Lord of the lights

The "lord of the lights" was a self-styled title used by Fëanor in the days of the Flight of the Noldor.

History

Fëanor with Silmaril by Steamey

The Silmarils were made by Fëanor, the greatest and chiefest of all the Elven craftsmen in the First Age, originally with no motive but the making of beauty. Since Fëanor had imprisoned in them the light of the Two Trees of Valinor, which illuminated that land, these jewels acquired an exceedingly special value, and Fëanor became obsessed with love of his artworks and guarded them jealously, seldom permitting anyone else, except maybe his seven sons, to look at them. However, when Morgoth contrived to destroy the Trees by poisoning them with the aid of Ungoliant, their light unsullied now was only preserved in the Silmarils, which Morgoth had stolen from Fëanor's treasury.

During the Darkening of Valinor, as the Trees were dying, the Valar asked Fëanor to surrender the Silmarils and break them. By the pure light they contained, the Trees could, as the Valar said, be healed again. However, Fëanor refused their prayer, and when the Valar commanded him to relinquish the jewels (since the light which gave them their beauty and sanctity was theirs, and had only been lent to him) he became obdurate and rebelled, foreswearing his allegiance to Manwë as the Elder King of Arda.

To Fëanor, the Silmarils had become symbols and instruments of his power, and thus he bestowed upon himself the title of the "lord of the lights".