Finwë and Míriel

Finwë
Tolkien character
In-universe information
RaceElves
TitleKing of the Noldor
Book(s)The Silmarillion (1977)
Míriel
Tolkien character
In-universe information
AliasesÞerindë, Serindë, Fíriel
RaceElves
Book(s)The Silmarillion (1977)

Finwë (Quenya: [ˈfinwɛ]) and Míriel (Quenya: [ˈmiːriɛl]) are fictional characters from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Finwë is the first King of the Noldor Elves; he leads his people on the journey from Middle-earth to Valinor in the blessed realm of Aman. His first wife is Míriel, who, uniquely among immortal Elves, dies while giving birth to their only child Fëanor, creator of the Silmarils; her spirit later serves the godlike Vala queen Vairë. Finwë is the first person to be murdered in Valinor: he is killed by the Dark Lord Morgoth, who is intent on stealing the Silmarils. The event sets off the Flight of the Noldor from Valinor back to Beleriand in Middle-earth, and its disastrous consequences.

Tolkien commented on the importance of the story of Finwë and Míriel on his legendarium, stating that had Finwë chosen differently, the whole course of Middle-earth's history would have been better. Tolkien called Míriel's decision to let go of life disastrous; he associated it with the Biblical Fall of man. Scholars have debated whether Finwë and Míriel were to blame for the subsequent disastrous history of the Elves in Middle-earth. They have remarked that Míriel was extremely skilful in craftsmanship, and passed on her skill to her son Fëanor, whose other name, Curufinwë, means "Skill-Finwë" in one of Tolkien's constructed languages, Quenya. They have commented, too, on the lasting consequences of Míriel's death, through Fëanor's uncontrolled and divisive actions.

Fictional history

In Middle-earth

Arda in the First Age. The Elves awaken in Middle-earth (right). Elwë, Finwë, and Ingwë encourage their peoples to obey the call of the Valar and travel to Valinor (green arrows to the left), but some refuse, causing the first Sundering of the Elves.[1] Finwë's killing by Melkor leads in turn to the Flight of the Noldor (red arrows to the right) back to Middle-earth.[2]

Among the Elves who first awoke at Cuiviénen, a bay on the Sea of Helcar in the East of Middle-earth, the Noldor are the "Deep-Elves", always interested in knowledge, skill, and understanding; their leader is Finwë. The godlike Valar ask the Elves to come and live with them in their blessed realm of Valinor. The Elves are doubtful about this, so the Vala Oromë picks three leaders of the Elves, Elwë, Finwë, and Ingwë, to come and see Valinor for themselves. Delighted by what they see, the three ambassadors return to their people and invite them to make the journey to Valinor. The Fair-Elves of Ingwë go and stay; the Deep-Elves of Finwë go, but many later return to Middle-earth; while the Elves of Elwë are divided, and though they set out together, many do not complete the journey. The ambassadors become the Kings of their respective peoples.[T 1]

In Valinor

Lozenge of Finwë, King of the Noldor, with sixteen points touching the rim, indicating his rank in Elvish heraldry[3]

Finwë marries Míriel, the most skilful of the Noldor in needlework and weaving. Míriel gives birth to their only child, Curufinwë, commonly called Fëanor; he inherits her skill, becoming the most gifted and brilliant of all the Noldor, the mightiest in crafts, especially the making of jewels.[4][5][T 2]

Míriel, an immortal elf, is so exhausted by the birth, "consumed in spirit and body" by the fiery creative energy of her son Fëanor, that she wilfully gives up her spirit.[6] She thus becomes the first sentient being in the blessed realm of Aman to experience death. This leaves Finwë on his own, not through his own choice; such a thing had never occurred before, and he chooses to remarry.[T 3] His second wife is Indis of the Vanyar, the Fair-Elves of Ingwë. She bears him two sons: Fingolfin and Finarfin, and two daughters: Findis and Írimë, their names echoing his.[T 3]

Fëanor comes to resent Finwë's other sons, his half-brothers; there is constant strife between them. Fëanor makes the Silmarils, three star-like jewels that embody some of the light of the Two Trees of Valinor.[T 3][T 4][T 5]

During the Dark Lord Melkor's attempt to corrupt the Noldor, Finwë tries to exert a moderating influence over his people and lead them back to the Valar. When Fëanor is exiled from the Elvish city of Tirion after he openly threatens Fingolfin, Finwë goes with him to their northern fortress, Formenos. There he is the first to be murdered in Valinor when Melkor, seeking the Silmarils, kills him at the doors of Formenos.[T 6] This directly leads to the Flight of the Noldor,[2] the disastrous rebellion of the Noldor against the Valar, which in turn leads the First Kinslaying, when Elves killed other Elves.[T 6]

In the Halls of Mandos

After their deaths, Finwë and Míriel meet again in the Halls of Mandos, the place where the shades of dead Elves go in Aman. The Valar had allowed Finwë to remarry, given that Míriel had made clear she would never again live in a body; they did not want an Elf to have two living wives. As with Elves killed in battle, the Valar offer Finwë the choice to live again; he decides instead to let Míriel have this chance. Míriel feels that there is no longer a place for her among the Noldor, since Finwë had remarried, and declines the offer. She chooses to become an eternal assistant to Vairë, the weaver of the godlike Valar: she helps to weave the tapestries of time for the duration of the world's existence.[T 5]

Analysis

Creative power

Megan Fontenot, writing on Tor.com, notes that when Míriel says she will have no more children after the effort of having Fëanor, Finwë "becomes depressed", but ultimately gets the Vala Manwë to do as Míriel wishes, and let her go to the garden of Lórien, in the South of Aman, which is the realm of the Vala Irmo, the master of dreams. There she falls asleep and her spirit departs for the Halls of Mandos. Finwë visits her and calls her names, but she does not return. Fontenot comments that Tolkien's drafts of the tale of Míriel are complex. One strand of Tolkien's accounts of her tells that her needlework is so fine that just one piece would be worth more than a kingdom; Tolkien likens her creative power to that of the Vala Yavanna, she who loves all trees and plants that grow in the earth. In Fontenot's view, Míriel's creativity "celebrates and amplifies the beauty already present in the world around her. Her art doesn't hoard light and beauty". Further, Fontenot writes, it is significant that Yavanna made the Two Trees of Valinor, while Míriel made Fëanor, who made the Silmarils, which captured some of the light of the Two Trees.[4][5]

Important choices

Some of Tolkien's drafts of the story describe similarities of character between Fëanor and Míriel. Tolkien calls both of them determined, hardly ever changing their mind once they had said they would do something. In another draft, Tolkien adds that Míriel was both "proud and obdurate"; the mention of pride directly echoes Fëanor's ill-fated oath.[4][5]

Tolkien rewrote the tale of Finwë and Míriel several times, as it assumed "an extraordinary importance in [his] later work on The Silmarillion".[T 5] The Silmarillion, prepared by Christopher Tolkien from his father's unpublished writings, only briefly mentions the tale of Finwë and Míriel; Tolkien may have intended to incorporate a fuller version.[7] In Tolkien's works, Elves are immortal, their shades going to the Halls of Mandos after death, and marriage is forever.[T 7] Tolkien noted that had Finwë chosen differently, the whole history of Middle-earth would have changed for the better, thus making his choice a pivotal event in the mythology; it showed the importance Tolkien attached to unbreakable relationships.[T 5]

Skill of mother and son

The Tolkien scholar Verlyn Flieger comments that Míriel's death has deep-running consequences through her son Fëanor's "unchecked nature". She notes that his usual name means "Spirit of Fire", and that it is not his true name, which is Curufinwë (Quenya: Curu, "Skill", and his father's name); in her view, the use of an epithet implies a strong emphasis on his fire element. The first thing his fire consumes is Míriel's body; The Silmarillion says she is "consumed in spirit and body".[8] The poet and essayist Melanie Rawls writes that Fëanor's consuming nature, always taking things in, is "a negative-feminine trait", implying a disharmony of the genders.[9] Flieger writes that his fire then drives his creativity, making the beautiful letters of the Fëanorian script, and jewels, including, fatefully, the Silmarils. She states that Tolkien, choosing his words very carefully, calls Fëanor two things. Firstly, he uses the word "subtle", by etymology from Latin sub-tela, "under the warp (of a weaving)", hence the crosswise weft threads that go against the grain, a dangerous part of the fabric of life. Secondly, he applies the word "skilled", by etymology from Indo-European skel-, "to cut", like the Noldor as a whole tending to cause division among the Elves. His choices, and the Silmarils, do in fact lead to division and war, to the Kinslaying of Elf by Elf, the theft of the Telerin Elves' ships in Aman, and in turn to further disasters across the sea in Beleriand.[10]

