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Old 06-08-2019, 10:42 PM   #19
Urwen
Spirit of Nen Lalaith
 
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Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Meneltarma
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Morthoron View Post
Look, I realize you're probably the sort who become pen pals with convicted murderers because "they're so misunderstood", but you're now basically calling Tuor and the survivors of Gondolin liars to suit your sordid fantasy. You're also ignoring the intended arc of the story the author wished to present by inferring propaganda created by another fictional character who was later eliminated from the story altogether.

So, I went back to the earlier texts of The Fall of Gondolin (The Book of Lost Tales II), and "Meglin" was even more despicable than in the drafts that made up The Silmarillion. But even though in the earlier drafts Meglin divulges his treachery to the orcs prior to even speaking with Melko (so much for fearing eternal torment), the basic story remains the same: Maeglin wishes to have an unnatural and unlawful relationship with his first cousin, Idril is repulsed, Maeglin travels out of Gondolin proper without Turgon's leave, is captured, and switches allegiance to Morgoth in order to have Gondolin as a vassal (or a great captaincy amongst the Orcs), and to seize Idril. Morgoth allows him to return to Gondolin "with smiling face and evil in his heart." He reveals to Morgoth when best to attack Gondolin (during a festival), Gondolin is destroyed in the only manner it could fall, by treachery, and thousands of elves are slaughtered.

During the battle, he tries to steal away with Idril and Eärendil, but Tuor saves his wife and child (Maeglin having no compunction to rape a married women with a child, evidently), and Maeglin is thrown to his ruin off the walls of Gondolin in a self-fulfilling reiteration of the destruction visited upon his equally twisted father, Eöl. And Tolkien the writer certainly enjoyed his ironic conceptual continuity.

Tolkien never deviates from Maeglin being a traitor and a reprobate. Tolkien is quite clear that Maeglin is a traitorous villain who dies without redemption, because he sought no redemption. Tolkien even has him killed in the same manner as his father, Maeglin being the fruit of the poisonous tree.

But I'm done arguing fan-fiction fallacies. Perhaps you should consider the same tack.

You're the one who said no when I wanted to get back on topic......
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