The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion ( Von den Silmaril , original title: English The Silmarillion ) is a collection of unfinished works by JRR Tolkien , which, at his request, was published posthumously by his son Christopher in a revised and completed form in 1977.
The Silmarillion forms the cosmogonic and mythological prehistory to Tolkien's great novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . It contains stories of very different kinds, myth-like stories about the origin and history of the world, which is called Arda here , and the intervention of gods, but also fairy- tale love stories and stories about tragic heroism. Nonetheless, Tolkien's work was planned in this diversity. The characters are shaped differently in the individual stories: many of the stories are only descriptions of the mythical prehistoric world, others such as the stories of the children of Hurin and Huor, Túrin and Tuor , and the stories of Beren and Lúthien and their descendants contain more individual traits of the acting persons. Even the elves , who appear in the Lord of the Rings as powerful, but also consistently noble beings, sometimes appear as evil characters in the Silmarillion. Even the gods are partly evil, partly ambivalent beings.
Emergence
In real-historical terms, the first drafts of the Silmarillion's stories go back to 1917, when Tolkien was in the field hospital with trench fever after the Battle of the Somme , where he had fought as a reporter . These early drafts were still clearly marked by the war experience and sometimes offered science fiction-like elements, which were later deleted. He attempted to publish some of these stories during the 1920s, but was viewed with rather suspicion by most editors - fairy tales were a rather uncommon concept for an adult audience at the time. After he published The Hobbit in 1937 , he made a second attempt, but now The Silmarillion was found to be too complicated. Instead, Tolkien was asked to write a simple sequel to The Hobbit , which eventually evolved into the Lord of the Rings .
Tolkien himself never gave up these stories because he saw in them the core of his literary world Middle-earth , of which the later events ( The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings ) only represent the aftershocks. Tolkien was a full-time philologist at Oxford University , and as he got older it became more and more difficult for him to work on his “hobby” of writing well into the night, as before. Tolkien wrote the last drafts for stories of the Silmarillion in 1973 shortly before his death. For several years, Christopher Tolkien worked on deciphering and connecting his father's designs, which came from different times and were sometimes mere sketches. On some of the later parts of the Quenta Silmarillion , which were most incomplete, he worked with fantasy writer Guy Gavriel Kay to practically invent a narrative from scratch from a few given thoughts. The final result, which was relatively consistent chronologically, in terms of content and style, was published in 1977 and was also published in German in 1978; the translation was done by Wolfgang Krege .
During the 1980s and 1990s, Christopher Tolkien published almost all non-scientific works of his father in the 12-volume series The History of Middle-earth ( The History of Middle-earth , only the first two volumes have been published in German). In addition to the sources and early drafts of some parts of the Lord of the Rings , these books contain more original material on the Silmarillion and differ from it in many ways. These books also show that Tolkien elaborated some parts of the history of the Silmarillion more than others. The chapters with the most and most interesting details include:
With the Book of Lost Stories , Christopher Tolkien has also published and explained a collection of individual stories from the Silmarillion in their earliest versions. During this period the events were loosely linked to the Anglo-Saxon period of British history by telling them (depending on the version) of the fictional father of Hengests and Horsas , Ottor Wæfre, or a medieval Anglo-Saxon navigator.
Relationship to the novels that play later
The Silmarillion is the prehistory of the later novels like The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings . It takes place at the time that individuals in The Lord of the Rings look back in awe. Some, such as B. Elrond and Galadriel, have seen it for themselves. Although the Silmarillion speaks for itself and is a work in its own right, it is closely linked to the plot of the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit , partly through the prehistory and partly through the content coverage in the last part of the book. Not only some historical names and the numerous saga fragments, especially in the Lord of the Rings , but also other topics from the first two ages are described. The different peoples and their origins are described - only hobbits are only mentioned a few times under "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age" under the name "Halflings" - and the reasons for special circumstances such as the elves heading west , the quarrel between elves and dwarves and the peculiarity of the Dúnedain, descended from the Númenórern, are explained. Important individuals appear in both books: Elrond was the son of Earendil when Feanor's sons attacked their home, the attackers spared him and his brother. Galadriel participated in the Noldor's departure from Aman, which she advocated. Círdan had participated in the Elves' migration west, but remained in Middle-earth. In the Valaquenta , Olórin, who appeared in Middle-earth under the name of Gandalf , is mentioned as the wisest of the Maiar. In general, all “ magicians (Istari) ” are Maiar and thus Ainur who were involved in the creation of the world. Also a Maia is Sauron , who, as the most powerful helper of Morgoth , plays a major role, especially in the story of Beren and Luthien.
