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This article is about the book by J. R. R. Tolkien. For the jewels of Tolkien's legendarium, see Silmaril. Tolkien's Legendarium (ISBN 0-313-30530-7 is a collection of scholarly essays edited by Verlyn Flieger and Carl F The Silmarils ( Quenya pl Silmarilli, radiance of pure light) are three brilliant jewels which contained the unmarred light of the Two Trees
The Silmarillion

1977 George Allen & Unwin hardback edition.
Author J. R. R. Tolkien
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre(s) Alternate history, Fantasy
Publisher Allen & Unwin
Publication date 1977
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 365
ISBN 0048231398

The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay,[1] who later became a noted fantasy writer. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States Alternate history or alternative history is a subgenre of Speculative fiction (or Science fiction) and Historical fiction Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of Literature or Information &ndash the activity of making information available for public view Allen & Unwin, formerly a major British publishing house is now an independent book publisher and distributor based in Australia. The year 1977 in literature involved some significant events and new books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a Book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with Cloth Paperback, softback, or softcover describe and refer to a Book by the nature of its binding. Mythopoeia (also mythopoesis, after Hellenistic Greek grc μυθοποιία μυθοποίησις "myth-making" is a narrative Genre in modern Christopher Reuel Tolkien (born 21 November 1924 is the youngest son of the Author J Guy Gavriel Kay (born November 7, 1954) is a Canadian author of Fantasy fiction. Fantasy is a Genre that uses magic and other Supernatural forms as a primary element of plot, theme, and/or setting The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R. Tolkien's other works, forms a comprehensive, yet incomplete, narrative that describes the universe of Middle-earth within which The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place. Middle-earth refers to the fictional lands where most of the stories of author J The Hobbit or There and Back Again is an award-winning fantasy The Lord of the Rings is an epic The History of Middle-earth is a twelve-volume examination of the writing and revisions of The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion by looking into J. The History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J R. R. Tolkien's rough drafts and by commentary by Christopher Tolkien.

The Silmarillion comprises five parts. The first part, Ainulindalë, tells of the creation of Eä, the world. Ainulindalë ( Quenya, "Music of the Ainur " or more literally "Singing of the Holy" is the first section and chapter of The Silmarillion This is an overview of the Cosmology of J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth legendarium. Valaquenta, the second part, gives a description of the Valar and Maiar, the supernatural powers in Eä. Valaquenta ( Quenya for "Tale of the Valar " is the second section of The Silmarillion, a collection of Myths written by The Valar (singular Vala) are characters in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. The Maiar (singular Maia) are beings from J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy legendarium. The next section, Quenta Silmarillion, which forms the bulk of the collection, chronicles the history of the events before and during the First Age. Quenta Silmarillion is a collection of fictional legends written by the Fantasy writer J In the fiction of J R R Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar in full is the first documented time period and the setting The fourth part, Akallabêth, relates the history of the Downfall of Númenor and its people, which takes place in the Second Age. Akallabêth is the fourth part of the Fantasy work The Silmarillion by J The Second Age is a time period from J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings The final part, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, is a brief account of the circumstances which led to and were presented in The Lord of the Rings. Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age is the fifth and last part of The Silmarillion by J

The five parts were initially separate works, but it was the elder Tolkien's express wish that they be published together. [1] Because J. R. R. Tolkien died before he finished revising the various legends, Christopher gathered material from his father's older writings to fill out the book. In a few cases, this meant that he had to devise completely new material in order to resolve gaps and inconsistencies in the narrative.

The Silmarillion, like Tolkien's other Middle-earth writings, was meant to have taken place at some time in Earth's past. [2] In keeping with this idea, The Silmarillion is meant to have been translated from Bilbo's three-volume Translations from the Elvish, which he wrote while at Rivendell. Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist of The Hobbit and also makes an appearance in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of The Red Book of Westmarch (sometimes Red Book of the Periannath, and The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings, also known as the Thain's Book after its principal [3]

Among the notable chapters in the book are:

Contents

Synopsis

The Silmarillion
Ainulindalë
Valaquenta
Quenta Silmarillion
Akallabêth
Of the Rings of Power
and the Third Age

Ainulindalë and Valaquenta

Main articles: Ainulindalë and Valaquenta

The first section of The Silmarillion, Ainulindalë ("The Music of the Ainur"[4]), takes the form of a primary creation myth. Character overview He was the son of Emeldir and Barahir, a Man of the royal House of Bëor of Dorthonion. Character overview Lúthien was the only child of Elu Thingol, king of Doriath, and his queen Melian the Maia. A portion of the Narn i Chîn Húrin or The Tale of the Children of Húrin is a part of the book Unfinished Tales by the English author Literature Tuor was a great hero of the Third House of Men in the First Age, the only son of Huor and Rían and the cousin of Weaponcraft The smiths of Gondolin using Noldorin techniques and magics made powerful magic blades This article deals with the Half-elven Eärendil For the Gondorian king see Eärendil of Gondor. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, the War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, was the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Ainulindalë ( Quenya, "Music of the Ainur " or more literally "Singing of the Holy" is the first section and chapter of The Silmarillion Valaquenta ( Quenya for "Tale of the Valar " is the second section of The Silmarillion, a collection of Myths written by Quenta Silmarillion is a collection of fictional legends written by the Fantasy writer J Akallabêth is the fourth part of the Fantasy work The Silmarillion by J Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age is the fifth and last part of The Silmarillion by J Ainulindalë ( Quenya, "Music of the Ainur " or more literally "Singing of the Holy" is the first section and chapter of The Silmarillion Valaquenta ( Quenya for "Tale of the Valar " is the second section of The Silmarillion, a collection of Myths written by In J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy legendarium, the Ainur (singular Ainu) are spirits who are direct representatives of Eru Ilúvatar ( Ilúvatar ("Father of All") first created the Ainur, a group of eternal spirits or demiurges, called "the offspring of his thought". Eru as Creator The Quendi (ie Elves) and the Atani (ie Men) were created by Eru Demiurge (the Latinized form of Greek demiourgos, δημιουργός, literally "public or skilled worker" from demos Ilúvatar brought the Ainur together and showed them a theme, from which he bade them make a great music. Melkor—whom Ilúvatar had given the "greatest power and knowledge" of all the Ainur—broke from the harmony of the music to develop his own song. The name The name Morgoth is Sindarin, one of Tolkien's invented languages and means "Black Enemy" Bauglir is also Sindarin meaning Some Ainur joined him, while others continued to follow Ilúvatar, causing discord in the music. Ilúvatar then stopped the music and showed them a vision of Arda and its peoples. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of prehistory wherein the places mentioned in The Lord of the Rings The vision disappeared after a while, but Ilúvatar, seeing the desires of the Ainur, brought the vision into being.

Many Ainur descended, taking physical form and becoming bound to the new world. The greater Ainur became known as Valar, while the lesser Ainur were called Maiar. The Valar (singular Vala) are characters in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. The Maiar (singular Maia) are beings from J R R Tolkien 's Fantasy legendarium. The Valar attempted to prepare the world for the coming inhabitants (Elves and Men), while Melkor, who wanted Arda for himself, repeatedly destroyed their work, until, slowly, through waves of destruction and creation, the world took shape.

Valaquenta ("Account of the Valar"[4]) describes Melkor and each of the fourteen Valar in detail, as well as a few of the Maiar. It also tells how Melkor seduced many Maiar—including Sauron and the Balrogs—into his service. Sauron (ˈsaʊrɒn Quenya: /sawrɔn/ literal meaning "Abhorred") is the title character and the principal Antagonist of the Fantasy This article deals with J R R Tolkien's Balrogs For other uses see Balrog (disambiguation.

Quenta Silmarillion

Main article: Quenta Silmarillion

Quenta Silmarillion ("The History of the Silmarils"[4]), which makes up the bulk of the book, is a series of interconnected tales set in the First Age making up the tragic saga of the three magical jewels, the Silmarils. Quenta Silmarillion is a collection of fictional legends written by the Fantasy writer J The Silmarils ( Quenya pl Silmarilli, radiance of pure light) are three brilliant jewels which contained the unmarred light of the Two Trees The Silmarils ( Quenya pl Silmarilli, radiance of pure light) are three brilliant jewels which contained the unmarred light of the Two Trees The Valar had attempted to fashion the world for Elves and Men, but Melkor continually destroyed their handiwork, so they removed to Aman, a continent to the west of Middle-earth, where they established their home called Valinor. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, an Elf is an individual member of one of the races that inhabit the lands of Arda. The race of Men in J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth books such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to Valinor (meaning Land of the Valar) is a Fictional location from J When the Elves awoke, the Valar decided to fight Melkor to keep them safe. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, an Elf is an individual member of one of the races that inhabit the lands of Arda. They defeated and captured Melkor, and invited the Elves to come to Aman. Many Elves journeyed to Aman, but some did not attempt the journey, and others stopped along the way. Of the three tribes that set out, all of the Vanyar and Noldor, and most of the Teleri reached Aman. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Vanyar are the fairest and most noble of the High Elves. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Noldor (meaning those with knowledge) were those of the second clan of the Elves, the Tatyar, who came In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Teleri (meaning Those who come last, singular Teler) were the third of the Elf clans who came to While in Aman, a Noldorin Elf named Fëanor created the Silmarils, which contained the light of the Two Trees of Valinor, the light source of Aman. Fëanor is a character from J R R Tolkien 's fictional history The Silmarillion. "The Two Trees" is also a poem of Yeats' 1893 The Rose. Melkor, having been released after seeming to repent, stole the Silmarils, killed Fëanor's father, and destroyed the Two Trees. Fëanor and his sons swore an oath of revenge against Melkor and anyone who kept a Silmaril from them, and led many of his kin to Middle-earth, where Melkor had fled, killing some of the Teleri for their ships.

When Melkor arrived in Middle-earth, he attacked the Elvish kingdom of Doriath, but was defeated. This battle was the first of five battles between Melkor and the Elves, aided at times by Men and Dwarves. In J R R Tolkien 's The Silmarillion, there were many battles between the Elves of Beleriand and the forces of Morgoth. This conflict came to be known as the War of the Jewels. Soon, the Noldor arrived in Middle-earth and attacked Melkor, and though Fëanor was slain, they were victorious. After a peace, Melkor again attacked the Noldor, but was defeated and besieged. Nearly four hundred years later, Melkor broke the siege and drove the Noldor back. A man named Beren survived the battle and wandered to Doriath, where he fell in love with Lúthien, the king's daughter. Character overview He was the son of Emeldir and Barahir, a Man of the royal House of Bëor of Dorthonion. Character overview Lúthien was the only child of Elu Thingol, king of Doriath, and his queen Melian the Maia. The king would only allow their marriage if Beren gave him a Silmaril. Together, Beren and Lúthien sneaked into Melkor's fortress and stole a Silmaril, which Beren gave to the king. The Noldor, seeing that Melkor was not invincible, attacked again, but were utterly defeated, due in part to the treachery of Men. All of the Elvish kingdoms fell, until Eärendil the half-Elven, using the light of the Silmaril Beren retrieved, travelled across the sea to Aman to ask the Valar for help. This article deals with the Half-elven Eärendil For the Gondorian king see Eärendil of Gondor. The Valar agreed; they attacked and defeated Melkor, completely destroying his fortress and sinking Beleriand, and expelled him from Arda. This ended the First Age of Middle-earth.

