Fëanor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Fëanor is a fictional character who is central to Tolkien's mythology as told in The Silmarillion. According to The Silmarillion, he was "the mightiest in skill of word and hand" and "the greatest of the Eldar in arts and lore" .

Fëanor was the eldest son of Finwë, the High King of the Noldor, and his first wife Míriel Þerindë. Fëanor's mother, Míriel, died after giving birth to him. Finwë remarried, and had two more sons, Fëanor's half-brothers Fingolfin and Finarfin, and two daughters, Findis and Irimë. His name is a compromise between the Sindarin Faenor and the Quenya Fëanáro, meaning "Spirit of fire". He was originally named Finwë or Finwion after his father and later Curufinwë ("Skillful (son of) Finwë"). Fëanor wedded Nerdanel daughter of Mahtan, who bore him seven sons: Maedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Caranthir, Curufin, Amrod and Amras.

Fëanor was the student of Mahtan, who was himself a student of Aulë. He was a craftsman and gem-smith, inventor of the Tengwar script. He also was the creator of the palantíri. It was around this time that Fëanor "in the greatest of his achievements, captured the light of the Two Trees to make the three Silmarils, also called the Great Jewels, though they were not mere glittering stones, they were alive, imperishable, and sacred" How Fëanor was able to create these objects is not fully explained. Even the Valar, including Aulë, could not copy them. In fact, Fëanor himself could not copy them, as part of his essence went into their making. Their worth, in Tolkien's universe, was close to infinite, even to the Valar, as they were unique and irreplaceable. So "Varda hallowed the Silmarils so that thereafter no mortal flesh, nor hands unclean, nor anything of evil will might touch them, but it was scorched and withered." Fëanor prized the Silmarils above all else, and grew increasingly suspicious that the Valar and other Eldar coveted them. Melkor, was released from 3 ages of imprisonment, pardoned and residing in Valinor. He started to corrupt the Noldor, particularly Fëanor. Fëanor did not trust Melkor and refused to communicate with him, but was still caught in Melkor's plot. "Melkor's desire the Silmarils and his hatred for Fëanor grew, but the Valar still did not know of Melkor's true intentions". Melkor used Fëanor's anger and pride against him. He lied and told Fëanor that his own half-brother Fingolfin was planning to usurp his place as heir to Finwë. Fëanor's in anger grew threatened Fingolfin's life. (It was at this time that the Noldor first began to forge weapons.) For this, the Valar exiled Fëanor to Formenos. He took a substantial treasure with him, including the Silmarils, which he put in a locked box. In support for his eldest son, Finwë also withdrew to Formenos. "The Valar then learned that Melkor was behind Fëanor's actions" They sent Tulkas to capture Melkor, but he had already escaped. Since with Finwë and Fëanor's absence Fingolfin had become king, it seemed that Melkor's lies were true. Melkor tried again to convince Fëanor of them, but Fëanor realized that Melkor's true goal was to obtain the Simarils. In a rage, Melkor left. The Valar trying invited Fëanor and Fingolfin to Valinor to make peace. Fingolfin offered a hand to his half-brother, recognizing Fëanor's place as the eldest, which he grudgingly accepted.

Meanwhile, Melkor went to Avathar in the south of Aman to seek out the evil, spider-like creature Ungoliant. Ungoliant helped Melkor destroy the Two Trees. Melkor and Ungoliant then went to Formenos, slew Finwë, and took the three sacred Silmarils. They then escaped by crossing the Helcaraxë, or Grinding Ice, in the north to Beleriand.

It was during the reuniting of Fëanor and Fingolfin that the Trees were destroyed. The Valar realising that now the light of the Trees survived only in the Silmarils, asked Fëanor to give them up so that they could restore the Trees. Fëanor said "It may be that I can unlock my jewels, but never again shall I make their like; and if I must break them, I shall break my heart" Tulkas tried to force Fëanor (Verbally) to give up the Silmarils. And it was after this that he stated that he would not give up the Silmarils of his own free will; if the Valar forced him, he said, they would be no better than Melkor.

