Strength Bestows Beauty by oshun

Essay with artwork

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Both elements of Maedhros’ name referred to in The Shibboleth of Fëanor address elements of his physical beauty—his mother’s choice of Maitimo means beauty in form while other family members assign him the epessë Russandol referring to the distinctive color of his hair. In The Silmarillion, where we learn the most about the character of Maedhros, he is outstanding for his strength of character and his endurance.

Sometimes I have a difficult time, when a familiar quotation is given as a prompt for a story or work of art. It can be difficult to separate the words out and look at them simply as beautiful language with dozens of possible meanings. This particular citation presented as inspiration involves Herman Melville’s ruminations about the beauty of the physical strength of the whale and how one cannot separate beauty and power.

It works perfectly for me when I think of Maedhros (and the Noldor in particular). I find it inspiring that Tolkien focuses not only upon Maedhros' physical beauty, but upon his strength of will and of body, as well as martial skills. He tells us that his strength and beauty are restored after Fingon's rescues him and the hurts which remain are an internal ones (at least that is my favorite way to interpret the canon). I love the language Tolkien uses in his description of Maedhros’ rehabilitative determination after losing his hand.

There Maedhros in time was healed; for the fire of life was hot within him, and his strength was of the ancient world, such as those possessed who were nurtured in Valinor. His body recovered from his torment and became hale, but the shadow of his pain was in his heart; and he lived to wield his sword with left hand more deadly than his right had been. –The Silmarillion, “Of the Return of the Noldor.”

When I first read the shortened Melville quotation, I immediately thought of Maedhros. Tolkien created his Elves to be strong and beautiful. Their beauty reflects their strength and their quasi-indestructibility and near-immortality (quite specifically here, the magic referenced more symbolically in the Meville quote). I also liked the Melville citation as well or better when I re-read the expanded version in situ. It develops the same understanding/interpretation I wished to give it, rather than losing it and becoming nonsense when placed back in its original narrative context.

We are talking about the great whale now.

Nor does this—its amazing strength, at all tend to cripple the graceful flexion of its motions; where infantileness of ease undulates through a Titanism of power. On the contrary, those motions derive their most appalling beauty from it. Real strength never impairs beauty or harmony, but it often bestows it; and in everything imposingly beautiful, strength has much to do with the magic. Take away the tied tendons that all over seem bursting from the marble in the carved Hercules, and its charm would be gone. --Melville, Herman. Moby-Dick.

Looking at the citation above, I think that inspiration contained within it works for the Noldor in general and the Feanorians in particular, all of whom are examples of a devastatingly tragic strength manifesting itself as what we could quantify, using Melville's words again, as a "most appalling beauty."

I hope you enjoy my Tumblr-style Maedhros graphic.