Warning: spoilers ahead for The Rings of Power episodes 1 & 2Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies are both based upon books by J.R.R. Tolkien, Amazon's The Rings of Power TV series is a special case. The Second Age narrative draws from Tolkien's appendices, wider writings, and The Silmarillion, which was compiled by Tolkien's son and released posthumously. The Silmarillion's title derives from the Silmarils - three jewels created by Fëanor the elf in Valinor before the First Age.
The Rings of Power opens with a history lesson. Morfydd Clark's Galadriel explains how the Elves were living happily in Valinor, basking in the glow of their two trees, when along came a Morgoth to destroy the revered light sources and plunge the land into darkness. As Galadriel tells it, "When the great foe Morgoth destroyed the very light of our home, we resisted, and a legion of elves went to war." Did they really though, Galadriel? Or is that perspective on history rather more kind to the Elves than it should be? Despite drawing from The Silmarillion, The Rings of Power omits the most important part: the actual Silmarils!
Galadriel gets the beginning and end of her story right. Morgoth destroys the Two Trees of Valinor, and the eventual outcome is a massive war between good and evil, but she neglects to mention a hugely important chunk of lore. The Elves did not depart from Valinor to Middle-earth on a noble quest to vanquish Morgoth, nor to get revenge for their decimated trees. They left because Morgoth also stole the Silmarils, and then-king Fëanor, bound his sons and future descendants to an oath promising they'd reclaim the lost jewels whatever the cost. The wars of the First Age became a campaign against evil by the end, sure, but they began because Fëanor wanted his pretty gems back. This conflict was literally called the "War of the Jewels," and the Silmarils would define the next 6000 years of history, influencing Morgoth's motivations, the Elves' infighting, bad relations between the Elves and Dwarves, and much more. Before the One Ring, the Silmarils were the single most important creation in J.R.R. Tolkien's mythology, and it's strange that they're not mentioned at all during Galadriel's history lesson.
How The Rings Of Power Confirms The Silmarils Are Still Canon
Confusing The Rings of Power's stance on the Silmarils further, episodes 1 & 2 both drop hints that Fëanor's folly is still canon to Amazon's TV series. Hanging out with Celebrimbor in Eregion, Elrond is impressed by Fëanor's hammer standing pride of place in the room, calling it the "tool that wrought the Silmarils." He then goes on to describe how the Silmarils caused "so much beauty... and so much pain." This final part implies that not only did the Silmarils definitely exist within The Rings of Power's revised history, but that Fëanor and his sons pursued them endlessly and fought violent battles in their name - even spilling the blood of their own kind.
The Silmarils clearly did play a role in the Elves' live-action departure from Valinor - even if Galadriel claims otherwise. Maybe The Rings of Power is merely trying to simplify its First Age backstory for new viewers, whilst dropping hints book readers will recognize. Or perhaps Galadriel is so blinded by her personal connection to the war (Finrod's death), her mind has already rewritten the narrative surrounding the Elves and Morgoth to sound more noble than selfish, thereby justifying her endless pursuit of Sauron.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power continues Thursday/Friday on Prime Video.