Foresight

From Tolkien Gateway
Gwindor's death by Peter Xavier Price

Foresight (Q. apacen[1]) is a gift or power apparently given to picked Elves and Men. Many elves appear to have varying amounts of foresight, while some of the more noble men (Númenóreans/Dúnedain) appear to have degrees of foresight on special occasions. In turn, the Númenóreans credited the Drúedain with a "strange foresight" .

Elven mothers would give their children a name, known as essi apacenye or just apacenye, having insight into the characters and abilities of their children, and many also had the gift of prophetic foresight.[2]

There are several mentions of Seers or Prophets namely Amnon, Glirhuin and Malbeth. Foresight was also seen in dreams: Frodo Baggins saw prophetic dreams during his adventure,[3] and Boromir and Faramir saw a puzzling dream, prompting Boromir to travel to Rivendell to seek counsel.[4]

Notable cases[edit | edit source]

  • Although not clearly stated, Fëanor was probably moved by foreknowledge to preserve the light of the Two Trees, creating the Silmarils.[5] This was later celebrated by Yavanna as providential foresight.[6]
  • The building of Menegroth before the return of Melkor to Middle-earth was done out of Melian's intense foresight "after the manner of the Maiar".[7]
  • In his last moments, Fëanor "with his last sight he beheld far off the peaks of Thangorodrim, mightiest of the towers of Middle-earth, and knew with the foreknowledge of death that no power of the Noldor would ever overthrow them".[8]
  • After being inquired by his sister Galadriel, Finrod stated nothing would remain of his kingdom to be inherited by a child.[9]
  • Curufin foretold Eöl that if he chased his runaway wife and child, he would not come back to Nan Elmoth.[10]
  • Eöl cursed his son Maeglin to die in the same way as him.[10]
  • After the coming of Men in Beleriand, Melian told Galadriel that a man, probably of the house of Bëor would be able to cross the Girdle of Melian moved by a doom greater than her power, "and the songs that shall spring from that coming shall endure when all Middle-earth is changed".[11]
  • Huor's last words to Turgon in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad foretold the birth of Eärendil: "This I say to you, lord, with the eyes of death: though we part here for ever, and I shall not look on your white walls again, from you and from me a new star will arise".[12]
  • Before dying, Gwindor had the foresight that if Túrin managed to save Finduilas, she would save him from his úmarth. Túrin, however, came too late, and the loss of Finduilas enabled him to meet Níniel much later, and follow his dark fate.[13]
  • Idril felt a dark shadow upon her heart in the last years of Gondolin, which moved her to build a secret tunnel as a way to escape in case of siege.[14]
  • On Númenor, the Drúedain were noted for their "strange foresight"; already since the time of Aldarion they felt the land "unstable under their feet", millennia before the Downfall of Númenor, and gradually abandoned it to return to Middle-earth. By the time of the Downfall, they all had left the island.[15]
  • Glorfindel foretold King Eärnur that the Witch-king of Angmar would not fall by the hand of man.[16]
  • Dírhael and his wife Ivorwen, grandparents of Aragorn, were gifted in foresight and had premonitions about Arathorn II who wanted to marry their daughter. These premonitions were a reason at first to oppose the marriage, but later to concede to it.[17] Ivorwen also saw a vision of the Elessar on the chest of baby Aragorn.[18]

See also[edit | edit source]

Portrayal in adaptations[edit | edit source]

Eldarion in Arwen's vision in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

2002: The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers:

Elrond, who has "the gift of foresight" tells to Arwen about her future with mortal Aragorn, that she will experience his death and also will lose her immortality, with references to The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen from Appendix A. Thus he persuades her to leave Middle-earth and join the Elves who leave for Valinor.

2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King:

While Arwen is on her way to the Grey Havens to leave Middle-earth and Aragorn, she has a vision of her future son which persuades her to return to Rivendell. Then she asks her father, who has the gift of foresight to tell her what he saw about her; he replies he saw only death, but she replies that there is also life.

References

  1. ↑ The word is not attested directly by itself but extrapolated from apacenye and tercen. Cf. apacenya in Elfdict.
  2. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", Note on Mother-names, p. 339
  3. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, pp. ??
  4. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Council of Elrond"
  5. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor"
  6. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Flight of the Noldor"
  7. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Sindar"
  8. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
  9. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Maeglin"
  11. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of Men into the West"
  12. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad"
  13. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Túrin Turambar"
  14. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin"
  15. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The Drúedain", p. 498
  16. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion", p. 1051
  17. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"
  18. ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "Foreword"
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