[Lost One]

I was reading about medieval suicide over Christmas (I like to get into the festive mood), and, of course, saw ROTK, which started me thinking about suicide in Tolkien. The first port of call is, naturally 'The Pyre of Denethor', with Gandalf's great rebuke: 'Authority is not given to you, Steward of Gondor, to order the hour of your death...'. A little earlier Gandalf had addressed another troubled member of the house of Stewards, warning Faramir against the 'warrior's suicide': 'Do not throw your life away rashly or in bitterness...'.

This seems straightforward enough: the approach of a traditional Christian perhaps, unthinkingly applying the received opinion. Yet, is it so clear? Gandalf is trying to save them, not condemn them, and appeals insightfully to Denethor's office and love for Faramir, though this time with a rare defeat. In the Silmarillion and other writings the view is rather different, less hostile even, with an acceptance of suicide more pagan in form (whether Nordic or classically Stoic). Turin's tale ends with a holocaust of suicides: Nienor, Turin, maybe Morwen (waiting to die beside the graves), and Hurin also, apparently walking into the sea. They do not seem to be condemned, and in some versions Turin will return at the Last Battle to be Morgoth's nemesis.

Elven suicide is also present - the definitive case being Miriel, and in the 'Athrabeth' discussions Tolkien gives one interpretation of elven suicide 'Elves could die...by their will, as for example of great grief or bereavement...This wilful death was not regarded as wicked, but it was a fault implying some defect or taint in the fea, and those who came to Mandos by this means might be refused further incarnate life.'

There is a fundamental dissonance within this sentence: suicide is not wicked but is a 'fault' that may earn a fate identical to that of the wickedest elf (since i am not aware of anything worse than an eternity in Mandos). Furthermore, the massive problem with this is, of course, the fact that the second most prominent elven suicide was his greatest heroine, Luthien herself, who died of grief exactly as he describes. No long wait in Mandos for her! (Unless the Doom of Men is her punishment - this isn't a serious suggestion!)

Is there a coherent view on suicide in Tolkien? In Christian dogma, suicide is routinely classed as the worst of sins, but also categorised as the sin of despair. That dspair is to be resisted is certainly one of Tolkien's great messages, but he would not condemn those who succumbed, on the evidence we have.