#hador

[fickleartdump]

that one present that keeps getting regifted

[pukiirice]

Hador along with his lord and lover Fingolfin

Now when we see the meadows-once again

in flower and the orchards turning green,

streams and fountains running clear,

the breezes and the winds,

it is right that each man celebrate the joy

that makes him rejoice.

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Reading Tolkien’s annotated translation of Beowulf, and learning all kinds of things about LOTR and the Silm from it!

First:

Leave here your warlike shields [from Beowulf]

[Tolkien’s commentary; bold mine:] Note the prohibition of weapons or accoutrements of battle in the hall. To walk in with spear and shield was like walking in nowadays with your hat on. The basis of these rules was of course fear and prudence among the ever-present dangers of a heroic age, but they were made part of the ritual, of good manners. Compare the prohibition against drawing a sword in the officers’ mess. Swords of course also were dangerous; but they were evidently regarded as part of a knight’s attire, and he would not in any case be willing to lay aside his sword, a thing of great cost and often an heirloom.

This gives me some perspective around Tolkien’s probable intended tone for the moment in Meduseld in The Two Towers where Aragon strongly protests against being told to leave Andúril (a sword of very great value and ancientry, and very much an heirloom) with the door-warden. From a contemporary perspective it’s easy to read it as Aragorn being unnecessarily prideful and combative, but this passage strongly indicates that Tolkien intends it to be Théoden who is being unreasonable in that event, an indication - along with many others in the scene, prior to Gandalf dislodging Saruman’s influence - that Théoden is being discourteous and behaving in a manner unworthy of a king who is recieving heroes offering aid. (The fact of Meduseld being a ‘golden hall’ like famous Heorot in Beowulf may be deliberate to strengthen the parallel.)

Second (immediately following the above commentary):

But against this danger [from swords] very severe laws existed protecting the ‘peace’ of a king’s hall. It was death in Scandanavia to cause a brawl in the king’s hall. Among the laws of the West Saxon king Ine is found: ‘If any man fight in the king’s house, he shall forfeit all his estate, and it shall be for the king to judge whether he be put to death or not.’

This adds context to the incident in the story of Túrin in The Silmarillion where Saeros taunts Túrin in Menegroth and Túrin responds by throwing a heavy drinking-vessel at him and injuring him (it’s indicated the injury is serious, so I’d take it along the lines of him giving him a broken nose and knocking out some teeth.) It is stated in at least some versions of the story that death is the punishment for drawing weapons in the king’s hall, in line with the historical customs mentioned here. This gives a further emphasis that what actually happens - Túrin is not punished at all and Mablung strongly reprimands Saeros for provoking him - illustrates that Túrin is, Saeros’ behaviour notwithstanding, in very high favour in Menegroth. (Saeros as the king’s counsellor is also in roughly the same position as Unferth in Beowulf, who taunts the titular character - Beowulf responds heatedly but without violence. Tolkien may be setting up a deliberate contrast here.)

Third:

The word hádor is an adjective meaning ‘clear, bright’…it is almost always found in reference to the sky (or the sun or stars). But that association is in description of brightness…

This was one a lightbulb moment: oh, in the name of Hador Goldenhead (the ancestor of Húrin, Túrin, and Tuor in The Silmarillion), ‘Goldenhead’ isn’t an additional name/epessë so much as it’s a glossed translation of ‘Hador’! The guy with bright, golden hair.

Fourth: Going back to the Rohirrim - Edoras, the name of their capital city/royal court, is basically just the Old English for ‘courts’:

under was very frequently used in describing position within, or movement to within, a confined space, especially of enclosures or prisons, ‘within four walls’. Cf. in under eoderas (eoderas being the outer fences of the courts), ‘in amid the courts’….‘eoder’ means both ‘fence (protection)’ and ‘fenced enclosure, a court’.

I’m also learning a lot about Beowulf - Tolkien’s notes are clarifying a lot of tone and nuances, not to mention the political/diplomatic relationships between the different kingdoms, which were confusing me - but it’s amazing how much it reveals about ways that Tolkien’s knowledge informed his legendarium!

[bretwalda-lamnguin]

The Edain seem to act as auxiliaries within the Noldor military system, and I think it’s interesting to look at their relationship to the Noldor with comparison to historical auxilary systems. At first the Edain’s main settlement is Estolad, with many Edain moving first in small numbers and then, over 50 years, thousands move into the lands of the Noldor. 

Whatever the case, this arrangement is clearly considered unsatisfactory. In the Silmarillion we are told: “After a time the Elf-Kings, seeing that it was not good for Elves and Men to dwell mingled together without order, and that Men needed lords of their own kind, set regions apart where Men could live their own lives, and appointed chieftains to hold these lands freely. They were the allies of the Eldar in war, but marched under their own leaders. Yet many of the Edain had delight in the friendship, and dwelt among them for so long as they had leave; and the young men often took service for a time in the hosts of the kings.”

It seems likely that bigotry and racism played at least some part in the desire to separate the Edain from the Elves, perhaps including fears of the possibility of relationships and marriages between the two. It also isn’t clear where these Men reside, and it doesn’t seem like there was any formal arrangement at this point. It may be that the Noldor’s population density was low enough that they could easily settle the Edain within their lands on new farms and villages, or incorporate Edain families on existing Noldor farms which had too much land and too few hands to work it. We don’t know how effective elven agriculture was, it may be that the Noldor could grow better, more calorie rich food with less labour, allowing for a higher urban population. This would of course leave more land for the Edain.  

The change and formalisation of this relationship was driven as well by military concerns. The Noldor need more soldiers to fight Morgoth, and are unable to make good their own losses. The Edain are expected to make up this shortfall, providing new forces, fighting under their own leaders to do it. This would be in addition to topping up existing ones, implied by the line about Men taking service for a time in the host of elven kings. This would also give experience to the Edainic troops in fighting in the same fashion as the Noldor, creating a strong ‘core’ around which to build their own forces, though the Hadorians certainly seem quite militarised to start with. The Noldor’s aim with this relationship is to maximise military potential, they’re not interested in exploiting the Edain for wealth, only for manpower. In that it resembles the Socii system of the Roman republic, whereby cities allied with or conquered by Rome within Italy wouldn’t pay taxes to Rome but were expected to provide troops when asked. 

While the Edain who perform this service directly for the Noldor kings may be paid in money, it doesn’t seem like the Edain’s own forces are paid for by the elves. Instead the land is granted to them by the Noldor, and then it is the responsibility of the Edain’s own chieftains to raise military forces when the Noldor require it. This system makes use of an asset, land, that they have in abundance while costing nothing and putting no bureaucratic strain on the Noldor to organise these forces. 

This granting of new lands may also make it easier for the Edain to be better armed and equipped. With access to significant, better quality land to produce agricultural surplus that allows them to spend more time and money on armour and weaponry. It may also be that elven blacksmiths were taking Edainic apprentices, and buying weapons from the elves themselves, though even for Húrin an elven knife was a great expense, as we see from the one given as a birthday gift to Túrin. 

This all seems similar to another Roman auxiliary system, the Foederati system used by the later Roman and western Roman empires. These were often settled on land within the empire that had been depopulated in war, often wars against peoples who themselves became Foederati once defeated. This system was rife with abuses on the Roman side, resulting in several significant Foederati rebellions. Foederati leaders however did become prominent within the western Roman state, and as its economy declined the western Roman army became increasingly dependent on Foederati forces, with the last western Roman emperor being overthrown in Italy by the Foederati leader Odoacer (who was in turn defeated by Theoderic, King of the Ostrogoths, who had been Foederati of the eastern Roman empire). 

Hador gets by far the best deal of all the Edainic chieftains. He gets Dor-Lómin, previously the land of Fingon, Fingolfin’s son and heir. This seems very strange, but Hador holds a pretty strong hand in negotiations. He has the largest force of all the Edain, and the Noldor need that manpower. I do wonder if there was any political fall out from that, between Fingolfin and Fingon. It certainly undermines Fingon's position as Fingolfin's heir. What happened to the Elves already living there? Did they fall under Hador’s authority? Did many stay or did all or most leave, by choice or compulsion? This is complicated of course by the Sindar who live under the rule of Noldor kings, many of whom still have some loyalty to Thingol as King of the Sindar, who at that point at least was certainly no friend of Men.

The Edain obviously have far better relations with the Noldor than the Foederati did, their terms seem to be honoured generally and they remain loyal to the end. The attempt by the Fëanorians to extend this system to the Easterlings goes a lot less well. Perhaps the reputation for treachery established by the kinslaying and the coup in Nargothrond counts heavily against the Fëanorians here, with the people of Uldor rebelling against them and joining the enemy. Perhaps they were settled on low quality lands, Morgoth rewards the Easterlings who side with him with Dor-Lómin, suggesting that whatever lands the Fëanorians gave them were lower quality. 

Part of this is definitely just cold calculation. Uldor’s people believe Morgoth will win, and so align themselves with him. This may come from them having more familiarity with him, and a better understanding of his power. It’s notable that Húrin, even after the fourth battle, doesn’t just agree with the Noldor’s cause but has a genuine belief that they will win the war. Morwen of course doesn’t share this belief.

[arofili]

@tolkiengenweek day three | fealty | hador and fingolfin

Yet many of the Edain had delight in the friendship of the Elves, and dwelt among them for so long as they had leave; and the young men often took service for a time in the hosts of the kings. Now Hador Lórindol, son of Hathol, son of Magor, son of Malach Aradan, entered the household of Fingolfin in his youth, and was loved by the King. Fingolfin therefore gave to him the lordship of Dor-lómin, and into that land he gathered most of the people of his kin, and became the mightiest of the chieftains of the Edain.

—The Silmarillion, “Of the Coming of Men Into the West”

[thelien-art]

Of the Three Houses of the Edain; Bëor, Haleth, and Hador

I swear! This is the last time I change Bëor´s design! I am happy with him now!

[magicalhideoutengineer]

The Greatest and the Mightiest

Melkor must be made far more powerful in original nature (cf. ‘Finrod and Andreth’). The greatest power under Eru (sc. the greatest created power). (He was to make / devise / begin; Manwë (a little less great) was to improve, carry out, complete.)

- Morgoth's Ring: Myths Transformed

Then the fires of the heart of Fëanor were kindled, and his eyes blazed; and his sight burned through all the fair-semblance of Melkor to the dark depths of his mind, perceiving there his fierce lust for the Silmarils. Then hate overcame Fëanor’s fear, and he spoke shamefully to Melkor, saying: ‘Get thee from my gate, gangrel! Thou jail-crow of Mandos!’ And he shut the door of his house in the face of the mightiest of all the dwellers in Eä.

- Morgoth's Ring: Of the Silmarils and the Darkening of Valinor

Yet it is said that though his [Melkor's] power and strength is the greatest of the Valar and of all things here below, at heart he is a craven when alone, and that he took not the challenge willingly.

- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa

Thus the Ainur came into the world, whom we call the Valar, or the Powers, and they dwelt in many places: in the firmament, or in the deeps of the sea, or upon earth, or in Valinor upon the borders of earth. And the four greatest were Melko and Manwë and Ulmo and Aulë.

- The Lost Road and Other Writings: Ainulindalë

Greatest in strength and deeds of prowess is Tulkas, who is surnamed Astaldo, the Valiant.

- Silmarillion: Valaquenta

Manwë was the spirit of greatest wisdom and prudence in Arda.

- Morgoth's Ring: Myths Transformed

Aulë, for instance, one of the Great, in a sense ‘fell’; for he so desired to see the Children, that he became impatient and tried to anticipate the will of the Creator. Being the greatest of all craftsmen he tried to make children according to his imperfect knowledge of their kind.

- Letter 212

But others say that this is the black shadow of Sauron, whom the Gnomes named Gorthû, who served Morgoth even in Valinor and came with him, and was the greatest and most evil of his underlings;

- The Lost Road and Other Writings: Quenta Silmarillion

For Fëanor was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind: in valour, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and subtlety alike: of all the Children of Eru, and a bright flame was in him.

- Morgoth's Ring: The Annals of Aman

But the great gifts of the Ñoldor did not come from the teaching of Melkor. Fëanor the greatest of them all never had any dealings with Melkor in Aman, and was his greatest foe.

- The War of Jewels: Quendi and Eldar

Fëanor was the greatest of the Eldar in arts and lore, but also the proudest and most selfwilled.

- The Return of the King: Appendix A: Annals of the Kings and Rulers

Then he[Fëanor]died; but he had neither burial nor tomb, for so fiery was his spirit that, as it passed, his body fell to ash and was borne away like a smoke, and his likeness has never again appeared in Arda, neither has his spirit left the realm of Mandos. Thus ended the mightiest of the Noldor, of whose deeds came both their greatest renown and their most grievous woe.

- The War of Jewels: The Grey Annals

For Fëanor beheld the hair of Galadriel with wonder and delight. He begged three times for a tress, but Galadriel would not give him even one hair. These two kinsfolk, the greatest of the Eldar of Valinor, [who together with the greatest of all the Eldar, Lúthien Tinúviel, daughter of Elu Thingol, are the chief matter of the legends and histories of the Elves.] were unfriends for ever.

- The Peoples of Middle-earth: Shibboleth of Fëanor

Galadriel was the greatest of the Ñoldor, except Fëanor maybe, though she was wiser than he, and her wisdom increased with the long years.

- The Peoples of Middle-earth: Shibboleth of Fëanor

In Lindon south of the Lune dwelt for a time Celeborn, kinsman of Thingol; his wife was Galadriel, greatest of Elven women.

- The Return of the King: Appendix B: The Tale of Years

Most grievous of the losses of that battle was the death of Fingolfin mightiest of the Noldoli.

- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa

Though Fingolfin of Hithlum was overlord of all the Noldor, Inglor, well-beloved of all Elves, became indeed the greatest prince in the land.

