User:Oberiko/Unrest of the Noldor

• Intro / summary
• Background
• Unchaining of Melkor
• Melkor finds audience with the Noldor
• Fëanor creates the Silmarils
• Melkor sows lies and discontent
• Fëanor ensnared, calls for departure from Aman
• Noldor quarrel amongst themselves and against the Valar; take up arms
• Finwë calls a great council, Fingolfin seeks to restrain Fëanor, Fëanor threatens Fingolfin with sword
• Trial and banishment of Fëanor, Finwë's self-imposed exile, Fingolfin made king
• Escape of Melkor

Rest

In 1400, after three ages of imprisonment, the Chaining of Melkor was ended and he was granted freedom by Manwë.^:§87-88 Despising the Elves, Melkor all the more feigned love and friendship towards them. While the Vanyar would have naught to do with him, many of the Noldor, desiring of knowledge, hearkened to his offered services of lore and labour, and delighted in his teaching. Through them, Melkor was thus able to start spreading subtle lies and begin poisoning the peace of Valinor.^:§90-91

In 1450 Fëanor created his greatest work, the Silmarils. Melkor lusted after these, and therefore sought even more eagerly to destroy Fëanor and end the friendship between the Elves and the Valar. Slowly, over the next forty years, Melkor sowed his lies, and whispers began to spread that the Valar had brought the Eldar to Valinor out of jealousy for their skill and beauty, and of fear that would grow too strong to govern if left free in the East. Melkor further foretold the coming of Men, which the Valar had not yet spoken of, and of the Elves being defrauded of their inheritance of Ilúvatar by the Valar reserving the kingdoms of Middle-earth for this younger, weaker, and more easily swayed race.^:§93-96

The princes of the Noldor eventually began to murmur against the Valar, and many became filled with pride and anger. In Fëanor burned hottest the desire for freedom and wider realms; something which greatly pleased Melkor, as he hated Fëanor above all others. Fëanor further began to love the Silmarils greedily, and though he wore them on his brow during great feasts, at other times he kept them locked in his hoard in Túna, begrudging their sight to all but his father and sons.^:§51

Political phonology

The Quenya used by the Vanyar and Noldor shared the same written language and spelling (Parmaquesta, which used the Fëanorian alphabet), and their phonology (spoken dialects), before the Exile, were virtually identical with differences that were few and of minor (linguistic) importance.^{:70, note 14} However, two changes, which both occurred not long before the Exile, became embroiled in the strife among the Noldor.

One case was the Noldorin rhotacism of [z > ř]. In early days, even prior to the Parmaquesta, both the Vanyar and the Noldor used the sounds r, ř, s, and z; in lettering 7 = r, 6 = ř, and 8 = s except when between vowels in which case it was pronounced z (for which the special character k was provided, though often the 8-spelling was retained). In Vanyarin the sound of 6 eventually became z [ř & z > z], but in Noldorin it eventually went in the opposite direction, with k becoming ř [ř & z > ř]. While the general people of the Noldor adopted this change, the children of Indis, along with some others who held the Vanyar with prestige and were especially hostile to Fëanor, did not. This caused friction as most Noldor, even those faithful to Fingolfin & Finarfin, disliked their continued use of z.^:70-3

Perhaps the most significant linguistic dispute, however, arose on the change from [þ > s].

”

For after the rejection of his prayers by Míriel Finwë accepted the change (which had now become almost universal among his people), although in deference to Míriel he had adhered to þ while she lived. Therefore Indis said: ‘I have joined the people of the Ñoldor, and I will speak as they do.’ So it came about that to Fëanor the rejection of þ became a symbol of the rejection of Míriel, and of himself, her son, as the chief of the Ñoldor next to Finwë.

Shibboleth

”

The case of Galadriel and her brother Finrod is somewhat different. They were the children of Finarfin, Indis’ second son. He was of his mother’s kind in mind and body, having the golden hair of the Vanyar, their noble and gentle temper, and their love of the Valar. As well as he could he kept aloof from the strife of his brothers and their estrangement from the Valar, and he often sought peace among the Teleri, whose language he learned.

Shibboleth

”

Galadriel was born in the bliss of Valinor, but it was not long, in the reckoning of the Blessed Realm, before that was dimmed; and thereafter she had no peace within. For in that testing time amid the strife of the Ñoldor she was drawn this way and that. She was proud, strong, and self-willed, as were all the descendants of Finwë save Finarfin; and like her brother Finrod, of all her kin the nearest to her heart, she had dreams of far lands and dominions that might be her own to order as she would without tutelage.