Speech of Fëanor upon Túna

The Speech of Fëanor upon Túna was an oration by Fëanor where he called on the Ñoldor to leave Aman and return to Middle-earth, and when he and his sons swore their terrible Oath to recover the Silmarils. Following the speech there was lengthy debate, filled with fierce words and coming near to violence, but Fëanor ultimately prevailed, inflaming the Ñoldor and instigating their Exile.

History

Since their arrival in Aman following their Great Journey, the Ñoldor had been living in the Noontide of the Blessed Realm under the Kingship of Finwë. Finwë's first wife Míriel languished after begetting Fëanor, and ultimately died. Finwë, desiring more children, received permission to re-marry and then wed Indis. This was displeasing to Fëanor who had no great love for Indis or her eventual sons, his half-brothers Fingolfin and Finarfin.

After Melkor's release he stirred unrest amongst the Noldor, causing their houses to quarrel with one another and for them to murmur against the Valar. These lies especially snared Fëanor, and he began openly speaking against the Valar and of leading the Noldor back to Middle-earth. Melkor further exploited the jealousies between Fëanor and Fingolfin, with each hearing that the other meant to drive him out. Finwë, seeking to address the strife, summoned a council of his lords to which Fingolfin arrived early and urged for Fëanor to be restrained; Fëanor entered at that moment fully armed and retaliated by publicly threatening Fingolfin at sword-point. The Valar in response banished Fëanor from the Noldor city of Tirion and Finwë, because of the love he bore to Fëanor, went with him. In Finwë's place, Manwë committed rule of the Ñoldor to Fingolfin.

In an attempt to reconcile the rifts within the Ñoldor, Manwë commenced a great high feast to put aside the griefs between their princes. Fëanor came, as he read the invitation from Manwë as a command, but Finwë, Fëanor's sons, and the rest of Fëanor's house at Formenos declined. While at the feast, Fëanor and Fingolfin were reconciled, in word, with Fingolfin pledging to remember no grievance, and that Fëanor shall lead and he would follow. In that same hour, however, Melkor and Ungoliant destroyed the Two Trees and plunged Valinor into darkness. Fëanor was requested by the Valar to break the Silmarils in order to release their light and save the Trees, an act Fëanor refused on the claim that their creation was not an act he could replicate, and that breaking them would also break his heart, slaying him. After the Valar tried to command him to break them, Fëanor "foreswore allegiance to Manwë". Fëanor then learned that Melkor had further murdered Finwë and stolen the Silmarils, causing him to rename Melkor as "Morgoth", curse the summons of Manwë, and flee into the night. After this the Valar remained long seated in darkness in the Ring of Doom, and the Ñoldor for the most part returned to Tirion and mourned for the darkening of their fair city.

Fëanor, rebelling against his banishment, returned to Tirion and summoned all of the Ñoldor to the Great Square. A great multitude gathered swiftly to hear him, lighting the hill, stairs, and streets with the many torches that each bore in hand.

With Finwë dead, Fëanor claimed kingship of the Ñoldor, scorning the decrees of the Valar. With fierce and fell words, and echoing many of the lies of Melkor, he prevailed upon the Ñoldor to avenge the murder of Finwë, win freedom and great realms within the Great Lands instead of being ousted by Men, and to reclaim the Silmarils. He and his sons then proclaimed their terrible Oath.

Following this, three other coteries emerged. Speaking directly against Fëanor and his blasphemous Oath, with fierce words that nearly came to violence, were Fingolfin, his son Turgon, and Finrod. Urging for calm, and to carefully consider actions that could not be undone, was Finarfin and Orodreth. Moved by Fëanor's words on leaving and establishing new realms, but not loving Fëanor himself, were Galadriel, Fingon, Angrod, and Aegnor. After a long debate, Fëanor eventually prevailed and the Ñoldor chose to leave.

In other versions

Several early versions of Fëanor's speech are provided throughout the legendarium.

The Book of Lost Tales

In The Book of Lost Tales, Fëanor makes three separate speeches. The first is after Melko steals the Silmarils and kills Fëanor's father (Bruithwir, who is not the king). The second is after the Noldoli petition Manwë to allow them to depart Valinor and return to Middle-earth; he forbids them to speak such words and tells them about the dangers in the world, the upcoming awakening of Men, and that he does not wish to see strife between the two races. The third is after the destruction of the Two Trees.

An poetic version was published in The Lays of Beleriand.

Further versions

In The Quenta, Finweg (Fingon) sides with Fingolfin; Felagund (Finrod) with his father; and Orodreth, Anrod (Angrod), and Egnor (Aegnor) side with the Sons of Fëanor.

The Silmarillion uses a heavily compressed version of the latest version found in Morgoth's Ring.

External links

• "Hard shall be the road" (version 2): rendition of the Speech of Fëanor by voice actor Christopher Tester

References