1/7. All living things in Arda are classified as either being of the Incarnates ("spirits put into flesh") or not.
Nature of ME— Incarnates include the likes of Eruhíni, Ents, Eagles, etc. Their bodies have 'souls' as Eru has endowed. Plants & most animals are not Incarnates.
2/7. The Great Tree of Lindon isn't an Incarnate.
The Life of the Tree (being w/o a soul) is not equal to the Life of the Eldar (beings w/ souls).
Yet Elves value life in all. Violence upon trees involves the death & ending of its own physical life— it grieves Elves. (NOME)
3/7. The Tree is a 'symbol' of Elven strength and vitality.
Gil-galad describes the decaying Great Tree as carrying a blight... "An outer manifestation of an inner reality."
The Tree seems to act like a sensor. The decay tells the Elves of their declining 'vitality'.
4/7. Yet the Tree has no soul. Why then are the Elves basing their 'vitality' on that of the Tree?
Perhaps this is the "lie" the Elves choose to believe— That their death goes beyond their bodies... That it involves the "perishing" of their immortal souls.
5/7. Consequences— Who will deter evil if not the Elves?
Gil-galad reminds us that the Elves have had a stake in the peace & prosperity of Middle-earth for many millennia. Abandoning it all now, within such a short-time, means death & decay to all other peoples of Middle-earth.
6/7. Elves consider mithril (a lifeless object) to be a 'power' that will revitalize the Elves.
We see the effect mithril has on a leaf— It removes some signs of decay.
Yet the leaf itself is souless. Mithril seems to have the power to embalm a body, but what of the soul?
7/7. Is mithril 'salvation'?
Despite its wonders, mithril might not be sufficient to 'restore' soul to that which is doomed to die.
It will, perhaps, help preserve a 'body' long enough to prevent death, but its eternal impact on the soul of an Incarnate is unknown.
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1. Four LED lighting tubes were strapped to a horse running at Galadriel. Flames were added in post-VFX.
Flames on structures, floating cinders, and swirling ash were also added in post. Wet paper was used for ash on set. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
2. Galadriel finds an unscathed Theo. Isildur and Míriel rescue Valandil.
Míriel is hurt by flaming embers while rescuing survivors. Isildur sacrifices himself to save his Queen before the structure collapses on him. twitter.com/i/web/status/1…
Nori first taught the Stranger to speak using sign language (E2).
Weeks later he speaks in the same dialect as Nori. Not surprising as he patterns his speech after her. He's also learning new words & with that a sense of right vs wrong as Nori sees it.
(1/4)
(2/4)
Nori's explanation of perils and death pushes the Stranger to consider that he has the capacity to cause death (`fireflies` in S1.E2).
He recognizes that death (or destruction) is not a desirable outcome.
(2/5)
Tolkien was brilliant at writing Epics. It's why we love his works!
However, you are not giving Tolkien enough credit (as a global thinker) if you don't see that he wrote his works from the pov of certain characters that carry implicit biases; him included.
(3/5) #LOTR— Written from the pov of Hobbits. Hobbits who were considered the least of the races of Middle-earth; they also saw themselves as less compared to others.
Why wouldn't they write Elrond as one of the most flawless/most wise/most honest Elf they've ever met?
Well, Mellons, in the words of Elrond himself, it is `An obscure legend regarded by most to be apocryphal`. Elrond is underscoring the point that this legend is folklore.
Now, this is what makes folklore interesting— Their origins are often based in truth.
Not literal truths but something akin to parables & fables that HINT to the truth. Afterall you have heard it said, "the truth is [more frightening] than fiction".