I once read a novel that was essentially a retelling of the YT/First Age from the perspective of Melkor and the residents of Angband. (Names were changed to make it publishable, but to a Silmgeek, it was abundantly obvious, and the author herself acknowledged it too.) The novel wasn't great, but the change in perspective, as a Silmgeek, was interesting and certainly challenged some of Tolkien's assumptions about Angband and the people who live there.
It is highly unlikely that Angband was a true prison in the sense that everything and everyone was strictly controlled and regimented. Even if it was (or in the parts that were), its residents were human and so inclined to develop cultures and societies, similar to those that form in real-world prisons. This prompt is for all stories about the cultures or societies that might have developed in Angband. For example, what was family life like for an Orc in Angband? What education or training did youngsters go through? Among those imprisoned there, how did they spend their days? Did black market economies develop? What kinds of relationships did they form with the permanent residents (Orcs, etc) there?
A positive take on Angband certainly isn't required but bonus points for challenging Tolkien's assumptions or revealing some of the biases that affect how we see the people who live in this land.
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
Any Character/Genre, Culture of Angband
Date: 2015-03-01 11:27 pm (UTC)It is highly unlikely that Angband was a true prison in the sense that everything and everyone was strictly controlled and regimented. Even if it was (or in the parts that were), its residents were human and so inclined to develop cultures and societies, similar to those that form in real-world prisons. This prompt is for all stories about the cultures or societies that might have developed in Angband. For example, what was family life like for an Orc in Angband? What education or training did youngsters go through? Among those imprisoned there, how did they spend their days? Did black market economies develop? What kinds of relationships did they form with the permanent residents (Orcs, etc) there?
A positive take on Angband certainly isn't required but bonus points for challenging Tolkien's assumptions or revealing some of the biases that affect how we see the people who live in this land.