Comment on Fit for a Prince

  1. Narya (Narya_Flame) Sat 04 Jul 2020 08:10PM UTC

    Not sure canon gives us enough to know one way or the other.

    (The fic doesn't actually specify who was doing the looking down. It may not have been Angrod's family.)

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    1. hayatefan Sun 05 Jul 2020 06:53AM UTC

      We do know the House didn't look down on working with your hands, at least. Feanor and Curufin obviously, and Feanor's wife, also Turgon made some of the decorations of Gondolin himself. Galadriel wove some of the Lorien-cloaks and probably baked lembas. Elven kings are more egalitarian in how they greet people than most human kings, FWIW. (How Galadriel and Celeborn meet the Fellowship.)

      "On two chairs beneath the bole of the tree and canopied by a living bough there sat, side by side, Celeborn and Galadriel. They stood up to greet their guests, after the manner of Elves, even those who were accounted mighty kings."

      It's possible "working with hard stuff" is valued more than making food.

      Last Edited Sun 05 Jul 2020 06:54AM UTC

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      1. Narya (Narya_Flame) Sun 05 Jul 2020 07:36PM UTC

        It's possible "working with hard stuff" is valued more than making food.

        I think that's possibly true; we see plenty of examples in our own history of it being acceptable for the nobility to engage in arts and the sciences, but manual labour not so much. I also think there's also a difference between lembas being made by a Third Age Elven queen who has survived multiple wars in Middle-earth and has lived among different cultures for a long time, and a girl from a farming family marrying into a royal house in Aman during the Years of the Trees. I was actually thinking more, though, about how other "society" families might have reacted to Angrod's marriage, rather than his own family. I imagine a number of them would have been ambitious for their own daughters, and would have reacted accordingly.

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        1. Golwen_Lothlindel Tue 11 Jan 2022 05:54AM UTC

          Indeed, it's hard to imagine Finarfin looking down on someone for being low-born. It's hard to imagine even Fëanor being unsympathetic, despite his general dislike for his half-brothers and their children: after all, he faced prejudice regarding his choice of spouse as well. But, given that people were apparently shallow enough to wonder why Fëanor chose Nerdanel because she wasn't the prettiest (seriously? what is this, high school? I would have expected more maturity from people who've lived for several centuries): I'd say you're probably correct that plenty of people would disparage Angrod's marriage if Eldalotë wasn't of noble blood. At least behind his back (it's hard to imagine many having the courage to insult her to his face: given that he was known for feats of strength.)

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          1. Narya (Narya_Flame) Tue 18 Jan 2022 09:10PM UTC

            seriously? what is this, high school?

            I snorted :D

            No, I don't think anyone would be brave enough to criticise Angrod to his face...!

            Thank you very much, Golwen :)

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