I am inviting all authors and artists who love Tolkien to participate in my April Tolkien Challenge!
Every day, there will be a new object central, which is the object we will be talking about! Do whatever you want with this; Write a piece about it, share information about it, create something art-related about it….anything goes!
I’d love to see your work! Tag me in it, reblog this post with your piece or use #apriltolkienchallenge !
The Nauglamír was a necklace, created around the year 50 of the First Age. The gems on the necklace were those of Valinor, that Finrod brought with him during his journey to Middle-Earth. During the Fall of Nargothrond, it fell into the hands - or rather claws - of Glaurung; the first dragon that had ever been created. The Nauglamír dwelt under the dragon’s treasure and was hidden until the year 499 of the First Age, when the petty-dwarves attacked and claimed the necklace for themselves. It wasn’t until Hurín had encountered them, that the jewelry fell into the hands of a man.
Hurin brought the treasure before king Thingol; an elven king in the land of Doriath, and threw the necklace before him bitterly, for he blamed the king for the loss of his son. King Thingol, in the possession of the silmaril Beren had given him, called the dwarves of Belegost to him to refashion the jewelry. The dwarves forged the necklace anew, and drew the silmaril in its center. But many dwarves grew enraged at the idea of a silmaril, worked into dwarvish forging, was now in the hands of an elven king. And thus, many dwarves ran into the kingdom of Doriath, seizing the Nauglamír after few battles, and taking it with them. Having almost reached their homes, the elves and Edain attacked, with them Beren and his son Dior. They successfully reclaimed the necklace, and brought it home with them. Out of his love for his wife, Beren gave the necklace to Luthien, who proceeded to carry it with her until the end of her days. (Or the last of her days in her first life.)
Dior later inherited the Nauglamír, yet lost it once more upon encountering the sons of Faënor in Doriath, who sought to reclaim the silmarils. His daughter Elwing, carried the Nauglamír with her as she ran from the elves. Yet, the sons of Faënor did not halt their search for the silmarils. During the Third Kinslaying, they attacked the Elven Havens of Sirion. However; Elwing cast herself into the sea with it rather than surrender the gem to Maedhros and Maglor, the sons. The Nauglamír was lost in the deep waters, but the silmaril and Elwing survived because of the Vala Ulmo.
On a time of autumn he came in the dusk of evening, and drawing near [Gorlim] saw as he thought a light at the window; and coming warily he looked within. There he saw Eilinel, and her face was worn with grief and hunger, and it seemed to him that he heard her voice lamenting that he had forsaken her. But even as he cried aloud the light was blown out in the wind; wolves howled, and on his shoulders he felt suddenly the heavy hands of Sauron’s hunters. Thus Gorlim was ensnared; and taking him to their camp they tormented him, seeking to learn the hidings of Barahir and all his ways. But nothing would Gorlim tell. Then they promised him that he should be released and restored to Eilinel, if he would yield; and being at last worn with pain, and yearning for his wife, he faltered. Then straightaway they brought him into the dreadful presence of Sauron; and Sauron said: ‘I hear now that thou wouldst barter with me. What is thy price?’
And Gorlim answered that he should find Eilinel again, and with her be set free; for he thought that Eilinel also had been made captive.
Then Sauron smiled, saying: 'That is a small price for so great a treachery. So shall it surely be. Say on!’
Now Gorlim would have drawn back, but daunted by the eyes of Sauron he told at last all that he would know. Then Sauron laughed; and he mocked Gorlim, and revealed to him that he had seen only a phantom devised by wizardry to entrap him; for Eilinel was dead. 'Nonetheless I will grant thy prayer,’ said Sauron; 'and thou shalt go to Eilinel and be set free of my service.’ Then he put him cruelly to death.
–J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion, “Of Beren and Lúthien”
The sad news has come today that Christopher Tolkien has passed away. He was 95 and passed away at a hospital near his home in France. He has been such a remarkable conservator of his father’s work and vision, providing us with such a wealth of material from Tolkien’s notes and manuscripts. It is truly astounding how much he has given to the Tolkien community–both the scholarly and fandom parts of it–in his tireless pursuit of continuing his father’s legacy and sharing the stories with us all. Condolences to his family and the entire worldwide Tolkien community. This is a devastating loss of a dedicated and talented individual.
The publication of the Silmarillion alone would have been a gift but his continued research and organization of his father’s work to provide us with The History of Middle Earth, The Children of Hurin, Beren and Luthien, and most recently The Fall of Gondolin has truly resulted in a wealth of material and a vast legendarium that is unparalleled.
The court began buzzing with delight with news of Lúthien’s return. Iarûr was the only one among us whose demeanor remained solemn. When I had the opportunity later in the evening, I found him in his chambers alone at his writing table. I entered cautiously through is opened door.
“Pleas come in, Orothôn,” he said without looking up form his work.
“I am not interrupting your work,” I asked.
“No,” he said looking up. “There was no work to be done this hour. I was putting my thoughts down for my own remembrance of this day.”
“It is this day I wished to speak to you about,” I said.
“I know,” he sewered. “You are quite perceptive. If you thought the news of this day troubled me, then you were correct.”
“It is wonderful news,” I said. “The return of the king’s daughter will make this kingdom whole once more.”
“You are naive in your optimism,” Iarûr said sternly. “It will serve you well on the darkest night but in the light of day, you must acknowledge reality.”
