In Light Of Dreams by Anérea

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Fanwork Notes

Contains a spoiler for the first in this series, Entwined.

Zimrahin, daughter-in-law of Marach, is the common foremother of every one of the First Age Edain heroes of greatest renown, as well as the Peredhel. She appears only in a tiny note in the genealogical table of the House of Marach (WoJ), which states that “Malach took the Elvish name of Aradan. His descendants all could speak the Elvish speech, and took Elvish names; but their own ancient tongue was not forgotten. Malach dwelt in Hithlum from 322-336. In 337 he wedded Zimrahin who then took the Elvish name Meldis."

(Zimrahin—with tongue in cheek—said she’s just ever so grateful she was viewed as special enough to actually be bequeathed not just one but two names, as well as a date of marriage, unlike many of her textual ghost sisters.)

Initially inspired by Zhie's artwork Master of Dreams, the Wallflowers prompt (create a fanwork featuring a rare character) made me notice that my OCs first canon descendant was a "super super-rare" character and I just had to write her, spurring this version of the story and inadvertently answering my question of how I'd link my WIP stories of Adanel's earlier OC ancestors with the later canon characters, which I had thought would only come much later. So my gratitude to Zimrahin for narrating Faiwen's dream for me.

And great big gratitude to Idrils Scribe, daughterofshadows, and Anoriath for their very valuable beta and suggestions.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

FA346: Estolad, East Beleriand, and circa FA150: near the Orocarni Mountains, Eastern Middle-earth

Zimrahin, wife of Malach and mother of Adanel & Magor, relates a tale of one of their ancestors to a young Adanel, wise-woman-in-training.

(Third in my Hildórien to Beleriand series, connecting Adanel with her earlier OC ancestors.)

Major Characters: Original Female Character(s), Adanel, Zimrahin

Major Relationships:

Genre: Ficlet, General

Challenges: Holiday Party

Rating: General

Warnings:

This fanwork belongs to the series

Wise Hearts
Hildórien to Beleriand Series
Chapters: 1 Word Count: 1, 186
Posted on 27 November 2021 Updated on 14 January 2022

This fanwork is complete.

Table of Contents

In Light Of Dreams

Since the Men of the House of Marach learned Sindarin yet kept their own ancient tongue, I imagine that they spoke it at home, hence my use of their Taliska names.

   Adanel is the wise-woman whose tales Andreth shared with Finrod. She was born in FA339, so she’s a precocious seven-and-a-half at the time of this tale. (Her younger brother is five.)
   Marach is Zimrahin’s father-in-law, head of the House of Marach (later the House of Hador)
Tolkien apparently based Taliska on Gothic, but until the Taliska treasures are shared with us I’m following suit as best I can for the names of my original characters:
   Awo and Awa is Gothic for grandmother and grandfather, respectively
   Amei is from the Gothic aiþei for mother. ('m' resonates more for me as a mamma-sound!)
   Atta is father in Gothic
   Fraiwen (Seed of Hope): from fraihwa meaning seed and wens meaning hope

Comments

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Anérea has requested the following types of constructive criticism on this fanwork: Characterization, Conflict, Description/Imagery, Mood/Tone, Organization/Structure, Pacing, Plot, Point of View, Research, Sensitivity Read, Setting, Spelling, Grammar, and Mechanics, Style, Worldbuilding. All constructive criticism must follow our diplomacy guidelines.

I love the lines you drew here from your human OC/Maia OC characters all the way to Earendil and Elwing. It's hard to appreciate the amount of time the events of the First Age take since it's so focused on elves, but the number of human generations from the rising of the sun really puts it into perspective.  I also love how this cute exchange of wisdom between mother and daughter is set amid a moment of consequence for the Edain.

Thank you for your lovely comment!

And I'm pleased you like the connections that run all the way through. (Tolkien ensured that worked out nicely for me: when I wrote the earlier fic featuring Fraiwen’s parents, I had just looked at Adanel's descendants to Elwing, but later I realised it was her brother's line that led to Eärendil. And the mathematics worked perfectly, for a change!)

I think these early generations of Men are so interesting!  From canon, we only get tantalizing hints of what their own traditions were, before they entered Beleriand and what those first encounters with the Noldor and Sindar looked like from their point of view.

So I think it's great that you are focussing on that and on Zimrahin and Adanel in particular, who I always wanted to know more about. I really like how you show their relationship and how it emerges that Adanel's knowledge of earlier traditions is passed on to her from Zimrahin.

The scene setting is lovely and I think you have integrated the more general message very well into the conversation and the story-telling.

You are also whetting my curiosity for what other tales may be to come, as I gather there is a whole family history here that doesn't just exist as backstory!

Thank you, I'm delighted that you appreciated this piece.

The blank in-between possibility-spaces are one of the magical things I love about Tolkien's work. I didn't expect to find myself writing about 'early man', but now I'm here I'm finding it both fun and fascinating. I wanted to know more about the darkness that Andreth mentions, what form it took and how they overcame it, hence the connection to Adanel. And suddenly her mother was there, a quietly powerful wise woman herself, bridging the generations. So oh yes! There is a whole chain of ancestors who are clamouring for their thoughts and experiences to be cast into words.