Verlyn Flieger's analysis of Tolkien's choice of terms for Fëanor[10]
Tolkien's terms Etymology Implications
"subtle" Latin: sub-tela, "under the warp" of a weaving A person who goes against the grain, dangerous
"skilled" Indo-European skel-, "to cut" A divisive person, one who causes conflict

Both Matthew Dickerson in The J. R. R. Tolkien Encyclopedia and Elizabeth Solopova in A Companion to J. R. R. Tolkien note that The Silmarillion emphasises Míriel's skill, naming her in early versions Byrde, later Serindë, "the broideress"; she passes on her "surpassing skill"[T 3] in craftsmanship to her only son. Solopova suggests a possible link to Tolkien's study of the Middle English word burde, conventionally meaning "lady, damsel"; he proposed that it derived from Old English borde, "embroidery" and pointed out that in Old Norse and Old English poetry, stock terms for "woman" included "weaver" and "embroideress".[11][6]

"A strange case"

Tolkien mentions in a letter "a strange case of an Elf (Míriel mother of Fëanor) that tried to die, which had disastrous results, leading to the 'Fall' of the High-elves"; he discusses it in the context of the Fall of Man.[T 8] Dickerson writes that while Fëanor is held responsible by the Valar, "neither Finwë nor Míriel is blameless".[6] He states that no reason is given in The Silmarillion for Míriel's decision, beyond the enormous amount of energy, "enough for many children", that she put into Fëanor. However, he notes that Morgoth had already worked his evil on the Elves when they were still at Cuiviénen, where they first awakened, in the east of Middle-earth, sowing "the seeds of despair"; this might, he suggests, have contributed to Míriel's loss of hope.[6] Tolkien wrote in Laws and Customs Among the Eldar that "Niënna came to Manwë, and she said: 'Lord of Aman, it is now made clear that the death of Míriel was an evil of Arda Marred, for with the coming hither of the Eldar the Shadow hath found an entrance even into Aman.'"[T 5]

Fontenot notes that Tolkien's drafts differ widely in how long Míriel lives after Fëanor's birth, and hence in whether she can influence his ill humour directly. This in turn affects the issue of how far Finwë and Míriel can be blamed for the consequences of Fëanor's actions. It is a question that the Valar debate amongst themselves.[4][5]

Philosophical themes

The scholar of religion Amelia Rutledge identifies what she calls Pauline constructs (like the language used by Paul the Apostle in the Bible) in the legalistic wording relating to the tale of Finwë and Míriel. She notes that Elizabeth Whittingham and Douglas Kane discuss instead the eschatology relating to the tale. Whittingham considers what she calls "some of the most interesting glimpses of Tolkien as sub-creator" in his stories and essays on the nature of mortal Men and immortal Elves, exploring the question of death and immortality raised by the voluntary death of Míriel.[12] Kane discusses Mandos's Second Prophecy, with an illustration of "The spirit of Míriel appearing before Mandos and Manwë, and taking a last look at Finwë".[13][7]

House of Finwë

House of Finwë family tree[T 9][T 10][T 11]
Míriel
"broideress"

Finwë
of the Noldor
Indis
of the Vanyar
Fëanor,
maker of Silmarils
Findis FingolfinIrimë
Finarfin
MaedhrosFive sonsCurufin Fingon TurgonAredhelArgonFinrodAngrodAegnorGaladriel
Celebrimbor,
maker of Rings
Gil‑galadIdrilMaeglinOrodreth
EärendilFinduilas
ElrosElrondCelebrían
AragornArwenElladanElrohir
Eldarion
Colour key:
Colour Description
  Elves
  Men
  Maiar
  Half-Elven
  Half-Elven who chose the fate of Elves
  Half-Elven who chose the fate of mortal Men

