Tolkien Heroes

Now comes the time for the ultimate question! There is a link below that will take you to a survey questionnaire that will ask you who is in fact the most awesome. It will contain heroes from the first and third ages. Do not choose wrong or you may end up in the halls of Mandos facing endless punishment.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1KuQmAhRGQ7UWgO86xADWAbQLw7hymjw_iqnA1E5IvRM/viewform

After taking this, please check out what the other voters have decided. Some may yet still be in Arda, if they chose right. If not, you can be assured that they are suffering.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsndmSmXO_TpdEFvZHV6bFRUWHlfZndUVEdLREhRSXc&usp=drive_web#gid=0

Now go ahead and enjoy this sneak peek preview of the upcoming Silmarillion movie! The entire world will be introduced to these kick-awesome characters! May it ease your pain or help you revel in your joy! 'Ur, nare' ar mande' ana ilya!

I never planned to talk about Tolkien's ancient heroes in a certain order but as I decided (after thinking long and hard about who the next hero should be) on today's hero I realized that I was going in somewhat of a chronological order. We're going to roll with that from here on out. So here we are, talking about Fingon!

Obviously Fingon is kick-awesomely cool because he made this renowned list. Let it be known that Fingon was an OG. Fingon was actually the son of Fingolfin. Fingolfin just died in the Battle of Sudden Flame and Fingon was next in line to be the High King of the Noldor. Chalk one up there for High King, in Middle Earth, number two!

His entire army dead beside him; Fingon faces battle with Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs.

Before he was made king was when he did his most famous deed. Which I would tell in brief, but we need a little back story for it to be more effective. So rewind.......... and stop. Ok, begin: All the elves said "peace out" to the Valar and took off from Aman because they wanted to go lay the smackdown on Melkor for taking their stuff. Well it turns out the elves were all united against Melkor, when he was around, but when he [Melkor] wasn't around they really didn't like each other that much either. So much so, it turns out, that when they get to a stopping point in their journey a portion of the elves take the ships secretly and then burn them when they get to Middle Earth. They assume that the other elves wont be able to make it and they'll get all their stuff by themselves. Meanwhile all the elves that got left are all sorts of ticked off so they're doing anything they can get to Middle Earth so they can show up their relatives... You know how it is.

They finally make it. It was rough, people died, they're not in a good mood and they're hating on the other elves right now. Fingon knew they needed to make amends because now it was time to get down to business and kick Melkor's tooshie. Fingon learns that one of his good friends was captured and chained by one hand to a mountain because of Melkor. Fingon decides he's going to go rescue him. (This is a big deal because this "friend" of his is a leader of the group of elves that left Fingon's group to die back on the journey from Aman). Fingon sneaks into Melkor's land and is searching all around, for days. He has no luck and is so hot, bothered, and frustrated that he sits down and plays a song on his harp, right in the middle of Melkor's land! Just to defy all the evil! While he plays he hears a voice singing. He follows it and it turns out to be Maedhros, his "friend" chained to the mountain. The mountain is sheer and there is no way to ascend it. Maedhros, in such pain, asks Fingon to just shoot him so he wont have to endure it any more. Just as Fingon is about to shoot, the King of the Eagles swoops down and picks Fingon up. Fingon is carried, by the eagle, to where Maedhros is and frees Maedhros by cutting his hand off at the wrist (don't worry there was no other way).

Maedhros lives and becomes a fierce ally of Fingon and his father. The other elves are blown away when they find out this happens because Fingon didn't even tell anybody! He just left, and then when he comes back he brought Maedhros! All the elves were like: "Jigga what!" This act really mediated the hatred between the two divisions of elves and they became more lovey dovey after this event. There is so much more I want to divulge, but alas I have not the time... Suffice it to say Fingon and his valiant deeds are some of the gosh-darn coolest reading in the Silmarillion.

Today, our hero of the week is seriously one of the most gangster elves that ever walked the face of Arda. Oh my freaking heck he is cool! I literally had a drop of saliva slowly dripping from my mouth when I started typing this. It was either because of how cool he is, or, it was because I was thinking of making a juicy pork tenderloin for dinner... Probably both. I am going to need to cut back on what I want to say about this guy because there is so so so much I could talk about. I will attempt to focus on one memorable event in his magnificent life.

