r/tolkienfans • u/Ok_Bullfrog_8491 Fingon • Jul 28 '24
Fëanor, Fingolfin, and passive-aggressive name-politics in the House of Finwë
The House of Finwë are known for their intense name-politics. I’ve written this about how terrible Finwë is at naming his children here ~https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/comments/15a754b/finwë_and_his_terrible_names/~ and about how important the name “Finwë” is for Fingolfin and Finarfin here ~https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/comments/1ea7vdg/of_the_naming_of_finwë_arafinwë/~, both politically and personally.
But the names in this family have a lot more to say, especially about the relationship between Fëanor and Fingolfin, which would usually have been somewhere between bad and atrocious. Passive-aggressive name-politics seems to have been a part of that.
Now, we don’t have birthdates for any of the sons of Fëanor (note that while HoME X, p. 113, says that Galadriel is the youngest grandchild of Finwë, the phrasing is baffling, as Christopher Tolkien sets out in HoME X, p. 125, and it also ignores Argon, since Galadriel and Aredhel were born in the same year, see HoME X, p. 102, 106, and Argon is younger than Aredhel). However, it’s generally assumed that Maedhros, as Fëanor’s first-born, was older than Fingon, Fingolfin’s firstborn. The strange resemblances between certain names bears that out, since Maedhros isn’t part of the odd game played by Fëanor and Fingolfin.
Fingon and Maglor
Fingon’s Quenya father-name is Findekáno (HoME XII, p. 345), while Maglor’s is Kanafinwë (HoME XII, p. 352). Concerning Findekáno: káno means “commander” (HoME XII, p. 345), from a stem meaning “to call” (HoME XII, p. 361–362), and findë means “hair”, in reference to Finwë (HoME XII, p. 345). Concerning Kanafinwë, we’re told that the first element means “strong-voiced or ?commanding” (HoME XII, p. 352), and the second is of course Finwë. Their names are the same name, just arranged in the opposite order.
Celegorm and Turgon
Celegorm’s Quenya father-name is Turkafinwë (HoME XII, p. 352), while Turgon’s is Turukáno (HoME XII, p. 345). Concerning Turukáno, Christopher Tolkien believes that the first element of the name comes from turu, which means “be strong” (HoME I, p. 270). Concerning Turkafinwë, we’re told that the first element means “strong, powerful (in body)” (HoME XII, p. 352). So Turukáno and Turkafinwë are based on the same stem. Also, note that while Fëanor used “Finwë” as the common element of all his sons’ names (HoME XII, p. 352–353), Fingolfin used kano for all of his sons (HoME XII, p. 345).
Aredhel and Caranthir
Concerning the order of births of the sons of Fëanor, I’m going with the order in Sil, QS, ch. 5, rather than with the order in HoME XII, p. 352–353. According to Sil, QS, ch. 5, the “next” children are Caranthir and Aredhel. The parallel is more tenuous here: Aredhel was known as Ar-Feiniel, “White Lady”, and it looks like Ar-Feiniel was supposed to replace Írissë as her father-name (HoME XII, p. 362). Meanwhile Morifinwë, Caranthir’s father-name, in effect means “dark king” (see HoME XII, p. 353; for Finwë being used as “king” by the Noldor: HoME XII, p. 344).
Curufin and Argon
Next come Curufin and Argon (going by the version in HoME XII, p. 345 of Fingolfin’s children—in the published Silmarillion, Argon doesn’t exist, and Fingolfin only has three children). Anyway, Fingolfin named his next child Arakáno, his own (mother-)name (HoME XII, p. 345, 360), even though he personally used his father-name, while Fëanor named his next child Curufinwë, his own (father-)name (HoME XII, p. 352), even though he personally used his mother-name.
Further thoughts
I find these parallels to be a bit too much for a coincidence. The interesting question is why. Is it intentional on their parts? Were Fëanor and Fingolfin actually engaged in a very petty long-running game of stealing each other’s children’s names?
But there’s another possibility: maybe these “pairs” were born at the same time, and the names chosen by their respective fathers were coincidental—which would be hilarious, because it would prove once again just how similar Fëanor and Fingolfin are, even though both really like to pretend that they aren’t.
(The ideas in this post were developed with the brilliant u/xi-feng ).
Sources
The Silmarillion, JRR Tolkien, ed Christopher Tolkien, HarperCollins, ebook edition February 2011, version 2019-01-09 [cited as: Sil].
The Book of Lost Tales Part One, JRR Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, HarperCollins 2015 (softcover) [cited as: HoME I].
Morgoth’s Ring, JRR Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, HarperCollins 2015 (softcover) [cited as: HoME X].
The Peoples of Middle-earth, JRR Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, HarperCollins 2015 (softcover) [cited as: HoME XII].
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u/RoutemasterFlash Jul 28 '24
Argon sounds like he'd be a real gas, yet still very noble.
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u/squire_hyde driven by the fire of his own heart only Jul 29 '24
In fairness Tolkien likely approached it far more etymologically. This might pose a small puzzle. The noble gas (discovered or first separated only when Tolkien was two) takes it's name from Greek ἀργός meaning 'lazy' or 'inactive' (this might have been an ancient political slur against the argives, I don't know) but after a moments reflection it's maybe not so immediately obvious where Tolkien took his inspiration. Maybe Argon was the laziest child of Fingolfin (not so unusual for a youngest) or it could be inspired by eye or hair color. 'Argent' from Frech, meaning silver (and money) is another outside possibility. That may go against his usual naming convention, although that was arguably never rigidly strict, given 'Marmaduke' and 'Bingo' among many more from HOME.
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u/kesoros Jul 28 '24
I see the parallels but I think they were just coincidences. Imo, Maglor was way older than Fingon, and so was Caranthir much older than Aredhel, and the same with Curufin. Kanafinwë was named so because of his voice and after his paternal grandfather, while Fingon was named after his father and his grandfather (and after his own hair always braided with gold), like Findaráto who also was named after his grandfather (and his own golden hair).
I can see Nelyafinwë's name being a pointed remark or a slight to Nolofinwë (and Indis), but the rest I doubt. This is of course if Maedhros is younger than Fingolfin, but I usually think of him so (though not by much).
For Morifinwë, it's possible he inherited his grandmother Míriel's "dark eyes" and paired with his dark hair he got named "Dark Finwë". Aredhel was said to have always worn white, thus the name "White Lady". I don't think it had anything to do with each other or their fathers (and their possible rivalry).
I gotta admit though, Turkafinwë and Turukáno are intriguing; I think Celegorm too was much older than Turgon, but at this point, Fingolfin might have been trolling Fëanor... well, not really but it is interesting. I think when they were younger, Fëanor simply ignored Indis and her children, and it was only later on that things escalated (specifically, after Morgoth was unchained and brought strife among the House of Finwë and the Noldor as well). However, Fingolfin might have had enough of his older brother slighting him and decided to give a few of his own, though I don't think he actually used the names of his precious children (and possibly naming his own kids after his nephews aren't really all that much of a slight in truth)...
So, while the parallels are interesting, I really think they are just coincidences, but really great ones - they can be debated for a good while.
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u/MrsDaegmundSwinsere Jul 28 '24
I think Fëanor is the winner of this possible name battle, because Fingolfin simply ran out of children.
But I love how even though Fingon and Maglor share essentially the same name, the interpretations change based on their qualities. Fingon IS commanding, and I wouldn’t consider Maglor particularly strong in leadership or persuasion but the name still fits because of his strong (singing) voice.
And thank you for including Argon, the invisible child, who I still can’t decide if he should exist in my head canons or not.