Finwë

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

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From left to right: Dark hair Fingolfin, blonde hair Finarfin, bottom Finwë, right Fëanor

Finwë

Biographical information

Other names

Ñoldóran

Titles

High King of the Ñoldor

Date of birth

YT ?, and perhaps Firstborn

Year ascended to the throne

YT ?, during the Noontide of Valinor

Date of death

YT ?

Realms ruled

Tirion, Formenos

Spouse

Míriel Serindë, then Indis

Weapon

Physical description

Race

Elf

Culture

Ñoldor

Gender

Male

Height

Hair color

Black^[1]

Eye color

Peter Jackson's Film Trilogy

Actor

Voice

Character

Finwë was the first High King of the Ñoldor (as such he is sometimes surnamed Ñoldóran) who led his elven 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.

Finwë had two wives. His first was Míriel Serindë. She was the mother of Fëanor, and she died shortly after bearing him. His second wife was Indis of the Vanyar. Indis bore him four children: Fingolfin, Finarfin, Findis, and Irimë.

When Melkor, now free from the Halls of Mandos began spreading lies amongst the Ñoldor attempting to corrupt them, Finwë attempted to moderate his people and lead them back to the Valar. But it was too late, the Ñoldor had already begun to envision for themselves plans and new dominions they could have ruled back in Middle-earth and were proud. However, Fëanor mistrusted the Valar and believed the lies and began to horde his treasures and would only allow his beloved father or his sons to see the Silmarils. He also begun to suspect his half-brother was trying to usurpe him as the favored son, and made trouble in Tirion drawing his sword on Fingolfin. For this he was banished from the city, but Finwë loved his elder son greatly and shared his exile and went with him northward and built the city/fortress of Formenos.

There Finwë lived with his son and his grandchildren and some of the rest of his house. Later, when Fëanor was summoned to Valmar to make peace with his brother, Finwë did not go out of bitterness over the exile of his son nor did he wish to meet the rest of his people because he no longer felt like their king. There he was the first to be killed in Valinor when Melkor slew him at the doors of Formenos seeking the Silmarils. This act was the catalyst that led to the Revolt of the Ñoldor.

[edit] Etymology

Finwë's name is not fully translated. The glossary in the Silmarillion translates Fin as "hair"; other sources say it means "skill".

[edit] The House of Finwë

(1)             (2)
  Míriel ========= Finwë ========= Indis 
             |               |
             |               ------------------------------------------
          Fëanor = Nerdanel  |            |                 |         |
                 |           Findis   Fingolfin = Anairë  Irimë   Finarfin = Eärwen
               Maedhros                         |                            |            
               Maglor                         Fingon***                    Finrod      
               Celegorm                       Turgon                       Angrod**
               Caranthir                      Aredhel                      Aegnor
               Curufin*                       Argon                        Galadriel 
               Amrod     
               Amras

  (*  Father of Celebrimbor)
  (** Father of Orodreth)
  (*** Father of Gil-galad)

[edit] Earlier versions of the legendarium

In the first drafts of the genealogy, Finwë had four sons: the youngest was named Finrun, but he was dropped after that, thus Finrod (later Finarfin) was Finwë's youngest son from then on.

In a later version Finwë had three daughters added by Indis, Findis (as their first child) Faniel (as their third), and Finvain (as their youngest). In yet later versions, Faniel was apparently dropped, while Findis and Finvain were kept. Finvain (renamed Irimë) was moved to after Fingolfin, thus Finarfin was once again the youngest child of Finwë.

[edit] References

1. ↑ The Peoples of Middle-earth XII: The Shibboleth of Feanor pg. 357 footnote 19

• The Silmarillion