#Dor Caranthir

[violetumbrellalover]

⚔️Three Houses of Edain⚔️

A little over three centuries after the Noldor had returned to Middle-earth, Finrod discovered a new people in the glens of the Blue Mountains. These were Men out of the distant East of Middle-earth, the first of their kind to be seen in Beleriand. These Men crossed the mountains as three distinct peoples, but each of these peoples became allies of the Elves in the Wars of Beleriand. The name Edain became associated with these friends of the Elves, and their leaders gave rise to three houses: those of Bëor, Haleth and Hador.

House of Bëor

Bëor was the first of Men to cross the Blue Mountains into Beleriand, and his house is thus considered the first of the houses of the Edain. Bëor himself became a vassal of Finrod, and many of his descendants also served the Elves. Later generations of this house held the land of Dorthonion, until it was lost to Morgoth in the Dagor Bragollach. The greatest of the heroes of the House of Bëor was Beren, who escaped from Dorthonion and captured a Silmaril from Morgoth's crown.

House of Haleth

The people known as the Haladin spoke their own language, alien to that of the other Edain. They were the second house of Men to cross the Mountains, and settled for a while in the southern part of Dor Caranthir. Faced with a sudden assault by Orcs, they united under a leader named Haldad, but he was slain defending his people. His daughter Haleth, from whom this house took its name, led the survivors into the west, until they reached the Forest of Brethil, where they settled. This house of the Edain is noted for their friendship with the Drúedain, with whom they shared their forest home.

House of Hador

The Third House of the Edain derived from the followers of Marach, who led his people across the Blue Mountains soon after the other houses. The Men of this House built a strong alliance with Fingolfin's people in Hithlum. Indeed, Marach's great-great-grandson Hador was made Lord of Dor-lómin by the High King of the Noldor, thus giving his name to this renowned House. Among Hador's famous descendants were Húrin and Huor, Túrin and Tuor, and Eärendil the Mariner.

“Do you forget to whom you speak? Such things you spoke long ago to our fathers; but we escaped from your shadow. And now we have knowledge of you, for we have looked on the faces that have seen the Light, and heard the voices that have spoken with Manwe."

~ Húrin Thalion in The Children of Húrin, "The Words of Húrin and Morgoth"

[eleneressea]

oooh, yes, I'm going to go with "they can't leave"—they've bound themselves to their lands to get this power, so Maedhros can't really get too far for too long from Himring, Caranthir needs to stay nearish to Thargelion, etc., and leaving the Girdle entirely is right out.

On the flipside, they have even more control over their lands than most: Maedhros is, on some level, Himring, and so is very aware of everyone nearby, and can (say) cause a rockslide or two, or convince the plants and animals there to cooperate with him…

idly thinking about an AU where the sons of Fëanor go east to hold against Morgoth and disappear; letters arrive infrequently and then taper off, scouts who go east of Doriath rarely if ever return, and those that do whisper of fire-spirits: not Balrogs, not evil, but definitely dangerous and definitely not elves

so it's concluded that whatever other power holds those lands killed (or imprisoned or…) the Fëanorians, and at least they're fighting Morgoth

meanwhile the sons of Fëanor have. uh. well. they might have reverse-engineered Melian's Girdle and used the power of the Oath to bind themselves to their lands. so there's a strong protection laid over the whole east, though instead of being a "no one comes or goes" it's just "no one goes" (though the Lords can give permission for people to pass through)

and in the process they changed, somehow. they're not Maiar, probably, but they're definitely not normal elves anymore…

which means that when Fingon goes a little farther east in Ard-Galen than he expected, he and his company find themselves being brought to Himring and their General, who is very glad to see him

[silm-lore]

Caranthir riding through Dor Caranthir

Caranthir was born in Valinor to Fëanor and a Nerdanel, their fourth son. He swore the Oath of Fëanor and followed his father to Middle Earth, aiding in the first kinslaying and burning the ships at Losgar. After Dagor-Nuin-Giliath, Caranthir established his own realm in Thargelion, Dor Caranthir. He hated the Sons of Finarfin after Angrod asked King Thingol for land and accepted his kingship for the Ñoldor. Dor Caranthir land bordered the dwarves of Nogrod and Belest, and Caranthir established an alliship with them, and as Caranthir controlled the trade routes he grew very wealthy. Elves generally did not like Men when they started entering Beleriand, but Caranthir rescued the Edwin house of Haladin from raiding orcs, and Caranthir respected them for their valor. Caranthir offered Haleth and her people a place in Dor Caranthir and his protection. However she declined. In Dagor-Bragollach Caranthir lost his lands and fled to Amon Ereb with Amrod and Amras and they defended the fortress. When Easterlings came to Beleriand Caranthir welcomed them and Ulfang swore allegiance to him. Caranthir joined the Union of Maedhros and led the easterlings. However Ulfang was an agent of Morgoth and they betrayed the elves, and the elves lost Nírnaeth Arnoediad, suffering many casualties. After this battle the Sons of Fëanor were scattered through Osseriand, till they learned King Dior of Doriath had Lúthiens Silmaril. The Sons of Fëanor attacked and Caranthir, along with his brothers Celegorm and Curufin were slain in the second kinslaying.

Father name: Morifinwë, meaning “Dark Finwë” for his black hair, and possibly for his temperament.

