Character analysis: Eöl, Maeglin

[Artanis]

Short outline of the story of Eöl and Maeglin:
In the published Silmarillion, Eöl is said to have been "of the kin of Thingol", "a tall Elf of a high kin of the Teleri, noble though grim of face; and his eyes could see deep into shadows and dark places." But he did not feel comfortable i Doriath, and when the Girdle was set around the forest he left eastward to dwell in Nan Elmoth. Here he caught sight of Aredhel on one of her wanderings out of Celegorm's realm, and he used his powers of enchantment to make her come to his house and took her to wife more or less by force. Still, Aredhel seemed to be content for many years, and she and Eöl has a son, Maeglin.

Aredhel and Maeglin fled from Nan Elmoth during one of Eöl's journeys abroad, and they headed for Gondolin, where they were both received with honour by Turgon. Eöl followed them, having a brief but unpleasant encounter with Curufin, kinsman and old friend of Aredhel, on his way. At his arrival in Gondolin in front of Turgon's seat he bids Maeglin to return with him to Nan Elmoth, but the king forbids it. Then Eöl, being full of hatred against the Noldor and unwilling to see his son among them, makes an attempt to kill Maeglin, casting a poisoned javelin to him, but ends up killing his wife instead. For this deed he is sentenced to death and executed.

Maeglin becomes great among the Noldor in Gondolin, but he is not content. He desires Idril, but she avoids him. Then Tuor comes as a rival both for the heart of Idril and the King's favour, Idril weds Tuor and they have a son, and Maeglin's hate towards Tuor and his son Eärendil grows deep. Thus, when Maeglin later is captured by Orcs and brought to Angband he is led to treachery, being promised the lordship of Gondolin and the hand of Idril if he would reveal to Morgoth the exact whereabouts of Gondolin and how it could best be assailed.

During the following sack of Gondolin Maeglin attempted to kill Eärendil, trying to cast him onto the flames beneath the city walls, but was hindered by Tuor. Tuor and Maeglin fought on the walls, and Tuor cast Maeglin far out, and so he died in the same way as his father.

Eöl's name and origin
Eöl is called the Dark Elf, but though it is said in the published Sil that he preferred the shadows and the darkness of the deep woods, I don't think this is a sufficient reason for the name. However, in later versions of the Sil Eöl was not from Doriath but an Avari, one of the Elves to refused the march west, but entered Beleriand long after. This serves also to explain the lack of meaning of the name Eöl in both Quenya and Sindarin. At one point Tolkien pondered about making Eöl a former captive of Angband, thus explaining his dark mood and his skills in the smithies, which he was supposed to have learned from Morgoth. This idea was abandoned, and Eöl returned to being learned in smithcraft from the Dwarves.

Maeglin's name
Maeglin means 'Sharp Glance', derived from mik (=pierce), maika (=sharp, penetrating, going deep in) and glim (=gleam, glint, particularly applied to light of eyes). It is said that "Maeglin had, even more than his father, very bright eyes, and was both physically very keen-sighted and mentally very penetrant, and quick to interpret the looks and gestures of people, and perceive their thoughts and purposes." Another explanation of the name Maeglin is that Eöl named his son after the metal that he devised, because the metal was "dark, supple, and yet strong, and even so was his son". Eöl did not give his son a name before he was 12, until then he was called only 'Iôn' (=son), but Aredhel in secret named him Lómion (=son of Twilight, in Quenya).

In other versions of the Sil, Maeglin is called Meglin, or Glindûr.

Sources:
The published Silmarillion
HoME 11 - Maeglin
HoME 11 - Quendi and Eldar
HoME 11 - The Grey Annals