Kings of the Noldor in Valinor

High Kings of the Noldor in exile in Middle-earth


References

Primary

  1. ^ Tolkien 1977, ch. 3 "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
  2. ^ Tolkien 1977, ch. 5 "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
  3. ^ a b c d Tolkien 1977, ch. 6 "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor"
  4. ^ Tolkien 1977, ch. 7 "Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor"
  5. ^ a b c d e Tolkien 1993, pp. 205–271 "Laws and Customs among the Eldar"
  6. ^ a b Tolkien 1977, ch. 9 "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
  7. ^ Tolkien 1993, pp. 209–213
  8. ^ Carpenter 2023, Letters #212 to Rhona Beare, unsent draft continuation of #211 of 14 October 1958
  9. ^ Tolkien 1977, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age": Family Tree I: "The house of Finwë and the Noldorin descent of Elrond and Elros"
  10. ^ Tolkien 1977, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age": Family Tree II: "The descendants of Olwë and Elwë"
  11. ^ Tolkien 1955, Appendix A: Annals of the Kings and Rulers, I The Númenórean Kings

Secondary

  1. ^ Flieger 1983, p. 73.
  2. ^ a b Clark & Timmons 2000, p. 176.
  3. ^ Hammond & Scull 1998, pp. 187–198.
  4. ^ a b c d Fontenot 2019a.
  5. ^ a b c d Fontenot 2019b.
  6. ^ a b c d Dickerson 2013, pp. 212–213.
  7. ^ a b Kane 2009, pp. 77–81.
  8. ^ Flieger 1983, pp. 94–95.
  9. ^ Rawls 2015, p. 112.
  10. ^ a b Flieger 1983, pp. 95–107.
  11. ^ Solopova 2020, p. 231.
  12. ^ Whittingham 2017, Introduction and Chapter 5: "Death and Immortality among Elves and Men".
  13. ^ Rutledge 2012, pp. 59–74.

Sources

Read other articles:

鹿児島中央駅 桜島口とアミュプラザ鹿児島(2020年10月) かごしまちゅうおう Kagoshima-Chūō 右は鹿児島中央駅前停留場所在地 鹿児島県鹿児島市中央町1-1[1]所属事業者 九州旅客鉄道(JR九州・駅詳細)鹿児島市交通局(駅詳細)テンプレートを表示 桜島口(2014年9月) 西口とビックカメラ鹿児島中央駅店(2013年5月) 鹿児島中央駅(かごしまちゅうおうえき)...

 

Produce 101SutradaraAn Joon-youngPresenterJang Keun-suk[1]Penggubah lagu temaDJ Koo, Midas-T, Maximite[2]Lagu pembukaPick Meby Produce 101[2]Negara asalKorea SelatanBahasa asliKoreaJmlh. musim2Jmlh. episode11ProduksiProduser eksekutifHan Dong-chul[1]Durasi80–120 minutes 160 minutes (Finale)Rumah produksiCJ E&MSignal Entertainment GroupDistributorCJ E&MAnggaran₩4 billion (approximately US$3,4 million)[3]RilisJaringan asliMnetRilis asli22 Janu...

 

Main battle tank family of Soviet origin, 1946 T-54 and T-55 redirect here. For other uses, see T-54 (disambiguation) and T-55 (disambiguation). T-54/55 A T-55 tank on display at the Imperial War MuseumType Medium tank (Warsaw pact designation) Main battle tank (NATO designation)Place of originSoviet UnionService historyIn service1948–presentUsed bySee OperatorsWarsSee Combat HistoryProduction historyDesigner KMDB (T-54) OKB-520 (T-54A and later) Designed1947–1958Manuf...

