Finarfin

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Finarfin
Noldo
File:Elena Kukanova - Kind of the Valinorian Noldor.jpg
"Kind of the Valinorian Noldor" by Elena Kukanova
Biographical Information
PronunciationS, [fiˈnarfin]
Other namesArafinwë (Q,fn),
Ingoldo (Q, mn)
TitlesKing of the Noldor in Valinor
LocationTirion
LanguageQuenya
BirthY.T. 1230
Tirion
RuleFrom Y.T. 1496
Family
HouseHouse of Finwë, founded the House of Finarfin
ParentageFinwë and Indis
SiblingsFëanor (half-brother), Findis, Fingolfin and Írimë
SpouseEärwen
ChildrenFinrod, Angrod, Aegnor and Galadriel
Physical Description
GenderMale
Hair colorGolden
GalleryImages of Finarfin

Finarfin was the youngest child and son of Finwë and Indis and the third King of the Noldor in Valinor. After the Flight of the Noldor he remained in Tirion and ruled the Noldor who remained in Aman.[1]

History

Finarfin was born in Valinor in Y.T. 1230.[2] He was the youngest of the five children of Finwë, the High King of the Noldor. Finarfin's mother was Indis, Finwë's second wife.[3] Finarfin's full siblings were Findis, Fingolfin, and Írimë while his half-brother was the great Elf Lord Fëanor. Fëanor disapproved of his father's second marriage and had little love for Indis and her children, although Finarfin remained far from those disputes.[4]

In Y.T. 1280 Finarfin married Eärwen, daughter of Olwë, King of the Teleri in Valinor.[5] They had four children: Finrod, Angrod, Aegnor and Galadriel.[note 1][6] Finarfin's mother was of the Vanyar, and he inherited her fair hair, which he passed on to his children.[7] The Elves of the House of Finarfin were unique among their kin who had dark hair.

In Y.T. 1495.[8] Melkor destroyed the Two Trees,[9] slaughtered Finarfin's father Finwë, and stole the Silmarils of Fëanor. Enraged, Fëanor came to the city of Tirion upon Túna and convinced many of his kinsmen to leave Valinor for Middle-earth, to recover the Silmarils and defeat Morgoth. Fëanor was a charismatic speaker, but Fingolfin and Finarfin were unmoved. However they too followed their half-brother, more for their children who eagerly accepted his cause.

The Noldor followed Fëanor in groups, and Fingolfin and Finarfin led the last host. As such they did not participate in the First Kinslaying or know its true cause at the time. While they were travelling up the coast of Araman, the Vala Mandos appeared and pronounced the Doom of the Noldor. Finarfin, dismayed by the prophecy and already contemplating return because of the tragedy of the Kinslaying of his wife's people at Alqualondë, returned to Valinor with a small group of his people; his sons, though, would not forsake the sons of Fingolfin and went on.[10]

Maureval - The War of Wrath

Eventually Finarfin came to Middle-earth, leading the Valinorean Noldor in the War of Wrath, near the end of the First Age.[11] The fairest and wisest of the sons of Finwë, he presumably still rules the few remaining Noldor in Valinor from Tirion upon Túna.

Etymology

Finarfin's father-name was Arafinwë (Q:"Noble [son of] Finwë", pron. EQ [ˌaraˈfinwe],V [ˌaraˈɸinwe]).[12] His mother-name was Ingoldo meaning "the Noldo, one eminent in the kindred", which also became the mother-name of Finrod; notice that in an earlier text "Ingoldo" was the mother-name of Fingolfin whereas Finarfin's was "Ingalaurë" ("Inga-gold", pron.[ˌiŋɡaˈlaʊ̯re]).[13][14]

The name Finarfin is the Sindarin version of his father-name.

Finarfin is rare among the High Elves who remained in the Undying Lands in that he is known primarily by his name in Sindarin, a language indigenous to Middle-earth. Other such Amanya High Elves who stayed behind are primarily known by their Quenya or Telerin names. But both of Finarfin's brothers went into Exile, with the result that both were largely remembered by Sindarin names, and also Finarfin's name is structured very similarly to that of his brother Fingolfin.

Genealogy

Míriel
d. Y.T. 1170
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finwë
d. Y.T. 1495
 
Indis
b. Y.T.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Olwë
b. Y.T.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fëanor
Y.T. 1169 - 1497
 
Findis
b. Y.T.
 
Fingolfin
Y.T. 1190 - F.A. 456
 
Írimë
b. Y.T.
 
FINARFIN
b. Y.T. 1230
 
 
 
 
 
Eärwen
b. Y.T.
 
unknown sons
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finrod
Y.T. 1300 - F.A. 465
 
Angrod
d. F.A. 455
 
Eldalótë
b. Y.T.
 
Aegnor
d. F.A. 455
 
Galadriel
b. Y.T. 1362
 
Celeborn
b. F.A.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Orodreth
d. F.A. 495
 
 
 
 
 
Elrond
b. F.A. 532
 
Celebrían
b. S.A.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gil-galad
d. S.A. 3441
 
Finduilas
d. F.A. 495
 
Elladan
b. T.A. 130
 
Elrohir
b. T.A. 130
 
Arwen
T.A. 241 - Fo.A. 121
 

Other versions of the legendarium

Finarfin was called Finrod in earlier versions of the Legendarium, and his son was named Inglor Felagund. As such he appears in the 1st edition of The Lord of the Rings as Finrod. This was changed in later editions, but not all references to Inglor were removed (see Gildor Inglorion). Ingalaurë was probably the Quenya version of Inglor.

In some early works, his name is spelled "Finarphin".[15] An early version of Appendix F, mentions the "royal house of Finarphir" which was corrected in later editions.[16]

Notes

  1. Orodreth appears as one of Finarfin'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. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names", Finarfin
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Two. The Annals of Aman: Fourth section of the Annals of Aman", p. 92
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor"
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Two. The Annals of Aman: Fourth section of the Annals of Aman", p. 92
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The parentage of Gil-galad", pp. 349-351
  7. 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
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Two. The Annals of Aman: Fourth section of the Annals of Aman", p. 100
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Darkening of Valinor"
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Flight of the Noldor"
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of Finwë's descendants", p.344
  13. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of Finwë's descendants", p. 360, note 30
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Three. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: (II) The Second Phase: Laws and Customs among the Eldar, Notes [to Text B]" #22
  15. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Four. Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth"
  16. The form "Finarphir" has an entry in Robert Foster, The Complete Guide to Middle-earth
Finarfin
House of Finwë
Born: Y.T. 1230
Preceded by:
Fëanor
King of the Noldor in Valinor
From Y.T. 1496
None
Incumbent