“I do not understand.”
“N one returns from Angband as they entered,” he said softly. “I can only imagine the horrors of the Lady Lúthien must have seen. No one can witness such evil without losing part of themselves.”
“The king will be happy once more,” I said almost pleading with him.
“Yes, he will,” he agreed. “But it will be short-lived, Orothôn. I am afraid this world will never be the same again. It is changing, my friend. The elements of good and evil have intermingled creating seasons not so easily discernible.”
I could say nothing—I just stood there thinking about those words as they seared a hole in my heart. Now I feared what may come to us upon the return of Lúthien and Beren.–TKWRT Book I: The Epic of Eryn Galen by Jaynaé Marie Miller. 07-06-2020
The rumblings from Angband began as the sound distant thunder—the infrequent beating of the soul-less heart. Though nothing came from its depths as before, we were nonetheless well-equipped for battle. As time wore on, we became accustomed to the rumble. Iarûr worried we had become lax in our preparation for an attack from Morgoth. It had been a long period of calm at the borders of Doriath. The Girdle of Melian still protected us from even the subtlest changes in the world around us.
There were Men now and they were building kingdoms of their own. The naugrim had more contact with their race it was said whenever they came past our borders. King Thingol remained distraught over the loss of his beloved daughter even as he tried to resume his royal duties. He seemed unaware of the comings and goings of the court—much less of life beyond the gates of Menegroth.
We went about our lives with little understanding that our isolation was about to come to an abrupt end.
The day began as always—I rose to find myself alone as Mîrwen had let to attend to her duties for the queen. I went about my day in the library with Súlimë. After we finished, we made our way toward the main vestibule where we would part ways until dinner.
Before the had our chance, I noticed Eldôr and Oropher standing inside the gates. Oropher said something to Beleg before he went on his way.
“Oropher,” I began. “Is everything alright?”
“Yes, of course,” he answered. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“Not this day,” Eldôr added. “I would not presume to know what goes on near the borders.”
“I beg your pardon,” Súlimë asked.
“He speaks of the wanderings of the naugrim,” Oropher said. “They seem rather busy these days.”
“With what,” I asked curiously.
“You can never be too sure with them,” he said. “I have never seen creatures so industrious.”
“I am sure it is nothing they cannot handle,” I said thinking of Ónarr.
“They have tildes they have seen Daeron wandering in the East,” Eldôr said.
“Daeron,” I asked. “Was he not with Thingol when receiving Celebrían?”
“Yes,” Oropher said. “But she is no longer an elfling, you realize.
“Has it truly been that long,” Súlimë asked.
“Time passes as silently as it does quickly,” he said.
It was then that I realized how wise my son had become. Just as we were to retire for the evening with the setting of the sun, two guards came running toward us.
“What news have you,” Eldôr asked.
“They have come into Doriath,” one of the said catching his breath.
“When,” Oropher asked.
“I do not know when but they have journeyed long,” the other answered.
“Go,” Eldôr commanded. “Send word to Mablung quickly.”
The two elves moved swiftly past us and out of sight.
“Of whom do they speak,” I asked.
“Lúthien and her Beren,” Oropher answered. “They have returned.”–TKWRT Book I: The Epic of Eryn Galen by Jaynaé Marie Miller. 07-06-2020
On a scale from zero to ten, how likely is it that Celegorm is fully convinced that “If I had led Huan on a hunt to kill Morgoth’s wolf, me and him would both come out of it alive”?
“She was (and knew she was) my Lúthien. I will say no more now.” Ronald Tolkien loved his wife Edith more than anything. The epic love story of Beren and Lúthien is inspired by Tolkien’s own love. He had to endure his own adventures until he was able to marry Edith. When she danced for him in the woods during his convalescence in 1917, that scene sparked the first meeting of the mortal Beren with the Elbe Lúthien.
What a bliss to spend the Weekend at home, reading on the balcony and enjoying the sunny Spring weather! Reading Tolkien’s “The Lay of Leithian” featured in “Beren and Lúthien”, edited and published by Tolkien’s son Christopher.
Been reading the Silmarillion and Lord of the Rings again and have to laugh at the dads in those ‘Elf-Mortal’ unions.
Thingol: Sure, Beren, you can marry Luthien, but first you have to storm the impenetrable fortress of a dark lord, cut a magical jewel from his crown and bring it to me.
Elrond: Aragorn, of course you can marry Arwen, but first you have to be King of Gondor and Arnor. Yes, I know one of those kingdoms hasn’t existed for over a thousand years and you have to do the impossible and patch it back together, but if she can’t be Queen, what’s the point?
Turgon: Tuor, everybody likes you except my creepy nephew. You’re practically an elf, and practically perfect. Only the best for my girl Idril. Now will you stop reminding me that an actual demi-god gave you a warning about impending doom. Oh, and stay away from her creepy cousin.
(yes, I know there was another union, Mithrellas and Imrazor, progenitors of Dol Amroth, but he didn’t have to deal with her dad because they met when she was wandering around lost in the forest.)
![On a time of autumn he came in the dusk of evening, and drawing near [Gorlim] saw as he thought a li](https://64.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8zsyrCvO21rtwlb5o1_540.jpg "On a time of autumn he came in the dusk of evening, and drawing near [Gorlim] saw as he thought a li")
