[Legendarium, The Silmarillion] – Background Information Lord of the Rings – History of the Legendarium Part 3 – Creation of the Silmarils, Destruction of the Two Trees of Valinor, Oath of Feanor
Years of the Trees
Release of Melkor and the Temptation of the Noldor
Melkor makes a fake pledge after he was imprisoned in the Halls of Mandos for 300 years. Although there were opposition among the Valars, Manwe didn’t understand the concept of evil and released Melkor as Manwe thought Melkor has already paid his price.
The vanyar elves were only interested in serving the Valars while the Falmari elves were only interested in nature and art.
However, among the elves that resided in the Continent of Aman, the land of the Valars, the Noldor elves were always curious and eager to earn knowledge and technology.
The vanyar elves weren’t interested in knowledge as they were satisfied with their life at Valinor and Melkor thought the falmari elves were too weak.
However, Melkor was interested in the Noldor elves and turned their desire of technology and knowledge against them and constantly tempted the Noldors and estranged the Valars and the Noldors.
Feanor creation of the three Silmarils and the Palantirs(Palantir, Palantiri)
Feanor the eldest son of the Noldor King Finwe was a disciple of the Valar Aule, the master of craftsmanship. Feanor was a strong elf but he was also a very skilled craftsman.
Under the light of the Two Trees of Valinor, the silver tree Telperion and the golden tree Laurelin, Feanor had a temptation to create a jewel that contained the light of the two trees of Valinor.
Feanor has already created a jewel called a Palantir that possessed the power to view from far away and could be used as a communications method.
The Palantir are later the crystals that Saruman would use to communicate by Sauron as it was corrupted by Sauron.
Feanor created three jewels from the light of Telperion and the Laurlein, that were called the Silamrils by his experience creating such jewels like the palantirs.
The Silmarils, however were the grand master piece of Feanor and the light shining from the Silmarils would even surprise the Valars. Varda, the wife of Manwe and the creator of the stars have blessed the Silmarils to burn the hands of the evil and the mortals.
Although the Silmarils also had an ego and will on their own, the Silmarils didn’t possess any special powers like the Arkens Stone or the One ring.
However, the Silmarils caused a strong possessive temptation and strong desire of ownership that was powerful enough to even seduce the Valars. The Silmarils causes all the major events of the whole Legendarium
Feanor himself after creating the Silmarils gradually became obsessed and seduced by the he even started to hide the Silmarils so only he could gaze at the beauty of the silmarils.
Feanor became so obsessed in a frenzy with the silmarils that after the Two Trees of Valinor started to die, Feanor refused Varda’s request to give the silmarils to help restore the Two Trees of Valinor.
Melkor after gazing at the silmarils also became tempted to own the silmarils and started to make rumors as a plot to steal the silmarils.
Melkor’s Plot – Feanor draws his sword to his brother Fingolfin and murder of Finwe
Feanor was the eldest of the sons of the Noldor elf king Finwe and Fingolfin was the half-brother of Feanor. Feanor wasn’t fond of his half-brothers as they weren’t Melkor has started to make rumors that Fingolfin attempted to become successor of Finwe by trying to overthrow Feanor as part of Melkor’s plot in the theft of the silmarils.
Feanor agitated by the rumors and threatened by his half-brother Fingolfin who was also a very powerful and wise elf draws sword to Fingolfin. The Valars were furious that Feanor would cause dispute on the sacred lands of Aman and by the judgement by Mandos, Feanor was banished from the Noldors for 12 years.
The Valars later discovered that the dispute between Feanor and Fingolfin was Melkor’s plot but Melkor has already disappeared.
Melkor’s Plot – Feanor rejects Melkor, Alliance with the spider Ungoliant, reconciliation of Fingolfin and Feanor
Melkor would then visit Feanor who was banished and isolated from the Noldor elves to join the dark forces and rebel against the Valars.
Melkor tried to convince Feanor of the injustice of the Valars, however Melkor subconsciously mentioned the silmarils during his conversation with Feanor. Feanor then realizes that everything was Melkor’s plot and Melkor was after the three Silmarils.
Feanor rejects Melkor and during exile, he decides to reoncilie with Fingolfin. Melkor would then flee to the south of Aman, where the light of the Two Trees of Valinor couldn’t reach.
Melkor met the Ungoliant the ancestor of the spider Shelob and the first giant spider that would appear in Arda.
