Elfarmari
09-07-2003, 08:20 PM
Here are some useful maps:
Silmarillion Map of Beleriand (http://www.tolkienion.com/maps/data/bel_scan.jpg)
Re-editted Silmarillion map (http://www.tolkienion.com/maps/data/bel_swj.jpg)
Realms of Beleriand (http://www.tolkienion.com/maps/data/bel_swj.jpg)
This is the fashion of the lands into which the Noldor came, in the north of the wetsern regions of Middle-earth, in the ancient days; and here also is told of the manner in which the chieftains of the Eldar held their lands and the leaguer upon Morgoth after the Dagor Aglareb, the third battle in the Wars of Beleriand.
I must admit that the first time I read the Silmarillion, I read this opening paragraph and skipped the whole chapter. . . Reading further the next time, I discovered that this chapter allows you to see Middle-earth as a 'real' place. Here are some questions that come to mind:
But above this gate [of Angband], and behind it even to the mountains, he [Melkor] piled the thunderous towers of Thangorodrim, that were made of the ash and slag of his subterranean furnaces, and the vast refuse of his tunnellings. They were black and desolate and exceedingly lofty; and smoke issued from their tops, dark and foul upon the northern sky.
Wherever I read of one of the Valar building, raising up, piling, casting down, (etc.) mountains or other landforms, I wonder how literally to take this. Does this mean that they used some power of the Ainur to cause these things to 'magically' happen? This especially comes to mind during the first war between the Valar and Melkor. Here, however it seems more likely that Melkor piled the towers by forcing his thralls to haul the slag and refuse out of his caverns and build the towers from the ground up. The question then becomes; how did they become volcanoes? (this being what comes to my mind when it says smoke issued from their tops).
I personally did not know what these two words meant, so in keeping with Tolkien's interest in linguistics, here's what I found out:
tarn: a small steep-banked mountain lake or pool
Pronunciation: 'tärn Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English tarne, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse tjorn small lake Date: 14th century
tor: a high craggy hill
Pronunciation: 'tor Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English torr Date: before 12th century
Upon the cape west of Eglarest Finrod raised the tower of Barad Nimras to watch the western sea, though needlessly, as it proved; for at no time ever did Morgoth essay to build ships or to make war by sea. Water all his servants shunned, and to the sea none would willingly go nigh, save in dire need.
Why is this? Because of the power of Ulmo and Ossë? Did his servants shun it because they too perceived the power set against them? Melkor had evil Men under his dominion, did these also avoid the sea and rivers?
In the Third Age, Ringwraiths also fear and avoid water. Is this a remnant of fear? Sauron apparently had no fear of water, having travelled to Numenor.
With the aid of the Elves of the Havens some of the folk of Nargothrond built new ships, and they went forth and explored the great Isle of Balar, thinking there to prepare a last refuge, if evil came; but it was not their fate that they should ever dwell there. The Elves were already thinking of their possible defeat. . .
This chapter doesn't have much 'action' in it, and as such I couldn't come up with a whole lot of things to discuss. . . feel free to add more!
I thought that since this is discussing the landscape of ME, this would be a good place to put this map, FYI. This is the first Silmarillion mape, as given in HoMe IV, the Shaping of Middle-earth.
Silmarillion Map of Beleriand (http://www.tolkienion.com/maps/data/bel_scan.jpg)
Re-editted Silmarillion map (http://www.tolkienion.com/maps/data/bel_swj.jpg)
Realms of Beleriand (http://www.tolkienion.com/maps/data/bel_swj.jpg)
This is the fashion of the lands into which the Noldor came, in the north of the wetsern regions of Middle-earth, in the ancient days; and here also is told of the manner in which the chieftains of the Eldar held their lands and the leaguer upon Morgoth after the Dagor Aglareb, the third battle in the Wars of Beleriand.
I must admit that the first time I read the Silmarillion, I read this opening paragraph and skipped the whole chapter. . . Reading further the next time, I discovered that this chapter allows you to see Middle-earth as a 'real' place. Here are some questions that come to mind:
But above this gate [of Angband], and behind it even to the mountains, he [Melkor] piled the thunderous towers of Thangorodrim, that were made of the ash and slag of his subterranean furnaces, and the vast refuse of his tunnellings. They were black and desolate and exceedingly lofty; and smoke issued from their tops, dark and foul upon the northern sky.
Wherever I read of one of the Valar building, raising up, piling, casting down, (etc.) mountains or other landforms, I wonder how literally to take this. Does this mean that they used some power of the Ainur to cause these things to 'magically' happen? This especially comes to mind during the first war between the Valar and Melkor. Here, however it seems more likely that Melkor piled the towers by forcing his thralls to haul the slag and refuse out of his caverns and build the towers from the ground up. The question then becomes; how did they become volcanoes? (this being what comes to my mind when it says smoke issued from their tops).
I personally did not know what these two words meant, so in keeping with Tolkien's interest in linguistics, here's what I found out:
tarn: a small steep-banked mountain lake or pool
Pronunciation: 'tärn Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English tarne, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse tjorn small lake Date: 14th century
tor: a high craggy hill
Pronunciation: 'tor Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English torr Date: before 12th century
Upon the cape west of Eglarest Finrod raised the tower of Barad Nimras to watch the western sea, though needlessly, as it proved; for at no time ever did Morgoth essay to build ships or to make war by sea. Water all his servants shunned, and to the sea none would willingly go nigh, save in dire need.
Why is this? Because of the power of Ulmo and Ossë? Did his servants shun it because they too perceived the power set against them? Melkor had evil Men under his dominion, did these also avoid the sea and rivers?
In the Third Age, Ringwraiths also fear and avoid water. Is this a remnant of fear? Sauron apparently had no fear of water, having travelled to Numenor.
With the aid of the Elves of the Havens some of the folk of Nargothrond built new ships, and they went forth and explored the great Isle of Balar, thinking there to prepare a last refuge, if evil came; but it was not their fate that they should ever dwell there. The Elves were already thinking of their possible defeat. . .
This chapter doesn't have much 'action' in it, and as such I couldn't come up with a whole lot of things to discuss. . . feel free to add more!
I thought that since this is discussing the landscape of ME, this would be a good place to put this map, FYI. This is the first Silmarillion mape, as given in HoMe IV, the Shaping of Middle-earth.