The Silmarillion is a collection of early works by JRR Tolkien released in 1977, published and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. Christopher was assisted by Guy Gavriel Kay, a fantasy fiction writer, in this project. The book was illustrated by Ted Nasmith. The book is considered to be the principal source when it comes to ancient history and the First Age of Middle-earth. It is considered to be the genesis of Tolkien's world as it discusses the universe of Eä and the lands of Middle-earth, Valinor, Beleriand, and Númenor. The Silmarillion won the Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel and the Gandalf Award for Book-Length Fantasy in 1978.
What's in The Silmarillion?
To briefly summarize the plot of The Silmarillion, Eru Ilúvatar, the father of all, created the world of Arda (eventually known as Middle-earth). Arda was first inhabited by angelic and supernatural beings known as the Maiar and the Valar.
After the passing of so many years, the Valar summoned the Elves, who were in a far-off land. Later, Morgoth, the evil character of the book, declares war on Valar and the Elves as he stole the Silmarils, the holy jewels of the land. The elves pursued Morgoth to reclaim the Silmarils.
The Silmarillion is a book of many tales, which means it has a large number of characters. The main Valar characters are Manwë, Varda, Ulmo, Yavanna, and Aüle. You will also meet the main Elf characters are Fëanor, Lúthien, Thingol, Finrod, and Eärendil.
The main human characters are Tuor, Turin, and Beren. The main antagonists in The Silmarillion are Morgoth, Ungoliant, and Sauron. The book is composed of five parts. Overall, the five-part project was also known as "Translations from Elvish." The Silmarillion is divided into the following chapters:
After the passing of so many years, the Valar summoned the Elves, who were in a far-off land. Later, Morgoth, the evil character of the book, declares war on Valar and the Elves as he stole the Silmarils, the holy jewels of the land. The elves pursued Morgoth to reclaim the Silmarils.
The Silmarillion is a book of many tales, which means it has a large number of characters. The main Valar characters are Manwë, Varda, Ulmo, Yavanna, and Aüle. You will also meet the main Elf characters are Fëanor, Lúthien, Thingol, Finrod, and Eärendil.
The main human characters are Tuor, Turin, and Beren. The main antagonists in The Silmarillion are Morgoth, Ungoliant, and Sauron. The book is composed of five parts. Overall, the five-part project was also known as "Translations from Elvish." The Silmarillion is divided into the following chapters:
- Ainulindalë - Ainulindalë is the first part of the book that discusses the creation of Tolkien's universe, Eä. Here, we get a first look at the Timeless Halls. The first part also discusses Eru Ilúvatar's creation of Ainur, who are the god-like characters that will play a significant role in the Middle-earth later. You can also find the beginnings of Melkor's corruption in this part of the book. The first part is more of like a preface for the main story.
- Valaquenta - In Valaquenta, the second part of the book, you get descriptions of the supernatural beings of Tolkien's universe – the chapter is more like a catalog. You will get to know all 14 Valar and about the Maiar that are at their service. You get a look at the antagonists of the story too. You will be able to identify some Lord of the Rings characters. Gandalf, for instance, was a Maiar, who served the Valar. In fact, all wizards on Middle-earth were part of the Maiar. Only, the wizards were a special class called Istari. The Istari were sent to Middle-earth with the mission to protect the people from Sauron's dark forces. Some other familiar characters will be bearing different names in The Silmarillion.
- Quenta Silmarillion - The Quenta Silmarillion is the third part of the book which enumerates the events that formed the history before and during the First Age. This is the longest part of the Silmarillion, with 24 chapters. These chapters tell stories of the coming of the Elves and Men, the origin of the Silmarils, and the creation of the Dwarves. You will also learn of all the battles and wars that Melkor caused and the events that formed the landscape of Middle-earth. The main plot is majorly about the Silmarils.
- Akallabêth - The fourth part of the book is entitled Akallabêth and enumerates the events that took place in the history of the Second Age, where you get to know the story of Númenor's downfall and the events that led to the Lord of the Rings. Here, you get to see Sauron rise as the main antagonist of the story from being his right-hand man. You also get to know about the Rings of Power and its history in this section.
- Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age - Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age, the last parts of the Silmarillion, are about the rings of power and the events that led to the story of The Lord of the Rings. If you have read The Lord of the Rings already, you will find the last part of the book more relatable and familiar.
