“Now when the tidings came to Maethros that Elwing yet
lived, and dwelt in possession of the Silmaril by the mouths of Sirion, he
repenting of the deeds in Doriath withheld his hand. But in time the knowledge
of their oath unfulfilled returned to torment him and his brothers, and
gathering from their wandering hunting-paths they sent messages to the Havens
of friendship and yet of stern demand. Then Elwing and the people of Sirion
would not yield the jewel which Beren had won, and for which Dior the fair was
slain; and least of all while Earendil their lord was at sea, for it seemed to
them that in the Silmaril lay the healing and blessing that had come upon their
houses and their ships. And so there came to pass the last and cruelest of the
slayings of Elf by Elf; and that was the third of the great wrongs achieved by
the accursed oath.”
1) Why didn’t Maethros’ ‘repentance’ of wanting the Silmaril last? If his host
was large enough to overcome the people of Sirion and kill almost all of them,
why didn’t he just overpower them and/or imprison them instead?
2) Was the Silmaril really the source of the prosperity of the people of
Sirion?
3) Elwing and the people of Sirion were awfully possessive of the Silmaril
when, technically, Feanor’s sons had a solid claim to the jewel too. Did anyone
really own the Silmarils? If yes, who?
4) When all was said and done, were the Silmarils a blessing or blight to
Middle-earth?
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Koru: Maori symbol representing a fern frond as it opens. The koru reaches towards the light, striving for perfection, encouraging new, positive beginnings.
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TORN 101
TORN Calendar
