Silmarillion - Chapter 17 - Of the Coming of Men into the West - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

Aiwendil · 10-02-2007, 08:06 PM

The second Children of Iluvatar were briefly introduced in chapter 12, but it is in this chapter that they really enter the story. This chapter is a mixture of close narrative and broad historical (and genealogical) outline; the first encounter of Felagund and the Beorings is told fairly vividly (for the Silmarillion, that is), while some of the Edain’s later migrations through Beleriand are summarized annalistically.

Men are first introduced to the reader through they eyes of Finrod Felagund. I have always found the scene where the Men wake at the sound of Finrod playing the harp to be particularly appealing (I’ve even attempted to write music for it), though I’m not sure what there is about it that makes it so striking. Does anyone else have a similar reaction to this scene?

The complex relationship between Eldar and Edain is apparent soon after their first meeting. There is, first of all, wonderment on the part of the Edain toward the Eldar – in fact, it is said that they initially believed Finrod to be a Vala (cf. the ‘Drowning of Anadune’ texts, which deliberately confound the Elves with the Valar). The counterpart to this on the Elves’ side is Finrod’s benevolence and desire to teach and aid the Edain. A different response to the coming of Men is seen in the Laiquendi of Ossiriand, who are chiefly concerned that the newcomers do not dwell in their land and even call them ‘unfriends’. A counterpart to this view may be found in the dissenters among the Edain whose leaders were Bereg and Amlach and who argue that they should leave Beleriand and the lands of the Elves. Yet another type of relationship between Eldar and Edain may be seen in Caranthir’s attitude toward the folk of Haleth; he sees valour in them and seems to think that it would be useful to have them as allies against Morgoth. And though I cannot find a passage to confirm it, it is not a stretch to suppose that there were those among the Edain who saw things in similarly utilitarian terms: the Eldar were wise and powerful, and in this dangerous world, it would be good to have them as allies.

This is one of those chapters includes bits that I, at least, often wish were told more fully – the meeting of Finrod and Beor, the council of the Edain where the false Amlach speaks, the battle between the Halethrim and the Orcs and Caranthir’s ride to the rescue (the only instance I can think of in which Caranthir gets to play the hero), the death of Beor that amazes the immortal Elves. It seems to me that this chapter offers more fuel for fan-fiction than most.

Like most of the middle portions of the Silmarillion, this chapter has no Lost Tales analogue. The meeting of Finrod and Beor and the subsequent settlement of the Edain in Beleriand is first told (in briefer form) in the ‘Quenta Noldorinwa’. In the 1937 ‘Quenta Silmarillion’ this material was expanded and became part of the chapter ‘Of Men and Dwarfs’ (sic). The major difference between these earlier accounts and the published one is that in the pre-LotR material, the time scale of the later First Age was greatly compressed, so that only a single generation of Men passes between their entrance into Beleriand and the Battle of Sudden Flame. As a result, the genealogy of the Edain is much compressed; Beor, for example, is Barahir’s father (rather than his great-great-great-grandfather!). Another notable difference is that Haleth was a male in the earlier story (called ‘Haleth the Hunter’). It was only in the post-LotR work on the ‘Quenta Silmarillion’ that this material was developed into its own chapter and the genealogy of the Edain extended to its familiar form.

Additional readings:
HoMe IV,V – ‘Quenta Noldorinwa’ and pre-LotR ‘Quenta Silmarillion’ versions
HoMe XI – ‘Grey Annals’ and later ‘Quenta Silmarillion’ versions (also note that more complete genealogical tables for the Edain than those found in the published Silmarillion are included in this volume).
HoMe XII – Some later writing concerning the three houses of the Edain can be found here, particularly in ‘Of Dwarves and Men’.

10-02-2007, 08:06 PM	#1
Aiwendil Late Istar Join Date: Mar 2001 Posts: 2,224	Silmarillion - Chapter 17 - Of the Coming of Men into the West The second Children of Iluvatar were briefly introduced in chapter 12, but it is in this chapter that they really enter the story. This chapter is a mixture of close narrative and broad historical (and genealogical) outline; the first encounter of Felagund and the Beorings is told fairly vividly (for the Silmarillion, that is), while some of the Edain’s later migrations through Beleriand are summarized annalistically. Men are first introduced to the reader through they eyes of Finrod Felagund. I have always found the scene where the Men wake at the sound of Finrod playing the harp to be particularly appealing (I’ve even attempted to write music for it), though I’m not sure what there is about it that makes it so striking. Does anyone else have a similar reaction to this scene? The complex relationship between Eldar and Edain is apparent soon after their first meeting. There is, first of all, wonderment on the part of the Edain toward the Eldar – in fact, it is said that they initially believed Finrod to be a Vala (cf. the ‘Drowning of Anadune’ texts, which deliberately confound the Elves with the Valar). The counterpart to this on the Elves’ side is Finrod’s benevolence and desire to teach and aid the Edain. A different response to the coming of Men is seen in the Laiquendi of Ossiriand, who are chiefly concerned that the newcomers do not dwell in their land and even call them ‘unfriends’. A counterpart to this view may be found in the dissenters among the Edain whose leaders were Bereg and Amlach and who argue that they should leave Beleriand and the lands of the Elves. Yet another type of relationship between Eldar and Edain may be seen in Caranthir’s attitude toward the folk of Haleth; he sees valour in them and seems to think that it would be useful to have them as allies against Morgoth. And though I cannot find a passage to confirm it, it is not a stretch to suppose that there were those among the Edain who saw things in similarly utilitarian terms: the Eldar were wise and powerful, and in this dangerous world, it would be good to have them as allies. This is one of those chapters includes bits that I, at least, often wish were told more fully – the meeting of Finrod and Beor, the council of the Edain where the false Amlach speaks, the battle between the Halethrim and the Orcs and Caranthir’s ride to the rescue (the only instance I can think of in which Caranthir gets to play the hero), the death of Beor that amazes the immortal Elves. It seems to me that this chapter offers more fuel for fan-fiction than most. Like most of the middle portions of the Silmarillion, this chapter has no Lost Tales analogue. The meeting of Finrod and Beor and the subsequent settlement of the Edain in Beleriand is first told (in briefer form) in the ‘Quenta Noldorinwa’. In the 1937 ‘Quenta Silmarillion’ this material was expanded and became part of the chapter ‘Of Men and Dwarfs’ (sic). The major difference between these earlier accounts and the published one is that in the pre-LotR material, the time scale of the later First Age was greatly compressed, so that only a single generation of Men passes between their entrance into Beleriand and the Battle of Sudden Flame. As a result, the genealogy of the Edain is much compressed; Beor, for example, is Barahir’s father (rather than his great-great-great-grandfather!). Another notable difference is that Haleth was a male in the earlier story (called ‘Haleth the Hunter’). It was only in the post-LotR work on the ‘Quenta Silmarillion’ that this material was developed into its own chapter and the genealogy of the Edain extended to its familiar form. Additional readings: HoMe IV,V – ‘Quenta Noldorinwa’ and pre-LotR ‘Quenta Silmarillion’ versions HoMe XI – ‘Grey Annals’ and later ‘Quenta Silmarillion’ versions (also note that more complete genealogical tables for the Edain than those found in the published Silmarillion are included in this volume). HoMe XII – Some later writing concerning the three houses of the Edain can be found here, particularly in ‘Of Dwarves and Men’.