Fëanor
| House / Order | House of Finwë |
|---|---|
| Race / Culture | Elf (Noldor) |
| Status | Slain |
| Origin | Valinor; Beleriand |
| Born | Years of the Trees, in Valinor |
| Died | First Age, in Beleriand |
| Weapon | |
| Fate | Slain by Balrogs soon after returning to Middle-earth |
| Portrayed by |
Fëanor was the greatest of the Noldor Elves, the maker of the Silmarils and the most gifted of all the Children of Eru Ilúvatar in skill and craft. His pride, his oath, and his deeds set in motion the central tragedy of the First Age and the long exile of the Noldor in Beleriand.
Early life
Fëanor was the eldest son of Finwë, King of the Noldor in Valinor, and his name meant "Spirit of Fire". He was unmatched in skill of hand and mind, surpassing all others of his people. Among his works were the palantíri, the Seeing-stones, and the Tengwar script. His greatest achievement was the crafting of the three Silmarils, jewels that held the captured light of the Two Trees of Valinor.
The Silmarils and the Oath
When Morgoth destroyed the Two Trees and stole the Silmarils, slaying Finwë in the deed, Fëanor's grief turned to wrath. He named the enemy "Morgoth", the Black Foe, and swore a terrible and unbreakable oath, with his seven sons, to recover the Silmarils and to pursue with hatred any who withheld them, whether Vala, Elf, or Man. This Oath of Fëanor brought ruin and kinslaying upon his people for ages to come.
Rebellion and death
Fëanor led the greater part of the Noldor out of Valinor in rebellion, against the counsel of the Valar, to make war on Morgoth in Middle-earth. To win ships he led the first Kinslaying against the Teleri at Alqualondë. Soon after reaching Middle-earth, in his reckless fury, Fëanor pressed too far ahead of his host and was surrounded and slain by Balrogs. As he died he cursed the name of Morgoth thrice, foreseeing that no Elf would ever defeat him.
Legacy
Fëanor's Oath bound his seven sons to a doom of bloodshed that lasted the whole First Age, drawing them into kinslaying and the ruin of the Elven realms. The Silmarils were never recovered to the Noldor: one was lost in the sea, one in the deeps of the earth, and one set in the heavens as a star.