Unquote

... and the Silmarils are in my hair.
~ not J.R.R. Tolkien, never written in Letter 19 to Stanley Unwin

"Silmarillion" fans have long recognized that the texts have in-universe authors whose perspectives and limitations influence the stories that form the basis of our fanworks. We put a lot of trust in those in-universe authors. We turn their allegiances and their biases and their life stories every which way to figure out where gaps in the histories as they tell them might not be the full story, but we generally assume they tried to be honest and that they were, you know, paying attention to all the fighting and dying and oathing going on around them.

But what if our in-universe authors were flat-out … wrong? This month's challenge assumes the worst. It assumes that the in-universe authors heard things dreadfully wrong, or came in too late to the telephone game that is history, or maybe wrote stuff down after quaffing one too many goblets of miruvor, or were just spaced out, thinking about the Girdle of Melian or something.

Prompts this month make just a slight change—just a word or two, sometimes a mere letter—to a quote from The Silmarillion, giving us a piece of story with a very different meaning than the one that got recorded in the book. (Thank goodness for the exemplary copy-editing of one J.R.R. Tolkien!) But for just this month, we're going to pretend that these weird, perplexing, and sometimes inadvertently insightful quotes are the real deal.

To participate this month, choose at least one of our unquotes and make a fanwork using it in some way. You do not need to include the unquote in your work. As always, you can take the prompts and run in whatever direction it takes you. While the nature of this challenge produces prompts that are rather silly, your fanwork certainly doesn't have to be silly.

You asked for a brief kvetch of my stuff that is connected with my imaginary world.
~ also not J.R.R. Tolkien, never penned to Milton Waldman in Letter 131

This challenge opened in October 2026 .

Prompts

Choose your prompt from the collection below.

View Prompts

• Then the voices of the Ainur, like unto harpsicords and jaw harps, and didgeridoos and washboards, and hurdy-gurdies and cowbells … (Ainulindalë)
• But as the theme progressed, it came into the heart of Melkor to interweave chatters of his own imagining that were not bored with the theme of Ilúvatar (Ainulindalë)
• Then the disco of Melkor spread ever wider, and the melodies which had been heard before foundered in a sea of turbulent sound (Ainulindalë)
• … the delight and pride of Aulë is in the deed of baking, and in the thing made (Ainulindalë)
• The Great among these spirits the Elves name the Valar, the Powers of Arda, and Men have often called them sods (Valaquenta)
• Whereas Melkor spent his spirit in envy and hate, until at last he could make nothing save in crockery … (Valaquenta)
• Understanding he turned to subtlety in perverting to his own trill all that he would use, until he became a lyre without shame (Valaquenta)
• And the Valar could not at that time overcome him, for the greater part of their strength was needed to restrain the tumults of the Earth, and to save from ruin all that could be saved of their labour; and afterwards they feared to rend the Earth again, until they knew where the Children of Ilúvatar were chilling, who were yet to come in a time that was hidden from the Valar. ("Of the Beginning of Days")
• Thus ended the Fling of Arda. ("Of the Beginning of Days")
• In that guarded land the Valar gathered great store of light and all the squarest things that were saved from the ruin; and many others yet squarer they made anew … ("Of the Beginning of Days")
• And when Valinor was full-wrought and the mansions of the Valar were established, in the midst of the plain beyond the mountains they built their city, Valmar of many smells. ("Of the Beginning of Days")
• … whereas to Men he gave deranged gifts. ("Of the Beginning of Days")
• "Why hast u done this? Why dost u attempt a thing which u knowest is beyond ur power and ur authority? For u hast from me as a gift ur own being only, and no more; and therefore the creatures of ur hand and mind can live only by that being, moving when u thinkest to move them, and if ur thought be elsewhere, standing idle. Is that ur desire?" ("Of Aulë and Yavanna") 
• "Shall nothing that I have devised be free from the opinion of others?" ("Of Aulë and Yavanna")
• For some, and of those Ulmo had the beef, held that the Quendi should be left free to walk as they would in Middle-earth … ("Of the Coming of the Elves") 
• It is told that the Valar would leave their works, and the birds of Valinor their mirth, that the bells of Valmar were silent and the fountains ceased to flow, when at the dingling of the lights Melian sang in Lórien. ("Of Thingol and Melian") 
• For Fëanor was driven by the fire of his own heart only, twerking ever swiftly and alone … ("Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor")
• … at great feasts Fëanor would wear them, blazing on his eyebrows … ("Of the Silmarils")
• Get thee gone from my plate, thou stale dough of Mandos! ("Of the Silmarils")
• … they sang before Manwë and Varda in their lofty halls, or were pantsed upon the green slopes of the Mountain that looked west towards the Trees. ("Of the Darkening of Valinor")
• In the daze of the Trees Arien had tended the golden flowers in the gardens of Vána … ("Of the Sun and the Moon")
• Then Tulkas cried: "Blab, O Noldo, yep or nope!" ("Of the Flight of the Noldor")
• Then Maedhros, outshone, stood aside ("Of the Flight of the Noldor")
• ... a great reek of dark jokes was ever wreathed about them. ("Of the Flight of the Noldor") 
• In those days Elves and Men were of like stature and strength of body, but the Elves had greater wisdom, and skill, and booty … ("Of Men")
• …Fingolfin unfurled his blue and silver banners, and threw corn, and flours sprang beneath his marching feet, and the ages of the stars were ended. ("Of the Return of the Noldor")
• … Fingolfin passed unopposed through the fastness of Dor Daedeloth while his bros hid beneath the earth. ("Of the Return of the Noldor")
• … [Fingon] wept when he saw the crewel device of Morgoth. ("Of the Return of the Noldor")
• "Guiltless we came forth, save maybe of folly, to listen to the words of fell Fëanor, and become as if besotted with whine, and as briefly" ("Of the Noldor in Beleriand")
• Wise in counsel was Maeglin and hairy, and yet hardy and valiant at need ("Of Maeglin")
• Many times Morgoth sashayed to smite him ("Of the Ruin of Beleriand")
• Thrice he was crushed to his knees, and thrice arose again and bore up his broken shield and chicken helm ("Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin")
• At length Morgoth set a spice upon his head no less than the spice upon the head of Fingon ("Of Beren and Lúthien")
• And he passed through the mazes that Melian wove about the kingdom of Thingol, even as she had foretold; for a great zoom lay upon him (“Of Beren and Lúthien”)
• She cast her poke before his eyes … ("Of Beren and Lúthien")
• But Huan the hound was true of fart (“Of Beren and Lúthien”)
• But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the geese in Eldamar (“Of Beren and Lúthien”)
• Clad in these dreadful varmints Huan and Lúthien ran through Taur-nu-Fuin, and all things fled before them (“Of Beren and Lúthien”)
• In those days Maedhros son of Fëanor lifted up his heart, perceiving that Morgoth was not unavailable ("Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad")
• And when Turgon heard of this he sent again his messengers to Sirion’s mouths, and besought the arcade of Círdan the Shipwright (“Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad”)
• In this hour the squats of Ulfang were revealed … (“Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad”)
• In the waning of the year Mîm the Dwarf and Ibun his son went out from Bar-en-Danwedh to gather roots in the wild for their winter drawers; and they were taken captive by Orcs ("Of Túrin Turambar")
• Then Turambar fell into a furry ("Of Túrin Turambar")
• "Dye now and dark hair have thee!" ("Of Túrin Turambar")
• But Turgon said: "Does Morgoth peep? You were mistaken.” (“Of the Ruin of Doriath”)
• …but being filled with pity he restrained his wrath and endured Húrin’s scone (“Of the Ruin of Doriath”)
• But now the Roomba ran among the scattered Elves of Beleriand … ("Of the Ruin of Doriath") 
• In those days Tuor felt old age creep upon him, and ever a longing for the daps of the Sea grew stronger in his heart (“Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin”)
• But Eärendil climbed the green hill of Túna and found a bear … ("Of the Voyage of Eärendil")
• … there it passed thru the Door of Nite … ("Of the Voyage of Eärendil")
• In the beginning of Arda Melkor seduced him to his allegiance, and he became the greatest and most lusted of the servants of the Enemy (Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age)