A Sense of History: Straight Road
The next in a series of articles about ships passing to and from the West, Simon uses "The Fall of Númenor" to attempt to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to "Beowulf."
Founded in 2005, the Silmarillion Writers' Guild exists for discussions of and creative fanworks based on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion and related texts. We are a positive-focused and open-minded space that welcomes fans from all over the world and with all levels of experience with Tolkien's works. Whether you are picking up Tolkien's books for the first time or have been a fan for decades, we welcome you to join us!
A Sense of History: Straight Road
The next in a series of articles about ships passing to and from the West, Simon uses "The Fall of Númenor" to attempt to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to "Beowulf."
Fandom Voices: Comments and Feedback
Our Fandom Voices project tackles the fraught questions of feedback: what it is like to leave and receive feedback in the world of Tolkien fanworks.
20th Birthday Event Feedback Needed
Answer one small question to help us plan an even to celebrate our 20th birthday next year!
Call for Contributors: Themed Collections
Are you passionate about a topic related to Tolkien or fanworks? Do you have an impressive collection of bookmarks and favorites? We are looking for contributors who want to put together themed collections on the topic of their choice.
[Writing] Meeting the In-Laws by awwyeah107
Caranthir is nervous about meeting Haleth’s father and brother for the first time. Haleth is sure everything will go well.
[Reference] Straight Road by Simon J. Cook
The Fall of Númenor offers the evidence used to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to Beowulf.
[Artwork] Morgoth's prisoner by elennalore
Maedhros in Angband
[Reference] Fandom Voices: Comments and Feedback by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Over thirty people contributed their thoughts on the experience of leaving and receiving feedback on fanworks. Emotions run high on all sides, but community and connections emerge as factors that promote feedback while easing its difficulties for readers and viewers.
[Writing] Coincidences of Fate by cílil
Sometimes Eönwë wonders if his life is just like Manwë's romance novels. Sometimes he even thinks the One may be laughing at him from above.
A story told in exactly 4 1/3 drabbles.
[Writing] Tengwar Drabbles by cílil
A collection of Silmarillion-centric drabbles written for the Tengwar Challenge. Short and sweet!
Bollywood
Prompts this month are films, songs, and tropes from India's dazzling film industry, Bollywood. Read more ...
April's Fool
Create a fanwork in which a character tricks or plays a prank on another. Read more ...
Straight Road by Simon J. Cook
The Fall of Númenor offers the evidence used to arrive at Tolkien's reading of the exordium to Beowulf.
Fandom Voices: Comments and Feedback by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Over thirty people contributed their thoughts on the experience of leaving and receiving feedback on fanworks. Emotions run high on all sides, but community and connections emerge as factors that promote feedback while easing its difficulties for readers and viewers.
Fandom Voices: Using Fanon in Fanworks by Dawn Walls-Thumma
Sixteen Tolkien fans contributed their definitions of and experiences with fanon or fan-generated theories about the legendarium.
[Writing] Staging a Battle by StarSpray
He and Diamond were visiting, though Pippin had been disappearing every afternoon, and taking Frodo and Elanor and most other lads and lasses in the neighborhood with him—though why they couldn’t use Pippin’s own pony, Sam couldn’t imagine.
[Writing] From whose bourn no traveller returns by losselen
So gathered they were to Bree, what lieutenants who could be spared, from their scattered watches west and east, for their chieftain had returned from his long sojourn in lands godless and mountains strange.
Aragorn returns from the South to tells his tales. Halbarad listens.
[Writing] Sand Sorcery by StarSpray
It is well known that Psamathos does not leave his cove. He does not like to get his feet wet, and prefers to spend his days dozing under the sun.
Eönwë Week 2024
Eönwë Week is a Tumblr event for creating fanworks about Eönwë.
Teitho August/September Contest: Do you remember ...?
For the contest theme for August and September, characters will look back to the past.
August challenge at tolkienshortfanworks on Dreamwidth
The August challenge has been posted to the tolkienshortfanworks community on Dreamwidth. The thematic challenge is: magic trees. The formal challenge is: call and response. New participants welcome.
August 2024 Call for Papers and Proposals
Calls for papers and proposals for conferences and publications that are open during the month of August 2024.
Innumerable Stars 2024
Innumerable Stars is a Tolkien fandom gift exchange for all works by Tolkien or associated with Middle-earth.
Site © Dawn Felagund
Logo © Bunn
All copyrights for creative work hosted on this site are retained by their creators.
This site is built using Drupal and the theme W3CSS.
Characters and stories associated with J.R.R. Tolkien's works remain the property of his estate. Creative work using this material has been written solely for the enjoyment and enlightenment of its creator and their associates. No profit is made on the materials shared on this site.
Comment by erunyauve for Círdan the Shipwright
Círdan! I'm looking forward to the second part - I think his participation in the Nirnaeth is so important, given that Nargothrond and Doriath wouldn't have any part in it. As always, all the references are appreciated!
