For a story I am researching Maglor (the second son of Feanor). But alas, my budget does not allow me to complete the History of Middle Earth series.. yet (work in progress). I was wondering if someone could help me out with giving me information about him that is mentioned/written in "The Peoples of Middle-earth, History of Middle-earth Vol XII." If it is an entry about the sons of Feanor I would be quite happy with that as well.
Besides all of it... I am just wondering what your thoughts are of Maglor's fate. Does he still wander on Middle Earth? What became of him. Let me know!
Thread: Maglor
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Maglor isn't mentioned anymore outside the Silmarillion. In the Silmarillion, there's mention of a legend which says that he still wanders the shores of the World, singing laments for his despair and regret.
There are few references to Maglor in HOME....
It says Maglor whas a poet.
Names - Maglor, Kanafinwe, Makalaure.
That's about all I can find on Maglor.
It says Maglor whas a poet.
Names - Maglor, Kanafinwe, Makalaure.
That's about all I can find on Maglor.
The best way to find information on these lesser known charators (besides buying every book ever written) is to put their names into the google search engin.
Allyssa brought Maglor back in the Story Game. Read starting with her first post on that page and then on down to the bottom of the page, if you want a bit of fun, mostly at Elrond's expense. Anyway, there we found out where Maglor had been and what were his future plans. Of course this came from our minds, not from the pen of the Professor, though I borrowed a few of his choice phrases. 
So far my own research has given me the exact results what has been said above and I even found a bit more. I just wanted to make sure if I did not miss a thing. I will read that story later on Grondmaster! Thanks!
I don't know if this will tell you anything you do not already know, but I pulled it out of the database from the old site's Guide Project.
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Maglor
Maglor (Silm, UT)> KanaFinwe> Makalaure. Maglor was the second son of Feanor and was said to be the greatest minstrel (singer) out of all the Noldor. His voice was said to be heard all over Valinor and he had a wife, though her name was not recorded and he had no children. He had dark hair and his father name was KanaFinwe and his mother name was Makalaure. He like all his brothers and his father, was involved in the Kinslaying and he too swore the oath of the Silmaril’s. When he came to Beleriand, he resided, like all of the Feanorians in East Beleriand and resided close to Maedhros, his brother in the gap between Himring and Mount Rerir and thus place was known as the ’Gap of Maglor’ thereafter. In the ’Battle of Sudden Flame’, Glaurung came through the Gap of Maglor and Maglor fled to Himring, which alone of the Feanorian kingdom’s stood firm. Maglor took part in the Battle of Unumbered Tears, and he slew Ulfang, the accursed, who betrayed the Eldar and he like all his other brothers escaped wounded, yet alive. He took part in the attacks on Doriath and Sirion, and surviving both, he then fostered Elrond and Elros, whilst Earendil and Elwing were in Valinor and they loved each other greatly, as father and sons. After the War of Wrath, he together with his brother Maedhros slew the guards who guarded the Silmaril’s and took them. The Silmaril’s were hallowed by Varda, however, so that no evil hands could touch them and so after a while the pain of the Silmaril’s grew to much for him and he cast it into the sea. Realising the evil the oath had caused, he then wandered Middle-Earth, singing songs of lament of the fall of the Noldor and it is probable that he either killed himself or died of grief, as was the wont of the Elves.
Maglor
Maglor (Silm, UT)> KanaFinwe> Makalaure. Maglor was the second son of Feanor and was said to be the greatest minstrel (singer) out of all the Noldor. His voice was said to be heard all over Valinor and he had a wife, though her name was not recorded and he had no children. He had dark hair and his father name was KanaFinwe and his mother name was Makalaure. He like all his brothers and his father, was involved in the Kinslaying and he too swore the oath of the Silmaril’s. When he came to Beleriand, he resided, like all of the Feanorians in East Beleriand and resided close to Maedhros, his brother in the gap between Himring and Mount Rerir and thus place was known as the ’Gap of Maglor’ thereafter. In the ’Battle of Sudden Flame’, Glaurung came through the Gap of Maglor and Maglor fled to Himring, which alone of the Feanorian kingdom’s stood firm. Maglor took part in the Battle of Unumbered Tears, and he slew Ulfang, the accursed, who betrayed the Eldar and he like all his other brothers escaped wounded, yet alive. He took part in the attacks on Doriath and Sirion, and surviving both, he then fostered Elrond and Elros, whilst Earendil and Elwing were in Valinor and they loved each other greatly, as father and sons. After the War of Wrath, he together with his brother Maedhros slew the guards who guarded the Silmaril’s and took them. The Silmaril’s were hallowed by Varda, however, so that no evil hands could touch them and so after a while the pain of the Silmaril’s grew to much for him and he cast it into the sea. Realising the evil the oath had caused, he then wandered Middle-Earth, singing songs of lament of the fall of the Noldor and it is probable that he either killed himself or died of grief, as was the wont of the Elves.
