Duty, Honour, Country by Rhapsody

Duty, Honor, Country: Those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you ought to be, what you can be, and what you will be.

-- Gen. Douglas MacArthur, speech to the USMA cadets, 1962

Duty

It is my plight, being his son, to follow him wherever he would lead us. Duty lay heavily on me and his gaze - unrelenting, steadfast, and determined – there would be no discharge from it. This is what I was ought to be, leaving behind all doubts. Duty defines us: it is in our blood, the tears we shed as we sought our way out of here, forever seeking the light that he stole from us, demanding nothing more than the truth. None shall understand me; I know this, and many shall place us in darkness with the evil we fought.

Honour

I embraced the highest moral law in all I have done and still will do: fighting for what is right, sacrificing all I ever wanted for the noblest cause thinkable. For honour, I faced death in battle and danger, often wondering or questioning the restraints placed upon us in his design. All have called upon me, and I gave all accordingly, forever praying for peace each time I pick up my bow and draw my sword to fight the darkest foe. None shall understand me; the sufferings I faced and tried to bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.

Country

These green lands and long beaches, this is what I inherited: an inevitable end after all that has passed. I cannot return to whence I came, the shadow always remained serving as a warning to remain vigilant for his return. Yet, old memories haunt me: those of glorious victories and profound loss as those who I had sworn to protect fell away. Sometimes I still hear the crashing of sword upon armour, the roaring sounds of creatures and dangerous fires scorching my neck. Always defending, never yielding. None will understand how three words defined my life: Duty, Honour, and Country.

Chapter End Notes

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A very special tip of the hat goes out to the late General Douglas MacArthur who's farewell speech at West Point in 1962 inspired me greatly.

Since I submitted this piece to SWG Back to Middle-earth Month 2008: circles of the world, I also wrote a text in which I explained why I wrote this piece and with what aim. However the narrative came with the requirement that it could only take up 500 words, so this is the extended version (I really could not keep it to 500 words).

~*~ B2ME 2008 narrative ~*~

Maglor is one of my absolute favourite characters, especially since I was not so enamoured with the elves that appeared in The Lord of the Rings. This elf caught my attention, tackled me, and never let go until this day. As a character, he is often portrayed as a soft spoken and gentle person. However, the more I wrote him, approaching him from many different angles, I could not help to wonder what drove him. How was he, a son of Fëanor, able to survive all of this and still find justification for what he considered the best to do for his House and people? How could he write his masterpiece and, a day later, simply kill those who would stand in his way? How could a character like this move a reader to write a story about him, evoke emotions, and stir thoughts without ignoring the darker side of this character? All of these traits woven into one personality intrigued me and is the source of many works from my hand featuring this character.

When I wrote this piece, a reviewer told me that it was hard to imagine that this elf, or any other Fëanorian for that matter fought for honour. After all, they were driven by an Oath. However, in my opinion, words that formed an oath, culminating in their doom, cannot be the sole reason alone, and could this ever be the case for every war? Studying the speech of MacArthur, which this piece is solely based it is, in essence, a warrior’s tale. In our history, and Tolkien’s legacy, there has always been a great need for men who would fight for our freedom or our cause in war.

One can not always oversee the consequences of such sacrifices and this will always isolate those who fought from those who did not, those who could truly understand the horrors they saw and experienced. This also seems the case whenever the nobility and trustworthiness of the Fëanorians is disputed. I know that with this piece that I have evoked that emotion, the same warning the General gave and, perhaps, is also true for those who will never believe what sacrifices these Noldor made to defend their realms. As for the question when Maglor is speaking, it might be a possibity that Maglor stood amongst the cadets or at the sidelines. Or it is possible that perhaps he taught the general himself these values? When Maglor is speaking these words: I leave that up to the reader to decide.

In Tolkien’s case, he did not only tell the story of those who won. No, he also told the tale of the mighty houses that fell during the monumental battles, or kinslayings, that ultimately took place. It is striking to note that none of the seven died in war, but during the culmination of their own machination. Still, this does not take away from the fact that, as warriors, they willingly chose to take and defend the dangerous lands in the North.

This fact brings me back to Maglor’s motivations. Can a bard become a warrior? Tolkien turned a gentle person--a scholar like himself--into a soldier, and the professor, just as Maglor, fought the enemy himself and yet, in a way, knew that those who fought on the other side believed in their cause with just as much honour and determination. Which brings me back to the hallowed words...Duty, Country, Honour.