Fingon: Difference between revisions
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===In Hithlum=== | ===In Hithlum=== | ||
Following the great victory of the [[Noldor]] in the [[Dagor Aglareb]], the Glorious Battle, Fingon lived in a watchful peace known as the [[Siege of Angband]]. | Following the great victory of the [[Noldor]] in the [[Dagor Aglareb]], the Glorious Battle, Fingon lived in a watchful peace known as the [[Siege of Angband]].<ref name="Return"/> In {{FA|155}}, [[Morgoth]] sent a force of along the coast to [[Drengist]] to attack [[Hithlum]] from the west; having been seen by the [[Noldor]], Fingon heavily defeated the Orcs causing Morgoth to realise that orcs alone were no match for the Elves.<ref>{{GA|155}}</ref> Over a hundred years later in {{FA|260}}, the great [[Dragons|dragon]] [[Glaurung]] came forth from [[Angband]] to attack the Elves;<ref name="GA260">{{GA|260}}</ref> although a new breed of [[fire-drakes|fire-drake]], Glaurung was still relatively young and only half-grown. The Elves fled to [[Ered Wethrin]] and [[Dorthonion]] as Glaurung defiled the [[Ard-galen]], but Fingon led a troop of archers on horseback to attach Glaurung - he could not withstand their arrows and fled, and for the next 200 years the peoples of [[Beleriand]] enjoyed the [[Long Peace]] and grew prosperous.<ref name="Return" /> In {{FA|416}}, [[Fingolfin]] grants [[Dor-lómin]] to the [[House of Hador]], the third house of the [[Edain]].<ref>{{WJ|14}}, p. 228</ref> | ||
In winter {{FA|455}}, rivers of fire suddenly sprang forth from [[Angband]], turning the Ard-galen into the [[Anfauglith]]; this began the [[Dagor Bragollach]], the Battle of Sudden Flame.<ref name="Ruin">[{S|Ruin}}</ref> The dragon Glaurung led armies of [[Balrogs]] and [[Orcs]] in battle that resulted in the deaths of many elves and men due to the fire and smoke, or being slain; the remaining forces of the Noldor were scattered following this heavy defeat. Perceiving the ruin of the Noldor, Fingon's father Fingolfin challenged Morgoth to single combat; Fingolfin fought valiantly and although he died in the battle, Morgoth himself was wounded and never again fought in single combat. Fingon became [[High King of the Noldor]].<ref name="Ruin" /><ref name="Realms" /> | In winter {{FA|455}}, rivers of fire suddenly sprang forth from [[Angband]], turning the Ard-galen into the [[Anfauglith]]; this began the [[Dagor Bragollach]], the Battle of Sudden Flame.<ref name="Ruin">[{S|Ruin}}</ref> The dragon Glaurung led armies of [[Balrogs]] and [[Orcs]] in battle that resulted in the deaths of many elves and men due to the fire and smoke, or being slain; the remaining forces of the Noldor were scattered following this heavy defeat. Perceiving the ruin of the Noldor, Fingon's father Fingolfin challenged Morgoth to single combat; Fingolfin fought valiantly and although he died in the battle, Morgoth himself was wounded and never again fought in single combat. Fingon became [[High King of the Noldor]].<ref name="Ruin" /><ref name="Realms" /> | ||
Revision as of 19:03, 24 December 2018
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| Fingon | |
|---|---|
| Noldo | |
 | |
| "Fingon" by Anna Lee | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Pronunciation | [ˈfiŋɡon] (S) |
| Other names | Findekáno (Q, fn) |
| Titles | High King of the Noldor |
| Location | Tirion; Dor-lómin |
| Affiliation | Union of Maedhros |
| Language | Quenya and Sindarin |
| Birth | between Y.T. 1190 (2970+472) and 1300 Tirion |
| Rule | F.A. 456 - 472 |
| Death | F.A. 472 (aged 2,388-3,442[note 1]) Anfauglith in Nirnaeth Arnoediad |
| Notable for | Rescuing Maedhros Battling Gothmog to death |
| Family | |
| House | House of Fingolfin |
| Parentage | Fingolfin and Anairë |
| Siblings | Turgon, Aredhel and Argon |
| Children | None (but Gil-galad in published Silmarillion) |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Hair color | Dark |
| Weaponry | Bow |
| Gallery | Images of Fingon |
- "Of all the children of Finwe he is justly most renowned: for his valour was as a fire and yet as steadfast as the hills of stone; wise he was and skilled in voice and hand; truth and justice he loved and bore good will to all, both Elves and Men, hating Morgoth only; he sought not his own, neither power nor glory, and death was his reward."
