[sindohte]

Discussion on the chapter - Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin will officially begin on Monday 9/6.

Anna will begin the discussion of this chapter.

Anyone wandering by this thread should feel free to raise questions or make comments.

Please try to keep the comments on this thread strictly related to discussion of the Silm.

[Anna]

I know I´m late in posting this, but my computer hasn´t been very co-operative the last couple of days. Sorry...

So without further ado....

In the beginning of this chapter Fingolfin is pretty much the only one who figures Morgoth still has something vile up his sleeve. He thinks it would be a good idea to try to get rid of him, taking advantage of the fact that the Elves are somewhat united at this point and can count upon the help from quite a lot of brave Men. But the Noldor don´t want to listen to him (in spite of him being the High King of the Noldor and all... ) -- they are either lazy, naïve or stupid (and/or suffers from a case of severe arrogance)! They think everything is fine and dandy, and are not very willing to pick a fight with Morgoth, which would lead to the death for a lot of people no matter the out-come. Angrod and Aegnor agrees with Fingolfin, but that is most likely b/c their next-door neighbour is Morgoth.

After a couple of centuries it turns out Fingolfin was right all along. Morgoth had been very busy indeed in the pits of Angband - nourishing his hatred of the Noldor. So, on a dark and cold winter-night, when the Noldor feels safe and sound, he unleashes rivers of fire and covers the Ard-galen in deadly gas. Ard-galen is completely destroyed and is re-named Anfauglith (the Gasping Dust). This is the beginning of the fourth of the great battles -- Dagor Bragollach, the Battle of Sudden Flame.
Well, we know Morgoth wasn´t a half-measure kind of guy, so he sends forth Glaurung (father of dragons), Balrogs and more Orcs the Noldor could ever imagine.
Somehow I think they regretted not having listened to Fingolfin in the first place.

After this Tolkien gives us a little 'name-dropping' -- you know, that person dies, this person flees, that character over there is 'spared', another one is slain and so on. Sorry, I´m in no mood for battles right now...
Though, I love this line: 'Maedhros did deeds of surpassing valour, and the Orcs fled before his face; for since his torment upon Thangorodrim his spirit burned like a white fire within, and he was as one that returns from the dead.'

Well, after a while Fingolfin thinks the Noldor are all crushed and this ticks him off a bit. He rides in a fury all the way to Angband and demands a single combat with Morgoth or he will tell everyone he (Morgoth, that is...) is a chicken. Something like that...
Of course, Morgoth (being all 'testosterony') has to prove he is NOT a chicken, but a powerful and dark and evil badass, thank you very much. Naturally, Fingolfin is killed in the end, but he had Morgoth work really hard for it!
I must say, I love the way Tolkien used contrasts in telling the story of the battle between Morgoth and Fingolfin! Morgoth: clad in black, iron-crowned, his shadow like a stormcloud. Fingolfin: gleaming like a star, silver and crystals, sword glittering like ice, swift like lightning.

I will continue this later -- my daughter wants to play with me.
So...until later!

[ellie]

What a way to die: Morgoth stepping on your neck. Wasn't that described as being like the weight of a mountain. That's hard to fathom (sorry we aren't talking about water, are we?). That much weight in such a small place. I wonder why the eagle took Fingolfin's body to Turgon and not to Fingon? Was Turgon just closer to the nest?

Looking forward to more of the summary.

Ellie

[sindohte]

Great summary so far Anna I will have to go back and re-read the chapter in order to be able to give some slightly more intelligent comments. However, the only comment that I have to make right now is that I find it interesting that level headed Fingolfin starts acting like he was smoking from the same crack pipe that Feanor was obviously using when he up and challenges Morgoth to fight him one on one I guess it just goes to show how intense the Noldor Elves were when they got all fired up about something.

[Thuriniel]

The fight between Fingolfin and Morgoth is incredible. I don't know if Fingolfin had any hopes of winning, but, to be totally blunt, he must've had quite a pair of cojones to go and face Morgoth alone!

There's something to be said about the Noldor ...

I also noticed the choice of colors and the stark contrast between Morgoth and Fingofin ... Fingolfin all clad in pure, light tones, while Morgorth all clad in dark tones like a "shadow." Very good observation, Anna.

I can't wait to read the rest of the summary !

[Thuriniel]

I just found this ... and I needed to share. It's a drawing of Fingolfin fighting Morgoth by John Howe.

http://www.councilofelrond.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=My_eGallery&file=index&do=showpic&pid=2497&orderby=titleA

[ellie]

My only problem with this picture is that Fingolfin had dark hair. Otherwise, it is a good depiction. sorry for being nit picky...

Ellie

[Thuriniel]

That's funny ... the main problem I have with this picture is that it seems that Fingolfin has a beard ! The play of shadows in his face make it seem as if he has stubble ... but then it might be that we're not looking at the original.

So Fingolfin has dark hair ... OK, I'll write that down. Hair color in the Silmarillion effaces me sometimes ... it says that all the Eldar have dark hair, doesn't it? But then blonds pop up all over the place.

... and I keep finding drawings of Maedhros and some of his brothers as redheads. I suppose that doesn't have any canon basis?

Am I going off topic? If I am, you have my permission to kick me !

[ellie]