What was the prologue to the Rings of Power supposed to tell?

The prologue of the Rings of Power (find our review of the first two episodes of the Amazon series here) showed us several events that happened long before the Second Era, the historical period in which the Prime Video series is set based on the appendices to the Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien (find books, films and merchandise here on Amazon).

To subscribe to the Amazon Prime Video streaming service, also taking advantage of the 30-day trial, you can use this link. The Second Age narrative draws from the appendices to The Lord of the Rings and other writings, such as The Silmarillion, which was published posthumously by Christopher Tolkien, the son of the author. The title refers to the Silmarils, three jewels created by Fëanor, the most skilled elven blacksmith ever, in Valinor, before the First Age. The jewels, the most precious and precious elven work, contained within them the light and the essence of the two Trees of Valinor, Telperion and Laurelin.

ATTENTION THE ARTICLE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

From this point on there will be some spoilers about The Rings of Power, so we invite you to proceed with the reading with caution.

What should the prologue of the Rings of Power have to tell?

The story of the Silmarils Morgoth's manipulations against the elves Morgoth's accomplice, Ungoliant The First Fratricide and the Curse of Mandos The War of the Jewels The reasons for the defeat of Morgoth The consequences of the War of Itra What is canon for The Rings of Power?

The Story of the Silmarils

The prologue to the Rings of Power opens with a history lesson. Galadriel (Morfydd Clark) talks about when the Elves lived happily in Valinor, illuminated by the glow of their two trees, until, one day, Morgoth arrived to destroy those sources of light and plunge the world into darkness.| ); }
The Rings of Power A very bloody war ensued, but it omits a substantial part of the narrative, changing its meaning. The Elves did not set out from Valinor to Middle-earth on a noble mission to defeat Morgoth, nor to take revenge for the death of their trees. They left because Morgoth stole the Silmarils; thus, the then king Fëanor, tied in a morbid and obsessive way to the Silmarils, and his 7 sons swore to regain the lost jewels, mercilessly knocking down anyone who dared even touch them; surrender was not contemplated. This was the Oath of Fëanor. The wars of the First Age eventually became a struggle between good and evil, but they began because Fëanor wanted his gems back, which is why the conflict was called the "War of the Jewels".

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Morgoth's manipulations against the elves

In the prologue of the Rings of Power it almost seems that Morgoth destroyed the sacred trees of the elves for no reason, but this is not the case, because the seeds of conflict had been planted much earlier. Morgoth had already ruled Middle-earth by the time the first elves appeared, but was eventually driven back by Valinor by other Valar. After a period of captivity, Morgoth pretended to repent, so he obtained permission to walk freely in the Undying Lands. Morgoth used this opportunity to create unease among the elves, particularly Fëanor, by spreading false rumors that the Valar wanted his Silmarils and that his brother, Fingolfin, was plotting to seize the throne. Fëanor believed all these lies, leading to a series of bloody conflicts between the elves and the forging of weapons in Valinor, an unprecedented event.

Morgoth's accomplice, Ungoliant

Morgoth did not destroy the trees of Valinor alone: ​​with him was Ungoliant, a primeval dark spirit in the form of a giant spider. It was she who canceled the light of the Telperion and Laurelin trees, and she fled with Morgoth to Middle-earth. However, their alliance didn't last long, and Ungoliant hid in the darkest corners of Middle-earth at the beginning of the First Age.

Although the Rings of Power prologue doesn't mention it at all, Ungoliant plays a pivotal role in the future of Middle-earth, as one of its descendants is Shelob of the Lord of the Rings, the giant spider that Frodo and Sam meet in Mordor.

The First Fratricide and the Curse of Mandos

The reasons that prompted the elves to go to Middle-earth are therefore decidedly less noble than Galadriel recalls in the prologue of the Rings of Power. When Fëanor's rebellion against the Valar and the search for the Silmarils began, Fëanor needed many ships for the voyage; thus, his people approached the Teleri elves who lived on the coast, but when they refused to surrender their ships, Fëanor slaughtered them in the infamous First Fratricide, also known as the Fratricide of Alqualondë, which was also the first bloodshed of the 'Aman, the continent where Valinor rises.



This tragic event was followed by another that is not mentioned in the series: the Curse of Mandos, also known as Fate or Lot of the Ñoldor . As a reaction to the First Fratricide, the Vala Mando appeared and uttered a terrifying prophecy that the house of Fëanor would be brought to destruction by his lust for the Silmarils, that he would never have them back, and that Fëanor and his descendants would be banished for always from Valinor. This best explains why the elves did not return to their old home after the War of Wrath ended, and why permission to sail to Valinor is a big deal for elves like Galadriel, in the Rings of Power. The Curse of Mandos will plague the descendants of Fëanor until the end of the Second Age.

The War of the Jewels

During the first phase of the War of the Jewels, Morgoth, just arrived in the land of Mezzo, and the elves (already present in the area) led by King Thingol. Fëanor was instead the protagonist of the Dagor-nuin-Giliath, the Battle-under-the-Stars that cost him his life. The Ñoldor then put aside their disagreements and united for the Dagor Aglareb, the Glorious Battle, coming out victorious after having besieged, along with men, the main stronghold of Morgoth, imprisoning him there for 400 years.

Morgoth slaughtered the elves in Dagor Bragollach and Nírnaeth Arnoediad, the Battle of Countless Tears. Finally, the War of Wrath came, which lasted over 30 years and ended with the fall of Morgoth.

The reasons for the defeat of Morgoth

The victory in the War of Wrath can be attributed almost entirely to Elrond's father, the half-elf Eärendil. Eärendil was at sea when the sons of Fëanor destroyed his house in search of the Silmaril owned by his wife Elwing. Although Elwing was spared by the grace of the Valar and brought back to her husband's side, their settlement was destroyed and their two sons captured.



The Rings of Power Thus, Eärendil set sail for Valinor, where he intended to seek the help of the Valar against Morgoth. His courage was rewarded when the Valar accepted his plea for help, and their participation in the War of Wrath was instrumental in Morgoth's defeat.

The aftermath of the War of Wrath

Galadriel hastily concludes his tale by simply saying that, in the end, the elves emerged victorious from the confrontation with the forces of evil, omitting, however, all the important events that occurred in the aftermath of the War of Wrath. The map of Middle-earth itself was shattered by the damage caused by Morgoth and the battles that followed, while the two sons of Eärendil were given the choice between their elven and human heritage; Elrond chose the first and Elros the second. Morgoth, meanwhile, was again dragged to Valinor, but this time he was expelled through the Night Gate to dwell, disembodied, in the Void. Forever.



The Rings of Power As another consequence of the War of Wrath, the Valar erected an island to reward the men who had fought Morgoth; later, the island became known as Númenor and the first man to rule it was Elros.

What is canon for The Rings of Power?

Although it is not possible to go into the details of the story, the Silmarils are however mentioned in the prologue of the Rings of Power, when Elrond sees the hammer of Fëanor and recognizes it as "the tool that forged the Silmarils", adding that the jewels have been a source of "so much beauty ... and so much ache ". This final part alludes to the very long wars in which Fëanor and his sons tried to regain possession of the Silmarils, causing massacres among the same elves.

In this regard, the Oath of Fëanor is also still canon for the series . As Galadriel's voiceover tells the story, we can see some elves in armor arranged in a circle offering their swords, a scene that very much evokes the sons of Fëanor taking their terrible oath.



The Rings of Power When we then see Finrod surrounded by orcs and corpses of elves floating in the fire, we might think we are facing a brief representation of the Dagor Bragollach, one of the battles of the War of the Jewels, while the image of an eagle fighting a dragon is a reference to the War of Wrath.



The Rings of Power The Rings of Power is available for exclusive viewing on Prime Video from September 2nd. For more information about the series, where and how to see it, we recommend reading our article. To access the many contents of Prime Video from the comfort of your TV, buy the Fire Stick TV.