#Findaráto

[ayaosguqin]

King of Nargothrond , Five Act Tragedy

“I go now to my long rest in the timeless halls beyond the seas and the Mountains of Aman. It will be long ere I am seen among the Noldor again; and it may be that we shall not meet a second time in death or life, for the fates of our kindreds are apart. Farewell!' He died then in the dark, in Tol-in-Gaurhoth, whose great tower he himself had built.

Link to my Ko Fi

[dfwbwfbbwfbwf]

I just had the epiphany that all three of Finwë's sons named a son after themselves.

Curufinwë Fëanáro namer his son Curufinwë Atarincë.

Ñolofinwë Aracáno named his son Aracáno (and we don't know his mother name).

Arafinwë Ingoldo named his son Findaráto Ingoldo.

Yet we only ever (justifiably) give Náro crap about it.

[doot-boi]

"But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar"

I think it's no surprise to my followers who pay attention to my silm posting that I love Finrod Felagund's character, but this is the line that sticks with me heavily. Within the Quenta Silmarillion, it is told that all of those Ñoldor caught within the Doom of Mandos and of the Silmarils will "yearn for [their] bodies, and find little pity", which is often taken to mean that none of those who left Valinor would be granted the possibility of returning to physical form, to live in the bliss of Aman (though arguments can clearly be made that only those who participated in the kinslaying were under such a doom, but I choose to ignore that). That's what makes this line so much more impactful to me, along with a more important facet; it's placement in the chapter.

Just 2 pages earlier, at his death, Finrod says it will be long before he is seen again amongst his people, perhaps believing he will not be granted a bodily form until such a time as the rest of the Ñoldor would be. He dies in the darkness of his corrupted tower, and is mourned at length by Beren until Lúthien his love arrives and rouses him, and together their hope is kindled again as the sun rises (a very common theme in Tolkien's works). They honour and bury Finrod atop the island, a tomb to be unchanged until the War of Wrath caused upheaval in all of Beleriand

It's here that this line comes in. His tomb is inviolate until all the land is, but he himself walks with his father, the only of Finwë's sons to remain in Valinor, and that says so many things.

He is one of few, or perhaps the only, Ñoldorin exile to be gifted bodily rebirth. He surpassed the Doom of Mandos (see my 2nd link in paragraph 1)

His father welcomes him home and forgives his leaving

No matter the state of his grave, Felagund is himself unmarred

No timeline is given for Finrod's bodily resurrection, but I choose to believe it is before the end of the First Age (and the fandom wiki agrees, tolkien gateway being more vague), for no other reason than Eärendil. It is because of Finrod, his assistance of and sacrifice for Beren, that the man of Bëor lives long enough to be united with Lúthien in the Quest, and they, along with Huan, are able to retrieve the Silmaril that Eärendil brings to Aman. I consider that Finrod is likely unaware of the success of the Quest, given it seems the rest of Valinor was (or at least they waited for a plea from Middle-Earth before acting on anything). Imagine his wonder, his pride, and his joy, at seeing that not only was the quest successful, but here, 80 years after he died, he sees Beren and Lúthien's grandson-in-law bearing the jewel. I wonder what he would have said to Amarië his love, if he would have remarked in joyous tears that the horrors and the death that led him back into Aman were not faced in vain. I wonder if, taking up his weapon to participate in the War of Wrath, he either sat a moment in sorrow, or in hope, or in some other emotion, considering what lay ahead of him, and as he came home afterwards with many of his kinsfolk, what he felt as he came to the bliss that would last until the changing of the world.

No matter his feelings on the Wars, what his experiences are and what he goes through after his resurrection, we know this:

Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees of Eldamar

[lovefairymina]

*while brushing Finrod's hair*: flower gleam and glow...let your power shine...make the clock reverse...

finrod: what're you doing-

me: SHHHHHHH

“My love, what are doing—” A finger to his lips to silence his questioning, Finrod finally submitted to silence and left you to do your thing. Despite the small pout, he carefully listened to your voice and words while you brushed his luscious hair. Very easily did a soothing wave of calmness wash over him, causing him to melt into your touch further.