この項目では、ソビエト連邦・ロシアの新聞について説明しています。その他の用法については「プラウダ (曖昧さ回避)」をご覧ください。 Правдаプラウダ種別日刊新聞判型ブランケット所有者 ロシア連邦共産党編集者ボリス・コモツキー(ロシア語版)設立1912年5月5日(公式)政治的傾向共産主義言語ロシア語本社所在地 ロシア連邦 モスクワ、プラウダ通り24丁目

 

فاسيليكا (ثيسالونيكي)  خريطة الموقع تقسيم إداري البلد اليونان  [1] خصائص جغرافية إحداثيات 40°28′47″N 23°08′13″E / 40.479722222222°N 23.136944444444°E / 40.479722222222; 23.136944444444  الارتفاع 75 متر  السكان التعداد السكاني 3762 (إحصاء السكان) (2011)  معلومات أخرى التوقيت ت ع م+02:00 (توقي

 

Este artigo não cita fontes confiáveis. Ajude a inserir referências. Conteúdo não verificável pode ser removido.—Encontre fontes: ABW  • CAPES  • Google (N • L • A) (Agosto de 2020) Um protótipo de veículo solar Um veículo solar é um veículo que utiliza a energia solar, para a sua locomoção. No caso mais comum, o carro solar contém um painel fotovoltaico que converte a energia do Sol em energia elétrica que aliment...

John Branch John Branch (* 4. November 1782 in Halifax, North Carolina; † 3. Januar 1863 in Enfield, North Carolina) war ein US-amerikanischer Politiker und Gouverneur des Bundesstaates North Carolina sowie des Florida-Territoriums. Außerdem war er Marineminister der Vereinigten Staaten. Er vertrat auch den Staat North Carolina in beiden Kammern des Kongresses. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Frühe Jahre 2 Politischer Aufstieg zum Gouverneur von North Carolina 3 Bundespolitik 4 Gouverneur im Fl...

 

Kuil Wat Phra Hin di sebuah muban di Tambon Muang Kham, Distrik Phan, Provinsi Chiang Rai Muban (bahasa Thai: หมู่บ้าน; RTGS: mu ban) adalah pembagian wilayah administratif di Thailand. Istilah ini bisa diterjemahkan sebagai 'desa' dan terkadang diterjemahkan sebagai 'kampung'. Unit wilayah ini merupakan bagian dari sebuah tambon (sub-distrik). Hingga 2008[update], terdapat 74.944 muban administratif di seluruh Thailand.[1] Pada sensus tahun 1990, setiap de...

 

Yoshioka redirects here. For the surname, see Yoshioka (surname). Town in Kantō, JapanYoshioka 吉岡町TownYoshioka town office FlagSealLocation of Yoshioka in Gunma PrefectureYoshioka Coordinates: 36°26′50.8″N 139°0′34.9″E / 36.447444°N 139.009694°E / 36.447444; 139.009694CountryJapanRegionKantōPrefectureGunmaDistrictKitagunmaArea • Total20.46 km2 (7.90 sq mi)Population (September 2020) • Total21,749 

2021 migrant crisis on the borders of Poland, Lithuania and Latvia with Belarus Belarus–European Union border crisisMap showing main routes of illegal migrants to the Belarus–EU borderDate7 July 2021 – present (2 years)LocationBelarus–EU border (Belarus; Poland, Lithuania, Latvia)[1]Caused by Deterioration in Belarus–EU relations following the 2020 Belarusian election and 2020–2021 protests Sanctions against Belarus following the Ryanair Flight 4978 incident Forced repatri...

 

Jamur shitake Klasifikasi ilmiah Kerajaan: Fungi Filum: Basidiomycota Kelas: Homobasidiomycetes Ordo: Agaricales Famili: Marasmiaceae Genus: Lentinula Spesies: L. edodes Nama binomial Lentinula edodes(Berk.) Pegler Lentinula edodesfloat Karakteristik mikologiHimenium berbentuk insangTudung cembungHimenium bebasTangkai gundul Jejak spora berwarna putih hingga kekuning-kuninganJenis ekologi saprotrofEdibilitas: pilihan Jamur shitake (椎茸code: ja is deprecated ) atau jamur shitake (Lenti...

