Eärwen
| Eärwen | |
|---|---|
| Falmar | |
 | |
| "The Swan-Maiden of Alqualonde" by Elena Kukanova | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Location | Alqualondë |
| Language | Telerin |
| Birth | Before Y.T. 1280 |
| Family | |
| Parentage | Olwë |
| Siblings | Unnamed brothers[note 1][1][2] |
| Spouse | Finarfin |
| Children | Finrod, Angrod, Aegnor, and Galadriel |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Female |
| Hair color | Starlike silver[3] |
| Gallery | Images of Eärwen |
Eärwen (Q "sea-maiden", pron. [eˈarwen]), known as the "swan-maiden of Alqualondë", was the daughter of Olwë, lord of the Teleri.[1]
History
In Y.T. 1280, she married Finarfin, the great prince of the House of Finwë.[1] She became the mother of Finrod, Angrod, Aegnor, and Galadriel.[note 2][1] Being children of one of the Sea-elves, they had a love of the sea and a longing for distant places, and it was in part due to this inheritance that all four of Eärwen's children chose to return to Middle-earth, exiling themselves from Valinor.[4] Because of their Telerin blood, Eärwen's children were well received in Doriath, the realm of her father's elder brother, Thingol.[5] She was said to be great friends with Anairë, the wife of Fingolfin, her husband's older brother.[6]:344 Eärwen stayed in Aman after the Flight of the Noldor.
Etymology
Her name means "Maiden of the Sea" in Quenya (from eär = "sea" and -wen = "maiden").
Genealogy
Notes
- ↑ She is said to have at least two brothers according to a passing reference in The Silmarillion, whose names are not mentioned in the narrative. According to The Lost Road and Other Writings, one of them is named Elulindo.
- ↑ Orodreth appears as one of Eärwen's sons in The Silmarillion. In Tolkien's writings, however, he was clearly marked as Angrod's son. Christopher Tolkien, the editor of The Silmarillion, later admitted the mistake.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 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.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Appendix: I. The Genealogies"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The case of the Quenya change of Þ to s", p. 336
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names", "Eärwen"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of Finwë's descendants"
