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Fëanor () is a fictional character in
J. R. R. Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...
's ''
The Silmarillion ''The Silmarillion'' () is a collection of myths and stories in varying styles by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, assisted by the fantasy author Guy Gavriel ...
''. He was the eldest son of Finwë, the King of the
Noldor In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor (also spelled Ñoldor, meaning ''those with knowledge'' in his constructed language Quenya) were a kindred of Elf (Middle-earth), Elves who migrated west to the blessed realm of Valinor from the conti ...
, and his first wife Míriel. As a great loremaster and creator, he improved the Sarati alphabet, inventing Tengwar text, and creates the three Silmarils, the skilfully-forged jewels that give the book their name and theme. Palantir and the Feanorian Lamps are also his creations. Fëanor's Silmarils form a central theme of ''The Silmarillion'' as the human and elvish characters battle with the forces of evil for their possession. After the
Dark Lord In fiction and mythology, a dark lord (sometimes capitalized as Dark Lord or referred to as an Evil Overlord, Evil Emperor etc. depending on the work) is an antagonistic archetype, acting as the pinnacle of villainy and evil within a typicall ...
Morgoth Morgoth Bauglir (; originally Melkor ) is a character, one of the godlike Valar, from Tolkien's legendarium. He is the main antagonist of ''The Silmarillion'', ''The Children of Húrin'', ''Beren and Lúthien'' and ''The Fall of Gondolin''. ...
steals the Silmarils and kills Finwe, Fëanor's father, Fëanor and his seven sons swear the Oath of Fëanor, vowing to fight anyone who withhold their Silmarils. Fëanor led the Noldors back to the Middle-earth, but died soon after his arrival. Later, his sons were united in the cause of defeating Morgoth and revenging their father. They lived on in relative harmony with the Eldar of
Beleriand In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work ''The Silmarillion'', which tells the story of the early ages of Middle-e ...
for the greater part of the
First Age In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the history of Arda, also called the history of Middle-earth, began when the Ainur entered Arda, following the creation events in the Ainulindalë and long ages of labour throughout Eä, the fictional univer ...
, but had more conflicts with other Elves who claimed the Silmarils. Scholars have seen Fëanor's pride as Biblical, alongside Morgoth's corruption of elves and men as reflecting
Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
's temptation of
Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...
, and the desire for godlike knowledge as in the
Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden ( he, גַּן־עֵדֶן, ) or Garden of God (, and גַן־אֱלֹהִים ''gan-Elohim''), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the Bible, biblical paradise described in Book of Genesis, Genes ...
. Others have likened Fëanor to the Anglo-Saxon leader
Byrhtnoth Byrhtnoth ( ang, Byrhtnoð), Ealdorman of Essex ( 931 - 11 August 991), died at the Battle of Maldon. His name is composed of the Old English ''beorht'' (bright) and ''noþ'' (courage). He is the subject of ''The Battle of Maldon'', an Old Eng ...
whose foolish pride led to defeat and death at the
Battle of Maldon The Battle of Maldon took place on 11 August 991 AD near Maldon beside the River Blackwater in Essex, England, during the reign of Æthelred the Unready. Earl Byrhtnoth and his thegns led the English against a Viking invasion. The battl ...
.
Tom Shippey Thomas Alan Shippey (born 9 September 1943) is a British medievalist, a retired scholar of Middle and Old English literature as well as of modern fantasy and science fiction. He is considered one of the world's leading academic experts on the ...
writes that the pride is specifically a desire to make things that reflect their own personality, and likens this to Tolkien's own desire to sub-create. John Ellison further likens this creative pride to that of the protagonist in
Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novella ...
's 1947 novel '' Doctor Faustus'', noting that both that novel and Tolkien's own
legendarium Tolkien's legendarium is the body of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic writing, unpublished in his lifetime, that forms the background to his ''The Lord of the Rings'', and which his son Christopher summarized in his compilation of ''The Silmarill ...
were responses to World War.


Fictional history


Early life

Fëanor's mother, Míriel, died, exhausted, shortly after giving birth. Fëanor "was made the mightiest in all parts of body and mind: in valour, in endurance, in beauty, in understanding, in skill, in strength and subtlety alike: of all the Children of Ilúvatar, and a bright flame was in him." However, Finwë still remarried and had several children, including Fëanor's half-brothers
Fingolfin Fingolfin () is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, appearing in ''The Silmarillion''. He was the son of Finwë, High King of the Noldor. He was threatened by his half-brother Fëanor, who held him in contempt for not being a pure-br ...
and
Finarfin In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor (also spelled Ñoldor, meaning ''those with knowledge'' in his constructed language Quenya) were a kindred of Elves who migrated west to the blessed realm of Valinor from the continent of Middle-ear ...
. Fëanor was the student of his father-in-law Mahtan, who was a student of the Vala
Aulë The Valar (; singular Vala) are characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are "angelic powers" or "gods", #154 to Naomi Mitchison, September 1954 subordinate to the one God ( Eru Ilúvatar). The Ainulindalë describes how those of the ...
. He was a craftsman and gem-smith, inventor of the
Tengwar The Tengwar script is an artificial script, one of several scripts created by J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of ''The Lord of the Rings''. Within the fictional context of Middle-earth, the Tengwar were invented by the Elf Fëanor, and use ...
script, and the creator of the '' palantíri''.


Silmarils

Fëanor, "in the greatest of his achievements, captured the light of the
Two Trees 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...
to make the three Silmarils, also called the Great Jewels, though they were not mere glittering stones, they were alive, imperishable, and sacred.", Chapter 7, "Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor" Even the Valar could not copy them. In fact, Fëanor himself could not copy them, as part of his essence went into their making. Their worth was close to infinite, as they were unique and irreplaceable. So "
Varda Varda may refer to: People * Agnès Varda (1928–2019), French film director and professor *Jean Varda (1893–1971), Greek artist * Ratko Varda (born 1979), Bosnian basketball player *Rosalie Varda (born 1958), French costume designer, produce ...
hallowed the Silmarils so that thereafter no mortal flesh, nor hands unclean, nor anything of evil will might touch them, for it would be scorched and withered." Fëanor prized the Silmarils, and grew suspicious of the Valar and Eldar who he believed coveted them.
Melkor Morgoth Bauglir (; originally Melkor ) is a character, one of the godlike Valar, from Tolkien's legendarium. He is the main antagonist of ''The Silmarillion'', ''The Children of Húrin'', '' Beren and Lúthien'' and ''The Fall of Gondolin''. ...
, recently released from imprisonment and now residing in
Valinor Valinor ( Quenya'': Land of the Valar'') or the Blessed Realms is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the home of the immortal Valar on the continent of Aman, far to the west of Middle-earth; he used the name Aman mainly to m ...
, saw an opportunity to sow dissent among the
Noldor In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor (also spelled Ñoldor, meaning ''those with knowledge'' in his constructed language Quenya) were a kindred of Elf (Middle-earth), Elves who migrated west to the blessed realm of Valinor from the conti ...
. Fëanor refused to communicate with Melkor, but was still caught in his plot. Fëanor warned Fingolfin not to spread lies about him, sow discord and alienate him and their father when hearing Fingolfin doing so. As punishment, the Valar exiled Fëanor to Formenos for twelve years. He took a treasure with him, including the Silmarils, which he put in a locked box. Finwë also withdrew to Formenos. Fingolfin took their place as king. The Valar learnt that Melkor was manipulating Fëanor, and sent
Tulkas The Valar (; singular Vala) are characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are "angelic powers" or "gods", #154 to Naomi Mitchison, September 1954 subordinate to the one God ( Eru Ilúvatar). The Ainulindalë describes how those of the ...
to capture Melkor, but he had already escaped. Fëanor wisely realised that Melkor's goal was to obtain the Silmarils, "and he shut the doors of his house in the face of the mightiest of all the dwellers in
The cosmology of J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium combines aspects of Christian theology and metaphysics with pre-modern cosmological concepts in the flat Earth paradigm, along with the modern spherical Earth view of the Solar System. The created ...
." The Valar invited Fëanor and Fingolfin to Valinor to make peace. Fingolfin offered a hand to his half-brother, recognising Fëanor's place as the eldest, but after Finwe's death claimed High Kingship himself. Fëanor accepted, but The Two Trees were destroyed by Melkor with the aid of
Ungoliant Ungoliant () is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, described as an evil spirit in the form of a spider. Her name means "dark spider" in Sindarin. She is mentioned briefly in ''The Lord of the Rings'', and plays a supporting ...
., Chapter 8, "Of the Darkening of Valinor" 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 replied: "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.", Chapter 9, "Of the Flight of the Noldor" He refused to give up the Silmarils of his own free will. Messengers from Formenos told him that Melkor had killed Finwë and stolen the Silmarils.
Yavanna The Valar (; singular Vala) are characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are "angelic powers" or "gods", #154 to Naomi Mitchison, September 1954 subordinate to the one God ( Eru Ilúvatar). The Ainulindalë describes how those of the ...
was thus unable to heal the Two Trees. Fëanor named Melkor "Morgoth", "Black Enemy". Fëanor railed against the Great Enemy, blaming the Valar for Morgoth's deeds.
Then Fëanor rose, and lifting up his hand before Manwë he cursed Melkor, naming him Morgoth, the Black Foe of the World; and by that name only was he known to the Eldar ever after. And he cursed also the summons of Manwë and the hour in which he came to Taniquetil, thinking in the madness of his rage and grief that had he been at Formenos his strength would have availed more than to be slain also, as Melkor had purposed. Then Fëanor ran from the Ring of Doom, and fled into the night; for his father was dearer to him than the Light of Valinor or the peerless works of his hands; and who among sons, of Elves or of Men, have held their fathers of greater worth?
He persuaded most of his people that because the Valar had abandoned them, the Noldor must follow him to
Middle-earth Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the ''Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf''. Middle-earth is t ...
to avenge Finwë. Together with his seven sons, they swore the Oath of Fëanor:


