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i. OOC: Guide to "Wind-Singers"; A guide meant to explain some of the more strange elements of the saga at large.
Topic Started: Jul 25 2016, 07:36 PM (106 Views)
Ioristion

Hi all,

Thought I'd make this guide, given that some of the concepts introduced in the storylines of the "Voices on the Wind" threads are a bit outlandish to Tolkien- at least on the surface. So here are some well-reasoned, tight-knit, explications, meant to make the reading process more enjoyable for those who are interested. Many of these concepts would easily be misunderstood without these explications. So, without further adieu, here it goes:

The Sirion Falls Notes to "Voices on the Wind"
(Beware of Spoilers!)
Edited by Ioristion, Jul 25 2016, 08:39 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter I: Of Dreams and Visions

In accordance with Tolkien's lore on the subject, here is what we do know from the lore itself:

I. Lorien is a region in western Aman, the mythic lands of the West where the Elves go after they die or sail back across the sea. It is not Lothlorien, which is also, confusingly, referred to as Lorien, but there are reasons as to why Tolkien made these connections.

II. At the heart of Galadriel's City, Caras Galadhon, there is a garden, and within that garden, a stream, and the fabled Mirror of Galadriel, which is capable of casting visions within the mind of the viewer, or, alternatively, dreams.

III. This mirrors the "real" Lorien of the West: a far larger garden that has a lake at its center, and within the lake is an Isle, where dwells Irmo, the Master and Vala of Visions and Dreams. Irmo is the centre of the Power, but not in and of himself, for it ultimately stems from the unfathomable being of Ea, or the Universe, or All That Is, which was formed by the Great Music of the Ainur, all from the power of Eru Iluvatar, from the beginning.

IV. The Seat of Seeing and the Palantiri also have the powers of visions and dreams. Get ready folks, here's where it all gets complicated.

Here is what we don't know, which the fanon-lore of the "Wind-Singers" story creates:

I. Irmo has apprentices much as Nienna does (Olorin was an apprentice to Nienna just as Sauron was apprenticed to Aule). Two of these apprentices are named Uireb and Amanuiron, who are brothers. Amanuiron will become Guldrambor, falling prey to Melkor's discord, ultimately to sow mischief in Middle-Earth for Auruiron and Yucalwe and their households. Amanuiron's "powers" involve chiefly the following attributes.

II. Some of these attributes include the following: the ability to change his hue (one of the few attributes he shares with Melkor and later Sauron), by influencing the minds of all who observe him. Hence, he easily becomes Emperor over the particular Easterlings of Sakuta because of this ability to partially control their minds.

III. Amanuiron stole plants from the Garden of Lorien and corrupted them- much as Orcs are corrupted versions of other beings, as Morgoth cannot himself create life. These plants are bred many times, almost the opposite of athelas, just as poison is the opposite of medicine, and the bile that is formed from the broken-down decomposed versions of these plants, in turn, can influence all who drink it to fall prey to various types of dreams, some of them vainglorious and narcissistic, and others nightmarish and fea/spirit-drowning.

IV. Guldrambor Amanuiron's method is to basically lure his victims under his control, and then slowly torture their minds, until they finally despair, and then they are relatively easy for Guldrambor to kill-off.

V. All of this is -inspired- by the established lore: the bile is to athelas as Orcs are to Men and Elves, and Amanuiron is a pretender, wanting to be as "great" as Morgoth and Sauron, and, obviously, his failure to do this is inevitable, given how Frodo is able to sail away with -no- knowledge of any of this by the time the real story is over.

VI. What about Findekano? Well, as someone later explains in the plot, its quite simple. The storyline assumes that Findekano, for his self-sacrifice at the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, doesn't spend too much time in Mandos, and since the scene with Uireb occurs hundreds, if not thousands of years, after the battle, its a moot point. All the "real Fingon" plays, in terms of his role, is to "approve" all the visions in which he sees himself in the dreams of Auruiron and his family, lending them some form of legitimacy. Thus, Findekano does not literally appear to Ioristion and others. It's a vision of him conjured-up in Ioristion's mind through the powers of Nienna and Irmo channeled through the eternal waters of pity that augmented the cloak that Ioristion wears.

VII. When Ioristion became mad / crazy, he had the dream about Findekano being trapped in Eregion and so on and so forth- all of this was fabricated by Ioristion's mind amidst his grief in the aftermath of the War of the Last Alliance.
Edited by Ioristion, Jun 24 2017, 12:41 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter II: The Capes / Cloaks

I. The capes, or cloaks, are essentially flamboyant objects, designed in Aman at the beginning. Auruiron and Yucalwe had learned the art of weaving, which either gender could do, although many female Elves tended to do weaving far more. Male and female Elves look alike in many ways- so this doesn't really matter all that much. They simply had the talent.

