#atani

I - finally - have courage to actuallly develop the crossovers and plots I have been writing and slowy creating in my head

And making up names and customs for my favorite Arda's people (my beloved Easterlings) is awesome. I need to be careful so I don't 'sanctify' them, for lack of better words, as much some people love to make them Feminism, Queer Accepting, Not-Racist, Unflawed just like some people do in real life with Native American Cultures.

I genuine thinking about men having more than one wife like some cultures had, not that I approve or fetish it, its just...historical? In some parts of Middle-East? I just don’t want to make Arda Eastern Culture...perfect?

What I can do to make them more 'feminist' is that, since so many men die in Sauron's army, and Easterlings are mostly trying to survive in a bad enviroment, its won't be historically incorrect for women to take men roles becaus of necessity

My Easterling names and words so far

Enni:

Kurma

Tenka

Vika

Viya

Kurko

Kurya

Naku

Rutta

Nysa

Wyla

Penthu:

Freggo

Briegga

Brinna

Adhina

Kuhina

Mharai

Inra

Runa

Welfa:

Oresha

Araya

Suriki

Yefa

Karuk:

Gretta

Dhurara

Kulthan

Valko

kheda (widow)

bri (beauty)

hina (bride)

ku (sea)

van (clan)

nel (woman)

nul (man)

Nelva (literally 'house of women', the place where widows and women whose husbands are away live with their younger children and orphans)

The tribes are deeply intertwined due to the constant exterminations of their people done in the past, both by Edain and Orcs alike, many parts of their cultures were lost, but those that remained were adapted among them

Although they can no longer say they have 'nobles', each tribe is divided into clans, each one proud eith their crafts and all following the same naming system. A single syllable added to the sufix '- van', while they don't have surnames, the firstborn naturally has the syllabe in their names (like the head of Tuivan could be named Tuikan or Tuimer), in daughter or a second son's name its optional

The Karuk and the Welfa are more present in the Sauron's army than the two others tribes, for their weapon and horse skils are more prized there and, with exception of Enni's boat-building and navigation skills, the sea tribe mostly contribute by farming and fishing. The Penthu are forced to give up their elaborate arts and gifts in exchange for more useful crafts produced in mass.

However they have an upper class, those who remain wealthy and powerful despite the ruin of their homeland and its inhabitants, allying themselves with the Dark Enemy in search of glory and participating in the terrorization of their own folk

This is my first time actually writing beyond just random making ideas like that post in 2022

I still starting and I want it to be a crossover, so still in making

'Then Tuor marvelling saw that on the wall behind the throne were hung a shield and a great hauberk, and a helm and a long sword in a sheath. The hauberk shone as it were wrought of silver untarnished, and the sunbeam gilded it with sparks of gold. But the shield was of a shape strange to Tuor's eyes, for it was long and tapering; and it's field was blue, in the midst of it was wrought an emblem of a white swan's wing. Then Tuor spoke, and his voice rang as a challenge in the roof: "By this token I will take these arms unto myself, and upon myself whatsoever doom they bear."'

People often complain that Tolkien's characters are too black-and-white, not nuanced enough or too static. I disagree – I think that Tolkien created some really good characters and interesting arcs. One just has to pay attention.

Today's exhibit: Éowyn

Éowyn is a character worth writing books about, and I can never do her justice within just a few words. All the more I want to mention her. There is always lots of debate about her character arc, and I think many people see very different things in her – which is fine of course. But I feel it's often reduced to just one aspect of it when it has actually more to offer.

‘All your words are but to say: you are a woman, and your part is in the house. But when the men have died in battle and honour, you have leave to be burned in the house, for the men will need it no more. But I am of the House of Eorl and not a serving-woman. I can ride and wield blade, and I do not fear either pain or death.’

Éowyn is known for riding with the Rohirrim to Gondor against Théoden's wishes and Aragorn's advice, and for killing the Witchking of Angmar - defying a prophecy that he cannot be killed by any man because she is a woman.

And this is a major part of her character arc: Éowyn is fed up with staying behind and "mind the house while [the Riders] win renown, and find food and beds when they return". She, too, wishes to fight battles and win glory, and is unhappy when she is put in charge of ruling the people of Rohan in Théoden's place. Her interest in Aragorn comes from the same feeling – she is interested in him as a great captain and because he is "high and puissant", but in truth she barely knows him as a person.

But what has lead to Éowyn's unhappiness in the first place?

