I Hate Feanor

[Galadriel55]

Originally Posted by Nikkolas

The fact is Feanor did not lead the exodus of Valinor for any even vaguely noble end. Everything he told to his followers was a pack of lies and an excuse to get them to come with him and thus increase his chances of defeating Melkor.

Perhaps. I did not say he was a good person, I only insist that he is a Great person - with a capital G. It takes a truly Great person to raise all his people for a not directly necessary cause. The rebellion against the Valar was a side effect of the hunt for the Silmarilli, but even Morgoth would not have been able to do it so completely.

So, while I completely agree that the consequences of Feanor's actions were devastating, and that he is not a RL or ME role model, I think that he still is a Great person.

Originally Posted by Nikkolas

I do hold him accountable for every elf who died after leaving the Blessed Realm because they died needlessly and for one elf's supreme selfishness.

What do you think of Fingon, or at least Gwindor, then? If it hadn't been for the rash assault, maybe the Nirnaeth Arnoediad would have had a different name. But no one blames either one of them, though they do hold responsibility. I do understand that in this case the deathblow was struck by the treachery of Men, not by the assault, but in Feanor's case I believe the deathblow was the Curse and the Kinslaying, not Feanor's words in Tirion. And in both cases, what came after - came after. Yes, they are responsible for it, but that's not a reason to hate them.

Originally Posted by Tuor in Gondolin

"For the great Gaels of Ireland,
Are the men that God made mad.
For all their wars are merry,
And all their songs are sad."

(G. K. Chesterton). Of course, a British Catholic theological writer and poet, and contemporary of Tolkien.

Very elegantly said. There must be some connection between my admiration of the poem and my admiration of tragic heroes *cough*Feanor*cough*Turin*cough*

And speaking of the abovementioned tragic heroes that I passionately defend, I just want to ask you all a question out of pure curiosity about the matter. When you read the stories, Turin and Feanor and the like are presented as heroes - very flawed heroes, but heroes nonetheless. Moreover, their contemopraries regarded them as such; perhaps not everyone and all the time, but overall both end up with pplenty of deference from those who have just outlived them. And the later Ages speak of both as great heroes too. Middle Earth and Middle Earth history seems to have accepted the Greatness despite the wrongs. But, as readers, you still think that the wrongs of deeds and character and consequences outweigh the sheer scope of those three things? As in, that they are Great people despite?