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Much of this article relates to the final versions of Middle-earth's history, and as such may contain discrepancies with The Silmarillion. See LOTR:Canon for a discussion. This subject's portrayal in earlier or alternative versions is discussed in the Earlier versions of the legendarium section.

Finrod, also known fully as Finrod Felagund, was a Ñoldorin Elf who was born in Aman, He was King of Nargothrond and the eldest son of Finarfin and Eärwen, and the brother of Galadriel, Angrod and Aegnor.[2] Finrod was one of the noblest elves of the House of Finarfin and a friend of Men. His nobility and death saving Beren and his opposition to the Oath of Fëanor allowed for his return to life in Valinor, making him the first Elf to be reincarnated in the Undying Lands before the end of the First Age.

Biography

Finrod by Losse elda

Finrod, by Losse Elda

Finrod was friendly with Turgon and the House of Fingolfin. He opposed Fëanor and the Oath when he sought to return to Middle-earth to recover the Silmarils from Morgoth, but chose not to be parted with his friends and so he followed his father and his House and the House of Fingolfin. Finrod did not fight in the Kinslaying of Alqualondë nor was he aware of it as he continued the transit through Araman. While marching up the coast, the host encountered a figure on a rock and heard the Prophecy of the North. Afterwards, Finarfin and many of his followers departed and returned to Tirion, but Finrod chose to continue onto Middle-earth with the host of Fingolfin.[3]

Finrod founded the original Minas Tirith in the Pass of Sirion. In around FA 50, he and his friend Turgon, while journeying down the river Sirion, encamped along its banks and were laid to rest by Ulmo. While asleep, Ulmo revealed to them the hidden realm of Nargothrond and the valley of Tumladen. Finrod discovered the system of caves beneath the Taur-en-Faroth, and with the help from the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains he starts to build Nargothrond and went on to found his own kingdom and became King of Nargothrond.[4][5] Finrod rewarded the Dwarves with many jewels from Valinor. And in that time they made for him the Nauglamír and gave him the honorific Felagund meaning "Hewer of Caves".

While hunting in the lands of Thargelion in East Beleriand, Finrod was first of the Ñoldor to come across Men. He stayed with them long, learning their language and teaching them Sindarin. He also intervened on behalf of the Laiquendi of Ossiriand, who feared Men would destroy their home, and he received the permission of King Thingol, who held rule over all Beleriand, to guide the Men to Estolad.[6]

Finrod had a close friendship with Andreth of the House of Bëor, whom he often visited during the Siege of Angband to converse with her on the matters of Elves and Men. One such conversation was written down and later known as Athrabeth Finrod ah Andreth.

Eiszmann41 (1)

Finrod swore an oath of abiding friendship and aid in every need to Barahir and all his kin

During the Dagor Bragollach, Barahir of the House of Bëor saved Finrod's life, and in friendship Finrod gave him his ring.[7] This ring was later known as the Ring of Barahir and was eventually handed down to Aragorn when told of his true identity. Years after the Dagor Bragollach, Barahir's son Beren came to Nargothrond seeking help, and Finrod went with him on the Quest of the Silmaril to repay his debt, laying down his kingship. Celegorm and Curufin, who were living in Nargothrond at the time, persuaded (using fear of Morgoth, and barely veiled threats related to their Oath) most of Nargothrond to stay behind; only ten warriors, headed by one, Edrahil, were faithful and accompanied their King.[8]

Though disguised by the arts of Finrod, the twelve were captured by Sauron and taken to

Finrod felagunds death

and he died in the dark, in Tol-in-Gaurhoth, whose great tower he himself had built. Thus King Finrod Felagund, the fairest and most beloved of the house of Finwë, redeemed his oath.

Tol-in-Gaurhoth, formerly Minas Tirith, the castle Felagund himself had built. Finrod and Sauron battled with songs of power but despite a great display of skill and power by the Elven prince, Sauron eventually caught him in a devious trap and prevailed. But Sauron could not discern who exactly they were, even though they were revealed to him. Sauron imprisoned them, seeking to learn their errand and identities, sending a werewolf to devour them one by one until they revealed their secret, yet none did. Sauron however perceived that Finrod was a High Elven Lord of great power, and purposed to save him for last. Eventually, when the wolf came for Beren, Finrod burst his chains and killed the wolf barehanded but was mortally wounded himself.[8]

Finrod loved Amarië, a Vanyarin Elf, who didn't follow him to Middle-earth. For this, though she and Finrod were betrothed, Finrod never married while in Middle-earth.[9] It is noted in the Lay of Leithian that Finrod was soon allowed to return to life in Valinor and "now dwells with Amarië" and was described as walking "with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar".[8] Even though Mandos foretold that any of the exiles who died would never be allowed to leave his halls, Finrod alone was allowed to reembody in Valinor.

"...They buried the body of Felagund upon the hill-top of his own isle, and it was clean again; and the green grave of Finrod Finarfin's son, fairest of all the princes of the Elves, remained inviolate, until the land was changed and broken, and foundered under destroying seas. But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar." - The Silmarillion

Etymology

The name Finrod is a Sindarin form of his Telerin (Quenya) name Findaráto, with the approximate meaning "Mighty descendant of Finwë". His mother name is Ingoldo ("the Ñoldo").[10]

Felagund is an Epessë given to him by the Dwarves that expanded the caves of Nargothrond. It is actually of Dwarvish origin (or Sindarized Khuzdul) from the word felak-gundu ("Hewer of Caves").[11]

Finrod was also called by Bëor and his people Nóm ('Wisdom'), Nómin ('the Wise'), and "Friend-of-Men", which in Elvish was Edennil and Atandil, Sindarin and Quenya respectively.[6][11]

Titles

  • King of Nargothrond

Earlier names

The earlier name for Finrod, as told in The History of Middle-earth, was Inglor Felagund.

House of Finarfin

The Heraldic Device of the House of Finarfin
The Heraldic Device of King Finrod of Nargothrond
The Heraldic Device of High King Gil-galad

Finwë
   
   
Indis
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Fingolfin
   
   
Finarfin
   
   
Eärwen
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Finrod
   
   
Angrod
   
   
Eðellos
   
   
Aegnor
   
   
Galadriel
   
   
Celeborn
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Orodreth
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Celebrían
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Finduilas
   
   
   
   
   
   
Gil-galad


Earlier forms of the legendarium

In earlier versions of the Middle-earth mythology, and the first edition of The Lord of the Rings, the name Finrod was given to the character later known as Finarfin. Finrod Felagund was then named "Inglor Felagund". Because of that, some people speculate that Gildor Inglorion was Finrod's son, but there is much evidence to the contrary, which is found on the page for Gildor Inglorion.

In the The Silmarillion, Orodreth is Finrod's brother.[12] This was an editorial decision by Christopher Tolkien and an admitted mistake. Orodreth was actually the son of Angrod and thus Finrod's nephew.

Translations

Foreign Language Translated name
Amharic ፊንሮድ
Arabic فينرود
Armenian ֆինրոդ
Belarusian Cyrillic Финрод (Finrod)

Финрод Фэлагўнд (Finrod Felagund)

Bengali ফিনরোড
Bulgarian Cyrillic Финрод (Finrod)

Финрод Фелагунд (Finrod Felagund)

Catalan Fínrod
Chinese (Hong Kong) 芬羅德 (Finrod)

芬羅德·費拉岡 (Finrod Felagund)

Georgian ფინროდ (Finrod)

ფინროდ ფელაგუნდი (Finrod Felagund)

Greek Φίνροντ
Gujarati ફિનરોડ
Hebrew (Finrod) פינרוד

(Finrod Felagund) פינרוד פילגונד

Hindi फ़िन्रोद
Japanese フィンロド (Finrod)

フィンロド・フェラグンド (Finrod Felagund)

Kannada ಫ಼ಿನ್ರೊದ್
Kazakh Фінрод (Cyrillic) Finrod (Latin)
Korean 핀로드 (Finrod)

핀로드 펠라군 (Finrod Felagund)

Kyrgyz Cyrillic Финрод
Macedonian Cyrillic Финрод
Marathi फिन्रोड
Mongolian Cyrillic Финрод
Nepalese फ़िन्रोद
Pashto فینرود ?
Persian (Finrod) فین‌رود

(Finrod Felagund) فین‌رود فلاگوند

Punjabi ਫਿਨਰੋਡ
Russian Финрод (Finrod)

Финрод Ф́елагунд (Finrod Felagund)

Serbian Финрод (Cyrillic) Finrod (Latin)

Финрод Фелагунд (Cyrillic) Finrod Felagund (Latin)

Sinhalese ෆින්‍රොද්
Tajik Cyrillic Финрод
Tamil பின்றொட
Telugu ఫింరోడ్
Thai ฟินร็อด (Finrod)

ฟินร็อด เฟลากุนด์ (Finrod Felagund)

Ukrainian Cyrillic Фінрод (Finrod)

Фінрод Фелаґунд (Finrod Felagund)

Urdu فانرود
Uzbek Финрод (Cyrillic) Finrod (Latin)
Yiddish פינראָד
King of Nargothrond
Preceded by
Unknown, presumably a Petty-dwarf lord
Finrod Succeeded by
Orodreth
FA 52 - FA 495

References

  1. The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, The Annals of Aman
  2. The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter V: "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
  3. The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter IX: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
  4. The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XIII: "Of the Return of the Noldor"
  5. The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XIV: "Of Beleriand and its Realms"
  6. 6.0 6.1 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XVII: "Of the Coming of Men into the West"
  7. The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XVIII: "Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XIX: "Of Beren and Lúthien"
  9. The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XV: "Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
  10. The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, XI: "The Shibboleth of Fëanor"
  11. 11.0 11.1 The Silmarillion, Index of Names
  12. The Silmarillion, Tables, Genealogies, I: "The House of Finwë"

External link

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