Akallabêth

Main article: Akallabêth

Akallabêth ("The Downfallen"[4]) comprises about thirty pages, and recounts the rise and fall of the island kingdom of Númenor, which the Valar gave as a gift to the three loyal houses of Men who had aided the Elves in the war against Melkor after his defeat. Akallabêth is the fourth part of the Fantasy work The Silmarillion by J Númenor (ˈnuːmɛnɔɹ is a Fictional place in J R R Tolkien 's writings which the author intended to be an allusion to the legendary Atlantis. Adan redirects here Adan is also the name of a governorate of Yemen. The fall of Númenor is brought about in large measure by the influence of the evil Maia Sauron (formerly the chief servant of Melkor), who had arisen during the Second Age and tried to take over Middle-earth. The Númenóreans moved against Sauron, who, seeing that he could not defeat the Númenóreans with force, allowed himself to be taken prisoner to Númenor, where he quickly seduced the king, Ar-Pharazôn, led the Númenóreans into worshipping his former master, and urged them to wage war on the Valar themselves. In the Fictional universe of J R R Tolkien, Ar-Pharazôn the Golden (–3319 r Ar-Pharazôn created a fleet and sailed to Aman, but his campaign ended with the destruction of the fleet and the drowning of Númenor by Ilúvatar, in punishment for their rebellion against the rightful rule of the Valar. Sauron, however, escaped and returned to Middle-earth. Some Númenóreans remained loyal to the Valar and also fled to Middle-earth, where they founded the kingdoms of Arnor and Gondor. In the fictional Legendarium of J R R Tolkien, Arnor, or the Northern Kingdom, was a kingdom of the Dúnedain in the land of Eriador Gondor is a fictional kingdom in J R R Tolkien 's writings described as the greatest realm of Men in the west of Middle-earth by the end of the

Of The Rings of Power and the Third Age

Main article: Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age

The concluding section of the book, comprising about twenty pages, describes the events that take place in Middle-earth during the Second and Third Ages. Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age is the fifth and last part of The Silmarillion by J In the Second Age, Sauron emerged as the main power in Middle-earth, and the Rings of Power were forged by Elves led by Celebrimbor. Sauron secretly forged his own ring to control the others, which led to war between the peoples of Middle-earth and Sauron, culminating in the War of the Last Alliance, in which Elves and the remaining Númenóreans united to defeat Sauron, bringing the Second Age to an end. J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth fantasy writings include many wars and battles set in the lands of Aman, Beleriand, Númenor, and The Third Age opens with the passing of the One Ring to Isildur, who is ambushed at the Gladden Fields shortly after, causing the loss of the One Ring. Isildur is a fictional character in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. This section also gives a brief overview of the events leading up to and taking place in The Lord of the Rings, including the waning of Gondor, the re-emergence of Sauron, the White Council, Saruman's treachery, and Sauron's final destruction along with the One Ring. In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, the White Council is a group of Eldar Lords and Wizards of Middle-earth, formed to contest the

Concept and creation

Development of the text

Tolkien first began working on the stories that would become The Silmarillion in 1914,[5] intending them to become an English mythology, which would explain the origins of English history and culture. [6] Much of it was written while Tolkien, then a British officer returned from France during World War I, was in hospitals and on sick leave. [7] He completed the first story, The Fall of Gondolin, in late 1916. [8]

At the time, he called his collection of nascent stories The Book of Lost Tales,[3] which became the name for the first two volumes of The History of Middle-earth. The stories in The Book of Lost Tales were told through the medium of a mariner named Eriol (in later versions, an Anglo-Saxon named Ælfwine) who found the island of Tol Eressëa, where the Elves told him their history. Ælfwine was a Fictional character found in the various incarnations of J In early versions of J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium (see The History of Middle-earth) Tol Eressëa was an island visited by the Anglo-Saxon [9] However, Tolkien never completed The Book of Lost Tales before he left it to compose the poems "The Lay of Leithian" and "The Lay of the Children of Húrin". The Lay of Leithian is an unfinished poem written by J R R Tolkien. The Lay of the Children of Húrin is a long Epic poem by J R R [3]

The first complete version of The Silmarillion was the 'Sketch of the Mythology' written in 1926. [10] The 'Sketch of the Mythology' was a 28-page synopsis intended to explain the background of the story of Túrin to R. Túrin Turambar ('tuːrɪn tu'rambaɹ is a fictional character in J W. Reynolds, a friend to whom Tolkien had sent several of his stories. [10] From the 'Sketch' Tolkien developed a fuller narrative version of The Silmarillion called Quenta Noldorinwa. [11] The Quenta Noldorinwa was the last complete version of The Silmarillion Tolkien ever wrote. [11]

