How did he survive? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Inderjit Sanghera · 02-21-2003, 02:29 PM

Glancing through the ‘Grey Annals’ (HoME 11), I noticed that Maedhros’s capture and hanging by Morgoth lasted for two Valinorean years ( One Valinorean year equates to 9.58 Years of the sun, so two Valinorean years equate to just over 19 Years of the Sun, plus five more years of the sun until Fingon rescued him which altogether equates to about 24 years of the sun. Now I understand that the validity of some of the dates in the ‘Grey Annals’ are void, but even though, at one stage Maedhros was hanging off Thangordrim for 24 odd years! So, how on earth did he survive? I mean Elves like all other beings, have to eat, did Morgoth feed him? To me, this feat rivals eve Hurin’s 26 odd years of being held captive in Angband, as the physical; and emotional pain must have been unbearable.

Eru · 02-21-2003, 03:05 PM

as with Hurin, I don't think Morgoth would let Maedrhos die.he hung him there in Humiliation. Morgoth was certainly not going to let a son of his most hated enemy (at that time) get away from him in any form. he did not count on the Vala sending forth the Sun and Moon, hence the only reason Fingon was able to rescue him.

what i'm trying to say is that Morgoth would not let maedrhos die.

Manwe Sulimo · 02-21-2003, 03:43 PM

Cryogenics. An oft-forgotten sentence from The Silmarillion states

Quote:

And he was hung from the peak of Thangorodrim in a plastic pod

Of course, maybe Morgoth just really wanted to get the elves angry, and so left Maehdros out to dry, keeping him well fed. Or maybe a skill of Fëanor's line was the ability to not need nourishment. Lived on rain and the bounty of Eru? Or maybe Morgoth just enchanted him so that he didn't need to eat. We may never know....

Cúdae · 02-21-2003, 08:02 PM

First: Poor Maedhros.
Second: Morgoth probably would have him humiliated. Humiliation doesn't seem to be something that the Elves relished. Possibly Morgoth kept him alive as both physical and mental torture. The physical torture, of course, would be the obvious hanging from the cliff part. The mental torture, I would assume, would be inflicted by the fact that he was 1)hanging from a cliff, 2)humiliated, 3)without any outside contact, and 4)the belief that everyone who would care enough to rescue him either wouldn't dare the place or thought him quite dead.
I actually have no idea. I'm a little rusty on my knowledge of torture.

Inderjit Sanghera · 02-22-2003, 08:50 AM

It would've been better for Morgoth if he had killed Maedhros though, since his rescuing by Fingon led to the down griefs between the Feanorian Elves and the hosts of Fingolfin and Finrod.

02-21-2003, 02:29 PM	#1
Inderjit Sanghera Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Wolverhampton, England Posts: 716	How did he survive? Glancing through the ‘Grey Annals’ (HoME 11), I noticed that Maedhros’s capture and hanging by Morgoth lasted for two Valinorean years ( One Valinorean year equates to 9.58 Years of the sun, so two Valinorean years equate to just over 19 Years of the Sun, plus five more years of the sun until Fingon rescued him which altogether equates to about 24 years of the sun. Now I understand that the validity of some of the dates in the ‘Grey Annals’ are void, but even though, at one stage Maedhros was hanging off Thangordrim for 24 odd years! So, how on earth did he survive? I mean Elves like all other beings, have to eat, did Morgoth feed him? To me, this feat rivals eve Hurin’s 26 odd years of being held captive in Angband, as the physical; and emotional pain must have been unbearable. __________________ “If I’m more of an influence on your son as a rapper then you are as a father then you've got to look at yourself as a parent” ~>Ice Cube. "Life is so beautiful"->Don Vito Corleone

02-21-2003, 03:05 PM	#2
Eru Haunting Spirit Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Middle Earth Posts: 71	as with Hurin, I don't think Morgoth would let Maedrhos die.he hung him there in Humiliation. Morgoth was certainly not going to let a son of his most hated enemy (at that time) get away from him in any form. he did not count on the Vala sending forth the Sun and Moon, hence the only reason Fingon was able to rescue him. what i'm trying to say is that Morgoth would not let maedrhos die. __________________ "Utúlie'n aurë! Aiya Eldalië ar Atanatári, utúlie'n aurë! The day has come! Behold, people of the Eldar and Fathers of Men, the day has come!"

02-21-2003, 08:02 PM	#4
Cúdae Wight Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 160	First: Poor Maedhros. Second: Morgoth probably would have him humiliated. Humiliation doesn't seem to be something that the Elves relished. Possibly Morgoth kept him alive as both physical and mental torture. The physical torture, of course, would be the obvious hanging from the cliff part. The mental torture, I would assume, would be inflicted by the fact that he was 1)hanging from a cliff, 2)humiliated, 3)without any outside contact, and 4)the belief that everyone who would care enough to rescue him either wouldn't dare the place or thought him quite dead. I actually have no idea. I'm a little rusty on my knowledge of torture. __________________ "And if you listen very hard/ The tune will come to you at last/ When all are one and one is all/ To be a rock and not to roll." --Led Zeppelin "Stairway to Heaven"

02-22-2003, 08:50 AM	#5
Inderjit Sanghera Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Wolverhampton, England Posts: 716	It would've been better for Morgoth if he had killed Maedhros though, since his rescuing by Fingon led to the down griefs between the Feanorian Elves and the hosts of Fingolfin and Finrod. __________________ “If I’m more of an influence on your son as a rapper then you are as a father then you've got to look at yourself as a parent” ~>Ice Cube. "Life is so beautiful"->Don Vito Corleone