What actually are the Silmarils?

Explore the best of fantasy and sci-fi in depth, with analysis of the worlds of Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, The Witcher and more.

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[stevedulmage]

Gal giving Gimli three strands of her hair after having denied Faenor the same request is also an awesome callback.

[michelhv]

Silmarils illustrate a fundamental point of philology: that we must make do with copies of copies, and cannot experience the original work. Here, the lost original is the Imperishable Flame, which has been copied by the lamps. After their destruction, the two trees of Valinor replicated their light, which was reflected in Galadriel’s hair. Feänor copied them into the Silmarils and spent so much effort that he could not make more than three copies. And so it is with books: we only have fragments of classical works like the Annals of Ennius that were nonetheless widely read by the Romans. Beowulf exists in a single copy and we have lost some pages of the Eddas irrevocably. It’s a Platonician trope, the cavern allegory, that we live in a world of copies, but it is also a fact of culture that its transmission is imperfect.

[elijahouldhouse]

Every time I take a look at the lord of the rings or examine the whole of Tolkiens works it just becomes more and more evident that he truly is the godfather of modern fantasy

[vineetdodd]

The gems of light “cast a long shadow”. Such beautiful symbolic irony.

[CuttinEJ]

After more than 40 years of loving these stories, it never occurred to me that the light of Galadriel’s phial held the light of a Silmaril. That pulls so many elements of the story together through all 3 ages. Wow. Incredible. Every time I think I have a pretty good grasp, something new pops out and surprises me again. Thank you 🙏 😊❤

[michaelf]

You have such a great way with words. Thank you for making me happy for years.

[robertblackmore]

As YouTube becomes more and more infested with AI, my esteem and appreciation for CC’s that take the time and care to lend their voices to their work grows exponentially. It’s a real pleasure to listen to your videos. Thank you.

[rafaelgustavo]

Because Arda is a "fallen" world and the Silmarils have a superior "divine light", this light broke Melian's protection in Doriath when Carcharoth attacked the south.

The same light that also broke the power of the Valar of the enchanted islands that protected Valinor. Eärendil set off with Elwing and the Silmaril and made it to the Undying Lands to intercede for Middle-earth. His request was granted, and the Valar assembled a great army of Elves to go with them to Middle-earth and defeat Morgoth.

That same light (it seems to me) helped Earendil defeat Ancalagon in the War of Wrath.

Later, nearing the end of their journey in the land of Mordor, Sam sees a star that gives him peace and hope. It is not clear whether it is Eärendil, but the description of the effect it has on Sam is the same:

>“Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the End the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty forever beyond its reach. . . . putting away all fear he cast himself into a deep untroubled sleep

Even Galadriel used the light of the Silmarils. Her primary association with the light of the Two Trees is her imitation of Fëanor. As he caught the light and embedded it in the Silmarils, she caught the same light from Eärendil’s star, the Silmaril, in the waters of her fountain, and put it in a phial for Frodo. She told him:

>“It will shine still brighter when night is about you. May it be a light to you in dark places when all other lights go out.”

[crichtonbruce]

That was a remarkable synopsis of the tale. Thank you so much.

[jeffkaplanjr]

I've read the Silmarillion over 10x, and you still managed to make connections that I didn't. Well done.

[willeveleigh]

I can't express enough how much I look forward to Robert following up a grand description of a powerful person or item as "impressive stuff"

[scowlistic]

This one is an instant classic, thank you.

[jenndowden]

Just wanted to drop in and say that I love your work, & listen to it often when doing other things. Thanks for the great work. 💌

[JohannesFleck]

Does anybody else think that Robert would be the perfect voice to produce an audio book of the The Silmarillion?

[paulabarreto]

Hey Robert, me and my three sons love your lord of the rings videos and we always watch them together. Thank you!

[istvantoth]

Deep G and Nerd of the Things are the ultimate lore masters on YouTube. Absolutely love both channels.

[MrAlice]

I like that you bring up the redemption of the Silmarils by becoming the star Elendil, because I think it speaks directly to Tolkien’s philosophy on beauty. Things of beauty are not meant to be coveted and hidden away. They’re meant to be shared, to be placed where all can see them and benefit from them. That’s the final fate of the two trees, to become the sun and the moon, and it’s the fate of Elendil, to become a guiding star. Beings like Feanor and Morgoth who wanted to keep that beauty for themselves, for their own enrichment, turn the Silmarils into curses. It’s only by taking them out of individual hands and placing a Silmaril in the sky that it ceases to cause strife any longer

[jessemesa]

I was deeply disappointed when this original video was deleted. Very grateful to see it back online to enjoy, this is one of my favorite of your videos. Thank you Robert.

[mmmm]

In Deep Geek is the best channel on Youtube

[philphilison]

I bought the Silmarillion because of your channel. Thank you.