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The Arda 300: #'s 60-41

Dân o’Nandor-on-Anduin
Rivendell

Jul 17 2015, 9:50am

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The Arda 300: #'s 60-41 Can't Post

#60 Celebrimbor, Lord of Eregion and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain – noldo lord/smith
[TG:52,EoA:12,Wik:12,RF:17,JT:73,DD:29,MD:2,DK:1,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:5,UT/HM:18,HoF+:20=242pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Celebrimbor
We begin the top 60 with the greatest craftsman outside of his grandfather Fëanor. Celebrimbor crafted the Three Elven Rings, and co-crafted the Seven, the Nine, and the Doors of Durin (as well as, possibly, an Elessar). Certainly important, but as with most Second Age characters he lacks the narratives that would tend to rank him much higher. Most of what we know about him (outside of the LotR Appendices) is contained in the ‘History of Galadriel and Celeborn’ from UT; in which we get deep dialogue between him and Galadriel. To her he says “you know that I love you (though you turned to Celeborn of the Trees), and for that love I will do what I can, if haply by my art your grief can be lessened”. And so the love of Galadriel inspired most of his creations (and he would have loved to have met her daddy, his grand-uncle in Aman, who appears below…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrv7Hs7k7w8

#59 Finarfin, 3rd son of Finwë and 7th King of the Noldor – noldo king
[TG:57,EoA:8,Wik:8,RF:14,JT:25,DD:27,MD:3,DK:4,LR/SL/CH:13,UT/HM:100=259pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Finarfin
As Fëanor and the successive High Kings of the Noldor took their realm into Middle-earth, Finarfin remained the King of the Noldor in Aman while the lines of his older brothers carried the title of High King. But upon the death of Turgon, Finarfin would have been the undisputed 7th High King of the Noldor. CT seriously messed with the lineage, making Gil-galad the son of Fingon. But Gil-galad was a grandson of Finarfin, and although he may have been the 2nd High-king of all the Eldar of Middle-earth after Thingol, while his grandfather was alive in Aman, the High-kingship (which followed Finwë into Aman) would have passed to Finarfin. As Tolkien Gateway states “he presumably still rules the few remaining Noldor in Valinor”. (Elves never truly die, but one can picture Finarfin, after his nephew Turgon was slain in Gondolin, proclaiming this to his people in Aman…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFz9vf3nG0I

#58 Yavanna Kementári, Queen of the Earth (f) – valier queen
[TG:54,EoA:3,Wik:7,RF:19,JT:13,DD:36,MD:10,DK:4,JR:5,JG:1,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:6,UT/HM:110=269pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Yavanna
She’s the first of 2 of the Valier that will rank above their husbands, which should help dispel any myths that Tolkien was a misogynist. And she’s almost the last tree-like character to appear on this list, as she apparently spent a great number of years as a giant tree inhabiting Middle-earth. Which brings us finally to the character below…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9394wRPlvf4

#57 Treebeard – ent ‘shepherd’
[TG:54,EoA:4,Wik:36,RF:12,JT:23,DD:34,MD:39,JR:3,HC:1,Let:2,LR/SL/CH:10,UT/HM:34,HoF+:17=269pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Treebeard
Fangorn he was, and the Eldest, and the last of the trees to appear on this list. We’ll enter the top-50 with no more wood; just completely fictional characters written on the very real substance that trees provide. ;) (He once had an entwife, or should I say, she once had him…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79uBB4anxbE

#56 Oromë the Great Rider, Huntsman of the Valar and Lord of Forests – vala lord
[TG:55,EoA:10,Wik:7,RF:22,JT:36,DD:18,MD:4,DK:1,JG:1,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:17,UT/HM:111=283pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Orom%C3%AB
He had many names, and loved horses, hounds, horns, and hunts. But being the primary Vala to traverse Middle-earth, discovering the Elves, and leading the Eldar through to Beleriand are his ultimate claims to fame. (Note that at the last minute I didn’t go with my favourite band’s ‘Who Are You’, as it pertains to the moment of discovering the Elves, but had to go with this…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewKcjWFiBZs

#55 Námo Mandos, Doomsman of the Valar – vala master
[TG:32,EoA:5,Wik:9,RF:13,JT:7,DD:22,MD:18,DK:7,JR:3,JG:2,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:15,UT/HM:148,HoF+:2=284pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Mandos
He has the most points acquired so far from any separate column of my spreadsheet, and that is 148pts from UT/HoMe. When you’re the timeless soul that he is, you’re always, at least, there…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtGM-JDJFV0

#54 Balin, Lord of Moria and King of Khazad-dûm – dwarf king
[TG:132,EoA:20,Wik:15,RF:14,JT:18,DD:27,MD:3,JR:23,LR/SL/CH:5,UT/HM:28=285pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Balin
If Tolkien Gateway had afforded him 2 less points, then what I said about Mandos above would have applied to Balin a spot ago, as he has, to this point, the most points from TG at 132; which will be swept away by a dragon below anyway. (His Chamber of Mazarbul was at one time well-lit from the light-shaft, and coloured white upon black tapestries, so I’m told…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCc00pX_pFA

#53 Celeborn the Wise, Lord of Lothlórien – sinda lord
[TG:112,EoA:13,Wik:25,RF:15,JT:23,DD:31,MD:4,DK:4,JG:1,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:9,UT/HM:50=288pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Celeborn
Again, a husband that falls short of his wife’s ranking, countering any argument for misogyny with Tolkien. I however am a big Celeborn fan unlike many, as he is Thingol as he should have been, much the same as Galadriel is Fëanor as he should have been, and they bridge the distance of a Sea, uniting Calaquendi and Moriquendi. (Their parting at the end of Third Age would have been emotional to say the least…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fX5USg8_1gA

#52 Ungoliant (f) – spider
[TG:43,EoA:6,Wik:16,RF:19,JT:30,DD:18,MD:24,DK:5,JR:5,JG:6,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:6,UT/HM:107,HoF+:3=289pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ungoliant
At one brief point was she the most powerful entity under Eru? Who knows, but maybe?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttbaXI7-r6U

#51 Turgon, King of Gondolin and 6th King of the Noldor – noldo king
[TG:36,EoA:2,Wik:11,RF:48,JT:91,DD:30,MD:1,DK:9,JG:1,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:12,UT/HM:69,HoF+:3=314pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Turgon
Reluctant follower he was…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jv51LO7NOTo

#50 Smaug the Golden – winged dragon
[TG:155,EoA:27,Wik:25,RF:10,JT:25,DD:34,MD:7,JR:12,JG:1,HC:1,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:8,HM/UT:10=316pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Smaug
Who else could kick off the top 50, just half a year beyond his short reign as a film-star? Nearly half his points come from Tolkien Gateway, the full entry of which is linked above.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F29H8OJOnvo

#49 Finwë, 1st King of the Noldor – noldo king
[TG:81,EoA11,Wik:8,RF:9,JT:29,MD:21,DD:15,DK:8,JR:6,LR/SL/CH:5,UT/HM:107,HoF+:20=320pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Finw%C3%AB
He’s the middle of the 3 Elf Ambassadors to Valinor to appear on the list; appropriate as he was the leader of the middle host.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s38ignmTqFQ

#48 Théoden Ednew, 17th King of Rohan – rohirrim king
[TG:78,EoA:11,Wik:27,RF:12,JT:71,MD:37,DD:19,JG:1,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:21,UT/HM:40,HoF+:8=326pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Theoden
On a previous run-through of this list, both he and Denethor ended in a tie. Here Theoden has slipped a bit, but his eventual heir finishes just ahead of Denethor’s firstborn son, below. (The first song I’ll call the actual #48 classic rock song, somewhat appropriate for the pre-Gandalf-revived Theoden; the 2nd is the more appropriate song for Theoden upon his Ride to the “Battle of Pelennor” – which can be substituted here for ‘Border-of Mexico’…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXqubvXfd-o
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNOn6enPC7U

#47 Ar-Pharazôn the Golden, 25th and last King Of Númenor – númenórean king
[TG:115,EoA:10,Wik:8,RF:29,JT:60,MD:2,DK:1,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:12,UT/HM:49,HoF+:40=327pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ar_pharazon
Again, the lack of a Second-Age novel based upon Númenor surely keeps him out of the top 10 or 20. Otherwise he would be much nearer to the top 4 baddies. He does get votes, however, from the initial thread which inspired this list, boosting him into the top-50 at least.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l482T0yNkeo

#46 Ulmo the Ancient Mariner, King of the Sea – vala king
[TG:46,EoA:30,Wik:14,RF:28,JT:22,MD:4,DD:18,DK:7,JR:1,JG:2,LR/SL/CoH:19,UT/HM:118,HoF+:20=329pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Ulmo
So Aule was back at #63, while the 2 other Kings of the elements of Arda appear here back-to-back. Ulmo also finds himself appropriately ranking in the middle of the 2 respective couples, as Yavanna was back at #58. (I seem to have made it a policy now to sometimes go with 2 songs, and Ulmo is no exception: the 1st is a brief intro to a mega-album that has no other songs appearing, so an appropriate composite, unfortunately containing Townsend-styled narrative; the 2nd a lengthy metal piece, whose title also fits the Lord of Waters, and which I’ll have to label classic rock song #46…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tr8HLiQwpmQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goL9_kWb-b0

#45 Manwë Súlimo, Elder King of Arda – vala king
[TG:41,EoA:11,Wik:11,RF:32,JT:11,MD:9,DD:18,DK:12,JR:6,JG:3,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:15,UT/HM:148,HoF+:20=338pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Manw%C3%AB
He equals the highest total so far for points acquired by UT & HoMe, tied with his compatriot Mandos. They will however soon be eclipsed by another Vala. Some have speculated that it was Manwë, Lord of the Air and Winds, who was responsible for all of the coincidental changes in the winds and weather during LotR…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsIqEq9OFxE

#44 Denethor II, 26th and last Ruling Steward of Gondor – gondorian dúnedan ruling-steward
[TG:107,EoA:18,Wik:24,RF:30,JT:35,MD:43,DD:37,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:17,UT/HM:28=340pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Denethor
Both his sons appear after him, his firstborn just below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H0d5psPiKI

#43 Boromir, 1st son of Denethor II and Captain of the White Tower – gondorian dúnedan captain
[TG:140,EoA:4,Wik:42,RF:21,JT:20,MD:37,DD:25,HC:1,Let:1,LR/SL/CH:16,UT/HM:29,HoF+:5=341pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Boromir
So the Fellowship begins to chime in, with the ill-fated Boromir. Was he more important than Legolas? Tolkien said as much when he declared that Legolas accomplished the least of the 9. Does Boromir have more of a stage presence within the Legendarium? I think not, and I’ll have to stick to that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX0Re3odoco

#42 Maedhros, 1st son of Fëanor and 3rd King of the Noldor – noldo king
[TG:55:,EoA:12,Wik:50,RF:37,JT:81,MD:4,DK:9,LR/SL/CH:9,UT/HM:80;HoF+:5=342pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Maedhros
He’s the highest-ranking son of Fëanor to appear, as he should be.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2opHHNFd0Mg

#41 Éomer Eadig, 18th King of Rohan – rohirrim king
[TG:161,EoA:27,Wik:23,RF:18,JT:23,MD:35,DD:23,DK:1,LR/SL/CH:12,UT/HM:28,HoF+:8=359pts]
http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Eomer
The gaps between the characters points are now reaching wide margins on average. Fluctuations in online entries and any rounding, or errors, occurring in my tabulations should be highly minimized at this point. Eomer now sets the record at 161pts for any column entry in my spreadsheet, due to Tolkien Gateway; which will happen to be eclipsed with the next entry. (Upon exile, he fought for his meals on the fields of Rohan, the wizard’s wasteland…)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaaD9EKTGys


glossary:

*=as in CT's indexing in UT (ie. characters not appearing in Hobbit/LotR/AdvTB/Sil)
@=guest at Bilbo’s Farewell Party
(f)=female (n)=neutral

POINTS: TG=Tolkien Gateway,EoA=Encyclopedia of Arda,Wik=Wikipedia,RF=Robert Foster’s Complete Guide to Middle-earth,JT=J.E.A. Tyler’s Tolkien Companion,DD=David Day’s A-Z of Tolkien,HC=Humphrey Carpenter’s Biography,JG=John Garth’s Tolkien and the Great War,JR=John Rateliff’s History of The Hobbit,DK=Douglas Kane’s Arda Reconstructed,MD=Michael Drout’s Tolkien Encyclopedia,Let=Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien,LR/SL/CH=Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion, Children of Hurin,UT/HM=Unfinished Tales, History of Middle-earth,HoF+=votes from the Hall of Fire thread that initiated this project + a composite of selected favourite character lists.


(This post was edited by Dân o’Nandor-on-Anduin on Jul 17 2015, 9:58am)


sador
Half-elven


Jul 17 2015, 2:03pm

Post #2 of 4 (1179 views)
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Thank you! [In reply to] Can't Post

As I've written before, I won't have time to comment, or even to listen properly, for another two weeks. Just briefly clicking on the links indicates I will have a wonderful time when I do so. Smile


Voronwë_the_Faithful
Valinor

Jul 18 2015, 4:22am

Post #3 of 4 (1163 views)
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Two weeks? [In reply to] Can't Post

The list might be done by then, if Dân can be believed. But then you'll have plenty to listen to, and comment on!

'But very bright were the stars upon the margin of the world, when at times the clouds about the West were drawn aside.'

The Hall of Fire


sador
Half-elven


Aug 3 2015, 11:04am

Post #4 of 4 (881 views)
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Back in Town [In reply to] Can't Post

Checking in HoF, it appears that you have completed the countdown. So I know the top ranking, but have checked the songs only up to no. 16 (and haven't added them to my list, which includes also other songs suggested by myself and others who have commented on the list, or on any character in other discussions on TORn).

I wonder why you haven't posted the rest of the list on TORn as well. Should I take it as a sign that you arer welcoming my comments, and don't want them to be dated? If so, thank you kindly.
But having extra time to mull over your choices (and having more to say, and cosequently more relevant songs) - I am afraid my responses will be long... Maybe this one will be split in two.

60 Celebrimbor
"Heard melodies are sweet; but those unheard are sweeter" as Keats says in Ode on a Greek Urn. JRRT paraphrased Keats in a letter to his son Christopher, who asked for more stories about this fascinating character, which I've once devoted a couple of loing posts to raising questions about his person, actions and motivations. Even the little which was heard was apparently forgotten by the auithor, as Christopher suggests in PoME p. 297, referring to his father's second thoughts about Celebrimbor's ancestry.
But still, there is indeed little concrete material about him - a very low score in the HoME category! Although in his case, I would have expected the online sources to raise his score a bit, which disappointingly they do not. However, he received 20 points in the HoF votes, and many from Tyler - which is a book I am unfamiliar with, but in this case I applaud.

Still, I am somewhat surprised that the song you've picked focused on his love for Galadriel, according to one of the two accounts printed in UT. I would have rather picked https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWGcRiMxQAE (I don't know whether you care for Marvin Gaye, and this cover is absolutely brilliant) for his belated unmasking of Sauron; and from you I would have expected Won't Get Fooled Again for either him of Theoden... You might still be keeping that song up your sleeve for future use; as Theoden has three songs in my list already (two of your suggestion), I will add it here if you don't.

59 Finarfin
Well, I wouldn't say that "CT sriously messed with the lineage"; and according to the last lineage JRRT had considered (which you seem to accept as definitive), Gil-galad was actually Finarfin's great-grandson.

Here for instance, HoME does account for a lot of this wise, mild Noldo, so conspicious among a family of hotheads. And while the song you've picked is what he would say to Fëanor, his brother would have considered him and his followers as such: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQcuIkZWGl8.

58 Yavanna Kementári
Indeed, the half tree-like entity you've mentioned in the previous post... And why did Rateliff give her five points? Doe he refer often to Of Aulë and Yavanna?

