A question regarding Elven cousins

[Finwen]

(I did some searches for this topic, but came up with nothing, so fingers crossed...(It's also extremely obscure, so I doubt anyone has asked it before))

In the Silmarillion it is stated in the chapter 'Of Maeglin' that "...the Eldar wedded not with kin so near," with regard to Maeglin desiring his cousin, Idril.

However, in the chapter about the princes of the Eldar in Valinor, when describing Aredhel it says that she liked hunting and was "often with the sons of Feanor, though to none was her heart's love given." This implies that she could have given her love to one of the sons of Feanor, should she have wished to.

However, Aredhel and Feanor's sons are half-cousins (Feanor being the half-brother of Fingolfin, Aredhel's father). So, why would Aredhel be allowed to marry one of her half-cousins, when it's so sinful for Maeglin to want to wed Idril? Does the 'half-' factor make that much of a difference? Or is it an oversight on the part of Tolkien? Is there some other explanation?

I know this is a random question, but it's been puzzling me for a while now and I thought I'd let other people try and answer it. [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] Thanks in advance for any replies.


(All quotes are approximate - I don't have a copy of Silm. with me at the moment [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] )

[Inderjit Sanghera]

I too am puzzled by the whole cousin thing. In the Fall of Gondolin(BoLT 2) Maeglin actually asks Turgon for Idril's hand in marriage on several occasions, though in the Lost Tales legendarium, the Elvish customs weren't fully explored or set out and they were different from the ones we see in the Silmarillionand Lord of The rings

Laws and Customs of the Eldar(HoME 10) state that Eldarin marriages with first cousins were not allowed. Yet, we see that in Tolkien's last sketches of the story of Galadriel and Celeborn he lists Celeborn, or Teleporno as he is known here as grand-son of Olwe, rather then Elmo, thus making him first cousins with Galadriel, a marriage that should not take place. I always though that Celebrimbor and Galadriel's 'relationship' would be a little incestuous, but bear in mind that here Celebrimbor wasn't a son of Curufin but a Elf of Gondolin who either was Enerdhil or his companion and un-related to Galadriel.

With regards to your question, it may be that there could have been a spark of romance between one of the Sons of Feanor and Aredhel, (Of Maeglin(HoME 11) says she was particularly close with Celegorm) but I always thought their relationship was platonic and that the reference 'though to none was her heart's love given' was a reference to all Elves in general, she never got married and gave her love to no man until being forced by Eol to marry him.

[Finwen]

Yes, I was often confused about why a marriage between Galadriel and Celeborn was allowed, but I tend to forget the changes made to Celeborn's lineage, and how at most points it would not have been considered improper. And I'd never thought about the fact that Celebrimbor wasn't always a descendant of Feanor... Thanks for that. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]


Prehaps that is where the answer to my question lies (because I do believe that the quote refers specifically to Feanor's sons and not Elves in general - it's the use of the word 'though'): in that when the Silmarillion was put together from information spanning over such a time-space, with many changes made over time, this 'cousin' business was over-looked and the facts appear to contradict each other.

[Legolas]

The terms used in each line are quite different - giving her one's heart to someone doesn't imply or necessitate marriage. I don't know that Tolkien was even speaking of a romantic giving of her heart. Throughout Tolkien's works we see a number of close relationships that aren't about romance, but still involve a deep sort of love, especially within families.

[Findegil]

I am nearly sure that "Laws and Customs" did NOT say that marriages between first cousins were not allowed. When I remember rightly than there was statement about what the Elves called half-brother and half-sister (the double first cousins you may say, cousins were both of the parents were brother and / or sister) and the marriage between them was forbidden (as was that between brother and sister).

But cousins could marry if they desired it. But it said also that this seldom happened and only when the unrelated parents were not akin at all.

Taking that view we see that the relation between Galadriel and Celeborn was within the Law. And also the marriage of Maeglin and Idril would have been so.
I don't remember if that statement about the elves not marrying so near kin in the Fall of Gondolin was in the earlier versions of the story. If it was, than JRR Tolkien change his mind about that topic when he wrote "Laws and Customs", if it wasn't than it is an editorial edition of Christopher Tolkien which is quiet possible.

Respectfully
Findegil

[Finwe]

Actually, half-cousins were allowed to get married, but that was the closest relationship possible. I think I remember reading it in Laws and Customs of the Eldar or somewhere else. I'm sure if Maeglin had been an extremely nice guy, and Idril had loved him, Turgon might, (emphasis on "might") have allowed their marriage. But since Idril sensed the darkness in him, and most likely told her father about it, Turgon was most probably slightly careful about Maeglin in general.

From Laws and Customs:

Otherwise 'first cousins', as we should say, might marry, but seldom did so, or desired to do so, unless one of the parents of each were far-sundered in kin.

I take this to mean it was seldom among those whose parents were not far-sundered kin, rather than only among those whose parents were far-sundered kin.

But I have had the same interpretation of those words about Aredehel's heart's love, as Inderjit. [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img] But I see no reason it can not be interpreted as refering to the sons of Feanor?

[ July 14, 2003: Message edited by: Elda ]