The Silmarillion in one word

[Macalaure]

I'm a little surprised nobody made a thread like this after the two other 'in one word' went so well.

Since the Sil is not as universally loved as the LotR, I'm looking forward to some controversy! :)

I'll be starting with:


Terse


(hope it means what I think it means, since I had to look for a fitting word in a dictionary...) :rolleyes:

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Formidable

(Great idea, Mac!)

[Selmo]

Mythic

.

[Lalwendë]

Glacial

[Anguirel]

Fateful

[Bêthberry]

(a) jewel ;)

[ninja91]

Deep

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Better

[The Might]

magic

[mormegil]

Disjointed

[Mithalwen]

Fey

[Valier]

Engaging

[Brinniel]

complex

[symestreem]

Depressing.

[Lhunardawen]

Unfortunate

[littlemanpoet]

Tragic

[Firefoot]

Multi-charactered.

[littlemanpoet]

Sweeping

[Captain Grishnahk]

Overpowering

[littlemanpoet]

Splintered

[Bêthberry]

Splintered

light? ;)

[alatar]

Not to buck the system, but in lieu of having to post thrice, here are my three one words:
cyclical
"totally"
tome-ish

[piosenniel]

preliminary

[The Saucepan Man]

demanding

[Encaitare]

Long.

:p

[Child of the 7th Age]

- Morgoth

If it's cheating to use a proper name, then I opt for this one:

- medieval

[Gil-Galad]

Interesting

[Lhunardawen]

Challenging

[littlemanpoet]

Bold

[The Might]

lore

[High King Fingolfin]

Epic

[mormegil]

Stupendous

[Guinevere]

Doomed !

[Liriodendron]

Dry...... :p

[Guinevere]

sombre

[Galadel Vinorel]

colossal

[The Might]

fate...

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Convincing.

[Amras Oronar]

Sacred

[piosenniel]

bare-boned

[Boromir_bg]

Dry...... :p
Yes,I'd say almost the same.
But you told it first,so I'm gonna say :
"The Bible of the Middle earth"

[Thinlómien]

Magnificient

[yavanna II]

I'm surprised nobody wrote this before

historical

[littlemanpoet]

Debated. :p

[Child of the 7th Age]

- unfinished

[Elmo]

ethereal

[Orominuialwen]

Complicated

[shieldmaiden4xsword]

Intense

[Tar-Meneldur]

compelling

[Bêthberry]

doctored , or, for those of a different persuasion, emended.

[piosenniel]

nascent

[Son of Númenor]

tertiary

[Lalwendë]

Nutty

[Laitoste]

Layered

[Thenamir]

I think the one word that sums up the Silmarillion, at least as I see it, it that it is many threads most dealing with...

Loss.

[Son of Númenor]

I think the one word that sums up the Silmarillion, at least as I see it, it that it is many threads most dealing with...

Loss.What exactly is it that's lost?

[Thenamir]

There are so many responses to this that my keyboard is smoking. In various losses of innocence, of perfection, of the trees, Silmarils, kingdoms, freedoms, lives, loves...though there are victories of "good" over "evil" here and there, the Silmarillion reads to me in sum like a long, slow defeat with periodic respites. A more detailed analysis of this topic might merit a separate thread from this one-word idea.

[luthien-elvenprincess]

revealing

[Lhunardawen]

nakakapagpabagabag

[Bêthberry]

'l' of a story.

(Note, I perpetually omit the first 'l' of the jewels' name.)

[ADubiousSource]

Bleak

Iluvatar

loss

[Knight of Gondor]

Several one-word descriptions of the book that I can think of.

Tragedy

Destiny

History

Bible

But if I had to sum it all up, I would say lumenyáre.

[Neithan Tol Turambar]

Revelation

[narfforc]

Christopher

[Sir Kohran]

Overcomplex


I'm hoping that's one word...

[LjósÁlfr]

Norse

It looks a lot like Norse saga's tales edda's etc.. + Dwarves and Elves are taken from Norse mythology :rolleyes: . (That wasn't a negative thing by the way, I can imagene you see this as "Ripped from Norse mythology" but that wasn't my intention)

[Sauron the White]

Teasing

[blood of angels]

Headace
got sore head reading this book, love it but sore lol :confused:

[Andsigil]

Homeric

[Morthoron]

Cosmological...
as opposed to cosmogonical, of course, which would only refer to the Ainulindalë specifically.

[Rikae]

Short.

;)

[Valesse]

Novel. (in both senses) :p

[Eönwë]

Christopher I think you've got there.

[Groin Redbeard]

Fascinating!

