Aredhel's name in Quenya is Irisse.
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by Varda-(Valar)
May 6, 2002
Aredhel was the daughter of Fingolfin, younger
than her
brothers Fingon and Turgon. Like them, she was caught in the Oath of
Feanor.
She crossed the Helcaraxe with Fingolfin's host in pursuit of Feanor
and
a new life in Middle-earth. She was tall, strong, and dark-haired. She
was
called Ar-Feiniel, the White Lady of the Noldor, for her habit of
dressing in silver and white. She was often in the company of her kin,
the sons of Feanor, but did not give any of them her heart.
She later married Eol for convenience, and their son
was Maeglin. She had left her brother, Turgon's, city of Gondolin to
visit the sons of Feanor and became separated from her escort by the
creatures of Ungoliant in hostile and unknown territory, as she was not
allowed to pass into the safety of the "Girdle of Melian". The escort
believed her dead, but she managed to find her way to the lands of
Celegorm. But as he did not return that year, she became restless and
became lost in the forest of Nan Elmoth, darkest and
tallest of trees in Beleriand where the sun never came. Eol lived
there, and
gave her a place of haven, and married her. She was allowed to wander
to
her heart's content, except to see any of the Noldor elves, for whom
Eol held
to blame for the return of Morgoth. Maeglin grew up and loved to hear
tales
of Turgon and his daughter, and it reminded Aredhel that she would like
to
return there. Eol would not allow it. The two slipped away while he was
gone,
pursued after two days by Eol. Eol found them at last, but Turgon
would
not force the pair to leave with Eol. Also, Eol could not leave with
the
secret location, and he and his son would have to abide or die. Aredhel
guessed
Eol's mind and jumped in front of Maeglin, so that Eol's javelin hit
her
instead of her son. It seemed no mortal wound, but it had been poisoned
and
she died. Eol was cast from the walls of the city, but first he cursed
Maeglin
to fail of all his hopes and die the same way as Eol.
Maeglin could not marry Idril, Turgon's daughter, as
they were
too close kin. Instead her heart went to the human emissary of Ulmo,
Tuor, and Maeglin felt hatred for him, and tried to hide both feelings.
He had to watch them be happy and have their son, Earendil.
Morgoth captured and tortured Maeglin into giving
him
information on how to enter and assail Gondolin, the hidden city of
Turgon. Maeglin's hatred made him agree to betray the city from within.
Maeglin tried to steal Idril and seven-year old Earendil from the city
as it was being destroyed, but Tuor caught him and pitched him over the
wall. Thus was Eol's curse finished.
Reference: Silmarillion: "Of Eldamar", "Of Maeglin", "Of
Tuor and
the Fall of Gondolin"
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Image
: "Aredhel in Nan Elmoth". Artist Darkmage. Rolozo Tolkien site
