It's all in the family: The Finweans: Gildor

» LeftyScaevola - Gildor

A hypothesis for Gildor, consistent with him being a High Elf, an Exile (captitalized) and "...Inglorion of the house of Finarfin" is that his family connection was that of adoption or fosterling, rather than of blood descent. There were certainly enough casualties and orphans made during the grinding ice and early battles, and an immature Noldo or perhaps even a mature Noldo at a later date, or several, may well have been fostered by Finrod, as well as other princes. With what little detail we have about family and royal protocol among the Noldor, this may well have given him the family status of being of the house of Finarfin, while almost certainly not making him a royal heir of Finwe.

-- posted by LeftyScaevola