In 1937, encouraged by the success of The Hobbit, Tolkien submitted an incomplete but more fully developed version of The Silmarillion, called Quenta Silmarillion, to his publisher, George Allen & Unwin,[3] but they rejected the work as being obscure and "too Celtic". Allen & Unwin, formerly a major British publishing house is now an independent book publisher and distributor based in Australia. Celtic mythology is the Mythology of Celtic polytheism, apparently the Religion of the Iron Age Celts Like other Iron Age [12] The publisher instead asked Tolkien to write a sequel to The Hobbit. [12] He renewed work on The Silmarillion after completing The Lord of the Rings,[13] and he greatly desired to publish the two works together. [14] But when it became clear that would not be possible, Tolkien turned his full attention back to preparing The Lord of the Rings for publication. [15]

In the late 1950s Tolkien again began work on The Silmarillion, but much of his writing from this time was more concerned with the theological and philosophical underpinnings of the work than with narratives themselves; by this time, he had doubts about some of the fundamental aspects of the work that went back to the earliest versions of the stories, and it seems that he felt the need to solve these problems before he could produce the "final" version of The Silmarillion. [13] During this time he wrote extensively on such topics as the nature of evil in Arda, the origin of Orcs, the customs of the Elves, the nature and means of Elvish rebirth, and the "flat" world and the story of the Sun and Moon. [13] In any event, with one or two exceptions, he wrought little change to the narratives during the remaining years of his life. [13]

Posthumous publication

For several years after his father's death, Christopher Tolkien compiled a Silmarillion narrative. Christopher's intentions seem to have been mostly to use the latest writings of his father's that he could, and to keep as much internal consistency (and consistency with The Lord of the Rings) as possible,[16] though he admitted that a complete consistency was impossible. [1] As explained in The History of Middle-earth, Christopher drew upon numerous sources for his narrative, relying on post-Lord of the Rings works where possible, but ultimately reaching back as far as the 1917 Book of Lost Tales to fill in portions of the narrative which his father had planned to write but never addressed. In one later chapter of Quenta Silmarillion, "Of the Ruin of Doriath", which had not been touched since the early 1930s, he had to construct a narrative practically from scratch. [17] The final result, which included genealogies, maps, an index, and the first-ever released Elvish word list, was published in 1977.

Cover design for the second illustrated edition, as illustrated by Ted Nasmith (ISBN 0-618-39111-8)
Cover design for the second illustrated edition, as illustrated by Ted Nasmith (ISBN 0-618-39111-8)

Due to Christopher's extensive explanations (in The History of Middle-earth) of how he compiled the published work, much of The Silmarillion has been debated by readers. Ted Nasmith is a Canadian Artist, Illustrator and architectural renderer. Christopher's task is generally accepted as very difficult given the state of his father's texts at the time of his death: some critical texts were no longer in the Tolkien family's possession, and Christopher's task compelled him to rush through much of the material. Christopher reveals in later volumes of The History of Middle-earth many divergent ideas which do not agree with the published version. Christopher Tolkien has suggested that, had he taken more time and had access to all the texts, he might have produced a substantially different work. But he was compelled by considerable pressure and demand from his father's readers and publishers to produce something publishable as quickly as possible. Some contend that parts of The Silmarillion are more a product of the son than of the father, and as such its place in the Middle-earth canon is hotly debated in certain circles. Middle-earth canon is a term used in Tolkien fandom to promote the ideas of a Fictional canon within the writings of J

In October 1996, Christopher Tolkien commissioned illustrator Ted Nasmith to create full-page full-colour artwork for the first illustrated edition of The Silmarillion. Ted Nasmith is a Canadian Artist, Illustrator and architectural renderer. It was published in 1998, and followed in 2004 by a second edition featuring corrections and additional artwork by Nasmith.

During the 1980s and 1990s, Christopher Tolkien published most of his father's Middle-earth-related writings as the 12-volume The History of Middle-earth series. In addition to the source material and earlier drafts of several portions of The Lord of the Rings, these books greatly expand on the original material published in The Silmarillion, and in many cases diverge from it. There is much that Tolkien intended to revise but only sketched out in notes, and some new texts surfaced after the publication of The Silmarillion. These books also make it clear just how unfinished the later parts of The Silmarillion really were: some parts were never rewritten after the early versions in Lost Tales. An unfinished work is a Creative work that has not been finished

Influences

The Silmarillion is a complex work exhibiting the influence of many sources. A major influence was the Finnish epic Kalevala, especially the tale of Kullervo. Finnish mythology, that of the Finnish people, has many features shared with fellow Finnic Estonian mythology and its non-Finnic neighbours the Balts and The Kalevala is a book and epic poem which the Finn Elias Lönnrot compiled from Finnish and Karelian Folklore in the nineteenth For the Choral symphony by Jean Sibelius, see Kullervo (Sibelius. Tolkien admitted that he had been "greatly affected" by Finnish mythologies,[18] and even credited Kullervo's story with being the "germ of [his] attempt to write legends". [19] Tolkien attempted to rework the story of Kullervo into a story of his own, and though he never finished,[20] similarities to the story can still be seen in the tale of Túrin Turambar. Túrin Turambar ('tuːrɪn tu'rambaɹ is a fictional character in J [21]

Influence from Greek mythology is also apparent. Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the ancient Greeks concerning their gods and Heroes the nature of the world and the origins and significance The island of Númenor, for example, recalls Atlantis. Númenor (ˈnuːmɛnɔɹ is a Fictional place in J R R Tolkien 's writings which the author intended to be an allusion to the legendary Atlantis. Atlantis (in Greek,, "island of Atlas " is the name of a Legendary Island, first mentioned in Plato 's dialogues [22] Tolkien even borrows the name "Atlantis" and reworks it into the Elvish name "Atalantë" for Númenor,[23] thus furthering the illusion that his mythology simply extends the history and mythology of the real world. [24]

