They are among the most tragic characters in Middle-earth. In allegiance to their father,
they would swear a terrible oath - one that would drive them into exile,
drive them to kill their fellow elves, and for some, drive them to their deaths.
Today on Nerd of the Rings, we begin our series on The Sons of Feanor
with the life and travels of his eldest, Maedhros.
Maedhros is born sometime during the Years of the Trees in Valinor to Feanor
and his wife Nerdanel. When Feanor is banished from Valinor in YT 1490,
Maedhros, his mother, and six younger brothers go with Feanor to their new home of Formenos.
Five years of the trees later, Morgoth would destroy the two trees and come to Formenos,
while Feanor and his family are in Valinor to make amends with the valar and the other elves.
Remaining behind at Formenos is Finwe, Feanor’s father and the grandfather of Maedhros.
Morgoth kills Finwe and steals Feanor’s prized silmarils before fleeing to Middle-earth. Led
by their father, Maedhros and his six brothers swear the dreadful Oath of
Feanor, that would come to rule over their lives and bring great evil to the world…
Having resolved to pursue Morgoth, Maedhros accompanies his father to the havens of
Alqualonde. It is there that the Teleri elves dwell, who are famous for their shipbuilding.
The Noldor who followed Feanor and his sons arrive at the haven in an attempt
to persuade the Teleri to give them their ships. Knowing this was against the will of the Valar,
the Teleri decline and attempt to persuade the Noldor to stay in the Blessed Realm.
Angered by this response, the Noldor begin taking the ships by force.
The situation quickly escalates, and a battle breaks out.
In the end, many Teleri are slain in the first kinslaying of elves against elves. Feanor and
his sons take their people on the Teleri ships and sail to the coast of Middle-earth.
While the host of Fingolfin is left behind, Maedhros is under the assumption that his father
intends to return the ships for a second voyage with the remaining Noldor - including Maedhros’
cousin and friend, Fingon. Instead, Feanor deems the house of Fingolfin to be unworthy
and burns the ships, leaving Fingolfin to lead his people across the dangerous frozen lands
of the Helcaraxe. Maedhros is angered by this
and he alone of all his brothers, refuses to take part in burning the ships.
The host of Feanor would travel inland and take part in the first battle of the Noldor
in Beleriand - the Dagor-nuin-Giliath - the battle under stars, for it was prior
to the creation of the Sun and Moon. Feanor is mortally wounded in this battle by Gothmog and
the balrogs of Morgoth. With his father’s death, Maedhros inherits the role of King of the Noldor.
However, his reign would be short-lived. For Morgoth would send an embassy to Maedhros,
claiming to offer a goodwill gift of one of the silmarils. Expecting deception, Maedhros
pretends to accept this offer of treating with the dark lord, while bringing a force of his own.
However, the host of Morgoth is too great, and Maedhros is captured by Morgoth’s forces.
He is taken back to the dark fortress of Angband, where he is hung by the wrist of his right hand
aside the mountains of Thangorodrim (YT 1498). There, he would hang until the 5th year of the
First Age - a period of at least 24 years. In that year, help would come unlooked for
from the house of Fingolfin. With the help of Thorondor, the great lord of the eagles,
his friend Fingon comes to his rescue. Fingon is forced to cut off Maedhros’
right hand to free him from his chains before bearing him away to safety.
In his thanks for his rescue, and in remorse for the abandonment of Fingon’s family, Maedhros
renounces his claim to the kingship of the Noldor. Despite his brothers’ disapproval, Maedhros
is king no longer and the title passes to Maedhros’ uncle, and Fingon’s father Fingolfin.
Knowing that this change in leadership would likely lead his brothers to create strife,
Maedhros moves his family and followers to the Eastern lands of Beleriand,
leaving the lands of Hithlum to the house of Fingolfin.
Maedhros would rule the lands around the Hill of Himring, where he would build a fortress, and
the lands would come to be known as the March of Maedhros. Years later, in 60 FA, Morgoth believes
the elves to be preoccupied with settling in their realms than preparing their defenses and launches
an attack with orcs pouring into the lands of Dorthonion, the Pass of Sirion, and Maglor’s Gap.
However, Maedhros and Fingolfin were both allied and prepared. They counter-attack
the orcs from both the East and the West and the armies of orcs are caught as if between hammer
and anvil. This battle would be known as the Dagor Aglareb - the Glorious Battle
and would result in the 400-year Siege of Angband, where Morgoth’s forces and fortress
would be held in check. The peace would end in 455 FA with the Dagor Bragollach - the Battle
of Sudden Flame - as Morgoth issues forth rivers of fire and unleashes Glaurung - the first dragon.
While this would result great destruction and loss of life for the elves all around them,
Maedhros and his brother Maglor fought valiantly and managed to hold the fortress of Himring.
Over the coming years, Beren and Luthien would succeed in stealing a Silmaril from Morgoth’s
crown within his very halls. Encouraged by this news, Maedhros gathers his brothers and
allies to form the Union of Maedhros - an alliance with the purpose of bringing all
their might upon Morgoth. In the East, Maedhros leads his brothers and the elves of Himring,
Easterlings who lived in his realm under their leader Bor, Easterlings
who followed his younger brother Caranthir, and the Dwarves of Belegost led by Azaghal.
