Note: the commentary follows the poem

The Last Ship

Firiel looked out at three o’clock:
the grey night was going;
far away a golden_cock
clear and shrill was crowing.
The trees were dark, and the dawn pale,
waking birds were cheeping,
a wind moved cool and frail
through dim leaves creeping.

She watched the gleam at window grow,
till the long light was shimmering
on land and leaf; on grass below
grey dew was glimmering.
Over the floor her white feet crept,
down the stair they twinkled,
through the grass they dancing stepped
all with dew besprinkled.

Her gown had jewels upon its hem,
as she ran down to the river,
and leaned upon a willow-stem,
and watched the water quiver.
A kingfisher plunged down like a stone
in a blue flash falling,
bending reeds were softly blown,
lily-leaves were sprawling.

A sudden music to her came,
as she stood there gleaming
with fair hair in the morning’s flame
on her shoulders streaming.
Flutes were there, and harps were wrung,
and there was sound of singing,
like wind-voices keen and young
and far bells ringing.

A ship with golden beak and oar
and timbers white came gliding;
swans went sailing on before,
her tall prow guiding.
Fair folk out of Elvenland
in silver-grey were rowing,
and three with crowns she saw there stand
with bright hair flowing.

With harp in hand they sang their song
to the slow oars swinging;
‘Green is the land the leaves are long,
and the birds are singing.
Many a day with dawn of gold
this earth will lighten,
many a flower will yet unfold,
ere the cornfields whiten.

‘Then whither go ye, boatmen fair,
down the river gliding?
To twilight and to secret lair
in the great forest hiding?
To Northern isles and shores of stone
on strong swans flying,
by cold waves to dwell alone
with the white gulls crying?’

‘Nay!’ they answered. ‘Far away
on the last road faring,
leaving western havens grey,
the seas of shadow daring,
we go back to Elvenhome,
where the White Tree is growing,
and the Star shines upon the foam
on the last shore flowing.

‘To mortal fields say farewell,
Middle-earth forsaking!
In Elvenhome a clear bell
in the high tower is shaking.
Here grass fades and leaves fall,
and sun and moon wither,
and we have heard the far call
that bids us journey thither’.

The oars were stayed. They turned aside:
‘Do you hear the call, Earth-maiden?
Firiel! Firiel!’ they cried,
‘Our ship is not full-laden.
One more only we may bear.
Come! For your days are speeding.
Come! Earth-maiden elven-fair,
our last call heeding.’

Firiel looked from the river-bank,
one step daring;
then deep in clay her feet sank,
and she halted staring.
Slowly the elven-ship went by
whispering through the water;
‘I cannot come!’ they heard her cry.
‘I was born Earth’s daughter!’

No jewels bright her gown bore,
as she walked back from the meadow
under roof and dark door,
under the house-shadow.
She donned her smock of russet brown,
her long hair braided,
and to her work came stepping down.
Soon the sunlight faded.

Year still after year flows
down the Seven Rivers;
cloud passes, sunlight glows,
reed and willow quivers
at morn and eve, but never more
westward ships have waded
in mortal waters as before,
and their song has faded.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The story of Fíriel in “The Last Ship” strikes a tender chord in many readers. But why does it affect us so deeply? Why is it that when we read a story like Fíriel’s(who gave up the chance for immortality), or Arwen’s (who gave up her own immortality), we find ourselves so moved?

The answer lies in our own personal desire for immortality. All of us, at some level or other, desire it. We wish to be famous, to have a good life, to leave a good name, at the very least, to be healty and to live as long as we can. Why do we have this desire to be immortal?

Perhaps it’s the fear of death. We are comfortable with the world around us and, as brave as we may be about life, we still feel a tinge of fear thinking about the greatest unknown there is: the thing that Tolkien considered both the curse and blessing of mankind, death. Even the Elves seem, to some extent, to fear it, many of them choosing to sail away to the Undying Lands when faced with Sauron’s darkness (full of death!) possibly spreading over Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age. Thus it’s easy to say that “the choice of Lúthien” would be a cause of much grief, and we can say why Nimrodel and, in this case, Fíriel’s lay is written as a lament.

In Tolkien’s world, it is not only possible for an immortal such as Arwen and Lúthien to become mortal, but also for a mortal like Fíriel to become immortal. Such instances may be rare, but are hinted at in Tolkien’s writings. In Sauron Defeated, Chapter 11, page 125, we find a small epilogue which Tolkien intended to include in LotR, but his publishers thought it too much. In it, Sam discusses with his daughter Elanor what has happened since the War of the Ring:

“And when you’re tired, you will go, Sam-dad. You will go to the Havens with the Elves. Then I shall go with you. I shall not part with you, like Arwen did with Elrond.”

“Maybe, maybe,” said Sam kissing her gently. “And maybe not. The choice of Luthien and Arwen comes to many, Elanorelle, or something like it; and it isn’t wise to choose before the time.”‘

Obviously, in “The Last Ship,” the time had come for Fíriel’s choice, and she chose the path of few elven-kind and remained the Earth Maiden. She looked at the immortality lying across the shining waters, perhaps even hesitated a little, but as the clay on the bank tugged at her feet, she realized that her choice was to remain as she was born, daugher of earth.

So why did Fíriel refuse the call of immortality, when so many of us would probably spring into that Elven-boat, maybe even leaving our shoes stuck fast in the muddy clay. Was it a sence of duty for the tasks still to be done on earth? Was it loyalty to the peoples of the earth? For the text says that “she donned her smock of russet-brown…and to her work came stepping down.” We may never know, until perhaps, one day, that choice is given to us.

by ~wild_shieldmaiden~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It’s very natural for a fan of Tolkien’s work to wish they could somehow enter the world he created. The Lord of the Rings touches us in so many ways, we feel a part of that world, even though we can’t live and breathe in it. Fantasy in general tends to treat us the same way. We like it so much, we wish it could be real. This is something Tolkien may have been addressing when he wrote the poem “The Last Ship”. Fíriel, the main character, is touched by an encounter with Elvenland and she feels the draw and beauty of it very poignantly.