Return to Beleriand

To get to Middle-earth, Fëanor went to the shores of Aman, and asked the seafaring
Teleri In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Elf (Middle-earth), Elves or Quendi are a sundered (divided) people. They awoke at Cuiviénen on the continent of Middle-earth, where they were divided into three tribes: Minyar (the Firsts), Tatyar (the Se ...
for their aid. When they refused, Fëanor ordered the Noldor to steal the ships. The Teleri resisted, and many of them were killed. The battle became known as the Kinslaying at Alqualondë, or the first kinslaying. His sons would commit two other acts of warfare against elves in
Middle-earth Middle-earth is the fictional setting of much of the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy. The term is equivalent to the ''Miðgarðr'' of Norse mythology and ''Middangeard'' in Old English works, including ''Beowulf''. Middle-earth is t ...
in his name. In repentance, 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. The remaining Elves, those who followed Fëanor and
Fingolfin Fingolfin () is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, appearing in ''The Silmarillion''. He was the son of Finwë, High King of the Noldor. He was threatened by his half-brother Fëanor, who held him in contempt for not being a pure-br ...
, became subject to the Doom of Mandos. There were not enough ships to carry all of the Noldor across the sea, so Fëanor and his sons led the first group. Feanor knew that Fingolfin cursed him and changed his name to "Finwe Nolofinwe," further requiring the High Kingship of all Noldor. . Upon arriving at Losgar, in Lammoth in the far west of Beleriand, they decided to burn the ships and leave those who curse him behind, thinking they would go back under the rules of the Valar. 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 won the battle. Fëanor pressed on toward Angband with his sons. He came within sight of Angband, but was ambushed by a force of
Balrog A Balrog () is a powerful demonic monster in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. One first appeared in print in his high-fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings'', where the Fellowship of the Ring (characters), Fellowship of the Ring encounter a Bal ...
s, with few elves about him. He fought mightily with
Gothmog A Balrog () is a powerful demonic monster in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. One first appeared in print in his high-fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings'', where the Fellowship of the Ring encounter a Balrog known as Durin's Bane in the M ...
, captain of the Balrogs. His sons came upon the Balrogs with a great force of elves, and drove them off; but Fëanor knew his wounds were fatal. He cursed Morgoth thrice, but with the eyes of death, he saw that his elves, unaided, would never throw down the dark towers of
Thangorodrim In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work ''The Silmarillion'', which tells the story of the early ages of Middle- ...
.
Fëanor bade them halt; for his wounds were mortal, and he knew that his hour was come. And looking out from the slopes of Ered Wethrin with his last sight he beheld far off the peaks of Thangorodrim, mightiest of the towers of Middle-earth, and knew with the foreknowledge of death that no power of the Noldor would ever overthrow them; but he cursed the name of Morgoth thrice, and laid it upon his sons to hold to their oath, and to avenge their father.


Aftermath

The Oath of Fëanor affected the lovers Beren and Lúthien. They stoled a Silmaril from Morgoth. Their son Dior inherited it, but it awoke the oath and caused the Sons of Fëanor to make war on the Elves of Doriath when Dior refused to return the Silmaril. The brothers killed Dior and sacked the halls of the
Sindar In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the Elves or Quendi are a sundered (divided) people. They awoke at Cuiviénen on the continent of Middle-earth, where they were divided into three tribes: Minyar (the Firsts), Tatyar (the Seconds) and Nelya ...
, the second Kinslaying, where three of their number—Celegorm, Curufin, and Caranthir—died. The Silmaril escaped the destruction of Doriath, and the oath drove the remaining sons onwards. When the Sons of Fëanor learned that it was possessed by Elwing, daughter of Dior, they attacked after Elwing also refused to return the Silmaril to them, the third and final Kinslaying where Amras was slain., Chapter 19, "Of Beren and Lúthien" The Silmaril escaped them again and was borne by Eärendil into the West., Chapter 24, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil" That Silmaril was lost to the Sons of Fëanor, but two more remained inside the crown of Morgoth. At the end of the
War of Wrath In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the history of Arda, also called the history of Middle-earth, began when the Ainur entered Arda, following the creation events in the Ainulindalë and long ages of labour throughout Eä, the fictional unive ...
the two surviving oath-takers,
Maedhros Maedhros () is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, first introduced as a major character in ''The Silmarillion'' and later mentioned in ''Unfinished Tales'' and ''The Children of Húrin''. Maedhros was a mighty Noldorin Elf ...
and Maglor, stole the two Silmarils from the camp of the victorious Hosts of Valinor. Due to the terrible deeds committed by the brothers in their retrieval of the Silmarils, they could not handle the Silmarils without enduring searing pain. The two brothers parted: in their anguish Maedhros threw himself and his Silmaril into a fiery chasm, while Maglor cast his Silmaril into the sea, spending eternity wandering the shore, lamenting his fate. According to Mandos' prophecy, following Melkor's final return and defeat in the
Dagor Dagorath In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the history of Arda, also called the history of Middle-earth, began when the Ainur entered Arda, following the creation events in the Ainulindalë and long ages of labour throughout Eä, the fictional unive ...
, the world will be changed and the Valar will recover the Silmarils. Fëanor will be released from the
Halls of Mandos Valinor ( Quenya'': Land of the Valar'') or the Blessed Realms is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the home of the immortal Valar on the continent of Aman, far to the west of Middle-earth; he used the name Aman mainly to ...
and give Yavanna the Silmarils. Fëanor will break them, and Yavanna 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., ch. 3: "Quenta Noldorinwa", Part 2, "The Later Quenta Silmarillion", "The Last Chapters of the Quenta Silmarillion"


House of Fëanor

Kings of the Noldor in

Valinor Valinor ( Quenya'': Land of the Valar'') or the Blessed Realms is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the home of the immortal Valar on the continent of Aman, far to the west of Middle-earth; he used the name Aman mainly to m ...

High Kings of the Noldor in Exile (in Middle-earth)

All the characters shown are
Elves An elf () is a type of humanoid supernatural being in Germanic mythology and folklore. Elves appear especially in North Germanic mythology. They are subsequently mentioned in Snorri Sturluson's Icelandic Prose Edda. He distinguishes "ligh ...
.


