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It's All in the Family: The Finweans - Page 7

© Michael Martinez

Yet, Feanor did not have everything in his favor. Fingolfin, equally grieving for their father, and much loved and respected by the Noldor, argued against Feanor. The debate lasted a long time. There must have been some harsh and bitter words. The sarcasm and ridicule may have rolled off Feanor's tongue fast and furious. Fingolfin may have stopped holding back for a while and simply unloaded on Feanor. All we are told is "fierce words awoke, so that once again wrath came near to the edge of swords." What lay at stake was not simply the fate of the Noldorin nation, nor even just the kingship of the Noldor. Personal issues were pressing forward and both Feanor and Fingolfin were investing (or had invested) themselves in matters of prestige and personal power. That is, Fingolfin by this time felt he should be king of the Noldor. He was, in some ways, nearly as proud and arrogant as his brother. Fingolfin's Machiavellian ambitions were awakened by Melkor's lies, which had sown dissent among the Noldor. It was when Fingolfin made an emotional plea to their father to restrain Feanor that Feanor drew his sword upon Fingolfin. Feanor accused Fingolfin of harboring royal ambition. It may be that Feanor was reading his brother's desires correctly. Fingolfin, after all, didn't speak funny the way Feanor did. Nor was he running around with swords, threatening relatives in front of the king and his people. He may have deemed himself a better candidate for kingship than his brother (although there was, at that time, no reason for anyone to be thinking about who should succeed their father). Let the better prince rule was the order of the day, but Fingolfin was apparently no better at avoiding Melkor's manipulations than Feanor. Hence, when Finwe gave up his crown to share Feanor's exile, Fingolfin had no choice but to humbly accept the weighty responsibility of ruling the majority of the Noldor in Tirion. Ten years of kingship must be a very addicting tenure. Fingolfin might have restored the crown to his father, but he did not wish to give it up to Feanor. When Melkor murdered Finwe, the Noldorin kingship fell into immediate dispute. Though the Valar had not yet restored to him to his place among the Noldor, Feanor entered Tirion and summoned to the Mindon of Finwe. Such a summons was a clear usurpation of royal authority. More infuriatingly, Feanor declared himself the rightful King of the Noldor. Fingolfin had not abdicated his own authority, however temporary that was intended to be. As Finwe had stood before the Tatyar ages before and offered them a new life in Aman, Feanor now stood before the Noldor and made a similar offer of a new life in Middle-earth. The old social structure was rendered meaningless. Fingolfin had to respond to Feanor, but if his hope was to restore Finwe's kingship under his own rule that proved vain. The majority of the Noldor wanted nothing more to do with the Valar and Valinor. Some of them were moved to join the rebellion despite a strong attachment to Valinor. And a small part of the nation refused to accept either Feanor or Fingolfin if they were determined to lead the Noldor into exile, even if Fingolfin only went along just to make sure Feanor didn't get everyone killed.

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