The Silmarillion: A Summary
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- Опубликовано: 28 апр 2024
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Развлечения
Ah, yes: the Summarilion.
Underrated comment 😂👍
I need the summary of the summary: after 8 mins i’m bored to tears. Good grief it’s drivel.
Give this person all the points. Comment of the year award, right here.
The Silmarillion: An elf makes some gems, a dark lord steals them, all the elves get really pissed off and try to get them back.
daring a human to go grab a gem from his crown cause there is no way he could succeed.
evil lieutenant shapeshifts into vampire and werewolf, before big adorable dog fights him off. then, evil lieutenant trolls human king into invading land of valar, human kingdom sinks to bottom of sea
Not all the elves, just the asshole ones.
Dark lord almost kills all the elves so the gods have to come and save their backsides and drag the naughty dark lord back home for some time out.
@@Ilikefinalfantasy795 A common trope in many myths. Not that it's a bad thing, some plots work well because that's just how people are.
"giant lamps getting knocked over and so on" had me rolling
For me it was "got ambushed by Belrogs. Ouch"
The last time I was this early the Two Trees were still giving light.
Lol
The last time I was this early, Durin had not yet awakened beneath Mount Gundabad.
The last time I was this early,I witnessed the creation of Arda.
I've never been this early. Frodo only had nine fingers by the time I met him.
A wizard is never late, nor is he early
I like the part where Morgoth tells the spider: "Ungoliant, get to the choppa!"
Well done Robert - but a couple of points. Morgoth did NOT "steal the Silmarils and while he was at it, destroyed the trees". It was the other way around. The main goal was to kill the trees. AFTER doing that, he then went to Formenos and by good luck was able to take the Silmarils (Feanor was not there and could have taken the Silmarils with him - but he didn't). Also, it would be well to point out to newcomers why the trees were so important - there was no Sun or Moon yet! That is a major point a newcomer should be made aware of. The trees were the ONLY light source in the world at the time (other than the ancient starlight). When Morgoth stole the Silmarils he was in posession of the 3 greatest sources of light in the world (at that time). Other than that it was an excellent summary. Or rather, I should say, a summary of a summary of a summary.
Do you recall the way, in The Two Towers, the film looked just before Legolas realized that Sauron was 'there' (Rohan)?
I always pictured a Simarillon movie having that pale look in a time before the trees (and lamps) came about.
Do you really think he doesnt know that? The guy who did 999 videos about feanor and morgoth?
@@bladeoflucatiel I'm sure Robert know this stuff. This summary was not for Robert. This is a summary for newcombers, and so must be as clear as possible.
The point wasn't telling IDG something he doesn't know, we all know he knows more about this than we do. The point was adding a significant detail to the summary. @@bladeoflucatiel
Actually 🤓☝️
Frankly just needed to see what someone’s 12 minute summary of the Silmarillion look like
Edit: dense.
haha that's the same reason i watched it.
Well, how do you think he did? Clear & succinct, if you ask me...
Read the Silmarillion twice, first time was difficult I'll admit . Decided to read a second time and I'm glad I did . Superb book , such a wonderful world this man created !
It gets better with every re-read.
Cover to cover, every year.
The whole LOTR excluding Hobbit also.
Every reading brings new understanding and depth.
Me too! I think it is the only book I ever read twice!
Same for me. First read it right after Lord of the Rings (when I was 16), and said "what?" A few months later tried the Silmarillion again. Deliberately went slow, and ended up loving it.
Re-reading Lord of the Rings after grasping the Silmarillion was an amazing experience, it's astounding how much is in there that you don't notice the first time.
Melkor sang so badly that he got kicked out of the band then formed his own that was more metal than the old one every was
Siniging in the Locrian mode.
Are you saying he formed Led Zeppelin? Immigrant song?
@@cruiserflyerNo, Morgoth formed Black Sabbath.
Megadeth?
The story of Metallica and Megadeth.
The tale of Turin Turambar is really so epic and covers EVERY emotion from start to finish. What a story.
Right? Every time I read "Of Turin Turambar" or "The Children of Hurin" I feel so sad and defeated by the end of it. I love that Tolkien had a go at writing a tragedy, and he absolutely pulled no punches.
