Formenos

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Formenos
Fortress
Luis F. Bejarano - Formenos.jpg
"Formenos" by Luis F. Bejarano
General Information
LocationNorthern Valinor
TypeFortress
People and History
InhabitantsNoldor
EventsMurder of Finwë, theft of the Silmarils
GalleryImages of Formenos

Formenos (Years of the Trees 1490[1] – 1495,[2] inhabited for approx. 50 years) was the stronghold of Fëanor and his sons in the north of Valinor, built after his banishment from Tirion. A great number of the Noldor, including their king Finwë, went with Fëanor into exile.[3]

Fëanor's treasury was in Formenos, and Melkor came to the stronghold searching for the Silmarils. Here he slew Finwë before stealing the jewels and escaping to Middle-earth.[4]

Etymology

Formenos means "Northern Fortress" in Quenya (from formen = "north" and osto = "fortress"). Its Sindarin cognate is Fornost, the name of a different city.

Other versions of the legendarium

The precursor of Formenos is Sirnúmen, a location which appears in an early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.[5] In this version, Melko sows discord among the Noldoli, who are then ordered by Manwë to leave their home of Kôr and build a new dwelling elsewhere in Valinor. Their new dwelling, Sirnúmen, is later plundered by Melko, who kills Fëanor's father, Bruithwir, and steals the gems of the Noldoli, including the Silmarils.[6]

References