Migrations and monuments: Part 10 - Strife

Migrations and monuments: the story of the First Age in Eriador and Rhovanion

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“Migrations and monuments” quick links:

Contents | Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 |
Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Conclusion | Addendum 1 |
Addendum 2 | Bibliography
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📗 Part 10] “strife among themselves” – returning to Eriador and Rhovanion

“Moreover they had strife among themselves, and Morgoth, now aware of the coming of hostile Men into Beleriand, sent his servants to afflict them.”

-- Christopher Tolkien, The History of Middle-earth, Book 12: The Peoples of Middle-earth (Part Two: Late Writings – X. Of Dwarves and Men: II The Atani and their Languages)

The migration of Men westwards was meant to free them from the atrocities of Melkor and bring them closer to the legendary beings far to the West. But in Beleriand they discovered Melkor was still present, the Valar were still far away and the Eldar were determined to wage a destructive war. The strife within the groups of Men highlights how some viewed the migration and also thoughts their frustrated thoughts about the Eldar and the Valar in the West.

In Beleriand, after the three Houses had left Ossiriand due to the unhappiness of the Green-elves living there, a new location was settled. This was called Estolad ("Encampment"). House of Haleth moved away from here (after the Orc-raid) as did Bëor himself, who was in the service of Finrod. But Bëor’s son Baran then became leader of House of Bëor and they stayed in Estolad.

It was then that discontent arose, led by two Men from different houses:

The leaders of discontent were Bereg of the house of Bëor, and Amlach, one of the grandsons of Marach; and they said openly: ‘We took long roads, desiring to escape the perils of Middle-earth and the dark things that dwell there; for we heard that there was Light in the West. But now we learn that the Light is beyond the Sea. Thither we cannot come where the Gods dwell in bliss. Save one; for the Lord of the Dark is here before us, and the Eldar, wise but fell, who make endless war upon him. In the North he dwells, they say; and there is the pain and death from which we fled. We will not go that way.’

-- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion (Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter 17: The Coming of the Men into the West)

Both Bereg and Amlach voiced their frustrations at the migration, though in the end only Bereg took a decisive, and perhaps fateful, action on his words.

“…Bereg led a thousand of the people of Bëor away southwards, and they passed out of the songs of those days.”

-- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion (Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter 17: The Coming of the Men into the West)

Amlach changed his mind and went into service of the Eldar, but some of his people refused to follow him:

“But those of his people who were of like mind with Bereg chose a new leader, and they went back over the mountains into Eriador, and are forgotten.”

-- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion (Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter 17: The Coming of the Men into the West)

A stray thought reminds me that J.R.R. Tolkien was involved with World War One and during that conflict the various governments attempted to suppress dissent and popular opinion at the time turned against dissenters. Perhaps there is a little of this in the fact that the migration dissenters disappeared into obscurity.

We now head towards the end of the First Age…

Next: 
📜 Part 11] “scattered in the lands” – Population of Eriador and Rhovanion by the end of the First Age

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“Migrations and monuments” quick links:

Contents | Introduction | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 |
Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Conclusion | Addendum 1 |
Addendum 2 | Bibliography
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