The Letter of the Law

[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.

[Huinesoron]

Originally Posted by Morsul the Dark

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.

So, wait, you're trying to argue that my proof that the Silmarils aren't jewels is... somehow... WRONG? I think I shall faint.

Tell you what might be fun, and entirely on-topic for this thread: figuring out whether there's anything else it's possible to argue balrogs have in the text.

The obvious ("obvious") one is that Durin's Bane isn't actually humanoid! It's described as "of man-shape maybe", but it's clear they couldn't see all that well and just didn't get around to giving a better description. As becomes clear from "Its streaming mane kindled, and blazed behind it", and the way it keeps jumping around - it's actually a centaur.

A winged one.

hS

[Morsul the Dark]

Obviously the balrog did track and field in high school sprinting and long jumping. Mane is clearly describing long locks the balrog is Fabio

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

When I hear "mane", the first thing I think about is a lion.

Which makes me wonder... I would not be susprised if someone somewhere (like in the 80s) depicted the Balrog as a manticore! (Ahem, obviously including, ahem, wings.)