Melkor, Thingol and the Lore of Weaponcraft?!

[Ancalagon]

And when Melkor saw that these lies were smouldering, and that pride and anger were awake among the Noldor, he spoke to them concerning weapons; and in that time the Noldor began the smithying of swords and axes and spears. Shields also they made displaying the tokens of many houses and kindreds that vied one with another; and these only they wore abroad, and of other weapons they did not speak, for each believed that he alone had received the warning. The Silmarillion

Melkor was the first to instruct, or at least he made the suggestion of smithying weaponry to the Eldar, after his release from captivity. We know Aule had instructed Dwarves originally in speech, though in skill they would have the gifts and talents of their maker instilled in their very fabric. Yet, it would seem Aule did not devise weaponry, nor would he have conceived the idea prior to the re-awakening of the Dwarf-Lords, whom he had laid to rest until the coming of the Firstborn. In truth neither the Dwarves, nor the Noldor had given thought to weapons until instructed to do so.

For the Noldor, Melkor upon release from captivity had spoke of them to each of the houses of the Noldor. Yet even before this, Thingol had already devised weaponry in Middle-Earth, and it was unknown to any in Valinor, especially Melkor who at this time was still held in captivity.

Therefore Thingol took thought for arms, which before his people had not needed, and these at first the Naugrim smithied for him; for they were greatly skilled in such work, though none among them surpassed the craftsmen of Nogrod, of whom Telchar the smith was greatest in renown. The Silmarillion

As is told, all this transpired before the end of the 3rd age of Melkors captivity. How then is it possible, or oddly enough might it simply be coincidental that around this era, Thingol first gave thought to weapons, Dwarven Smiths made them, while later in that same era, Melkor first instructed the Noldor in the same skills, of exactly the same types of weapons, without any knowledge of Thingol, or events unfolding in Middle-Earth? I do not find this to be coincidental, then again, I am rather the cynical conspiracy theorist!

One wonders then at the timing, whether coincidental or not it is the timing that interests me. In the case of the Noldor, Melkor was the source of their newly discovered affection for weaponry, though long after (in years at least) Thingol, who is another matter entirely. His thoughts were conjured up by the Dwarves who up until that point were creating, manufacturing and crafting items of beauty and adornment (I imagine, as they were not seemingly creating weapons) both for trade and within their own dominions. Yet, the idea of weaponry as an entirely new concept for the peoples of Middle-Earth at that time.

Where then does the thought of such a skill originate and why? If one considers the Valar, before the awakening of the Elves and considers the battles fought with Melkor while shaping Arda, weapons are used, more than simple hunting and trapping tools, but mighty, potent dreadful weapons used to seek out the servants and fell creatures of Melkor.

And Oromë tamer of beasts would ride too at whiles in the darkness of the unlit forests; as a mighty hunter he came with spear and bow, pursuing to the death the monsters and fell creatures of the kingdom of Melkor, and his white horse Nahar shone like silver in the shadows. Then the sleeping earth trembled at the beat of his golden hooves, and in the twilight of the world Oromë would sound the Valaróma his great horn upon the plains of Arda; whereat the mountains echoed, and the shadows of evil fled away, and Melkor himself quailed in Utumno, foreboding the wrath to come. But even as Oromë passed the servants of Melkor would gather again; and the lands were filled with shadows and deceit. The Silmarillion

Aulë , I beleive to be the origin of this craft, and one that he set in the hearts of his own creations, but not one given to The Noldor. In secret he crafted the Fathers of the Dwarves and in secret he laid them to sleep once again in Middle-Earth. Yet, for the Noldor, he was a teacher of creativity and things of beauty;

Aulë it is who is named the Friend of the Noldor, for of him they learned much in after days, and they are the most skilled of the Elves; and in their own fashion, according to the gifts which Ilúvatar gave to them, they added much to his teaching, delighting to tongues and in scripts, and in the figures of broidery, of drawing, and of carving. The Noldor also it was who first achieved the making of gems; and the fairest of an gems were the Silmarils, and they are lost. The Silmarillion

Aulë himself already saw far ahead when he made his own children, making them tough, hardy and enduring. When he discussed all that had transpired with Yavanna, she uttered an intriguing prophecy concerning Dwarves, which in fact was realised in full resulting in the bitter estrangement between Ents and Dwarves through the ages.

