Sirielle Art Arda The Age of Stars

Art inspired by The Silmarillion and other writings by J.R.R. Tolkien.
Illustrations, portraits, concepts and sketches, with some never to be finished works in progress.

The Age of Stars

Quenta Silmarillion - Of the Coming of the Elves

Cuiviénen

Quendi at Cuiviénen, a page from my virtual Book of Arda, 2009

"(...)in that hour the Children of the Earth awoke, the Firstborn of Ilúvatar. By the starlit mere of Cuiviénen, Water of Awakening, they rose from the sleep of Ilúvatar; and while they dwelt yet silent by Cuiviénen their eyes beheld first of all things the stars of heaven. Therefore they have ever loved the starlight, and have revered Varda Elentári above all the Valar."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 6: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"

Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë at Cuiviénen, from my virtual Book of Arda, 2009

"Therefore Oromë was sent again to them, and he chose from among them ambassadors who should go to Valinor and speak for their people; and these were Ingwë, Finwë and Elwë, who afterwards were kings. And coming they were filled with awe by the glory and majesty of the Valar, and desired greatly the light and splendour of the Trees. Then Oromë brought them back to Cuiviénen, and they spoke before their people, and counselled them to heed the summons of the Valar and remove into the West"

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 6: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"

Quenta Silmarillion - the Great Journey West

"The Eldar prepared now a great march from their first homes in the east; and they were arrayed in three hosts. The smallest host and the first to set forth was led by Ingwë, the most high lord of all the Elvish race. He entered into Valinor and sits at the feet of the Powers, and all Elves revere his name; but he came never back, nor looked again upon Middle-earth. The Vanyar were his people; they are the Fair Elves, the beloved of Manwë and Varda, and few among Men have spoken with them."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 6: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"

The Vanyar

Ingwë, sketch | 2022

"Next came the Noldor, a name of wisdom, the people of Finwë. They are the Deep Elves, the friends of Aulë; and they are renowned in song, for they fought and laboured long and grievously in the northern lands of old."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 6: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"

Finwë in Cuiviénen times | 2010

"The greatest host came last, and they are named the Teleri, for they tarried on the road, and were not wholly of a mind to pass from the dusk to the light of Valinor. In water they had great delight, and those that came at last to the western shores were enamoured of the sea. The Sea-elves therefore they became in the land of Aman, the Falmari, for they made music beside the breaking waves. Two lords they had, for their numbers were great: Elwë Singollo (which signifies Greymantle) and Olwë his brother."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 6: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"

Ingwë, Finwë, Elwë and Olwë, cartoon version | 2013

Beleriand in the Age of Stars

The Age of Stars, Beleriand before the Sun and the Moon. Olwë of the Teleri is looking across the sea towards the Undying Lands. Quendi are on the Great Journey West, but Elwë, his older brother and leader of the Teleri, got lost and cannot be found for years. The Elves in the host of Olwë grow impatient, eager to see the light of the Trees and so force him to move on. Soon he will lead his people West, leaving his lost brother behind.

"Leaving Mortal Shores" [2008/2022]

"Two lords they had, for their numbers were very great: Elwë Singollo, which signifies Greymantle, and Olwë his brother. The hair of Olwë was long and white, and his eyes were blue; but the hair of Elwë was grey as silver, and his eyes were as stars; he was the tallest of all the Elven-folk."

- J. R. R. Tolkien, Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion: "Of the Coming of the Elves"

Aman in the Age of Stars

Aman, Valinor - the Undying Lands lit by the Two Trees: Telperion and Laurelin.

Quenta Silmarillion - Valinor in the Light of the Trees

The Vanyar led by Ingwë and the Noldor led by Finwë arrived in Aman first. Later joined them by the host of the Teleri led by Olwë and those became Falmari - the Sea-elves, the mariners of Alqualondë. The host of Elwë stayed in Beleriand until their lord was found and they became the Sindar - the Grey Elves.

Fëanor with Silmarils [Photoshop, 2013]

"In that time was born in Eldamar, in the house of the King in Tirion upon the crown of Túna, the eldest of the sons of Finwë, and the most beloved. Curufinwë was his name, but by his mother he was called Fëanor, Spirit of Fire; and thus he is remembered in all the tales of the Noldor."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 6: "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor"

Fëanor [2009]

"While still in his early youth he wedded Nerdanel, the daughter of a great smith named Mahtan, among those of the Noldor most dear to Aulë; and of Mahtan he learned much of the making of things in metal and in stone."

