Siren Song by polutropos

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Fanwork Notes

Inspired by The Odyssey, and nudged from concept to product by a Tumblr post by wilwarin-wilwa, for the Crossroads of the Fallen King challenge.

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Maglor's westward odyssey nearly fails when he is led astray by an enthralling light and song in the depths of the sea.

Major Characters: Maglor

Major Relationships:

Artwork Type: No artwork type listed

Genre: Crossover, Ficlet

Challenges: Crossroads of the Fallen King

Rating: General

Warnings:

Chapters: 1 Word Count: 363
Posted on 15 June 2024 Updated on 15 June 2024

This fanwork is complete.

Siren Song

Read Siren Song

So spoke Maglor, the bard of wandering ways, long-suffering: ‘I will tell you now of the jewel’s song, and how I was nearly lost to madness on my journey West.

‘Escaping Ossë’s wanton rage, I lay upon the deck of my well-built ship, fashioned in ancient days by Men of Westernesse. By some power greater than that god the waves had been laid to rest, and I looked out upon the vast fields of blue.

‘Suddenly: a dome of light rises like an island of blended gold and silver. Tears unbidden spring to my eyes at the memory of that light and I am struck with wonder. Surely, it is the jewel I cast away so long ago now shining from the depths at my passing! 

‘Then, as if from the heart of the light, a voice calls to me: “Macalaurë,” it cries, “Poet of renown, brave warrior, greatest minstrel of the Noldor! Hearken now!”

'Enchanted and emboldened, I take up my oar and break the water with eager strokes, hastening to heed the Silmaril’s call.

'“Thou hast returned for me at last!” the voice sings tunefully. The light engulfs me in shimmering white. “Come, come, reclaim what is thine. Courage, Canafinwë! Coward thou has been, haunting the mists and dropping thy vain tears in the thankless sea. Now thou comest for me, who cast me away–”

‘"Silence!" I cry in answer, for wise with the wisdom of long sorrow, I know the voice as a deception for my torment. ‘I am no coward, nor a stranger to lies!’

'The light trembles and the voice wavers. I take my chance to challenge it with a song of my own. As I sing my pain and regret, I weave between words of hope that I will yet reach Western shores where all might be forgiven and forgot. Fair winds blow from the East, setting the water dancing in concert with my song.

'Slowly, I am borne by the mercy of cloud-gathering Manwë who rules on Taniquetil,  as the isle of light is smoothed away, its song smothered, by my song and the rhythm of the waves.'

Chapter End Notes

Readers may recognise borrowings from Homeric language as well as lines directly from The Silmarillion.

It's been a hot minute (~10 years) since I read Greek, so Emily Wilson's translation of the siren episode was the main inspiration for this piece.

Comments

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Yesss this suits him so well! Lying Maglor with his lying tongue...And the siren taking the form of the Silmaril! Excellent emphasis on how sirens' temptations are not all beautiful women and sex appeal. (Also how even now, trying to return home, Maglor can STILL be tempted with the sight of a Silmaril!) I would definitely read more of this AU from you eue

A very clever take on Maglysseus's out-sirening a siren!

I love the language you used for it, a touch of the epic!

Maybe I should have a closer look, but after the first reading it seemed to me that you might have left it a bit ambiguous,  deliberately, whether this is actually the curse and the silmaril re-surfacing or whether there is an animate malicious being, like a mythological siren, trying to delude Maglor?

I felt in any case the outcome was a real victory.

Thank you! You need not take a closer look, you're quite right that it's ambiguous :). Perhaps it would be less so in a longer scene. Though I was surprised to find/be reminded that the Sirens episode in the actual Odyssey is about the same length as this ficlet. (Also that it's narrated by Odysseus in first person, hence the choice here). It's certainly made an imaginative impact for only a handful of lines of the poem.

It seems like little more than a diversion along the way for Odysseus; I think I made it more significant for Maglor and yes, a victory. I'm glad you enjoyed!