A breakdown of Tolkien’s ‘Of the Darkening of Valinor’, Chapter 8 in The Silmarillion. As usual I share a mini summary with my thoughts, 10 tidbits and 5 quotes!

A Mini Summary and Some Personal Thoughts

Chapter 8 is an incredibly sad chapter – as you might have guessed from the title. But it’s also one of the most descriptive, in my opinion, and the dark descriptions of Ungoliant and how she and Melkor (spoiler alert!) destroy the Trees of Valinor I find so riveting. Of course there’s more that goes on in this chapter, including a heart-warming display from Fingolfin towards Fëanor, and the most epic description of Oromë’s horse.

So let’s get into the tidbits!

Ten Tidbits About ‘Of the Darkening of Valinor’

1. Ungoliant is one of the scariest evil beings in Tolkien’s writings (in my opinion).

There, beneath the sheer walls of the mountains and the cold dark sea, the shadows were deepest and thickest in the world; and there in Avathar, secret and unknown, Ungoliant had made her abode.

Just thinking about Ungoliant brings chills up my spine – try reading this description by Tolkien and see if it doesn’t do the same to you!

The Eldar knew not whence she came; but some have said that in ages long before she descended from the darkness that lies about Arda, when Melkor first looked down in envy upon the Kingdom of Manwë, and that in the beginning she was one of those that he corrupted to his service. But she had disowned her Master, desiring to be mistress of her own lust, taking all things to herself to feed her emptiness; and she fled to the south, escaping the assaults of the Valar and the hunters of Oromë, for their vigilance had ever been to the north, and the south was long unheeded. Thence she had crept towards the light of the Blessed Realm; for she hungered for light and hated it.

2. Melkor will soon lose his ability to change his form.

If you didn’t know the Valar could change their form, now you do. But here in Chapter 8 we learn that Melkor (who is one of the Valar), will soon lose this ability.

He was yet as one of the Valar, and could change his form, or walk unclad, as could his brethren; though that power he was soon to lose for ever

3. Times of celebration never seem to end up well in The Silmarillion.

Now it was a time of festival, as Melkor knew well. This now was the hour, and Manwë decreed a feast more glorious than any that had been held since the coming of the Eldar to Aman.

This was the most wonderful time of the year, and Melkor knew it. In fact, Melkor deliberately chose to make his attack during a time of festival and celebration and at the time of the mingling of the trees. This was truly the most beautiful time of day, and the most joyous time of the year! The contrast between the glorious atmosphere in Valinor, compared to the evil Melkor wanted to bring upon them, is so stark.

4. The Valar liked to party it up!

There came the Vanyar, and there came the Noldor of Tirion, and the Maiar were gathered together, and the Valar were arrayed in their beauty and majesty; and they sang before Manwë and Varda in their lofty halls, or danced upon the green slopes of the Mountain that looked west towards the Trees. In that day the streets of Valmar were empty, and the stairs of Tirion were silent; and all the land lay sleeping in peace.

5. Fëanor came to the festival, but Finwë was conspicuously absent.

The only thing that marred this wonderful celebration was the fact that Finwë didn’t show up. He decided he would not meet with his people while the ban on Fëanor was still in effect. Fëanor did actually show up, but only because Manwë commanded him too. And you can tell her came rather grudgingly. He came not dressed for the occasion, and without the Silmarils because he didn’t want anyone to enjoy the sight of them.

6. Fingolfin just may be the best brother ever.

For Fingolfin held forth his hand, saying: ‘As I promised, I do now. I release thee, and remember no grievance.’ Then Fëanor took his hand in silence; but Fingolfin said: ‘Half-brother in blood, full brother in heart will I be. Thou shalt lead and I will follow. May no new grief divide us.’

Fingolfin proves he is the bigger man, and he releases Fëanor, forgiving him fully. He even takes it a step further, calling Fëanor his ‘full brother in heart’, which would bring tears to even the most hardened person I think!

7. The Trees of Valinor get destroyed.

Tolkien describes this scene so vividly, and it’s such a horrifying deed. I was especially struck by how Ungoliant’s thirst could not be satisfied, and as she drank she grew in size into a shape so big and hideous that she scared even Melkor. So you can bet I would’ve been terrified.