I feel sort of sorry for Maglor though.... He was so gentle, and he had feelings...he shouldn't have been wrapped up in all that Oath business, it just shows how evil Morgoth made his father, and the Silmarils weren't exactly innocent, either.
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He was so gentle, and he had feelings...he shouldn't have been wrapped up in all that Oath business, it just shows how evil Morgoth made his father, and the Silmarils weren't exactly innocent
He was so gentle, and he had feelings...he shouldn't have been wrapped up in all that Oath business, it just shows how evil Morgoth made his father, and the Silmarils weren't exactly innocent
The Silmarils were 100% innocent and pure, as they contained the light of Laurelin and Telperion, and were blessed by Varda. Why do you think Melkor burnt his hands on them ?
Maglor taking up the Oath, was largely due to peer pressure imo... he had 6 brothers who immediately jumped around their father and took up the Oath, hence he didn't want to be the chicken/odd man out.
The Silmarils were pure, yes, but only from one point of view. You see, even though they are so holy, they are still only things, and the character of things are determined, in my opinion, by how they are used. Like Turin said before he died, a sword knows no hand but the one who wields it. When in evil hands, it is evil, in good hands, it is good. Thus, the Silmarils, though hallowed by a goddess and blessed with utmost beauty, were still a tool of evil.
They were never a "tool" of evil. They could never be used by evil, as anyone evil who'd touch it, would burn his hands and suffer great pain. Morgoth never used them, they just sat in his crown until Beren snatched one of them.
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They were never a "tool" of evil. They could never be used by evil, as anyone evil who'd touch it, would burn his hands and suffer great pain. Morgoth never used them, they just sat in his crown until Beren snatched one of them.
They were never a "tool" of evil. They could never be used by evil, as anyone evil who'd touch it, would burn his hands and suffer great pain. Morgoth never used them, they just sat in his crown until Beren snatched one of them.
They sure made a saving on his electricity bill, though
Apparently Morgoth thought he'd look fashionable wearing 3 disco-balls on his head.
No wonder he freaked everyone out.
No wonder he freaked everyone out.
The description regarding Maglor (wandering and so forth) was adopted for Christopher's constructed Silmarillion of course, but Tolkien also wrote...
This seems to have been the idea behind the later Lay of Leithian too:
'No other player has there been,
no other lips or fingers seen
so skilled, 'tis said in elven-lore,
save Maelor* son of F’anor,
forgotten harper, singer doomed,
who young when Laurelin yet bloomed
to endless lamentation passed
and in the tombless sea was cast.'
The Lay of Leithian Recommenced HME III
Perhaps both descriptions were to appear in variant sources within the Legendarium; but if only one, I would guess that Maglor ended up in the Sea.
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'The remaining two Silmarils are regained from the Iron Crown ’ only to be lost. The last two sons of F’anor, compelled by their oath, steal them, and are destroyed by them, casting themselves into the sea, and the pits of the earth.' JRRT 1951, Letters
'The remaining two Silmarils are regained from the Iron Crown ’ only to be lost. The last two sons of F’anor, compelled by their oath, steal them, and are destroyed by them, casting themselves into the sea, and the pits of the earth.' JRRT 1951, Letters
This seems to have been the idea behind the later Lay of Leithian too:
'No other player has there been,
no other lips or fingers seen
so skilled, 'tis said in elven-lore,
save Maelor* son of F’anor,
forgotten harper, singer doomed,
who young when Laurelin yet bloomed
to endless lamentation passed
and in the tombless sea was cast.'
The Lay of Leithian Recommenced HME III
Perhaps both descriptions were to appear in variant sources within the Legendarium; but if only one, I would guess that Maglor ended up in the Sea.
Maglor did return and considered taking up residence in Mordor: click on "Maglor!" squeeled Elrond and ran to embrace him. and scroll down to Allyssa's first post on that page where the line occurs and read a few of the following posts. This has no academic standing and was merely done for fun.
Someone (on another forum) just noted a reference that might be added here I think, considering the misty fate of Maglor, both from an internal perspective and an external one (there is also a reference from The Tale of Years [The War of the Jewels] that seems to agree with Maglor wandering rather than perishing, at least wandering for a while anyway, but the description from the Lay is dated later in any case, as far as I recall).
Anyway, The Shibboleth of Feanor (dated 1968 or later) includes a sentence in which it is stated: '... when Feanor and all his sons had perished'.
