Fingon

From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.

Fingon, "the Valiant" was a High King of the Ñoldor in Beleriand during the First Age. He was the eldest son of Fingolfin, older brother of Turgon, Aredhel, and Argon. His name was a Sindarin form of his Quenya name Findekáno, which probably means something like "skilled hero".

Fingon went with his father and people from Aman to Middle-earth at the beginning of the First Age. He achieved renown soon after for his daring rescue of Maedhros from Thangorodrim. Maedhros begged Fingon to kill him, but Thorondor took him to where Maedhros was. Fingon severed Maedhros's hand at the wrist, and brought him back to the Noldorin camp. Fingolfin gave Fingon a domain in Dor-lómin, in the west of Hithlum, where he did good service during the Siege of Angband; defeating Orcs that attempted to go around to the north and attack Hithlum from the west, and then later the first to fight against the dragon Glaurung when he first came forth from Angband.

Fingon became High King when Fingolfin died fighting Morgoth after the Dagor Bragollach. Seven years later, Morgoth's forces invaded Hithlum, and Fingon was hard-pressed and outnumbered, but rescued by Círdan and his people of the Falas, who came up the Firth of Drengist in their ships.

In the Battle of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Fingon was nearly victorious; but at the end he was killed by Gothmog Lord of Balrogs.

Turgon became by right the High King of the Ñoldor, although after the battle he returned to the secrecy of Gondolin.

[edit] Earlier versions of the legendarium

In the published Silmarillion, Fingon was the father of Gil-galad, but this was an editorial mistake by Christopher Tolkien, and is said "to have no wife or children". Argon does not appear in the published Silmarillion at all.

[edit] The House of Fingolfin

       Finwë = Indis
             |
    --------------------------
    |                        |
Fingolfin = Anairë       Finarfin
          |
      ---------------------------------------------
      |              |             |              |
    Fingon    Turgon = Elenwë   Aredhel = Eöl   Argon
                     |                  |
                   Idril = Tuor      Maeglin
                         |
                      Eärendil