Maedhros

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This article is about the son of Fëanor. For the non-canonical grandfather of Fëanor, see Maidros.
Maedros
Noldo
Jenny Dolfen - There will be blood.jpg
Biographical Information
Other namesNelyafinwë (Q, fn),
Maitimo (Q, mn),
Russandol (Q, epessë),
"The Tall"
LocationTirion; Himring, March of Maedhros; Amon Ereb
AffiliationOath of Fëanor, Union of Maedhros
LanguageQuenya and Sindarin
Birthafter Y.T. 1190
Tirion
DeathF.A. 587
Into fiery chasm
Family
HouseHouse of Fëanor
ParentageFëanor & Nerdanel
SiblingsMaglor, Celegorm, Curufin, Caranthir, Amros and Amarthan
Physical Description
GenderMale
HeightTall
Hair colorDark red
WeaponrySword
GalleryImages of Maedros

Maedros (S, pron. [ˈmaɛdros]) was one of the princes of the Noldor and was eldest of the Sons of Fëanor.

History

Maedros was born during the Time of the Two Trees in Valinor. After the banishment of Fëanor from Tirion in Valinor he went with his father to Formenos in exile. When Morgoth killed Finwë and stole Fëanor's beloved Silmarils, Maedros was the first son to take the terrible Oath of Fëanor to recover the jewels.

Maedros went with his father to Alqualondë, where the First Kinslaying broke out, in which he took part. When Fëanor sailed off without the host of Fingolfin, Maedros thought that he was planning to return and carry across the others. He expected that the first ship would carry Fingon, his best friend. When he learned that in fact, Fëanor planned to abandon them, he was angry and, alone of his brothers, refused to help burn the ships, to prevent Fingolfin from following.

Ted Nasmith - Maedros’s Rescue from Thangorodrim

When Fëanor was killed in the Dagor-nuin-Giliath, Maedros became the High King of the Noldor. However, this position was held briefly, as Morgoth sent an embassy, feigning the surrender of a Silmaril. The Oath driving him, Maedros also feigned to treat with Morgoth, but instead he was captured by Morgoth's embassy and hung by the wrist of his right hand upon the face of a precipice of Thangorodrim, for about thirty years. In a daring rescue, his cousin Fingon, helped by Thorondor the King of Eagles, saved him from torment, but he had to cut off Maedros's hand to release him from the shackle. In gratitude for this, and in atonement for Fëanor's desertion of Fingon's house, Maedros relinquished all claim as the heir of Finwë and made his uncle Fingolfin, Fingon's father, High King of the Noldor, something his brothers did not like.

Seeing that his brothers were likely to cause feuds with their kinsmen, Maedros moved them out of Hithlum, and later ruled the lands around the Hill of Himring, which became known as the March of Maedros. Allied with Fingolfin, he won the battle of Dagor Aglareb, and, thanks to his daring deeds during the Dagor Bragollach, Himring stood while many other elven realms fell.

Hearing word of the deeds of Beren and Lúthien, he took hope and gathered his brothers and united with other Elven Houses to create the Union of Maedhros, an alliance to lay siege to Morgoth's fortress of Angband. However, no support came from Thingol or Nargothrond, due to the deeds of Celegorm and Curufin, Maedros' brothers. The Union and the siege was utterly broken after the defeat in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Himring was garrisoned by Orcs. Maedros and his brothers lived in Ossiriand, consorting with the Laiquendi.

Maedros learned that Dior, son of Beren and Lúthien, had inherited the Silmaril that they had recovered from Morgoth. Still driven by the Oath, he allowed his brother Celegorm to convince him to attack Doriath. Celegorm, Caranthir, and Curufin were slain by Dior Eluchíl, the King of Doriath, who was in turn slain by them. Dior's sons, Eluréd and Elurín, were captured and abandoned by Celegorm's servants in the forest, leading Maedros to search for the innocent youths, but to no avail. After learning that Elwing, Dior's daughter, had survived, he and his surviving brothers descended with an army upon the remnants of the people of Doriath living in the Havens of Sirion. The Noldorin princes killed many Elves and captured Elwing's sons Elrond and Elros in the sack, but Elwing escaped with the Silmaril, jumping off a cliff.

Ted Nasmith - Maedhros Casts Himself into a Chasm

After the War of Wrath, he and his last surviving brother, Maglor stole the two remaining Silmarils taken by the Valar from Morgoth. But because of the evil deeds committed by the brothers to regain the jewels, they burned in Maglor's and Maedros's hands. Unable to bear the suffering, Maedros cast himself and the Silmaril he carried into a fiery chasm in the Earth. He is the only known Elf to have committed suicide. It is uncertain whether he was eventually released from Mandos, or whether he still remains there with his father.

Etymology

Maedros' father-name was Nelyafinwë, meaning "Finwë the Third", shorter form Nelyo, as his grandfather and father both shared the name Finwë. Nelya is a Quenya adjective that means "third". His mother-name was Maitimo, "Well-shaped One", for he was noted for his comeliness. His epessë was Russandol, "Copper-top", referring to the dark red hair he inherited from his grandfather Mahtan. It is derived from russa, a Quenya adjective meaning "red-haired".

In The Shibboleth of Fëanor, note# 65, it is said that the names Maitimo and Russandol are the base for the Sindarized name Maedros (derived from a contraction of Mait- + Rus-).

In the earlier work The Etymologies, the name Maedros is original Noldorin, and is said to mean "Pale-glitter". It is formed by the adding up maidh ("pale", "fallow" or "fawn") and "archaic" rhoss ("flash", "glitter of metal").

Genealogy

Mahtan
b. Y.T.
 
Míriel
d. Y.T. 1170
 
Finwë
d. Y.T. 1495
 
Indis
b. Y.T.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nerdanel
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
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
MAEDROS
d. F.A. 587
 
Maglor
b. Y.T.
 
Celegorm
d. F.A. 506
 
Curufin
d. F.A. 506
 
Caranthir
d. F.A. 506
 
Amros
d. F.A. 538
 
Amarthan
d. Y.T. 1497
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Celebrimbor
d. S.A. 1697
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

See also

References