The Letter of the Law

[William Cloud Hicklin]

"Beorn is dead." --JRR Tolkien.

Beorn is dead; see vol. I p. 241. He appeared in The Hobbit. It was then the year Third Age 2940 (Shire-reckoning 1340). We are now in the years 3018-19 (1418-19). Though a skin-changer and no doubt a bit of a magician, Beorn was a Man.

Letter 144

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by William Cloud Hicklin

"Beorn is dead." --JRR Tolkien.

Letter 144

"(We should ignore Tolkien's claim in Letter 144 that "Beorn is dead"; death of the author, etc.)" -- Huinesoron, post #25.

Yeah, so I saw that after I'd written most of the post and decided not to scrap it just because - pfft - the actual author specifically denied it. (One could argue that 'Beorn is dead' doesn't strictly mean 'and had a normal Mannish lifespan'... but the full quote contradicts that too, at least by implication. ^_~)

hS

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

"(We should ignore Tolkien's claim in Letter 144 that "Beorn is dead"; death of the author, etc.)" -- Huinesoron, post #25.

Yeah, so I saw that after I'd written most of the post and decided not to scrap it just because - pfft - the actual author specifically denied it. (One could argue that 'Beorn is dead' doesn't strictly mean 'and had a normal Mannish lifespan'... but the full quote contradicts that too, at least by implication. ^_~)

hS

Yes, but was Beorn buried with a Silmaril? It seems nearly every dead personage in The Hobbit got one. Like costume jewelry. After all, Feanor could have sold the rights in perpetuity to a Chinese manufacturing firm that makes high-end knock offs: Coach, Gucci, Silmarils.

[William Cloud Hicklin]

Made under license from the Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Feanorian Enterprises, by Weta Workshop of Goblin-Town

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Yes, but was Beorn buried with a Silmaril? It seems nearly every dead personage in The Hobbit got one. Like costume jewelry. After all, Feanor could have sold the rights in perpetuity to a Chinese manufacturing firm that makes high-end knock offs: Coach, Gucci, Silmarils.

Ah, well as it happens I can prove once and for all that the Arkenstone isn't a Silmaril - because the Silmarils weren't jewels.

Originally Posted by Silm: Of the Silmarils

Then [Feanor] began a long and secret labour, and he summoned all his lore, and his power, and his subtle skill; and at the end of all he made the Silmarils.

>>>As<<< three great Jewels they were in form.

Yes, just like balrog shadows, the Silmarils had the appearance of something, without actually being that thing. Any later text simply calling them jewels is just carrying the analogy along, just like the wings spread wall to wall.

They were actually... paintings, maybe? Paintings would work. Makes Morgoth's crown look a little daft, but then, it always did.

hS

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

They were actually... paintings, maybe? Paintings would work. Makes Morgoth's crown look a little daft, but then, it always did.

Holograms? That also explains some of their unique properties - like, hmm, why some people just can't hold them, or why they don't chip - and of course it explains how they literally have the light of the Trees in them!

[Morsul the Dark]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

Ah, well as it happens I can prove once and for all that the Arkenstone isn't a Silmaril - because the Silmarils weren't jewels.



Yes, just like balrog shadows, the Silmarils had the appearance of something, without actually being that thing. Any later text simply calling them jewels is just carrying the analogy along, just like the wings spread wall to wall.

suddenly it drew itself up to a great height, and >>>>its wings<<<< were spread from wall to wall;

I mean.

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Morsul the Dark

I mean.

Exactly! So "the War of >>>the Jewels<<<", or "It came then into Beren's mind that he would go beyond his vow, and bear out of Angband all three of >>>the Jewels<<< of Fëanor" - exactly the same thing! The initial 'as', like the initial 'like' in "the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings", completely negates any later assertions that they're the same thing. I'm so glad we agree.

hS

[Morsul the Dark]

Originally Posted by Huinesoron

Exactly! So "the War of >>>the Jewels<<<", or "It came then into Beren's mind that he would go beyond his vow, and bear out of Angband all three of >>>the Jewels<<< of Fëanor" - exactly the same thing! The initial 'as', like the initial 'like' in "the shadow about it reached out like two vast wings", completely negates any later assertions that they're the same thing. I'm so glad we agree.

hS

I remain in the seen from afar seen from close argument. “That Looks like frank!” “It IS Frank.” The follow up is a confirmation of the previous supposition.