Jeremy
Ossiriand
Sun, 10:03pm
Post #26 of 26
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Eärendil's origin as a character
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I don't think it's the move. From what I understand, we'll have to re-register when it's complete. I also expect that the forums will look at least a bit different.
Not reregister, just enter a new password (per Altaira's announcement). In the meantime, the loading seems to have good days and bad days.
Setting aside the issue of how the Silmaril went from Elwing's breast to Eärendil's brow, the other issue that I have is that it went from Elwing to Eärendil at all. The "holy jewel" rightfully passed from Beren and Lúthien to their son Dior (with a detour to his grandfather, Thingol), and then from Dior to his one remaining child, Elwing. Why does she meekly cede the jewel to her husband, Eärendil? Ar-Pharazôn is rightly castigated for usurping the scepter of Númenor from Tar-Míriel, to whom it lawfully belonged; why is Eärendil not equally castigated for usurping the Silmaril from Elwing, to whom it lawfully belonged? I know that the supposed answer is that she willingly allowed it to pass to him because of her great love for him, but the question still may be asked. Tolkien was, of course, a product of his times, but he sometimes broke through the normal prejudices and portrayed genuinely strong and willful women (such as Elwing's grandmother, Lúthien). It is disappointing to me that he did not do so here.
Of course, one of the reasons Eärendil ends up with the Silmaril is simply that he was meant to have it, given the character's origin. Tolkien first wrote his poem Éalá Éarendel Engla Beorhtast (inspired by the Christ I poem). The rest of the story, including Eärendil's role, fell into place after his status as a star or "brightest angel" was determined. But maybe this isn't the most satisfactory explanation since it doesn't answer the question inside the world/story itself.
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