Elf Rights Watch needed? Yet again a new Míriel thread!

[Lalwendë]

Lommy, this is a very good question, even if it's a thorny one. I'll just quote what it says of this in the Silmarillion:

Miriel was the name of his mother, who was called Serinde, because of her surpassing skill in weaving and needlework; for her hands were more skilled to fineness than any hands even among the Noldor. The love of Finwe and Miriel was great and glad, for it began in the Blessed Realm in the Days of Bliss. But in the bearing of her son Miriel was consumed in spirit and body; and after his birth she yearned for release from the labour of living. And when she had named him, she said to Finwe: 'Never again shall I bear child; for strength that would have nourished the life of many has gone forth into Feanor.'

Then Finwe was grieved, for the Noldor were in the youth of their days, and he desired to bring forth many children into the bliss of Aman; and he said: 'Surely there is healing in Aman? Here all weariness can find rest.' But when Miriel languished still, Finwe sought the counsel of Manwe, and Manwe delivered her to the care of Irmo in Lorien. At their parting (for a little while as he thought) Finwe was sad, for it seemed an unhappy chance that the mother should depart and miss the beginning at least of the childhood days of her son.
'It is indeed unhappy,' said Miriel, 'and I would weep, if I were not so weary. But hold me blameless in this, and in all that may come after.'

She went then to the gardens of Lorien and lay down to sleep; but though she seemed to sleep, her spirit indeed departed from her body, and passed in silence to the halls of Mandos. The maidens of Este tended the body of Miriel, and it remained unwithered; but she did not return. Then Finwe lived in sorrow; and he went often to the gardens of Lorien, and sitting beneath the silver willows beside the body of his wife he called her by her names. But it was unavailing; and alone in all the Blessed Realm he was deprived of joy. After a while he went to Lorien no more.

and

Now it came to pass that Finwe took as his second wife Indis the Fair. She was a Vanya, close kin of Ingwe the High King, golden-haired and tall, and in all ways unlike Miriel. Finwe' loved her greatly, and was glad again. But the shadow of Miriel did not depart from the house of Finwe, nor from his heart; and of all whom he loved Feanor had ever the chief share of his thought.

The wedding of his father was not pleasing to Feanor; and he had no great love for Indis, nor for Fingolfin and Finarfin, her sons. He lived apart from them, exploring the land of Aman, or busying himself with the knowledge and the crafts in which he delighted. In those unhappy things which later came to pass, and in which Feanor was the leader, many saw the effect of this breach within the house of Finwe', judging that if Finwe' had endured his loss and been content with the fathering of his mighty son, the courses of Feanor would have been otherwise, and great evil might have been prevented; for the sorrow and the strife in the house of Finwe is graven in the memory of the Noldorin Elves. But the children of Indis were great and glorious, and their children also; and if they had not lived the history of the Eldar would have been diminished.

Now we have both passages close to one another in the thread it's easy to compare what was published and what was not.

What we read in the Silmarillion is very different. It is much more subtle. The Valar do not come into it so there is no thorny argument with their conception of what is moral. Miriel does not have to make a 'choice', and nor does Finwe; she simply fades away. Nor does Finwe's love for her fade away. He is also able to marry again with no judgement from on high. The only 'moral' judgement which comes to pass is Feanor's displeasure, and even this we may take as a result of a moral misdemeanour or as simply a characteristic of Feanor, according to taste.

What is in the Silmarillion is so much more acceptable.

However what is in the Shibboleth is at the very least dodgy, and had it been published as part of the authorised story, would have been like hurling a grenade. For one, the Valar are enabled to take decisions in personal and sexual matters for the Elves - and we'd have to ask where their free will was? And what Eru might have had to say about this interference? We have to ask how she could be made to be 'dead' if she was an Elf. We have to ask if she could be held to moral account for something which came as a result of childbirth - something which would be supremely dodgy not only in our world but in any world. And we have to ask what this would have said about the balance of power between male and female in Tolkien's world. I suspect the answers would not have been very pleasant at all, and I'm glad he had the sense not to publish this.

Going to have to go and see if there are any footnotes from CT now...

[Mithalwen]

I think the moral lapse of Miriel is in her refusal to hope for healing or to consider rebirth and not try, thus abandoningher child with such disastrous consequences .