[Estelyn Telcontar]

This is one of the most fascinating stories written by Tolkien! It is a wonderful character study of the two title persons, as well as a deep look at a marriage that went awry.

To understand it, I think it is important to know at what time of his life Tolkien wrote the tale. Hammond and Scull date it around 1960, so the author was in his late 60s by then, and retired from teaching at the university. He had experienced his own marriage, which according to Carpenter's biography was not always blissful, and presumably seen enough of others to be realistic. That contrasts sharply with the romanticism of his youthful writing.

Those readers who considered him sexist for neglecting female roles in his published works (Hobbit and LotR, mostly) see a very insightful and sympathetic depiction of a woman's soul in his description of Erendis. However, he does not take sides with either character, and we come to understand Aldarion's reasons for his actions as well.

No black or white in this story, just lots of shades of grey! I think the author is at the very best of his abilities at this time and in this account.

Shippey compares the tale to that of Njorthr and Skathi in the Prose Edda as well as to a Breton lay by Marie de France. I'm not familiar with either, but perhaps someone else is and can add insight on that thought.

We see how a conflict carries on from one generation to the next, paving the way for later tragedy. We also get a glimpse of what was happening in Middle-earth at the time and how the characters' actions affected the events of LotR.

I look forward to reading your thoughts on this chapter!