Feanor Self-Important?

[the phantom]

The Book: will do. It involves some special ordering and an unguessable wait in time

So, I guess there's not a Borders (or another similar bookstore) anyplace close to you? That's too bad. Send me enough money and I'll mail you my copy and just buy myself a new one tomorrow.

You've got to keep in mind that this is an over-achieving teenage artist, about to start her senior year, who's dead exhausted and still hasn't managed to get her room cleaned

Hee hee. My room doesn't get cleaned once football season starts.

And looking back, I've determined that I had more free time my senior year than any other year (well, except when I was four years old). Once you take your ACT/SAT all the work is over (if you scored well, that is). Then you can stop doing homework and let your grades take a plunge cause they don't care as long as you tested high and passed your senior classes.

Than again, I was a slacker (definition: figured out how to get a little work to go a long way, now a days corporations call this practice "working smarter, not harder"). I suppose if you're an "over-achieving" sort of person then you're going to be short of Tolkien time your entire life. Poor thing.

but does anyone else know if Feanor retained his firstborn status in later versions?

Sounds like a job for Maedhros, or one of the other Revised-Silmarillion people.

[Maédhros]

I'll assume that your memory is still foggy on this subject, but does anyone else know if Fëanor retained his firstborn status in later versions?

I'm not sure what do you mean. In some of the earliest versions, Fëanor was not the first but second son of Finwë. He was at first the son of Bruithwir.
In the later versions, he is the first son of Finwë and Míriel and he is born in Valinor.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

So, I guess there's not a Borders (or another similar bookstore) anyplace close to you?

Phantom, I live in the middle of nowhere. Not really, but the closest bookstore to me is a college one (one of my favorites, but I don't get to go there much) and that's at least 15 minutes in a direction that nobody I ride with ever goes in, and that I don't think carries Tolkien's work beyond the basics (Hobbit, LotR, Silm, and some general M.E. guides). The one bookstore around here that I'm generally certain has got it is just over 20 minutes away, in the opposite direction from the college one.

Once you take your ACT/SAT all the work is over (if you scored well, that is). Then you can stop doing homework and let your grades take a plunge cause they don't care as long as you tested high and passed your senior classes.

SATs are over and done with, with good enough scores that I can brag to any potential grandkids I might end up with , but no slacking off until I ship out college applications. After that? Calculus gets dropped (my counselor was being a jerk and managed to out-reason me on dropping it when I chatted with him Wednesday).

I'm not sure what do you mean.

As you say, Feanor was the first son of Finwe and Miriel. The Phantom also mentioned that Feanor was at one point (?) the FIRST of all the Children of Illuvatar to be born, as opposed to waking up. First conceived, first born, he was the first of the Elves in that sense. He was the oldest of his generation. My question is, did that (his being first of the generation) carry over to the most recent texts?

Fea

[the phantom]

In the later versions, he is the first son of Finwë and Míriel and he is born in Valinor.

Yes, but we would like to know if the later versions say anything about him being the first of the entire second generation (as Tolkien said at one time in the Annals of Aman).

[The Saucepan Man]

Originally Posted by the phantom

Yes, but we would like to know if the later versions say anything about him being the first of the entire second generation (as Tolkien said at one time in the Annals of Aman).

But if this interpretation of the line in question is correct, what are we to make of Mandos' response: "Not the first"?

[the phantom]

But if this interpretation of the line in question is correct, what are we to make of Mandos' response: "Not the first"?

Well, that's not a question for me to answer because I personally don't think Feanor meant that when he called himself the first. Someone else brought up the idea and I just gave 'em some book quotes.

My primary concern with the timing of Feanor's birth is this- did the idea of him being the first-born Elf make it to any later versions or was it refuted- or neglected perhaps?

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

But if this interpretation of the line in question is correct, what are we to make of Mandos' response: "Not the first"?

Which is why we must first find out if it is a correct interpretation, aye?

Fea

[the phantom]

You know, SP, even though I don't agree with the interpretation I'll try to answer your question anyway.

When Mandos says "Not the first" it means "I don't know what I am talking about." I mean, if Feanor is the first but Mandos says he isn't, Mandos is in error, right? I guess he has Feanor's birthday marked wrong in his datebook. That's probably why, after Mandos says his line, the book says-

but they did not understand his word

Because he had his dates mixed up.

Yet another illustration of the Valar being wrong. Yes! Maybe I should buy into this interpretation after all.