Olwë

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Olwë
Falmar
Olwë in Beleriand
"Olwë in Beleriand" by Karolina Węgrzyn
Biographical Information
Other namesOlue (T), Volwë
LocationTol Eressëa, Alqualondë
LanguageTelerin
BirthBetween Y.T. 1050 and 1102
Cuiviénen
RuleFrom Y.T. 1162
Family
SiblingsElwë & Elmo[note 1][1]
ChildrenEärwen, unnamed sons[2] (one of them possibly Elulindo[3])
Physical Description
GenderMale
Hair colorWhite[4]
Eye colorBlue[4]
GalleryImages of Olwë

Olwë (Q, pron. [ˈolwe]) was one of the two kings of the Teleri, the other being his elder brother Elwë, Lord of Beleriand. As the prince of Alqualondë, he ruled the Teleri of Valinor, also known as the Falmari. He may have had a second brother, Elmo.[1]

History

"Two lords they had, for their numbers were very great: Elwë Singollo, which signifies Greymantle, and Olwë his brother. The hair of Olwë was long and white, and his eyes were blue; but the hair of Elwë was grey as silver, and his eyes were as stars; he was the tallest of all the Elven-folk."
― "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"[4]

Olwë was born in Cuiviénen and was the younger brother of Elwë, one of the ambassadors taken by Oromë to Valinor to see the Two Trees. When the ambassadors returned, they urged their peoples to hear the summons of Oromë and go to the West. Because their clan was the largest, it was divided in two hosts under the two brothers and together, they led their people.[5]

The Nelyar were the most unwilling during the Great Journey and Olwë 's host was always the hindmost.[5] Some of Olwë's host were terrified by the shadow of the Misty Mountains and preferred to settle by the woodlands of the Vales of Anduin.[5]

During a long wait in Beleriand, Elwë disappeared.[6] After years of searching, Olwë grew impatient, and led the greater part of the Teleri to Valinor, on the insistence of the Vala Ulmo. Olwë and his people dwelt on the island of Tol Eressëa for a while, where the Teleri could be by the sea whilst bathing in the light of the Two Trees.[7] These people become the Falmari.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many

His daughter Eärwen married Finarfin son of Finwë and later king of the remaining Noldor. Besides Eärwen, Olwë had several sons.[2]

When Fëanor revolted against the Valar, he attempted to persuade the Teleri to join him in order to obtain their ships. They were unmoved, wanting no other realm than Eldamar and no other lord than Olwë. Fëanor reproached Olwë and his people as "fainthearted loiterers" and reminded them that the Noldor had aided them when they finally arrived. Olwë rebuked Fëanor's folly and refused to give him any ships of the Teleri, which they valued as the Noldor did their gems. Fëanor withdrew but then led his forces to Alqualondë to take the ships by force leading to the first Kinslaying . As the Noldor rowed the stolen vessels northward, Olwë called for Ossë to stop them but it was not permitted by the Valar.[8]

Other names

In one manuscript, the Telerin form of Olwë is said to be Olue.[9] In another manuscript the Telerin form is similar to the Quenya form: Olwë.[10]

The Falmari called him sometimes Volwë.[10]

Genealogy

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Melian
 
Elwë
 
OLWË
 
Elmo
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Lúthien
 
Eärwen
 
Finarfin
 
sons
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finrod
 
Angrod
 
Aegnor
 
Galadriel
 
 


Notes

  1. Elmo is a later addition by Tolkien and is not in the published The Silmarillion.

References