Mother name: Carnistir, meaning “Red Face” for his ruddy complexion.

Born: 1299 Y.T.

Death: 506 F.A.

Age: 2,431 in the Second Kinslaying

Associated with: Fëanor, Maedhros, Maglor, Celegorm, Curufin, Ambarussa, Ulfang & Haleth.

[the-elusive-soleil]

New headcanon: the elves of Valinor don't have a Yule/winter solstice or any other season-related holidays, because there isn't really a sharp contrast between seasons in Aman and the Treelight means that all days are the same length.

However. The Edain and other groups of humans do have Yule or other winter solstice holidays, and they end up passing their traditions on to the elves they come into contact with. Finrod picks up Yule traditions from Beor and introduces them to Nargothrond; the Hadorians do the same in Dor-lomin and Hithlum.

The holiday makes the jump to the Feanorian faction circa YS 430ish, when Caranthir starts badgering his brothers into celebrating it with him. He never gives an adequate explanation for his sudden interest, so they remain unaware that he'd picked up the practice from Haleth and now needs someone new to observe it with since she's passed away.

[superloves4]

"You are bleeding, when were you planning on doing something about it?!"

"I don't know, oh lord of Dor Caranthir, when I was in private perhaps? It was a careless mistake, it's shameful"

"You humans are so precious of the most trifling things, you fester so rapidly as well! You are a soldier and you were hurt, now sit down so I may stitch the wound"

"...is this not the work of the women?"

"Unless you personally wish for one of the women to attend you, I am the most skilled in needles here"

Just me having feelings over Haleth taking on the roles of soldier and chief while Caranthir acts as defender and embroiderer

[dalliansss]

“Thargelion will increase according rates to recover this massive loss,” Caranthir says, sneering nastily. “As I am sure, Ladros will as well.”

Of course, Caranthir still worked on the assumption that Finrod still held and resided at Ladros.

Finrod cleared his throat. “Well, yes, I have no choice but to do so. Ladros alone will not be able to sustain the demand of goods and trade needed by Barad Eithel, Dor-lomin and Nevrast. But surely the east shall also increase trade flow to our lands to cope?”

Fingolfin started massaging his temple again. Eru forgive him, but he wanted to find Turgon, smack the brains from his second son’s head, and then strangle him until said head fell off his shoulders. Leaving him and Fingon at the mercy of Caranthir and Finrod! And their people! He can already imagine the massive scroll of escrow agreements, trust receipts, with their thousand footnotes and fineprint interest rates, and—and—

Fingolfin wanted to be sick.

There is a sinister coldness to his hands and feet, and his back was sweating cold as well.

{money / on AO3}

[tanoraqui]

this is about a month late for Day 5 of @finweanladiesweek, Ladies Who Married In. I’ve collected this and my other 2 stories for the event in 1 fic on AO3! Honorable mention, in the event week, to Chapter 10 of my longfic for Day 6: Original Characters, and this chapter (also starring my OC) in the superhero AU for Day 7: Freeform (also very late, but started in the spirit of the day).

Fingolfin had been High King of the Noldor again for nine days when Aradeth received an invitation to the palace.

It wasn’t the first time since her re-embodiment. Indeed, she’d been at his coronation nine days ago, though otherwise she’d spent 1,600 years politely declining Arafinwë’s polite invitations to large family events. He didn’t really want the former Lady of Dor Caranthir in attendance, and she’d only ever attended that sort of thing because to leave Moryo to suffer them alone would be a cruelty to all involved.

Fingolfin’s invitation was not to an event. It was to a meeting with the new High King “at her earliest convenience”, and Aradeth nearly laughed with nostalgia. When Arafinwë wanted her presence, he wrote, Please come, and when he didn’t, he wrote, You are most cordially invited. Maybe she had missed the games—though her opponent had usually been Caladien Heniril, the Minister of Finance, not the king himself.

The messenger, a young Amanyar Moriquendi, informed her that he wasn’t supposed to go until she’d told him when, exactly, was “at her earliest convenience.” Aradeth told him that after this lecture you interrupted would do, and she considered postponing by a few more hours on the grounds that she had grading to do—but she really did mean to be well-behaved. So she only added that he could stay if he liked, and learn a little about harmonic algebra.

[keep reading on AO3]

[nin-varisse]

Idk I just think Dor Caranthir sounds very sexy. Imagine naming your land just after yourself, that's some queen shit 😌

[legendariium]

Names and Titles: Caranthir Feanorion, Carnistir Morifinwë, Lord of Thargelion, The Dark Finwë

D.O.B: Between Y.T. 1190 and 1362

Death: F.A. 505

Height: 7’8”

Eyes: Silver grey

Hair: Black

Notable features: Red birthmark on face, vibrant blush, lots of freckles, resting bitch face

Realm: Thargelion {F.A. 7 - 455}

Caranthir, the fourth of the Sons of Fëanor, was also the harshest and the quickest to anger. He was known as "Caranthir the Dark".

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. 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. 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.

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.

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.

In F.A. 455, Thargelion was utterly ruined by the Dagor Bragollach and Caranthir & his people were forced to retreat. They joined the scattered folk of Amrod and Amras. They fled to the south and maintained a watch upon Amon Ereb, aided by the Laegil. 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, and were given land in Lothlann. 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.