Development

Fëanor was originally named Curufinwë ("skilful
on of On, on, or ON may refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * On (band), a solo project of Ken Andrews * On (EP), ''On'' (EP), a 1993 EP by Aphex Twin * On (Echobelly album), ''On'' (Echobelly album), 1995 * On (Gary Glitter album), ''On'' (Gary Glit ...
Finwë") in Tolkien's
fictional language Fictional languages are the subset of constructed languages (conlangs) that have been created as part of a fictional setting (e.g. for use in a book, movie, television show, or video game). Typically they are the creation of one individual, while ...
of
Quenya Quenya ()Tolkien wrote in his "Outline of Phonology" (in ''Parma Eldalamberon'' 19, p. 74) dedicated to the phonology of Quenya: is "a sound as in English ''new''". In Quenya is a combination of consonants, ibidem., p. 81. is a constructed la ...
. He is known as Fëanáro, "spirit of fire" in Quenya, from ''fëa'' ("spirit") and ''nár'' ("flame"). Fëanáro is his "mother-name" or ''Amilessë'', the name given by an Elf's mother at, or some years after, birth and it was one of their true names., Chapter 11 "The Shibboleth of Fëanor" Tolkien wrote at least four versions of the Oath of Fëanor itself, as found in ''
The History of Middle-earth ''The History of Middle-earth'' is a 12-volume series of books published between 1983 and 1996 that collect and analyse much of Tolkien's legendarium, compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. The series shows the development over ti ...
.'' The three earliest versions are found in ''
The Lays of Beleriand ''The Lays of Beleriand'', published in 1985, is the third volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume book series, ''The History of Middle-earth'', in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien. Book Inscrip ...
'': in
alliterative verse In prosody, alliterative verse is a form of verse that uses alliteration as the principal ornamental device to help indicate the underlying metrical structure, as opposed to other devices such as rhyme. The most commonly studied traditions of ...
(circa 1918–1920s), in chapter 2, "Poems Early Abandoned" ''The Flight of the Noldoli from Valinor''. Lines 132–141; in rhyming
couplets A couplet is a pair of successive lines of metre in poetry. A couplet usually consists of two successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (or closed) couplet, each of the ...
(circa 1928), in chapter 3, "
The Lay of Leithian ''The Lays of Beleriand'', published in 1985, is the third volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume book series, ''The History of Middle-earth'', in which he analyzes the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien. Book Inscr ...
". Canto VI, lines 1628–1643; and in a different form as restated by Celegorm, third son of Fëanor, in chapter 3, "The Lay of Leithian." Canto VI, lines 1848–1857. A later version is found in ''
Morgoth's Ring ''Morgoth's Ring'' (1993) is the tenth volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume series ''The History of Middle-earth'' in which he analyses the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R. Tolkien. Book Overview This volume, along with ...
''. Fëanor is among those major characters whom Tolkien, who also used to illustrate his writings, supplied with a distinct heraldic device.


