Martapennas

Martapennas
Nunello Marta

In the beginning, Melkor, who was now called Morgoth, saw the Children of Iluvatar, the Elves, the First Born, and he hated them. Filled with the hatred he bore for the Children of Iluvatar, the traitorous Valar created the twisted Races. Orcs and Trolls and the Nazgul, Morgoth created, in the images of the Eldar, the Ents, and the other Races created by the One, Eru, who in Arda is called Iluvatar.

But he was unsatisfied with creating twisted mockeries of the One’s creatures. He decided to create a Race all his own, created for his own obscene pleasures. He would create his own dark army of shadowed, twisted, but ever fair Eldar-creatures. He dreamed darkly, and after a time, Morgoth twisted the creative energies of the universe, sung into being by the song of the One. Then he twisted it, filling it with a great burning fire that blazed darkly, and he combined the spark of breath and life with the darkness of his evil. He created a brilliant fire, and from it formed the first of his dark, fey Race, the Marta, and she was called Minyariel.

She was gifted with the beauty of the First Born, the Eldar, and fashioned after the First Born in shape, but she, the Shadow Spawn, was without spark or spirit, without life. She was as less than an animal, feeling fear and pain, yet incapable of hope. She felt the simple, base feelings of creatures that were less than the beasts of the earth, and knew not love, trust, joy, hatred, envy, or pride. She was incapable of thought or expression. She was as nothing but an empty shell.

Morgoth took Minyariel as his concubine, and took pleasure in her. But he was unsatisfied with the mindless shell, fair as the stars in the sky, and thus he was determined to give her a spirit, so that she could feel love and hope and joy, and with the sweet tenderness of hope, thus the jagged and bitter taste of utter despair. Morgoth was much pleased with his plan, and so he plunged Minyariel into the darkness of hell, and reshaped her into a creature of the underworld.

He took a maiden of the Eldar and murdered her, and caught her soul with his black sorcery, entrapping it in the empty shell that is the body of Minyariel. Thus did she have a spirit at last. He made her even fairer of face and lovely, though she struggled ever to fight against him and his desires unto the end of her strength. He then created for her wings as if fashioned of gossamer and silk, wings of shadow and ice cold breath, for a creature of the skies with broken wings knows naught but despair and yearning. He sculpted delicate points to her ears. Lastly, he sucked much of the living spark from her body, leaving her cold and fair as winter, and weak as new spring, and sickly. And when he had changed her thus, and was satisfied, and found her of good craftsmanship, he created the people called the Marta, the fey ones, in her image, to be his slaves.

Minyariel despaired, as Morgoth desired her to do. In her sorrow, her heart slowed its beating in her breast, until she was almost as one dead, a corpse feigning life. Her people were given spirit by Morgoth in the same fashion as their Queen, through black magic, murder, and the dark art of necromancy, that they too might know despair. He enslaved them, and did all in his power to break them to his cruel will.

But there were some who resisted.

Twice the Marta rose up against Morgoth’s tyranny. The first time, the rebels were brutally slaughtered by the Enemy, and the rivers ran red, and the earth was stained crimson with the blood of the slain. The skies burned scarlet, and the mountains stabbed the heavens like dark, red blades.

The second time, the Marta reached even as far the doors of Morgoth’s throne room in his dark, accursed halls, and were throwing themselves upon the black gates when the Dark One cast a deep and powerful spell upon them, sundering them. No longer were the Marta one people. He had twisted their bodies and turned them into strange creatures and half-beasts. Horse people, people smaller than insects and taller than giants, beasts given the spirits of Marta, Marta given the bodies of beasts- these Morgoth created in his wrath against the fey ones.

Minyariel mourned, for herself and her people, and cried out unto the Sea to rise up and drown the Marta, giving them peace from the cruelty and evil of the Dark One. Minyariel herself made as if to cast herself into the Sea and drown beneath the sea foam and pounding waves, when unlooked for comfort came to her.

For out of the depths of the Sea came the Maia called Aeriel. She was the daughter of Osse, the Maian vassal unto Ulmo Ocean Lord, the Valar. Aeriel heard Minyariel's plea, and saw her plight, knowing the bitter edge of her sorrow and despair, and thus came to her side to offer comfort and hope.

