Oaths hold an astonishing power in Tolkien’s Middle-earth. Here, TORn Discord member Narrative Epicure explores how Sauron and Elrond’s understanding of this fact drives each to behave very differently toward others.
~ Staffer Demosthenes
Concerning Oaths in Middle-earth
by TORn Discord member Narrative Epicure
In December 3018 of the Third Age, everybody’s lucky number was nine. After an involuntary white-water rafting trip down the Bruinen, Sauron’s Nazgûl returned to Mordor. These servants, so long bound to him by works he wrought in ages past, gathered once more in the dark shadow of Barad-dûr. In the Elven realm of Rivendell, Lord Elrond prepared a Fellowship whose journey would determine the fate of Middle-earth.
“The Company of the Ring shall be Nine;”1 he declared, “and the Nine Walkers shall be set against the Nine Riders that are evil.”2
Contrasts between the Ringwraiths and the Fellowship are legion, but in their preparations, one particular distinction reveals the nature of the hands that send them: while Sauron insists on sending servants bound to him by rings of power, Elrond demands nothing of anyone but Frodo (to not cast away the ring or deliver it to an Enemy). To the fellowship, he says, “no oath or bond is laid upon you.”3
As they depart on their journey south, he demands no promise from the nine he sent.
This difference between Elrond and Sauron is illustrative of each lord’s perspective on oaths and—to a larger degree—of the way each lord interacts with and treats the people of Middle-earth.
Concerning Oaths
Oaths and promises are fascinating subjects that could fill volumes on their own. On a surface level, an oath is a set of words promising some conduct or restraint. Yet, the way we treat an oath transforms it from a set of words to a power. In our own world, this power is usually subtle, intangible, and typically confined to the effects on psyche, trust, or the occasional legal ramification. In large part, oaths have over us what power we give them. In Middle-earth, this intangible power becomes tangible. Tolkien writes of oaths not only as if they have power, but as if they behave.
Oaths are living things that bless those who honor them, and occasionally impose consequences on oathbreakers. Tolkien describes the Oath of Fëanor (an oath that drives much of the action and conflict of the First Age) as “ever at work,”4 and on other occasions he says it has “slept now for a time.”5
In The Lord of the Rings, we see the terrible result of going back on your word when the Men of Dunharrow break oaths to fight Sauron and Isildur curses them to “rest never until [their] oath is fulfilled.”6
Tolkien’s writing ascribes another unique trait to oaths: they bind people to each other. Tolkien’s Legendarium offers many examples of this: the Oath of Eorl bound Rohan and Gondor together, the Oath of Finrod bound him to aid the kin of Barahir (at the cost of his life), and the sons of Fëanor were “bound by the oath”7 they swore.
But the people of Middle-earth can be bound even without oaths. When Melkor darkened the two Trees of Valinor, the Valar determined that the light of the Silmarils could restore the trees if Fëanor allowed their use. Fëanor refused. The Silmarillion describes him as “fast bound” to the Silmarils. Long before his oath, the love of his crafts bound him.
It was this binding power that Sauron would seek to replicate. In the Second Age, he bent the power of oaths back on itself, twisting it into the shape of rings, “for his desire was to set a bond upon the Elves.”8
Bound by Oaths
In Season 1 of the Rings of Power, young Elrond describes his outlook on oaths. “To some, [oaths] may now hold little weight, but in my esteem, it is by such things our very souls are bound.”9
He sees oaths as Tolkien wrote of them, and he uses them to build a web of collective strength. Elrond gives oaths. He enters them freely as a show of loyalty to those he cares about. Some may argue he enters them too freely.
Yet, despite the impetuous manner in which he binds himself to others, he’s hesitant to let others make oaths to him. When the Fellowship departs, and he asks no oath or bond, he explains some of his reasoning (paraphrased to just dialogue):
Gimli: “Faithless is he that says farewell when the road darkens.” Elrond: “Maybe, but let him not vow to walk in the dark who has not seen the nightfall.” Gimli: “Yet sworn word may strengthen quaking heart.” Elrond: “Or break it.”10
He’s cautious to hold others to promises made without all facts. We see this again in the mines when he stops Durin from sharing his true name—an act that, while not an overt oath, would have bound the two together. And while he freely binds himself, he’s cautious with whom he makes such promises. Note that in Season 2, when Galadriel asks, he immediately refuses to swear any promise “whose asking is born of that ring.”11
But seconds later, he swears exactly what she wishes, only this time to her. He will not suffer himself to be bound to or by her ring, but holds no qualms for his friend. And despite his fears that she is bound to Sauron through that ring, he demands no similar oath from her lips.
At his core, Elrond believes oaths are about people. He cares much more about binding himself to others than binding them to him. He cares deeply about them. When he stumbled into Durin’s Mithril mine in Season 1, he wasn’t looking for mithril itself like Durin suspected. He was looking for his friend. He worried about Durin’s secrets and went there to maintain trust between them.
After swearing an oath to Durin, he’s given a nugget of mithril, which he immediately offers to return. His king sought that ore, but to Elrond, this was always about his friend. Incidentally, this outlook works to his favor. Durin never would have given him the mithril if it were why he came lurking.
Bound in Darkness
If Elrond is the give, Sauron is the take. Elrond builds strength, Sauron builds power. To the dark lord, the purpose of oaths is to ensure those beneath him remain subservient. We see this in the very terminology he uses. He almost always eschews the word “oaths” in favor of “binding.” He doesn’t want to forge webs like Elrond; he wants to forge chains.
Sauron is cautious about oaths he swears. When faced with no alternative, he tries to manipulate them in his favor. “I swear to serve the lord of Mordor”12 is the juicy example that springs to mind. He’s there to bind others to him, not the other way around. Oaths don’t show loyalty or closeness, they keep others in line.
