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I am rereading The Silmarillion by JRR Tolkien with the Many Meetings substack. We are to read 4 chapters a week, then respond in the comments about what we read. I have not managed to read the entire book because it is not a novel. It is like reading a history book or the Bible. I'm hoping that having the gentle accountability of this group will get me through. So far, I have learned a couple of tidbits that will enhance my next Lord of the Rings reread.
I am taking notes because the text is so dense and there are so many names and relationships to learn. I'm also drawing little sketches when inspired.
I am familiar with Norse, Greek, Christian, and Maori creation legends and spiritual beings. I read a bit of fantasy.
As if I need to say this SPOILERS for THE SILMARILLION and perhaps THE LORD OF THE RINGS
This first week, we read the Aunilindalë, Valaquenta, and 2 chapters of Quenta Silmarillion. If I had read the first two sections and did not know it was Tolkien, I would have quit. Silly cosmology and pantheon building. Terms that are not defined, like Flame Imperishible. It reads like the Bible and was hard to parse. That said, I did enjoy the idea of the creator, first creating a choir, then giving this choir a theme. The choir improvises on this theme to create what is effectively the blueprint for the World in both Time and Space. Light and Darkness. Melkor seems to be a Lucifer analogue. The Singing predicts the fading of the Elves and the Dominion of Men. As a former choir member, I understand the idea of Melkor trying to take the theme for his own aggrandizement. We all know that type of singer.
So why does Ilûvatar allow the dissent of Melkor? Why does God allow evil in our world is a persistent question of believers? (and the reason I don’t believe) Ilûvatar tries to justify it with some examples of good and beauty that arose that would not have without the meddling of Melkor, but was it really worth the pain and destruction?
Interesting that the Elves assign masculine and feminine traits to the Valar. Paired some of them up using the term spouse. Avoiding the English terms husband and wife because in 20th century England husbands had authority over their wives which was not the case with the Valar or the Elves. I’m confused by naming some of the Valar as brothers or sisters of others. Weren’t they all offspring of Ilúvatar? Or is that some poetic usage. I had to draw a family tree to keep this straight.
In the Quenta Silmarillion section, I am an amateur artist and I find myself having to draw pictures because the descriptions are so dense. So Arda is flat? The story of Oromë on his horse Nahar inspired another quick sketch. So some horses were created too. So after Melkor destroys the lamps. Arda is in darkness. But the Valar work on building a stronghold while everything living dies, apparently.
The creation of the two trees by the singing of Yavanna. I had to try to draw the leaves and flowers of the trees based on the descriptions. You’ve got 14 against 1, why are they cowering in Valinor while Melkor destroys Arda? Wimpy Valar!
Some discussion of the Firstborn, the Children of Ilúvatar. The difference between Elves and Men. Elves do not die of old age, but can be slain or die from grief. They go to the Halls of Mandos to await the end of the World. Men have free will and the gift of death, they don’t apparent go the the Halls of Mandos but they may return in the Second Music after the World Ends.
Chapter 2: I didn’t remember the Dwarves were made by Aulë before the Elves and Men appeared. Aulë, the Valar who loves to create things for the joy of creating, creates his own people, the Dwarves, so he has someone to teach and who will geek out about making stuff like he does. He made 7 Dwarf fathers in secret. He was a little like Melkor in that. Ilûvatar had to give them consciousness. with the condition that they be suspended until the Firstborn arrive. This is the source of contention between Elves, Men and Dwarves in the future. Dwarves are effectively the grandchildren of Ilûvatar or maybe stepchildren. They may go to the Halls of Mandos when they die just like Elves. No mention of Dwarf mothers.
This is all supposed to be a secret, but Aulë tells his partner, Yavanna. She starts thinking about the first inhabitants of Middle-Earth and what they might do to the part of creation she is responsible for. So she goes to the boss Valar, Manwë, who checks the blueprints (the Great Music) and says, yes, Ilûvatar thought of that. There will be Shepards of the Forest. As read this, I yell, “Ents!”
I am taking notes because the text is so dense and there are so many names and relationships to learn. I'm also drawing little sketches when inspired.
I am familiar with Norse, Greek, Christian, and Maori creation legends and spiritual beings. I read a bit of fantasy.
As if I need to say this SPOILERS for THE SILMARILLION and perhaps THE LORD OF THE RINGS
This first week, we read the Aunilindalë, Valaquenta, and 2 chapters of Quenta Silmarillion. If I had read the first two sections and did not know it was Tolkien, I would have quit. Silly cosmology and pantheon building. Terms that are not defined, like Flame Imperishible. It reads like the Bible and was hard to parse. That said, I did enjoy the idea of the creator, first creating a choir, then giving this choir a theme. The choir improvises on this theme to create what is effectively the blueprint for the World in both Time and Space. Light and Darkness. Melkor seems to be a Lucifer analogue. The Singing predicts the fading of the Elves and the Dominion of Men. As a former choir member, I understand the idea of Melkor trying to take the theme for his own aggrandizement. We all know that type of singer.
So why does Ilûvatar allow the dissent of Melkor? Why does God allow evil in our world is a persistent question of believers? (and the reason I don’t believe) Ilûvatar tries to justify it with some examples of good and beauty that arose that would not have without the meddling of Melkor, but was it really worth the pain and destruction?
Interesting that the Elves assign masculine and feminine traits to the Valar. Paired some of them up using the term spouse. Avoiding the English terms husband and wife because in 20th century England husbands had authority over their wives which was not the case with the Valar or the Elves. I’m confused by naming some of the Valar as brothers or sisters of others. Weren’t they all offspring of Ilúvatar? Or is that some poetic usage. I had to draw a family tree to keep this straight.
In the Quenta Silmarillion section, I am an amateur artist and I find myself having to draw pictures because the descriptions are so dense. So Arda is flat? The story of Oromë on his horse Nahar inspired another quick sketch. So some horses were created too. So after Melkor destroys the lamps. Arda is in darkness. But the Valar work on building a stronghold while everything living dies, apparently.
The creation of the two trees by the singing of Yavanna. I had to try to draw the leaves and flowers of the trees based on the descriptions. You’ve got 14 against 1, why are they cowering in Valinor while Melkor destroys Arda? Wimpy Valar!
Some discussion of the Firstborn, the Children of Ilúvatar. The difference between Elves and Men. Elves do not die of old age, but can be slain or die from grief. They go to the Halls of Mandos to await the end of the World. Men have free will and the gift of death, they don’t apparent go the the Halls of Mandos but they may return in the Second Music after the World Ends.
Chapter 2: I didn’t remember the Dwarves were made by Aulë before the Elves and Men appeared. Aulë, the Valar who loves to create things for the joy of creating, creates his own people, the Dwarves, so he has someone to teach and who will geek out about making stuff like he does. He made 7 Dwarf fathers in secret. He was a little like Melkor in that. Ilûvatar had to give them consciousness. with the condition that they be suspended until the Firstborn arrive. This is the source of contention between Elves, Men and Dwarves in the future. Dwarves are effectively the grandchildren of Ilûvatar or maybe stepchildren. They may go to the Halls of Mandos when they die just like Elves. No mention of Dwarf mothers.
This is all supposed to be a secret, but Aulë tells his partner, Yavanna. She starts thinking about the first inhabitants of Middle-Earth and what they might do to the part of creation she is responsible for. So she goes to the boss Valar, Manwë, who checks the blueprints (the Great Music) and says, yes, Ilûvatar thought of that. There will be Shepards of the Forest. As read this, I yell, “Ents!”