It is told that even as Fëanor and Fingolfin stood before Manwë there came the mingling of the lights, when both Trees were shining, and the silent city of Valmar was filled with a radiance of silver and gold. And in that very hour Melkor and Ungoliant came hastening over the fields of Valinor, as the shadow of a black cloud upon the wind fleets over the sunlit earth; and they came before the green mound Ezellohar.

Can you picture these two skulking over the fields like the shadow of a black cloud? I know I’m quoting a lot in this blog post, but Tolkien’s descriptions are too good to miss!

Then the Unlight of Ungoliant rose up even to the roots of the Trees, and Melkor sprang upon the mound; and with his black spear he smote each Tree to its core, wounded them deep, and their sap poured forth as it were their blood, and was spilled upon the ground. But Ungoliant sucked it up, and going then from Tree to Tree she set her black beak to their wounds, till they were drained; and the poison of Death that was in her went into their tissues and withered them, root, branch, and leaf; and they died. And still she thirsted, and going to the Wells of Varda she drank them dry; but Ungoliant belched forth black vapours as she drank, and swelled to a shape so vast and hideous that Melkor was afraid.

8. Darkness fell upon Valinor.

Yet no song or tale could contain all the grief and terror that then befell. The Light failed; but the Darkness that followed was more than loss of light. In that hour was made a Darkness that seemed not lack but a thing with being of its own: for it was indeed made by malice out of Light, and it had power to pierce the eye, and to enter heart and mind, and strangle the very will.

Leave it to Tolkien to make up something even darker than darkness.

9. Oromë’s horse is fire.

Then the pursuit was begun; and the earth shook beneath the horses of the host of Oromë, and the fire that was stricken from the hooves of Nahar was the first light that returned to Valinor.

The hope that comes from reading just of the hooves of Oromë’s horse is pretty impressive. I would love to see artwork of a horse, with fire on his hooves, riding through the darkness of Valinor.

10. Melkor’s vengeance was achieved.

But so soon as any came up with the Cloud of Ungoliant the riders of the Valar were blinded and dismayed, and they were scattered, and went they knew not whither; and the sound of the Valaróma faltered and failed. And Tulkas was as one caught in a black net at night, and he stood powerless and beat the air in vain. But when the Darkness had passed, it was too late: Melkor had gone whither he would, and his vengeance was achieved.

The Valar tried their best to catch Melkor after his evil act. But even Tulkas was powerless in the darkness that Ungoliant weaved. And so Melkor was successful in his evil designs.

5 Fav Quotes from ‘Of the Darkening of Valinor’

In a ravine she lived, and took shape as a spider of monstrous form, weaving her black webs in a cleft of the mountains. There she sucked up all light that she could find, and spun it forth again in dark nets of strangling gloom, until no light more could come to her abode; and she was famished.

Is this description not the most chilling thing ever?

A cloak of darkness she wove about them when Melkor and Ungoliant set forth: an Unlight, in which things seemed to be no more, and which eyes could not pierce, for it was void.

The Unlight of Ungoliant is such a visceral idea, and I feel like I can picture this great spider weaving a cloak of darkness around her and Melkor.

Therefore Yavanna set times for the flowering and the ripening of all things that grew in Valinor; and at each first gathering of fruits Manwë made a high feast for the praising of Eru, when all the peoples of Valinor poured forth their joy in music and song upon Taniquetil. This now was the hour, and Manwë decreed a feast more glorious than any that had been held since the coming of the Eldar to Aman.

I find this so lovely, I wish I could join in the festival!

So the great darkness fell upon Valinor. Of the deeds of that day much is told in the Aldudénië, that Elemmírë of the Vanyar made and is known to all the Eldar. Yet no song or tale could contain all the grief and terror that then befell.

One of the saddest sentences I have ever read.

Valmar had foundered in a deep sea of night. Soon the Holy Mountain stood alone, a last island in a world that was drowned.

One of the deepest descriptions I have ever read.

Further Study

I love listening to podcasts to gain more insights and thoughts on Tolkien’s works. Here a couple I listened to about this chapter:

• The Prancing Pony Podcast Episode 015 – Along Came a Spider
• The Tolkien Professor’s Silmarillion Seminars

The Silmarillion Second Breakfast Book Club

That’s Chapter 8, ‘Of the Darkening of Valinor’! If you’ve missed any previous posts on The Silmarillion in our Second Breakfast Book Club, then check out the Reading Schedule. You can find updates on future chapters there as well. Next up, Chapter 9!