But Morgoth then espied the young Maia maiden walking with his fair and dark concubine upon the shores of the Sea, and thinking her even as fair as Minyariel, the evil one came down unto the Shore. When she saw this, Aeriel rushed forth into the waters of the ocean, but Morgoth caught Aeriel in a glittering glass cage as she leapt beneath the water, and he took her for his own, making her his concubine.

Osse, the father of Aeriel, and Ulmo Ocean Lord cried out in fury, and advanced upon the stronghold of Melkor in an attempt to destroy it with great waves and rocks hurled from the ocean’s depths.

The Dark One knew it to be folly, attempting to destroy the Valar and his servant in battle, for if he slew one of his kin and their vassal, Manwe in all his might and majesty would fall upon him and destroy him with swift vengeance. So Morgoth surrendered the Lady Aeriel, who returned unto the Deep Ocean, though she would always be changed by her time in darkness. Morgoth was then commanded by Ulmo himself to release Minyariel and the Marta at the behest of his vassal’s daughter, for she remembered the woe of the Marta and their Queen. Much moved with pity, Ulmo gave Aeriel her wish, and commanded his traitorous kinsman to release his claim on the blood, bodies, and souls of the Marta. Fearing that Ulmo would bring down the wrath of the Valar upon him, he surrendered the fey ones and returned to his dark halls.

When Manwe discovered what had been done by Ulmo, he was sorely wroth, for by what right had the Lord of the Seas done this thing? But Ulmo, as well as Osse the Maia and his wife, Uinen, and their daughter Aeriel, went before the Valar to argue for the Marta.

To spare them the pain of their memories and their heartbreak, to heal the dark taint of evil magic Morgoth had inflicted upon them, the Marta were placed in a deep sleep by Este, Lady of Lorien and wife of Irmo, Healer of all wounds. “Sleep,” she commanded them, “that your wounds will be healed, your hurts mended, your pain eased, your heartache forgotten. Sleep, until you waken again, at the appointed time.”

It was at this time that the Lord Irmo of the realm of Lorien stepped forth and spoke before the Council of the Valar. He was Lord of Visions and Dreams, and he had seen in the dreams of Minyariel and the Marta the depravity and abomination of their tortured existence. Had they not suffered more than all of the creatures of Arda? Did they not deserve peace now, and sanctuary?

Irmo of Lorien turned to his brother, Namo of Mandos, Lord of Judgment, and he came forward.

“It is true,” he said unto Manwe. “What was done to them is unjust. Though their very creation was an obscenity, they are not responsible for Morgoth’s crimes. Unlike his other twisted creations, these have done no great evil, committed no heinous atrocities. Are we not obligated to grant them peace and mercy? Do we not give them sanctuary, my brother and king?”

Varda, she who is called Elbereth Gilthoniel, came forward and pleaded with her husband for mercy on behalf of the Marta. Unable to stand before the pleas of his kin and his heart’s true love, he acquiesced, and gave liberty unto the sleeping Marta.

“However,” he said. “As the Eldar and Men are watched over by the Valar, and the Dwarves watched over by Aule, their maker- then so too must the Marta be guarded and watched. Who shall do this thing?”

Only two stepped forward at first- Orome the Hunter and his sister, Nessa the Dancer.

“We will do it,” Orome told his brother. “We will become their protectors. And for them we beg of Eru to create two new Maiar- moon-winged Fea and her lord, Danu, prince of the forest.”

Then Varda stepped forward, and with her Vaire, wife of Namo of Mandos, and Yavanna, wife of Aule, and Aule himself.

“I give the Marta a Gift. Some shall have wings woven of light and summer breath. Others shall have wings woven of chill air and shadow. And some shall be wingless,” said Vaire the Weaver. “For a long time, they were denied freedom and solace, and their beauty was corrupted, twisted, and destroyed. I give them their beauty back. And this shall be what sets their Race apart from the Eldar.”

“Some shall be bound in their souls to the earth, and love it ever and always,” said Aule. “Some shall be bound in their souls to fire, and love it ever and always. For a time, the Marta had not the strength to fight Morgoth. Now they shall receive that strength from the earth and its fire.”

“They shall be gifted as the First Born with a love and wisdom of the earth, the kelvar, and the olvar,” Lady Yavanna whispered softly, and her voice was the wind in the trees. “Some shall be gifted with the spirits of trees. Thus, they will gain strength from the trees, from the forests, from the beasts that are upon the earth, and those that are in the air, and those beneath, in the blue waters, that they will have a strength against Morgoth.”

“Some of them shall be bound to the sea, and the rivers, the lakes and ponds and streams. Their blue blood shall flow from the deep,” Ulmo’s voice crashed like the surf. “From these places, too, shall they have strength from the Dark One.”

Irmo of Lorien gifted them with visions, and his wife gave them the gift of Healing. All the Valar gave them a gift, save Namo of Mandos and Manwe. When it came time for Manwe’s gift, he made as if to turn away, but his wife caught his arm.

“I can gift them with nothing, for Eru has not given them life. We cannot alter them further- it is against His will.”

“Against My will? Why dost thou believe thus?” At the voice of Eru, who is called Iluvatar, all the Valar and Maiar fell silent and still. “I grant a gift unto the Marta as well. They no longer are as tortured spirits poisoned by sorcery. From this day ever on, they are made clean and whole again, untainted, and shall be as the Children of Iluvatar in spirit. Thou art wise, Manwe. Fear not to bless them.

“The Maiar who shall be unto them as protectors shall be found in time, ere the sleep of the fey ones ends.”

Then the voice of Iluvatar fell silent, and was gone, and after a time did Manwe speak unto his kin.

“Very well- I make them creatures of air as well, as you, my wife, have made them creatures of light and untainted shadow.”

Then it was given to Namo to speak. But Mandos’ Lord stared into nothingness for a time before he uttered this decree.

“One whom I trusted did wrong the Marta, and their fair Queen, though that is another tale. I am to blame, and thus I give a gift to the Nightingale who wears a black crown, and let it never be forgotten- I will grant her the gift of petition. She and she alone will be allowed to save the lives of the people I would take with me unto the Halls of Judgment.”

“What?!” Manwe cried. “Do you give her then the power of the Valar, unlimited, to decide the fate of all creatures?”

“Nay. Only thrice may she make such a petition. Only thrice, and never again. She will have dire need of the gift.”

And Namo of Mandos spoke no more.

Thus it was that Orome the Hunter and Nessa the Dancer found the Maiar known as Fea and Danu beneath the Two Lamps crafted by Aule, and gave the Marta a place in Arda. All was well for a time for all. Minyariel took to herself a husband, who became King. The Marta lived happily, knowing peace. Two children were born to the King and Queen- a princess with wings of warmth and light, a prince with wings of shadow and cold.

Then the King of the Marta died at the hands of Morgoth, and the Marta were attacked and brutally slaughtered by the traitorous Great Enemy and his armies. For countless years, they waged war against the armies of darkness.

Sickened by war and death and loss, Minyariel pleaded unto the Valar for release from the world for her people, to be forgotten by all but the Valar themselves, so that the Marta would only be as history, and history would be as legend, and legend would be as myth, and never again would the dark forces even be tempted to war against them.

"Anything," she cried, "so that my children and my people may be safe from the evils of this world. You owe us a debt."

And it was true. Long had the Marta suffered through the Valar's negligence in regards to the Dark One.

So the Valar wrought a great magic, setting aside a place in space and time, where only the Marta and the Valar could go. The Marta were forgotten by all, both Men and Elves and the legions of Melkor, who became Morgoth. They were alone in the land the Valar created for them apart from the world, and became the Liemuina, the Hidden People.

And so it was for a time... but not forever.

From pages 23-28 of the lost, original transcripts of the Silmarillion, translated from Elvish by JRR Tolkien upon their discovery in Oxford, England in the year 19--. This manuscript was found in 1999 by a lighting technician on the set of the Lord of the Rings- his story will be told another time. And have no doubt, there is more to come.

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Disclaimer- I came up with the storyline, the Marta, etc. I did not come up with the Valar, the Elvish language, or anything else copyrighted by someone other than me.

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My sources are:

The Silmarillion, Second Edition, by JRR Tolkien, copyrighted 1977; pages 15-22, 25-32; 43-55

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The Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Rings Movie, copyrighted 2001 (I think)

the song "One Tin Soldier"

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Marta IS the Elvish word for "fey."

Nun-birth

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Nunello Marta - Birth of the Fey

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In the words of JunoMagic:

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