In the finale of Season 1, he asks Galadriel to bind herself to him. What he wants from Galadriel is a promise—an oath—so he can make her a queen, fair as the sea and the sun, stronger than the foundations of the earth. But notice again his subtlety. He offers her effectively nothing. “You bind me to light, and I bind you to power.”13
In exchange for her legitimizing his “healing” of Middle-earth, he binds her to power. But in Sauron’s estimation, he is that power. He binds her to him, and in exchange, she validates his rule. But as Gandalf famously warned Saruman, “he does not share power.”14
He’s promised her only chains.
Since he cannot elicit true loyalty, Sauron must demand it. He can deceive and win hearts, but he cannot keep them. It is this inability to earn true loyalty that—in part—drives Sauron’s need for the rings. Elrond cares for people while Sauron seeks only what he can use from them.
Each ring of power is a literal manifestation of that search for utility. If the people of Middle-earth will not swear to him, he will find some other way to bind them to him.
Frodo observed that “the Shadow . . . can only mock, it cannot make: not real new things of its own.”15
Unable to make bonds and elicit oaths, Sauron mocks, imitating the power of an oath’s bond with his rings. That involuntary bond shreds trust, but he doesn’t need trust when he has control. Dominate some creatures, bind others, make empty promises, and—when your army is threatening enough—maybe some people will swear with less coercion and deception.
And so, nine walkers set out from Rivendell, each a hero, while nine riders set out from Mordor, each a thrall. Sauron told us his plan from a prison cell in Númenor: “identify what it is that [a person] most fears . . . [and] give them a means of mastering it so you can master them.”16
Elrond’s line of thinking would likely be more along the lines of “identify what it is that a person most fears, and swear to protect them from it.”
With that contrast laid out, it’s clear in which fellowship you’d find better company.
About the author:Narrative Epicure is an aspiring loremaster and practicing attorney longing to read or write things that aren’t legal. When he’s not buried in Tolkien’s Legendarium, he enjoys books, board games, and other activities with his Fellowship, which includes his wife and three daughters.
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
Webcrawler is back this week to break down the events of Episode 5 of The Rings of Power. Read and enjoy. And, remember, you’re welcome to join our ongoing discussions on TheOneRing.net’s Discord Server.
~ Staffer Demosthenes
Recap: The Rings of Power Episode 5
by TORn Discord moderator Webcrawler
Season 2, Episode 5
Titled “Halls of Stone”, a direct reference to the second line of the Ring Verse.
“Three Rings for the Elven-kings under the sky, Seven for the Dwarf-lords in their halls of stone…”
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring. Book 1, Chapter 2: The Shadow of the Past
There are four regional plots we follow in this episode:
Lindon
Two very short scenes; the first is High-King Gil-galad reading Lord Celebrimbor’s letter, sent from Eregion. In the letter, Celebrimbor congratulates the High King on the success of the Three Rings in restoring Lindon, and mentions that he has shut down the forge as requested. Invites Gil-galad to visit Eregion when he can. Gil-galad looks concerned and in deep thought; one his commanders ask about sending forces to attack Mordor.
Gil-galad sees visions due to the effect of Vilya, which seem to foreshadow the calamity of Eregion, including the dammed up riverbed. Elrond is seen running back towards Lindon, having left Galadriel to fend off the orcs alone. He arrives at Lindon and offers Nenya to Gil-galad, stating that Galadriel was correct and Eregion was about to be attacked by orcs. Gil-galad says he believes Sauron is the architect of this, and mentions the elves are not strong enough to fight Adar and Sauron.
Númenor
Four scenes; We see a city near the shore, covered in fog with a visible tower; it is Avallónë on Tol Eressëa. Pharazôn speaks to Kemen about it, speculating that the elves put it there on purpose to remind Men of the immortality they cannot have.
Pharazôn has a task for Kemen, which involves removing power from those who would still support Míriel’s claim to the throne of Númenor. Among those are Elendil, who willingly turns in his sword and captaincy, even after Eärien pleads with him to renounce his support of Míriel for mercy. The other Faithful Sea Guardsmen chant ‘Captain’, much to the chagrin of Kemen.
Míriel and Elendil talk in the Elven Tower on Númenor, with Míriel advising Elendil to stay calm and not start an uprising. She asks him what he saw in the palantír. He speaks of a vision of himself leaving Armenelos on horseback; Míriel believes that since his vision is different from the one she used to see, that Númenor’s fortunes have changed and the doom has passed.
Elendil, Valandil, and a group of the Faithful are doing a ceremony to mourn the lives lost on the expedition to the Southlands. It is interrupted by Kemen, who states the temple is to be condemned to make way for a new aqueduct. A conflict ensues, and Kemen and Valandil fight each other. Valandil wins and has a sword pointed at Kemen; Elendil tells him to stand down. Valandil complies and drops his sword and begins to walk away; however Kemen picks it up and stabs Valandil through the back, killing him; Kemen then has Elendil arrested, accusing him of starting the fight.
Khazad-dûm
The Seven rings of the Dwarves are sent to King Durin, who puts on the largest one, with a blue gemstone. Using it, he is able to see everything in the Mountains of Khazad-dûm, including where to dig to open up a light shaft.
Durin IV is doubtful of his father, but nonetheless tells Narvi, who clears out the area of other dwarves while King Durin digs at a foundation wall. King Durin successfully opens up a light shaft, and credits the use of the dwarven ring. Later, he invites emissaries from the other dwarven realms, telling them that if their lords in the other realms offer tribute of gold and jewels, he will give them a ring.
Disa has doubts about the new rings, as they allow the King to do what she used to with resonating. Disa goes down into a cave and tries resonating; but something deep in the caverns bellows out at her. Durin IV tries to tell his father about this, but the dwarven ring has altered King Durin’s behavior.
He chooses to continue forward with digging even deeper into Khazad-dûm for gold and mithril. He reinstates Durin IV as Prince Durin, and offers one of the seven dwarven rings to his son. Prince Durin later goes home to Disa, who asks him to promise her that he will not put on one of those rings.
Eregion
Celebrimbor, along with the Gwaith-i-Mírdain and a group of dwarves are toasting their success on a new project; the creation of the Doors of Durin, to replace the West-Gate to Khazad-dûm after it was damaged by the earthquake. Annatar walks away during the middle of the speech.
Celebrimbor goes to speak with him afterwards, and learns Annatar is still concerned for the well being of Men, and wants Celebrimbor to make Nine Rings. Celebrimbor refuses, stating that men are more easily corrupted by power, and he will not take that risk. Annatar says he will do it himself.
Later, as Annatar and the Gwaith-i-Mírdain are attempting to forge new rings, Mirdania, one of the smiths, puts on the ring and becomes invisible. She starts to throw objects around the forge, until Celebrimbor stops her by taking off her ring.
Mirdania states that she could see the Unseen world, and there is a fiery, evil looking creature among them. Celebrimbor asks about how they made the rings, and chastises them for using too much mithril in the mix. He attempts to explain what they should have done, but doubt begins to creep into his mind.
Prince Durin comes to visit Celebrimbor, and states his concern that the dwarven rings are flawed; they have made King Durin greedy, covetous, as he has increased tributes within the Kingdom and demands more from the other dwarven realms. Celebrimbor balks at this, until Prince Durin accuses the fault not to just be in the rings, but the ringmakers, implying Annatar may be the culprit for their flawed design.
Celebrimbor confronts Annatar with this information, but Annatar turns it around by claiming it was Celebrimbor who brought deceit into the process when he lied to the High-King in his letter. A guilt-ridden Celebrimbor fears telling Gil-galad the truth would result in him never being allowed to forge again. Annatar convinces him to push forward with making the Nine Rings. After giving another speech to his smiths, work begins, but Celebrimbor looks very troubled.
In the outskirts of Eregion, the orcs have created an encampment on a cliff, and are able to see Ost-in-Edhil in the distance. Galadriel is in a locked cage on a cart, which is rolled to the center of the camp. Glûg releases her, and Adar appears, stating to Galadriel that they should ally, as they have a common enemy.
Overall Thoughts on Episode 5, “Halls of Stone”
This was the shortest episode of the season, but it was packed with plotpoints, character development and some very surprising twists. In some ways it felt a bit rushed, particularly with Númenor, which only had about three scenes back in episode 3. Nonetheless, a lot was pushed forward this episode; Ar-Pharazôn is officially King of Númenor. He has an interesting discussion with Kemen about the Undying Lands, that evokes the following passage from the Akallabêth:
“For in those days the Númenóreans were far-sighted; yet even so it was only the keenest eyes among them that could see this vision, from the Meneltarma, maybe, or from some tall ship that lay off their western coast as far as it was lawful for them to go. For they did not dare to break the Ban of the Lords of the West. But the wise among them knew that this distant land was not indeed the Blessed Realm of Valinor, but was Avallónë, the haven of the Eldar upon Eressëa, easternmost of the Undying Lands.”
The Silmarillion, Akallabêth
We also see a quick image of Avallóne at the beginning of the scene, clouded with a fog as described in the text:
But no ship came ever again from the West to Númenor, and Avallónë was veiled in cloud.
The Silmarillion, Akallabêth
Meanwhile, Lloyd Owen as Elendil has a lot of excellent scenes this episode, and you can really start to see his character grow into the one we know from the lore; I have previously talked about Elendil’s journey in S2, and as predicted he has lost his captaincy, and is arrested by the end of the episode. There’s a great moment when Elendil is talking to Eärien and potentially foreshadows her demise in Númenor.
Another interesting point was the funeral memorial ceremony done by the Faithful, Elendil and Valandil. The text states that the Númenoreans were only worshippers of Eru, and that too only during three particular days of the year; and yet here we see them praying and utilizing what appears to be a statue of Nienna.
Mourning the dead does not seem like something they would normally do, but the text does state that even the Faithful felt unease about death. It’s an interesting bit of world-building that the show engages in, possibly highlighting the greater difference between The Faithful and the King’s Men.
“Nonetheless even they, who named themselves the Faithful, did not wholly escape from the affliction of their people, and they were troubled by the thought of death.”
The Silmarillion, Akallabêth
Charlie Vickers continues to put in a mesmerizing performance as Annatar; he’s cold, calculated, manipulative, and yet he feigns a mercurial streak with Celebrimbor. Sometimes he seems to be pleading for Celebrimbor’s help; other times he seems bored, tired of Celebrimbor’s refusal to help him make the Nine. He’s playing Celebrimbor like a fiddle and we all get to watch.
Charles Edwards, meanwhile, puts in a haunting performance near the end of the episode as doubt, fear and guilt begin to creep into his mind. Long gone is the more joyous, ambitious and optimistic Celebrimbor; the trials of making these rings, and the dangers they start to present seem to push Celebrimbor into a more desperate position to set things right.
It is clear that Annatar means to turn the Gwaith-i-Mírdain against Celebrimbor; we see it in his conversation with Mirdania, and his words of encouragement near the end of the episode; he is positioning himself as the one in control while Celebrimbor seems to be losing his.
In those days the smiths of Ost-in-Edhil surpassed all that they had contrived before; and they took thought, and they made Rings of Power. But Sauron guided their labours, and he was aware of all that they did; for his desire was to set a bond upon the Elves and to bring them under his vigilance.
The Silmarillion, Of The Rings of Power and The Third Age
I also finally understand the reason the showrunners made the Three Elven rings first. This episode makes it clear that in this adaptation, Celebrimbor is the one who knows the secret to making the rings, not Annatar; rather, Annatar has been slowly trying to pull the secret out of him, and with each iteration of the forging make more dangerous and corrupted rings.
In my opinion, this version elevates Celebrimbor’s status as a smith, truly second only to Fëanor among the Eruhini. Círdan’s assessment in the first episode of this season was correct; Celebrimbor had achieved perfection with the Three Rings. These new forgings of the Rings of Power are draining Celebrimbor, and with Annatar, introducing corruption into his works.
The dwarven plotline also features some excellent performances from Owain Arthur as Durin IV and Peter Mullan as King Durin. King Durin’s slow decline into obsession with gold and the ring is fascinating, bringing to mind both Gollum and Bilbo’s corruption via the One Ring.
There’s a particularly sad moment when King Durin tells his son that he was right to ally with the elves and procure these rings, a clear reversal of their season one opinions, and the look of sorrow and pain on Owain Arthur’s face highlights how far King Durin has fallen in the eyes of his son.
Of this Ring something may be said here. It was believed by the Dwarves of Durin’s Folk to be the first of the Seven that was forged; and they say that it was given to the King of Khazad-duˆm, Durin III, by the Elven-smiths themselves and not by Sauron, though doubtless his evil power was on it, since he had aided in the forging of all the Seven.
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King: Appendix A
Unfortunately, Narvi is given very little to do, except run around and reluctantly comply with the king’s orders. Kevin Eldon does as well as he can with the role, but it does feel diminished. There’s a small amusing moment where both Durin’s are asking him to do opposite tasks, and in frustration, Narvi just silently walks out on them.
Rating: I would give this episode an 8.5/10
It’s a very strong episode with a lot of great acting moments from everyone in the cast; still I wish some of these plot lines were spread out across two episodes and not condensed into one.
I am also a bit disappointed in the very condensed friendship of Narvi and Celebrimbor; one scene to establish a friendship between them, and them working on the Doors of Durin together feels more like an easter egg or fanservice that was put in to appease fans. Contrast that with the great friendship built between Elrond and Durin IV in the first season and I can’t help but feel like Narvi’s friendship with Celebrimbor was greatly diminished.
Númenor also felt rushed; Although there’s not much said about Pharazôn becoming King of Númenor in the text, it would have been nice to see more of the political intrigue after Númenor’s failed expedition to The Southlands.
The Annatar and Celebrimbor relationship continues to be the highlight of season two; using Mirdania as an analogue for how Annatar enamored the Gwaith-i-Mirdain to his side was an excellent bit of storytelling and highlights just how well Annatar was able to work his charm to get what he wanted.
About the author: Webcrawler is a full-time data analyst and a part-time Tolkien aficionado and moderator on TheOneRing.net’s Discord Server.When he’s not working or in the discord, Webcrawler is horsing around on Twitter
This week in Reflections from the Shire we have a guest post from Tolkien lover, and Tiktok and Threads regular, Lea/Silmarilleanne about The Shibboleth of Fëanor and it’s appearance in The Rings of Power episode four. Enjoy!
~ Staffer Kelvarhin
Reflections from the Shire – The Shibboleth of Fëanor
Guest post by: Lea/Silmarilleanne
Keen-eared Tolkien fans may have noticed an interesting linguistic quirk spoken by Adar at the end of episode four of The Rings of Power. He greets Galadriel with a familiar Quenyan phrase – one used by Frodo to greet Gildor Ingolrion in The Lord of the Rings: “elen síla lúmenn omentielvo”, to quote Frodo. But Adar’s is slightly different, raising some interesting possibilities about his original elven identity.
Firstly, there’s the fact that Adar is speaking Quenya at all. This suggests he is a Noldo of Valinor – just as Galadriel is; Quenya the language originated in Valinor and is the the language of the High Elves. It was dropped in favour of Sindarin shortly after the exiled Noldor arrived in Middle-earth, thanks to the ban placed upon it being spoken by the Sindar King, Elu Thingol, after he was informed of the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, the victims of which were his own people, the Teleri. It was never spoken by any of the other elves of Middle-earth, becoming something of an archaic language of lore. Furthermore, Adar calls Galadriel “Altáriel”, the Quenyan form of the name Galadriel – an epessë (a kind of nickname) she was given in Valinor, and which was Sindarised to Galadriel in Middle-earth. This is all to say, were he anything other than a Noldo, it is extremely unlikely he would have spoken Quenya and known Galadriel’s Quenyan epessë.
The most intriguing part of all this though is instead of síla, Adar pronounces the word as thíla – or, more accurately þíla. This usage of the thorn in place of s suggests he is not only speaking Quenya, but a very specific dialect of Quenya – Fëanorian Quenya, known amongst many fans as ‘the Fëanorian lisp’ (indeed, those who spoke this way were dubbed ‘the Lispers’).
In The Shibboleth of Fëanor, published in The Peoples of Middle-earth, volume 12 of the History of Middle-earth, Tolkien at his philological best describes how sociopolitical matters affect language and vice versa. As the Shibboleth explains, the Noldor and the Vanyar, two of the three tribes of elves, once lived together in the city of Tirion in Valinor and shared a language, Quenya. The Vanyar relocated to the city of Valmar to be closer to the Valar, and as a result of this distancing, dialectical shifts occurred between the two peoples. The Vanyar retained the þ in their language, but amongst the Noldor there was a “conscious and deliberate change…based primarily on phonetic ‘taste’ and theory” to s.
