Finarfin was the youngest of the sons of Finwë, King of the Noldor, and of Indis the Vanya, a full brother of Fingolfin and a half-brother of Fëanor. His wife was Eärwen, daughter of Olwë of the Teleri, and their children were Finrod, Orodreth, Angrod, Aegnor and Galadriel.1
When Fëanor rebelled and led the Noldor out of Valinor to Middle-earth, Finarfin followed in the rear of the host with his people, but after the Doom of Mandos was spoken he turned back, though his children went on. He was pardoned, and was made ruler of the Noldor who remained in Valinor.1
Through the long ages of the exile Finarfin remained in Aman. When at the end of the First Age the Valar sent their host against Morgoth, Finarfin led a host of the Noldor of Valinor out in the War of Wrath, and so took part in the overthrow of the Enemy who had destroyed his house.2
His line ran on into the Third Age through Galadriel, the greatest of his children to remain in Middle-earth, whose daughter Celebrían was the mother of Arwen.3
Sources
Citations name the chapter rather than the page, so they work in any edition. The colour of each note shows what kind of source it is.
- Edited posthumously The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and Tolkien's late writings on the Elder Days, assembled by Christopher Tolkien from his father's papers.
- Edited posthumously The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, ch. 9, “Of the Flight of the Noldor”
- Edited posthumously The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, ch. 24, “Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath”
- Edited posthumously Unfinished Tales, Part Two, IV, “The History of Galadriel and Celeborn”