content to be slightly forlorn

Women can have brother-wives too! (This post is about Indis and Ingwion)

Okay, last Thingol post, I promise! I feel like the fandom assumes that he had a much bigger army than he actually did. Because even during the First Battle, Thingol needed Denethor's reinforcements to defeat just the eastern host. They suffered heavy losses and the Laiquendi refused to fight ever again. So I really don't think he had enough of a force to turn the tide at Nirnaeth Arnoediad. I understand disliking him for not fighting, but blaming him for Morgoth's takeover makes zero sense. Oh, and I just realized! The Girdle was inarguably a bastion against Angband and saved a lot of lives, so what if Thingol knew that Melian wouldn't be able to sustain it if he died, and that was also one of the reasons he didn't fight; he couldn't risk his own life and therefore the lives of his people.

One of my favorite things about Thingol is that he lets the Guest-elves live within the Girdle despite them not considering him their king, and gives their chief a permanent place in his council. Actually the importance of autonomy is one of his defining traits since Cuivienen. He's most concerned for the freedom of the Sindar when the Noldor arrive. He has to be persuaded to let the Haladin settle in Brethil, but (very uniquely) has an equal alliance with them. And he's specifically stated to be the only king to foster a human (compared to the various Noldor-Edain friendships that, while close, were still that of lord and vassal).

"But the mothername which Indis gave to him was Ingoldo, signifying that he was partly of both the Ingar (people of Ingwe), her own kin, and of the Noldor. By this name he also became generally known; though after the rule of the Noldor was committed to him by Manwe (in the place of his elder brother and his father) he took the name of Finwe, and was in fact usually called Ingoldo-finwe. Similarly the third son was Arafinwe and also Ingalaure (because he had the golden hair of his mother's kin)."

Orodreth canonically being a mountaineer is super underrated.

Came across yet another fuckass take on the Teleri 🫩🚬

Every take from that side of the fandom has me sitting like the stoned taxidermy fox, because what book are they reading?? It's two dang pages that tell us that Sirion and Balar were close allies, Maedhros initially regretted the Second Kinslaying and the Feanorians were scattered, Sirion was stalling for time when they launched a surprise attack, Gil-galad came as soon as he could, and the survivors moved to Balar with him. You know what though? It's my fault for expecting them to have read the whole book, because they clearly missed this part: "But Morgoth thought that his triumph was fulfilled, recking little of the sons of Fëanor, and of their oath, which had harmed him never and turned always to his mightiest aid."

Thinking about the Vanyar having a spring kite festival <3

I don't think Finarfin himself would consider it, like, a karmic reward, but the fact that he's the one to lead an army of Noldor, Vanyar, and Maiar across the sea on Telerin ships to defeat Morgoth. 10/10, no notes, poetic justice at its finest!