Indiana Jones and the Treasures of Middle-earth
© Michael Martinez
Word has it that Harrison Ford has finally agreed to do a fourth Indiana Jones movie. I can't help but wonder what fantastic lost artifact he'll go after this time, but I think it would be sort of neat if Lucas and Spielberg sent Hollywood's most renowned and resourceful pseudo-archaeologist after something from Middle-earth.
Such a movie could be the ultimate expression of Tolkien fan fiction, unlikely to ever be surpassed by anything in the future history of film and story.
What would be important enough to attract Jones' interest, however? In the first movie he went after the Ark of the Covenant in the hope of keeping it out of the hands of the Nazis. The second pitted Dr. Jones against a revived Thuggi cult which was stealing the five stones of Siva (and four of them, unfortunately, were dropped in a river filled with crocodiles). The third movie had the Jones boys fighting the Nazis once more for control over the Holy Grail.
Middle-earth provides a few interesting artifacts which aren't fully accounted for. The first great artifacts were the Silmarils. These jewels, created by Feanor in Valinor, preserved the light of the Two Trees of the Valar and were themselves hallowed by the Valar. The Noldor fought their long and desperate war with Morgoth for the Silmarils, but they failed. Beren and Luthien recovered one of the stones and this gem alone of the three was preserved, returned to the Noldor in Valinor by Earendil and Elwing.
The other two Silmarils were lost. Maedhros threw himself with one stone into a volcano or a fissure which had erupted during the struggles between Morgoth's armies and the army of Valinor. His brother Maglor threw the other jewel into the Sea and wandered off.
People familiar with the Bible may recall Peter found a jewel in the mouth of a fish. Although I wouldn't suggest that Peter's jewel was the Silmaril, it is equally plausible to suppose that some fish eventually swallowed the Silmaril. For thousands of years this jewel could be passed through the innards of fish after fish for various reasons, occasionally finding its way back into the deep dark waters. Eventually, it could find its way back to land through the auspices of some very fortunate fisherman.
And then the adventures would begin. The jewel would have passed through various owners down through the centuries, earning mention in some lost tome or two, until finally some rich industrialist with a fancy for jewels that can provide unlimited power decides he absolutely must have the Silmaril. This would be bigger than the atom bomb. But now, instead of the Nazis, Jones must contend with the communists, who are also desperately seeking for the lost artifact as a means of helping to defeat Nazi Germany.
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