Gwendeling [Melian] was a a sprite that escaped from Lórien’s gardens before
even Kôr [Tirion] was built, and she wandered in the wooded places of the
world, and nightingales went with her and often sang about her. It was the song
of these birds that smote the ears of Tinwelint [Thingol], leader of that tribe
of the Eldar that afterwards were Solosimpi the pipers of the shore… but now
the song of Gwendeling’s nightingales was the sweetest music that Tinwelint had
ever heard, and he strayed aside for a moment, as he thought, from the host,
seeking in the dark trees whence it might come.
And it is said that it is not a moment that he harkened, but many years, and
vainly his people sought him…
This is the account of Melian wooing Thingol early in the story. The names have
changed; the only familiar individual name above is Lórien, which in later
versions is a title, rather than a name, given to Irmo. Nonetheless, the basic
elements are the same; Melian is a “sprite” from Valinor, who comes to
Middle-Earth, enchants Thingol with her music, causes him to delay, and in
doing so creates the Sindar.
Gwendeling was not an elf or woman but of the children of the Gods;
Even at this time, we see that Melian is something other than an ordinary elf.
Of course, in this version of the legendarium, it is entirely possible for the
Valar (which are called Gods, with Ilúvitar being “beyond the gods”) to have
children, and many of the important other beings, even Oromë, is a child of the
Valar.
1. In Ainulindalë, the Ainur are spirits created individually by Ilúvitar,
whereas here the Maiar at least are contained entierly within the folds of
time. Do you think that this change matters to the nature of what beings like
Gwendeling/Melian are supposed to be?
2. There is not much point in this version of Tinúviel being anything other
than an elf-maiden, despite who her mother is. The emphasis changes in version
to version; in some, it is made a major point that she is half-angel, and in
others, she is relegated to being an elf like any other. The Sil is sort-of
in-between. Why do you think Tolkien flopped around so
much?
