"In Praise of the Feast at Ivrin", by Himring

[hhimring]

Author: Himring
Title: In Praise of the Feast at Ivrin
Rating: G
Theme: Ode to Arda
Elements: mist/kissed
Author's Notes: This is a poem in praise of a canonical event of the First Age. I've dropped the requirement of regular metre entirely, I'm afraid, but I have tried to retain the three-part structure that classical odes often have. Also, as

Comments

[dreamflower02]

I am not really familiar with this particular canon event, and yet the whole thing makes perfect sense (not always the case in fanfiction).

I can imagine it as one of those huge family reunions where everyone is catching up with everyone else, and the children are told how much they've grown and the young people are asked if they are seeing anybody and the young couples are asked when they are going to have children, but everyone is sad because they know they will never have another one.

[hhimring]

Thank you very much, Dreamflower!
I tried not to use too many names in this, as I felt they might be more confusing than helpful and I was trying to get the feel of it across.
Yes, exactly, it is a huge family reunion, except that some of these people have been separated for a very long time, enough for the languages to become distinct (that is why there needs to be translation), while others used to be very close but are now widely scattered.
The High King is Fingolfin and the Mariner (of course)is Cirdan. These are elves, Men hadn't arrived yet in those parts, but if they had, I'm sure Fingolfin would have invited them, too.

[shirebound]

Bounty of the High King: there was no such thing
as an empty cup, no empty hand or platter.
How the wine flowed and the laughter!

I like this very much. Wistful, yet with clearly-remembered joy.

[hhimring]

Thank you very much, Shirebound!
A great time was had by all. A bit like some people remember Woodstock Festival, I guess?

[bunn]

This is absolutely delightful and also very sad.

[hhimring]

Thank you!
It was the best party ever--as you pointed out to me.
I was thinking, you know, when it's said that they made no song about Fingolfin's fall?
Of course there are obvious reasons why not and they are given--but maybe also they preferred to remember him and sing about him as he was at Ivrin?

[bunn]

I like that idea! And your song is heartbreaking enough without getting into Fingolfin's death. I am imagining them singing it perhaps in Lindon, and the few people who can still remember it - Cirdan, perhaps some of the green-elves and Sindar, the refugees of Gondolin and Nargothrond crying.

[brookeoflorien]

This is so sad by the end, but it's lovely! And reading your comment about why they don't sing about Fingolfin's fall, I am adopting that and that they sung about Ivrin instead as my headcanon, but it makes so much sense.

[hhimring]

Thank you very much, Brooke!
Glad you like the poem!
And also good to hear that that my comment about the reaction to Fingolfin's fall makes sense to you.

[blslarner]

That the King's bounty is so remembered helps make up for the lack of songs regarding his fall, I'd think. Yes, better to remember the good times, even if there was such grief to follow them.

[hhimring]

Thank you, Larner!
Tolkien suggests that the Elves were so devastated by Fingolfin's death that they could not make songs about it--which also works for me, certainly, especially considering the circumstances of his fall--but when I re-read that bit about how they remembered the great feast, it just struck me that they might prefer to remember those good times, in his case!