Silmarillion

Ah yes, the Elvish Bible. This isn’t an easy reading for me. (The distraction of tastier fiction does not help.) I hope the rest of the saga will be faster, because otherwise I’ll be reading those books for the next few years.

2020-10-30

Started, finally! Today only the intros and Tolkien’s letter to Milton Waldman that summarizes/explains Silmarillion.

Big chunks of that letter read like the typical conceptual art explanation (tm) and I don’t know how to feel about that, omg.

I have Many Notes. Not sure why or what I’ll do with them yet. Probably nothing! I guess the tone triggered my academic writing instincts.

Highlight, tho: Tolkien says he originally concieved of the whole Middle-Earth mythology as “cycles [that] should be linked to a majestic whole, and yet leave scope for other minds and hands, wielding paint and music and drama.”

Probably did not expect all that slash. On the other hand classically educated linguist, he SHOULD HAVE. 😆

2020-10-31

Today’s reading: Ainulindalë and Valaquenta.

This is the bit that earned Silm the “Elven Bible” nickname, which also means it makes me itchy and overthinking the Middle-Earth cosmogony and its possible relationship to Tolkien’s concept of morality.

I am not one for an omnipotent creator god. Melkor wanting to create something original of his own is a Mood.

To not only complain, I really love how much Tolkien talks about sea. Especially this bit:

“At times [Ulmo] will come unseen to the shores of Middle-Earth, or pass far inland up firths of the sea, and there make music upon his great horns […]; and those to whom that music comes hear it ever after in their hearts, and longing for the sea never leaves them again.”

I’d say that one was written from experience, because y e s.

2020-11-22

So after three weeks of uhhhhhhh… fanfiction, I dragged my ass back to Silmarillion. Today I made it all the way up to the Eldar being led to Valinor! Which is like… 25 pages but LOOK, I’m TRYING.

(I got lost during the journey to Valinor, oh the irony. I’m gonna need a map, my spatial imagination is shite.)

I’m glad I’m getting to parts where People do Things for Reasons. Imaginary cosmogony IMHO works only if A. you enjoy the language or B. it somehow resonates with your worldview, and alas, Tolkien’s cosmogony does neither for me. Which made me unreasonably cranky about the dumbest shit, and I’ve never been a spite-reader.

Like, “this tree is a he, and that tree is a she!” Tolkien, srsly?

Also, Illúvatar acts like a bad DM, Change My Mind.

Yavanna: “I’m worried about my creations and I’d like something to protect them. :(“ Illúvatar: “ACTUALLY, I ALWAYS planned that! How can you doubt me!!1!”

2020-12-13

Got a tiny bit of Silm reading done this morning, some more “the WHO went WHERE?” and now I’m finally up to Melkor having been unchained. Fëanor makes an appearence, DUN DUN DUN.

I would have liked to know what Melian thought about Thingol. She’s singing with her birds, then a dude comes up, stares at her, grabs her hand, and then… it’s suddenly years later and they’re uhhhhh married??