New and Updated Nonfiction and Meta

Extracts from the Annals of Beleriand, including the Old English version, that deal with the capture and rescue of Maedhros.

With a very brief discussion.

What do the Silmarils and the Ring have in common? They are both the titular objects of their respective books around which the major plot turns, it is true. They are both made by powerful individuals, and are desired by many different people, and when they are lost and/or stolen their makers are desperate to retrieve them. Characters die for them, and kill for them. At this extremely surface level reading they do, indeed, seem very similar. But the deeper you look at each object the more glaring differences show themselves, until you realize that they do not parallel, but rather oppose each other.

This two-part paper discusses different elven responses to trauma exposure and forced displacement in Beleriand and Middle-earth (absolutely not exhaustive!). The first half of the paper focuses on Elrond's response to traumatic stress, while the second half compares the impact of Galadriel and Oropher's migration into formerly Silvan realms. First given at the Tolkien Society's Diversity & Tolkien seminar in 2021.

A letter to the author, by a writer of fan fiction.

That is, to Tolkien.

Written for a prompt of the "Dear Irmo" challenge.

A short exploration of my time in the Tolkien fandom: How did I get here, why did I stay, what did I learn.

For the Middle-earth Olympics Diving prompt.

An essay on the subject of where the hell Beleg Cúthalion gets to in the second half of The Children of Húrin.  He may be dead, but why is even his memory conspicuously absent?

Melkor cannot create a new race.  We know the discussions on Orcs - but what about Dragons?

Appropriate food choices for an ongoing observance of Bilbo's and Frodo's birthday.

How realistic are Thorondor and the eagles of Manwë? Could eagles of such size actually fly, much less carry people on their backs?

I beg your indulgence for this, my entry for the "Solve a problem" challenge. I realize the problem is all mine. Who IS the tallest? Or does it matter? What was Tolkien thinking?

some observations concerning orcs

A look at Tolkien's use of the word "fair" as a descriptor in The Silmarillion.

In this review of Dome Karukolski's biopic Tolkien, I consider the role of fictionalization, dangling threads, and of course the power of fellowship in art.

Quote-heavy essay on the Battle at the Sarn Athrad against the dwarves, editorial changes to rework the Death of Thingol to fit together with later drafts, and a possible way to reconcile drafts and conflicting canon.

It is high time that I explained a head-canon that became the bedrock upon which sits "Of Ingwë Ingweron". Building off some ideas about the Vanyar and my ideas and opinions about Cuiviénen, I landed on what I swear is not a crack theory.

Meta collection written for the 2018 Holiday Feast Challenge. Each course will be presented as its own chapter.

I have been meaning to write an essay on this topic this year, but it's such a complicated topic that I haven't even begun to read up on it. I have, however, assembled a list of material I would read if I got around to tackling the essay. So here: have an informal bibliography, with unqualified commentary by yours truly.

Can Kol Nidrei annul Maglor’s oath?

Tinfang is accounted one of the greatest minstrels, along with Maglor and Daeron.

In spite of this, the musical abilities of all three outside of sheer performance skills are described in less detail in The Silmarillion than other characters like Finrod. This essay attempts to gather the quotes that suggest Tinfang's degree of power and influence over objects and people in his original context.

In the 'real' Middle Ages women died in childbirth in droves. In Tolkien's world motherhood is even more deadly, but in a narrative sense rather than an obstetrical one.

 

A critical examination of Thingol as a leader in The Silmarillion. 

The Valar present an interesting case study of sexism in Tolkien's legendarium because they occupy a prototypical role, representing Iluvatar's intentions on how the universe should operate. My research shows that the female Valar not only appear far less frequently in The Silmarillion than the male Valar but are less involved, less assertive, and speak less.

A collection of quotes dealing with the fact that Tolkien explicitly set Middle-earth in our world from the very beginning of his Legendarium.

There are various recurring convictions concerning the matter of love, sex and marriage among the Eldar. We've probably all encountered them at some point. But a closer look at Tolkien's writings shows that matters aren't as simple as fanon tends to believe.

Tolkien's creation story the Ainulindalë includes many archetypal elements. This essay explores the deus faber or god-as-maker element and why creation from vocal song is vitally important to legendarium.