Hair problem

[Legolas]

Actually, I don't know the color of Finarfin's wife (Earwen)'s hair.

Blonde was introduced to the royal Noldorin house of Finwe because of his second wife, Indis, a Vanyarin elf. This is why Finarfin {and not Fingolfin: see edit below} had light hair.

Galadriel (Finarfin + Earwen) is thought of as Noldorin, but in actuality, her father was half-Noldorin/half-Vanyarin (Finarfin = Finwe + Indis) and her mother, Olwe's dauther, was wholly Telerin for what we know (no information on her mother is given). Thus, she is 25% Noldor, 25% Vanyar, and possibly (most likely?) 50% Telerin. She inherited the light hair gene from her grandmother, Indis.

"Elwe himself had indeed long and beautiful hair of silver hue, but this does not seem to have been a common feature of the Sindar, though it was found among them occasionally, especially in the nearer or remoter kin of Elwe (as in the case of Círdan)."

Thus, it is quite conceivable that Olwe/Earwen too had blonde hair, since his brother Elmo was the grandfather of Celeborn, who also had light hair, and his brother Elwe (Thingol) had light hair.

Edit, for amyrlis:

Seems that it was a misconception of mine, and I apologize.

From the Silmarillion...

Finarfin - The third son of Finwe, the younger of Feanor's half-brothers; remained in Aman after the Exile of the Noldor and ruled the remnant of his people in Tirion. Alone among the Noldorin princes he and his descendants had golden hair, derived from his mother Indis, who was a Vanyarin Elf (see Vanyar).

So, no, Fingolfin didn't have light hair. Finarfin did however, so the light hair of his children did not come from his wife Earwen (or at least not only from her), but from himself and his Vanyarin mother, Indis.

Sorry if I caused any confusion.

[ August 01, 2002: Message edited by: Legalos ]