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Some useful theories of Middle Earth
Oct. 18th, 2008 09:00 amThe Two Trees are sort of like magic radioactive fuel sources. The Light is energy. If you have a bit of it you sort of mutate - you become stronger and prettier and better & etc. It is a power source that can fuel a whole civilization. The Rings and other magic objects work in much the same way (perhaps related.) So, being exposed to the Light or even a reflection of a reflection of that light mutates you permanently.
Okay, so let's talk about the Silmarils. They're a burden. They can hurt you. They are best kept in a special metal housing - perhaps a mechanical and magical one. (Morgoth's crown, or the Nauglamir.) Having them makes your city or kingdom power up & develop industry.
What if the Silmaril that was thrown into the abyss ended up in Moria? What if mithril is a sort of combination of Silmaril-light and metal?
The Light can be controlled, can be channeled or made to flare up. The flares embiggen anyone "good" and actively hurt evil creatures who by definition avoid the light as much as they can (Orcs, giant spiders, Trolls.) It's probably what powers glowing swords like Sting.
So, it is interesting to consider how the Light works for good or evil. We see that Melkor/Morgoth is able to harness it, though not without cost to himself and not without special magical/mechanical encasements. Did the light of his crown burn his followers? It certainly didn't make them healthier. Maybe when it's around Orcs, it twists them up worse and makes them nastier - its mutational effects are harmful for them. Anyway, in Nargothrond, the Silmarils powered a large industrial base, the creation of an enormous city or castle, and of course, several volcanoes.
Light + geothermal energy seems to go along with evil influences (unless you're Celebrimbor - how does that work?!) , while Light + plants/Sunlight-Power is Elfy and Good. This might relate back to Yavanna and her earth goddess growing-things powers. (A question: In Middle Earth, is the Sun a star?)
Anyway, the Silmaril hidden or guarded in the depths of Moria explain why mithril is found there, and why there's all that hammering in the depths and a whole weird civilization down there - it's because they've got a magic nuclear reactor down there.
There is plenty of room for an undersea civilization in Middle Earth, with that other Silmaril that was cast into the Sea. Or, it could be rediscovered or wash up on the shore.
There are other elements or substances that cause mutation or growth - as when the Ent draught makes Merry and Pippin grow taller (I believe they pass their mutant characteristics on to their descendents.) In fact when Treebeard activates the Ent draught, he makes it glow - but I don't think it was particularly with starlight power. (Must look up the scene - was it evening or night?)
The other magical objects in Middle Earth sometimes are jewels or made of metal and wood combined, and may not have influence from the Silmarils, but they contain magic... Is it all the same thing? Consider the Lamps of Feanor and the Arkenstone. They might be reflections of reflections of the Light just as Galadriel's Phial is.
I just re-read the bit where Beren and Luthien are in Nargothrond. I totally forgot they turned into a giant werewolf and a horrible bat-creatures. (Wolf-hame, and winged hame, with the wings described as leathery and loathsome.) Dudes. Luthien is a *vampire*.
Why am I thinking of all this at 9 in the morning? Rook has a game where Galadriel takes the Ring from Frodo and I'm having a fine old time lately making up bits of background. (I'm not playing in the game.)
It would be glorious to tie all this in with my thoughts on water rights and underground aquifers and Mordor's lack of water. Consider the East. There are people from there, but you get the feeling not a lot of them. Might it be that Mordor has so much of its attention turned Westward because, the further you get from Valinor the less water there is? Is the entire continent (if it is one) a desert? A final thought: I don't think there's plate tectonics on Middle Earth.
Okay, so let's talk about the Silmarils. They're a burden. They can hurt you. They are best kept in a special metal housing - perhaps a mechanical and magical one. (Morgoth's crown, or the Nauglamir.) Having them makes your city or kingdom power up & develop industry.
What if the Silmaril that was thrown into the abyss ended up in Moria? What if mithril is a sort of combination of Silmaril-light and metal?
The Light can be controlled, can be channeled or made to flare up. The flares embiggen anyone "good" and actively hurt evil creatures who by definition avoid the light as much as they can (Orcs, giant spiders, Trolls.) It's probably what powers glowing swords like Sting.
So, it is interesting to consider how the Light works for good or evil. We see that Melkor/Morgoth is able to harness it, though not without cost to himself and not without special magical/mechanical encasements. Did the light of his crown burn his followers? It certainly didn't make them healthier. Maybe when it's around Orcs, it twists them up worse and makes them nastier - its mutational effects are harmful for them. Anyway, in Nargothrond, the Silmarils powered a large industrial base, the creation of an enormous city or castle, and of course, several volcanoes.
Light + geothermal energy seems to go along with evil influences (unless you're Celebrimbor - how does that work?!) , while Light + plants/Sunlight-Power is Elfy and Good. This might relate back to Yavanna and her earth goddess growing-things powers. (A question: In Middle Earth, is the Sun a star?)
Anyway, the Silmaril hidden or guarded in the depths of Moria explain why mithril is found there, and why there's all that hammering in the depths and a whole weird civilization down there - it's because they've got a magic nuclear reactor down there.
There is plenty of room for an undersea civilization in Middle Earth, with that other Silmaril that was cast into the Sea. Or, it could be rediscovered or wash up on the shore.
There are other elements or substances that cause mutation or growth - as when the Ent draught makes Merry and Pippin grow taller (I believe they pass their mutant characteristics on to their descendents.) In fact when Treebeard activates the Ent draught, he makes it glow - but I don't think it was particularly with starlight power. (Must look up the scene - was it evening or night?)
The other magical objects in Middle Earth sometimes are jewels or made of metal and wood combined, and may not have influence from the Silmarils, but they contain magic... Is it all the same thing? Consider the Lamps of Feanor and the Arkenstone. They might be reflections of reflections of the Light just as Galadriel's Phial is.
I just re-read the bit where Beren and Luthien are in Nargothrond. I totally forgot they turned into a giant werewolf and a horrible bat-creatures. (Wolf-hame, and winged hame, with the wings described as leathery and loathsome.) Dudes. Luthien is a *vampire*.
Why am I thinking of all this at 9 in the morning? Rook has a game where Galadriel takes the Ring from Frodo and I'm having a fine old time lately making up bits of background. (I'm not playing in the game.)
It would be glorious to tie all this in with my thoughts on water rights and underground aquifers and Mordor's lack of water. Consider the East. There are people from there, but you get the feeling not a lot of them. Might it be that Mordor has so much of its attention turned Westward because, the further you get from Valinor the less water there is? Is the entire continent (if it is one) a desert? A final thought: I don't think there's plate tectonics on Middle Earth.
