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b2memB2MeM Challenge: O-72 Fëanor – Savior of Middle Earth – The Panel Discussion About Revisionist History
Format: Fictlet
Genre: Drama
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Characters: OC
Pairings: None
Summary: A panel discussion is held at the University of Tirion covering the subject of ‘Feanor – Savior of Middle Earth?’ What views are presented and who attends this landmark presentation?
The University of Tirion campus was buzzing. The placard for the upcoming panel discussion in Fëanorian studies had been posted and a small crowd had gathered around it. Paper copies were being glued onto bulletin boards around the campus and at each one, as the topic was unveiled to a new group of students and faculty members, speculation and excited whispers ran through the student body.
Professor Lusteneuno was walking through the quadrangle as one of the notices was posted. He stopped for a moment to listen to the reaction from the nearby students. “Fëanor – Savior of Middle Earth?,” squeaked Illumelornm a student who attended his Artifacts and Weapons of Middle Earth class. She picked an imaginary piece of lint off her robe as she continued. “How could anyone ever think that someone whose hands are bloody from kinslaying and whose Oath led to the deaths of thousands of elves could be a savior, even if it is just saving a backwater like Middle Earth?”
Her companion, swirling her perfectly coiffed pony tail so that it lay gracefully against the fabric of her own brilliantly pink robe, responded. “It’s Revisionist History and I think it will be interesting to listen to. Look at the panel they have put together. Lustaneuno has managed to get both Sociology and Anthropology* to attend the same event. That's not just rare it’s practically unheard of. And adding Calasserë from History and Haldairë from Sindarin Studies? This might be the best panel in yeni. I’m going to be sure to get there early so that I get a seat.” She whispered in a more conspiratorial tone, “Besides which, the topic is bound to attract some of the older elves. Some of the Finwëan family members may even be present, maybe even a Royal or two!” The two young girls looked at each other with delight, giggled, and ran off towards the student lounge.
The Interdisciplinary Panel Discussions were held every six years on a rotating schedule through the Colleges. Normally the topics were dry. The topic of the previous year’s panel had been “The Genetic Predisposition of Tea Roses to Bloom in Red Hues”. The Botany Department had chaired the panel and shared the discussion with an instructor with a Horticulture focus. The other panel members had been an instructor from the Art department and the co-chairwoman of the Valarian Deportment Studies department. The attendance had been sparse, and the discussion had ended abruptly with the artist throwing pink paint onto the other panel participants when the subject of Yvanna’s Rose had been raised.
This time, however, the discussion promised to be of greater general interest, even possible topical controversy. Listening to the excited buzz that the topic was generating among the student body, Lustaneuno was having some second thoughts about the venue. Initially he had planned to hold the discussion in a small room at the back of the hallway that led to the intersection of the Sociology and Anthropology departments. Now he was feeling that a larger venue might be more advisable, so he proceeded to the Administration Building to submit a formal request for a change in location.
He presented his case to the seemingly over-extended Under-Secretary of Administrative Room Assignments and Supplies. The lanky elf stood and carefully lifted a great tome down from the shelf behind him. Grasping the golden page marker, he opened the Book of Appointments and Reservations, moving his fingers quickly down the page for the date in question, lips moving silently while his eyes darted here and there.
“Well, Professor Lustaneuno, you are fortunate. There is still one room available for the date you requested; the Secondary Auditorium in the Rumil Building,” he said drily with a small lisp and pursed lips. “Will that be suitable?” Without waiting for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, the Under-secretary dipped his quill into the nearby ink bottle and began to formalize the assignment. “Of course,” he continued, suddenly looking the professor in the eyes much like a basilisk might have done in another place and time. “You do realize that it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that both your panel members and your audience know about the new room assignment AND you must arrange for your own setup – tables, chairs, and other necessary equipment and props.” Taking one more look at the book, he nodded, sprinkled on the drying sand, tapped it off, blotted the new marking with the blotting paper and shut the book with a bang, replacing it on its shelf. He then settled back to his work, paying no further attention to the flustered professor.
Lustaneuno left the Administration Building, heading for the College Works Building while musing on the tendencies of administrators world-wide to be cut from the same dry cloth. Walking into the Supplies Requests Room, he then arranged for the slate board, chalk, tables, chairs and other props to be set up at the new room, and also arranged for new publicity flyers to be printed and hung. These posters had the new location clearly marked in large BOLD lettering. He sighed. Since this was a college campus, at least one of every five possible attendees, whether or not they actually read the revised flyer, would first go to the original room. ‘Do the students ever actually read?’ he wondered as he descended the steps from the building.
-0-0-0-0-
The long anticipated day finally arrived. Lustaneuno looked at himself carefully in his full-length mirror. His professorial robe with its satin striping and deep blue color denoting the Department of Anthropology had been freshly washed and pressed. His dark hair was carefully braided in a single braid centered down his back stretching almost to his buttocks, held in a golden clasp. He preened for a moment more; then taking up his pointer and personal golden jewel-encrusted chalk holder, he left for the Secondary Auditorium.
Arriving at the Rumil Building an hour before the discussion was set to commence, he saw a crowd of students and fellow professors milling about in front of the auditorium doors. He had to physically push several people aside to gain access to the door. Then, pulling the key from his pocket, he unlocked the door and entered into the lecture room, closing the door behind him to moans from disappointed attendees who were looking to enter and find their seats. Examining the room he saw that the seating was staggered with the stage centered far below. There were two aisles between the banked seats. “There must be seating for more than four hundred here,” he thought. Walking down the aisle towards the stage, he noted that it had been properly set up with two long tables, a moveable slate board, writing chalk and chairs.
He heard the door open behind him and turned to see who had entered. The Maintenance Engineer was standing in the doorway, the crowd behind him getting louder by the moment. “Can I let the students in, Professor?” he asked. “The crowd is starting to block the entry to the building.”
“All right, go ahead and let them in.” With those words, the audience members began streaming in, taking available seats as quickly as possible. Suddenly there was a silence that spread over the crowd and excited whispers rose from the doorway and spread down towards the stage. Those already in the auditorium turned around to see what might have caused this reaction.
“It’s HIM!” “Oh, I can’t believe that he actually is here.” “Who is that with him?” “Isn’t he gorgeous?” “Are we supposed to bow?”
Standing in the doorway commanding respect just by his regal bearing was a tall, black-haired elf who preferred to be known by his Sindarin name, Fingon. Next to him stood a tall blond, his cousin Finrod, the Crown Prince of the Noldor. The two elves proceeded down the stairs taking seats in the center of the front row.
In short order the auditorium was filled to capacity and there were even elves standing behind the last row of seats in the very back. At this point the Maintenance Engineer, who doubled as the unofficial Fire Inspector, closed the doors, not allowing any additional people to enter the room. Several disappointed students remained in the lobby complaining loudly, but he was firm in his decision and did not reopen the doors for them.
Professor Lustaneuno walked to the center of the stage and called for quiet. Bowing, he began, “Your Highnesses, students and faculty and honored guests; the College of Liberal Arts is pleased to present its panel discussion concentrating on the Revisionist History movement: ‘Fëanor – Savior of Middle Earth?’. This controversial topic has been debated throughout campus for the past few years. Now we bring together experts in the field to discuss the topic and the ramifications if the Fëanorians are ever rehoused and released back into our society.”
He moved to the side and continued. “Now I would like to introduce the members of the panel; first, Professor Haldaluston, Department Chair of Sociology and keen observer of society.”
With this cue, Professor Haldaluston walked onto the stage, resplendent in his white robes that featured black velvet stripes. He was followed by several students carrying signs that said ‘Fëanor Betrayed Aman’ and ‘Kinslaying Is Not a Forgivable Sin’. Some hisses were heard from the audience.
“Now now!” Lustaneuno warned. “This panel was purposely chosen to reflect the several views so as to thoroughly examine the subject. Whether you agree with any of the viewpoints which will be expressed herein today, I do insist on courtesy for each of the panel participants.”
The audience settled down again as Professor Haldaluston found his seat. Lustaneuno continued. “The next panelist is Professor Calasserë from the History Department. She has done singular research in the history of Middle Earth by conducting interviews with those who have returned from the East as well as with those who have been rehoused. She has a unique approach to this topic. Professor Calasserë.”
The Professor entered from the back doors, walking down the stairs between the seats towards the stage area. Instead of her academic robes, she wore a short, functional tunic and leggings, similar to what would have been worn in Beleriand during the First Age. Her hair was elaborately braided in a decorative and functional style. Several of her students followed with signs saying ‘Fëanor Was Framed’ and ‘No Fëanor – No Arda’. She gracefully strode to her seat while the two groups of cheerleaders glared at each other from opposite sides of the stage.
Lustaneuno nodded acknowledgement of this latest panelist and then continued. “The third member of our panel is Professor Haldaírë from the Department of Sindarin Studies. This Department is relatively new and operates under the College of Liberal Arts. It has proved to be an extremely popular Department with a wide variety of offered subjects. The Professor has had extensive contact with both the Exiles as well as the Telerin peoples while studying the linguistic shifts of the Sindarin language as well as the customs and practices of the people of Beleriand compared to those in Alqualondë. Please welcome Professor Haldaírë.”
The lithe professor entered from the stage door. She was wearing the Woodland garb preferred by those who had remained behind in Middle Earth while the great migrations to the West had been happening. She had long, light colored hair that she wore in a loose cascade down her back. Several students followed her with signs that said ‘Melkor – Devoted to Overall Destruction’ and ‘Balrogs and Dragons and Orcs, Oh My!’ She bowed to the audience and took her seat.
“And I am the final panel member and your moderator, Professor Lustaneuno. I am the Chair of the Anthropology Department and I have been studying the opinions of those who were directly affected by Fëanor and his sons for many years. Through interviews with people who followed Fëanor over the sea as well as those left behind to cope with the reconstruction of our broken society, I have developed theories about Fëanor’s impact on Arda and whether or not he was indeed the Savior of Middle Earth”.
He continued, “I want to remind all of you in the audience that this is a panel discussion. Each of the professors on this stage will have the opportunity to present their views to you without interruption. At the end of the presentation, after all four of us have stated our positions, we will open the floor up to questions from the audience if any time still remains. I want to ask all supporting personnel to please leave the stage area and sit along the stairway. We will not begin until everyone is seated and silent.”
The student cheerleaders moved to the aisles and sat down and the audience was hushed, waiting for the presentations. Lustaneuno said, “Professor Haldaluston, if you would be kind enough to start us out today.”
Haldaluston rose from his chair and approached the slate board. He then proceeded with his opinion; that Fëanor should have remained in Aman, taking up the crown from his murdered father. He barely mentioned the Silmarils, almost considering them as a secondary cause of Fëanor’s journey to Middle Earth. He set forth the idea that Fëanor’s primary focus was actually chasing the Vala who had murdered his father. The entire presentation was rather dry and the audience grew restive in their seats. The applause that followed the professor when he returned to his seat was more of relief that the presentation was over rather than agreement with the viewpoints he had presented.
Lustaneuno stood again. “At this time, with a contrasting view, I turn the floor over to Professor Calasserë from the Department of History.” The unusually-dressed elf stood and strode to the slate board. She then began to outline her proposed theory; that Fëanor was pushed into his actions by his exile into Formenos followed by the murder of his father and the theft of the Silmarils. “It was essential, in some fashion, to get the Elves of Aman to return to the East to aid those left behind in their war against Melkor,” she said. “Those elves who had remained behind during the Great Migration were being killed or captured at an alarming rate. King Elu Thingol’s kingdom was still standing strong, but it is debatable how much longer it would have held once the remainder of the Silvan elves had been conquered. When Melkor had gained control of the East, it would not have been long before he would have brought the war to our own shores here in the West. The resulting conflict between Melkor and his fellow Valar would have destroyed Arda and all life on it.”
She returned to her seat bowing in thanks to those applauding her viewpoint. Professor Lustaneuno stood again.
“I shall take the floor now. I have studied the evolution of the Fëanorian theories and have come to the conclusion that as more and more of the Exiled arrive on these shores, and as more and more of the rehoused have been returned to us, our societal viewpoints have been shifted.”
“To even raise the question of ‘Fëanor – Savior of Middle Earth?’, even as short a time as one yeni ago, could have caused a riot. Too many elves remembered all too clearly the difficulties faced by those who had remained behind picking up the pieces of a broken society after Fëanor had left these shores. The possibility that Fëanor might have been acting in a way that was actually condoned by both the Valar and, indeed, perhaps even by Eru himself, would have been unthinkable. Yet, here we are, thinking and discussing these very things. So let’s examine this change in our viewpoints and philosophy.”
He continued his presentation, ticking down a list of facts and suppositions. Finally he wrapped up his views by saying, “In every elf there lies a desire for change. For some that desire can be channeled into something quite easily; perhaps just by learning a new craft or song, or maybe travelling to a new town for a visit. But for some others, the need for change requires a more radical solution. Fëanor was one of these. He was not happy being the Crown Prince. He had no desire to have the throne, but there were insufficient challenges available for him here in Aman. He needed to look elsewhere and his thoughts turned to Middle Earth. I feel certain that he would have crossed the ocean to the East eventually, only under different circumstances. I suspect he would have wanted to go to Middle Earth for the purposes of exploration, not to conquer Melkor.”
“In fact, it was not that he and his sons went to Middle Earth that was the issue, it was the Oath. That Oath, sworn not only by Fëanor but also by all seven of his sons, caused the division in the ranks that led to the eventual defeat of the Fëanorians in Middle Earth. Taking the long view, however, they succeeded in their secondary goal, even if they had never admitted the goal existed. They succeeded in getting the Valar involved. The Valar eventually did go to Middle Earth and bring the battle to Melkor, rather than allowing him to gather more strength and invade our own shores. If for no other reason that this, Fëanor deserves our thanks.” He bowed to the audience as he finished discussing his theory, then resumed his moderator’s role and introduced the final presenter.
“And finally, let me present to all of you, Professor Haldaírë, a specialist in Sindarin Studies
Professor Haldaírë rose and approached the slate board. As she erased the markings remaining on it, she began speaking, then writing, as she touched on each topic. “Orcs, these were the most numerous of Melkor’s army. After the initial difficulties he had in making them from tortured elvish captives, he finally succeeded with a breeding program that eventually made the orcs his best throw-away weapon. At the time of Melkor’s fall, the orcs numbered in the millions. To give all of you a bit of perspective, the elves in Middle Earth at that time, both native and Noldor, numbered less than one million total.”
“Continuing, Melkor created many other more specialized members for his forces. Vampires – they were never numerous, but their destructive potential was vast. And werewolves,” here she turned and bowed towards Prince Finrod. “The werewolves were a deadly component of his forces and in the places that they roamed freely, few outsiders could survive for long. Indeed, his chief lieutenant, Sauron, took the form of a werewolf for many years.”
“Finally, we have the more specialized forces, the dragons and the Balrogs. The dragons were another very specific breeding program of Melkor’s. Over time and with careful manipulation, Melkor developed dragons with poison saliva, withering breath of both poison gas and flame, and finally wings such as on Ancalagon the Black. The battle to slay that dragon alone took all of Eärendil’s strength and was the cause of death of many of Lord Manwë’s eagles. As for the Balrogs, they were originally Maiar who went East with Melkor and became his top commanders. They were directly responsible for the deaths of Fëanor, Fingolfin and Glorfindel.”
“Melkor’s focus was the complete domination of Beleriand and, eventually, of Arda. What he did not control he wanted to destroy. If the East had fallen, we here in the West would have been the next to fall in war against this Fallen Vala. No elf can live when standing between two massive powers such as Melkor and the remainder of the Valar.” She then bowed again toward the audience and returned to her seat.
Lustaneuno then opened the floor to questions, getting several of them answered before time ran out. Then, returning to the center of the stage, he held up his arms to silence the audience one last time.
“I want to thank each of you for having attended our panel discussion today. I hope that you have learned some things from the viewpoints presented today, and I also hope that you think about these positions and determine your own feelings about this controversial subject. Was Fëanor the Savior of Middle Earth? This panel has no answers for you. But as more and more of the Fëanorians are rehoused, you will need to make up your own mind. How will you behave if you run into Maitimo in the marketplace? Or if you see Curufinwë at the forge, will you confront him with anger or look upon him with understanding and pity. Only you can determine your own actions, but I hope that by listening to us today, you will be able to decide what you will do. Thank you, and good day.”
The audience applauded and then began streaming out of the back doors. Lustaneuno turned around and shook the hands of the panel participants, thanking them for a wonderful and invigorating presentation.
Nobody noticed the unhoused Maiar who also left, to report to Lords Manwë and Námo. Perhaps the elves were one step closer to allowing some of the Fëanorians to be rehoused after all.
The Participants”
Lustaneuno (m) (empty second) – Moderator - Anthropology
Haldaluston (m) (hidden empty) – Sociology
Calasserë (f) (clarity single) – History
Haldaírë (f) (hidden desire) – Sindarin Studies
A/N - I am fully aware that ‘Anthro’ as in Anthropology means anthrop – man and ‘logy’ meaning study of. However, Elvenology begins to sound as if it is a course available on Vulcan to Mr Spock and his fellow citizens. Against my better wishes, I decided to stick with Anthropology in spite of the fact that they are not studying the second-born.