In the West, Fingon, who is now High King of the Noldor leads the elves of Hithlum,
the Edain of Dor-lomin and Brethil, elves from the southern kingdom of Nargothrond,
and the late arriving force of Gondolin led by Fingon’s brother Turgon. Maedhros’
plan is to take his army to Anfauglith, drawing out the armies of Morgoth. Then,
Fingon would ride with his hidden Western army and crush Morgoth’s forces between them.
However, a small force of orcs manages to provoke the Western army
into attacking early, and combined with the treachery of the Easterlings of Uldor,
the Union of Maedhros is defeated with overwhelming losses in the Nirnaeth
Arnoediad - the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. Maedhros and his brothers are forced to flee
to Ossiriand, living among the green elves of the region, as the orcs take control of Himring.
With Morgoth now controlling the entire north of Beleriand,
any hope of a large-scale assault against the dark lord is lost. The elves are now facing a steady,
losing battle against the darkness of Morgoth. Over the years, the Silmaril of Beren and
Luthien would remain with King Thingol of Doriath until his death. After being recovered by Beren,
it would be worn by Luthien during their second life on the isle of Tol Galen.
However, Beren and Luthien would die their final death in 503 and the silmaril is sent
to their son Dior, who now ruled over his grandfather’s realm of Doriath.
While no elf would dare assail Luthien while she wore the Silmaril in the Nauglamir necklace,
the Oath of Feanor awakes in the hearts of his sons when they learn that Dior
now holds one of his father’s gems. Maedhros, driven by the oath he swore,
is convinced by his brother Celegorm that they must attack Doriath and reclaim the silmaril.
Thus, the Second Kinslaying comes to pass in 506 FA. The sons of Feanor launch an attack upon the
realm, and Dior kills the brothers Celegorm, Caranthir, and Curufin, but is killed himself
in the deed. While Dior’s daughter Elwing would escape in secret with the silmaril,
her brothers Elured and Elurin are captured by Celegorm’s servants, taken into the woods, and
left to starve. Upon learning of this, Maedhros searches the forest for the children, but finds
no one. Their ultimate fate is a mystery. Years later, Maedhros learns that Elwing
had survived the destruction of Doriath, and now dwelt in the Havens of Sirion with the Silmaril.
Though initially restraining himself, the oath compels him to act,
and he sends word to the Havens demanding they turn over the jewel. Elwing and her people refuse.
Once again, the Sons of Feanor attack fellow elves in the Third Kinslaying.
In 538, they sack the havens of Sirion. And while Maedhros and Maglor have the military victory,
their brothers Amrod and Amras are killed in the attack,
and Elwing throws herself into the sea with the Silmaril. In the aftermath, Maedhros and
Maglor come upon Elwing’s twin sons Elrond and Elros. Though they first take them as captives,
love grows between the twins and Maglor, who becomes like a father to them.
As for Elwing, she would come to her husband Earendil,
and he would bear the Silmaril to Valinor. The valar would bless his ship, and he would
fly it through the sky with the silmaril upon his brow, thus the star of Earendil is born.
And when this new star was seen at evening, Maedhros spoke to Maglor his brother,
And Maglor answered:
Then the Elves looked up,
and despaired no longer; but Morgoth was filled with doubt.
The silmaril out of their reach, Maedhros and Maglor are left to dwell in Middle-earth with the
little time left to them, alone of their seven brothers yet surviving. Earendil’s voyage also
brings the wrath of the Valar upon Morgoth, and in 587, after a 42 year war, the dark lord is
defeated and cast into the void. The remaining two silmarils are taken from him, and one last time,
the Sons of Feanor demand the silmarils, this time from Eonwe the maiar, herald of Manwe.
Eonwe responds that due to their evil deeds in pursuing their oath, they had no longer
any right to the silmarils. After a brief debate on whether they must pursue their oath they swore
in Iluvatar’s name, the brothers sneak into the camp and disguised, they kill the guards and grab
the silmarils. The entire camp is alerted to their presence and they are surrounded, prepared to die.
Eonwe forbids them to be slain, letting them go whither they would.
Maedhros and Maglor each take a silmaril and go their separate ways.
But the jewel burned the hand of Maedhros in pain unbearable; and he
perceived that it was as Eonwe had said,
and that his right thereto had become void, and that the oath was vain.
And being in anguish and despair he cast himself into a gaping chasm filled with fire,
and so ended; and the Silmaril that he bore was taken into the bosom of the Earth.
We don’t know if Maedhros would ever be re-embodied, or if he, like his father,
would have to wait in the Halls of Mandos until the very end of the world. When Beleriand
sinks into the sea, at the end of the first age, Maedhros’ hill becomes the island of Tol Himling,
standing as the lone reminder of the sons of Feanor.
I hope you all enjoyed this look at the life of Maedhros, be sure to hit subscribe as I’ll
be covering each of the Sons of Feanor in their own videos spread throughout 2022!
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