Maedhros, Fëanor's eldest son, arrived and told that Finwë the High-King of the Noldor had been killed by Melkor (and so was the first Elf to be slain in Valinor). Melkor had then stolen the Silmarils as well as the other lesser jewels Fëanor had created. Without the living light from the Silmarils, Yavanna could not heal the two trees. Even though the Silmarils had been lost before he was asked, the fact that Fëanor refused the Valar's request was held against him by many other Eldar.

The Valar and Eldar now fully understood the extent of Melkor's treachery. Fëanor, upon learning of his father's murder and the theft of his prized Silmarils, named Melkor "Morgoth", or "Black Foe of the World" (literally "Black Enemy"), and by this name he would forever be known to the Elves. Now King of the Noldor, Fëanor delivered the most impassioned speech ever given in Arda, which he unwittingly filled with Morgoth's taint. He railed against the Great Enemy, but because of Morgoth's influence, he also blamed the Valar for Morgoth's deeds. He persuaded most his people that because the Valar had abandoned them, the Noldor must follow him to Middle-earth and fight Morgoth. Fëanor then swore the terrible oath of Fëanor which all seven of his sons also proclaimed, vowing to fight anyone and everyone — whether Elf, Man, Maia, or Vala — who withheld the Silmarils, and invoking even Ilúvatar as a witness. This became known as the Oath of Fëanor and later the cause for great tragedy among his seven sons.

Feanor leads the host of Noldor to Alqualondë and slaughters the Teleri for refusing the use of their ships. By Ted Nasmith

Seeking a way to get to Middle-earth, he went to the shores of Aman, where the seafaring Teleri lived, and asked for their aid. When Teleri refused to give or lend their ships, Fëanor ordered to man the ships and take them away. Teleri resisted, and a fighting broke out, in which many of them were slain. Later, it was named Kinslaying at Alqualondë.

In repentance of this act, Finarfin, Finwë's third son, took his host and turned back. They were accepted by the Valar, and Finarfin ruled as High-King of the Noldor in Valinor.

There were not enough ships to carry all of the Noldor across the sea, so Fëanor and his sons led the first group. Upon arriving at Losgar, in the land of Lammoth, in the far west of Beleriand, where Morgoth and Ungoliant had passed not long before, they decided to burn the ships and leave the followers of Fingolfin behind. The remaining Noldor saw the flames, and perceived that if they were to go to Middle-earth, they had no choice but to cross the Helcaraxë. Unwilling to return to Valinor, they did that under the leadership of Fingolfin, and suffered great losses along the way, which greatly added to the animosity they had for Fëanor and his sons.

Learning of the Noldor's arrival, Morgoth summoned his armies from his fortress of Angband and attacked Fëanor's encampment in Mithrim. This battle was called the Battle under the Stars, or Dagor-nuin-Giliath, for the Sun and Moon had not yet been made. The Noldor managed to win the battle, and destroy Morgoth's armies. Fëanor, still in a great rage, pressed on toward Angband with his sons. He came even within sight of Angband, but was ambushed by a force of Balrogs, with few elves about him. He fought mightily, hewing even after receiving several wounds from Gothmog, captain of the Balrogs. His sons came upon the balrogs with great force of elves, and were able to drive them off. However, as Fëanor was being escorted off the battlefield, he knew his wounds were mortal. He cursed Morgoth thrice, but with the eyes of death, he knew that his elves, unaided, would never throw down the dark towers of Thangorodrim. Nevertheless, he told his sons to keep the oath and to avenge their father. At the moment of his death the passing of his fiery spirit reduced his body to ashes.

His sons were still bound by the Oath to recover the Silmarils, which would determine the events of Middle-earth during the First Age.

According to a prophecy of Mandos following Melkor's final return and defeat in the Dagor Dagorath (Battle of Battles), the world will be changed and the Silmarils will be recovered by the Valar. Fëanor will be released from the Halls of Mandos. He shall give Yavanna the Silmarils and she will break them and with their light she will revive the Two Trees, the Pelóri Mountains will be flattened and the light of the Two Trees will fill the world in eternal bliss.

[edit] See also

• House of Finwë