[ Daily Tolkien ] A Tolkien Virgin: Of the Flight of the Noldor

Tolkien Online ^ | November 23, 1999 | Mark-Edmond

[JameRetief]

A Tolkien Virgin: Of the Flight of the Noldor
by Mark-Edmond

The Journey Continues

Here we go. Tolkien really does a brilliant job in this chapter. Evil knows not its own face. It's incredible the turns the story takes at this point. That Feanor would be so utterly blind to his own folly and evil deeds because of his hate for Melkor is immensely affecting. In my heart I'm pleading, "don't do it Feanor, don't do it! Can't you see you're becoming the thing you hate most!" At first, Feanor broke my heart, but as his deeds became progressively more evil, I began to despise Faenor and my heart broke for his people, and all the lives lost as a result of his madness. In Feanor, Tolkien has truly created one of the most tragic characters I've ever read.

Fingolfin, on the other hand--and all those left behind by Faenor when he burned the ships--seem the more like tragic heroes than just tragic characters or straightforward heroes. I was astonished and thoroughly impressed that they crossed the Helcaraxe. But then again, even though they hadn't known the cause of the battle, they still have that whole kin-slaying thing going against them.

One more thing that I totally thought was great was how Tolkien starts refering to Melkor as Morgoth after Faenor curses him by that name. It shows a little bit how much he was into his own stories. Somehow it makes the legend seem that much more genuine.

Early on in the chapter, Ungoliant (confirming my suspicion that she was only introduced out of thin air to make the darkening of Valanor more dramatic and sinister) leaves some nastiness behind and disappears from the story completely. The one "good" thing her addition to the story does is explain partially how Melkor/Morgoth's power has truly been diminished. To help accomplish their naughty deed, Melkor somehow caused some of his power to permanently go out from himself and into Ungoliant. But, I still think that the idea that he needed Ungoliant to perform his revenge at all is totally bogus according to what we had previously come to know about Melkor. But, you know that from last time.

Author: Mark-Edmond
Published on: November 23, 1999

The next Tolkien Virgin article covers: The Silmarillion: Of the Sindar

[JameRetief]

The Daily Tolkien articles by various authors	The Tolkien Virgin articles by Mark-Edmond
ARTICLES 1-10	1) Pre-amble and The Ainulindalë
ARTICLES 11-20	2) Ainulindalë/Valaquenta
ARTICLES 21-30	3) Of Aule and Yavanna
31) Model Languages: On Tolkien	4) Of The Coming of Elves and the Captivity of Melkor
32) Beyond The Movie: Author and History	5) Of Thingol and Melian
33) Beyond The Movie: Language and Culture	6) Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalie
34) Beyond The Movie: Myth and Storytelling	7) Of Feanor and the Unchaining of Melkor
35) Who were the real heroes of Middle-earth?	8) Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor
36) The Undefinable Shadowland	9) Of the Darkening of Valinor
37) Strange as news from Bree...	10) Of the Flight of the Noldor
38) Hobbit Tales, or Never There And Back Again...
39) Death and Funerary Customs in Middle-earth
40) Ranger For Hire: Have Horse, Will Travel

[JameRetief]

Your Tolkien Virgin Ping!

Read along with a Tolkien Virgin as he discovers and comments on the history of Middle Earth as he reads it for the first time.  These articles start with The Silmarillion, journeys through The Hobbit, and finishes with the epic Lord Of The Rings.  At the pace of 2 articles per week (Mondays and Fridays) the articles will wrap up about the same time that the final movie of the Lord Of The Rings story is released. 

If anyone would like for me to ping them directly when I post the Tolkien Virgin articles or my Daily Tolkien articles let me know. I hope that you enjoy them!

[ecurbh]

Ring Ping!!

[Mudboy Slim]

"Take It To The Senate!!"
(To be sung to the Eagles' "Take It To The Limit")

Willie moans as he dreams 'bout Lewinsky...
While the HildaBeast's playin' "The FOOL!!"
Slick keeps lying about "those women" he's used...used like SlixTools!!
You know Bill's always been a creeper...spent his life sleepin' 'round...
And it's so hard to change...Lib'rals like to go down!!!
But these crimes we've seen lately...
Slick's a Whore fer Power, tearin' FReedoms down and sellin' out to Beijing!!

So join US on the high road...tell Ashcroft, "INDICT!!!"
Take it to the Senate, RE-Impeach RATS' Slime!!!

Bill just spends all his time hustlin' money.
Willie spends all his Power hiding crimes.
When it all falls to pieces tomorrow,
Slick'll do Prison Time!!

I know y'all're searchin' for a reason...why nobody seems to care...
That EX-Prez'dent's a Whore...Left loves their Tyrant PIGS!!
Still, this Country's worth retrievin'...
Right'll come storming back, STAY on The Attack...
Next, We'll WHUP [enter RAT POTUS nominee '04]!!

So join me on the high road...Demand Slick, "Resign!!"**
Take it to the Senate...Convict RATS' Slime!!!

Take it to the Senate...RE-Impeach Bill Clinton!!
Take it to the Senate, it's Justice Time.......

(Chorus to fade)

MUDBOY SLIM

BTW...RE-IMPEACH. CONVICT. DETHRONE. DISBAR. DE-PENSION. INDICT. CONVICT. IMPRISON. DISCARD KEY.

It's that simple, folks, and it starts with you...MUD

1 Posted on 06/12/2000 12:40:56 PDT by Mudboy Slim (Impeach@gain.harder!!)

**Too late, Slick...yer gettin' the Full Monty...MUD

[ksen]

Thanks Jame!

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Ungoliant (confirming my suspicion that she was only introduced out of thin air to make the darkening of Valanor more dramatic and sinister) leaves some nastiness behind and disappears from the story completely.

grrr, can I slap him? Can I, huh, please, can I?

[Stopislamnow]

Ungoliant is not convienently discarded, her broodlings end up intertwined throughout the stories.

The place that borders Doriath, can't recall the name at the moment, but it is used in Beren's story and the Fall of Gondolin, Turin/Hurins tales.
Mirkwoods spiders
Shelob

Everything has a purpose in his stories. Even the smallest mention of something is important, its just that some things he never got around to.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Ungoliant is not convienently discarded, her broodlings end up intertwined throughout the stories.

Exactly, which is why I wanted to slap the author. It's not the first ignorant thing he's written during this series.

The place that borders Doriath, can't recall the name at the moment

That place was Nan Dungortheb. Ungoliant herself was supposed to turn up again, in the Tale of Eärendil; in that tale, which was never fully written, Eärendil, "voyaging far to the south", finally kills Ungoliant.

[Stopislamnow]

Yah thats the place. I've been perusing my Books of Lost Tales again after many years. I've always loved The Silmarillion, and the Books of Lost Tales offer so much more of Tolkiens creativity than The Silmarillion proper does.

I remember the first time I read the Silmarrion in high school, after Lord of the Rings, I was lost. It's taken years to start fully comprehending everything.

I'll give this guy the benefit of the doubt and just help it along instead of ripping into em. Silmarillion is not an easy read at first try.