The Deep Places of the World

Tinfang Gelion
It is said that there were three great minstrels among the elves: Daeron the piper of Doriath, Maglor the son of Feanor... and some bloke named Tinfang Gelion. Wait, who? Tinfang first appears under the guise of Tinfang Warble, which suggests that he was probably a vocalist (in contrast with Daeron the piper, and Maglor the harper). His name contains the element -fang, which means 'beard', and an initial element which Tolkien said was 'Tinu-', 'spark/little star'. That might suggest a white beard, or more likely - given the lack of any known white-haired elves - one braided with jewels. How did an elf get a beard? The only two known examples are Cirdan (who was the oldest elf in Middle-earth at the time of the War of the Ring - he may well have awoken at Cuivienen) and Mahtan, father of Nerdanel. The idea of jewellery might suggest a connection to Mahtan the smith - but there is a significant argument the other way. 'Gelion', Tinfang's aftername, is a river in eastern Beleriand. It borders the realm of Thargelion, where Caranthir son of Feanor lived - but it also runs down the side of Ossiriand, and is the destination for its seven rivers. And Ossiriand is the land of the Nandor, also known as the Laiquendi ('Green Elves') and the Lindar - the Singers. Furthermore, it would serve to balance the story for Tinfang to be a Green Elf. Daeron is a Sinda, Maglor a Noldo - and the famous Elemmírë, who wrote the Aldudénië, the 'Lament for the Two Trees', is a Vanya who never left Valinor (and thus isn't counted among the three). Apart from the Teleri in Valinor - who were seen as very close kin to the Sindar - the only other major Elven population is the Green-Elves. As a narrative device, a great singer from each tribe is a powerful idea. And it would also allow him to write the song he must have written, the long and famous lay of the most celebrated inhabitants of Ossiriand: the Lay of Leithian, the tale of Beren and Luthien which Aragorn sings a small part of. It endured for over six thousand years, and must be the work of a great minstrel - but Elemmírë is in Valinor, Maglor is Feanorian (and would thus never sing positively of Luthien, or against his brothers), and Daeron vanished before the events unfolded. The only minstrel who could have written the Lay is Tinfang - and only if he dwelt in Ossiriand, where Beren and Luthien lived after they returned. But... that opens up one more point. The sole canonical mention of Tinfang is found... in the Lay of Leithian he wrote! Here it serves an important dramatic purpose, in that the three minstrels correspond to the three elven homes of the Silmaril - with House Feanor (Maglor), in Doriath (Daeron), and in Ossiriand (Tinfang). But it also means that Tinfang might not be quite so famous as he would have us believe. After all, it is the winners who write the history books - and the elf who can get his name in song as one of the greatest of all time, well, after a thousand years, who's going to argue with him?
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