This drink symbolises the Three Rings of Power, the Silmaril, and the twinkling of the stars at the awakening of the Elves at Cuiviénen.
30 ml Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal
30 ml Morand Abricotine
30 ml Dutch Cacao
Preparation: Stirred. Serve in a tumbler with a large piece of ice.
Alternatively and currently preferred by us:
30 ml Del Maguey Chichicapa mezcal
30 ml Hiebl Marille
30 ml Homemade Crème de Cacao (3 parts Hiebl Schokogeist : 2 parts sugar syrup (2:1))
Mae govannen, mellon, this drink was created on 20 May 2020. It follows the structure of the Le Loriot: a base spirit combined in equal parts with cocoa and a fruit eau de vie.
Etymology
The designation derives from the Old English word Ælfþryð (Aelfthryth), and means elven strength or elven power. [1] [2]
Before we go into what Elven power is all about and what the individual ingredients symbolise, it is necessary to deal with the dawn of days, the awakening of the Elves, the Silmaril and the Rings of Power. What is said about them?
Of the Beginning of the Days and the Two Trees of Valinor
The Silmarillion tells of the dawn of days, that the Valar brought in order the seas, the lands and the mountains, that two mighty lamps were created to illuminate Middle-earth. [13-35] “But Melkor came forth suddenly to war, and struck the first blow, ere the Valar were prepared; and he assailed the lights … and cast down their pillars and broke their lamps.” [13-36]
The Valar withdrew from Middle-earth and built Valmar. „Before its western gate there was a green mound, … and Yavanna hallowed it, and she sat there long upon the green grass and sang a song of power … . In that time the Valar were gathered together to hear the song of Yavanna … . And as they watched, upon the mound there came forth two slender shoots; and silence was over all the worl in that hour, nor was there any other sound save the chanting of Yavanna. Under her song the saplings grew and became fair and tall, and came to flower; and thus there awoke in the world the Two Trees of Valinor.” [13-38] “The one had leaves of dark green that beneath were as shining silver, and from each of his countless flowers a dew of silver light was ever falling … . The other bore leaves of a young green like the new-opened beech; their edges were of glittering gold. Flowers swung upon her branches in clusters of yellow flame, formed each to a glowing horn that spilled a golden rain upon the ground. … Telperion the one was called in Valinor, … but Laurelin the other was … .” [13-38] “In seven hours the glory of each tree waxed to full and waned to naught; and each awoke once more to life an hour before the other ceased to shine. Thus in Valinor twice every day there came a gentle hour of softer light when both trees were faint and their gold and silver beams were mingled.” [13-38]
But Melkor invaded Valinor with Ungoliant, and “Then the Unlight of Ungoliant rose up even to the roots of the Trees, and Melkor sprang upon the mound; and with his black spear he smote each Tree to its core, wounded them deep, and their sap poured forth as it were their blood, and was spilled upon the ground. But Ungoliant sucked it up, and going then from Tree to Tree she set her black beak to their wounds, till they were drained; and the poison of Death that was in her went into their tissues and withered them, root, branch, and leaf;” [13-76]
“Then Manwë bade Yavanna and Nienna to put forth all their powers of growth and healing; and they put forth all their powers upon the Trees. But the tears of Nienna availed not to heal their mortal wounds; and for a long while Yavanna sang alone in the shadows. Yet even as hope failed and her song faltered, Telperion bore at last upon a leafless bough one great flower of silver, and Laurelin a single fruit of gold. These Yavanna took; and then the Trees died … . But the flower and the fruit Yavanna gave to Aulë, and Manwë hallowed them, and Aulë and his people made vessels to hold them and preserve their radiance … . These vessels the Valar gave to Varda, that they might become lamps of heaven … .” [13-98] [13-99] “Isil the Sheen the Vanyar of old named the Moon, flower of Telperion in Valinor; and Anar the Fire-golden, fruit of Laurelin, they named the Sun.” [13-99]
The Coming of the Elves
About the awakening of the Elves, the Firstborn of Ilúvatar, the following is reported in the Quenta Silmarillion: Varda made from the dews of Telperion “new stars and brighter against the coming of the Firstborn; wherefore she … was called after by the Elves Elentári, Queen of the Stars. … It is told that even as Varda ended her labours, … in that hour the Children of Earth awoke, the Firstborn of Ilúvatar. By the starlit mere of Cuiviénen, Water of Awakening, they rose from the sleep of Ilúvatar; and while they dwelt yet silent by Cuiviénen their eyes beheld first of all things the stars of heaven. Therefore they have ever loved the starlight … .” [13-48]
The Silmarils
Fëanor made the Silmarils. “As three great jewels they were in form.” [13-67] “And the inner fire of the Silmarils Fëanor made of the blended light of the Trees of Valinor, which lives in them yet, though the Trees have long withered and shine no more.” [13-67]
There are many stories about the Silmarils, but they are not relevant here, except for the one about the end of the Silmarils: Eärendil was given the choice of sharing the fate of the elves or the humans. He chose that of the Elves, and so was given immortality. His ship was named Vingilot. “But they took Vingolot, and hallowed it, and bore it away through Valinor to the uttermost rim of the world; and there it passed through th Door of Night and was lifted up even into the oceans of heaven. Now fair and marvellous was that vessel made, and it was filled with a wavering flame, pure and bright; and Eärendil the Mariner sat at the helm, glistening with dust of elven-gems, and the Silmaril was bound upon his brow. Far he journeyed in that ship, even into the starless voids; but most often he was seen at morning or at evening, glimmering in sunrise or sunset, as he came back to Valinor from voyages beyond the confines of the world. … Now when first Vingolot was set to sail in the seas of heaven, it rose unlooked 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.” [13-250]
It is told of Maedrhos, “he cast into a gaping chasm filled with fire, and so ended; and the Silmaril that he bore was taken into the bosom of the Earth. And it is told of Maglor that he could not endure the pain with which the Silmaril tormented him; and he cast it into the Sea, and thereafter he wandered even upon the shores, singing in pain and regret beside the waves. … 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.” [13-254]
Of the Rings of Power
Of the Rings of Power it is said that the Elves made many rings, “but secretly Sauron made One Ring to rule all the others, and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and their power was bound up with it, to be subject wholly to it and to last only so long as it too should last. … But the Elves fled from him; and three of their rings they saved, and bore them away, and hid them. Now these were the Three that had last been made, and they possessed the greatest powers. Narya, Nenya, and Vilya, they were named, the Rings of Fire, and of Water, and of Air, and set with ruby and adamant and sapphire; … But Sauron could not discover them, for they were given into the hands of the Wise, who concealed them and never again used them openly while Sauron kept the Ruling Ring. Therefore the Three remained unsullied, for they were forged by Celebrimbor alone, and the hand of Sauron had never touched them; yet they also were subject to the One.” [13-287] [13-288] “On the Three Rings that the Elves had preserved unsullied no open word was ever spoken among the Wise, and few even of the Eldar knew where they were bestowed. Yet after the fall of Sauron their power was ever at work, and where they abode there mirth also dwelt and all things were unstained by the griefs of time. Therefore ere the Third Age was ended the Elves perceived that thr Ring of Sapphire was with Elrond, in the fair valley of Rivendell, upon whose house the stars of heaven most brightly shone; whereas the Ring of Adamant was in the Land of Lórien where dwelt the Lady galadriel. A queen she was of the Noldor … and she was the mightiest and fairest of all the Elves that remained in Middle-earth. But the Red Ring remained hidden until the end, and none save Elrond and galadirel and Círdan knew to whom it had been committed. ” [13-298] “Even as the first shadows were felt in Mirkwood there appeared in the west of Middle-earth the Istari, whom Men called the Wizards. … Chief among them were those whom the Elves called Mithrandir and Curunír, but Men in the North named Gandalf and Saruman … but not until the time came for him [, Mithrandir,] to depart was it known that he had long guarded the Red Ring of Fire.” [13-299] [13-300]
Ælfreda
Ælfreda, the „Elven Power“, is dedicated to the Three Rings of Power, their bearers and the Elves, and these are represented by the ingredients of the mixed drink.
The transparent liquid is light, clear and pure, like the Three Rings that Melkor never touched. The sparkle of the ice symbolises the sparkle of the stars, created from the dew of Telperion, which the Elves first beheld when they awoke on Cuiviénen, and for the Silmaril, which appears as the Morning and Evening Star, as Venus. [8] [9]
Not only the three created Silmarils have a relation to air, water and fire, but also the Three Rings.
Narya, the Ring of Fire
Narya, the Ring of Fire, was kept by Gandalf, Servant of the Secret Fire and Lord of the Flame of Anor, [6] and is symbolised by the smoky aromas of fire-born Mezcal.
Nenya, the Ring of Water
Nenya, the Ring of Water, came to Galadriel in Lothlórien. Lothlórien was also called the Golden Forest, and the first inhabitants of the valley called their land Laurelindórenan, Land of the Valley of Singing Gold, or later Lothlórien, Land of Dreaming Blossoms. The Mallorn, also called the Golden Tree, descended from the tree of light Laurelin, the tree of the Valar, and bore golden yellow flowers in spring and summer. Its bark was smooth and silver-grey. Its leaves turned a dull gold in autumn and did not fall off until spring, when new leaves grew. [10] Nenya, Galadriel and the Golden Forest are symbolised by the essence of the golden apricots.
Vilya, the Ring of Air
Vilya, the Ring of Air, created of gold and set with a sapphire, was given to Elrond in Rivendell. [4] [5] He became known as a scholar and healer and patron of music. [7] The cocoa in the Ælfreda symbolises Vilya and Elrond.
To understand this connection, a little excursion into Aztec mythology is necessary. Vilya is the ring of air, and Quetzalcoatl is the god of wind to the Aztecs. [11]
The latter ruled over a land where there was neither pain nor sorrow, so in a way he can also be seen as a healer, and he gave cacao as a gift to the people. [12]
Interestingly, there is also still a connection to the Silmaril of the Air, which Earendil carries as a star across the sky. Quetzalcoatl often wears a star-shaped breastplate in the Aztec codices, symbolising Venus. [11]
Finally, it may be mentioned as a curiosity that 20 May, the day Ælfreda originated, is name day of “Elfriede”. This first name is the German variant of the English first name Elfreda. [2]
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elfriede Elfriede.
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elfriede Elfriede.
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elfen Elfen.
- http://www.tolkienwelt.de/mittelerde/die_ringe_der_macht.html#Drei Die drei Ringe der Elben.
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Rings Three Rings.
- http://ardapedia.herr-der-ringe-film.de/index.php/Geheimes_Feuer Geheimes Feuer.
- http://ardapedia.herr-der-ringe-film.de/index.php/Elrond Elrond.
- http://ardapedia.herr-der-ringe-film.de/index.php/Venus Venus.
- http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Star_of_E%C3%A4rendil Star of Eärendil.
- http://www.tolkienwelt.de/mittelerde/geographie-astronomie-und-flora-in-mittelerde/lothlorien-der-goldene-wald.html Lothlorien – Der Goldene Wald.
- https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quetzalcoatl Quetzalcoatl.
- http://www.creative-sugar-studio.de/kakao.htm Kakao – das braune Gold. Die Geschichte des Kakaobaums.
- https://archive.org/details/silmarillion0000tolk_l3l9 J. R. R. Tolkien: The Silmarillion. ISBN 0-395-25730-1.
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