Comments on Outsiders of Gondolin Mutual Defence League

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:( Maeglin is so sweet, and quickly comes up with a solution to the problem. And poor Salgant, trying to keep his resolution and just needing a little help that no one besides Maeglin cares to do.I love this chapter, Himring. :D

And then, of course, Morgoth. I mean, obviously Maeglin probably wouldn't exist if Morgoth didn't, but if someone managed to kill him shortly after Aredhel's death, maybe Gondolin wouldn't have been closed off and he (and Salgant) would have been free to leave and go live somewhere else and things could have been happier.



Thank you very much, Brooke! I'm glad this works for you!

I think of Salgant as someone who keeps trying to amuse people as a way of making them not look at him too closely, if that makes sense.

Maeglin looks past that, sees what is going on and decides to do something about it.

 

Morgoth being defeated shortly after Aredhel's death would have made a great many people a lot happier! I think if Maeglin had been free to come and go, it would have certainly relieved some of the pressure.

Poor Maeglin. :( He just wants things to turn out nicely for himself, which really is to be expected with his childhood.

I agree with you that he probably wasn't thinking of it as Edain do - the only way I could see that happening is if he borrowed it from the dwarves his father talked to, and even then, I think Eol had enough contact with Thingol's people that he'd realize the difference.



Thank you, Brooke!

I guess I tend to underrate a bit the amount of information and impressions Maeglin may have picked up from the Dwarves!

But I think, in this case, he would realize the difference. Apart from contact with Thingol's people, there are also Eol's servants, which I've always imagined as Elves.

You're making both Salgant and Maeglin so relatable here. Salgant's silent struggle with the lemon tart was perfectly written, half funny and half sad. I was surprised and delighted when Maeglin revealed that he was paying a lot more attention than Salgant realised! Their conversation in the second chapter was heartbreaking. Maeglin's observations about his invention of Gondolin vs. the reality of it rang very true, and when he asked Salgant to keep talking while he tried to figure it out made me feel really sad for the future that's looming ahead of them. Meanwhile, their friendship, even if it was born from their shared outsider status rather than true inclination, is lovely to read about. I love the title also!

In some ways, Maeglin might make a good Batman, but I think Tolkien might have been offended at the idea of Gondolin being compared to Gotham in any way!

Thank you, yes, still writing. In fact, I've written another couple of drabbles in this sequence for prompts on Livejournal and you've reminded me I should upload them here!

Anguirel doesn't get mentioned again in canon, after Maeglin steals it, as far as I know.

But apart from the sheer scariness of its sister sword, I feel that story logic would also suggest Anguirel would somehow get tied up in Eol's curse on his son. Maybe Tolkien intended to do this and never got around to developing the idea?

 

I love the implication that Maeglin actually is on the verge of breaking down over the death of Fingon, if he didn't actively keep himself in check and thinking cold thoughts! The beginning suggests how much Maeglin longs for someone to love him and to be happy simply to see him. Makes my heart hurt!

lol I totally did NOT cry when I read this ‘I tend to read Maeglin's reaction as the kind of wish fulfilment or adoption fantasy that children do indulge in, in less happy moments: the idea that there is somewhere out there someone who fully appreciates them.’ who said I’m crying? I’m not crying! 😭