Elwing
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Elwing | |
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Half-elf | |
Biographical Information | |
Location | Havens of Sirion, Eldamar |
Language | Sindarin |
Birth | F.A. 503 near Lanthir Lamath |
Family | |
House | House of Dior |
Heritage | Half-elven father, Elf mother |
Parentage | Dior & Nimloth |
Siblings | Eluréd and Elurín |
Spouse | Eärendil |
Children | Elrond and Elros |
Physical Description | |
Gender | Female |
Gallery | Images of Elwing |
Elwing the White was the daughter of Dior Eluchíl and Nimloth, and wife of Eärendil. It is said that she could speak with birds.
History
When Elwing was very young, her father inherited the throne of Doriath, along with the Silmaril reclaimed by Beren, and she moved with her parents to the caves of Menegroth. In F.A. 506, the sons of Fëanor, driven by their terrible Oath, attacked Menegroth and slew her parents and left her twin brothers to starve in the wild. She escaped the Sack of Doriath with the Silmaril and fled to the Havens of Sirion. There she met and married Eärendil and gave birth to twins Elrond and Elros.
In F.A. 538 the remaining sons of Fëanor attacked the Havens of Sirion to reclaim the Silmaril in her possession. They captured Elwing's sons but as they came for her she cast herself into the Great Sea. Through the power of the Vala Ulmo, she took the form of a white bird and came to her husband in his ship Vingilótë with the Silmaril upon her breast.
Elwing sailed with her husband on his great voyage to the West and, unlike the crew of his ship, refused to be separated from him when he sought the Valar in Valinor. While he spoke to them, she went to Alqualondë and told the Falmari (who, as Teleri, were of Thingol's kin) there about the tumultuous history of Beleriand, and later persuaded them to sail their ships for the Host of Valinor. When the Valar allowed Eärendil and Elwing, both being Half-elven, to choose which of the races they would be members of, Eärendil let her make the choice for them. Because of what had happened to her grandmother Lúthien, Elwing decided to be counted among the Elves, as did her husband for her sake.
Elwing was given a tower to live in by the shores of Eldamar, and there she fed seabirds that came to her windows. Eventually she learned their language, and was able to transform into a swan, flying to meet Eärendil whenever he returns from his voyages through the sky.
Etymology
The name Elwing means "star foam", composed of êl + wing.[1][2][3]
Genealogy
Elu Thingol | Melian | Bëor | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Lúthien | Beren | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dior Eluchíl | Nimloth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eärendil | ELWING | Eluréd | Elurín | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Elrond | Elros | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of Finwë's descendants", pp. 349
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XII. The Problem of Ros", pp. 369-70
- ↑ "Compound Sindarin Names in Middle-earth", Tolkiendil.com (accessed 12 March 2014)