Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor...

We come now to that era in Valinor called in The Silmarillion the ''Noontide'' of it's ancient glory. For Melkor is yet captive in the duress of Mandos, the Eldar are content (the Vanyar have long since removed from Tirion, and Ingwë sits now at the feet of Manwë on Taniquetil) and all is well. In that time was born in Eldamar the greatest of all the Eldar in arts and lore; the son of Finwë and Míriel Serindë, Curufinwë, who would be ever remembered in the songs of the Eldar as Fëanor, the Spirit of Fire (for so he was called by his Mother). But in the bearing of her mighty son Míriel languished and yearned for release from the labour of living. And so, since they were then in their youth (in the long years of the Eldar), and they were in the land of the Valar, Míriel was taken into the care of the Vala Irmo in Lórien, and there she laid down to sleep. But she died indeed, first and only of the Eldar to have done so, and her spirit passed in silence to the Halls of Mandos; but her body was tended by the maidens of Estë, and it did not rot. And oft would Finwë sit beside the body of his wife, and call her by her many names; after a time, though, he went to Lórien no more.

And so Finwë devoted thence forth all his love and attention upon Fëanor his son; and Fëanor grew to become masterful and wise. In his youth, he surpassed the lore of Rúmil, and devised fairer characters for the recording of speech (these would afterwards be used by all the Eldar). He it was who first discovered the art of making gems greater and more beautiful than those of the earth with skill. I expect that at this time, he forged the famous Palantíri - the lost Seeing Stones (those of you who have seen The Lord of the Rings film ''trilogy'' will perhaps remember that Saruman used one of these - incidentally, this is the first time I have mentioned those films). At this time also, he wedded Nerdanel, the daughter of Mahtan the Smith (who taught much to Fëanor) who bore to him his Seven Sons.

It came to pass that Finwë, seeing no hope of the return of his wife, married a second time - this time to Indis of the Vanyar. The theological complexities of this seem to be trivialized by the succinct account given in The Silmarillion, but Tolkien remedies this with a series of very long and highly interesting essays in The History of Middle-earth called ''Laws and Customs among the Elder'' - or in full:

''Of the Laws and Customs among the Eldar pertaining to Marriage and other matters relating thereto: Together with the Statute of Finwë and Míriel and the debate of the Valar at its making.''

It makes fascinating reading, particularly the stuff about the unnatural separation of hröa and fëa (body and soul - in this case, that of Míriel). Since this is a Synopsis, I shan't go into great detail - one quote from Laws and Customs may suffice: ''Permanent marriage was in accordance with elvish nature, and they never had need of any law to teach this or to enforce it...''

Understandably, Fëanor was ill-pleased with the wedding of his father, but all loved Indis, in all ways unlike Míriel, for she was tall and fair, golden-haired as are all the Vanyar, and close kin of Ingwë the High King. Fëanor had no love for Indis, nor for her sons Fingolfin and Finarfin, but remained apart from them, and devoted his time to the increase of his arts and lore in subtlety and greatness.

But, it came to pass that Melkor had completed the term of his bondage in the duress of Mandos and he was brought before the feet of the Valar. Then, looking upon their glory and splendour, and looking upon the Eldar of the Blessed Realm, and all their fair works and jewels and hatred and envy filled him, and he lusted after all that he saw (it was ever his intent to corrupt or destroy anything that did not derive solely from his mind - which is why it was his sole ultimate object to completely destroy the World, because he had not himself made it, and it was filled, or corrupted, as he saw it, with the thoughts of others. Even the miserable Orcs, when they had served his purpose, would have been destroyed by him, because they were not in origin of him). But he dissembled his thoughts and abased himself and begged to become the least of the free peoples of Valinor, and he vowed to aid the Valar in their labours to heal the hurts that he had done to the World. The Vala Nienna aided his prayer, but Mandos, the Doomsman of the Valar who knows all fates, remained silent.

And so it was done. Melkor was released, but some (and among them Ulmo and Tulkas were the chiefs) thought it clemency to peril. Melkor was at first constrained to remain within the gates of Valmar, for the Valar would not yet suffer him to depart beyond their Realm, but this soon changed. For fair-seeming and wise were then all the words and deeds of Melkor, and Valar and Eldar alike had much profit of his counsel, if they sought it. And the form that he took was very beautiful, so much so that he was given leave to go freely about all the land of the Valar.Melkor hated the Eldar most of all, because in them he saw the reason for his downfall; and therefore all the more did he feign benevolence towards them, and he aided them in any great work that they began (if they sought it). In his lust and envy, Melkor declared afterwards that Fëanor had been instructed by him in the greatest of all his works; but he lied in this, for of all the Eldar, Fëanor hated Melkor most of all, and he took the counsel of none - except, for a little while, that of Nerdanel his wife, but they were afterwards estranged.

Alas, there are no decent Tolkien paintings for this post.