Silmarillion - Chapter 13 - Of the Return of the Noldor

[Aiwendil]

A lot happens in this chapter. After having been told the history of the Sindar, of the making of the Sun and the Moon, and of the awakening of Men, we return to the story of the Noldor, left off in chapter 9. In LotR, Tolkien demonstrates consumate skill in the way he moves from one thread of the story to another (cutting, for instance, in Book V from Gandalf and Pippin to Aragorn and company, then to Merry, then back to Pippin, and so on). It seems to me that the same technique is at work here: he develops the tale of the Noldor to the point where the reader is interested to see how it proceeds, then he takes a three chapter break, during which time the situation of Feanor, Fingolfin, and their people are always in the back of the reader’s mind. And now that thread is taken up again.

So much happens in this chapter that it’s hard to know where to begin discussing it. It’s a bit difficult to take in all at once, as it covers so much history in such a brief, ‘historical’ style. I don’t doubt that this sort of thing is what many readers find unpalatable about the Silmarillion. Personally, I’ve always enjoyed this style – but then, I like reading history too. It does strike me that there’s a lot of material in here that could have been the bases of more fully told narratives – Fingon’s rescue of Maedhros comes to mind particularly.

Perhaps the most important event in this chapter is the death of Feanor, quite possibly the most important sub-Angelic character in the Silmarillion. It’s interesting that Tolkien chose to kill off the prime mover of the Flight of the Noldor so quickly. It’s hard not to wonder how things might have gone if Feanor had lived, but it’s equally hard to answer that question. It’s very interesting that Feanor’s body is consumed by the fire of his spirit.

The ‘Lost Tales’ analogue for this chapter (and for everything after this up to Beren and Luthien) is the unwritten ‘Gilfanon’s Tale’, for which we have only outlines. At that stage, much less time was supposed to pass between the return of the Noldor and the later events of the ‘great tales’ (Beren and Luthien, Turin, Tuor, etc.); only gradually, over the course of the Silmarillion and Annals revisions, did the many historical details of this period emerge.

Additional readings
HoMe I – Outlines for ‘Gilfanon’s Tale’
HoMe IV – Contains an early post-LT prose fragment as well as the S and Q versions.
HoMe V – QS37 version
HoMe XI – Post-LotR revisions

[Raynor]

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

Feanor, quite possibly the most important sub-Angelic character in the Silmarillion

Hm, I wonder by what criterion. He is the most gifted, but that, in and of itself, is not sufficient. If anything, I would give heed to Tolkien's comment in the letters:

Originally Posted by Letter #131

The chief of the stories of the Silmarillion, and the one most fully treated is the Story of Beren and Luthien the Elfmaiden. Here we meet, among other things, the first example of the motive (to become dominant in Hobbits) that the great policies of world history, 'the wheels of the world', are often turned not by the Lords and Governors, even gods, but by the seemingly unknown and weak – owing to the secret life in creation, and the pan unknowable to all wisdom but One, that resides in the intrusions of the Children of God into the Drama. It is Beren the outlawed monal who succeeds (with the help of Luthien, a mere maiden even if an elf of royalty) where all the armies and warriors have failed: he penetrates the stronghold of the Enemy and wrests one of the Silmarilli from the Iron Crown. Thus he wins the hand of Luthien and the first marriage of mortal and immortal is achieved

The professor considers this to be the chief story; that the unknown and weak become central to the stage is something consistent with the rest of his legendarium.

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

It’s hard not to wonder how things might have gone if Feanor had lived

Worse, most likely, seeing that even with the "foreknowledge of death", concerning unavoidable failure, he asks his sons to continue following their blasphemous oath.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Raynor

The professor considers this to be the chief story; that the unknown and weak become central to the stage is something consistent with the rest of his legendarium.

What I find particularly interesting about this letter is something a bit different than the acknowledgment about the role of the "weak and unknown" in world affairs. It is that line which immediately follows:


owing to the secret life in creation, and the pan unknowable to all wisdom but One, that resides in the intrusions of the Children of God into the Drama.


Tolkien's description of the tale of Beren and Luthien elaborates on this fascinating idea of "the secret life in creation": the first marriage of mortal and immortal.

I might say that the central core of Tolkien's Legendarium lies with this idea of how these singers engage with the Song.

[Raynor]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Tolkien's description of the tale of Beren and Luthien elaborates on this fascinating idea of "the secret life in creation": the first marriage of mortal and immortal.

Imho, I believe you are giving more weight to this issue of marriage than it ought to. I see "the secret life in creation" to be more general than the ennoblement of the Mannish bloodline; that is, it would reffer to the imperishable flame that is at the heart of the world, the invisible hand of Eru that Manwe sees in his vision as holding guiding creation to the end of it - while the elvish bloodline is bound to dissappear in ages to come.

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Raynor

Imho, I believe you are giving more weight to this issue of marriage than it ought to. I see "the secret life in creation" to be more general than the ennoblement of the Mannish bloodline; that is, it would reffer to the imperishable flame that is at the heart of the world, the invisible hand of Eru that Manwe sees in his vision as holding guiding creation to the end of it - while the elvish bloodline is bound to dissappear in ages to come.

I don't think so, as I read that "marriage" as simply a signifier for what you are explaining here. That engagement with what Tolkien calls the Drama and you call "guiding creation" is more central to the Legendarium than the enoblement of the weak and little, who are important not for themselves but for their ability to play a role in that grand design.

[Raynor]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

I don't think so, as I read that "marriage" as simply a signifier for what you are explaining here. That engagement with what Tolkien calls the Drama and you call "guiding creation" is more central to the Legendarium than the enoblement of the weak and little, who are important not for themselves but for their ability to play a role in that grand design.

I still disagree that a marriage (or the three of them, for that matter), hold more importance. At the legendarium-level, they have, at most, a primarily historical importance. Belonging to a (fading) bloodline does not necessarily give one a higher, more positive status. We have the fallen numenoreans, with their pure blood-kings leading them towards destruction. Cf The New Shadow, even Aragorn's descendants are "just kings or governors like Denethor - or worse". What I am trying to get at is that this marriage does not account for the "secret life in creation", - while each act of the little and weak that ennoble them, in the grand scheme of things, does account for Eru's perpetual interest and intervention. One can't make a spring with a single snowdrop.

[Bêthberry]

My initial response was directed to the very interesting idea in Tolkien's Letter# 131 about the intrusions of the Children of God into the Drama, and secret life in creation. That latter is particularly intriguing, I find and is what I was primarily commenting upon. Secret is such an fascinating quality.

So, really, I was more interested in taking the Letter in a direction different from that you are pursuing. We shall just have to go our separate ways.

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Aiwendil

Perhaps the most important event in this chapter is the death of Feanor, quite possibly the most important sub-Angelic character in the Silmarillion. It’s interesting that Tolkien chose to kill off the prime mover of the Flight of the Noldor so quickly. ... It’s very interesting that Feanor’s body is consumed by the fire of his spirit.

It is curious. Feanor starts the great motion, and leaves it to develop and resolve on its own. Maybe Feanor's fea is too bright a flame to last for long in a physical form. That could also be a reason for why his body was destroyed. Feanor is the 'motivator' of history, not it's director, guide, or guardian (that's Gandalf).