[lovelylovebug]

"Finrod? How do I look?" You asked and spinned around.

"No words in any language could describe how beautiful you are." Finrod said with a smile. He reached for your hands. "Every day you enchant me anew with your beauty, Melda."

[a-happy-artist]

[caliawen]

Childhood Crush

Pairing = Finrod x Mairafinwë (OC)

Genre = General audiences

General ratings = pure fluff <3

Content warnings = none

Word count = 1,9k

Notes = Hi, yes, hello 🫣 It has been a while, hasn’t it? Anyway, I found my inspiration back and I’ve finished this piece in time for day 5 of @tolkienocweek ! The prompt was ‘shipping’ so it was in theme and I thought ‘why not?’ Anyway, hope you enjoy!

Finrod never lacked love. He was loved, and he loved back. He loved his father, his mother, his brothers, his sister, his grandfather, his uncle (uncles, sometimes, but he didn’t see Fëanáro much. He was still cool, in Finrod’s eyes. He always received little gifts from his uncle when he visited. It was a little secret between them, because for some reason, Fëanáro didn’t want Arafinwë to know. Finrod thought it funny, because Arafinwë was aware, but pretended he didn’t.) loved him back.

However, as he turned around five (in men years), he noticed something. His father kissed his mother and looked at her with Starry Eyes. His uncles all looked at his aunts like that too, Uncle Fëanáro with Aunt Nerdanel and Uncle Ñolofinwë with Aunt Anairë. He saw teenagers do that, too. And he didn’t understand. Why did they do that? It was so weird!

So he asked his mother and she replied something that didn’t make sense at the time. She said : “People kiss each other and look at each other with ‘Starry Eyes’ because they love each other, dear.” Finrod looked at her dubiously. What did she mean, ‘It’s because they love each other’! Finrod loved his brothers, but that didn’t mean he looked at them with Starry Eyes and kissed them on the mouth!

It was when he turned ten (in men years), that he understood what his mother had meant. He was with his family at a banquet organized by his grandfather Finwë. For once, miraculously everyone was getting along, and then, he saw her. Seated between a teenager Makalaurë and a small Turcafinwë, sat the most beautiful girl Finrod had ever seen. She had long silver hair, just like Lady Míriel (Finwë kept her portrait in his study) and gray eyes like Fëanáro. To be honest, she was the perfect replica of Lady Míriel, but with Finwë’s eyes.

Finrod felt his face get hot, before he averted his eyes. But then, he found his eyes drawn back to her. He couldn’t help but admire her beauty. Finrod didn’t understand at the time why he felt so drawn to her. She was just a normal girl! But that was where he was wrong, because she was the only daughter of Fëanáro. And it was well known that his children are everything but ‘normal’.

He stole glances at her, greedily looking at her eyes and hair and cheeks and smile and- everything. He looked at her everything and felt weird inside.His heart thumped loudly and his stomach felt like it was dancing. He wondered why he was feeling this way.. It was then that they made eye contact. Gray eyes meeting blue ones, holding each other, drowning in each other.

Later on, when Finrod grew restless of sitting and listening to the adults talk about boring things, he got up and went to the gardens. The cool night air was like a balm to his still hot cheeks. He looked towards Telperion, sighing as he felt tiredness come over him. Normally, he’d be in bed by now. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy he could stay up late, but he really wished they were back home. He missed the feeling of the ocean breeze on his skin and the salty air. At the same time, he felt overjoyed at seeing his grandfather and Tirion again. The city was wonderful and a delight to his eyes. Art was everywhere and people were kind.

He was startled out of his thoughts by the most beautiful voice he had ever heard (after Kanafinwë’s, of course, but not that he’d ever admit it).

“Hello!”

Finrod whirled around, cheeks heating up as he saw her.

“H-Hi!” He replied, his eyes widening as she smiled at him.

“You’re my cousin Findaráto, right?” She asked, her eyes twinkling in the silvery light of Telperion.

“Uh, yes!” Finrod stuttered out, feeling nervous for.. some reason. She smiled at him, extending her hand.

