Laughter and Mourning by silmalope

Fanwork Information

Summary:

Laughter and Mourning, the daughters of Húrin. An illustration for the 2024 Orctober challenge prompt “eyes”.

Major Characters: Nienor, Lalaith

Major Relationships:

Genre: Family, Horror

Type: Character/Portrait

Challenges: Orctober

Rating: General

Warnings:

Posted on 10 November 2024 Updated on 10 November 2024

Laughter and Mourning

The daughters of Hùrin! I wanted to draw Lalaith and Nienor together for a long time.

Lots of eyes in this one: the chained eye at the top for Húrin, and the eyes on either side for Glaurung and Nienor. The tears are for her wandering as Niniel and the thorns for inescapable fate. I wanted something to represent Lalaith too, which was a bit harder for a character who is born, lives and dies all within one sentence! I settled on simbelmynë, which I’m pretty sure doesn’t actually grow in Dor-Lómin, but seemed apt for her two canon qualities of death and innocence. 

Three-year-olds are shockingly hard to draw, lol.

Lalaith runs carrying a basket of white flowers, while adult Nienor holds a bloodstained flower. An intricate golden border surrounds them with, with images of branches, eyes, flowers and tears.

Comments

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Amazing, how you've got both their relation to each other and the contrast between them, with the symbolism of the flowers and colours and posture! And so much thought has gone into that border, as well! As cuarthol said, both beautiful and sad!

I really love this. Lalaith is such a fleeting presence in the narrative, but her impact is so memorable. You've captured her sweet, innocent joy so beautifully. I love the contrast against Nienor's dark skirt, how she's striding forward looking up and how Nienor has her back to us, closed in on herself. Wonderful symbolism.