In F.A. 505, Caranthir 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.

　　　　　　 　 Survival Verse

　　　　　　 　Morifinwiel Verse

　　　　　　Expanded Family Verse

　　　　　　　　Halenthir Verse

[ao3feed-tolkien]

it's been a long long time since i've seen my face in your eyes

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/hpORNWV

by marvelruinedmyspirit

Maglor always managed to let the adequate amount of time pass between his visits to make Caranthir forget how annoying he could be. Then, Caranthir would slip and look back fondly on the times when they all lived together, and lo, Maglor would appear, drain his ressources, both financial and psychological, and Caranthir would remember his childhood fantasies about being an only child. He was quite aware of the pattern, and yet.

Or, Maglor comes to Dor Caranthir for a visit.

Words: 3816, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: Gen

Characters: Caranthir | Morifinwë, Maglor | Makalaurë, Erestor (Tolkien)

Relationships: Caranthir | Morifinwë & Maglor | Makalaurë

Additional Tags: just a good old brotherly visit, Family Drama, a bunch of other characters are mentioned but do not appear, a young erestor as caranthir's administrative assistant appears

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/hpORNWV

[warrioreowynofrohan]

Azaghal doesn’t need my help to win this poll, but I’m adding his big moment because it’s awesome enough that it should be here:

Last of all the eastern force to stand firm [in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad] were the Dwarves of Belegost, and this they won renown. For the Naugrim withstood fire more hardily than either Elves or Men, and it was their custom moreover to wear great masks in battle hideous to look upon; and these stood them in good stead against the dragons. And but for them Glaurung and his brood would have withered all that was left of the Noldor. But the Naugrim made a circle about him when he assailed them, and even his mighty armour was not proof against the blows of their great axes; and when in his rage Glaurung turned and struck down Azaghâl, Lord of Belegost, and crawled over him, with his last stroke Azaghâl drive a knife into his belly, and so wounded him that he fled the field, and the beasts of Angband in dismay followed after him. Then the Dwarves raised up the body of Azaghâl and bore it away; and with slow steps they walked behind singing a dirge in deep voices, as if it were a funeral pomp in their country, and gave heed no more to their foes; and none dared to stay them.

Azaghâl and his people were the “last of all the eastern force to stand firm”, meaning that Maedhros and the rest of the Fëanoreans had already retreated when this happens. So two of Maedhros’ friends were killed after he left the battle.

I love the image of the dwarves carrying Azaghâl off the battlefield with funeral ceremony, and this being impressive enough that none of the enemies surrounding them dare to attack them.

Here’s the history of the Dragon-helm of Dor-lómin that Túrin later wears (Unfinished Tales); events occur during the Long Peace:

This helm had been made…for Azaghâl Lord of Belegost, he who was slain by Glaurung in the Year of Lamentation. It was given by Azaghal to Maedhros, as guerdon for the saving of his life and treasure, when Azaghâl was waylaid by Orcs upon the Dwarf-road in East Beleriand. [This road runs through the far south of Thargelion, Caranthir’s area, far south of Maedhros’ territory. Caranthir was evidently not doing his job.] Maedhros afterwards sent it as a gift to Fingon, with whom he often exchanged tokens of friendship, remembering how Fingon had driven Glaurung back to Angband. But in all Hithlum no head and shoulders were found strong enough to bear the dwarf-helm with ease, save those of Hador and his son Galdor. Fingon therefore gave it to Hador, when he recieved the lordship of Dor-lómin. [This is very generous-spirited of Fingon, given that up until that moment Dor-lómin was Fingon’s realm.]

Obscure Tolkien Blorbo: Round 2

Azaghâl vs Belladonna Took

Azaghâl:

The Lord of the Dwarven city of Belegost. He was a friend and ally of Maedhros and died covering his retreat at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad.

DWARF RIGHTS!! he Compels me is all. cmon “guy who died driving glaurung off the field at the nirnaeth” is ICONIC AS HELL and also i love his & maedhros’ friendship that i made up in my head. they are leadership besties.

Belladonna Took:

Bilbo Baggins’s mother.

She’s Bilbo’s mom. She’s named after a poisonous plant. She most likely went on adventures before she was married.

Round 2 masterpost

[cycas]

Do you happen to know where this gaping chasm filled with fire was that Maedhros cast himself and the silmaril into? Because unless Beleriand was disintegrating immediately after the events of the WoW, I can't fathom where this could possibly take place.

Oooh, a delicious ask! I think the only hints about location are that Maedhros and Maglor had come from the camp of the hosts of the Valar - but we don't know where that were either, or how far they travelled.

My own belief is that the gaping chasm filled with fire was probably somewhere in the northern Ered Luin.

I base that on the idea that Beleriand did indeed disintegrate during and around the end of the War of Wrath.

The WoW is tricky to imagine. We know that Men fought in it, presumably with swords, and also that it sank Beleriand, and those two things are quite hard to reconcile.

My belief is that neither side actually wanted to sink Beleriand. The Host of the Valar and their allies hoped to save it, and Morgoth wanted to own it. So parts of the war were quite conventional armies-fighting-battles, hoping to preserve the land, and other parts of it involved mighty enchantments where the power of sea, river and mountain went to war. But that was generally a last resort because it was so destructive.

