Thingol
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Elu Thingol is the King of Doriath and High King of the Sindar, a fictional character of Middle-earth, created by J. R. R. Tolkien. More accurately Thingol was the Sindarin form of the surname of one of the kings of the Teleri. Elu is from Elwë, Star-man (man in the sense male, not human). Thingol comes from sindacollo, grey cloak. The Quenya form of the same name is Elwë Singollo, Singollo meaning Greycloak. He is the brother of Olwë, who is the King of Alqualonde and High King of the Teleri of Aman. He was also a good friend of Finwë, High King of the Ñoldor. He may have had a second brother, Elmo.
The first mention of Thingol is when he travels from Cuiviénen with Oromë to see the land of Valinor. Upon his return, he manages to convince many of his people to follow him back to that country. On the Great Journey to the West, the Teleri lag behind, and do not arrive at the coast until after the departure of the moving island of Tol Eressëa. Thus, they stay in Beleriand for many years until Tol Eressëa is brought again to fetch them. By this time, many of the Teleri have grown to like Beleriand, and decide to stay there. Elwë is among them, having encountered Melian the Maia in the woods of Nan Elmoth and fallen deeply in love with her. Thingol and Melian become king and queen of the Teleri who stay in Beleriand, who become called the Sindar. Interestingly, since Thingol had previously visited Valinor as an ambassador of the Teleri, he is, uniquely, both of the Sindar and of the Calaquendi. Melian has a daughter, named Lúthien and said to be the fairest woman ever to live.
Lúthien fell in love with a Man named Beren. Thingol did not wish for the two to wed, as he valued his daughter very highly and disliked Men. As a bride-price he asked for a Silmaril from the crown of Morgoth, thinking there was no way that Beren could fulfill this demand. It was, however, this very bride-price that killed him. Thingol became obsessed with the Silmaril and hired some Dwarves to place it in the Nauglamír, the Necklace of the Dwarves. The Dwarven craftsmen also became obssessed with the jewel and slew Thingol for possession of it, setting off a chain of events that led to the destruction of Doriath and the scattering of its people.
Thingol's heir was Dior, son of Beren and Lúthien.
Thingol's sword was called Aranrúth (King's Ire).
External links
- The Encyclopedia of Arda — Elu Thingol (http://www.glyphweb.com/arda/default.htm)
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