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* The Silmarillion
is the core of J.R.R. Tolkien's imaginative writing, a work that he could
not publish in his lifetime
because it grew with him. Its origins stretch back to a time long
before The Hobbit.
But The Hobbit was caught up in what Tolkien called "the
branching acquisitive theme" begun in The
Silmarillion, and eventually The Lord of the Rings emerged from
this as well.
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* Tolkien
considered The Silmarillion his most important work, and, though published
last and posthumously, this great collection of tales and legends clearly
sets the stage for all his other works. For this is the story of the
creation of the world and the happenings of the First Age. This is
the ancient drama to which characters in The Lord of the Rings look back,
and in whose events some of them, such as Elrond and Galadriel, took
part. The three Silmarils were jewels created by Feanor, most gifted
of the Elves. Within them was imprisoned the Light of the Two Trees
of Valinor before the Trees themselves were destroyed by Morgoth, the
first Dark Lord. Thereafter the unsullied Light of Valinor lived on
only in the Silmarils; but they were seized by Morgoth and set in his
crown, guarded in the impenetrable fortress of Angband in the north of
Middle-earth. The Silmarillion is the history of the rebellion of
Feanor and his kindred against the gods, their exile from Valinor and
return to Middle-earth, and their war, hopeless despite all their
heroism, against the great Enemy.
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* The book includes
several other, shorter works, in addition to "The Silmarillion"
itself. Preceding it are "The
Ainulindale," a myth of the Creation and "The Valaquenta,"
in which the nature and power of the gods is set
forth. After "The Silmarillion" comes "The
Akallabeth," a tale of the downfall of the kingdom
of Numenor; and finally, "Of the Rings of Power," the connecting
link to The Lord of
the Rings.
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