A Note From the Author
The first chapter of this story was written a long time ago, and now, after reading the responses to it, I was heartened to see people saying whether they agreed to the philosophy presented or not. As for me, I haven’t quite decided whether I actually believe in the absence of good and evil, but I do honestly believe that it is a matter of perspective. Can Fëanor ever be truly evil – especially to those who loved him? Or can you say that Fëanor was misguided because of his passion, that Fëanor could not control his desires?
The same can even be said of Melkor – he could not control his desires, and so he had to have them, and he ended up making the children of Iluvatar miserable. But Manwë…well, with a flick of his hand, he could make all the Elves his slaves if he really wanted to. And I’m sure the Lord of the Winds has woken up one morning and asked himself, “Should I asked Ingwë, the High King of the all Elves and most holiest/best/strongest/most perfect/and all-around nice guy to make me a cup of tea and massage my feet?” Even Aulë must have had days when he considered building forges all over Yavanna’s pastures. In the end, it is all about control.
Some of you have emailed me and said that the Avari POV is not exactly canon. There is a reason for that. From the beginning, Tolkien focused the bulk of his writing toward the Noldor, the Sindar, and Men. The Vanyar are mentioned a handful of times (like maybe five), and the Avari even less. The Teleri get some attention, but unfortunately, it’s mostly about the Kinslaying. So any time an author writes about these mysterious races, it is bound to be non-canonical. The Laws and Customs, as I take them, seem to apply only to those Elves of Aman (and do we really know for sure if the Vanyar or Teleri did?) These laws were learned from the Valar, and so the Moriquendi would have different customs. When the Noldor came back to ME, they brought their Laws and Customs with them, and the Sindar who agreed with those principles probably embraced it.
But I would think that the wild Elves – the Nandor, the Green Elves, the Silvan Elves, and the Avari – who resisted from falling under the dominion of any great ruler for a long times, would have a hard time accepting such formal and structured laws. That they did have laws is without a doubt, since no society can function without order, but laws that govern the mind and the body would be anathema to them. They chose to live in Middle Earth, not only because it was their home but also because of the freedom that came with it. Living in Valinor would mean that they would have to live under the Valar’s laws, a fact that Fëanor grew to resent later.
In this respect, the Avari would be the most radical of all. Because they were isolated from their other kindred, they were bound to have different customs and beliefs. What would they know of the Laws and Customs, if they had never met the Valar or have any strong interactions with their other kindred? Furthermore, the Avari were undoubtedly the closest to extinction. They did not have the wealth, the resources, or the support of their western kindred. Their weapons were probably second-rate when compared to the weapons of the Noldor and Sindar. I even bet their cities were Elven ghettos when compared with Gondolin and Menegroth.
Death was common among them through all three ages of Middle Earth. They were the first enemies that Melkor focused his wrath on, and they were the herd that he was stealing from. From an evolutionary perspective, it does not seem like the Laws and Customs are even viable here. The Avari needed to reproduce, reproduce fast. They had to keep their population at a certain level, because orcs probably multiplied faster. If we take these two factors and add them together, you’ll see that the principle of one soul mate forever doesn’t work out. It seems plausible that an Avari Elf would marry more than once because their first spouses were probably killed. They need the companionship and the support. Who wants to raise children on his own, especially during such dangerous times? To the right and left of the Avari, Elves were either being killed off or made into Orc progenitors.
If a spiritual union is possible only once, then the Avari probably did not engage in it. Mind bonds were things of luxury, and either the Avari had them with one person but still were able to have physical unions after their deaths, or they never bothered with them. But it is unlikely that a race that always hovered near extinction would be true to The One if procreation were still very necessary.
The Noldor and the Sindar were able to do such things because they have always had stability. Even during the worst of times in Beleriand, when the High Kings were dying like mosquitoes, their spouses and children were still safe. Fingon died, but Gil-galad was busy prospering with Cirdan. Great towns still existed, and there was support between people. Such things were necessary for Elven culture to evolve and grow stronger.
I can go further on this topic, but I think this is a good place to stop. I would certainly appreciate any comment – both positive and negative – through email or reviews. This is a topic that has vast interpretations and consequences, and I certainly hope that there are others who have thought of this as well.
All the best,
Watcherchild
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