Editing Noldor (section)

=== Flight of the Noldor: exile to Middle-earth ===

{{further|Sundering of the Elves}}

In the port city of Alqualondë, the Noldor hosts led by Fëanor demand that the [[Falmari]], those of the Teleri who had come to Valinor, let them use their ships. When the Teleri refuse, Fëanor's forces take the ships by force, committing the first Kinslaying. A messenger from the [[Vala (Middle-earth)|Valar]] comes later and delivers the [[Prophecy of the North]], pronouncing the Doom of Mandos on the Noldor for the Kinslaying, and warning that a grim fate awaits them should they proceed with their rebellion. Some of the Noldor who had had no hand in the Kinslaying, including Finarfin, son of Finwë and Indis, return to Valinor, and the Valar forgive them. The majority of the Noldor, some blameless for the Kinslaying, remain determined to leave Valinor for Middle-earth. Among them are Finarfin's children, Finrod and [[Galadriel]], who choose to follow Fingolfin instead of Fëanor and his sons.<ref name="Return of the Noldor" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, ch. 13 "Of the Return of the Noldor"</ref>

The Noldor cross the sea to Middle-earth in the stolen ships, leaving Fingolfin and his people behind. Upon his arrival in Middle-earth, Fëanor has the ships burned. When the Noldor led by Fingolfin discover their betrayal, they go far to the north and cross the sea at the [[Grinding Ice]] or Helcaraxë.<ref name="Flight of the Noldor" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, ch. 9 "Of the Flight of the Noldor"</ref> Suffering substantial losses along the way, this greatly adds to their animosity for Fëanor and his sons.<ref name="Return of the Noldor" group=T/> The deaths of the Two Trees and the departure of the Noldor out of the [[Undying Lands]] mark the end of the [[Years of the Trees]], and the beginning of the [[Years of the Sun]], when the Valar create the Moon and the Sun out of Telperion's last flower and Laurelin's last fruit. Fëanor's company is soon attacked by Morgoth in the Battle under Stars or ''Dagor-nuin-Giliath''. Fëanor himself is mortally wounded by [[Balrog]]s, who had issued forth from Morgoth's fortress of [[Angband (Middle-earth)|Angband]] and captured his eldest son Maedhros.<ref name="Return of the Noldor" group=T/>

Fingon, the eldest son of Fingolfin, saves Maedhros (his half-cousin) from captivity, which settles the rift between their houses for a time. Maedhros is due to succeed Fëanor, but he regrets his part in the Kinslaying as well as the abandonment of Fingolfin, and leaves the leadership of the Noldor in Middle-earth to his uncle Fingolfin, who becomes High King of the Noldor. Maedhros's brothers dissent and begin to call themselves ''the Dispossessed'', paying little deference to Fingolfin or his successors, and are still determined to fulfil the oath they swore to recover the Silmarils on behalf of their father.<ref name="Return of the Noldor" group=T/> 

[[File:Sketch Map of Beleriand.svg|thumb|upright=2|Sketch map of [[Beleriand]] in the [[First Age]]. Fingolfin's land of Hithlum is at upper left; Turgon's city of Gondolin is more central, [[Finrod Felagund|Finrod's]] city of Nargothrond below it. [[Morgoth]] is based in the Iron Mountains, in the top centre.]]

{{anchor|Finrod}}
In [[Beleriand]], in the north-west of Middle-earth, the Noldor make alliances with the Sindar and later with [[Man (Middle-earth)|Men]] of the Three Houses of the [[Edain]]. Fingolfin reigns long in the land of [[Hithlum]], and his younger son Turgon builds the hidden city of [[Gondolin]]. The Sons of Fëanor rule the lands in Eastern Beleriand, while Finrod Finarfin's son is the King of [[Nargothrond]] and his brothers Angrod and Aegnor hold Dorthonion. Fingolfin's reign is marked by warfare against Morgoth; in the year 60 of the First Age, after their victory in the battle of [[Dagor Aglareb]], the Noldor start the [[Siege of Angband]], the great fortress of Morgoth. In 455 the siege is broken by Morgoth in the [[Dagor Bragollach]], or Battle of Sudden Flame, in which the north-eastern Elvish realms are conquered, with the exception of Maedhros' fortress at Himring. A man, Barahir, saves Finrod's life; Finrod gives him a ring which had been made in Valinor.{{efn|The ring survives in [[Rivendell]]. In the Third Age, the Ring of Barahir passes to [[Aragorn]], who gives it to [[Arwen]] when they are betrothed.}} Fingolfin in despair rides to Angband and challenges Morgoth to [[single combat]], dealing the Dark Lord seven wounds before perishing. Fingolfin is succeeded by his eldest son Fingon the Valiant, who becomes the second High King of the Noldor in Beleriand.<ref name="Return of the Noldor" group=T/>

In 472, Maedhros organises an attack on Morgoth, which leads to the [[Nírnaeth Arnoediad]], the Battle of Unnumbered Tears.<ref name="The Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad" group=T/> The Noldor and their allies are utterly defeated when they are betrayed by the Easterlings and surrounded by Morgoth's forces. Fingon is killed by [[Gothmog]] the Lord of [[Balrog]]s, and is succeeded by his brother Turgon. Morgoth scatters the remaining forces led by the sons of Fëanor,<ref name="The Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, ch. 20 "Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad"</ref> and in 495 Nargothrond too is conquered. Turgon had already withdrawn to Gondolin, which had been kept hidden from both Morgoth and other Elves; his realm is betrayed to Morgoth by his nephew Maeglin in 510. Turgon dies during [[the Fall of Gondolin]], though his daughter Idril leads many of his people to escape and find their way south. [[Gil-galad]], son of Fingon, succeeds Turgon and becomes the fourth and last High King of the Noldor in Middle-earth.<ref name="Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, ch. 23 "Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin"</ref>

Between 545 and 583, the [[War of Wrath]] is fought between Morgoth and the host of the Valar. As the result of the cataclysmic destruction from the war, Beleriand sinks into the sea, except for a part of Ossiriand later known as Lindon, and a few islands. The defeat of Morgoth marks the end of the [[First Age]] and the start of the [[Second Age|Second]], when most of the Noldor return to Aman, though some like Galadriel or [[Celebrimbor]], grandson of Fëanor, refuse the pardon of the Valar and remain in Middle-earth.<ref name="War of Wrath" group=T>{{harvnb|Tolkien|1977}}, ch. 24 "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"</ref>

{{anchor|Gil-galad}}