Suicide in Middle Earth

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Miriel (Feanor’s mom) is not condemned for committing suicide

Ah, but that's not really true. In later years, the Wise considered her choice to have been at the root of Everything Bad. Even at the time, Mandos predicts that no good will come of it. Laws & Customs Among the Eldar and its associated texts are pretty hard on Miriel.

It is however the case that 'suicide' for an Elf means something rather different than for a human, as the Elf's life within Arda can never be ended. The fea may be houseless for a time, and confined to Mandos, whether the hroa is physically destroyed or merely 'dies of grief:' but these are 'seeming deaths,' because the Elf never leaves the World.

In fact, since Elves can 'die of grief,' it would seem that 'suicide' by violence isn't even necessary for them; they're capable of 'suicide' by will.

[LadyBrooke]

This might just be me, but the Kings letting go of their lives always seemed to me to be like the chronically ill person who instead of clinging to live by the use of machines and stuff lets themselves die. As somebody who is very sickly (having had meningitis, tubes in her ears due to severe ear infections that cause her ear drums to burst several times and lose of hearing, chronic tonsilitis, born premature, etc.) the distinction is very clear to me that once a person passes a certain point it stops being living and becomes merely existing. I myself have decided that as soon as I am old enough I will have a living will telling everybody to not put me on any machine. Perhaps this seems like suicide to some, but to me it is putting my fate in God’s hands and excepting that I will go when it is my time. While I hesitate to stick words in anybody’s mouth, this may possibly be along the same lines that Tolkien (and by extension the Númenorean Kings) was thinking.

Um, sorry if this isn’t very clear or anything. I’m rather nervous as this is my first post of this website, though I have posted on other websites and have lurked here for a long time.

[Pitchwife]

Actually, you've made your point perfectly clear, and I find your analogy quite convincing. So keep on posting, and welcome in the Afterlife!

[alatar]

Originally Posted by LadyBrooke

This might just be me, but the Kings letting go of their lives always seemed to me to be like the chronically ill person who instead of clinging to live by the use of machines and stuff lets themselves die. As somebody who is very sickly (having had meningitis, tubes in her ears due to severe ear infections that cause her ear drums to burst several times and lose of hearing, chronic tonsilitis, born premature, etc.) the distinction is very clear to me that once a person passes a certain point it stops being living and becomes merely existing. I myself have decided that as soon as I am old enough I will have a living will telling everybody to not put me on any machine. Perhaps this seems like suicide to some, but to me it is putting my fate in God’s hands and excepting that I will go when it is my time. While I hesitate to stick words in anybody’s mouth, this may possibly be along the same lines that Tolkien (and by extension the Númenorean Kings) was thinking.

LadyBrooke, welcome to the Downs! Sorry for your illness; hope that you have better days.

My father, in his last days of battling advanced cancer, decided to 'let go.' He had had enough, and while his mind was still able, he had his feeding tube removed along with any source of hydration. At the time, though as a biologist I knew better, I hoped that maybe, just maybe he was feeling better, but he wasn't. I explained to my siblings that the countdown clock had started and we would only a few days left together. He made it about five days- a couple of them conscious - and then that was it. Now we wished that he had tried some of the experimental treatments that he was offered, but at the time he had found inconvenient.

Anyway, it all reminds me of the Kings.

Um, sorry if this isn’t very clear or anything. I’m rather nervous as this is my first post of this website, though I have posted on other websites and have lurked here for a long time.

You're doing fine.

[LadyBrooke]

Sorry to hear about your Father. In the last couple years our family has been in similar situation with both my Mom’s aunt and my Step-Dad’s uncle. My great-aunt actually had been in remission, but it came back and this time she wasn’t strong enough for chemotherapy. Her life is actually the biggest inspiration for both my view on my life and the analogy above. At the end of her life she said it was time for her to go to the Lord and that it was her time. Of course this view has gotten me in trouble several times because my family can’t understand it. Much of the same bitterness Arwen has. Which I can understand and at the same time I can’t.

[alatar]

I miss my father at times, of course, but I try to look forward, as I am the father to my kids. When we speak about such things, I never hide that we all will die - with four kids, I'm constantly being plied with questions, and so it comes up. I've even been asked the second question, which is "why do we *have* to die?"

My answer's been that we need to move on, that we need to make room physically and emotionally for our children to grow. I guess that what I'm trying to say that I never truly will be a parent until I'm no longer anyone's child (or something).

This 'letting go' is, to me, consistent with what Tolkien was expressing.

[LadyBrooke]

I strongly believe that death is not the end but the beginning of something new. Which is probably one of the reason’s I enjoy Tolkien’s books so much - Death is not portrayed as the horrible thing that it is viewed as in the modern world but rather a natural part of life and a gift from Eru.

I suppose as a teenager who almost died as a child I can’t help but view it as something to not be feared. Once you’ve faced something once it becomes a lot less scary because you know you can handle it. A rather morbid view from a kid, but I’d rather spend my life living rather than spend it avoiding death. Also I’ve held pets while they’re dying - an inevitable when you have as many as we do - and when they’re just about to die you can tell they’re at peace. I’ve heard the same thing from many people who work in hospices.

I miss everybody in my life who’s died but at the same time I’m kinda happy for them. They’re in a better place which is all I want - for them to be happy and to have the same happen to me when it’s my time.

[Tuor in Gondolin]

Excellent posting and a well-thought out philosophy
of life Ladybrooke .

Of course, in later Numenor you'd obviously be one of the Faithful,
challenging, especially if you're prone to seasickness.

[littlemanpoet]

Originally Posted by LadyBrooke

A rather morbid view from a kid, but I’d rather spend my life living rather than spend it avoiding death.

Far from being morbid, I think you've stated a very healthy outlook.

This last reading of LotR (6th), I noticed something that I had apparently forgotten about in previous readings: when Sam is alone near Cirith Ungol, in the chapter, "Choices of Master Samwise", he does actually consider suicide. His answer is decisive if vaguely thought. I found it quite fascinating that Tolkien would have even happy Sam think that way.

[Farael]

Well, it seems there are two things a man cannot resist, the lure of the One Ring and the lure of a good discussion in the Barrow Downs. A hearty hello for those of you who remember me! And another hello for those of you who will be hearing from me for the first time.

Talking about suicide in Middle Earth, and even though this has already been stated to a higher or lesser degree, I find there are two kinds of "self-inflicted deaths"

On one hand we have the relenquishing of life by the Kings of Numenor, which I've always thought was less of a suicide/self inflicted death and more of an acknowledgement that his time had come as ordained by Iluvatar (and thus, not really the King's fault). It was not borne out of despair or any other selfish feelings and perhaps it was not even a real choice for the king. It might have been a sudden insight that the time had come and that Illuvatar wished him to pass on to whatever fate men had. What man not swayed by the shadows would refuse Iluvatar's will? Thus it is not much of a choice, is it?

On the other hand we have the taking of one's life by violence, like Turin did when he took a dive on Mormegil. While one can say that his motives were altrusitic because all he had done had come to grief and thus by removing himself from Arda he would avoid bringing further trouble to his loved ones, it was a selfish act and quite likely against the will of Iluvatar. After all, if I know my christian theology properly, it is said that G'd has a plan for each of us and that no matter how tough things might look He knows what He is doing and in the end it all becomes clear. So assuming Tolkien borrowed from this tradition, by killing himself, Turin might've not only acted against Iluvatar's will but he might have also prevented Iluvatar's plan for him from being fulfilled. Perhaps Turin, after all his failures, would have in the end won a redeeming battle against Morgoth. We will never know.

Then there are other scenarios that have been brought up. Hurin's "last stand" is an example of, essentially, giving up on life (even if for a very altruistic cause). However, how does this fit in with Iluvatar's "plan"? Well, since Hurin did not slay himself and instead he fought hard and well against those who would slay him, it is clear he was not making the choice. If it was Iluvatar's will that he would die so others could live he was willing to make that sacrifice, but as we see that is not what happens. So Hurin is not making a choice that is not his to make (that is, WHEN to die) but rather making a choice that is very much within his responsability as a leader of men in war.

Finally there is the example of the elves which I find is no death at all (although that's not to say that there is no fault in it). If we part from the premises that
a) Elves do not really die the same way men do
b) The Halls of Mandos is a place of healing and restoring, and
c) The elves know this
then I hope we can agree there is no fault in allowing their fea to leave their hroa if they feel overwhelmed by Arda Marred. We must understand that elves (or at least elves in Middle Earth) are constantly faced with matters they were not "meant to". They were meant to be in Arda Unmarred and to take energy from Arda itself. Since they instead take their energy from Arda Marred, they will at times be caught in situations to which they are unable to find a way out. That's where the Halls of Mandos comes in, I have been slowly making my way through HoME and I just read "Laws and customs of the elves" (I think that's the name) and it changed my perspective on Mandos

I used to think Mandos was a place of punishment, and it may be after a fashion, but it is also a place of healing, where the discrepancies between what elves SHOULD have experienced (Arda Unmarred) and what they DO experience (Arda Marred) are reconciled so that the elf (if both him and Mandos so choose) can return to physical life.

So, while not exactly ideal or natural, the elves do not die as men do, and their (potentially temporary) lack of physical life does not mean an end to their spirit's life in Middle Earth. Conversely, for men there might be another kind of life, but it is beyond Middle Earth.

Unfortunately I've run out of time so I do not know if I'm making sense or not but must leave in a hurry . I will try to come back and edit this post later on tonight if I get the chance, but I hope what I wrote makes as much sense here as it did in my head!