Fingolfin
Encyclopedia
Fingolfin is a fictional character 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...
, appearing in The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion
The Silmarillion is a collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's mythopoeic works, edited and published posthumously by his son Christopher Tolkien in 1977, with assistance from Guy Gavriel Kay, who later became a noted fantasy writer. The Silmarillion, along with J. R. R...
.
Internal history
He was a High King of the NoldorNoldor
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...
in Beleriand
Beleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work The Silmarillion, which tells the story of the early ages of Middle-earth in a style similar to the epic hero tales of Nordic...
, second eldest son of 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...
, full brother of Finarfin
Finarfin
Finarfin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Silmarillion.-Personality:Unlike the warlike Fëanor and Fingolfin, Finarfin was something of a pacifist...
, and half-brother 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...
, who was the eldest of Finwë's sons. His mother was Indis. He founded the House of Fingolfin which ruled the Noldor in Middle-earth. His wife was Anairë
Anairë
Anairë is a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by J. R. R. Tolkien. She is the wife of Fingolfin. Little is known about her, except that she did not leave Aman and was friends with Eärwen, Finarfin's wife. They had four children, namely Fingon, Turgon, Aredhel, and Argon...
and his children were Fingon
Fingon
Fingon is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...
, Turgon
Turgon
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Turgon "the Wise" is an Elven king of the Noldor, second son of Fingolfin, brother to Fingon, Aredhel and Argon, and ruler of the hidden city of Gondolin....
, Aredhel
Aredhel
Aredhel Ar-Feiniel is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien.She is called Ar-Feiniel, the White Lady of the Noldor. She is the daughter of Fingolfin and Anairë, sister of Fingon, Turgon and Argon, and mother of Maeglin...
and Argon
Argon (Middle-earth)
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Argon was the fourth child of Fingolfin, High King of the Noldor in Beleriand.His mother was Anairë, and his brothers were Fingon, and Turgon. He had an older sister, Aredhel....
. Fingolfin was said to be the strongest, most steadfast, and most valiant of Finwë's sons, and some have named him the greatest warrior of all the Children of Ilúvatar
Children of Ilúvatar
The Children of Ilúvatar is the name given to the two races of Elves and Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium because they were created by Ilúvatar, the One God, without the help of the Ainur....
. His name 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...
— one of Tolkien's fictional languages — was Nolofinwë, or "wise Finwë."
Fingolfin was born to Finwë's second wife, Indis, after Míriel died, as was Finarfin. While they lived in Aman
Aman
-External links:*...
, there was always strife between the sons of Indis and the son of Míriel (Fëanor), mostly due to Melkor's treachery. However, Fingolfin would seek to forge a better relationship with Fëanor at every chance. Even after Fëanor threatened him with swords and was banished from Tirion
Tirion
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Tirion upon Túna was the city of the Noldor in Valinor...
, Fingolfin forgave him and tried to mend their relationship. This occurred very soon before destruction of the Two Trees and the Darkening of 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,...
. After this event and Fëanor's decision to leave Aman, Fingolfin chose to follow him into exile, so as not to abandon his people.
Fingolfin led the largest host of the Noldor when they fled Aman for 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....
, even though he thought this unwise; he did not want to abandon his people to Fëanor. His followers participated in the Kinslaying at the Havens, but only because they arrived after the battle was underway not knowing that Fëanor was the aggressor. He was the one who took them across the ice of the Helcaraxë, and soon after, at the rising of the Sun, he came to the gates of Angband
Angband (Middle-earth)
-External links:*...
and smote upon them, but Melkor — now known as Morgoth — stayed hidden inside. Fingolfin and the Noldor then came to the northern shores of Lake Mithrim, from which the Fëanorian part of the host had withdrawn.
His son Fingon rescued 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...
, son 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...
, who in gratitude waived his claim to kingship: thus, Fingolfin became High-King of the Noldor. He then ruled from Hithlum
Hithlum
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Hithlum is the region north of Beleriand near the Helcaraxë.Hithlum was separated from Beleriand proper by the Ered Wethrin mountain chain, and was named after the sea mists which formed there at times: Hithlum is Sindarin for "Mist-shadow";...
, by the northern shores of Lake Mithrim.
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
in the Dagor Aglareb
Dagor Aglareb
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, as told in the Silmarillion, the Dagor Aglareb was the third battle of the Wars of Beleriand during the First Age, known as the Glorious Battle....
, Fingolfin maintained the Siege of Angband
Siege of Angband
The Siege of Angband or "The Long Peace" in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fictional universe was the siege of the Noldor around the fortress of Morgoth in the early centuries of the Years of the Sun, which began following the Dagor Aglareb. For the most part, it was a time of plenitude, peace and...
for nearly 400 years. But the Siege was ended by Morgoth's sudden assaults in the 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...
, and many peoples of Beleriand fled. When Fingolfin learned of this, and received false report that his allies had been routed on all fronts, he became filled with wrath and despair. He immediately took his horse Rochallor and sword Ringil, and rode alone to Angband. All enemies fled from him, fearing his anger, and mistaking him in his fury for Oromë, the Vala patron of hunters.
He smote the gates of Angband and challenged Morgoth to single combat. Though Morgoth feared Fingolfin (of all the Valar
Vala (Middle-earth)
The Valar are fictional characters in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. They are first mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, but The Silmarillion develops them into the Powers of Arda or the Powers of the World...
, Morgoth was the only one to know fear), he had to accept the challenge — or face shame in the eyes of his servants. Seven times Fingolfin wounded Morgoth and seven times Morgoth cried in pain, and seven times the host of Morgoth wailed in anguish, but he could not be slain for he was one of the Valar.
Whenever Morgoth attacked, Fingolfin would evade, avoiding Morgoth's weapon Grond as it would crack the ground. Eventually, however, Fingolfin grew weary and stumbled on a crater. Then Morgoth pinned Fingolfin with his foot, and killed him, but not before the king, with his last act of defiance, hewed at Morgoth's foot. Morgoth, from thence forward, always walked with a limp. An enraged Morgoth sought to desecrate the body of the valiant king but Thorondor, Lord of Eagles flew down and raked Morgoth's eyes, and carried Fingolfin's body away to be placed on a cliff overlooking Gondolin. Later Turgon
Turgon
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Turgon "the Wise" is an Elven king of the Noldor, second son of Fingolfin, brother to Fingon, Aredhel and Argon, and ruler of the hidden city of Gondolin....
built a cairn over the remains of his father.
Concept and creation
Heraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
.
Fingolfin in songs
The song "Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)" of the German power-metal band Blind GuardianBlind Guardian
Blind Guardian is a German power metal band formed in the mid-1980s in Krefeld, West Germany. They are often credited as one of the seminal and most influential bands in the power metal and speed metal subgenres...
tells the story of the fight between Morgoth and Fingolfin.
See also
- Dagor-nuin-GiliathDagor-nuin-GiliathIn J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, the Dagor-nuin-Giliath is the second battle of the Wars of Beleriand, but the first involving the Noldor....
- HadorHadorIn the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Hador was a Lord of Men during the First Age.- Biography :Hador, also called in Sindarin Lórindol because he had fair blond hair, was the great-great-grandson of Marach, one of the leaders of the Atanatári, and ruled over the Folk of Marach which later became...
- House of FinwëHouse of FinwëIn J. R. R. Tolkien’s legendarium, the House of Finwë was the royal house of the Noldor. The house was founded by Finwë, the first High King of the Noldor, who led his people from Middle-earth to the realm of Valinor within the continent of Aman in . In Valinor, he ruled in the city of Tirion...
- Quenta SilmarillionQuenta SilmarillionQuenta Silmarillion is a collection of fictional legends written by the high fantasy writer J. R. R. Tolkien. It was published after the author's death in The Silmarillion together with four shorter stories...
External links
- Fingolfin Leads the Host Across the Helcaraxë as illustrated by Ted NasmithTed NasmithTed Nasmith is a Canadian artist, illustrator and architectural renderer. He is best known as an illustrator of J. R. R. Tolkien's works — The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion....