Archive of Our Own

I. A note on this essay's scope

As may have been gathered from the wordcount, this essay has grown monstrously long. It was intended to be an Amras excursus, but that matter runs straight into the matter of the Green-elves and how they ended up allying with the Fëanorians of all people. And from there it runs straight into the question of Nimloth's backstory. Which naturally runs straight into having to devise a coherent account of the Second Kinslaying.

I now feel a great deal of understanding for why "The Rivers and Beacon-Hills of Gondor" goes all over the place.

II. The "Shibboleth", and the names of Amrod and Amras

The first names of these sons of Fëanor were Damrod and Dinithel. During work on the Lays, Damrod stayed as he was, but Dinithel became Durithel and then Díriel. So they remained, as Damrod "hammerer of copper" and Díriel "man-joy" (the second translation per Paul Strack) for a while, throughout the 1930s, 1940s, and most of the 1950s. But in late revisions of the Silmarillion their names became Amrod and Amras. (Whereas in the Lost Tales their brothers were Maidros, Maglor, Celegorm, Cranthor, Curufin - almost the Shibboleth forms. In case you wondered, Cranthor became Cranthir in the Lays, and then Caranthir post-LOTR.)

CJRT thought (HoME IV, commentary on the "Sketch of the Mythology") that the notion that Amrod and Amras were twins had already arisen during the work on "The Lay of the Children of Húrin". Well, there they are named together. But the first explicit statement that they are is in the Quenta Silmarillion in HoME V. (I quote this later in the meta - but in the HoME X reading post-LOTR, because it's almost the same.) In-universe, twins are very rare among the Eldar, and actually Amrod and Amras are the only fully Elven cases we hear of.

Seven was wholly exceptional, and indeed among the High-elves only the case of Feänor is recorded. He had seven sons. The last two were twins: Amrod and Amras. Twins were very rare, and this is the only case recorded of the Eldar in the ancient histories, except for the twin sons, Eldún and Elrún, of Dior Eluchil, but he was half-elven. In later times (Third Age) Elrond had twin sons. - Time-scales, NoME. [The names Eluréd and Elurín arose later, in "The Problem of Ros", HoME XII.]

(No, I don't know why JRRT didn't explicitly mention Elrond and Elros here. But yeah, with that addition, that's all the Elven or half-Elven twins. Among Men, we hear of Folcred and Fastred of Rohan, as well as the brother-sister pair Haldar and Haleth. I assume they occur at the real-world rate for Men, but are much rarer among Elves.)

I have a theory for why JRRT changed the D-names of the twins to A-names. The two Rangers of Ithilien who Frodo and Sam met were named Mablung and Damrod, evidently after the First Age characters:

Indeed many of these we still take from tales of the old days: such are Mablung and Damrod, and mine own,(30) and my father's Denethor, and many others. - Faramir, HoME VIII

What an iconic duo, since the originals were presumably fighting on opposite sides at the Third Kinslaying. (Per "Ælfwine and Dírhavel" in HoME XI, Mablung survived the fall of Doriath and was at the Havens of Sirion.) I think this is an example of the use of names in LOTR that JRRT, at the end of his life in "Glorfindel II" (HoME XII), criticised as "somewhat random":

Its use in The Lord of the Rings is one of the cases of the somewhat random use of the names found in the older legends, now referred to as The Silmarillion, which escaped reconsideration in the final published form of The Lord of the Rings. - Glorfindel II, HoME XII

Here he's speaking of Glorfindel, because the original one had evidently died in the fall of Gondolin, and now he had to try and explain why he was very much alive in Rivendell. (Though in this case, I do think the explanation worked well!) One case where JRRT did reconsider things was revising the name of Aragorn's father. We know him as Arathorn, but hilariously, at one point he was named Celegorn:

He is Aragorn son of Celegorn, descended in right line [added: through many fathers] from Isildur of Minas Ithil, son of Elendil,' said Elrond. - The Council of Elrond (1), HoME VII

Yeah. For a descendant of Beren and Lúthien, no less. Obviously, this couldn't be allowed to stand. (Another hilarious case was Ingold, the Gondorian soldier leading the guard at the northern gate of the Rammas Echor; at one point he was named Cranthir. Yup, for Caranthir instead of Finrod!)

So if I had to guess, I'd hypothesise that JRRT determined that Fëanorian names ought not to be reused (because they are naughty kinslayers), but that he'd gotten attached to Damrod as the name of that Ithilien Ranger. Well, that was easily to resolve, since the First Age tales had not been published; he simply changed the name of the son of Fëanor instead. In-universe, I'd simply interpret Damrod and Faramir as names of non-kinslaying First Age notables whose names just don't appear in any surviving legend. (Well, actually, Faramir does appear as the name of Gelmir - Arminas' companion - in note 11 to "The Wanderings of Húrin": a plot synopsis for Túrin. Maybe that was JRRT trying to find a way to retcon the name in. In that note it is told that they "were later Eärendil's companions on voyage". But I guess it does not postdate the revision of the ending of QS in c. 1958-59, which has the familiar names for Eärendil's companions from the published Silmarillion; and so to me they are still Gelmir and Arminas.)

Later still, c. 1970 in the "Shibboleth of Fëanor", the order of the twins was swapped and the story that Amrod the younger twin died at Losgar emerged. Their father-names were then given as Nityafinwë "Little Finwë" and Telufinwë "Last Finwë". Originally JRRT wrote Pityafinwë, but he corrected the P to an N (though he did not alter the nickname Pityo to *Nityo; of course, the younger twin's nickname remained Telvo). As noted by Patrick Wynne, the form nitya seems related to níkë "little finger": see Vinyar Tengwar 48, p. 15. Considering Pitya-naucor "Petty-dwarves", I think both pitya and nitya could mean "little", but that the form with p probably has pejorative connotations that would've been inappropriate in this context.

Honestly, those are not exactly brilliant names on Fëanor's part. "Little Finwë" would've been totally embarrassing once Amras grew out of childhood. As for "Last Finwë" - I truly wonder about it. Surely whatever grandsons Fëanor had, like Celebrimbor, would have a claim to the name of Finwë? (I headcanon Celebrimbor as having Kurufinwë as his father-name yet again, and Telperimpar as his Telerin mother-name.) In the worst case, Fëanor is so paranoid that he disapproves of Curufin's marriage. In the best case, he realised that naming all seven of his sons Finwë was a breathtaking display of uncreativity, and so he put his foot down and said to his sons: please, do better than I did. Except that I'm not sure he'd display that level of introspection as late as the birth of the twins.

My working headcanon is that Fëanor was just trying to troll Fingolfin (saying that any future children of his half-brothers wouldn't have the right to the name of Finwë) and didn't realise that his naming choice had just backfired on him. But evidently it was soon realised, because the twins were generally called Minyarussa and Atyarussa (1st-russa, 2nd-russa) instead of using their father-names.

As for their mother-names, I'll let JRRT tell the story.

Ambarussa 'top-russet' must have referred to hair ...

The two twins were both red-haired. Nerdanel gave them both the name Ambarussa - for they were much alike and remained so while they lived. When Fëanor begged that their names should at least be different Nerdanel looked strange, and after a while said: 'Then let one be called Umbarto, but which, time will decide.' - The Shibboleth of Fëanor, HoME XII

Fëanor, you probably gave all your older sons the name Finwë at birth and changed it later (just like your father). That is my suspicion because of the reasoning behind Kurufinwë for Curufin - that he was Fëanor's favourite son who displayed similar interests. Obviously Fëanor cannot have known that when Curufin had just been born.

Then again, we are talking about the twins. I suspect that Fëanor had probably come up with the disambiguator for each son by the time the next one was born. So I guess perhaps Nityafinwë and Telufinwë were especially uncreative of him because he had no time for long consideration.

Fëanor was disturbed by this ominous name ('Fated'), and changed it to Ambarto - or in some versions thought Nerdanel had said Ambarto, using the same first element as in Ambarussa (sc. amba + Quenya arta 'exalted, lofty'). But Nerdanel said: Umbarto I spoke, yet do as you wish. It will make no difference.' - The Shibboleth of Fëanor, HoME XII

Uh, Fëanor, what happened to respecting people's actual names? Like Míriel Þerindë? I do recall you cared quite a bit about that. In the version where Fëanor changes it, that suggests that Fëanor was starting to lose it already by the time the Ambarussa were born; and considering Nerdanel saying "do as you wish", maybe in both versions Fëanor was losing it anyway. Which makes me think the twins might be born after the unchaining of Melkor.

Later, as Fëanor became more and more fell and violent, and rebelled against the Valar, Nerdanel, after long endeavouring to change his mood, became estranged. (Her kin were devoted to Aulë, who counselled her father to take no part in the rebellion. 'It will in the end only lead Fëanor and all your children to death.') She retired to her father's house; but when it became clear that Fëanor and his sons would leave Valinor for ever, she came to him before the host started on its northward march, and begged that Fëanor should leave her the two youngest, the twins, or one at least of them. He replied: 'Were you a true wife, as you had been till cozened by Aulë, you would keep all of them, for you would come with us. If you desert me, you desert also all of our children. For they are determined to go with their father.' Then Nerdanel was angry and she answered: 'You will not keep all of them. One at least will never set foot on Middle-earth.' 'Take your evil omens to the Valar who will delight in them,' said Fëanor. 'I defy them'. So they parted. - The Shibboleth of Fëanor, HoME XII

This passage is interesting, because I think it gives more evidence that Amrod and Amras were a lot younger than their brothers. I headcanon them as being barely of age at the Darkening. (In my headcanon, Argon is younger than the Ambarussar, because it was irresistible to have Fingolfin troll Fëanor back after the "Telufinwë" stunt. I have him as becoming an adult on the Helcaraxë - and then dying immediately upon reaching Middle-earth.)

Firstly, if they're adults, it would seem to be their decision whether to stay or leave. Indeed, Fëanor points out that Amrod and Amras are determined at this point to go with him. But if they only just became adults, then Nerdanel's request makes more sense.

Secondly, while the "Silmarillion" texts refer to Amrod and Amras as great hunters, that seems to be the case only in Middle-earth, and only Celegorm is stated to have gone to the house of Oromë. I think this is further evidence that the twins were significantly younger than their brothers, and that their birth postdated the strife and Fëanor's rebellious tendencies.

The seven sons of Fëanor were Maedhros the tall; Maglor a musician and a mighty singer, whose voice was heard far over land and sea; Celegorm the fair, and Caranthir the dark; and Curufin the crafty, who inherited most of his father's skill of hand; and the youngest Amrod and Amras, who were twin brothers alike in mood and face. They afterwards were great hunters in the woods of Middle-earth. A hunter also was Celegorm, who in Valinor was a friend of Oromë and followed oft the great god's horn. - The Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME X

Thirdly, Nerdanel's words to Fëanor at the twins' birth - "do as you wish. It will make no difference" - suggest that the couple was already estranged when their last children were born. (I am now wondering if their birth was a failed attempt by Fëanor and Nerdanel to save their marriage.) If that's the case, then perhaps Amrod and Amras were sometimes staying with their mother and sometimes with their father - which would also explain why Nerdanel begs for them in particular: they are the ones she has been in the most recent contact with, whereas the older sons may not see their mother much anymore. Indeed, I somewhat think that they may have been Nerdanel's contacts in Formenos trying to talk down her family from rebellion, per lintamande's argument in her meta No Part in the Rebellion.

Well, let's return to the "Shibboleth". This is where the idea of burnt Amrod first arose:

Now it is told how Fëanor stole the ships of the Teleri, and breaking faith with Fingolfin and with those faithful to him sailed away in them to Middle-earth, leaving the rest of his host to make their way on foot with great travail and loss. The ships were anchored off the shore, in the Firth of Drengist, and all the host of Fëanor went on land and camped there.

In the night Fëanor, filled with malice, aroused Curufin, and with him and a few of those most close to Fëanor in obedience he went to the ships and set them all aflame; and the dark sky was red as with a terrible dawn. All the camp was roused, and Fëanor returning said: 'Now at least I am certain that no faint-heart or traitor among you will be able to take back even one ship to the succour of Fingolfin and his folk.' But all save few were dismayed, because there were many things still aboard that they had not yet brought ashore, and the ships would have been useful for further journeying. They were still far north and had purposed to sail southward to some better haven.

In the morning the host was mustered, but of Fëanor's seven sons only six were to be found. Then Ambarussa (6) went pale with fear. 'Did you not then rouse Ambarussa my brother (whom you called Ambarto)?' he said. 'He would not come ashore to sleep (he said) in discomfort.' But it is thought (and no doubt Fëanor guessed this also) that it was in the mind of Ambarto to sail his ship back [?afterwards] and rejoin Nerdanel; for he had been much [?shocked] by the deed of his father [abandoning Fingolfin, per CJRT's note].

'That ship I destroyed first,' said Fëanor (hiding his own dismay). 'Then rightly you gave the name to the youngest of your children,' said Ambarussa, 'and Umbarto "the Fated" was its true form. Fell and fey are you become.' And after that no one dared speak again to Fëanor of this matter.(65) - The Shibboleth of Fëanor, HoME XII

As I argued elsewhere, the even later addition of Celebrimbor as the son of Curufin with Curufin's wife following Finarfin (implying turning back!) starts making it seem that Fëanor was distrusting his favourite son here and forcing him into displaying his loyalty. But let's focus on Amrod and Amras.

Indeed, what the hell, Fëanor? Apart from Amrod, no one in your host is actually thinking of Fingolfin! (Maedhros asking for Fingon is not in this account.) Instead the argument is more of a logistic one - that the ships could still be of use to them, and more importantly that burning them before taking all your supplies off them is insanely stupid. Actually, this sounds a lot like how I headcanon Caranthir, considering that he was likely the one keeping the war effort financially solvent. Maybe it was him who said that - it would explain why Amras seems quite close to Caranthir among his brothers afterwards.

And yeah. Fëanor is now pretending that the accidental death of one of his sons isn't hurting him, and that he's proud of it. Fell and fey has he become indeed!

It also interests me that Amrod's idea was to sail his ship back. Apparently he's not worried about the judgement of the Valar for kinslaying, like Fingon is:

... and all Fingolfin's folk went forward still, feeling the constraint of their kinship and the will of Fëanor, and fearing to face the doom of the gods, since not all of them had been guiltless of the kinslaying at Alqualondë. - The Annals of Aman, HoME X

Well, I personally rather think that Amrod couldn't really have returned. By his Oath he would be exiled, and Mandos' words suggest that turning back after the Doom like Finarfin was the last chance:

But thou Fëanor Finwë's son by thine oath art exiled. The lies of Melkor thou shalt unlearn in bitterness. ...

All halted and stood still, and from end to end of the hosts of the Noldor the voice was heard speaking the Prophecy of the North and the Doom of the Noldor. 'Turn back! Turn back! Seek the pardon of the Valar lest their curse fall upon you!' - The Annals of Aman, HoME X

Even unstained Galadriel got under the Ban, even though she didn't do anything evil. But it's still interesting in itself that Amrod thinks he could return. It makes me suspect that Amrod and Amras are actually not kinslayers - and youth would seem the only plausible reason for it.

Then again, youth didn't stop the twins from swearing the Oath. Which really, come to think of it, raises the question of why Celebrimbor didn't swear the Oath. Perhaps he was even younger than the Ambarussar (not unlikely) and even Fëanor can see that he has no business swearing anything yet - but then one wonders why he isn't asked to swear it later, since the Fëanorians may not yet realise how bad an idea the Oath was until the Leithian. I mean, it's not like Celebrimbor is immune to making bad decisions, and judging from Finrod's actions, the Noldor at the Bragollach haven't yet realised that swearing open-ended Oaths is deeply unwise.

If Curufin let Celebrimbor get out of it, then I can certainly see Fëanor distrusting his favourite son more. But that would need explanation regarding why Curufin thinks it's a great idea for himself to swear the Oath but not his son. Luckily, in Why I Love Telerin Celeborn I came up with a headcanon that does happen to solve this problem, though that's not why I made it up (that was more about conflating Telerin Celebrimbor with Fëanorian Celebrimbor, since the worldbuilding of Telerin silversmithing in "Telerin Celebrimbor" was repeated twice in other texts). For if (as I speculated there) Curufin's wife and son are quite ill because they got too close to Melkor and Ungoliant's attack, then there's no issue - Curufin is 100% on board with swearing eternal vengeance against those who would grab the Silmarils, and it's just that it's also 100% clear to him that his son isn't yet in any state to do it alongside him. And since it's Ungoliant, maybe Celebrimbor takes a really long time to fully recover, so that by the time he's actually for sure able to swear the Oath, the Nargothrond incident has already happened and it's finally clear how bad an idea that is.

Ordinarily, nobody would actually use the name Ambarto/Umbarto. (Well, how could anyone? Even Nerdanel wasn't sure which one of the twins was fated.) But it should be noted that the twins could actually be distinguished.

All the sons save Curufin preferred their mother-names and were ever afterwards remembered by them. The twins called each other Ambarussa. The name Ambarto/Umbarto was used by [?no one]. The twins remained alike, but the elder grew darker in hair, and was more dear to his father. After childhood they [?were not to be] confused. Others called them Minyarussa and Atyarussa. - The Shibboleth of Fëanor, HoME XII; last sentence supplied from Vinyar Tengwar 41, p. 10 (Those names are "First-russa", "Second-russa".)

Amras being dearer to his father could speculatively be related to the old name Damrod "hammerer of copper"; perhaps he was a bit closer to Fëanor's interests.

The names Ambarussa and Ambarto (Umbarto) were Sindarinised as Amros and Amrod (Amarthan):

Amros⁽¹⁾ Sindarin for Ambarussa. Had Amros⁽²⁾ Ambarto lived, it [i.e. the name Ambarto] would probably have been [Sindarized] as Amrod, but when [?encountered] at all in Sindarin form it was [?] Amarthan Fated One. S. ambart- > ammarth, amarth fate = Umbarto.

Maedros, Maglor, Celegorm, Curufin, Caranthir, Amros, Amarthan. - Vinyar Tengwar 41, p. 10 (notes excluded from the HoME XII presentation of the "Shibboleth")

So, really, I should be calling the elder twin Amros rather than Amras. But I'll stick to the familiar names, because otherwise I should have to write Maedros instead of Maedhros. (The Quenya t in Maitimo Russandol should correspond to Sindarin d, not ð.) My general practice - as it will be in this meta - is to compromise and call the twins Amras and Amrod, using the Silmarillion name but swapping the birth order. That is: the older and surviving twin is henceforth Amras in this excursus, and the younger one is Amrod. I do like Amarthan as a way to specifically refer to the dead twin completely clearly, though.

The Sindarinisation of Aegnor's father-name Ambaráto would also have been Amrod. In the "Shibboleth" it is stated that Amrod would've been too close to Angrod; but JRRT seems to have overlooked the Fëanorian Amrod here. I wonder if there was a desire not to say the false mother-name of Amarthan the dead twin. (I headcanon Fëanorian Aegnor and Angrod, which for sure makes it even more awkward - he may have been asleep not far away when Amrod died, in that case.)

Aikanáro was called by his father Ambaráto. The Sindarin form of this would have been Amrod; but to distinguish this from Angrod, and also because he preferred it, he used his mother-name (44) (which was however given in Quenya and not Telerin form). - The Shibboleth of Fëanor, HoME XII

There is also the question of why Fëanor used the name Amrod when it probably already exists elsewhere in the House of Finwë - albeit in Telerin rather than Quenya form. But I suppose he could just have forgotten about the Finarfinians. If you headcanon Fingolfin-supporting Angrod and Aegnor, then probably Fëanor simply doesn't care about Finarfin's kids except Galadriel who he finds annoying in particular. If you headcanon Fëanor-supporting Angrod and Aegnor, then I think the easiest answer is to posit that they flipped their allegiance from Fingolfin to Fëanor very late - possibly as late as Fëanor's speech in Tirion, where I posit that they realise that Fingolfin's claim to the kingship doesn't make a lot of sense once he decides to start rebelling against the Valar. It is how I headcanon it myself.

III. A note on methodology

Originally, like I did for my essays on Angrod and Aegnor and for Aredhel, my plan was to go through all the versions of the story. But Amrod and Amras barely exist as characters until the "Shibboleth".

JRRT indicated that the burnt Amrod story should be retained:

The best solution of the difficulty presented by the name Elros, fixed by mention in The Lord of the Rings, and the names of the sons of Fëanor: Maedros, the eldest, and Amros, now proposed as the name of both the twins (sixth and seventh) - to which a story is attached that it is desirable to retain. - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

Tragedy of the burning of one of Fëanor's [added: 2 younger] sons, who had returned to sleep in his ship. - The Annals of Aman, HoME X [A marginal note to the "Annals" story of Losgar, strongly indicating that JRRT meant to alter it to the "Shibboleth" version.]

And so what I'll do instead is attempt to read the earlier texts with the understanding that only Amras is meant, whenever both twins are mentioned. I don't give all the drafts, as in many cases they do not differ from the last reading other than lacking some detail.

IV. Amras: weirdly chill about the Siege and weirdly non-Noldorin

We have already considered Amras becoming a great hunter only in Middle-earth. Now the matter of Amras' territory in Middle-earth must be considered. For he came very seldom to the north where the fight was, and indeed his territory directly bordered on Ossiriand and Doriath. (I use the notation "HoME V [XI]" for the Quenta chapters given in HoME V, with revisions noted in HoME XI.)

Now the Dwarf-road to Nogrod and Belegost in the Blue Mountains passed through East Beleriand and the woods about the River Gelion, where aforetime were the hunting grounds of Damrod and Díriel, sons of Fëanor. To the south of those lands between the river Gelion and the mountains lay the land of Ossiriand, watered by seven streams, Gelion, Ascar, Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor, Duilwen, Adurant. There lived and wandered still in peace and bliss Beren and Lúthien, in that time of respite which Lúthien had won, ere both should die; and their folk were the Green Elves of the South, who were not of the Elves of Kôr, nor of Doriath, though many had fought at the Battle of Unnumbered Tears. - Quenta Noldorinwa, HoME IV

... and all East Beleriand behind was wild and little tenanted save by scattered Dark-elves, but it was under the overlordship of Maidros from Sirion's mouths to Gelion (where it joins with Brilthor), and Damrod and Díriel were there, and came not much to war in the North. - The Earliest Annals of Beleriand, HoME IV

Beyond Doriath to the East lay wide woods between Celon and Gelion; here few folk dwelt, but Amrod and Amras took it as their realm and hunting-ground; and beyond, between Gelion and the Blue Mountains, was the wide land of Thargelion, where Caranthir dwelt of old. ... And between Celon and Little Gelion was the ward of Amrod and Amras. - Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V [XI]

Doriath in the midst of the land was the realm of King Thingol; and east the wide countries south of the March of Maidros, even to the borders of Ossiriand were held to be the domain of the sons of Fëanor. But few dwelt there save hunters and Grey-elves wandering, and there Damrod and Díriel abode and came seldom northward while the Siege lasted. Thither other of the Elven-lords would ride at whiles, even from afar, to hunt in the green-woods; but none ever passed east over Eryd Luin or looked upon Eriador, save the Green-elves only, who had kindred that dwelt yet in the further lands. Thus little news and late came to Beleriand of what passed in the regions of the East. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

It is even once clarified that it wasn't just East Beleriand between Celon and Gelion that was Amras' domain, but also South Beleriand directly south of Doriath:

South of Doriath and east, between Sirion and Aros and Gelion, was a wide land of wood and plain; this was East Beleriand, and it was wild and wide. Here few came and seldom, save Dark-elves wandering, but this land was held to be under the lordship of the sons of Fëanor, and Damrod and Díriel hunted in its borders and came seldom to the affrays in the northern siege. Ossiriand, the Land of Seven Rivers, that lies between Eredlindon and the river Gelion, and is watered by the streams of Ascar, Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor, Duilwen, and Adurant, was not subject to Maidros. Here dwelt the Green-elves, but they took no king after the death of Denithor, until Beren came among them. Into East Beleriand the Elf-lords, even from afar, would ride at times for hunting in the wild woods; but none passed east over Eredlindon, save only the Green-elves, for they had kindred that were yet in the further lands. - The Later Annals of Beleriand, HoME V

This is really strange.

For the Oath specifically holds the Fëanorians in the north, and forces them to stick to the war effort. Indeed, the Grey Annals say so, even though that precise text also tells us that Amras rarely came north while the Siege was still going!

Then Morgoth held Maidros as a hostage, and swore only to release him, if the Noldor would march away, either to Valinor, or else far from Beleriand into the South of the world; and if they would not do this, then he would put Maidros to torment. But the other sons of Fëanor knew that Morgoth would betray them, and would not release Maidros, whatsoever they might do; and they were constrained also by their oath, and might not for any cause forsake the war against their Enemy. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

There is a lesser difficulty, which is that by entering South Beleriand, Amras is going beyond where Thingol said the Noldor could stay:

In Hithlum indeed the Noldor have leave to do as they will, and in Dor Thonion they may dwell, and in the countries east of Doriath even to the feet of the mountains of Eryd Luin there is room and to spare. But elsewhere there are many of my folk, and I would not have them restrained of their freedoms, still less ousted from their homes. Beware therefore how ye princes of the West bear yourselves, for I am the Lord of Beleriand and all who seek to dwell there shall hear my word. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

Indeed, once the Nirnaeth is lost, the Fëanorians suddenly start knowing the southern woods very well, even though Thingol is still there in Doriath:

But between Ramdal and Gelion there stood a single hill, of great extent and gentle slopes, but seeming loftier than it was, for it stood alone; and this hill was named Amon Ereb, and Maidros dwelt there after the great defeat. But until that time all the wide woods south of the Andram and between Sirion and Gelion were little known. Taur-im-Duinath, the forest between the two rivers, the Noldor called that region, but few ever ventured in that wild land; and east of it lay the fair green country of Ossiriand, between Gelion and Eredlindon. - Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V [XI]

And moreover, even if we pay attention just to Amras' lands east of Doriath, the Doriathrin Nandor are passing through it at times too:

Yet there was one that begrudged him this, and ever the more as Túrin drew nearer to manhood: Saeros, son of Ithilbor, was his name. He was of the Nandor, being one of those who took refuge in Doriath after the fall of their lord Denethor upon Amon Ereb, in the first battle of Beleriand. These Elves dwelt for the most part in Arthórien, between Aros and Celon in the east of Doriath, wandering at times over Celon into the wild lands beyond; and they were no friends to the Edain since their passage through Ossiriand and settlement in Estolad. - Narn i Chîn Húrin, Unfinished Tales

Somehow I doubt Thingol was pleased with this. On the other hand, I also suspect he could not stop it either, considering Maedhros' famous statement. And I doubt the Fëanorians bothered to ask - they didn't even bother when it was just them in Beleriand and Fingolfin hadn't yet arrived. (Probably they first talked to North Sindar who had nothing nice to say about Thingol.)

Thus there was from the first a coolness between him [Thingol] and the sons of Fëanor, whereas the closest friendship was needed, if Morgoth were to be withstood; for the [House >] sons of Fëanor were ever unwilling to accept the overlordship of Thingol, and would ask for no leave where they might dwell or might pass. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

So I think that's a plausible read on, say, Celegorm and Curufin claiming Himlad as their land. But on the other hand, there is the matter of the 1971 Maeglin notes where Eöl hates Fëanor's five sons:

Curufin of course knew well of Eöl's hatred of the Noldor, and especially of Fëanor and his sons, as 'usurpers' (though in this case unjust, since the lands occupied by the 5 sons had not been peopled before by the Sindar). Also he knew of Eöl's friendship with the Dwarves of Nogrod (indeed Eöl could not have journeyed alone across E. Beleriand to Nogrod unless allowed to by the 5 sons), among whom he had tried with some success to stir up unfriendliness to the Noldor. Which was a grievance to the 5 sons, who had, before Eöl's coming to Nan Elmoth, had much profit from the help of the Dwarves. - Maeglin, HoME XI

In this writing JRRT appears to forget that in "Quendi and Eldar", he gave Nogrod a North Sindarin etymology, thus implying that Thargelion was previously populated by North Sindar. Well, he also forgot elsewhere in this writing that Fingolfin exists, so let's give him some slack for minor slips like that.

Somewhat more worrying, though, is the "5 sons". CJRT suggests that perhaps both Amras and Amrod died at Losgar. In a way it would make some sense out of all this, because it's really weird that Amras who swore the Oath could stay in the back and not go to the Siege.

However, I dislike this for a number of reasons. Firstly, I feel like it's a bit of an admission of defeat to explain Amras' role by excising him from the story altogether. Secondly, I think the "Celebrimbor son of Curufin" notes are probably even later, since they have "Maelor" for "Maglor" just as in "Manwë's Ban" (c. 1972-73); and they specify that 6 sons of Fëanor - not 5, not 7 - reached Beleriand. Thirdly, the whole reason why I like the burnt Amrod story - distinguishing the twins and having Amras actually call Fëanor out - would be lost, had Amras died alongside Amrod.

So here's my theory. I headcanon that shortly after Fëanor got himself killed and Maedhros got himself captured, Amras in disgust fled with his following into the south, deeming the war unwinnable by head-on confrontation. (Especially if the leadership seemed to be this incompetent, in his estimation.) The Oath seems to be fine with the Fëanorians just trying their best. Otherwise Celegorm and Curufin would've had to go on the Silmaril quest themselves; the fact that they don't is clearly because they've recently fought Sauron while rescuing Orodreth and lost, so they expect that this plan would fail.

Then I posit that Amras assimilated so much with the Green-elves that he's not precisely considered a Noldo anymore. Instead his plan might've been to use the Green-elves' guerilla warfare techniques, to make Melkor bleed for every scrap of land continuously, and prevent it from ever being wholly corrupted. Actually, I headcanon this as part of the reason why most of Ossiriand survived the War of Wrath instead of sinking under the Sea. Although Himring, Dorthonion which was before the Nirnaeth reconquered by Maedhros, and large parts of Thargelion and some of Lothlann also survived. So perhaps the Fëanorians later started adopting these tricks.

Some evidence for such an assimilation can be found from the Later Quenta, after Men arrive in the West, and abide in Amras' land:

Then by the advice of Felagund Bëor gathered all the wandering families and kindreds of his folk, and they removed over Gelion and took up their abode in the lands of Amras, upon the east-banks of the Celon near to the borders of Doriath. - The Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME XI

It is strange that only Amras is referred to here in the Later Quenta 2 typescript, even though the story of burnt Amrod had not yet arisen. But hey! Less work for me!

Well, we have the following passage:

The Edain did not long dwell content in Estolad, for many still desired to go westwards; but they did not know the way: before them lay the fences of Doriath, and southward lay Sirion and its impassable fens. Therefore the kings of the three houses of the Noldor, seeing hope of strength in the sons of Men, sent word that any of the Edain that wished might remove and come to dwell among their people. In this way the migration of the Edain began: at first little by little, but later in families and kindreds, they arose and left Estolad, until after some fifty years many thousands had entered the lands of the kings.

Most of these took the long road northwards, under the guidance of the Elves, until the ways became well known to them. The people of Bëor came to Dorthonion and dwelt in lands ruled by the House of Finrod. The people of Aradan (for Marach remained in Estolad until his death) for the most part went on westwards; and some came to Hithlum, but Magor son of Aradan and the greater number of his folk passed down Sirion into Beleriand and dwelt in the vales on the southern slopes of the Ered-wethion. A few only of either people went to Maedros and the lands about the Hill of Himring. - The Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME XI

It seems that Amras' realm - Estolad included - is not part of the lands of the three houses (whose kings are Maedhros, Fingolfin, and Finrod). Which means it's not really seen as a Noldorin realm at all. And indeed, even though the Bëorians and Hadorians are living under a Fëanorian prince (Amras), that doesn't translate to an increased urge to go to Maedhros - even though Himring is closer than Hithlum or Dorthonion.

I suppose, knowing Amras' terrible trauma (the horrible death of his twin), Thingol might've just closed an eye to the situation. This very same trauma might also explain why his brothers don't really object to this behaviour from him, including not coming to the siege.

V. The Green-elves and the Fëanorians

The Green-elves work with Amras, supporting my conjecture that he's not quite a Noldo anymore and has been assimilating with them:

The note below the name Díriel reads: 'Here also are many Ilkorins who do not live in Doriath but fought at Nirnaith Únoth [Nirnaeth Arnoediad].' - The First "Silmarillion" Map, HoME IV

But curiously, they don't only work with Amras among the Fëanorians. They also worked with Caranthir after the Bragollach, so that he could flee with Amras into the south.

Well, this is why I like my above headcanon on Caranthir objecting to Fëanor's ship-burning on logistic grounds. Since it then became horribly clear that it wasn't just everything that hadn't been taken off the ships but also everyone, Amras might see that as a premonition, and remain warmer to Caranthir than to his other surviving brothers.

Caranthir fled and joined the remnant of his people to the scattered folk of the hunters, Amrod and Amras, and they retreated and passed Rhamdal in the South. Upon Amon Ereb they maintained a watch and some strength of war, and they had aid of the Green-elves; and the Orcs came not yet into Ossiriand or the wild of South Beleriand. - Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V [XI]

... but the Orcs broke through upon either side, through Aglon and between Gelion and Celon, and they ravaged far into East Beleriand driving the Eldar before them, and Cranthir and Damrod and Díriel fled into the south. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

But this is amazing for another reason. Amon Ereb is a tremendously significant location to the Green-elves. Allowing Caranthir and Amras to flee there after the Bragollach, and then later Maedhros after the Nirnaeth, is an astonishing symbol of trust:

Therefore he [Thingol] called upon Denethor, and the Elves came in force from Region over Aros and from Ossiriand, and fought the first battle in the Wars of Beleriand. And the eastern host of the Orcs was taken between the armies of the Eldar, north of the Andram and midway between Aros and Gelion, and there they were utterly defeated, and those that fled north from the great slaughter were waylaid by the axes of the Naugrim that issued from Mount Dolmed: few indeed returned to Angband.

But the victory of the Elves was dearbought. For the Elves of Ossiriand were light-armed, and no match for the Orcs, who were shod with iron and iron-shielded and bore great spears with broad blades. And Denethor was cut off and surrounded upon the hill of Amon Ereb; and there he fell and all his nearest kin about him, ere the host of Thingol could come to his aid. Bitterly though his fall was avenged, when Thingol came upon the rear of the Orcs and slew them aheaps, the Green-elves lamented him ever after and took no king again. After the battle some returned to Ossiriand, and their tidings filled the remnant of their folk with great fear, so that thereafter they came never forth in open war, but kept themselves by wariness and secrecy. And many went north and entered the guarded realm of Thingol and were merged with his folk. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

Indeed, it seems likely to me that many of the North Sindarin allies of the Fëanorians, who would probably be barred from Doriath, fled specifically to Ossiriand:

Thus ended the Siege of Angband; and the foes of Morgoth were scattered and sundered one from another. The Dark-elves fled south and forsook the northern war. Many were received into Doriath, and the kingdom and strength of Thingol grew greater in that time; for the power of the queen Melian was woven about his borders and evil could not yet enter that hidden realm. Others took refuge in the fortresses by the sea, or in Nargothrond; but most fled the land and hid in Ossiriand, or passing the mountains wandered homeless in the wild. And rumour of the war and the breaking of the siege reached the ears of Men in Middle-earth. - Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V [XI]

In that way they would not, in fact, have forsaken the northern war. For the Green-elves marched together with the Fëanorians at the Nirnaeth, presumably implying that they worked with all six surviving sons - including, hilariously, Celegorm and Curufin:

Upon the East was raised the standard of Maidros, and to it came all the folk of Fëanor, and they were many; and the Dark-elves of the South; and of the Green-elves of Ossiriand many companies; and the tribes and battalions of the Easterlings with the sons of Bór and Ulfang.- Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V

And after the Nirnaeth was lost, the sons of Fëanor mingled with the Green-elves:

But fate saved the Sons of Fëanor, and though all were wounded none were slain. Yet their arms were scattered, and their people diminished, and their league broken; and they took to a wild and woodland life beneath the feet of Eredlindon, mingling with the Dark-elves, bereft of their power and glory of old. - Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V

Considering the words "beneath the feet of Eredlindon", it seems likely that they were in Ossiriand. And indeed, Ossiriand was somehow kept safe from Morgoth's assaults after the Nirnaeth, for the Orcs and wolves only reached its borders:

In this year [473] Morgoth having rested his strength, and given heed to his own hurts and great losses, renewed the assault upon Beleriand, which now lay open to him; and the orcs and wolves passed far into the lands, even as far as the borders of Ossiriand upon one side, and Nan Tathren upon the other, and none were safe in field or wild. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

The fact that the Fëanorians were somehow able to pull off the Second Kinslaying, suggests to me that they had significant forces available to them still. It makes me think that the Nandorin allies they had at the Nirnaeth were still their allies.

VI. The Green-elves and Dior

That is rather awkward, considering that Beren and Lúthien went precisely to Ossiriand as well, upon their return to their bodies as mortals in Bel. 469. They went to Tol Galen, the island in the middle of the stream of Adurant, southernmost of the rivers of Ossiriand:

But they did not dwell in Doriath; for taking up their mortal form they departed thence and went forth alone, fearing neither thirst nor hunger. And they passed beyond the rivers into Ossiriand, the Land of Seven Streams, and dwelt among the Green-elves [secretly > in Tol-galen the Green Isle]. Therefore the Gnomes called that land Gwerth-i-Cuina [> Gwerth-i-Guinar], the Land of the Dead that Live; and thereafter no mortal man spoke with Beren son of Barahir. - Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V

Well, thankfully the later Grey Annals solve our problem. For then it is specified that they dwelt alone and not even the Green-elves apparently know of them:

But Lúthien and Beren passed then out of the knowledge of Elves and Men, and dwelt a while alone by the green waters of Ossiriand in that land which the Eldar named therefore Gwerth-i-guinar, the land of the Dead that Live. Thereafter Beren son of Barahir spoke not again with any mortal Man. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

I tend to think that Beren and Lúthien were living with the Ents. Treebeard's Song mentions that he went to Neldoreth and Ossiriand, so probably there was an Entish population there. (Also he mentions Tasarinan i.e. Nan-tathren - and also, very much further north, Dorthonion. Which means that Dorthonion hilariously had populations of Elves, Men, Dwarves, and Ents simultaneously: the Noldor and North Sindar, the Bëorians, the Petty-dwarves like Mîm, and whatever Treebeard was doing there. Angrod and Aegnor were apparently ruling over the most cosmopolitan place in Beleriand.)

In the willow-meads of Tasarinan I walked in the Spring.
Ah! the sight and the smell of the Spring in Nan-tasarion!
And I said that was good.
I wandered in Summer in the elm-woods of Ossiriand.
Ah! the light and the music in the Summer by the Seven Rivers of Ossir!
And I thought that was best.
To the beeches of Neldoreth I came in the Autumn.
Ah! the gold and the red and the sighing of leaves in the Autumn in Taur-na-neldor!
It was more than my desire.
To the pine-trees upon the highland of Dorthonion I climbed in the Winter.
Ah! the wind and the whiteness and the black branches of Winter upon Orod-na-Thôn!
My voice went up and sang in the sky.
And now all those lands lie under the wave,
And I walk in Ambarona, in Tauremorna, in Aldalómë,
In my own land, in the country of Fangorn,
Where the roots are long,
And the years lie thicker than the leaves
In Tauremornalómë.

- Treebeard, TT

Incidentally, JRRT pointed to this as having to imply writing Ents into the Silmarillion stories:

There are or were no Ents in the older stories – because the Ents in fact only presented themselves to my sight, without premeditation or any previous conscious knowledge, when I came to Chapter IV of Book Three. But since Treebeard shows knowledge of the drowned land of Beleriand (west of the Mountains of Lune) in which the main action of the war against Morgoth took place*, they will have to come in. But as the War in Beleriand was at the time of the hobbits' meeting some 7,000 years ago, no doubt they were not quite the same: less wise, less strong, shyer and more uncommunicable (their own language simpler, but their knowledge of other tongues very small). - Letter 247 (20 September 1963)

Treebeard presumably awakened in Fangorn after the Elves. So while the March of the Quendi under Oromë did not encounter the Ents (it is not said that they did), perhaps Denethor, who turned south and west, did in fact encounter him. So it could be that he joined the Green-elves on their journey westward and entered Ossiriand with some of his Entish friends.

Dior was born there the next year, in Bel. 470. And so the earlier notion that Beren had aid of the Green-elves was replaced by the notion that the Ents aided him when waylaying the Dwarf-army.

But I can foresee one action that they took, not without a bearing on The L.R. It was in Ossiriand, a forest country, secret and mysterious before the west feet of the Ered Luin, that Beren and Lúthien dwelt for a while after Beren's return from the Dead (I p. 206). Beren did not show himself among mortals again, except once. He intercepted a dwarf-army that had descended from the mountains, sacked the realm of Doriath and slain King Thingol, Lúthien's father, carrying off a great booty, including Thingol's necklace upon which hung the Silmaril. There was a battle about a ford across one of the Seven Rivers of Ossir, and the Silmaril was recovered, and so came down to Dior Beren's son, and to Elwing Dior's daughter and Earendel her husband (father of Elros and Elrond). It seems clear that Beren, who had no army, received the aid of the Ents – and that would not make for love between Ents and Dwarves. - Letter 247

Although I kind of wonder about this. Dior needs to have had some kind of Iathrim contact, both to have had the idea of going to restore Doriath in the first place, and also for him to have been accepted by the Iathrim. I also think Dior is the most likely way messengers from Doriath could come to Beren after the Dwarves sacked it (per "Concerning the Hoard"), because it's already been said that no one really knows where Beren and Lúthien were. So presumably, the Ents of Ossiriand did not fully blab their location to the Ents of Doriath.

But at the same time, he also needs to have some kind of Green-elven contact, even though Beren and Lúthien didn't. Because for all that Nimloth is daughter of Galathil son of Galadhon son of Elmo brother of Elu Thingol, she seems to be culturally a Green-elf:

Dior Halfelven weds Lindis of Ossiriand. - The Wanderings of Húrin, HoME XI

Dior weds of the Green-elves > Dior weds Nimloth. ... Dior born (in Tol Galen?) c.470. He appears in Doriath after its ruin, and is welcomed by Melian with his wife Elulin of Ossiriand. - The Tale of Years, HoME XI

(Those are her earlier names. Due to the fic They Grow Up So Fast by lintamande, I have headcanoned for a while that Lindis is the name of Nimloth's mother. This is just because it is a nice name and I wanted it to be in use for someone.)

This is, um, interesting considering that the Green-elves by then are already working with the Fëanorians? Well, "Nimloth descended from Elmo" is later (1959) than the "Tale of Years" (1951), so it could be that JRRT decided to abandon Green-elvish Nimloth because of this problem. But there is so little about her that I'm intrigued by the idea of combining the stories. (In a way I am already kind of stuck doing that - because I'm not aware of any statement about Nimloth's ancestry from the period of "Telerin Celeborn" from c. 1968 onward.) Then it could be that Nimloth is matrilineally a Green-elf; and since Middle-earth societies care a lot about one's patrilineal line, her self-identification would be hilarious because it seems to mean rejecting her own royal Sindarin language. And yet she was totally fine with marrying Dior, the grandson of Thingol. Did she perhaps meet and fall and love with him before knowing who he was? It seems possible, since Beren and Lúthien passed out of the knowledge of Elves and Men.

VII. The Green-elves: perhaps not one people, but many

Something that at least helps save the situation, at least, is that there is a whole lot of evidence that there are many groups of Green-elves.

Now the Nandor, the Green-elves of Ossiriand, were troubled by the coming of Men, and when they heard that a lord of the Eldar from over the Sea was among them they sent messengers to Felagund. 'Lord,' they said, 'if you have power over these new-comers, bid them to return by the ways that they came, or else to go forward. For we desire no strangers in this land to break the peace in which we live. And these folk are hewers of trees and hunters of beasts; therefore we are their unfriends, and if they will not depart we shall afflict them in all ways that we can.'

Then by the advice of Felagund Bëor gathered all the wandering families and kindreds of his folk, and they removed over Gelion and took up their abode in the lands of Amras, upon the east-banks of the Celon near to the borders of Doriath. - The Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME XI

Well, this is before the Bragollach, and Amras was somehow still friendly with the Green-elves afterwards. Even though, as quoted above the Doriathrin Nandor (akin to the Green-elves) don't like the Edain. Although maybe they would agree with the Fëanorians on Beren in particular. :D

He became a friend of Daeron the minstrel,(8) for he also was skilled in song; and he had no love for Men, and least of all for any kinsman of Beren Erchamion. 'Is it not strange,' said he, 'that this land should be opened to yet another of this unhappy race? Did not the other do harm enough in Doriath?' - Narn i Chîn Húrin, Unfinished Tales

Also, the Green-elves above seem to have a problem with "hunters of beasts", when Finrod is precisely one himself, and became friends with Green-elves too:

Thus the sons of Fëanor under the leadership of Maidros were lords of East Beleriand, but their folk was in that time mostly in the north of the land; and southward they rode only to hunt, and to seek solitude for a while. And thither for like purpose the other Elflords would sometimes come, for the land was wild but very fair; and of these Finrod came most often, for he had great love of wandering, and he came even into Ossiriand and won friendship of the Green-elves. - Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V [XI]

Now it came to pass, when three hundred years and ten were gone since the Noldor came to Beleriand, in the days of the Long Peace, that Finrod Felagund journeyed east of Sirion and went hunting with Maglor and Maedros, sons of Fëanor. But he wearied of the chase and passed on alone towards the Mountains of Ered-lindon that he saw shining afar; and taking the Dwarf-road he crossed Gelion at the ford of Sarn-athrad, and turning south over the upper streams of Ascar, he came into the north of Ossiriand. - The Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME XI

So that's a lot of evidence that the Green-elves are not actually one totally homogeneous group. It could very well be that some Green-elves attacked Doriath at the Second Kinslaying even as others defended it. But that means that I need to cover three more issues:

• The textual history of the Green-elves.
• The Ruin of Doriath, also known as the part of the Silmarillion that was left in such a mess that CJRT felt the need to rewrite the story (though he regretted it in HoME XI). I will try doing my best to rationalise it from JRRT's original texts. :)
• The matter of Dior and Nimloth.

...well, actually, four. This whole essay was meant to be about Amras, before it became clear that I would need to treat the matter of the Green-elves to understand him fully. So we still need to get to his ending.

VIII. The death of Amras

For alas! Torment fell upon the brothers while they resisted their Oath between the Second and the Third Kinslayings. And it evidently ate away at Amras, so that the son of Fëanor who spoke against his father at Losgar had a terribly ignoble end:

Torment fell upon Maidros and his brethren, because of their unfulfilled oath. Damrod and Díriel resolved to win the Silmaril, if Eärendel would not give it up willingly. ... Damrod and Díriel ravaged Sirion, and were slain. Maidros and Maglor were there, but they were sick at heart. This was the third kinslaying. - The Later Annals of Beleriand, HoME V

512. Sons of Fëanor learn of the uprising of the New Havens, and that the Silmaril is there, but Maidros forswears his oath. ...

527. Torment fell upon Maidros and his brethren (Maglor, Damrod and Díriel) because of their unfulfilled oath. - The Tale of Years, HoME XI

And yet, using the last dates, they still managed to stay their hands until Bel. 538. That's twenty-six years of foreswearing the Oath, the last eleven of which were torture according to even Maedhros (who surely knows a lot about that).

We know that Fëanorian refugees too were arriving at Sirion ("Ælfwine and Dírhavel", HoME XI); and I strongly suspect that they were telling the terrible truth about how the Oath was twisting their lords, even though they really didn't want to fall further. See also my earlier headcanon about Nimloth, in which I posited that thanks to Fëanorian refugees, even Nimloth and Elwing knew about this and might've considered returning the Silmaril.

Well, I headcanon that Amras tried his best - but the Oath ate away at him, and there was nothing left. (Morgoth might be partially responsible, since he probably realised that he could thus destroy Sirion without lifting a finger.) I think this might be the most reasonable way to reconcile Amras the most bloodthirsty kinslayer at Sirion with Amras the son of Fëanor who spoke against his father after the burning of the ships.

And that would be sad. I'm sure Amrod wept in Mandos for how far Amras had fallen. :(

IX. The outer history of the Green-elves

The Green-elves first entered the history as Beren's people in "The Tale of the Nauglafring" (HoME II), but at that point there was no story of whence they came, or even of Ossiriand. Such stories first appear in the Earlier Annals of Valinor (HoME IV), where they are from Finwë's host rather than Elwë's:

Here the Green-elves or Laiqi or Laiqeldar came to Ossiriand at length after many wanderings and long sojourns in diverse places. It is told that a company of the Noldoli under Dan forsook the host of Finwë early in the march and turned south, but again finding the lands barren and dark turned north, and they came about 2700 over Eredlindon under Denithor son of Dan, and dwelt in Ossiriand, and they were allies of Thingol. - The Earlier Annals of Valinor, HoME IV

This folk was in the beginning of Noldorin race, but is not counted among the Eldar, nor yet among the Lembi. For they followed Oromë at first, yet forsook the host of Finwë ere the great march had gone very far, and turned southwards. But finding the lands dark and barren, for in the eldest days the South was never visited by any of the Valar, and its sky was scanty in stars, this folk turned again north. Their first leader was Dan, whose son was Denethor; and Denethor led many of them at last over the Blue Mountains in the days of Thingol. For though they had turned back, the Green-elves had yet heard the call to the West, and were still drawn thither at times in unquiet and restlessness; and for this reason they are not among the Lembi. - Lhammas, HoME V

The second Division befell when the followers of Nano (or Dan) forsook the main host of the Noldor upon the march, and wandered in Middle-earth.(8) These are the Pereldar, or 'Half-eldians', or the Danian Elves,† and their tongues are distinct from the rest of the Eldarin tongues, and yet more akin to them than to the Avarin.(9)

† Who were also in Ossiriand called the Laiquendi or Green Elves. - Parma Eldalamberon XVIII, p. 24

And we know that they took no king after the death of Denethor - until they decided to crown Beren, in this version. For at this stage, it was Beren who lived with them, and they were his army.

Here dwelt the Green-elves, but they took no king after the death of Denithor, until Beren came among them. Into East Beleriand the Elf-lords, even from afar, would ride at times  for hunting in the wild woods; but none passed east over Eredlindon, save only the Green-elves, for they had kindred that were yet in the further lands. ...

Beren and the Green-elves overthrew the Dwarves at Sarn-Athrad as they returned eastward, and the gold was cast into the river Ascar, which was after called Rathlóriel, the Bed of Gold. - The Later Annals of Beleriand, HoME V

But the speech of the Green-elves in Ossiriand became somewhat estranged from that of their own kindred that remained east of Eredlindon, being much affected by the tongue of Thingol's people. Yet the remained apart from the Telerin Ilkorins and remembered their kin beyond the mountains, with whom they had still some intercourse, and named themselves in common with these Danas. But they were called by others Green-elves, Laiqendi, because they loved the green wood, and green lands of fair waters; and the house of Denethor loved green above all colours, and the beech above all trees. They were allied with Thingol but not subject to him, until the return of Morgoth to the North, when after Denethor was slain many sought the protection of Thingol. But many dwelt still in Ossiriand, until the final ruin, and held to their own speech; and they were without a king, until Beren came unto them and they took him for lord. But their speech has now vanished from the earth, as have Beren and Lúthien. - Lhammas, HoME V

On the other hand, the references to the Green-elves also aiding the Fëanorians also exist at this time (HoME V), including that bit of hilarity about the Green-elves going with Maedhros to the Nirnaeth (suggesting that they support Celegorm and Curufin's version of events). Indeed, from the very same document above, we hear that Ossiriandic influenced Fëanorian speech:

But the folk of Maidros son of Fëanor remained, though but as a remnant, almost until the end; and their speech was mingled with that of all the others, and of Ossiriand, and of Men. - Lhammas, HoME V

Well, okay then. If Celegorm and Curufin worked with them as allies while preparing for the Nirnaeth, then I truly wonder what Beren said to have them take him for lord. (After all, the Union of Maedhros is formed in Bel. 468, and Beren and Lúthien only return to life in Bel. 469.) The fact that their speech was mingling with Ossiriand, and survived "almost until the end", kind of suggests the tremendously awkward scenario of Green-elves aiding the Fëanorians even at Sirion. Which is why I think all of this works a lot better with the later idea that Beren and Lúthien didn't bother talking to the Green-elves.

Later, in the post-LOTR phase, the Green-elves become Elves who seceded from Olwë's host. As quoted above, Beren is clarified not to have lived among them (actually a reversion - in the Earlier Annals of Beleriand of HoME IV, first Beren was out of knowledge of Men and Elves, but then "Elves" was changed to "Gnomes", and it was clarified that Beren lived with the Green-elves). Instead it was the Ents who aided him, as explained above.

Then one arose in the host of Olwë, which was ever hindmost on the march, and his name was Nano (or Dan in the tongue of his own people). And he forsook the westward march, and led away a numerous folk, and they went south down the River, and passed out of the knowledge of the Eldar until long years were over. These were the Nandor. ...

At this time a part of the lost Elves of the people of Dan after long wanderings came up into Beleriand from the South. Their leader was Denethor son of Dan, and he brought them to Ossiriand where seven rivers flow down from the Mountains of Lindon. These are the Green-elves. They had the friendship of Thingol. - The Annals of Aman, HoME X

For the hindmost of that people, repenting of the journey, forsook the host of Olwë, and Dan was their leader; and they turned southward and wandered long and far; and they became a folk apart, unlike their kin, save that they loved water, and dwelt most beside falls and running streams. They had greater lore of living things, tree and herb, bird and beast, than all other Elves. The Nandor they are called. It was Denethor son of Dan who turning again west at last led a part of that people over the mountains into Beleriand ere the rising of the Moon. ...

The Nandor are the Host of Dan, the Wood-elves, the Wanderers, the Axe-elves, the Green Elves and the Brown, the Hidden People; and those that came at last to Ossiriand are the Elves of the Seven Rivers, the Singers Unseen, the Kingless, the Weaponless, and the Lost Folk, for they are now no more. - The Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME X

I kind of wonder why the Nandor in Eriador and eastward are the "Axe-elves", whereas the ones in Ossiriand are "weaponless". In some changes to the later Quenta, "Axe-elves" was made a name of the Sindar, and for the Nandor "Staff-elves" was substituted; but not only is that change not in later versions, but a staff is very much a weapon. It also seems to me that this could be an insulting name; if the Green-elves went under Maedhros' banner to the Nirnaeth, then it would seem obvious that they were not weaponless. Perhaps whoever named them so had little respect for their guerilla tactics?

And hmm. Considering their lore of living things, I wonder how the Green-elves got along with Celegorm. He's a hunter, but that seems not to bother all the Green-elves; only some of them. And he speaks the languages of beasts...

Now as is elsewhere recounted, one Dan of the host of Olwë forsook the march of the Eldar at that time when the Teleri were halted by the shores of the Great River upon the borders of the westlands of Middle-earth. And he led away a numerous people and went south down the river, and of the wanderings of that people, the Nandor, little is now known. Some, it is said, dwelt age-long in the woods of the Vale of the Great River, some came at last to the mouths of Anduin, and there dwelt by the Sea, and others passing by the White Mountains came north again and entered the wilderness of Eriador between Eryd Luin and the far Mountains of Mist. Now these were a woodland folk and had no weapons of metal, and the coming of the fell beasts of the North affrayed them sorely, as the Naugrim reported. Therefore Denethor, the son of Dan, hearing rumour of the might of Thingol and his majesty, and of the peace of his realm, gathered such host of his scattered folk as he could and led them over the mountains into Beleriand. There they were welcomed by Thingol, as king long lost that return, and they dwelt in Ossiriand in the south of his kingdom. For it was a great country, and yet little peopled; and it was so named, the Land of Seven Rivers, because it lay between the mighty stream of Gelion and the mountains, from which there flowed into Gelion the swift rivers: Ascar, Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor, Duilwen, and Adurant. In that region the forests in after days were tall and green, and the people of Denethor there dwelt warily and seldom seen, beause of their raiment of the colour of leaves; and they were called therefore the Green-elves. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

There dwelt the Danian Elves, who in the beginning were of [Gnomish race, but forsook the march from Kuiviénen] > Telerian race, but forsook their lord Thingol upon the march from Cuiviénen, and came never to Valinor, and only after long wanderings came over the mountains in the dark ages; and some of their kindred welt still east of Eredlindon. Of old the lord of Ossiriand was Denethor, friend of Thingol; but he was slain in battle when he marched to the aid of Thingol against Melko, in the days when the Orcs were first made and broke the starlit peace of Beleriand. Thereafter Doriath was fenced with enchantment, and many of the folk of Denethor removed to Doriath and mingled with the Elves of Thingol; but those that remained in Ossiriand had no king, and lived in the protection of their rivers. For after Sirion Ulmo loved Gelion above all the waters of the western world. But the woordcraft of the Elves of Ossiriand was such that a stranger might pass through their land from end to end and see none of them. They were clad mostly in green in spring and in summer, and hence were called the Green-elves; and they delighted in song, and the sound of their singing could be heard even across the waters of Gelion, as if all their land was filled with choirs of birds whose fair voices had taken thought and meaning. [For which reason the Noldor named that land Lindon.] - Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V [XI]

I would imagine that it's now Dior who, once he was full-grown, left the house of his parents and went through Ossiriand - and then perhaps to Doriath to meet his grandfather. (He needs to, after all, have some connexion to the place to want to be king of it.) Perhaps I'd speculate that he met Nimloth by Lanthir Lamath.

But, uh, this would seem to be a most interesting romance. Because I cannot imagine, looking at the "Grey Annals", that the Green-elves of Ossiriand were all that friendly with Thingol after the First Battle. Indeed, I think it's quite easy to understand why they became Fëanorian allies - see the next section.

Very late on, JRRT decided to go back to his older conception. Now he wrote that while the Silvan Elves were from Olwë's host, in fact the Green-Elves were from Finwë's host.

d and l interchanged frequently in early Common Eldarin, as exemplified by Dat/Lat 'fall (to the ground)'. It is recorded by the Loremasters that in Nandorin, the now almost entirely lost tongue of the Nandor (later called the Green-elves) of Ossiriand, enel meant 'in the middle, between'. Of this enel, lepenel in Quenya probably preserves a survivor: the Nandor were in origin a detachment of the Noldor that went astray and did not come into Beleriand until shortly before the Exilic period. - Eldarin Hands, Fingers, and Numerals, Vinyar Tengwar 47, p. 29

In the fragmentary survivals of the legends of the Great Journey there are mentions of several secessions from the march, either by accident (some small parties lost their way) or by deliberate abandonment of the journey through weariness and loss of hope. For the most part these secessions were made by groups of the Lindar, the most numerous of the Eldar, who had been the most reluctant to leave their ancient home, and marched more slowly westward, always in the rear. [fn1] [2] The Eldar of Ossiriand, the Green Elves, though wood-dwellers, were of quite different origin, which does not here concern us; they were probably in origin of Noldorin kinship. - Silvan Elves and Silvan Elvish, NoME

Since it is the latest version, I'm going with this. So in a way, maybe the Fëanorians can equally accurately greet the Green-elves as lost kin! And perhaps worth noting, in this connexion, is that the Northeastern Sindar who join the Fëanorians are probably also mostly from Finwë's host!