The change was attacked and opposed by loremasters, who believed it would cause damage “in confusing stems and their derivatives that had been distinct in sound and sense”. The chief linguistic loremaster at this time was Fëanor, who as well as being a fastidious loremaster also had a very personal reason for objecting to the change. Fëanor’s mother, and first queen of the Noldor, was Míriel Þerinde. While the linguistic shift is said to have happened (or at least began) within her lifetime, Míriel herself adhered to the pronunciation þ, and “desired that all her kin should adhere to it also, at least in the pronunciation of her name”, therefore Þerindë as opposed to Serindë.
However, unprecedented amongst the elves of this time, Míriel died, and refused to be re-embodied. Embittered by this, her husband Finwë himself switched away from þ in favour of s, which had at this point become almost universal amongst the Noldor bar Míriel’s kin. Matters were worsened further when his second wife, Indis of the Vanyar, followed suit. As a Vanya, Indis had hitherto retained the þ in her speech, but she declared, “I have joined the people of the Noldor, and I will speak as they do”. Fëanor, hating Indis and seeing her as somewhat of a usurper in his mother’s rightful place, believed her switch to be a grave insult and belittlement of his mother, and came to view the rejection of Þ as a symbol of rejection of both his mother Míriel, and by extension himself, her son, as the chief of the Noldor next to Finwë.
Thus, he became yet more vehement in his objection of the shift, even while his behaviour turned those who had previously agreed with him to the opposing side:
“Had peace been maintained there can be no doubt that the advice of Fëanor, with which all the other loremasters privately or openly agreed, would have prevailed. But an opinion in which he was surely right was rejected because of the follies and evil deeds into which he was later led.”
Fëanor remained steadfast in his opposition, pointedly calling himself ‘Son of Þerinde’ and telling his sons, when they queried the difference in their speech from that of their kin, that they “speak as is right, and as King Finwë did before he was led astray”.
So even before the Rebellion of the Noldor and their exodus to Middle-earth, s in place of þ had become dominant, and this was further cemented in exile: “The s was certainly used in Beleriand by almost all the Noldor,” Tolkien writes, and this is followed by the note “It is not even certain that all Fëanor’s sons continued to use Þ after his death and the healing of the feud” between the Fëanorians and the family of Fingolfin, though it seems almost certain any elf who did retain the thorn would have been counted amongst the Fëanorian followers – thus is raised the question of Adar’s identity.
But Adar saying it to Galadriel adds yet another layer of significance. The Shibboleth of Fëanor further details how Finarfin, Galadriel’s father “loved the Vanyar (his mother’s people)” and that because of this love in his house, þ remained in standard use and he was moved neither one way nor the other by Fëanor’s shibboleth, acting purely as he wished. Galadriel therefore grew up in a household that retained the þ. However:
“opposition to Fëanor,” Tolkien writes, “soon became a dominant motive with Galadriel… so while she knew well the history of their tongue and all the reasons of the loremasters, she certainly used s in her own daily speech.”
In other words, she purposely transitioned to using s to spite Fëanor. Adar’s own usage of it then could also be retaliative or in a similar vein: he is aware of its import and meaning to Galadriel and could potentially be purposely using it as a means of aggravating her.
Certainly, the implications of him speaking Quenya – and specifically the Fëanorian dialect of Quenya – seems to contradict earlier indications in the show about him being one of the first orcs; the first orcs were made from elves taken during the days at Cuiviénen, long before the elves went to Valinor and Quenya the language even existed; at this time, they spoke only Primitive Quendian. It would also seem odd if Quenya is his mother tongue, why his name is Adar, the Sindarin word for father, as opposed to Atar as it is in Quenya. But how deep does the show want to delve? It could be a lot more straightforward – the show is going on the simplified premise of Quenya having been spoken by the elves since those early days, and the dialectical shift having happened since then simply being indicative of Adar’s extreme age. But if Adar is from amongst those first elves, as Galadriel claimed in the first series, that would put him of an age, older even, than Círdan, and yet Adar is very noticeably lacking the beard that is illustrative of Círdan’s long lifespan. On the other hand, if the show really is going this deep on the lore, exactly who is he? Theories of Adar being Maglor abound, since it would tick many of the boxes: Fëanorian speech, Noldo, dark hair, familiarity with the name Altáriel… But surely, even with a multitude of scars on his face, Galadriel would recognise her cousin? There is also, and perhaps most fundamentally, the issue of rights. While the Tolkien Estate has afforded Amazon some leniency and granted access to certain items outside the rights they own – most notably, the name “Annatar”, a word which does not appear in the Lord of the Rings and its appendices, which Amazon owns the rights to – it is another level entirely to grant them access to an entire character.
Regardless of whether Adar’s use of the “Fëanorian lisp” becomes significant and plot-relevant, or remains a little easter egg for keen-eared viewers, it has certainly conjured a lot of discussion, and a wonderful new level of interest in more casual fans, who have begun seeking out a once fairly obscure text like The Shibboleth of Fëanor.
About the author:Lea aka Silmarilleanne is a long-time lover of Tolkien’s works with a penchant for his languages and the House of Finwë. When her nose isn’t buried in a book or a PlayStation controller in her hands, she can most often be found talking Tolkien on Tiktok and Threads.
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If you’d like to discuss “The Shibboleth of Fëanor” further, or just want to discuss all things Tolkien in a welcoming, troll-free environment check out TheOneRing.net’s Discord or message boards.
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
It’s just over a week since DragonCon 2024 drew to a close, after a fabulous weekend of panels, special guests, parties and merriment. TheOneRing.net was delighted as always to spend time with fellow fans, and to host An Evening at Bree, a long time tradition at DragonCon (and part of the High Fantasy Track).
As usual, there was incredible cosplay to be seen all around the con, from all kinds of fandoms. We thought we would share here just a few of our favourites (there were so many!) seen at the Evening at Bree costume contest (with big thanks to photographer Jonathan Franklin). Enjoy!
From The Rings of Power: Annatar promises he is just a giver of gifts; but Arondir has his suspicions…Bilbo is quite happy relaxing in his dressing gown; until the arrival of Lobelia sends him off on an adventure. (Anything to get away…!)Elves from PJ’s films: Haldir and ‘dark queen’ Galadriel.Two different Tom Bombadils enjoy the beautiful company of the River-woman’s daughter.Staffer greendragon chats with Gimli; and Denethor’s favourite son gives him the greatest gift of all – a tomato. (Faramir was there too, but obviously didn’t deserve to be in the photo.)
TORn always loves hosting An Evening at Bree, and it was wonderful after so many years to see the dance floor packed, and the fandom celebrating together, as folks jigged to musical acts The Brobdingnagian Bards, Beth Patterson and Landloch’d. It was indeed a night to remember – thanks to all who came along, and to the High Fantasy track for allowing us to host!
Webcrawler is back this week to break down the events of Episode 4 of The Rings of Power. Read and enjoy!
~ Staffer Demosthenes
Recap: The Rings of Power Episode 4
by TORn Discord moderator Webcrawler
Season 2, Episode 4
Titled “Eldest”, a direct reference to Tom Bombadil calling himself Eldest in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring.
“‘Don’t you know my name yet? That’s the only answer. Tell me, who are you, alone, yourself and nameless? But you are young and I am old. Eldest, that’s what I am. Mark my words, my friends: Tom was here before the river and the trees; Tom remembers the first raindrop and the first acorn.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring. Book 1, Chapter 7: In The House of Tom Bombadil
There are also other references to “Eldest” in Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings that may be worth mentioning:
‘Hoo now!’ replied Treebeard. ‘Hoo! Now that would be telling! Not so hasty. And I am doing the asking. You are in my country. What are you, I wonder? I cannot place you. You do not seem to come in the old lists that I learned when I was young. But that was a long, long time ago, and they may have made new lists. Let me see! Let me see! How did it go?
Learn now the lore of Living Creatures! First name the four, the free peoples: Eldest of all, the elf-children; Dwarf the delver, dark are his houses; Ent the earthborn, old as mountains; Man the mortal, master of horses:
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers Book 3 Chapter 4: Treebeard
Then Treebeard said farewell to each of them in turn, and he bowed three times slowly and with great reverence to Celeborn and Galad- riel. ‘It is long, long since we met by stock or by stone, A vanimar, vanima ́lion nostari!’ he said. ‘It is sad that we should meet only thus at the ending. For the world is changing: I feel it in the water, I feel it in the earth, and I smell it in the air. I do not think we shall meet again.’
And Celeborn said: ‘I do not know, Eldest.’ But Galadriel said: ‘Not in Middle-earth, nor until the lands that lie under the wave are lifted up again. Then in the willow-meads of Tasarinan we may meet in the Spring. Farewell!’
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Book 6 Chapter 6: Many Partings
Synopsis
There are four plots we follow in this episode — the Rhûn storyline gets split.
Rhûn
The Stranger
Last time we saw The Stranger, he had conjured up a sandstorm to blow away the Gaudrim riders, inadvertently lifting away Nori and Poppy with his uncontrollable power. We see him searching for the two harfoots, when he comes across and follows a baby goat. The goat leads him to a goat herder tending to a garden while singing and humming to himself. The Stranger asks this herder about the harfoots and the map of the stars; a gust of wind then blows away the map which lands on a tree. The tree has a branch which looks like the staff in the Stranger’s visions; he attempts to snap it off, at which point the tree (a Huorn) awakens, grabbing The Stranger and entombing him inside.
The Gaudrim Rider, Brânk, is talking to The Dark Wizard, telling him the Stranger and the harfoots have been separated. The Dark Wizard tells Brank to go after the harfoots, and then he stands up and proclaims he will handle The Stranger. Meanwhile, the goat herder pulls the Stranger out of the Houron and reveals himself to be Tom Bombadil. Tom invites the Stranger in, and after a bath and a meal, The Stranger asks questions of Tom. It is revealed that the Dark Wizard is an Istar who had come to Tom in the past, seeking him in mastering a wizard’s staff. Tom reveals that the Stranger is meant to face the Dark Wizard, and Sauron.
Nori & Poppy
The two harfoots awake far from The Stranger in the desert, after being blown away in a sandstorm. They learn the Gaudrim are still searching for them, so Nori and Poppy attempt to escape; after jumping over a small cliff, they run into a Stoor named Merrimac, who reluctantly takes them to the Stoor Village. Nori tells the leader of the Stoors, Gundabel, that The Stranger is an Istar, a wizard; but Gundabel assumes they must mean the Dark Wizard and locks them up.
Gundabel asks Nori more about the Harfoots, and after Nori mentions Sadoc Burrows, Gundabel takes her to see a cave painting highlighting the stories of the Stoors. One painting shows Rorimas Burrows, an ancestor of Sadoc, who set out with a caravan of Stoors to search for a new home for them alll. Nori realizes he never found it, and that is why all the Harfoots just became wanderers instead. Brânk comes to the Stoor Village, demanding they turn over the harfoots; when Gundabel refuses, Brânk threatens to return with The Dark Wizard.