Fingolfin's Heraldic Device

Fingolfin, like the title says, was the first High King of the Noldor that returned to Beleriand. He was beast and when he went in to beast mode nobody wanted to be around him. No way! Some name him the greatest warrior of all-time between elves and men. After Melkor stole the Silmarils the elves went all crazy and tracked him down to Beleriand. (Middle Earth today is what remains of Beleriand essentially.) Melkor, who's now called Morgoth, is chilling in his fortress of death when Fingolfin leads his army right up to Morgoth's gate and starts banging on it. Morgoth doesn't have the resources to fight all the elves so he just continues to chill because the elves can't get in anyway. Fingolfin then leads a 400 year siege of Utumno! (Morgoth's fortress) Talk about endure to the end.

During these 400 years Fingolfin is walking around being a baller and dominating whoever he pleases, as long as they're allies of Morgoth. Fingolfin is pretty confident that they're going to outlast Morgoth pretty soon, when Morgoth sends a massive force screaming out of Utumno. No one is expecting it because Fingolfin trusted some, good for nothing, nephews of his to be in charge of watching Utumno (which they knowingly neglected for many reasons...stupid). Morgoth's force seriously put the hurt on the elves and although they were able to hold him back, the elves started fleeing. When Fingolfin heard this he was filled with despair thinking that it was the end, because all the elves were giving up. This then fueled his wrath and when Fingolfin is wrathful you better take cover.

Thinking all was lost, Fingolfin straps on his sword, gets on his horse and rides up to Utumno again. His blazing fury is so awesome that all his foes think that he is a one of the war Vala (a god) and they're scrambling to get out of his way as he rides. He rides right up to Utumno and bangs on the gate again challenging Morgoth to a one on one fight. Now it bears note that Morgoth is an actual Vala and can't die, but when he see's Fingolfin he is scared and straight up doesn't want to fight him. This time, however, Morogth's whole army can see him and if he doesn't fight they'll think he's a wimp and wont fight for him anymore. Grudgingly Morgoth comes outside his gate to fight with Fingolfin.

The fight begins and Fingolfin is weaving and bobbing, biting and stinging. He deals Morgoth seven terrible blows, and each time Morgoth screamed in anguish and the whole host of Morgoth quailed in fear that he would be defeated. However, like we said, Morgoth is one of the Valar and cannot die and while elves are immortal they can fatigue and so Fingolfin began to fatigue. After hours of fighting his strength began to wain until he stumbled on a crater (from Morgoth's hammer). Morgoth pinned Fingolfin with his foot on his neck but before the final blow was struck Fingolfin heaved one last mighty blow at Morgoth's foot. The blow was strong and so deep that, ever after, Morgoth would walk with a limp. With that blow Morgoth snapped Fingolfin's neck. After suffering so much pain and anguish at the hand of just one elf, Morgoth was want to desecrate Fingolfin's body. Before he could lay another hand on the body a great eagle swooped down, picked up the body and carried it to Turgon, Fingolfin's son, to bury properly.

The adventures and tales of Fingolfin's bravery, wisdom, and kindness are likely endless and memorable. Even if it must be remembered in sadness because of the final outcome, his last epic stand at the gates of Angband is the most memorable of all and represents well why he is such a superbly awesome hero!

See! Love struck. No likey.

Hop diggity dang, here we go again. I said I would go in chronological order, but now I'm kind of regretting it. Mainly because of Beren. I would much rather skip him, but to do so would be disrespect to what he did. Don't get me wrong, he was a champ, but his story is intertwined in a story of love. For some people that makes it only better. For myself, I don't know why but once love is involved I don't like it near as much... It doesn't make sense... Maybe it's because I feel that when characters do something heroic out of love for their "beloved" they do it only because of their beloved, and placed in a similar situation but with no "beloved" would not have done what they did. But a great many things are done and accomplished in the name of love. It seems with just half a moment of thought that most of the great things that are accomplished in this world could stem from love. Maybe not love of someone, but love of something or love of a group of things or people. Love isn't bad I do things out of love..... I digress. I am writing of Beren the One Handed, first mortal hero of Arda.

No better place to start a blog about the awesome heroes of Middle earth than with the first hero to descend from the far heaven. Tulkas was a MAN among gods. Simply meaning he was the most testosterone filled, muscle rippling, war loving, pound your face in the dirt of all the Valar (the gods of Middle Earth). He is "the greatest of strength and of deeds of prowess." His weapon, his fists. He is the mold for any hero of immense strength.

"There are none of Valar or Uvanimor (who are monsters, giants, and ogres) that do not fear the sinews of his arm and the buffet of his iron-clad fist, when he has cause for wrath."