“I’m Mairafinwë. Pleasure to meet you!” She said and he shook her hand. Mairafinwë… The name was exactly like her : beautiful, graceful, a joy to look at..

~~~

Since that night, Finrod found himself visiting Mairafinwë often : he had gained a friend. She was funny, witty, calm and talented. Their beautiful friendship blossomed and they became closer.

“Don’t move!” Mairafinwë tsked, frowning a bit at Finrod. He sighed, going back into his original position.

It had been two years since they had met and Mairafinwë had invited Finrod over at her father’s house. After talking for a few hours, she had proposed to sculpt him. Finrod, overjoyed, had agreed. Mairafinwë was good with her hands, he had seen the sculptures she made. Of course they were pretty, she learned from the best : her mother, Nerdanel. What he didn’t expect was that it would take so long to sculpt him.

He squirmed in his seat again, admiring Mairafinwë as she worked. The light that came in by the tall windows caressed her skin, making her look softer than normal. Her long silver hair was thrown up into a bun as she worked diligently, frowning in concentration. She kind of looked like Fëanáro when she was working : the same frown, the same twitch of the lips, the same analyzing eyes.

“Can we take a break?” Finrod said, sighing. Mairafinwë looked up and Finrod’s heart skipped a beat or two, his cheeks darkening. She sighed, putting down her tools.

“Alright, alright. We’ll take a break.” She said, smiling. She was as beautiful as always and Finrod found himself unable to look away from her.

When she took his hand and giggled as she dragged him outside, he thought he understood what his mother had meant all those years ago.

~~~

Finrod knew that Mairafinwë was older than him, of course. It wasn’t by that much, but it frustrated him to no end when people whispered that he looked like a lost puppy following her around. He was fifteen (in men years)! It wasn’t fair that people thought he wasn’t deserving of her!

Finrod had recognized that he liked Mairafinwë, maybe even loved her. He hadn’t done anything about it, yet. He was determined to court and woo her properly, but he didn’t have the right ideas at the time.

He almost had a heart attack when Nelyafinwë and Kanafinwë approached him with matching grins. They were usually the ones who were the most respectful and didn’t throw pranks, so to see them approaching him like that, he knew that something was going to happen.

Finrod wanted the ground to open up and swallow him when they told him that they knew he liked their sister. However, he perked right up and all his embarrassment was forgotten when they gave him a list of things Mairafinwë found romantic and liked to do that they had roped Turcafinwë into getting for them. He thanked them profusely, before having the scare of his life when their expressions turned grim.

“We support you courting our sister, Findaráto, but listen to my words and listen well.” Maedhros started.

“If we find out you broke her heart, for whatever reason it is, you will pay.” He said, a frown etched on his handsome face.

“Are we clear?” Maglor’s ethereal voice sounded stern.

“Yeah, of course!” Finrod said, a bit fearful. He almost had whiplash from how fast their demeanours changed as their expressions turned happy once more. Maedhros clapped him on the shoulder, smirking.

“Good luck.” He said before they left him with his thoughts.

~~~

Finrod had successfully started to court Mairafinwë. Dates had been arranged and he was happy, and so was she. The threshold of hand-holding had been passed and they spent more and more time together, almost attached at the hip.

Everything was going well. Too well.

That’s why Finrod wasn’t all that surprised when one day, returning from a date with Mairafinwë, his uncle Fëanáro approached him, saying he wanted to speak to him.

Seated in his uncle’s office, Finrod felt a bit fearful. He knew that his uncle was extremely protective of his children, everyone knew that. Fëanor looked at him pensively, saying nothing and making Finrod squirm under his intense gaze.

“Findaráto..” Fëanor started, making Finrod gulp as he tried to calm his heartbeat, his nervousness making his palm sweaty.

“Yes?” Finrod said, cursing in his head as his voice came out weak. His uncle gently smiled at him, making him calm down a little.

“Mairafinwë has told me that you have been courting for some time now.” Fëanor said, making Finrod nod in acquiescence.

“She loves you. Very much. It is.. clear that she has fallen head over heels for you. I want you to know, first and foremost, that I support this courting.” Fëanor said, tilting his head. Hearing those words made Finrod significantly calm down, his tense posture relaxing.

“Mairafinwë is someone who loves with all of her being. She is.. she is extremely like my mother in this way.” Fëanor whispered this part, his gaze turning longing for a second.

“I want to know if you love her. As in, you won’t want to leave her side in a century or two. You two are young, and there is plenty of time to grow and mature. These feelings you have for each other may change and that is alright. But I want to know now if you think it might happen.” His uncle said, making Finrod shake his head rapidly.

“No. I.. I love her. With all of my fëa. I think.. no, I know she is the one.” Finrod said, making his uncle’s lips twitch upwards. Fëanor hummed.

“In that case, I want you to know that I entrust my daughter’s heart to you. Be careful : it is delicate and bruises easily.” Finrod nodded seriously, relief washing over him as his uncle gave him his blessing to court Mairafinwë.

“However, I want you to know that if I find out you have not been treating her with the respect or adoration she deserves, or that you have made her sad, there will be consequences.” Fëanor said, a small smile on his lips to soften his words. Finrod nodded again.

That day, he left Fëanor’s mansion happy, for he had gotten his blessing.

