Links Between The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings, Part 2

Book II

(avg. read time: 13–26 mins.)

Part 1

As I mentioned last time, Book II is the densest of all of LOTR proper in terms of connections with The Silmarillion. Much of this appears in the opening chapters, especially “The Council of Elrond,” wherein our characters review history in various ways in the location of Rivendell, which contains some individuals and many volumes that can attest to this history. Another hotspot of connections will be in the chapters when the Fellowship stays in Lothlórien, since this is where Celeborn and Galadriel reside, and they lived in that history recorded in The Silmarillion. Since there is nothing elsewhere quite like these stays among the Elves at points where history needs to be provided, no other book after this contains as many connections (yet no book is without those connections).

The first set of connections we get from this book are those forged by reference to Númenor. Gandalf describes Aragorn as being from the race of the Kings from over the Sea (II/1). In the same chapter, Bilbo refers to Aragorn on multiple occasions as “the Dúnadan,” which we noted previously applies to the descendants of the Númenóreans in Middle-earth (and which Bilbo himself remarks in conversation with Frodo). Númenor is even referred to as “Westernesse” in the song about Eärendil near the end of the chapter. Númenor and the Dúnedain are also referred to on multiple occasions in “The Council of Elrond” (II/2). The first reference of Gandalf is similar to how Elrond describes the Númenóreans, particularly their leaders, in this chapter (II/2). The Argonath statues are referred to as the “sentinels of Númenor” (II/9). At Amon Hen, where the Fellowship would break, the narrator describes it as, “the Hill of the Eye of the Men of Númenor” (II/10). The story of the Men of Númenor and the kingdoms they established will be told in abbreviated form in Appendix A, but it is told more extensively in The Silmarillion.

Those who have been referred to as the High Elves are here first referred to as, “the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the furthest seas” (II/1). This, of course, refers to why these Elves are considered “High Elves,” but the details of the story are only provided in The Silmarillion. Not long after that reference, we also hear of how Glorfindel is “one of the mighty of the Firstborn” (cf. II/2). The story that gives context to what this means, as the Elves are of the Children of Ilúvatar and the ones born before Men, is presented in The Silmarillion. When the Fellowship sees the Doors of Durin, Legolas remarks that it bears “the Tree of the High Elves” (II/4) and it is noted that the words on the door are written in the “elven-tongue of the West of Middle-earth in the Elder Days.” In other words, this is the language of the High Elves who dwelt in the western lands of Beleriand in the First Age. Haldir refers to “havens of the High Elves,” to the north and west beyond the Shire (II/6). This is a reference to Lindon, and the foundation of the kingdom therein is referred to both in the Appendices and The Silmarillion (as Lindon is most of what still remains of the land of Beleriand).

The land of Aman is also referenced in different ways. In the first case, Gandalf says of the High Elves, “those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power” (II/1). Near the end of the same chapter, Bilbo will describe the song being sung as a song of the Blessed Realm. The Song of Durin refers to the kings of Nargothrond and Gondolin as having passed away beyond the Western Seas (II/4). This refers to how Elves, when they die, arrive in the Halls of Mandos in Valinor, which is something established in The Silmarillion. In the Song of Nimrodel, the end of the song refers to “the West” (II/6). We also see such references to “the West” on two occasions near the end of “The Mirror of Galadriel” (II/7). As noted before, this cosmology involving Aman is also what makes sense of the reference to the Sundering Seas as that which separates Middle-earth and Aman (II/8).

Barad-dûr/the Dark Tower is referenced on several occasions. Some are simply to the tower as it is (II/1; II/2; II/3; II/4; II/7; II/10) and so are more of an indirect connection of commonality between LOTR and The Silmarillion than a more direct connection of allusion to what is addressed in the latter. But there is one case of an historical reference point. Elrond provides one when he gives the backstory of the One Ring, and thus of the Dark Tower being broken, although its foundations were still in place (II/2). Again, this story is told as well in The Silmarillion.

When Frodo first sees Arwen and is enchanted by her, the narrator tells us that it was said that in her, “the likeness of Lúthien had come on earth again; and she was called Undómiel, for she was the Evenstar of her people” (II/1). Elrond tells Frodo that Lúthien is one of his ancestors (II/2). It is also in Rivendell that the Hobbits heard many tales, including hearing, “told in full the lay of Beren and Lúthien” (II/3). That is the last we will hear of the character for a long time. But her fuller story is, of course, given in The Silmarillion.

