Who Is Like the Wise Elf? - Page 5
© Michael Martinez
The Wise are found in Tol Eressea as well as in Middle-earth. At least, in considering the possible origins of the Orcs, The Silmarillion tells us that the Wise of Tol Eressea believe the Orcs were bred from Elves whom Melkor captured soon after their awakening at Cuivienen. So, who are these Wise of Tol Eressea? None of the Finweans return to Aman after the First Age. Plenty of them die during the Wars of Beleriand, but are they the Wise of Tol Eressea to whom the narrative refers? How many of them are released from Mandos after the First Age? Finrod, at least, is said to have been brought forth. He walks under the trees of Eldamar with his father, Finarfin. Yet Tol Eressea becomes the home of the Eldar who sail over Sea to Aman after the War of Wrath. That is, the Noldor led by Finarfin continue to live in Aman itself, and Finrod when he emerges from Mandos must settle in Aman, in Eldamar, rather than on Tol Eressea.
It may be that Turgon, Finrod, Orodreth, Angrod, Aegnor, Fingolfin, and Fingon were all eventually restored to life and that most of them if not all of them settled in Tol Eressea. There they could have become the Wise of Tol Eressea, and devoted ages to examining the questions they didn't have time to answer during the Wars of Beleriand. Or it may be that other Elven lords, from less important families, assumed roles of leadership among the Eldar of Tol Eressea, and became the Wise of Tol Eressea. In Tol Eressea's original conception, developed for The Book of Lost Tales, Littleheart was one of the leaders of the Eldar on Tol Eressea. He was the son of Bronweg, who eventually became Voronwe. Voronwe, in "Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin", claimed to be related to Cirdan through his mother. But he also claimed to be "of the House of Fingolfin" when he named his father, Aranwe, in approaching Gondolin. No genealogy has been published which shows how Voronwe could have been related to either Cirdan (and thus Elwe, Cirdan's kinsman) or Fingolfin.
Nonetheless, if Voronwe, Tuor, and Idril did eventually reach Aman (as some people believe), and Tuor was admitted to the kinship of the Noldor, they may have formed the core of the Wise of Tol Eressea. Should Tuor and Idril have had more children than just Earendil? Perhaps. But Voronwe could have established a family of Elven lords who assumed an important place in Tol Eressea's society.
The copyright of the article Who Is Like the Wise Elf? - Page 5 in J.R.R. Tolkien is owned by Michael Martinez. Permission to republish Who Is Like the Wise Elf? - Page 5 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Michael Martinez's J.R.R. Tolkien topic, please visit the Discussions page.