# The Magic of the Silmarillion



## Maedhros (Aug 21, 2002)

Do you remember the first time that you read the Sil? I sure do. I remember being taken into this magical world that I have never imagined. The rebellion of Melkor and his struggle against his brethren. (At that time, I never understood why didn't he took the Valar one by one and killed them, now I know better.); the decision of Fëanor to go against the will of the Valar and bring war to Morgoth, the great friendship that existed between Maedhros and Fingon that no lies of Melkor could destroy, and the fact that both of them remained loyal to his friend.
The great wrath of Fingolfin and his duel with Morgoth, Wow; and the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. I remember the thrill that I felt as the host of Maedhros sent out to attack Angband, the coming of his friend Fingon, and the words of Fingon when Turgon came:


> 'Utúlie'n aurë! Aiya Eldalië ar Atanatári, utúlie'n aurë! The day has come! Behold, people of the Eldar and Fathers of Men, the day has come!' And all those who heard his great voice echo in the hills answered crying: 'Auta i lómë! The night is passing!'


That was pure magic to me.
And when Fingon and Turgon hopes went up when they heard the trumpets of Maedhros, and I thought: "This is ultra cool", but then all hell broke loose and the eldar were defeated.

What is your favorite moment of the Silmarillion?
Che pensi tu?


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## Confusticated (Aug 21, 2002)

Right now I am only a little ways into the book for my second time. I first read it a few weeks ago. I loved the story or Eru and the music of the Ainur, that pulled me into the book right away. I knew very little about the Silmarillion before I read it. I was taken by surprise with that first part. There are so many names that I do not remember which actions go with which charactor, so I am reading this second time. I will read it periodicly for the rest of my life. It's still so new to me. Some of my favorite parts: Fingon rescuing Maedhros. Finrod's meeting of the humans. Beleg's death. Fingolfin's stand against Morgoth. Finrod's death..killing the wolf with his hands and teeth. All to do with Huan. Also the part you mentioned...the fifth battle...was a one of the best chapters. All of this is still sinking in for me, and as I read it this second time I realise how much I missed in my first reading. It has lost no intensity.
It is like magic, what this book does...being someone who uses dreams and ideas as a major source of pleasure, this book...I don't have the words to describe it. I look forward to being able to discuss this more indepth once I've read it this second time. JRR Tolkien, in my opinion, gave us the greatest gift that you can give someone who loves to dream and is merely content to exist in this world. Someone for whom our world is just there, like it or not, tired of it or not. Never has an outside source been the cause of such intense wonder for me as is Tolkien's Middle-Earth. If Tolkien were here now...I could never thank him enough. Not just for the Silmarillion, but for all of Middle-earth.


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## Hama (Aug 24, 2002)

My friends and family laugh at me because I carry around this dog-eared and broken-spine copy of the Silmarillion around with me wherever I go. I travel a lot, so when I am in some strange bed in a strange country, I whip out the Sil and read any part of it I want. I think the story I like the most is the coming of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin. I like the extended versions of both these stories a lot more naturally. And secondly, the Fifth Battle as you described it. It is absolutely magnificent. Each story though has its own 'flavour' for lack of a better word. I like them all and I like the piece as a whole. 


I don't know if its only me, but I have always wondered whether some guy sitting behind a desk in a TV studio is a Tolkien fan and has taken it upon himself to make a TV show of it. I only hope, if they ever do, it would be more true to the original than the Lord of the Rings movies.


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## Ceorl (Aug 24, 2002)

Well I was reading the Sil again for I think about the fifth time (I lose count) and when I read the Fall of Gondolin I nearly cried it was that emotional. I guess it was the first time that I had really thought about all those Elves and so much knowledge and things of beauty being destroyed. I quote the most emotional passage:



> Of the deeds of desperate valour there done, by the chieftains of the noble houses and their warriors, and not least by Tuor, much is told in the _Fall of Gondolin_: of the battle of Ecthelion of the Fountain with Gothmog Lord of Balrogs in the very square of the King, where each slew each other, and of the defense of the tower of Turgon by the people of his household, until thwe tower was overthrown; and mighty was its fall and the fall of Turgon in its ruin.


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## Confusticated (Aug 24, 2002)

Parts like that give me chills...so many parts in The Silmarillion do. It adds a whole new richness to Middle-earth when you read it after reading The Lord of the Rings. Last night I came upon a time line and it was the first one that I've seen that covered the first three ages and a little into the 4th. I read the entire thing and as I got to certain events I would get chills, it was so real....the last event listed really got me....the death of Aragorn's son. There were all the Elves and the amazing things that they did, and all that happend with the men, hobbits, and wizards...then Suddenly none of the fellowship remain, and at last Aragorn's own son dies. It's like the closing of middle-earth. Like it is all over. The Silmarillion gives me a better understanding of the value of Middle-earth.
And do you know what I think is unexplainable about the Silmarillion? The lack of dialog, and yet we come to love the charactors anyhow. We don't get to know their personalities the way we get to know Bilbo's in The Hobbit,the things that i thought caused me to like Bilbo so much do not exist when it comes to Silmarillion charactors... and still they feel just as real anyways. I don't know how this happens.


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## Ceorl (Aug 24, 2002)

I know exactly how you feel, the thing that was worst about the Fall of Gondolin passage is the way that so many Elves, who were ancient beyond comprehension, and had so much lore and were so beautiful, died with valour in such a desperate and valiant way, not to mention the way that the kings household guarded his house until the last, such was the loyalty of the Eldar.


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## mr underhill (Aug 26, 2002)

this boook is cool!

Although i wouldnt recomend reading it before LOTR...

Then it might confuse people!

and spoil the story!


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## Hama (Aug 27, 2002)

*URGENT*

Confusticated, Chum of Gildor:
I would really appreciate it if you told me where I could lay my hands on that timeline you were talking about. I have been looking long and hard for one.
Thanks


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## Confusticated (Aug 27, 2002)

chronology  

Check that out Hama...I got the link from Grond the other day.


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## Elfarmari (Aug 27, 2002)

I like anything that has to do with Húrin, Tuor, or Gondolin. This is my favorite part: 


> Last of all Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed; and it is sung that the axe smoked in the black blood of the troll-guard of Gothmog until it withered, and each time that he slew Húrin cried: 'Aurë entuluva! Day shall come again!' Seventy times he uttered that cry; but they took him at last alive, by the command of Morgoth.


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## Moriquende (Aug 28, 2002)

My favourite part is ofcourse the fifth battle but also the story about Beren and Luthien as well as of Maeglin but when it comes down to it I must say that my most favourite part is the whole book


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## Lord Aragorn (Aug 28, 2002)

After reading The Hobbit, and then LoTR I was a Tolkien fan. But after reading The Sil, I became a Tolkien fanatic. The stories in The Sil are so exciting, and stir emotions like nothing I've read before. The Sil remains my favorite book of all time.


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## Confusticated (Sep 2, 2002)

*Of the Flight of the Noldor*

This chapter is more powerful for me the second time reading, unlike the chapters before it.
This is because reading it this time I know what will become of the actions taken by Feanor and his followers. There is also a stronger feeling of doom and of despair than was there during the first reading.


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## Theoden (Sep 4, 2002)

All I have to say is that as soon as you open the front cover of the Silmarillion, hold on tight because the Magic sweeps you off your feet and takes you to a land so full of it that your heart wishes it truely existed somewhere. At least, that was the way it was for me.

-me


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## Lhunithiliel (Sep 5, 2002)

From the very first time I read the Silmarillion I fell in love with it! 
Before it I had read the LOTR and the Hobbit, but what really made me start being interested in Tolkien was the Silmarillion
For I HAVE NEVER EVER BEFORE read or heard of such a BEAUTIFUL (Oh, words are weak! ) interpretation of the creation of our world!!!!! 
I drove crazy all the people around me telling them about it!
Then I read the book once again and once more (unfortunately translated!), then I found the English language version(not long ago, though) and I can not now think of any other pleasure but rereading bits form this book and searching all and every possible additional sources and information related.

My favourite part, however, is the Tale of Turin. And though there are a lot of moments in this tale that I like particularly, I think two I can call "the best" - (1) when Glaurung holds Turin under the spell of his eyes and (2) when Turin speaks to his sword asking him to take his life.
POWERFUL!!! TOUCHING!!! I can read this tale in all its variants (I have done it ..... almost) and I can never get bored or feel less interest or less strength of the emotional tornado it brings to my soul!


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## zarda (Sep 8, 2002)

There's not much that I can say because I do not know the words to express how great the Silmarillion is. I am filled with wonder of how Tolkien came up with such a master-piece. But it saddens me to know that I can learn no more from The Master about His world for I think that he would have started his work too late in his life, leaving it unfulfilled in its compleatness, yet it is it's compleatness that makes it unbelievable yet very believable. I'm not sure that makes sence but anyway....
All I can say (and no doubt it's obvious) is that Silmarillion is the most brilliant and magical book in the world,


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