One minor correction - I'm pretty sure that Círdan remained at least into the Fourth Age. Appendix A has this: 'At the Grey Havens dwelt Círdan the Shipwright, and some say he dwells there still, until the Last Ship sets sail into the West. In the days of the Kings most of the High Elves that still lingered in Middle-earth dwelt with Círdan or in the seaward lands of Lindon. If any now remain they are few.' (p 1039 Kindle Edition). It's given in quotes, meaning that Pippin sourced it from documents in Minas Tirith, so 'now' is hard to pinpoint. However, Sam sails from the Havens in Shire Year 1482, or 4th Age 61.
Re: Comment by erunyauve for Círdan the Shipwright
So sorry!!! I will have to re-read and see if I can figure what you are referring to. Must be clumsy writing and/or bad grammar on my part--unless I accidentally deleted part of a sentence or paragraph or smething. I never, never intended to say he was not there until well into the Fourth Age--although that stuff will be described better in part II.
Thanks for reading.
Comment by oshun for Círdan the Shipwright
I did add a parenthetical sentence to the first paragraph to make clear my intent in the previous sentence. I think that should clarify any possible misreading.
And, after the triumph of the free peoples of Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age, he captains the last ship which leaves from the Grey Havens to sail to Elvenhome. (Although the date and circumstances of said "last ship" are not clearly stated anywhere, it would almost certainly would have left no earlier than a few years into the Fourth Age.")
Comment by IgnobleBard for Círdan the Shipwright
Very informative and well cited. I enjoy reading about Cirdan because, as you say, he shows up everywhere but I know so little about him. He's such a strong, independent character and played a larger role in events than I ever realized. Nice bio. Looking forward to the next part.
Re: Comment by IgnobleBard for Círdan the Shipwright
Thanks you so much! Thanks for reading and for taking the time to comment. I am looking forward to writing the next part! Thanks for the encouragement and also for reading parts of this one before it was finished. I cannot think of him without thinking of your pre-historic elves story (Hearts Like the Sea).
Comment by DrummerWench for Círdan the Shipwright, Part 2
Oshun, this is terrific! And two parts! There's so much here--more than one thinks, at first. It turns out he is there from the beginning, through all the stories, until the end of what we know. (In the Wench-verse, he is still here...)
Thanks for writing this; it is such a great resource!
Re: Comment by DrummerWench for Círdann the Shipwright, Part 2
I must have missed this comment before--thank you so very much. I am really happy that you enjoyed and appreciate it. I had a great time and learned a lot doing the research for this one.
Comment by erunyauve for Círdan the Shipwright, Part 2
You've done a nice job presenting an exhaustive amount of sometimes conflicting information. Laid out like this, Círdan appears even more significant in the history of Middle-earth.
While reading this, I came to a new appreciation for his wisdom (if that is possible!). Círdan intuitively arrives at the heart of the revolt of the Noldor - jealousy between the princes. Though he is giving them the benefit of the doubt - and I think that's part of his nature, not to judge - he has a better grasp of people than Thingol does. Thingol's reaction serves to excaberate those jealousies - I don't think that's his intent, but as you've presented it, the contrast between Círdan's worldliness (I'm not sure that's the right word) and Thingol's insularity with respect to people is more apparent.
Re: Comment by erunyauve for Círdan the Shipwright, Part 2
For some reason, I seem not to have received notification for this comment before now. I am surprised I did not notice. Thank you so much.
I am so glad that you got so much out of it. I certainly enjoyed doing the research.
I really like these points of your:
Círdan intuitively arrives at the heart of the revolt of the Noldor - jealousy between the princes. Though he is giving them the benefit of the doubt - and I think that's part of his nature, not to judge - he has a better grasp of people than Thingol does. Thingol's reaction serves to excaberate those jealousies - I don't think that's his intent, but as you've presented it, the contrast between Círdan's worldliness (I'm not sure that's the right word) and Thingol's insularity with respect to people is more apparent.
I think wordliness works or outwardly focused--whatever is the opposite of insular. He traveled a lot throughout his life, so his perspective was probably necessarily broader for that reason.
Comment by Keiliss for Círdan the Shipwright, Part 2
I looked to see what I'd said on first reading and am annoyed at myself to discover I never left a comment. Nothing to add, Oshun, just a thank you for such a clear and comprehensive bio. I think I've read all the sources at one time or another, but seeing his life set out in chronological order like this is wodnerful. My own assessment of Cirdan as a great lord with a good instinct for politics and the art of the practical, not just a guy who did a fine job of building ships, is underlined the whole way. He always reminded me a bit of one of those independent-minded Highland chiefs who perhaps owed blood or clan loyalty elsewhere, but still ruled his own people and made his own alliances as he saw fit. I very much enjoyed rereading this.
Re: Comment by Keiliss for Círdan the Shipwright, Part 2
Thanks so much, Keiliss! I really enjoyed working on his bio. He seems to pop up at every important place and event throughout his long history. And also have very important connections with everyone who counts! I like analysis very much. "Independent-minded" for sure!