The name “Fíriel” means “mortal daughter”. She belongs to the world of her birth, though the world of the Elves calls to her. She wants to follow the summons, but finds that doing so would go against her nature. “I was born Earth’s daughter!” she cries. In the same way, we want to follow the Elves on their journey to Valinor. When Tolkien writes of the passing age in The Return of the King, we don’t want it to end. It’s hard to believe that such a beautiful race could pass on forever. When given the choice to follow, we would eagerly go. Like Fíriel, however, such a choice would go against our nature.

Although Fíriel does not go with the elves, we shouldn’t think her life is somehow doomed to despair. Rather, we should imagine how beautiful life will seem to her, now that she has seen a glimpse of Elvenland. A “smock of russet brown” replaces her “gown with jewels upon its hem”, yet the jewels still shine bright in her heart. Fíriel’s imagination won’t let her mind forget the beauty of the elves. In this way, her eyes will see her work as something noble, fulfilling the lot she decided to keep as daughter of the Earth.

Still, the parting with Elvenland is a sad thing, which is why the poem ends on a sorrowful note. Perhaps Tolkien was mourning the fact that Elvenland has disappeared so thoroughly in this day and age. The beauty which inspired Fíriel has all but vanished from the Earth. So this poem should be an inspiration to us, because we are the ones now responsible for keeping the light of the elves alive. Like Fíriel, we have a task and a duty to fulfill as children of the Earth.

by Fealome

Many of the members on this site have used some of the different themes that are available and have their all time favorite theme up now. Are you one of those many members? Or are you a member who has heard about the CoE Themes but do not quite understand what it is about? For a long time I had no clue about the CoE Themes, much less all the themes you could choose from. I hope to enlighten you a little on the topic before the end of this article!

There are various different themes to choose from! There are themes for all kinds of the Lord of the Rings material that you may be interested, in such as Professor Tolkien, Mordor, the Dead Marshes, the Halls of Moria, Rivendell, the Shire and so much more. From villains to heroes it is all there and just a click away.

Would you like to contribute to this section of the site but do not know how? An excellent way to contribute is to give the CoE Themes Admin some of your opinions on what the next theme should look like or you could simply post up your thoughts about the themes in existence. Either way, going to this thread would be a good idea.

Go and have tons of fun with what the many different themes have to offer, I know that I have! They really do make the site that much more fun.

Interview with the CoE Themes Admin Vipergx:

Vipergx has kindly stepped up to answer a few additional questions I had concerning the Themes section of the site.

Morlothwen: How would you describe the actual process of making a theme?

Vipergx: The first step in creating a theme is to pick a topic, whether it be a place, person, culture, etc. It is often hard to pick just one at a time since there is so much one can do with the Lord of the Rings material. After picking my topic, I consider the mood I would like to set. If I did an Elven theme for example, I would want it to look mystical, otherworldly, beautiful. If I did a Sauron theme, it would be the complete opposite, but no less appealing to look at.

After visualizing what I would like my theme to look like, I create different compositions in Photoshop. I usually make about three or four different ones and when I am satisfied, I announce it to the admins so that they may take a look and decide which theme they think would work best. After the vote, I begin the coding, which is probably the most difficult part, for me anyway, since I am so new at it.

Morlothwen: How much time do you usually spend on a single theme?

Vipergx: It really depends on the theme. How many colors there are, the layout, menus, they all play a part in the length of time per theme. I may get stuck on something or something may not work right and then I have to take the time to look for the bug and fix it. Sometimes I cannot fix it on my own, and that is when I get in touch with Veaglarwen, who has been a real help to me.

Most of my time is spent on coding, which can vary from simple to very complex. The design part of it is my favorite and usually does not take that long, a couple of hours at most, unless I have a complete brain freeze, which has happened before.

Morlothwen: How did you come up with the coloring and pictures for some of the themes?

Vipergx: The first theme I did for the site was the White Tree theme and I knew I wanted this theme to look completely different from all the rest. I chose the image of Faramir first and expanded on that. I also did not want to make the theme white, even thought it was called the White Tree theme. White does not work well on the internet, so I wanted to stay away from it and I chose instead a very light color for the background and a light gray for the menu boxes. I actually picked these colors from the image I used of Faramir. In fact, for all the themes, including my upcoming ones, I have chosen all my colors from the colors in the image(s). I find it works better than just playing around with colors until I see one I like.

Also, I want to make sure I use images that are not often seen elsewhere, so I spend excessive amounts of time online browsing through thousands of images until I see one that sparks my interest.

Morlothwen: Are there any themes in the making at the moment?

Vipergx: Yes, at the moment I am finishing up my latest theme, which will be an unconventional look at Arwen. I really hope people will like this theme, as it strays away from the Arwen we have come to know. This theme will hopefully be up very soon and after that I have already got many, many ideas for themes lined up.

Morlothwen: Thank you for your time, Vipergx!

by Morlothwen

You admit that your first attempt to read The Hobbit ended in boredom. Did you find the books easy to read after seeing the movie?
Hard to say if the movies had any effect on my reading really. Of course, I showed some interest on reading them after seeing the first two movies because I just couldn’t wait for the third to know what would happen next. But now I’m an adult and I have read far more difficult books than, for example, The Silmarillion, and I’m not looking for excitement from the beginning to the end in the books anymore

What do you remember most about watching Lord of the Rings for the first time? Was it “love at first sight”, or did it grow on you?
I saw the extras of FotR first and I really liked the guys in the interviews and they seemed to have great fun while doing the filming. Also I appreciate other well done work, like the costumes, and they seemed to have done a lot of work with them. So I thought I could give a try to the movies too. And got hooked.