- ― The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Quenta Silmarillion"
Fingon (Years of the Trees – First Age 472), called 'the Valiant' by Maedhros, was a High King of the Noldor in Beleriand during the First Age. He was the eldest son of Fingolfin, older brother of Turgon, Aredhel, and Argon.[note 2]
History
In Aman
Fingon was the eldest son of Fingolfin, son of King of the Noldor Finwë and his second wife Indis.[1] Fingon was born between 1190[2][note 3] and 1300[3][note 4] in the Years of the Trees, and whilst in Aman lived in Tirion, home of the Noldor in Valinor.[1]
In Y.T. 1495, Morgoth, with the help of Ungoliant, destroyed the Two Trees, stole the Silmarils from the fortress of Formenos and killed Finwë.[4] In anger, Fingon's uncle Fëanor made a speech in Tirion and, with his sons, made an oath to recover the Silmarils and lead the Noldor in a flight to Beleriand. Most love there was for Fingolfin's people, and although Fingolfin was reluctant to join the flight, he went out of love for Fingon who, with his brother Turgon, strongly supported Fëanor.[5]
During the flight of the Noldor, Fingon led the largest host and his people supported Fëanor in the First Kinslaying at Alqualondë. Once the host reached Araman in Y.T. 1496 there was great debate about how to reach Middle-earth. Fëanor's people secretly took all the Swan-ships and passed over the sea to land at Drengist; Maedhros - who was friendly with Fingon - wanted to send the ships back first to retrieve "Fingon the valiant" but Fëanor, to Maedhros's reluctance, burnt the ships at Losgar.[5] Fingon, with the rest of the Noldor of Fingolfin and his cousin Finrod, had to cross the dangerous grinding ice of Helcaraxë to much loss of life. They arrived in Middle-earth in Y.T. 1500, after Fëanor had been killed in the second battle of Beleriand, Dagor-nuin-Giliath.[6][7]
Rescue of Maedhros
In F.A. 1, soon after their arrival in Middle-earth, following the rising of the Sun and Moon, the host of Fingolfin were attacked in the Battle of the Lammoth. Although victorious in battle against the Orcs, Fingon's brother Argon was surrounded and killed.[8]
There was no great love between the Houses of Fingolfin and Fëanor following the latter's burning of the ships causing the former to cross the Helcaraxë. Fingon resolved to rebuild the relationship between these two great houses of the Noldor, so in F.A. 5 went on a noble quest to Thangorodrim to rescue his cousin and friend Maedhros who had previously been captured by Morgoth. Travelling alone, and unseen in the darkness, Fingon climbed across the cracks and crevices of Thangorodrim but could not find Maedhros; eventually he took out his harp and sang. Finally he could hear the distant voice of Maedhros singing in answer, but could not climb up to him; Maedhros begged Fingon to shoot him with his bow, but as Fingon cried to Manwë to "speed now this feathered shaft", the great eagle Thorondor swooped down and lifted Fingon up. Fingon could not break Maedhros's chains - being of evil design by Morgoth - and although Maedhros begged Fingon to kill him, Fingon cut Maedhros's hand off at the wrist to free him. Borne back to Hithlum by Thoronodor, Fingon's deed was praised as one of the most mighty amongst the Noldor; the hurt between the two houses was healed, and Maedhros waived the High Kingship of the Noldor which then passed to Fingolfin.[9]
Fingolfin's people made their home in Hithlum, mostly around Lake Mithrim, and built the fortress of Barad Eithel to keep watch; in F.A. 7, at Maedhros's suggestion, Fëanor's sons move to East Beleriand.[10] The region of Nevrast was taken by Fingon's brother Turgon (until he moved to Gondolin), whilst the south-western region of Hithlum, Dor-lómin, was given to Fingon to rule over.[9]
In Hithlum
Following the great victory of the Noldor in the Dagor Aglareb, the Glorious Battle, Fingon lived in a watchful peace known as the Siege of Angband.[7] In F.A. 155, Morgoth sent a force of along the coast to Drengist to attack Hithlum from the west; having been seen by the Noldor, Fingon heavily defeated the Orcs causing Morgoth to realise that orcs alone were no match for the Elves.[11] Over a hundred years later in F.A. 260, the great dragon Glaurung came forth from Angband to attack the Elves;[12] although a new breed of fire-drake, Glaurung was still relatively young and only half-grown. The Elves fled to Ered Wethrin and Dorthonion as Glaurung defiled the Ard-galen, but Fingon led a troop of archers on horseback to attach Glaurung - he could not withstand their arrows and fled, and for the next 200 years the peoples of Beleriand enjoyed the Long Peace and grew prosperous.[7] In F.A. 416, Fingolfin grants Dor-lómin to the House of Hador, the third house of the Edain.[13]
In winter F.A. 455, rivers of fire suddenly sprang forth from Angband, turning the Ard-galen into the Anfauglith; this began the Dagor Bragollach, the Battle of Sudden Flame.[14] The dragon Glaurung led armies of Balrogs and Orcs in battle that resulted in the deaths of many elves and men due to the fire and smoke, or being slain; the remaining forces of the Noldor were scattered following this heavy defeat. Perceiving the ruin of the Noldor, Fingon's father Fingolfin challenged Morgoth to single combat; Fingolfin fought valiantly and although he died in the battle, Morgoth himself was wounded and never again fought in single combat. Fingon became High King of the Noldor.[14][9]
Seven years later, Morgoth's forces invaded Hithlum, and Fingon was hard-pressed and outnumbered, but rescued by Círdan and his people of the Falas, who came up the Firth of Drengist in their ships.
In the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Fingon was nearly victorious; but in the end he was finally defeated, and then killed by Gothmog, lord of Balrogs with an axe after another Balrog bound him with its whip.
Etymology
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Fingon is the Sindarized version of his Quenya father-name, Findekáno. The latter consists of findë ("hair") + káno ("commander").[15][16]
Other versions of the Legendarium
In the published The Silmarillion Fingon was the father of Gil-galad, but this was an editorial mistake by Christopher Tolkien, and is said "to have no wife or children". Argon does not appear in the published Silmarillion at all.
Genealogy
Notes
- ↑ Years of the Sun. Each Year of the Tree is equal to 9.582 Years of the Sun, and the Years of the Trees ended in the year 1500. So, 472 + 9.582 x 200 = 2,388. 472 + 9.582 x 310 = 3,442.
- ↑ Argon only appears in very late writings by Tolkien as published in The History of Middle-earth, and is left out of the published The Silmarillion.
- ↑ Birth of Fingolfin.
- ↑ Birth of Turgon.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "The Annals of Aman": §81
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "The Annals of Aman": Note on §85
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "The Annals of Aman": §107-128
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Flight of the Noldor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "The Grey Annals": §52
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", p. 362
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "The Grey Annals": §65-71
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "The Grey Annals": §155
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "The Grey Annals": §260
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Two. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of Men into the West (Chapter 14)", p. 228
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 [{S|Ruin}}
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of Finwë's descendants", p. 345
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 113
| Fingon House of Fingolfin Born: during the Years of the Trees Died: F.A. 472 | ||
| Preceded by: Fingolfin | High King of the Noldor F.A. 456 – 472 | Followed by: Turgon |
