This Far Distant Shore, by Elleth

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Title: This Far Distant Shore
Artist Name: Elleth
Prompt: Exile - Enya (Lyrics)
Description: Gilmith, daughter of Mithrellas the Silvan Elf and Imrazôr the Númenorean, laments her lack of choice.
Rating: General
Warnings: None
Artist's Notes: [Mithrellas] was one of the companions of Nimrodel, among many of the Elves that fled to the coast about the year 1980 of the Third Age, when evil arose in Moria; and Nimrodel and her maidens stayed in the wooded hills, and were lost. But in this tale it is said that Imrazôr harboured Mithrellas, and took her to wife. But when she had borne him a son, Galador, and a daughter, Gilmith, she slipped away by night and he saw her no more. (Unfinished Tales, Of Amroth and Nimrodel)

Stock credits and a full-size version of the picture can be found here.





Galador went on to found the line of Dol Amroth, whereas nothing more is said of either Mithrellas after her disappearance (perhaps west together with Nimrodel, who is said to make it to Dol Amroth at last) or Gilmith. Going by her name (either "grey star" or "star mist") I tend to imagine her as the "more elvish" in character of the siblings, and more keenly aware of being mortal and bound to Middle-earth. In many ways her story reminds of Tolkien's Fíriel (The Last Ship) poem, as well as of the song that prompted this image.

Comments

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

When I see the combination of "digital art" and "Elleth," I always get excited. Once again, you have not disappointed me. It's lovely and I also I am extremely interested on a personal level in that particular piece of canon from UT. Beautiful work.

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I find what little we know about the story of Nimrodel, Mithrellas and Gilmith interesting as well and keep coming back to it, so glad you enjoyed it. :)

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

Actually, it is the language question in the Dol Amroth area that first drew me to delve into that part of canon. (You know I am no linguist! So kind of laughing in embarrassment to admit that here!)

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Not being an expert in a field is not a reason to be embarrassed, I don't think? I'll freely admit that I'm not quite sure which language would be spoken there either - several possibilities (Adûnaic, Gondorian Sindarin, a local proto-Haladin dialect, a Gondorian dialect of Westron... or all of those rolled into something complicated and tangled). It's an interesting question to pursue, and now you've got me curious as well - did your research yield anything?

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

I think Tolkien said that Sindarin is spoken in Dol Amroth and the Falas as the birth/first language of the general population throughout the Third Age. Unlike in Gondor where it seems to have been a regional and/or class-related language. In some areas (like Minas Tirith) Sindarin is predominant and in other areas it is the principle language of educated people mainly.

I am a terrible scholar--Appendix F, of Lord of the Rings has some things and David Salo's Gateway to Sindarin (University of Utah Press) has a chapter on use of Sindarin at the end of the Third Age, I think, [incidentally some of the old-school language geeks don't like Salo, not sure entirely why?). Also I seem to recall seeing something in one of the issues of Vinyar Tengwar. I no longer have the Salo book or my copies of Vinyar Tengwar, they were in one of a few boxes which we lost when I loved into my current apartment about five years ago!

[ladyelleth.livejournal.com]

Ahhh, nice! I really like how Sindarin is beginning to inhabit a similar function that Quenya would have had in the First Age. I'm still a bit surprised by the divide (interesting), but it's nice to know, thank you!

incidentally some of the old-school language geeks don't like Salo, not sure entirely why?

From what I know, Salo is a proponent of various Neo-languages and likes to take frequent liberties, which rubs the "purists" the wrong way - he's behind the various dialogues on the movies (he writes about them on Midgardsmal (http://midgardsmal.com/)), and A Gateway to Sindarin seems to be listing in the same direction. Tolkien Gateway has a bit more info on that here (http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Neo-Elvish#Criticism). I've never read the book myself, and I've enjoyed puzzling out the Orcish dialogue in the Hobbit moves based on what I know Tolkien's languages, but it seems to be a case of (mostly) linguistic(ally logical) fanfic rather than canon. Sorry you lost your boxes, though - that's not fun. :/

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

We lost two boxes of kitchen stuff also! Almost a bigger deal at the time!