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Thinlómien 11-08-2005 12:07 PM

Missing Women
 
In the Silmarillion, all noldorin kings and such high folk men and their sons are all precisely mentioned. But of women, not many are mentioned.
We know that Fëanor's wife was Nerdanel the Wise, Finarfin's wife was Eärwen of Alqualonde and Finwë's wifes were Míriel and Indis. (Correct me, if I make mistakes; it's been a while from my last Silmarillion-time...)
Who was the wife of Fingolfin? Or Orodreth? Or Celegorm? Or Fingon? They all have been recorded to have children, yet their wives are not mentioned. (Or at least in Silm or UT.)
They maybe didn't play a big part, but it would be still nice to know who they were.

bilbo_baggins 11-08-2005 12:45 PM

The Silmarillion does mention Galadriel, one of the greatest of the Noldor, and one who saw the light of the Valar, spoke with the Ring-bearer, and has a long and ancient storyline in ME. I don't know any of the wives offhand.

Lalaith 11-08-2005 12:50 PM

Thinlomien, this is quite an interesting site that might help answer some of your questions. Here's a pertinent excerpt, but there's lots of other stuff there:

Quote:

Fingolfin's wife, Anairë, was of the Noldor and she stayed in Aman when the Noldor left, apparently because of her friendship with Ëarwen, the wife of Finarfin.

Orodreth was apparently intended (in the final form) to be Finrod's nephew, rather than his brother. Another surprising alteration is the denial to Fingon of wife or children, and the assignment of Gil-galad (Rodnor Gil-galad) to Orodreth as a son. The consequences of these alterations, although significant, would have resulted in minimal changes to the published Silmarillion: (1) the reference to Ereinion being sent to the Havens after Fingolfin's death would have been removed, and (2) Orodreth could not have held Minas Tirith for Finrod after Nargothrond was established. Possibly, Angrod would have been removed from Dorthonion and given command of Minas Tirith (where he would, perhaps, have died) and Aegnor alone would have held Dorthonion.

Fingon actually had been given an unnamed wife and two children in the aforementioned four tables, but Christopher writes: "...in the final table they were struck out, with the note that Fingon 'had no child or wife'."

The ubiquitous Gildor Inglorion, sadly, is nowhere mentioned in the section dealing with Finwë's descendants. I'm not sure of whether Tolkien decided the House of Finrod was to be something else, or if perhaps Gildor came over to Middle-earth in the Second Age with Glorfindel. This last inference, although improbable, derives from the fact that Tolkien writes that Finrod did not have any children in Middle-earth:
Finrod left his wife in Valinor and had no children in exile.

Bêthberry 11-08-2005 02:22 PM

Are the names of Aragorn and Arwen's daughters anywhere mentioned? They aren't in the Appendices. Only sonny boy, Eldarion, is named. Historical veracity.

Lathriel 11-08-2005 04:11 PM

This phenomenon reminds me of Genesis. There all the male characters are acuratly mentioned and desribed but the women are almost completeley left out. (Except for when they scheme against their husband, to put it bluntly)

Thinlómien 11-10-2005 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lathriel
This phenomenon reminds me of Genesis. There all the male characters are acuratly mentioned and desribed but the women are almost completeley left out. (Except for when they scheme against their husband, to put it bluntly)

Me too, and of vikings' sagas as well.

Lalaith, I got the picture that the information was from Peoples of Middle-Earth. Is it so? For I have it at home but I haven't had time for it yet, but this convinces me that I should.


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