Elf of the Teleri, one of the greatest of Elven-lords. He awakened at Cuiviénen and was one of the ambassadors sent by Oromë to VAlinor to see its beauty. Elwë returned to his people and persuaded many of them to undertake the Great Journey; with his brother Olwë he led the Teleri on the Journey. But after the Teleri came to Ossiriand Elwë encountered Melian the Maia; stricken with love for her, he fell into a trance for many years, and during that time most of the Teleri followed Olwë over Sea.
When Elwë recovered from his trance he married Melian, and gathering many of the remaining Teleri about him, he found the realm of Doriath. As King of Doriath and over-lord of the Sindar, Elwë was known as Elu Thingol, King Greymantle. In the long years of the Peace of Arda, Thingol, guided by his own wisdom and the foresight of Melian, hired the Dwarves of Belegost to help build his beautiful mansions of Menegroth and fill its armories. During these happy years was born Lúthien, the only child of Thingol and Melian, the fairest of all the Children of Ilúvatar.
One the return of Morgoth and the pursuing Exiles to Middle-earth, Thingol enclosed Doriath in the Girdle of Melian; after learning of the Kinslaying he refused to have any dealings with the House of Fëanor and forbade the use of Quenya within his realm. Later, he refused to allow any Edain to enter Doriath.
Thus Thingol prospered for many hundreds of years. But at last, desiring to keep his beloved Lúthien from Beren, he demanded a Silmaril as her bride-price, and thus was drawn into the Doom of the Noldor. After this time Thingol was more involved in the Wars of Beleriand. He was reconciled with Beren, who later saved his life during the Hunting of the Wolf, refused the demands of the sons of Fëanor for the Silmaril, succored homeless Edain, notably Túrin, Morwen, and Nienor, and won the hatred and fear of Morgoth. After the fall of Nargothrond, Húrin gave Thingol the Nauglamír in gratitude for his kindness of his family, but when Thingol decided to set the Silmaril in the Necklace he was slain by the workmen, Dwarves of Nogrod who coveted the treasures of their people and of Fëanor.
Thingol was the only Sinda to have seen the Two Trees, and thus was numbered among the Calaquendi. His inborn nobility was greatly enhanced by his journey to Valinor and his marriage to Melian; he had silver hair and was the tallest of the children of Ilúvatar. Usually cautious and discerning, he was quick to anger and pride when he encountered injustice. He bore the sword Aranrúth.
Elwë was surnamed Greycloak, in Quenya Elwë Sindacollo, in Sindarin Elu Thingol, whence his most common name, Thingol, in later histories. Also called King Greymantle, Thingol Greycloak, and the Hidden King.

Return