Articles related to "Beleriand"



Before the Numenoreans Came
What was Eriador like in the years between the departure of the Numenoreans over Sea and their eventual return? We can extrapolate a few ideas based on things J.R.R. Tolkien said concerning the history of the Dunedain.
gil-galad elrond lindon beleriand cirdan

The Captains Crazy of Middle-earth
A discussion of the inadequate strategies and tactics employed by the Noldor in the Wars of Beleriand, and the blunders which ultimately led to their downfall.
noldor beleriand fingolfin feanor hurin

Them Dwarves, Them Dwarves!
First part of a discussion about Tolkien's Dwarves.
dwarves tolkien middle-earth belegost nogrod

In Feanor's Footsteps
Could Tolkien have fully visualized the War of Wrath as he provided details for so many other events, or was it necessarily a legend about which little could or should be known?
war of wrath host of valinor eonwe winged dragons flying dragons

The Good, the Bad, and the Outlawed
All the great tragedies of Tolkien's First Age cycle are founded upon the outlaw motif. The loss of community and the moral isolation force his characters to undertake purifying journeys. But the journeys are so arduous that most who tread the outlaw path fail to redeem themselves, or must do so by paying the ultimate price.
outlaws redemptive journey tolkien's outlaws noldor beren

The Wild, Wild, Wood-elf West
A discussion of the complex history of the Wood-elves, exploring their roots and various cultural sources.
wood-elves silvan elves eldar noldor minyar

It's All in the Family: The Elweans and Ingweans
The first of two essays examines the Eldarin genealogies and whether it is possible to state definitively who was related to whom and how. The Ingweans and Elweans are the royal families of the Vanyar and Sindar.
ingwe elwe thingol the book of lost tales the ruin of doriath christopher tolkien

Frodo's Temptation, Frodo's Hope
The second part of a short series regarding the nature of the One Ring and its unrelenting temptation of Frodo as the Ring-Bearer with attention paid to the Wise who had resisted the temptation to take possession of it.
frodo galadriel gandalf olorin elrond

Frodo's Temptation; Aragorn's Resistance
The Kings of Numenore succumbed to Sauron's influence. The Nazgul had all been men who had been corrupted by him. Boromir went mad with desire for the One Ring. What enabled Aragorn to resist the temptation to seize the Ring?
aragorn elrond elros rivendell gandalf

Have Island, Will Rebel
Did Numenorean society follow an inevitable path toward division because the kings retained, respected, and enlarged autonomous traditions? Were the noble families of Numenor able to influence the policies of the kings both directly and indirectly? This article examines the roots of Numenorean politcal power and the connections between that power and the economic forces of the Numenorean civilization.
numenor edain of beleriand beorians marachians elros tar-minyatur

He Shall Be Like a Tree Planted By the Rivers of Water
The trees of Middle-earth reveal Tolkien's deep love for nature's graceful giants. But though the Ents championed the cause of trees in a world of two legged hewers, they seemed to reveal little about themselves. We must magnify Tolkien's words with our imaginations if we are to behold the all the trees in the silent, wild wood.
ents entwives entish aragorn galadriel

The Manly Men of Myth and Middle-Earth
How much were Tolkien's heroes like the heroes of the ancient Greeks, Hebrews, and Germans? Did Beowulf really serve as a model for any of Middle-earth's men of action? Tolkien is believed to have revived some of the ancient epic traditions, but his heroes display a surprising humility when compared to classic examples.
beowulf aragorn eomer hurin turin

Elves By the Numbers
How many Noldor reached Aman? How many returned to Middle-earth? These questions have annoyed Tolkien fans for years. But though we cannot know what J.R.R. Tolkien intended, we can make some educated guestimates.
j.r.r. tolkien christopher tolkien the lord of the rings the history of middle-earth the peoples of middle-earth

The Sauron Strategies: Footsteps into Failure
The first of two articles examining Sauron's strategies and objectives. In the Second Age, Sauron proved to be flexible and resilient, but he consistently underestimated his enemies' abilities and resources.
sauron elendil anardil numenor of the rings of power and the third age

The Merchants of Middle-earth
A discussion of money and economics in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth through the ages.
money middle-earth j.r.r. tolkien economy trade