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Didactic

[Bêthberry]

Fate

(On a side note, good to see you back, Ibrîniðilpathânezel. Just the other day Esty and I were worrying that it appeared you hadn't weathered the recent forum woes.)

[kementari]

Intricate

[Eönwë]

Changed (edited)

[Siiw]

Distant (so far into the past that the stories are less detailed)

[Lush]

Elegiac

(Not in the sense of couplets... Perhaps couples ;) ).

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

Confusing

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It jumps back and forth, you can be at one point and then a paragraph later it will be 300 years later, then it will be back to where it was... (But not as confusing as HoME, where there's notes in the middle of the chapter.)

[Nilpaurion Felagund]

Fall.

;)

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Lovely

[Eönwë]

Confusing

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
It jumps back and forth, you can be at one point and then a paragraph later it will be 300 years later, then it will be back to where it was...

It's less based on chronology than on points.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

It's less based on chronology than on points.I noticed...

[skip spence]

Archaic

[Tietäjä]

Broken. Mostly because it was too archaic and _boring_.

[Aganzir]

Enchanting.

**

And although I don't quite agree with you, welcome to the Downs, Tietäjä. :) It is beginning to seem that Finns make up the largest (active) non-native English speaking group here. :D

[Diane C]

Impossible!



try as I might, I just cannot get past the first few pages before tuning out. Very similar to Stephen Hawkins' "A Brief History Of Time", a fashionable book that everyone talked about but no one actually read to completion

[TheOrcWithNoName]

Frustrating

[Eomer of the Rohirrim]

Sublime.

[Inziladun]

Grand

[Galadriel55]

eternal

I also agree with those who said lore, loss, historical.
Especially loss

[Galadriel]

Sounds strange but...

Nostalgia. Sad, sad nostalgia that makes you want to weep...

[Galadriel55]

yeah, that too, Galadriel.
If there was one word in English that is a combination of "curse" and "oath", I would choose that word.

[Galadriel]

yeah, that too, Galadriel.
If there was one word in English that is a combination of "curse" and "oath", I would choose that word.

Haha. Say, the English language never really had single words as oxymorons, did it?

[Galadriel55]

It's not exactly an oxymoron. For example, in Russian, there in a general word that could mean curse, bless, and swear (as in oath). All these words coe fro the same root. I never heard such a word in English, so I guess there isn't any. Or maybe I'm such a dunce I just don't know English properly.

[Eönwë]

It's not exactly an oxymoron. For example, in Russian, there in a general word that could mean curse, bless, and swear (as in oath). All these words coe fro the same root. I never heard such a word in English, so I guess there isn't any. Or maybe I'm such a dunce I just don't know English properly.

Er, the word "swear" can mean both of those two words ("curse" and "oath"), just not at the same time or the way I think you intended. Still... just had to point that out.

[xMellrynxMaidenx]

Would have to agree with Galadriel on the word Nostalgia, that would be the one word I would choose to describe it.

[Galadriel]

Would have to agree with Galadriel on the word Nostalgia, that would be the one word I would choose to describe it.

:) Hurrah for companionship :p

[Almesiva Moonshadow]

Majestic!:D

...I do hope nobody else said this...:p

[Galadriel]

Majestic!:D

...I do hope nobody else said this...:p

Haha, just browsing through the replies is so tedious, is it not? :p I despise it. Especially when there are 3+ pages.

[Almesiva Moonshadow]

Haha, just browsing through the replies is so tedious, is it not? :p I despise it. Especially when there are 3+ pages.

Yep...my point exactly...:D

[Galadriel55]

POWERFUL
In all aspects. In all meanings of that word.
And I totally agree with MAGESTIC.

[Ozban]

Transcendent

[Galadriel55]

Transcendent

That's the word!!!

[Galadriel]

Transcendent

How true. Though I still hold that for me, it was nostalgia.

[Galadriel55]

not sure if this has been said before...

Beautiful

Just noticed this: generally the "words" divide into 2 groups: those like lore, nostalgia, grand, and others of this kind, and words like boring, confusing, and the like. Either very positive views, or very negative. I agree with most of the positive ones! But that would stretch it to several dozen words...:D:p

[Ren the Unclean]

Emotional

The Silmarillion reads like a collection of legends and myths. Stories of this kind often carry a message that hits at a visceral level. And so many things in it are larger than life, like Feanor's passionate reactions to events.

[Cirdan]

After reading a couple of the more detailed and polished 1st age stories in Unfinished Tales, The Silmarillion seems quite 'rough', as in rough draft outline, but even that is brilliant.

[FlameofAnor]

Bible.

(Seems like it'd be the Bible of Middle-Earth, does it not?)

