Character Study
Character Biography: Vána
Published on 1 January 2011 | Essay
Barely mentioned in the published Silmarillion, Vána originally played a role as an active, assertive woman among the Valar. Her notable associations imply her role in the legendarium should be fuller than her meager mentions in the published Silmarillion suggest.
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Characters: Vána
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Character Biography: Tulkas
Published on 1 November 2011 | Essay
Tulkas evolved from Tolkien's early work on the Silmarillion from a playful, youthful character to a character more associated with unapologetic violence.
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Characters: Tulkas
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Character Biography: Pengolodh
Published on 1 March 2016 | Essay
Pengolodh is the most important character never mentioned in the published Silmarillion. This essay discusses what he would have known of the history he wrote about and how that impacts interpreting The Silmarillion for fanfiction.
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Characters: Pengolodh
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Character Biography: Nerdanel
Published on 1 August 2018 | Essay
Nerdanel is a rare character among Tolkien's woman characters, possessing skill and fortitude rather than beauty, yet due to editorial intervention, has been removed almost entirely from the published text. Fans--mostly women--have effected her rescue through transformative works.
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Characters: Nerdanel
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Character Biography: Námo Mandos
Published on 1 January 2012 | Essay
Námo Mandos occupies a common role found in world mythology: that of the god of the dead. Shrouded in mystery and beset with moral ambiguity, Námo participates in tales with parallels in other world myths, especially the Greek and the Norse.
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Characters: Námo Mandos
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Character Biography: Mahtan
Published on 1 February 2013 | Essay
The story of Mahtan, the father of Nerdanel, is one among many tales that illustrates the potential of knowledge to corrupt and lead to evil.
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Characters: Mahtan
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The Accidental King: Five Reasons Why Finarfin Deserves More Appreciation
Published on 3 June 2007 | Essay | Award Winner
An essay and commentary looking at the canonical facts about Finarfin in contrast to the neglect and hostility that his character is given by the Silmarillion fan fiction community.
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Characters: Finarfin
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A Woman in Few Words: The Character of Nerdanel and Her Treatment in Canon and Fandom
Published on 15 January 2008 | Essay | Award Winner
A review of the canon facts available on Nerdanel and discussion of why she remains so popular with fans despite her scarce appearances in the texts.
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Characters: Nerdanel
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Caranthir the Slandered: Narrative Bias, Cross-Cultural Alliances, and Fëanor’s Angriest Son
Published on 26 July 2018 | Essay
Caranthir is relentlessly described in The Silmarillion as dark and harsh and haughty, yet these descriptions bear little resemblance to his actual deeds. Instead, I argue in this essay, Caranthir serves as one of the rare cosmopolitans of the Noldor and is deliberately cast by the Silmarillion's pseudohistorical narrator as a foil to the equally cosmopolitan Finrod Felagund in order to elevate the reputation of the latter.
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Characters: Caranthir, Elu Thingol, Finrod Felagund, Pengolodh, Turgon
Pairing: No pairing listed.