Por que Maedhros cometeu suicídio?

Introdução

Embora não esteja explicitamente declarado por que Maedhros cometeu suicídio, e ele é o único elfo que afirmou ter feito isso, existem vários fatores que podem ter o levado a esse fim:

• Ele não podia mais cumprir o Juramento de Feanor

• Ele não podia mais vingar seu pai

• Ele não tinha para onde ir

• Os efeitos combinados destes, e sua história na Terra-média até aquele momento, o teriam deixado sem outras opções, exceto a que Maglor tomou (para vagar pela Terra-Média esquecido / perdido para sempre, o que era mais o personagem de Maglor). )

O Juramento de Feanor

• Ele estava doente pelo Juramento:

  Then Eönwë as herald of the Elder King summoned the Elves of Beleriand to depart from Middle-earth. But Maedhros and Maglor would not hearken, and they prepared, though now with weariness and loathing, to attempt in despair the fulfilment of their oath. - Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath

• Ele não podia mais cumprir o Juramento, já que Earendil tinha um dos Silmarils e ele não podia recuperá-lo:

  Now when first Vingilot was set to sail in the seas of heaven, it rose unlocked for, glittering and bright; and the people of Middle-earth beheld it from afar and wondered, and they took it for a sign, and called it Gil-Estel, the Star of High Hope. And when this new star was seen at evening, Maedhros spoke to Maglor his brother, and he said: 'Surely that is a Silmaril that shines now in the West?'

  And Maglor answered: 'If it be truly the Silmaril which we saw cast into the sea that rises again by the power of the Valar, then let us be glad; for its glory is seen now by many, and is yet secure from all evil.' Then the Elves looked up, and despaired no longer; but Morgoth was filled with doubt. - Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath

• Nem ele nem seu irmão puderam guardar os Silmarils que eles possuíam:

  But the jewel burned the hand of Maedhros in pain unbearable; and he perceived that it was as Eönwë had said, and that his right thereto had become void, and that the oath was vain. - Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath

Vingança pelo pai

• O pai de Maedhros, Feanor, fora morto pelos servos de Morgoth (principalmente Gothmog) nos arredores de Angband. Após os eventos da Guerra da Ira, Morgoth e seus servos foram aparentemente derrotados, e Gothmog havia morrido em Gondolin anos antes (morto por Ecthelion). Não havia mais ninguém para lutar por alguém que passara os anos ímpares anteriores do 500 sem fazer nada além de lutar.

Nenhum lugar para ir

Após a Guerra da Ira, a situação em que ele se viu foi assim:

• Beleriand havia sido praticamente destruído.

• Ele não tinha certeza se poderia realmente voltar a Aman, se teria que renunciar ao Juramento (o que ele talvez não faria) e que futuro enfrentaria lá:

  But Maedhros answered that if they returned to Aman but the favour of the Valar were withheld from them, then their oath would still remain, but its fulfilment be beyond all hope; and he said: 'Who can tell to what dreadful doom we shall come, if we disobey the Powers in their own land, or purpose ever to bring war again into their holy realm?' - Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath

• Os elfos primários deixados na Terra Média foram Galadriel / Celeborn, Círdan, Gil-galad e Elrond, todos que não tinham amor perdido por Maedhros / os filhos de Feanor e, portanto, ele provavelmente não seria bem-vindo no que se tornaria Lindon, Eregion , Lothlorien e Imladris.

• Galadriel não gostava e desconfiava de Feanor desde o começo e nunca havia gostado dos filhos de Feanor durante a Primeira Era. Ela também teria motivos para não gostar deles pelo ataque a Doriath e, posteriormente, ao ataque aos Portos de Sirion, já que ela tinha uma estreita conexão com ambos os lugares e as pessoas que moravam lá.

• Cirdan era um Teleri, muitos dos quais foram mortos por Maedhros e pelos filhos de Feanor durante o assassinato de Kinslay, e eles se opuseram quando Cirdan e Gil-galad chegaram em socorro, tarde demais, ao povo dos refúgios de Sirion .

• Gil-galad era o filho ou Orodreth. Como Círdan, ele se opusera a Maedhros durante o ataque aos Portos de Sirion. Além disso, os filhos de Feanor não eram populares em Nargothrond (onde Gil-galad provavelmente nasceu e cresceu como filho do senhor de Nargothrond, Orodreth) devido às ações de Celegorm e Curufin. Os irmãos conspiraram para garantir que, quando Felagund deixasse Nargothrond para ajudar Beren em sua busca por um Silmaril, ele o fizesse por conta própria,

  Then King Felagund spoke before his people, recalling the deeds of Barahir, and his vow and he declared that it was laid upon him to aid the son of Barahir in his need, and he sought the help of his chieftains. Then Celegorm arose amid the throng, and drawing his sword he cried: 'Be he friend or foe, whether demon of Morgoth, of Elf, or child of Men, or any other living thing in Arda, neither law, nor love, nor league of hell, nor might of the Valar, nor any power of wizardry, shall defend him from the pursuing hate of Fëanor's sons, if he take or find a Silmaril and keep it. For the Silmarils we alone claim, until the world ends.'

