Fingolfin - Blog Posts
Something quick and simple with Feanor and Fingolfin
The arrow is kind of random because I didn't want to give swords to both of them. Don't judge me!
Made this a little while ago, I'll be doing more when I have the spoons for it lol.
The Silmarillion as Vines
The least 6 portraits.
Lúthien, Fingolfin, Maglor, Fëanor, Aredhel and Ecthelion.
So in my Spanish class, the teacher has assignments on the board that say something like, "Tiana es Alta y trabajadora."
But recently, she ran out of Disney princesses and random names, so she had us write names on index cards and turn them in.
She handed me a couple of index cards, and I immediately the knowledge of the House of Finwë spark in my brain like,
Quick question.
You know the Dad Shirts™️, right? Or even better, the Apocalypse Dad Shirts™️? Or, if you look really closely, the shirt that Sam wore when he was first seen gardening in the Fellowship of the Ring, when Bilbo was narrating the wonders of the Shire? Yeah, the Dad Shirt™️.
These bad boys.
ANYWAY
Do you think that, given the opportunity, Fëanor would wear the Dad Shirt™️?
Feisty little elves
the house of fingolfin as bizarre t shirts
tag yourself im well paint me green and call me a pickle
Note for fingon's shirt: article 7 sections 553-4 of the maryland annotated code prohibited sodomy, oral sex and “any other unnatural or perverted sexual practice with any other person” - aka anything fun.
The house of Finwe (first gen) as bizarre t shirts
tag yourself I'm Mitskibidi
Adar knows how King and Court think of the Peredhel, like some bittersweet tale of fantasy, like the scion of some distant history told to sleepy little elflings by the fire - but do not fear, gwinig, for the beautiful prince was saved from his cruel captors to live in happiness forever after with us. They speak of him like he's something quaint. Doesn't he look so like Lúthien, so like his forefather Fingolfin? Isn’t he as dignified as the Princess Idril? Isn’t he wise like Elu Thingol? How sweet!
And so in the golden light of Lindon do they lie to themselves - for Elu Thingol was ruthless, unshakeable in his convictions even unto his death; yet the courtiers tut at Lord Elrond’s stubbornness. Idril Celebrindal was trapped, as hidden as her city as darkness crept up the walls and into her home; yet Lady Galadriel shrugs off her friend’s warnings. Fingolfin held Morgoth at bay for four hundred years, unfailing strength carved into his very bones; yet the King both censures his Herald for his forcefulness.
And Lúthien, ai! Tinúviel, wrathful, relentless, unearthly - when friends flinch from your gaze and Lords shift uneasily when you talk, when the wise cannot bring themselves to look on you for fear of what they will see, when Kings lie and placate and spin gossamer traps because they know you could unmake them - that is Lúthien.
- from the fic I’m writing about Elrond from Adar’s perspective. I'm on 100 words so far and idk how I'm going to make it to 5k... you're welcome to talk to me about it tho :)
Something quick and simple with Feanor and Fingolfin
The arrow is kind of random because I didn't want to give swords to both of them. Don't judge me!
I like to think that Fingolfin made a big point of making sure that all four of his kids got exactly the same amount of hugs.
He never made a big declaration of it or rubbed it in Finwe's face but it was rather important to him to not repeat that particular mistake
Perhaps there was one kid that he found slightly easier to talk to (maybe Argon since hes the first one to tragically die, or Turgon as they were both on the "stay in tirion" team during the debate) and though this never affected his actions he may have carried the slightest twinge of low level guilt for it
I was thinking about how one of the defining features of both Fëanor and Fingolfin is anger. It’s more obvious with Fëanor (drawing a sword on his brother, swearing a very threateningly worded oath), but it’s also true for Fingolfin. Tolkien says Fingolfin was of a different temperament and yeah, maybe he was more restrained and less reckless, but still it was partially anger at Fëanor that pushed him to cross the Helcaraxë, and it was anger that made him go and confront Satan.
In contrast, their firstborn sons rarely do anything out of anger. Fingon’s driven by loyalty, friendship and compassion, even when he has every right to feel betrayed and angry. It is said he hated Morgoth only, but even that hatred isn’t shown on page through anger (defiance maybe but not anger). His last charge against Morgoth’s forces was born from hope unlike his father’s.
As for Maedhros, he laughs when he receives Thingol’s condescending answer, while his brothers are mad. I don’t think he felt angry even before/during the kinslayings but rather frustrated and desperate. While his deeds of surpassing valor during the Bragollach faintly resemble Fingolfin’s furious charge (his spirit burned like a white fire within / his eyes shone like the eyes of the Valar), the wording here sooner reminds me of the fire of life was hot within him (and whose ardour yet more eager burnt) used to describe Maedhros before. It’s fire of life / white fire for Maedhros and filled with wrath and despair and great madness of rage for Fingolfin.
Finarfin, though, is not angry like his brothers, he’s soft-spoken and peaceful, and nopes out of their mess pretty fast. At first glance, his firstborn son is like him. He’s friends with everyone, beloved by everyone, but I can’t forget the moment Finrod threw away his crown (such a great scene, it’s been living in my head since the moment I read it, probably because it was unexpected to see such a furious gesture from Finrod). It makes me think that he was more similar to his uncles that he’d like to believe, but he was slightly better at controlling his rage.
Just to be clear, the elves in question include the Fëanorians, Nolofinwëans, Arafinwëans, Lords of Gondolin, Lords of Doriath, and elves from Imladris.
For whichever category you voted for, please comment and specify which elf you would like me to write for. Feel free to elaborate in the comments what kind of story, like the elements you’d like me to include, I should write!
Thanks a lot, everyone!
I want to write a Silmarillion fic. I love romance stories so it will be centered around a Silm elf and an OC! Comment which elf you think I should write about.
@i-did-not-mean-to commissioned me to draw Feanor being sad about people saying mean things about him on the internet, with an optional Nolo trying to comfort him. Now, Nolo is smart enough to not try to get to close to angy Feanor, so he tries talking him out of it instead. It works Extras:
And to IDNMT: Thank you so much for your support and kindness, not only for me, but for so many other people. You are amazing.
Fingon is the archetypical hero. He does great deeds of valor and daring, notably Maedhros’ rescue and rushing out to defeat Glaurung. He is not terribly afraid of consequences, which is wonderful when he is the only one he’s responsible for. His talent is forging ahead and inspiring everyone to follow him.
Fingolfin is the archetypical king. He is the one that holds his people together across the Helcaraxë and brokers peace with Maedhros after he’s rescued. He’s incredibly aware of every possible consequence, which is wonderful when he’s responsible for a whole kingdom. His talent is uniting everyone and inspiring them to move forward together.
When Fingolfin dies, he acts as the hero, not the king. He tries to borrow his son’s talent for incredibly inadvisable stunts, but it isn’t in his nature. He believes the Noldor are doomed, and thus dies in despair fighting Morgoth because he does not see another path forward, only defeat.
When Fingon dies, he acts as the king, not the hero. He tries to borrow his father’s talent for forging political unity, but it isn’t in his nature. The Nirnaeth’s forces are disunited from their conception to their defeat, and Fingon dies full of hope fighting Morgoth because he does not see any other path forward, only victory.
Fingolfin’s legacy was despair, though he left a lasting blow against Morgoth. Fingon’s legacy was hope, though he did not so much as touch Morgoth.
Fingolfin’s Challenge - 14 year redraw edition
This drawing, and this moment, mean so much to me. I first drew this scene 14 years ago, and when I uncovered the old drawing a few months ago, I knew I had to redraw it. Old drawing and close ups are under the cut:
When I was 12 this was the best drawing I had ever done. The original concept was to have the map behind him because I don’t like doing landscapes and never have. For the new drawing, I decided against writing out the place names over the mountains for fear that it would be too cluttered. I also decided to change the shield design to a more Norman style incorporating his heraldry and I replaced the greaves with boots for purely aesthetic reasons. I KNOW he should be wearing a helm and it’s in the text I literally transcribed, but I do not care because seeing his hair is important to me. I *might* draw him in a helm in the future. If the universe wills it so.
More close-ups of the new drawing:
Dimensions are 18x24” and the media are watercolor, india ink, fineliner and gel pen. Writing the whole passage took over two hours and I got *so* emotional. fjggjgghkvhk *clawing at the bars of my enclosure*
I have no idea how many hours I spent on it in total but I have been tinkering on it for 3 months.
I was really afraid that I made him look too old by trying to render his facial expression. I am also concerned that I haven’t captured the full depth of his emotion. But I tried my fucking bestest and that’s all that one can do. If I am still a fingolfucker in another 14 years I will draw him again and it will be even better <3
the boy
The dysfunctional House of Finwë at one of its finest moments, work in progress.
This will surely take me ten thousands years but it's fine. That's what the lockdown is for. And I do love my doomed Noldor.
(Sketching this was so HARD. It took me 20 perfectly happy minutes to sketch Nolofinwë, but Feanaro... I redrew him at least ten times before landing on this pose...and I am sure I will tweak it a thousand times in the greyscale rendering)