and music and dancing and vast attendance

♥ then sleeping happens and life goes on.

Now, to locate some elvish "solemn form blessings" to make a ceremony.

Human - Elvish Marriage

JRR Tolkien seems to enjoy the theme of mortal man to elf-maid romances leading to marriage. His wife's grave even bears one of these names.

After many alliances in battle and peace, Tuor (a human prince) and Idril (an elven princess) are married by King Turgon (Idril's father) and the entire city celebrates in an early draft. In the final Silmarillion, JRRT only celebrates them with a feast thus:

"the heart of Idril was turned to him, and his to her... So high did Tuor stand in the favor of the King that when he has dwelt there for seven years Turgon did not refuse him even the hand of his daughter;.. Then there was made a great and joyful feast, for Tuor had won the hearts of all that people, save only of Maeglin [a rival suitor] and his secret following; and thus there came to pass the second union of Elves and Men"

The first such was Beren and Lúthien wed in the Silmarillion. In pages and pages of trials, these vows are these:

"as she looked upon him, doom fell upon her and she loved him. But she slipped from his arms and vanished from his sight into the city, even as the day was breaking... and long ago in the Hidden Kingdom she laid her hand in his. Thereafter often she came to him, and they went in secret through the woods together from spring to summer; and no others of the Children of Ilúvatar have had joy so great, though the time was brief"

After Lúthien led Beren before the throne of Thingol, as if he were an honored guest despite her father's outrage at her consorting with a mortal, Beren declares:

"here I have found what I sought not indeed, but finding I would possess for ever. For it is above all gold and silver, and beyond all jewels. Neither rock, nor steel, nor the fires of Morgoth, nor all the powers of the Elf-kingdoms, shall keep form the the treasure that I desire. for Lúthien your daughter is the fairest of all the Children of the World"

Thingol, seething, still echoes his daughters "laying her hand in his" when sending Beren on a deadly quest for a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown, saying: "then, if she will, Lúthien may set her hand in yours."

Later, Lúthien makes her intent clear while Beren is vacillating to continue or end on this quest: "You must chose, Beren, between these two... but on either road I shall go with you, and our doom shall be alike" At last, when Luthien and Beren return to Thingol, 'hand' imagery returns:

"Therefore, at the last he yielded his will, and Beren took the hand of Luthien before her father."

Most well known of all, Aragorn marries Arwen ("the likenes of Luthien") in Minas Tirith in Gondor (image below by the Hildebrandt Brothers) near the end of "The Return of the King":

"last [of the arriving elves] came Master Elrond, mighty among Elves and Men, bearing the scepter of Annúminas, and beside him upon a grey palfrey rose Arwen his daughter, Evenstar of her people.
"and Frodo when he saw her come glimmering in the evening, with stars on her brow and a sweet fragrance about her was moved to great wonder, and he said to Gandalf: "At last I understand why we have waited! This is the ending. Now, not day only shall be beloved, but night too shall be beautiful and blessed and all its fear pass away!"

"Then the king welcomed his guests, and they alighted, and Elrond surrendered the scepter, and laid the hand of his daughter in the hand of the King, and together they went up into the High City, and all the stars flowered in the sky. And Aragorn the King Elessar wedded Arwen Undómiel in the City of the Kings upon the day of Midsummer, and the tale of their long waiting and labours was come to fulfillment"

JRRT writes a precursor to this in "the Fellowship of the Rings" in "Farewell to Lorien", when Galadriel, Arwen's maternal grandmother, asks Aragron's desire:

'Lady, you know all my desire, and long held in keeping the only treasure that I seek. Yet it is not yours to give me, even if you would; and only through darkness shall I come to it.'
'Yet maybe this will lighten your heart,' said Galadriel; 'for it was left in my care to be given to you, should you pass through this land.' Then she lifted from her lap a great stone of clear green, set in a silver brooch that was wrought int he likeness of an eagle with outspread wings; and as she held it up the gem flashed like the sun shining through the leaves of spring. 'This stone I gave to Celebrían my daughter and she to hers; and now it comes to you as a token of hope. I this hour take the name that was foretold for you, Elessar, the Elfstone of the house on Elendil!"
Then Aragorn took the stone and pinned the brooch upon his breast, and those who saw him wondered; for they had not marked before how tall and kingly he stood, and it seemed to them that many years of toil had fallen from his shoulders. 'For the gifts that you have given me I thank you,' he said, 'O Lady of Lórien of whom were sprung Celebraín and Arwen Evenstar. What praise could I say more?'
The Lady bowed her head...

The gift Aragorn dared not ask for was, of course, Arwen herself who dwelt long in Lórien. The hopeful brooch was doubtless the elven marriage gift of a jewel, from the mother of the bride to the groom.