Pelargir
Isildur, Arondir and a company of Southlanders are in a forest at night, searching for Theo. Arondir comes across axes, tools, and severed limbs, concluding that it was not Wildmen who attacked this camp and kidnapped Theo. Back in Pelargir, the Southlanders and our heroes discuss where to look for Theo next; Estrid mentions looking up in the north because “that part of the forest is old”. Later, Arondir questions her about a mark on her back, revealing that she is one of the Wildmen who bore the mark of Adar. They use her to find the Wildmen’s camp, and along the way discover a trail of cherry blossom petals.
As Isildur, Estrid and Arondir track Theo, they come across a muddy swamp; Isildur falls into quicksand and Arondir tries to get him out. They both get pulled in, but luckily Estrid is able to coax the mud monster out, allowing Arondir to cut their way out through its belly. This allows Isildur and Arondir to trust Estrid again. Isildur sets Estrid free, but she draws a sword on him and attempts to escape. Suddenly two Ents, Winterbloom and Snaggleroot attack the trio, but Arondir is able to talk to them, and seek forgiveness. The ents free their captives, including Theo, and inform the party that an army of orcs were seen marching west. Arondir makes amends with Theo and takes his leave, to go confront the army and Adar.
Grey Havens/Road To Eregion
A contingency of elven soldiers begin to board ships at the Grey Havens; Galadriel and Elrond discuss the team required for their secret journey to Eregion. They decide to take a small group of 6 elves across the Axa bridge, but when they arrive, they find the bridge destroyed by lightning. Their map-reader, Camnir, recommends taking Tyrn Gorthad to cut across and shorten the journey; but Galadriel’s ring, Nenya, shows her visions of ghostly figures and chains. Elrond however, refuses to heed Galadriel’s advice from her ring, and they attempt through Tyrn Gorthad (Barrow-downs) with the company. Something has brought the bodies in the tombs to life, and the Barrow-wights attack the company, killing the elven warrior Daemor.
Thanks to Elrond though, they manage to defeat the barrow-wights. While the other elven soldiers mourn and honor Daemor, Elrond and Galadriel have a conversation about the ring, and Sauron. Camnir warns them of drums nearby, and they discover an orc encampment. The orcs notice them and fire arrows, hitting Camnir. While trying to tend to his wound, Galadriels finds that Nenya heals Camnir completely; she gives Elrond the ring and tells him to take the company and leave. She creates a diversion allowing them to do so, and is captured by the orcs. Then, Adar comes forward, greeting her and calling her Altariel.
Overall Thoughts on Episode 4
At first I felt that this was largely a set-up episode, similar to season 1, episode 5, “Partings”; This episode moves characters into position for their story arcs in the latter half of the season. Arondir is headed towards Eregion, The orc army is already there, Galadriel has been captured, the Stranger knows his purpose, and Elrond now has Nenya, etc. A lot happened in this episode, but none of it seems tied to the main plot, that of the rings being made in Eregion, or of Sauron’s machination. But I noticed there is a theme throughout this episode.
There is Tom Bombadil, “Eldest”, who talks about being there “before the river and the trees”, of knowing “the dark under the stars when it was fearless”; The Ents who talk about knowing peace as “When the only sound here was light upon the moss. Both of these invoke the memory of an ancient past, for Tom, long before evil or darkness touched the world, and for the Ents, before Melkor irreparably marred Arda.
“For even if we under Eru have the power to return to Middle-earth and cast out Morgoth from the Kingdom of Arda, we cannot destroy all the evil that he has sown, nor seek out all his servants—unless we ravaged the whole of the Kingdom and made an end of all life therein; and that we may not do.”
Mandos, from The History of Middle-earth: The Peoples of Middle-earth
On the other side you have the barrow-wights poem, which is used in the soundtrack by Bear McCreary, with the following last four lines:
In the black wind the stars shall die, and still on gold here let them lie, till the dark lord lifts his hand over dead sea and withered land
This is looking forward, forward to a future where darkness has taken over the lands. It stands in stark contrast to the world as described by Tom in his memories, or the Ents in theirs.
There is also Galadriel and Elrond’s conversation, about the rings and Sauron. Throughout the season we’ve seen them have this discussion, twice in Episode 1, once in Episode 2, and now reprised in Episode 4. In their conversations lie the thematic link; Galadriel fears the future shown to her by Nenya, as envisioned by the barrow-wights poem, where darkness wins and reigns over Middle-earth. And so she would use the rings to preserve Middle-earth, maybe not as Tom Bombadil or the Ents remember it, but as the Elves remember Middle-earth.
As such, when later in the episode, Galadriel defiantly tells the orcs surrounding her, “These are Elven lands!”, one can read it to mean not just the area surrounding Eregion, but a claim by the elves upon all of Middle-earth. The Elves are the “Eldest” of the Children of Illuvatar (and immortal), and as such have a relationship with Middle-earth unlike the dwarves or men.
Yet, there is one who is obviously missing from this episode, whose actions are driving the plot; It is Sauron’s vision for Middle-earth’s future that puts the Ents, the Elves and even Tom, all of Middle-earth at risk for being without peace.
Rating: I would give this episode an 8/10. Overall a good episode that does the work to setup the plot for the second-half of the season; characters like Arondir and Galadriel are moved into the parts of the stories they need to be in. There are some disappointments; for one, the barrow-wights fight sequence did not really live up to the hype; it was a very short action sequence, not very special or significant fight choreography, and it also ended kind of abruptly. On the other hand, Galadriel’s solo fight against the orcs at the end of the episode was well-cut, well-paced, with great choreography and angles, and a surprise ending sure to leave everyone anticipating the next episode.
