Poll: Fan Perceptions of Maglor

[dawn_felagund]

ETA:: Please note: As of 10 May 2009, I have collected the results for this poll. You're welcome to still contribute, if you wish, as I may return to this topic in the future, but further replies will not be used in my current essay. However, do check out the discussion on this post, which is as fabulous as I have come to expect from my flist and passersby! :) A sincere thank-you to all who participated in the poll and provided such insightful discussion of the topic. /ETA

I am getting ready to write an essay for my weble The Heretic Loremaster, and I am interested in how Tolkien fans familiar with The Silmarillion perceive the character of Maglor. I appreciate the input of anyone who has a few minutes to spare me and my LJ-created poll. :) Also, please pass the word to other Tolkienites, if you're so inclined. I would like as many responses as I can get.

If you do not have an LJ account and would like to contribute to the poll, feel free to leave an anonymous comment with your responses. (Click "Confabulate with Me" at the bottom of the post.)

Please note also that I do not expect people to look up information for this. I am interested in your perceptions of his character, not how well you can find what the book says about his character. (And, for those who do not already know, I don't believe in "canon," so I don't believe that there are right or wrong answers to any of these questions, although I certainly possess my own opinions on them. :)



[Poll #1387001]

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Anything that you'd wish to add or elaborate upon, please feel free to do so in the comments. :)

Comments

[rakshathedemon.livejournal.com]

I must confess that I think of Maglor as gentle, even if Tolkien never used the adjective in connection to Feanor's second son. To me, it takes a certain degree of gentleness (as well as great patience) to rear two orphaned boys whose mother one's own brother and oneself hounded to her presumed death.

I think of Maglor as being something of an independant thinker among the brothers, but also being fiercely loyal to them; hence his following the Oath even though he doubted it, at the last, and finally, after his last brother (and liege-lord) had perished, feeling free enough to throw the remaining Silmaril into the sea.

I wish that Tolkien had elaborated on Maglor's raising Elrond and Elros. We know that Elrond grew up to be a strong and courageous and very compassionate Elf; some of that, I believe, came from Maglor.

I also confess that I don't believe that poor Maglor spent tens of thousands of years wandering the shores of Middle-earth in lament and never was seen again by other Elves. The author of the Silmarillion was, I think, dead by the time of the Ring War; and if that section was written down by someone else, or even Bilbo (who did have the benefit of information from the Elves of Rivendell); Maglor could have taken ship for the West after the departure of the Ring-bearers; it's not impossible...I can't believe the Valar would be that cruel to never let him return. I also think that eventually Maglor would have wanted to go, though it might have taken him an Age or even two to forgive himself and seek redemption and healing.

[dawn_felagund]

Thanks for the reply, Raksha! :) I wish that JRRT had elaborated on E&E as well ... but I wish that about a lot of moments in the Silm. At the same time, such teasing leads are what makes the Silm so delightful for me to write about, so I suppose I am in a catch-22!

I'm not inclined to the "wandering forever in lament" conclusion either. First of all, there's no way that anyone could know this, so I trust it about as much as I trust Pengolodh to write in truth about the kinslayings. Secondly, that particular detail has always struck me as a heroic exaggeration; it sounds much more poetic than saying, "He wandered off and who knows what happened after."

I think he could have returned to Valinor; I think he also could have died. Or he could have faded--not the fanon "death of grief" but honest t' goodness fëa-overwhelming-hroä fading. In which case, he could be looking over my shoulder right now as I type this! :)