In the N(W) there were settlements of Elves, who seldom went far abroad, and only rarely and temporarily ever passed the Eredwethrin. They must, as history and the surviving traces of their language indicate, have been mainly Teleri in origin; but a tradition lingered that some were in fact Noldor, who failed also to embark. (Not quite like Thingol, but evidently because they had explored too far away from the Shore, or had struck up friendships with the Teleri who came up behind.) ...

The Teleri never dwelt (before the return of Morgoth) very far from the West-shores, the centre of the Northern Speech was thus in Mithrim. - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 134

And so the NE Sindar on Dorthonion and Ard-galen, and (by implication) in Lothlann and Thargelion, are probably mostly Tatyar rather than Nelyar.

Given the conflation I'm going with, this has the hilarious result that Nimloth is kind of outright calling herself a Noldo. In fact, between Sirion and the Blue Mountains, it seems therefore that everywhere outside Doriath could be majority Noldorin.

X. Green-elves unfriendly to Thingol

Allow me to quote the "Grey Annals":

But it came to pass that the Dwarves were troubled, and they spoke to King Thingol, saying that the Valar had not rooted out utterly the evils of the North, and now the remnant, having long multiplied in the dark, were coming forth once more and roaming far and wide. 'There are fell beasts,' said they, 'in the land east of the mountains, and the dark-elves that dwell there, your ancient kindred, are flying from the plains to the hills.' - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

So, the Nandor of Eriador are in trouble - and Thingol does absolutely nothing until Beleriand his own kingdom is threatened.

And ere long (in the year 1330 according to the annals that were made in Doriath) the evil creatures came even to Beleriand, over passes in the mountains, or up from the south through the dark forests. Wolves there were, or creatures that walked in wolf-shapes, and other fell beings of shadow.

Among these were the Orkor indeed, who after wrought ruin in Beleriand; but they were yet few and wary and did but smell out the ways of the land, awaiting the return of their Lord. Whence they came, or what they were, the Elves knew not then, deeming them to be Avari, maybe, that had become evil and savage in the wild. In which they guessed all too near, it is said.

Therefore Thingol bethought [him] of arms, which before his folk had not needed, and these at first the Naugrim smithied for him. ... - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

Oh, well done, Thingol. Not only do you only start caring once it's your own people who are threatened (...possibly not including the Hithlum and Dorthonion Sindar because those lands are not actually part of Beleriand), but your first thought is to think that the eastern Elves you left behind have all turned evil. But at least you got the Dwarves to make weapons for you.

And now the Nandor under Denethor arrive:

Now these were a woodland folk and had no weapons of metal, and the coming of the fell beasts of the North affrayed them sorely, as the Naugrim reported. Therefore Denethor, the son of Dan, hearing rumour of the might of Thingol and his majesty, and of the peace of his realm, gathered such host of his scattered folk as he could and led them over the mountains into Beleriand. There they were welcomed by Thingol, as kin long lost that return, and they dwelt in Ossiriand in the south of his kingdom. ... - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

So, Thingol claims Ossiriand, apparently. The Green-elves are evidently supposed to be his people. So you'd think he'd likewise arm them against the threat - particularly since he can call upon Denethor, so there was probably some way to transfer weapons into Ossiriand.

Except that it doesn't happen:

Therefore he [Thingol] called upon Denethor, and the Elves came in force from Region over Aros and from Ossiriand, and fought the first battle in the Wars of Beleriand. And the eastern host of the Orcs was taken between the armies of the Eldar, north of the Andram and midway between Aros and Gelion, and there they were utterly defeated, and those that fled north from the great slaughter were waylaid by the axes of the Naugrim that issued from Mount Dolmed: few indeed returned to Angband.

But the victory of the Elves was dearbought. For the Elves of Ossiriand were light-armed, and no match for the Orcs, who were shod with iron and iron-shielded and bore great spears with broad blades. And Denethor was cut off and surrounded upon the hill of Amon Ereb; and there he fell and all his nearest kin about him, ere the host of Thingol could come to his aid. Bitterly though his fall was avenged, when Thingol came upon the rear of the Orcs and slew them aheaps, the Green-elves lamented him ever after and took no king again. After the battle some returned to Ossiriand, and their tidings filled the remnant of their folk with great fear, so that thereafter they came never forth in open war, but kept themselves by wariness and secrecy. And many went north and entered the guarded realm of Thingol and were merged with his folk. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

Yeah. So that's how it went. The Sindar had good weapons, but the Nandor did not, for all that they're supposed to be under Thingol's rule indirectly.

I'm sure those who went north to Thingol and assimilated into Doriath found some way to justify Thingol in this. Maybe more did, and maybe the Elves later in Ossiriand were split, as some crossed from Arthórien back over Celon in the lands now pacified once more. But I feel like it speaks volumes, that many Green-elves remained in Ossiriand, when everywhere outside Doriath itself and the walled Havens of Círdan was superbly dangerous.

And when Thingol came again to Menegroth he learned that the Orc-host in the west was vicotrious and had driven Círdan to the rim of the Sea. Therefore he withdrew all his folk that his summons could reach within the fastness of Neldoreth and Region, and Melian put forth her power and fenced all that dominion round about with an unseen wall of shadow and bewilderment: the Girdle of Melian, that none thereafter could pass against her will or the will of King Thingol (unless one should come with a power greater than that of Melian the Maia). Therefore this inner land which was long named Eglador was after called Doriath, the guarded kingdom, Land of the Girdle. Within it there was yet a watchful peace; but without there was peril and great fear, and the servants of Morgoth roamed at will, save in the walled havens of the Falas. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

Thingol's summons could certainly reach Ossiriand earlier; and so it must be that these Green-elves refused the summons of Thingol. I think they were feeling betrayed, because they took greater casualties than they should have because they were not given better weapons; and they must have felt very angry for them to prefer their own land, unsafe as it was, to the safety of the Girdle. Maybe, considering that Thingol tends to be a lot nicer precisely when it's his kin who he's talking to, these are the Green-elves who are rather Noldorin, and he was friendlier to Teleri who tagged along.

Well, I think it is likely that there was a whole lot of anti-Nandorin prejudice and discrimination on the part of the Sindar.

XI. Anti-Nandorin prejudice by the Sindar

There is some indication that the Nandor who entered Doriath assimilated and lost their language, while the ones who stayed in Ossiriand might not have:

That is they were Nandor, a branch of the Teleri that deserted the westward march. Some of these ultimately entered Beleriand and dwelt in Ossiriand; but many groups were left behind in Eriador and in the Vale of Anduin. Of the tongue of the Green-Elves (or Silvan Elves) of Ossiriand we have some (scanty) information from Eldarin historians. This is sufficient to show that, though different in many ways from the Sindarin of Beleriand, it remained basically a Telerin (and therefore an Eldarin and not Avarin) language, or group of dialects. It was thus easily assimilated to Sindarin (as happened in the case of the Nandor in Doriath); and this process had probably ...

The Nandor were a part of the Teleri who deserted the Western March, Only a part again of these eventually came westward and crossed into Beleriand, where they dwelt (sparsely) in Ossiriand - except for those who had entered Doriath and became more or less merged with the Sindar.- Parma Eldalamberon XVII, pp. 53-54

What I find rather unpleasant, incidentally, is what happened over in the realms where Sindarin princes ruled over a Nandorin folk. Because every time that happens, even when Oropher comes with few Sindar, it's Nandorin that goes extinct.

Oropher was of Sindarin origin (cf. LR III 363) and no doubt his son was following the example of King Thingol, long before in Doriath; though his halls were not to be compared with Menegroth. He had not the arts nor the wealth nor the aid of the Dwarves; and compared with the Elves of Doriath his Silvan folk were rude and rustic. He had come among them with only a handful of Sindar, and they were soon merged with the Silvan Elves, adopting their language and taking names of Silvan form and style. This they did deliberately; for they (and other similar adventurers forgotten in the legends or only briefly named) came from Doriath after its ruin, and had no desire to leave Middle-earth, nor to be merged with the other Sindar of Beleriand, dominated by the Noldorin Exiles for whom the folk of Doriath had no great love. They wished indeed to become Silvan folk and to return, as they said, to the simple life natural to the Elves before the invitation of the Valar had disturbed it. - Silvan Elves and Silvan Elvish, NoME

It seems significant that he doesn't find staying in Ossiriand appealing. One could certainly guess, in favour of Oropher, that there's just too many Fëanorian Green-elves and his Doriath-friendly Green-elves aren't large enough in number. On the other hand, it's also possible that he only likes his fantasy of the supposedly primitive Nandor, and the actual Nandor he'd know better don't enthuse him (I mean, Nimloth is literally his queen and he doesn't seem to want to go with her to Sirion). And to be honest, if Oropher wanted to turn Nandorin, then I start to wonder why Sindarin then anyway becomes the written language of high culture (unlike the Noldor adopting Sindarin), relegating Nandorin to the status of an unwritten tongue that was extinguished:

Thus, although the dialects of the Silvan Elves, when they again met their long separated kindred, had so far diverged from Sindarin as to be hardly intelligible, little study was needed to reveal their kinship as Eldarin tongues. [fn5] Though the comparison of the Silvan dialects with their own speech greatly interested the loremasters, especially those of Noldorin origin, little is now known of the Silvan Elvish. The Silvan Elves had invented no forms of writing, and those who learned this art from the Sindar wrote in Sindarin as well as they could. By the end of the Third Age the Silvan tongues had probably ceased to be spoken in the two regions that had importance at the time of the War of the Ring: Lórien and the realm of Thranduil in northern Mirkwood. All that survived of them in the records was a few words and several names of persons and places. [7] - Silvan Elves and Silvan Elvish, NoME

(Though see the end of this essay, regarding Thranduil - I think I now have an explanation that makes Oropher less obnoxious.)

As for the situation in Lórien: Galadriel and Celeborn lived in a high flet in Caras Galadhon, like Nimrodel once did. And it seems from the latest idea that Amroth outright got the idea from her - and since she may be the first who did that, which the Nandor of the region all did, I'm starting to wonder if Nimrodel was herself a prominent leader in her Nandorin community. It does seem of interest that Mithrellas was called one of her maidens.

Though Sindarin in descent he lived after the manner of the Silvan Elves and housed in the tall trees of a great green mound, ever after called Cerin Amroth. This he did because of his love for Nimrodel. - Amroth and Nimrodel, Unfinished Tales

Unless it was Nimrodel. Her motives were different. She loved the waters and the falls of Nimrodel from which she would not long be parted; but as times darkened the stream was too near the north borders and in a part where few of the Galadhrim now dwelt. Maybe it was from her that Amroth took the idea of living in a high flet. - Silvan Elves and Silvan Elvish, NoME

In the tradition of his house Angelimar was the twentieth in unbroken descent from Galador, first Lord of Dol Amroth (c. Third Age 2004-2129). According to the same traditions Galador was the son of Imrazôr the Númenórean, who dwelt in Belfalas, and the Elven-lady Mithrellas. She was one of the companions of Nimrodel, among many of the Elves that fled to the coast about the year 1980 of the Third Age, when evil arose in Moria; and Nimrodel and her maidens strayed in the wooded hills, and were lost. But in this tale it is said that Imrazor harboured Mithrellas, and took her to wife. But when she had borne him a son, Galador, and a daughter, Gilmith, she slipped away by night and he saw her no more. But though Mithrellas was of the lesser Silvan race (and not of the High Elves or the Grey) it was ever held that the house and kin of the Lords of Dol Amroth was noble by blood as they were fair in face and mind. - Amroth and Nimrodel, Unfinished Tales

Although alas, it's still noteworthy that Nimrodel clung to Nandorin. (Maybe Mithrellas did too?) But considering that Galadriel and Celeborn probably came with more Noldor and Sindar than Oropher did, I am inclined to cut Galadriel and Celeborn some slack here. The language shift here might have occurred after many centuries of mutual cultural exchange, since after all the Lord and Lady of the Galadhrim started living like Nandor.

She would speak only the Silvan tongue, even after it had fallen into disuse among the folk of Lórien;(12) and she dwelt alone beside the falls of the river Nimrodel to which she gave her name. - Amroth and Nimrodel, Unfinished Tales

Maybe one factor could be that the Nandor who lived in Lórien may have been partially Tatyarin, and thus greet Galadriel's Noldor as kin long-sundered?

The Nandor name appears to have been Lóriand or Lórinand, containing lór- = Q laure, S glawar. (The Nandor here evidently had a Noldorin ingredient.) - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 48

They might have been already working with the Nandor in Eregion (in a Sindarin Celeborn text). Indeed, it seems Celeborn's Nandor in this text have no problem with the Dwarves of Moria:

Eventually Galadriel and Celeborn, with a following mainly of Noldor (but of course also Sindar and perhaps? some Nandor) established (c. S.A. 750) the realm of Eregion west of the Misty Mountains, and maintained friendship with the Dwarves of Moria. They had access to the great Nandorin realm on the other side of the Mountains (where afterwards Lórien was: as a remnant of much greater woods joining up with Mirkwood on both sides of Anduin). ...

When Celebrimbor discovers the designs of Sauron and repents – and hides the Three Rings – Sauron invades Eriador from the south, and besieges Eregion. Celeborn and Amroth with Nandor and Dwarves come through Moria to the west. - Galadriel and Celeborn, NoME

But let's return to the First Age. I tend to think that Nandorin was looked down upon in Doriath, and despised as a tongue of the uneducated - maybe even more so for the Green-elves, for this would be a Tatyarin Nandorin rather than a Nelyarin one. For even after they tried assimilating, it was not a happy situation. See CJRT's commentary on the paragraph quoted above re Saeros:

This was largely derived from an isolated note, very rapidly written and not at all points intelligible, among the Narn papers, but somewhat reduced. It is remarked in this note that 'the Nandor had turned away, never seen the Sea or even Ossë, and had become virtually Avari. They had also picked up various Avari before they came back west to Ossiriand.' Of those Nandor who took refuge in Doriath after the fall of Denethor it is said: 'In the event they did not mingle happily with the Teleri of Doriath, and so dwelt mostly in the small land Eglamar, Arthórien under their own chief. Some of them were "darkhearted", though this did not necessarily appear, except under strain or provocation.' 'The chief of the "Guest-elves", as they were called, was given a permanent place in Thingol's council'; and Saeros (in this note called in fact Orgoph or Orgol) was 'the son of the chief of the Guest-elves, and had been for a long time resident in Menegroth'. - Commentary to the Grey Annals, HoME XI

I wonder now - is Ithilbor then one of the Telerin Nandor, who is now enjoying getting elevated even as Denethor's line was extinguished?

And also, note the accusation by the Sindar that the Green-elves withdrew from the war against Morgoth, which they clearly didn't:

These names were however later replaced among the Sindar by the name 'Green-elves', at least as far as the inhabitants of Ossiriand were concerned; for they withdrew themselves and took as little part in the strife with Morgoth as they could. This name, S Laegel, pl. Laegil, class-plural Laegrim or Laegel(d)rim, was given both because of the greenness of the land of Lindon, and because the Laegrim clothed themselves in green as an aid to secrecy. This term the Noldor translated into Quenya Laiquendi; but it was not much used. - Quendi and Eldar, HoME XI

This is kind of rich, coming from the Iathrim. I wonder if the fact that the Green-elves allied with the Fëanorians is a factor. And this would imply relapsing and calling them Moerbin (you know, the same insult Saeros threw against Morwen to Túrin's face - maybe he was trying way too hard to assimilate with the Iathrim):

By the Sindar anyone dwelling outside Beleriand, or entering their realm from outside, was called a Morben. The first people of this kind to be met were the Nandor, who entered East Beleriand over the passes of the Mountains before the return of Morgoth ... Celbin ... became practically equivalent to 'peoples in alliance in the War against Morgoth'. The Avari thus remained the chief examples of Moerbin.

(Note 9) The implication that as opposed  to Celbin the Moerbin were allies of Morgoth, or at least of dubious loyalty, was, however, untrue with regard to the Avari. No Elf of any kind ever sided with Morgoth of free will, though under torture or the stress of great fear, or deluded by lies, they might obey his commands: but this applied also the Celbin. The 'Dark-elves', however, often were hostile, and even treacherous, in their dealings with the Sindar and Noldor; and if they fought, as they did when themselves assailed by the Orcs, they never took any open part in the War on the side of the Celbin. They were, it seems, filled with an inherited bitterness againts the Eldar, whom they regarded as deserters of their kin, and in Beleriand this feeling was increased by envy (especially of the Amanyar), and by resentment of their lordliness. ... Some of the Nandor, who were allowed to be Celbin, were not any better. Saeros, a counsellor of King Thingol, who belonged to a small clan of Nandor living in eastern Doriath, was chiefly responsible for the driving into outlawry of Túrin son of Húrin. Túrin's mother was named Morwen 'dark maiden', because of her dark hair, and it was one of Saeros' worst insults to call her Morben. For that Túrin smote him in the king's hall. - Quendi and Eldar, HoME XI

The bit I omitted is a later rejected version of Eöl and Aredhel, where Eöl is a Tatyarin Avar. (In the 1971 Maeglin notes he's back as a relative of Thingol.)

And it seems that Nandor and Avari were often confused (note the line "not strictly Avari" when referring to Eriadorean Nandor), both from the above commentary on Saeros, and from the linguistic texts:

Many of these "wandering elves" in Eriador appear also to have been not strictly Avari but of Telerin origin: and so, if long separated, still ultimately closely akin to the Sindar: their tongues were not, therefore, alien basically, but of Eldarin sort, and were much assimilated to Sindarin. ... That is they were Nandor, a branch of the Teleri that deserted the westward march.

Avari would not, at this period, be found west of the Misty Mountains. In Eriador such Elves as remained, or were gathered under the protection of Elrond, were either Nandor, or else Sindar and Noldor, fugitives from the destruction of Beleriand at the end of the First Age. - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 53

And that Nandor, while technically Eldar, were sometimes excluded. Indeed, the very name "Nandor" is an insult:

The name Nandor was a derivative of the element *dan, *ndan- indicating the reversal of an action, so as to undo or nullify its effect, as in 'undo, go back (the same way), unsay, give back (the same gift: not another in return)'. The original word *ndando, therefore, probably only implied 'one who goes back on his word or decision'. - Quendi and Eldar, HoME XI

The Nandor so called not because they came back again westward but because at a certain point in the March they relented [>> they reverted >> they said "we are going home" >> they lost heart and would go no further, and some going home]. And so were not well regarded by Eldar or Avari. - Variation D/L in Common Eldarin, Vinyar Tengwar 48, p. 32

This is about the Quenya name Nandor, but JRRT notes in "Quendi and Eldar" that it was made at the time they forsook the March. The Sindar, on the other hand, used the name Danwaith (with dan cognate to Quenya nan- in Nandor, so basically synonymous); or Denwaith (confusing it with the name of the initial leader of the defectors, Lenwë who in Nandorin was named Denweg). So basically, Danwaith is just a translation of the same insult Nando.

So there was probably a stereotype going around that Nandor are inherently untrustworthy. :( I'm using the term Nandor only because it's difficult to find a better one. Perhaps one could use Lindi, the (plural) Nandorin endonym for themselves; but the problem is that the Quenya cognate Linda generally refers to Amanya Teleri, so it's difficult to name their languages clearly if one avoids the term "Nando". The other problem is that this refers to the conception in which the Nandor are from the Third Clan, and so it doesn't work for Tatyarin Nandor like the Green-elves become in the last texts.

Incidentally, this means that the etymology JRRT provided for Lindon (Ossiriand) does not work anymore. And more generally, the Sindar cannot forget the old clan-name ñgolodō for the Tatyar. But maybe this bit still works:

The Sindar usually named themselves just eðel, characterizing other varieties by an adjective or prefix. Other names were Areðel (noble-elves), a name afterwards including also the Exiled Noldor; and Thinneðel, Grey-elf, later more generally used of the subjects of Thingol; and also in general contrast to the Nandor and the Noldor: belair [sg. belerion, belerieth; belair || pl. belair, balarwaith, beleriath]. But an adjectival form *teleryā survived in teleir, telerion(, -eth), pi. telir, teleriath, telerwaith and again later became current as a general term to distinguish the Sindar (and usually also Nandor) from either the Noldor or the Dark-Elves (east of the Mountains: a few had entered into Beleriand). - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 139

The result would presumably be the Sindar considering themselves the default Elves, remembering very much that the Green-elves are often not Teleri, and excluding them from their community by using terms like Telerwaith for themselves alone. At least, here, it is made clear that the Nandor are not Thingol's subjects (except those who went into Arthórien and still got some discrimination). And with Tatyarin Nandor, I guess what's likely to happen is that the Green-elves get lumped in with the Noldor, and Nimloth probably gets seen in Doriath as a turncoat who worked with the hated Fëanorians in spite of her royal Sindarin blood. Well, I suppose some in Doriath might argue that she's not fully a turncoat because her maternal lineage would indeed be Noldorin, so she's siding her mother's kin over her father's; but in that sense it would probably start leading to hatred of the Green-elves in Doriath, the more so as they march to the Nirnaeth under Maedhros' banner (and probably, even more radioactively, Celegorm and Curufin's).

Hilariously, I think the Fëanorians would say to the Nandor: well, great! You realised Valinor would be a cage, and refused to march further! Indeed, perhaps the reason the Nandor refused to keep marching was distrust of the Valar:

Either by chance, machinations of Sauron, and/or because Oromë withdraws protection (hoping to make the Eldar less content with their new Home (Atyamar), [12] winters are hard and the weather worsens. ... The Anduin is wild and flooded and great snowstorms fall in the Misty Mountains – then much taller – which last far into the spring. The total Telerin host is 13,000 now; more than 3,000 refuse to leave Atyamar. These are the Nandor. [fn2] [14] - The March of the Quendi, NoME

Considering that I think the Fëanorians were probably starting a scientific revolution in Valinor, perhaps they might even praise these Nandor for updating their priors. :D

Eärendil did not include Nandorin among the languages he thought would represent all those who fought against Morgoth. It seems about as pointed as not including North Sindarin, which by that point was basically the Fëanorian tongue. (But more on Eärendil and Nandorin later.)

In the havens of refuge, when Morgoth's conquest was all but complete, there were several tongues to be heard. Not only the Sindarin, which was chiefly used, but also its Northern dialect; and among the Men of the Atani some still used their Mannish speeches; and of all these Eärendil had some knowledge. It is said that before Manwë he spoke the errand of Elves and Men first in Sindarin, since that might represent all those of the suppliants who had survived the war with Morgoth; but he repeated it in Quenya, since that was the language of the Noldor, who alone were under the ban of the Valar; and he added a prayer in the Mannish tongues of Hador and Bëor,(17) pleading that they were not under the ban, and had aided the Eldar only in their war against Morgoth, the enemy of the Valar. For the Atani had not rebelled against the Valar; they had rejected Morgoth and fled Westward seeking the Valar as the representatives of the One.

(17) The language of the Folk of Haleth was not used, for they had perished and would no rise again. Nor would their tongue be heard again, unless the prophecy of Andreth the Wise-woman should prove true, that Túrin in the Last Battle should return from the Dead, and before he left the Circles of the World for ever should challenge the Great Dragon of Morgoth, Ancalagon the Black, and deal him the death-stroke. - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

(The "Last Battle" here is the War of Wrath, not the Dagor Dagorath.)

Maglor was one of the Fëanorian linguists (the "Shibboleth"). I headcanon that he learned Nandorin, partly because the Nandor were Fëanorian allies, and partly because it probably helped to confirm one of his father's theories:

This ē, ō that were represented in Telerin by ā were long known as "Fëanor's e and o". Their existence was later confirmed by investigation of Sindarin and Nandorin. - Vinyar Tengwar 39, p. 10

That would be fairly in-character for the Fëanorians, who (unlike the Noldor under Fingon or Finrod) did not attempt to "improve" the local language (whatever that could mean), but adopted North Sindarin wholesale:

It was the Noldor who in fact stabilized and made [?impr(ovements)] to the 'common Sindarin' of the days of the wars, and it was based on W[est] Sindarin. The old North dialect practically died out except in place names as Dorlomin, Hithlum etc. but for a few scattered and hidden [?clans] of the old Northern [?group] and except in so far as adopted by the Feanorians, who had moved east. So that in days of the wars Sindarin was [?really] [?divided] into West Sindarin [?includ(ing)] all Noldor of Finrod and Fingon; [?the] East [?only] preserved by [?house] of Feanor; [?and] Central or Doriath. - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 133

Put like that, perhaps this bit of linguistic excursus can be headcanoned as Maglor's work, studying and preserving Nandorin of Ossiriand for the evidence it gives regarding the Common Eldarin period:

The occurrence of hm, hn in AQ is the chief source of evidence for initial sm, sn in CE; since all the remaining Eldarin dialects (other than Nandorin) also lost s in these combinations, and being much later in record than AQ show no clear traces of it. In the Nandorin dialect of Ossiriand sm, sn persisted, but that language is imperfectly recorded. Initial sm, sn, becoming medial in old compounds, followed the medial development and so affords occasional evidence of the former presence of s. - Parma Eldalamberon XIX, p. 79

√SNAG-, wound, gash; snagdē, a wounding, a wound: Q nahte, T nacte, natte; S naeð, Nand. snād. - Parma Eldalamberon XIX, p. 91

Incidentally, I think "Nandorin" is also probably an oversimplification. Just as Sindarin actually has significant dialectical differences (West Sindarin of Círdan differed somewhat from Doriathrin, and North Sindarin differed even more), so probably did Nandorin, so that we should really perhaps speak of Sindarin and Nandorin language families. For clarity I will try to use "Ossiriandic" to mean specifically the Nandorin speech of Ossiriand; of the speeches further east we know little. In Parma Eldalamberon XIX (p. 18), JRRT at least mentions Danian (of Ossiriand) vs. East Danian (beyond the Blue Mountains).

XII. Dwarvish contacts of the Green-elves (plus some river-names)

The river-names of Ossiriand are originally Ilkorin (Beleriandic) in the "Etymologies" (HoME V). They might (following Paul Strack's conjecture in his discussion of Gelion) be Nandorin (Ossiriandic) in the later idea of the mythology, because of their location.

Generally in Beleriand a Noldorized (slightly) Sindarin was spoken. In Doriath less Noldorin if any. [?Ossiriand] to be like Beleriandic. - Excursus on the languages of Beleriand, HoME XI

In need of revision - especially to meet revised history whereby Lindar > Vanyar and V[anyarin] & Nol[dorin] were virtually identical; whereas the Nol[dor] in Bel[eriand] adopted the native Sindarin tongue. So that Nold. Exilic now becomes > Beleriandic and Bel. > Ossiriandic.

But most of the fair pages must now stand as authentic. - Parma Eldalamberon XXI, p. xxii

Of course not all Ilkorin names make sense as Ossiriandic. Esgalduin for example became a Sindarin name rather than an Ilkorin one - obviously, since it's a river flowing past Menegroth.

√SKAL was applied to more opaque things that cut off light and cast shadows over other things. An important example in Sindarin is the name of the river which flowed through the forests of Doriath: Esgalduin 'the river under shade', most of its course being under the shadow of great trees. - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 184

But it does make me wonder if the toponyms in East Beleriand, where there might be a larger Nandorin population, could be thought of as Nandorin. So I'll attempt to run with this idea as far as I can.

Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor, Duilwen, and Adurant were originally Ilkorin and never updated with new Sindarin etymologies once the Ilkorin tongue was no longer valid. Ascar in particular cannot be Sindarin, because [sk] became [sg] (e.g. Esgalduin; see Paul Strack's discussion). Perhaps, based on the Maeglin notes, JRRT intended to revise this to Asgar to make it proper Sindarin (the regular form which appears there, see below).

Gelion itself is the most interesting, though it is likewise originally Ilkorin, because JRRT came up with a re-etymologisation from a surprising source. In the late 1971 Maeglin notes this is a borrowing from Khuzdul Gabilân "Great River", and that it is so called because of how swift it became after the six other rivers of Ossiriand flowed into it. That seems to suggest contact between the Dwarves and the Green-elves, as little might be thought, since the Dwarves would presumably need to know about the geography of Ossiriand for this:

The Dwarvish name was also often translated Duin Daer. The name Gabilân was by the Dwarves given only to the River south of the Falls where (after the junction of the River with the Asgar coming from the Mountains) it became swift and was steadily increased in volume by the inflow of five more tributaries. - Maeglin, HoME XI

Perhaps this could explain the name "Axe-elves" given to the Nandor. So maybe the more Thingol-sceptical Green-elves started getting their armoury directly from the Dwarves, after the disaster that was the First Battle. I headcanon that Gevolon (a version also in the Maeglin notes) is true North Sindarin, Gelion is Nandorin (both borrowed from Khuzdul), and that it's Duin Daer (the translation) that the Khuzdul-hating Iathrim are saying.

... it [Doriathrin] resisted the acquisition of words of orkish or dwarvish origin, and was entirely free, while the Kingdom of Thingol lasted, from Noldorin influence. - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 133

In this sense, perhaps this passage, where JRRT considered a Nandorin origin of the Cirth, is hilarious?

The so-called Alphabet of Dairon was in origin a 'runic' script devised for inscriptions, especially on wood, that originated among the Ilkorins. It is usually said to have arisen in Doriath, and it certainly there developed most completely, even producing a written form. But probably its actual invention was due to the Danian elves of Ossiriand (who were ultimately of Noldorin race). The name 'alphabet of Dairon' is due to the preservation in this script of some fragments of the songs of Dairon, the ill-fated minstrel of King Thingol of Doriath, in the works on the ancient Beleriandic languages by Pengoloð the Wise of Gondolin. The Noldor did not use this script much, even in Beleriand, though Pengoloð cites cases of inscriptions at Nargothrond and Sirion's mouth that are in Noldorin tongue. But this runic alphabet spread eastward from Ossiriand to the Dwarves, and was largely used by them. - Appendix on Runes, HoME VII

To be fair, I think JRRT's last statement on the runes is that they are a Dwarvish invention from Belegost and Nogrod:

Though devised by the Sindar (owing to their enmity with the Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost) it is probable (and was held true by the Noldor) that the idea of runes cut in stone etc. was derived ultimately from the Dwarves who had friendship with the sons of Fëanor. - Note on Dwarvish Voices, NoME

But certainly, I think it makes sense to headcanon (as a reference to the above document) that it got transmitted from the Dwarves to Ossiriand - and thus suggesting more friendship with the Fëanorians. And I can't help but notice that some of those Dwarves would've attacked Doriath, which suggests to me that there could've been Green-elves on the Fëanorian side of the Second Kinslaying, seeing it as revenge for their helpers.

The river-name Aros is difficult to account for in Sindarin. (See Paul Strack for some other discussion.) In the "Etymologies", it is Ilkorin for its "reddish water". (Its source is in the Gorgoroth, where we know iron was found from NoME "Notes on Elvish Economy"; I would guess that to be the reason.) The problem is that the Ilkorin etymology is from the root √YAR "blood", showing Ilkorin deletion of initial [j]; the Noldorin cognate is given as Iaros. Not to mention that this root is a bit iffy later (though Agarwaen might still be related to it somehow), since JRRT later used √SEREK "blood": Q serkë, S sereg, as in the seregon growing on Amon Rûdh. So it is not at all clear what this river-name might mean in Sindarin.

But since Amras' territory extends to South Beleriand and should border Aros, it amuses me to headcanon Aros as a Nandorin name to resolve this problem. Perhaps something of the sort might be contrived for Celon, originally just Ilkorin celon "river". In the Maeglin notes. JRRT said he wanted to change it, not only because it was "too hackneyed", but also on the grounds that it was no longer "etymologizable" (like Gelion).

Celon is too hackneyed a river-name. Limhír (the clear / sparkling river) - repeated in L.R. as were not unnaturally other names from Beleriand - is more suitable for the river, a tributary of the Aros and a clear slender stream coming down from the Hill of Himring. - Maeglin, HoME XI

Strictly speaking Limhír is not mentioned in LOTR, but it is the pure Sindarin name of the river Limlight at the northern border of Rohan:

Limlight, modernized from Rohanese Limliht (as in Story of Eärnil), which had no connexion with R. lim ‘limb’, but was a “translation name”. [7] The original Sindarin name was Limhír; and evidently lim- was translated by R. līht and combined as a gloss with older lim-, leading to R. Limliht(ēa). [8] But in what sense (līht ‘not heavy’ or līht ‘bright’) is not now clear; nor is the original meaning of the Sindarin certain.

Some older spellings, e.g. Limphîr, suggest that the first element was originally S. limp (n.) < *limpi < C.E. *liŋkwi (n.), Q. linque (n., adj.) ‘(bright/clear/gleaming) liquid’. This was applied (in Quenya) to dew (or to fine rain in sunshine); in Sindarin to pools or rills of clear clean water. It was probably in origin a “mythological” word – referring to the primitive Elvish conception of “light” as an actual substance (emitted by light-givers, but then independent), though ethereally fine and delicate. (Its opposite was *fuinē, C.E. *phuįnē = the thin shadowy cloud of twilight and darkness that quenched *linkwi.) The Rohirrim enquiring the meaning of Limhir might well [have been] told it meant ‘clear, bright’; but that there was some uncertainty was suggested by the unusual, in Rohan, preservation of the old name + a gloss. - Dark and Light, NoME

But in the late essay "Of Dwarves and Men", JRRT wrote Celon for the Celduin (the River Running, flowing from the Lonely Mountain):

Númenórean influence however went far beyond even these extended bounds, passing up the Vales of Anduin to its sources, and reaching the lands east of the Forest, between the River Celon (78) (Running) and the River Carnen (Redwater).

(78) [The River Running is named Celduin in Appendix A, III (RK p. 353). Celon was the river that in the First Age rose in the Hill of Himring and flowed past Nan Elmoth to join the Aros; and since Celduin as the name of the River Running appears in the very late text Cirion and Eorl (Unfinished Tales p. 289) Celon here is presumably no more than a casual confusion of the names.] - Of Dwarves and Men, HoME XII

I do find this a bit funny, because when the "Hobbit" was being written it still wasn't totally clear to JRRT how much time had passed since the Elder Days. (See John Rateliff's The History of the Hobbit.) That's why the geography of Rhovanion resembles Beleriand quite a bit; Anduin looks a bit like Sirion (with Carrock as Tol Sirion), Mirkwood is like Taur-nu-Fuin (and indeed it's outright called that in "The Disaster of the Gladden Fields" from UT), the Withered Heath is like Anfauglith, and Erebor is like Himring.

So it does amuse me to headcanon that Celon is Nandorin (also bordering Amras' territory) and that Limhír is the proper Iathrim name for the river, just like the Iathrim are calling the Gelion Duin Daer. That would let me preserve the old names while keeping JRRT's idea that Celon and Gelion do not really work as Sindarin. Then perhaps Celon is in fact what some Nandor fleeing the ruin of Beleriand (perhaps they are Fëanorian Nandor who didn't want to work with Gil-galad ruling Lindon that once was Ossiriand?) called the River Running in memory of the Himring area, and Celduin is a Sindarinised name given by Thranduil's people redundantly adding Sindarin duin "river". I mean, JRRT certainly didn't intend these names to all be valid at once, but I like being able to preserve the familiar ones. And it would fit with another possibility for Gelion considered in the Maeglin notes before Gevilon, Gevelon; and that is Gelduin.

My headcanon (of course, just my way of making all the names work - and definitely not at all JRRT's intent) is:

• Doriathrin: Duin Daer, Limhír
• West Sindarin (Círdan's dialect, the standard used by non-Fëanorian, non-Angrod-and-Aegnor Noldor): Gelduin, Celduin
• North Sindarin: Gevolon, Celon
• Ossiriandic Nandorin: Gelion, Celon

One more name of interest is Dolmed, the mountain that loomed over Belegost and Nogrod. This is another surviving Ilkorin name, that was still mentioned without change after Ilkorin was firmly abandoned:

Thus the Incarnate may distinguish, say, a mountain from the land about it, giving it a name, such as Dolmed [one of the Blue Mountains]. But what are the bounds of Dolmed? Some may say “here it begins” or “here it ends”; but others may say otherwise; and if the bounds are agreed, it will be by custom or convention of people, not by the nature of the land. Neither would its bounds in Time be clear, so that one of the Incarnate living many ages might say “now Dolmed has begun to be” or “now it has ceased”. - Elvish Reincarnation (c. 1959)

Now Sindarin sound changes, as Paul Strack points out, should make the last d into ð. And indeed the form Dolmeð is attested in the Second Silmarillion Map. But maybe interpreting Dolmed as Ossiriandic Nandorin makes some sense, because we know that the Nandorin of Lórien changed ð > d - hence Caras Galadon.

The tongue of the Elves immediately East of the Mountains was closely related to Sindarin, and further assimilated to it by the further infiltration of Elves from Beleriand.  But it differed in some respects, notably in the change of ð > d (as in Old English); ... - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 60

Perhaps it is yet more suggestive evidence of Green-elven contact with Dwarves.

XIII. A rather Fëanorian Nimloth?

This all seems to suggest a really interesting history for Nimloth.

Nimloth seems to be a Green-elf culturally, as noted above. Since her father Galathil is a royal Sinda, I would tend to imagine that her mother must be highborn among the Green-elves, perhaps even Denethor's daughter - royals marrying other royals. But we are told that all Denethor's kin fell about him in the "Grey Annals"; and so I think the most reasonable story, given that inference, is that Nimloth was born before the First Battle and was orphaned during it. Indeed, that might well imply that she's one of the only survivors (perhaps the only survivor) of the Green-elven royal family; maybe she was a bit too young to go to the battle. So in one night she would have lost all her kin.

Put like that, I can see why she would dwell in Ossiriand afterwards and see herself as a Green-elf rather than a Iathrim Sinda. It seems to suggest that she was bitter against Thingol and against that side of her heritage - and, honestly, considering her trauma, it's understandable. If Galathil died too, then she'd probably accuse Thingol of not even caring about his own grandnephew. And suddenly her position would probably resemble that of the North Sindar, who Thingol didn't like, and who were evidently so pissed off with him that they didn't care one whit about the Kinslaying and continued working with the Fëanorians (who after all did adopt North Sindarin).

Placing her in this family, while explaining her own cultural identification, would not hurt the statement that the Green-elves took no king. Nimloth is a woman and the Elves are unfortunately often pretty sexist in their inheritance rules. Indeed this might explain a fragmentation of the Green-elves into even more groups - evidently some saw her as their lady by right, but many deemed the royal line extinguished since there was no surviving male descendant of Denethor. Only Nimloth. Poor her. But perhaps having experienced such a terrible loss, and having coped with it, was part of why she didn't see it as all that weird to marry Dior though she must've known he was mortal.

And, really, such a Nimloth would make a ton of sense out of how the Fëanorians can build a base on Amon Ereb and have the Green-elves aid them. It must be a place of terrible sorrow and grief to the Green-elves, but it could be that Nimloth suggested it. She really would have the right to, because it was her family who was massacred there; and the Green-elves would not object, as they might had any others proposed to build a fortress on the grave of their king and all his family. Well, I am sure she would then lovingly have all their graves clearly marked. :(

Incidentally this seems to suggest a Nimloth who's outright working with Amras, and who then made friends with Caranthir, and then the other four surviving sons of Fëanor. Including Celegorm and Curufin. Indeed - if Amras went south early, as I headcanoned above to explain his actions, and assimilated with the Green-elves: it may well be that he encountered Nimloth fairly early on, and that's how they started working together and becoming friends. If he thinks that guerilla warfare is the best way forward - well, so does she. Maybe she thought it was better to hide in secrecy until then rather than stand as a mighty kingdom known to Morgoth, thinking that Melian could also not stand against Morgoth forever; but so does Amras in my headcanon. Well, in that case, Amras looks a bit like Turgon and Finrod from the other houses: he's the Fëanorian making a hidden kingdom! :D

Nimloth might well have, trying to find whatever allies she could, entered into an agreement with the Dwarves and the North Sindar. They would neighbour her both in the Mountains (for the Dwarves) and in Thargelion. There were Sindar east of Doriath trading with Dwarves (NoME "Notes on Elvish Economy"), who I think must be North Sindar because Nogrod is explained as passing through North Sindarin. That would explain Gelion as a potential Khuzdul borrowing into Nandorin.

And now it looks really hilarious that the Ossiriandic Green-elves probably sent more people to the Mereth Aderthad than Thingol. I wonder if Nimloth herself came?

Thither came many of the chieftains and people of Fingolfin and Inglor; and of the sons of Fëanor Maidros and Maglor with warriors of the March; and there they were joined by Círdan and many folk of the Havens, and great concourse of the Grey-elves from woods and fields far and near, and even from Ossiriand there came some of the Nandor on behalf of their folk. But Thingol came not himself from Doriath, and sent but two messengers, Dairon and Mablung, bringing his greetings. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

Such a rebellious Nimloth makes complete sense out of her butting heads with the Iathrim nobles. As I noted at The Fates of the Half-Elven, when she heard that the Gondolindrim (famously Noldor) had arrived in Sirion, she wanted to go there with Elwing (the only surviving descendant of Elu Thingol at this point):

The Lady Lindis escaped with Elwing, and came hardly to Ossir, with the Necklace and the Jewel. Thence hearing the rumour she fled to the Havens of Sirion. - The Tale of Years, HoME XI

while many Sindarin nobles, like Oropher, wanted absolutely nothing to do with the Noldor. (I don't count Celeborn. In my headcanon he is a Teler, because that is how JRRT consistently had him from c. 1968 onward.) And she's just totally fine with Elwing marrying Eärendil a half-Noldo with a Quenya name (and who gave his ship a Quenya name), when the Iathrim are getting so extreme that they apparently think Círdan's practically a Noldo (maybe for aiding Fingon the kinslayer):

There appears, however, in the beginning of the Second Age, to have been a group of Sindar who went south. They were a remnant, it seems, of the people of Doriath, who harboured still their grudge against the Noldor and left the Grey Havens because these and all the ships there were commanded by Círdan (a Noldo). - The Rivers and Beacon-Hills of Gondor, NoME

And it's also pretty hilarious that Elwing's lesson from Lúthien is not to do the same thing herself - suggesting her mother raised her with interesting opinions:

Then Eärendel and Elwing were summoned, and this decree was declared to them. But Eärendel said to Elwing: 'Choose thou, for now I am weary of the world.' And she chose to be judged among the Firstborn, because of Lúthien, and for the sake of Elwing Eärendel chose alike, though his heart was rather with the kindred of Men and the people of his father. - Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V [XI]

(Huh. It makes me think of Saeros' opinion of Beren.)

So it makes a ton of sense. Except for one problem: the marriage of Nimloth and Dior needs explanation, as does whatever happens at the fall of Doriath. Like, really. Why did such an Amras-friendly Nimloth marry Dior? Why did someone who rejects the royal Iathrim part of her heritage marry a royal Iathrim Half-elf? Although I guess marrying Dior is already pretty unusual, considering that she obviously knows he's mortal and doesn't seem bothered that she'll be bereaved forever. And I did already answer the second question - if Dior is in no contact with anyone, then maybe she fell in love with him before she had any idea who he really was.

Perhaps part of this is that she's culturally Nandorin? The Valar didn't do anything about dead Elves until Míriel died. Until then, I guess apparently dead Sindar, Nandor, and Avari don't matter to them.

There was no provision for re-incarnation in the Music known to the Valar. Elves were not supposed to die. The Valar soon found many houseless spirits gathered in Mandos. E.g. some “deaths” probable even on Great March. (There need only be few.) [11]

They did nothing until the case of Míriel [fn2] made the matter immediate. Because they did not “understand” the Children, and were not competent or permitted to meddle. Manwë then directly appealed to Eru for counsel.

Eru accepts and ratifies the position – though clearly he thinks the Valar should have contested Melkor’s domination of Middle-earth earlier, and made it “safe for the Elves” – they had not enough estel [‘trust’] that in a legitimate war Eru would not have allowed Melkor to so damage Arda that the Children could not come, or live in it. The fëar of the Dead all go to Mandos in Aman: or rather they are now summoned thither by the authority given by Eru. A place is made for them. (They may refuse the summons, because they must remain free wills.) - Elvish Reincarnation, NoME

So maybe the Nandor were remarrying whenever their partner died, or even if there were irreconcilable differences, as in this rejected note:

As first written, before most of it was struck through, this concluding sentence (after the colon) read: “The following calculation is probable. Celeborn’s wife [? stole] away and left him with a son, Amroth”. In conjunction with this, it appears that the following footnote was supplied:

The Elves did not normally marry again, but after the judgement of Míriel they were permitted lawfully to do [so] if one partner deserted the other. This very seldom occurred; but in such a time of divided feelings as [the] end of [the] First Age this could occur. - Galadriel and Celeborn, NoME

Could it then be that, even after the Fëanorians broke the news, this would mean Nimloth wouldn't have so many objections to marrying a mortal with the expectation that after he died, she'd find somebody else later?

And, who knows. Maybe she did propose to Amras, and he simply declined - saying that they were under the Valar's curse, and that he didn't want her to get stuck under it too. Or perhaps he's getting the sinking feeling that the Oath is in itself kind of like a marriage bond (naming Manwë, Varda, and the One) and that one cannot be bound by two Oaths.

It would fit painfully well with my headcanon on Curufin's wife, actually. In order to somehow conflate Telerin Celebrimbor who went into Exile with Celeborn, into Fëanorian Celebrimbor, I had Kurvo as so concerned about getting his ill wife and son out of Valinor - which he thinks is trying to kill them, because the Valar don't remove the Dome and let light in - that in his desperation he asks Galadriel and Celeborn to take them on their ship at Alqualondë. Yup, he lets them go in my headcanon because he knows they wanted to leave Aman, and Fëanor's original idea was to convince the Teleri to leave with him. The Valar like them more, and for all that he has a lot of dislike for the House of Finarfin, my vision of Kurvo would absolutely hold his nose if it's saving his wife and son we're talking about. Fëanor, naturally, asks Kurvo what the hell he was thinking, letting seaworthy Telerin ships fall into the hands of his greatest unfriend; and his paranoia shoots through the roof. So I guess this is the result of my particular take on Kurvo trying to somehow square his devotion to the Oath with his devotion to his wife and son. In a peculiar way they have become intertwined, because he thinks of the Valar as enemies who are trying to destroy his wife's health like Míriel...

XIV. The names of Dior and his children

(If you wondered: Nimloth is clearly just "Pale Blossom".)

So now we're getting into all the late speculation in the "Shibboleth" and "The Problem of Ros", regarding the names of Dior's descendant Elros and how it relates to the ros in Maedros and Amros.

In the "Shibboleth" the following was written:

The names Elros and Elrond, the last of the descendants of Finwë born in the Elder Days, were formed to recall the name of their mother Elwing. The meaning of wing is uncertain, since it occurs in no other personal name, nor in the records of either Sindarin or Quenya. Some of the loremasters, remembering that after their return to a second life Beren and Lúthien dwelt in Ossiriand,(54) and that there Dior dwelt after the fall of Doriath among the Green Elves of that forest country, have supposed that wing is a word of the tongue of the Green Elves; but little was preserved of that tongue after the destruction of Beleriand, and the interpretation of wing as meaning 'foam, spume, spin-drift' as of water blown by the wind, or falling steeply over rocks, is but a likely guess. It is supported, however, by the fact that Ossiriand was a land cloven by seven rivers (as its name signifies), and that these fell steeply and very swift from the Mountains of Ered Lindon. Beside one great waterfall, called in Sindarin Lanthir Lamath ('waterfall of echoing voices'), Dior had his house. Moreover the name Elros (in Quenya form Elerossë) means 'star foam', sc. starlit foam.(55)

(54) Until they died the death of mortal Men, according to the decree of the Valar, and left this world for ever.

(55) [Here the typescript stops, not at the foot of a page; and at this point my father wrote:

Alter this to: Wing. This word, which the loremasters explained as meaning 'foam, spindrift', only actually occurs in two names of the Eärendil legend: Elwing the name of his wife, and (in Quenya form) Vingilótë (translated in Adûnaic as Rôthinzil) 'Foam-flower', the name of Eärendil's ship. The word is not otherwise known in Quenya or Sindarin - nor in Telerin despite its large vocabulary of sea-words. There was a tradition that the word came from the language of the Green Elves of Ossiriand.] - The Shibboleth of Fëanor, HoME XII

As might be noted, there is a chronological problem here. If "the fall of Doriath" means the sack of Menegroth by the Dwarves, then it would seem that Dior had already been in Ossiriand beforehand, for he was born there. And it cannot mean the Second Kinslaying, because then Dior died. On the other hand, we know that Dior was born on Tol Galen in Bel. 470, and that Beren and Lúthien weren't talking to anyone. Is the idea then that Dior removed from Tol Galen after the Dwarves sacked Doriath? But then when could he meet Nimloth in time to have his children?

Well, maybe the best idea I can think of is to say: yes, after the sack of Doriath, Dior dwelt there. He also dwelt there a little before that. Somewhere around his twenties he left Tol Galen into the wide green world of Ossiriand, got into a relationship with Nimloth, and married her in Bel. 497. Then they had Eluréd and Elurín in Bel. 500, and Elwing in Bel. 503.

Something else I should ask is: what language is Dior from anyway? In the "Etymologies" (HoME V) it was first stated to be both Doriathrin and Ossiriandic, but JRRT then struck out the notion that it was Ossiriandic because it doesn't conform to Ossiriandic sound changes. (Which is a bit weird if Beren and Lúthien were with the Green-elves, as they were at this stage.) But because he'd published it in LOTR, JRRT retained the name even later though it doesn't conform to Sindarin sound changes either, so I have no idea how it was etymologised. My personal headcanon, though with no evidence, is that it is Bëorian with the old meaning "successor". Beren's name I would rather headcanon as Bëorian: in Sindarin it wouldn't work as it did in Noldorin (because the old root √BER "valiant" got supplanted by √BER "marry" as in Elbereth), and the Noldorin names Tuor and Huor were explained in the "Shibboleth" as merely Hadorian adapted to Sindarin.

As such, in my headcanon Dior "successor" and Eluchíl "Thingol's Heir" were simply his names respectively in Bëorian and Doriathrin Sindarin.

But it is told in the legend of Beren and Lúthien that Lúthien learned Beren's native tongue during their long journeys together and ever after used it in their speech together. Not long before they came at last back to the borders of Doriath he asked her why she did so, since her own tongue was richer and more beautiful. Then she became silent and her eyes seemed to look far away before she answered: 'Why? Because I must forsake thee, or else forsake my own people and become one of the children of Men. Since I will never forsake thee, I must learn the speech of thy kin, and mine.' - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

Lúthien, despite this sentiment, did not actually go and mix with Beren's kindred: Beren was never seen again among mortal Men. You know, considering Andreth's views on death, you'd think he'd realise how much it would reassure his kin to show up once more.

Unless, perhaps, they would not have had any goodwill for him. Refugees of Dorthonion reached Himring. Bëorian identity somehow survived to Númenor despite it sure looking like Emeldir's people must've totally assimilated with the Halethians and Hadorians. And the Númenórean Bëorians like Erendis were shorter-lived. So I'm convinced that surviving Bëorians probably tended to rally to Maedhros, become hardcore Fëanorians, and decry Barahir and Beren as going to a glorious death while forgetting their duties. It probably explains why, per "The Childhood of Túrin" in CoH, Fingon and Maedhros' plan was to restore the Bëorian lands not to the once again alive Beren, but to Morwen - a massive statement considering the sexism in most Middle-earth inheritance. I suspect that surviving Bëorian identity after the Leithian was very pro-Fëanorian and anti-Beren and Lúthien; and maybe the reason Beren doesn't return to his people is because they now support Celegorm and Curufin. Considering that the Green-elves are also working with Celegorm and Curufin, now it suddenly makes a lot of sense why they just hide on an island and talk to nobody but the Shepherds of the Trees. :D

So somehow I think that Dior may not have spoken particularly good Bëorian. I'm not entirely sure how good his vocabulary was in anything, if he had only his parents and some shyer and harder-to-talk-to Ents beside him. And for all that, he still saw himself as Thingol's Heir, and apparently identified with his Elvish culture. (His father certainly seems to look down on his own language.)

Dior their son, it is said, spoke both tongues: his father's, and his mother's, the Sindarin of Doriath. For he said: 'I am the first of the Pereðil (Half-elven), but I am also the heir of King Elwë, the Eluchíl.'(7) - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

I'm curious as to why. Is Elmo's line dead and gone (apart from Nimloth - I have Celeborn as a Teler)? Isn't it kind of a problem that Dior is going to obviously realise he's mortal? Or is Lúthien sticking her fingers in her ears and telling her son: never fear, Mum will go plead for an exception before Mandos again? Well, if so, that didn't work. According to the latest word on the matter, Dior had no choice and was mortal.

In "The Problem of Ros", JRRT decided to keep wing as an isolated, non-Eldarin element; just as Bëorian instead of Ossiriandic.

Associate the name Elros with that of his mother Elwing: both contain final elements that are isolated in the legendary nomenclature (see note on wing in the discussion of the Sindarizing of the Noldorin heroic names).(3) But instead of deriving them from the Nandorin (or Green-elvish) of Ossiriand, it would be an improvement to derive them from the Mannish tongues: the language of Beren father of Dior; both *ros and *wing could thus be removed from Eldarin. - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

And so we get a statement that Dior named his children. Poor Nimloth, getting no say - but considering the name Lanthir Lamath was given in Sindarin (whereas Galadriel and Celeborn at least used the Nandorin name Caras Galadon), maybe Dior did not respect her as much as she wanted after all:

He gave to his elder son the name Eluréd, that is said to have the same significance, but ended in the Bëorian word rêda 'heir'; to his second son he gave the name Elurín,(8) but his daughter the name Elwing. For she was born on a clear night of stars, the light of which glittered in the spray of the waterfall by which his house was built.(9) The word wing was Bëorian, meaning fine rain or the spray from fountains and waterfalls blown by a wind; but he joined this to Elvish el- 'star' rather than to the Bëorian,(10) because it was more beautiful, and also went with the names of her brothers: the name Elwë (Sindarin Elu) was believed to be and probably was derived from êl 'star'.(11)

(8) 'Remembrance of Elu': containing Sindarin rîn from Common Eldarin rēnē < base REN 'recall, have in mind'. - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

Well, they could still be twins, and it's just that Eluréd was born a bit earlier than Elurín. So now we have two Bëorian-named kids (Eluréd and Elwing) and one Sindarin-named one (Elurín). Although maybe the idea was to go back to the idea where Eluréd was born in Bel. 492 and Elurín in Bel. 495, so they're not twins?

Elwing (despite feeling like Lúthien was not the person to follow in her choice, and marrying a half-Noldo) is said to have done similarly. Even though she never really knew her brothers, having likely been three at the Second Kinslaying.

There she later wedded Eärendil, and so joined the two Half-elven lines. Her sons she named Elros and Elrond; and after the manner of her brothers the first ended in a Bëorian word, and the second in an Elvish. Elros was indeed close in meaning to her own name: it contained the Bëorian word for 'foam' and the white crest of waves:(13) rôs. Its older form was rôth (rôþ). This was used in Adûnaic songs and legends concerning the coming of the Atani to Númenor in a translation of the name of Eärendil's ship. This they called Rôthinzil.(14) Also in Númenor their first king was usually given the name Elroth. The word wing(a) was not known in Adûnaic. It was maybe an invention of the Lesser Folk,(15) for in their steep shores there had been waterfalls, whereas in the wooded land of the Greater Folk that went down in gentle slopes there had been none. ...

The names Elros and Elrond that Elwing gave to her sons were held prophetic, as many mother-names among the Eldar.(18) For after the Last Battle and the overthrow of Morgoth, when the Valar gave to Elros and Elrond a choice to belong either to the kin of the Eldar or to the kin of Men, it was Elros who voyaged over sea to Númenor following the star of Eärendil; whereas Elrond remained among the Elves and carried on the lineage of King Elwë.(19) - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

There is only one problem with all this etymologising: for all that the idea is cool, it just plain doesn't work. As JRRT noted, we still have to deal with Cair Andros where it has the same meaning as in Elros, so this ros should be Eldarin. I could add Rauros. If it were just those two, then perhaps we may consider it as a borrowing from Bëorian into Sindarin, that was then used in Númenórean Sindarin. Unfortunately, as observed by CJRT (note 1), we also have the stream Celebros in Beleriand, obviously "silver-foam":

In the morning they bore Níniel towards Ephel Brandir, and the road went steeply upward towards Amon Obel until it came to a place where it must cross the tumbling stream of Celebros. - Narn i Chîn Húrin, Unfinished Tales

JRRT, of course, could've changed this as the Narn had not been published. Alas! for we are not him, and cannot change this name, and so the Bëorian theory is unsupportable. Which is a great pity - although then I do find it hilarious that Elwing would've chosen purely Elvish names for Elrond and Elros, as if begging them to be Elves like she thought was better for herself. (Sorry, I'll always find it hilarious that Elwing thinks of Lúthien apparently as a lesson in what not to do when choosing between Kindreds.) And if ros isn't Bëorian, then since JRRT wanted ros and wing associated, there's really no good reason wing should be Bëorian even. (Though I do find it a funny idea that Dior might be using a few words to demonstrate sympathy with the Bëorian culture, when he never really grew up with it, and surviving Bëorians with that identity tend to be hardcore Fëanorians who have no love for him.)

Oh, well. The timeline in "The Problem of Ros" seems a bit confused, because the Third Kinslaying does not even seem to happen. So let's back up a little. In the "Tale of Years", the ordering of events suggests that Elwing might be born after Dior already departed for Doriath. (I headcanon that it was in winter Bel. 503.)

[503.] Dior goes to Doriath and endeavours to recover the realm of Thingol.

In the autumn of this year a messenger brought by night the Silmaril to Dior in Doriath.

503. Elwing the White daughter of Dior born in Ossiriand.

504. Dior returns to Doriath, and with the power of the Silmaril restores it ... - The Tale of Years, HoME XI

This really would suggest that Nimloth was the one who named Elwing. In fact, the fact that Dior goes off first to Doriath, leaving his wife behind, makes me wonder. Quite possibly Nimloth doesn't want to go on this journey while she's heavily pregnant, but I wonder if an additional factor was that she wasn't all that pleased with her husband's adventure. For if that's her backstory as above - why should she indeed? She'd be a Green-elf who long ago had the chance to enter Doriath and assimilate (having herself Doriathrin ancestry), and refused to do so.

In the last writing on this, Elwing returned to being Eldarin - but Sindarin, thus losing the nice story about it being not known in the Eldarin languages, and once again creating an imbalance between the Bëorian kid (Eluréd) and the Sindarin ones (Elurín, Elwing).