You seem to be a pretty avid roleplayer. Who is your favorite character, and what was his/her inspiration?
I love Morasiel Mannú most. I did so much to create her, based her on Tolkien’s writings and imagined her completely, from skills to skents and so. She has a sad history (surprisingly) but I was going to change her life to better anyway.

Mythology seems to be one of your favorite subjects. Could you describe your interest in it? (Finnish mythology in particular)
I’m interested in about everything that has something to do with human minds and mythology is something quite close to it as well. Finnish mythology is what people believed before, how they explained things they didn’t understand and it still lives in beliefs, though it’s not admitted or is spoken of with laughter. Things like “if a rowan carries lots of berries there will be little snow next winter.” I like to explain these things to myself, why have they been believed in and how they became one of the beliefs.

Is mythology something Lord of the Rings has opened up to you, or have you always loved it?
My grandmother and many other older people have always believed in things mentioned above. Even I have believed in some mythological things from past. Exploring them from books and internet came quite naturally with older age. So no, Lord of the Rings is a completely different thing, though I’m interested in what Tolkien found in our mythology and language.

It’s pretty obvious that you adore horses. Can you tell us about your favorite breed and one thing you especially like about them?
This is an easy one! I could talk about this subject for ages. Finnish horse is my favorite breed and do I really have to pick up one thing? Their nature. Humble, gentle, little bit (or a lot) stubborn and persevering.

Besides moderating the clubs section, where do you spend most of your time on CoE?
The Chat is my second home.

How do you like moderating the clubs section, vs. the journals?
Clubs are quite easy going. A lot less problems to solve and handle.

What’s your favorite thing about the new clubs section?
Personally I like easy moving around them. Probably sounds funny that someone could prefer things like that.

Are you a member of a club yourself?
Yes, I belong to the Horse Lovers United.

Any tips for future clubs out there?
Hmm…Clubs in journals had these banners and other things in their signatures to kind of advertise themselves and to tell people you were part of one. When creating a club it might be hard to get new members so this could be one way to get more attention.

And because we’re Nessians and love LotR humor : Which part of the CoE humor section do you find the funniest?
Definitely the Very Secret Diaries. They rock my socks.

Minas Tirith

“For partly in the primeval shaping of the hill, partly by the mighty craft and labour of old, there stood up from the rear of the wide court behind the Gate of the towering bastion of stone, its edge sharp as a ship-keel facing east.” (“Minas Tirith”, Book V, The Return of the King)

The architecture of Minas Tirith reflects heavily on the past of both the city and the kingdom. Minas Tirith was built as the capital of the southern kingdom of Gondor by the Elendili, who fled Númenor. To get from Númenor to Gondor, the Elendili had to turn their own ship-keels to face east. This is reflected in the description of Minas Tirith, with its “ship-keel facing east.” Minas Tirith is constantly reminded of those who built it and how they came there. They are also remembered by merely walking down the street. In “Minas Tirith,” Book V, it is said that “in every street they passed some great house or court…of great men and kindreds that had once dwelt there…” And so in every way, the architecture of Minas Tirith reflects those who built it, reminding those who live there of its grand history.

The White Cities

Minas Tirith is known as the White City, and Osgiliath is also built partially of white marble. Minas Tirith literally means “Tower of the Guard,” and guard duty is tiring. The ash that rises out of Mordor has obviously left an effect on the city – its marble is described as “grey weathered stone.” Osgiliath would have used marble from the same quarry as its sister city, Minas Tirith, being only fifteen miles north of it. So in a way, they are both “white cities.” This is again a reflection of those who built them. The Númenóreans who built it were those who fled from Númenor because they were faithful to the Valar and did not worship Morgoth. In other words, they were pure. In most cultures, white is the symbol for purity, something which the builders of both cities were.

Unbreakable Stone, Unbreakable Wizard

“Wood and water, stock and stone, I can master; but there is a wizard to manage here.” (“Flotsam and Jetsam,” Book III, The Two Towers)

The Tower of Orthanc (also called Isengard) was built by the Númenóreans at the end of the Second Age. Saruman obtained the keys during the rule of the Stewards of Gondor, and from there he waited and brooded, at last sending an army out to attack Rohan. However, the Ents of Fangorn Forest got their revenge upon him, and destroyed the orc fields of Isengard, as well as the dam which had been built to hold back the river Isen that flowed through the valley. However, the one thing the Ents could not break was the tower itself. After the attack by the Ents, the valley is thus described by Tolkien: “…the doors lay hurled and twisted on the ground. And all about, stone, cracked and splintered into countless jagged shards, was scattered far and wide, or piled in ruinous heaps. The great arch still stood, but it opened now upon a roofless chasm: the tunnel was laid bare, and through the cliff-like walls on either side great rents and breaches had been torn: their towers were beaten into dust.” (“The Road to Isengard,” Book III, The Two Towers). The Tower of Orthanc was, by contrast, “still dark and tall, unbroken by the storm.” We can see the destruction the Ents wrought to Isengard, and yet the tower of Orthanc still standing. It is implied throughout that the Ents tried to break Saruman, but did not succeed – which is why, perhaps, Treebeard was so relieved to see Gandalf. In the chapter “The Voice of Saruman,” Gandalf works to break Saruman, but they still cannot draw anything out of him. Even when Gandalf breaks his staff, Saruman refuses to give him any information, withdrawing instead to his chambers. In the end of The Return of the King, Saruman is defeated by the Hobbits and is forced to withdraw his influence from the Shire. However, he maintains his pride and would have left to go stir up trouble elsewhere if the Hobbits had resisted killing him. In this way, the building symbolizes the owner – hard and unbreakable.

In Mockery of Light

“But the strength of Gondor failed, and men slept, and for long years the towers stood empty. Then Sauron returned. Now the watch-towers, which had fallen into decay, were repaired, and filled with arms, and garrisoned with ceaseless vigilance.” (“The Black Gate Is Closed,” Book IV, The Two Towers).