[oddkins]

Legendary...

[SlverGlass]

Impossible!



try as I might, I just cannot get past the first few pages before tuning out. Very similar to Stephen Hawkins' "A Brief History Of Time", a fashionable book that everyone talked about but no one actually read to completion

I am sorry, but I don't really agree with you, Diane C. It does take some time to get into, but once you get the essence, it is unputdownable.

For me, The Silmarillion is,

Imperfection in perfection. A saga. An endowment. Captivating.

(And to be honest, I also found 'A Brief History of Time' to be an interesting read.)

[spirit_of_fire]

Indomitable: because the Noldor fought on even when there was no hope.

Hope: because the history of the Noldor on middle earth was filled with hope at first, but it was hope that faded as they realized there could be no lasting victory against Morgoth.

Valor: because valor is strength of spirit, determination, and courage. The characters that made this book for me had this in abundance.

Lastly, Sorrow: I don't think I need to explain this one.

[Banthro]

Satisfying

[Galadriel]

bare-boned

As in?

[FlimFlamSam]

Macalaure spoke: The Silmarillion in one word.
Since the Sil is not as universally loved as the LotR, I'm looking forward to some controversy!

Leperous
corrupting; poisonous

I like Lord of the Rings pure. Not with all that fungal growth attached to it. That stuff is toxic.

[Galadriel55]

I like Lord of the Rings pure. Not with all that fungal growth attached to it. That stuff is toxic.

I do not quite understand how The Sil is "fungal growth". And it's not "attatched" to LOTR - more the opposite; even though LOTR was published first, The Sil was the original idea.

Can you please explain why you think so?

And welcome to the Downs! Enjoy your stay!

[FlimFlamSam]

Galadriel55 spoke:
A metaphor and a joke on a Hobbit's love of mushrooms. :)

Galadriel55 spoke: [And it's not "attatched" to LOTR - more the opposite; even though LOTR was published first, The Sil was the original idea.]
Oh, I'm [I]quite aware of the relationships. Moreso than you would believe.

Galadriel55 spoke: [Can you please explain why you think so?]
The ideas in The Silmarillion were quite "fluid" when it came to writing Lord of the Rings. I liked that Gil-Galad was the only son of Feanor, that Neldoreth (home of Thingol and Melian) was the forest abutting the Sea of Rhun (see HOME War of the Ring; the second map) and other massive changes that he was considering when writing Lord of the Rings.

Those stories were meant as a backdrop, not something to be forever encapsulated in Silma and sworn an oath by.

Galadriel55 spoke: [And welcome to the Downs! Enjoy your stay!]
Thank you.

[Galadriel55]

In that case, we will just have to disagree. :) I think that The Sil is a beautiful work, even if it wasn't completed by JRRT.

[Galadriel55]

Terse (Mac)
Formidable (Esty)
Mythic (Selmo)
Glacial (Lal)
Fateful (Ang)
[A] jewel (Bb)
Deep (Ninja91)
Better (Eomer)
Magic (TM)
Disjointed (Morm)
Fey (Mith)
Engaging (Valier)
Complex (Brinn)
Depressing (symestreem)
Unfortunate (Lhuna)
Tragic (Elempi)
Multi-charactered (Firefoot)
Sweeping (Elempi)
Overpowering (Captain Grishnahk)
Splintered (Elempi)
Cynical (Alatar)
"Totally" (Alatar)
Tome-ish (Alatar)
Preliminary (Pio)
Demanding (Saucie)
Long (Enca)
Morgoth (Child)
Medieval (Child)
Interesting (Gil)
Challenging (Lhuna)
Bold (Elempi)
Lore (TM)
Epic (High King Fingolfin)
Stupendous (Morm)
Doomed! (Guinevere)
Dry (Liriodendron)
Sombre (Guinevere)
Colossal (Galadel Vinorel)
Fate (TM)
Convincing (Legate)
Sacred (Amras Oronar)
Bare-boned (Pio)
"The Bible of ME" (Boromir_bg)
Magnificient (Lommy)
Historical (yavanna II)
Debated (Elempi)
Unfinished (hild)
Ethereal (Elmo)
Compicated (Orominuialwen)
Intense (Shieldmaiden4xsword)
Compelling (Tar-Meneldur)
Doctored (Bb)
Emended (Bb)
Nascent (Pio)
Tertiary (Son of Numenor)
Nutty (Lal)
Layered (Laitoste)
Loss (Thena)
Revealing (luthien-elvenprincess)
nakakapagpabagabag (Lhuna)
"The 'l' of a story" (Bb)
Bleak (ADubiousSource)
Iluvatar (ADubiousSource)
Tragedy (Thena)
Destiny (Thena)
History (Thena)
Bible (Thena)
Lumenyáre (Thena)
Revelation (Neithan Tol Turambar)
Christopher (narrforc)
Overcomplex (Sir Kohran)
Norse (LjósÁlfr)
Teasing (Sauron The White)
Headache (blood of angels)
Homeric (Andsigil)
Cosmological (Morth)
Short (Rikae)
Novel - in both senses (Valesse)
Fascinating (Groin Redbeard)
Didactic (Ibrin)
Intricate (kementari)
Changed/Edited (Eonwe)
Distant (Siiw)
Elegiac (Lush)
Confusing (TGEW)
Fall (Nilp)
Lovely (Rune)
Archaic (skip)
Broken (Tietäjä)
Enchanting (Agan)
Impossible (Diane C)
Frustrating (TheOrcWithNoName)
Sublime (Eomer)
Grand (Zil)
Eternal (G55)
Nostalgia (Galadriel)
Powerful (G55)
Transcendent (Ozban)
Beautiful (G55)
Emotional (Ren the Unclean)
Rough (Cirdan)
Legendary (oddkins)
Imperfection in perfaction (SlverGlass)
Saga (SlverGlass)
An endowment (SlverGlass)
Captivating (SlverGlass)
Indomitable (spirit_of_fire)
Hope (spirit_of_fire)
Valor (spirit_of_fire)
Sorrow (spirit_of_fire)
Satisfying (Banthro)
Leperous (FlimFlamSam)
Corrupting (FlimFlamSam)
Poisonous (FlimFlamSam)

[Nerwen]

In that case, we will just have to disagree. :) I think that The Sil is a beautiful work, even if it wasn't completed by JRRT.

I think this guy's just trolling, G55– see his post on the "Why is it so difficult" thread.

[FlimFlamSam]

Galadriel55 spoke: [In that case, we will just have to disagree]
Yeppers.

Nice summation of the exisitng words used in the thread so far.
Good work. :)

Nerwen spoke: [I think this guy's just trolling.]
Yeah... No--that's not it.

[Nerwen]

FlimFlam–

You do know that just saying you're not a troll by this stage carries about as much weight as insisting that a violet-eyed half-Elf fan-fic heroine is "not a Mary Sue"?

[Narnangol]

I would like to add WISTFUL.

I agree with everyone who said it was nostalgic or regretful in some way. The gradual diminishing of the world and its tainting - Arda Marred, if you will - is, at least to me, the the most prominent theme of The Silm, even THE theme. Especially so with the last lines, which I don't have on me now.

[Galadriel55]

Especially so with the last lines, which I don't have on me now.

Here they are:

Yet the lies that Melkor, the mighty and accursed, Morgoth Baugir, the Power of Terror and of Hate, sowed in the hearts of Elves and Men are a seed that does not die and cannot be destroyed; and ever and anon it aprouts anew, and will bear dark fruit even unto the latest days.

This is probably my most favourite passage in all the books. I have many favourites (too many for them to be called "favourites"... :rolleyes:), but this sentence is simply unbeatable.

Wait... there's more...

Here ends the SILMARILLION. If it has passed from the high and beautiful to darkness and ruin, that was of old the fate of Arda Marred; and if any change shall come and the Marring be amended, Manwe and Varda may know; but they have not revealed it, and it is not declared in the dooms of Mandos.

This does indeed summarise the whole Sil.

[Narnangol]

Yes, that last quote! Exactly what I was trying to say. Tolkien seems to have put it in better words than me. :)

[Galadriel55]

While I absolutely agree with words like "wistful" and "nostalgia", my words seem to be more... erm, now how should I call it? Well, those that describe the impression rather than the book.

Looking at the long list I made earlier, most "words" are either "summaries" (like wistful, loss), "experiences or reading The Sil" (like complicated, headaches, demanding (lol :p... these are not the best experiences)), or "impressions" (like destiny, doomed!, tragedy, sorrow, powerful). Do you get the gist?

Interesting...

[Narnangol]

Yes, I see it too. And the words describing the experiences of reading the book do seem to be predominantly negative. :(

[Galadriel]

headaches

LOL, agreed! ;D

[Galadriel55]

LOL, agreed! ;D

Hey, that wasn't even my word! ;) :p According to the list blood of angels said that. The Sil didn't give me headaches. Reading it on the bus did. :D

[Galadriel]

Hey, that wasn't even my word! According to the list blood of angels said that. The Sil didn't give me headaches. Reading it on the bus did

No matter, I still agree with it :p The first time nearly killed me.

Then something happened called 'getting used to the style' :Merisu: