The Hair Family.

[Lhuntidomion]

UGH!! Okay I just got The Languages of Tolkien's Middle Earth. Do you know what Finwë means? HAIR!!

Fingolfin: Cloak of hair.
Finarfin: Hair Royal Hair
Fingon: Commander [with Golden] Hair
Finrod: Champion [with Golden] Hair.

[Tirithel]

Yeah I know- I figured that one out a while ago too. Maybe there's an attached or alternate meaning to it.

Then again, maybe they're all just a bunch of pretty-boys. Just kidding!roflmao

[Mirkgirl]

Also the hair is a stable symbol for the family - Feanor's and later in LotR Gimli's requests for hairs from Galadriel. The physical descriptions of the women from Finwe's kin in the Silm include almost exclusively hair: their sister was Aredhel the White. She was younger in the years of the Eldar than her brothers; and when she was grown to full stature and beauty she was tall and strong, and loved much to ride and hunt in the forests. There she was often in the company of the sons of Fëanor, her kin; but to none was her heart's love given. Ar-Feiniel she was called, the White Lady of the Noldor, for she was pale though her hair was dark, and she was never arrayed but in silver and white.A sister they had, Galadriel, most beautiful of all the house of Finwë; her hair was lit with gold as though it had caught in a mesh the radiance of Laurelin.the difference between Finwe's first wife Miriel and Indis the second one uses the hair again: She was a Vanya, close kin of Ingwë the High King, golden-haired and tall, and in all ways unlike Míriel.

[Rumil]

Does anyone remember the cartoon the hair bear bunch? jk lol

[Voroturiön]

Actually the meaning behind Finwe's name is obscure. Although, the rest of the names hold true.

[Tirithel]

Well I guess hair could be an important family thing:huh:

[ImDaMom]

But....and I don't know if this happens to elves....what if (eru forbid) THEY GO BALD????? roflmao

[Tirithel]

Just Elrond, I think. roflmao

[Númenórean]

Since Fin means something with hair do you also know what GlorFINdel means Lhuntidomion? He seems to have something with hair two becouse in half of all the sentences mentioning Glorfindel in the Sil they talk about his hair. (of course he was mentioned only twice in the Sil lol)

[Mirkgirl]

Glorfindel means "Golden-haired"... his hair is interesting with the fact that the Noldor had dark hair as a rule.

[Númenórean]

Thanx Mirkgirl. Kinda strange though: most high elves and men have dark hair (númenoreans and most of the Noldor) but there are a few important exceptions: Glorfindel and Galadriel of course and alltough Tuor wasn't a Númenórean, he was related to them and he had golden hair as well.
And also: the two most beautiful girls/elves ever both had dark hair. (I guess Tolkien just liked people with dark hair)

[Mirkgirl]

Well in the Finwe family, Feanor was dark haired, but his brothers had Vanyar blood from Finwe's second wife, Indis. That's why Galadriel has golden hair, and that's why it is thought that probably Glorfindel has blood connection to the ruling Noldor...

Tuor's golden hair comes from his granfather, from the House of Hador, who was called Goldenhead...

From the three divisions of elves which followed the Valar, one, the Vanyar have golden hair; from the three houses of men which remained faithful, one, the house of Hador, have golden hair. Interesting simularities IMO

[Tirithel]

Wow Tolkien genetics. Cool! Do you suppose there is any symbolism there? Or just a coincidence? Cuz like Numenorean said above, both Luthien and Arwen had dark hair, but Galadriel, and arguably more important character, had golden. Hmmm...

Maybe it is just a comment about the prominance of dark hair through genetics. Eh, I don't know. What do y'all think?

Interesting discussion!

[David D]

Tirith I think the reason that Arwen and Luthien had dark hair is that they were based on his wife, who was dark haired. Not all of the Numenorean kings had blak hair. Aldarion had blonde hair and I would assume that some of the earlier kings might have had blonde hair considering that Earendil was almost certainly blonde.

[Tirithel]

*Tirithel gawks in amazement and awe at this new knowledge*

[Númenórean]

Yeah I thought he based Lúthien and Arwen on his wife.
Kinda funny: there are many great character's with dark hair or golden blond. Almost no-one (except for Hobbits) with brown hair or dark blond. Kinda strange.

[Tirithel]

Yes, well in this fantastical world, I think it might draw away from the beauty of ME to state that our hero is dishwater blond. (Ah hem, sarcastic cough)

[Kazaera]

It's to do with the fact that most of the people whose hair is described are Elves, I believe. Apparently brown isn't a common hair color there *shrugs* although one could argue "dark" to mean "dark brown" instead of black as most people assume it to be. Common Elven hair colors seem to be "dark", golden and - on occasion - silver.
The Men, however, seem to have more brown and blond hair - wasn't the Rohirrim hair "straw-yellow" or something like that? The Númenoreans have dark hair, probably due to their similarity to Elves. After all, the royal ones *do* have Elven blood.

[Tirithel]

I think Tolkien maybe revelled in extremes to emphasize the beauty of these people; hey, they were extrememly beautiful so give them extreme features- nothing middle of the road here folks. Perhaps he thought that more common hair colors were too blazee for his beautiful elves and up the fantasy effect. I mean, how many people do you know with truly black or golden blonde or really silver hair? Am I making any sense?...

[Kazaera]

Originally posted by Tirithel
I think Tolkien maybe revelled in extremes to emphasize the beauty of these people; hey, they were extrememly beautiful so give them extreme features- nothing middle of the road here folks. Perhaps he thought that more common hair colors were too blazee for his beautiful elves and up the fantasy effect. I mean, how many people do you know with truly black or golden blonde or really silver hair? Am I making any sense?...

Yes, and that's about what I thought too. Elves are supposed to be beautiful, otherworldly beings. Giving them dishwater-blond hair just doesn't fit.

[ImDaMom]

Can you imagine the description of Luthien "And her hair was the color of slightly muddied water, and it shone with infinitely darker roots" ? Doesn't quite fit roflmao

[Tirithel]

roflmao ! Yes, and with slightly crooked teeth because Thingol could not afford her mithril braces...??? lol
Luthien Droolers' Society eat your little hearts out!

[ImDaMom]

Or "Her hair was golden, and hung like rivulets down her back, the split ends wafting gently in the breeze"

[Tirithel]

"Her skin glowed in the moonlight, a giant pimple in the middle of her forehead refracting its beams this way and that."

[ImDaMom]

"He came to her. Her eyes misted softly due to the extreme odor rising from his unwashed clothes"

[Tirithel]

This is gonna get gross really soon. I was just thinking about posting a joke about long toe-nails and smelly feet. pfbbt lol Maybe we should quit. Besides, we've left the hair topic.

[ImDaMom]

Thirithel...you have a point. I had a really bad one about bodily emissions, but hey- you gotta get back to the hair issues.

Maybe JRR was trying to show the perfection of the elves and high born men. Hobbits and dwarves didn't have such specific hair colors, and they were considered lesser races.

[Lalaith]

Good to see y'all got yourselves back on topic and I don't have to come over all heavy and Mod-ish! ;) .(for the first time, I might add!! lol)

Don't forget the significance of golden hair amongst the Hobbit children at the end of LoTR. Whether it is to signify new-found prosperity and happiness or not is an interesting question. Clearly defined hair-colour seems to be an author's tactic to distinguish between races and kindreds.

[Tirithel]

Yeah, now I'm gonna feel all bad and lesser cuz I don't have golden blonde hair. I think I feel a tear of self pity coming on. mecry :boohoo: