Are there any homosexual characters in The Silmarillion?

[katya]

Thanks for the explanations, Curu and Aika. That puts my mind at ease a little. I would've just looked it up myself to verify but I didn't know where to look... Anyway, I don't think I ever really thought Maedhros/Fingon were anything but friends, but I still think they're totally cute together.

[Curufin]

I think they are too.

I play Maedhros on another board, and we play them...well...they're not exactly homosexual, but there is a deep love between them. Is it sexual? Well, we don't really comment on that, and they never act upon it, it's kind of for the reader to decide.

[katya]

That's pretty much how it is in my mind. A deep love, of sorts, but whether it's sexual or not is their business and not mine.

[Curufin]

Exactly. That's how I feel about the characters. And a lot of the Elves in LotR - well, they didn't marry or have children in times of war. And Tolkien doesn't talk much about their children. We know Maglor, Curufin and Caranthir were married (Of Dwarves and Men, HoME XII), and that Celegorm was certainly heterosexual as he tried to force Lúthien into marriage. Maedhros and the twins were unmarried (ibid.). But Tolkien himself states that he just didn't tell their stories. Speaking of Celebrimbor: 'What then was his heritage? He must have been descended from one of Fëanor's sons, about whose progeny nothing has been told...' (ibid.).

I don't think it hurts anything if people want to assume that a character is gay. It certainly doesn't bother me any. It's the 21st century, and I'm as open as anyone else. In fact, I didn't vote for Clinton in 1996 because he opposed civil unions. But I do think that it is contrary to what Tolkien would have wished for his world.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

I would point out that the idea of homosexual persons did not even exist in the academic world of sexuality, and the word "homosexual" was not even around until 1907. Somehow, I doubt that the idea really filtered down to Tolkien in his world of Finnish epics, Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and 13th century monastic rules for anchoresses. Certainly, before people started thinking of people as gay, there were homosexual actions, and there were preferences one way or another, but sexuality was thought of as something much more fluid and much less boxed away than it tends to be. Sexual activity of men with men or women and of women with women or men was not something thought of as uncommon, nor as something which sets someone off as "different" from the rest of the world, the world GLBT does today. So, basically, I can conceive there being in Middle-earth a man who sexually loves a man, but the idea of "gay" characters produces major cognitive dissonance.

[The Dread Pirate Roberts]

Exactly. Middle Earth was a world that didn't revolve around sex. Sexual activity wasn't something people used to identify themselves or differentiate themselves from others, and love could indeed be platonic. Were Sam and Frodo gay? No, but I would venture to say that Sam loved Frodo every bit as much as he loved Rosie. Love !=sex

[Curufin]

And along the same vein, I would say that Maedhros loved Fingon, Finrod loved Andreth, etc. etc. Do I think there was any type of sexual relationship? No, certainly not. I think Gwaimir and DPR make very good points. Again, Middle-earth was not something out of a Mills and Boon novel - sexual relationships existed, yes, but they were not the defining characteristic of a character - nor should they be.

[Gordis]

Originally Posted by Curufin

And along the same vein, I would say that Maedhros loved Fingon, Finrod loved Andreth, etc. etc. Do I think there was any type of sexual relationship? No, certainly not. I think Gwaimir and DPR make very good points. Again, Middle-earth was not something out of a Mills and Boon novel - sexual relationships existed, yes, but they were not the defining characteristic of a character - nor should they be.

I think that sums it up nicely.

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

I would point out that the idea of homosexual persons did not even exist in the academic world of sexuality, and the word "homosexual" was not even around until 1907. Somehow, I doubt that the idea really filtered down to Tolkien in his world of Finnish epics, Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon, and 13th century monastic rules for anchoresses. Certainly, before people started thinking of people as gay, there were homosexual actions, and there were preferences one way or another, but sexuality was thought of as something much more fluid and much less boxed away than it tends to be. Sexual activity of men with men or women and of women with women or men was not something thought of as uncommon, nor as something which sets someone off as "different" from the rest of the world, the world GLBT does today. So, basically, I can conceive there being in Middle-earth a man who sexually loves a man, but the idea of "gay" characters produces major cognitive dissonance.

Gwai, this is kinda cute, but I'm not sure I agree. None of Tolkien's characters have real sexual identities, as we understand them, let alone sexual preferences. But Tolkien was certainly aware (personally) of homosexual behavior, as it was rather traditional in his 'academic' environments. Those people, although they remained closeted in political discourse (as they did about keeping a mistress, taking cocaine, and other recreational pursuits) were generally pretty clear to their friends and peers. I would say Oscar Wilde's trial was the begining of British "gay identity", although of course not called that, so Tolkien's choice of innocence in his characters is clearly a choice, and not an oversight.