Fingolfin - The Coolest Elf in Middle-earth | Tolkien Character Breakdown
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- Опубликовано: 29 сен 2024
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A nice detail that was missing from this video is that when Morgoth first visited Feanor and Fingolfin in Tirion, he taught them how to forge weapons to escalate the conflict. Feanors sword is only ever mentioned when he threatens Fingolfin, but the sword Fingolfin forged under Morgoths guidance is Ringil, the same sword he would later use to severely wound Morgoth himself. It's a nice moment, seeing the violence Morgoth brought to Valinor being returned to him so to speak.
Golden Comment!!!
He was so cool that, when he first put his foot on the land of middle earth, the first men awoke in Hildorien with the first sunrise ever.
Ecthelion! Ecthelion of the Fountain. Killed 4 Balrogs single handedly and one was the Lord of all Balrogs, Gothmog. While wounded, after hours of fighting and the previous killing of 3 Balrogs, Ecthelion stands alone in the defense of Gondolin against dragons and Gothmog the Lord of Balrogs. Ecthelion ended up loosing his life while defeating Gothmog. Pretty sure he was in every big battle of the 1st age as well. Also its possible Ecthelion wielded Orcrist.
Also Glorfindel, the only resurected Elf due to his awesomness. And a major soft spot for Beleg Strongbow!
Its so true that you are the best tolkien chanel.. I noticed this after only a couple videos. You disect the specific dynamics and relations of each story and character perfectly. Always emphasizing why things are so amazing, relating it to some little detail 7 thousand years later... your enthusiasm captivates us all and gets us intrigued in characters or story lines we had brushed off or over looked. Literally the best tolkien channel, no question. And yet less known than, Nerd of the rings? And men of the west? Doesn't reflect quality, keep going sir
Thanks! I'm really glad you think so.
What great joy! After such a long wait another epic video so quickly! Pure joy, wonderful anticipation and tolkienesk satisfaction throughout each second. Thank you so much for the effort you are making! Epic indeed! The only negative side to this is that you have successfully spoiled me for any other content creator on that matter. Once Tolkien untangled, there is no going back…🤙
Thanks! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.
I always thought one of the main reasons Fingolfin "followed" Feanor to Middle Earth was he didn't want to abandon his people to the whims of Feanor. While Fingolfin is not my favroite Elf (that honor goes to Finrod), I totally agree he is the coolest. When he first appears on Morgoth's doorstep, he realizes the swords of the Elves will not ever be able to overcome Morgoth unaided. There is always something admirable about fighting the just and lost cause to add to the mystique of a great leader. Thank you and well done!
I really enjoyed these stories! 👍👍
"Heroic" the word i'd choose to describe Fingolfin.
Damn Dave, I’ve just found this channel! I recognised your voice and that rainbow jacket!
Amazing to see these cool vids…long way since the party days in Liverpool!
One can only imagine the terrible, terrible things Fingolfin would've done to Fëanor had he gotten his cold, frost-bitten hands around the dipshit that got himself killed 5 minutes into the war he declared that he never even got to wage.
Gollum never tried to kill Bilbo. "Gollum had no sword. Gollum had not actually threatened to kill him, or tried to yet" - Riddles in the Dark
This is re: @25:50 where you say otherwise. Great video as always. Just here to be a research assistant, not to be pedantic.
Glorfindel, Beleg and Fingolfin the ultimate trio of coolness.
What a great story. Thanks for the run down of the prequel of the lord of the rings.
This episode was BADASS🎉🎉 🎉🎉🎉
Not click bait at all deffently top 3 arguments beautiful ish ,,,,iam a new subscriber from ya 6 part simirals work thank you my g
While the battle with Morgoth is his most legendary moment, his ride to Angband, with eyes blazing and an entire army fleeing wildly away from him as h approaches, is my personal favourite.
"Tell me, do you bleed?" -Fingolfin
I don’t understand why Feanor didn’t foresee needing a fleet prior to setting out to middle earth and I don’t see why a rich king with an army wouldn’t just put his men to work and build a fleet. Julius Caesar would have had a new fleet in a month.
Maybe I missed something here or in a previous video (or maybe this is a naive question), but since Valinor had as yet experienced no violence and had no weapons, then when a sword is first brandished (by Feanor) how would anyone see it as anything dangerous or threatening? Sort of like animals on Galapagos not perceiving humans as a threat, because they had never encountered them before?
Depends on your definition of "weapon." The elves hunted and ate meat. Therefore they were familiar with bows, spears, and knives. A sword is a long knife. There would not be any uncertainty that a sword was a dangerous thing.
Thing about a sword, it has one purpose only, to kill people. Bows, spears, knives, are tools of a different order, they have other uses. Thus, the creation of a tool for which the only use would be to kill other people would be a moment of great ill-omen.
The sacrifice was totally worth it. Elves never truly die. They reincarnate.
Fingolfin stood head-to-toe with Morgoth himself, and landed many permanent wounds on him before dying... What a badass!
