Sketches of Annwn

My favourite Implicit (yet most likely unintentional) thing about The Laws and Customs of the Eldar is that both those things, laws and customs, are fundamentally temporal and bound to change with the beings they apply to. The idea that they wouldn’t change when they apply to beings that have all the time in the world and are constantly improving upon the depths of their knowledge through experience, is somewhat ridiculous. The text therefore is only showing the traditions and social mores of the Eldar in Aman as witnessed and sometimes dictated by the Valar for most of the first age.

**The text says nothing about the Laws and Customs of The Avari, for example. Nor does it mention potentially differing traditions of the Sindarin and Nandor, from whom the Valinorean Eldar and the Valar have physically and temporally distanced themselves.

Note that:

A. The Valar have been shown to be mystified by The Children and all the things they can do. The Valar don’t actually know shit.

B. History has proven that the Valar can and have made an exception to basically every rule, up to and including “bringing a mortal man back to life cause his girlfriend sings pretty.”

C. We’re told that marriage for the elves (not humans) implies a sort of soul bond, which is ostensibly why the only way to dissolve said bond is thru the closest thing elves can get to true death, and yet, the very fact that it requires this clearly means the bond cannot be broken, since reembodiment of the dead spouse would immediately reassert said bond. Given that the soul is an infinite and imperishable entity derived straight from Eru’s secret fire, I can’t see what’s preventing a soul from forming bonds to multiple people at the same time, except a lack of consent from all parties involved. I.E. it is my belief that the Valar’s decision that an elf cannot have multiple living spouses is bullshit, derived from their limited capacity to understand the changeable nature of Eru’s children, and also possibly to avoid a cascade of legal ramifications regarding the children of said marriage. The Valar have been shown to actively resist and be grieved by change of any kind, whether good or bad, because as beings they are fundamentally divorced from the effects of time on matter and the soul. They are not so much complete beings in themselves but tools created by Eru to accomplish specific tasks. They each have aspects from which they cannot deviate. The Valar don’t know shit.

C. The idea that a sensual being with a body, infinite curiosity and time to match it, would not attempt to have sex with everyone and everything capable of consent in its process of discovery is hilarious to me and highlights the author’s occluding Catholic naïveté. This also highlights the basic flaw with the idea that sex between two parties immediately must result in marriage. We’re told the two things necessary for marriage are sex and words to Eru. What happens if you never mention Eru? For that matter what happens if you want to bond your soul with someone else but the very idea of sex is repulsive to you? Could you just perform the vows and have the marriage count?

D. LACE ignores that even in a Catholic context Marriage is a legal construct to provide legitimacy to the claims of close kin upon a persons’ belongings. It has nothing to do with the soul, and is fundamentally aimed at classifying access to private property and material gain.

E. The Valar don’t know shit, and as per the Author’s very own feelings about sub-creation, anyone who wants to gets to pick and choose the things they like, and discard the ones they don’t.

My attempt at a somewhat comprehensive genealogy for the royal house of Finwë. I’ve taken the liberty to include headcanons and had some fun making up mother-names for most of the non-Fëanorian lot. I’ve also given names to various wives because they existed and they SHOULD HAVE THEM (*glares at JRR*). Brief explanations on non-canonical relationships and naming from left to right:

1. Thalindel of the Sindar: “Steadfast Star-heart.” Maglor’s wife, a native of Hithlum, who befriended and comforted a lost poet suddenly thrust into the role of regent in the long bright dark before first dawn. Very fond of horses, basically fills the administrative duties of managing the heavy cavalry legions of The Gap.

2. Menelnárë Vairëmelda: “Heavenly Fire, Beloved of Vairë.” Curufin’s wife, who married him for his status and his charm, and then grew fond of him over time. Curufin liked the symmetry of marrying into the weaver’s guild and knew his father would approve of the choice. Stayed in Aman.

3. Haleth, daughter of Haldad: has no intention of being pressured into marriage to a man interested only in her position, which is all of them. Caranthir, who never thought of marrying and would not care about any position but his own anyway, star-struck by this diminutive woman who talks back at him and can keep up and doesn’t give a shit about his temper, proposes a solution. It is not uncommon for spouses to live apart among the Eldar, and he’d love to be stepped on once a decade or so.

4. Findis Araniel: “King’s Daughter.” Because a boring father-name deserves an equally uninspired mother-name.

5. Anaire Vorimissë: “Faithful Woman.” Name of insight, as she remains behind in Aman.

6. Findekano Indomirë: “Jewel-Heart.” As in, this man is a gem and his heart is a treasure. Maedhros agrees.

7. Turukano Olócimo: “One who heeds visions/dreams.” Name of insight, self-explanatory.

8. Elenwë Laurëlótë: “Golden Flower,” a reference to her Vanyarin origin as well as her hair.

9. Irisse Necelnis: “Spear Wife.” Meant in the sense of fierceness and prickly nature, but if the shoe fits and Eöl hurls it....(I’m so sorry).

10. Eöl Elmion: here son of Elmo, the unfortunately named brother of both Olwë and Elwë who is also Celeborn’s grandfather. This fits as Eöl is said to be of Elwë’s kin, and is given dispensation to live outside Doriath in his own realm.

11. Arakano Nolmendur: “Servant of Wisdom.”

12. Gil-Galad: here his parentage is owed to a brilliant fic I read but whose name I can’t remember. It may have been one in Spacewall’s big post 3rd age series, but I can’t be sure. It is, let me repeat, brilliant, because it remembers that Lalwen exists and provides a great explanation for Gil’s possible looks (light hair inherited from lalwen’s mother and/or Cirdan himself, which could make him look very like an Arafinwean), and accounts for the records naming him Fingon’s heir through adoption. All he had to swear to was that little Gil was indeed of the blood of Finwë, the blood of kings (Cirdan is also said to be of Elwë’s kin, and has a big independent realm, so I’m imagining him as the fourth brother of the bunch). The scribes make up a wife for Fingon to avoid rumours of bastardy.

13. Eärwen Uinendil: “Lover of/Friend of Uinen.” Self-explanatory, and apt for a princess of sea elves.

14. Amarië Telumessë: “Sky-Woman.” In reference to Varda, and her Vanyarin origin.

15. Findarato Ingalaurë: “Top Gold.” One of Tolkien’s proposed mother-names for Finarfin, rejected in favour of Ingoldo, which Eärwen then passes onto their son. I think ingalaure fits Finrod much more, given the symbolism of arafinwean hair and the trees, and the simile with the crown of golden flowers of his house.

16. Eldalótë Falmariel: “Daughter of the Wave.” Here I’m making her explicitly Telerin.

17. Angarato Alimacondo: “Fair Lord.” In reference to both his hair and his iron sense of justice- heh.

18. Artaher Hestorindo: “Noble Lord, Swift Captain.” Artaher is the latest quenya name Tolkien used for the character otherwise known as Orodreth before his death. The Sinda form of this name is Arothir. “Swift Captain” seemed a proper name for a lordling of Telerin Heritage on both sides.