[Formendacil]

I wish I could remember the reference (it might be in HoME X, Morgoth's Ring, pertaining to comments about Míriel and her refusal to return to her body) so that I might dig it up, but I recall Tolkien writing somewhere that Fëanor was unusual because he would NEVER be re-embodied during the life of this world. (There's a hint of this in the prophetic bit about him breaking the Silmarils and rekindling the light of the Two Trees--clearly an eschatological reference, given the unlikeliness of his re-embodying.) As with his mother, Míriel (and, if I recall HoME X aright, speculatively Finwë), Fëanor is not re-embodied solely because of the "sins" he was responsible for, but because of a disposition on his part--a willingness, as it were, to admit any wrongdoing.

What this would suggest is that re-embodiment is the norm for Elves, as already mentioned by obloquy, and also the length of time spent in Mandos seems to be proportional to how good the Elf was in the first place.* Given the singling out of the cases of Fëanor and Míriel as unusual, we should, in fact, assume that--eventually--Elves such as Fingolfin and Turgon did, indeed, return to life in Valinor.

Although I can (from cursory search) find no text in the Silmarillion to say so, it seemed to me clear that Finarfin rules the Noldor yet, in which case one maybe should ask if Elven culture permits re-embodied lords to resume rule. If my impression is correct, then it seems to be that Elven culture does not, since it also seems apparent that the re-embodied Noldor would not be re-embodied unless they were forgiven of their prior wrongdoings--and if forgiven, they would properly receive back what was theirs, unless death caused their claims to be bypassed (although a case could be made for the opposite position along the lines distinguishing between consequence and forgiveness).

Of course, I could be right about Finarfin remaining king, and it having nothing to do with Elven culture, and everything to do with Elven nature. Barring the example of Glorfindel, although we know that re-embodiment is the natural course for a dead Elf, we have no examples of any returning to a "public" life. Perhaps, therefore, passing through death predisposes most Elves to a life of "retirement," and thus the return of those possessing a prior claim to the Kingship of the Noldor (namely Fingolfin, whenever he might have been released) would not have endangered Finarfin's rule, due to an abdication of such worldliness on the part of the re-embodied Elf.

Certainly, we know from The Fellowship of the Ring that re-embodied Elves are somewhat otherworldly. Note the following quote about Glorfindel:

Originally Posted by Many Meetings

...And here in Rivendell live still some of his chief foes: the Elven-wise, lords of the Eldar from beyond the farthest seas. They do not fear the Ringwraiths, for those who have dwelt in the Blessed Realm live at once in both worlds, and against both the Seen and the Unseen they have great power.'

'I thought that I saw a white figure that shone and did not grow dim like the others. Was that Glorfindel then?'

'Yes, you saw him for a moment as he is on the other side: one of the mighty of the Firstborn....

--emphasis mine.

Although the above text doesn't ascribe anything special to Glorfindel as different from any other Elf, and it is to be supposed that, though more than 6500 years have passed since the Two Trees, there could well still be a few Elves in Middle-earth that marched behind Fëanor or Fingolfin, nonetheless, I would attribute the fact that Glorfindel is so mighty (and indeed few could be sent from Rivendell that had power to withstand the Nine--and Glorfindel was sent west along the road, where they were most likely to be met) to the fact that he had been re-embodied. And, indeed, as the texts about Glorfindel in HoME XII, The Peoples of Middle-earth makes clear**, there does seem to be a gravitas about Glorfindel that is not be found in the other Elf-lords around him: Galdor, Erestor, or maybe not even Gildor Inglorion (who unlike the last two is uncontestably a Noldo).




*As an addendum: it is nowhere said that I can recall that the Noldor (or other Middle-earthian Elves) could not be re-embodied before the Ban was lifted, but this is nonetheless the impression I got. It might be interesting to speculate, therefore, that some of the Eldar had indeed been re-embodied by the time of the Great March, and thus the Host of Noldor led by Finarfin to the War of Wrath may have, perhaps, included re-embodied Noldor... but as I say, this is pure speculation, and it does not seem to be borne out by the tenor of the story. Indeed, the Ban on return to Valinor may have also prevented any re-embodiment (given that it took place in Valinor, and so would have been a form of return) until it was lifted.


**Texts also highly recommended, along with the Míriel related stuff, and the Athrabeth for Tolkien's thoughts on Elven death re-embodiment.

EDIT Cross-posted from Galin, #14, onward.