The Ungoliant was born from the Endless void where Iluvatar’s authority couldn’t reach. Melkor would make a temporary alliance with the Ungoliant and plots to destroy the Two Trees of Valinor.
The Ungoliant was a spider that was in constant hunger and Melkor promises the Ungoliant the tree sap of the Two Trees of Valinor.
Meanwhile, Manwe summoned Feanor during his exile to Valinor and Feanor would reconcile with Fingolfin despite the grudges Feanor used to have with his half-brothers. Still there was some mis-belief but the two half-brother still made up.
Melkor’s Plot – Death of Two Trees of Valinor and Death of Noldor king Finwe
The Ungoliant had a special power called the Unlight which could make complete darkness to conceal itself. Ungoliant and Melkor infiltrated Valinor and the Ungoliant consumed all the tree sap of Telperion and Laurelin, the Two Trees of Valinor.
Melkor then murdered the Noldor king Finwe and robbed the three Silmarils and other treasures along.
Melkor and Ungoliant would escape by the Helcaraxe(Helcaraxë) at the north of Aman which was a stirp of glaciers and ice full of danger that linked the Middle Earth and Aman.(This would later become destroyed which explains why Valinor must be reached by sea later on).
The Valars have followed up with Melkor and the Ungoliant but the Unlight would completely blind the Valars in darkness and the Valars failed to pursuit Melkor.
Yavanna realizing that the Two Trees of Valinor were dying would ask Feanor to borrow the Silmarils to restore the light of Telperion and the Laurelin.
Feanor, however feared that his masterpiece would be harmed refused Yavanna’s request. However, already the three simarils were stolen by Melkor and even Feanor’s father Finwe was murdered by Melkor.
Oath of Feanor and the conquest against Melkor(Morgoth)
Feanor grew furious of his father Finwe’s death and the theft of the three silmarils. Feanor also raged at the Valars as Fenanor believed the Valars were helpless against Melkor and his evil.
Feanor declares himself the second king of the Noldor elves and swears an oath under the name of Iluvatar and Manwe that the three simalrils belong to Feanor and the Feanorians(the descendants of Feanor) and with all cost that Feanor and the Nolodr elves shall slay Morgoth and recover the three silmarils that rightfully belong to Feanor.
Feanor would declare Melkor’s name as ‘Morgoth’ which means ‘dark enemy’ to denounce Melkor (Morogth)’s existence. The Noldor elves and Feanor and the Feanorians, the House of Feanor were all now bound to the Oath of Feanor which was more of a curse and starts the tragedy of the constant wars between the elves and Morgoth. The Oath of Feanor is rather a reference of the Original Sin of humans in the Bible.
Oath of Fëanor / Feanor’s Oath
Be he foe or friend, be he foul or clean,
brood of Morgoth or bright Vala,
Elda or Maia or Aftercomer,
Man yet unborn upon Middle-earth,
neither law, nor love, nor league of swords,
dread nor danger, not Doom itself,
shall defend him from Fëanor, and Fëanor's kin,
whoso hideth or hoardeth, or in hand taketh,
finding keepeth or afar casteth
a Silmaril. This swear we all:
death we will deal him ere Day's ending,
woe unto world's end! Our word hear thou,
Eru Allfather! To the everlasting
Darkness doom us if our deed faileth.
On the holy mountain hear in witness
and our vow remember, Manwë and Varda!
Vanda Feanáró Nossëo / Oath of Feanor in Quenya
Nai kotumo ar nilmo, kalima Vala
thauza ar poika, Moringothonna,
Elda ar Maiya ar Apanóna,
Endóressë Atan sin únóna,
ilar thanyë, ilar melmë, ilar malkazon sammë,
osta ilar harwë, lau Ambar tana,
só-thauruvá Fëanárollo, ar Fëanáró nossello,
iman askalyá ar charyá, ar mi kambë mapá,
herá hirala ar haiya hatá
Silmarillë. Sí vandalmë ilyai:
unqualé son antávalme mennai Aurë-mettá,
qualmé ten' Ambar-mettá! Quettalman lasta,
Eru Ilúvatar! Oiyámórenna
mé-quetamartya íre queluvá tyardalma.
Ainorontessë tirtassë lasta
ar lma-vandá enyalaz, Varda Manwë!
