Nightingales and Starlight by Clodia

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Fanwork Notes

 

Previously posted to FFN 03/03/09.

Disclaimer: I am not J.R.R. Tolkien and I do not own Middle-earth.  I certainly do not own the Lay of Leithian, on which this draws quite heavily in places.  All feedback is very much appreciated!

Fanwork Information

Summary:

For many years, Thingol's minstrel Daeron made lament for Lúthien Tinúviel beside dark waters... but not forever.  A look at love, loss and the Lay of Leithian.  MEFA 2009 First Place (Genres: Character Study: The Silmarillion).

Major Characters: Daeron, Erestor, Goldberry, Lúthien Tinúviel, Original Character(s), Tom Bombadil

Major Relationships:

Genre: General

Challenges:

Rating: General

Warnings:

Chapters: 2 Word Count: 9, 912
Posted on 17 June 2009 Updated on 17 June 2009

This fanwork is complete.

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Table of Contents

Daeron's Song
Coda

Comments on Nightingales and Starlight

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This is the best story about Luthien's story, and its significance to those who lived on, that I've ever read!

Loved how you brought the different strands of Tolkien together: the high epic of Luthien and Doriath with the wandering, merry Elves, honey and bread, Tom Bombadil and Goldberry of Lord of the Rings & the Hobbit.

And Daeron! What little we knew of him always seemed rather an unfortunate mix: lovely to think of an ancient bard of Doriath, singing for millenia, inventing runes, but also less appealing as (to use a completely chronologically inappropriate label) the off-putting "nice guy" who'se version of loving Luthien involves a) completely ignoring her agency and b) ignoring the fate of everyone else in the guise of mourning her.

By making him a bit of a mad, sad genius--whom Erestor and Melinna and Tom treat with sympathy for his limits--and creating an explanation for how he comes to be the author of the great lay, you give him an appeal he never had before!