Fingolfin has always been my favorite Noldo, and overall in the top 3 of Tolkiens characters. Morgoth stood like a black tower so Fingolfin could only reach his ankle. 7 wounds and the last was so vicious Morgoth went halt of foot forever.
Toe to toe?
I swear man, whenever I hear someone saying "feanor did nothing wrong" I think about how he treated fingolfin and just how mature fingolfin is in comparison.
yeah he really makes Feanor seem like a whiny childish bitch in comparison.
Feanor is just too hot in personality lmao
Those people have it twisstted. At the very least 1 genocide and a half
Truth is Feanor did tons of things very wrong but for good reasons. Finwe did nothing at all for any reason and is almost just as responsible as Feanor for everything that happened.
@@johns1625 not exactly. Feanor did not do the things he did for good reasons. every thing he did was because of his obsession over the Silmarils as well as his desire for vengeance for his father's death. both reasons while justifiable (anyone would be angry in his shoes), are not righteous causes and are all selfish in nature.
as for Finwe, not only did he call a council to moderate the conflict between his sons but he also gave up his throne to follow Feanor into exile after Feanor threatened his own brother with a sword. he also sent messengers to Manwe when Melkor was trying to deceive Feanor to get the Silmarils. so to say that he did nothing at all is just untrue.
Imagine Morgoth, sitting on his Throne and the moon rises… and he’s just like ‘what in the ever loving FUCK is that!?’ And then following that a bright orange glow begins to appear and Morgoth just starts sweating… and then BOOM the sun rises and Morgoth is just shielding his eyes like ‘Aiiiiiiiiiiiii!! WHAT IS THIS?!?’
😂😂😂
Morgoth: I DESTROYED THE LIGHTS! WHY ARE THERE MORE LIGHTS!?
Imagine the hatred towards his Valar companions, who chose that a lowly Maia could light up the world like nothing.
Like a redditer going outside
He tried to destroy both
Fingolfin’s fight against Morgoth was and will be my favorite moment from the Silmarillion
Honestly I think the best part is the start- about how the universe was created with sound and everything sang in harmony…it ties into our science quite nicely and gives me a shiver to think that the universe is sound; not light
@pp5417 I don`t know if you have ever heard the Judas Priest song "Dreamer Deceiver". There is a line that says "Out in the Cosmos is a single sonic sound that is vibrating constantly." "And if we could get, and hold on to the note, you would see our lives are free" Yes, I believe the note is there(I have to as a guitarist lol) that shapes thought and body. "lives" or "minds" , hard to be totally correct cuz the album has no lyrics printed.
It is. Fingolfin has been my main dude from High School till now. What a pair of brass balls to smote the doors of Angband solo with challenge, the Gauntlet is thrown down. 7 wounds cripple Morgoth forever, Fingolfins last stroke bites deep!! But it is also one of the most grievous.
@@gib59er56 I don’t know know it but I’ll have to listen to it now
@@tomtripp5417 Album came out in 1976, so it is a different sound than everything before "British Steel". The song is very ghostly sounding, not the right term really, mellow yet powerful is better. If you like Priest you will appreciate it, 👍
Fingolfin vs Morgoth is indeed one of the most EPIC one on one battles put to the written word IMHO !! Thank you for another great video !!
Indeed!
Word! Fingolfin is my favorite Elf for sure. Little wonder Earendil, Elros, Elrond and Aragorn are his descendants!
@@altair769 Hell yes my man!! Fingolfin is by far my favorite elf ever. Glorfindel and maybe Beleg Cuthalion the Strongbow are two others
Achilles v Hektor says hi
I knew nothing of Fingolfin before this video, but I completely teared up when you described the rise of the moon at his arrival and his glorious fight against Morgoth. Obviously the credit goes to Tolkien's writing, but your presentation was also wonderful to listen to and I got completely sucked in. I attempted to read The Silmarillion years ago and failed, but this has inspired me to take it up once again.
Thanks! I can't recommend the Silmarillion highly enough!
I agree. I did read the Silmarillion -- several times -- but I never really took in the drama of that first sunrise until watching this video.
Haha that’s the same reason I took up the book too and never regret it.. try audio books
It's unfortunate that Tolkien didn't live to write the Silmarillion himself. That was left to his son Christopher, who although a wonderful scholar, didn't have his father's skill in storytelling. It's why the Silmarillion can never be compared to Lord of the Rings, IMHO.
As a mother to a 2 year old and 1 year old, I’ve never related to a Tolkien character more than Feanor’s mom. I, too, am too weary to go on 😂
Your offspring will do many great and terrible things.
Ah, that fire that burns in them young ones... and bursts out onto furniture/kitchen appliances/clothes during the potty training.
I wish you all the best and loads of strength and understanding! :)
...did you forget? Sauron, only forged the One Ring to deal with adolescents who would ignore every thing he tried to teach them!
I had 5 little ones...
It gets easier and there will come a day when you will weep for the moments you missed holding you precious little babies..
❤
Nothing important to say, just lifting a glass to another -ael Rachael. 🧃
So from Fingolfin we have ALL the high kings of the Noldor and ALL the high kings of Numeanor and the Dunedain. That is truly and amazing legacy to have. The one who did not want to be king, becomes the great king of all.
"Get out here Morgoth I'm tired of you shit." Fingolfin said in one breathe.
The literal meaning of “Helcaraxë” is “narrow ice”. But in addition to meaning “ice” the word “helca” means “to break, abandon, betray”. And interestingly, the word “axë” also means “law”. So “Helcaraxë” also means “he breaks the law”. Appropriate no?
You forgot the Battle of the Lammoth. Fingolfin’s coming to Middle Earth was not, in fact, unopposed by Morgoth. Fingolfin’s host was set upon just as they came off the Helcaraxë, and his youngest son was slain in the fighting.
I think there is another dimension to Fingolfin’s suicide by Morgoth. Fingolfin knows he can’t kill Morgoth when he sets out. However, I think he knows that he *can* embarrass Morgoth and inspire hope in his people. He can inspire them to try to end the war once and for all. Which is exactly what Fingon and Maedhros proceed to do: and very nearly succeed I might add. Fingon was standing in the very place where Fingolfin fell, inside the gates of Angband, when he died. Had Maedhros not been attacked from the rear by Ulfang, he would have made it to Fingon in time: and with Turgon there too, they might very well have succeeded in forcing Morgoth to flee at least. That’s the tragedy of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad: it was five minutes away from being a triumph.
"I give hope to others and keep none for myself"
It's a theme Tolkien engages with often and you can see it as the "nobility" of many beings he considers so. It's really beautiful.
Sophie , I was just going through the many books of Chris and JRR`s material, I mean Tolkien`s work but released by Chris after his dad passed. I was looking for where it is mentioned Maedhros` red hair ( odd I know) and I thought of you. You are the most educated, or studied fan I can think of. It is amazing to me. So, do you have any recall of Maedhros` appearance? I can`t find it, but I know once upon a time I read it. Any idea for me? Thank you, and I am sorry if I am being a pest.✌
Elves are known to have foresight (Especially the high Elves)... he knew he was going to die, but he had to go down swinging and causing permanent damage to his foe!
@@gib59er56 oh hey! Sorry, I somehow didn't get notified about this comment. No, you are certainly not being a pest! Maedhros is never explicitly described in the text. However, his nickname *Russandol* is translated in the glossary at the back of The Silmarillion. There it is said to mean "copper-top", which is a term commonly used to mean someone has red hair. Since his mother is explicitly described as a redhead, this is logical. Though I will note some people interpret this nickname differently, and don't draw him with particularly red hair. Tolkien was a linguist who moonlighted as a writer, so really his glosses for Elvish words should be taken as part of the story. He thought about them just as much, if not more, than the "text" proper. The gloss "copper-top" needs to be connected with the description of Mahtan in "Of Fëanor and the Rebellion of the Noldor" wearing only a plain copper circlet. Maedhros may indeed have inherited his mother and grandfather's red hair, but that isn't the only trait he inherits from his maternal family: like Mahtan and Nerdanel he is also humble and prefers to solve problems by diplomacy rather than violence.
@@sophiejones3554 Yeah, Maedros is the only Noldo in the House of Finwe that I can stand. I love that you are interested in Tolkien`s primary love. The tounges of the world. He once said that he loved the sound of saying "cellar door" because of the way it rolled off the tongue/sounded. And the use of "dh" as in "these clothes" in the appendices to explain how his pronunciation sounded in Quenya and Sindarin. So I think Meadros must be "MY-eh-thross" with the dh soft and trilled "r". And it is great finding a person like you , whop really loves Tolkien`s work in many ways. When you read "Letters" you get the feel that he is talking about Middle-Earth as real history. Actual events and it just sucks you in!! Anyway, on the other side of the coin you have Fingolfin. A real strong and beloved Prince and King who is beloved by almost every single one of the Noldor. Valiant, tough, almost fearless and a mighty King, he is about my favorite Elf of all.Glorfindel is damn cool as well, but we don`t get much detail from most of Tolkiens characters. I think it is because of his Norse and the Edda`s, where the actions of the character are what is important, not any details otherwise. That is a good thing because when I see Gandalf I don`t see Ian Mc Kellan in my brain!! No offense to Ian, he was pretty fun to watch. Okay, sorry for chewing your ear but this stuff can make me ramble on! Take it easy, and Cheers!
Your comment about Elves and mortals marrying made me think of something I said when my cat passed away. My best buddy of over 16 years. "Adopting a pet is always a exercise in knowing how the story ends. We do it anyway because of the joy they bring us and the happiness we hope to bring to them."
Argh, if only he would have been in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad!. I know they could never win against Morgoth but they came so close.
And whenever I think about Fingolfin I remember Héctor of Troy, both Héctor and Fingolfin knew their cause was doomed but still they fought to the bitter end. So yes, Fingolfin is the coolest Elf in the Legendarium.
"That is a very reasonable question with a very unreasonable answer - Fëanor." I think that is a good summary of troubles of the elves in the first age.
