More JRRT Commentary

Goddamn. 

I love Fingolfin. 

Okay.

So here he is, the first son of a second wife. The middle child of five if you count the daughters. The middle child of three if you just count the sons.

Feanor is his older brother. Feanor hates him and his mother and the very idea of him. Feanor calls him 'half-brother' despite Fingolfin's insistence they full brothers in their hearts. He looks like Feanor, only.....taller.

Fingolfin is the son who helps rule. His older brother, the Crown Prince, would rather wander Aman or be in his forge or father children or cause problems. Fingolfin helps his father rule. His people love him. As Feanor starts to go crazy, Fingolfin asks his father to maybe kind of step in.

For this, Feanor draws a sword on him in public. They get into a fight, even though Fingolfin is trying his best to deescalate the situation as it is happening. The Valar step in and banish Feanor. 

Their father goes with him. Their father CHOOSES Feanor over him, leaving him to rule the Noldor while they just walk away like it means nothing. 

The Valar tell him that Feanor will come and apologize. It's A THING. Fingolfin forgives him instantly and tells him that he loves him and he will follow him. Anywhere. This happens basically as Melkor destroys the Trees and in the confusion of that, Fingolfin's father is killed. He is killed because he was trying to protect something of Feanor's. Always Feanor. Always first.

Fingolfin follows his older (half-)brother out of Aman. He kills for him. Feanor betrays him and forces him to walk over ice to get to the Easter lands. He makes the march, even though their younger brother runs back to the Valar. He loses his daughter-in-law on the ice, which basically means he loses the mind of his son. He loses his youngest son when they cross to the other side.

Even if he was angry with Feanor, it doesn't matter. Feanor is dead. Fingolfin's oldest son rescues Feanor's son from torture. Said oldest son decides Fingolfin will rule them. He becomes High King. He basically becomes the only father figure for his siblings' children. They establish lands and kingdoms and thrive for several centuries. 

His second son walks away from him and establishes a secret kingdom he won't let anyone visit. He loses his daughter to a madman. He basically loses his only niece to the nephew of another man who is...perhaps not insane, but paranoid, angry, and powerful. 

When Melkor attacks again, he attacks with fire and death. Fingolfin challenges him to single combat. He wounds him seven times. The wounds never heal. Melkor hobbles until he dies. He never leaves Angband again.

He still kills Fingolfin, of course. It was an elf fighting a god. But still, Fingolfin.....a middle son who was also somehow a first son, a father, and a king who was never respected by his father or king, managed to wound a being far more powerful than he was. 

Glorious.