What do the Halls of Mandos look like?

[ZehnWaters]

Per the title, what are they actually like, if you "lived" there? Like, are they akin to Dwarven Halls? Or just the ones the Dwarves go to?

 

[d4rk3lf]

I assume it's more like other spiritual dimension, rather then something materialistic (like Dwarven Halls).
His Halls might be 1x1 meters (or less) in materialistic part of Valinor, but still be gigantic for every elf, that lost his body, and enters it.
Dunno bro.

I am personally more curios what are elfs, that are in it, doing all the time? Are they allowed art, or they are just forced to stay and stare at some empty non realistic walls?
That would be pretty unfair, because there is Feanor, and there is also Fingolfin and many noble elves. You can't judge them all equally to boredom for thousands and thousands of years, without any selection.
There must be some layers of it (like heaven and hell) where more noble elves are allowed some (creative) stuff to do, as opposed to elves that were bad.
Maybe Feanor is forbidden to meet anyone, and do any kind of craft or art, and some elves are allowed to do all kind of fun and creative stuff.

 

[ZehnWaters]

I am personally more curios what are elfs, that are in it, doing all the time? Are they allowed art, or they are just forced to stay and stare at some empty non realistic walls?
That would be pretty unfair, because there is Feanor, and there is also Fingolfin and many noble elves. You can't judge them all equally to boredom for thousands and thousands of years, without any selection.

Well they, at least, get to be reincarnated (except Fëanor & his boys), and men get to leave. Dwarves get...?

There must be some layers of it (like heaven and hell) where more noble elves are allowed some (creative) stuff to do, as opposed to elves that were bad.

I think they're supposed to rest and contemplate. So like a monastery?

Maybe Feanor is forbidden to meet anyone, and do any kind of craft or art, and some elves are allowed to do all kind of fun and creative stuff.

That'd be delightful, TBH.

 

[Server Room Gremlin]

Quote from the Valaquenta in the Silmarillion:

Námo the elder dwells in Mandos, which is westward in Valinor. He is the keeper of the Houses of the Dead, and the summoner of the spirits of the slain. He forgets nothing; and he knows all things that shall be, save only those that lie still in the freedom of Ilúvatar. He is the Doomsman of the Valar; but he pronounces his dooms and his judgements only at the bidding of Manwë. Vairë the Weaver is his spouse, who weaves all things that have ever been in Time into her storied webs, and the halls of Mandos that ever widen as the ages pass are clothed with them.

From this we can see that the Halls of Mandos are not a static thing: they grow as time passes, and their walls are covered in tapestries that show all of history. It's only speculation whether the outside and the inside appear the same. Does the outside (which is seen by the living) grow with time, in the same way as the inside (which is seen by the dead and the Ainur)?

For the spirits dwelling within, I imagine they'd be able to examine these tapestries, if they so chose. They'd be able to see things that happened long ago, in perfect detail and truth, unlike the brief or distorted stories found in history or memory. And they'd be able to see things in the present day as they happened, if they wanted to know of goings-on in the outside world.