: : Most importantly, however, in the final texts (if I read the order correctly), Tolkien in fact backed off having Nolofinwe affirmatively making a claim adverse to Feanor. The later text I think is instructive.
: I am not sure of the order either, when I get a chance I may do some more research on it. I do not think he 'backed off' per se. He was writing alternative versions and we do not know what his final decision may have been.
: : After Feanor's banishment to Formenos, accompanied by his father, Nolofinwe ruled the Noldor in Tirion. But at this point, there appears no impairment of Feanor's status. Finwe supported his eldest to the point of going to Formenos with him during the banishment. He said "While the ban lasts of Feanor my son, that he may not go to Tirion, I hold myself unkinged, and I will not meet my people." Finwe was firmly behind Feanor.
: : When Feanor went to Valinor at Manwe's invitation, the brothers were reconciled and Nolofinwe acknowledged Feanor's status: "You will lead and I will follow". This, I believe, is the later conception and replaced Nolofinwe asserting an affirmative claim on the kingship.
: This is a later writing (according to CT) but I do not know that it replaced the earlier version (which is also very late and is said to be JRRT's last linguitic writing on the history of those names therein) or was yet another version to be contemplated. I do not see it being at complete odds with Fingolfin changing his mind and reasserting his claim, which it would seem the Noldor wanted him to do, and was one of the reasons given for Feanor leaving them behind.
The two version give quite different pictures of Fingolfin's personality. In the "claiming" version, he is almost as prideful as Feanor. He makes his claim pratically the second after Feanor walked out the door to Formenos. In the "You lead, I follow" version he's much more sedate and accepting of his secondary position. He never makes an affirmative claim; rather the people and those around him advance his position. Interesing, to say the least.
: : This change continued. Feanor asserted his claim as King of the Noldor after Finwe's death was announced. Nolofinwe did not assert a counter-claim. The opposite in fact. The final version has it that Nolofinwe did not want to leave, but did so on the urging of the Noldor who loved him, and wanted to remain under him and his son Fingon in particular. And "Nor did he forget his words before he throne of Manwe" : "You will lead and I will follow"
: : The status of the eldar house of Feanor as set forth in Shibboleth is consistent with that found in the Silmarillion. After Maddhros' rescue by Fingon. In return, Maedhros *waived* his claim to kingship over all the Noldor. "...The House of Feanor was called the Dispossessed, because the overlordship passed from it, the elder..."
: : Thus Feanor's statements to his sons in Shibboleth were correct: they were the heirs of Feanor and the elder house. They were "possessed" of that right. Maedhros' father-name was Nelyafinwe - third Finwe - representing his status as third after Finwe and Feanor. It took the abdication by Maedhros to *dis*possess the Feanoreans of the legal right (although their position in the hearts of the Noldor had already crumbled)
: Ultimately it took the abdication of Maedhros. But there are still various statements implying that others could put forth claims.
If we're going with the "later" version, there are so many other considerations that the law and custom gets, I believe, lost in the mix. What I perceive going on in the early days of the Exile is that the non-Feanoreans were so horrified at what they saw in the Kinslaying and what they experienced in crossing the Helcaraxe that there was simply no way the greater part of the Noldor were going to follow the Feanoreans. Law or custom was irrelevant at that point and any asserted claim by Fingolfin (or on his behalf) would have been contrary to law/custom. Maedhros, who did have the occassional good quality, saw this situation: knew the Noldor would have to at least be titularly united and that would not occur under his house, was personally sorrowful for the abandonment of Fingolfin's host and personally grateful for his rescue. In that situation, he had little choice but to do the honorable thing and set he and his house aside.
: : : : : : There's an important distinction. All those you listed were Noldorin kings - but they were not Kings of the Noldor in thier capacities as King of Nargothrond, King of Gondolin, King of Hithlum, etc. The position of (high) King of the Noldor transcended geopolitical considerations and was am overlordship of the Noldor as a people. The is the kingship Tolkien refers to in the passage from App B being debated. No one could in any event be heir to the crowns of Nargothrond, Gondolin, etc. at the beginning of the Second Age as those realms no longer existed.
: : : However JRRT refers to them as Kings of the Noldor, and not in their capacities as regional kings. "The Noldor then became (after Fingolfin's death) divided into seperate kingships [not 'kingdoms' which they already had] under Fingon ... Turgon ... Maedros ... and Finrod ...".
: : That text doesn't say they were Kings of the Noldor. The overlordship of the Noldor was never divided even though the Noldor did divide into separate physical realms. The high kingship always remained singular.
: The above quoted text says just that. The Noldor became divided into separate kingships under Fingon, Maedhros etc. That is they were Kings of (various factions) of the Noldor. It does not say principalities or lordships or chieftainships, it says kingships. : Further: "Thus his realm was the greatest though he was the youngest of the great lords of the Gnomes, Fingolfin, Fingon, and Maidros, and Inglor Felagund. But Fingolfin was held overlord among them... : And in Doriath abode Thingol, the hidden king, and into his realm none passed save by his will, and when summoned thither: and mighty though the Kings of the Noldor were in those days and filled with the fire and glory of Valinor, the name of Thingol was held in awe among them." Kings of the Noldor is refering back to those aforenamed individuals.
These are not the same thing. We're talking about an *over*lordship, a *high* kingship. There were several separate Noldorin realms under separate sovereigns, but there was only one high king who ruled (nominally, for sure) the Noldor as a society. None of the individuals (except the one high king) have a slice of the high kingship which is the crown we're discussing.
: : One can be an heir and not inherit. If Elrond was heir-presumptive at the beginning the the Age, then Gil-galad would not have been the last heir at the beginning of the Age. Whatever occurred down the line at the end of the Age would not afect this.
: Elrond was not 'heir presumptive', he preferred to reckon his lineage through his mother to Elwe. He thus 'dispossessed' himself of a claim on the title. He preferred his lineage to Thingol who was not under the ban. He 'disassociated' himself from his other lineage.
I think that's a great leap. All Ros said is that he preferred his Sindarin lineage. It's a great leap to take that one phrase and turn it into a formal abdication of his right to inherit the Noldorin high kingship. What other corroboration is there for that?
Russ
