Amras

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Amras is a fictional character, the twin brother of Amrod being the youngest sons of Fëanor and Nerdanel. Through their maternal grandfather Mahtan they inherited red hair (probably a dark red), instead of Fëanor's black.

Amras' father name in Quenya is "Telufinwë", "Last Finwë", for he was the last of Fëanor's sons. His mother name was originally "Ambarussa" ("top-russet", referring to his hair), the same as his brother Amrod, but Fëanor insisted that the twins ought to have different names and Nerdanel later called him "Umbarto", "the Fated". His father, disturbed by it, changed it to "Ambarto". Nevertheless both twins called each other Ambarussa.

However "Umbarto" proved to be a prophetic name, for Amras was accidentally killed in the swan ships of the Teleri, when his father ordered them to be burnt at Losgar. ["...In the morning [after the burning of the ships] the host was mustered, but of Fëanor’s seven sons only six were to be found. Then Ambarussa went pale with fear. ‘Did you not then rouse Ambarussa my brother (whom you called Ambarto)?’ he said. ‘He would not come ashore to sleep (he said) in discomfort.’ But it is thought (and no doubt Fëanor guessed this also) that it was in the mind of Ambarto to sail his ship back [afterwards] and rejoin Nerdanel; for he had been much [shocked] by the deed of his father." (ME-ref|12|"The Shibboleth of Fëanor").]

Other versions of the legendarium

There is no trace of the death of Amras at Losgar in the published "The Silmarillion", as it was a very late idea by Tolkien, omitted by Christopher Tolkien as he did not at the time see how it could be incorporated into the primary text of "The Silmarillion". Where both Amrod and Amras are mentioned in the published text after the landing in Losgar, it should according to Tolkien's later wishes be Amrod alone. The information regarding Amras' naming, especially, comes from "The Peoples of Middle-earth".

In "The Silmarillion", Amras is always found alongside Amrod. Surviving the burning of the ships at Losgar, he and Amrod lived as vassals of their brother Maedhros at an unspecified location in the forests of East Beleriand, and others of the Elf-lords would visit their lands from time to time. Amras was wounded in the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, and later joined his brothers in the attack on Dior and the final destruction of Doriath, and then in the assault on the Mouths of Sirion. In this last battle, he and Amrod were both killed.

ee also

*House of Fëanor

References