In the pits of iron.

Over the course of Middle-earth history its villains have always been inventive in hiding the places of their habitation as much as they possibly could so that nothing and nobody could interfere with their evil deeds. Various camouflage devices have been applied, beginning with going deep underground to veiling tall towers in shadows and deceits. Unsurprisingly, the first bad boy to go subterranean was Melkor: he had set the trend for living below ground level way before the counting of time even started.

Sea the majestic (Part I).

Seas have always instilled fascination and deep respect in those encountering them.  Immense and ever dynamic, the sea is both – dangerous and comforting, magnetic and frightening. The role of the sea in different cultures is hard to overestimate. Seas are held in awe by many: they are ever present in myths, legends and traditions of different nations; they have been essential for trade and cultural exchange; mariners are admired and revered while maritime nations are among the best-off. 

Finarfin: soft strength.

Arda is full of characters who remain somewhat in the background and occupy only a small space in the narrative. However, once you delve deeper, they appear to have striking personalities and remarkable stories. In the present essay I would like to talk about one of such characters – Finarfin. 

Fëanor and Melkor: so different, so alike.

When we talk about the cruelest villain in the whole Middle-earth – Melkor (or rather Morgoth) that is – we might be inclined to think that he is one of a kind in the whole of Ёa. However, if you take a closer look, it’s not exactly so. Melkor is indeed a mighty evil spirit that virtually no one can rival, but a lot of his traces can be surprisingly seen in the eldest son of Finwё and the greatest of the Noldor – in Fëanor. A careful look will reveal that these two have more in common than seems at first sight.