Elk handling, arrow sharpening, wine tasting...

"For it had been taken from Anduin long ere they sought for it, being found by one of the small fisher-folk that dwelt by the River, ere the Kings failed in Gondor, and by its finder it was brought beyond search into dark hiding under the roots of the mountains."

(in which I am using the US-preferred double L, instead of Tolkien’s single UK usage ‘thraldom’. I prefer the way it looks.)   

I have become intrigued by the notion of thralldom, and have been collecting examples. Seems to me there are two main types:

Thralldom by charisma – being swayed / brainwashed by someone’s (yes Feanor, we’re looking at you) viewpoint. A dictionary definition: Someone who is bondage to power, influence or the like.

However Feanor likes to accuse others of this:  For Feanor now began openly to speak words of rebellion against the Valar, crying aloud that he would depart from Valinor back to the world, and would deliver the Noldor from thralldom if they would follow him.

Pulling his sword on Fingolfin: Try once more to usurp my place and the love of my father, and maybe it will rid the Noldor of one who seeks to be the master of thralls.

Feanor could be accused of the same though, as Angrod later references to Thingol when trying to defend the Noldors’ actions: Guiltless we came forth, save maybe of folly, to listen to the words of fell Feanor, and become as if besotted with wine, and as briefly.    (did not seem to be that brief to me. No one slept on it and in the morning went ‘yeah.. nah. Not gonna leave Tirion.)

Mandos to Feanor: Thou speakest of thralldom. If thralldom it be, thou canst not escape it, for Manwe is King of Arda, and not of Aman only. 

And much later, in Beren & Luthien’s time: And after Celegorm, Curfin spoke , more softly but with no less power, conjuring the minds of the Elves a vision of war and the ruin of Nargothrond. So great a fear did he set in their hearts that never after until the time of Turin would any Elf of that realm go into open battle; but with stealth and ambush, with wizardry and venomed dart, they pursued all strangers, forgetting the bonds of kinship.

          2. The thralldom instigated by Morgoth – a thralldom of terror,                    activated by hypnosis. Another dictionary definition: bondage,                  slavery, servitude. 

And some he so daunted by the terror of his eyes that they needed chains no more, but walked ever in fear of him, doing his will wherever they might be.

Turgon to Eol: Your freedom to wander there wild you owe to my kin; but for them long since you would have laboured in thralldom in the pits of Angband.

Many of the Noldor and the Sindar they took captive and led to Angband, and made them thralls, forcing them to use their skill and knowledge in the service of Morgoth……   But ever the Noldor feared most the treachery of those of their own kin, who had been thralls in Angband; for Morgoth used some of these for his evil purposes, and feigning to give them liberty, sent them abroad, but their wills were chained to his, and they strayed only to come back to him again.

Now Gorlim would have drawn back, but daunted by the eyes of Sauron he told at last all that he would know.

For few of the Noldor whom Morgoth captured were put to death, because of their skill in forging and in mining for metals and gems; and Gwindor was not slain but put to labour in the mines of the North.

Luthien kicks Sauron out of his hold: …and the pits laid bare; and many thralls and captives came forth in wonder and dismay, shielding their eyes against the pale moonlight, for they had lain long in the darkness of Sauron.

Glaurung to Turin: As thralls thy mother and sister live in Dor-lomin, in misery and want.

            ***SPOILER ALERT for Chpt 22***

Hurin’s release from bondage: ‘the remnant of his own people shunned him, because of his coming from Angband as one in league and honour with Morgoth.  But upon handing over the Nauglamir to Thingol: For now my fate is fulfilled, and the purpose of Morgoth achieved; but I am his thrall no longer.

         ***SPOILER ALERT (Chpts 23 & 24) for those of you who haven’t steamed ahead like I have. (hey I'm about to go travelling overseas, can't take my heavy edition, can't leave myself hanging!)***

This instance seems to speak of captivity / servitude only, without the brainwashing: And Tuor was taken captive and enslaved by Lorgon, chief of Easterlings of Hithlum. For three years he endured that thralldom, but at the end of that time he escaped; and returning to the caves of Androth he dwelt there alone, and did such great hurt to the Easterlings that Lorgon set a price on his head.