Greek mythology also colours the Valar, who borrow many attributes from the Olympian gods. The Valar (singular Vala) are characters in J R R Tolkien 's legendarium. The Twelve Olympians, also known as the Dodekatheon ( Greek: Δωδεκάθεον [25] The Valar, like the Olympians, live in the world, but on a high mountain, separated from mortals;[26] Ulmo, Lord of the Waters, owes much to Poseidon, and Manwë, the Lord of the Air and King of the Valar, to Zeus. Ulmo (from the Valarin Ulubôz, Ullubôz via Ulumō) is a fictional character from J In Greek mythology, Poseidon ( Greek:; Latin: Neptūnus) was the god of the Sea and as "Earth-Shaker" Background Manwë was (with his brother Melkor ie Morgoth the greatest of the Ainur and the one that best understood the will of Eru. Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology [25] But the correspondences are only approximate; Tolkien borrows ideas from Greek mythology, but does not model the Valar and Maiar on Greek deities.

Similarly, the Valar also contain elements of Norse mythology. Norse mythology comprises the indigenous pre-Christian religion, beliefs and Legends of the Scandinavian peoples including those who settled on Iceland Several of the Valar have characteristics resembling various Æsir, the gods of Asgard. In Old Norse, áss (or ǫ́ss ás, plural æsir, feminine ásynja, feminine plural ásynjur) is the term denoting one of the principal This article is about the realm of Norse Mythology For other uses of the names Asgard, Asgaard and Asgård, see Asgard (disambiguation [27] Thor, for example, physically the strongest of the gods, can be seen both in Oromë, who fights the monsters of Melkor, and in Tulkas, the physically strongest of the Valar. Thor ( Old Norse: Þórr) is the red-haired and bearded God of Thunder in Germanic paganism and its subset Norse paganism [28] Manwё, the head of the Valar, exhibits some similarities to Odin, the "Allfather". [28] Tolkien also said that he saw the Maia Gandalf as an "Odinic wanderer". [29]

The division between the Calaquendi (Elves of Light) and Moriquendi (Elves of Darkness) also echoes Norse mythology, which has its own Light elves and Dark elves. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Calaquendi (singular Calaquende) are the Elves of Light, those who had seen the light of the Two Trees In J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth, the Moriquendi (the Elves of Darkness, singular Moriquende) are in essence the Elves that either did not In Norse mythology, the light elves ( Old Norse: Ljósálfar) live in the Old Norse version of the heavens in the place called Álfheim Dark elves (Old Norse Dökkálfar, usually called the Svartálfar "black elves" are known as a class of elves living underground in Old [30] The Light elves of Norse mythology are associated with the gods, much as the Calaquendi are associated with the Valar. [31]

The Bible and traditional Christian narrative probably contribute the deepest influence on The Silmarillion. Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin Tolkien was a devout Roman Catholic. The conflict between Melkor and Eru Ilúvatar parallels that between Lucifer and God. [32] Further, The Silmarillion tells of the creation and fall of the Elves, as Genesis tells of the creation and fall of Man. [33] As with all of Tolkien's works, The Silmarillion allows room for later Christian history, and one version of Tolkien's drafts even has Finrod, a character in The Silmarillion, speculating on the necessity of Eru's (God's) eventual Incarnation to save humankind. Character Overview In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, Finrod Felagund was a Noldorin Elf, the eldest son of Finarfin and Incarnation which literally means embodied in flesh, refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature (generally a human who is the [34]

Though Tolkien wrote of "a certain distaste" for Celtic legends, "largely for their fundamental unreason",[12] The Silmarillion betrays some Celtic influence. The exile of the Noldorin Elves, for example, borrows elements from the story of the Tuatha Dé Danann. In the works of J R R Tolkien, the Noldor (meaning those with knowledge) were those of the second clan of the Elves, the Tatyar, who came The Tuatha Dé Danann ("peoples of the Goddess Danu " Modern Irish pronunciation /t̪ˠuːəhə dʲeː d̪ˠan̪ˠən̪ˠ/ Old Irish /tuːaθa ðʲeː [35] The Tuatha Dé Danann, semi-divine beings, invaded Ireland from across the sea, burning their ships when they arrived and fighting a fierce battle with the current inhabitants. The Noldor arrived in Middle-earth from Valinor and burned their ships, then turned to fight Melkor. Another parallel can be seen between the loss of a hand by Maedhros, son of Fëanor, and the similar mutilation suffered by Nuada Airgetlám ("Silver Hand/Arm") during the battle with the Firbolg. Literature Appearances The Silmarillion Little is mentioned about Maedhros's youth in The Silmarillion. Nuada received a hand made of silver to replace the lost one, and his later appellation has the same meaning as the Elvish name Celebrimbor: "silver fist" or "Hand of silver" in Sindarin (Telperinquar in Quenya). Celebrimbor is a Fictional character In J R R Tolkien 's Middle-earth.

