Everything about Noldor totally explained
In the works of
J. R. R. Tolkien, the
Noldor (meaning
those with knowledge) were those of the second clan of the
Elves, the
Tatyar, who came to
Aman. According to legend, the clan was founded by
Tata, the second Elf to awake at
Cuiviénen, his spouse Tatië and their 54 companions, but it was
Finwë, the first Noldo to come to
Valinor with
Oromë and the other Elven kings
Ingwë and
Elwë, who became their king, and led most of them to Valinor. They spoke
Quenya in
Valinor, but the Exiles who returned to
Middle-earth used
Sindarin.
The Noldor were called
Golodhrim or
Gódhellim by Sindarin-speakers and
Goldoi by
Teleri of
Tol Eressëa; they're also known as
Deep Elves. The singular form of the
Quenya noun is
Noldo and the adjective is
Noldorin. They were the Second Clan of the Elves in both order and size, the other clans being the
Vanyar and the
Teleri. They typically had grey eyes and dark hair (except for those who had Vanyarin blood, most prominently the members of the House of
Finarfin).
History
Noldor in Valinor
The Noldor are accounted the greatest of the Elves and all the peoples in
Middle-earth in lore, warfare and crafts. In Valinor "great became their knowledge and their skill; yet even greater was their thirst for more knowledge, and in many things they soon surpassed their teachers. They were changeful in speech, for they'd great love of words, and sought ever to find names more fit for all things they knew or imagined." They were beloved of
Aulë the Smith, and were the first to discover and carve gems. On the other hand, the Noldor were also the proudest of the Elves; and, by the words of the
Sindar, "they needed room to quarrel in". Their chief dwelling-place was the city of
Tirion upon
Túna. Among the wisest of the Noldor were
Rúmil, creator of the first writing system and author of many books of lore.
Fëanor, son of Finwë and
Míriel, was the greatest of their craftsmen, "mightiest in skill of word and of hand",
It isn't known exactly how Finwë became High King: he may have been a descendant of the Noldorin primogen
"Tata", or simply have been accepted as leader based on his status as ambassador to the Valar. The Noldor had many princely houses besides that of Finwë:
Glorfindel of Gondolin and
Gwindor of Nargothrond, while not related to Finwë, were princes in their own right. These lesser houses held no realms, however: all the Noldorin realms of Beleriand and later Eriador were ruled by a descendant of Finwë.
The
Mannish descendants of
Elros (the
Kings of Arnor) now claimed the title High King, although there's no indication that this referred anything other than a High Kingship over the
Dúnedain. As descendants through the female line Elros and his brother Elrond were not considered eligible, and Elrond indeed never claimed Kingship.
It is perhaps notable that Galadriel, the last of the House of Finwë in Middle-earth (other than the
Half-elven) and Gil-galad's great-aunt, likewise never claimed a king title let alone the title of High Queen. Indeed the only known Elven
Kingdom in Middle-earth after the Second Age was the
Silvan realm of Mirkwood, ruled by the Sinda
Thranduil.
House of Finwë
