Celebrimbor, Heir of Fëanor | Tolkien Character Study
While his name appears only a few times throughout Tolkien’s Legendarium, the elven-smith Celebrimbor is perhaps one of the most important Elven characters in these great tales.
The Noldorin smith who forged the Rings of Power under the direction of Sauron in disguise, Celebrimbor is counted second only to Fëanor in skill at the forge.
But who exactly is Celebrimbor? Whether you know him from the Shadow of War games or perhaps the Rings of Power series, let’s take a look at what Tolkien himself wrote about Celebrimbor.
The First Days of Celebrimbor
Celebrimbor was born in Aman, the Blessed Realm, at some point during the Years of the Trees. His exact date of birth is not recorded, but we know that it was before the rebellion of Fëanor and the Flight of the Noldor which was in the Year of the Trees 1495. During Fëanor’s rebellion, Celebrimbor went with his Father to Middle-earth although his mother remained behind with the people of Finarfin. It is important to note that Celebrimbor did not swear the oath of Fëanor.
The name Celebrimbor means “Hand of Silver”, a nod to his skill in craftsmanship. His name in Quenya is Telperinquar/Telpinquar which means “Silver Fist”.
The Ancestry of Celebrimbor
Celebrimbor is the son of Curifin, the 5th son of Fëanor.
It is not recorded whether or not Celebrimbor was ever married, and he has no recorded children. For the most part, because it is not recorded, it is assumed that he did not wed.
At the time of his death, he was the final descendant in the line of Fëanor.
Celebrimbor in the First Age
In the Silmarillion, we learn a little bit about his experience in the First Age though very little is mentioned. Then we primarily see him take a larger role in Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age.
In Beleriand, he remained close with his father Curufin and eventually went with him to Nargothrond after the Dagor Bragollach in F.A. 455.
We don’t know much about what he was up to during the First Age, but he largely seemed to stay out of trouble.
When the treachery of Curufin, his father, and his brother Celegorm were revealed and the two were exiled in about F.A. 465-466, Celebrimbor renounced his father and remained in Nargothrond.
It is not known where Celebrimbor went when Nargothrond fell.
Celebrimbor in the Second Age
After he is briefly mentioned in the tale of Beren and Luthien, we don’t hear about Celebrimbor again until the beginning of the Second Age where we learn that he played a part in the establishment of Eregion.
Second Age 750 (Approximately): Eregion Established.
“Later some of the Noldor went to Eregion, upon the west of the Misty Mountains, and near to the West-gate of Moria. This they did because they learned that mithril had been discovered in Moria. The Noldor were great craftsmen and less unfriendly to the Dwarves than the Sindar; but the friendship that grew up between the people of Durin and the Elven-smiths of Eregion was the closest that there has ever been between the two races. Celebrimbor was Lord of Eregion and the greatest of their craftsmen; he was descended from Fëanor.” - The Lord of the Rings Appendix B
Celebrimbor is recorded as the Lord of Eregion: S.A. 750 - 1697 (for 947 years)
In the Appendix to The Lord of the Rings, Celebrimbor is attributed with the establishment of Eregion; though in other places that credit is given to Galadriel and Celeborn. There are some inconsistencies in this story, which is to be expected. Regardless, he played a role in the region’s establishment.
The Establishment and Importance of Eregion
In the earlier years of the Second Age, there had been an influx of Dwarves migrating to Khazad-dum (later called Moria). Due to this increase in population, it follows that they would have seen an increase in their productivity during this time and so at this point Moria is thriving and flourishing.
At some point, then, the Noldor learn that the Dwarves have discovered an ore called Mithril. The Noldor, being craftsmen who were also much more open to friendship with the Dwarves than the Sindarin elves, would have been eager to learn more about and work with this new ore. So in approximately 750 of the Second Age, a portion of the Noldor who had chosen to remain in Middle-earth came to establish this new region called Eregion.
The region of Eregion is quite significant not only within the context of the Second Age, but the legacy of Eregion is something that will have a lasting impact on Middle-earth for thousands of years to come.
