Quenta Silmarillion

Quenta Silmarillion is a collection of fictional legends written by J.R.R. Tolkien. It was published after his death as part of The Silmarillion, being its third part. As Tolkien did not finish it, the collection was completed by his son, Christopher, with assistance of the young Guy Gavriel Kay. The title Quenta Silmarillion is translated as "the Tale of the Silmarils".

Quenta Silmarillion is the largest final-rendition account of the First Age, and its stories narrate all of that Age's major events.

Contents[]

Synopsis[]

Tolkien envisaged The Silmarillion as deriving from a manuscript written by an Eriol or Ælfwine of England; an imaginary Dark Age source for the material, which itself contains little or no reference to the people or events of the Second or Third Ages of his legendarium. Originated from Elvish legends, in some parts it presents Elves as long gone, which hints that its final form was edited during the Fourth Age by Hobbits and/or Men.

It tells about the history of Arda (the Earth), after its creation by Eru Ilúvatar. The Valar, angelic beings, enter into the world and try to shape it after a vision given to them by Eru Ilúvatar. The initial shape of Arda, chosen by the Valar, was of a symmetrical continent lit by the Two Lamps. However, the lamps were destroyed by the vicious Melkor; Arda was darkened, and the lamps' fall spoiled the symmetry of Arda's surface. Two main continents were created that are of concern to the story: Aman in the west, and Middle-earth in the east.

Following this, Melkor hid himself from the Valar in his fortress Utumno in the north of Middle-earth. He also surrounded himself with horrible beasts, many of them Maia in the form of fell animals, known as Balrogs.

The Valar moved to the western continent Aman where they established the realm Valinor of which Manwë was made king. The Vala Yavanna created the Two Trees which illuminated Valinor. Middle-earth, by contrast, was in perpetual darkness, and was seldom visited by the Valar. Only some of them, most notably Oromë, visited it periodically, especially to prepare for the coming of the Elves, which the Valar had foreseen in their vision and to keep an eye on Melkor's activities.

Introduction of the Elves[]

On one of his expeditions Oromë discovered the newly-awakened Elves at Cuiviénen. The Valar, aware of the risk Melkor posed to the Elves, beleaguered his fortress and finally overthrew him and took him prisoner to Valinor to serve "three ages" in the Halls of Mandos.

Oromë was then sent to the Elves again, to invite them to come with him to Aman and live there. Some of the Elves did not follow him or became sidetracked and stayed in Middle-earth, and so the Elves became sundered. These notably included the Sindar, who stayed in Middle-earth when their king, Thingol, became lost in the forest. He was to later emerge, married to the Maia Melian, and found the Kingdom of Doriath.

The Elves who accepted the summons were carried across the sea on a floating island, Tol Eressëa.

The Ñoldor and Melkor[]

Finwë, the first High King of the Ñoldor, had a son Fëanor. At his birth Fëanor drew so much life from his mother Míriel that she grew weary of life and her spirit left her bodily form, departing to the halls of Mandos. Eventually, Finwë married Indis and had two further sons, Fingolfin and Finarfin. Fëanor became the most famous Elven craftsman, especially by making the Silmarils, three jewels in which he trapped the light of the Two Trees. The Silmarils were hallowed by Varda, and would burn any evil or mortal creature who touched them.

About this time, Melkor, having completed his sentence, convinced the other Valar that he had reformed and he was released. By various lies he managed to play Fëanor and Fingolfin against each other, creating strife and division amongst the Ñoldor; furthermore, he convinced the Ñoldor that they had been brought to Aman primarily so the Valar could keep them under control. Finally, Fëanor rebelled against the Valar, publicly advocating leaving and then drawing his weapon against Fingolfin.

The Valar were soon aware of Melkor's ultimate responsibility in this. Tulkas hunted him, but Melkor had hidden and could not be found. Because he threatened Fingolfin's life, Fëanor was exiled from Tirion for twelve years. With his seven sons and his father Finwë, he moved to a newly-built stronghold, Formenos.