The Song of Eärendil is the second extensive summary we see in LOTR, this time of the story of Eärendil’s voyage to the Undying Lands (II/1). And like the lay of Beren and Lúthien, it comes with many more connections with settings and entities that are given more elaboration in The Silmarillion. For this paragraph, I will only focus on those things mentioned here, and I will reserve notes about others for later. One, Eärendil is said to tarry in Arvernien, a coastal area in Beleriand near the Mouths of the Sirion. Círdan and his people lived here, then their numbers swelled with refugees from Doriath and Gondolin, until the last sons of Fëanor attacked in another desperate attempt to reclaim one of their Silmarils. Two, a forest in this area was called Nimbrethil, whence Eärendil found his wood for making his ship Vingilot. [There is a reference to an “emerald” that Eärendil bears, which was Aragorn’s addition to this song composed by Bilbo, though he simply described it as a “green stone,” which is meant to refer to the first Elessar, a replica of which Celebrimbor made for Galadriel, which she gave to Aragorn (II/8; VI/6). However, this is not a connection to The Silmarillion as such, since the backstory of this jewel is in Unfinished Tales.] Three, in the process of Eärendil going this way and that in his difficult voyage, he is said to have journeyed near the Narrow Ice, which is a name for the Helcaraxë, the icy wastes that connected Aman with Middle-earth that features in some stories in The Silmarillion. Four, the reference to Tarmenel is not exactly an allusion to The Silmarillion, but as a name for “high heaven,” it alludes to cosmology that is set out in The Silmarillion and its versions. Five, we can say something similar about the “Mountain Wall” and “World’s End.” Like “Tarmenel,” these terms are only used here, but the cosmology that helps us to understand these references is available in The Silmarillion. Six, we see our first direct reference to Valinor, the realm of the Valar in Aman. Seven, Eärendil comes to the halls of the Elder King, who is Manwë, the Vala High King of Arda who best understood the will of Eru Ilúvatar. Much is said about him in The Silmarillion, including of his judgment concerning Eärendil and his appeal for help from the Valar against Morgoth.

As for Eärendil himself, of course, much of his story is told in this song. He is noted as the father of Elrond (II/2), which also inspires Aragorn’s remark of how cheeky Bilbo is for making a song about Eärendil in the house of Elrond (II/1). The song also refers to him being “the Flammifer of Westernesse.” This is the result of him and his ship Vingilot being a bright star in the sky because of bearing one of the Silmarils, which also served as a guiding light for the Edain who came to Númenor (hence its association with “Westernesse”). This star is later described as, “the Evening Star, most beloved of the Elves” (II/7). The Silmaril’s light preserved in the star is also preserved in Galadriel’s phial that she gives to Frodo to “be a light to you in dark places, when all other lights go out” (II/8).

Naturally, Elwing is also referenced in this song (II/1). She is the one who brought the Silmaril to Eärendil, without which his voyage would not have succeeded. Elrond also mentions her as his mother (II/2).

As indicated already, the Silmaril that Beren and Lúthien took from Morgoth reappears in this song (II/1). It is also the source of the light of Eärendil’s star, being an ever-present reminder of the long story of how that star got there. Along with hearing the full story of Beren and Lúthien, the Hobbits are said to have heard in full of “the winning of the Great Jewel,” which is another name for the Silmaril (II/3).

The song provides multiple references that will be repeated in another song from the chapter “Farewell to Lórien,” which are not noted elsewhere in this book. Thus, I will note all paired references here. First, both songs refer to Eldamar/Elvenhome (II/1; II/8). This is the realm of the Elves in Aman, plus Tol Eressëa, which The Silmarillion provides more detail about. Second, both songs refer to Ilmarin (II/1; II/8). This is the name of the halls of Manwë and Varda upon Mount Taniquetil (hence the “Hill of Ilmarin,” which is elsewhere named Mount Everwhite [II/8]). Third, both songs refer to the city of Tirion (II/1; II/8). This is the central city of Eldamar. Fourth, both songs describe Middle-earth as “Hither Shores” (II/1; II/8). This only makes sense with reference to Aman. Though it is slightly different from this category, one could also note Calacirian/Calacirya, which is not referenced in the same songs as these others, but is nevertheless mentioned in a song in both chapters (II/1; II/8). This is the Cleft of Light, the pass or the region near the pass in the Pelóri Mountains (of which Taniquetil was the tallest) where Tirion was located. This was the means by which Eldamar was lit when the Two Trees existed.

