Maglor
Maglor | |
---|---|
Noldo | |
Biographical Information | |
Titles | Lord of Maglor's Gap, High King of the Noldor (briefly) |
Birth | Sometime during YOTT, Tirion |
Death | Unknown, if ever |
Family | |
Parentage | Fëanor + Nerdanel |
Spouse | None |
Physical Description | |
Gender | Male |
Hair color | Dark |
Gallery | Images of Maglor |
Maglor was the second of the Sons of Fëanor, who inherited more of his mother Nerdanel's gentle spirit than any of his brothers. Maglor was famed as a poet and bard, but he took the Oath of Fëanor in Tirion and shared in the woes that came of it.
History
Maglor followed his father, Fëanor, into exile, and saw him perish at the hands of the Balrogs. With the rest of his brothers, he dwelt to the east of Beleriand, and Maglor settled between the Little Gelion and Greater Gelion, the two rivers that came together to form the long Gelion itself. That region—which came to be known as Maglor's Gap—lacked hills or mountains, and so was the place on Beleriand's border that was most open to attack from the north.
Maglor guarded his Gap for four and a half centuries, but was eventually overcome in the Dagor Bragollach. The dragon Glaurung invaded Maglor's land and ruined it, so that he was forced to flee to the fortress of his brother Maedhros on the hill of Himring to the west. Sixteen years later, he marched out with Maedhros to the great battle that should have seen the revenge of the Elves on Morgoth, but was brought to ruin by the treachery of Uldor the Accursed. Maglor slew Uldor himself, but the field was lost; that was the battle afterwards called the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the "Battle of Unnumbered Tears".
All six (or seven) of Fëanor's remaining sons survived the Nirnaeth (Amras perished at Losgar in one version). In the years leading up to that battle, one of the three Silmarils had been recovered from Morgoth's Crown, and had come eventually to be held by Dior Eluchíl in Doriath. He would not surrender it to the brothers' claims, and so they assaulted Thingol's ancient kingdom. Celegorm, Caranthir and Curufin all fell in that futile battle. Now only three of Fëanor's sons survived: Maglor, the eldest son Maedhros, and the youngest son Amrod. After some years had passed, the three came to learn that a Silmaril was held by Elwing at the Mouths of Sirion, and though they restrained themselves for some time, their Oath compelled them to take back the jewel. So they assaulted their fellow Elves, and Elwing escaped with the Silmaril across the Sea to her husband Eärendil, and together they sailed into the West. That voyage would in time bring about the downfall of Morgoth.
After the destruction of Morgoth, the last two Silmarils were recovered from his Crown. By this time, only Maedhros and Maglor remained of Fëanor's sons, and Maglor came close to repenting the Oath. Wearily, he accompanied his brother in the theft of the Silmarils, but their evil deeds in recovering them meant that the holy Jewels burned their skin. Maedhros in despair leapt into a fiery fissure, and Maglor, the last of the Sons of Fëanor to survive, cast his Silmaril into the Sea. Legend says that he still wanders the shores of the World, singing laments for his despair and regret.
Etymology
His father-name was Canafinwë, a name which in Quenya means "Strong-voiced [of] Finwë". It is derived from cáno, a noun which means "commander", added to the name of his grandfather. His mother-name was Makalaurë. In The Etymologies it is interpreted as "Gold-cleaver". A possible explanation for this translation is given in The Shibboleth of Feanor, where it is stated that the name might be a reference to his skill in harping, whose sound was golden.
Genealogy
Mahtan | Míriel | Finwë | Indis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nerdanel | Fëanor | Findis | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Maedhros | Fingolfin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
MAGLOR | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Celegorm | Irimë | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Caranthir | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Curufin | Finarfin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amrod | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amras | Celebrimbor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- The Silmarillion, Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië
- The Silmarillion, Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor
- The Silmarillion, Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor
- The Silmarillion, Of the Flight of the Noldor
- The Silmarillion, Of the Return of the Noldor
- The Silmarillion, Of Beleriand and Its Realms
- The Silmarillion, Of the Noldor in Beleriand
- The Silmarillion, Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin
- The Silmarillion, Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad
- The Silmarillion, Of the Ruin of Doriath
- The Silmarillion, Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath
- The Book of Lost Tales Part 1, Gilfanon's Tale: The Travail of the Noldoli and the Coming of Mankind
- The Book of Lost Tales Part 2, The Nauglafring
- The Shaping of Middle-earth, The Earliest Annals of Valinor
- The Shaping of Middle-earth, The Earliest Annals of Beleriand
- The Lost Road and Other Writings, The later Annals of Beleriand
- The Lost Road and Other Writings, The later Annals of Valinor
- The Lost Road and Other Writings, Quenta Silmarillion
- The Lost Road and Other Writings, The Etymologies
- Morgoth's Ring, The Annals of Aman
- Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion
- The War of the Jewels, The Grey Annals
- The War of the Jewels, The Later Quenta Silmarillion
- The Peoples of Middle-earth, The Shibboleth of Feanor