Author's Notes: This is a Mother's Day tale based very loosely on the first chapter of the Book of Ruth.
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tolkien.
A Mother's Tale
Nerdanel came to the great house in Tirion as a young nís, with the hope of a new bride. She made a home of the house, and laid aside her own art to make it so.
Seven sons she bore, and then she was no longer young, but weary. A gulf widened in the river of thought that bound her to Fëanor, and she could no longer bridge it. She shared no longer his bed.
Mahtan grieved for his daughter and begged her to return home.
Still, she remained at the great house. Seven sons she had borne, and though she was no longer young, but weary, she regretted them not, for no creation of the forge or Valar could bring such joy as her children.
Now, these rooms stood empty but for dust and memory, all the love and sacrifice of her life undone with the sword of jealousy. At the last, she left him, and then she grieved. Her sons followed their father, leaving only their absence to fill the house in Tirion, and she had gone, alone, to her own kin.
Why she had come here this night, she knew not. Seven sons she had borne, and she was no longer young, but weary, and bitter tears blinded her, for even the youngest of her sons were now lost to her. Where she had given but love, Fëanor had created jewels; where she had given her life, he would trade her sons' lives for his treasures.
"Amil, our eyes have cried thy tears. Seven sons hast thou borne, and those we have loved are lost to us also. Thou art bereft, but not alone."
Nerdanel saw that her daughters had come to her in their sorrow. "Go, return each of you to her mother's house: Eru deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with me." For there had been great love between them, when they dwelt together in Tirion, and Nerdanel wished them the peace and comfort of their own kin. [1]
But her daughters said, "Entreat us not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, we will go; and where thou lodgest, we will lodge; thy people shall be our people, that thou shall not be deprived of all thy children. For as a mother, thou hast been to us." [2]
Seven sons she had borne, and she was no longer young, but in her weariness, she found comfort in her daughters. [3]
[1] "Go, return each of you to her mother's house... ."
This is slightly altered from Ruth 1:8. 'And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother's house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.'
[2] "Entreat us not to leave thee... ."
Ruth 1:16. 'And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.'
[3] she found comfort in her daughters
Actually, we know only that the wives of Maglor, Caranthir and Curufin did not follow their husbands into exile. Curufin's wife is said to have remained with the people of Finarfin. (The Peoples of Middle-earth, 'Of Dwarves and Men' pp 317-8 pub Houghton Mifflin)
Disclaimer: All characters belong to Tolkien.
Nerdanel came to the great house in Tirion as a young nís, with the hope of a new bride. She made a home of the house, and laid aside her own art to make it so.
Seven sons she bore, and then she was no longer young, but weary. A gulf widened in the river of thought that bound her to Fëanor, and she could no longer bridge it. She shared no longer his bed.
Mahtan grieved for his daughter and begged her to return home.
Still, she remained at the great house. Seven sons she had borne, and though she was no longer young, but weary, she regretted them not, for no creation of the forge or Valar could bring such joy as her children.
Now, these rooms stood empty but for dust and memory, all the love and sacrifice of her life undone with the sword of jealousy. At the last, she left him, and then she grieved. Her sons followed their father, leaving only their absence to fill the house in Tirion, and she had gone, alone, to her own kin.
Why she had come here this night, she knew not. Seven sons she had borne, and she was no longer young, but weary, and bitter tears blinded her, for even the youngest of her sons were now lost to her. Where she had given but love, Fëanor had created jewels; where she had given her life, he would trade her sons' lives for his treasures.
"Amil, our eyes have cried thy tears. Seven sons hast thou borne, and those we have loved are lost to us also. Thou art bereft, but not alone."
Nerdanel saw that her daughters had come to her in their sorrow. "Go, return each of you to her mother's house: Eru deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with me." For there had been great love between them, when they dwelt together in Tirion, and Nerdanel wished them the peace and comfort of their own kin. [1]
But her daughters said, "Entreat us not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, we will go; and where thou lodgest, we will lodge; thy people shall be our people, that thou shall not be deprived of all thy children. For as a mother, thou hast been to us." [2]
Seven sons she had borne, and she was no longer young, but in her weariness, she found comfort in her daughters. [3]
[1] "Go, return each of you to her mother's house... ."
This is slightly altered from Ruth 1:8. 'And Naomi said unto her two daughters-in-law, Go, return each of you to her mother's house: Jehovah deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.'
[2] "Entreat us not to leave thee... ."
Ruth 1:16. 'And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after thee, for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God.'
[3] she found comfort in her daughters
Actually, we know only that the wives of Maglor, Caranthir and Curufin did not follow their husbands into exile. Curufin's wife is said to have remained with the people of Finarfin. (The Peoples of Middle-earth, 'Of Dwarves and Men' pp 317-8 pub Houghton Mifflin)