Them Dwarves, Them Dwarves, Part II
A continuation of the discussion of Tolkien's Dwarves: their history, culture, and relationships with other peoples.
dwarves middle-earth tolkien eriador hobbits

Gil-galad was an Elven-king...
A discussion of Gil-galad's history and genealogy, and the importance of The Silmarillion in studying Gil-galad.
gil-galad elendil numenor finwe lindon

Kryptic Tales of Middle-earth
A review of the various tales of horror and dread that Tolkien slipped into the Middle-earth canon.
ghost stories horror stores dead men sorcery necromancy

Life in an Elven Fishing Town
Tolkien wrote little concerning the lives and crafts of Cirdan's mariners, but these hearty Elves of the sea fought in all of Middle-earth's great wars. They were also among the last Eldarin people to vanish from the world of men.
cirdan brithombar and eglarest mithlond the grey havens teleri

Browsing the Compleat Middle-Earth Library
The study of J.R.R. Tolkien's life and works is an ever-expanding field. Here is a road-map for readers new and old to help them navigate their way through the winding paths of Tolkiendom.
j.r.r. tolkien the history of middle-earth the lord of the rings the hobbit the new shadow

How did Tolkien actually portray the Rohirrim?
A discussion of how Tolkien portrayed the Rohirrim, comparing and contrasting them with the peoples of the Icelandic sagas and ancient Germanic tribes.
j.r.r. tolkien middle-earth rohan iceland sagas

The Historic Baranduin
An essay written in the style of National Geographic which examines life and history along the historic Baranduin river in Eriador.
lake evendim baranduin middle-earth annuminas dunedain

The Quests of Middle-earth
A look at Tolkien's use of quests in his stories, long and short, and of how role-playing games and more recent fantasy stories have departed from Tolkien's ideas.
quest gilgamesh j.r.r. tolkien the lord of the rings fellowship

Shhh! It's a Secret Ring!
Who knew about the Rings of Power at the end of the Third Age? It requires some historical detective work to figure out who knew about them in the first place, who learned about them later, and who would have been around to forget about them.
rings of power the one ring numenor eregion noldor

Unwritten Tales of Love and War in Middle-Earth
Both the First Age and the Third Age are highlighted by tales of love and tragedy. Yet the Second Age reveals only pieces of what might have been another enchanting cycle of stories of love, heroism, and the long struggle against evil.
second age first age third age middle-earth elrond

The Middle-earth Mysteries
A brief discussion of some of the unanswerable questions about Middle-earth's peoples, creatures, and history.
ents spiders dunedain woses druedain

Is That an Orc in Your Pocket, Or Are You Just Happy to Be Evil?
In classic story-teller fashion, J.R.R. Tolkien used good and evil in Middle-earth to reflect human ambitions and failings.
good and evil orcs men elves nargothrond

Who Is Like the Wise Elf?
An examination of what Tolkien may have meant in referring to the lords of the Eldar as 'the Wise'.
the wise elven-wise lords of the eldar luthien tinuviel earendil

Guess Who's Coming to the Disaster
Tolkien is often criticised for not including more romance in The Lord of the Rings. But the romance is scattered throughout his long pseudo-history, and the fate of Middle-earth was more than once decided by a love story.
j.r.r. tolkien middle-earth the lord of the rings the hobbit the silmarillion

Moving Sale: Magic Rings and Other Trinkets Half Off
The Elves of Middle-earth had many regrets. But were they simply being materialistic when they grieved for lost treasures, or was there something more?
elves eregion aman gandalf frodo

A History of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Part 1
First of three parts of a research paper covering the history of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Part one covers events leading up the war.
the last alliance of elves and men gil-galad elendil the tall isildur anarion

Beorning questions...
Where the Beornings may have come from, and what they may have been like as a people...
beorn beornings gandalf bilbo thorin

By This Sword, I Rule!
In a comparison of Aragorn with barbarian hero archetypes, it becomes apparent that Tolkien appreciated the relationship between the energizing foreigner and the declining civilization as well as any pulp fiction author should have.
robert e. howard tolkien aragorn conan kull

Make Room for Dragons
Is it possible to explain why Tolkien did not write about dragons in the Second Age? Some new twists on old ideas may reveal the truth about where the dragons went and what they were (or were not) up to.
dragons melkor morgoth sauron gil-galad

