Silmarillion Blues : Quenta Silmarillion : IV. Of Thingol and Melian
Considering the significance of the moment covered by this chapter and Tolkien's treatment of epic love stories, this chapter stands out as shockingly short. Elwë (referred to in the chapter title as Thingol), an was one of the elves to visit Valinor then come back to their people to offer the choice of haven in the Light of the Trees.
And then he comes across the Maia Melian, and that whole plan of residing in Valinor goes out the window. We've met the Maia before, the name Gandalf probably rings a bell. Melian brought song to the twilight of Middle Earth.
Beyond inspiring Elwë to abandon the life he convinced what would become a whole subset of his own race to follow, they are the first couple in a lineage of epic love stories that transcend race. Melian births Lúthien Tinúviel, of Elven song and lore and her marriage to Beren. The line continues through to Elrond, and then to Arwen who marries Aragon in her own repeat of the trials of Lúthien and Beren.
On the other hand, he devotes a chapter, as short as it may be, to the fact that these two met, fell in love, and that "of the love of Thingol and Melian there came into the world the fairest of all the Children of Iluvatar that was or ever shall be." That alone indicates a significant weight to their love story. At the same time, I feel like he sells their relationship a bit short, framing it with their daughter, rather than the significant action their relationship was.
And then he comes across the Maia Melian, and that whole plan of residing in Valinor goes out the window. We've met the Maia before, the name Gandalf probably rings a bell. Melian brought song to the twilight of Middle Earth.
Beyond inspiring Elwë to abandon the life he convinced what would become a whole subset of his own race to follow, they are the first couple in a lineage of epic love stories that transcend race. Melian births Lúthien Tinúviel, of Elven song and lore and her marriage to Beren. The line continues through to Elrond, and then to Arwen who marries Aragon in her own repeat of the trials of Lúthien and Beren.
On the other hand, he devotes a chapter, as short as it may be, to the fact that these two met, fell in love, and that "of the love of Thingol and Melian there came into the world the fairest of all the Children of Iluvatar that was or ever shall be." That alone indicates a significant weight to their love story. At the same time, I feel like he sells their relationship a bit short, framing it with their daughter, rather than the significant action their relationship was.
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