56. The Long Defeat Is Maybe Going on a Little Too Long.

All about the Noldor.

Jared, Oriana and Ned discuss Oriana’s choice of topic: the Noldor. Also
termed the Deep-elves and, in early versions of the legendarium, the Gnomes –
thankfully changed given unavoidable associations – they were one of the three
ethnicities of the Eldar in general, the first Children of Iluvatar. As
compared to the serene Vanyar and the many generally lower-key societies of
the Teleri, the Noldor were the ones most driven by the desire to create and
to learn about the world in general, though these tendencies, exacerbated by
Melkor in his Valinorean captivity and the internal family strife of their
royal house, resulted in all the many deeds of fame in Middle-earth on the one
hand but also their near total destruction and eventual fading away on the
other. By the time of The Lord of the Rings, only small societies and remnants
were left, casting an influence on the course of events but not directing
them. What can we learn from the stories of the women of the Noldor in
particular, not just Galadriel but other figures such as Fëanor’s mother
Míriel and his wife Nerdanel or the Nargothrond princess Finduilas? What
throughlines did Tolkien suggest in terms of how the Noldor both seemed the
most human of the Elves as well as being driven by the same ambiguous creative
impulses that haunted any number of beings in the legendarium? How does the
decision to keep them from the center of the many arcs of The Lord of the
Rings help shape the book into being the story that it is? And just how much
of an obsessive creative type do you have to be to not only devise the writing
system for your culture but to insist on sticking to a particular
pronunciation because you’re still mad about how things ended up with your
family?

Show Notes.

Jared’s
doodle.
Plus a bonus Galadriel-as-Carmen Miranda sketch. (The episode provides
context. Sorta.)

Negotiations, negotiations. The SAG-AFTRA strike has a lot of
it.

The new edition of the letters will be out in mid-November.

Holly Ordway’s book Tolkien’s
Faith.

The Bandcamp Daily story on Jim Kirkwood and his early Tolkien-inspired
work.

Some details on Starve Acre, the new
Morfydd Clark/Mat Smith folk horror film.

I mean if you WANT the Tolkien Gateway definition of the
Noldor…

Recommending the Andy Serkis reading of The
Silmarillion
once more!

Our episode on Galadriel.

Turgon via Tolkien Gateway;
relatedly, our episode on The Fall of
Gondolin.

Gildor Inglorion, a truly
fascinating character, as is
Voronwë.

Míriel and
Nerdanel – and they have stories
that were not fully told…

Glorfindel seems like he’s about
to be a major character in The Lord of the Rings…and then he’s not!

We discussed the Kinslaying as part of our episode on
evil.

Ah yes, The Shibboleth of
Fëanor. Boy
this is nuts. And great at the same time.

Then there’s the Oath of
Fëanor. Maybe review the
language first before you sign a contract.

Our episodes on “Leaf by Niggle”
(as part of Tree and Leaf) and Smith of Wootton
Major.

Finduilas – again, would be good
to learn more about her! See also our episode on The Children of
Húrin.

And yes The Wheel of Time is really good. Really!

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