Tuesday, September 8, 2015
Eärendil's Story
Eärendil's story is one Tolkien worked on in several formats and over a long time in his life. What aspects of this story seem to you to be most similar to aspects of Tolkien's other works? Are any aspects vastly different from themes in Tolkien's other works? What parts of this story seem most appealing to you? How about most puzzling?
1 comment:
Eärendil's story contains many similarities to that of Aragorn's. Both were born in the realm of men, but grew up among Elves. Both fell in love with Elvish women (also worth noting is the fact that Eärendil and Elwing are Arwen's grandparents). Both are entrusted with something greater than themselves (the Silmaril and Gondor), and both prove to be faithful in their stewardship. Another notable fact is that Eärendil lead Aragorn's ancestors, the Numenor, to safety.
One remarkable difference is Eärendil's relatively happy ending. It is not marred by death or permanent separation. He takes his flying ship into the firmament and becomes a star. His wife, Elwing, is able to visit him each night. His light even plays a part in LOTR when Galadriel gives a phial of it as a gift to Frodo. This seems rare in Tolkien's work as there is usually some unfortunate circumstance surrounding a character's fate, whether it be death, injury, or separation.
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