Finduilas, Daughter of Orodreth
Elves
> Finduilas
According to two books which mention the lovely Elven maiden (that is The Silmarillion and The Book of Lost Tales 2)
she was the daughter of an Elven king. Interestingly the Unfinished Tales do not
mention her or her relationship to Túrin apart from a few
sentences at the end mentioning his search for her.
In BoLT the caves
themselves are not named and the people’s name is given as Rodothlim
while both Silmarillion
and UT refer to
Nargothrond as the caves and the Elven tribe as Noldor. The Silmarillion mentions the
golden colour of her hair which she inherited from her father’s mother,
Indis of the Vanyar. Her father was Orodreth, Finarfin’s
son.Unfortunately none of the book versions mention the name of
Finduilas’ mother, but it is not unlikely that her mother was of high
ranked Noldorin decent. I first will tell about Finduilas as is told in
the Silmarillion, as
the version in the Lost Tales
differs somewhat in names and content.
Silmarillion version:
Finduilas was deeply in love with Gwindor, son of Guillin, before the Nirnaeth Arnoediad where he was
taken prisoner and long held in Angband as slave. He had given her the
pet name Faelivrin , which means “gleam of the sun on the waters of the
pool of Ivrin”. When he eventually escaped and returned with
Túrin to Nargothrond, she spoke for her old lover when he was
received with mistrust and contempt by the other inhabitants of
Nargothrond. At the same time she became aware of Túrin who was
received with honor by Orodreth her father for Hador’s sake, and the
shadow that lay on his heart. In time she fell in love with him against
her will, which roused the displeasure and jealousy of Gwindor, but she
knew from the beginning that her love was hopeless and would never be
returned (p. 239). Gwindor tried to talk her out of this unhappy
affair, as he perceived the sorrow and paleness of Finduilas, but she
only said she cannot help where her heart is given. He also revealed
Túrin’s true identity to her, which changed absolutely nothing
about her feelings for him, but she rather felt that some great doom
was connected with him. After this Finduilas informed Túrin
about these revelations, and he then had a long conversation with
Gwindor. Interestingly Gwindor stated, “She alone stands between thee and thy
doom; if thou fail her, it shall not fail thee” – words, which
we know, were only too true.
It must not have been too long after this conversation that the attack
of the orcs and Glaurung on Nargothrond took place, during which
Orodreth and Gwindor were both killed (the dieing Gwindor pledged
Túrin to look after Finduilas and search for her) and she
herself was taken prisoner, destined to servitude and thralldom in
Angband.
Nothing of the miserable march is mentioned until the band reaches the
Fords of the Teiglin, where a few bold men of Brethil under the
leadership of one Dorlas try to free them but are hopelessly
outnumbered. Moreover, on the assault all the prisoners are killed and
Finduilas pinned to a tree by an orc spear. Her last words are “Let Túrin know that Finduilas is
here”, as a consequence of which they buried her there in “Haudh en Elleth, the Mount of the
Elven maid", under which name her tomb is known. Her own story ends
here, but it might be of interest that Túrin later defends her
tomb and makes it a place that orcs learn to fear and avoid. Here
follows the story of Failivrin according to The Book of Lost Tales 2.
Book of Lost Tales 2 version:
The first difference we see here is the name which is spelled quite
differently from Gwindor’s pet name. A matter of small interest might
be the explanation of her name which gives according to the "Appendix,
Explanation of Names": a name given by Gnomes to many maidens of great
beauty. It gives as word elements failin
– pale, pallid and brin,
Quenya virin which means a
magic glassy substance of great lucency used in fashioning the moon.
But now let us go back to Failivrin herself in The Book of Lost Tales 2.
Here her father’s name is given as Galweg, who is called a bit further
on the Lord of the Rodothrim. Her father often had Túrin as
guest in his house for meals and entertainment, as he was courageous
and held in high esteem amongst that people. Maybe, I suspect, he
wanted Túrin as husband for his daughter, but that is mere
speculation. Be that as it may, Failivrin’s heart was drawn to
Túrin when she perceived the shadow on his heart and tried to
soothe it and cheer him up, but she was unsuccessful in this. In the BoLT this is the cause for
her paleness and it mentions that her bright shining eyes stood out in
her face (p. 83).
She learned to admire the braveness of Túrin and ever tended to
him when he was in the halls of her father, resting from his fight
against Morgoth and his Orks. She even defended him in his absence when
other Elves complained about the attention Túrin might arouse
with his deeds, fearing revelation of their hitherto hidden abode.
These fears became finally true and Glorund the Dragon attacked the
caves with numerous Orks and killed the whole population of Elves, save
Túrin and Galweg who long defended the halls by themselves
before they were finally overwhelmed and Galweg killed. Túrin
broke the news to Failivrin who fainted upon hearing the news, showing
how deeply she loved her father. She herself was taken captive while
Túrin was held under the Dragon’s spell and lead away to
Angbandi. There is no further mention of the form of her death or that
she died at all but the option that she either was killed on the way or
later in captivity seems very likely and remains open to the fantasy of
the reader.
What do we learn about Finduilas here in this story? In my opinion both
versions show her as woman of great beauty with a heart that is moved
by pity and love. She also has the courage to take a position for other
people against the majority (in the Sil she defends Gwindor
against his kinsfolk and in the BoLT Túrin against
the Rodothlim) and gives her love freely to where her heart is given –
both Túrin and her father, and Gwindor before the Nirnaeth.
I personally see Finduilas as a tragic figure, a chance for
Túrin to fight his doom (which he misses), but this does not
make her less loveable. She is a worthy princess of the Noldor and true
daughter of Orodreth, King of Nargothrond.
References:
The Book
of Lost Tales, Part Two, as part of the History of Middle-earth,
published by Harper Collins Publishers in 2002
The
Silmarillion. Edition by the Book Club Associates London,
published in 1978 by Arrangement with George Allen &
Unwin Publishers Limited
Unfinished
Tales.
see also Finduilas
of Mankind
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