Great video! Fingolfin is my favorite elf and he doesn't get enough respect and love! About the only thing left out was the great eagle, Thorondor, flew in and clawed Morgoth's face and snatched up Fingolfin's body so it couldn't be defiled and brought him to Gondolin where his son Turgon buried him, himself. The grief over his death was so deep no songs were ever made about this battle - nor did the host of Morgoth's stronghold celebrate the defeat of Fingolfin, since it was clear it hadn't been an easy victory.
Fingolfin and Glorfindel , to me are the 2 bad-ass mother`s , and by far my favorite Elves in Middle Earth. If I had to choose, it would be Fingolfin, by a hair.
Did in the last video
I’ve only watched the LoTR movies so I don’t know how scary Morgoth was, but Sauron was such an evil force. He was feared by everyone. Now imagine this guy just come to Sauron’s master and like “Ok, noob. I’m gonna camp you for 400 years. I dare you to come out”. I can’t decide whether he’s such a badass or Morgoth is such a let down.
To put it simply, when comparing Sauron as we know him in LOTR, he's still not at the level of Morgoth. And Morgoth by the time he was battling Fingolfin, was a shadow of his former self as Melkor.
That's the original evil we're talking about here. And Fingolfin went to battle him.
Imagine the resilience of his horse to drag Fingolfin's horse to carry him and his massive all the way to Morgoth's stronghold.
This has me convinced that the best way to tell of the story of Finwe's three sons as well as Feanor and Morgoth would be through the eyes and perspective of Fingolfin. I think there's great potential on screen for Fingolfin. Or even a split narrative between Fingolfin and Feanor. Fingolfin the hero of that narrative for sure.
Yeah just keep that story far away from Amazon. That is all
@@seanhartel5362 oh goodness. I hope Amazon never get the rights to anything more then what they have. I'm not looking forward to what's coming
My favorite elf? Gil-Galad. Everyone likes a trier. He also perceived the threat of Sauron early in the 2nd age, and, when his moment came, did not flinch.
Excellent choice!
Glorfindel! The dude slew a Balrog in single combat! (Mind you Ecthelion is pretty cool too, as he slew Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs, in single combat, but it was Glorfindel who Manwë sent back to Middle Earth!)
@@tolkienuntangled I wonder if Fingolfin got bad-ass points when he went before the Valar for judgement after the battle.
Hmmm.. off the top of my head I'm going to say my favorite is Lúthien
Fingolfin's grandson. Good choice.
Fingolfin : Face your doom Great Enemy !!
Melkor : But I don't wanna...
Melkor's generals : You probably should though.
Melkor's foot : You probably shouldn't have though..
Grond : Fingolfout !!
This made me laugh out loud!
I've always been torn between Fingolfin and Earendil. Fingolfin dueled Morgoth and wounded him gravelly, won a big war against Morgoth without the help of the Valar and went down like a boss. Earendil took down Ancalagon (w.t.f) and his actions caused the ultimate fall of Morgoth, then went on to inspire his people forever as a star and stand watch for Morgoth's return at the endtimes.
Fingolfin embodies that age old value "If you gotta go down, go down swinging!"
And I agree, the single most badass moment in all of fiction is Fingolfin calling out Morgoth then backing up his words with his actions.
Fingolfin is a VIKING!!!!
I wish the Silmarillion was 3,000 pages long and we had more fingolfin stories
@@nbeutler1134 I mean, there's probably not a lot to tell really...
Fingolfin died pointlessly after a war that he led to a massive defeat. Feanor died fighting 7 balrogs after leading Morgoths first loss to the elves. Losing Feanor was a far bigger setback, he wouldn't have allowed the subsequent defeats to happen.
@intenzityd3181 Correction: Fingolfin died proving Morgoth wasn't untouchable. He proved that Morgoth could be not only hurt but crippled!
On top of that, Fingolfin gets the last laugh because elves don't die permanently. They get housed in a new body eventually and get to chill in the Blessed Realm while Morgoth gets tossed into essentially hell where he suffers from both his wounds and his defeats forever.
* Fingolfin - The Coolest Elf in all of Arda
Agreed, he is absolutely the coolest elf and his final battle brings tears to my eyes every time I read it or hear about it. There is no more inspired moment of fury, grief and heroics anywhere else.
Fingolfin is definitely my fav character from the SIlmarillion. The duel is one of my absolute favorite pieces from Tolkien, at the end you get such a sense of sadness and despair for the loss, but tempered with awe and admiration for the sheer badassery of this lad. Great video!
Thanks for telling us the story of Fingolfin´s life! He is also one of my absolute favorite elves! The way he challenged and scared the original Dark Lord himself, who was ten times more powerful than his minion Sauron, in order to make a statement and tell Morgoth that enough is enough, is the bravest thing an elf has ever done! The fight between Morgoth and Fingolfin is something I would love to see in a movie made by someone like Peter Jackson. But it will never happen because the Tolkien estate did not sell the Silmarillion. And that might have been a wise decision, since right now we are the witnesses of Amazon´s terrible blunders.
