Back in December, I planned to develop the next chapter of The Valar. I chose to portray Mandos, the doomsman of the Valar and ruler of the dead. In The Silmarillion he dwells in The Halls of Mandos where he summons the spirits of the slain. Mandos is described to be the grimmest of the Valar, but he doesn't have any ill intent, nor is he dark or evil. His grimness is wholly part of his nature.
When it came to portraying Mandos, I wanted to keep the styling simple, and portray the conflicting feelings of grief, but also show a powerful character. I wanted to portray the feelings of solitude, how you can feel strong one moment, and then feel the overwhelming wave of grief unsuspectingly creeping up on you.
For this photo shoot, we packed our things and headed on up to Castell Dinas Bran in Llangollen. Dinas Bran loosely translates to Crow City, Crow Castle, Hill of the Crow, or Bran’s Stronghold in the Welsh language (Game of Thrones anyone?). Crows are often linked to death so thought this was a fitting location to portray Mandos.
Keep scrolling to see my portrayal of Mandos, and drop a comment if you fancy!
Photography & Post Processing - Amelia Gale-Hasleham Photography
Model - Jacek Marcinkowski