I admit to not getting the connection to the song you've picked; I had to search for the lyrics. And it did tickle me to respond with No Milk Today, but I've already made a tongue-in-cheek reference to Herman's Hermits once, and a weak joke based on your choice of a song seems a pretty loose connection...

If I had to pick a song, I would have chosen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDYonGiCKZ0 - obviously, because this is one of my favourites, but also because of all the seeds she had planted, and Manwë's promise of a guardian of her cretures to awake, once the firstborn do. (Had they waited for Men, it would have been https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0kypyGSKsE).

57 Treebeard
Nothing from Kane or Garth, but seventeen points from HoF votes and a mention in Carpenter. How did you decide to put him in a higher place than Yavanna?

Seeing the song you've picked was another facepalm moment. Not that it is necessarily the best choice, but it was an obvious one - which I haven't expected. But wasn't Nowegian Wood cheap pine rather than oak? And anyway, such a short song for Treebeard? He wouldn't begin his Hrum, Hoom, Hmm before the song ended!
For me, Treebeard is the ultimate gentle giant. So https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2c4k_dHA2Q

56 Oromë
Do we ever get to see him as Lord of the Forests in anything, except for hunting in them?

Anyway, while I applaud your discretion, I also thought of a song alluding to that moment of meeting the Children of Eru, who were stardust and golden.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26LYjMww0GY

55 Námo Mandos
I am on record as naming this to be one of my favouite songs, and I am sure it must be on this list (even if I don't quite know where) - but I don't quite think it reflects Mandos, especially when taking into consideration the mysterious tale in BoLT about the creation of time. Doom and Time are not the same.

A better fit would be https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsNTmjlf1vI:

Quote

I had flashes
While you saw the plane
I wandered round in the world for years
You just stayed in your room
I saw the crescent
You saw the whole of the moon.



54 Balin
Another truly great song! But not quite a fit. Perhaps I am to blame somewhat; it could have been the song for Telperion, as a match to the song you've picked for Laurelin - but that would mean missing out one of my favourite bands...
When I thought of a song for Balin, I remembered something from in The Return Journey:

Quote

"Good-bye and good luck, wherever you fare!" said Balin at last. "If ever you visit us again, when our halls are made fair once more, then the feast shall indeed be splendid!"
"If ever you are passing my way," said Bilbo, "don't wait to knock! Tea is at four; but any of you are welcome at any time!"


Shippey actually has a lot to say about this exchange; but for the purposes of this list, it is a sufficient reason to bring in https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K7S8TFJaYA. Which is important, you know - once you pick live performances from after the split, Rick Davies (who was as substantial a partner as Roger Hogdson, but most of his songs weren't hits) hasn't appeared yet.

And I am surprised that Balin had received no 'favourite character' votes.

53 Celeborn the Wise
I'm glad to find another Celeborn fan! I thought Michael Martinez was my only partner. But most readers indeed see him as a lesser character, a husband in the shadow of his wife, something like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qf70Hoqxx3Y

But once we're talking of the Kinks, you surely realise that You Really Got Me could fit here as much as Layla?
And I must note that Celeborn is indeed important - he is the last mentioned in the Prologue, in the Note on Shire Records:

Quote
It is not recorded when he sought the Grey Havens and sailed west, but when he did so he took with him the last memory of the Elder Days in Middle-earth.


The last memory of the Elder Days. Which calls for https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJt0G7gu5P8.

52 Ungoliant
Did she really receive three votes as a favourite character? What's up with people?

The song you've picked is quite apt, but I am not really familiar with Van Halen. I knew Jump, of course, and that Eddie was considered a terrific guitarist (whom I, like most of my peers, first heard in Michael Jackson's Beat It) - but never much of their music.
When discussing Shelob, you've said you don't want to discuss gender; but here I must bring up https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIMrU8qcbs8 - especially once I found one of Voronwe's favourite artists, playing with the songs composer, and reunited with Greg Rolie!

51 Turgon
Is that all you have to say of him? Well, my time is running out, but he did cross the thin ice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36SIn73bicM, and later followed his dream... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArnU5zQfEKY

 
 

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