The Magic of the Minstrels
Middle-earth had few professional entertainers, and that may be because the greatest entertainers of all had been the Elves, whose magic was still in some ways remembered.
minstrels entertainment treebeard arnor gondor

The Over-the-Bree-Hill Gang Rides Again
The problem with creating any sequel to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings is that you can't bring in a new Dark Lord. A successor to Sauron invalidates the whole mythology.
sauron morgoth dark lord gandalf lord of the rings

Seeking the Wayward Children of Numenor
How did Arnor and Gondor come to be, and what were the fundamental differences between the characters of the two realms? And what was the contribution of Numenor to their founding? A discussion of the origins of Arnor and Gondor explores the dynamics of Numenorean culture and how it laid the foundation for the two realms in exile.
tolkien osgiliath annuminas pelargir fornost erain

The Middle-Earth Prophecies
An examination of the role prophecy plays in Middle-earth, and how Tolkien distinguishes between true foretelling and forecasting, and how prophecy may be a tool for compulsion.
prophecy melkor manwe osanwe-kenta valar

A History of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, Part 3
Part three of a three-part article examining the causes and events of the War of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. This section includes the end notes and bibliography of sources.
aule valinor war of the last alliance of elves and men concerning galadriel and celeborn unfinished tales

Does Barliman Have a Beard? And Other Important Fannish Issues
Some of Middle-earth's greatest conflicts are fought among the fans and critics of J.R.R. Tolkien. Who is right? Who is wrong? What will be the next great debate? And who will turn up that long-desired recipe for lembas?
j.r.r. tolkien christopher tolkien the lord of the rings the hobbit the silmarillion

Where Have All the Dragons Gone?
J.R.R. Tolkien's first story concerned a "green great dragon", which he was told was not the correct way to speak of dragons. Years later, the author found the means to speak of dragons in a most compelling fashion. But how great were his dragons, and why did they like gold so much?
j.r.r. tolkien dragon the hobbit the lord of the rings fram

Resurrecting Dale, City of A Thousand Untold Stories
An examination of the events and peoples connected with the city of Dale, and some of the possibilities Tolkien would have considered had he devoted more time to its history and kings.
dale erebor tolkien the hobbit the lord of the rings

Would Sandra Bullock be a good Mrs. Isildur?
Speculations about Isildur's wife and how her life might be portrayed in a movie.
isildur middle-earth elendil sauron tolkien

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Canon
A light-hearted romp through the wordscape of Tolkien canonical arguments.
balrog wings debate pointed elf ears shakespeare tolkien canon discussion the hobbit

A Long Time Ago, in a Middle-Earth Far, Far Away...
J.R.R. Tolkien's story-telling is steeped in the tradition of fairy-tales and folklore. But he even found time (and room) to drop a few of his own fairy-tales and folk stories into the larger composition.
three brothers scratch folklore folk tales folk stories

Ithilien, Moon Over Gondor
Ithilien rose and fell with the fortunes of Gondor, but when all else was lost, Gondor hung on to Isildur's former home tenaciously. What did this land mean to the people Isildur left behind?
isildur anarion last alliance of elves and men gil-galad arnor

Is your Canon on the loose?
An inquiry into how to establish a canon for Tolkien discussions, which inevitably leads to the question of how or whether the Silmarillion can or should be rewritten, and by whom.
silmarillion j.r.r. tolkien christopher tolkien quenta silmarillion the lord of the rings

Middle-earth Connections: Lore of the Rings
A detailed examination of the motivations behind the Elves' creaion of the Rings of Power, and some speculations on how the Rings may have been used.
rings of power sauron eregion gil-galad tolkien

The Wars of the Glorfindels
Glorfindel has been the subject of much curiosity and discussion through the years despite how little J.R.R. Tolkien actually told us about this character. And yet it wasn't always that way....
glorfindel gondolin turgon noldor vanyar

There Are Games Afoot!
How have role-playing games tried to depict Tolkien's world in the past? With the prospect of a new role-playing game based on The Lord of the Rings facing us, are there perhaps better methods of depicting Tolkien's vision while retaining playability?
iron crown enterprises middle-earth role-playing game new line cinema peter jackson the lord of the rings


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