All of the towers in Mordor were built by the Gondorians to protect against the coming of Sauron if he ever reappeared. However, Gondor slowly withdrew and shrank, just as Sauron was pushing outwards and growing. And so the orcs of Sauron took over all the Gondorian buildings there. As stated in the above quote, the watch-towers fell into decay, and the orcs took over, repairing them in their own twisted fashion. This is a reflection of the origin of the orcs. They were once Elves, but Melkor (also known as Morgoth) twisted them into hideous creatures that hated the light and cursed it. In Mordor, both the buildings and creatures inhabiting that land have become acts of mockery against the Elves and the Gondorians.

Shelter From the Outside

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it or sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort.” (“An Unexpected Party,” The Hobbit).

As we all know, a hobbit hole is the epitome of comfort, and it does a nice job of protecting those who live inside. We also know that the Big People – Men, Elves, and Dwarves – rarely entered the Shire, and if they did, they caused uproar and scandal. Hobbit holes offered their owners exactly what they were looking for – and perhaps in more than one way. Hobbits really have no desire to travel outside the Shire, for they would really like to be left alone by the outside world in peace. And so, once they found the Shire, they dug into the hills and stayed there, hiding from the world and their more obnoxious neighbors. The building of hobbit holes represents the Hobbits’ want of comfort and shelter, and since the ways of Hobbits have never really changed, they feel they don’t need to venture out of their holes and explore new building methods, like those of Elves or Men.

by Alya

Artwork: 1, 2, 3. Alan Lee; 4. Hildebrant.; 5. Roger Garland

We hear a lot about Tolkien’s world – the lands of Middle-earth and the Blessed Realm of Arda. Even the Sun and the Moon, and the stars in the sky gain a considerable amount of attention. But what about beyond that? Beyond the world, beyond even Arda?

There we have the Void. The Outer Darkness. Kúma, the Void Without.

But what was the Void? Was it only Melkor who lived there for a while? What about the Door of Night – where was that? And where was the Void – beyond Arda? Beyond even Ëa maybe?

1. Where is the Void mentioned?

The Void is discussed mainly in “The Silmarillion”, in particular during the “Ainulindalë”, “Of the Beginning of Days”, and much later, during “Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath”.

The World, when formed by Ilúvatar, is set amid the Void in a distinct echo of the creation myths in Genesis:

“Ilúvatar gave to their vision Being, and set it amid the Void” (Ainulindalë)

“But when they were come into the Void, Ilúvatar said to them: “Behold your Music!” And he showed to them a vision, giving to them sight where before was only hearing; and they saw a new World made visible before them, and it was globed amid the Void, and it was sustained therein, but was not of it.” (Ainulindalë)

The Void was also the source for much of Melkor’s early thoughts and wanderings, seeking the Flame Imperishable throughout the Universe so that he too could bring into Being creatures of his own:

“He [Melkor] had gone often alone into the void places seeking the Imperishable Flame; for desire grew hot within him to bring into Being things of his own and it seemed to him that Ilúvatar took no thought for the Void, and he was impatient with it.” (Ainulindalë)

And even after the formation of Arda, Melkor still jumps back and forth between the vivacity of the world and the silence of the Void:

“Melkor fled before his wrath and his laughter, and forsook Arda … Melkor brooded in the outer darkness … Then Tulkas slept, being weary and content, and Melkor deemed that his hour had come. And he passed therefore over the Walls of the Night with his host, and came to Middle-earth far in the north” (Of the Beginning of Days).

Then, at the end of the Quenta Silmarillion, Melkor is sent back out into the Void. From “Eärendil”:

“But Morgoth himself the Valar thrust through the Door of Night beyond the Walls of the World, into the Timeless Void; and a guard is set for ever on those walls, and Eärendil keeps watch upon the ramparts of the sky.”

2. So what and where is the Void? Where did Melkor end up pacing around for millennia?

It seems to be that the Void is outside Arda, but not outside Eä (the ‘universe’). It seems to describe the uninhabited regions of the universe, the dark and silent parts of creation outside Arda.

We can say that the Void is contained within Eä as we know both that the Valar can exist in the Void (documented both at the start of time, and from Morgoth’s later sojourn), and that the Valar are constrained to Eä during its entire lifetime.

Tolkien corroborates this notion in “Morgoth’s Ring, Myths Transformed”:

“When that body was destroyed he was weak and utterly ‘houseless’, and for that time at a loss and ‘unanchored’ as it were. We read that he was then thrust out into the Void. That should mean that he was put outside of Time and Space, outside Eä altogether; but if that were so this would imply a direct intervention of Eru (with or without supplication of the Valar). It may however refer inaccurately* to the extrusion or flight of his spirit from Arda.”

“*[footnote to the text] Since the minds of Men (and even of the Elves) were inclined to confuse the ‘Void’ , as a conception of the state of Not-being, outside Creation or Eä, with the conception of vast *spaces* within Eä, especially those conceived to lie all about the enisled ‘Kingdom of Arda’ (which we should probably call the Solar System).”

3. The Timeless Halls of Ilúvatar

One has to then wonder where the Timeless Halls of Ilúvatar are situated. These were also described as being outside of the world, in the timeless void, and it would seem to me that they seem to form a separate area of matter (if Ilúvatar and his Ainur can be considered material in any way) within the outer darkness.

4. An evolving universe

Tolkien’s ideas for his cosmology changed greatly over time, but in general, the changes involved the nature of Arda (in particular the origin and nature of the Sun and Moon, and the shape of the world), rather than the nature and placement of the Void. However, a certain amount of extra information can be gained from a quick study of three of the more important stages of Tolkien’s writings – that of “The Book of Lost Tales” (HoME I), the “Ambarkanta” in “The Shaping of Middle-earth” (HoME IV), and the later manuscripts C and C* discussed in “Morgoth’s Ring” (HoME X).