Numerous poems and short stories establish the connection to the actions of the novels, and Christopher Tolkien suspects in the foreword to the Lost Stories that the Silmarillion is about Bilbo's "translations from Elvish", which in addition to the fictional sources on the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit belong to the “Red Book of West Markets” mentioned in the appendices to the Lord of the Rings . However, there is no reliable evidence for this interpretation in Tolkien's writings, and the fact that Bilbo's translations were divided into three volumes and not five parts also speaks against it.
Structure and content
Most of these events take place on a continent of Ardas called Middle-earth. At this time it still includes the vast areas of Beleriand , which sink into the sea at the end of the "First Age". The name of the book refers to the most important objects of these stories, the Silmarilli, in which a light is enclosed that is older than the sun and moon, because it comes from their forerunners, the two trees of light from Valinor.
The Silmarillion consists of the following five parts:
- Ainulindalë (The music of the Ainur): the creation of Ea (being, existence) by Eru Ilúvatar , the One, the Heavenly Father.
- Valaquenta (The Book of the Valar and Maiar , according to the traditions of the Eldar ): a brief description of the supernatural beings Valar and Maiar , who belong to the Ainur (saints).
- Quenta Silmarillion (The Story of the Silmaril): the - by far the largest part of the work - chronicle of the events before and during the First Age.
- Akallabêth (The Fall) of Númenor : the story of the island of Númenor and its human inhabitants up to the end of the "Second Age".
- From the Rings of Power and the Third Age : a short essay that contains the prehistory as well as a retelling of the events described in The Lord of the Rings .
These five parts were not originally combined into one work, but it was JRR Tolkien's express wish to publish them in a combined form. Tolkien's very extensive preliminary studies, alternative variants and unfinished versions (for example, some stories exist both as prose versions and in poem form ), which Christopher Tolkien also posthumously in works such as Messages from Middle-earth ( Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth ) or the book of Lost stories ( English book of Lost tales , Volume 1 and 2 of the otherwise published only in English twelve-volume series the History of Middle-earth ) issued were, form a chronicle of the universe in which the Hobbit and the Lord of the rings play. The Silmarillion is less detailed than the other works mentioned, but covers the entire period of the Tolkien universe.
The Silmarillion is a very complex work that borrows from a wide range of myths and fairy tales from all over Europe, but without following a single one particularly closely. For example, the name Eru Ilúvatar (one who is father of all) is borrowed from Norse mythology ; the character itself, however, is more like the biblical God, and the style in which the Ainulindalë is told is biblical; Vaire, who weaves the fate of the world, is reminiscent of the Norns of Norse mythology. The story of Túrin Turambar resembles a motif from the Finnish Kalevala ; the story of the former, later disobedient god-favorite Feanor brings to mind Prometheus ; and Númenor recalls Plato's tradition of Atlantis - in fact, one of the names Tolkien gave to this land was Atalantë , although he explained this as a variant of the name in the Elvish language . There is also an allusion to the Arthurian legend and the mystical world of Avalon : On the lonely island of Tol Eressea , inhabited by elves and the first outpost of the paradisiacal Aman, there is a town called Avallóne. However, a link to real English history that existed in the early versions has been abandoned.
Genesis
The creation story of Tolkien's world is mainly told in the “Ainulindale” and the “Valaquenta”.
Ainulindale
The term Ainulindale means "the song sung by the saints" and is also referred to as the "music of the Ainur". The story begins with the words: “There was Eru, the one who is called Ilúvatar in Arda; and first he created the Ainur, the saints, offspring of his thoughts: and they were with him before anything else was created. And he spoke to them, teaching them melodies, and they sang before him, and he was glad. [...] "
The world or the earth (Arda) is created by music that was sung by the Ainur, angelic beings: On the first and second theme given to them by Eru Ilúvatar, the Ainur improvise a great music of endlessly interplaying melodies, that are harmoniously interwoven. Although a very talented Ainu, Melkor , repeatedly disturbs the music with his discordant notes, these eventually become part of a splendid whole, and Ilúvatar teaches him and the other Ainur that none of them can do anything that does not enhance the perfection of his works. He shows them the world that has grown out of their music as a foreface, gives it its own life with the creation word “Ea” (“Let it be!”) And allows those Ainur who take it upon themselves to be in the world up to their own To be entangled in the end, to descend into this world and to create there what you sang and saw in a foreface, now also in reality. The highest rank among these, fourteen in number, are called Valar , the next rank mostly serves them and is called Maiar . All of them should prepare the world for the arrival of the "children of Ilúvatar", the immortal elves who, through their death, are only transferred to another place in the world, the realm of the dead of the Vala Mandos, and the people to whom Ilúvatar the difficult-to-understand gift confers to be allowed to leave the world through death. At the end of time, it is implied, all the children of Ilúvatar will play the Second Great Music of Erus with the Ainur.
The third theme, however, was sung by Eru Ilúvatar alone, because in this he created his children, the elves and men, since the Ainur are not able to create their own creatures, but can only change the forms that Ilúvatar gives through his creation .
Among the Valar is Melkor, who is later no longer counted among them, who disrupts the work of the rest and tries to change everything according to his own ideas. Vala means power; the Valar represent the divine powers that rule the world.
The most powerful of them are the Aratar ('the exalted').
Valaquenta
In the Valaquenta, the most important of the Valar and Maiar are briefly presented with their individual functions. With the entry of the Valar and Maiar into the world, the participation of those Ainur ends who remain with Ilúvatar, and even the latter rarely intervenes in creation.
Valar and Maiar largely have a free hand creatively, only the "children of Ilúvatar" are created by Ilúvatar alone; he alone also commands the “inextinguishable flame” with which everything living apparently must be equipped, a secret that Melkor traced in vain. Also the dwarfs created by Aule only become independent living beings when Ilúvatar gives them this life.
Von den Valar
Die Valar (male beings)
- Manwe Súlimo, he is the highest of the Valar and his element, which was assigned to him through the thoughts of Erus, is the wind, his area of activity is the upper layer of the sky, in which his residence is located. His name comes from the Valarin (language of the Valar) "Mānawenūz" and means "one who is in harmony with Eru". His nicknames are Súlimo (lord of the breath of Arda), which literally means "the windmaker" and later also Herunúmen (lord of the west). Manwe literally means “spirit being”. He is the brother of Melkor and the husband of Varda.
- Ulmo Vaiaro, from Valarin "Ul (l) uboz", is the second most powerful of the Aratar, his element is water, the seas, but also lakes, rivers and rain fall within his jurisdiction. His name means “the pourer”, “the sprinkler” or “the floodlight”. His home is the sea, he lives on the bottom of the outer ocean (Valaire or Alataire). The nickname Vaiaro or Vailimo means "King of the Sea" or creator of the sea. He is also known as "i hórwe Vaiaron" (the old man of the sea).
- Aule Talka Marda, from Valarin "Aʒūlēz". His elements are the solid constituents of the earth, especially the metals, he is dedicated to art and craft, shaped the world, which his nickname "Talka Marda" (Former of the habitable world) indicates. His most important works include the two lamps of the Valar, which initially served to illuminate Arda, and the vessels that were needed for the creation of the sun and moon. He is also called the "father of the dwarves" whom he secretly formed and which Eru later breathed into life. He is married to Yavanna.
- Orome is the “master of the hunt”, he has a large horn, the sound of which can be heard all over Arda, and a Nahar horse that carries him to all areas. Orome discovered the place where the Elves awoke on one of his horseback rides and led some of them to Valinor. He hunted the monsters that Melkor had created. He is said to have brought the mearas (special horses) and the cattle araws ( aurochs ) to Middle-earth. His wife is Vána.
- Mandos, his real name is Námo Vefantur, he is responsible for justice, death, transmigration of souls and exile. His place of residence in Valinor is called Mandos, which on the one hand means custody in the sense of prison and on the other hand the hall of the dead or soul refuge, where deceased elves wait for resuscitation or the people on the ship Mornië, which takes them away forever. Námo means “the judge” or “the herald”. He is the brother of Nienna and Irmo, like them one of the Feanturi (lords of spirits) and married to Vaire.
- Lórien is the name of the Vala Irmo Ólophantur used by the Elves. He is the master of dreams and visions and, together with his wife Este, gives the exhausted rest and relaxation. He lives in Valinor in the wooded area with lush gardens called Lórien (dreamland), from which his name is derived.
- Tulkas Poldorea was the last to come to Arda, he is the fastest and most powerful of the Valar. His name means "the strong one" and his surnames Poldorea or Astaldo mean "the brave". In Valarin his name was "Tulukhastās", which means "the golden-haired one". Tulkas is the only one who can bring Melkor down.
The Valiër (female beings):
- Varda Tinwetári lives with Manwe in the Ilmarin (Palace of the High Air) on the Taniquetil (Hohes Weißhorn), the highest mountain in Ardas. Its elements are the stars and the light. She was sung about and venerated by the Elves of Middle-earth as Elbereth (Queen of the Stars) because she set the stars in the firmament, the first light that the Elves saw. Melkor particularly fears her, since the light of Ilúvatar can be seen in her face. Therefore she is called in case of danger, as her name promises protection from the dark creatures (as in the cave of Shelob in the Lord of the Rings). Her nickname Tinwetári also means star queen, Varda means "the sublime" or "the high".
- Yavanna Cementári is Aule's wife and Vána's sister. She especially loves the plant beings of nature and created the "two trees of light". Her name means "the fruit giver", the nickname Cementári "earth queen", which refers to the fertile soils of Arda.
- Nienna is the sister of Feanturi Irmo and Námo. It is responsible for grief, compassion and wisdom. She mourns the suffering of others, which is also reflected in her name, because Nienna means "the one who weeps". It is also called Fui Nienna, where Fui is a name for the personified night, meaning darkness and sorrow.
- Este is the mistress of regeneration and rest. Her name means "rest". She lives with Irmo in Lórien. However, the Elf Míriel Serinde does not manage to heal Feanor's mother, who perishes after his birth, i.e. cannot be reborn.
- Vaire is the mistress of fate, knows the future and the past. Her name means "the weaver" and is derived from vaita - to wrap, clothe, weave. It interweaves everything that has ever happened in time into its fabrics. These woven stories line the halls of Mandos, where she lives with Námo.
- Vána is the younger sister of Yavanna and the wife of Orome. She is the mistress of spring and loves flowers and birds. Her name means "the light one" or "the beautiful one".
- Nessa is Orome's sister and the youngest of the Valiër. She is married to tulkas, loves dancing and the deer. Her name means "the youth". Her nickname was Indis, which means "the bride" or "the woman".
Of the Maiar
Among the Maiar, Ulmo's servant Osse stands out because he rules the seas near the human-inhabited continent of Middle-earth. The Istari known as "magicians" who appear in The Lord of the Rings or in The Hobbit , as well as the Balrogs, were also among the Maiar; Olorin is the name by which Gandalf is known in Valinor. The Maia Melian, who served both Este and Vána and who went to Middle-earth, plays a special role. She was always accompanied by nightingales and married the elven prince Elwe Singollo .
Of the enemies,
Melkor is no longer counted among the Valar. Originally as powerful as Manwe, he was banished to the eternal void because of his destructive acts on Arda. Its elements are fire and ice. His name means "He who rises in power". Later, however, he is only referred to as Morgoth (hateful enemy or black enemy) in Middle-earth. Melkor was initially the most gifted of the Valar, but eventually loses his ability to participate in creation through his envy and hatred, and limits himself to destroying or recreating things and beings created by other things, which often undermines the work of the other Valar . His replicas include the Orcs, a replica of the Elves, and the Trolls, a replica of the Ents. A part of his originally existing power is transferred to the beings he created. At the end of his time in Middle-earth, he brings the dragons into life, which are modeled after the Balrogs with their fire-breathing creatures. Among his servants was the Maia Sauron (the cruel), who was originally a Maia in Aule's service before he was seduced by Melkor. Osse also came under his influence for a time, but was later put back into his service by Ulmo.
Quenta Silmarillion
This is the story of the Silmaril , three precious man-made gemstones, and their impact on the history of Middle-earth - the "real Silmarillion".
From the beginning of the days
Arrived on Arda, Melkor continues to disturb the Valar in their work, which is why they wage wars against him, which shakes the originally intended symmetry of the world. The Valar retreat to the far west on the continent of Aman . They rarely visit Middle-earth, where the Elves and Men will appear, with the exception of Orome and Ulmo; Ulmo later always maintains the connection to Middle-earth and the worries of the elves and humans are always close to his heart. As a replacement for the two lights destroyed by Melkor in the north and south of Middle-earth, Yavanna creates two trees in Aman, the silver Telperion and the golden Laurelin , which alternately bloom and give off light. In their function they correspond roughly to the sun and moon, which will only arise later.
From Aule and Yavanna
At this time Aule created the dwarfs, who cannot wait for the arrival of the “children of Ilúvatar”. At first the Seven Dwarf Fathers lived only by Aule's wish; when Ilúvatar recognizes Aule's thoughts, who then disappointedly wants to destroy his work, the dwarves receive their own life through him. Aule must hide the dwarves underground until their time comes. His wife Yavanna then fears that the dwarves will need a lot of wood if Aule trains them to be blacksmiths. Therefore she asks Manwe for help for her beloved trees, because she believes that the children of Ilúvatar will also use them excessively. Ilúvatar grants her this request through Manwe and thus protective spirits in tree form, the Ents .
From the awakening of the Elves and from Melkor's captivity
Far in the east of Middle-earth, at Lake Cuiviénen , the Elves awaken. Melkor is the first to notice them and soon takes some of them off to breed orcs. After a while Orome, who sometimes hunts there, discovers the first children of Ilúvatar and their threat from Melkor. After this discovery, the Valar spent a long time discussing what to do about it. Eventually Melkor is thrown down, his fortress Utumno destroyed and he himself imprisoned in Namo's inescapable fortress Mandos. The Valar want the Elves to come to Aman to keep them safe from Melkor and to please the Valar with their presence.
Having led part of the way from Orome, many of the Elves set out west. Orome brings 3 rulers of the Elves, Ingwe from the Vanyar, Finwe from the Noldor and Elwe (Thingol) from the Teleri as messengers to Aman, so that they can tell their people about where and how the gods live. Upon their return, many elves leave Middle-earth. The few remaining Avari ("the reluctant") no longer play an important role in this story. However, they teach the first humans their language, so that humans can communicate with the Elves relatively quickly. All three peoples of the Elves set out first on the migration to the west: the Vanyar , the Noldor and the Teleri . However, the Teleri soon split into three groups. While a group continued on their way to Aman, the Nandor parted before crossing the Fog Mountains and the Gray Elves (Sindar) on the west coast of Beleriand , the latter probably out of love for this country, on the advice of Osses, who also kept Elves close by want, or because they stayed behind in search of their King Elwe (later Thingol).
Von Thingol and Melian
Elwe met Maia Melian while hiking through the forests of Beleriand and fell in love with her. Only after years does he return with her and become supreme king of those Teleri who stayed in Beleriand. Out of love for him, Melian takes the form of an elf and gives birth to a daughter, Lúthien. Due to their divine origin, their descendants also receive special powers and a part of divine nature. As long as Elwe lives, Melian protects the land in which his people reside. After his death, however, she returns to Aman.
From Eldamar and the princes of the Eldalië
All three peoples are now with a few exceptions on Aman and they found the Eldamar (Elven homes) with the city of Tirion, which is located on Mount Tuna. The Vanyar are drawn to the Valar and they settle in the interior of Valinor. The Noldor stay in Tirion and the Teleri settle in Alqualonde (swan port) in the bay of Eldamar, because they love the sea and the sea. The Teleri were the last to arrive and lived long on the island of Tol Eressea.
About Feanor and the disengagement of Melkors
The Elven peoples learned a lot from the Valar and they experienced a time of happiness. Elf children were born, among them Curufinwe Feanor, the son of Finwe and Míriel, who gave him the name Feanor, which means fire spirit. The peaceful life of many Elves in Aman is disturbed by Melkor's release after the end of his imprisonment, who now ingratiates himself with the Elves, especially the Noldor, and begins to cause discord among them.
Of the Silmaril and the restlessness of the Noldor
Meanwhile, Feanor creates three artificial gemstones, the Silmarilli, in which he captures the light of the two trees Telperion and Laurelin. Melkor tries to be friends with Feanor and to win him over to his side. Instead, he spreads rumors that his half-brothers tried to dispute his position as firstborn son, which increases his aversion to Fingolfin. But he recognizes Melkor's greed for his precious stones and chases him away.
From the darkening of Valinor
These precious stones become all the more valuable when Melkor uses the giant spider Ungoliant to destroy the trees so that their light goes out. Then he slays Feanor's father Finwe, the king of the Noldor, and steals the Silmaril, which he has asked Feanor several times. He escapes with Ungoliant to Middle-earth, where he takes possession of his old fortress in the north again.
On the exile of the Noldor
The Valar consult and look for a substitute for the light of the trees. A last remnant is captured in the Silmaril, which they now ask of Feanor. But then they get word that Melkor has stolen the Silmaril and killed Feanor's father. Feanor's anger is directed against the apparent “oppression” by the Valar and mixes with his lust for revenge against Melkor and the desire to regain the Silmaril. He incites the Noldor against the Valar and swears with his seven sons (Maedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Caranthir, Curufin, Amroth and Amras) at Ilúvatar to prosecute every unlawful owner of the Silmaril, whoever it may be. A large part of the Noldor then set off with him to Middle-earth in order to pursue Melkor and to found their own empires there. When Feanor's followers slain many Teleri in the genocide of Alqualonde in order to get to their ships for the crossing, they are banned by Mandos. The Valar forbid them ever to re-enter Aman. Since the ships are not enough for all Noldor, Feanor's half-brother Fingolfin leads another group across the frozen Helcaraxe strait to Middle-earth. Feanor's second half-brother, Finarfin, the father of Galadriel, turns around with a small part of the Noldor after the ban on Mandos and stays in Aman.
With the creation of the sun and moon from the last blossom and the last fruit of the two trees by the Valar, the First Age of Middle-earth begins .
Of the Sindar
In Middle-earth, Elwe is now the king of the Elven kingdom of Doriath and Melian protects it with a ban belt that keeps away evil creatures. The dwarves, not yet on earth before the migration of the elves, have already appeared and are laying out large dwarf cities. They trade with the Elves of Doriath. But Melkor's escape is already casting its shadow and Melian warns Thingol that the time of peace will soon end. Middle-earth is still in darkness at this time, because the light of the two trees never shone as far as here.
Of the sun and moon and the covering of Valinor
When the Valar discover that Feanor and his clan have actually set out for Middle-earth and that the time is approaching for the second children of Ilúvatar to appear, they decide to do everything they can to save the trees. They do not succeed in resuscitating them, but each brings forth one last fruit from which the moon and the sun are created. These are placed in the sky in large ships, where they can freely move their courses. In addition, the Valar cover up their residence to prevent Melkor from returning.
Of the people
The world is changing. When the sun rises for the first time, the people who first encounter the Elves who remained in Middle-earth on their wanderings also awaken. Some tribes of the people, the Edain , later join the Noldor fight against Melkor.
From the return of the Noldor
empires are founded in Beleriand, wars are waged against Melkor, who is now called Morgoth, "the black enemy" by Feanor, with the aim of regaining the Silmaril. Feanor has the ships with which they came from Aman burned so that no one can turn back. Fingolfin too soon reached Middle-earth. Before the moon appears in the sky, there is a battle under the stars, in which Feanor is defeated by Gothmog, a Balrog from Morgoth. His sons manage to save him, but his wounds are fatal. He crumbles to ashes as his fiery spirit escapes from his body. His sons have previously sworn to avenge his death.
From Beren and Lúthien
The most important individual legend in this circle, also in relation to the later works of Tolkien, is that of Beren and Lúthien . The man Beren, Barahir's son from the House of Beor, falls in love with Lúthien, daughter of Thingol and Melian. Thingol despises mortal people. In order to get rid of Beren, he demands a Silmaril as the bride price. After many dangers, Beren manages, with Lúthien's help, to steal him from Morgoth. Lúthien later as the first Elf accepts the fate of the people and agrees to die in order to be able to live together with Beren for a certain time.
From the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad
The Silmaril continue to work misfortune: Those who are still in Morgoth's iron crown challenge another battle of the Noldor and their allies against Morgoth, in which many Elves are slain. Hence this battle is called Nirnaeth Arnoediad (the battle of the uncounted tears). In this battle the people of Huor and Húrin fight alongside Fingon. Huor falls in battle and Húrin is captured and brought to Morgoth, since he was in Gondolin with his brother Huor as a child, and Morgoth wants to find out from him where this place can be found.
By Túrin Turambar
The story of the son of Húrin is told here.
From the fall of Doriath
One by one the Elvish empires pass away, destroyed by Melkor's servants. Doriath, however, is overrun by Feanor's sons, who lust after the Silmaril. But Feanor's sons are also gradually slain, at the end of the Silmarillion only Maedhros and Maglor are still alive.
About Tuor and the fall of Gondolin
From Eearendil's Voyage and the War of Wrath
The survivors from Gondolin and the Sindar kingdom of Doriath finally meet at the mouths of the Sirion River. Among them are two half-elves: Earendil, son of Gondolin's king's daughter Idril and the man Tuor, and Elwing, granddaughter of Beren and Lúthien, daughter of Dior and the bearer of Silmaril from Doriath. Tuor himself loves the sea and, when he gets old, goes west with Idril. He is the only one of all men to be accepted under the Noldor. Earendil also loves the sea. He often sails west with a few companions, but without finding his hoped-for destination, Aman. Once, during his absence, his land at the mouths of Sirion was attacked by the four sons of Feanor who were still alive; However, they do not get the Silmaril Elwings they ask for: Elwing throws himself into the sea, but is transformed into a white bird by Vala Ulmo and thus rescued. She finds Earendil, and they decide to try again to reach Aman and deliver the message of the suffering of the Elves and humans in Middle-earth to the Valar.
With the Silmaril on their foreheads, they manage to overcome the spells that the Valar wrought to protect Aman, the Blessed Realm. You will be received with honor. While it is true that mortals are forbidden to enter Aman, Ulmo reminds the Valar that both are also descended from Elves. Mandos contradicts him by remembering his old fate, but Manwe decides to let her and her descendants choose which fate they want to accept. Although Earendil feels more like a part of humans, Elwing chooses the fate of the Elves for both. While Eearendil, together with the Silmaril and his ship, is transported to the sky, where he is now supposed to travel like the sun and bring hope to people as a morning or evening star, the Valar and Elves take his message to heart and go to the “war of anger ". Morgoth is thrown down again and this time banished from the world. The two Silmaril from his iron crown are brought to the Valar camp. The last two sons of Feanor, Maedhros and Maglor, rob them, but have lost the right to them: The Silmaril are consecrated so that no unauthorized hand can touch them painlessly, and their hands are burned. Maedhros throws himself into a volcano or a crevice with his Silmaril, while Maglor throws his Silmaril into the sea, walks along the coasts singing melancholy and is never seen again. So of the 3 Silmaril one stays in the heights of the sky, one falls in the depths of the earth and the last in the depths of the sea.
With Melkor's banishment from the world, the First Age is over.
The “Quenta Silmarillion” ends with the statement that “high and beautiful” always turn into “dark and ruins”. That is the fate of the earth, and a change is only foreseeable through the Valar.
Akallabêth
In Akallabêth ("the sunken one") the fall of Númenor is reported.
The people who had been loyal to the Elves and Valar were given their own new island between Middle-earth and Aman, within sight of the Elven island of Tol Eressëa . Many accepted this offer; their first king was Elros, son of Earendil and Elwing and brother of Elrond , who, unlike his brother, had chosen the fate of men. In their capital, Armenelos, there grows a white tree, descendant of the images of Telperion given to the Elves, and Ilúvatar is venerated on the top of Mount Meneltarma. For a long time the Númenórians live in happiness, but then they envy the Elves, by whom they are often visited, their eternal life, although they live long themselves. They cling to life, and embalming the dead soon becomes an important art. The Númenórer, who until now have only brought good things to the people in Middle-earth, if they visited it at all, now fall upon them and exploit them. After more than 2000 years, the use of the Elven languages is forbidden by the king, and soon the White Tree is no longer tended, ships of the Elves can only be received in secret, and the sanctuary on the Meneltarma is rarely visited. The people split into the king's followers and the "loyal ones", who continue to cling to their ties to the Elves and Valar. Most notable of the faithful are the princes of Andúnië, a city to the west of Númenor, who were descended from Elros and the first kings.
The 24th king, Ar-Pharazôn, tries to subjugate Sauron, an old servant of Melkor. Sauron lets himself be imprisoned in Númenor, but through flattery soon becomes the king's advisor and incites him to ever new offenses. It is forbidden to visit the sanctuary on the Meneltarma under penalty of death, and no sooner has Isildur , grandson of Amandil, the prince of Andúnië, and son of Elendil, stolen a sapling from the White Tree and brought it to safety, than the tree itself is felled. Instead of Ilúvatar, Melkor is worshiped through human sacrifice in a magnificent temple. While the king and Sauron are preparing for an attack on Aman, Amandil drives west to beg the Valar, like Eärendil, for mercy; he is no longer seen. He has advised his family to flee, as there is sure to be an accident in the country. The king's fleet sails to Aman. Elendil and his sons, Isildur and Anárion, also sail away loaded with many valuable things and with loyal followers who they consider trustworthy. When the king arrives in Aman, the Valar temporarily return rule to Ilúvatar, who changes the structure of the world. The earth becomes round and Aman raptured so that it can no longer be reached by human sailing art. The royal fleet plunged into the crevice that resulted, and of Númenor, too, only the Meneltarma towered over the waves, while the king and his army were buried under falling mountains. Elendil and his sons reach Middle-earth and establish their kingdoms.
From the Rings of Power and the Third Age
After the prostration of Morgoth, Sauron first surrenders to the Valar, but hesitates to come to Aman and prefers to renew Morgoth's ideas in Middle-earth. Under the name Annatar he wanders among the numerous Elves who still live there and tries to win over the Elves as followers after the humans. In Eregion he finds Noldor who still live there; including Feanor's renegade grandson Celebrimbor . He suggests they make Middle-earth a beautiful land like Aman, and the elves forge the rings of power, according to him. It wasn't until late that they found out that these were all under the rule of Sauron's secretly forged ring of rulers. He now wars the Elves and devastates Eregion and demands the rings. He gradually recaptures many of them, especially those that he gave to the dwarves and humans. Only three, but the most powerful, which Celebrimbor forged alone, save the elves and entrust them to the wisest of them; Celebrimbor is slain. One of the rings goes to Galadriel, the second to Elrond, the third to Cirdan, the ruler of the western ports, who, however, passes it on to him when Gandalf arrives in Middle-earth. With the power of these rings, the three manage to organize the resistance against Sauron and later to protect the last Elven realms, Imladris (Rivendell) and Lórien from Sauron. However, the power of the 3 rings ends when the ring of rulers is destroyed by Frodo and Gollum.
While the rings of the dwarves have little influence on their wearers apart from an increased greed for gold, the 9 people who wear Sauron's rings become ring spirits, the Nazgûl - also called Úlairi. Under the influence of the rings, they disappear and become invisible. Sauron's power is growing, but he must recognize that the Numenorers are currently an even stronger power. Therefore he goes into captivity of the Numenorers and works there against his enemies by inciting them against the rulers of the west and making them worship Melkor instead of Manwe. In doing so, he cleverly uses the numenor's longing for eternal life and persuades them that they could also attain eternal life if they occupied Aman, the land of the gods.
Elendil and his followers reach Middle-earth after the fall of Numenor and establish their empires, Arnor and Gondor. Sauron loses his form at the fall of Númenor and returns to Middle-earth as a spirit. He later regains a form that is now ugly and terrifying forever. He goes to Mordor, prepares himself and attacks Gondor. His kingdom is overthrown by a common army of elves and men (the last alliance ). Isildur can even take the ruler's ring, but, against Elrond's advice, refuses to throw it into the fire of the Orodruin in which it was forged, because this ring already influences him and guides his decisions. As a result, Sauron loses his form and power for a long time, but remains in Middle-earth.
This is where the Third Age begins, followed by a short retelling of the Lord of the Rings plot and the immediate prehistory in the “Silmarillion” .
expenditure
The Silmarillion is available in different editions. The first edition of the official German translation dates from 1978; an unauthorized pirated translation was offered around two weeks earlier.
In 2005 the Hörverlag published an unabridged German audio book version ( ISBN 3-89940-682-6 ) of Das Silmarillion . The sole speaker is Joachim Höppner , the German dubbing voice of Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy by Peter Jackson . The set includes 13 CDs with a total running time of 926 minutes, i.e. more than 15 hours.
See also
literature
- Peter Kreeft: The amazement of the Silmarillion. In: Helmut W. Pesch (Ed.): JRR Tolkien, the Creator of Myths. Corian-Verlag, Meitingen 1984, ISBN 3-89048-205-8 , pp. 161-181.
- Holger Vos: The interpretation of the world in the "Silmarillion" by JRR Tolkien. Passau 2005, ISBN 3-932621-76-X ( secondary literary series 53).
- JRR Tolkien: The Silmarillion. 29th edition. Ballantine Books, New York 1982, ISBN 0-345-32581-8 .
- Robert Foster : The Great Middle-earth Lexicon. An Alphabetical Guide to the Fantasy World by J. R. R. Tolkien. From the American by Helmut W. Pesch. Bastei-Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 2002, ISBN 3-404-20453-0 .
- JRR Tolkien: The Silmarillion. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2007, ISBN 978-3-608-93245-4 .
Individual evidence
- ↑ JRR Tolkien: The Silmarillion. 2007, p. 13.
- ↑ Robert Foster: The great Middle-earth Lexicon. An Alphabetical Guide to the Fantasy World by J. R. R. Tolkien. Bastei-Lübbe, Bergisch Gladbach 2002, ISBN 3-404-20453-0 , p. 30.
- ↑ The Silmarillion. 29th edition. Ballantine Books, New York 1982, ISBN 0-345-32581-8 ; The Silmarillion. 20th edition. Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-608-93245-4 .
- ^ Stephan Eggersglüß: The Silmarillion robbery translation. September 22, 2005, archived from the original ; Retrieved April 22, 2010 .