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Forum Home » Books Discussion » BC Archive: The Silmarillion » Quote of the Week- III.9 Of The Flight of The Noldor
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PotbellyHairyfoot
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Post Quote of the Week- III.9 Of The Flight of The Noldor
on: August 31, 2009 11:40
But when they were landed, Maedhros the eldest of his sons, and on a time friend of Fingon ere Morgoth's lies came between, spoke to Feanor saying: 'Now what ships and rowers will you spare to return, and whom shall they bear hither first? Fingon the valiant?'
Then Feanor laughed as one fey, and he cried: 'None and none! What I left behind i count now no loss; needless baggage on the road it has proved. Let those that cursed my name, curse me still and whine there way back to cages of the Valar! Let the ships burn!' Then Maedhros alone stood aside, but Feanor caused fire to be set to the white ships of the Teleri


Feanor abandoned people, who had left their homes because of him, killed their brethren at his behest, and gave up everything they held dear to follow him.
Then , he sneaked away from them, burning the ships that could have been used to rescue them and leaving them with no choice but to cross the Helcaraxe, as by The Doom Of The Noldor, they couldn't turn back.

What does this say of Feanor and his nature?
Sitara
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Post RE: Quote of the Week- III.9 Of The Flight of The Noldor
on: September 01, 2009 01:13
At the first glance, it seems to be so. Not at the second one, however. Although personally I love deeply Fëanor, I´m not trying to have him discharged of all fault, or to find excuses for his crimes. He was guilty, yes, he bears the largest part of the blame, but to say that all the blame for what happened lies only with Fëanor, while the rest of the Eldar (or the Valar, for that matter) were ˝innoxia corpora˝ is a huge mistake, in my opinion.

People who had left their homes and all they held dear because of him? Including his brothers’ sons or Nerwen Artanis, future Galadriel? I don’t think so. No doubt, there had been people who left his homes and all they loved for his sake, but I believe they were in minority. Does anyone think that Melkor’s half-truths had touched only Fëanor’s heart?

As for leaving them on the shores of Araman with no choice but one...I disagree, regarding both the intention and the facts. Did Fëanor say „let them die here or to try and cross the Grinding Ice?” instead of “let them whine their way back to the cages of the Valar”? In my opinion, they were left there with a choice: either to follow Fëanor further down his path leading only to self-distruction or to return and repent. They have chosen for themselves.

As for them being unable to return...albeit I’m not by any means a fan of the Valar, Namo’s words should ever have been taken as were spoken: a fair warning and not a curse. Indeed, only after the first Hiding of Valinor, described in HoME1, after the Valar had literally „fenced Valinor against them” , after losing a great deal of their strength, fueled by the Light of the Trees, they couldn’t turn back, not because the Valar would have cast them out as soon as they had stepped on the shores of Aman.

Beyond any shadow of doubt, Fëanor is guilty, taking all the things into account, the murder of his father, the theft of the Silmarils, Melkor’s lies, the death of Miriel and all. But, regardless of his doings, each of the ones who left Aman then had a choice and an responsibility of his own. It doesn’t seem right to me any attempt to place these things as well on Fëanor’s shoulders.
Morwinyoniel
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Post RE: Quote of the Week- III.9 Of The Flight of The Noldor
on: September 01, 2009 01:42
Well said, Sitara. Who is more foolish: the fool, or one who follows him? Fëanor definitely wasn't the only one who took Melkor's lies by heart.

I don't have my books here at the moment, but in Unfinished Tales, in the History of Galadriel and Celeborn IIRC, it's told that Galadriel sensed a darkness in Fëanor, but didn't realize that the same darkness had actually got all of the Noldor, including herself...
TindomerelofNargothrond
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Post RE: Quote of the Week- III.9 Of The Flight of The Noldor
on: September 01, 2009 01:25
I agree completely that each member of the Exile is responsible for his own choice to go back or go onward. Everyone bore the guilt for their own personal actions which played a part in the larger picture.

I think another angle on this quote (regarding Feanor exclusively) is revenge. I think Feanor probably saw this action as a little piece of revenge against his kin that he had never gotten along with. What better revenge against his half-brother than to take off to Midle-Earth and leave them holding the bag (to some degree), faced with two choices: either settle with the Valar or follow Feanor (which I'm sure is an idea Feanor enjoyed) on a much harder, longer road.
cirdaneth
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Post RE: Quote of the Week- III.9 Of The Flight of The Noldor
on: December 28, 2009 05:04
After Alqualonde they could not turn back. Events in Aman had destroyed their trust in the Valar and Feanor’s oratory had led them to believe he was their only hope. The kinslaying at Alqualonde left them doubting themselves and each other for a while, and when Feanor also betrayed them they were ‘between a rock and a hard place’. They honestly believed that the Valar had sought to imprison them, and that they must return to the Great Lands. I believe they also needed to show Feanor that he couldn’t stop them.
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