“Only this was wanting. Now comes the night.”
I find that the original version in Lönnrot's Kalevala- the Kullervo cycle- is even better.
I feel that it has the potential to be a really good miniseries if it was actually taken seriously and they actually followed the source material
Reading this in the silmarillion is still the only time I've shed a tear while reading a book. It was so tragically well done
Damn, fair play Robert. When I saw the title and the runtime I genuinely wondered if this was a joke. But that was actually a very good overview of The Silmarillion in like 11 minutes! Impressive stuff.
I've always enjoyed part 1. The music that covered everything. Not just the creation of the world, but *everything* beginning to end and everything in between. And even as Morgoth tried to disrupt things, he was told that as Morgoth was part of Eru, everything that Morgoth did was part of the music. That is such a critical thing: The very embodiment of evil in this legendarium is part of eru. The world would not be what it is without it. A lot of folks dismiss the first part as "just a simple creation myth", but it is so much more.
I see- "The Silmarillion- a summary".
Then I see- 12 min video!
12 mins to summarize "the Silmarillion"!!!??? I was like, i gotta see this! If anyone can summarize the Silmarillion in 12 mins, it "in Deep Geek", i guess, lol. And, as expected, you did a pretty great job.
(I expected a sped-up chipmunk voice, with the British accent, in super high speed narration fast-forwarding through a description of the book, lol.)
You're correct, Robert. It's like reading the Old Testament. 😄
Try reading 'Morgoth's Ring: HOME X'. Lots of fantastic lore, timelines, genaeologies and history but a tedious read if you are just in it for the stories.
Man, you're good at this. That is about as fast as you can tell that story.
Honestly if Tolkien actually finished The Silmarillion the way he wanted I honestly believe it may have eclipsed Lord Of The Rings.
May have? The Fall of Gondolin Or The Narn alone may have equaled it. But to finish it the way he wanted, would have taken him another 70 years. He was always revising and enlarging.
@@dandiehm8414 Particularly in view of the changes he wanted to make as outlined in either Morgoth's Ring or The War of the Jewels.
Tbh, Tolkien could of lived 1,000 years and I do t think he would of ever finished his world. Just like IRL there are always things to add.
I love the silmarillion though. It has already eclipsed lotr IMO.
I finally read it front-to-back this year and now I think about it all the time. It really was an incredible work.
And the more you think on it the nore sense everything makes, and the more connections you can make.
I was attempting to read it, but I think i'm giving up right now lol Made it about halfway Haven't read the load of the rings yet But going to I have only seen the regular versions of the movies lol And a little bit of the hobbit book, but i'm going to restart it I also have basically no understanding of Old English. So I understand every third chapter With me gaining, absolutely no knowledge of the rest If you have advice i will listen
I'm happy that you mentioned Guy Gavriel Kay. He's one of my favorite authors! Also, as much as I love LotR, it was the Silmarillion that turned me into a nerd ;)
I was very lucky to be given the Fionavar books as a child - fond memories :D
Me, too! All his other books are also extraordinarily beautiful. Definitely one of my favourite authors
Is it okay for me to be here for the calming narration and the cliff notes version? Cool? K
I was never able to read through it but when I bought Andy serkis narrated audio version I basically played it through in 3 days
Ooh I didn't know he did that. Thanks!
The audio version by Martin Shaw is amazing. I tried the Andy Serkis version but couldn't vibe with it.
At this point, hardly let IDG finish the intro before I like and favorite these video.
I've read the Silmarillion ten times and still don't understand it fully. Great book.
But every re-reading add to your knowledge. I have a very good grap on it - yet I am constantly learning new things from it.
I have been a dedicated student of Tolkien since grade 4 in 65 when our teacher read us "the hobbit" during story time. I must have read TLOTR 20 times and read it to my children as well when they were little. I just bought a 1st addition of the Silmarillion which have never read. not boring but exciting to me
the art selection in your videos is always great, but the images in this particular video were fantastic
Robert, I would pay good money to hear you voice an audiobook of the Silmarillion. But this summary was a good start ; )
Robert, this is a fantastic summary! Thank you. Please keep up your wonderful work, you really have a gift.
Thank-you for featuring the artists. It is really good to see their work.
I like the main three but the tale of Beren and Luthien is my favorite and the greatest love story ever told. It truly gives a great background on a lot of little references in the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Thank you for providing an easily digestible summary of The Silmarillion. Back in the mid-1970s, I tried to read it, but as a teenager, I found it difficult to comprehend. Now that I’ve matured significantly and with the benefit of resources such as this channel, I can tackle Tolkien’s Silmarillion and the other subsequently published edited works. Thank you for your efforts in distilling Tolkien’s works into bite size chunks.
Let us take a moment to acknowledge Blind Guardian’s brilliance in translating this complex tale into wonderful music with their Nightfall in Middle Earth album 🤘
For anyone having difficulty trying to get through the "Silmarillion", I recommend getting the audiobook. For me that made it far easier and more enjoyable.
Yup, this is my theory. I just bought the audiobook & will begin listening this weekend on my drive to camp. 🤞
Robert, you are the greatest.
I’m so happy there’s an audio book for this. There is no way I would’ve either enjoyed or gotten past the first couple chapters
I'm tempted to watch this, because I've been enjoying your videos so far... but I imagine I should read it first, for full effect of the story experience
It's about as enjoyable as reading the bible.
@@shamusomalley4263 I'm re-reading it now, there is some that works as a narrative tale, some is dreadful. This is within chapters, so skipping one or the other doesn't really help. Just slog through it, or ignore it altogether. There's a lot more interesting and compelling Genre Fantasy than The Silmarillion.
@@shamusomalley4263 Correct - wonderful reading!
Watch this, read the book along with the audio book. Watch two dozen videos analyzing the story, and you will understand about 30% of the book 🙃
@@shamusomalley4263Some fairy stories are better than others
In scale, Helm's Deep was just a skirmish compared to the Battle of the Pelennor Fields, which is hardly even a skirmish compared to the EPIC battle to capture Melkor/Morgoth to start the First Age. And even that was nothing compared to the 400 YEAR War of Wrath to finally throw down Melkor and essentially sink half a continent at the end of the First Age......which made the drowning of Numenor look like a blip on the screen. Brilliant stuff.
The War of Wrath didn't take 400 years. Not even close. Elros was alive for years before it started, and he took up the Kingship of Numenor when he was 91.
@@dandiehm8414You're right,it took 40 years. What the other poster was referring to was the 400 year siege before the battle of sudden flame, there's so much lore a mistake is bound to happen.
@@c.antoniojohnson7114 Hello. Where did you get your 40 year figure? I don't recall a tmeframe ever being given for the War Of Wrath.
@@dandiehm8414 Google,it lasted over 40 years to be exact. Google it yourself, that's where I got the info, second source is the Simarillion. Thought you were going to be right? I gave my sources.
@@dandiehm8414we are given multiple time frames for the war of wrath, but the most prominent one is 40 years
The Silmarillion is my favourite book, beating even LoTR because especially the First, and to a lesser extent, the Second Ages where more heroic, less mundane than the 3rd. It contains some of the greatest acts of Heroism in the Legendarium, as well as some of the greatest acts of hubris. and the tale of Túrin Turambar is heart breaking. It might be an unpopular opinion but I believe it contains Tolkien's greatest writing.
I believe Tolkien's greatest writing was Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin from Unfinished Tales. Oh, that the whole Silmarillion would have been wrapped in such beautiful detail and prose.
Beautiful.
Perhaps the different scales are what have so many people intrigued by the story.
I've always struggled with being able to read it due to all strange pronunciation - but fell in love with the audio book narrated by Martin Shaw. I highly recommend that version!
You should try the version narrated by Andy Serkis. He also does LOTR and the Hobbit. He unsurprisingly does a perfect golumn. He surprisingly does a perfect everything else
Love that version too! I have to say, my biggest battle was remembering the different names most characters have...I need a cheat sheet!🤣
I also have the Shaw version. Great stuff. I listen to it at least once er year.
@@maxwibert Not a fan, I'm not into voice acting as a narrator. I do know that the version you are referring to is well done and quite popular - just not for me.
Martin shaw version is fire. It gets me through my job on a monthly basis.
Thank you for reliable content. You are our go-to
great story of beren and luthien. robert r u making wishes come true when you said more videos about the silmarillion. i have read it several times. but when you have no one to talk to it about....well it sux.....lol i bow in humble gratitude. thank you sir.
Something I have never noticed about Tolkiens writing and world building until this video is how concisely he dedicates certain sections of the story to the different races of Arda. The creation of the world and formation of Amon/Middle Earth is obviously centered on the Ainur. The 1st age recollects the deeds of the Elves. The 2nd age focuses on men. The 3rd age is a wonderful blending of the perspectives of all previously established races, while adding some much needed humility & levity with the addition of the stories of the hobbits and dwarves. A truly masterful & meticulous effort on Tolkiens behalf.
Cracking video of a very difficult subject - thanks, love the channel.
A beautifully written episode. Thank you.
Most people think the Silmarillion is boring. I thought it was fascinating. It's the only Tolkien book I've ever actually read in its entirety.
Character A does something that makes Character B mad, and then the consequences of their squabble forever alter the history of the world.
That’s the basic summary of the stories.
As described in another tale: In the beginning, the universe was created. This has made a lot of people angry and has widely been regarded as a bad move.
@@BalooSJ Haha! "It was slightly cheaper..."
A film adaptation of this book done right would be absolutely incredible... I can just imagine it...
They would totally screw it up just like they did the movies.
That film adaption would have to be about 15 films long. The three great tales could each be trilogies.
@@LKMNOP Unfortunately - yes. That is why we have the books, and our imaginations. :)
God no. Not with modern politics and feminist, anti white Hollywood screwing it up.
Amen brother. But not by the current bunch of woke goofballs that currently own the rights.
Robert, you couldn't authoritatively cover The Scouring of the Shire in 12 minutes... you will need to expand on this substantially.
Always a delightful content. Thank you Robert.
Didn't know Mr. Kay was involved in this. Good to know! Love his work 😊
Great summary! Thanks Robert!
When I saw the title of this one I honestly expected it to be a day long.
I really enjoy the awesome artwork you include. I haven't read this book in years, much has been forgotten. Thanks for the refresh, think I want to go and reread this again.
Thanks Robert! Appreciate your efforts!
A magic item gets stolen, a dark lord covets it, good people get tempted by it, a series of heroes help deliver the item, and it is eventually thrown in some lava. That’s not The One Ring, that’s a Silmarillion!
I had the multiple CD box set narrated by Martin Shaw. I loved it!
I also have that and have listened once a year for at least 10 years. Well worth having. With every listen you gain more understanding.
Honest question - how many CDs was it? 😅
@@RoganGunn The Silmarillion (Martin Shaw version) is only 15 CDs. The Lord Of The Rings (the Robert Inglis version) is 46!
13
The only way I could conceive of someone pulling off a film adaptation of the Silmarillion is to do something like Fantasia. Top shelf animation and music moving through episodic sequences to tell the epic story.
Great video!! Thank you for the effort in doing it!
You do a really great job storytelling brother. It would be awesome to see you do videos like this, which go over biblical history, and it would be a great asset for the Kingdom! Thanks
Saving this for 3 months from now when I finish reading the book 5 pages at a time
I've tried to read it five times. You're right, it's as engaging as the Old Testament.
This was beautiful.... How amazingly Professor helps us understand how God weaves the Story in Time even in Reality.... Localised stories drawing splendor from the Cosmic Backcloth. Beautiful ❤️!
After several attempts to read it, I decide to listen to it, through audiobook and I finally got it, felt it. Such an awesome masterpiece. I kept listening to other books of Tolkien's fabulous history and I'm not finishing the last one, the Fall of Gondolin. All are masterpieces. And thank you for trying to make a short version of the Silmarilion.
I'm now half way through the Silmarillion, listening to the Andy Serkis audiobook! Couldn't find enough online content after being spoilt by your videos Robert! Had to hear it from the horses mouth! So to speak.
Excellent summary and visuals. Well done Sir. As you say, not an easy read, but a rewarding one.
Well done, Sir. I would not have thought it possible, but you neatly distilled and described the essence of this story somehow without shortchanging the important details (sorry, Mim). And your delivery is Gandalf-esque, as well.
Wonderful summery! Ty!
This is a great summary of the book!
No wo der I haven’t been able to touch the Silmarillion all these years. I have loved the Habit and LOTR trilogy for decades, but the Silmarillion is both too dense and too full of depressing thoughts for me to feel drawn to it.
Thank you for this summary!
...enjoyed this summary, thanks so much, Robert!
I did read the Silmarillion once long time ago, but 'drowned' in its complexity, and at the same time got tired of the endless struggle between good and bad... what stuck with me was the original creation and the music of the Ainur; and the story of Beren and Luthien - it was touching to learn later on, that the last one meant so much to Tolkien, that he insisted in the engraving of those 2 names on the grave stone of him and his wife... he felt that he was Beren, and Edith was Luthien.
With the background of this book, I was always suspicious about the 'elimination of evil' through the destruction of the one ring... it was the end of Sauron, who was but a lesser descendant of Morgoth, but not the end of evil. Evil is, like in our world, indestructible... you hit the one main head off, and seven new smaller ones appear... Tolkien also started on a sequel where evil would indeed creep back into the minds and hearts of the races of middle earth, but dropped it then.
It is still beyond grasp to me, how Tolkien could create such an epic parallel world... you compared this book with the bible, and indeed there are so many mirroring aspects, including, that we do not even know our own history well - much is vague and hidden behind the veils of the past, and so is in his world of middle earth...
... enough said... Tolkien's works are so monumental, that it can leave us all speechless, when we touch the abysses in and around it - future generations will most likely treat his work with the same awe and respect, as we do with works like Dante's timeless 'Divine Comedy', which is by now over 700 years old...
Thanks for the summary. It helps me understand why I'm not drawn to _The Silmarillion._ It's mostly about elves and a confusing array of half-gods. That bores me.
Among Tolkien's races, I like the hobbits best. Perhaps because, like Tolkien himself, I see myself as a hobbit wanting to live a simple, uncomplicated life. I then like the dwarves, perhaps because they're so much themselves without pretense. Then come the men, who're so variable for good or ill that they are hard to like or dislike. After that come the elves, unimpressive to me because they seem to accomplish so little despite their long lives and great power. And finally, I feel pity for the orcs. Yes, they're bad, but they're bad because someone else wants them to be so. Unlike the hobbits, they never seem to enjoy life.
The Elves accomplished little? Hmmmm.....Tirion, Alqualonde, Menegroth, Gondolin, Nargothrond, Brithombar, Eglarest, the Silmarils, the Gems, the Palantiri, the first building of ships, confining the most powerful Vala to his underground fortress for hundreds of years, the development and civilization of a whole continent (Beleriand), inventors of earthly musics, inventors of written language, inventors of mining, developers of Lothlorien..... Yep, they didn't accomplish much at all.
Wow! I read the books and honestly, I thought that would be impossible to summarise them that well in less than 15:00. Outstanding work. I particularly liked when you said that the main tales are woven in the book because it’s true. They are woven and they ripple through the ages of the world from magical past to close to reality third age.
The children ofhurin may be bleak, but it is also such a hopeful story in the extensive feats in the face of pure evil. If for no other reason, the Dagor Dagoroth should have been included just to underscore this with Turin dealing the final blow to Morgoth.
I've enjoyed the Silmarillion a lot, thanks for doing the summary Robert.
One of my favorite details in the Silmarillion was in the fall of Melkor. Devout Catholic that Tolkein was, the banishment and fall of an angelic figure who rebelled against God (and would go on to be the principle figure of evil on Earth) was clearly inspired by Paradise Lost (I know it isn’t biblically canon, but it’s still important), except that Melkor’s cardinal sin wasn’t pride, but envy. Coveting Eru’s creation, and the ability to create himself, festered into resentment, into hatred. It’s a great example of Tolkien using Catholic theology as inspiration without being allegory.
Also, Melkor wasn't "banished" from heaven, but went of his own free will to try to dominate creation.
I'm sorry, but regarding Paradise Lost... you're not even wrong! Paradise Lost is not only not "biblically canon" - it's not even a religious text at all. It's a work epic poetry, written in the 1650s by John Milton. That's nearly 1500 years after biblical canon started to emerge!
Sure its subject matter is religious in nature, but it is a work of fiction; a secular literary text. Whole I am sure it influenced Tolkien in some way, we should also remember that Paradise Lost was the work of a Protestant, and Tolkien was a Catholic.
Great as always : )
Excellent, as always.
Would love a series on Finwë and his descendants :) Great job as always
You tied a lovely bow with the end of your summary.
Nice work dude thanks
Yep, after burning through The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings like I was riding a sled down a snowy hill, The Silmarillion was like hitting the back wall of the house at the bottom.
Whereupon you get thrown into the briar patch known as The Book of Lost Tales and pull yourself out with The Lays of Beleriand.
I think the fact that Earendil was himself the offspring of both Elves and Men (and the grandson of a Maiar!) is a key detail.
Silmarillion: or how Ulmo shows he is the bro-God of middle earth.
Thank you Robert.
There's something sympathetic about early Melkor
The desire to go beyond your assigned role in life and create something better
You're the best. Keep it up
When I saw the title, I made an audible “oof”, that my wife inquired after. “Robert’s tackling the Silmarillion”, I responded. Her response was probably just what you’re thinking it was, a couple of blinks during a prolonged look that read, “do I wanna ask?”, followed by, “I love you”.
Yes it’s not the easiest read but each time I do I discover something new picking up on the nuances.
I read The Silmarillion about ten years ago. There is no way to summarize it in 12 minutes, but this is a valiant attempt.
I have read the Silmarillion many times, still watched this 🤣
Man! You make killer videos! I love this channel!
So this is a chance meeting after having just blown my budget on a first edition plus another few copies for my nieces. Fantastic work as ever
I hope you make more videos on the wheel of time! While the Amazon show is a pain, I've recently started reading through the series and your commentary would bring it even more to light. Great work as always
Topic suggestions: the broken sword, anduril. In dept / how powerful was galadriel
Not sure if anyone ever pointed this out but I noticed the fate of the Silmarils foreshadow the fate of the three races of middle earth
One silmaril was thrown in the ocean, another went up in the sky, the last under the earth
Well Elves travel beyond the sea by the time the 3rd age finishes. The Dwarves end up staying under ground; rarely coming out and are soon forgotten
And humans (Hobbits inculded) well their spirits are not bound to the earth the way elves are so wen they die they go to a place beyond the earth. The halls of Mandos yes, but still, up beyond the world in which they live in for a short time.
And once again I don't know it Tolkien subtly sang this theme into existence from the beginning or if I somehow drew this conclusion up on my own.
Speaks to his brilliance and master work that is these books
Hobbits are not men and do not share the gift of Death.
@KnugLidi so theyre.......immortal? 😅
They're a subspecies of human since they're not related to elves or dwarves and since they're afterlife is not specified its under the assumption they share the same fate as men (humans)
@@orrointhewise3913Dwarves and ents were created by different valar. We do not know where hobbits came from. The wording throughout the books was that Men and Elves were the Children of Illuvatar and only Men received the Gift of Death.
@@KnugLidi In letter 131, Tolkien did say Hobbits were an offshoot of Men.
@@istari0 Interesting! Not the first time he clarified something that seemed to contradict his earlier thoughts (dwarves, orcs)
I tried to start with Unfinished Tales, got 2 pages in and had no clue what was going on, so I read Simlarillion and still had very little clue of what was going on. So I finished both, and then started again. By the 3rd time, it made a lot more sense. Much easier now with so many resources available online. Children of Hurin is probably Tolkien's most brilliant, albeit tragic, story.
Thanks, i really wanted to know :)
A good summarize. Only you forgot to mention what the Two Trees are and that means that people don't understand the true essence of the silmarillen juwels and why they are so important.
This video was fantastic! Very easy to follow and I even took notes as I’m trying to learn the history of middle earth at this moment before I read the Silmarillion my self so I don’t feel so lost lol got your self a sub from me 😊
Thank you for this beautifully worded summary, Robert. I suspect you are an elf-friend.
Thank you for validating the fact that I found attempting to read this like wading through thigh-deep mud.