This 'Bëorian' explanation of wing seems to have been abandoned also, since in what seems to be the latest among these discussions my father said that both elements in Elwing were Sindarin: he proposed an etymology whereby Quenya wingë, Sindarin gwing 'appears to be related' to the Quenya verb winta 'scatter, blow about' (both transitive and intransitive), comparing Quenya lassewinta as a variant of lasselanta, 'leaf-fall, autumn'. - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

On the other hand, I still feel uncomfortable with the idea that Wingilótë is pure Quenya. For initial w is difficult to account for in Quenya without a borrowing, because JRRT elsewhere said that w > v in Quenya is a very early sound change:

But later the frictional element of w was increased where it stood initially or remained between vowels, and passing through bilabial v (ƀ) coalesced with v < CE b. This change was common to Vanyar and Noldor, and so began fairly early. It was consequently a feature of Tarquesta, and was usually also reflected in spelling (even affecting that of later writings in PQ). - Parma Eldalamberon XIX, p. 72

Now, ordinarily, I would be happy to simply revise all w words to v words for Quenya, according to JRRT's say-so, even if he did write w initially sometimes (e.g. wilwarin, wendë). However, Wingilótë is supposed to recall Wade's boat Guingelot.

[The name Wingelótë] must be retained, since it is connected with the name Elwing, and is in intention formed to resemble and "explain" the name of Wade's ship Guingelot. - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

So I feel like I have to posit that this w is real, but then it cannot be true Quenya. Well, my preference is to combine the explanations to make each of Dior and Nimloth's kids have a name recalling a different part of their heritage. Eluréd would be named in Bëorian, with the same meaning as Eluchíl; and Elurín would be named as above - "rememberance of Eru". But Elwing does not precisely have Elu Thingol's name in it, which fits a somewhat rebellious Nimloth who has mixed feelings about Thingol: and her name can indeed be Nandorin.

And hey! In a pre-LOTR conception, Ossiriandic Nandorin preserved initial w!

But in common pronunciation of Qenya (as in Lindarin colloquial) w has become pronounced as v (labiodental spirant). ... In Beleriand w > gw initially both in the Noldorin, and the Ilkorin dialects of Telerian. It remained w in Ossiriandic. - Parma Eldalamberon XIX, p. 28

I like to imagine it this way: Dior had already gone off to restore his grandfather's kingdom, taking the young Eluréd and Elurín with him as his heirs. But Nimloth remained behind, and gave birth to Elwing on a night in winter. She saw the clear stars above, their light shining through the waterfall, and she thought to her newborn daughter: this is our home.

Hmm. This is headed in the direction of Lanthir Lamath being initially Nimloth's home, and her having some resentment at Dior from the Sindar changing the name to his language and bringing her into the quarrel of the Nauglamír. Well, it makes me like this headcanon, because then Nimloth highly resembles Nimrodel (another famous Nando):

... she was of the Silvan Elves, and regretted the incoming of the Elves from the West, who (as she said) brought wars and destroyed the peace of old. She would speak only the Silvan tongue, even after it had fallen into disuse among the folk of Lórien;(12) and she dwelt alone beside the falls of the river Nimrodel to which she gave her name. - Amroth and Nimrodel, Unfinished Tales

Incidentally, the fact that Eärendil has a Quenya name and named his ship in Quenya must've been really interesting for Nimloth and Elwing. There's probably a whole lot of Quenya usage at Sirion, not only because Eärendil spoke it to represent the Noldor, but also because Arvernien is outright Quenya. So much for the Ban.

Q Arvernien '(the land) beside the Verna'. [See I 394 s.v. ar 'and'.] - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 19

I think it's further evidence that Nimloth was really far from an ordinary Doriathrin lady and was always butting heads with her lords. (If the Ents are in contact with Dior, maybe they're going to commiserate that Dior and Nimloth rather resemble an Ent-Entwife relationship in terms of lack of compatibility.) But Eärendil was really sweet, and in my headcanon he named his ship Wingilótë precisely for his wife Elwing:

Concerning wing he said again that Eärendil named his ship in Quenya form, since that language had been his childhood speech, and that he intended its meaning to be 'Foam-flower'; but he adopted the element wing from the name of Elwing his wife. - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

Maybe this is his little secret use of Nandorin, since he couldn't quite dare to use it before the Valar due to its emerging Fëanorian connotations?

Alas there is no way I can make ros Nandorin, because Celebros doesn't really have any connexion to Nandorin culture I think. So I guess it has to be Sindarin, and my headcanon posits that in fact ross and wing are not from the same language. Oh well. But at least the problem of ros can be solved so: it could be a case like Aegnor which is not really true Sindarin. Evidently Maedhros assumed that the cognate of Quenya russa in Sindarin would be ross; the problem is that while it would have been that, it fell out of use thanks to the collision with ross "rain". So Maedhros turns out not to have the meaning he intended, but perhaps he liked what it turned out to mean anyway?

XV. My Nimloth headcanon, continued

So we now in Bel. 472, when the Fëanorians have just lost the Nirnaeth and are wandering around Ossiriand - while Beren and Lúthien went to the southern end of Ossiriand in Bel. 469, and are living as recluses, meeting only Ents. Dior was born in Bel. 470.

My take is: Dior started exploring outside Tol Galen. When Nimloth first saw him, he was a kid who happened to be roaming around, and she treated him kindly. She had no idea who he was at the time, and treated him like Nellas did Túrin, teaching him all about the lore of living things and showing him the beauty of the fall of Lanthir Lamath where she lived. And at the time, since he'd probably heard nasty things about the Green-elves from Lúthien's Doriathrin prejudices, he'd also be amazed to learn that it's not really true. Then he grew up, and became an adult, and then Nimloth fell for him sincerely. They wedded indeed in Bel. 497 when he was 27, and she became pregnant with twins for the next three years (as usual for an Elf). Nimloth really had no idea who he was, since no Elves and Men knew about Beren and Lúthien; and there was indeed great love between them, without thought of political gain. Just catching some nice moments with this fascinatingly handsome and ambitious Man, before he died and left the Circles of the World forever.

But then he went west, talked to the Iathrim, and learned of his birthright; and after that, when he returned, he was quite different and with his heart set on his grandfather's people.

After that journey, he was really strange and different to Nimloth - coming back, much more like Thingol, and naming his sons Eluréd and Elurín; the former in a language (Bëorian) whose speakers and culture he does not truly know. In a sad echo of the Ambarussar, maybe Elwing was literally conceived as Dior's attempt to save the marriage again, since he thinks of marriages (given his parents) differently from Nimloth. In fact, maybe after that, he'd start telling Nimloth given all those probable Iathrim prejudices: you are of the Iathrim. Why do you act like a Nando? :( So, he still thinks that Nimloth was really nice - it's just that Dior thinks she's better than a normal Green-elf because she's a royal Sinda on her father's side. Anti-Nandorin prejudice strikes again, in my headcanon. :(

I think the Fëanorians might not grudge Nimloth for this marriage. She legitimately didn't know who he was, and probably thought he was just another Man. (Well, if the Fëanorians have Men and Green-elves among them, I won't be surprised if there are other half-Elves. Why wouldn't there be, when the peoples live side by side?) Celegorm might be a bit pissed, and Dior would really find it annoying that she still talks to the Fëanorians once he knows more about who his wife's friends are. But maybe Amras would say: calm down, Turko. She didn't know who he was, and at some point Dior is going to die anyway. You yourself wrote a sarcastic note about getting out of the Oath only if Thingol became your kin by marriage - maybe this is what Nimloth has in mind, he thinks, considering that in this headcanon she outright proposed to Amras earlier.

Well, the Silmaril's still with Thingol. Dior hasn't yet done anything wrong in the Fëanorians' books.

And now - well, in the latest telling of the Ruin of Doriath, Thingol doesn't pay the Dwarves and they depart angrily. (Per the "Tale of Years" from HoME XI, this is Bel. 502.)

The Dwarves sent emissaries, and they gazed on the treasure in amazement. After bargaining they agreed to send their best smiths to work at Thingol’s orders but at the price of one tithe of the unwrought metals. The smiths came and laboured long, and among other marvellous works they made the renowned “Necklace of the Dwarves”, of silver, upon which was set in the middle the peerless Silmaril that Beren and Lúthien had won from the Iron Crown of the Dark Lord. But as their work progressed Thingol began to regret the bargain, and in particular he saw that if the tithe was paid in full, not enough would remain for the making of a thing upon which he had now set his spell-distraught heart, a double throne of silver and gems for himself and Melian the Queen. When the Dwarves had ended their work he [[† demurred?]], offering less than the tithe; or demanding at least that the throne should be made and other treasure given in stead of the silver required.

The Dwarves were angered, all the more because they had themselves come under the dragon-spell. They rejected Thingol’s terms, and refused anything less than the full tithe of treasure of Nargothrond. Unpaid they departed in wrath. - Concerning "The Hoard", c. 1964

The treasure was brought by Húrin and the outlaws. And it's dragon-treasure - yes, this is your brain on the dragon-spell. :(

By the time the Dwarves invade, it's Bel. 503:

Back in their mountains’ strongholds they plotted revenge, and not long after they came down with a great force and invaded Doriath. This had before been impossible, because of the Girdle of Melian, an invisible fence maintained by her power and will through which no one with evil intent could pass. But either this fence had been robbed of its power by the evil within, or Melian had removed it in grief and horror at the deeds that had been done. The dwarf-host entered Doriath and most of Thingol’s warriors perished. His halls were violated and he himself slain. - Concerning "The Hoard"

It is funny to me that they do this. Shouldn't they still think the Girdle is active? And if they think it is not, then why doesn't the Oath of Fëanor activate immediately, because surely they should also have an idea that it's not? I suspect, therefore, that the Dwarves were meaning to just appear on Thingol's eastern borders with a show of force and attempt to shame Thingol into coming out. So the Fëanorians wouldn't do anything, since they don't expect it to work; they'd probably just crack some jokes about how Thingol is immune to such shame. Except that this time, it does work.

Incidentally, I prefer the first notion of why the Girdle doesn't work anymore - the inside now has evil just like the outside, so how can it distinguish the two?

According to dwarf-honesty, however, nothing was taken of all his treasures, save the hoard of Nargothrond. This the Dwarves had claimed: part as bargained pay, part as recompense for broken troth, and the need to make a great expedition to obtain their rights. Also (they now urged) the treasure had been taken with violence and murder from a Dwarf (though Mim was not in fact akin to the Dwarves of the eastern mountains). 

The great necklace was taken from Thingol as he lay dead. Then the Dwarves departed from their “honesty” in spite of the warning of the wisest among them. They lusted for the peerless and supremely powerful gem, and under the plea that it would ruin their handiwork to remove it from the Necklace they carried it off. - Concerning "The Hoard"

Now the interesting thing is that the North and East Sindar are probably Fëanorian allies, and so are the Dwarves. (The East Sindar in particular were trading with Dwarves presumably before the return of the Noldor, which is how I think Caranthir got a foot in the door - I headcanon his wife as one of them.) So the Noldor know about Dwarf-honesty - so they presumably would first assume that the Dwarves didn't take the Silmaril. But then the Dwarf-host gets ambushed.

Fugitives from Doriath brought news to Beren in Ossiriand, especially of the rape of the Silmaril. He gathered a force and waylaid the Dwarves on their return march, at a ford across one of “Seven Rivers of Ossir”. 

Then the Dwarves were routed. The gold and silver was cast into the river, which hereafter bore a new name, signifying “Golden-bed”. But Beren rescued the Necklace and the Silmaril. Lúthien wore it, until ere long she and Beren passed away and were heard of no more in Middle-earth. - Concerning "The Hoard"

This is why I posited that Dior told the Iathrim where Beren was - as otherwise they would not know.

So the Dwarf-host is routed by Beren and his Ents, and not a single Dwarf comes back alive. Consequently, the Fëanorians are not entirely sure where the Silmaril is. At first they might think it was in Doriath, but I think news would get to them that the Dwarves took the Silmaril out. Okay, they believe in Dwarf-honesty, and the Dwarves were headed in their direction; so, they guess, maybe the Dwarves were going to return the Silmarils to them. The Dwarves were Fëanorian allies before. But suddenly the Dwarf-host vanishes and no one knows what has become of it. So they have no idea where the Silmaril even is anymore, and that's why they don't act.

In fact, now I can imagine Amras asking Nimloth. More on this a bit later.

Now let's bring in the "Tale of Years", minus the parts that contradict this latest telling. (Because in the "Tale of Years", it's Melian who brings the Nauglamír to Beren and Lúthien, and it's Celegorm and Curufin who attack the Dwarves. My theory is that JRRT changed it because he realised that he could not allow the Fëanorians to realise that the Silmaril is with Lúthien - the Oath would bind them to attack.)

Now, it seems that once fugitives from Doriath arrive in Ossiriand, it is also Dior who gets news; and that is when I think he goes to try and reclaim the kingdom of his grandfather, without knowing what became of the Silmaril. Perhaps he was urged by the fugitives themselves - it could be that Mablung is among them.

503. Dior goes to Doriath and endeavours to recover the realm of Thingol. ... In the autumn of this year a messenger brought by night the Silmaril to Dior in Doriath. - The Tale of Years, HoME XI

I like to imagine this messenger is an Ent. :)

But Nimloth isn't happy and won't have any of this, even though she still doesn't know that Dior has the Silmaril. For after that note about the autumn:

503. Elwing the White daughter of Dior born in Ossiriand. - The Tale of Years, HoME XI

So it seems Nimloth stayed by Lanthir Lamath, and did not go with Dior when he claimed what he considered his birthright. Even this late, I can imagine Amras still talking to her. And she would say, with absolute honesty: she doesn't know what became of the Silmaril. Dior her husband has gone to Doriath, and he has some idea of retaking the kingdom, that she thinks can only end in tears without the Girdle - she really does not want to follow. The Fëanorians say: well, Dior can do what he wants. The Silmaril's not in Doriath, so it's not our problem. But who knows where it is? There are so many Green-elven groups.

She gets a really rude shock the next year.

504. Dior returns to Doriath, and with the power of the Silmaril restores it. ... Dior now publicly wore the Nauglamír and the Jewel. - The Tale of Years, HoME XI

The part I omitted pertains to Melian returning to Valinor, which I think would happen in Bel. 503 instead now: for Melian "died" when Thingol did.

Melian assumed (as the Valar and Maiar could) “the raiment of the Children”, the Incarnates, out of love for them. Only one of the greatest of the Eldar in their early vigour could have supported a union of that sort (unique in all known tales). But Melian, having in woman-form borne a child after the manner of the Incarnate, desired to do this no more: by the birth of Lúthien she became enmeshed in “incarnation”, unable to lay it aside while husband and child remained in Arda alive, and her powers of mind (especially foresight) became clouded by the body through which it must now always work. To have borne more children would still further have chained her and trammeled her. In the event, her daughter became mortal and eventually died, and her husband was slain; and she then cast off her “raiment” and left Middle-earth. - Time-scales, NoME

My headcanon is that Melian was already weaker than a normal Maia per the above quote, and that she had poured a lot of herself into the Girdle. Once it was powerless, and Thingol was dead too, she had been done too much hurt to go on. In my mind, her casting off of her "raiment" was a lot more like an Elven death than it should've been, and perhaps she even came to Mandos (for I headcanon that she had not the power to "restore" herself).

In fact, considering Finwë and Elwë's friendship by Cuiviénen, I'm now struck by a sad idea - that it specifically resembled Míriel's death in the Later Quenta. Because oh my goodness, Melian would have so many reasons to beg to be held blameless for she could give no more to her people. It would be so sad to imagine her saying this to Mablung instead, as possibly one of the highest-ranking survivors after the Dwarves sacked Doriath. :(

'Unhappy it is indeed,' said Míriel, 'and I would weep, if I were not so weary. But hold me blameless in this, and in all that may come after. Rest now I must. Farewell, dear lord!' - The Later Quenta Silmarillion, HoME X

Thereafter Melian spoke to none save to Mablung only, bidding him take heed to the Silmaril, and to send word speedily to Beren and Lúthien in Ossiriand; and she vanished out of Middle-earth, and passed to the land of the Valar beyond the western sea, to muse upon her sorrows in the gardens of Lórien, whence she came, and this tale speaks of her no more. - Of the Ruin of Doriath, published Silmarillion

Yeah, I do not really like using CJRT and Guy Kay's version of the Ruin of Doriath, mostly because CJRT thought he editorially overstepped and we do in fact now have more of JRRT's own writing. Especially here, because this seems out of character with a Melian who asked Thingol to give it up (that quote is coming). But I do like referencing it. And, hey, even though JRRT didn't write it, they still contributed one of my favourite lines in the Silmarillion (my bold):

For Melian was of the divine race of the Valar, and she was a Maia of great power and wisdom; but for love of Elwë Singollo she took upon herself the form of the Elder Children of Ilúvatar, and in that union she became bound by the chain and trammels of the flesh of Arda. In that form she bore to him Lúthien Tinúviel; and in that form she gained a power over the substance of Arda, and by the Girdle of Melian was Doriath defended through long ages from the evils without. But now Thingol lay dead, and his spirit had passed to the halls of Mandos; and with his death a change came also upon Melian. Thus it came to pass that her power was withdrawn in that time from the forests of Neldoreth and Region, and Esgalduin the enchanted river spoke with a different voice, and Doriath lay open to its enemies. - Of the Ruin of Doriath, published Silmarillion

Well, I'm not surprised. Aros and Esgalduin shared the Shadowy Spring in the Eryd Gorgoroth, which had long since become a place of terror. It must have been all Melian could do to keep it clean (probably Mindeb also) while the other springs of Nan Dungortheb were poisoned.

But, yeah. So what I now imagine is: Nimloth goes to Doriath in Bel. 504, because I headcanon that Dior took her sons with him, and she did not wish to be parted from them. (Shades of Fëanor with his children, yes.) And then Dior shares with her a secret that horrifies her - the Silmaril. She begs him: give it up, please. Just like Melian begged Thingol.

Melian counselled him [Thingol] to surrender the jewel, and perchance he would have done so, but their words were proud and threatening, and he was wroth, thinking of the anguish of Lúthien and the blood of Beren whereby the jewel had been won, despite the malice of Celegorn and Curufin. And every day that he looked upon the jewel, the more his heart desired to keep it for ever. Such was its power. Therefore he sent back the messengers of Maidros with scornful words. Maidros answered naught, for he had now begun to devise the league and union of the Elves; but Celegorn and Curufin vowed openly to slay Thingol and destroy his folk, if they came victorious from war, and the jewel were not surrendered of free will. For this reason Thingol fortified the marches of his realm, and went not to war, nor any out of Doriath save Mablung, and Beleg who could not be restrained. - Quenta Silmarillion, HoME V

Uh, yeah. Apparently Beleg and Mablung are totally fine with being on the same side as Celegorm and Curufin despite this. Indeed, Mablung explicitly joined up with Fingon, never mind the kinslaying, and I think we may imagine that Beleg is among his companions:

And many of the woodmen came also with Hundor of Brethil; and with him marched Mablung of Doriath with a small force of Grey-elves, some with axes, some with bows; for Mablung was unwilling to have no part in these great deeds, and Thingol gave leave to him to go, so long as he served not the sons of Fëanor. Therefore Mablung joined him to the host of Fingolfin [read: Fingon] and Húrin. - The Grey Annals, HoME XI

So if Nimloth is really often butting her head against the Iathrim lords, it strikes me that Mablung might be the only lord taking her side. (Beleg would have, but he's dead.)

Dior refuses to listen - the dragon-spell is now also working on him. Then she begs differently, and says: peradventure you need its power to restore Doriath without the Girdle. All right, she can see that Doriath has many hurts that need healing, and a temporary usage of it may be needed. Especially for the poor rivers groaning from the horrors of the Eryd Gorgoroth. But then, at least lock it away, and never let any others see it. Then Dior is wroth, thinking that his wife means to betray him and his Silmaril to the sons of Fëanor; and he shuts her up like Thingol did to Lúthien, forbidding Nimloth to leave or send any communication to them.

So the predictable happens:

505. The sons of Fëanor hearing news of the Silmaril that it is in Doriath hold council. Maidros restrains his brethren, but a message is sent to Dior demanding the Jewel. Dior returns no answer.

At this point, Nimloth is very aware of the Oath - and she's mostly clinging to the hope that Celegorm and Curufin said it would be Angband first, then Doriath. That is what Dior would say - see the version from the Lost Tales:

"Then," said Curufin, "must the Nauglafring unbroken be given to the sons of Fëanor," and Dior waxed wroth, bidding him be gone, nor dare to claim what his sire Beren the Onehanded won with his hand from the [?jaws] of Melko - "other twain are there in the selfsame place," said he, "an your hearts be bold enow." - The Nauglafring, HoME II

As far as Nimloth is concerned, not returning it is asking for trouble unneeded, even if it all works all right; but Dior will hear nothing of it, considering it his birthright from Beren and Lúthien.

In the "Sketch of the Mythology" (HoME IV), Dior has indeed grown "proud". So what happens is that Dior "returns no answer" - suggesting to me, following tumblr discussion back in 2013 reblogged by lintamande, that Dior simply held the messengers imprisoned. This is yet worse than Thingol letting go the messengers with scornful words; and, naturally Nimloth despairs immediately because she knows exactly what Maedhros is going to think of that. But nobody listens to her, just as nobody listened to Melian advising to give up the Silmaril. The Fëanorians would naturally assume that she switched sides and betrayed them:

506. Celegorn inflames the brethren, and they prepare an assault on Doriath. They come up at unawares in winter. - The Tale of Years, HoME XI

...and so now both Dior and the Fëanorians are acting like Morgoth. Dior's acting like Morgoth in the sense that he's imprisoning messengers. (Well, as pointed out also in that thread, it might be that he was concerned that the messengers would send back intelligence to Maedhros about the layout of Doriath and the state of its defences. Still. I'm pretty sure there's no way Maedhros would ever hear of imprisoning messengers coming to parley and take it well.) And the Fëanorians are acting like Morgoth in the sense that they're launching surprise attacks at festivals.

Nimloth is the most ready, having spoken to Mablung who alone is taking her warnings seriously, and also because she knows the Green-elven fighting tactics that the Fëanorians are using now. And so, when the attack came, Mablung worked with her instead of Dior, giving her Aranrúth and the Silmaril - the former to defend herself, and the latter so that she might be able to return it and stop the bloodshed.

Seriously, a truly amazing tidbit when I think about it is that Aranrúth came to Elros from Elwing. So Dior probably was not wielding it when he died, because then I'd think the Fëanorians would take it; it seems likelier that Nimloth, who was with Elwing, took it. But why does she have it instead of her husband, when it's Dior's sword by right? See, this is another reason why I think Nimloth wasn't just butting heads with the Iathrim lords, but was outright not a fan of her husband's policies - maybe even acting against him when she thought he was being particularly stupid. It's what attracts me to the "Nandorin Nimloth" headcanon from that version. Honestly, I think it explains her actions really well, except for marrying Dior in the first place. And that can be explained by Beren and Lúthien going incognito and her not really having any clue who Dior was.

506-507. At Yule Dior fought the sons of Fëanor on the east marches of Doriath, and was slain. There fell also Celegorn (by Dior's hand) and Curufin and Cranthir. The cruel servants of Celegorn seize Dior's sons (Elrún and Eldún) and leave them to starve in the forest. (Nothing certain is known of their fate, but some say that the birds succoured them, and led them to Ossir.) [In margin: Maidros repenting seeks unavailingly for the children of Dior.] The Lady Lindis escaped with Elwing, and came hardly to Ossir, with the Necklace and the Jewel. Thence hearing the rumour she fled to the Havens of Sirion. - The Tale of Years, HoME XI

I imagine the result looks quite like lintamande's headcanon in Thoughts on Doriath, except that I think Nimloth survived (following HoME XI). Basically: the battle occurs on the marches, but the Fëanorians (despite numerical disadvantages) manage to force Dior to retreat to Menegroth. But the Fëanorians are much less clear about how to fight in Menegroth - their best advantage (my invention) comes because Caranthir's wife is a Dwarf-friend from ages past, and actually has a map of Menegroth. But it has been altered since then in many ways that she knows nothing about. So everything becomes chaos and many war crimes are committed on either side.

But Nimloth only had Elwing with her at the time the attack was coming, and she could not find Eluréd and Elurín. And then she saw what the Fëanorians did to her sons:

Eluréd and Elurín, before they came to manhood, were both slain by the sons of Fëanor,(12) in the last and most abominable deed brought about by the curse that the impious oath of Fëanor laid upon them. - The Problem of Ros, HoME XII

This goes beyond the Oath, and made her quail in fear, thinking that now not even giving up the Silmaril would grant her mercy. And she saw what the people who she'd previously worked with had become, and panicked, thinking them now monsters.

So, thinking that whether or not she gave up or did not give up the Silmaril she would be slaughtered along with her people, she simply fled with her daughter and those few with her like Mablung. The birds indeed had mercy, and when she reached Ossiriand, gave her the corpses of her sons to bury; but they were hardly recognisable.

Still she was strong-willed enough to argue thereafter with the Iathrim lords about which way to go - west to Sirion or back east. And she managed to prevail and argue that the Gondolindrim hadn't done anything wrong. And when Fëanorian refugees came to Sirion and explained how Maedhros was searching desperately in repentance for her sons, and how the Oath was torturing and warping the Fëanorians - she may have relented, and said: okay. They didn't want to turn evil. Should we consider giving the Silmaril up again, so that we do not turn them into monsters by our refusal? It is at this point not a matter of the Fëanorians deserving it, but of them needing it to not turn into monsters, she'd argue.

Well, then it connects to what I previously wrote at The Fates of the Half-Elven. Naturally, nobody else is interested, but Nimloth and Elwing make enough of an argument that eventually the lords said: we're not deciding anything until Eärendil returns! (Which, considering how often he voyages, is basically a creative way to say "never".) Although now I'm really amused, considering some of this headcanon, by the idea that Nimloth promptly suggested "well, maybe I can remarry Amras and make us Fëanor's kin so that the Oath stops being a problem" - and everyone in unison shouted "no".

And then, in a sad echo of Nimloth, Elwing's main motivation for her suicide attempt at the Third Kinslaying was the feeling that they'd lost utterly and that her sons were about to be murdered. (Yes, it was obviously a suicide attempt - she cannot have expected Ulmo to shapeshift her.)

But Nimloth, just as she was at the Second Kinslaying, fought and wanted to live. In the really late phase of the legendarium, Elrond and Elros don't seem to be raised by Fëanorians (see my essay My Completely Contrarian Take on Elrond and Elros). So I headcanon that she survived, and raised her grandsons by herself, even as she had raised her daughter. And since she knows both the Fëanorian take as well as the standard Sirion take on the Leithian, it is indeed true - in another way - that only Elrond knows their tale fully:

‘I will tell you the tale of Tinúviel,’ said Strider, ‘in brief for it is a long tale of which the end is not known; and there are none now, except Elrond, that remember it aright as it was told of old. It is a fair tale, though it is sad, as are all the tales of Middle-earth, and yet it may lift up your hearts.’ - A Knife in the Dark, FOTR

Oh well. I now imagine that Nimloth was the one who killed Amras at Sirion - and that, while he was too far gone (eaten up by the Oath), she knew that his thought (had he still enough lucidity) would have been: thank you for not letting me fall any further. And she thought: I am so sorry, that I let you fall this far. (By not being able to persuade her advisers of her plan to give up the Silmaril.)

My take is that when Elwing decided to kill herself, it was because she thought her sons were going to be murdered just like her brothers, and in that mental state she wasn't even thinking about the fact that she was wearing the Silmaril. And at that point, Amras is just ravaging Sirion without much regard to whether the other party is willing to talk or not - he's been totally eaten up by the Oath. Nimloth can't really negotiate.

What a strange Nimloth I appear to have ended up with. I am about 100% certain that JRRT did not intend her to be this Fëanorian. On the other hand - I do feel like it explains a lot, especially the utter weirdness of her being a royal Sinda who somehow prefers to consider herself a Nando?

I've been editing and re-editing this for far too long. Do please let me know if you can poke holes in this theory. I always appreciate a good counterargument. (Oh, there are so many things I considered for this meta and then rejected because they don't work. Well, JRRT did the same for "The Problem of Ros". Maybe that makes me feel better.) :D

XVI. A note on Thranduil

Hmm. The funny thing about headcanoning Nimloth as a rather Fëanorian-friendly Nando before marrying Dior, and suggesting that Nandorin views about marriage may be quite unlike the Valinorean ones, is that it provides the chance for a farly entertaining rarepair.

Because if Amras is totally culturally assimilating with the Green-elves, I'm starting to wonder if they might have had a very Nandorin marriage beforehand, involving parting, going separate ways once any potential children are grown, and thereafter just being friends with the understanding that they can find someone else since they didn't swear before Eru. Also because it would be defying the Valarin rules, which is always fun for Fëanorians. Seriously, I now imagine Nimloth quizzically asking Amras why Finwë and Míriel couldn't get a divorce, because if Finwë's willing to condemn his wife to eternal death, they don't seem to love each other very much. Then Míriel can change her mind later under the understanding that she's not Finwë's wife anymore and good riddance to him. The Fëanorians might laugh really hard, especially Maedhros and Celegorm who are probably happy that Fingon and Aredhel exist.

So maybe Tauriel with her red hair can after all exist as a Fëanorian in my headcanon. (She'd have to be something like Amras and Nimloth's daughter, LOL. Then she gets red hair - in the usual simplification a recessive - because Nimloth has royal Sindarin ancestry and thus the silver null allele.) It truly would help my attempt to rationalise that occurrence of Celon for Celduin (the River Running). Maybe in that case some Fëanorian Nandor fled into the north and settled in the Erebor area; well, they'd presumably be used to working with Dwarves by then, and presumably they named this river after the one that flowed near their lost home (which, perhaps, happened for the name Limhír as well). Perhaps it also explains why in the "Etymologies", Esgaroth (Lake-town) is Ilkorin, and in later writing it is specifically not Sindarin. Paul Strack suggests that it's either Nandorin or from the language of the Northmen, and I think the former is more likely:

In the Hobbit all names are translated except Galion (the Butler), Esgaroth and Dorwinion. Galion and Esgaroth are not Sindarin (though perhaps 'Sindarized' in shape) or are not recorded in Sindarin; but Dorwinion is Sindarin meaning "Young-land country" or Land of Gwinion. (It was probably far south down the River Running, and its Sindarin name a testimony to the spread of Sindarin: in this case expectable since the cultivation of vines was not known originally to the Nandor or Avari.) - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 54

In the records of the Third Age all that remains of the Silvan language is a few local words and several names of persons and places. These are mostly derived from Lórien; but the names that are Elvish in form found in the Northeast must have originally been devised in the Silvan tongue of King Thranduil’s realm, which had extended into the woods surrounding the Lonely Mountain and growing along the west shores of the Long Lake, before the coming of the Dwarves exiled from Moria and the invasion of the dragon. - Silvan Elves and Silvan Elvish, NoME

Honestly, I think it would work pretty well to have surviving Fëanorians in northern Rhovanion. Not only is Ered Mithrin (the Grey Mountains) suspicious because of the very North Sindarin refusal to lenit m (noting that Fëanorians used North Sindarin, which is why it's Celegorm and not Celegorf), but also this would make sense out of why Thranduil seems to have actually learned something from the Ruin of Doriath.

But the Elvenking said: “Long will I tarry, ere I begin this war for gold. The dwarves cannot pass us, unless we will, or do anything that we cannot mark. Let us hope still for something that will bring reconciliation. Our advantage in numbers will be enough, if in the end it must come to unhappy blows.” - The Clouds Burst, The Hobbit

After all, originally Oropher lived in the south of the Greenwood. By the time of his death, he had thrice moved north indeed to get away from Galadriel and Celeborn as well as the Dwarves of Moria: but he had only reached the Mountains of Mirkwood,

In the Second Age their king, Oropher [the father of Thranduil, father of Legolas], had withdrawn northward beyond the Gladden Fields. This he did to be free from the power and encroachments of the Dwarves of Moria, which had grown to be the greatest of the mansions of the Dwarves recorded in history; and also he resented the intrusions of Celeborn and Galadriel into Lórien. - The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves, Unfinished Tales

Long before the War of the Alliance, Oropher, King of the Silvan Elves east of Anduin, being disturbed by rumours of the rising power of Sauron, had left their ancient dwellings about Amon Lanc, across the river from their kin in Lorien. Three times he had moved northwards, and at the end of the Second Age he dwelt in the western glens of the Emyn Duir, and his numerous people lived and roamed in the woods and vales westward as far as Anduin, north of the ancient Dwarf-Road (Men-i-Naugrim). He had joined the Alliance, but was slain in the assault upon the Gates of Mordor. Thranduil his son had returned with the remnant of the army of the Silvan Elves in the year before Isildur's march.

The Emyn Duir (Dark Mountains) were a group of high hills in the north-east of the Forest, so called because dense fir-woods grew upon their slopes; but they were not yet of evil name. In later days when the shadow of Sauron spread through Greenwood the Great, and changed its name from Eryn Galen to Taur-nu-Fuin (translated Mirkwood), the Emyn Duir became a haunt of many of his most evil creatures, and were called Emyn-nu-Fuin, the Mountains of Mirkwood. - The Disaster of the Gladden Fields, Unfinished Tales

It is Thranduil who went beyond that, getting close to Erebor and what had been Dwarvish land since the First Age (I imagine some Dwarves must've been there before larger numbers arrived as exiles from Moria):

Afterwards they lived in peace, until a thousand years of the Third Age had passed. Then as they said a Shadow fell upon Greenwood the Great and they retreated before it as it spread ever northward, until at last Thranduil established his realm in the North-east of the forest and delved there a fortress and great halls underground. - Silvan Elves and Silvan Elvish, NoME

... the Longbeards had spread southward down the Vales of Anduin and had made their chief 'mansion' and stronghold at Moria; and also eastward to the Iron Hills, where the mines were their chief source of iron-ore. They regarded the Iron Hills, the Ered Mithrin, and the east dales of the Misty Mountains as their own land. But they were under attack from the Orks of Morgoth. During the War of the Jewels and the Siege of Angband, when Morgoth needed all his strength, these attacks ceased; but when Morgoth fell and Angband was destroyed hosts of the Orks fled eastward seeking homes. - Of Dwarves and Men, HoME XII

In the late text "Silvan Elves and Silvan Elvish" it is said that Thranduil did not have help from the Dwarves when making his halls. Gimli in LOTR says he did, but it could well be that the initial halls of Thranduil didn't have Dwarven help and later expansions did. After all, the mithril-coat was meant for a young Elven prince, and by the Third Age the only Elven kingdom is the Woodland Realm of Thranduil. :)

So I headcanon Thranduil as being way more open-minded than Oropher, agreeing to work with Dwarves (despite bad memories of Doriath), while apparently Oropher thought Galadriel and Gil-galad were already too Noldorin. In that sense, maybe there's a much kinder explanation for why Nandorin went extinct in the Woodland Realm. I headcanon that it carried on being spoken throughout the Second Age, but that Thranduil, fleeing from the horrors of the south, ended up going straight into territory already occupied by Fëanorian Nandor and North Sindar. By this point the Nandorin dialects may have diverged so much that they'd really need to speak standard Sindarin to understand each other.

Indeed, after the horror of the Balrog awakening in Moria (by which time Nimrodel was still speaking Nandorin), we know that there were other Nandorin emigrants who fled to Thranduil's realm in the north.

She would speak only the Silvan tongue, even after it had fallen into disuse among the folk of Lórien;(12) and she dwelt alone beside the falls of the river Nimrodel to which she gave her name. But when the terror came out of Moria and the Dwarves were driven out, and in their stead Orcs crept in, she fled distraught alone south into empty lands [in the year 1981 of the Third Age]. - Amroth and Nimrodel, Unfinished Tales

It is possible, however that in the Vale of Anduin a Nandorin speech survived, the centre being on either side of Anduin in the (then more extensive) woods of which later Lórien and the western part of Mirkwood about Dol Guldur were part. Legolas’s people were evidently immigrants who had left that region when Moria became evil and the shadow of Sauron grew about Dol Guldur, and as that was not long before* in Elvish reckoning, the language of the Elves of Mirkwood and of Lórien remained more or less the same [Legolas answered the Elves of Lórien “in the same language”: p. I 356.]

* The migration probably took place about Third Age 2000 (between 1980 and 2060 (see App. B, entries 1980-2060): that is about 1000 years previously to period in LR (T.A. 3019). In "mortal" terms, with reference to linguistic change (at this period) = about 150 years. - Parma Eldalamberon XVII, p. 54

The fact that these are referred to as "Legolas' people" is curious. We know perfectly well that his father's people are the Sindar, so I agree with Lothronion that this must refer to Legolas' mother's people. So it seems plausible to me that Legolas' mother was one of Nimrodel's people who likewise "fled distraught", but in another direction. So I can believe that after the Balrog awoke in Moria, there were so many mutually unintelligible dialects of Nandorin being spoken in the Greenwood that Sindarin became the only practical common tongue. And maybe, around this time, Thranduil decided to work with the Dwarves of Erebor as fellow victims of the tragedy. I guess the hint of Fëanorian North Sindar surviving around there (based on unlenited m in Ered Mithrin) suggests a truly cosmopolitan Woodland Realm, and a Thranduil who is wise enough to say: okay. Whatever grievances we all have against each other, the Enemy is a bigger problem. Let us be friends.

Well, that would make it possible for those loremasters "of Noldorin origin" to study more speeches of the Silvan Elves. I doubt it would happen under Oropher (though surely it could happen under Galadriel and Celeborn - it would certainly explain the name of Rúmil of Lórien); but I now find a few surviving Fëanorian loremasters enthusiastically doing it under Thranduil a very entertaining idea. Also a nice one, as it seems to suggest that Elves will after all forgive each other (if only after several millennia). :)

As for Nimloth herself - I don't really know. She's culturally at this point a Nando with a lot of goodwill towards the Noldor, and who sees the Fëanorians as tragedies and not wholly evil. Her take is probably quite unpopular, and the unpopularity of it has probably influenced her grandsons, because Elrond is ashamed of even his heritage from Turgon because it's Exilic Noldorin under the Ban. But hey, she seems to be strong enough to argue with and go behind Dior's back, and argue with her own lords. I could see her just doing her own thing. Maybe she could chill with her daughter with Amras in this headcanon, or she could chill with her quasi-sister-in-law - my headcanon of surviving Caranthir's wife around Annúminas, meant to explain the Shire's technology levels. That would require some explanation of why she didn't give the Silmaril back, but hey - even hardcore Fëanorians might accept an answer along the lines of "I really wanted to, and kept forcefully arguing for it, but I kept getting silenced and I did not have the power to do it unilaterally".

And hey, she might actually know Caranthir's wife pretty well from the years when she was working with Fëanorinas, if Caranthir was Amras' favourite brother after Amrod died. Maybe before in fact, since I think there's good reason to headcanon Caranthir's wife as the lady of Thargelion (next to Ossiriand) prior to the return of the Noldor. It could well be that Nimloth, fed up with Thingol, came to her before Fëanor's return and asked for help. :)

After all, as I later realised (see that last link): Gilmith shows unlenited m. It would be pretty funny to have Mithrellas as a Silvan Elf who started working with the Fëanorians if they retreated into Eriador. (A possibility that is even funnier to me, though sadly countercanonical, is making Mithrellas outright Caranthir's daughter. But alas it is countercanonical. :Þ)