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The Magic of the Minstrels - Page 4

© Michael Martinez

And so it is reasonable to ask if the Wandering Companies did not, at some time, become the entertainers of Middle-earth. When the Eldar were the dominant civilization and the cities of northern Middle-earth spoke Sindarin the Wandering Companies would have provided an easy means of spreading new songs and stories throughout the lands. The Elvish minstrels need not have studied the great mining secrets of Aule or learned the mysteries of the oceans from Ulmo and Osse in order to compose and perform their magical songs. Visions of great warriors, beautiful maidens, the enchanted trees, and other Elvish lore may have danced before the eyes of multitudes throughout Middle-earth. Men might have found such entertainment strange and foreign, or perhaps even frightening, but one gets the impression that the Edainic peoples of Eriador shared something like the close friendship with the Elves that the Edain of Beleriand had known. If the Elves didn't go out of their way to entertain Men, they may nonetheless have allowed Men to visit their communities and share in the magic. Such a bond between Elf and Man may only have become stronger as the Numenoreans began to settle in Eriador. The Faithful Numenoreans migrated to northern Middle-earth as the Kings Men made their ancient homeland more and more unfriendly. By the time Elendil arrived in Lindon Eriador must have had a large population of Dunedain or Men of Mixed blood. The friendship between the Eldar and the Dunedain would have sustained and promoted interaction between the two races. So perhaps Elves visited Elendil's court in Annuminas, and Elves entertained the Dunedain of Tharbad, Fornost Erain, Osgiliath, and Pelargir. It may be that the establishment of the realms of Arnor and Gondor initiated a brief period of near equality between Elf and Man in cultural exchange. As the Eldar of Tol Eressea delighted in visiting Numenor, it may be that the Eldar of Lindon also visited Arnor and Gondor, bringing gifts and sharing memories and old experiences. Of course, all good things come to an end eventually, and the friendship between Eldar and Edain waned in Middle-earth. Gil-galad and Elendil were drawn into a great war with Sauron and many Elves died upon the battlefields. In the aftermath Middle-earth gained a respite, but the Elvish civilization of Lindon was diminished. Cirdan and Elrond retained their ancient friendship with the Dunedain, but the Third Age marked the decline of Eldarin culture in Middle-earth.

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