Caranthir
| Caranthir | |
|---|---|
| Noldo | |
 | |
| "Caranthir" by Elena Kukanova | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | "the Dark" Morifinwë (Q, fn), Carnistir (Q, mn) |
| Titles | Lord of Thargelion |
| Location | Eldamar, Thargelion (Dor Caranthir), Amon Ereb |
| Affiliation | Oath of Fëanor, Union of Maedhros |
| Language | Quenya and Sindarin |
| Birth | Between Y.T. 1190 & 1362 Tirion |
| Rule | F.A. 7 - 455 |
| Death | F.A. 506 Second Kinslaying: Menegroth |
| Family | |
| House | House of Fëanor |
| Parentage | Fëanor & Nerdanel |
| Siblings | Maedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Curufin, Amrod and Amras |
| Spouse | Unnamed[1] |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Height | Tall |
| Hair color | Dark |
| Gallery | Images of Caranthir |
Caranthir, one of the Sons of Fëanor, was also the harshest and the quickest to anger. He was known as "Caranthir the Dark".
History[edit | edit source]
As with the other Sons of Fëanor, Caranthir was bound by the Oath of Fëanor to recover his father's Silmarils, which had been stolen by the Dark Lord Morgoth. This oath brought the Noldor to Middle-earth near the end of the First Age.[2] Angrod of the House of Finarfin was the first messenger of the Noldor to come to King Thingol who gave his permission to the Noldor to dwell in some free lands, but not in Doriath, as he considered himself Lord of Beleriand. Angrod informed the Noldor of this during their council in Mithrim, and Maedhros laughed at Thingol's claims, remarking that Thingol had merely given them lands in which he had no power. But Caranthir despised the children of Finarfin, and spoke in anger against Angrod, saying that he ought not to have been the spokesperson of the Noldor. Maedhros rebuked him, but division between Noldor increased after the outburst.[3]
The people of Caranthir went to the furthermost East Beleriand, reaching Ered Luin, and there they became the first of Noldor to encounter the Dwarves. Caranthir disliked the Dwarves for their unloveliness, but though there was little love between the two peoples, they allied against their common enemy: Morgoth. The alliance brought great profit, for all the trading that came to Beleriand from the Dwarves went first through Caranthir's hands, and he gained great wealth.[3] Caranthir's realm was in Thargelion, and was sometimes called Dor Caranthir ("Land of Caranthir"). His abode was on the shores of Lake Helevorn.[4]
In F.A. 375, Caranthir rescued Haleth and her people, the Haladin, when they were besieged by Orcs. At last recognizing the valour of Men, he offered the Haladin a fiefdom in his lands to the North. However, Haleth's heart was proud, and wanting her people to serve no lord she thanked him but removed to the Forest of Brethil.[5]
In the Dagor Bragollach, Caranthir was forced to retreat and joined the remnant of his people to the scattered folk of Amrod and Amras. They fled to the south and maintained a watch upon Amon Ereb, aided by the Laegil.[6]
In F.A. 463, the Easterling Ulfang led his people over the Blue Mountains, and they allied themselves with Maedhros. They swore allegiance to Caranthir, whom they followed,[6] and were given land in Lothlann.[7]
In F.A. 472, the disaster of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad ("Battle of Unnumbered Tears") occurred, caused by the betrayal of the people of Ulfang, and the sons of Fëanor were scattered.[8]
In F.A. 506, he perished along with his brothers Celegorm and Curufin during the Second Kinslaying, the attack by the Sons of Fëanor on Menegroth in an attempt to recover a Silmaril from King Dior Eluchíl of Doriath.[9]
Etymology[edit | edit source]
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Caranthir is the Sindarized version of his name Carnistir ("Red-face"), being the compound of caran + thir.[10]
Other names[edit | edit source]
Caranthir's father-name was Morifinwë ("Dark Finwë"), as he was black-haired as his paternal grandfather. The short version of the name was Moryo.[11]
His mother-name was Carnistir ("Red-face"). He inherited his mother's rudddy complexion,[11] but not his grandfather's coppery-red hair.[12]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]
In The Nauglafring, from the second volume of The History of Middle-earth, he is called Cranthor and dies beside Celegorm in the attack on Dior's realm.[13]
In the early version of the Quenta Silmarillion, found in The Lost Road and Other Writings, he was named Cranthir.
While in the published Silmarillion Caranthir is recorded as the fourth son of Fëanor, in The Shibboleth of Fëanor Curufin is explicitly numbered as the fourth.[11] This would then imply Caranthir to be the fifth son instead.
References
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "X. Of Dwarves and Men", "Notes", p. 318 (note 7)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Flight of the Noldor"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beleriand and its Realms"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of Men into the West"
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Doriath"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "From The Shibboleth of Fëanor" (edited by Carl F. Hostetter), in Vinyar Tengwar, Number 41, July 2000, p. 10
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of the Sons of Fëanor", p. 353
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of the Sons of Fëanor", p. 366
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "IV. The Nauglafring", pp. 241-242
| Caranthir House of Fëanor Cadet branch of the House of Finwë | ||
| None Title established | Lord of Thargelion F.A. 7 – 455 | None Realm destroyed |