Yet because thou hiddest this thought from me until its achievement, thy children will have little love for the things of my love. They will love first the things made by their own hands, as doth their father. They will delve in the earth, and the things that grow and live upon the earth they will not heed. Many a tree shall feel the bite of their iron without pity.'

and later in this exchange

Then Manwë and Yavanna parted for that time, and Yavanna returned to Aulë; and he was in his smithy, pouring molten metal into a mould. 'Eru is bountiful,' she said. 'Now let thy children beware! For there shall walk a power in the forests whose wrath they will arouse at their peril.'
'Nonetheless they will have need of wood,' said Aulë, and he went on with his smith-work.The Simarillion; Of Aule and Yavanna

It might be considered that Dwarves put the thought of weapons to Thingol for more than self-defence against the creatures of Melkor, one might even consider 'profit' as a motive! Not that this was a consideration of Aulë in any of his work, for he was generous in his actions. Dwarves it seems were the ultimate plunderers of their environment, either delving for minerals or in felling trees for their fires, Dwarves were the original capitalists of Arda. Yet, I think Aulë was central to their knowledge, eagerness and desire to create weaponry, not as part of Melkors plan, but in spite of it.

 

[Eriol]

Nice topic.

A warlike of old were all the Naugrim, and they would fight fiercely against whomsoever aggrieved them: servants of Melkor, or Eldar, or Avari, or wild beasts, or not seldom their own kin

The Sil, "Of the Sindar"

This leads me to believe that the Dwarves thought of weapons as soon as they were awake.

There is in the real world (our own ) examples of "parallel evolution of technology". I'm sure this is the case with simple ideas such as fishhooks and spear points. However, I'm not so sure in the most sophisticated ideas of weaponcraft, such as bows and swords.

Although there was a striking difference between, say, Europe and Asia as regards swords (with Asia and especially Japan holding the mastery there) in medieval times, I think it is hard to establish that the idea of "a sword" arose independently in both areas. It is unlikely, in my opinion. So I'm inclined to agree that in Tolkien's world, there should be a common origin for both ideas.

In my opinion there are two ways to think of a common origin for the Noldorin and Dwarvish weapons:

1) The Song of the Valar. Yep, the old way to explain away things in Tolkien's Legendarium . Both Melkor and Aulë saw weaponcraft in the Vision, and therefore both of them could instruct their servants in the same kind of weaponcraft. This would trace back "authorship of weapons" to the assembled Valar, or perhaps to Melkor.

2) "Archeological remains" of the Battle of Utumno. I suppose this battle was fought with conventional weapons. Dwarves could have found remains of weapons and axes there and have derived their own weapons after those remains; and of course these would be similar to the later Noldorin weapons, since both would come from the same source, Melkor.

Another point is that Dwarves would have non-military uses for axes, as Yavanna knew. And for hammers as well. Both of these are primarily non-military instruments. It is only swords that are useful only for war.

This leads me to another question -- did the Sindar have any uses for things such as axes and bows and hammers? Did they ever cut down trees, or hammer stone, or hunt?

There is another instance of "possibly independent weaponcraft" in the Nandor:

Now these were a woodland people and had no weapons of steel, and the coming of the fell beasts of the North filled them with great fear...

Does the sentence "had no weapons of steel" mean that they had other kinds of weapons? Stone arrowpoints, for instance? Stone hammers? Clubs? Boomerangs?

My opinion, after writing all of that, is that non-military weapons such as axes and hammers were widespread before Thingol "took thought for arms". What was lacking was swords and defensive equipment, armor and shields. I'm not sure about bows, I don't know whether the Elves were hunters and how they did hunt. I'm inclined to think they hunted and with bows, based on Beleg Strongbow, but perhaps this was not "widespread" as axes and especially hammers ought to be. How would one build cities such as those in the Falas without hammers and axes?

And I also think that the Dwarves either derived the idea of swords independently or found old swords from the battle of Utumno. It is not a great step for a metalworking people acquainted with axes. I don't think they were instructed about it by Aulë.

 

[Ancalagon]

Eriol, I think you have struck an incredibly interesting point when you refer to the possiblity of Melkor and Aule having foresaw weaponcraft as part of their vision. revealed of course by Eru himself!

And when the Ainur had gazed for a while and were silent, Ilúvatar said again: 'Behold your Music! This is your minstrelsy; and each of you shall find contained herein, amid the design that I set before you, all those things which it may seem that he himself devised or added. And thou, Melkor, wilt discover all the secret thoughts of thy mind, and wilt perceive that they are but a part of the whole and tributary to its glory.'

The difficulty here is that the Ainur at this point did not fully comprehend the vision, but especially the coming of the Children. So, would Eru have revealed in secret, to each the concept of weaponry, without revealing the nature of the individual who might have to bear them? Of course, Aule attempted to mimic the children via his own creations, those whom he made robust and resolute in the face of adversary. Melkor had a corrupt mind long before the coming of the children and therefore minght have construed such dark thoughts while thrust into the void. I wonder though was Eru at the very heart of this, did Eru sow the seed?

 

[Bucky]

"Archeological remains" of the Battle of Utumno.

There was a battle at Angband at the same time too.

That's 150 leagues from Doriath.