In J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...

's legendarium

Legendarium

Legendary may refer to:*A hagiography, or study of the lives of saints and other religious figures**The South English Legendary, a Middle English legendary*A legend-Entertainment:*Legendary, an album by Kaysha*Legendary...

, Curufin is a fictional character

Fictional character

A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

, a prince of the Noldor

Noldor

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...

 of the race of Elves

Elf (Middle-earth)

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...

, the fifth of the seven sons of Fëanor

Fëanor

Fëanor is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium who plays an important part in The Silmarillion. He was the eldest son of Finwë, the High King of the Noldor, and his first wife Míriel Serindë...

 and Nerdanel. Curufin is the father of Celebrimbor

Celebrimbor

Celebrimbor is a fictional character In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth. His name means "silver fist" or "Hand of silver" in Sindarin ....

, master jewel-smith of Eregion

Eregion

In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldorin Elves in Eriador during the Second Age, located near the West Gate of Moria under the shadow of the Hithaeglir . Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil...

 who forged the three Elven Rings of Power

Rings of Power

The Rings of Power in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium are magical rings created by Sauron or by the Elves of Eregion under Sauron's tutelage...

.
His name means "Skilled (son of) Finwë" in Quenya

Quenya

Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...

.

His father-name — the traditional name given by an Elvish father to his offspring — was Curufinwë, which was also Fëanor's original name. This was because Curufin was most like his father both in appearance, temperament and skill. He was also Fëanor's favourite. (Finwë was a common name-element among the royal Noldor, being the name of his grandfather Finwë

Finwë

Finwë, sometimes surnamed Noldóran, is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. He was the first High King of the Elven Noldor to lead his people on the journey from Middle-earth to Valinor in the blessed realm of Aman. He was a great friend of Elu Thingol, the King of Doriath...

, patriarch of the House and the High King of the Noldor.) Nerdanel gave him the mother name Atarinkë, which means "Little Father" in Quenya, because of Curufin's physical resemblance to Fëanor. His Old English name (see The History of Middle-earth

The History of Middle-earth

The History of Middle-earth is a 12-volume series of books published from 1983 through to 1996 that collect and analyse material relating to the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, compiled and edited by his son, Christopher Tolkien. Some of the content consists of earlier versions of already published...

, vol IV, The Shaping of Middle-earth

The Shaping of Middle-earth

The Shaping of Middle-earth is the fourth volume of Christopher Tolkien's 12-volume series The History of Middle-earth in which he analyses the unpublished manuscripts of his father J. R. R...

) was Cyrefinn Fácensearo, from O.E cyre 'choice', fácen 'deceit, guile, wickedness', searu 'skill, cunning', also fácensaeru 'treachery'.

As with the other Sons of Fëanor

Sons of Fëanor

In J. R. R. Tolkien's world of Middle-earth, the seven sons of Fëanor, the eldest prince of the Noldor, led their people from Valinor to rule over kingdoms in the Northeast of Beleriand:...

, Curufin was bound by an oath to recover his father's Silmaril

Silmaril

The Silmarils are three brilliant jewels which contained the unmarred light of the Two Trees in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. The Silmarils were made out of the crystalline substance silima by Fëanor, a Noldorin Elf, in Valinor during the Years of the Trees...

s, which had been stolen by the Dark Lord Morgoth

Morgoth

Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...

. His oath took him and his brothers to Middle-earth

Middle-earth

Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....

 during the First Age

First Age

In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...

 where they established realms in exile and waged war against the armies of Morgoth, fought other elves for the Silmarili and ultimately brought ruin to their house.

Curufin fought at Alqualondë, and participated in the burning of the ships at Losgar. After the reconciliation of the Noldor royal houses at Mithrim and abdication of Maedhros, he accompanied his brothers to East Beleriand. He and his son Celebrimbor lived with his brother Celegorm

Celegorm

Celegorm is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, appearing in The Silmarillion.He was the third son of Fëanor and Nerdanel, most closely associated with another brother, Curufin. Celegorm is described as "the fair," which could mean either that Celegorm had fairer...

 in Himlad, east of his brother Maedhros' fortress Himring and south of Aglon, a Pass between Himring and Dorthonion

Dorthonion

In the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth, Dorthonion , later Taur-nu-Fuin, was a highland region of the First Age, lying immediately to the north of Beleriand, and south of the plains of Ard-galen that extended north to Morgoth's stronghold of Thangorodrim...

, leading into Doriath

Doriath

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...

, which the two brothers fortified with great strength and held till Dagor Bragollach

Dagor Bragollach

In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, the Dagor Bragollach was the fourth battle of the Wars of Beleriand...

, by which time it was forced, although his forces managed to inflict severe losses on the Angband hosts. Before the battle, Curufin had intercepted Eöl

Eöl

Eöl, called the Dark Elf, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion as an Elf of Beleriand and is a character existing in some form from the earliest to the latest writings....

, the Sindar

Sindar

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin...

in smith, but did not slay him despite his wishes to do so, as the laws of the Eldar forbade this.

Following the battle of Dagor Bragollach, the two brothers and Celebrimbor fled with their people towards Minas Tirith, marching along the northern marches of Doriath. The aid of the brothers were crucial in the rescue of Orodreth

Orodreth

In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Orodreth was an Elf of the First Age, the son of Angrod and nephew of Finrod Felagund, and a ruler of Nargothrond....

 and his followers, who were facing the assault of Sauron in Tol Sirion. The survivors of this battle moved to Nargothrond

Nargothrond

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Nargothrond , called Nulukkhizdīn by the Dwarves, was the stronghold built by Finrod Felagund...

, where Finrod welcomed them. Celegorm and Curufin aided Finrod in all aspects of running that kingdom and won a large following there.

Shortly after, Beren

Beren

Beren is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion. Huan spoke to him.-Character overview:...

 came to Nargothrond to remind Finrod of the oath he had sworn, and claim his help. Finrod decided to help Beren, but Celegorm and Curufin, because of dark thought arising in their hearts because of the curse, and also remembering their Oath, persuaded the people of Nargothrond not to follow Finrod, and not to wage open war against Morgoth, making them fearful. Finrod therefore had to leave with a handful of warriors, including Beren, and later died. His nephew Orodreth

Orodreth

In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Orodreth was an Elf of the First Age, the son of Angrod and nephew of Finrod Felagund, and a ruler of Nargothrond....

 was made to rule in his stead.

His brother and he, hunting with Celegorm's hound Huan, then found Lúthien

Lúthien

Lúthien Tinúviel is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian, The Lord of the Rings and the Grey Annals, as well as in other material.-Character overview:Lúthien is a Telerin ...

, daughter of Thingol

Thingol

Elu Thingol is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion, The Lays of Beleriand and Children of Húrin as well as in numerous stories in the many volumes of The History of Middle-earth...

, as she fled to find Beren. Feigning to help her, they took her captive and brought her to Nargothrond, for Celegorm had become enamoured and would have Thingol give him her hand. However, Huan helped Lúthien to flee, and they freed Beren and other thralls from Sauron

Sauron

Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...

. As these thralls returned, the people of Nargothrond perceived the two brother's treachery, and though Orodreth would not let them be slain, he cast them from Nargothrond. Celebrimbor decided not to follow Curufin.

The two brothers met Lúthien and Beren as they fled, and Curufin fought with the Man

Man (Middle-earth)

The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...

. Defeated, he had to flee with Celegorm, but sought to slay Lúthien even as he did, and shot Beren with an arrow instead, though the latter survived.

Finally, partly because of Celegorm and Curufin's deeds, Thingol and Orodreth would lend no aid to Maedhros

Maedhros

Maedhros is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. First introduced in The Silmarillion and later mentioned in Unfinished Tales and The Children of Húrin, he is one of the most enduring characters in The Silmarillion, and has been the subject of paintings by artists such as Jenny...

 as he sought to unite Elves, Dwarves

Dwarf (Middle-earth)

In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Dwarves are a race inhabiting the world of Arda, a fictional prehistoric Earth which includes the continent Middle-earth....

 and Men in what was called the Union of Maedhros.

Curufin fell in the Second Kinslaying, when the Sons of Fëanor attacked Doriath to seize a Silmaril in the possession of the Elvish King Dior the Beautiful. His brothers Celegorm and Caranthir

Caranthir

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Caranthir is a fictional character, the fourth of the sons of Fëanor, was also the harshest, and the quickest to anger; he was also called "Caranthir the Dark". His Quenya name was Morifinwë "The Dark Finwë"...

 died with him during the assault.

Alternative Version

In an alternate version of the story, Fëanor and Curufin burn the stolen Swan ships at Losgar. The others had objected to this, and thus were innocent of starting the burning. In this version, Amras

Amras

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Amras is a fictional character, the twin brother of Amrod being the youngest sons of Fëanor and Nerdanel. Through their maternal grandfather Mahtan they inherited red hair , instead of Fëanor's black....

 is burnt to death, as he had slipped aboard a ship, intending to sail back to Valinor

Valinor

Valinor is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the realm of the Valar in Aman. It was also known as the Undying Lands, along with Tol Eressëa and the outliers of Aman. This is something of a misnomer; only immortal beings were allowed to reside there, but the land itself,...

.

In this version, Celegorm and Curufin destroyed the Dwarves of Nogrod after their sack of Doriath, although the Silmaril would be taken to Beren and Lúthien by Melian

Melian

Melian the Maia is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian, The Children of Húrin, the Annals of Aman and the Grey Annals....

. Curufin would be sent to Dior by the sons of Fëanor demanding the Silmaril, and Dior would refuse because that would mean breaking the necklace of Finrod, which caused the death of Thingol, although Curufin would insist on it.