Thingol

File:Elwe Heraldic Device.jpg

Elu Thingol's Heraldic Device, designed by J.R.R. Tolkien

Elu Thingol by Felix Sotomayor

Elu Thingol (Years of the Trees 1050 – First Age 502, aged approx. 4,800 years), more commonly known as Thingol, was the King of Doriath and High King of the Sindar. Born Elwë during the first years of the Eldar, he was the older brother of Olwë and Elmo¹. He was also a good friend of Finwë, High King of the Noldor. Thingol would become a central figure of The Silmarillion, instigating the Quest for the Silmaril, the greatest victory of the First Age, but ultimately the cause of his doom.

History

Thingol was born at Cuiviénen² in the days before the Sun and the Moon, when Middle-earth was lit only by starlight. Three millenia later, after the Chaining of Melkor, the Vala Oromë took three Elves, Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë, to Valinor to convince the Eldar to join the Valar in the Blessed Realm. Upon thier return, the Elven Ambassadors convince many of the Eldar to join them on the Great Journey to the West. During the thousand mile journey the Elven host seperates into three groups, the Vanyar, Noldor, and Teleri. The Teleri, the largest group, are led by Elwë and his brother Olwë, and take the longest period of time to reach the west coast of Middle-earth. The other Elves had already left for Valinor and the Teleri were forced to wait.

During this time Elwë wandered into the forest of Nan Elmoth, where he met and fell in love with Melian the Maia. Caught in an enchantment of their own making, Elwë and Melian could not be found by the searching Teleri. When the Valar returned to take the remaining Elves to Valinor, only some of them followed Olwë to the West. The rest had come to love the lands of Beleriand and refused to leave without their missing lord.

Over a thousand years passed before Elwë appeared again with his bride Melian. He gathered his people together and founded the Kingdom of Doriath. His subjects would become the Sindar, or "Grey Elves", and their language was Sindarin. From here on Elwë was known as King Elu Thingol, and he claimed lordship over all the lands in Beleriand. While Thingol was lord of the Grey Elves, who never saw the light of the Two Trees, as an ambassador for the Valar he was counted as a High Elf and equal to any lord of the Eldar.

Thingol and Melian had one child, a daughter named Lúthien, said to be the fairest woman ever to live. Lúthien fell in love with a man named Beren. Thingol did not wish for the two to wed, as he valued his daughter very highly and disliked Men. As a bride-price he asked for a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, thinking there was no way that Beren could fulfill this demand. It was, however, this very bride-price that killed him. Thingol became obsessed with the Silmaril and hired some Dwarves to place it in the Nauglamír, the Necklace of the Dwarves. The Dwarven craftsmen also became obssessed with the jewel and slew Thingol for possession of it, setting off a chain of events that led to the destruction of Doriath and the scattering of its people.

Thingol's heir was Dior, son of Beren and Lúthien.

Thingol's sword was called Aranrúth ("King's Ire"). His crown was described in the Lay of Leithian as crafted of gold and studded with red rubies and clear crystal.

Etymology

The Elf known as Thingol was born Elwë, Quenya for "Man of the Stars" (where "man" means male, not human). His epessë (honorary name) was Singollo, or "Grey Cloak". Elwë Singollo's preferred language was Sindarin, to which his name translates as Elu Thingol. Among his subjects he went by his honorarium, Thingol, King of Doriath.

Genealogy

      __________________________________               
     |                      |           |  
ELU THINGOL = Melian       Olwë        Elmo1
            |
            |
            |       House of Bëor
            |          :
            |          :
          Lúthien = Beren
                  |
                  |
                 Dior

Preceded by: none

King of Doriath YotT 1152 – I 502

Followed by: Dior Eluchíl

See Also

• Images of Thingol

Notes

1. Elmo is a later addition by Tolkien, and is not in the published Silmarillion.
2. This information is from the Cuivienyarna, part of Quendi and Eldar, a late revision of the legendarium by Tolkien. In the published Silmarillion, Elu Thingol awoke at Cuiviénen, instead of being born there. See Awakening of the Elves.