The Valar, who came down from the far heaven and began creating Arda (or Middle Earth for our purposes), had created a beautiful world for the elves and men to inhabit. However, there was one Vala who had other plans. Melkor is the epitome of evil. He embodies all hate, all wickedness, all sin. Melkor began waging war on the other Valar and proceeded to destroy Middle Earth. This was infuriating the Valar because they'd been working pretty stinking hard on making it really nice for the elves and men. Needless to say they were upset and started fighting him. Unfortunately, for them, they weren't having too much success because Melkor was sly, cunning, and extremely powerful by himself and they (the Valar) couldn't keep him under wraps.

Enter Tulkas. Tulkas is a fun loving guy. Literally, he loves laughing and laughs pretty much all the time. Anyway, he has been hanging out in far heaven just having a good ole' time. He wasn't involved in the original creation of Middle Earth, he wasn't really born to do that, but while he's hanging out in "far heaven" he hears rumor that there was a battle going on down below. Fighting, now that is what Tulkas was born to do:

"But in the midst of the war a spirit of great strength and hardihood came to the aid of the Valar, hearing in the far heaven that there was battle in the Little Kingdom; and Arda was filled with the sound of his laughter. So came Tulkas the Strong, whose anger passes like a mighty wind, scattering cloud and darkness before it; and Melkor fled before his wrath and his laughter, and forsook Arda, and there was peace for a long age."

The mere presence of Tulkas in Arda/Middle Earth causes Melkor to flee. Melkor doesn't just run away, he runs and hides in the only place he can't be found. The void. Tulkas having done his job laughs some more and probably would've left right then and there except for the fact the he's the strongest of all the Vala and they need help rebuilding what Melkor tore down. So Tulkas is enlisted into the repair Arda project and he does a marvelous job. During his fixing of Arda, he meets another Vala who really catches his eye and when he's finally done fixing Arda he marries her. After fixing the world and getting married Tulkas takes some well deserved rest. 

Well sneaky little Melkor has been watching, from the void, this whole time and as soon as he sees Tulkas take a nap he hops back into Arda and hides away in a corner. In this corner he starts building a huge fortress called Utumno, in which he creates many vile things. None of the other Valar are paying attention apparently because all of this goes unnoticed. Tulkas goes to sleep for a couple hours and the most evil thing in the world is already back! Come on guys!



The elves finally come and the Valar are so happy but Melkor starts capturing them and mutilating them. Hence the vile race of orc is born. When the Valar finally catch on they're all way bummed because they love the elves and now the elves are being turned evil. Tulkas who has woken up, is probably like, "what the crap have you guys been doing!?" He caused Melkor to flee just by being present, fixed all Melkor's mistakes and now it's all undone. In reality he was probably pretty freaking pleased because this gave him an excuse to actually fight this time. The Valar army leaves to go fight Melkor. While everyone else is fighting the wimpy orcs Tulkas goes straight to Melkor throws him on his face, binds him with chains, and then leads him back to Aman which is where the Valar prison is. Just like that! Wam! Bam! And done; laughing the whole time, which is one reason why Melkor, and many others, are/is so unnerved by Tulkas. 

We find out later that the Valar for some reason let Melkor go free, which of course turns into disaster and they look to Tulkas for help. Unfortunately Melkor had a lot of time to plan his escape this time and he knew exactly how to avoid Tulkas. Tulkas would've eventually caught him, I believe, but the other Valar said let him go, because the elves were becoming arrogant, proud, and stupid (among other things) and the Valar were just wanting some peace and quiet. This is ok, because Melkor is the great antagonist of the elves and the reason why such awesome heroes rise to the surface later, whom we will talk about! Next time!

Well this is something. Let it be written in the annals of history that not only has BR80 Wells checked his facebook account twice a month in the past three months, but he is now posting to a blog! Hold onto your panties everyone, the ever reaching tentacles of social media have finally squirmed their way into my life and are slowly grabbing hold. In case all heck breaks loose I'll go ahead and say right up front that this blog has a life expectancy of about 15 weeks. Quick deduction would lead anyone with half a brain to realize that 15 weeks is approximately the length of a university semester. If the other half of their brain is still in tact and functioning they would then be able to do some (1+1=2) arithmetic and realize that this must be one of those awesome school assignments given by a professor, whose social media skills are comparable to an eight month old child, wanting to expose their students to different types of social media, social marketing and social whatever. Fun!