Four Great Tales
- Of Beren and Lúthien - You can find this tale as the nineteenth chapter of the Quenta Silmarillion part of the book. This is the love story of Beren, a man, and Lúthien, a lady elf. They were given the impossible task of retrieving a Silmaril for Lúthien's father to accept their love.
- Of Túrin Turambar - You can find this tale as the twenty-first chapter of the Quenta Silmarillion part of the book. The story is all about Túrin Turambar and discusses his relationship with Niënor, the slaying of Glaurung the Dragon, the Sack of Nargothrond, and his and Niënor's death.
- Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin - You can find this tale as the twenty-third chapter of the Quenta Silmarillion part of the book. This tells the arrival of Tuor in Gondolin, Tuor's marriage to Idril, the betrayal of Maeglin, the birth of Eärendil, and the fall of Gondolin.
- Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath - You can find this tale as the twenty-fourth chapter of the Quenta Silmarillion part of the book. This is the story of how Eärendil traveled to Valinor to ask the Valar for help in the battle of Elves and Men against Morgoth. You will know the fate of Morgoth, the SIlmarils, and the sons of Fëanor in this story.
How Silmarillion was Developed?
Tolkien started working on the stories of The Silmarillion as early as 1914. He intended it to be a collection of English myths explaining the origins of English culture and history. Most of Tolkien's early works on the Silmarillion were written in the hospital while he was on sick leave. Tolkien was a British officer returning from France and World War I [1] during this time, and he caught trench fever [2] causing him to be confined in a military hospital. His confinement gave him enough time and rest to start drafting his stories. Tolkien later referred to the unfinished collection of stories as The Book of Lost Tales. This later became the name for the first two volumes of The History of Middle-earth, which included the early text of Tolkien.
These stories were under the narrative of Eriol (also known as Ælfwine in later versions) who docks on the island of Tol Eressëa, which happened to be the home of the elves. The Elves he meets tell him their story. Tolkien never got to complete The Book of Lost Tales. The first complete version of The Silmarillion by Tolkien was the Sketch of Mythology, which he wrote in 1926. This was later published as Volume IV in the History of Middle-earth. The Sketch of Mythology was a synopsis written by Tolkien to RW Reynolds, a close friend whom Tolkien had shared several of his stories. In this synopsis, Tolkien was explaining the background story of Túrin. The summary was 28 pages long.
From the Sketch of Mythology, Tolkien was able to draft a fuller narrative approach for Quenta Noldorinwa. This was the last draft of the Silmarillion that Tolkien was able to complete. After Tolkien found success from The Hobbit, he tried to publish The Silmarillion in 1937. It was still incomplete, but it was fully developed already when he submitted an early draft to his publisher, George Allen, and Unwin. The publishers, however, rejected The Silmarillion because they found it too confusing, and the influences were too Celtic. Instead, they decided to stick with what the readers already know and love. So, the publishers requested a sequel to The Hobbit instead. As a result, Tolkien began to work on a different story about the Hobbits, which later became known to us as The Lord of the Rings. Despite working on the sequel, Tolkien did not abandon the Silmarillion, as he felt that this will be very important in his work.
He felt this way because he viewed the stories in the Silmarillion as the Genesis of Middle-earth. Tolkien wove them into events that led to the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. When he completed the Lord of the Rings, he started picking up where he left off in the Silmarillion to make sure that the text would be related to the characters and events in The Lord of the Rings. However, he concentrated more on the philosophical and theological foundations instead of the narrative. This was because he had his doubts about the foundation of the work. He felt he needed to resolve these issues first before he could start working on the final version of The Silmarillion. During this time, he began writing extensive backgrounds on topics like the Elvish customs and their rebirth, where the Orcs came from, Arda's nature of evil, and the story of the Sun and Moon. By 1973, nearing the end of his life, Tolkien just started to edit the narrative of the creation stories and myths. Still, he was not able to make a lot of progress before he passed away due to stomach ulcer.
These stories were under the narrative of Eriol (also known as Ælfwine in later versions) who docks on the island of Tol Eressëa, which happened to be the home of the elves. The Elves he meets tell him their story. Tolkien never got to complete The Book of Lost Tales. The first complete version of The Silmarillion by Tolkien was the Sketch of Mythology, which he wrote in 1926. This was later published as Volume IV in the History of Middle-earth. The Sketch of Mythology was a synopsis written by Tolkien to RW Reynolds, a close friend whom Tolkien had shared several of his stories. In this synopsis, Tolkien was explaining the background story of Túrin. The summary was 28 pages long.
From the Sketch of Mythology, Tolkien was able to draft a fuller narrative approach for Quenta Noldorinwa. This was the last draft of the Silmarillion that Tolkien was able to complete. After Tolkien found success from The Hobbit, he tried to publish The Silmarillion in 1937. It was still incomplete, but it was fully developed already when he submitted an early draft to his publisher, George Allen, and Unwin. The publishers, however, rejected The Silmarillion because they found it too confusing, and the influences were too Celtic. Instead, they decided to stick with what the readers already know and love. So, the publishers requested a sequel to The Hobbit instead. As a result, Tolkien began to work on a different story about the Hobbits, which later became known to us as The Lord of the Rings. Despite working on the sequel, Tolkien did not abandon the Silmarillion, as he felt that this will be very important in his work.
He felt this way because he viewed the stories in the Silmarillion as the Genesis of Middle-earth. Tolkien wove them into events that led to the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. When he completed the Lord of the Rings, he started picking up where he left off in the Silmarillion to make sure that the text would be related to the characters and events in The Lord of the Rings. However, he concentrated more on the philosophical and theological foundations instead of the narrative. This was because he had his doubts about the foundation of the work. He felt he needed to resolve these issues first before he could start working on the final version of The Silmarillion. During this time, he began writing extensive backgrounds on topics like the Elvish customs and their rebirth, where the Orcs came from, Arda's nature of evil, and the story of the Sun and Moon. By 1973, nearing the end of his life, Tolkien just started to edit the narrative of the creation stories and myths. Still, he was not able to make a lot of progress before he passed away due to stomach ulcer.
What Happened After Tolkien's Death?
It took several years after Tolkien's death for his son, Christopher, to compile all of his father's work and finish the Silmarillion narrative. Christopher started out by collecting all the stories, drafts, and letters written by his father so that he could have complete consistency in the project of finishing The Silmarillion. In the History of Middle-earth, Christopher explained that he finished the incomplete works of Tolkien by going through all his father's work. He started from the Book of Lost Tales in 1917 to documents his father has written after the Lord of the Rings.
Christopher shared that he had difficulty in the later parts of Quenta Silmarillion. The Quenta Silmarillion has been left untouched by Tolkien since the 1930s. This was the time when Christoper worked with a noted fantasy fiction author, Guy Gavriel Kay. Their collaboration resulted in the creation of an index, maps, genealogies, and the first Elvish word list to be released. In 1996, Christopher hired illustrator Ted Nasmith. He made Nasmith do a full-page artwork for the first illustrated edition of The Silmarillion in full color. The illustrated version was published in 1998. Another version was published in 2004, where the second edition had additional and updated artwork also by Nasmith.
Hard-core fans have debated over the authenticity for the Silmarillion as a work of Tolkien, given that Tolkien's work was incomplete, and Christopher was the one who compiled the stories. Also, some of the material was not considered to be authentic Tolkien's ideas as they were influenced and invented by Guy Kay. It was noted that not all of Tolkien's documents were in Christopher's possessions, so there may be critical details missing. In the History of Middle-earth, Christopher had admitted to rushing the project due to the pressure and demand from the publishers and fans. Christopher realized that if he had more time and had access to all of Tolkien's text, he would probably have done a better job. The inconsistencies were spotted by hard-core fans who pointed out that Christopher's ideas were not in agreement with what was presented in the published version.
It was generally agreed by everyone that Christopher was not entirely to blame. The task of completing The Silmarillion was a difficult one considering the incomplete stories and the state of his father's documents at the time of Tolkien's death. The story Of the Ruin of Doriath was written mostly by Guy Kay. The truth is, Silmarillion was written in Tolkien's own words, except for the concluding parts. In fact, if you compare the earlier stories in The Silmarillion before the Of the Ruin of Doriath story, you can easily spot a difference in the tone. This is also obvious in The Fall of Gondolin, one of Tolkien's unfinished stories. Other issues in the Ruin of Doriath were fixed by later sources.
Christopher published other books later on, which covered how parts of The Silmarillion were just made up of his collaboration and Guy Kay. He actually shares Tolkien's original ideas and stories in some of the books. He also later admitted regretting the way he manipulated his father's work. In Beren and Lúthien, Christopher went back to his father's original vision for the story, Tolkien's explanation for how the enemies of the dwarves were able to go past the Girdle of Melian. This was also explained in the Quenta Noldorinwa [3].
