06-13-2002, 08:55 PM | #1 | ||
Elf Lord
Join Date: Jan 2001
Location: California
Posts: 60,865
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Gwaihir the immortal
Every once in a while there's a discussion about Gwaihir the Windlord from the Lord of the Rings. I remember people on the Hobbit forum debating whether Gwaihir is the same as the Lord of the Eagles from The Hobbit. What I've never read, though I'm certain it has occured, is discussion of Gwaihir from The Silmarillion.
I believe Gwaihir is in some way a Maia, or at least has Maian blood. And if he is not immortal or indefinitely longeval, he is at least very long lived. My evidence lies in The Lost Road And Other Writings (History of Middle-earth Vol. V) and Morgoth's Ring (HoMe X). In that part of the Lost Road covering the Quenta Silmarillion chapters 12-15, Christopher Tolkien is talking about the editorial alterations made to his father's writings in order to produce the text published in The Silmarillion. Concerning the line in Of Beren and Lúthien where those two are rescued by Thorondor and two other Eagles from the steps of Angband, Christopher has these interesting remarks: Quote:
Why do I say he's a Maia (or anyway Maian)? Morgoth's Ring, Myths Transformed, an excerpt from an essay about Orcs: Quote:
And if Gwaihir is a Maia that lived through all the first Three Ages of the Sun, then he was undoubtedly the same lord of the eagles seen in The Hobbit. If Gwaihir was not a Maia, I must believe he had Maian blood through Thorondor, as Elwing or Elrond had it from Melian (through Lúthien grandmother of Elwing).
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Falmon -- Dylan Last edited by Ñólendil : 06-13-2002 at 09:00 PM. |
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