Maedhros vs. Fingolfin

[Glorfindel]

We were disussing this in the: afvorite Noldorian king thread but I think this battle coul better be discussed here (and I love those vs thingies)
So, who do you think would win a duel between Maedhros and Fingolfin, who were both seen as the strong warriors of the Noldor?
Personally I go for Maedhros. He survived all wars of the first age and he organized the battle which nearly brought Morgoth to his knees (if he wasn't betrayed)
When Morgoth prepared the third battle he could chose between attacking Fingolfin and Maedhros and he choose Fingolfin eventhough Hithlum was shielded and surrounded by mountains and was easier to defend and had way more soldiers then Maedhros but it is said that Morgoth feared Maedhros wrath and dared not to attack him. During the fourth battle Maedhros hold the orcs at bay with only few men becouse the orcs feared him and fled before his face. So I would follow Maedhros.

[Rumil]

Fingolfin for me ... because of the duel with Morgoth. He is mistaken for one of the Vala:

"all that beheld his onset fled in amaze, thinking that Orome himself was come"

Scaring a few half witted orcs is not the same as wounding the mightiest of the dwellers of Arda. Though I think Maedhros is the better survivor and tactician ... also ironically more self controlled !!

[Lhuntidomion]

yeah i love thpse vs thingys too finny for me! love that reckless cloak of hair!

[Númenórean]

I go for Maedhros, for I think both are great warriors and have many chance for victory. But I just like Maedhros better: Fingolfin is quite arogant and cocky and all and Maedhros... well... somehow I just luv his character. And it's like you said Rumil: Maedhros is more selfcontrolled and that just might make the difference in a long duel. :battle:

[Alatar]

Fingolfin all the way:thumbs: lol maily the same reason as Rumil said

[Voroturiön]

"Fingolfin was the strongest, the most steadfast, and the most valiant."-Silm p. 60

Guess where my vote goes?

[Gil Galad]

Fingolfin, he wos mistaken for a Vala, he had two hands, that wud help in a close deul, he fought morgoth, did meadhros ever have a big duel with anyone? plus he wos the son of a Vanyar, i think thatd make the big difference. oh love the picture thing RUmil

[David D]

I would vote Fingolfin, but his mother being a Vanyar has no bearing to this. Maedros was named the good shaped so this does suggest he was extremely physically fit. I would say that Maedros was the second best of the Noldor or perhaps third after Fingolfin and his father. Idril had more Vanyar blood than anyone in middle earth, but she was not as powerful as the likes of Galadriel. Having Vanyar blood would not make you better than one of the Noldor. Maedros was probably a better fighter than Finnarfin ( though Finnarfin was far smarter and kinder). After all the most gifted of elves Feanor was a pure blooded Noldor.

[Gil Galad]

i just wanted to put that in , but variety is teh spice of life and i think the strain of the vanyar in him wud help him (but maybe not in combat)

[Lalaith]

Well, I chose Meadhros... but it took a great deal of deliberation... I think that he may well have been the mightier warrior although his motives were questionable to say the least. As much as I love Fingolfin (or anyone else of the house of Finwe, really) I actually think his rashness would be his downfall...

That sounds very odd when you consider that being rash seemed to be a Feanorian family trait, but Fingolfin did ultimately seal his doom by riding to face Morgoth, a being that no Elf could hope to defeat.

Maedhros, on the other hand, survived the ordeal of Thangorodrim and went on to wield his sword left-handedly with a great deal of skill. He gave up his right to the High Kingship (although I doubt that many of the Noldor would have accepted this wholeheartedly) and he possibly did the most to oppose Morgoth, albeit for his own gain...

Head to head, I would think that Meadhros would be the more fearless and the more skilled, despite the loss of one hand...

(On a whole other note - this is my first post as a Mod of this forum! Yeay! :) )

[Gil Galad]

oh ur a mod, congrats on the promotion. but i think ur wrong, i think that fingolfin wos much more fearless, he did ride out to face Morgoth and it wos the dark Ainur that wos fearful there

[Gwaihir]

Fingolfin. He is older than Maedhros. And though Maedhros is the son of Feanor, he did not inherit all his power, and the Oath made him do evil things. Fingolfin is Maedros's uncle in law. He is superior to him.

[Gil Galad]

yeh the xperience of Fingolfin wud show when it came down to it

[Kazaera]

Hmm. I'd vote for Maedhros myself.
Personally, I don't think the fact that Fingolfin is older would count for as much. They're not necessarily that far apart in age, as Fëanor was the eldest of Finwë's sons and married very early in his life. Maedhros's father-name is Nelyafinwë - Third Finwë - signifying that he might even be *older* than his half-uncle, but that might also be Fëanor refusing to acknowledge his half-brothers. Also, given that they both dwelt in Aman for the beginning of their life, I don't believe that greater age would necessarily equal greater experience, at least not in things relevant to a duel.
Finally, although Fingolfin might have seemed like to a Valar, that seems to have been a one-time thing, when he thought all hope was lost and came to challenge Morgoth. Also, "since [Maedhros's] torment on Thangorodrim his spirit burned like a white fire within, and he was as one that returns from the dead." (the Silmarillion, Of the Ruin of Beleriand, p. 178) - so Maedhros is not exactly a normal Elf either. Regarding the one-handedness, it also says he grew to wield his sword with his left hand more deadly than he had with his right before (but I'm too lazy to search out the quote).
So all in all, I vote for Maedhros!

[Kazaera]

Oops, I've forgotten the most important point - Maedhros may not have had any big duels, but he *survived*. He was one of the only Elves to survive *all* the big battles, Kinslayings, etc. of the First Age. Hey, he was at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad and survived. He was at the Dagor Bragollach, the Dagor Aglareb, the Kinslayings at Doriath and Sirion... and he never got himself killed, unlike five of his brothers, his father and nearly all of the rest of his family. I'd say that alone shows that he must have been an exceptional warrior.

[Gil Galad]

or he juat knew when to get the hell out of there!!!!

i take ur points about him not being a normal elf, but heither wos Fingolfin , not by a long shot. and the one handedness, well no matter how good he wos wit his left, id still prefer to have two good hands, cos id say itd be a lon gand tiring fight

[Avian-Morpheus]

Fingolfin. Even if he was rash and foolish to try to fight Morgoth, just look at the damage he did to the most powerful being on Middle Earth. He was a mighty warrior.

Maedhros was one-handed, which is certainly a huge disadvantage, even if he did learn to fight with his other. He was also disadvantaged by his Oath, which hampered his judgement and upset his mental state.