Oath of Fëanor
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In the fictional world of J. R. R. Tolkien the Oath of Fëanor (or Oath of the Fëanorians) was an oath taken by Fëanor and his seven sons after Morgoth killed his father, the High King Finwë, and stole the Silmarils. In the First Age this oath would be the greatest cause of strife between the Ñoldor.
The Oath in the story
Learning of his father's death at the hands of Morgoth, Fëanor went back to Tirion, breaking the exile set by the Valar. At Tirion, Fëanor gave an impassioned speech in which he convinced the vast majority of the Ñoldor to follow him to Middle-earth to wrest the Silmarils back from Morgoth and avenge Finwë. At the end of his speech, still drunk on rage, Fëanor swore the dreadful oath to Eru the One, calling the Valar Manwë and Varda in witness. His seven sons jumped to his side and swore the oath with him.
- "They swore an oath which none shall break, and none should take, by the name even of Ilúvatar, calling the Everlasting Dark upon them if they kept it not... ...vowing to pursue with vengeance and hatred to the ends of the World Vala, Demon, Elf or Man as yet unborn or any creature, great or small, good or evil, that time should bring forth unto the end of days, whoso should hold or take or keep a Silmaril from their possession." --- Quenta Silmarillion
However, the true dangers of the oath became apparent when the lovers Beren the Man and Lúthien the Elf-princess of Doriath recovered one of the jewels from Morgoth, which ultimately came into the possession of Dior, their son, who ruled after his grandfather Thingol. The presence of the Silmaril awoke the oath and caused the brothers to make war on the Elves of Doriath because Dior refused to yield the jewel. The brothers attacked Doriath, killed Dior and sacked the halls of the Sindar, committing the second Kinslaying. However, the Silmaril escaped the destruction of Doriath and the oath drove the sons onwards. When they learned that it was possessed by Elwing daughter of Dior, who dwelt near the mouths of Sirion together with exiles from Doriath and the city of Gondolin, they attacked the place, committing the third and most terrible Kinslaying.
But the Silmaril escaped them again and was borne by Eärendil into the West. That Silmaril was lost to the sons of Fëanor but two more remained inside the crown of Morgoth. So after the War of Wrath the two remaining oath-takers, Maedhros and Maglor, stole the two Silmarils from the camp of the victorious West (the other five brothers were dead by this time). However, due to the terrible deeds committed by the brothers in their retrieval of the Silmarils they found they could not handle the Silmarils without enduring searing pain. The two brothers parted and in his anguish Maedhros thrust himself and his Silmaril into a fiery chasm. Maglor on the other hand tossed his Silmaril into the sea and is said to wander the coast lamenting his loss and pain.
The texts of the Oath
Tolkien wrote at least four versions of the oath itself, as found in ''The History of Middle-earth.
- The three earliest versions are found in The Lays of Beleriand:
In
- "Be he friend or foe || or foul offspring
- of Morgoth Bauglir, || be he mortal dark
- that in after days || on earth shall dwell,
- shall no law or love || nor league of Gods,
- no might nor mercy, || not moveless fate,
- defend him for ever || from the fierce vengeance
- of the sons of Fëanor, || whoso seize or steal
- or finding keep || the fair enchanted
- globes of crystal || whoso glory dies not,
- the Silmarils. || We have sworn for ever!"
- — Chapter 2, "Poems Early Abandoned". The Flight of the Noldoli from Valinor. Lines 132-141.
In rhyming
- "Be he friend or foe or seed defiled
- of Morgoth Bauglir, or mortal child
- that in after days on earth shall dwell,
- no law, nor love, nor league of hell,
- not might of Gods, not moveless fate
- shall him defend from wrath and hate
- of Fëanor's sons, who takes or steals
- or finding keeps the Silmarils,
- the thrice-enchanted globes of light
- that shine until the final night."
- — Chapter 3, "The Lay of Leithian". Canto VI, lines 1628-1643.
- Celegorm son of Fëanor later restates the oath in a different form:
- "Be he friend or foe, or demon wild
- of Morgoth, Elf, or mortal child
- or any that here on earth may dwell,
- no law, nor love, nor league of hell,
- not might of Gods, no binding spell,
- shall him defend from hatred fell
- of Fëanor's sons, whoso take or steal
- or finding keep a Silmaril.
- These we alone do claim by right,
- our thrice-enchanted jewels bright."
- — Chapter 3, "The Lay of Leithan". Canto VI, lines 1848-1857.
- This late version is found in Morgoth's Ring:
Latest version
- “Be he foe or friend, be he foul or clean
- Brood of Morgoth or bright Vala,
- Elda or Maia or Aftercomer,
- Man yet unborn upon Middle-earth,
- Neither law, nor love, nor league of swords,
- Dread nor danger, not Doom itself
- Shall defend him from Fëanor, and Fëanor’s kin,
- Whoso hideth or hoardeth, or in hand taketh,
- Finding keepeth or afar casteth
- A Silmaril. This swear we all…
- Death we will deal him ere Day’s ending,
- Woe unto world’s end! Our word hear thou,
- Eru Allfather! To the everlasting
- Darkness doom us if our deed faileth…
- On the holy mountain hear in witness
- and our vow remember,
- Manwë and Varda!"
External links
- [http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/mrezac.htm] — The text of the latest version translated to Quenya by Milan Rezac
- "Be he friend or foe or seed defiled
- of Morgoth Bauglir, or mortal child
- that in after days on earth shall dwell,
- no law, nor love, nor league of hell,
- not might of Gods, not moveless fate
- shall him defend from wrath and hate
- of Fëanor's sons, who takes or steals
- or finding keeps the Silmarils,
- the thrice-enchanted globes of light
- that shine until the final night."
- — Chapter 3, "The Lay of Leithian". Canto VI, lines 1628-1643.
- Celegorm son of Fëanor later restates the oath in a different form:
- "Be he friend or foe, or demon wild
- of Morgoth, Elf, or mortal child
- or any that here on earth may dwell,
- no law, nor love, nor league of hell,
- not might of Gods, no binding spell,
- shall him defend from hatred fell
- of Fëanor's sons, whoso take or steal
- or finding keep a Silmaril.
- These we alone do claim by right,
- our thrice-enchanted jewels bright."
- — Chapter 3, "The Lay of Leithan". Canto VI, lines 1848-1857.
- This late version is found in Morgoth's Ring:
Latest version
- “Be he foe or friend, be he foul or clean
- Brood of Morgoth or bright Vala,
- Elda or Maia or Aftercomer,
- Man yet unborn upon Middle-earth,
- Neither law, nor love, nor league of swords,
- Dread nor danger, not Doom itself
- Shall defend him from Fëanor, and Fëanor’s kin,
- Whoso hideth or hoardeth, or in hand taketh,
- Finding keepeth or afar casteth
- A Silmaril. This swear we all…
- Death we will deal him ere Day’s ending,
- Woe unto world’s end! Our word hear thou,
- Eru Allfather! To the everlasting
- Darkness doom us if our deed faileth…
- On the holy mountain hear in witness
- and our vow remember,
- Manwë and Varda!"
External links
- [http://www.elvish.org/gwaith/mrezac.htm] — The text of the latest version translated to Quenya by Milan Rezac
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