I was not aware that Fingolfin is one of Aragorn´s ancestors! Aragorn made an equally brave decision when he and his troups marched to the black gate in order to challenge Sauron directly, although he knew that they had no chance to win this battle. While Tolkien has told us this story in a slightly different way, this scene is one of the highlights of Peter Jackson´s third movie. When Aragorn who was sitting on his horse, gave his famous pep talk to his troups and beheaded the Mouth of Sauron, my then 12 years old son said spontaneously to me in the movie theater: "This is truly great movie making, isn´t it?" Maybe, there was a bit of Fingolfin´s spirit in Aragorn. But unlike Fingolfin who was totally on his own, Aragorn had one last ace in his sleeve: two little hobbits and one wretched creature who once was a hobbit, too, who marched intrepidly towards the fires of Mt. Doom in order to destroy a trinket which contained most of Sauron´s power. And Aragorn´s bold move distracted Sauron from noticing what was going on behind his back in his own realm!
Fingolfin did nothing wrong.
Tremendous video, maybe your best in-depth review of a character to date? You cannot believe how long I have been waiting for someone, _anyone_ to do this for Fingolfin, so thank you, thank you, thank you!
You can probably guess that Fingolfin is my favourite Elf of all time. And it's not just because of that incredibly badass final battle - more about that later. He was great in spirit and noble to not take the route of abandoning his kin - no blame to Finarfin who chose otherwise, but it was substantially the easier route he chose. Leading the Noldor Exiles across the Helcaraxe itself is worthy of neverending song. When you add to that the awe of his arrival, accompanied as it was by the unveiling of the Moon and the Sun - sure, they were not done _for_ Fingolfin exactly, but in Tolkien's Legendarium very little happens by chance and perhaps Eru Iluvatar had a hand in the timing of their reveal in a way that even the Valar did not understand - you see just what a great King and being he was.
But it's not all about great acts of bravery and glory; it's the humility to stand down from direct confrontation with his half-brother, to forgive him for what would have been potentially an unforgiveable insult, to try to bring peace not only between the Noldor (including his nephews) but also the other Elves of Beleriand and also Men.
And as reckless and rash as his final act was, it perhaps should be seen with this in mind: -
1. Crucially, he thought the Noldor Exiles were doomed anyway ( = nothing to lose). As all the other Noldor kingdoms had been overrun, how long would it be before his was too, if he did the safe thing in retreating to his fortress?
2. He had until that moment no way of actually measuring how strong Melkor truly was in combat, and Melkor was clearly _afraid_ of him having failed to appear before his challenge once before
3. He actually did a lot better than might be expected in a battle between an Elf and a God...
4. Not only did he injure Melkor - permanently - eight times, but he was also strong enough in body to push up from a kneeling position three times when Melkor tried to crush him with his shield, before he was finally defeated. Imagine that, pushing back physically against the strongest of the Gods created by Iluvatar!
5. Even in victory, Melkor was _so_ physically and psychologically scarred afterwards that he (a) could not complete the impending victory and ride out himself to sweep all before him, and (b) never again issued forth in battle himself until the future battle to end all battles
So you could argue that while there was a certain "madness" to the decision to face Melkor alone, it actually achieved something even though it cost Fingolfin his life. Maybe it even saved the remnants of the Noldor from the utter ruin that Fingolfin feared in (1) since it robbed Melkor of the momentum of what was otherwise an astounding victory for him in breaking the siege. It also revealed Melkor's weaknesses to his own captains. Arguably no other "mortal" (I use this term loosely, as one who can be killed rather than one who does not age) humbled Melkor in such a way, with the possible exception of Luthien Tinuviel. Perhaps all this was part of Fingolfin's decision-making, perhaps it was far more calculated and rational a decision that it seems at first glance, and even with knowing he was almost certainly going to die.
And finally, the line of Fingolfin as you said was essentially the most important in the history of Middle Earth. Maybe he had some foresight about this, which is why he rushed to prevent the utter ruin of the grand plan. Interestingly, Melkor was also very wary of Fingolfin's line, and specifically Turgon's branch (which may explain why he went all-out to try to discover Gondolin) as it was once foretold that Melkor's doom would come through Turgon or his line.
These are great points! Fingolfin is awesome!
He was definitely the greatest warrior of them all. The foretelling of the moon rising upon his coming to Middle Earth foreshadowed to me that he would be held in high regard and even maybe imbued with strength against Morgoth later on.
The gods in this universe definitely relied on those that showed humility while possessing great strength, it's a recurring theme throughout.
@50:40 As a Catholic, killing yourself because you've given in to despair (suicide) is not the same thing as standing up to evil and being slain in the attempt, even if you know you that's likely to not end in your favor. What Fingolfin did wasn't a waste, he single-handedly left the origin of all evil in Arda irrevocably ruined. It's more akin to sacrifice, the complete opposite of suicide.
This is also an excellent example of Tolkien puting a christian spin on older myths. Like how Norse pessimistic inevitable doom becomes eucatastrophy.
PS this should be pinned.
