Thingol of Doriath

Thingol, also known asElu, was the King of Doriath and High King of the Sindar. Known as Elwë during the first years of the Eldar, he was the older brother of Olwë and Elmo. He was also a good friend of Finwë, High King of the Noldor. His hair was grey and he was the tallest of all Elves and Men. Thingol instigated the Quest for the Silmaril, the greatest victory of the First Age, but ultimately caused his own doom.

Thingol was born at Cuiviénen in the days before the Sun and the Moon, when Middle-earth was lit only by starlight.

After the Chaining of Melkor, the Vala Oromë took three Elves, Ingwë, Finwë, and Elwë, to Valinor to convince the Eldar to join the Valar in the Blessed Realm. Upon their return, the Elven ambassadors convinced many of the Eldar to join them on the Great Journey to the West. During the thousand mile journey, the Elven host separated into three groups, the Vanyar, Noldor, and Teleri. The Teleri, led by Elwë and his brother Olwë, were the largest and slowest group, and were the last to reach the western shores of Middle-earth.

During this time Elwë wandered into the Forest of Nan Elmoth, where he met and fell in love with Melian the Maia. Caught in an enchantment of their own making, Elwë and Melian could not be found by the searching Teleri. When the Valar returned to take the remaining Elves to Valinor, only some of them followed Olwë across the Great Sea. The rest had come to love the lands of Beleriand and refused to leave without their missing lord.

Over a thousand years passed before Elwë appeared again with his bride Melian. He gathered his people together and founded the Kingdom of Doriath. His subjects would become the Sindar, or "Grey Elves", and their language was Sindarin. From then on Elwë was known as King Elu Thingol, and he claimed lordship over all the lands in Beleriand. While Thingol was King of the Grey Elves, who never saw the light of the Two Trees, as an Ambassador for the Valar he was counted as a High Elf, and equal to any lord of the Eldar.

Thingol's sword is named, Aranruth.