Olwë was an Elf of the Teleri of Aman. When he and his kin reached Aman, they chose to remain there in both Tol Eressëa and Alqualondë, apart from the rest of the Elves of Aman. Olwë became Lord of Alqualondë and King of the Teleri.
He was the father of Eärwen and several unnamed sons.[2] He was the younger brother of Elwë (Elu Thingol) and the older brother of Elmo.[3] Other Telerin Elves such as Nowë (Círdan) were said to be akin to Olwë.[4]
Biography[]
Olwë as seen by Jenny Dolfen
Olwë and both his brothers ware born in Cuiviénen during the Years of the Trees to unnamed parents, and their father was the direct descendant of Enel and Enelyë.[5] After Oromë discovered the Quendi, Elwë and Olwë became both lords of the third clan of the Elves, the later Teleri, and together they lead their people from Cuiviénen to the West.[6] However, during a long wait in Beleriand Elwë disappeared. After years of searching, Olwë grew impatient, and led the greater part of the Teleri to Valinor, on the insistence of the Vala Ulmo.[2]
Olwë became Lord of the island of Tol Eressëa, where the Teleri built a great number of cities, and grew in number. When they finally came to Eldamar some centuries later, Olwë became Lord of Alqualondë. His daughter Eärwen married Finarfin son of Finwë[2] and later High King of the Ñoldor in Valinor, and thus their children, when these returned to Middle-earth, could claim kinship to Thingol, for Eärwen had several sons.
When Fëanor resolved to return to Middle-earth in pursuit of Morgoth, he came to Alqualondë and spoke to the Teleri asking for aid and for the use of the Swanships but he could not move them. He then grew hot and wrathful and, grudging he spoke to Olwë, he accused him of renouncing their friendship and for being ungrateful for the help that the Ñoldor had given his people in the past. Then Olwë said to Fëanor that this was not so and that he believed that as a friend it was right for him to keep a friend from doing something unwise. Then he spoke to him of the many things that they accomplished on their own without any aid from the Ñoldor, and that the Swanships were one of those things and were very dear to them.[7]
Olwë, by Righon
Seeing that he was not going to get what he wanted, Fëanor waited beyond the walls until he gathered his strength and then in defiance of Olwë he and his people began manning the ships. His people resisted and a battle had begun and many on both sides were slain, but the Teleri withstood them for a time. Then the host of Fingon arrived and believing that the Teleri had been told to waylay the Ñoldor by command of the Valar, joined the battle and the Teleri were overcome. No doubt Olwë had watched in horror many of his people dying and he could do little for he called upon Ossë, their patron Maia but there was no answer; all Maia had been forbidden by the Valar to interfere in the Ñoldor's departure from Aman. Ossë would however conjure terrible storms in vengeance for the Ñoldor's crimes, sinking many of the stolen ships and drowning their Ñoldor crews.[7]
The cruel slaying at the havens continued to haunt Olwë and his people for many years to come. Towards the end of the First Age when the Valar were preparing for the final assault on Morgoth, the Teleri of Olwë agreed only to sail the ships, but would send no more marriners than were strictly necessary to do so, and none would participate in the coming war.[8]
Etymology[]
It is mentioned that the name Olwë seems to have no meaning. There are Elvish words olos ("dream") and olob ("branch"), but they bear no connection to him.[9] He was called Volwë by some of the Teleri.[10]
In earlier versions of the legendarium, the character was called Ellu Melemno.[11][12]
House of Olwë[]
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| Melian |
| Elwë |
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| Olwë |
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| Elmo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Lúthien |
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| Eärwen |
| Finarfin |
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| Finrod |
| Angrod |
| Aegnor |
| Galadriel | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Orodreth |
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| Finduilas |
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| Gil-galad | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Other versions of the legendarium[]
In earlier versions of the legendarium, only one of the sons of Olwë was named, and he was called Elulindo.[13]
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Arabic | ولوي |
| Armenian | Օլւե |
| Azerbaijani | Olve |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Олве |
| Bengali | বলবে |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Олве |
| Chinese | 奧爾威 |
| Georgian | ოლუეი |
| Greek | Όλγουε |
| Gujarati | ઓલ્વે |
| Hebrew | אולווה |
| Hindi | ओल्व्ऐ |
| Japanese | オルウェ |
| Kannada | ಒಲ್ವೆ |
| Kazakh | Олве (Cyrillic) Olve (Latin) |
| Korean | 올웨 |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Олвэ |
| Marathi | ओल्वे |
| Persian | اولوه |
| Punjabi | ਓਲਵੇ |
| Russian | Ольвэ |
| Serbian | Олве (Cyrillic) Olve (Latin) |
| Sinhalese | ඔල්වේ |
| Telugu | ఆలవె |
| Thai | โอลเว |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Олве |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. 10: Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion, The First Phase, "Of the Coming of the Elves"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter V: "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
- ↑ Unfinished Tales, Part Two: The Second Age, IV: "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn, and of Amroth King of Lórien"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, XIII: "Last Writings", "Círdan"
- ↑ The Nature of Middle-earth, Part One: Time and Ageing
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter III: "Of the Coming of the Elves and the Captivity of Melkor"
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter IX: "Of the Flight of the Noldor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XXIV: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, XI: "The Shibboleth of Fëanor", Names of Finwë's descendants
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, XI: "The Shibboleth of Fëanor", Note 20
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, chapter V: "The Coming of the Elves and the Making of Kôr"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. I: The Book of Lost Tales Part One, chapter VI: "The Theft of Melko and the Darkening of Valinor"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", Appendix I: "The Genealogies"