The song references Elbereth/Varda as the one who set the star of Eärendil in the sky (II/1), as she had set the others. The same chapter also features Arwen singing a song dedicated to Elbereth. In a later song in Lórien also dedicated to Elbereth, she is called Varda, the Kindler and the Queen of the Stars (II/8). Legolas, too, will refer in reverence to Elbereth Gilthoniel when he looks up at the stars and seeks to shoot the Nazgûl on his flying mount (II/9). As noted in The Silmarillion, the Elves revere her most of all the Valar, not least because of her work with the stars that their ancestors beheld at their awakening.

The primary setting of the stories of the First Age is also a point of reference in LOTR. The first case is a reference to it as “Norland” in the Song of Eärendil (II/1). Its more typical name appears when Elrond recalls the glory of the “hosts of Beleriand” (II/2) as a point of comparison for the glory of the Last Alliance. Elrond himself did not behold these great hosts, but he knew the stories of them, so he would have heard of the Union of Maedhros, the great alliance forged against Morgoth for the fifth great battle of the First Age, which ultimately came to be known as the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. There is also a reference to “Beleriand” in the picture of the Doors of Durin, where it says, “Here is written in the Fëanorian characters according to the mode of Beleriand” (II/4). This note explains what Gandalf means when he says, “The words are in the elven-tongue of the West of Middle-earth in the Elder Days” (II/4). (On a related note, I omitted a reference to the Fëanorian letter Gandalf used in Book I, Chapter 1, but it was a lone reference, and I could not make a full paragraph about it.)

Finally, the song provides the first of several references to the “Elder Days” in Book II (II/1). After Frodo expresses surprise at what Elrond is able to remember, Elrond says his memory reaches back even to the Elder Days, since it was in the Elder Days when the hosts of Beleriand were assembled (II/2). In these cases, “Elder Days” refers primarily to the First Age. Saruman also makes reference to the Elder Days, but it is more ambiguous, since he also refers to the “Middle Days” as in the process of passing: “The Elder Days are gone. The Middle Days are passing. The Younger Days are beginning” (II/2). Elrond will also say later to describe the precariousness of the situation into which he sends the Fellowship, “Had I a host of Elves in armour of the Elder Days, it would avail little, save to arouse the power of Mordor” (II/3). The reference is also clearly to the First Age in Gandalf’s description of the script on the Doors of Durin, as noted previously (II/4). The narrator says of Sting and Glamdring that they were forged by Elvish smiths in the Elder Days (II/4). Even Gimli’s Song of Durin refers to the Elder Days as a clear reference to the First Age (II/4). The narrator also describes Lothlórien as being like something out of the Elder Days (II/6). Finally, Galadriel refers to the Elder Days of Khazad-dûm, though it is unclear if this is specifically the First Age or if it also encompasses the Second Age “before the fall of mighty kings beneath the stone” (II/7).

All of these were links to The Silmarillion just introduced (or reintroduced for this Book) in chapter 1 and spread throughout the book. There are many more that are introduced in the chapter “The Council of Elrond.” In fact, there is a narrator’s note with Elrond’s telling of the backstory of the Rings of Power that says, “Then through all the years that followed he traced the Ring; but since that story is elsewhere recounted, even as Elrond himself set it down in his books of lore, it is not here recalled” (II/2). This points to the story that Tolkien provides elsewhere in The Silmarillion and its versions.

This chapter also tells us something of the Rings of Power and their various fates. This information is important to reveal to some extent in order to establish that this Ring set before the Council is the One Ring of Sauron and not any of the other Rings. As I noted already, this story appears in more detail in The Silmarillion.

Another aspect of this story that he references that has more detail in The Silmarillion is Eregion and the Ring-smiths there led by Celebrimbor (II/2). Celebrimbor is noted as the sole maker of the Three Rings/Great Rings (II/2). In Isildur’s note that Gandalf quotes later in the chapter, it is said that the One Ring has the script of Eregion on it, even if the language it represents is the Black Speech of Mordor. The Fellowship also pass through what was once Eregion on their way to the Misty Mountains (II/3). We see how the Elves of Eregion had good relations with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm, including in the very existence of the Doors of Durin (II/4). After all, Celebrimbor himself drew the signs on the door (II/4).