 

Kælan Mikla Kælan Mikla sur scène à Madrid en 2019Informations générales Pays d'origine Islande Genre musical Dark wave, indie rock, synthpunk, post punk Années actives Depuis 2013[1] Labels Fabrika RecordsArtoffact Records Site officiel www.kaelanmikla.com Composition du groupe Membres Laufey Soffía ÞórsdóttirMargrét Rósa Dóru-HarrýsdóttirSólveig Matthildur Kristjánsdóttir modifier Kælan Mikla est un groupe islandais de rock indé, créé en 2013 à Reykjavik par les musi...

Finnish top-tier association football league Football leagueVeikkausliigaFounded1990; 33 years ago (1990)CountryFinlandConfederationUEFANumber of teams12Level on pyramid1Relegation toYkkönen 1–2 (depending on qualification playoffs)Domestic cup(s)Finnish CupInternational cup(s)UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Europa Conference LeagueCurrent championsHJK (2022)Most championshipsHJK Helsinki (33)TV partnersIS Extra, Ruutu+, Nelonen, JimWebsiteveikkausliiga.comCurrent: 2023 Veikkau...

 

College of the University of Oxford Magdalen College redirects here. For other uses, see Magdalen College (disambiguation). Magdalen CollegeOxfordThe Cloister and Founders’ TowerArms: Lozengy ermine and sable, on a chief of the second three lilies argent slipped and seeded orScarf colours: black, with two equally-spaced wide bands of white LocationLongwall Street and High StreetCoordinates51°45′09″N 1°14′49″W / 51.752374°N 1.247077°W / 51.752374; -1.24707...

 

Fail-safe power braking system with compressed air as the operating medium This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (July 2013) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this article, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a ...

Local council in IsraelEven Yehuda אֶבֶן יְהוּדָה‎ايفن يهوداLocal council (from 1950)Even YehudaShow map of Central IsraelEven YehudaShow map of IsraelCoordinates: 32°16′12.09″N 34°53′14.74″E / 32.2700250°N 34.8874278°E / 32.2700250; 34.8874278Country IsraelDistrictCentralFounded1932Government • Head of MunicipalityAbraham HarariArea • Total8,398 dunams (8.398 km2 or 3.242 sq&...

 

Indian horror film Haunted HillsDirected bySanjeev Kumar RajputWritten bySanjeev Kumar RajputProduced byRavi Kant DixitShashi Kant DixitBanwari Lal DixitShailendra DixitStarringZuber K. Khan[1] Diana Khan Gavie Chahal Surendra Pal SinghCinematographySantosh PalEdited byAzeem PashaMusic byGaurav SandeepRelease date 28 February 2020 (2020-02-28) Running time102 minutesCountryIndiaLanguageEnglish Haunted Hills (transl. हॉन्टेड हिल्स)[2]...

 

This article does not cite any sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Hridayaleeswarar Temple – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Hindu temple in Tamil Nadu, India Hirudhayaleeshwarar TempleReligionAffiliationHinduismDeityIrudhayaleeswarar (sivan)LocationLocationThiruni...

1979 single by Bad CompanyGone, Gone, GoneCover for the Japanese singleSingle by Bad Companyfrom the album Desolation Angels B-sideTake the TimeReleasedJuly 1979 (US)[1]RecordedAugust – September 1978StudioRidge Farm Studios, Surrey, EnglandGenreHard rockLength3:50LabelSwan SongSongwriter(s)Boz BurrellProducer(s)Bad CompanyBad Company singles chronology Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy (1979) Gone, Gone, Gone (1979) Electricland (1982) Gone, Gone, Gone is a song by English rock ba...

 

Supreme law of Eritrea Politics of Eritrea Constitution (not enforced) Executive President Isaias Afwerki Cabinet Legislature National Assembly Chairman: Isaias Afwerki Judiciary High Court Regional Courts Community Courts Special Court Elections Political parties PFDJ Administrative divisions Regions (Zobas) Administrators Assemblies Subregions Foreign relations Ministry of Foreign Affairs Minister: Osman Saleh Mohammed Diplomatic missions of / in Eritrea Passport Visa requirements Visa poli...

 

Strategi Solo vs Squad di Free Fire: Cara Menang Mudah!