Another similarity between the Silmarillion and the Lebor Gabála Érenn can be seen by comparing Nuada and Lugh (who possessed a famed magic spear, the Spear Luin) and the outcome of their respective confrontations against Balor of the Evil Eye with the events surrounding Celebrimbor and Gil-Galad (whose weapon is the spear Aeglos[36]) and their conflicts with Sauron of the Lidless Red Eye in the Second Age. Lebor Gabála Érenn ( The Book of the Taking of Ireland) is the Middle Irish title of a loose collection of Poems and Prose narratives Lugh (ˈluː modern Irish Lú, earlier Lug) is an Irish Deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant In Irish mythology, the Spear Lúin (originally Luisne, meaning 'flaming' or 'glaring' or Spear of Lugh is one of the Four Treasures of Ireland For the locality in Mangalore. see Bolar (Location. In Irish mythology, Balor ( Balar, Bolar) of the Character overview Gil-galad was the last High King of the Noldor in Middle-earth

There is a striking similarity between Tolkien's description of Gil-Galad (and the origin of his name):

It is recorded that Ereinion was given the name Gil-galad "Star of Radiance" "because his helm and mail, and his shield overlaid with silver and set with a device of white stars, shone from afar like a star in sunlight or moonlight, and could be seen by Elvish eyes at a great distance if they stood upon a height. — Unfinished Tales, Note 24 of Aldarion and Erendis

and T.W. Rolleston's description of Lugh in Myths and Legends of the Celtic Race (1911):

"So equipped, he appeared one day before an assembly Of the Danaan chiefs who were met to pay their tribute to the envoys of the Formorian oppressors; and when the Danaans saw him, they felt, it is said, as if they beheld the rising of the sun on a dry summer's day". Unfinished Tales (full title Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth) is a collection of stories and essays by J Thomas William Hazen Rolleston (1857 &ndash 1920 was an Irish writer literary figure and translator known as a poet but publishing over a wide range of literary and political topics [37]

Tolkien wrote that he gave the Elvish language Sindarin "a linguistic character very like (though not identical with) British-Welsh . Welsh ( cy Cymraeg or cy y Gymraeg, kəmˈrɑːɨɡ and {{IPA|[ə ɡəmˈrɑːɨɡ]}}, is a member of the Brythonic branch of Celtic . . because it seems to fit the rather 'Celtic' type of legends and stories told of its speakers". [38]

Other authors, such as Tom Shippey[39] and David Day[40]have pointed out the similarities between Beren and Lúthien, one of the main storylines of the Silmarillion, and Culhwch and Olwen, one the tales collected in the Welsh Mabinogion. Thomas Alan Shippey (born September 9, 1943) is a scholar of Medieval literature, including Anglo-Saxon England, and of modern Fantasy David Day may refer to David Day (Canadian writer, author from British Columbia David Day (historian, Australian historian The Tale of Beren and Lúthien is the story of the love and adventures of the mortal Man Beren and the immortal Elf -maiden Lúthien, as told Culhwch and Olwen ( Culhwch ac Olwen) is a Welsh tale about a hero connected with Arthur and his warriors that survives in only two manuscripts There are, indeed, several notable close parallels between the two narratives. [41]

In both, the male heroes make rash promises after having been stricken by the beauty of non-mortal maidens; both enlist the aid of great kings, Arthur and Finrod; both show rings that prove their identities; both are set impossible tasks that include, directly or indirectly, the hunting and killing of ferocious beasts (the wild boars, Twrch Trwyth and Ysgithrywyn, and the wolf Carcharoth) with the help of a supernatural hound (Cafall and Huan). Arthur is a common male name meaning " Bear -like" believed to possibly be descended from the Roman surname Artorius (" Plowman Character Overview In J R R Tolkien 's Legendarium, Finrod Felagund was a Noldorin Elf, the eldest son of Finarfin and Twrch Trwyth is the name of a particularly potent Wild boar Culhwch is instructed to hunt in the Middle Welsh prose tale Culhwch and Olwen Inspiration Tom Shippey, in The Road to Middle Earth (pp 193–194 says that the hunting of the great wolf recalls the chase of the boar Twrch Trwyth Both maidens possess such beauty that flowers grow beneath their feet when they come to meet the heroes for the first time, as if they were living embodiments of spring.

The Mabinogion itself was part of the Red Book of Hergest, which the Red Book of Westmarch probably imitates. The Red Book of Hergest ( Welsh: Llyfr Coch Hergest) is one of the most important Medieval Welsh language Manuscripts The Red Book of Westmarch (sometimes Red Book of the Periannath, and The Downfall of the Lord of the Rings, also known as the Thain's Book after its principal [42][43] This fact suggests that The Silmarillion might have been conceived using the Mabinogion as one of its inspirations, a source of both its name and its structure.

Critical response

Contemporary reviews of The Silmarillion were rather negative. The Silmarillion was criticized for being too serious, lacking the light-hearted moments that were found in The Lord of the Rings and especially The Hobbit. [44][45][46] TIME complained that there was "no single, unifying quest and, above all, no band of brothers for the reader to identify with". Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and [44] Other criticisms included difficult to read archaic language[47][48][49] and many difficult and hard to remember names. [47][50]

Despite these shortcomings, a few reviewers praised the scope of Tolkien's creation. The New York Times Book Review acknowledged that "what is finally most moving is … the eccentric heroism of Tolkien's attempt". The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed [45] TIME described The Silmarillion as "majestic, a work held so long and so powerfully in the writer's imagination that it overwhelms the reader". [44] The Horn Book Magazine even lauded the "remarkable set of legends conceived with imaginative might and told in beautiful language". The Horn Book Magazine, founded in Boston Massachusetts in 1924 is a bimonthly periodical about literature for children and young adults [51]