A less direct connection, since Khazad-dûm (a.k.a. Moria) has no detailed story attached to it in The Silmarillion, is the set of references to this kingdom (II/2; II/3; II/4; II/5; II/6; II/8; II/9). Some of these references point to history that is also related in The Silmarillion, such as the gates of Khazad-dûm being shut during the War of the Elves and Sauron (II/2), and of the significance of Durin I (a.k.a. Durin the Deathless; II/4). Otherwise, it is simply a common geographical point of reference.

To that point, Durin I, one of the original Dwarves made by Aulë, is referenced at multiple junctures in Book II. The first is an indirect one in terms of describing certain Dwarves (since there are seven fathers of the Dwarves) as the “children of Durin” (II/2; cf. II/4; II/7). The Doors of Durin are said to feature the emblems of Durin (II/4) including his Crown. The Song of Durin from Gimli tells the reader more about Durin, which also summarizes information presented in The Silmarillion, including of how he founded the kingdom of Khazad-dûm (II/4). The song ends with the hope of Durin waking again from sleep (cf. II/6), which fits with eschatological notes presented more extensively in The Silmarillion of the Dwarves joining the Elves and Men in the Second Music and the new creation of Arda Remade that will come after the Last Battle. Another one of these brief eschatological references is Gimli stating his intentions of what he would do with Galadriel’s hair, saying it would be incased in imperishable crystal, being, “a pledge of goodwill between the Mountain and the Wood until the end of days” (II/8).

Elendil continues to be a frequent point of reference as the High King of the survivors of Númenor and one of the leaders of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, who perished in combat with Sauron while wielding Narsil (II/2). Aragorn identifies himself as the heir of the House of Elendil and as bearing the Sword of Elendil (II/2; II/8; II/9), whereby he is the living link of Elendil’s line with the events of the War of the Ring, the destruction of the Ring, and the restoration of Elendil’s kingdom. This will be symbolized with the broken Sword of Elendil, Narsil, being reforged as Andúril (II/3). While he himself cannot finish what Elendil began, any more than Elendil could (since that will be the Ring-bearer’s responsibility), he can still do much to bring that work to completion and bring about the restoration Elendil’s kingdom has been waiting many centuries for. He will even use “Elendil” as a battle cry later when he attempts to help Gandalf against the Balrog (II/5). Isildur had intended for the One Ring to become an heirloom of the heirs of Elendil in the North, but he left records of it in the South to preserve memory of it (II/2), by which Gandalf came to assurance that Bilbo’s Ring was the One Ring.

This chapter also represents the last times in the main story of LOTR that characters will reference Gil-galad, the High King of the Noldor (II/2). As noted already, he was the other leader of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men, as well as the one who engaged in combat with Sauron alongside Elendil, while wielding his spear Aeglos, with both leaders perishing in the process (the names of both of their weapons also appear in The Silmarillion). The manner of Gil-galad’s death is also mentioned in Isildur’s note, as Sauron seized him with his hand and set him on fire (II/2). The last part of his history is what is most relevant to LOTR, but one can learn more of his backstory in The Silmarillion.

Naturally, this part of the story also references Isildur, from whom Aragorn is descended (II/2) by Valandil (II/2; II/9, also referenced in The Silmarillion). We are told of how he came to Middle-earth, how he stood alone by his father in the final battle with Sauron, and how he cut the Ring from Sauron’s hand. As noted already, he took it for himself to be an heirloom of his house, initially stating that it would be a “weregild” for losing his father and brother. The fact that the Ring would betray him to his death is what inspired others to name the Ring “Isildur’s Bane” (cf. II/3). He was also the one who left the record that Gandalf read to confirm that Bilbo’s Ring was the One Ring. He wrote this while in Minas Anor (now Minas Tirith), where he instructed his nephew in ruling Gondor and planted the last sapling of the White Tree (Isildur’s connection with the White Tree is also told in The Silmarillion). His likeness is preserved in the Argonath, which the Fellowship pass in their travels (II/9).

This chapter also provides the first reference to Anárion, Isildur’s younger brother (II/2). As Isildur was the sire of the Kings of Arnor (after initially co-ruling Gondor), Anárion was the sire of the Kings of Gondor, though his line would eventually fail, as explored in Appendix A. We only learn a little more about Anárion from The Silmarillion, but he is featured there as one who led the defense of Gondor after Isildur could not withstand Sauron’s initial assault at Minas Ithil, though he knew he too would fail without aid from the North. As noted in both LOTR and The Silmarillion, Anárion would die in the Siege of Barad-dûr when a rock thrown from the tower crushed his skull. The preceding Battle of Dagorlad and the whole War of the Last Alliance alluded to here are also given more detailed narration in The Silmarillion.

