Quote:
Originally Posted by Orphalesion
Heyo,
We all know that Tolkien kind of neglected to give names to a lot of the wives of the ancient Elf lords. Celebrimbor's wife has no name, Maglor's and Caranthir's wives have no names and neither does Orodreth's wife, the mother of Finduilas (and possibly Gil-Galad)....or does she?
A long while ago I have read somewhere in the HOMIE (I think it was the Shibboleth of Feanor? Not sure) that Tolkien tossed the idea around that Gil-Galad's mother was named "Meril" (Sindarin for "rose", at one point explicitly called the Elvish equivalent of the English name Rose).
Does anybody know if that is valid still from a linguistic standpoint? Does the word "Meril" fit into Sindarin as it existed at the time of Tolkien's death?
It would be nice to have a few more female names in the genealogies.
Curiously it would also make the house of Finarfin, the only house in which all members of the first age (except Gil-Galad) have named spouses or love interests (Amariė, Eldalotė/Edhellos, Andreth, Celeborn, Gwindor, Turin and Meril)
I really wish Tolkien had been more generous with giving the Elf Lords wives and daughters. It seems like he made attempts sometimes (Findis and Irimė, once writing that Ar-Feiniel was "the first daughter of Fingolfin", but he abandoned them rather quickly, ven all three of the nameless Fėanorian ladies get left behind in Aman) It seems a lot of the time Elf women are only mentioned when a Mortal Man needs a love interest, if Galadriel hadn't shown up in the Lotr and needed a back story, we wouldn't have had any female member of the House of Finwe who isn't there just to be wife, mother or love interest of somebody 
Which is a shame because Tolkien could write women just as compelling as men if he set his mind to it as Galadriel and Morwen prove. Even the female you have to piece together from the HOME are often compelling, compare for a moment Miriel and Nerdanel to rather pale male characters like Fingon or Angrod whom not even the HoME improve much. |
Yes, I love the take in your post. There were truly some wonderful stories and hidden accounts of Lore in the lost womanly lineages. I'd have very much loved a lot more on many of the famous houses, though as you point out, Tolkien did bring us some very moving womanly heroes.
Ivriniel, my Avatar has Imrahil as a descendant. Gilmith (star mist), a sister of the long gone forebear of Imrahil has stirred my curiosity deeply, at times. We never discovered if she had progeny or who they were, and what fate or legacy they brought us.
Aredhel - on some days, evokes antipathy and vomitronic tendencies (all that imagery of 'flowing white veil-y/teal-y wisps on her hunting horse rides in Valinor didn't work for me), but on others, I love her as a great hero of the Noldor. I'd especially love to see Lines of the Vanyar and womanly lineages of those, and 'which witch was which' at the battle when Beleriand was broken.
Cheers
PS: on some days, (after perhaps one too many gin and tonics), I giggle with my long loved geek pals, imagining that Sauron, really, was just a very angry woman, suppressed by male dominant social order, and so, just got so jack about it all, that she dressed as a 'drag king' and 'tricked' everyone in Valinor into seeming male.