~~~

It was a month later that Finrod kissed Mairafinwë for the first time. It was magical : something that made him feel whole in a sense and that made him giddy to think about. They laid underneath a tree on the grass, their fingers intertwined.

“I love you, Mairafinwë. I love you a lot. I… I wanted to know if you.. If you’d like to..” Finrod hadn’t thought about how he would ask her to become a couple. Well, he had, but this wasn’t how it was supposed to go. The words were all wrong in his mouth and his mind worked faster than ever to find the right words.

Mairafinwë gently put her hand on his cheek, her plump lips turning up into a smile.

“Take your time, Findaráto. I’m not going anywhere.” She softly said with that magnificent voice of hers.

“I-… would you like to.. to become a couple?” Finrod asked, almost wincing at his clumsy words. In his mind, he had imagined asking her poetically with a grand romantic gesture. Still, Mairafinwë smiled gently at him, her pretty eyes twinkling with happiness.

“I would love to.” She responded, making Finrod nearly bowl over with relief. He smiled at her and she smiled back. And he understood. He understood what his mother had meant.

When she kissed him, he felt his stomach dance and his cheeks become hot and thought : ‘How I love her..’

End notes : I hope you enjoyed! I have one story and some headcannons in the work, so I should post more often! <3

@theladyvanya @koyunsoncizeri

[admirableringmaker]

mairon, is it true you’re afraid of arafinwe? :3

"I am not afraid of elves who hide in Valinor. Don't be ridiculous."

[morgoths-ring]

Findaráto

[ayaosguqin]

In the embrace of my shoulder, let your worries fade into oblivion.

[dfwbwfbbwfbwf]

"Nine were given to Men, who above all desire power."

Oh, that's rich coming from the woman who came to Middle Earth to rule a kingdom. Like,yeah, Galadriel mellowed out over the millennia, but we all remember why she and Finrod even wanted to venture out of Valinor, right?

(Don't get me wrong, I like Galadriel and Finrod as characters. I just don't think powerlust is a better motivation than, say, vengeance like their cousins.)

[kai-janik-art]

Findaráto (2024)

Watercolour

He's trying to be serious in his official portrait but there's still a hint of a smile breaking through. I imagined a young Findaráto, wearing lots of pearls and sea foam inspired clothing. I chose green for the jewels because the ring of Barahir had green jewels.

My friend wrote a lovely poem about the painting here:

[daily-smol-silm]

Day #58 - Flapper Dress

I... really wanted to draw one of these things lol. Here's Findaráto modeling :D

[lovefairymina]

Finrod I like it when you put your mouth all over me 😏

“I will never understand your obsession with my mouth along with me biting you,” Finrod chuckled softly, his lips brushing against your ear as he whispered. “But allow me to continue pleasing you,” before pressing a gentle kiss followed by a soft nibble to your neck.

[leucisticpuffin]

eldest cousins picnic! (Findaráto tried to keep up with the conversation, but he is very small and Maitimo's lap makes a good pillow.)