In the early Second Age, we see in the Appendices that the elven-smith Celebrimbor is the Lord of Eregion. It was in this period of time under the leadership of Celebrimbor that the elven-smiths of Eregion reached the height of their skill and thus forged the Rings of Power.
It is also incredibly interesting to note that it was during this time, at the height of their flourishing, that the friendship between the Elves of Eregion and the Dwarves of Khazad-dum was the closest that there has ever been between the two races.
At the end of the Third Age when the Fellowship of the Ring passed through the ruins of Eregion, the region had by that time been renamed “Hollin”. The name Eregion means “Land of Holly”.
The lasting impact of the friendship between the Elves of Eregion and the Dwarves of Khazad-dum can be seen quite tangibly even then, when the Fellowship of the Ring finds themselves standing before the Doors of Durin outside the ruins of Moria.
The Doors of Durin and Celebrimbor’s Relationship to Dwarves
Tolkien wrote that Celebrimbor had an almost Dwarvish obsession with crafts.
He played a crucial part in the history of and establishment of Eregion, whose location was chosen because of the closeness to Khazad-dum.
He was also notably close with the Dwarven-smith Narvi, together with whom he designed the Doors of Durin. These doors are quite important in terms of the relationship between Dwarves and Elves. These Doors were created specifically to facilitate the trade and interaction between the Dwarves of Khazad-dum and the Elves of Eregion, later called Hollin.
“They say only: The Doors of Durin, Lord of Moria. Speak, friend, and enter. And underneath small and faint is written: I, Narvi, made them. Celebrimbor of Hollin drew these signs.” - The Fellowship of the Ring
Because Ithildin was used by the Elves, specifically those of Eregion, and was used in the Doors of Durin, its invention is often attributed to Celebrimbor.
Celebrimbor in Unfinished Tales
In Unfinished Tales, we can sort of see the evolution of Celebrimbor as a character as we meet an earlier version of the elven-smith.
Here, we meet a version of Celebrimbor who is a jewel-smith of Gondolin, and not one of the descendants of Fëanor. (As a result, he is not related to Galadriel.) This version of Celebrimbor is pining after Galadriel and crafts the Elessar to console her. In this tale, Galadriel confides in Celebrimbor that she is grieved by the fading of Middle-earth and out of love for her, he made the greatest of his works (besides the Three Rings): the Elessar. It was then passed down to her daughter, then to Arwen, then to Aragorn who is called Elessar.
SA. 1200: Sauron endeavors to seduce the Eldar and finds success in Eregion.
While Sauron was rejected by the elves of Lindon, he was received eagerly in Eregion where he posed as an Emissary of the Valar. Tolkien explains that Sauron was particularly successful in manipulating Celebrimbor, in part, because of his relation to Fëanor.
In about 1200 of the Second Age, Sauron came to Eregion in secret, naming himself Annatar (Lord of Gifts). In Unfinished Tales, other given names for Sauron were Aulendil (Friend of Aule) and Artano (High-smith). Sauron proposed a collaboration between himself and Celebrimbor through which they would be able to enrich and preserve Middle-earth.
“Can it be that they do not desire to see other lands become as blissful as their own? But wherefore should Middle-earth remain for ever desolate and dark, whereas the Elves could make it as fair as Eressëa, nay even as Valinor?”
The restless hearts of the Noldor made them more vulnerable to Sauron’s manipulations. Tolkien wrote that they were, “not at peace in their hearts, since they had refused to return into the West, and they desired both to stay in Middle-earth, which indeed they loved, and yet to enjoy the bliss of those that had departed.”
In this time, their knowledge increased and their skill surpassed all that they had achieved before; under the guidance of Sauron, they created Rings of Power. Sauron convinced Celebrimbor to expel Galadriel and Celeborn from Eregion between 1350 and 1400. And then Sauron himself left Eregion in approximately 1500 after the Rings of Power had begun to be made.