Coveting the Silmarils, Melkor went to Formenos, hoping to trick Fëanor and gain possession of them, but Fëanor saw through his ruse and dismissed him with contempt. Melkor then traveled to Avathar in secret, where he joined forces with the evil spirit Ungoliant, whose form was a giant spider-like creature. Melkor swore an oath to give Ungoliant whatever she desired, and imparted some of his power to her. With her help, they traveled into Valinor secretly, where Ungoliant's poison killed the Two Trees. Covered by an impenetrable blackness, Melkor and Ungoliant then traveled to Formenos, assassinated Finwë and stole the Silmarils, before escaping in the confusion.

Melkor and Ungoliant then made their way across to Middle-earth, and he gave Ungoliant all the great jewels he had stolen, except the Silmarils, which he desired to keep. The rapacious Ungoliant consumed them all and, still hungry, she demanded the Silmarils, but the ever-treacherous Melkor reneged on his oath, so she seized him and bound him with her webs, and his anguished cries echoed across all of Middle-earth.

Melkor escaped from Ungoliant with the help of his former servants, the Balrogs, who came to his aid from their hiding placein the ruins of Angband, and he re-established his empire in the North from that stronghold. He placed the three Silmarils, which now were the only source of the unmarred light of the Two Trees, in his Iron Crown, although his hands were burned black by them.

Fëanor was furious at the death of his father and the theft of the Silmarils. Travelling to Tirion in violation of his exile, he publicly blamed both Melkor, whom he named Morgoth, and the Valar (for failing to protect Finwë and the Silmarils). He urged the Ñoldor to leave Valinor, for a punitive expedition against Morgoth and a new life in Middle-earth. He and his sons then swore the notorious Oath of Fëanor, vowing to pursue with hatred anyone who withheld a Silmaril from them.

Departure of the Noldor and assault on Doriath[]

Inflamed by the passionate urging of Fëanor, most of the assembled Ñoldor left Tirion, and traveled to Alqualondë, attempting to persuade the Teleri to join them, or at least to lend them ships to cross the Great Sea. When the Teleri refused, Fëanor ordered that the swan-ships be taken by force; the notorious Kinslaying ensued, in which many Teleri were slaughtered. Shortly afterwards, at the northern boundary of Eldamar, the Noldor encountered Mandos, who cursed all the Ñoldor who left with Fëanor .

At this point, Finarfin, who had always been reluctant to leave, turned back to Valinor with a small number of followers. Many ships had been lost by this time and not all the Ñoldor could cross to Middle-earth, so Fëanor and his sons seized the remaining swan-ships and burned them, abandoning Fingolfin and his followers (including Galadriel), who were obliged to make their way to Middle-earth across the terrible ice wastes of the Helcaraxë.

Meanwhile, Morgoth attempted to conquer Doriath, the realm of Thingol and Melian in Middle-earth. In the first of five great Battles, he sent out two armies of Orcs, forcing Thingol and his Maia queen to establish a magical boundary around Doriath, the "Girdle of Melian", while the Falathrim were forced to retreat into their fortified harbour towns. By luck, Fëanor and his host arrived at the height of this conflict and the combined forces of the Ñoldor and the Sindar utterly defeated the Orc armies in the second Battle, Dagor-nuin-Giliath (Battle under the Stars). However Fëanor, in his fury, chased after the retreating Orcs and he was ambushed and killed by Balrogs.

The Sun and the Moon, the Long Peace and the Coming of Men[]

The grieving Valar could not revive the Two Trees, because Fëanor would not give up the Silmarills which captured the light of the trees. But they were able to create the Moon and the Sun from a silver flower and a golden fruit, which were all that remained of them. These new lights illuminated Middle-earth, stimulated much new plant and animal growth, and for a while, confounded the plans of Morgoth. Unable to assail them, as his once near-limitless power grew ever more dispersed among his servants, who feared the new lights no less than he, the Dark Lord was forced to take refuge in clouds and shadow that surrounded his strongholds. In this era, Men, the younger Children of Ilúvatar, awoke in eastern Middle-earth, and some began to migrate westward.

The Ñoldor established kingdoms and principalities in northern and central Beleriand, which were ruled by the descendants of Fëanor, Fingolfin and Finarfin. They built many great strongholds, including the vast cavern-city of Nargothrond, on the river Narog, and the mighty hidden mountain fortress of Gondolin, ruled by Turgon, from whence none who entered were permitted to leave. Many of the Sindar, the native Elves of Beleriand, were absorbed into the Ñoldorin kingdoms. Others were in Sindarin states: Thingol's kingdom in Doriath, the coastal Falas ruled by Círdan the shipwright, and the secretive Laiquendi of Ossiriand.

Relations between the Ñoldor and the independent Sindar were at first amicable but they later deteriorated. The Ñoldor had long hidden the truth about the Kinslaying and the Curse from Thingol, but he eventually learned of it from Angrod. As a result he banned all the Ñoldor (except his kin in the house of Finarfin) from entering Doriath, decreeing also that the Ñoldorin tongue could no longer be spoken within his realm.

The actions of Aredhel, daughter of Fingolfin and sister of Turgon were to have great consequences in the future. Tiring of her long confinement in Gondolin, she rode east to seek out her old friends, the sons of Fëanor, but she was barred from crossing through Doriath by the decree of Thingol. Forced to skirt along the edge of the dreaded region of Nan Dungortheb (where Ungoliant had gone after the escape of Morgoth), Aredhel was separated from her escort and lost. She was eventually found by Eöl, the Dark Elf, a kinsman of Thingol who lived alone in the dark forest of Nan Elmoth. He took her as his wife, and they had a son, Maeglin. Eöl often traveled east to deal with the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains, and he acquired great skill in metalwork from them, which he imparted to his son. He refused to let his wife and child leave his domain, but Aredhel determined to return to Gondolin with her son, so they waited until Eöl left for the east and then made their escape.

Eöl pursued them to Gondolin, where he was captured and brought before Turgon. Eöl demanded that Maeglin should leave with him, or be cursed, but Maeglin renounced his father. Turgon then decreed that Eöl must either remain in Gondolin or die. The next day, when he was again brought before Turgon, Eöl tried to kill Maeglin with a poisoned lance, but Aredhel stepped between them; struck in the shoulder, she died that night. As punishment, Turgon had Eöl thrown to his death from the walls of the city. Maeglin remained in Gondolin, became a mighty warrior and wrought many great weapons, but his forbidden love for his cousin Idril Celebrindal would eventually cause him to betray Gondolin to Morgoth.

After fifty years, and believing the Ñoldor to be unprepared for war, Morgoth again attacked the from the north, but Fingolfin and Maedhros were ready for him and they defeated Morgoth's forces in the third Battle, called Dagor Aglareb, pursuing the Orcs to the very gates of Angband and destroying them utterly. They then laid the Siege of Angband, which lasted for four hundred years.

Almost one hundred years after the Dagor Aglareb, Morgoth's forces tried to attack the realm of Hithlum by stealing in from the far north-west, but were intercepted and defeated by Fingon. After a further hundred years, Morgoth sent forth the dragon Glaurung, the first of the Fire-drakes. Being only half-grown and not fully armoured, Glaurung was unable to withstand Fingon and his archers, eventually fleeing back to Angband. The period after the first defeat of Glaurung became known as The Long Peace, lasting almost two hundred years.

It was during this time, about three hundred years after the Ñoldor had arrived in Beleriand, that Men first came into Middle-earth from the regions far to the east. They first appeared in Ossiriand, where Finrod was the first of the Ñoldor to see them. Over the next hundred years many of them, especially the Edain, became allies of the Ñoldor in the war against Morgoth, and settled in Ñoldorin realms.

The Dagor Bragollach[]

Morgoth, however, merely used the Siege as an opportunity to build up strength, and in FA 455, renewed the war on his own terms. The fourth Great Battle, Dagor Bragollach became famous for the re-emergence of the dragon Glaurung in his full strength. Morgoth's armies overthrew the Siege, slaying many of the Ñoldor, with Glaurung laying waste to Ard-galen and Dorthonion.

Enraged by the assaults against his people, Fingolfin fearlessly made his way alone to the gates of Angband, where he challenged Morgoth to single combat and the evil Vala was forced to come out and meet him rather than appear cowardly. In the ensuing battle Fingolfin wounded Morgoth seven times, but eventually stumbled and fell among the great pits created by Morgoth's hammer, Grond. Morgoth beat Fingolfin to the ground three times with his great shield, and then crushed Fingolfin under his foot, but with his dying strength Fingolfin slashed Morgoth's foot, maiming him.

