anghraine: a shot of galadriel from amazon's rings of power with her head wrapped and a star attached to her shoulder (galadriel [ice])
Aww, I've just spent several hours explaining various backstories from The Silmarillion to my mother. She's watching ROP and really likes it, and is also listening to an audiobook of The Silmarillion at night but keeps losing track of things and getting different things from each confused, and is trying to figure out details. She's very worried that the Stranger might be Sauron and took awhile to warm up to Galadriel but really liked her in Númenor. She also feels the Númenóreans should be more visually distinct in adaptations than they ever have been (I agree; it bothers me less with ROP because at least there's a cool, vivid aesthetic for them and no species is cast that way, but I would personally prefer a weirder take). She was baffled by basically everything Tolkien ever said about Elrond given his depiction in the Jackson movies, and had previously thought ROP's Míriel and Elbereth were the same person, so there was a lot to clear up, but it was fun (though as a dedicated dog person, she was very sad about Huan!).
anghraine: a picture of grey-white towers starting to glow yellow in the rising sun (minas anor)
I think it’s fair to point out that Gondorians tend to act as if they’re the only ones holding back Mordor and that nobody appreciates it.

But (I’m sure everyone is shocked that there’s a qualifier) I also think it’s an exaggeration of the reality more than something manufactured out of thin air.

Gondor is one of Sauron’s chief opponents and targets. IMO you could make a very fair argument that Sauron considers Gondor his greatest single obstacle as a state (understanding that Gondor in the book is not a glorified city-state but a large country with highly populated, militarized regions), and this is why he throws so much into assaulting Minas Tirith. It’s not that he isn’t also assaulting other places! But I think it’s pretty clear that the Battle of the Pelennor Fields is particularly monumental; it’s why, among other things, he sends the Witch-king there (described by Gandalf as Sauron’s greatest captain).

So: Gondor is not the only bulwark against Mordor, but it is a very major one and the people of Gondor have lived and breathed the war for generations. And, honestly, IMO it’s also quite fair for them to feel that many people are some mix of dismissive, oblivious, and condescending about Gondor and what it’s enduring as a state and a people. This isn’t coming out of a vacuum.

Tagged: #i'm just imagining if the later stewards of gondor had diverted their forces into something as petty and ridiculous #as the fight over the arkenstone #but they couldn't /afford/ to do that even if they felt so inclined #because of the simple reality of where they are and what they have to be doing #everyone is doing their part but it doesn't mean that all parts are the /same/ or that people aren't kind of shitty about gondor #in particular

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anghraine: vader extending his lightsaber; text: and now for the airing of grievances! (Default)
Anghraine

May 2025

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