"Fëanor was driven by the fire of his own heart only, working ever swiftly and alone; and he asked the aid and sought the counsel of none that dwelt in Aman, great or small, save only and for a little while of Nerdanel the wise, his wife."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 6: "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor"

Nerdanel and Ambarussa (Amrod and Amras) | 2013

"Nerdanel also was firm of will, but more patient than Fëanor, desiring to understand minds rather than to master them, and at first she restrained him when the fire of his heart grew too hot; but his later deeds grieved her, and they became estranged. Seven sons she bore to Fëanor; her mood she bequeathed in part to some of them, but not to all."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 6: "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor"

Mahtan [Painter 2009]

Mahtan of the Noldor, a noble smith, follower of Aulë and one of the two Eldar with a beard known by name. Tolkien's Quendi - the Elves - could have beards in their "third cycle" of life, Mahtan as an exception was only early in his second when he grew a beard. (Vinyar Tengwar #41 p. 9) Círdan of the Falathrim (the Teleri), the other bearded Elf, is for a change very old when we meet him in The Lord of the Rings (the III Age of Sun). There is no data if he had a beard earlier in the Quenta Silmarillion times (the Age of Stars and the I Age), but probably not given he was not yet in the 3 cycle of life back then. In the LotR times Círdan is probably the oldest Elf still dwelling in Middle-earth. More on the Elven cycles of life can be found in The Nature of Middle-earth.

Finwë painting a double-portrait of his love - Míriel and Indis [Painter 2007]

"Now it came to pass that Finwë took as his second wife Indis the Fair. She was a Vanya, close kin of Ingwë the High King, golden-haired and tall, and in all ways unlike Míriel. Finwë loved her greatly, and was glad again. But the shadow of Míriel did not depart from the house of Finwë, nor from his heart; and of all whom he loved Fëanor had ever the chief share of his thought."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 6: "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor"

Nightfall

Quenta Silmarillion "Of the Flight of the Noldor"

"Then Fëanor swore a terrible oath. His seven sons leapt straightway to his side and took the selfsame vow together, and red as blood shone their drawn swords in the glare of the torches."
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"

The Oath of the Fëanorians (WiP 2016/2020)

Fëanor during Nightfall [2010]

"Ohtar Noldorinwa" (Quenya: Noldorin Soldier) | 2004

Listen to a fragment of the oath in the animation section (link via image)

Nerdanel, alone in Aman | Illustration to "The House of Fëanor" by Deborah Judge [2018]

"When it became clear that Fëanor and his sons would leave Valinor for ever, she came to him before the host started on its northward march, and begged that Fëanor should leave her the two youngest, the twins, or one at least of them. He replied: 'Were you a true wife, as you had been till cozened by Aulë, you would keep all of them, for you would come with us. If you desert me, you desert also all of our children."
- "The Shibboleth of Fëanor", The History of Middle Earth vol. XII

Mountains of Araman [2018]

To Middle-earth

Quenta Silmarillion - "Of the Return of the Noldor"

Losgar

"It has been told that Fëanor and his sons came first of the Exiles to Middle-earth, and landed in the waste of Lammoth, the Great Echo, upon the outer shores of the Firth of Drengist. And even as the Noldor set foot upon the strand their cries were taken up into the hills and multiplied, so that a clamour as of countless mighty voices filled all the coasts of the North; and the noise of the burning of the ships at Losgar went down the winds of the sea as a tumult of great wrath, and far away all who heard that sound were filled with wonder."
– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 13: "Of the Return of the Noldor"

Losgar animation test 2009 at Vimeo.

Inspired by the burning of ships in "The Silmarillion" and it's story variation from "The History of Middle-earth" vol. XII.

"The ships were anchored off the shore (...) In the night Fëanor, filled with malice, aroused Curufin, and with him and a few of those most close to Fëanor in obedience he went to the ships and set them all aflame; and the dark sky was red as with a terrible dawn."
- "The Shibboleth of Fëanor", The History of Middle Earth vol. XII

Story notes:

"Atar" means "father" in Quenya.
"Atarinkë" - "Little Father" - is Curufin's "mother-name" given in Quenya

Curufin & Fëanor in Losgar, WiP 2022

For more concepts and clips go to animation page (link)

Crossing of the Helcaraxë

After the Nightfall and the First Kinslaying, two hosts of Noldor crossed the Grinding Ice of Helcaraxë.

"Then Fingolfin seeing that Fëanor had left him to perish in Araman or return in shame to Valinor was filled with bitterness; but he desired now as never before to come by some way to Middle-earth, and meet Fëanor again. (...) and finding no other way they endured at last the terror of the Helcaraxë and the cruel hills of ice. Few of the deeds of the Noldor thereafter surpassed that desperate crossing in hardihood or woe."

– J.R.R. Tolkien,The Silmarillion, Chapter 9: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"