Morgoth broke Fingolfin's body and was about to throw the remains to his wolves, but Thorondor, the gigantic King of the Great Eagles, had been watching the battle from afar and at that moment flew down to rescue the body. The giant eagle gouged Morgoth's face with his talons, seized Fingolfin's body and carried it back to Gondolin for burial. After that time Morgoth's seven wounds never healed, he became lame in his left foot, where Fingolfin had hewn it, and his face forever bore the scars of Thorondor's talons.

Sixteen years later, Maedhros led the northern Ñoldor and their allies among Men in a final desperate attempt to defeat Morgoth. In this climactic battle — which was named Nírnaeth Arnoediad— the forces of the Ñoldor attacked Angband and briefly broke through the gates, only to be beaten back when Morgoth unleashed his full forces, now vastly outnumbering those of Elves and Men. Led by the terrible dragon Glaurung, Morgoth's forces crushed the armies of the Ñoldor, and many of the Elf lords were killed or captured, leaving Morgoth master of the entire North. Afterwards, he set about destroying the remaining Elf-kingdoms one by one.

Beren and Lúthien[]

Main article: Beren and Lúthien

The later parts of the Quenta Silmarillion include two stories dealing with individuals and with the relations between Men and Elves.

The tragic yet heroic story of Beren and Lúthien (which has similarities to the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice) tells of the love between the Man Beren and Lúthien, daughter of Thingol and Melian and the most beautiful of all Elf-maidens. Thingol, disliking mortal Men and determined to prevent their marriage, declares that he will consent only if Beren brings Thingol a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown. Thus, in sending Beren on this perilous quest, Thingol unwittingly binds himself to the Doom of Mandos, ensuring his eventual downfall.

Travelling to the mountains of Thangorodrim in disguise, Beren and Lúthien succeed in making their way into Angband and to the very foot of Morgoth's throne. There Lúthien reveals herself, but her beauty and charm enable her to briefly overcome the dark lord and she casts a spell that puts Morgoth and his minions to sleep. Beren then cuts one of the Silmarils from Morgoth's iron crown, but when he attempts to take a second Silmaril his knife snaps and a shard flies off; it cuts Morgoth's face, and he begins to stir.

As they leave, Morgoth and his creatures reawaken and Beren and Lúthien are confronted by Carcharoth, the giant Wolf that guards the gate of Angband. Beren attempts to hold off the terrible creature with the power of the Silmaril, but Carcharoth bites off his hand and swallows the holy jewel. Driven mad by the pain it inflicts, the creature goes on a rampage through Doriath until it is eventually killed by the mighty hound Huan. In this final battle Beren is fatally wounded by Carcharoth, so Lúthien travels in spirit to the Houses of the Dead, to plead with Mandos for Beren's release. She and Beren are sent back to Middle-earth alive, but Lúthien becomes a mortal woman, so that in time they will both die and leave the Universe together. As immortals whose souls are bound to Arda for as long as it lasts, Thingol and Melian suffer the grief of being deprived of their daughter for all time.

Túrin Turambar[]

Main article: Túrin Turambar

See also: The Children of Húrin

Also included is the story of Túrin Turambar. His father Húrin is captured at the end of the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, and for his defiance, Morgoth places a curse on his family. Túrin becomes a great hero, but due partly to his hot temper and partly to a string of bad luck (in fact, the working of Morgoth's demonic will), whatever he turns his hand to seems to go wrong, and death and grief haunt those around him. Making matters worse, both Túrin and his sister Niënor are enchanted by the mighty dragon Glaurung — who has sacked the great Elf-city of Nargothrond and taken up residence there — and they fall in love and live for time as man and wife. Eventually Túrin kills Glaurung, but with his death the spell is lifted. Driven mad by the realisation of their sins, Túrin and Niënor both commit suicide.

Gondolin[]

The last Elf-Kingdom to fall was the hidden city of Gondolin. Tuor, a mortal man, was sent by Ulmo as a messenger to Gondolin, to warn King Turgon of the city's impending destruction. Remaining in Gondolin, Tuor married Turgon's daughter, Idril, and they had a son Eärendil. Gondolin was eventually betrayed to Morgoth by Maeglin, and destroyed. Turgon fell during the battle and the High Kingship passed to Gil-galad, who dwelt on the Isle of Balar. Tuor, Idril and Eärendil escaped, together with a number of refugees.