C. 1590: The Three Rings are completed in Eregion
After the departure of Sauron, the elven-smiths of Eregion crafted the Three Rings of Power which would be kept for the Elves. These were made without Sauron’s touch or direct participation.
Celebrimbor’s Relationship to Fëanor and Sauron’s Exploitation
In The Nature of Middle-earth, this manipulation is summed up quite perfectly: Through Celebrimbor, the story of Fëanor is repeated. Because Celebrimbor secretly sought to rival the fame of Fëanor, Sauron was able to mold him into essentially a new Fëanor who would bring great beauty into the world, and with it, great destruction. Celebrimbor was anxious to create a legacy for himself which might rival the fame of Fëanor.
"[Sauron] sees that he has met his match (or at least a very serious adversary) in Galadriel; he dissembles his wrath, and gets round Celebrimbor. The Noldorin Smiths under Celebrimbor admit him and begin to learn from him (so in a sense the story of Fëanor is repeated)."
“But Sauron was more successful with the Ñoldor of Eregion, especially with Celebrimbor (secretly anxious to rival the skill and fame of Fëanor). When Sauron visits Eregion he sees quickly that he has met his match in Galadriel – or at least that in her he would have a chief obstacle. So he concentrated on Celebrimbor; and soon had all the Smiths of Eregion under his influence.”
Celebrimbor was largely driven by his ambition and desire to craft a legacy for himself which would rival that of his grandfather Fëanor. Through this, Sauron exploited Celebrimbor’s ambition in order to persuade him to forge the Rings of Power.
The Death of Celebrimbor
The death of Celebrimbor is one of betrayal and great tragedy.
“A part of his tale was known to some there, but the full tale to none, and many eyes were turned to Elrond in fear and wonder as he told of the Elven-smiths of Eregion and their friendship with Moria, and their eagerness for knowledge, by which Sauron ensnared them. For in that time he was not yet evil to behold, and they received his aid and grew mighty in craft, whereas he learned all their secrets, and betrayed them, and forged secretly in the Mountain of Fire the One Ring to be their master. But Celebrimbor was aware of him, and hid the Three which he had made; and there was war, and the land was laid waste, and the gate of Moria was shut.” - The Fellowship of the Ring, Book 2, Ch. 2: The Council of Elrond
After the forging of the One Ring, the devices of Sauron are at last revealed to Celebrimbor. Celebrimbor had not been corrupted but deceived, he had “accepted Sauron as what he posed to be.” When he discovered the betrayal of Annatar, he rejected Sauron and sought out Galadriel for counsel.
When Sauron realized that the Elves were not deceived, he demanded the rings be returned to him and came against them in open war. He reclaimed the Nine and the Seven Rings, but the Three were concealed and had remained unsullied by the hand of Sauron.
When Sauron came to Eregion, “Celebrimbor, desperate, himself withstood Sauron on the steps of the great door of the Mirdain; but he was grappled and taken captive, and the House was ransacked.” In this time, Sauron reclaimed the Nine and the Seven rings, but not the Three. Celebrimbor was tortured but would not reveal the location of the Three, and he was put to death. Sauron deduced that the Three must be with Galadriel and Gil-galad. Sauron bore Celebrimbor’s body as a banner as he returned to battle with Elrond.
“Concerning the Three Rings Sauron could learn nothing from Celebrimbor; and he had him put to death. But he guessed the truth, that the Three had been committed to Elvish guardians: and that must mean to Galadriel and Gil-galad. In black anger he turned back to battle; and bearing as a banner Celebrimbor’s body hung upon a pole, shot through with Orc-arrows, he turned upon the forces of Elrond.” - Unfinished Tales
Death of Celebrimbor: S.A. 1697 during the Siege of Eregion (aged 2,334+)
Celebrimbor’s Legacy
The Rings of Power have been compared to the Nuclear Bomb by many, though this was of course not intended as an allegory. But the power of the Rings would forever change Middle-earth. Much like the legacy of Fëanor, Celebrimbor is remembered as the greatest of elven-smiths whose works would enrich Middle-earth but also, tragically, result in thousands of years of war and death.
