Beauty in Defiance of Evil
the silmarillion read-through 2025 pt. 5
“But I am sure you will sympathize when I say that the construction of elaborate and consistent mythology (and two languages) rather occupies the mind, and the Silmarils are in my heart.” –J.R.R. Tolkien, Letter 19
Happy Silmarillion Sunday!
The stories in this part of The Silmarillion are like many threads that we slowly see coming together to form a rich tapestry laced with honor, betrayal, lust, grief and beauty.
Elf lords rise and fall. Alliances form and weaken. The world groans underneath evil even when it defiantly grows in beauty despite the shadows.
In these chapters we start to really see the juxtaposition of Morgoth’s cruelty against the valiant acts of those who defy him. We witness how prejudice and racism can splinter entire kingdoms. We also see how loyalty, understanding and faithfulness can save them. All in all, we’re covering a wild few chapters in today’s post.
Let’s get into it.