Colors of Clothing and Heraldry

[Valandil]

Somewhat interested in Tolkien's use of color with clothing & emblems.

We learn early on that hobbits prefer bright colors, mostly yellows and greens. The dwarves in 'The Hobbit' wear a wide assortment of colors - at least for their cloaks and hoods. The kings of Rohan use the emblem of a white horse on a green field - we extrapolate lots of green clothing for them from this (is there SOME mention of it - I forget now).

On the other hand, with the 'high' peoples: Elves and Numenoreans, we tend to see white, grey and black. They often seem to dress in white for 'special occasions' (Aragorn when Galadriel was playing 'match-maker' for him in Lorien - and at his wedding, the people of Numenor who went up the Meneltarma at special seasons, the Elves in several places). Grey is also common - from the cloaks of Lorien to those of the 'grey company' of Rangers - and again, I think with numerous mentions of the Elves in Silmarillion (is that right). I'm trying to remember off the top of my head the uses of black (for 'good guys') - did both Tuor and Turin wear black? Is there mention of other First Agers in black? I can't think of Elves wearing black off-hand, but can with men - most notably the guards of the Citadel in Minas Tirith and the use of black in Elendil's emblem.

I wonder if black was used throughout the course of history in both Arnor and Gondor, or in Arnor at first - and if Gondor began to use it once it no longer saw itself as subject to Arnor - or if both used other colors at some point - but Gondor later used black - and if only the emblem of Elendil itself had been black. (EDIT: OR if it was used in Gondor throughout - and a different color in Arnor - the other possibility I can think of) It's a bit curious because so much of western culture thinks of purple as a 'royal' color (from Roman times onward) - and in the east (I think - correct me if I'm wrong) yellow is a 'royal' color (at least in China - I think because of the tiger). I often think of various bright colors associated with noble houses, etc.

Let's see... others, of varying significance perhaps: was it the Southrons who had yellow and red? Dol Amroth emblem was silver swan on blue. Aragorn is first seen with a green cloak (perhaps more a method of providing some amount of 'camoflage' though - or at least not sticking out like a sore thumb in the wilds).

Does Tolkien go into any more of this in the HoME books? Am I right/wrong in my recollections? Does any of this really matter or do any of the rest of you even take notice or think about it? I am mostly struck by the white / grey / black colors... and think, 'Why THOSE colors?'

[Artanis]

Some quotes from "The Fall of Gondolin", BoLT 2:
"There were the gleaming banners of all the great houses and kindreds of the Gondothlim. Mighty was the array of the house of the king and their colours were white and gold and red, and their emblems the moon and the sun and the scarlet heart."
"Now the folk of the Swallow bore a fan of feathers on their helms, and they were arrayed in white and dark blue and in purple and black and showed an arrowhead on their shields."
"There were those of the Tree, and they were a great house, and their raiment was green."
"There stood the house of the Golden Flower who bare a rayed sun upon their shield, and their chief Glorfindel bare a mantle so broidered in threads of gold that it was diapered with celandine as a field in spring; and his arms were damascened with cunning gold."

I have never got the impression that the Elves had a preferance for white and grey. But it may be that white was signifying high nobility (Saruman the White, Gandalf the White. Also: Aragorn was clad in white looking like an Elf Lord when Arwen saw him in Lorien and fell in love with him. ).

The Sindar were called Grey-Elves, but IIRC it was because of their Lord Thingol, whose name was Greymantle (Elwë Singollo - Singollo = Greymantle).

[Rían]

interesting topic, Val - does anyone have a link to the emblems of the different houses? I know that JRRT designed some himself.

[Valandil]

Originally posted by RÃ*an
interesting topic, Val - does anyone have a link to the emblems of the different houses? I know that JRRT designed some himself.

I have a book of his artwork (a gift from my father-in-law from 10 years ago) - and it has some emblems. I don't know if it's all-inclusive though, or if there are more... and I don't know if these are online (though I imagine so).

[Artanis]

Here are a couple of links:
Emblems and heraldry
Emblems

[Artanis]

Originally posted by Valandil
I have a book of his artwork (a gift from my father-in-law from 10 years ago) - and it has some emblems. I don't know if it's all-inclusive though, or if there are more... and I don't know if these are online (though I imagine so).

Do you mean "The Pictures by J.R.R.Tolkien"? I have that book too - as an E-book.

[Rían]

thanks for the links, Arty

[Finrod Felagund]

Black was alos used by the bad guys though, Morgoth's emblem was "sable (black), unblazoned (with nothing on it).
And Saurons was the Red eye on a sable background!

[Lefty Scaevola]

http://www.forodrim.org/gobennas/heraldry/heraldry.htm