Format: Fictlet
Genre: Drama
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Characters: OC
Pairings: None
Summary: A panel discussion is held at the University of Tirion covering the subject of ‘Feanor – Savior of Middle Earth?’ What views are presented and who attends this landmark presentation?
The University of Tirion campus was buzzing. The placard for the upcoming panel discussion in Fëanorian studies had been posted and a small crowd had gathered around it. Paper copies were being glued onto bulletin boards around the campus and at each one, as the topic was unveiled to a new group of students and faculty members, speculation and excited whispers ran through the student body.
Professor Lusteneuno was walking through the quadrangle as one of the notices was posted. He stopped for a moment to listen to the reaction from the nearby students. “Fëanor – Savior of Middle Earth?,” squeaked Illumelornm a student who attended his Artifacts and Weapons of Middle Earth class. She picked an imaginary piece of lint off her robe as she continued. “How could anyone ever think that someone whose hands are bloody from kinslaying and whose Oath led to the deaths of thousands of elves could be a savior, even if it is just saving a backwater like Middle Earth?”
Her companion, swirling her perfectly coiffed pony tail so that it lay gracefully against the fabric of her own brilliantly pink robe, responded. “It’s Revisionist History and I think it will be interesting to listen to. Look at the panel they have put together. Lustaneuno has managed to get both Sociology and Anthropology* to attend the same event. That's not just rare it’s practically unheard of. And adding Calasserë from History and Haldairë from Sindarin Studies? This might be the best panel in yeni. I’m going to be sure to get there early so that I get a seat.” She whispered in a more conspiratorial tone, “Besides which, the topic is bound to attract some of the older elves. Some of the Finwëan family members may even be present, maybe even a Royal or two!” The two young girls looked at each other with delight, giggled, and ran off towards the student lounge.
The Interdisciplinary Panel Discussions were held every six years on a rotating schedule through the Colleges. Normally the topics were dry. The topic of the previous year’s panel had been “The Genetic Predisposition of Tea Roses to Bloom in Red Hues”. The Botany Department had chaired the panel and shared the discussion with an instructor with a Horticulture focus. The other panel members had been an instructor from the Art department and the co-chairwoman of the Valarian Deportment Studies department. The attendance had been sparse, and the discussion had ended abruptly with the artist throwing pink paint onto the other panel participants when the subject of Yvanna’s Rose had been raised.
This time, however, the discussion promised to be of greater general interest, even possible topical controversy. Listening to the excited buzz that the topic was generating among the student body, Lustaneuno was having some second thoughts about the venue. Initially he had planned to hold the discussion in a small room at the back of the hallway that led to the intersection of the Sociology and Anthropology departments. Now he was feeling that a larger venue might be more advisable, so he proceeded to the Administration Building to submit a formal request for a change in location.
He presented his case to the seemingly over-extended Under-Secretary of Administrative Room Assignments and Supplies. The lanky elf stood and carefully lifted a great tome down from the shelf behind him. Grasping the golden page marker, he opened the Book of Appointments and Reservations, moving his fingers quickly down the page for the date in question, lips moving silently while his eyes darted here and there.
“Well, Professor Lustaneuno, you are fortunate. There is still one room available for the date you requested; the Secondary Auditorium in the Rumil Building,” he said drily with a small lisp and pursed lips. “Will that be suitable?” Without waiting for a ‘yes’ or ‘no’, the Under-secretary dipped his quill into the nearby ink bottle and began to formalize the assignment. “Of course,” he continued, suddenly looking the professor in the eyes much like a basilisk might have done in another place and time. “You do realize that it is YOUR responsibility to make sure that both your panel members and your audience know about the new room assignment AND you must arrange for your own setup – tables, chairs, and other necessary equipment and props.” Taking one more look at the book, he nodded, sprinkled on the drying sand, tapped it off, blotted the new marking with the blotting paper and shut the book with a bang, replacing it on its shelf. He then settled back to his work, paying no further attention to the flustered professor.
Lustaneuno left the Administration Building, heading for the College Works Building while musing on the tendencies of administrators world-wide to be cut from the same dry cloth. Walking into the Supplies Requests Room, he then arranged for the slate board, chalk, tables, chairs and other props to be set up at the new room, and also arranged for new publicity flyers to be printed and hung. These posters had the new location clearly marked in large BOLD lettering. He sighed. Since this was a college campus, at least one of every five possible attendees, whether or not they actually read the revised flyer, would first go to the original room. ‘Do the students ever actually read?’ he wondered as he descended the steps from the building.
-0-0-0-0-
The long anticipated day finally arrived. Lustaneuno looked at himself carefully in his full-length mirror. His professorial robe with its satin striping and deep blue color denoting the Department of Anthropology had been freshly washed and pressed. His dark hair was carefully braided in a single braid centered down his back stretching almost to his buttocks, held in a golden clasp. He preened for a moment more; then taking up his pointer and personal golden jewel-encrusted chalk holder, he left for the Secondary Auditorium.
Arriving at the Rumil Building an hour before the discussion was set to commence, he saw a crowd of students and fellow professors milling about in front of the auditorium doors. He had to physically push several people aside to gain access to the door. Then, pulling the key from his pocket, he unlocked the door and entered into the lecture room, closing the door behind him to moans from disappointed attendees who were looking to enter and find their seats. Examining the room he saw that the seating was staggered with the stage centered far below. There were two aisles between the banked seats. “There must be seating for more than four hundred here,” he thought. Walking down the aisle towards the stage, he noted that it had been properly set up with two long tables, a moveable slate board, writing chalk and chairs.
He heard the door open behind him and turned to see who had entered. The Maintenance Engineer was standing in the doorway, the crowd behind him getting louder by the moment. “Can I let the students in, Professor?” he asked. “The crowd is starting to block the entry to the building.”
“All right, go ahead and let them in.” With those words, the audience members began streaming in, taking available seats as quickly as possible. Suddenly there was a silence that spread over the crowd and excited whispers rose from the doorway and spread down towards the stage. Those already in the auditorium turned around to see what might have caused this reaction.
“It’s HIM!” “Oh, I can’t believe that he actually is here.” “Who is that with him?” “Isn’t he gorgeous?” “Are we supposed to bow?”
Standing in the doorway commanding respect just by his regal bearing was a tall, black-haired elf who preferred to be known by his Sindarin name, Fingon. Next to him stood a tall blond, his cousin Finrod, the Crown Prince of the Noldor. The two elves proceeded down the stairs taking seats in the center of the front row.
In short order the auditorium was filled to capacity and there were even elves standing behind the last row of seats in the very back. At this point the Maintenance Engineer, who doubled as the unofficial Fire Inspector, closed the doors, not allowing any additional people to enter the room. Several disappointed students remained in the lobby complaining loudly, but he was firm in his decision and did not reopen the doors for them.
Professor Lustaneuno walked to the center of the stage and called for quiet. Bowing, he began, “Your Highnesses, students and faculty and honored guests; the College of Liberal Arts is pleased to present its panel discussion concentrating on the Revisionist History movement: ‘Fëanor – Savior of Middle Earth?’. This controversial topic has been debated throughout campus for the past few years. Now we bring together experts in the field to discuss the topic and the ramifications if the Fëanorians are ever rehoused and released back into our society.”
He moved to the side and continued. “Now I would like to introduce the members of the panel; first, Professor Haldaluston, Department Chair of Sociology and keen observer of society.”
With this cue, Professor Haldaluston walked onto the stage, resplendent in his white robes that featured black velvet stripes. He was followed by several students carrying signs that said ‘Fëanor Betrayed Aman’ and ‘Kinslaying Is Not a Forgivable Sin’. Some hisses were heard from the audience.
“Now now!” Lustaneuno warned. “This panel was purposely chosen to reflect the several views so as to thoroughly examine the subject. Whether you agree with any of the viewpoints which will be expressed herein today, I do insist on courtesy for each of the panel participants.”
The audience settled down again as Professor Haldaluston found his seat. Lustaneuno continued. “The next panelist is Professor Calasserë from the History Department. She has done singular research in the history of Middle Earth by conducting interviews with those who have returned from the East as well as with those who have been rehoused. She has a unique approach to this topic. Professor Calasserë.”
The Professor entered from the back doors, walking down the stairs between the seats towards the stage area. Instead of her academic robes, she wore a short, functional tunic and leggings, similar to what would have been worn in Beleriand during the First Age. Her hair was elaborately braided in a decorative and functional style. Several of her students followed with signs saying ‘Fëanor Was Framed’ and ‘No Fëanor – No Arda’. She gracefully strode to her seat while the two groups of cheerleaders glared at each other from opposite sides of the stage.
Lustaneuno nodded acknowledgement of this latest panelist and then continued. “The third member of our panel is Professor Haldaírë from the Department of Sindarin Studies. This Department is relatively new and operates under the College of Liberal Arts. It has proved to be an extremely popular Department with a wide variety of offered subjects. The Professor has had extensive contact with both the Exiles as well as the Telerin peoples while studying the linguistic shifts of the Sindarin language as well as the customs and practices of the people of Beleriand compared to those in Alqualondë. Please welcome Professor Haldaírë.”
The lithe professor entered from the stage door. She was wearing the Woodland garb preferred by those who had remained behind in Middle Earth while the great migrations to the West had been happening. She had long, light colored hair that she wore in a loose cascade down her back. Several students followed her with signs that said ‘Melkor – Devoted to Overall Destruction’ and ‘Balrogs and Dragons and Orcs, Oh My!’ She bowed to the audience and took her seat.
“And I am the final panel member and your moderator, Professor Lustaneuno. I am the Chair of the Anthropology Department and I have been studying the opinions of those who were directly affected by Fëanor and his sons for many years. Through interviews with people who followed Fëanor over the sea as well as those left behind to cope with the reconstruction of our broken society, I have developed theories about Fëanor’s impact on Arda and whether or not he was indeed the Savior of Middle Earth”.
He continued, “I want to remind all of you in the audience that this is a panel discussion. Each of the professors on this stage will have the opportunity to present their views to you without interruption. At the end of the presentation, after all four of us have stated our positions, we will open the floor up to questions from the audience if any time still remains. I want to ask all supporting personnel to please leave the stage area and sit along the stairway. We will not begin until everyone is seated and silent.”
The student cheerleaders moved to the aisles and sat down and the audience was hushed, waiting for the presentations. Lustaneuno said, “Professor Haldaluston, if you would be kind enough to start us out today.”
Haldaluston rose from his chair and approached the slate board. He then proceeded with his opinion; that Fëanor should have remained in Aman, taking up the crown from his murdered father. He barely mentioned the Silmarils, almost considering them as a secondary cause of Fëanor’s journey to Middle Earth. He set forth the idea that Fëanor’s primary focus was actually chasing the Vala who had murdered his father. The entire presentation was rather dry and the audience grew restive in their seats. The applause that followed the professor when he returned to his seat was more of relief that the presentation was over rather than agreement with the viewpoints he had presented.
Lustaneuno stood again. “At this time, with a contrasting view, I turn the floor over to Professor Calasserë from the Department of History.” The unusually-dressed elf stood and strode to the slate board. She then began to outline her proposed theory; that Fëanor was pushed into his actions by his exile into Formenos followed by the murder of his father and the theft of the Silmarils. “It was essential, in some fashion, to get the Elves of Aman to return to the East to aid those left behind in their war against Melkor,” she said. “Those elves who had remained behind during the Great Migration were being killed or captured at an alarming rate. King Elu Thingol’s kingdom was still standing strong, but it is debatable how much longer it would have held once the remainder of the Silvan elves had been conquered. When Melkor had gained control of the East, it would not have been long before he would have brought the war to our own shores here in the West. The resulting conflict between Melkor and his fellow Valar would have destroyed Arda and all life on it.”
She returned to her seat bowing in thanks to those applauding her viewpoint. Professor Lustaneuno stood again.
“I shall take the floor now. I have studied the evolution of the Fëanorian theories and have come to the conclusion that as more and more of the Exiled arrive on these shores, and as more and more of the rehoused have been returned to us, our societal viewpoints have been shifted.”
“To even raise the question of ‘Fëanor – Savior of Middle Earth?’, even as short a time as one yeni ago, could have caused a riot. Too many elves remembered all too clearly the difficulties faced by those who had remained behind picking up the pieces of a broken society after Fëanor had left these shores. The possibility that Fëanor might have been acting in a way that was actually condoned by both the Valar and, indeed, perhaps even by Eru himself, would have been unthinkable. Yet, here we are, thinking and discussing these very things. So let’s examine this change in our viewpoints and philosophy.”
He continued his presentation, ticking down a list of facts and suppositions. Finally he wrapped up his views by saying, “In every elf there lies a desire for change. For some that desire can be channeled into something quite easily; perhaps just by learning a new craft or song, or maybe travelling to a new town for a visit. But for some others, the need for change requires a more radical solution. Fëanor was one of these. He was not happy being the Crown Prince. He had no desire to have the throne, but there were insufficient challenges available for him here in Aman. He needed to look elsewhere and his thoughts turned to Middle Earth. I feel certain that he would have crossed the ocean to the East eventually, only under different circumstances. I suspect he would have wanted to go to Middle Earth for the purposes of exploration, not to conquer Melkor.”
“In fact, it was not that he and his sons went to Middle Earth that was the issue, it was the Oath. That Oath, sworn not only by Fëanor but also by all seven of his sons, caused the division in the ranks that led to the eventual defeat of the Fëanorians in Middle Earth. Taking the long view, however, they succeeded in their secondary goal, even if they had never admitted the goal existed. They succeeded in getting the Valar involved. The Valar eventually did go to Middle Earth and bring the battle to Melkor, rather than allowing him to gather more strength and invade our own shores. If for no other reason that this, Fëanor deserves our thanks.” He bowed to the audience as he finished discussing his theory, then resumed his moderator’s role and introduced the final presenter.
“And finally, let me present to all of you, Professor Haldaírë, a specialist in Sindarin Studies
Professor Haldaírë rose and approached the slate board. As she erased the markings remaining on it, she began speaking, then writing, as she touched on each topic. “Orcs, these were the most numerous of Melkor’s army. After the initial difficulties he had in making them from tortured elvish captives, he finally succeeded with a breeding program that eventually made the orcs his best throw-away weapon. At the time of Melkor’s fall, the orcs numbered in the millions. To give all of you a bit of perspective, the elves in Middle Earth at that time, both native and Noldor, numbered less than one million total.”
“Continuing, Melkor created many other more specialized members for his forces. Vampires – they were never numerous, but their destructive potential was vast. And werewolves,” here she turned and bowed towards Prince Finrod. “The werewolves were a deadly component of his forces and in the places that they roamed freely, few outsiders could survive for long. Indeed, his chief lieutenant, Sauron, took the form of a werewolf for many years.”
“Finally, we have the more specialized forces, the dragons and the Balrogs. The dragons were another very specific breeding program of Melkor’s. Over time and with careful manipulation, Melkor developed dragons with poison saliva, withering breath of both poison gas and flame, and finally wings such as on Ancalagon the Black. The battle to slay that dragon alone took all of Eärendil’s strength and was the cause of death of many of Lord Manwë’s eagles. As for the Balrogs, they were originally Maiar who went East with Melkor and became his top commanders. They were directly responsible for the deaths of Fëanor, Fingolfin and Glorfindel.”
“Melkor’s focus was the complete domination of Beleriand and, eventually, of Arda. What he did not control he wanted to destroy. If the East had fallen, we here in the West would have been the next to fall in war against this Fallen Vala. No elf can live when standing between two massive powers such as Melkor and the remainder of the Valar.” She then bowed again toward the audience and returned to her seat.
Lustaneuno then opened the floor to questions, getting several of them answered before time ran out. Then, returning to the center of the stage, he held up his arms to silence the audience one last time.
“I want to thank each of you for having attended our panel discussion today. I hope that you have learned some things from the viewpoints presented today, and I also hope that you think about these positions and determine your own feelings about this controversial subject. Was Fëanor the Savior of Middle Earth? This panel has no answers for you. But as more and more of the Fëanorians are rehoused, you will need to make up your own mind. How will you behave if you run into Maitimo in the marketplace? Or if you see Curufinwë at the forge, will you confront him with anger or look upon him with understanding and pity. Only you can determine your own actions, but I hope that by listening to us today, you will be able to decide what you will do. Thank you, and good day.”
The audience applauded and then began streaming out of the back doors. Lustaneuno turned around and shook the hands of the panel participants, thanking them for a wonderful and invigorating presentation.
Nobody noticed the unhoused Maiar who also left, to report to Lords Manwë and Námo. Perhaps the elves were one step closer to allowing some of the Fëanorians to be rehoused after all.
The Participants”
Lustaneuno (m) (empty second) – Moderator - Anthropology
Haldaluston (m) (hidden empty) – Sociology
Calasserë (f) (clarity single) – History
Haldaírë (f) (hidden desire) – Sindarin Studies
A/N - I am fully aware that ‘Anthro’ as in Anthropology means anthrop – man and ‘logy’ meaning study of. However, Elvenology begins to sound as if it is a course available on Vulcan to Mr Spock and his fellow citizens. Against my better wishes, I decided to stick with Anthropology in spite of the fact that they are not studying the second-born.
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