[Anguirel]

Macalaure, I suspect when you sat down to write that topic you thought "Right. How do I delay Anguirel's history revision?"

Of course I'm hooked. I'll be quite happy to give this a go.

Maedhros

As the eldest-born, he attracts allegiance although his contemplative character is in some ways unsuited to it. He accepts it as his duty.

I think, in terms of personal prowess, he is probably equal to or superior to his father. We see a number of learning processes taking shape within him. The confidence at the beginning, imagining he can counter Morgoth's treachery at the embassy with his own. After the salutory lesson he then learns, you're right to say that his actions mostly fit into one Grand Plan-defeating Morgoth. Unlike Celegorm and Curufin, he doesn't let the idea of the Silmarils cloud the more important part of the Oath-taking the fight to the Dark Enemy of the World. So he cultivates Men and Dwarves. He talks peace with Thingol (at the one point when Maglor and Daeron may have met). He forms the Union.

It's interesting how the repentance part of Maedhros' character overlaps with Maglor's throughout the different versions-it was originally he who adopted Earendil's sons, for example. You feel that for more consistency, several deeds such as the search for Dior's sons should have been Maglor's too. But as it is we have a far more complicated, contradictory character.

The two flawed, worshipped clans in my head since childhood were first, Feanor's sons, and second, King Lot's-Sir Gawain and his brothers-as I've said before. Maedhros in his strange, divided way definitely recalls the conflicted Gawaine of Malory. Luckier than Gawaine, he does not outlive all his brothers-but he's not that much luckier...and you can be sure the loss of five will have lest terrible marks. He gets a grander death than Gawaine though, defiant self-destruction: a Don Giovanni moment.

If we're talking in Homeric terms, Maedhros is a combination of Hector and Ajax-humanity, prowess, but a darker madness beneath.

Come to think of it, I'm not going to explore all the sons now. You can expect the other six coming up later, as told by me for the umpteenth time.