‘It is not always good to be healed in body. Nor is it always evil to die in battle, even in bitter pain. Were I permitted, in this dark hour I would choose the latter.’

Éowyn's story, for me, is also a story about a woman struggling with a deep depression. She has taken care of Théoden for a long time while he was ill, and whoever has taken care of a sick loved one knows how painful and exhausting this can be. Wormtongue's lies made it even worse, making her believe that "the House of Eorl was sunk in honour less than any shepherd’s cot". Her self-worth was basically non-existant. When she no longer had to care for Théoden's health, she yearned to gain some self-worth for herself and her House, and became frustrated when when it seemed to her that men were given that opportunity that she was banned from.

When she joined the Rohirrim, she did not do it out of selflessness nor to sacrifice her life in the line of duty. She was desperate because she saw no other option in life, and hoped that at least with her death she could improve her own worth. But not even killing the Witchking could change her own image of herself or undo Wormtongue's lies. The glory she gained in battle did not giving her life actual meaning or purpose.

'I will be a healer, and love all things that grow and are not barren.'

I have seen people who are upset about Éowyn's "change of heart" in the end – that she now longer wants to be a fighter but a healer instead. But I think often the true meaning behind this is ignored. This is not about a woman going back to doing woman-things after having been a fighter before. This is about Éowyn finding new purpose in life, beyond dying for glory. It's a sign of healing, it's about growth and rejecting the glorification of war. Famous healer's in Tolkien's work include Aragorn and Elrond, so it's not just a skill or occupation of minor importance and only reserved for women.

It's fitting that Faramir helps her with her healing. This is not about the love of a man changing Éowyn in any way, it's about what Faramir represents as a person: he is patient and kind, and he has no interest in war despite being rather famous as a captain of Gondor himself. And he shares some experiences with her that help them both to understand each other: they both went to war and did not expect to survive, both were hurt by the Nazgûl, and both lost their father figure in the war. Faramir is able to make Éowyn understand that glory and death and tragedy aren't necessary requirements for love and admiration. She is worthy of love and recognition because of who she is, not because of deeds of glory in war. And I think this is a beautiful end to her story.

— The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion

‘The Eldar, you say, are unpunished, and even those who rebelled do not die. Yet that is to them neither reward nor punishment, but the fulfilment of their being. They cannot escape, and are bound to this world, never to leave it so long as it lasts, for its life is theirs. And you are punished for the rebellion of Men, you say, in which you had small part, and so it is that you die. But that was not at first appointed for a punishment. Thus you escape, and leave the world, and are not bound to it, in hope or in weariness. Which of us therefore should envy the others?’

And the Númenóreans answered: ‘Why should we not envy the Valar, or even the least of the Deathless? For of us is required a blind trust, and a hope without assurance, knowing not what lies before us in a little while. And yet we also love the Earth and would not lose it.’

— The Silmarillion, Akallabêth

These two passages concerning the fates of Men and Elves from The Silmarillion jumped out at me when I reread them due to how well they matched up to the theme Tolkien described in this letter:

Death and Immortality: the mystery of the love of the world in the hearts of a race ‘doomed’ to leave and seemingly lose it; the anguish in the hearts of a race ‘doomed’ not to leave it, until its whole evil-aroused story is complete.

— The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 186

Many thanks to @sweetteaanddragons for the awesome remix Echoes in Water of my fic Mithrim; I wrpte three conversations of Meadhros with other characters after Fingon’s rescue of him from Thangorodrim, and @sweetteaanddragons has expanded it with two other excellent conversations involving Maglor!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/38935248/chapters/97373583

And lastly, endless thanks to @randomly-generated-name (Torpi on AO3) for the opportunity to spin off a fic from the fantastic Half-Life, about an boy from Uldor’s forces captured by Maglor after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35139646

It’s a amazing open-ended fic, the absolutely ideal fic for a remix, and I had so many ideas about possible directions to take it in! It spurred the longest fic I’ve ever written, and the first one with a real plot (rather than my usual conversations +/or emotions focus - though there are those as well!) as well as the first one featuring an OC! - I’ve spent the last month and a half going *Bugs Bunny meme* “OUR OC”, though really Spring Rain is Torpi’s and I’d be nowhere on this without Half-Life.

My fic Traitor picks up where the original left off and explores one possibility for the boy’s later life and the kind of choices and conflicts of loyalty that would face a member of the Fëanorean forces in the later years. I expect to have more posts relating to it, because it made me think about so many things and so many character parallels!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39010902