- The War of Jewels: The Grey Annals

Eärwen gave this name [Ingoldo] to her eldest child Artafindë (Finrod), and by it he was usually called by his brothers and sister who esteemed him and loved him. It was never Sindarized (the form would have been Angoloð). The name spread from his kin to many others who held him in honour, especially to Men (the Atani) of whom he was the greatest friend among the Eldar. Thus later it became frequent as a given name in Númenor, and continued to be so in Gondor, though reduced in the Common Speech to Ingold

- The Peoples of Middle-earth: Shibboleth of Fëanor

Therefore they are called the Sindar, the Grey Elves, but themselves they named Eglath, the Forsaken. Elwë after became their king, mightiest of all the Alamanyar [correction to Úmanyar missed]. He it was who was called Thingol in the language of Doriath.

- Morgoth's Ring: Of the Coming of the Elves

Thirdly: because after the death of Fëanor the overlordship of the Exiles passed to Fingolfin (save among the followers of Fëanor’s sons), and he acknowledged the high-kingship of Thingol, being indeed in awe of that king, mightiest of the Eldar save Fëanor, and of Melian no less.

- The War of Jewels: The Grey Annals

Throughout the Third Age the guardianship of the Three Rings was known only to those who possessed them. But at the end it became known that they had been held at first by the three greatest of the Eldar: Gil-galad, Galadriel and Círdan.

- The Return of the King: Appendix B: The Tale of Years

Now Hador Glorindol, son of Hathol, son of Magor, son of Malach Aradan entered the household of Fingolfin in youth, and was loved by the king. Fingolfin therefore gave to him the lordship of Dor-lómin, and into that land he gathered most of the people of his kin and became the mightiest of the chieftains of the Edain.

- The War of Jewels: Of Men

Then Gethron spoke the message of Morwen before Thingol and Melian; and Thingol received them kindly, and set Túrin upon his knee in honour of Húrin, mightiest of Men, and of Beren his kinsman.

- The Children of Húrin: Túrin in Doriath

Yet Thingol would not take the hoard, and long he bore with Húrin; but Húrin scorned him, and wandered forth in quest of Morwen his wife, but it is not said that he found her ever upon the earth; and some have said that he cast himself at last into the western sea, and so ended the mightiest of the warriors of mortal Men.

- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa

Thingol desires the unwrought gold brought by Húrin to be worked; he sends for the greatest craftsmen on earth, the Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost; and they coming desire the treasure for themselves, the Silmaril also, and plot to gain it.

- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa

Long was the search, and in searching Dairon the piper of Doriath was lost, who loved Lúthien before Beren came to Doriath. He was the greatest of the musicians of the Elves, save Maglor son of Fëanor, and Tinfang Warble. > and Maglor son of Fëanor and Tinfang Gelion alone are named with him.

- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa

For Maglor was the mightiest of the singers of old, but he came never back among the people of the Elves.

- The Lost Road and Other Writings: Quenta Silmarillion

Eärendel was the son of Tuor and Idril and ’tis said the only being that is half of the kindred of the Eldalië and half of Men. He was the greatest and first of all mariners among Men, and saw regions that Men have not yet found nor gazed upon for all the multitude of their boats.

- The Book of Lost Tales: The Tale of Eärendel

Thus it was that the many emissaries of the Gnomes in after days came never back to Valinor – save one, and he came too late.> the mightiest mariner of song.

- The Shaping of Middle-earth: Quenta Noldorinwa

Eärendil became a character in the earliest written (1916–17) of the major legends: The Fall of Gondolin, the greatest of the Pereldar ‘Half-elven’, son of Tuor of the most renowned House of the Edain, and Idril daughter of the King of Gondolin.

- Letter 297

Thus Ar-Pharazôn, King of the Land of the Star, grew to the mightiest tyrant that had yet been in the world since the reign of Morgoth, though in truth Sauron ruled all from behind the throne.

- Silmarillion: Akallabêth

[general-illyrin]

I wanted to motivate myself to keep track of some things, so I recently created some notepad sheets with Tolkien's heraldry and symbols that I associate with the characters. They were fun to create and simple to make: to get the right size, I used the Instagram story format on Canva and just placed each text/image where I thought it worked well.

The heraldry in each one is Tolkien's drawing, which I then edited to be black and white, and each of the symbols came from the free elements on Canva or Unsplash. I also edited these to be black/gray and white. Credit for each individual element is below the images.

the foot element is by Sketchify

the crown element is by Patricia Lara from HARU

the dragon element is by Guavanaboy Studio

the flower element is by Sketchify

the sparkle element is by Piixypeach

the holly element is by faitotoro

the light/glow element is by olimpstudio

the snake is from the New York Public Library and is found here on Unsplash

the sword is by Clker-Free-Vector-Images

the diamond is by Mark Specter

the harp element is by Clker-Free-Vector-Images

the birds element is by cm.graphisme