However, the slaying of Thingol in his palace is a result of the collaboration between Guy Kay and Christopher. In The Silmarillion, the outlaws accompanying Hurin to Nargothrond were omitted. The curse of Mîm was also not discussed. And the treasure that Hurin got from Nargothrond was the most prized Nauglamîr. The treasure was supposed to be made for Finrod Felagund by the dwarves. Hurin then meets Melian in Menegroth, and the encounter frees him from the delusions that Morgoth had planted in him. The dwarves setting the Silmaril were responsible for slaying Thingol in his palace. By this time, Melian had no power over Region and Neldoreth, which made her vanish from Middle-earth and left an unprotected Doriath. The dwarves were later ambushed and defeated by the Beren and the Green Elves at Sarn Athrad. However, Tolkien originally intended Thingol to die during a wolf hunt outside of the Thousand Caves. This event was supposed to happen after the battles with the dwarves.
It was in the 1980s and 1990s that Christopher released his father's original Middle-earth writings known to be the History of Middle-earth, composed of 12 volumes. Works in the History of Middle-earth also included early drafts of some portions of The Lord of the Rings. The History of Middle-earth clearly showed how unfinished Tolkien's work was when it came to The Silmarillion. With the release of Tolkien's original works, the original material of The Silmarillion was expanded, and the issues fans had with it were diverted.
Christopher shared that he had difficulty in the later parts of Quenta Silmarillion. The Quenta Silmarillion has been left untouched by Tolkien since the 1930s. This was the time when Christoper worked with a noted fantasy fiction author, Guy Gavriel Kay. Their collaboration resulted in the creation of an index, maps, genealogies, and the first Elvish word list to be released. In 1996, Christopher hired illustrator Ted Nasmith. He made Nasmith do a full-page artwork for the first illustrated edition of The Silmarillion in full color. The illustrated version was published in 1998. Another version was published in 2004, where the second edition had additional and updated artwork also by Nasmith.
Hard-core fans have debated over the authenticity for the Silmarillion as a work of Tolkien, given that Tolkien's work was incomplete, and Christopher was the one who compiled the stories. Also, some of the material was not considered to be authentic Tolkien's ideas as they were influenced and invented by Guy Kay. It was noted that not all of Tolkien's documents were in Christopher's possessions, so there may be critical details missing. In the History of Middle-earth, Christopher had admitted to rushing the project due to the pressure and demand from the publishers and fans. Christopher realized that if he had more time and had access to all of Tolkien's text, he would probably have done a better job. The inconsistencies were spotted by hard-core fans who pointed out that Christopher's ideas were not in agreement with what was presented in the published version.
It was generally agreed by everyone that Christopher was not entirely to blame. The task of completing The Silmarillion was a difficult one considering the incomplete stories and the state of his father's documents at the time of Tolkien's death. The story Of the Ruin of Doriath was written mostly by Guy Kay. The truth is, Silmarillion was written in Tolkien's own words, except for the concluding parts. In fact, if you compare the earlier stories in The Silmarillion before the Of the Ruin of Doriath story, you can easily spot a difference in the tone. This is also obvious in The Fall of Gondolin, one of Tolkien's unfinished stories. Other issues in the Ruin of Doriath were fixed by later sources.
Christopher published other books later on, which covered how parts of The Silmarillion were just made up of his collaboration and Guy Kay. He actually shares Tolkien's original ideas and stories in some of the books. He also later admitted regretting the way he manipulated his father's work. In Beren and Lúthien, Christopher went back to his father's original vision for the story, Tolkien's explanation for how the enemies of the dwarves were able to go past the Girdle of Melian. This was also explained in the Quenta Noldorinwa [3].
However, the slaying of Thingol in his palace is a result of the collaboration between Guy Kay and Christopher. In The Silmarillion, the outlaws accompanying Hurin to Nargothrond were omitted. The curse of Mîm was also not discussed. And the treasure that Hurin got from Nargothrond was the most prized Nauglamîr. The treasure was supposed to be made for Finrod Felagund by the dwarves. Hurin then meets Melian in Menegroth, and the encounter frees him from the delusions that Morgoth had planted in him. The dwarves setting the Silmaril were responsible for slaying Thingol in his palace. By this time, Melian had no power over Region and Neldoreth, which made her vanish from Middle-earth and left an unprotected Doriath. The dwarves were later ambushed and defeated by the Beren and the Green Elves at Sarn Athrad. However, Tolkien originally intended Thingol to die during a wolf hunt outside of the Thousand Caves. This event was supposed to happen after the battles with the dwarves.
