Hildórien to Beleriand Series

Series compiled by Anérea

In my headcanon, the Awakening of Men at the time of the Rising of the Sun was figurative, more like a renaissance or the advancements that might occur with the invention of the wheel or agriculture (or the sudden appearance of a pair of glaring balls of light in the sky). Although they had been alive long before, while the plants and animals lay dormant under the influence of the Sleep of Yavanna, life for Men had probably been very simple. When the Sun and Moon triggered the Second Spring of Arda, then “new things, devised long ages before in the thought of Yavanna and sown as seed in the dark, came at last to their budding and their bloom. West, North, and South the children of Men spread and wandered, and their joy was the joy of the morning before the dew is dry, when every leaf is green.”
~from The Silmarillion, Chapter 12: Of Men

“When Men awoke in Hildórien at the rising of the Sun the spies of Morgoth were watchful, and tidings were soon brought to him; and this seemed to him so great a matter that secretly under shadow he himself departed from Angband, and went forth into Middle-earth, leaving to Sauron the command of the War. […] To corrupt or destroy whatsoever arose new and fair was ever the chief desire of Morgoth; and doubtless he had this purpose also in his errand: by fear and lies to make Men the foes of the Eldar, and bring them up out of the east against Beleriand. But this design was slow to ripen, and was never wholly achieved; for Men (it is said) were at first very few in number, whereas Morgoth grew afraid of the growing power and union of the Eldar and came back to Angband, leaving behind at that time but few servants, and those of less might and cunning."
~from The Silmarillion, Chapter 17: Of The Coming Of Men Into The West<br />

Series Information

Summary: Tolkien briefly mentions the Awakening of Men and then over 300 years later they appear in Beleriand with fully-formed culture and an apparently exciting and interesting history that's barely hinted at in the Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth. The latter describes an oral tradition passed down through many generations, so while the Tale Of Adanel may contain a core of truth, the precise details of their ancestors' lives would naturally become embellished or forgotten according to each storyteller's memory and understanding, morphing and evolving over time. The stories in this series explore the possible early history of Adanel's ancestors, the keepers of their wisdom traditions. (Adanel and her Brother happen to themselves be the ancestors of most of the First Age Edain and Peredhil heroes.) Major Characters: Original Character(s), Original Female Character(s), Original Male Character(s), Adanel, Maiar, Men, Zimrahin Major Relationships: Genre: General Challenges: