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#1 |
Late Istar
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,224
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This somewhat unusual chapter is devoted entirely to an account of the geography of Beleriand, the setting in which the remaining history of the Silmarils will unfold. It is, of course, striking and perhaps for some readers perplexing that Tolkien interrupts the story of the Noldor with this; the more usual practice (at least in modern literature) would be to work in any necessary geographic information bit by bit, while telling the story.
It has often been observed in connection with LotR that Tolkien describes the settings and natural scenery more vividly than the characters; it would seem that a related impulse is at work here. Most of the characters in the Silmarillion receive very little in the way of physical description, but Tolkien pointedly interrupts the flow of the story for a vivid description of Beleriand itself. This is perhaps to be compared with the “Description of the Island of Numenor” given in Unfinished Tales, which is just what it sounds like – a detailed description of the geography of Numenor. The vivid geographic description of Beleriand first appears in the 1937 ‘Quenta Silmarillion’. Besides this written account, there are also two maps of Beleriand drawn by Tolkien, the first (probably) in the late 1920s and the second in the early 1930s. Both were revised extensively, and the revisions to the second map may be thought of as constituting a third, post-LotR map. Christopher Tolkien includes with this chapter in the published Silmarillion a small map indicating the various realms of the Elves, but as far as I am aware there is no precedent for the inclusion of a special map with this chapter in his father’s work. Additional reading: HoMe IV – first Silmarillion map HoMe V – QS version of this chapter and original version of second Silmarillion map HoMe XI – Post-LotR revisions to both chapter and map. |
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#2 |
Princess of Skwerlz
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles)
Posts: 7,500
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A general sidenote, though it does not directly concern this chapter: Tolkien's penchant for descriptive scenery over descriptions of persons parallels his artwork. His paintings and drawings are primarily of scenery, and when he does include figures, they are not nearly as well done. His landscapes, however, are excellent!
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'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...' |
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#3 |
Wight
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Tottering about in the Wild
Posts: 130
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I always linger over this chapter so I can compare Tolkien's descriptions with the maps in my old copy of 'The Silm'. I'm kind of a geek about maps anyway, and often read parts of this book with one finger at the map pages so I can refer to them. The place names also fascinate me. I spent hours of my young adult life poring over the names of the lands, comparing the words in Sindarin and Quenya, and finding out their meanings.
Aside from the aesthetic pleasure of placenames and Tolkien's descriptions, this chapter is like a divider that punctuates the return of the Noldor to Middle Earth. It gives the reader a chance to get her bearings for the stories that follow in which the lands and people described in it are drawn into the doom of the Noldor. Also, this chapter always starts me wondering which part of Beleriand I'd like most to see, based on JRRT's descriptions. Usually I'm drawn to Nevrast and Vinyamar ![]()
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#4 | ||
Relic of Wandering Days
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: You'll See Perpetual Change.
Posts: 1,480
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Quote:
![]() Yes, this is one of the chapters that is so densely filled with information that it seems like an outline, or notes to be fleshed out fully later. And if I remember correctly one travels back and forth, east and west, and north and south quite a bit while one reads. Quote:
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#5 | |
Late Istar
Join Date: Mar 2001
Posts: 2,224
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Quote:
This chapter, though, comes more or less directly from the 'Quenta Silmarillion', so the decision to insert a whole chapter on the geography of Beleriand is indeed JRRT's. |
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#6 | |
Blossom of Dwimordene
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: The realm of forgotten words
Posts: 10,360
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