YES! Finally, a worthy video and analysis on the greatest elf character in Tolkien's writing!
Booo, Finglofin was just an Elf Bro compared to the Majesty and Might of the First among the Eldar Feanor.
@@antonioiglesias2031 when, how and who he is born of have nothing to do with why Feanor was not as "Cool" of a person as Fingolfin.
I would stand by a Fingolfin 100%
I would rather die a Fingolfin than live as a Feanor 100%
@@MrEd1024 you do you. Feanor is still the Mightiest of all the Children of Ilúvatar. I don't appreciate the kinslaying and ship burning, other than that, he did nothing wrong.
Fingolfin was an anime character stuck in a high fantasy world
I think there are a few characters that fit that description in the Silmarillion
"And Morgoth came." It is beyond heroism, it's an act that of devotion; and I love that about so many of these characters.
This is my 3rd or 4th time watching/listening to this video. I have a big fantasy crush on Fingolfin. ☺️ He's my hero. Thank you Dave! I LOVE how you share the story. None like you! 👍
I just don't understand why Dave isn't the main consultant for all these new adaptations of Tolkien material.
Right!? Dave is basically a Tolkien Scholar in his own right, and an incredible one at that! And as opposed to some other scholars (no shade though, they're all awesome), he manages to unpack the lore in such a great and endlessly bingeable way that he should honestly be on any writer's team worth a damn.
He hates Feanor with a passion though so eh whatever xD but yes these videos are amazing, they really expand on the Silmarillion so much. Great narration.
@@8Smoker8 I ve hated Feanor since the first time I read him. I understand every kind of wrongdoings but there is no excuse for slaying his own kind just to get the fucking stones back that he lost in the first place. I actually am happy that he died.
@@cehaleterdemdir no need to cry though 😂
Finally a lengthy character summary on a complicated character! All the other channels I’ve seen do videos on Fingolfin had the video lengths at only 5-10 mins each.
Thank you, Rainbow Dave, for making us lore worthy videos!
That's because we only need 5-10 minutes of Elf Bro silliness that is Fingolfin, when we need at least an hour discussion to delve into the majesty that is Feanor.
Your analysis is so well structured and deep in lore that makes watching your videos a pleasure!
Thanks! I'm very glad you think so.
Yep and I understand much more the Quenta Silmarillion as well.
You are right in saying that suicide is condemned by the Catholic Church. However, Fingolfin’s death would not be characterized as such. Giving one’s life to fight against evil is one of the greatest things one can do. This is why martyrs are revered as saints. And I think Fingolfin could be considered a martyr for what he does. Yes, he rides out knowing that he will most likely not survive. But he strikes an everlasting blow against the evil of Morgoth.
So glad your back to making weekly videos Dave. Regardless how good or bad the new Amazon lotr show is, this channel, your story telling fills my yearning for all things Tolkien. Can’t get enough of this. Fantastic and epic telling of Finglofin.
I second your sentiment. Wow!
Imagine that: Feanaro banned him from his gate, but Nolofinwe demanded the mightiest Ainu to stand before him.
I’ve always liked Glorfindel and Ecthalion . The fall of Gondolin was amazing !
I have never agreed that Feanor was the strongest brother, not when Fingolfin was around. Think about it, Feanor got scrapped by Gothmog, like without actual effort. He took on a challenge that was too much for him to handle and he got killed. Fingolfin went up against and wounded Morgoth, and lasted longer against him than his brother did against a lesser being. There’s no doubt that Feanor is strong, but Fingolfin is by far the stronger of the two, and there’s no doubt in my mind that if the two had fought like Feanor wanted, Fingolfin would have smoked his brother. Feanor always gets the shine because he was artsy and creative, but based on feats, Fingolfin was superior in battle and an all around superior person.
well, I think Feanor actually got killed by a whole group of Balrogs, not just Gothmog.
Yeah, they ambushed him... fingolfin might be the coolest, however in the end according it is still feanor that would restore everything back to how it was supposed to be, he will be brought back and he will be the one who would break the sillmarils.
you, sir, are the Fingolfin of all the Tolkien channels…none are as cool as you.
That's so awesome of you to say! Thanks!
Fingolfin is not just the mightiest hero in Tolkien stuff, he is the mightiest hero EVER! Period
Let's hope Amazon never gets its hands on the 1st age of middle earth I dread to think what they'd do to it
Such beautiful stories, with life lessons written in for our benefit.
I love, love , love Tolkien's Arda.
Pity and mercy is a popular theme for those in Middle Earth - perhaps to rehabilitate it after the disaster that was Manwë's mercy towards Melkor.
I think Feanor was the ''coolest'', but Fingolfin is a beast too, almost beat Morgoth in single duel.
At all times, a true warrior knows that he may see a day where the most effective tactic is to "sheath the sword", or take death willingly.
Fingolfin countered the end of his people by offering hope, displaying the strength of resolve, and teaching Morgoth to fear the elves. His sacrifice was far from pointless, and his courage would elicit pride from ANY god.