I see Morgoth, as he did in Dagor Bragollach, calling on the volcanic heats and smokes of the land as a weapon, and the hosts of Valinor striking back with the powers of air and water.

So, wild guess, but I think by the time of the final confrontation, when Elrond looked out over the fair banners before Thangorodrim, and Earendil came up to confront Ancalagon the Black, the situation may already have looked something like this.

I glued this map together from Tolkien and Karen Wynne Fonstad. We don't really know how the mountains of Angband and the north of the Ered Luin connected east of Lothlann, if they even did connect, but since much of Thargelion, plus Nogrod and Belegost all fell while Lindon survived, I think that maybe there was a connection. Maybe the Ered Luin is positioned along a fault-line, or there are deep underground channels full of lava or something.

Angband was built on Morgoth's own power, so it might be that the ruins hung on in there above sea level after Ancalagon fell on them for 3 or so years until Morgoth was actually flung into the void.

Even so, the Anfauglith would surely not be a good place for the hosts of Valinor, and particularly their Mannish allies, to hang out by that time. We know that the Noldor army went home in ships, and presumably the place to build those would be where Cirdan then went on to build the ships that would take the Edain to Numenor, ie, the newly-created shores of Lindon.

We do know that the heights of Himring survived, and so I'm inclined to think maybe some of Dorthonion too, like this:

So my best guess for the location of Maedhros's sad end is that mountainous outcrop around Dor Caranthir, now riven with volcanic activity left over from the fall of Thangorodrim and perhaps also the fleeing Balrogs at the end of the War. They could look out towards Himring from there, though not reach it.

Thank you for this ask! I enjoyed it a lot, not least because I have a horrible cold and don't have the oomph for actual plot just now, whereas worldbuilding is a fun thing and I already had it clear in my mind's eye from writing Quenta Narquelion (the description of that bit is Chapter 22, if you fancy more angst with your worldbuilding)

[stanboromir]

what is your wildest and yet most insignificant rings of power theory?? mine is that galadriel’s armor was actually a caranthir’s gift to haleth. yes it is just a wild theory bUT LET ME EXPLAIN

there is an insane amount of easter eggs in the room where the numenorian palantir is and some of them doesn’t really make a lot of sense in the narrative of the show. we are explicitly told that miriel was not familiar with elendil up until the events of the show, and yet, what do we see in the tower???

THE narsil!! if we take the books canon in consideration it was supposed to be in andúnië, and yet, here it is!!! in armenelos!!

oh but that’s not all. what can we also see in this scene??

my beloved she, gays and theys, let me present to you the one and only DRAMBORLEG!!! oh but do you expect more?? no worries darlings

here it is!! this is (presumably) tuor’s shield. it was explicitly said that his descendants took his axe to numenor, so why not take his shield as well? but in case you want a bit more of family heirlooms, not to worry. this is what we see in the last episode of the show:

no, not beautiful eärien, but behind her. that helm is none other than tHE DRAGON HELM OF DOR-LÓMIN. it is kind of weird that it got all the way to numenor, but hey, narsil was not supposed to be in this city in particular and yet here it is. also, it being a family heirloom of the house of hador, i’m willing to accept that it was taken among with tour’s possession. NOW THIS IS WHERE MY THEORY COMES IN. with the exeption of narsil, they are all easter eggs that can be traced back to the house of hador, and what happened to the men of the house of hador?? you guessed it. some of them married into the hOUSE OF HALLETH. and, eventually, of that union came who??????? TUOR AND TURIN. SO, since we established that their belongings made it all the way to numenor, is it far fetched to speculate that maybe haleth had an armory given to her by caranthir after the siege on the haladin??? (yes it is) because just LOOK and think about it. galadriel arrived in numenor with nothing except her robe and finrod’s dagger. an argument could be made that the smiths made an armor for her there, but look at the star!!!

very very very similar to the feanorian star. i understand if it’s just a very poor choice of the showrunners to design an armor with a star so similar to feanor’s sigil, bUT WHAT IF IT’S ALSO AN HEIRLOOM??? yes, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, but there is an argument to be made here, there are a significant amount of objects of the house of hador, some of which cannot be fully justified, and also THE narsil, which in theory was not meant to be there at all. so what if, hypothetically speaking, caranthir gave haleth an armor, that somehow got to Numenor, and was given to galadriel????

[middle-earth-mythopoeia]

Hallo! You have a lovely blog. I have a question that has been gnawing at me for some time and I was curious for your thoughts; Which First Age Elven *realm* had the most/longest freindship with the Khazad? Evidently, Finrod Felakgundu had an outstanding friendship, but what of the rest of Nargothrond? The Feanorians had a military alliance, Maedhros saves Azaghal, and I had heard Curufin, son on Fea, had learned Knhuzdul. I could ramble more, but alas there is a text limit! Haha. Cheers!

Hi! Thanks so much, and thanks for the ask! This is a really interesting question. :) It's really difficult to know which First Age Elven realm had the best friendship with the Dwarves, because there’s so little information, although I think I figured out which one had the longest relationship! So here’s what we do know.