Analysis


Pride

The Tolkien scholar
Jane Chance Jane Chance (born 1945), also known as Jane Chance Nitzsche, is an American scholar specializing in medieval English literature, gender studies, and J. R. R. Tolkien. She spent most of her career at Rice University, where since her retirement she ha ...
sees Fëanor's pride as Biblical, writing that Morgoth's corruption of elves and men "mirrors that of
Adam and Eve Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman. They are central to the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. ...
by
Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as Devil in Christianity, the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an non-physical entity, entity in the Abrahamic religions ...
; the desire for power and godlike being is the same desire for knowledge of good and evil witnessed in the
Garden of Eden In Abrahamic religions, the Garden of Eden ( he, גַּן־עֵדֶן, ) or Garden of God (, and גַן־אֱלֹהִים ''gan-Elohim''), also called the Terrestrial Paradise, is the Bible, biblical paradise described in Book of Genesis, Genes ...
." She treats the Silmarils as symbols of that same desire, identifying Fëanor's wish to be like the Valar in creating "things of his own" as rebellious pride, and pointing out that his rebellion is echoed by that of the Numenorean man Ar-Pharazon, and then at the end of ''The Silmarillion'' by the (angelic)
Maia Maia (; Ancient Greek: Μαῖα; also spelled Maie, ; la, Maia), in ancient Greek religion and mythology, is one of the Pleiades and the mother of Hermes, one of the major Greek gods, by Zeus, the king of Olympus. Family Maia is the daugh ...
,
Sauron Sauron (pronounced ) is the title character and the primary antagonist, through the forging of the One Ring, of J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Lord of the Rings'', where he rules the land of Mordor and has the ambition of ruling the whole of Midd ...
, who becomes the
Dark Lord In fiction and mythology, a dark lord (sometimes capitalized as Dark Lord or referred to as an Evil Overlord, Evil Emperor etc. depending on the work) is an antagonistic archetype, acting as the pinnacle of villainy and evil within a typicall ...
of ''
The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's boo ...
''. The philologist
Elizabeth Solopova Elizabeth Solopova is a Russian-British philologist and medievalist undertaking research at New College, Oxford. She is known outside academic circles for her work on J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth writings. Life Elizabeth Solopova was born i ...
suggests that the character of Fëanor was inspired by
Byrhtnoth Byrhtnoth ( ang, Byrhtnoð), Ealdorman of Essex ( 931 - 11 August 991), died at the Battle of Maldon. His name is composed of the Old English ''beorht'' (bright) and ''noþ'' (courage). He is the subject of ''The Battle of Maldon'', an Old Eng ...
from the Anglo-Saxon poem "
The Battle of Maldon "The Battle of Maldon" is the name given to an Old English poem of uncertain date celebrating the real Battle of Maldon of 991, at which an Anglo-Saxon army failed to repulse a Viking raid. Only 325 lines of the poem are extant; both the beginnin ...
" who is slain in battle. Tolkien has described Byrhtnoth as misled by "pride and misplaced chivalry proven fatal" and as "too foolish to be heroic",, pp. 4, 22 and Fëanor is driven by "overmastering pride" that causes his own death and that of countless followers.


Pride in sub-creation

The Tolkien scholar
Tom Shippey Thomas Alan Shippey (born 9 September 1943) is a British medievalist, a retired scholar of Middle and Old English literature as well as of modern fantasy and science fiction. He is considered one of the world's leading academic experts on the ...
comments that Fëanor and his Silmarils relate to ''The Silmarillion''s theme in a particular way: the sin of the elves is not human pride, as in the Biblical fall, but their "desire to make things which will forever reflect or incarnate their own personality". This elvish form of pride leads Fëanor to forge the Silmarils, and, Shippey suggests, led Tolkien to write his fictions: "Tolkien could not help seeing a part of himself in Fëanor and
Saruman Saruman, also called Saruman the White, is a fictional character of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is leader of the Istari, wizards sent to Middle-earth in human form by the godlike Valar to challenge Sauron, t ...
, sharing their perhaps licit, perhaps illicit desire to 'sub-create'." John Ellison, writing in ''
Mallorn This list of fictional plants describes invented plants that appear in works of fiction. In fiction *Audrey Jr.: a man-eating plant in the 1960 film ''The Little Shop of Horrors'' **Audrey II: a singing, fast-talking alien plant with a taste for ...
'', draws a comparison between Fëanor's ultimately self-destructive pride and that of
Adrian Leverkühn ''Doctor Faustus'' is a German novel written by Thomas Mann, begun in 1943 and published in 1947 as ''Doktor Faustus: Das Leben des deutschen Tonsetzers Adrian Leverkühn, erzählt von einem Freunde'' ("Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Com ...
, the protagonist in
Thomas Mann Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novella ...
's 1947 novel '' Doctor Faustus: The Life of the German Composer Adrian Leverkühn, Told by a Friend''. In his view, the life history of both characters is of "genius corrupted finally into insanity; the creative drive turns on its possessor and destroys him, and with him a good part of the fabric of society." He describes as parallel Mann's depiction of Leverkühn in a collapsing Nazi Germany and Tolkien's starting his mythology amidst the collapse of pre-1914 Europe: he likens the "Good German" narrator Zeitblom (who does not support the Nazis) to one of "the Faithful" (like
Elendil Elendil is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He is mentioned in ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Silmarillion'' and ''Unfinished Tales''. He was the father of Isildur and Anárion, last lord of Andúnië on the island of ...
) among the gone-to-bad Númenóreans. Fëanor is, he writes, not an exact equivalent of Doctor Faustus: he does not make a pact with the devil; but both Fëanor and Leverkühn outgrow their teachers in creative skill. Ellison calls Leverkühn "a Fëanor of our times", and comments that far from being a simple battle of good versus evil, Tolkien's world as seen in Fëanor has "the creative and destructive forces in man's nature ... indivisibly linked; this is the essence of the ' fallen world' in which we live." Like Shippey, Ellison relates Fëanor's making of the Silmarils to what he supposes was Tolkien's own belief: that it was "a dangerous and impermissible act" that went beyond what the Creator had intended for the Elves. Further, Ellison suggests that while Fëanor does not directly represent Tolkien, there is something about his action that can be applied to Tolkien's life. Tolkien calls Fëanor "fey"; Ellison notes that Tolkien analysed his own name as ''tollkühn'', with the same meaning. Further, Tolkien seems, Ellison writes, to have felt a conflict between his own "sub-creation" and his Catholic faith. He worked out and justified his fantasy writing in his essay ''
On Fairy-Stories "On Fairy-Stories" is an essay by J. R. R. Tolkien which discusses the fairy story as a literary form. It was written as a lecture entitled "Fairy Stories" for the Andrew Lang lecture at the University of St Andrews, Scotland, on 8 March 1939 ...
'': the creative artist may have had a subordinate role but all the same, sub-creation was "supremely important". Ellison notes that Tolkien was disinclined to finish any of his works: he had to be pushed to complete ''The Hobbit'' and "did not think of ''The Lord of the Rings'' as something independently complete in itself", but as the last part of "a triptych", the rest of which ( his legendarium) "remained unfilled" in his lifetime.


In popular culture

The
black metal Black metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include Tempo#Beats per minute, fast tempos, a Screaming (music)#Black metal, shrieking vocal style, heavily distorted Electric guitar, guitars played with t ...
band Summoning's album '' Oath Bound''s name comes from the
Oath of Fëanor Traditionally an oath (from Anglo-Saxon ', also called plight) is either a statement of fact or a promise taken by a sacrality as a sign of verity. A common legal substitute for those who conscientiously object to making sacred oaths is to ...
; the lyrics are about the ''
Quenta Silmarillion ''The Silmarillion'' () is a collection of myths and stories in varying styles by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, assisted by the fantasy author Guy Gavriel ...
''.
Blind Guardian Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in 1984 in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres.Nightfall in Middle Earth ''Nightfall in Middle-Earth'' is the sixth studio album by German power metal band Blind Guardian. It was released on 28 April 1998 through Virgin Records. It is a concept album based upon J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Silmarillion'', a book of tales ...
'', tells of Fëanor swearing to go after Morgoth. The Russian
power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in contra ...
band
Epidemia Epidemia (russian: Эпидемия, sometimes referred to as 'Epi' by fans) is a Russian power metal band famous for doing the Elven Manuscript metal opera in 2004. It was formed by guitarist Yuri "Juron" Melisov in 1993, with the first songs ...
has a song entitled "Fëanor" about the character's campaign against Morgoth, and his death.


See also

*
Galadriel Galadriel (IPA: Help:IPA, aˈladri.ɛl is a Character (arts), character created by J. R. R. Tolkien in his Middle-earth writings. She appears in ''The Lord of the Rings'', ''The Silmarillion'', and ''Unfinished Tales''. She ...


Notes


References


Primary

::''This list identifies each item's location in Tolkien's writings.''


Secondary


Sources

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Feanor Characters in The Silmarillion Literary characters introduced in 1977 Fictional royalty Fictional swordfighters Fictional mass murderers Noldor Middle-earth rulers pl:Lista Calaquendich#Fëanor