There is more and more speculation that the new Lord of the Rings series will be based on The Silmarillion, which has been off-limits for filming ever since it was released because of Christopher Tolkien’s understandable concerns about protecting his father’s legacy. However, now that Christopher has stepped down as the one who oversees the Tolkien Estate, the chances of seeing something based on this book is non-zero, particularly since we know that the new series will be a prequel of some sort.
Here are five things that you may or may not have known about The Silmarillion:
It Is Not a Novel
The Silmarillion is not a real novel in the same sense as either The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings series. Instead, it is a collection of Tolkien’s works compiled by his son as best as he could using the notes that were available to him. The book provides much information about the background of Tolkien’s setting but in much sparser detail, meaning that adapting its material would be an even greater challenge than adapting the novels.
The Silmarils
There are a number of options for what a series based on The Silmarillion might cover. For example, there is the creation of the superlative jewels called the Silmarils by Feanor, who was so enraged by the their theft that he and his sons swore a terrible oath to make war against whoever would withhold the Silmarils from them. This resulted in the migration of the Noldor to Middle-Earth, thus leading to fighting against Morgoth and his minions as well as fighting between elves.
Beren and Luthien
Another option would be Beren and Luthien, a human outlaw and an elven princess who fell in love but had to undergo a number of hardships before their union could be. Examples range from how the two sneaked into Morgoth’s stronghold to steal one of the Silmarils embedded in his crown to how Luthien persuaded the Judge of the Dead to return Beren to life after he had been killed in the hunt of the monstrous wolf called Carcharoth.
Turin Turambar
The tale of Turin Turambar was a conscious choice on Tolkien’s part to retell that of Kullervo in the Finnish epic called the Kalevala. Considering that Kullervo committed suicide after having been consumed by revenge against those who have wronged him, it should come as no surprise to learn that the life of Turin was not a happy one. With that said, it is interesting to note that some of Tolkien’s writings suggest that Turin will be the one to kill Morgoth in the last battle at the ending of the world, which would be just recompense for the suffering that Morgoth inflicted on not just Turin but also all of the other inhabitants of Middle-Earth.
The Fall of Numenor
With that said, if the new Lord of the Rings series is supposed to be a prequel, the fall of Numenor seems like one of the more probable choices out of The Silmarillion. After all, it sees Sauron in his fairer form surrendering to the Numenoreans and then corrupting them into the worship of Morgoth, culminating in a mad attempt to claim immortality by making war on the Valar, who were creator Eru Iluvatar’s chief servants. Meanwhile, those who had remained loyal to the Valar and thus by extension Eru Iluvatar sailed to Middle Earth, where they would continue the struggle against Sauron. In fact, they might be recognizable to those who watched the Lord of the Rings movies, seeing as how their leaders were Elendil and his two sons Isildur and Anarion.
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