Inspired by a few Tumblr conversations I've stumbled upon, wondering about Melkor's literacy. I, of course, tend to think about a different character...
Annatar exhaled softly as he closed the door of the elegant guest room he'd been offered, a slim volume and a sketch booklet held in free hand. One day into this whole thing, and he'd already hit a snag. Reading. And worse: writing.
He did, actually, know how to read tengwar in both Sindarin and Quenya. He'd made several of the Noldorin slaves in Angband teach him, when he'd figured out that the Noldor communicated in this new form. He'd learned some of the runes of Doriath, earlier, but this new mode quickly became accepted among the Sindar as well. But he'd never had much to read, just the simple scratching of the slaves, and what few diplomatic messages he'd captured. It had never mattered how long it had taken him to decipher what all the little symbols meant.
Here, though, when the Elves eagerly offered to show him what they'd discovered, they didn't show him, like rational creatures; they offered him books. Books he'd be expected to read quickly, and comment on intelligently. He groaned silently to himself. And then they'd expect him to record what he learned himself, writing his own books as he worked with them to push the bounds of their collective knowledge.
He'd never written anything before. He'd never had a need. It's not like anyone in Angband other than the slaves knew how to read, after all…
At least he knew how to sketch. Learning to draw the little symbols of Tengwar shouldn't be too difficult, at least he hoped not. He'd gotten a silverpoint stylus, and a sketchbook prepared for it, and he would just have to practice. (He'd never held a quill, either.)
It would be long and weary work, for he could not ask for help, or reveal this weakness. He'd just have to make sure he worked only on group projects for the first little bit, and made them write it down. Why could they not just remember like sensible beings? If this was the way it was going to be the whole time…
Annatar truly snorted now. This little venture of his was not off to the most auspicious start.
Please review, and tell me what you think about Melkor or Mairon's (or both) literacy level!