Some reviewers, however, had nothing positive to say about the book at all. The New York Review of Books called The Silmarillion "an empty and pompous bore", "not a literary event of any magnitude", and even claimed that the main reason for its "enormous sales" were the "Tolkien cult" created by the popularity of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. The New York Review of Books (or NYREV or NYRB) is a semimonthly Magazine on Literature, Culture, and current [47] The School Library Journal called it "only a stillborn postscript" to Tolkien's earlier works. School Library Journal is a monthly publication with articles and reviews for school and public Librarians who work with young people [46] Peter Conrad of The New Statesman even went so far as to say that "Tolkien can't actually write". For the current affairs magazine see New Statesman. For other uses see New Statesmen. [52]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c (Silmarillion 1977, Foreword)
  2. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #165, 211)
  3. ^ a b c d J. R. R. Tolkien (1984), Christopher Tolkien, ed. Christopher Reuel Tolkien (born 21 November 1924 is the youngest son of the Author J , The Book of Lost Tales, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Foreword, ISBN 0-395-35439-0 
  4. ^ a b c d (Silmarillion 1977, Index of Names)
  5. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #115)
  6. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #131, 180)
  7. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #165, 180, 282)
  8. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #163, 165)
  9. ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1984), Christopher Tolkien, ed. The Book of Lost Tales is the title of a collection of early stories by J Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. Christopher Reuel Tolkien (born 21 November 1924 is the youngest son of the Author J , The Book of Lost Tales, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Chapter I, "The Cottage of Lost Play", ISBN 0-395-35439-0 
  10. ^ a b J. R. R. Tolkien (1985), Christopher Tolkien, ed. The Book of Lost Tales is the title of a collection of early stories by J Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. Christopher Reuel Tolkien (born 21 November 1924 is the youngest son of the Author J , The Lays of Beleriand, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Chapter I, "The Lay of the Children of Húrin", ISBN 0-395-39429-5 
  11. ^ a b J. R. R. Tolkien (1986), Christopher Tolkien, ed. The Lays of Beleriand, published in 1985 is the third volume of Christopher Tolkien 's 12-volume book series The History of Middle-earth, in which he analyzes Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. Christopher Reuel Tolkien (born 21 November 1924 is the youngest son of the Author J , The Shaping of Middle-earth, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Preface, ISBN 0-395-42501-8 
  12. ^ a b c (Carpenter 1981, #19)
  13. ^ a b c d J. R. R. Tolkien (1993), Christopher Tolkien, ed. The Shaping of Middle-earth is the fourth volume of Christopher Tolkien 's 12-volume series The History of Middle-earth in which he analyzes the unpublished Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. Christopher Reuel Tolkien (born 21 November 1924 is the youngest son of the Author J , Morgoth's Ring, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Foreword, ISBN 0-395-68092-1 
  14. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #124)
  15. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #133)
  16. ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1980), Christopher Tolkien, ed. Morgoth's Ring is the tenth volume of Christopher Tolkien 's 12-volume series The History of Middle-earth in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. Christopher Reuel Tolkien (born 21 November 1924 is the youngest son of the Author J , Unfinished Tales, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Introduction, ISBN 0-395-29917-9 
  17. ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1994), Christopher Tolkien, ed. Unfinished Tales (full title Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth) is a collection of stories and essays by J Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. Christopher Reuel Tolkien (born 21 November 1924 is the youngest son of the Author J , The War of the Jewels, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, Part Three, Chapter V "The Tale of Years", ISBN 0-395-71041-3 
  18. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #131)
  19. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #257)
  20. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #1, footnote 6)
  21. ^ (Chance 2004, pp. The War of the Jewels is the 11th volume of Christopher Tolkien's series The History of Middle-earth, analyzing the unpublished manuscripts of Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States.  288-292)
  22. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #154, 227)
  23. ^ (Silmarillion 1977, p. 281)
  24. ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (April 1, 1987), The Fellowship of the Ring, vol. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) The Fellowship of the Ring is the first of three volumes of the epic novel The Lord of the Rings by the English author J 1, The Lord of the Rings, Boston: Houghton Mifflin, "Note on the Shire Records", ISBN 0-395-08254-4 
  25. ^ a b Purtill, Richard L. (2003). The Lord of the Rings is an epic Houghton Mifflin Company is a leading educational Publisher in the United States. Richard Purtill (born 1931) is the Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Western Washington University, Bellingham, Washington, as well as an J. R. R. Tolkien: Myth, Morality, and Religion. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 52, 131. Harper & Row was a publishing company based in New York City. ISBN 0-89870-948-2.  
  26. ^ Stanton, Michael (2001). Hobbits, Elves, and Wizards: Exploring the Wonders and Worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 18. ISBN 1-4039-6025-9.  
  27. ^ Garth, John (2003). Tolkien and the Great War: The Threshold of Middle-earth. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 86.  
