Character Bios
Orodreth
Meaning: Mountain-lord(?)
Other Names: Artaher (Q)/Arothir(S), 'noble lord'
Location(s): Valinor, Tol Sirion, Nargothrond
Race/Species: Elf
Type/Kind: Noldor
Title(s): King of Nargothrond
Dates: Age of Trees - I, c 495
Parents: Father: Finarfin; Mother: Earwen*
Siblings: Finrod, Angrod, Aegnor, Galadriel*
Spouse: N/A
Children: Finduilas, [Gil-galad]*
Description:
*In a late stage of writing, Tolkien changed his genealogy of the House of Finwe quite radically by removing Orodreth one more generation from Finarfin, making him the son of Angrod and his wife Edhellos. Finduilas remained his daughter, but he acquired Gil-galad as a son. (The Peoples of Middle-earth, HoMe 12, Last Writings, The Shibboleth of Feanor).
As Finarfin's son, Orodreth is said to have been like his father, who tried to calm the Noldor with soft words at the time of their rebellion (The Silmarillion, QS, Ch. 9 - Of the Flight of the Noldor). All the same, he did not turn back to ask the pardon of the Valar when Finarfin did so. In the story of Túrin Turambar he seems to display a certain lack of character.
Like all the descendants of Finarfin, Orodreth had golden hair.
His original name seems to have been Rodreth, but it was changed to Orodreth because of his love of the mountains.
Contributors:
Finch. 01.07.03
