I like the idea that the Valar can grant boons to men or elves they favor. Sometimes visible– glowing markings, feathers, claws– and sometimes not. Attitudes of these blessings ranged from fear to reverence to jealousy, often reflecting opinions of the Valar more generally.

Galadriel's special treelight hair came from Finarfin. Finarfin got it as a result of Manwe's favor. Given how rare it was for Manwe to bestow such gifts, this caused quite a stir. Later, Morgoth would spread rumors that Manwe was trying to set Finarfin up as the new Noldor crown prince, bypassing Finwe's older children.

Namo gave Fingolfin a blessing, and no one was particularly sure why, Fingolfin included. The truth was that Namo had already foreseen Fingolfin's death, and wanted to give him the strength to let him wound Morgoth before falling to him. Namo has always felt a sense of responsibility for those who choose to come to his halls, even if he's powerless to change their fates.

Celegorm was blessed by Orome, given the kind of teeth and claws that a few of his best disciples had been granted over the years. Orome couldn't take those gifts back, so Celegorm kept them for all his life. You wouldn't know that looking at paintings of him, though, because none of them show him with the marks of Orome's hunt. Whether this was a choice made by him or by later revisionists trying to minimize his connection with the Valar is unknown.

Varda gave blessings to both Earendil and Gil-Galad in the final years of the First Age. Both of them are said to have shone like stars afterwards, and there were some darker rumors that like the hallowed Silmarils, they would burn any unholy flesh that touched them. Some speculated that the blessings were Varda's way of apologizing for leaving the elves to face Morgoth alone for so long.

Ulmo is probably the Vala who's given out the most blessings– Cirdan, Turgon, Finrod, and Tuor all recieved boons from him, among others. But everyone who's gotten blessings from Ulmo is weirdly secretive about it. There's lots of gossip floating around– Ulmo is the reason Cirdan has a beard, Ulmo is the reason Turgon is taller than Maedhros, Ulmo is the reason that everyone likes Finrod so much, actually everyone blessed by Ulmo gets gills and he has secret underwater meetings with them– you get the idea. Well, probably no reason to consider that last one. I can't imagine any of the Valar using their power for something that foolish.

There is fierce scholarly debate on whether Thingol received a blessing from Melian, and whether her descendants could, theoretically, do the same. Elrond would like everyone to please stop asking him about it. Elrond would also like everyone to please stop talking about Gil-Galad's hair turning silver after the two of them took a very normal hunting trip together.

(Multiple Valar have tried to take credit for just how amazingly luscious and wonderful Finwe's hair is. But no, that wasn't a blessing. He's just like that.)

Reblog for a wider response, please and thank you! The first part is over here: Choose your roommate

had a revelation

sons of finwë during the years of the trees

Here is an older version of the Camp of Valar ♥ I made it in my sketchbook and then I redrew it, since I thought the composition was too boring...but my sis told me that she liked this one better...so I finished it ♥

sons of Finwë

Someone mishearing the name of Galadriel’s husband and being convinced she is married to Celegorm.

Options for this include:

Fingolfin - as a letter from Doriath is smudged in just the right place. This misunderstanding helps to contribute significantly to his decision to get crushed by Morgoth’s boot.

Caranthir - he ignores most of the going’s on from his siblings and would really like to know less about the supposed marriage of his hated cousin and least favourite brother. May they make each other miserable together. Doesn’t find out the truth until Doriath.

Angrod - he is torn between brotherly loyalty and loyalty to one who is his friend. He isn’t sure which one to feel sorry for and is Very Relieved when Finrod clears up the misunderstanding.

Finarfin - garbled rumours from across the seas. Is absolutely horrified and thinks it is yet another rebellion by his daughter. Doesn’t find out until he sees Galadriel again in Beleriand, where his first words upon greeting Celeborn are ‘thank the Valar you aren’t my nephew’

Sauron - attempts to torment Galadriel about the loss and downfall of her husband. Is very confused when she tells him that he is alive and well and that Sauron has had dinner with him! He does not recall dining with any of Feanor’s sons. He just knows that somewhere Celebrimbor’s ghost is laughing at him.

All of the above.

Angry Swan

My first fanart of Eärwen and Finarfin! We know that Eärwen did not follow her husband into exile, but how did she react to the Kinslaying at Alqualondë? There're few descriptions of her in the Silmarillion. We can imagine that she was even more angry and grieving than Finarfin, after all, among the fallen bodies were likely to be her relatives and childhood friends. So that's why I drew this: furious Eärwen yelling and Finarfin shedding tears of remorse.

I couldn't decide where to place Finarfin in the picture at first; in my initial vision, he would comfort Eärwen by wrapping his arms around her from behind, but that would have weakened the anger I wanted to show. She needed the time and space to vent those emotions alone, and I suppose Finarfin would be too guilty to touch her, even though he wasn't personally involved in the killing. So in the end Finarfin just watched Eärwen silently, reaching out his hand but hesitating as to what to do.

(Of course, when Eärwen calmed down, they embraced and rebuilt the haven together)

Silm!

i think finarfin during the war of wrath should have personal beef with sauron over finrod's death. like. angrier than he is with morgoth even

Finarfin and Galadriel reunite by Jenny Dolfen

Another funnier option would be that neither of them found out until after Elros’ marriage when some confusion arose between Elros and his Wife. Elros then frantically writes to Elrond to ask him what sex is and how it works. Elrond, who has no idea what Elros is talking about, brings this up to Gil Galad, Galadriel and Celebrimbor after a council meeting at which point all three remember, with no small amount of panic, what they forgot to discuss with the twins. This results in one of Gondor’s archives/museums having a stack of letters adressed to Elros Tar Minyatur sent by several famous historical elves. Unfortunately due to the age of the letters and the fact they were written in ancient elvish no one can read them but its is assumed they were important diplomatic messages. If they could read them, the scholars of Gondor might be a little suprised and confused why the adult King of Numenor had received multiple, quite lengthy letters detailing how sex works.

Thinking about how perfect the Silmarillion already is and about how even more perfect it would be if Tolkien actually got the chance to write it properly.

Don't get me wrong, Christopher already did a great job at publishing all of his father's works (he didn't have to do that, no one made him spent years trying to organize an entire world), but as it is the Silm is just a large summary of events, and even the separate books that focus on just one story like Luthien or Turin are more very detailed summaries then actual novels.

I mean, imagine Tolkien got to write all that out the way he did with Lord of The Rings, it wouldn't be a trilogy but (a ten-logy???) at least ten books!

Imagine reading all those already heartbreaking scenes the way novels are normally written, with more dialog and detailed descriptions and everything, the way we now only get it in fanfiction.

And I think that's kind of what this fandom is doing. We take all those notes and ideas and give them details and life. We finish Tolkien's legacy because he couldn't do it himself.

Finwë is like “Of course I love all my sons equally. Right, Fëanor, Falafel and Finances?”