Growing up, Eärendil married Elwing, granddaughter of Beren and Lúthien and current keeper of the Silmaril they took from Morgoth. With the help of the Silmaril, Eärendil and Elwing sailed to Valinor to plead with the Valar, asking them to pardon the Noldor and assist Elves and Men in their need. The Valar agreed to this request, and set Eärendil, with the Silmaril, to sail the skies as a star until the ending of the world.

Battle between Morgoth and the Host of the Valar[]

The Host of the Valar, led by Eönwë, finally attacked Morgoth in Angband. In this battle, the Great Battle (also known as the War of Wrath), Morgoth was utterly defeated; his armies were destroyed, with only a few remnants scattered across the Earth. He was taken prisoner and his two remaining Silmarils were confiscated. Maedhros and Maglor, Fëanor's two surviving sons, stole the Silmarils from Eönwë, but they found the Silmarils would not tolerate their touch, instead tormenting them with burning pain. Maedhros committed suicide by jumping with the Silmaril into a chasm in the earth, and Maglor threw his Silmaril away into the sea.

The Valar pardoned the Ñoldor for their rebellion, and the Teleri offered forgiveness for the Kinslaying. Many of the Ñoldor and the Sindar left Middle-earth and traveled into the West, to live in Valinor. Some followed Gil-galad and stayed in Middle-earth. Morgoth was cast out of the World, imprisoned in the Void that lies behind the Walls of Night. The Silmarils were lost "unless the World be broken and re-made", but each one found its home in one of the elements: sky, water, and earth.

In other versions[]

In very early versions of the legendarium, Tolkien wrote most of the Quenta Silmarillion as prose.^[1]

Translations[]

Foreign Language	Translated name
Amharic	ኳንታ ሶልማርሪዮን
Arabic	كوينتا سيلماريليون
Armenian	Քուենթա Սիրմալիրիոն
Belarusian Cyrillic	Квента Сільмарыліян
Bengali	কোয়ান্টা সিলমার্লিন
Bulgarian Cyrillic	Куента Силмарилион
Georgian	ქუენტა სილმარილიონი
Greek	Κουέντα Σιλμαρίλιον
Gujarati	ક્વાન્તા સિલંબરિયન
Hebrew	קוונטה סילמאריליון
Hindi	क्वेंटा सिलमरिलियन
Japanese	クウェンタ・シルマリルリオン
Kannada	ಕ್ವೆಂಟಾ ಸಿಲ್ಮಾರ್ಲಿಯನ್
Kazakh	Құента Сілмарілліон (Cyrillic) Quenta Silmarillion (Latin)
Korean	퀜타 실마릴리온
Kyrgyz Cyrillic	Куэнта Силмариллион
Laotian	ກເນຕະ ຊິລມະຣິລລິໂນ
Macedonian Cyrillic	Квента Силмарилион
Marathi	क्विटा सिल्मरिलियन
Mongolian Cyrillic	Куэнта Силмариллион
Nepalese	क्वेन्टा सिलमारिन्स
Pashto	قوېنتا صیلماریللیون
Persian	کوئنتا سیلماریلیون
Punjabi	ਕੁਵਟਾ ਸਿਲਮਰਿਲੀਅਨ
Russian	Квента Сильмариллион
Serbian	Квента Силмарилион (Cyrillic) Kventa Silmarilion (Latin)
Sinhalese	ක්වෙන්ටා සිලමිලන්
Tajik Cyrillic	Қуента Силмариллион
Tamil	க்வந்தா சில்மாரியிலி
Telugu	క్వెంటా సిల్మారిలియన్
Thai	เควนตา ซิลมาริลลิออน
Ukrainian Cyrillic	Квента Сильмариліон
Urdu	قوانت سالمآراللیون
Uzbek	Куента Силмариллион (Cyrillic) Kuenta Silmarillion (Latin)
Yiddish	כוענטאַ סילמאַרילליאָנ

J.R.R. Tolkien's - The Silmarillion
Ainulindalë \| Valaquenta \| Quenta Silmarillion \| Akallabêth \| Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age
The History of Middle-earth (earlier versions of the story of The Silmarillion)

References[]

↑ The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 19.

[1] The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien, Letter 19.

[1]