The Details of Tolkien’s Tales

               I am Melian, a Maia of the Undying Lands, wife of Thingol the king of Doriath. As queen of Doriath, I was honored to support my husband Thingol in taking in Túrin, son of Húrin, as if he were our own, after he was sent to Doriath for safety by his mother. While my husband Thingol was happy to raise Túrin, I was the only one who saw the truth of Morgoth’s doom surrounding him. I feared greatly for his future, and tried my best to be a motherly figure  for him, guiding him down the right path as much as I was able. When he fled after wrongfully believing himself to be a murderer, I warned my husband Thingol against following him, as I could see it was too late for him to be saved, much as this broke my heart to do. Despite knowing how the story would end from the beginning, I had grown attached to the boy, and wished desperately I could change his fate. But alas, he had not heeded my warnings, and then it was too late.  ...

       Despite being on the side of the defense, I believe it was fair that Feanor and his sons were found guilty. While I do understand the side I was meant to defend, of them being victims of cruel fate, they still do hold a certain responsibility for their actions. However, had I not been assigned to the side of the defense, I probably would have continued to see them as essentially villains, so this was still an interesting perspective to consider.  Aside from the fact that it does not excuse their actions entirely, I still do think in the case of Feanor and his sons it is worthwhile to take a step back and look at the situation as a whole. While they did do unspeakable things in the name of their oath, it was an oath taken in extreme frustration and grief, both of which cause people to do unspeakable things in the real world. Furthermore, once the oath had been rashly taken, I do believe that they were bound to it in every way that would have mattered to...