Chapter 9 - Of the Flight of the Noldor - J.R.R. Tolkien

The Silmarillion
The History of the Silmarils - Of the Flight of the Noldor
Audiobook
In Valinor, there was no longer any light from the Trees after their poisoning by Melkor and Ungoliant. The only light in the sky was that produced by the stars of Varda, much like how it was in Middle-earth. Yavanna went to the Trees and found they had been shriveled and ruined beyond her ability to heal. But if she had even a little bit of the former light of the Trees, she might have been able to bring the Trees back to life. The only light of the Trees now rested in the Silmarils of Fëanor.
The Valar asked Fëanor to give Yavanna the Silmarils so she could break them open and use the light within. But Fëanor refused to give them up.
But soon, even worse news soon came. Messengers arrived from Formenos, saying that the fortress had been attacked by Melkor and the Silmarils and other treasures stolen. Worst of all, Fëanor's father, Finwë, had been slain by Melkor. Enraged, Fëanor gave Melkor the name he is known by forever after: Morgoth, the dark enemy of the world.
Meanwhile, Morgoth and Ungoliant both fled to the northern wastes of Araman beyond the Pelóri mountains. Ungoliant cornered Morgoth and demanded the payment he promised. Morgoth grudgingly gave her the jewels of Formenos, but this caused her only to grow even bigger. Ungoliant then demanded that he give her the Silmarils as well, but he refused to give them up. She attacked Morgoth, causing him to scream in agony. His cries reached the ruins of Angband and awakened the Balrogs that hid there. Using their flame whips, they drove Ungoliant off before she could take the Silmarils. She fled south toward Doriath.
Morgoth went back to Angband and began rebuilding it. He set the Silmarils into an iron crown which he wore at all times, even though their touch burned him. He raised the three peaks of Thangorodrim above his fortress and sent forth black clouds nearby.
Back in Valinor, the Valar and Maiar and Elves sat in the darkness. Suddenly, Fëanor reappeared in Tirion, calling upon all who would listen to come to him. He spoke of the supposed enslavement of the Noldor by the Valar, who he said brought the Elves to Valinor so that they could use the race of Men to rule Middle-earth in their stead, for Men would be easier to control than Elves. He called for the Noldor to return to Middle-earth and leave Valinor so they could set up their own realms in Middle-earth.
Prevailing over those who opposed him Fëanor drove his people northward, not letting them stop to fully consider their actions. The exiles left Tirion forever, some less willingly than others.
The exiles went northwards until they reached the Great Sea of Belegaer. Fëanor realized that he had no boats to reach Middle-earth. The Noldor stormed the docks of Teleri and began taking the ships. The Teleri resisted, but Elven blood was shed by Elves in what would be later known as the first Kinslaying.
The Noldor managed to get the boats moving, but as they began to leave, a figure appeared. Some say it was Mandos himself. There he gave the Doom of Mandos: a prophecy that the Noldor shall not succeed in their futile quest. The penalty for slaying the Teleri was great. The Noldor would shed unnumbered tears and all of their works would be destroyed. The house of Fëanor would lose the high kingship of the Noldor. And even if they tried to seek the aid of the Valar, the realm of Valinor would be fenced against them and no help would come.
Fëanor scoffed at this and rejected the message, but Finarfin relented and went back to Valinor, taking some people with him. The exiles now set about the task of going to Middle-earth. There were not enough boats to take them all over, so Fëanor took his sons and those who are most loyal and stole the boats so they could get over first. Upon arriving in Middle-earth, Fëanor ordered the ships burned so that no one could follow them.
Fingolfin saw the great burning of the ships and thus knew that Fëanor has betrayed him. He led his people on a perilous journey across the Helcaraxë.
Timeline of Arda:
Years of the Trees
4995: The Darkening of Valinor.
* Manwë tries to heal the feud of the Noldor, and summons Fëanor to a festival in Valimar.
* Melkor and Ungoliant destroy the Two Trees, kill Finwë, steal the Silmarils, and flee to Middle-earth.
* Fëanor becomes High King of the Noldor, renaming Melkor as Morgoth.
* Fëanor and his sons swear an oath to regain the Silmarils and the majority of the Noldor depart from Valinor.
* Noldor kill many Teleri and seize their ships in the First Kinslaying.
4996: Doom of Mandos: the Noldor are banished from Valinor and face great doom.
* Finarfin turns back and returns to Valinor.
4997: The Noldor arrive at Helcaraxë.
* Fëanor and his host betray the sons of Indis and sail across, then burn the ships at Losgar.
* They begin devising the Moon and Sun.
5000: The host of Fingolfin arrives in Middle-earth.
* the Moon arises.

[@WhoTheHellIsHarvy]

Tolkien has created some of the most beautiful tragedies in literature. So many life lessons and moral underpinnings woven into the narrative and dialogues of his characters. I don't think enough people are aware of what the man did for the fantasy genre, but it needs to be talked about more. If schools are going to teach Shakespeare and all these classic poems and novels, why in Middle-Earth would we not be including these stories? Why is Tolkien'sbirthday not a national holiday?! XD

[@PamkoElessar]

😂 I like your theory 😁

[@Theelby33]

Beren and Lutheran should be known more than romeo and juliet

[@ronniejohnson9512]

Such audacious words of Feanor & his fiery boldness toward the valar left me speechless 😮

[@PamkoElessar]

😮

[@balder4295]

"Not the first" said Mandos. Cold blooded.

[@PamkoElessar]

😱

[@razatronidiotics9430]

The beauty of this story is amazing

[@PamkoElessar]

😊

[@marcuspecos8672]

"Not the first" lmaooo they had no idea

[@PamkoElessar]

🙂

[@VeteranVandal]

Mandos knows how to be cryptic.

[@CapnSnackbeard]

These are so good, thanks! I do hope you continue.

[@PamkoElessar]

Thank you. It will be 😉

[@calisweed8219]

Dude.. I’m loving it.. Subbed and spreading the word. The video pictures help so much of character recognition for newbs.. well done

[@PamkoElessar]

Thank you, thank you :)

[@giacomogatti3393]

The Profecy of the North is the chilliest, most brutal and savage curse ever written. It sends chills through my spine every time I hear it spoken. The beauty and power of Tolkien's writing is mesmerising.

[@PamkoElessar]

🙂

[@emadwolf10]

Great job mate keep on doing it

[@PamkoElessar]

Thank you 😊

[@ArborealOreo]

Woooow, Feanor is such a dick! 😆 Yeah, we knew he would do something horribly drastic after his Silmarils got stollen. The death of the sea elves was quite tragic, and Fingulfin's kicking himself for aiding his father now. I like that the ships are relatively primitive, so they can't just go anywhere: they need to go far north to even cross properly, and it seems they can't just trek back and forth to get everyone, much like the African West Coast in the 1500s in the real world. Morgoth fighting Ungoliant and enduring physical pain, but enduring it long enough to get the aid of Balrogs from the lava suggests that he had a fast healing, poison resistant body, but a physical body, nonetheless. It's interesting. Ungoliant may not have sated her appetite, but she got to be with any (spider)man she wanted back at the web forest, it's not so bad.

[@PamkoElessar]

😀😀

[@galer15dx]

Feanor...You Fool

[@PamkoElessar]

😎

[@danorthsidemang3834]

It made no difference whether Feänor had said Yay or Nay to the Valar's request. Ilúvatar is the puppetmaster, the sick fuck who made ALL of these tragedies come true only to play with his pawns and their children, to drink their tears and take the credit for all his manufactured prophecies of salvation. It's all his fault, and Feänor among all the Eldar was the closest to discovering the divine fallacy of Eru and his minions the Ainur.

[@PamkoElessar]

I must admit, interesting view 🤔

[@SonofMormon]

Ha! Shall I call you Fëanor or Morgoth? Why do you propose that a child should know the will of the father? Or that the student who refuses to be taught could somehow teach the master. We are born with the agency of our free will and only through such agency can we experience the joy and wisdom that has been offered to us. Nevertheless, such agency will allow some who lack wisdom to seek their own will. Submission to truth will set us free. Strength in humility, hope in patience. love in sorrow. Cursing and mocking the will of Eru can only be likened to a foolish man who screams in pain and anger at another to end the fool's suffering, when it is he alone who refuses to remove his hand from the fire. Cast these chains from your mind and return to the peace of Ilúvatar!

[@Richex112]

You have reached Ardan Gnosis, the lies of the demiurge are laid bare.

[@lucascesar029]

@@SonofMormon This was a beautiful reply, I felt like I was reading something from Tolkien himself. Well done.