According to Morgoth’s Ring, the Dwarves entered Beleriand in Y.T. 1250 and met the Sindar at that time. The Silmarillion says, ‘Ever cool was the friendship between the Naugrim and the Eldar, though much profit they had one of the other; but at that time those griefs that lay between them had not yet come to pass, and King Thingol welcomed them. But the Naugrim gave their friendship more readily to the Noldor in after days than to any others of Elves and Men, because of their love and reverence for Aulë...’

We are told that Elves and Dwarves built Menegroth together, so I don't quite believe that their friendship was cool. I think it would have been fairly positive, especially since the Dwarves adopted the Cirth invented by Daeron; there was some level of cultural exchange. It also says, ‘Melian taught them much that they were eager to learn,’ and ‘the Naugrim laboured long and gladly for Thingol,’ which sounds positive. Still, it’s possible that their friendship with the Noldor was simply stronger than their friendship with the Sindar.

Then there’s the question of how long the relationship lasted. Did the Dwarves have much contact with Thingol’s people after they completed construction of Menegroth? According to The War of the Jewels, after Thingol built Menegroth with the help of the Dwarves in Y.T. 1300, in Y.T. 1320 the Dwarves spoke to him of their concerns of returning evil in the north, and in Y.T. 1330 Thingol hired Dwarven smiths, including Telchar, to forge weapons for his people. Much later, when Thingol receives the treasure from Nargothrond, he asks the Dwarves of Belegost to set the Silmaril in the Nauglamír, so it seems to me that contact between Doriath and the Blue Mountains would not have ceased in the intervening time. 

Thingol died in F.A. 502, and that was obviously the end of Doriath’s friendship with the Dwarves, but it seems likely to me that Doriath did have the longest relationship with the Dwarves than other Elven realms. But how long was it? The Years of the Trees lasted 1500 years, which was equivalent to 14,373 solar years, meaning one Year of the Trees is about 9.5 Years of the Sun. Thingol's people had contact with the Dwarves for 250 Years of the Trees, and 502 years of the First Age, which comes out to 2,877 years!

Moving on to the Noldor, it says that the Dwarves were more friendly to the Noldor than the Sindar. In terms of how and when they met, the Fëanorians settled in Eastern Beleriand in F.A. 7, according to The War of the Jewels. The Silmarillion says, ‘but all the great land between Gelion and the mountains, and between Rerir and the River Ascar, was called by the Noldor Thargelion, which signifies the Land beyond Gelion, or Dor Caranthir, the Land of Caranthir; and it was here that the Noldor first met the Dwarves.’

It doesn’t say that Caranthir was the first son of Fëanor to meet the Dwarves, but it seems likely that he was; Curufin settled in the Pass of Aglon, so it seems likely that Caranthir came in contact with the Dwarves before Curufin did, even if Curufin was more interested in their language. The time period when Caranthir and Curufin could have interacted with the Dwarves would have been between F.A. 7 and F.A. 455, when the Dagor Bragollach occurred and Curufin fled to Nargothrond and Caranthir fled south to Amon Ereb. Therefore, it seems like Caranthir and Curufin were most likely nearby/in contact with the Dwarves for a maximum of 448 years, depending on how soon after F.A. 7 they made contact.

The bit about Curufin learning Khuzdul comes from The Peoples of Middle-earth: ‘but Curufin was most interested in the alien language of the Dwarves, being the only one of the Noldor to win their friendship.’ The second half of that quote directly contradicts the later canon, however, because there are other Noldor who win their friendship. This isn’t to say Curufin didn’t win their friendship; only that Curufin wasn’t the only one, and it also seems unlikely that he was the only Noldo to be interested in their language, either, in a culture full of linguists and scholars; also, Finrod received a Khuzdul name. 

Nargothrond was founded in F.A. 52 and completed in F.A. 102, and the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains helped Finrod with the building. During this time the Dwarves also make the Nauglamír for Finrod. However, it’s unclear to me when exactly Finrod met the Dwarves. How soon after Nargothrond’s founding did its construction begin? Did the Noldor begin construction on their own and then later receive help from the Dwarves, or did the Dwarves assist in the construction from the beginning? 

We know that Finrod didn’t meet the Dwarves before Caranthir did, and it would have had to have been in or after F.A. 7, but no earlier. It’s possible that Finrod met the Dwarves in F.A. 7, or a few years later, or that he met them around F.A. 52, and it’s even possible that he began construction of Nargothrond without them and later received their help, so it’s really unclear how long the relationship lasted. But I tend to think he met them on the earlier side, closer to F.A. 7, if only because Menegroth was Finrod’s inspiration for his own hidden city and Thingol would have told him about its construction, which would have led Finrod to actively seek out the Dwarves once the Noldor made contact.

But at least we do know that this relationship was very positive (this is not the case for the Petty-dwarves, however, who said that the Noldor had stolen their ancient home). The fact the Dwarves bestowed a Khuzdul name upon Finrod signifies a high level of trust and respect, and it seems likely that Finrod wasn’t the only Elf in Nargothrond who they made friends with.  This in turn suggests that there continued to be contact between Nargothrond and the Dwarves after Nargothrond was completed, at least in my opinion; although it was very far from the Dwarven strongholds.

If the Dwarves’ friendship with Finrod and Finrod’s people began in F.A. 7 and outlasted Finrod’s death, but did not outlast the fall of Nargothrond, then the maximum amount of time the relationship could have lasted would be 488 years. But there are few clues as to when Finrod actually became friends with the Dwarves and how long the Nargothrond-Blue Mountains relationship actually lasted.

As you said, Maedhros rescued Azaghal from Orcs in Unfinished Tales, and Azaghal gave him the Dragon-helm forged by Telchar in thanks; later Azaghal joined the Union of Maedhros. Presumably the friendship/contact between Maedhros’ people and the Dwarves lasted from some time in or after F.A. 7 to Nirnaeth Arnoediad in F.A. 472, when Azaghal was killed and the Union of Maedhros was broken: 465 years max.

As for other Elven realms of the First Age, it is not stated whether Fingolfin’s, Fingon’s or Turgon’s realms had any contact with the Dwarves. It is unlikely that the Dwarves had any contact with Círdan because they did not venture that far, but they did receive pearls from Thingol that Thingol had in turn received from Círdan. It is also not stated whether the Dwarves had any contact with the people of Aegnor or Angrod, but it seems unlikely. Despite geographic closeness, it also seems unlikely that the Laiquendi had much friendship with the Dwarves either, because they ‘kept themselves by wariness and secrecy’ and after the death of their king Denethor ‘they came never forth in open war,’ suggesting they wouldn’t have sought Dwarven weapons.

In conclusion, here is a summary of the Dwarves’ relationships with Elven realms of the First Age:

The realms of Fingolfin, Fingon, Turgon, Círdan, Aegnor, Angrod, and the Laiquendi: negligible or non-existent relationship with the Dwarves

Thingol’s people: definitely the longest, lasting over 2,000 years, but we are told the friendship was less strong than the Dwarves’ friendship with the Noldor, and it ended with bloodshed and created mutual distrust for thousands of years afterward

Caranthir’s people: met the Dwarves before the other Noldor, relationship lasted 448 years max; a more positive relationship than the Dwarves had with the Sindar

Curufin’s people: relationship lasted 448 years max; a more positive relationship than the Dwarves had with the Sindar; Curufin was interested in their language

Finrod’s people: unclear how long relationship lasted; Finrod and probably Nargothrond as a whole had a very positive relationship with them, as shown by the Nauglamír and the bestowing of the name Felagund

Maedhros’ people: relationship lasted from before Dagor Aglareb to the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, 412 years min, 465 years max; the relationship was strong as evidenced by a military alliance 

[melestasflight]

Fingon the Valiant is the dashing Prince of our hearts, and that role certainly befits him more than the one of a sorrowful king, sitting upon the cold trone Fingolfin left behind. We despair for King Fingon, as much as the narrative does.

But that nothing about him seems to suggest he’s a great leader? I’m sorry, I have to disagree, fiercly.

Fingon’s kingship is extremely different from Fingolfin’s, primarily due to the circumstances he inherits. Beleriand is ruined (think roads, agriculture, safety points, environmental pollution, and all kinds of other devastation!), Dorthonion is gone, the economy and military strength of the Noldor are frail, Celegorm and Curufin have committed treachery in Nargothrond, Finrod is dead, the house of Bëor is practically gone, and Sauron rules the Pass of Sirion (a crucial strategic point in Beleriand). 

Fingon's rule is defined by all the challenges that come with rebuilding a country in the wake of a devastating war (while war still goes on actively!), the assimilation of refugees, and a marked lack of cohesion between the realms of the Noldor. Despite it all, I would say, he holds on with remarkable strength.

For one, Fingon inspires community and allyship among the Noldor. This is clear even in the days of Valinor, for better or for worse, Fingon already has a following and these people stay beside him even during the Kinslaying. Then, upon the Ice, he is accounted among one of the leaders people follow still: “The fire of their hearts was young, and led by Fingolfin and his sons, and by Finrod and Galadriel, they dared to pass into the bitterest North”

In Beleriand, his rescue of Maedhros is driven precisely by the necessity to reconcile the hosts of Noldor, to prevent division and civil unrest: “Then Fingon the valiant, son of Fingolfin, resolved to heal the feud that divided the Noldor, before their Enemy should be ready for war; for the earth trembled in the Northlands with the thunder of the forges of Morgoth underground.”

This single act in the interest of the people is the basis of everything that later gets built in Beleriand. Without this reconciliation, there would be no Kingdoms of the Noldor, no Long Peace. 

Fingon's tact for building allyship (and therefore, diplomacy) does not stop with the Noldor. Significantly, Dor-lómin is not just “handed over” to the Hadorians. Fingon gives his lands willingly, otherwise, there would be no symbolic gifting of the dragon-helm of Dor-lómin. That helm, which becomes a significant heirloom for the Hadorians, is clearly part of a commendation ceremony, quite frequent in feudal times as a Lord and Vassal entered into a formal relationship of loyalty. 

This is a strategic move, not uncommon in feudal Europe, for example: lands in exchange for military service and I would suspect, economic support. I’ve tackled this mutual benefit among the Nolofinweans and Hadorians in Húrin’s biography here. And it pays off, the Hadorians stand loyal even after Fingolfin’s death. Galdor dies for Fingon while protecting his King's fortress, and Fingon trusts Húrin with the place of a right-hand commander at the Nirnaeth.

I mean, let’s take a closer look at Húrin’s last stand - undoubtedly one of the most epic scenes in the Silmarillion. Húrin, thinking he's about to die, screams Aurë entuluva! This is, of course, a response to Fingon’s earlier Utúlie'n aurë! Loyalty from Fingon’s mortal allies to the last and least. Certainly, not something Caranthir can claim, Uldor slipping right in front of everyone’s nose and almost killing Maedhros at the Nirnaeth.

On a side note, the moment of Húrin trying to hold the Noldor back at the Nirnaeth is an interesting one. In The Children of Húrin Tolkien decided to swap the dialogue. The order of events remains unchanged, but Fingon, not Húrin, advocates for patience among the ranks. Christopher Tolkien comments that this change was likely done to avoid character discrepancy: "such prudence and experience of Morgoth should lie rather with Fingon King of the Noldor than with Hurin, a Man of no more than thirty-one years."

More on allies, we also have Fingon’s friendship with Círdan (an extremely underrated relationship, imho!). After the Bragollach, when Morgoth reissues his attacks, Fingon is succored by his allies: “There Fingon was outnumbered; but the ships of Círdan sailed in great strength up the Firth of Drengist, and in the hour of need the Elves of the Falas came upon the host of Morgoth from the west. Then the Orcs broke and fled, and the Eldar had the victory, and their horsed archers pursued them even into the Iron Mountains.” Horsed archers, note, are Fingon's people.

If we follow the published Silmarillion, Círdan also fosters Gil-galad, son of Fingon, after the King's death. It speaks volumes to the intent of preserving Fingon's legacy.

During the Nirnaeth Fingon commands quite a diverse group: “For there all the Noldor of Hithlum were assembled, together with Elves of the Falas and Gwindor’s company from Nargothrond, and he had great strength of Men: upon the right were the host of Dor-lómin and all the valour of Húrin and Huor his brother, and to them had come Haldir of Brethil with many men of the woods,” along with Mablung and Beleg from Doriath who “joined themselves to the host of Fingon.”

This is quite significant. Círdan’s people remain in friendship, even after numerous battles. The people of Haleth, who had never come out to join in large battles before, are here. We have Gwindor, Mablung and Beleg, who yes, are small companies, but important ones. These people stand up against their Lords and choose to go to war. They join Fingon, not Maedhros.

There’s of course Turgon, who opens the leaguer of Gondolin after 356 years and risks everything he has built to aid Fingon. Even on the last day of the battle, when he probably knows that everything is lost, he “hewed his way to the side of his brother.”

Now Maedhros also has a hand in pulling people together, he has the Dwarves of Belegost on his side, along with the Easterlings. But he is not without flaws as a commander either. Indeed, his incapacity to control his own brothers leads to Nargothrond standing aside. It is not certain, but I would bet that if Maedhros was willing to put Curufin and Celegorm to trial (or at least offer some sort of recompense to Orodreth), relationships with Finrod’s people would be different. There is also the entire deal with Ulfang’s treachery. 

Let’s not forget that the Fëanorians are the first to flee the battlefield, their host falling apart, their allies turning against them (save Azaghâl’s people who stay to avenge their Lord). Quite a different picture from Fingon’s people who stand with him to the end: “At last Fingon stood alone with his guard dead about him.” Dead, because they stood protecting him.

I’m not sure if this is a controversial take or not, but I don’t think Fingon was a particularly good or capable king. The Silmarillion almost seems to damn him with faint praise, his bravery and selflessness are always singled out. But nothing about him seems to suggest he’s a great leader.

All of his best and most heroic actions are either individual or directly leading small numbers of troops, the rescue of Maedhros, routing Glaurung with his horse archers. Not much is said of his leadership during the battle in Hithlum, between the fourth and fifth battles.

I think it’s quite notable that his lands in Dor-lómin are just handed over to Hador. It suggests to me that Fingon either had very little following there or that he wasn’t doing a good job of ruling it and even Fingolfin saw this. After Fingolfin’s death he’s the only viable Nolofinwean heir, Turgon and Aredhel are missing, Argon is dead.

I also think it’s notable that everyone calls the alliance the Union of Maedhros, and Fingon is unable to leverage Orodreth and Nargothrond to back it. Maedhros is the power behind Fingon’s throne, and everyone knows it. Maedhros is the politician and the military strategist. Fingon has little skill or little interest in these I think. I also like the idea that despite the love between them, Maedhros is manipulating Fingon at least a bit. Maybe unintentionally, but Maedhros is a Machiavellian at heart, a determined and capable pragmatist. He will trample the hearts of those he loves to get what he wants.

I also think it’s notable that Fingon charges in after Gwindor while Turgon hangs back. Fingon has let the tail wag the dog, and been drawn into breaking his strategy by one of his subordinates. He’s passionate and emotional, Húrin has to restrain him from charging even before this! Turgon doesn’t get drawn in even when Fingon does, and I’m pretty sure that Fingolfin and Maedhros would not have done this either. That’s not to say Gwindor should have been abandoned to die, but providing some force to relieve them and cover their retreat when they inevitably get bogged down and have to pull back (like Turgon did for Fingon) is very different to committing the whole army to a gamble made with no prior thought.

