Fëanor

Fëanor () is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's ''The Silmarillion''. He was the eldest son of Finwë, the King of the Noldor, 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 Morgoth 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 for the greater part of the First Age, 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's temptation of Adam and Eve, and the desire for godlike knowledge as in the Garden of Eden. Others have likened Fëanor to the Anglo-Saxon leader Byrhtnoth whose foolish pride led to defeat and death at the Battle of Maldon. Tom Shippey 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's 1947 novel '' Doctor Faustus'', noting that both that novel and Tolkien's own legendarium 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 and Finarfin.

Fëanor was the student of his father-in-law Mahtan, who was a student of the Vala Aulë. He was a craftsman and gem-smith, inventor of the Tengwar script, and the creator of the '' palantíri''.

Silmarils

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.", 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 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, recently released from imprisonment and now residing in Valinor, saw an opportunity to sow dissent among the Noldor. 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 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 Eä." 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., 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 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 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 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 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, 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 Balrogs, with few elves about him. He fought mightily with Gothmog, 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.

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, 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 the two surviving oath-takers, Maedhros 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, the world will be changed and the Valar will recover the Silmarils. Fëanor will be released from the Halls of Mandos 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

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

All the characters shown are Elves.

Development

Fëanor was originally named Curufinwë ("skilful on of Finwë") in Tolkien's fictional language of Quenya. 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 three earliest versions are found in ''The Lays of Beleriand'': in alliterative verse (circa 1918–1920s), in chapter 2, "Poems Early Abandoned" ''The Flight of the Noldoli from Valinor''. Lines 132–141; in rhyming couplets (circa 1928), in chapter 3, "The Lay of Leithian". 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''. 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 sees Fëanor's pride as Biblical, writing that Morgoth's corruption of elves and men "mirrors that of Adam and Eve by Satan; the desire for power and godlike being is the same desire for knowledge of good and evil witnessed in the Garden of Eden." 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, Sauron, who becomes the Dark Lord of ''The Lord of the Rings''.

The philologist Elizabeth Solopova suggests that the character of Fëanor was inspired by Byrhtnoth from the Anglo-Saxon poem "The Battle of Maldon" 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 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, sharing their perhaps licit, perhaps illicit desire to 'sub-create'."

John Ellison, writing in '' Mallorn'', draws a comparison between Fëanor's ultimately self-destructive pride and that of Adrian Leverkühn, the protagonist in Thomas Mann'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) 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'': 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 band Summoning's album '' Oath Bound''s name comes from the Oath of Fëanor; the lyrics are about the ''Quenta Silmarillion''. Blind Guardian

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases