Maedhros by oshun

Part One

"Maedhros did deeds of surpassing valour, and the Orcs fled before his face; for since his torment upon Thangorodrim his spirit burned like a white fire within, and he was as one that returns from the dead."¹

Unquestionably one of the most popular characters within the Silmarillion fandom, Maedhros's tale is nonetheless controversial and, like many of Tolkien's characters, was changed multiple times over decades by its author. He is regarded by some readers as a sympathetic and tragic character but also by others as problematic and confusing, even a villain. I am excited to have the opportunity to write his biography but perhaps a little intimidated by its scope. I will try to cover the important role he plays in the grand history of the wars of Beleriand. Unable to tie together the disparate details and literary concepts contained within his story in a straightforward narrative style, I must ask readers to bear with me for two parts and a certain amount of moving back and forth throughout the discussion.

Preface

Tolkien's Elves were often viewed in the years immediately following the release of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings films as near-perfect beings—barely human. The assumption by fans of the nature of the differences between the Elves and Men of Middle-earth is to a large degree a reflection of Jackson's interpretation within his initial film trilogy. Legolas the woodland Elf is often shown by Jackson in dreamy, soft focus while Aragon, the scion of the line of the kings of Men, is sweaty, unshaven, and desperately in need of a shampoo. Jackson presented a juxtaposition of Elves and Men by imprinting upon the minds of moviegoers the ethereal swoony Elf and the grubby rugged Ranger. Movie fans often found themselves drawn most strongly to one or the other.

But curiosity engendered by the films led new aficionados to reach more deeply into Tolkien's works for insights into these contrasting peoples. In The Silmarillion they would encounter Elves who, although superhumanly strong and beautiful, preternaturally talented, and quasi-immortal, were far from perfect. He writes that "the Silmarillion proper is about the fall of the most gifted kindred of the Elves [the Noldor], their exile from Valinor (a kind of Paradise, the home of the Gods) in the furthest West."² In that same passage, he describes what one may find attracts some readers to The Silmarillion, while alternately repelling others. He notes that unlike most fantastic or folkloric tales of a similar nature his history of the Elder days is not anthropocentric, rather "[i]ts centre of view and interest is not Men but 'Elves'."³ It might be interesting to examine in another context why some readers are fascinated with Tolkien's Elves and others seem to want to skim those parts even in The Lord of the Rings. One not particularly scientific observation on the part of this reader is that those who prefer reading the history of Men to the tales of the Elves often are the ones least likely to feel empathy with Maedhros, the eldest son of Fëanor.

Maedhros, however, holds a strong emotional appeal for many a modern reader. He mirrors classical heroes in his heroic deeds and strength. But he differs from them in that he does not seek personal glory and fame like those observed in Homer's Achilles or the quasi-mythic historiography of Alexander the Great. He does resemble Northern heroes in his steadfastness in considering himself forever bound by Fëanor's infamous oath. His father seeks to bind their people together under his leadership by means of the oath. The precedent of oath-taking revealed within "Anglo-Saxon and Icelandic literature reinforces how words bind and even make the community."⁴ Oaths, for good or ill, are threaded throughout the history of Middle-earth in The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings. Maedhros and his brothers called their fate upon themselves when they swore the infamous oath of Fëanor to pursue to their own deaths or ruin the stolen Silmarils: "For so sworn good or evil an oath may not be broken and it shall pursue oathkeeper and oathbreaker to the world's end."⁵ The nobility of Maedhros's character is proven by his steadfastness and loyalty and yet gradually overshadowed by never forswearing the ill-chosen oath.

The Heir to the House of Fëanor

Maedhros is one of the most recognizable characters in The Silmarillion. Among the princes of the Noldor of his generation, the three who are most often mentioned in the published Silmarillion are Maedhros (88 times), Fingon (77), and Finrod (66). Even his popular brother Maglor the mighty singer is only mentioned 35 times. Given his level of recognition among enthusiasts of the First Age of Middle-earth, Maedhros's initial introduction in the text of The Silmarillion is a modest one. The eldest son of Fëanor is mentioned, along with his six brothers, in an early paragraph in the chapter "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië."⁶ Therein he is only distinguished among Fëanor's sons as the first in a list of names and by the use of the epithet "the tall":

The seven sons of Fëanor were Maedhros the tall; Maglor the mighty singer, whose voice was heard far over land and sea; Celegorm the fair, and Caranthir the dark; Curufin the crafty, who inherited most his father's skill of hand; and the youngest Amrod and Amras, who were twin brothers, alike in mood and face.⁷

Maedhros, along with his six brothers, was born in Valinor in the realm of the Valar across the sea during the Age of the Trees. His father Fëanor, the eldest son of Finwë, the first king of the Noldor, created the Silmarils, which hold the light of the Two Trees. The story of the theft of those magical jewels by Melkor sets the framework for the glorious victories and tragic defeats of The Silmarillion. Maedhros and his brothers unwisely bind themselves when, at their father's behest, they swear and uphold the infamous oath to regain the stolen jewels. Fëanor and his sons invoke even Ilúvatar to witness their oath to avenge the theft and swear to fight anyone whether "Elf, Man, Maia, or Vala" who withholds the Silmarils from them.⁸ This oath, of course, leads to nothing but disaster for Maedhros and his kinsmen.

Death of Finwë and the Flight of the Noldor

Fëanor, the greatest craftsman in the history of the Eldar, created his three brilliant jewels to capture a part of the pure light of Valinor's Two Trees, Laurelin and Telperion. The Silmarillion describes these jewels as "the most renowned of all the works of the Elves." It is not uncommon in discussions of The Silmarillion that some readers choose to casually remark that the fight for Fëanor's artifacts seems a mighty struggle over three rocks. One could write a book about the nature of these jewels, their symbolism, and their relevance. For the moment, it suffices to note that they are considerably more than simply three magnificent gemstones. When Melkor began to seed dissent among the Noldor in Valinor, his lies fell upon fertile ground. Mistrust and leadership cliques flourished. Fëanor suspected his half-brother Fingolfin worked to usurp his position as Finwë's favored son and heir apparent. He confronted Fingolfin in Tirion, drawing his sword against him. Rather than leaving the Noldor to solve their problems internally, the Vala Manwë intervened when Finwë sought to resolve the differences within the Noldor (arguably not his wisest decision).  Manwë asserted his authority as King of Arda and accused Fëanor of drawing his sword in a threat of violence against his brother, saying "for twelve years thou shalt leave Tirion where this threat was uttered."⁹

Maedhros and his brothers joined him there, though Nerdanel refused to follow:

With him into banishment went his seven sons, and northward in Valinor they made a strong place and treasury in the hills; and there at Formenos a multitude of gems were laid in hoard, and weapons also, and the Silmarils were shut in a chamber of iron. Thither also came Finwë the King, because of the love that he bore to Fëanor.¹⁰

Meanwhile, Melkor burned with hatred and envy of Fëanor and a growing lust to possess the Silmarils: "[E]ven in the darkness of the deepest treasury the Silmarils of their own radiance shone like the stars of Varda; and yet, as were they indeed living things, they rejoiced in light and received it and gave it back in hues more marvellous than before."¹¹

After some time had passed since the Fëanorians and Finwë had withdrawn to Formenos, Fëanor was called by Manwë to return to a festival to be held in his halls on Taniquetil: "Manwë designed to heal the evil that had arisen among the Noldor; and all were bidden to come . . . to put aside the griefs that lay between their princes."

Maedhros and his brothers did not attend. And Finwë chose not to present himself before the Valar, saying, "'while the ban lasts upon Fëanor my son, that he may not go to Tirion, I hold myself unkinged, and I will not meet my people.'"¹² One can easily understand why Maedhros remained loyal to his father when even his much-esteemed grandfather and king supported Fëanor. The entire situation between Manwë and Finwë leads one to understand how the king would feel he would no longer be a true sovereign to the Noldor but Manwë's puppet if he did not protest being overruled and treated like an incompetent schoolboy in the management of not only his own people but within his own family.

Meanwhile, back at the festival, Fingolfin and Fëanor prepare, at Manwë's urging, to make peace. Fingolfin adopts an appropriately conciliatory tone while Fëanor more reluctantly accepts his brother's expression of loyalty. At that very moment, darkness falls upon Aman. Melkor and his co-conspirator Ungoliant, a light-sucking, treasure-eating giant spider of insatiable appetite, have destroyed the Two Trees. Horrified and devastated, the Valar turn to Fëanor and request he turn over the Silmarils to Yavanna so that she can attempt to use their light to restore life to the trees. While Fëanor refuses and the Valar debate with him, Ungoliant and Melkor flee northward to Formenos. They encounter Finwë alone in the stronghold. He refuses to turn the Silmarils over but was no match for the strength of Melkor and Ungoliant. When word reaches Taniquetil that Melkor has killed Finwë and taken the Silmarils, the Valar sit in silent council but do not immediately act.¹³

Fëanor, grief-stricken by the loss of his beloved father and enraged by theft of the jewels, is energized by his fury and immediately takes steps to organize his people to avenge his father and reclaim the Silmarils. In the darkness of Tirion, he gathers his people by torchlight, speaking with great eloquence and stirring them to action. He calls upon them to overtake Melkor, avenge their king, and win back their greatest artifact. Although the decision to act is met with debate, Fëanor stirs the Noldor to take action, for "Fëanor was a master of words, and his tongue had great power over hearts when he would use it; and that night he made a speech before the Noldor which they ever remembered."¹⁴

No one amongst even the Valar or the Maiar could replicate these artifacts, not even Melkor who lusted after them and plotted to steal them. The Noldor, great smiths, artisans, builders, as a people recognized the phenomenal stones as the pinnacle of creativity and scientific achievement among the Eldar. One ought not to underestimate the effect of Melkor's lies and Manwë's previous, clumsy attempts at peacemaking. It is not surprising that Fëanor was able to persuade the vast majority of his people to follow him from Aman to avenge both the murder of their King and to regain these inimitable artifacts: "Against the will of the Valar Fëanor forsook the Blessed Realm and went in exile to Middle-earth, leading with him a great part of his people; for in his pride he purposed to recover the Jewels from Morgoth by force."¹⁵

At last, in the end, Fëanor overplays his hand when he calls upon his people to take his blasphemous and disastrous oath:

His seven sons leapt straightway to his side and took the selfsame vow together, and red as blood shone their drawn swords in the glare of the torches. They swore an oath which none shall break, and none should take, by the name even of Ilúvatar, calling the Everlasting Dark upon them if they kept it not; and Manwë they named in witness, and Varda, and the hallowed mountain of Taniquetil, vowing to pursue with vengeance and hatred to the ends of the World Vala, Demon, Elf or Man as yet unborn, or any creature, great or small, good or evil, that time should bring forth unto the end of days, whoso should hold or take or keep a Silmaril from their possession. 

Thus spoke Maedhros and Maglor and Celegorm, Curufin and Caranthir, Amrod and Amras, princes of the Noldor; and many quailed to hear the dread words. For so sworn, good or evil, an oath may not be broken, and it shall pursue oathkeeper and oathbreaker to the world's end.¹⁶

Maedhros must have thought that this torchlit scene marked the end of the world as he had known it. In fact, it was only the beginning of a new phase that would be distinguished by unspeakable torment, glorious victories, and devastating losses and betrayals. Oath-bound until the end, Maedhros would not turn back.

The Exodus Turns Ugly: The Kinslaying at Alqualondë

The port city of Alqualondë was the home of the Teleri, late arriving to Aman under the leadership of Olwë. The Teleri chose to settle on the sea. They built their city with aid from the Noldor, where they became known for their shipbuilding skills:

And many pearls they won for themselves from the sea, and their halls were of pearl, and of pearl were the mansions of Olwë at Alqualondë, the Haven of the Swans, lit with many lamps. For that was their city, and the haven of their ships; and those were made in the likeness of swans, with beaks of gold and eyes of gold and jet.¹⁷

Maedhros and his brothers depart from Tirion with their father, heading first to the north. Doubtless, Fëanor's sons serve as lieutenants to their father on the road. Despite Fëanor's warning about traveling fast and light, the vast majority of the Noldor stretch out farther and farther behind them, burdened with luggage.  Fëanor "perceived over-late that all these great companies would never overcome the long leagues to the north, nor cross the seas at the last, save with the aid of ships."¹⁸

Knowing he would need transportation to Middle-earth unless he were to cross those menacing frozen wastes to the north, Fëanor turns his eyes to the ships of the Teleri. When the vanguard of the Noldor reaches Alqualondë, Fëanor decides "to persuade the Teleri, ever friends to the Noldor, to join with them."¹⁹ When Olwë refuses, Fëanor asks him to give the Noldor their ships. Olwë is dumbfounded. By now Fëanor is visibly losing control. One can imagine the mortification of Maedhros, who managed at his worst to keep a civil tongue in his head. Fëanor shouts at Olwë,

'You renounce your friendship, even in the hour of our need,' he said. 'Yet you were glad indeed to receive our aid when you came at last to these shores, fainthearted loiterers, and wellnigh emptyhanded. In huts on the beaches would you be dwelling still, had not the Noldor carved out your haven and toiled upon your walls.'²⁰

Negotiations go downhill from there. When Fëanor orders his people to seize the ships, the Teleri defend them with their bows. The Noldor draw swords and the battle is on. Blood is shed on both sides, with the Noldor eventually receiving reinforcement from newly arriving Fingon leading the foremost of the host of Fingolfin. Seeing their kinsmen falling, Fingon and others jump into the fray. Of course, they do not realize how the fracas started or they might have reconsidered. This bloody skirmish is called the First Kinslaying and the details are said to have been recounted in Maglor's Noldolantë.

The oath has claimed first blood, and—one might think, to Maedhros' sorrow—has drawn under its shadow, among others, his best friend of old Fingon.

Losgar: "Maedhros Alone Stood Aside"

When Fëanor is finally prepared to cross over to Middle-earth, he decides that, since the ships are not large enough to carry everyone, he will slip away by night, leaving Fingolfin and Finrod's followers behind. He does not share this scheme with Maedhros, and 

when they were landed, Maedhros the eldest of his sons, and on a time the friend of Fingon ere Morgoth's lies came between, spoke to Fëanor, saying: "Now what ships and rowers will you spare to return, and whom shall they bear hither first? Fingon the valiant?"

Then Fëanor laughed as one fey, and he cried: "None and none! What I have left behind I count now no loss; needless baggage on the road it has proved. Let those that cursed my name, curse me still, and whine their way back to the cages of the Valar! Let the ships burn!" Then Maedhros alone stood aside, but Fëanor caused fire to be set to the white ships of the Teleri.²¹

The language "stood aside" indicates Maedhros disagreed with his father and refused to participate in the burning of the ships and desertion of the House of Fingolfin, though neither is there any indication that he attempted to actively try to stop his father. Importantly, it also introduces the relationship between Fingon and Maedhros, which will become a major part of the events of the First Age. Megan Fontenot notes in an article on the Tor website that "[t]his is also the moment in which we first learn that Maedhros and his cousin Fingon had been dear friends before Fëanor's rash words came between their families. This is a powerful moment in the text, and one that Tolkien uses to heal the breach between the two clans."²²

The main actors in the lead-up to the departure of the Noldor from Aman do not include Maedhros. But after the arrival of the self-exiled Noldor in Middle-earth, Maedhros will take upon himself the role as one of the significant protagonists of the ongoing wars of the peoples of Middle-earth against Melkor.

Does Maedhros or Maglor Most Resemble Nerdanel?

Shortly after the burning of the ships at Losgar, the Fëanorians set up camp on the northern shore of Lake Mithrim. Before they are fully established, Melkor attacks, and Fëanor is killed in the attack, leaving Maedhros as the head of his house. In considering his leadership style—distinctively different from his father's impetuous and passion-fueled command—the question arises of where he learned the measured approach that would mark the next several centuries of his rule over the House of Fëanor. The answer was left behind on the shores of Aman: Nerdanel.

Readers are fond of discussing whether Maedhros most resembles his mother or perhaps his brother Maglor does. It is interesting to note that the names given by his parents to Maedhros reflect aspects of their attitudes towards their eldest son. His mother-name could be seen to reflect motherly love and affection, while the name his father bestowed upon him is a statement of ambition and expectation. Nerdanel gave Maedhros the mother-name of Maitimo, which means "well-shaped one." His father-name, Nelyafinwë, meaning "third Finwë," is presumably based upon Fëanor's desire to assert that the line of succession from Finwë passes through him to Maedhros. One epessë (Quenya for nickname) used by his family is Nelyo and another is Russandol, which is derived from "red," referring to the color he inherited from his maternal grandfather Mahtan.²³ Both Maedhros and Mahtan are said to prefer to wear circlets of copper.²⁴

Tolkien captures many readers' imagination with his physical descriptions of Maedhros, resulting in a virtual deluge of artwork featuring Fëanor's eldest son over the past twenty years. (One could spend a pleasant evening looking at Maedhros artwork on the internet.) Tolkien writes him as having an unusual red-brown hair inherited from his mother's family.²⁵ Writers of fanfiction and artists often prefer to represent Maedhros with a brighter hair color than the darker auburn color that more closely matches Tolkien's description. (Flame red, carrot top, or Disney-fox-colored seem innocent enough departures in one's imagination from hard canon.)

His mother Nerdanel, known as a wise woman and celebrated sculptor and artist, is said to be the only person who could restrain the dangerous impulsivity and fiery temperament of Fëanor. The fact that Maedhros is described as physically resembling his mother's family leads some readers (this one included) to identify Maedhros with her positive qualities and disposition as well, stated forthrightly in The Silmarillion as: "Seven sons she bore to Fëanor; her mood she bequeathed in part to some of them, but not to all."²⁶ We are not told which among the brothers most resembled their mother in character and temperament.

In a series of biographical sketches of Tolkien characters published on the Tor website, Megan Fontenot notes in her article on Maedhros that

not only does Maedhros choose to carry his mother-name—he also bears in some respect the image of his mother and her people. And again, given that Nerdanel was a sculptor, to whom image and physicality would have been of utmost symbolic importance, it seems possible that in marking Maedhros as like his mother's kin in form, Tolkien was subtly commenting on the son's inclinations. Maedhros could be seen as a work of Nerdanel that has been brought under Fëanor's possessive control.²⁷

The most detailed description of Nerdanel herself is to be found in Morgoth's Ring:²⁸

But she was strong and free of mind, and filled with the desire of knowledge.  . . . She also was firm of will, but she was slower and more patient than Fëanor, desiring to understand minds rather than to master them.  When in company with others she would often sit still listening to their words and watching their gestures and the movements of their faces.²⁹

Many readers compare Maglor and Nerdanel, noting that they are both artists—her preference being representational art while his is the performance and composition of music. Maglor is generally recalled by readers as being more passive and gentle of spirit than his other brothers. Maglor is not the model of determined leadership that Maedhros is, and more importantly, he certainly is a warrior and not a pacifist. He is able to securely maintain control of one of the most vulnerable passages (known as Maglor's Gap) between the lands controlled by the Noldor and those of Morgoth. The

marches of Beleriand were most open to attack, and only hills of no great height guarded the vale of Gelion from the north. In that region, upon the March of Maedhros and in the lands behind, dwelt the sons of Fëanor with many people; and their riders passed often over the vast northern plain, Lothlann the wide and empty, east of Ard-galen, lest Morgoth should attempt any sortie towards East Beleriand. . . .

Between the arms of Gelion was the ward of Maglor, and here in one place the hills failed altogether; there it was that the Orcs came into East Beleriand before the Third Battle. Therefore the Noldor held strength of cavalry in the plains at that place; and the people of Caranthir fortified the mountains to the east of Maglor's Gap.³⁰

Maedhros positioned himself, his brothers, and their supporters in strategic locations where they formed the first line of defense against any breakthrough of Morgoth. They were all fierce and determined warriors—Maglor perhaps most of all.

Nevertheless, the Tolkien Gateway website asserts in their biographical notes—without a footnote or any exposition—that Maglor "had more of his mother Nerdanel's gentle spirit than any of his brothers."³¹ Tolkien refers to Maglor as "the mighty singer." Mighty in this case does not likely refer only to a strong voice but much more. He is no entertainer in the medieval tradition of courtly love limited to crooning love songs at the feet of a lovely maiden. Music within the world of Middle-earth carries more than a whiff of warriors and battle about it. Fingon rides off to rescue Maedhros with a sword, a bow, and a harp. Finrod duels Sauron in a song battle and nearly wins. And Maglor is considered mightier as a bard than both Fingon and Finrod.³² Maglor does not stand back at Losgar as does Maedhros to protest the burning of the ships. It is Maglor who, without hesitation, slays Uldor the traitor at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.³³ Later, Fëanor's second son wins a lot of fan votes when he steps forward even with his sword still dripping blood to rescue and raise Elros and Elrond (winning their love and affection) after the sacking of Havens of Sirion.³⁴  But earlier, following the Second Kinslaying at Doriath, when Maedhros desperately sought to save Dior's sons, Maglor did not assist him.³⁵

Despite medieval courtly (and modern) notions of dreamy-eyed poets and songsters, nothing in The Silmarillion suggests that Maglor should be counted among their number. Rather, his characterization as a singer and warrior calls to mind early medieval Northern tradition: the scops of Anglo-Saxon courts and the skalds that attended the Norse kings. As poets and musicians, they not only served as living records of their people's history but interpreted current events and thus wielded the power to make and unmake kings. It is near-impossible to imagine the original composers of Beowulf or the Norse sagas wilting behind closed doors to write about battles they never witnessed. Rather, they were on the field of battle, muddied and bloodied right alongside the soldiery. Harp in one hand and sword in another, Maglor ranks most easily among their numbers.

As will be seen in the second part of their biography, Maedhros is also a fearsome warrior. However, he also held together a tumultuous family and led a nearly successful campaign against Melkor. He did not do so barreling heedless and headlong into situations as Fëanor had done. Rather, in his approach to situations familial, political, and military, we see marks of Nerdanel's patient observation and careful consideration.

Conclusion

For many Silmarillion readers, some elements of Maedhros's character make him uniquely relatable in a human way. The familial conflicts and loyalties with which he struggles make sense within both a psychological and sociohistorical perspective. The fighting amongst the Noldor in Aman before the exile is reminiscent of centuries of interfamilial conflicts of interest, succession disputes, and dynastic struggles, which make real-world history fraught, interesting, and complicated. The resentments and bitterness within the factions of the Noldor are something that Maedhros struggled to mediate during the long years of the restive peace following the defeat of Morgoth's forces after the Dagor Aglareb. His collaboration with Fingon, conciliation toward Fingolfin, and cultivation of friendship with Finrod contributed to peace. But always the Oath pops up as a deal-breaker.

The relationships within the family of Fëanor and more broadly among the Finweans ring true for anyone coming from a large family—if more violent and world-shattering than average. Among his brothers Maedhros manifests a higher, nobler nature. As the eldest son, he accepts his role as his father's heir and, thus, is more tightly bound by the oath in the tradition of a tragic hero. Yet, he is endowed with free will, an important characteristic for Tolkien, who maintains that Maedhros could have made different choices right up until the end. It is that free will that makes him so fascinating. Like many people in our real world, he brings enormous potential constantly beset by poor choices that only magnify—essentially construct—the oath he took on that terrible firelit night in Tirion.

Works Cited

1. The Silmarillion, "Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin."
2. The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien, "131 To Milton Waldman."
3. Ibid.
4. Gregory L. Laing, "Bound by Words: Oath-taking and Oath-breaking in Medieval lceland and Anglo-Saxon England," Western Michigan University, 2014, accessed April 7, 2022.
5. The Silmarillion, "Of the Flight of the Noldor."
6. The Silmarillion, "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië."
7. Ibid.
8. The Silmarillion, "Of the Flight of the Noldor."
9. The Silmarillion, "Of the Silmarils and the Unrest of the Noldor."
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. The Silmarillion, "Of the Darkening of Valinor."
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings, Númenor."
16. The Silmarillion, "Of the Flight of the Noldor."
17. The Silmarillion, "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië."
18. The Silmarillion, "Of the Flight of the Noldor."
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid.
22. Megan N. Fontenot, "Exploring the People of Middle-earth: Maedhros Maitimo, Foe of Morgoth and Doomed Hero," Tor, July 11, 2019, accessed March 25, 2022.
23. The History of Middle-earth, Volume XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, The Shibboleth of Fëanor, "The Names of the Sons of Fëanor with the Legend of the Fate of Amrod."
24. The History of Middle-earth, Volume XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, The Shibboleth of Fëanor, footnote 61.
25. The History of Middle-earth, Volume XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, The Shibboleth of Fëanor, "The Names of the Sons of Fëanor with the Legend of the Fate of Amrod."
26. The Silmarillion, "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor."
27. Fontenot, "Exploring the People of Middle-earth."
28. I highly recommend Dawn Felagund’s biography of Nerdanel in the context of thinking about Maedhros.
29. The History of Middle-earth, Volume X: Morgoth's Ring, The Later Quenta Silmarillion, "Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor," §46c.
30. The Silmarillion, "Of Beleriand and its Realms."
31. "Maglor," Tolkien Gateway, January 26, 2022, accessed March 8, 2022.
32. This reader of Irish background was raised on songs and stories which included accounts of warriors marching into battles and rebellions to the accompaniment of harps, pipes, and/or bagpipes. Irish regiments as late as the American Civil War carried battle flags made recognizable by the graphic of a harp.
33. The Silmarillion, "Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad."
34. The Silmarillion, "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath."
35. The Silmarillion, "Of the Ruin of Doriath."