In Praise of the Feast at Ivrin by Himring
Fanwork Notes
This is a poem in praise of a canonical event of the First Age. It was written for the LOTR Community challenge on LiveJournal, which asked for an "Ode to Arda". My personal prompt was "mist/kissed" (it was not a requirement to use this for a rhyming couplet).
I've dropped the regular metre that might be expected of an ode entirely, but I have tried to retain the three-part structure that classical odes sometimes have.
Also, as Tolkien says of Nienna, my song of praise turned to lamentation before its end...
Also, with thanks to bunn for a comment about Fingolfin that inspired the choice of subject.
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Summary:
Of the Feast of Reuniting at the pools of Ivrin it is said that the joy of that feast was long remembered in later days of sorrow.
Major Characters: Fingolfin, Noldor, Sindar
Major Relationships:
Artwork Type: No artwork type listed
Genre: Poetry
Challenges:
Rating: General
Warnings:
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 169 Posted on 1 May 2017 Updated on 1 May 2017 This fanwork is complete.
Chapter 1
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That was a great feast!
Everyone came: from the mist-kissed north
the High King himself,
from the thundering Sea came the Mariner,
the Hunters from the green wood.
From the uplands and the plains we came,
from the valleys and the moors.
Oh, but it pains my heart to know
that we shall meet no more on the banks of Ivrin.Cousins greeted each other and strangers.
Gifts were exchanged, customs explained,
each word not understood found a translator.
Bounty of the High King: there was no such thing
as an empty cup, no empty hand or platter.
How the wine flowed and the laughter!
The shared laughter of my people blended with music--
like the sunlight on the waters of the pools at Ivrin.
Oh, but it pains my heart to say
that we shall meet no more on the banks of Ivrin.We parted in friendship, each to his own land returning.
None among us who did not look back at least twice,
none who did not wish to retrace his steps...
Oh, but it pains my heart tonight
that we shall meet no more on the banks of Ivrin.
Chapter End Notes
The High King is the High King of the Noldor Elves, Fingolfin. The Mariner is Cirdan. The Feast of Reuniting (Mereth Aderthad) was a reunion both of family members among the Noldor and of different groups of Elves in Beleriand: Noldor, Sindar and Nandor (hence the different languages and need for translation).
My use of the prompt ("mist-kissed north") is a reference to Fingolfin's own particular realm: Hithlum, land of Mist.
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