I still think Luthien is the coolest elf ever. Only individual in the entire Tolkien legendarium to defeat both Melkor and Sauron. Ok, sure, a war puppy helped her, but still, think about it: she's half elf, half maia and still defeated the two biggest baddies in all of Tolkien's pantheon of baddies.
huan the hound? more like huan the chad. seriously though that's insane
@@arkcliref yea. He is a war puppy.
Still Luthien is THE GOAT, by a landslide my favorite character in everything Tolkien!
@@drakonlegend4452 Heck yeah, I agree.
All the elves: Let's make war on Morgoth
I think the fact that Fingolfin wounded the most powerful dark lord in middle earths history says everything. He is a badass full stop. Great video Rainbow Dave. In the annals of youtubedom you are unparalleled.
Thanks!
Ok, sure, but look, Luthien *defeated* both Sauron and Melkor. Sure, a war puppy was there to help her, but that was mainly just with Sauron, but she owned Melkor pretty much entirely by herself.
@@ljss6805 Well I wouldn't say defeated, yes she temporarily bested Morgoth, but it took the armies of Valinor to truly defeat him in the end. Not saying she's not awesome though, she certainly is.
@@anatoldenevers237 What's the difference between "bested" and "defeated"? You know that "defeat" literally means to "best someone in a deed"? She did alone (ok, with War Puppy) what armies and the most powerful males couldn't do. She takes the cake. She's the GOAT.
@@ljss6805 I've always thought of defeated as sounding more permanent, which Luthien's victories over them weren't. I admit that's probably just a me problem. I still say though that there isn't one single elf who should be called the GOAT, there are so many great ones. Luthien is one of the greatest, so are Fingolfin, Earendil, Galadriel and others. And Feanor as well although he's certainly not so admirable as the others I listed. I've also always been fan of Cirdan even if he doesn't have huge feats of some others.
I'm gonna have to read it myself eventually, but I've been having far too much fun learning about the Silmarillion through your videos. So far, Fingolfin is far and away my favorite character, so I was really excited to watch this. Now I'm even more excited for the next chapter to begin next week.
Thanks so much for the work you put into these videos, they're awesome.
Great video
So many great Elves throughout the ages but my top 3 are
1. Fingolfin
2. Finrod
3. Glorfindel
I have always had a soft spot for Beleg and Mablung as well although they rarely get mentioned.
Definitely agree about Beleg and Mablung!
I'm definetly on #teamFingolfin ,Feanors an irritating nercisstic albeit very talented jerk
Fingolfin was just an Elf Bro compared to First among the Eldar Feanor.
Fingolfin is written to be the nice, cool and just Hero. Feanor is written to be a misunderstood jerk. Honestly the Valar did Feanor very dirty, he was doomed from his birth, the first and only orphan in Valinor. A pity he did some terrible things, but let's not forget he and his Oath actually saved Middle Earth from Morgoth.
Expertly crafted video on one of the most interesting characters in all of Tolkien lore. Thanks Rainbow Dave!
What a bloodline of Fingolfin
Fingolfin is absolutely my favorite Elf. So much so that I have a Jenny Dolfen painting of him fighting Morgoth on my wall. I love a good tragic but heroic death in fantasy
I see people like you as true Tolkien scholars. Amazon should have hired people like you instead who and what they did for such a joke of a series/insult that they're making!
Agreed, Fingolfin became my favourite character when I first read the Silmarillion (34 yrs ago… oh my 🙈😁). An epic, richly layered and fascinating character. Thanks for the entertaining portrait!
Same but I am 38 and read it about 6-7 years ago!😁
Fingolfin actually is something else!
Yay. A great video about an awesome elf.
Keep up the wonderful work 😊
Fingolfin,coolest Elf ever.
Word! Fingolfin is my favorite Elf for sure. Little wonder Earendil, Elros, Gil-Galad, Elrond and Aragorn are his descendants!
This may be one of the best videos about Tolkien’s legendarium. The stories are brought to life when coupled with videos like this.
Again I thank you for the education and entertainment. Those being the two category into which all human activity falls. Everything we do or that happens to us is either learning or having fun or both, but never neither.
I hope you always enjoy your work even half as much as I do.
The homie Fingoulfin, I relate so much to this dude, my narcissistic little brother tried to have me killed years back. Fingoulfins personality, his humility, his loyalty, dude was solid.
It’s spelled Fingolfin just so you know.
What did your brother do to try get you killed?
@@impeachbiden2398 I'll leave the U there considering that I was texting and talking to someone at the same time, also because, you knowI have common sense, it's not gonna add to climate change, not that I care, and I wasn't about to step into shit or be hit by a car so you didn't have to tell how it was spelled, I saw his name probably a thousand times before you born🤷🏿♂️.
@@roger5059 Tried paying someone to shoot me, we got into an intense argument it got a little out of hand, he punched me, while sitting. I left out that he's paralyzed, I grabbed his arm, he's strong as fuck and very prideful, we toppled over, and I ended up restraining him. He's an irrational knucklehead that sells drugs, three days later I get a call from his father's son, he asks about our altercation, then he shows me a text of my brother's attempting to pay someone ten thousand dollars to " get me to hit " or have me murdered🤷🏿♂️ haven't spoken to him in six years.
