Wow, great thread! I'd hate to see this one wasted! I have a few questions for you (Val, Grondy, Namo, Ross and the others).
I'd like to know what has happened with Feanor's spirit. In Silm p127, it states that:



Why was his death different from all the other Elves' death? I mean, I don't remember another Elf burning in the moment of departure from this world. Could it be that he was a mightier spirit entraped in an Elf body? (excuse me if I'm very wrong!) As for his dwelling in the Halls of Mandos, is it true that he will be released after the Dagor Dagorath, only to take the Silmarils to Yavanna and unmake them to regain the Trees' Light? (this one I'd really like to see!) And one last question: will Feanor be the last Elf to be released from the Halls of Mandos, due to its grievious deeds, for which he would need a great amount of time to repent? Or is this place reserved to someone else? Maeglin, maybe ...

I already thank you for your answers!

Namarie!


[Edited on 10/10/2003 by bugyfeanor]

I'm afraid, according to Morgoth's Ring this cannot be. Because the elves were supposed to be immortal, with even their spirits leaving the Halls of Mandos, marriage between them was supposed to be forever. Miriel being the first elf to die and not wish to be returned created a problem for the Valar for Finwe still wished to have more children.

They decreed that should an occurence happen in which one half of a marriage did not want to continue living, and did not wish to leave the Halls, then the other half could remarry. Before this could occur, however, the spouse in the Halls had to agree to never leave the halls again. Once separated, and a new union had been formed, it was decreed they must be always separated.

Back to the question of Feanor, however. I feel his body burned away, purely because his fea (spirit) was so strong. In Morgoth's Ring, it does mention older elves fading because their spirits are slowly consuming their bodies. I think Feanor, having the fea of his mother and his unborn siblings within him, made his spirit burn away his dead body.

The part about him returning from the Halls at the end and presenting Yavanna with the silmarils is taken from an early draft of the silmarillion (the same section which describes Morgoth being slain by Turin). Although this section was totally rewritten before being released, and the final battle was omitted, I still like to go along with its contents. They may have been written out, but they have never been contadicted as happening by later versions.

As for his place being taken by Maeglin... Again I don't think this will be the case. Maeglin is already in the Halls, and so has his own place. I think the reason Feanor will be the last to leave is due to his stubborness and pride. The Halls were not a prison, but a place of learning. Once you had discovered the faults of your earlier life and excorcised your demons etc, you were free to leave. I think Feanor's pride would have preventing him from ever admitting his faults. Without admission there can be no repentance, and without that, no release.

Unlike Feanor, I see Maeglin has a spoilt brat. Like a small child he saw things that he liked and wanted them. Infatuation and jealousy can make the best of us commit deeds we'd rather forget about. It doesn't necessarily make us evil.

In addition to coverting his cousin, Maeglin is remembered for telling Morgoth the secret paths into Gondolin. A lot of people call him evil for doing this, but is he really? He's just been captured and dragged before the most powerful and evil of the Valar. In another thread in these boards people are saying Hurin was the most valient man because he managed to defy Morgoth. Maeglin did not have this courage, as most people wouldn't, and so told Morgoth what he needed to know. Admittedly, he was wrong when returning to Gondolin not to tell Turgon what had occurred, but that would have cost him his life also.

In my opinion, Maeglin did not have Feanor's strength of character or will power. In fact he was weak willed. In the Halls of Mandos, no doubt he would have capitulated with Mandos's judgements but his recovery may have been long due to his many faults. Keep them coming, mate.

I think the thing with Maeglin was that the darn elf had issues....I mean being completely silence when strangers(I know that he has Golodhrim blood but I mean he hasn’t met them before so they are strangers and still kin ) tossing down his father into his death.....and E’l was definately not an evil elf....he was just an angry elf...I mean the Noldor did not have any real rights to take lands like that when others lived there for so long already.....well well....I just love this thread...so interesting

Still doesn’t mean that they set up their own kingdoms!
But of course Thingol’s realm did last without the aid of the Noldor....but then again it was ruined by the hand of the Noldor

Thje Noldor did have a right to set up Kingdoms. They took the lands that were being roamed by orc warbands before their arrival (that before that weere sparsely inhabited). As for Maeglin it does say he suffered terrible tortures and that nearly every one would have given in to the demands of Morgorth. He wasn't evil for falling in love with his cousin, nobody said he was. They just thought it a bit strange and repulsive. He was evil for accepting the bribe of Morgorth to have his cousin as his own and rule Gondolin (He would have most likely been betrayed anyway)