Long Pork by Fernstrike

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Fanwork Notes

Completed for January's “Taboo” challenge.

I completed the challenge using the straight diagonal pattern. Thus, this fic is themed around ethnocentrism and prejudice, cannibalism, weddings and funerals, and table manners. Interesting mix. I hope you’ll enjoy what I do with it, and with Galadriel (who I have never written before - yet another challenge!).

(Crossposted on AO3 and FanFiction)

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Galadriel attends the wedding of Beren and Luthien, newly returned from their journey to Angband. There, a roast boar is cause for the resurgence of old, bad memories - and consideration of what truly makes one an outsider in Doriath.

Major Characters: Beren, Celeborn, Galadriel, Lúthien Tinúviel

Major Relationships:

Genre: General, Horror

Challenges: Taboo

Rating: Teens

Warnings: Creator Chooses Not to Warn
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 711
Posted on 7 February 2017 Updated on 7 February 2017

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

Long Pork

Comments

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What a sucker-punch of an ending! And here I'd been thinking that the "cannibalism" bit lay only in that nasty remark towards Beren. Interesting that you made him give up his vegetarianism for the feast! I liked that you showed the difficulties some of the Doriathrim might have had in adapting to the fact that their precious princess married a mortal, even if Thingol no longer opposed it. Likewise, Galadriel's own sense of alienation was very convincing. Her POV - an outsider watching another outsider - worked very well. And the ending with her memories of the Ice packed a proper punch, as I said. It makes perfect sense, and it certainly takes the difficult mix of emotions of the survivors of the Helcaraxë to a new level of horror.

Thanks so much for your comment! Yes, I deliberated awhile on sidestepping Beren's vegetarianism, and did it in the end, because I was just itching to make that allusion to cannibalism early on - a little red herring so that the ending would have impact. I'm glad it worked out that way when you read it!

I too wondered whether Lúthien's choice to marry Beren would really be universally just brushed aside by Doriath's admittedly vast population, even after the quest and Thingol coming to terms with it. I'm so happy to hear that Galadriel's POV worked well! It was the part I was most fretful over, so I'm glad that the lingering horror from the ice came through.

Thank you so much for reading!

Yes, you nailed them all! 

Liked seeing this through Galadriel's eyes, the other outsider, more aware than Beren of the whispers, as women usually are when there's low-voiced gossip and bitchiness. I'm sure the majority of Elu Thingol's people thought Luthien was going through an unfortunate phase and the king had lost his mind. People are like that.

Watching Galadriel deal with the memories of what happened on the Ice, the horror, the nausea that the boar evokes, was chilling. The title has been enticing me in to read since yesterday and you did not disappoint :D

 

Haha - "It's not a phase, dad! This is the real me!" I do agree - surely some among the Doriathrim were rolling their eyes, hoping it would blow over. I hadn't even considered that Galadriel's feminine instinct helped her in picking up on the snide comments, but I think you're absolutely right! There is a certain sensitivity there that definitely dulled Beren's sense of the (admittedly undue) criticism surrounding him. 

I'm so very glad that you enjoyed the fic! And that the title lured you in :-) It was only after I'd written the story, with the boar already in it, that I recalled the phrase, and it was just so fitting, I couldn't resist!

Thank you again for your lovely review!