The Silmarillion

Updated: Sep 22, 2022

Title: The Silmarillion

Author: J. R. R. Tolkien

Published by: George Allen & Unwin

Published on: 1977

Pages: 365

If joyful is the fountain that rises in the sun, its springs are in the wells of sorrow unfathomed at the foundations of the Earth.

After the succes of The Hobbit, Tolkien's publisher asked him to write another story set in Middle-Earth. What they meant was, 'Hey, write us another story about these charming and fun Hobbitses!'; what Tolkien heard was, 'Unleash your awesomeness to the world!'.

Unfortunately, the world was not ready for his brilliance; his publisher rejected The Silmarillion -- the one that he actually wrote as a sequel to The Hobbit. Tolkien then went on to write The Lord of the Rings, which was grrrreat in and of itself. LotR later on became more popular and more revered as compared to The Hobbit. But let's face it, his genius is clearly etched in every single page of The Silmarillion's.

The Silmarillion is basically the Holy Bible of Tolkien's world. It started with Genesis: how Eru Ilúvatar created Eä (the universe), as well as the planets in it. Along with His Angels, called Ainur, they created planet Arda, where the Children of Ilúvatar (i.e. Elves and Men) lived. Many of the Ainur chose to reside there, with fourteen of them called Valar and the helpers Maiar. A few of the Maiar would later become the Wizards in the Third Age. The first part of the book, Ainulindalë, explains the beginning of this world and how it came to be. Alas, like the Genesis we know in the Bible, there was one Ainu who rebelled: Melkor. He composed his own music during the creation of Arda, but Eru Ilúvatar managed to turn it into harmony. However, seeds of discord had been planted in Arda.

Valaquenta elaborates more on the Valar and Maiar, as well as their tasks in Arda. Melkor then seduced many Maiar to join his side -- including those who would later become Sauron and Balrogs. He later became the first Dark Lord, more commonly known as Morgoth.

Quenta Silmarillion composes the bulk of the book, considering it bears the story's namesake. Silmarils were three jewels composed of the unmarred light of the Two Trees. Basically, after Elves woke up and began to populate Arda, the Valar invited them to live in Valinor, which was located in a continent called Aman. Melkor was also imprisoned there. The Elves who chose to accept and continue to live in Aman were the Vanyar; those who accepted but later returned to Middle-Earth were the Noldor; and those who refused were the Teleri -- including the Sindari, under the rule of Thingol and Melia, a Maia. In Aman, Fëanor, son of Finwë, created Silmarils using the light of the Two Trees from Valinor. It is said that after Melkor feigned regret, he created chaos amongst the Elves, destroyed the Two Trees, and stole the Silmarils. Fëanor and his family swore to reclaim the Silmarils and to destroy Melkor as well as those in their way.

As the First Age ended, the Second Age began and is told in Akallabêth. After Melkor, or Morgoth as he was later mostly known, was defeated, the Valar gave the island of Númenor to three loyal houses of Men who helped the Elves during the war. Not only that, they were also given wisdom, power, and longer life compared to other Men. Here we see the rise of Sauron, Morgoth's most loyal servant, who would later become the greatest force of evil in Arda.

The last part, Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, sums up the events that lead to the story we know and love in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

EGGLYSIS

Do not be fooled by the size of this book. It may not be as humongous as GRRM's TWoIaF or Fire & Blood, but it is more packed compared to those giants. Same thing with the LotR trilogies; they may not boast thousands of pages like today's fantasy books, but I promise you will spend weeks longer before being able to finish.

I'd known beforehand that Tolkien basically created a world in and of itself with Middle-Earth, but I hadn't known the scope was this much and thorough. It definitely feels like reading a book of myths and legends of a well-established, albeit fictional, world. My favourite part has got to be Quenta Silmarillion, because maaaate! There's a reason the title of this book is The Silmarillion, not The Númenor nor The Dúnedain. Those who dare said Tolkien's works are vanilla and Elves are boring, are clearly uneducated knobheads. How DARE you read about Fëanor's arrogance and claim he is two-dimensional? Or Nirnaeth Arnoediad, The Battle of Unnumbered Tears, and say his war chapters are vanilla? Don't even get me started on Húrin.

HÚRIN MY LOVE WHY YOU TORTURE ME SO

You can imagine my excitement when I found out that Amazon was concocting a series based on The Silmarillion. I couldn't wait to see all these awesomeness on screen! So I was completely heartbroken when it was confirmed that the series would focus on the Second Age.

HOW THE SERIES CREATOR COULD READ SOMETHING AS AWESOME AS THIS AND NOT ADAPT IT INTO A SHOW

Then Fëanor swore a terrible oath. His seven sons leapt straightway to his side and took the selfsame vow together, and red as blood shone their drawn swords in the glare of the torches. They swore an oath which none shall break, and none should take, by the name even of Ilúvatar, calling the Everlasting Dark upon them if they kept it not; and Manwë they named in witness, and Varda, and the hallowed mountain of Taniquetil, vowing to pursue with vengeance and hatred to the ends of the World Vala, Demon, Elf or Man as yet unborn, or any creature, great or small, good or evil, that time should bring forth unto the end of days, whoso should hold or take or keep a Silmaril from their posession.

-Chapter 9: Of the Flight of the Noldor

There upon the confines of Dor Daedeloth, the land of Morgoth, Fëanor was surrounded, with few friends about him. Long he fought on, and undismayed, though he was wrapped in fire and wounded with many wounds; but at the last he was smitten to the ground by Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs.

--Chapter 13: Of the Return of the Noldor

BEYOND

Therefore Húrin was brought before Morgoth, for Morgoth knew that he had the friendship of the King of Gondolin; but Húrin defied him, and mocked him. Then Morgoth cursed Húrin and Morwen and their offspring, and set a doom upon them of darkness and sorrow; and taking Húrin from prison he set him in a chair of stone upon a high place of Thangorodrim. There he was bound by the power of Morgoth, and Morgoth standing beside him cursed him again; and he said: 'Sit now there; and look out upon the lands where evil and despair shall come upon those whom thou lovest. Thou hast dared to mock me, and to question the power of Melkor, Master of the fates of Arda. Therefore with my eyes thou shalt see, and with my ears thou shalt hear; and never shalt thou move from this place until all is fulfilled unto its bitter end.' And even so it came to pass; but it is not said that Húrin asked ever of Morgoth either mercy or death, for himself or for any of his kin.

--Chapter 20: Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad