Fingon the Valiant was the eldest son of Fingolfin. He came to Middle-earth with his father's host across the Helcaraxë, the grinding ice of the north, after Fëanor had burned the ships at Losgar and left them behind.1,2
His greatest deed healed that betrayal. Maedhros, Fëanor's eldest son, had been taken by Morgoth and hung from a precipice of Thangorodrim by one wrist. Fingon went alone to find him, and sang a song of the Noldor beneath the cliffs, and Maedhros answered. But he could not climb to him, and Maedhros begged to be shot. Fingon called on Manwë, and Thorondor, King of Eagles, bore him up. The fetter could not be broken, so Fingon cut off Maedhros' hand at the wrist and carried him home.2
For that friendship Maedhros gave up the claim of Fëanor's house to the kingship, and the Noldor were reconciled. Later Fingon's archers drove off the young dragon Glaurung on his first coming out of Angband.2
He became High King of the Noldor when Fingolfin fell in single combat with Morgoth, and, in the published account, he sent his young son Ereinion, Gil-galad, to the Havens for safety.3
In the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, the Battle of Unnumbered Tears, Fingon was cut off and surrounded. He fought Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs, and when another Balrog came behind him, Gothmog struck him down and he was beaten into the dust with maces, his banner of blue and silver trodden under.4
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. 13, “Of the Return of the Noldor”
- Edited posthumously The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, ch. 18, “Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin”
- Edited posthumously The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, ch. 20, “Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad”