LotR/Silmarillion/Tolkien question

[lexin]

I don't know where it's going, but I'm trying to commit fanfic. At last! It may never go anywhere, but at least I'm writing.

However, I have a question.

Elves who've done evil...the only one I can think if who tried to commit a murder was Eöl, in his attempt to kill Maeglin.

The Sons of Fëanor swore that stupid oath (it was seriously stupid) but I don't see that as evil, just unwise and misguided.

Were there any others? Anyone I've missed?

Comments

*wanders in from network*

[recessional]

Were there any others? Anyone I've missed?

Oh yes.

The Fëanori (the devil himself included, as it were) slaughtered the mariners at Alqualondë, and then burned the boats after they'd gotten across, leaving Fingolfin's people (who had rushed in to help them against the Teleri thus making themselves part of the Kinslaying by mistake) and those of Finarfin's who were still following Galadriel and her brothers behind, forcing them (as they were still not allowed back into Valinor) to cross the Grinding Ice to get to Middle-earth, which killed quite a lot of them.

Later, they also invaded Doriath and slaughtered most of its inhabitants; servants of the brothers took Elwing's baby twin brothers out into the forest and left them to starve to death or be eaten, and they were never found. And then finally pursued the survivors to the coast and committed the second Kinslaying against those survivors and the survivors of Gondolin.


For his part, Maeglin was incestuously in love with his cousin and betrayed Gondolin to Morgoth on the promise of "having her", with the fact that he full intended to keep her to rape at will implied in that delicate way of Tolkien's. He also murdered any number of his uncle's people during the actual fall of the city.


I personally consider Thingol's attempt to get Beren killed and his imprisoning of Lúthien to be evil, but mmv.

Re: *wanders in from network*

[lexin]

Hugely useful, thank you. I'd completely forgotten about Elwing's baby brothers, you're right, we never find out what happened to them.

I just don't want anyone, when I've written my story, to say that, "Oh, elves are all good people, they couldn't have done that..."

Re: *wanders in from network*

[featherwizard]

Eh. I wouldn't worry too much about it. People who read Silimarilion fanfic typically know enough to recognize that elves can be just as messed up as humans.

[featherwizard]

The Feanori betrayed allies over and over (abandoning people on icebergs, murdering political rivals, committing so much mayhem they got exiled from some elvish kingdoms in ME, etc). They were very much like a powerful, charismatic gang of thugs.

There's quite a bit about elves taking over local tribes of humans, or forbidding the humans from settling on elvish land, or driving them further away from elvish lands once they'd settled. Overwhelming evidence for imperialist / racist elves, really, even leaving Thingol aside.

If pride counts as a sin than I don't think a chapter of the Silimarilion goes by without some elf having a problem with it.

EDIT: Also, Maeglin's father Eol was strongly implied to have trapped and raped Maeglin's mother (Tolkien softened the text at some point for gentle sensibilities). Ecthelion and one other elvish king decreed that people who found their kingdoms would either stay or be murdered.

The Silarillion Writer's Group LJ just wrapped up a read-along and discussion, I'm sure there's lots of examples in there: http://silwritersguild.livejournal.com/tag/reading%20group

http://silmarillion.livejournal.com/ is another active LJ group.

[lexin]

This is all hugely useful, thank you. Elves...not so nice after all.