And there is ‘captivation’, in the most positive sense: And Tuor remained in Gondolin, for its bliss and beauty and the wisdom of its people held him enthralled…   (I hope we have all experienced a positive type of thralldom of sorts. I know I have.)

I have been considering whether the final treachery of Maeglin was the result of a thralldom upon his capture. But I think not. This dark seed in him all along was simply awakened, his desires ready to be easily purchased.

Could we call the power of the Silmarils an enthrallment? And every day that he (Thingol) looked upon the Silmaril the more he desired to keep it forever, for such was its power. 

I wonder if the good prof had already decided on writing The Children of Hurin when he refers within Chapter 21 to ‘the lay that is called Narn I Hin Hurin.’  In which the fate of Turin is full told, and I’m going to need to read this, because I want to know more about Saeros and his baiting of Turin. Surely it couldn’t be that one incident, insulting Turin’s mum and sis? (Though mother/sister insults are, in some communities in this world, considered amongst the worst.)

Setting Saeros to run naked through the woods (does Turin force him to undress at sword-point? or catch him while bathing?) and hunting him to his death – that’s a fairly harsh response, and indicates the personality of an outlaw.  My Ted Nasmith edition shows Saeros leaping to his death. His body is covered with cuts and he has short flaming red hair. As seen in the excellent Silm Reader’s Guide.  (Daeron the minstrel from previous chpt is another minor player I would like to know more about.)

And another veiled hint at Maeglin, on the stealing of Anguirel.  I’ll be seriously disappointed if he doesn’t crop up again.

".., and none know how he found a way, and so came by paths that no Man nor Elf else ever dared to tread to the borders of Doriath. And he passed through the mazes that Melian wove about the kingdom of Thingol, even as she had foretold..."

When I bought my Ted Nasmith illustrated copy and was idly flicking through looking at the pictures, this image in particular was utterly compelling. Who was this handsome, sullen being? Was he Elf or Man? And what the heck was going on here?

So I kinda read 'Of Maeglin' straight away. And it did kind of stand alone, it had a fairy tale element that drew me in without needing to know the background. Now I do know the background and it's just so much more wow to me. But I wonder if it still stands alone. Will we come across any more Dark Elves? And does Maeglin have a further part to play? Some of you will already know; I don't.  

I am loving how Tolkien can deliver such meaning and conflict within a mere sentence. So much potential emotion conveyed in just a few words; the power and the capture of my imagination is in the simplicity. Just a few examples:

The Noldor also it was who first achieved the making of gems; and the fairest of all gems were the Silmarils, and they are lost.   (from one thing, to the next, to tragedy)

Galadriel his sister went not with him to Nargothrond, for in Doriath dwelt Celeborn, kinsman of Thingol, and there was great love between them.  

(Aw! When did their eyes first meet across a crowded hall / glade?)

Ten days that battle lasted, and from it returned of all the hosts that he had prepared for the conquest of Beleriand no more than a handful of leaves.  (wow. Nice.)

… and there were Balrogs.  (nuff said)

And in the glory and beauty of the Elves, and in their fate, full share had the offspring of elf and mortal, Earendil, and Elwing, and Elrond their child. (I had totes forgotten he is Half-Elven!)

But though either people loved skill and were eager to learn, no great love was there between them; for the Dwarves were secret and quick to resentment, and Caranthir was haughty and scarce concealed his scorn for the unloveliness of the Naugrim, and his people followed their lord. 

(I want more Caranthir. Loves me some haughty Elf.)

Again therefore in his pain, Maedhros begged that he would slay him; but Fingon cut off his hand above the wrist, and Thorondor bore them back to Mithrim.  (Breaks my heart, in a good way.)

Thus Turgon lived long in bliss; but Nevrast was desolate, and remained empty of living folk until the ruin of Beleriand.                                         (a tumult of emo in just 21 words)

But it is said that not until that hour had such cold thoughts ruled him, for indeed she whom he had loved was Amarie of the Vanyar, and she went not with him into exile.

(the hint at heart-break in Finrod’s arc.  I also wondered about Nerdanel, whom Feanor left behind. And speaking of significant others…..)

My late response to the Flight of the Noldor. This is an impression of Galafdriel and Finrod crossing the Helcaraxe, enduring the hardship and freezing conditions. Their furred hoods are inspired by the Ted Nasmith illustration in my copy.