I like Fingon! He has many good qualities, and up until the 5th battle was a major factor in the success of the Noldor. He’s brave and dashing, selfless, a good cavalry commander. He rescued Maedhros and stopped a civil war! He routed Glaurung! But I do not think he was ever a good king.

[arofili]

men of middle-earth ⧎ easterlings and southrons ⧎ headcanon disclaimer

          While many tales tell of the Three Houses of the Edain, those mortal Men who came to Beleriand and became elf-friends, there are fewer stories in the West of those Men who arrived in the westernmost continent in later years. They are called Easterlings, for like all Men they Awoke in the East of the world, and spent more time there than did the West-men before moving to other lands.           The Easterlings who eventually made their way to Beleriand were related in kin and culture to the Khundolar and Chayasír tribes who were active in later Ages. They were led by two major chieftains, Kulren and Pegmûl, both of whom allied themselves with the House of Fëanor and were given lands around Himring and Thargelion in which to dwell. One such Easterling who entered the service of Maglor was the healer Tanrad, who took the name Ídhron and married the Bëorian woman Arasdil, the sometimes-lover of her elven-lord.           In the Fifth Battle, these Easterlings were crucial to turning the tide of the war: for though Kulren’s folk remained faithful to the Union of Maedhros, the sons of Pegmûl had secretly pledged their service to Morgoth and betrayed Caranthir, ultimately leading to the Union’s utter defeat. After the battle, Kulren and his sons were given Sindarin names honoring their bravery and loyalty, all with the prefix Bór-, “faithful,” while in memory of their hideous treachery, Pegmûl’s family were named with the prefix Ul-, “ugly.”           In the aftermath of the Nírnaeth Arnœdiad, those Easterlings who survived were treated to Morgoth’s twisted sense of repayment. Kulren’s people were rounded up and enslaved in the mines of Angband, while Pegmûl’s folk were corralled into the mountainous lands of Hithlum and shut out from the more fertile lands of Beleriand, cheated of their promised reward.           Ban was a Man who had marched under the banner of Kulren in the Battle, and had been friendly with the dwarves of Belegost, learning a little of their tongue. Though he and his wife Tandra were slain, their son Blodren survived, and escaped the captivity of Morgoth before reaching Angband. Blodren found no refuge in any land, for he had fought against Pegmûl’s allies and was now hated by the Edain for his distant kinship to the traitors of the Nírnaeth, for they did not distinguish between the two groups of Easterlings. Thus Blodren became an outlaw, falling in with the Gaurwaith, who also held him in suspicion but did not turn him away for his skill in hunting. Blodren found a strange fellowship with the dwarf Mîm when the Gaurwaith took up residence in the Bar-en-Danwedh, for he had inherited his father’s proclivities toward dwarves, but in the end this was not enough to save him when Mîm betrayed his captors, and he was slain by an orc-arrow in the Battle of Amon Rûdh.           In Hithlum, the attempts of Pegmûl’s folk to till the rocky lands were mostly unsuccessful. While a portion of these folk continued to eke out a quiet existence in the mountains, others turned to cruelty toward the House of Hador who had dwelt there before the Fifth Battle. Brodda, one of Uldor’s captains, seized the lands of Dor-lómin and claimed Húrin’s halls as his own, taking Húrin’s kinswoman Aerin to wife against her will. Later he would be slain but Húrin’s son Túrin, who returned to Dor-lómin searching for his mother and sister, but Brodda’s death only brought about harsher treatment to those Hadorians who remained.           Another tyrant in Dor-lómin was Lorgan, who set about attacking and enslaving the Grey-elves of Mithrim and any Hadorian refugees who had escaped his dominion. He allied himself with orcs to flush out the Folk of the Swan from their hiding-place in the caves of Androth, and though many escaped, Lorgan’s greatest prize was the capture of Tuor, son of Huor, who had been fostered by the elves. Lorgan kept Tuor as a slave for three years, treating him cruelly, but eventually Tuor escaped and began to harry his servants as an outlaw. Lorgan put a price on his head, but after four years of failing to recapture him, Tuor vanished, never to return.           When Húrin Thalion was released from Angband, he was given an escort of Easterlings back to his homeland of Dor-lómin. His reappearance alongside the soldiers of the Enemy made the men of Dor-lómin believe he was in league with the Dark King, and thus Húrin was shunned by his own people and prevented from rousing any rebellion against the Easterlings who had occupied his land. Only a small company of outlaws dared to follow Húrin when he departed, following him first to the halls of Lorgan, who had enslaved his nephew Tuor, though Húrin did not know this. Lorgan feigned friendship with Húrin, but when Húrin declared he was not in Morgoth’s service Lorgan allowed him to leave unhindered, guessing his Master’s purpose was to use Húrin’s bitterness to sow discontent among the remnant of the Edain.           Lorgan lived out his days in tyranny, eventually perishing when one of his cronies killed him and took his place. Though the Easterling Incomers who occupied Hithlum never thrived in their lands, they lived there until the War of Wrath, mingling with the House of Hador sometimes in oppression and sometimes in cooperation. When Morgoth called upon them to fight at his side against the Host of the Valar, the more prosperous Easterling lords heeded his orders, but others fled with the remnant of Hador’s folk to the Havens of Sirion, where they were absorbed into the contingent of Men led by Elros Tar-Minyatur, who would in time become their King.