Curufin

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Curufin
Noldo
File:Alan Michael - His Father's Son.jpg
Biographical Information
Other namesCurufin the Crafty,
Curufinwë (Q, fn),
Atarincë (Q, mn)
LocationTirion; Himlad
AffiliationOath of Fëanor; Union of Maedhros
LanguageQuenya and Sindarin
BirthDuring Years of the Trees
Tirion
DeathF.A. 506
Sack of Doriath: Menegroth
Family
HouseHouse of Fëanor
ParentageFëanor & Nerdanel
SiblingsMaedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Caranthir, Amrod and Amras
SpouseUnnamed
ChildrenCelebrimbor
Physical Description
GenderMale
Hair colorBlack
WeaponryAngrist
SteedUnnamed horse
GalleryImages of Curufin

Curufin (S, pron. [ˈkurufin]) was a Noldorin prince, the fifth of the seven sons of Fëanor and Nerdanel. Curufin was Fëanor's favorite and much like him in appearance, temperament, and skill. He was also the father of Celebrimbor, master jewel-smith of Eregion, who forged the three Elvish Rings of Power.

History

Flight of the Noldor

Curufin was born in Tirion during the Years of the Trees and he received the name Curufinwë (Q, pron. [ˌkuruˈfinwe]), same as his father. Because his father, uncles and brothers also all had father-names that ended with -finwë, Curufin was called Curvo (Q, pron. [ˈkurvo]) by his family. His mother-name was Atarinkë (Q, pron. [ˌataˈriŋke]). While in Valinor, he married at some point, and had a son named Celebrimbor. But Celebrimbor was unlike his father, and later on he came to dislike his deviousness and dealings with the other Noldor.

As with the other sons of Fëanor, Curufin bound himself by an oath to recover his father's Silmarils, which had been stolen by the Dark Lord Morgoth. The Oath took him and his brothers to Endor during the First Age where they established realms in exile, waged war against the armies of Morgoth, fought their own Elvish kind, and eventually brought ruin upon themselves.

Life in Beleriand

Curufin dwelt with his brother Celegorm in Himlad, a pass that led into Kingdom of Doriath, which the two brothers fortified and held until the Dagor Bragollach. Following the battle, the two brothers were defeated and had to flee with their people to Nargothrond, where their cousin Finrod welcomed them.

Tyelkormo and Curufinwe by Tuuliky

Shortly after, Beren also came to Nargothrond to collect on an oath Finrod had made to his ancestor. Finrod decided to help Beren, but Celegorm and Curufin, remembering their own oath, persuaded the people of Nargothrond not to follow him, 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 was made to rule in his stead.

The Attack upon Beren

Later, Curufin and Celegorm went hunting with Celegorm's hound Huan and found Lúthien, daughter of Thingol, searching for Beren. Feigning to help her, they took her captive and brought her to Nargothrond, for Celegorm had become enamored and would have Thingol give him her hand. However Huan helped Lúthien to flee, and they freed Beren and other thralls from Sauron. 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.

The two brothers met Lúthien and Beren as they fled, and Curufin fought with the latter. Defeated, he had to flee with Celegorm, but sought to slay Lúthien even as he did, and shot Beren instead.

Because of Celegorm and Curufin's evil deeds, Thingol and Orodreth would not join the Union of Maedhros against Morgoth.

Death

Curufin fell in the Second Kinslaying, when the Sons of Fëanor attacked Doriath to seize a Silmaril in the possession of the King Dior the Beautiful. Celegorm and Caranthir died with him during the assault.

Etymology

Curufin's father-name was Curufinwë ("Skillful [son of] Finwë"), the same father-name given to Fëanor. Because Curufin was Fëanor's favorite son, he chose to give him the same name. His mother-name was Atarinkë ("Little Father"), choosen because of his physical resemblance to his father. The name Curufin is the Sindarin version of his father-name. It is stated in The Shibboleth of Fëanor that of all the sons of Fëanor only Curufin did not prefer to use his mother-name.

Genealogy

Names shown in italics are females.

Mahtan
 
Míriel
 
Finwë
 
Indis
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Nerdanel
 
 
 
Fëanor
 
Findis
 
Fingolfin
 
Írimë
 
Finarfin
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Maedhros
 
Maglor
 
Celegorm
 
Caranthir
 
CURUFIN
 
Amrod
 
Amras
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Celebrimbor
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

References

See Also