Riddles in the Downs

[Pitchwife]

Originally Posted by Legate of Amon Lanc

I have found out that it is difficult to get back to the riddle-making business after a long time when I have not been doing it, but hope you are going to like it nevertheless

Well, your encrypting skills are obviously not diminished in the least!

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

That last line makes me thik this is not about any character, but rather a thing or concept. But then how can it have a mother?

No nonsense at all! I think you're on to something here, and the solution could perhaps be something like a geographical feature, like, say, a river or a road; in which case the 'mother' would be metaphorical (e.g. a river's source could be considered its mother), and the 'King' may be as well (not necessarily though). 'After the mountains shook' and 'the Dark One's fall' sound very much like the War of Wrath and the drowning of Beleriand, but beyond that, I'm groping in the dark. Very intriguing, this!

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Originally Posted by Galadriel55

Now that's what I call a nice confusing riddle! There are so many (or at least it seems so) symbolical clues that its hard to tell what to take literally!

Originally Posted by Pitchwife

Well, your encrypting skills are obviously not diminished in the least!

Thanks! Just don't let the initial puzzling character of the riddle chase you away. In fact, to give you some hope, among your conclusions (of both of you), there are some good points heading exactly in the right direction, and some at least partially (there are, of course, also some things in which you are totally off, but there is surprising amount of things in which you are "buzzing around" the right way of interpretation - usually people's first tries are totally off). Just keep going on

[Galadriel55]

The riddle also reminds me of Feanor.
Twilight - Miriel was born in ME when there were only stars
Her path did end by western shores - she died in Aman, ie in the West
After glory came the loss - Feanor brought the glory of Valinor to an end, and loss could refer to either the Trees, the Noldor going away, the dtolen Silmarili, or something else that I can't think of at the moment.
Close to the King was she of late - Miriel was Finwe's wife
I have been thrown into the war - Feanor started the war
in blood I've seen the Dark One's fall - I don't know how that works
when Men of Light have earned his hate - I don't know how this fits either, since Men didn't exist yet

I've been a friend to all the guards
of light - of peace - well, he was friendly to the Valar once, and he stored light in the Silmarili that are very hard to break - he put a "guarding wall" around the light
till I betray'd
them in the vicious nightly raid - he attacked the Teleri
when fear was piercing all their hearts - when Morgoth destroyed the Trees and killed Finwe
They came and went - I have remained - the Silarili still exist, although they are separated.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Unfortunately, yes, as you said yourself, there are things which wouldn't work. Nonetheless, a brave attempt. Also a note to the last verse, which I might bring to your attention (and perhaps it might be helpful for you if I say that), in your interpretation "I have remained" would suddenly mean switching from Fëanor to the Silmarils as his creation, but I can assure you that "I have remained" refers still directly and exactly to the "speaker" of the riddle.

But go on, go on, even unsuccessful attempts bring you closer to finding the answer...

[Galadriel55]

OK, then!
If the riddle is referring to a place, like Pitch said, I'd say it's Drengist, because it begins in Dor Lomen - the land of twilight, and it flows to the western shore of Beleriand.

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Okay, care to elaborate more about what exactly are all the events, Kings, Men, guards etc. in such case? Then I could show you more clearly why it is wrong But no, that was just a remark, it is simply not the right answer. Note at least one thing: if it was indeed Drengist, then if you look at the riddle, it actually says "my mother" was born in twilight, and likewise it was her path that ended by western shores, so - if it is Drengist that begins in Dor-Lómin and ends in the west, as you say, then Drengist would actually have to be the mother, and now the question is, who is the "child"? Because that is the answer we are looking for.

But anyway, I think you are somehow hovering around the right path to find the answer...

[Galadriel55]

just a free association without any reasoning behind it...