In terms of other plots, Pelargir has shaped up to have interesting moments, although it’s hard to say where it goes from here now that Arondir is headed to Eregion. There’s an opportunity for a compelling exploration of Isildur’s motivations for sticking around the region that one day becomes Gondor; we’ll see if the show can maintain the audience’s interest in that plot. The plotline with Estrid and her supposed betrothed being alive is also intriguing; Could these be the Men of the Mountain whom Isildur will one day take an oath of fealty from?
Lastly, Tom Bombadil somehow managed to fit into the story and feel right; much of that success belongs to Rory Kinnear, who brings a light touch that hints at the more playful and jolly Tom we know from the books, while still grounding him in the show so as to not be too distracting. Nori discovering more depth to the backstory of the Harfoots seems to be setting up a plotline we all expected; but we’ll see where this idea of the “Sûzat” goes by the end of this season.
About the author: Webcrawler is a full-time data analyst and a part-time Tolkien aficionado and moderator on TheOneRing.net’s Discord Server.When he’s not working or in the discord, Webcrawler is horsing around on Twitter
I learned something important from my daughter’s first-grade teacher that has stayed with me: “Don’t yuk someone else’s yum.” Our moms might have said it differently: “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” It’s simple, but there’s wisdom in it that the online, and particularly social media, world of fandom could use. Just because you don’t love something doesn’t mean someone else can’t find joy in it. Even worse, your ‘yuk’ hot take may stifle content creators’ ability to bring out content you might end up loving.
(Let’s address the elephant in the room: Yes, I know this is my hot take—but hey, mine’s aimed at you, the fan, not the content creators.)
After what seems like a lifetime at TheOneRing.net (Has it really been 25 years?!), I’ve seen every possible reaction to new Tolkien content. From diehard fans reveling in every second of a new adaptation to those who can’t wait to point out what went “wrong.” It’s predictable and, frankly, exhausting. Every time something new comes out, it’s like clockwork: a flurry of love, a tidal wave of hate, and everyone shouting into the social void.
The truth is, not every story needs to be made for you, and that’s okay. I promise. 🤗
Critique? Sure, it has its place. But what’s happened is we’ve confused having an opinion with needing to broadcast it. Tolkien’s world is vast. It can hold different visions and interpretations from both filmmakers and fans. We don’t need to take sides in an imaginary battle over what’s “right.”
But why even bring this up? Because the casual social user, or even the casual internet participant, sees that ‘yuk’ always rises to the top. Algorithms are designed to push controversy and conflict into our feeds, knowing that our human condition tends to lean toward drama over harmony. Negative opinions and arguments get engagement, and platforms thrive on that. But here’s the problem: content creators use those negative metrics to gauge the success or failure of their work. And often, they make decisions—like canceling a show—based on the loudest, angriest voices, even when there’s a quiet following that genuinely enjoys it. Yes, these entities might be large corporations with teams of data scientists, but don’t assume that they are fully exploring the data to avoid simplistic conclusions.
Don’t yuk someone else’s yum – Annonymous
And there’s another side to this. Fans who do love something often hesitate to share their enthusiasm. Why? Because they don’t want to deal with the trolls. The loudest voices—the bullies of fandom—are quick to tear down anything that doesn’t meet their personal standards. And just like in politics, where the conversation is dominated by those with the loudest, harshest opinions, fandom is too often steered by negativity. The result? Studios and creators miss out on hearing from those who love the content, because those voices are drowned out.
Take the trailer for Star Wars: Skeleton Crew as an example. When it dropped, my fellow over-40 male demographic flooded my feed with waves of negativity. But here’s the thing: I’m secretly loving the idea of mixing Star Wars with The Goonies and Stranger Things. I want creators to take those kinds of risks with our beloved franchises. And if it turns out to be something I don’t enjoy, I’ll just quietly move on; no need to let folks know I wasn’t into it.
The beauty of all fictional universes and our beloved Middle-earth is that they can mean different things to different people. If someone’s finding joy in a version of the story that isn’t your cup of tea, do you really need to jump in and let them know? Let them have their moment. There’s a quiet strength in stepping back and allowing others to enjoy what they enjoy.
At the end of the day, fandom is supposed to bring people together, not force everyone into corners based on whether they loved or hated the latest installment. Maybe, just maybe, we don’t need to weigh in on every adaptation. If you’re not feeling it, maybe scroll past, or better yet, log off and reread The Silmarillion. The stories aren’t going anywhere. There will always be space for your favorites and your least favorites in Tolkien’s world.
The next time you’re tempted to post your hot take, think back to my daughter’s first-grade lesson. It’s okay to stay quiet and let someone else have their yum.
In fact, it might be the best thing you can do—not just for them, but for the creators who need to hear the whole story, and for fandoms to enjoy a new risk here and there.
So, remember: Too much yuk, and the content you love might never get made.
The views expressed in this article are those of just me, but maybe a few other TORn staffers agree. 🤷🏻♂️
P.S. If you’ve got thoughtful critiques or just want to discuss all things Tolkien in a more welcoming, troll-free zone, there are safer places for that. Check out TheOneRing.net’s Discord or message boards, where you can share your thoughts without drowning in negativity. Let’s keep the conversation lively, but respectful—Middle-earth deserves nothing less. Feel free to email me as well
P.P.S.Hey Amazon – I couldn’t end this article without sharing some of my yum. I am LOVING Season 2 of ‘Rings of Power!’ Don’t let anyone yuk my yum! 😋
If you have a Tolkien/Middle-earth inspired poem you’d like to share, then send it to poetry@theonering.net. One poem per person may be submitted each month. Please make sure to proofread your work before sending it in. TheOneRing.net is not responsible for poems posting with spelling or grammatical errors.
