Celebrimbor: 30-Day Character Study by cloudyhymns

Day 17: Affiliations, Part Two

Investigation into the Gwaith-í-Mirdain.

Today's pick are, likely as expected, the Gwaith-í-Mirdain. Not much is known about them as a group, but I find them all the more fascinating for it. We know they were Elves (at least primarily--see Day 15 for a quick headcanon), were lead by Celebrimbor, collaborated with the Dwarves, and had some survivors from the fall of Eregion, but little else is explicitly stated. The survivors joined Elrond in the founding of Rivendell, and likely their Art and craftsmanship continued there, in diminished form.

Since there isn't much about them in the canon, I'll go ahead and list some of my thoughts and headcanons regarding them instead.

On the nature of their work
While they are called Jewel-smiths, the Gwaith are also familiar with the more menial repairs of daily life, such as repairing lead pipes. They don't necessarily make those repairs themselves, but given their roles in Ost-in-Edhil city leadership, often consider them in the grand scheme of things.

They are interested in fire-gilding with mithril in particular, even more than regular silver.

They are a mix of Noldor and Teleri--many of their jewel-working crafts come from generations of knowledge from the Noldor, and many of their silver-working skills come directly from the Teleri.
(This also means they are home to more than one Telperimpar!)

There are other pockets of Gwaith outside of Ost-in-Edhil; every major settlement has its own guild. Ost-in-Edhil has the most, however, and is considered the most prestigious.

The Gwaith used to accept Men, but they died within a few decades from heavy metal poisoning. Celebrimbor cannot bring himself to allow any more apprentices who are Men for the foreseeable future. Elves and Dwarves are (for the most part) immune.... or are they?

On their daily lives
They have a rivalry with the shipwrights of Eregion. (Side note: swan motifs are NOT banned. Anyone who burns ships is severely punished.)

The Gwaith in Ost-in-Edhil are somewhat like the 1930's-40's UC Berkeley Physics Department.

They have a four day work week but tend to be productive. They work in the forges and workshop under daylight and work on designs when it's dark.

They have a strict no hair down policy. Some of them wear theirs short, if they aren't willing to put in the time out of their days to deal with making and tying/pinning braids. Celebrimbor is known to personally dismiss apprentices who don't follow this rule; perhaps, if he were a survivor of Gondolin, this would be a clear cause and effect!

The Gwaith also really know how to throw a party. (Thanks, Ouroboros, for the headcanon, because now I can never get it out!) In the future, their survivors are 100% on Elrond's planning committee.

On historical inspirations
Definitely Ancient Rome. They were particularly advanced in their glassblowing and metalworking, and some of their infrastructure still stands today. (I've discussed this on previous days, so I'm leaving it at that.)

The Late Bronze Age city of Hissarlik/Troy is situated on a historical floodplain, and Ost-in-Edhil likely shares its tiering strategy.