Like Mother, Like Son

Like Mother, Like Son

I love that Curufin and Fëanor look almost exactly alike, and I raise you this idea:

When seen from a distance, the tall, burly firstborn son of Fëanor favors his mother Nerdanel far more than his father, with his wild mane of red curls and his tan skin spattered with freckles. His stone-grey eyes are clearly Fëanor's, but he inherited his mother's large hands and broad shoulders; in fact, Nerdanel's almost masculine features are perfectly realized in Maedhros, the tallest of his family, a lordly Elf whose figure looks cut from the marble slabs his mother sculpts so artfully.

His personality is similar to hers as well; though his expression is often perceived to be cold and brooding, he has the same quick wit and observant nature as Nerdanel, and he weighs his words carefully before he speaks them. His lopsided, quirked grin brings to mind his mother's mischievous laughter.

It is why, though she would never say or show it, Maedhros is his mother's favorite son, and why it breaks her heart so to see him leave Valinor with the rest of the Noldor.

Celegorm to Maglor and Maedhros: You two behave so like Ammë and Atya sometimes, it’s ridiculous, we’re grown adults

Maglor:……. Which one of us is Ammë

Caranthir: Well Nelyo obviously

Maglor: Ha!

Caranthir: Maedhros thinks things through and is half way competent. Like Ammë. Whereas you are a delusional, melodramatic, pompous asshole. You know, like Atya.

I loooove this! My personal hc is that (of course all the Noldor and Feanorians are like this, even in war) when Mae and Mags were taking care of Elrond and Elros (I love the kidnap fam so much, they will always have a very special place in my heart) that they brought them both up to be fairly similar, which for Elros is one thing as king of the men as being half elf they expect him to be at least a little strange and elvish but for Elrond. Who is an elf. And is around other elves. Who remember. And knew. Of the Noldor. Specifically Feanorians. Who had this tradition... but of course Elrond, in hi slove for his family, will continue the tradition of loads of bling.

Of course when he marries Celebrian, who was of course raised by her parents, including Galadriel, who was a Noldor herself... basically their kids, and Arwen's kids (as ofc Aragorn isn't going to stop the bling fest) are spotted from miles away, from the glinting of the light from the silver and gold covering them head to toe.

However, I do believe that Elrond will sometimes tone it down, and only really tones it up to annoy people, and to remind them of the Noldor, as it isn't always practical wearing the usual Noldor amount.

There is no word for gaudy in Noldorin Quenya, the same way fish have no word for wet.

The Vanyar and Teleri have words for gaudy which translate roughly to “something a noldo would like.”

Celebrimbor: Elrond?

Elrond: Yes?

Celebrimbor: If you ever see me turning into my father, I want you to end me.

So hear me out - but if the feanorians were in our time, they would absolutely have some form of mental health difficulties/things they struggle with, (putting aside whether or not they had smthing like adhd for the second) and this would be very easily shown through their actions, and you could see it in the way they responded to things.

For example, Over-Achieving Perfectionist Feanor- never fully satisfied, constantly needing to be better, best, in everything he did and having tunnel vision when it came to doing that (not in the sense that he can't focus on anything else, simply just that which would effect him reaching his goal).

Compartmentalizing Maedhros- as the eldest child, and one who spent a lot of time doing things for others/having to look out for other people throughout his life, I think that (especially after Angband, but even before) he would find it really difficult to focus on things negatively effecting him unless it would effect his brothers, and would rather just throw it in his mental box for later.

I think that Maglor probably had attatchment issues, I think that with Elrond and Elros a lot is said about potentially he and Mae trying to heal the gaping hole left by their brothers' death, but I also think that for him, as the second eldest, he spent a lot of time helping and looking after his younger brothers, (though not in the same way Mae did) but also spent almost his entire life (depending on what you think of the timeline) with Mae to lean on and depend on, to be the older brother, and with them all dying and the pain of the silmarils that he struggles not to get attached to others.

Celegorm I like to think not necessarily struggles with social interaction, but as he prefers to and does spend the majority of the time outside, with animals and with only his close family for company (i do think he had someone he hunted with but can't remember) and so when he did have to be in large groups with other people would find it awkward as he isn't in the woods anymore, and so he has to behave differently.

Caranthir I think, as the middle child, probably struggles with being surrounded by his wonderful sibilings, (not that he isn't also amazing, I love them all) with wonderfully diplomatic Mae, charismatic and creative Mags, Celegorm with his skill in nature and with animals, Curi of course has his smithing (and I'll speak on that in a sec, but it's time for Cara) and the twins are known as the funny tricksters, and he struggled to find a place for himself. He's normally described as either angry (but that also applies to Curi, Celegorm, and Feanor) and/or as very smart and scholarly (which can also apply to Feanor and Mae, at least in my understanding of these characters ofc) and so finding that space, similarly to Faenor's fears of being replaced by his dad (which I do think caused his perfectionism) was a very large part of his personality.

I think Curufin's issues are spoken about quite easily, but just to add my thoughts, I think that his fear of being like his dad his whole personality probably caused a lot of resentment, and feeling not good enough. I think he probably would have a lot of internalised anger at everyone, and although I do think he did genuinely believe in the Oath (probably the only one who actually did, at least for the majority of it) I think right before he died (and I did see another post though I can't remember who by, if I do I'll tag them but it was brilliant and based off this) and saw his brother's death, that was when he realised that his dad was wrong. I think that was mentally damaging and probably when in Mandos caused him to have slightly difficult trust issues, particularly with Feanor, as he saw it as a personal affront, after all, if he's just like Feanor, and Feanor messed everything up this badly, then what does that make him?

Ambarussa- honestly I think that their main concern would be an identity crisis, with being referred to as Ambarussa, or as the twins they'd feel that they had to be funny or memorable to get people to like them/see them as people, including their own family, and that would cause issues with their relationships later down the line as they would assume that nobody actually liked them, and that they had to work to be liked.

hc that celebrimbor is the reserved type – he doesn't get much of a chance to voice his own stance because the voices of his father and grandfather are so overpowering. when they make it to middle earth and feanor's death leaves them lost and alone, curufin starts saying "speak" to encourage celebrimbor to say what's on his mind. sometimes it works and celebrimbor opens up, sometimes it feels more like an order and he puts up his walls.

in nargothrond, he grows close with finrod. feels himself talking more freely, enjoying conversation, feeling lighter. finrod only says "speak, friend" once – celebrimbor offers his mind and his skill gladly after the first time.

but the veneer of peace and security shatters when beren arrives and curufin and celegorm repeat their oath and sway the people against finrod. finrod throws his crown to the floor, and he walks past curufin and celegorm without looking at them. he looks at celebrimbor, though, but under all those eyes and all the fear and anxiety in the room, celebrimbor can't bring himself to say a word. the hurt is clear in finrod's mien.

the guilt and self-loathing at his own silence and cowardice bites at celebrimbor, made worse by curufin's misplaced pride in him – until orodreth turns against them all. celebrimbor has no great love for orodreth, but for finrod's sake, he will speak.

he tells curufin he will not follow him into exile a second time