– “Book of Lost Tales” (HoME I)

Already in “The Book of Lost Tales” we have the basis for the published accounts of the Void. It was called ‘the Night without form or time’, the ‘outer dark’, the ‘limitless dark’ and the ‘starless void’, and it was separated from Ilú (the World) by the cold, invisible and impassable Door of Night.

The concept of a Wall around the World is also in place, though then called the Wall of Things, and it was mentioned that “Vai [the Outer Sea] runneth from the Wall of Things unto the Wall of Things”.

The Walls are described as deep-blue, and formed like walls of cities or gardens, making a ring-fence around the then flat world. The Door of Night was set in the West of the Walls, and because the barricade was originally much lower in the east, there was no corresponding door in the that direction.

The idea of the Walls being surmountable in the East survived into the published “Silmarillion”, where Morgoth passed over the Walls of the Night when returning to Arda after his expulsion by Tulkas (“Of the Beginning of Days”). This does, unfortunately, contradict much of the later cosmology built up by the time of the publication of “The Silmarillion” – as Christopher Tolkien says, the lowered Eastern Walls become “an aspect of intractable problems arising in the later cosmology”. Why? Because the idea that Morgoth could simply creep back over the Walls would negate any value placed on Eärendil’s watch.

– “Ambarkanta” (in “The Shaping of Middle-earth”, HoME IV)

In the Ambarkanta, the “World” (“Ilu”) is “globed” within the impassable, invisible Walls of the World (the Ilurambar) and the “World is set amid Kúma, the Void, the Night without form or time:

“It is not indeed explained in the Ambarkenta how the Valar entered the world at its beginning, passing through the impassable Walls … But the central idea at this time is clear: from the Beginning to the Great Battle in which Melko was overthrown, the world with all its inhabitants was inescapably bounded; but at the very end, in order to extrude Melko into the Void, the Valar were able to pierce the Walls by a Door.”

The walls are described thusly:

“About all the World are the Ilurambar, or Walls of the World. They are as ice and glass and steel, being above all imagination of the Children of Earth cold, transparent, and hard. They cannot be seen, nor can they be passed, save by the Door of Night.”

“The Land of Valinor slopes downward from the feet of the Mountains, and its western shore is at the level of the bottoms of the inner seas. And not far thence, as has been said, are the Walls of the World; and over against the westernmost shore in the midst of Valinor is Ando Lómen the Door of Timeless Night that pierceth the Walls and opens upon the Void. For the World is set amid Kúma, the Void, the Night without form or time. But none can pass the chasm and the belt of Vaiya and come to that Door, save the great Valar only. And they made that Door when Melko was overcome and put forth into the Outer Dark; and it is guarded by Eärendil.”

The idea of a Door of Night, as already shown, comes from the beginning of the drafts of the mythology. However, its original use as a gate through which the Sun travelled each day was quickly changed – as here – to being a door through which Melko was thrust from the world.

– Changes after the “Ambarkenta”

Little actually changed after the “Ambarkenta”. The principal alteration, however, was the addition of Melkor’s original foray into the Void after fleeing from Tulkas, giving him two times of exit and re-entry into the World instead of the original one.

A slightly problematic text was published in “Myths Transformed”, concerning the light of Varda and Arien, and leaving us some unanswered questions about this late stage of evolution of the cosmology.

Eru to Varda: “”I will give unto thee a parting gift. Thou shalt take into Eä a light that is holy, coming new from Me … with thee it shall enter into Eä, and be in Eä, but not of Eä.” (Myths Transformed Text II, Morgoth’s Ring)

Not of Eä? Interesting …

And then we have Arien:

“he [Melkor] ravished Árië [Arien], desiring both to abase her and to take into himself her powers. Then the spirit of Árië went up like a flame of anguish and wrath, and departed for ever from Arda;* and the Sun was bereft of the Light of Varda”

marginal note: *”Indeed some say that it was released from Eä” (Myths Transformed Text II, Morgoth’s Ring)

Released from Eä? Is that possible? What is outside Eä? Is the Void outside Eä as well as inside? Or is leaving Eä utter extinction – in which case, we would have the first case of a spirit being completely extinguished.

5. Conclusions

What was the Void? The Void was the outer darkness beyond the World – the lands, the skies and the Outer Sea. It was dark, cold, empty and measureless.

Was it only Melkor who lived there for a while? All the Valar lived in the Void before the creation of Arda, and the Timeless Halls of Ilúvatar seem to exist somewhere within the Void. Melkor had two periods of his life in the Void, and created creatures of shadow while there. Eärendil sails there, guarding the Door of Night, and it is even possible that the spirit of Arien ended up there.

What about the Door of Night – where was that? The Door of Night was in the Western Walls of the World. Initially, it had no counterpart in the east, but later the Gates of Morning were positioned there.

And where was the Void – beyond Arda? Beyond even Ëa maybe? Beyond Arda, but within Eä.

Beyond that, we know little. The Void is dark and mysterious, and many would say that that is how it should remain.

by atalante_star

References:
– “The Silmarillion”
– “Book of Lost Tales I” (HoME I)
– “The Shaping of Middle-earth” (HoME 4)
– “Morgoth’s Ring” (HoME X)

Fëanor was born in Valinor, the son of Finwë and Míriel. Following the birth of Fëanor, his mother was spent. Saying to Finwë: ‘…strength that would have nourished the life of many has gone into Fëanor.’ (The Silmarillion, ch. 6) Thus she was released from life, for it had become a grief to her and her spirit departed to the Halls of Mandos. Following this, Finwë married again and had two more sons, Fingolfin and Finarfin; however Fëanor had no love for them. Fëanor means ‘spirit of fire’ and he was powerful in many areas – mind, craft and strength; his legacy, though filled with grief, reached to the Third Age. It was during the time he spent in Valinor that Fëanor created many things of craft, the greatest of these being the Silmarils. In these three jewels Fëanor had managed to capture the light of the Two Trees. During this time Melkor was released following his three ages of bondage. He began to spread rumours and whisperings amongst the Noldor, of rebellion against the Valar. Though being strong in mind, Fëanor heeded these whisperings and began to openly speak of rebellion, repeating the lies of Melkor that they had been forced to Aman so that Men could rule Middle-earth. Going to his father, Fingolfin told of these things to the King, and Fëanor, entering as they spoke, drew his sword on Fingolfin. For the drawing of the sword on a kinsman, Fëanor was banished from Tirion by the Valar for 12 years. Shortly following Fëanor’s release from banishment, Melkor stole the Silmarils, killed Finwë and with the help of Ungoliant destroyed the Two Trees.

In reaction to this, Fëanor marshalled the Noldor and they left the Valinor. Leading an attack on the Teleri elves, Fëanor stole their ships and led half the Noldor across to Middle-earth on these. He did, however, leave Fingolfin and those that followed him behind. These were then forced to make their way to Middle-earth by crossing the Helcaraxë.

Many of Fëanor’s actions were kept alive in memory largely due to the involvement of his sons in events that followed his death and the oath he swore was never forgotten. Each of Fëanor’s sons carried certain characteristics inherited from their Father, and though their Mother, Nerdanel (who longed to understand minds rather than master them) had passed on her gentleness and wisdom to some, she did not pass it on to all.

In the initial description of his sons, we can already see some of Fëanor’s physical characteristics. ‘He (Fëanor) was tall, and fair to face, and masterful, his eyes piercingly bright and his hair raven dark; in the pursuit of all his purposes eager and steadfast’ (The Silmarillion, ch 6). Of these attributes we can already see four shown in the initial description of his sons. ‘The seven sons of Fëanor were Maehdros the tall…; Celegorm the fair. And Caranthir the dark; Curufin the crafty…’(The Silmarillion, ch 5). Throughout the Silmarillion Tolkien kept, in a way, the character of Fëanor alive through his sons and their individual portrayals of their father.

Maedhros

Maedhros, the eldest, was masterful and had the strong leadership abilities of his father. This is shown in the way he dissuades his brothers from rash deeds and rebukes the harsh words of Caranthir. He makes peace with the house of Fingolfin and offers the Kingship of the Noldor to Fingolfin, saying ‘If there lay no grievance between us, lord, still the kingship would rightly come to you, the eldest here of the house of Finwë, and not the least wise.’ (The Silmarillion, ch 13). However this also shows that Maedhros is not like his father in his desire to rule. Due to drawing a sword on his half-brother, Fëanor was banished and told to remember ‘who and what’ he is. However, rather than do this, Fëanor becomes bitter toward the Valar and his brother. Finally, after his banishment, Fingolfin extends his hand saying ‘I remember no grievance’, but Fëanor merely looks at the hand and doesn’t even speak until Fingolfin says ‘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 only at this point that Fëanor speaks, saying ‘So be it.’ This action in itself shows his desire to be in control and his lack of ability to see when he has done wrong or feel regret for it. We also see from these two events one of the underlying differences between Maedhros and Fëanor –their desires to rule.

Through Maedhros we see a blend of his father’s zeal coupled with his mother’s gentle wisdom, however, like all his brothers, he does not escape the oath that he swore. His wisdom and non-assuming manner hold Maedhros in good stead for many years. When winning small battles, he never takes it as a sign of Morgoth’s weakness but is rather ever watchful for the armies of Morgoth to come forth with revived strength. He also shows wisdom in allowing men to aid in the fight against the enemy. Though some of these prove treacherous, the wisdom is shown in the fact that he realised that the Noldor alone could not overthrow the gates of Thangorodrim. This is also unlike his father who ‘looking out from the slopes of Ered Wethrin with his last sight he beheld far off the peaks of Thangorodrim, mightiest of the towers of Middle-earth, and knew with the foreknowledge of death that no power of the Noldor would ever overthrow them.’ However despite this he still ‘laid it upon his sons to hold their oath and avenge their father.’ (The Silmarillion, ch 13)

Maedhros, like his father was a great warrior and had an enormous zeal for life, a fire that burned within. This is shown in his recovery from the torment of Morgoth ‘His body recovered from the torment and became hale, but the shadow of pain was in his heart; and he lived to wield a sword in his left hand more deadly than his right had been.’ (The Silmarillion, ch 13). And in the battle of Beleriand, ‘Maedhros did deeds of surpassing valour, and the orcs fled before his face; for since his torment upon Thangorodrim his spirit burned like a white fire within and he was as one that returns from the dead.’ (The Silmarillion, ch 1)

Maglor

Of all the brothers Maglor was the least like his father. He was patient and very much a follower of his elder brother Maedhros. Maglor was renowned for his singing and counted the greatest musician second only to Daeron of Doriath. The oath tormented him constantly and caused him to follow his brothers to fulfil their quest. However he expressed his grief for the havoc he had caused constantly through laments. By the end of the First Age he wished to be released from his oath, but Maehdros convinced him that this was not possible and Maglor ended his days singing sadly along the shores of the sea.

Caranthir

Caranthir was the ‘…harshest of the brothers and the most quick to anger…’ (The Silmarillion, ch 13). For the most part Caranthir received much of his father’s fiery passion and temper. He was swift to anger and as his father not easily persuaded through counsel. However he did obey the will of Maedhros but in his heart did not always agree. Though Maedhros made peace with the sons of Fingolfin and Finarfin, Caranthir loved them not and would not trust them. In this Caranthir shares his attitude with that of his father who after leading the Noldor forth from Aman and despite his words of allegiance to them, left those that followed Fingolfin without boats, thus forcing them to cross the Grinding Ice.

Caranthir was the first of the brothers to have relations with the dwarfs. However ‘Caranthir was haughty and scarce concealed his scorn for the unloveliness of the Naugrim (Dwarfs).’ (The Silmarillion, ch 13). In spite of this, his people and the dwarves gained much through the friendship they had and many riches came Caranthir’s way from the mines of the dwarfs.

At the coming of Men, Caranthir paid little heed to them and the elves and men of Haleth dwelt peacefully for a while. However, when the orcs came upon the men of Haleth they fought valiantly, and Caranthir, though late, realised the strength of Men. Therefore he offered the people of Haleth leave to stay in his realm, however this Haleth would not grant as she was unwilling to be guided or ruled. Though being accepting of different races, Caranthir still shows more of his father’s desire to rule rather than understand people.

Curufin and Celegorm

The sons Curufin and Celegorm very much inherited their father’s fiery passion and followed the oath with extreme fervour. Together they dwelt in the land of Finrod Felagund for many years. When Beren arrived in the land and requested aid for his quest the brothers were angered greatly and spoke in open disgust of his idea, threatening to slay any friend or foe that dared lay a hand on a Silmaril.

These brothers also showed their father’s passion to rule people. When Lúthien requested their help, they captured her, planning to use her to barter with Thingol for her hand in marriage. They did this as they would not try again to regain their treasure ‘either by craft or war without all the elf-kingdoms under their rule.’ (The Silmarillion, ch 19). Their haughty nature is also shown prior to the fifth battle where they demanded Thingol return the Silmaril won by Lúthien and Beren. Due to their rash words, only a small company from Doriath aided the Noldor. The defeat of them at the Fifth battle may not have been so great had not the sons of Fëanor created division amongst those who also opposed Morgoth. They show the arrogance of their father in their behaviour prior to the Fifth battle as they do not listen to the counsel of Maedhros, who believed all those opposed to Morgoth needed to unite. The manner of Fëanor’s departure from the Undying Lands shows his continued arrogance and like these two sons, the ability to underestimate Morgoth by causing dissension amongst possible allies.

Amras and Amrod

Beside that fact that they worked together and aided their brothers in the fulfilment of their oath, not a lot is known about Amrod and Amras. All the actions they do can be drawn back their allegiance with their brothers and commitment to their oath. For this reason it is difficult to see any of Fëanor’s characteristics displayed in these two sons.

The Oath

Despite the varying character traits of Fëanor’s sons, the oath caused them all to fail alike. They are all tormented by it, to the extent that they slay their own, as they had done in Aman centuries before. Following the defeat of the Fifth battle, the brothers filled with the torment of their oath attack Dior in Doriath, preparing to claim the one Silmaril not in the confines of Morgoth. It is in Doriath that Caranthir, Curufin and Celegorm are slain. In these brothers, Tolkien has shown Fëanor’s weak traits, such as jealousy, anger and arrogance. These traits coupled with the oath, consume their beings.

Following the attack on Doriath, Maedhros is saddened and feels great regret for the actions that he was a part of. He even spent many hours searching for the children of Dior who had been left in the woods, but this was to no avail and he left Doriath with great remorse. Before long though, rumour of the Silmaril was once again abroad. It had passed into the hands of Elwing daughter of Dior, who had escaped and now lived at the Grey Havens. Remembering his regret, Maedhros withheld his hand and constrained his brothers. As time passed by, the unfulfilled oath came back to torment him and his remaining brothers and they made war on the people of Círdan. It is here that Amras and Amrod are slain. However Maglor and Maehdros are victorious, though they do not win the Silmaril for it once again escaped them.

In the brothers of Maedhros and Maglor we see the oath has a slightly different effect. They are still bound to it but not with the passion of their brothers and though they remain true to the oath, they are weary of the task and it becomes a burden of sorrow to them. This is despite them finally gaining a Silmaril each at the end of the First Age. As can be seen the oath of Fëanor largely affected all the sons, but in the sons, despite their similiar upbringings, different characterists of Fëanor can be seen in each one.

by Elvishmusician

How did you find CoE?
I found CoE ‘as if by chance’ while searching for pictures from the movies. In particular, I was searching for pictures of Frodo. I never tire of looking at his perfect face (even at my age – lol). I like to think that it was fate that brought me to CoE. What a wonderful online community this is! For two or three months before joining, I lurked in the background reading and thinking about people’s responses. Then I decided to join. CoE is the first online community that I have ever joined, and it is the one that I visit most often.

What are your favourite areas of the site?
The Book Club forum is number one for me, followed by the Books forum. Lately I haven’t been able to find time to post much there, but I’ll be back! I also spend a lot of time in the Games forum. I find it a great place to get to know other members and to spend a little free time. Other favourites: Realm of Nienna; Film Fun and Facts; and I can’t forget Elrond’s Library.

How often do you visit CoE?
Almost every day. It’s rare that I don’t pop in to check out what’s happening. I’d have to be on holiday or somewhere where there is no Internet access not to check in.

How many times have you read the books?
Over and over again. I’ve probably read them 5-6 times cover to cover. Some chapters I’ve read many more times than that.

Who is your favourite LOTR character?
Frodo, and then Sam – two very different kinds of heroes. Both of them make such incredible sacrifices, both are humble, and both are a testament to what can be accomplished under the most dire of circumstances.

Do you have a favourite scene from the trilogy?
This is a tough question! I have so many. I’d have to say ‘I Can’t Carry It For You.’ This scene gets me every time. Lately I’ve probably watched it 15 times or so for an article I was working on for the Books vs. Movies section. And every single time it brought me to tears. My second favourite is ‘Pippin’s Song.’

What character left out of the films do you miss most?
Ioreth. When I first came across Ioreth, it was like finding someone I knew. She is so real and such a welcome relief among all those great and powerful people. I believe we do see an image of her in the movie. It would have been great if they had given her the line, ‘The hands of the king are the hands of a healer!’ I missed that.

Do you know any Sindarin or Quenya?
I’m afraid not, although I plan on learning some in the near future. They are such beautiful languages.

What did you enjoy most about the ROTK EE?
The added scene, ‘The Houses of Healing,’ as short as it was. I also have spent a lot of time watching the Commentaries lately and have enjoyed and learned so much from them.

How did you find CoE?
You know – I can’t really remember! I was searching the web for sites with fan art galleries and came across CoE. Loved the gallery, loved the fact I could upload art to it, and the rest is history!

What are your duties here at CoE?
Arguing about Balrog wings mainly (and no, they don’t have wings).

No really – I’m officially Books Admin and Weapons Admin and I mod the Books Forum. So basically I look after most of Elrond’s Library, along with Nienna-of-the-Valar. And I occasionally poke my nose into the Book Club to write some Silmarillion stuff.

What are your favourite areas of the site?
Elrond’s Library??? *grin* I guess I have to say that … but really, it’s fab – we’ve built up a wonderful collection of articles on anything from arrows to astronomy. And the encyclopaedia is just getting better and better every day!

Apart from the Library, I lurk a lot in the Realm of Nienna, writing about purple ducks and red-haired Vanyar elves. I love looking in the galleries still – at the screencaps and invited artists mainly. And more and more I find myself creeping into the Languages section to learn some more Quenya.

How often do you visit CoE?
Everyday – well, usually!

How many times have you read the books?
Yikes. No idea! I know I’ve read The Silmarillion an awful lot more than LotR though. I tend to carry a copy of The Silmarillion around with me most of the time to get random inspiration for writing or pics from.

Who is your favourite LOTR character?
Oh. Um. Théoden *grins*.

But can I digress? Seeing as most of my favourite Tolkien characters are in The Silmarillion? Really my favs are Fëanor (as everyone knows full well) and Melkor. And Ëol. And Ed (Eärendil). And Elrond. And Elladan – mind you that’s back to LotR … *adores Elladan*

Do you have a favourite scene from the trilogy?
In the books – Paths of the Dead, and all the descriptions of Dunharrow and Harrowdale. Dunharrow is just such a mystical place, and I love Tolkien’s descriptions of its misted grief and pain-filled darkness.

In the films – the beacon sequence in RotK is just a stunning piece of cinematography, and I love everything about the scenes shot at Edoras. The set is beyond incredible, I love all of Alan Lee’s work on that. And Strider’s introduction in FotR is simply perfect.

What character left out of the films do you miss most?
Elladan. And Elrohir I suppose, LOL. And Glorfindel, in a way. But I don’t think PJ could ever have done Glorfy justice. And I think Erkenbrand really should have got a look in.

Do you know any Sindarin or Quenya?
A *little* bit … Enough to let Elegaer talk a bit in Quenya, and Elladan a bit in Sindarin in role-plays. But not enough to satisfy my wanting to learn more…

What did you enjoy most about the ROTK EE?
Let me think. Probably the extra scene at Orthanc where Théoden got to confront Saruman. But the bits I liked best in the film were all in the original anyway – the Rohirrim charge at Pelennor, and Grond. That battering ram rocks! And Faramir’s charge across to Osgiliath – it’s heartbreaking.

How did you find CoE?
I found CoE in August 2002, and I think it was through Google or some other fancy search-engine. I was looking for a site with a good gallery and had been through a few good sites before I found this one. I quickly forgot the gallery when I arrived here though. The Forums were much more entertaining.

What are your duties here at CoE?
My current duty here at CoE is to mod the Prancing Pony Forum, which is what I’ve been doing since December 2002. It’s been a lot of fun and a few good interesting discussions to follow, and I’ve also been very lucky with my co-mods!

What are your favourite areas of the site?
My favourite areas of the site are, of course, the forums, the chat, the galleries and the Last Homely House. I’ve always loved discussions, so the forums have been a natural place for me to enjoy. I’ve also found a lot of new friends through the chat, some of which I will hopefully keep in touch with for years to come.
In the Last Homely House, I’ve dreamt about costumes I’ll never manage to make (as I hardly know what’s up and down on a pin..) and room-decorations my mum will never allow me to put up. Some day perhaps…

How often do you visit CoE?
Since I mod such a busy part of the Forum as the Prancing Pony, I’m usually here every day of the week.

How many times have you read the books?
I just finished reading the book for the 12th time now in May, this time it was because I had to write a short report on a book, and I thought why not Lord of the Rings? I did regret it afterwards though, because how can you write a short report on a book with 1003 pages? I ended up with a huge stack of paper; 31 pages. Short report…

Who is your favourite LOTR character?
I don’t think I have one favourite character from the LOTR. All the characters have so many differeny qualities, and I like a lot of them because of that.
But, okay, from the fangirlish point of view, perhaps the Nazgûl, or Aragorn, just because they rock!

Do you have a favourite scene from the trilogy?
The scene from the books that I always read over and over again must be the meeting and conversation between Frodo and Faramir. In the movies, I love the scene in The Two Towers when Gandalf and the Rohirrim ride towards Helm’s Deep and in The Return of the King when Rohan arrives at Minas Tirith. Both those scenes give me a real adrenaline rush.

What character left out of the films do you miss most?
I didn’t think too much about left-out characters when watching the movies, so maybe I didn’t miss any? I missed the Mouth of Sauron from the theater version of the ROTK, but I was just disappointed when I saw him in the ROTK EE, so they could’ve just left him out of it.

Do you know any Sindarin or Quenya?
I hardly know any Elvish. I’ve tried to learn it a few times, but I’ve given up. Apart from the usual greetings and good-bye’s, I don’t have a clue what any of it means.

What did you enjoy most about the ROTK EE?
I enjoyed the Houses of Healing and the scene with Pippin and Faramir.
Oh, and of course the meeting between the Witch King and Gandalf! I was just a bit miffed by the fact that he didn’t ride on a black steed, but on a fell beast.