II. The connection between Irmo and Nienna was, admittedly, completely arbitrary. I derived this connection due to my need to have it mirror the dynamic between Gandalf and Galadriel, in that un-witnessed meeting in between the pages, between Gandalf's fall in Moria and his return to the remnants of the Fellowship in Fangorn. Gandalf, or Olorin, stands-in for Pity, for the Vala Nienna. Galadriel, with her Mirror, in Lorien, stands-in for Irmo, of Lorien in the West. So, this is how the currents were established.

III. We know in the lore that a pool was made by Nienna's tears in the absolute Western part of Aman. My concept is to then have a little stream stretch between this pool, or spring, beneath Nienna's waterfall, all the way to the lake in the heart of Lorien, to establish the connection as noted above. It isn't against the lore per say- Tolkien really didn't describe the dynamics between places in Aman all that much. So, this is an arbitrary attempt to fill-in a gap- take it or leave it.

IV. Auruiron dips his cloak into the spring, which augments it. While this has little basis in the actual lore, it does have a basis in other myths and legends. Odysseus receives a sash that protects him during his long swim in the pages of Homer. The golden fleece of Jason and the Argonauts bestows healing powers. So, really, its a Classical myth inserted into Tolkien's norse-inspired world. Take it or leave it- I felt it would be good to do something different, something mythical that doesn't involve stealing palantiri.

V. Amanuiron has a similar cloak. This is how Amarthon eventually gets his in "The Final Quest."

VI. Regarding the miracles of the multiplication of the cloaks: the cloaks are analogous to water, to the waters of Nienna's spring, Irmo's lake, and the stream that connects them. Water droplets multiply when they are splashed onto a surface, water can puddle and spread outward, water can flow in various directions depending on the presence or absence of slopes. Ultimately, the miraculous has its place in the story, because, while the Powers of the West are indeed unable, in the Third Age, to aid anyone directly, they can still aid the protagonists indirectly, much as they did with Frodo.

VII. So why do -33- characters receive such gifts? They receive them because the moral of the story is that -1- person can't really do everything on one's own. Each person has one's role to play in the larger picture that makes things happen. Its little different than many Elves in Lothlorien eating lembas, or many Dwarves in Erebor wearing mithril, or many Eldarim from Aman having treasures forged in the West. The lembas and the mithril become -individualized- to Frodo when they are bestowed upon him. But there is this larger context in the lore as well for such objects.

VIII. Why do any of these characters need such deus-ex-machinas? Because that's the chief function of epic storytelling: characters getting some form of aid from powerful sources that enable them to act. It's been true since the days of Homer- and since the days of whoever first wrote "Beowulf." Tolkien's story involves and invokes epic storytelling, especially in "The Silmarillion," and so "Voices on the Wind" needs to reflect this in order to operate in the same universe as its source material. If no character ever got any form of supernatural help, at least in so far as epics are concerned, there would be no story to tell. To invoke the mythic is to invoke some vague perceptions of the supernatural- to invoke another, far different, dimension of mind, of thought, and of reality.

IX. What purposes will these cloaks end-up serving? You'll have to read to find-out.

X. What inspired these cloaks? Well, rings and jewels were already taken by the Master Writer of the source material. The cloaks / capes were inspired by the muletas and capes of toreros in Spain, and this isn't to invoke any form of debate about the nature of bullfighting or any of that. The bullfight, in this case, serves more as a model. It is not endorsed- and certainly not by this story. When Siagon slays Hallothanar's brother by tricking a bull into goring the latter, its meant to be deeply tragic, both for Hallothanar's brother, and for the bull. The model is this: a spectacle or display occurs with the cape-work of the matador. Then comes the wounding and the bleeding and the killing. Hence, there's this large repetition throughout the stories.

XI. What is this repetition? Its all the incessant cape-imagery, the excessive descriptions of the silky folds, et cetera. Why repeat this image so much? Because the drowning effect occurs through the excess, through the repetition. Amanuiron, by his fallen nature, is excessive. His appearance or fair form is excessive. His mannerisms are flamboyant. He made-up the traditions of the excessive cheek-kissing, cloak-wrapping, close-embracing, and et cetera, before his fall, because he already had that inclination. Most strangers don't behave that way with each other. Amanuiron, with his mind-dream-powers, derived from Irmo, and ultimately corrupted by Melkor, has this hazy unifying effect on all whom he draws close to him.

XII. Why does this matter? It matters because it should be terribly unsettling to see all of this sudden, unrealistic (which was intentional), bonding between these characters, who don't realize that they are essentially mimicing the behavior of their Enemy, ultimately falling into his trap by doing so. Whether or not they can turn this behavior against him remains to be seen.......... but first they must, somehow, learn how to renounce excess, or face the consequences of it.

XIII. Wait a moment, Auru, are you saying that this means that the cloaks are corrupt? No, only the mannerisms and flamboyancy of the characters who misuse them- this misusage that Amanuiron had besmirched Auruiron and Yucalwe into during their time in Aman. The discord ripples outward...
Edited by Ioristion, Jul 25 2016, 08:14 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter III: Of Foreign Lands

I. Aragorn refers to "strange stars" in the East, or "where the stars are strange," reflective of European fears about the mysterious East in rl. Tolkien naturally reflected this in his own writings. We don't know much about Rhun or Harad or Khand or Umbar. We only learn that the Variags like axes, that Rhun has wainriders and warriors who wear bronze, gold-plated armor with red fabric, that Umbar has Corsair pirates who have ships with black sails, and that the Haradrim have spears and arrows and half-trolls and a black-serpent sigil and oliphaunts / mumakil with war-towers.

II. The Shahadmaradi do not stand for all of Harad. They are a different tribe- hence their appearances are somewhat different from those of Tolkien's Haradrim. Not all of them have to look the same. Moreover, the Shahadmaradi actually looked more like poor nomads until Amanuiron / Guldrambor lead them to riches, wealth, and fortune, and indoctrinated them with his illusions. Hence, Angolhel and Lerion and Alagossel all have appearances that reflect Amanuiron's excess, his flamboyancy.

III. The long hair is impractical on the surface for a desert climate. Very hot. Then again, so are veils. In rl, the dress of desert-dwelling people often involves fabrics worn on the head in order to protect against the sunlight. Moreover, some cultures do indeed have rites and rituals and other such things that are "impractical" when viewed only through the lens of practicality. Often, its humans behaving in rather extreme ways. So, the long hair and long capes are impractical, on purpose, and that will have some consequences in the story. Lerion's father suffered some such consequences: he got too flashy, too pride and vain, and so the rangers shot him down with ease. If everyone behaved in terms of what is practical, and if everyone acted correctly, and did not do stupid things, the story would cease to be real: sometimes, mistakes are made, and these mistakes have consequences.

IV. On the names: they are made-up for an in-story reason: While Tolkien prided himself on linguistics, its doubtful that these Elves or Gondorians are well-versed in eastern languages. So, names like Anzulbar, Siagon, Sakuta, Sasuko, Narushon, etc., are meant to be strange, and, in fact, nearly gibberish, to the peoples of the West, who do not know these language-systems or comprehend them. Its meant to be an unknown for that reason.

V. On the excessive gold in Sakuta's halls, the mining, etc., in Sakuta: Amanuiron / Guldrambor knows he needs these people to serve him. So he uses his powers that he had learned from Irmo in corrupt ways- in order to get these people to work harder and do it enduringly. Its a scary prospect- rightfully so. It's also another indication of the excess.

VI. All of this stems from Frodo's line in the lore: "I would have thought that a servant of the Enemy would... look fairer, but feel... fouler..." Well, since all the Nazgul, the Mouth of Sauron, etc., don't accord too well with Frodo's line, this different approach was created in order to address it. Frodo's line in the text really reflects Sauron's actions as Annatar and Morgoth's as Melkor and Saruman's attempts as Saruman of Many Colours. Well, Guldrambor basically heightens these methods to the extreme- in keeping with his excess.
Edited by Ioristion, Jul 25 2016, 08:38 PM.
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Ioristion

Chapter IV: On Orbs, Seats, and Mirrors

I. Much of the usage of such things are critiques of them- or of how other fan-fic writers have abused them.

II. The Seat of Seeing, when Frodo uses it with the Ring on, nearly imperils his Quest, nearly gets caught by Sauron, but he sees many things happening that are true. It is less a vision proper and more of an enhancement of sight.

III. When Ivordir and his Company use the Seat of Seeing, at the same time Macilon uses the Orb / Jewel, Guldrambor discovers Sauron's demise with the destruction of the Ring, which causes far more damage than Frodo nearly getting caught. The point is to emphasize the foolhardiness of these characters- how their naivete results in the worst mistakes.

IV. It is completely rational for the Company's gifts to enable them to interact with the Seat of Seeing- just as Frodo had done so with the Ring.

V. To have Frodo alone be capable of sitting there and experiencing something would not be in keeping with the lore. It's called the "Seat of Seeing" because its fabled to have that power- because more than one person attempted to use it. Granted, now in ruins, its under-used, but surely some travelers might stumble upon it? Sometimes, in order for the World of Arda to become truly alive, it requires some such plot elements. Remember: foolhardy. Its a critique of attempting to use such powers. It makes Ivordir and his forces look stupid. And so, ultimately, it undercuts fan-fics that abuse this trope, and it makes total fun of them- its a serious plot element that simultaneously contains elements of parody.

VI. The Orb is -not- a palantir. It does not see anything that's "true" per se. It only projects whatever's within the mind of the user into a lively vision or dream. This artifact was forged in the West- so it works storywise for Auru to still have it. But its often not used out of fear, and it often causes problems for whomever uses it. It's essentially a false gift- it causes more problems than its worth. Hence, these Elves ain't using it all the time for entertainment like a T.V. It has real consequences- it's generally avoided. The characters who use it are, on the surface, acting foolishly, until Macilon attempts to harness it to teach lessons to the other users. Its really a plot-vehicle present to prove how dangerous these things, when ill-used, can be. It's basically a Jewel that's shaped like an Orb- and so the terms are used interchangeably. It's a "true gift" in so far as Irmo's influence is able to combat that of Amanuiron / Guldrambor. It's a "false gift" in the sense that Guldrambor can corrupt or distort it, and, not only that, but the user can also cause grave problems to oneself, hence the case of Aegnil.

VII. The Mirror of Galadriel only exists in a sequence of seven mysterious dreams experienced by Celebressel before she met Alcano and married him and entered Auruiron's Company. Celebressel later realizes that she had dreamed them. They were powerful dreams, poignant enough for Celebressel to believe that they held some form of truth or validity. She was highly naive in her youth. She perceived her dreams as memories, blending them with her reality. But before she had the chance to realize this, from speaking to her parents, or from speaking to Elves who were closer to the Lord and Lady, Malfinseron caught her near the Garden, before she actually had the chance to gaze into anything. She confessed everything to Malfinseron, believing herself caught. Her intention alone, Malfinseron argued, persuasively, was enough to exile her. So she packed up her provisions, naive and unwise as ever, and left the Realm. She consequently ran into Alcano. Now the visions that she sees within the Mirror inside her larger dream- these become validated by her experiences with Alcano. This is why, in spite of realism, she weds Alcano so quickly. Alcano, meanwhile, had fantasized about Finlos and Rostor for ages, his "noble ancestors," and he jumped at the first opportunity to wed someone who was close to him of age and not close of kin, a person he never expected to ever find. They are both young and naive and have to learn from experience. Now, why are her visions within the dream valid? And why such a sequence of seven dreams? Well, she's in the realm of Lothlorien, beneath the power of Nenya, the Ring of Galadriel. So, its perfectly fine for her to have such experiences there, in the land that's heavily, ultimately, influenced by the power of the Vala Irmo, hence its title: "Loth-Lorien."

IX. In Conclusion: Everything is rooted in the lore, or in concepts from the lore, in some way. Excessive imagery and ridiculous behavior: blame Guldrambor, he's the villain who started it all....... if it doesn't fit in Tolkien's world on the surface, then its probably a discord formed by Guldrambor / Amanuiron, and, ultimately, by Melkor, who attempts to ruin the Great Music of the Ainur, and this is how all of it, however strange, gets its justifications. Let it be hither known that Auru's Elves and Men, the members of his combined Company, do not reflect the behavior of most Elves, or of most Men, because it all goes back to Amanuiron's original Fall within the West, back to Melkor's discord, and to the chaos of Melkor's rebellion during the Great Music that began it all..........

X. Why bother writing all of this importance into it when the real heroes of the larger narrative are Frodo and Sam? Why invent such an antagonist? Because the ultimate fate of Guldrambor is that of insignificance. He wants to be what he never will be- Morgoth's equal. Just as Auruiron wants to be what he never will be- a great lord in history, a High King in his own right. Its a tale of false dreams that result in evil-as-absence, evil-as-nothingness, where the only thing the survivors can do is to try to return and live in the worlds that they never saved, as the real history of Frodo and Sam supplanted it all................... and that is the bittersweetness of "Voices on the Wind," and the heart of why its a story worth telling................ its a proof for why Tolkien was right: that the great lords of Elves and men were incapable of solving the vast problem of their Age................ why only an elusive aristocratic hobbit and his hero of a gardener, alone, could have hoped to victor.............. and it proves why Glorfindel, nor any other Elf-lord, could not have aided Frodo and Sam on their journey............. the tale of Auruiron buttresses, supports, the larger lay, of Nine-Fingered Frodo, and of The Lord of the Rings...............

And yet, while this bitterness has been established, the sweetness also emerges: that there is still hope, even for those Noldor who refused the West- still hope for long-lost Macalaure, still hope for the abandoned Exiles, for it is because of the acts of Frodo and Sam, and Galadriel's rejection of excessive vainglory, that Auruiron, and maybe even Macalaure (up to Maka), may yet return to the West.......... and its also because of their own sacrifices, their courage under fire, their grace under pressure and endurance........ all of this, alone, redeems them..................

Enjoy!
Edited by Ioristion, Jul 26 2016, 06:23 PM.
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