Tolkien Trivia: Silmarillion book thread

[Eonwë]

Are you telling me that in five months not one person here who's read the Sil can tell me the names of Fëanor's seven sons? For shame :}

[Ancalagon]

OK I am in the midst of rereading the Sil right now. First, lets see which of the sons I can remember without consulting the book (since I'm allowed to do that!):

Maedhros
Curufin
Celegorm

Hmm I guess that's all I can remember. I seem to recall another C name and an M, and maybe some A's? Sheesh I just read it in the last week :/ But those three are the most famous anyway

OK it was easy to find the other names. Maybe people are just too lazy?

Amrod
Amras
Maglor
Caranthir

Ha! At least I was right about the letters they started with!

[Eonwë]

You got it, Ancalagon :} Proceed.

[Ancalagon]

OK here's an easy one, and might be relevent considering the subject of Tolkien's newest book...


Who were the children of Hurin, and what were their ultimate fates?

[ArPharazon]

Turin/Turambar, Urwen/Lalaith, and Nienor/Niniel.

Turin, after slaying Glaurung, scorching his hand, finding out about his sister Nienor's death, and slaying Brandir, he threw himself on his black sword. Ultimately he ended up in Valinor with his sister, and was prophecied to deliver the deathblow to Morgoth at the final battle, thereby avenging his family and the race of Men.

Urwen died when a plague came over Hithlum from Angband, called the Evil Breath. Turin also fell ill to this, but survived.

Nienor lost her memory and wedded her brother, after regaining that memory from a dying Glaurung she threw herself with her unborn child into the river Taeglin at the ravine of Cabed-en-Aras. She was reunited with her brother in Valinor, where both their sorrows were washed away in the bath of flame.

[Ancalagon]

Correct Phar.

Give us a tough one!

[ArPharazon]

A tough one? Allright, you asked for it.

The Second and Third Kinslayings:
Give the location for each Kinslaying, who attacked who, and what was the outcome (of these Kinslayings) for at least 9 of the following characters/items: The sons of Feanor (any of the 7 count as their own), Elwing, Dior, Nimloth, Dior's sons, Elrond, Elros, the Silmaril, the Nauglamir, and the Ring of Barahir?

Good luck. The first to get 9 gets to ask the next question.

[Varda]

The first kinslaying was at Alqualonde, as Feanor wanted the Teleri swanships so he could chase after his Silmarils that were taken by Morgoth and maybe set up elven kingdoms on Middle-earth. But the swanships were as precious as Silmarils to the Teleri, and they fought to prevent the theft, but they had not expected such an onslaught from fellow Elves in Valinor.

The second kinslaying was at Doriath. The sons of Feanor and their followers attacked King Dior, son of Beren and Luthien, to take the Silmaril that was in the Nauglamir necklace that Dior wore, brought to him in a box by a Green-elf as his inheritance from his parents. Dior fought back, killing two of the Feanorians: Curufin and Celegorm. But he and his two sons were killed, as were many others in the fighting. Nimloth, I think, was Dior's wife and also slain at Doriath.

The refugees of Doriath, including Elwing with the Silmaril, went to the Mouth of the River Sirion where they joined in making a new home along with the refugees of Gondolin. Earendil of those refugees and Elwing married and had the twins, Elrond and Elros.

While Earendil was sailing, the surviving Feanorians attacked the new settlement for the Silmaril in the third kinslaying, but Elwing took it with her as she jumped off the cliff into the sea. Ulmo changed her into a bird and she went to Earendil. He used the Silmaril to go to Valinor and plead the cause of not just one group, but both men and elves, as the Valar had been waiting for. He became the morning star wearing the Silmaril on his brow. Elrond and Elros were captured, but Maedhros took pity on them, possibly due to remembering his own twin brothers, Amras and Amrod, and raised them.

The Valar, in gratitude to Earendil and possibly because of the Maiar blood in the twins, allowed Elrond and Elros Half-elven to choose whether they wished to be counted as elf or man; normally any human blood meant they were human. Elrond chose elf and Elros chose human. Elrond's three children were also given the choice of the Half-elven.

The Ring of Barahir belonged to King Finrod, who gave it to Barahir in thanks for the humans sacrificing themselves to save Finrod and his people in battle, the ring being a pledge of elf and human friendship, saying that Finrod would come at need. Finrod gave up his kingdom and his life for Beren, son of Barahir, when he needed aid against Sauron. The ring passed to Beren's son, Dior, and then to Elwing, and then to her sons. Elrond gave it to Aragorn.

[ArPharazon]

A different format than I expected, and quite a bit more information than I asked (but hey, can only admire that), but my question is indeed answered. Your turn!

[Varda]

Thanks.

New question: Turin ran away in guilt from the court of King Thingol who had adopted him. Why? Also looking for a name.

[Ancalagon]

Here goes!

Turin had attracted the jealousy of one Saeros, an elf, who waylaid him in the woods one day. But Turin turned the tables on Saeros, made him run naked through the woods, and fall off a cliff to his death. Witnesses brought the info to Thingol, who forgave Turin. But in shame Turin had fled Doriath, and even when Beleg tracked him down to tell him he was in the clear, Turin still would not return.

[Varda]

Aye, it was not intended to be murder.

You have the next question!

[Ancalagon]

OK a little different format this time:


Child of Iluvatar I am,
At Himring I dwelt,
A hand I lost but twas naught,
Amidst the burning rage I felt
Upon myself a vow I took
A curse I was bestowed
Friend and foe alike I slew
Thus my fate was sowed
To fulfill my vow foresworn,
I alone was doomed
Into fire I took my prize,
And by fire we were consumed.

Who am I?

[Eonwë]

Maedhros, son of Fëanor. He obviously took the Oath of Fëanor, and thus the curse. He'd participated in the Kinslaying at Alqualonde at least, and was ready to start a fourth kinslaying to get the remaining two silmarilli from Eonwë and the armies of the Valar. The silmaril he took burned his hands, and realizing he no longer had claim to it, he threw himself and the silmaril into a fiery chasm.

Not long after crossing into Middle-Earth, the sons of Fëanor met Morgoth in a parlay, though neither of them trusted the other and brought more troops than was agreed upon. During the ensuing battle, Maedhros was captured and eventually was chained by his right hand to a precipe of Thangorodrim. After it was cut off to rescue him, he became quite the deadly swordsman with his left hand. Not a natural lefty, but one of the few characters in Tolkien mentioned to have used his left hand.

Eh, more than you asked for, but there's the answer :}

[Ancalagon]

Well done!

How did you like my riddle?