@@kongsied4279 oh. I'm glad that you are well right now
Tolkien's legendarium is filled with so many interesting and complex characters that it certainly makes it difficult to choose just one favourite. However, I must say that Fingolfin is right up there as one of the very best. Thanks so much for this excellent character breakdown, I really enjoyed it (as I do all your videos). Your efforts are deeply appreciated.
Yeah man! He is my favorite elf! This channel is new to me and I gotta say it’s quickly becoming my favorite! Your delivery and oblivious love of Tolkiens lore makes it a fantastic short journey into each subject! Well done my man! The fan art also brings me into these stories as well. With all these things combined… Bravo, good show
Thanks! I'm really glad you're enjoying the channel.
I'm glad the Noldor got a High King worthy of that title. Feanor is not what I would call fit to reign...over literally anything.
While talking about Maedhros: "And on the one hand, this may seem like actual good news for Fingolfin's followers..."
I can't tell if that was deliberate but it did make me giggle.
Oh no HELL NO LMAO
When I was in high school there was a book in our library called something like 'The Tolkien Companion". I had read Lord of the Rings and seen the Bakshi movie as a child, but I never had any interest in the ssilmarillion or any of the post LoTR works until I saw a painting in this Tolkien guide called "The last stand of Fingolfin". It is in this video. My point being, The painting was so dramatic and got me wondering 'who is this guy?' and so I plowed through the dry early pages of Silmarilion finally to find out. I have to agree the character is such a superhero he incited my yound and restless reading habits to plow through a whole book I would not otherwise have read.
Sorry I can't listen to a video where Fingolfin's name is pronounced fin-GOL!-feeen 10 times a minute
I want to make a 10 hour meditation song with him saying it, slow, fast, a chorus of it. There's a earworm called feeeeen-GOLPH-eeeeeeeeen sung by a Dollllllpheeeeeeen
that goes by the name, the name
CharlieSHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Fingolfin is my favorite elf . And my head canon is that some elves can burn through there fëa to become more powerful, but of course they will evidently run out (but it does recharge).
And that is what Fingolfin was doing when he went after Morgoth.
It would have been really cool if Aragorn inherited Ringil instead of Anduril along with the rest of the line of which Aragorn decended from
Giving one's life is NOT tantamount to suicide in a Catholic perspective - how could it EVER BE? When Christ gave His life to save ALL of mankind and their souls. Suicide is TAKING one's life from a selfish point of view - because YOU feel despair or hopelessness - but giving your life so that those who see ONLY despair and hopelessness can see that there is ALWAYS HOPE, to give your life so that others may live - that is the greatest act of valor in the eyes of Christ. This is what He means when He tells us to PICK UP OUR CROSSES - to imitate the most redemptive act in all of human history could NEVER be seen as suicide. In fact - Christ commands it in a way....
"This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends." John 15:12-13
"The thing about being a Hero; about the main thing, really... A Hero has to know when to die."
Wonderful account of Fingolfin's life! I often wonder how soon he was released from the Halls of Mandos and reincarnated by the Valar. You have a new subscriber!
Fingolfin is just the best! thanks for the amazing video!
This is an excellent review of Fingolfin's character and motivations, but I think there might be an additional factor: genuine desire to punish Finwe's murder. Fingolfin *did* agree to join the chase, after all, and bring his sons along. All three sons felt a profound and bitter loss with Finwe's death, and all three initially wanted to pursue Morgoth to seek justice. That same sense of family duty and honor, even after Feanor's betrayal, could drive Fingolfin on to try to right this wrong regardless of the loss of the ships... and add Feanor to the list of wrongdoers in the process. Feanor might have been driven by revenge, but Fingolfin strikes me as more focused on justice, a less selfish and more heroic impulse.
I cannot express the love I have for what you do, your passion and love for the lore and everything with it….. but sometimes, you say little phrases that just make me feel happy and I’m thankful for you and what you do, such as -“…. That was before Faenor outted himself as such a massive dick….!”
Thank you Dave, for the amazing content you give us.
Thanks! Much appreciated.
Yes! Hard agree - the coloquialisms make the listening experience unendingly entertaining during deep learning immersion! 💪🏼✨👌🏻
I love this channel. I’ve been binge watching a lot of your videos and although it’s a challenge because of how long they are it’s definitely worth it. I’m learning a lot from these long videos.
Hehee, Rainbow Dave does not like Feanor very much. I thought I was the only Feanor hater, but Dave is so good in his video`s, he lays it out making it funny as well as educational!
Us: Fëanor, Fingolfin and Finarfin
Subtitles: Feyenoord, Fiend Golfing and Fi Nafin
Fingolfin had enough sense to pay attention to implied stewardship. He went maybe out of guilt for the kinslaying, or perhaps other posterity. I'm sure, at least a part of it was to keep an eye on Feanor, lest he go entirely FEY and murder / sacrifice (again) those that followed him yet