The lore and backstory ofThe Lord of the Ringsis just as interesting as the stories themselves, and that’s what Tolkien intended. Amazon’sRings of Poweronly uses some of the lore included in other books and snippets from the appendices fromThe Lord of the Ringsnovels, and there’s still plenty of material to work with.
The name of the series,Rings of Power,is a reference to the rings that were created in the Second Age and featured in the famous poem. The elf who made them, Celebrimbor, has never appeared in aLord of the Ringsadaptation before. His name means “Hand Of Silver” but there are other facts about this important historic figure that only book readers know.
5He’s Galadriel’s Cousin
Celebrimbor is the grandson of Galadriel’s half-uncle, Fëanor, the creator of the Silmarils. It was said that he inherited the skills and talents of his grandfather without the malice or greed, perhaps learning a hard lesson from watching the lust for the gems consume the other members of his family.
RELATED:LOTR The Rings Of Power: Characters And How They’re Related to Galadriel
He and Galadriel weren’t exactly close, but they had a relationship that was more than just friendly. Galadriel had left Valinor partly out of love for her family, and Celebrimbor had no urge or care to follow the Oath that his father and uncles took.
When he lived in Eregion, it was ruled by his cousin and her husband, Celeborn. It wasn’t just luck that she was given one of the rings. Celembribor must have known about Galadriel’s power to perceive and judge, making her an ideal caretaker for Nenya, The Ring of Adamant.
4He Was The Son Of Curufin
The fifth of the seven sons of Fëanor, Curufin was his father’s favorite and took after him the most in both looks and character. They were also equally skilled when it came to working with gems, stone, and metal, talents that Celebrimbor would eventually inherit.
Curufin doesn’t appear inRings of PowerorThe Lord of the Ringsmovies, but he hasa prominent role inThe Silmarillion, where he’s one of the story’s main antagonists. Because of his vow, he kept trying to wrest the Silmaril from Beren and Luthien. He was eventually exiled for crimes, leaving his son behind in the kingdom of Norgathrond.
3He’s The Oldest Survivor Of The House Of Fëanor
The Oath of Fëanor would eventually be seen as a curse that corrupted anyone who participated in it. Perhaps it was because Celebrimbor shunned this obsession, and chose to live in peace and as a diplomat and craftsman instead of a warrior, that he survived for as long as he did. He spent more time withDwarves than he did with Elves, as consumed with the arts of metal and stone as they were.
The only other possibility was his uncle Maglor, who was scarred and driven mad after touching one of the Silmarils. His ultimate fate is unknown. ARings of Powerfan theory identifies Adar as Maglor, citing his scar and marred hand as possibilities, but as the show continues this seems less likely.
RELATED:Lord Of The Rings: Things Only Book Readers Know About The Second Age
By the time Celebrimbor had settled in Eregion, he had survived the fall of Gondolin and many of his kin had returned to Valinor. He chose to stay and was therefore one of the smiths to deal with a mysterious emissary who claimed to represent the Valar Aulë.
2He Never Trusted Annatar
After Morgoth was defeated in the War of Wrath,Sauron went into hidingto avoid capture by the Numenoreans and the judgment of the Valar. He reappeared under another name in the kingdom of Eregion, as a being called Annatar, and claimed to be a messenger.
RELATED:The Lord Of The Rings: Things You Might Know About Arda, LOTR’s World
It wasn’t exactly a lie when Annatar claimed to have been sent by Aulë, as he had been his vassal in the beginning. It didn’t take much for this flashy new ring maker to seduce the smiths of Eregion. Celebrimbor, however, always knew there was something off about Annatar, which is why he made the three Elven rings in secret. It was also perhaps by his will when he made them that the Elves became aware of the One Ring when Sauron put it on.
1He Was Slain By Sauron
Sauron found out about the three Elven rings eventually and attacked Eregion not only out of revenge,but also to find out where they were. The city was destroyed, with most of the inhabitants killed. Celebrimbor was kept alive and tortured for the information, but he never revealed the location of the three rings. So passed the last surviving member of the house of Feanör, and given his kind and gentle demeanor, perhaps he was able to redeem his family name in some way.
As a testament to Sauron’s vicious cruelty, this only gets worse. After Celebrimbor died on the torture table, his body was shot full of arrows and set in front of Sauron’s army like a banner when they attacked the Gray Havens. Sauron recognized who Celebrimbor was, and still bore a deep grudge even if the grandson of his arch-enemy had left it behind.
MORE:LOTR Rings Of Power: The Harfoot Migration: A List Of Possible Destinations