  28. ^ a b (Chance 2004, p.  169)
  29. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #107)
  30. ^ (Flieger 2002, p.  83)
  31. ^ (Burns 2005, pp.  23-25)
  32. ^ (Chance 2001, p.  192)
  33. ^ Bramlett, Perry (2003). I Am in Fact a Hobbit: An Introduction to the Life and Works of J. R. R. Tolkien. Macon, Georgia: Mercer University Press, 86. Mercer University Press, established in 1979 is a publisher that is part of Mercer University. ISBN 0-86554-851-X.  
  34. ^ Morgoth's Ring, Athrabeth Finrod Ah Andreth, pp. 322, 335
  35. ^ Fimi, Dimitra (August 2006). "Mad" Elves and "Elusive Beauty": Some Celtic Strands of Tolkien's Mythology 6-8. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle.
  36. ^ Encyclopedia of Arda: Aeglos (Aiglos)
  37. ^ http://www.celtic-twilight.com/celts/rolleston/chapter_iii.htm
  38. ^ (Carpenter 1981, #144)
  39. ^ Tom Shippey, The Road to Middle Earth, pp. 193–194: "The hunting of the great wolf recalls the chase of the boar Twrch Trwyth in the Welsh Mabinogion, while the motif of 'the hand in the wolf's mouth' is one of the most famous parts of the Prose Edda, told of Fenris Wolf and the god Tyr; Huan recalls several faithful hounds of legend, Garm, Gelert, Cafall. Twrch Trwyth is the name of a particularly potent Wild boar Culhwch is instructed to hunt in the Middle Welsh prose tale Culhwch and Olwen "
  40. ^ David Day in Tolkien's Ring, page 82:"In the Celtic tradition, when these radiant beings - these 'ladies in white'-take on mortal heroes as lovers, there are always obstacles to overcome. Tolkien's Ring is a book written by David Day about the origins of Tolkien 's The Lord of the Rings story and the origins of Middle-earth These obstacles usually take the form of an almost impossible quest. This is most clearly comparable to Tolkien in the Welsh legend of the wooing of Olwyn. Olwyn was the most beautiful woman of her age; her eyes shone with light, and her skin was white as snow. Olwyn's name means 'she of the white track', so bestowed because four white trefoils sprang up with her every step on the forest floor, and the winning of her hand required the near-impossible gathering of the 'Treasures of Britain'". "In Tolkien, we have two almost identical 'ladies in white': Lúthien in The Silmarillion, and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings".
  41. ^ Silmarillion sources, by "mithrandircq"
  42. ^ David Day in Tolkien's Ring (1995) page 79: "Besides those elements already mentioned, Celtic mythology has played a fundamental part in the shaping of Tolkien's world. When we learn that the most important source of Welsh Celtic lore was preserved in the fourteenth-century Red Book of Hergest, we realize that Tolkien is making a small scholarly joke in naming his 'source' of Elf-lore the Red Book of Westmarch"
  43. ^ Hooker, Mark T. Tolkienian mathomium: a collection of articles on J. R. R. Tolkien and his legendarium, "The Feigned-manuscript Topos", pgs 176 and 177: "The 1849 translation of The Red Book of Hergest by Lady Charlotte Guest (1812-1895), which is more widely known as The Mabinogion, is likewise of undoubted authenticity (. . . ) It is now housed in the library at Jesus College, Oxford. Tolkien's well-known love of Welsh suggests that he would have likewise been well-acquainted with the source of Lady Guest's translation. For the Tolkiennymist, the coincidence of the names of the sources of Lady Charlotte Guest's and Tolkien's translations is striking: The Red Book of Hergest and The Red Book of Westmarch. Tolkien wanted to write (translate) a mythology for England, and Lady Charlotte Guest's work can easily be said to be a 'mythology for Wales. ' The implication of this coincidence is intriguing".
  44. ^ a b c Foote, Timothy (24 October 1977), “Middle-Earth Genesis”, Time 110: 121, <http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,915707,00.html> 
  45. ^ a b Gardner, John (23 October 1977), “The World of Tolkien”, The New York Times Book Review, <http://www.nytimes.com/1977/10/23/books/tolkien-silmarillion.html> 
  46. ^ a b Hurwitz, K. Time (trademarked in capitals as TIME) is a weekly American Newsmagazine, similar to Newsweek and The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed Sue (December 1977), School Library Journal 24 (4): 66 
  47. ^ a b c Adams, Robert M. School Library Journal is a monthly publication with articles and reviews for school and public Librarians who work with young people (24 November 1977), “The Hobbit Habit”, The New York Review of Books 24 (19): 22, <http://www.nybooks.com/articles/8321> 
  48. ^ Brookhiser, Richard (9 December 1977), “Kicking the Hobbit”, National Review 29 (48): 1439-1440 
  49. ^ Jefferson, Margo (24 October 1977), Newsweek 90: 114 
  50. ^ Yamamoto, Judith T. The New York Review of Books (or NYREV or NYRB) is a semimonthly Magazine on Literature, Culture, and current National Review ( NR) is a biweekly Magazine and Web site, founded by the late author William F Newsweek is an American weekly Newsmagazine published in New York City. (1 August 1977), Library Journal 102 (14): 1680, ISSN 0363-0277 
  51. ^ Cosgrave, M. Library Journal is a trade publication for Librarians It was founded in 1876 by Melvil Dewey (familiar as the inventor of the Dewey An International Standard Serial Number ( ISSN) is a unique eight-digit number used to identify a print or electronic Periodical publication. S. (April 1978), The Horn Book Magazine 54: 196 
  52. ^ Conrad, Peter (23 September 1977), The New Statesman 94: 408 

References

See also

External links

Walking Tree Publishers was founded in 1996 by members of the (now defunct Swiss Tolkien Society with the aim of publishing the proceedings of the Cormarë conference held that The Children of Húrin is an epic High fantasy Novel which forms the completion of a tale by J Mythopoeia (also mythopoesis, after Hellenistic Greek grc μυθοποιία μυθοποίησις "myth-making" is a narrative Genre in modern The Silmarils ( Quenya pl Silmarilli, radiance of pure light) are three brilliant jewels which contained the unmarred light of the Two Trees The Black Book of Arda, Черная Книга Арды, is a novel by N
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