It was in the 1980s and 1990s that Christopher released his father's original Middle-earth writings known to be the History of Middle-earth, composed of 12 volumes. Works in the History of Middle-earth also included early drafts of some portions of The Lord of the Rings. The History of Middle-earth clearly showed how unfinished Tolkien's work was when it came to The Silmarillion. With the release of Tolkien's original works, the original material of The Silmarillion was expanded, and the issues fans had with it were diverted.
Influences
The Silmarillion is considered to be an elaborate project as it discusses a vast area of themes inspired not only by ancient and medieval sources but also and modern influences. Númenor, an island civilization in Tolkien's universe, is very similar to Atlantis (Atlantis and Atalantie). In fact, Tolkien called the land Atalantë, and he also gave it an Elvish name. However, in a letter to Christopher Bretheron, Tolkien denied that he had copied the idea from Atlantis and said that the similarities were just a coincidence. The influence of Greek mythology can also be found in the stories of the Valar, who lived like the gods and goddesses of Olympia. The Valar lived in the world but were separated from the mortals. They lived high on a mountain – just like the Olympians did. The Valar's story also has influences from Norse myths. Some Valars have the same characteristics and trace of Norse gods. Tulkas and Oromë are both very similar to the Norse god Thor.
Manwë, the head of the Valar, is very similar to Odin. In fact, Tolkien once mentioned that Gandalf was like an "Odinic wanderer" in his letters. The Silmarillion also had Biblical influences. The conflict between Eru Ilúvatar and Melkor was the same as the conflict between God and Lucifer. Melkor rebelled against Ilúvatar because he was jealous of the coming of his "children" who were to live in the world Ilúvatar made. These children turned out to be the Elves and men. Melkor created a lot of plagues and monsters to torture the children of Ilúvatar out of spite, and therefore was known to be the source of all evil in Tolkien's universe. Also, the narration of the creation and downfall of the Elves was similar to the nature and fall of humankind in Genesis. One of Tolkien's drafts also had Finrod questioning the need for Eru to save mankind. There are also Celtic mythology influences, particularly in the Noldorin Elves' exile. The story has elements similar to the Irish legend Tuatha Dé Danann. Sindarin, the Elvish language, had a Welsh influence as well.
Manwë, the head of the Valar, is very similar to Odin. In fact, Tolkien once mentioned that Gandalf was like an "Odinic wanderer" in his letters. The Silmarillion also had Biblical influences. The conflict between Eru Ilúvatar and Melkor was the same as the conflict between God and Lucifer. Melkor rebelled against Ilúvatar because he was jealous of the coming of his "children" who were to live in the world Ilúvatar made. These children turned out to be the Elves and men. Melkor created a lot of plagues and monsters to torture the children of Ilúvatar out of spite, and therefore was known to be the source of all evil in Tolkien's universe. Also, the narration of the creation and downfall of the Elves was similar to the nature and fall of humankind in Genesis. One of Tolkien's drafts also had Finrod questioning the need for Eru to save mankind. There are also Celtic mythology influences, particularly in the Noldorin Elves' exile. The story has elements similar to the Irish legend Tuatha Dé Danann. Sindarin, the Elvish language, had a Welsh influence as well.
Adaptations
Classical Music
Martin Romberg, a Norwegian classical composer, wrote full-scale symphonies inspired by some passages of the Silmarillion. These symphonies were the Quendi, Fëanor, and Telperion et Laurelin.
Metal Music
In 1998, Blind Guardian, a power metal band from Germany, released the album Nightfall in Middle-Earth. This album was conceptualized from the critical events of the Quenta Silmarillion.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
In this video game, a ranger leads a garrison on the Black Gate, where he and his family get killed. The ranger is revived, and Celebrimbor, a wraith, takes over his body. This event was inspired by a story in the last part of The Silmarillion, where Celebrimbor gets killed while he was protecting the rings of power from Sauron. Sauron and Celebrimbor end up sharing a body, both wanting redemption and revenge for what happened.