As a way of describing how great the Last Alliance was, Elrond says only one other host has ever been greater. This was the Host of Valinor that came to defeat Morgoth. This final great battle of the First Age, also known as the War of Wrath, is referenced in a most laconic fashion as “when Thangorodrim was broken, and the Elves deemed that evil was ended for ever, and it was not so” (II/2). Thangorodrim was the set of mountains into which Morgoth built his fortress of Angband. The severity of this battle led to Beleriand sinking beneath the sea, and while Morgoth was defeated and banished to the Void, he is not altogether destroyed as yet. This event sets the context for what can be expected of victory in this scenario against Sauron, as we will see later in V/9. Sauron’s defeat will not mean the vanquishing of all evil, but it will certainly be crucial. For more on this story, and the context it sets, the reader must consult The Silmarillion.

Elrond mentions two other things that receive elaboration in The Silmarillion in the process of explaining to Frodo why he can remember as far back as the Elder Days. One, he says his mother was the daughter of Dior, who we have already noted. Two, he notes that Dior was the son of Lúthien of Doriath. This is the only reference to Doriath in Book II, though this crucial setting for The Silmarillion will appear again.

One other location mentioned here is the city of Gondolin (II/2). Elrond says that his father was born in this city before it fell. This is quite an important city for The Silmarillion, being the last of the Elven kingdoms of Beleriand to fall, and the setting for the first of the great tales of Middle-earth that Tolkien wrote. The story of its fall is in The Silmarillion, but the first version he wrote of it back during WWI remains the longest version he ever completed (the history of the story is preserved in The Fall of Gondolin). The Song of Durin mentions the fall of Gondolin in similarly laconic fashion (II/4). Likewise, Galadriel mentions the fall of Gondolin as something that happened after she and Celeborn passed over the mountains out of Beleriand. It is in the proximity to these last two references to Gondolin that we also have the only two references to Nargothrond in Book II (II/4; II/8). Both of these were among the greatest Elven kingdoms of Beleriand, and both of them were hidden kingdoms, but neither get much attention in LOTR. The reader will need to read The Silmarillion to know more about them.

Elrond also gives a genealogy of the White Tree of Minas Tirith that will be reiterated in a little more detail later (II/2). It came from the seed of the tree that Isildur brought from Númenor. That seed in turn came from the tree Celeborn in Tol Eressëa. This island was the easternmost of the Undying Lands and its history is provided in The Silmarillion. It was the Eldar of this island that once had frequent commerce with the Númenóreans. Their own tree came from a seed from, “the Uttermost West in the Day before days when the world was young” (II/2). We will not hear until later about Galathilion and Telperion. Each of these reference points will also be noted in The Silmarillion with some extra detail, particularly concerning Telperion in Valinor and Nimloth in Númenor.

Along with the “Elder Days,” which is usually more clearly reserved for the First Age in Book II, we also get reference to the “Black Years” in Gandalf’s description of the time in which Sauron declared his intention with his One Ring (II/2). There is also a similar description later when Haldir says, “We have not had dealings with the Dwarves since the Dark Days” (II/6). These similar descriptions both apply to the Second Age, but they may be even more specific than that, since both events occurred in anticipation of or as a result of the War of the Elves and Sauron (the beginning and end of the SA 1600s, respectively).

The final set of references in this chapter appears near the end, where Elrond refers to the mighty Elf-friends of old (II/2). The first of these is Hador, founder of the House of Hador and the first lord of Dor-lómin. He gave his life in service to Fingolfin, helping to defend his lands during the Dagor Bragollach in which Morgoth broke the Siege of Angband. The second is Húrin, the last lord of Dor-lómin (thus working in allegiance to Fingolfin’s son, Fingon), one of the greatest heroes of Men in the First Age, being especially renowned for his deeds in the Fifth Battle/the Battle of Unnumbered Tears (he was captured only after slaying so many enemies that he was caught under the remains of those he slayed). The third is Húrin’s son, Túrin. His story is the longest chapter of The Silmarillion, and indeed his full story occupies most of the volume The Children of Húrin. Like his father, he was one of the greatest heroes of Men in the First Age, though his story is also the most tragic, and he is said to participate in the Last Battle in what Tolkien wrote of it outside of the published Silmarillion. The fourth is Beren, whom we have already discussed.

Although I am saving the tracking of connections between The Silmarillion and The Hobbit for another time, it is worth noting that it was The Hobbit that laid the foundation for another connection that is left unstated in LOTR. Namely, Gandalf’s sword Glamdring is said to have been borne by the king of Gondolin, who was Turgon. It maintained a reputation for thousands of years among the Orcs as the “Beater,” indicating that Turgon wielded it mightily during the Battle of Unnumbered Tears as well as during the Fall of Gondolin. Thus, whenever it is referenced by name, that is maintaining the connection with its origins in The Silmarillion (II/3; II/4; II/5). (Something similar could be said for Sting, since it also was forged in Gondolin, but it is less of a direct connection with The Silmarillion because neither it nor its wielder is anywhere explicitly or implicitly mentioned in that book.)

To signify the good relations of the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm and the Elves of Eregion when the Doors of Durin were built, the Doors contain symbols of both. We have already noted the emblems of Durin, but Legolas also mentions the “Tree of the High Elves” (II/4). This is odd because there appear to be two trees represented on the door, unless we are to take one as a duplicate of the other (since they are the same design). As such, this would appear to be a reference to Galathilion, the tree in Tirion in Eldamar, which is the scion of Telperion, one of the Two Trees. Galadriel also references a “golden tree” in the Undying Lands (II/8), which may be Laurelin, the other of the Two Trees.

The other symbol of the Elves on the Door, which Gandalf notes, is the Star of the House of Fëanor (II/4). Fëanor is one of the most significant characters in all of The Silmarillion, being the Elf who made the Silmarils and who swore an oath with his sons to reclaim them at any cost (and who devised a widely used alphabet, the Tengwar). If anyone harbors a false impression of how upright all the Elves seem to be in Tolkien’s stories (and that is an idea I hear on occasion), reading the story of Fëanor (and of his sons) should quickly disabuse you of the universal applicability of that impression. The symbol appears here because Celebrimbor was of the House of Fëanor, being Fëanor’s grandson through Curufin.

Like other characters mentioned in my analysis of Book I, the Balrog Gandalf fights also serves as a kind of living link with The Silmarillion (II/5; II/7; II/9). Like Gandalf and Sauron, the Balrog is a Maia, but fallen and corrupted by his allegiance to Melkor. The Balrogs were among the most powerful of the servants of Melkor/Morgoth. Hence, the Balrog is called a “Balrog of Morgoth” (II/7). He is seemingly the last of these Balrogs to have survived the War of Wrath.

In Gandalf’s challenge to the Balrog, he makes some further connections that The Silmarillion helps to make sense of. One, he calls himself, “a servant of the Secret Fire” (II/5). This is another name of the Flame Imperishable mentioned in the “Ainulindalë” of The Silmarillion as Eru Ilúvatar’s power of creation and animation, the equivalent of the Holy Spirit in Tolkien’s mythology (though not as clearly described as a person like the Holy Spirit).¹ Two, he describes himself as, “wielder of the flame of Anor.” This term is not used anywhere else, but “Anor” being the Sindarin equivalent of “Sun” (as in Minas Anor, “Tower of the Sun”) is a suitable contrast to the Balrog coming from “the Shadow,” and may refer as well to the power he has from Eru Ilúvatar by the Flame Imperishable (alternatively, it could be a reference to Narya, the Ring of Fire, or perhaps it is meant to be a multivalent reference defined primarily by the aforementioned contrast). Three, he calls the Balrog, “flame of Udûn.” This is another name for Utumno, Melkor’s first fortress in Middle-earth, which one can learn more about the history of in The Silmarillion.

The final reference to something in The Silmarillion to note is from Galadriel’s last song. She mentions Valimar (II/8). Otherwise known as Valmar, this is the main city of Valinor where most of the Valar and Maiar reside. The Two Trees once shone near this city. It is thus a reminder in more ways than one of what was once the intimate relationship between her (as well as her fellow Noldor) and the Valar and Maiar, the Ainur who entered creation.

Part 3

1. Clyde S. Kilby, Tolkien and The Silmarillion (Wheaton, IL: Shaw, 1976), 59.