Eönwë was the Chief of Maia who served Manwe as his banner-bearer and the herald. Even though he is described as the “greatest of arms in Arda'' which makes him Maiair’s best warrior, Eönwë isn’t the most powerful one. [1] Eönwë’s part in Silmarillion is mostly about carrying on duties of being Manwe’s messenger.
Biography
According to earlier versions of Silmarillion, Eönwë was supposed to be the son of Manwe but since the idea of a Valar having children was abandoned, Eönwë came to be Manwe’s herald instead. His name in that case was also changed to Fionwe.
Etymology
As a name, Eönwë looks like the Quenya language in its form. Surprisingly, Eönwë has no significant meaning in both Quenya or Sindarin language. However, his older name “Fionwe” directly translates to “son” from “Fion” and the suffix “we” simply means a person. This suggests his earlier conception as the son of Manwe.
History
When Erendil arrived at the shores of Valinor, Eönwë was the one who welcomed him and praised his arrival. Manwe sent Eönwë to Middle Earth as the lead of the Valor to fight the War of Wrath. It is known that it was Eönwë who was responsible for forcibly removing Morgoth from power. However, Christopher Tolkein removed it in the published version of the Silmarillion assuming that J.R.R Tolkein originally wanted to diminish his part. [2] Later, he confessed that the deletion may have been an error on his part. Along with leading the Vanyar, Eönwë is said to play a key role in the aftermath after Morgoth was defeated. He held on to the remaining two Silmarils for safekeeping. When the remaining Sons of Feanor, Maedhros, and Maglor tried to steal the Silmarils, Eönwë did not allow them to get killed hoping they would realize their mistake. After the War of Wrath ended, Sauron reappeared from his hiding and went to Eönwë to ask for forgiveness. However, Eönwë did not have the power to grant him mercy alone so he advised him to return to Valar and face Manwe’s judgment. Not wanting to face humiliation and sentence, Sauron hid in Middle Earth as soon as Eönwë left and went back to his evil ways. [3] Eönwë also carried with him great wisdom. By the beginning of the Second Age, Eönwë became a part of the three most faithful houses of Edain, the men who fought along with the elves. Eönwë taught many things to the Edain and enriched them with great power, knowledge, and longer life spans.
