Eärwen
| Eärwen | |
|---|---|
| Falmar | |
 | |
| "The Swan-Maiden of Alqualonde" by Elena Kukanova | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Pronunciation | Q, [eˈarwen] |
| Other names | Swan-maiden of Alqualondë |
| Titles | Queen of the Noldor |
| Location | Alqualondë |
| Language | Telerin |
| Birth | Before Y.T. 1280 |
| Family | |
| Parentage | Olwë |
| Siblings | Unnamed brothers[1][note 1] |
| Spouse | Finarfin |
| Children | Finrod, Angrod, Aegnor, and Galadriel |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Female |
| Hair color | Starlike silver[2] |
| Gallery | Images of Eärwen |
Eärwen, known as the "swan-maiden of Alqualondë", was the daughter of Olwë, lord of the Teleri.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
In Y.T. 1280,[3] she married Finarfin, the youngest prince of the House of Finwë.[1] She became the mother of Finrod, Angrod, Aegnor, and Galadriel.[note 2][1] She was said to be close friends with Anairë, the wife of Fingolfin, her husband's older brother.[4]
Her children, being also in part Sea-elves, had a love of the sea and a longing for distant places; and it was in part due to this inheritance that all four of Eärwen's children chose to return to Middle-earth, exiling themselves from Valinor,[5] although Eärwen herself stayed in Aman.
Because of their Telerin blood, Eärwen's children were well received in Doriath, the realm of her father's elder brother, Thingol.[6]
Etymology[edit | edit source]
Eärwen is clearly Quenya. As Paul Strack explains, it probably means "Sea-maiden", being a compound of eär ("sea") + -wen ("maiden").[7]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
Notes
- ↑ She is said to have at least two brothers according to a passing reference in The Silmarillion, whose names are not mentioned in the narrative. According to an early genealogy, one of them is named Elulindo; cf. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Appendix: I. The Genealogies".
- ↑ Orodreth appears as one of Eärwen's sons in The Silmarillion. In Tolkien's writings, however, he was clearly marked as Angrod's son. Cf. more in Orodreth#Other versions of the legendarium.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", p. 230
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "The Annals of Aman": §85
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of Finwë's descendants", p. 344
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The case of the Quenya change of Þ to s", p. 336
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names", entry "Eärwen"
- ↑ Paul Strack, "Q. Eärwen f.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 31 March 2022)
