Indis

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Indis
Vanya
Shyangell - Queen Indis.jpg
"Queen Indis" by Shyangell
Biographical Information
PronunciationQ, pron. [ˈindis]
Other namesThe Fair
TitlesQueen of the Noldor
LocationTirion
LanguageVanyarin, Quenya
BirthBefore Y.T. 1105[1]
Cuiviénen
Family
HouseHouse of Ingwë
ParentageUnknown (niece of Ingwë)
SpouseFinwë
ChildrenFindis, Fingolfin, Írimë and Finarfin
Physical Description
GenderFemale
HeightTall[2]
Hair colorGolden[2]
GalleryImages of Indis

Indis was a Vanya, the second wife of Finwë.

History[edit | edit source]

She was probably the daughter of the sister of Ingwë, King of the Vanyar.[3]

After dying, Míriel Þerindë refused to be reembodied or healed, leaving her husband Finwë in an unfair widowhood.

[Indis] had loved Finwë in her heart, ever since the days when the Vanyar and the Ñoldor lived close together. In one of his wanderings Finwë met her again upon the inner slopes of Oiolossë, [...] and her face was lit by the golden light of Laurelin that was shining in the plain of Ezellohar below. In that hour Finwë perceived in her eyes the love that had before been hidden from him. So it came to pass that Finwë and Indis desired to be wedded.[4]:334

With the Statute of Finwë and Míriel, Manwë allowed Finwë to take a second wife and Indis thus became the stepmother to Fëanor. With Indis, Finwë had two more sons, Fingolfin and Finarfin, and two daughters, Findis and Írimë. Fëanor observed the influence of Indis on Finwë, including his speech which started to resemble that of the Vanyar and considered it a disrespect against his mother.[4]:336

After the slaying of her husband, she, along with her eldest daughter Findis, returned to Valinor to live among her people, the Vanyar.

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Indis is Quenya for "Great or Valiant Woman",[3] but it is also glossed as "wife, bride".[5]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Imin
awoke in Y.T. 1050
 
Iminyë
awoke in Y.T. 1050
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ilion
b. Y.T.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
unknown
father
 
unknown
mother
 
Ingwë
b. Y.T.
 
Ilwen
b. Y.T.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Míriel
d. Y.T. 1170
 
Finwë
d. Y.T. 1495
 
INDIS
b. Y.T.
 
 
Ingwion
b. Y.T.
 
 
 
unknown
children
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Fëanor
Y.T. 1169 - 1497
 
Findis
b. Y.T.
 
Fingolfin
Y.T. 1190 - F.A. 456
 
Írimë
b. Y.T.
 
Finarfin
b. Y.T. 1230
 

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

In earlier versions, Indis was the close kin, likely sister, of Ingwë, and she also had one more daughter called Faniel.[6]

In The Nature of Middle-earth she is the daughter of Ingwë, and a sister of Ingwion (in the text he was named Ingwil).[1]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Carl F. Hostetter (ed.), The Nature of Middle-earth, "Part One. Time and Ageing: XVII. Generational Schemes", p. 128
  2. 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Fëanor and the Unchaining of Melkor"
  3. 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The names of Finwë's descendants", p. 343
  4. 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XI. The Shibboleth of Fëanor", "The case of the Quenya change of Þ to s"
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", entries "NDIS", "NETH"
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Three. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: (II) The Second Phase: The Earliest Version of the Story of Finwë and Míriel", p. 207