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Unwritten Tales of Love and War in Middle-Earth - Page 4

© Michael Martinez

Nonetheless, both of these stories set the stage for the later tale of Aragorn and Arwen. With the departure of Amroth, Lothlorien became disorganized, so Galadriel and Celeborn chose to settle there and restore or preserve as much as the ancient Silvan realm as they could. And Aranarth's decision to have his son fostered in Rivendell established the tradition of having all his heirs fostered by Elrond. In time, when Arathorn II was slain while his son and heir was still a small child, it became the obvious choice for Elrond to all but adopt Aragorn and raise the boy as his own son. Aragorn met and fell in love with Arwen in Rivendell, but she did not return his love until they met again many years later in Lothlorien. Had Galadriel not been free to encourage Arwen's love for Aragorn to take root and grow, he might never have won her heart. In time, as Aragorn eventually restored Arnor, he and Arwen were able to realize the full fruition of the love of Nimrodel and Amroth. But more importantly, the love of Aragorn and Arwen completed the storyline begun with Beren and Luthien. The suffering and sacrifice of Beren and Luthien was justified the moment Arwen gave her love to Aragorn, and the first story's promise of emotional fulfillment for the reader was retained in the latter story's conclusion. And yet, the bittersweet theme of love persists throughout Tolkien's stories. Love cannot be won without great cost, and it cannot be savored except in the shadow of great sacrifice. Nor does war achieve the final victory. The warriors may go quietly to their grave, or they may struggle furiously against the onset of night, but their deeds only lay the foundation for the achievements of the great lovers. And if the lovers fail, their failure is accompanied by a setback for the darkness. A new seed sprouts, takes root, and flourishes in the same soil where a previous flower had withered. So, if the Third Age achieves the ends not fully realized in the First Age, what does the Second Age accomplish? It may be that the reader's sense of incompleteness is enhanced by the lack of satisfactory resolution to the various conflicts and love stories in the Second Age. Although Sauron is eventually defeated, his power remains largely intact. And though the tale of Aldarion and Erendis reveals how bittersweet love could be, even for the Numenoreans in the early days of their power, the reader is left with a glimmer of hope and brightness. The poignancy of the story is lost in the fragmented notes for the tale's ending. The reader is deprived of the emotional impact of the consequences of Aldarion's wanderlust.

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