A breakdown of Tolkien’s ‘Of the Return of the Noldor’, Chapter 13 in The Silmarillion. It’s a longer chapter, so I share 20 tidbits and 10 quotes this time!

A Mini Summary and Some Personal Thoughts

Chapter 13 of The Silmarillion is filled with dramatic scenes. There’s the fiery death of Fëanor, after he’s brought down by the Lord of Balrogs himself. Fëanor’s son Maedhros gets captures by Morgoth and hung up on a cliff, and then saved by Fingon, the son of Fingolfin AND the Lord of Eagles. Turgon and Finrod receive visions from Ulmo to prepare for another attack of morgoth. The dwarves and elves work together to build some beautiful places. Galadriel falls in love with Celeborn. Oh and there’s also the first dragon sighting.

Let’s get into the tidbits!

Ten Tidbits About ‘Of the Return of the Noldor’

1. The Second Battle in the Wars of Beleriand was called the Battle-under-Stars.

Could there be a prettier name for a battle?! This battle was fought by Morgoth’s army and the armies of the Noldor, and it started because Morgoth and his armies saw the flames of the ships that Fëanor burned. The Noldor, although outnumbered and taken unawares, were still swiftly victorious.

2. Fëanor dies a pretty epic death.

Of course Fëanor doesn’t have a typical death scene, cause it’s Fëanor. Here’s how it went down:

Fëanor was surrounded, with few friends about him. Long he fought on, and undismayed, though he was wrapped in fire and wounded with many wounds; but at the last he was smitten to the ground by Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs, whom Ecthelion after slew in Gondolin.

Getting smote to the ground by the Lord of Balrogs is pretty intense already. And Fëanor actually should’ve died right then and there, but his sons raised him up and took up back towards Mithrim. On the way he asked them to stop for his wounds were fatal, and he knew it was time for him to die. He cursed the name of Morgoth three times – I guess once wasn’t enough – and bade his sons to hold their oath and avenge their father. Then he died by burning up. Super dramatic.

3. Morgoth offers up a Silmaril to Fëanor’s sons.

Morgoth’s messengers came to Fëanor’s sons, ‘acknowledging defeat and offering terms’. A Silmaril was even offered up, which is a pretty big deal!

4. Maedhros and Co turn down the Silmaril, instead making a deal with Morgoth. It doesn’t go well.

Maedhros, Fëanor’s oldest son, convinced his brothers to pretend to make a deal with Morgoth, and then betray him. But when both sides got to the meeting place, each had brought larger forces than they had agreed upon. Morgoth brought more, including Balrogs, giving him the advantage, and his armies killed all of Maedhros’ company. Maedhros was taken captive and brought to Morgoth’s fortress Angband and held as hostage.

5. Morgoth tells Maedhros’ brothers he wouldn’t release Maedhros unless the Noldor surrendered.

But the brothers knew Morgoth wouldn’t keep to any agreement. They also wanted to keep their Oath to their father, and so they refused the deal.

6. Maedhros is hung from a cliff.

Morgoth hung Maedhros from the ‘the face of a precipice upon Thangorodrim, and he was caught to the rock by the wrist of his right hand in a band of steel.’ Ouch!

7. The March of Fingoldin goes down across the Grinding Ice.

The March of Fingolfin involved Fingolfin and all those who followed him crossing the Grinding Ice. Fingolfin let his blue and silver banners fly, blew his horns, and ‘flowers sprang beneath his marching feet, and the ages of the stars were ended.’ Morgoth’s servants fled and so Fingolfin and his armies were able to get through to the Gates of Angband without any opposition.

8. Maedhros tries to call out to Fingolfin and his army, but wasn’t heard.

Poor Maedhros tried to call out to Fingolfin and his army when they were nearby, but with all the noise and commotion going on he wasn’t heard: ‘Maedhros heard them amid his torment and cried aloud, but his voice was lost in the echoes of the stone.’

9. Fingolfin turns back, and meets up with the sons of Fëanor for an awkward reunion.

Fingolfin took his armies and turned back to Mithrim, hearing he could find the sons of Fëanor there. There’s a bit of an awkward reunion: ‘No love was there in the hearts of those that followed Fingolfin for the House of Fëanor.’ I mean, can you blame them? But actually a number of Fëanor’s people ‘repented for the burning at Losgar, and were filled with amazement at the valour that had brought the friends whom they had abandoned.’ So at least there’s that, even though they couldn’t end up welcoming them. Morgoth laughed at the division he saw between his foes.

10. Fingon to the rescue!

Fingon the Valiant resolved to heal the division between the Noldor and went in search of Maedhros. It was a long and hard search, but through the power of music Fingon was able to find him!

High upon the shoulders of Thangorodrim he climbed, and looked in despair upon the desolation of the land; but no passage or crevice could he find through which he might come within Morgoth’s stronghold.

Fingon took his harp, sang a song of Valinor, and because Maedhros heard Fingon and started singing along, Fingon in turn heard Maedhros and so was able to find him.

11. Maedhros begs Fingon to kill him.

When Fingon finally got to Maedhros, Maedhros begged Fingon to kill him and end his pain and misery. Fingon, seeing no other way, actually prepared to go through with it. However, Manwë himself stepped in by getting his beloved eagles involved.

12. Thorondor to the rescue!

Manwë sent the Lord of Eagles down to stay Fingon’s bow, and bear the two of them away. In the process, Maedhros loses a hand. Limbs seem to be big casualties in Middle-earth.

Now, even as Fingon bent his bow, there flew down from the high airs Thorondor, King of Eagles, mightiest of all birds that have ever been, whose outstretched wings spanned thirty fathoms; and staying Fingon’s hand he took him up, and bore him to the face of the rock where Maedhros hung. But Fingon could not release the hell-wrought bond upon his wrist, nor sever it, nor draw it from the stone. Again therefore in his pain Maedhros begged that he would slay him; but Fingon cut off his hand above the wrist, and Thorondor bore them back to Mithrim.

13. Maedhros recovers, the houses of Fingolfin and Fëanor reunite, and Fingolfin is named King.

Maedhros had quite the story of recovery and resilience! His body ‘eventually recovered from his torment and became hale, but the shadow of his pain was in his heart; and he lived to wield his sword with left hand more deadly than his right had been.’

Maedhros then begged for forgiveness for their desertion and waived his claim to kingship over the Noldor, giving it to Fingolfin. Fingon also received great praise for his brave deed, and the Noldor were reunited.

14. Thingol allows the house of Finarfin to enter Doriath, and sends the message with Angrod they could dwell in Dorthonion.

King Thingol kept his kingdom quite guarded, following the advice of Melian that Morgoth would soon strike again. So he only allowed some into his realm, including those of the house of Finarfin because of their close kinship with King Thingol himself and because their mother was Olwë’s daughter. Angrod, Finarfin’s eldest son, came and spoke to King Thingol and brought back the message that their people could dwell in the lands of Dorthonion.

15. Caranthir, another son of Fëanor, takes this news angrily and goes East, allying with the Dwarves.

Caranthir, ‘who loved not the sons of Finarfin, and was the harshest of the brothers and the most quick to anger’, took this news very angrily. He took his people further east to dwell. There they came upon the Dwarves:

No great love was there between them; for the Dwarves were secret and quick to resentment, and Caranthir was haughty and scarce concealed his scorn for the unloveliness of the Naugrim, and his people followed their lord. Nevertheless since both peoples feared and hated Morgoth they made alliance, and had of it great profit; for the Naugrim [what the Elves called the Dwarves] learned many secrets of craft in those days, so that the smiths and masons of Nogrod and Belegost became renowned among their kin, and when the Dwarves began again to journey into Beleriand all the traffic of the dwarf-mines passed first through the hands of Caranthir, and thus great riches came to him.

16. There follows many years of peace, until Turgon and Finrod receive troubling dreams.

After twenty years, Fingolfin King of the Noldor held the Feast of Reuniting, where many chieftains and peoples of Fingolfin and Finrod, along with the sons of Fëanor, Maeshros and Magyar, with other warriors and Grey-elves with Cirdan as their Lord, all came.

Thirty peaceful years had passed when both Turgon (a son of Fingolfin) and Finrod both received troubling dreams from Ulmo, urging them to prepare for ‘a day of evil’ when Morgoth’s armies should come back.

17. Finrod and Turgon get into building and creating beautiful places

Siblings Finrod and Galadriel were dwelling with Thingol in Doriath. Finrod had the desire to build something similar to the Menegroth, with ‘its treasuries and armouries and its many-pillared halls of stone’. Thingol told him about the deep gorge of the River Narrow, plus guided him on how to get there. Finrod followed those directions and began to establish deep halls and armouries there, with the help of the Dwarves of the Blue Mountains (who were rewarded well for it).

Ulmo also appeared to Turgon, leading him to the hidden vale of Tumladen in the Encircling Mountains. There Turgon planned to build a city much like Tirion upon Tuna.

18. Finrod gets a new nickname and Galadriel her true love.

Finrod received the new name Felagund, meaning ‘Hewer of Caves; and that name he bore thereafter until the end.’ Galadriel also found her true love in Doriath, Celeborn, kinsman of Thingol. She remained in the Hidden Kingdom with Melian, learning from her ‘great lore and wisdom concerning Middle-earth.’

19. The Glorious Battle ends in victory for Fingoldin and Maedhros.

Morgoth made a sudden attack, believing the Elves to be unprepared, but ‘Fingolfin and Maedhros were not sleeping’ – they were ready for Morgoth! They defeated the servants of Morgoth in the this battle of the Wars of Beleriand – named Dagor Aglareb, the Glorious Battle.

For a long time after that ‘no servant of Morgoth would venture from his gates.’ But the Elves still could not capture Angband or reclaim the Silmarils.

Morgoth tried to attack again, but Fingon saw and drove them into the sea. This battle was not reckoned among the great battles, ‘for the Orcs were not in great number, and only a part of the people of Hithlum fought there. But thereafter there was peace for many years, and no open assault from Angband, for Morgoth perceived now that the Orcs unaided were no match for the Noldor; and he sought in his heart for new counsel.’ I don’t know why it wasn’t considered one of the great battles when it ended so well, but hey.

20. Fingon attacks the first sighting of dragons.

After 100 years, Morgoth sent out the first of the Urulóji, fire-drakes of the North – aka, the first dragon in Middle-earth! Fingon directed his archers to surround Glaurung, who could not endure their darts, and he fled back to Angband. Fingon got major kudos and the Noldor rejoiced.

Again after a hundred years Glaurung, the first of the Urulóki, the fire-drakes of the North, issued from Angband’s gates by night. He was yet young and scarce half-grown, for long and slow is the life of the dragons, but the Elves fled before him to Ered Wethrin and Dorthonion in dismay; and he defiled the fields of Ard-galen. Then Fingon prince of Hithlum rode against him with archers on horseback, and hemmed him round with a ring of swift riders; and Glaurung could not endure their darts, being not yet come to his full armoury, and he fled back to Angband, and came not forth again for many years.

Morgoth isn’t happy about it, and there’s 200 years of peace.

10 Fav Quotes from ‘Of the Return of the Noldor’

The Noldor, outnumbered and taken at unawares, were yet swiftly victorious; for the light of Aman was not yet dimmed in their eyes, and they were strong and swift, and deadly in anger, and their swords were long and terrible.

What a vivid description.

For [Fëanor] was fey, consumed by the flame of his own wrath.

This description of ‘fey’ is quite an important one! It comes up in Tolkien’s writings at particular moments

Then [Fëanor] died; but he had neither burial nor tomb, for so fiery was his spirit that as it sped his body fell to ash, and was borne away like smoke; and his likeness has never again appeared in Arda, neither has his spirit left the halls of Mandos. Thus ended the mightiest of the Noldor, of whose deeds came both their greatest renown and their most grievous woe.

Fëanor’s death scene – gotta love the drama.

Therefore [Fingon] dared a deed which is justly renowned among the feats of the princes of the Noldor.

I love this description of Fingon’s journey to save Meadhros.

Then in defiance of the Orcs, who cowered still in the dark vaults beneath the earth, [Fingon] took his harp and sang a song of Valinor that the Noldor made of old, before strife was born among the sons of Finwë; and his voice rang in the mournful hollows that had never heard before aught save cries of fear and woe.

I also love how its music that helps Fingon save Maedhros in the end.

[Angrod son of Finarfin] spoke long with the King, telling him of the deeds of the Noldor in the north, and of their numbers, and of the ordering of their force; but being true, and wisehearted, and thinking all griefs now forgiven, he spoke no word concerning the kinslaying, nor of the manner of the exile of the Noldor and the oath of Fëanor.

It feels quite telling that Angrod didn’t speak about the ills that were done towards his people, showing that he truly believed them to be forgiven.

Indeed there followed after long years of peace, while their swords fenced Beleriand from the ruin of Morgoth, and his power was shut behind his gates. In those days there was joy beneath the new Sun and Moon, and all the land was glad; but still the Shadow brooded in the north.

Just a sweet little description of a peaceful time in Beleriand.

And it came into his heart that he would build wide halls behind ever-guarded gates in some deep and secret place beneath the hills. Therefore he opened his heart to Thingol, telling him of his dreams.

This description of an idea coming into the heart of Finrod to build, and that he then shared his heart with Thingol, is just a really beautiful way of putting it.

It was a carcanet of gold, and set therein were gems uncounted from Valinor; but it had a power within it so that it rested lightly on its wearer as a strand of flax, and whatsoever neck it clasped it sat always with grace and loveliness.

Can you imagine such a beautiful piece of jewelery?

In many parts of the land the Noldor and the Sindar became welded into one people, and spoke the same tongue; though this difference remained between them, that the Noldor had the greater power of mind and body, and were the mightier warriors and sages, and they built with stone, and loved the hill-slopes and open lands. But the Sindar had the fairer voices and were more skilled in music, save only Maglor son of Fëanor, and they loved the woods and the riversides; and some of the Grey-elves still wandered far and wide without settled abode, and they sang as they went.

I just find this such a lovely picture of the Noldor and Sindar living together yet still taking on quite different roles and characteristics.

Further Study

I love listening to podcasts to gain more insights and thoughts on Tolkien’s works. Here a couple I listened to about this chapter:

• The Prancing Pony Podcast Episode 022 – Subdivisions
• The Prancing Pony Podcast Episode 023 – Distant Early Warning
• The Tolkien Professor’s Silmarillion Seminars

The Silmarillion Second Breakfast Book Club

That’s Chapter 13, ‘Of the Return of the Noldor’! If you’ve missed any previous posts on The Silmarillion in our Second Breakfast Book Club, then check out the Reading Schedule. You can find updates on future chapters there as well. Next up, Chapter 14!