Post by Desi Baggins on Jun 30, 2005 21:10:04 GMT -6
Sil Ch3: Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor
While the Valar lived in the light of the Trees, Middle-earth was dark, and everything that had grown before the destruction of the lamps now stood still. The Valar seldom came to those lands, except for Oromë who chased the demons and Yavanna who put all living things to sleep so they would not age. In the North Melkor had built his strength. In Utumno he gathered his demons, with hearts of fire and cloaked in darkness. Melkor also made a fortress near the north-western shores of the sea to resist attacks from Aman. It was called Angband, and Sauron was given command over it.
Disturbed by the news Oromë and Yavanna brought from Middle-earth, the Valar held council. They knew the Children would wake up, even though they did not know the exact moment. They know that if they would not defeat Melkor the Firstborn would wake up in a dark and desolated world. Tulkas desired immediate war, but Mandos spoke the Firstborn were destined to wake up in darkness and to look upon the stars first. It was then that Varda left to begin the greatest of her works. She made new bright stars, made from silver dew of Telperion, and they were very bright. High in the north she made the Valacirca, the Sickle of the Valar, as a challenge to Melkor. It is said that on the moment she finished her labour the Children of the Earth awoke at the lake Cuiviénen far in the East, and their eyes first saw the light of the stars. Long they dwelt there, and they learned to speak and named themselves the Quendi. Once upon a time when Oromë rode eastwards, he heard their many voices singing, and found them as by chance. But many of the Elves were frightened when he came, which was because of Melkor’s doing. It is said later that Melkor was aware of the Quendi and had sent evil spirits as riders to spy upon them and capture them. Of those who were ensnared by Melkor little is known, but it is believed they were imprisoned and corrupted, and that Melkor thus bred the hideous race of the Orcs.
When Oromë arrived, many of the Elves hid or fled, but those who were brave stayed and quickly noticed he was no creature of darkness, as the light of Aman was in his face. Oromë stayed for a while amongst them, until he swiftly rode back to bring the news to the other Valar. They were very pleased when they heard the Firstborn had come, but also worried. They wondered how they could keep the Elves save from the shadow of Melkor. They decided then to go to war and to take rulership over Arda again. They attacked Melkor’s fortifications in the northwest, and that whole region was destroyed. The Valar were victorious and continued their road to the east. They set a guard at Cuiviénen to protect the Elves, and because of that the Elves knew little of the siege of Utumno. It was long and terrible, as its gate was very strong. The shape of Middle-earth was changed in it; small bays were created along the shores of the Great Sea – the Bay of Balar the greatest of these – new highlands were raised, such as Dorthonion and the mountain ranges around Hithlum, and the land in the north became desolate. Finally Utumno’s gates were smashed and Tulkas captured Melkor in the chain Angainor. Though Utumno had many secret depths, and many of the evil could escape, and the Valar could not find Sauron. They took Melkor to Valinor, and brought him to the Circle of Doom, where he sued for pardon. But his prayer was denied, and he was thrown in prison in the Halls of Mandos. There he would remain for three centuries, until his cause would be heard again.
After the War the Valar held another council, in which they decided to call the Quendi to the safe land of Valinor. Though the Elves did not want to answer the call initially, as they had only seen the Valar in anger while battling Melkor. Therefore Oromë was sent back to them and he choose three who would come to Valinor to speak for their people. They were Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë. They witnessed the majesty of Valinor and longed for the light and beauty of the Trees. When Oromë brought them back to their people in Cuiviénen, they advised it to follow the Valar’s call. Many were convinced by their words, but others refused as they wanted to stay in the vast spaces of Middle-earth to walk in starlight, and those were called the Avari since then. The Eldar – those who followed Oromë – were devided into three armies. The first was led by Ingwë, the highest lord of the Eldar, and they were the Vanyar. Next the Noldor came, the Deep Elves, led by king Finwë, and they were the friends of Aulë. The last and largest army was that of the Teleri. They were called the Sea-elves because they loved the water greatly. As their people were so big, they had two kings, Elwë Singollo and his brother Olwë.
Oromë rode at the head of the armies of the Eldar to the west. They did not make haste, and halted their journey every time Oromë left to do other things. After many years they arrived at a large forest and a broad river, the Anduin, and after that laid the Hithaeglir, the Misty Mountains, a large range of mountains at the borders of Eriador. The Vanyar and Noldor passed it, while the Teleri hesitated when they looked upon those great heights of the Misty Mountains and remained at the river for a while. Under the lead of Lenwë a part of them left to the south, to disappear in history until much later. The Vanyar and Noldor continued, going over the Ered Luin into Beleriand, where they settled at the valley of the Sirion and the shores at the Great Sea. But when they looked upon it a great fear came over them and withdrew into the woods of Beleriand. Oromë left them to seek council from Manwë how to guide the Elves to Valinor. Meanwhile Elwë had urged the Teleri to pass the Misty Mountains and the Ered Luin into Beleriand. They continued until the other side of the Gelion, where they dwelt for a time.
In this piece a lot of different names for the Elven race appear. So I'll add a small list here:
Avari: the unwilling; those of the Elves who stay in Cuiviénen
Calaquendi: the Elves of light; those of the Elves who travelled to Valinor
Eldar: the people of the stars; the Elves of the Great Journey to Valinor
Moriquendi: the dark Elves; those who have never seen the light of the Trees (Avari and Umanyar)
Nandor: the Elves that left the journey at the Anduin and travelled south with Lenwë
Noldor: the Deep Elves, the Elves under Finwë
Quendi: those that speak with voices; the race of the Elves
Teleri: the Sea-elves; the Elves under Elwë and Olwë
Umanyar: group of Teleri who left Cuiviénen with Oromë but abandoned the journey
Vanyar: the High Elves; the Elves under Ingwë
The questions for chapter 3:
If you had been a Quendi born at Cuiviénen, would you have travelled to Valinor of which you didn’t know anything except of what Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë told. Or would you have stayed at the lake, a familiar environment? Consider that you have seen the Valar (except for Oromë ) only in anger before.
Which race of the Eldar would you belong to? The Vanyar or High Elves, who loved Manwë most – the Noldor or craftsmen, who loved Aulë most – or the Teleri or Sea-elves, who loved Ulmo most.
Melkor is defeated. He sued for pardon but was thrown in prison in the Halls of Mandos for 3 centuries. Only after that he would be heard again. What would you do if you were the judge? Would you give a harder/lesser punishment? Remember that you couldn’t know anything of future events on the time of your judgement.
If you had been one of the Valar who needed to decide whether the Elves needed to come to the safety of Valinor or should remain free in Middle-earth, what would you have voted for? Please also tell the reasons why.
- 'It's an ill wind as blows nobody no good, as I always say. And All's well as ends Better!'