  Many other words he spoke, as potent as were long before in Tirion the words of his father that first inflamed the Noldor to rebellion. And after Celegorm Curufin spoke, more softly but with no less power, conjuring in the minds of the Elves a vision of war and the ruin of Nargothrond. So great a fear did he set in their hearts that never after until the time of Túrin would any Elf of that realm go into open battle; but with stealth and ambush, with wizardry and venomed dart, they pursued all strangers, forgetting the bonds of kinship. Thus they fell from the valour and freedom of the Elves of old, and their land was darkened.

  And now they murmured that Finarfin's son was not as a Vala to command them, and they turned their faces from him. But the curse of Mandos came upon the brothers, and dark thoughts arose in their hearts, thinking to send forth Felagund alone to his death, and to usurp, it might be, the throne of Nargothrond; for they were of the eldest line of the princes of the Noldor.

  And Felagund seeing that he was forsaken took from his head the silver crown of Nargothrond and cast it at his feet, saying: 'Your oaths of faith to me you may break, but I must hold my bond. Yet if there be any on whom the shadow of out curse has not yet fallen, I should find at least a few to follow me, and should not go hence as a beggar that is thrust from the gates.' There were ten that stood by him; and the chief of them, who was named Edrahil, stooping lifted the crown and asked that it be given to a steward until Felagund's return. 'for you remain my king, and theirs,' he said, 'whatever betide.'

  Then Felagund gave the crown of Nargothrond to Orodreth his brother to govern in his stead; and Celegorm and Curufin said nothing, but they smiled and went from the halls. - Of Beren and Lúthien

  e essa falta de apoio contribuiu para sua morte. O povo de Nargothrond soube disso, atacou os irmãos e os expulsou:

  There was tumult in Nargothrond. For thither now returned many Elves that had been prisoners in the isle of Sauron; and a clamour arose that no words of Celegorm could still. They lamented bitterly the fall of Felagund their king, saying that a maiden had dared that which the sons of Fëanor had not dared to do; but many perceived that it was treachery rather than fear that had guided Celegorm and Curufin. Therefore the hearts of the people of Nargothrond were released from their dominion, and turned again to the house of Finarfin; and they obeyed Orodreth. But he would not suffer them to slay the brothers, as some desired, for the spilling of kindred blood by kin would bind the cures of Mandos more closely upon them all. Yet neither bread nor rest would he grant to Celegorm and Curufin within his realm, and he [Orodreth] swore that there should be little love between Nargothrond and the sons of Fëanor there after. - Of Beren and Lúthien

• Elrond e seu irmão Elros haviam sido seqüestrados por Maedhros e Maglor após o ataque aos Portos de Sirion, e embora Maglor tenha sido gentil com eles, não há menção de que Maedhros tenha sido:

  For Maglor took pity upon Elros and Elrond, and he cherished them, and love grew after between them, as little might be thought; but Maglor's heart was sick and weary with the burden of the dreadful oath. - Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath

• O único Noldor principal que restou na Terra-média que seria ligeiramente positivo para ele teria sido Celebrimbor, exceto que Celebrimbor havia renunciado a seu pai e tudo o que se passava com ele:

  In that time Celebrimbor the son of Curufin repudiated the deeds of his father, and remained in Nargothrond. - Of Beren and Lúthien

• Maedhros também pode não ter sido particularmente popular depois de planejar a União de Maedhros e o resultante Nirnaeth Arnoediad, que acabou com os Elfos como uma força importante na Terra Média, e também indiretamente levou ao fim de Gondolin e Nargothrond.

Culpa / Desesperança / Consciência

Além e ao lado do impacto dos três pontos anteriores:

• Todos os seus irmãos estavam mortos, exceto Maglor, e ele não teve filhos

• Como filho mais velho de Feanor, e temporariamente o Alto Rei dos Noldor no exílio, ele sentiu a responsabilidade pelo Juramento e os atos / consequências dele, e mostrou uma tendência a agir de forma independente e a assumir responsabilidade não apenas por suas ações, mas pelas ações dos filhos de Feanor em geral, por exemplo, quando ele passou o reinado dos noldor para Fingolfin depois que seu filho, Fingon, resgatou Maedhros de seu cativeiro pendurado em Thangorodrim:

  There Maedhros in time was healed; for the fire of life was hot within him, and his strength was of the ancient world, such as those possessed who were nurtured in Valinor. His body recovered from his torment and became hale, but the shadow of his pain was in his heart; and he lived to wield his sword with left hand more deadly than his right had been. By this deed Fingon won great renown, and all the Noldor praised him; and the hatred between the houses of Fingolfin and Fëanor was assuaged. For Maedhros begged forgiveness for the desertion in Araman; and he waived his claim to kingship over all the Noldor, saying to Fingolfin: 'If there lay no grievance between us, lord, still the kingship would rightly come to you, the eldest here of the house of Finwë, and not the least wise.' But to this his brothers did not all in their hearts agree. - Of the Return of the Noldor

• Ele sentiu culpa pelo saco de Doriath:

  Now when first the tidings came to Maedhros that Elwing yet lived, and dwelt in possession of the Silmaril by the mouths of Sirion, he repenting of the deeds in Doriath withheld his hand. But in time the knowledge of their oath unfulfilled returned to torment him and his brothers, and gathering from their wandering hunting-paths they sent messages to the Havens of friendship and yet of stern demand. Then Elwing and the people of Sirion would not yield the jewel which Beren had won and Lúthien had worn, and for which Dior the fair was slain; and least of all while Eärendil their lord was on the sea, for it seemed to them that in the Silmaril lay the healing and the blessing that had come upon their houses and their ships. And so there came to pass the last and cruellest of the slayings of Elf by Elf; and that was the third of the great wrongs achieved by the accursed oath. - Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath

• Ele sentiu culpa pelo abandono de Elured e Elurin:

  But Dior returned no answer to the sons of Fëanor; and Celegorm stirred up his brothers to prepare an assault upon Doriath. They came at unawares in the middle of winter, and fought with Dior in the Thousand Caves; and so befell the second slaying of Elf by Elf. There fell Celegorm by Dior's hand, and there fell Curufin, and dark Caranthir; but Dior was slain also, and Nimloth his wife, and the cruel servants of Celegorm seized his young sons and left them to starve in the forest. Of this Maedhros indeed repented, and sought for them long in the woods of Doriath; but his search was unavailing, and of the fate of Eluréd and Elurín no tale tells. - Of the Ruin of Doriath

• Ele se recusou a ajudar a queimar os navios durante a viagem dos Noldor para a Terra-Média, que encalhou Fingolfin e seu povo em Aman, forçando-os a atravessar o Helcaraxë onde sofreram enormemente (a esposa de Turgon, Elenwe morreu durante a travessia):

  But when they were landed, Maedhros the eldest of his sons, and on a time the friend of Fingon ere Morgoth's lies came between, spoke to Fëanor, saying: 'Now what ships and rowers will you spare to return, and whom shall they bear hither first? Fingon the valiant?' Then Fëanor laughed as one fey, and he cried: 'None and none! What I have left behind I count now no loss; needless baggage on the road it has proved. Let those that cursed my name, curse me still, and whine their way back to the cages of the Valar! Let the ships burn!' Then Maedhros alone stood aside, but Fëanor caused fire to be set to the white ships of the Teleri. So in that place which was called Losgar at the outlet of the Firth of Drengist ended the fairest vessels that ever sailed the sea, in a great burning, bright and terrible. And Fingolfin and his people saw the light afar off, red beneath the clouds; and they knew that they were betrayed. This was the firstfruits of the Kinslaying and the Doom of the Noldor. - Of the Flight of the Noldor

Conclusão

Em conclusão, ao levar em conta sua história passada e sua personalidade, bem como algum desejo poético da parte de Tolkien:

And thus it came to pass that the Silmarils found their long homes: one in the airs of heaven, and one in the fires of the heart of the world, and one in the deep waters.

é razoável que Maedhros tenha cometido suicídio quando percebeu que não podia mais cumprir seu juramento, que não podia retornar a Valinor nem encontrar um lar na Terra-média e não podia mais viver com suas ações que o levaram a esse ponto, para o qual ele não encontrou outro remédio senão acabar com sua própria vida.

NB Todas as citações do Silmarillion, todas enfatizam as minhas.

Não vou ser técnico aqui e usar todas as referências do livro. Vamos apenas olhar para ele do ponto emocional do veiw.

Maedhros não fez nada durante os anos 500, exceto a luta. E toda decisão que ele havia tomado aos seus olhos era um fracasso. Ele estava fora de combate. O único impulso que ele o pressionava era esse juramento miserável que fizera ao pai. Não para mensurar as cicatrizes mentais que ele recebeu por ser cativo de Morgoth por tanto tempo. Seu desejo ardente de cumprir a única coisa que ele achava que poderia fazer certo apenas para descobrir que tudo isso era por nada. Uma vez que ele cumpriu o juramento ... ele estava sem força. Ele estava completamente esgotado e exausto além de qualquer medida. Todos os que estavam perto dele estavam agora mortos e ele não tinha um amigo no mundo. Ele deve ter lutado anos de tormento e depressão e os silmorilions ardentes foram o ponto de ruptura para ele. Você luta por algo até acabar e agora acabou ... É um final trágico para um elfo pobre que só precisava ser entendido. Penso que, no final, toda a culpa que ele deve ter levado todos esses anos finalmente acabou com sua sanidade. E ele só queria que tudo fosse embora. Tão, muito, muito triste.