Caranthir

Caranthir by María Lombide Ezpeleta

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Caranthir (Years of the Trees – First Age 505), the fourth of the Sons of Fëanor, was also the harshest and the quickest to anger. He was known as "Caranthir the Dark".

History

As the other Sons of Fëanor, Caranthir was bound by an oath to recover his father's Silmarils, which had been stolen by the Dark Lord Morgoth. This oath took the seven brothers to Middle-earth during the First Age, where they established realms in exile, waged war against the armies of Morgoth, fought their own Elvish kind, and eventually brought ruin upon themselves.

Caranthir's realm was in Thargelion, and was sometimes called Dor Caranthir ("Caranthir's Land"). His abode was on the shores of Lake Helevorn.

In First Age c. 420, Caranthir rescued Haleth and her people, the Haladin, as they were besieged by Orcs. When he saw the valour of Men, he offered the Haladin a fiefdom in his lands to the North. However Haleth, wanting her people to serve no lord, thanked him but removed to the Forest of Brethil.

In 463, the Easterling Ulfang led his people over the Blue Mountains and swore allegiance to Maedhros. They were given land in Lothlann and became subjects of Caranthir.

In 472, the disaster of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad ("Battle of Unnumbered Tears") occured, caused by the betrayal of the people of Ulfang. Caranthir lost his realm and was forced to retreat to Mount Dolmed with his surviving brothers.

In 505, he perished along with his brothers Celegorm and Curufin during the Second Kinslaying, the attack by the Sons of Fëanor on Menegroth to recover a Silmaril from King Dior Eluchíl of Doriath.

Etymology

As a member of the House of Finwë, Caranthir's father-name was Morifinwë ("Dark Finwë", a reference to his dark hair). His mother-name was Carnistir ("Red-faced"). The name Caranthir is the Sindarin translation of his mother-name.

Genealogy

           Finwë = Míriel
                 |
                 |
              Fëanor = Nerdanel
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    _________________|________________________________________________
   |          |          |           |           |          |         |
   |          |          |           |           |          |         |
Maedhros    Maglor   Celegorm    CARANTHIR    Curufin     Amrod     Amras
                                                 |
                                                 |
                                            Celebrimbor

Other Versions of the Legendarium

He was called Cranthor in The Book of Lost Tales and Cranthir in early versions of The Quenta Silmarillion.

See Also

• Images of Caranthir