My Art is here: @valinorianyears ON here is: Gondolin Silmarillion Glorfindel and Ecthelion , most importantly: Glorthelion - Art, and everything else that makes me laugh. Professional Erestor hater. Taking Silmarillion art requests whenever > #Valinorian Years < is my main project: a complete set of Valinor and Gondolin lore surrounding Laurefindele
I would be,, Very Interested if you have any more to share 👀,, in hearing more headcanons on Noldorin hair like the ones you put under your Edrahil drawing
I might actually have some more...
There would be three to four braids; age braid, status braid, craft braid, and a holder. There can also be fifth+ braids, ornaments braids, but that´s more of a fashion thing. And then of course the soldier braid that´s only worn on duty or in battle, and a few times in free time, like Edrahil does.
Edrahil
Age braid:
The braid in the front, the age braid, usually put down over the temple, can be used by everyone if they´re of age or noble blood.
The age braid is usually just used to show that someone is of age, but that doesn't mean that they´re an adult. It takes Noldor longer than Sindarin and Avarins to come of age but when either of these groups come of age, they´re still not adults. It is also used by noble families, no matter the age, to show status, so if a child is running around with an age braid that means that they´re of noble blood.
If it is someone working for a noble house, like a servant, they can´t wear both the age and status braid as they could be mistaken for being part of the household by others as the status braid would have to show which house they serve. They can however wear both when they don´t wear the mark of the house they serve.
Status braid:
Maglor´s, for example as I´m working on a drawing with him where the braids are included, status braid got a pendant at the end with the star of Feanor to tell which house he´s from while the age braid, in the front, explains that he´s a noble, not just a servant, so either the leader or a family member of the leader.
Close up on Maglor from the wip showing which braid is which and how it could look.
The status braid is kept behind the ears and usually falls down the back.
Craft braid:
The craft braid is kept at the back of the head, meaning there's only one of them whereas the age and status braid has two, one on each side of the head, which explains not the job, but which path it is.
There are different types of braid for most statuses and categories of jobs, like there´s one braid that tells if the person has political influence, or is a loremaster, which can mean both teacher and librarian or if they´re an artist, not what kind of artist so it could be a bard, painter, etc so usually, there are clips or jewels that say precisely what it is.
The smith has their own braids because they´re so important in Noldor culture.
Holder:
The holder is a braid crown that can both be a simple braid, or a lot of braids woven into each other.
It starts right behind the ear, beside the age braid, and ends at the back of the head where some of it is sometimes let loose and other times put into ornaments braids, but no matter what, it always turns into a part of the craft braid, which means both the status and craft braids are braided from both the hair in the holder and sometimes some loose hair two.
Ornaments:
Usually, hair jewels also help to tell about the person, like ribbons, hairpins, combs etc. but they can also be used as just ornaments. When they´re used as only ornaments smaller extra braids are usually added too and mostly in noble households but not always.
Soldier braid:
Soldier braids are a way to braid hair out of the way; if there’s a fight all soldiers have their hair braided back and pulled into a braided bun, some choose to still have their symbols braids (the ones I´m trying to figure out a system for) out and others only braid some of it into a bun letting some lose, but it is a must to have a braided bun so that others don´t take you for a healer. If in wear of a helmet the bun is just moved down or there´s a small hole on top of the helmet for the bun.
extra note;
Children usually wear plain hairstyles like a normal braid or bubble ponytail which I drew child Caranthir with.
It is optinel to wear braids.
They were usually worn in daily life in Valinor though not always, and when they came to Beleriand it became more of a formal thing they did if something important happened, a party was held, a meeting, a person is of important status (like king or prince) etc. that only a few chose to wear daily.
The figure he was cutting against the grey stone of the surroundings was striking. His cloak was the same shade of red she was now getting used to, and looked voluminous and heavy with furs, covering his entire right side from shoulder to the sole of his boots, almost touching the ground. Plate armor he wore was mirror-bright and carried intricate designs, that her eyes could not distinguish from such a distance. His hair was laying atop his shoulders in waves, unbound and shockingly red, almost matching the color of the cloak in lowlights, yet streaked with grey in a way she never saw on an elf before. The copper circlet on his brow seemed to almost disappear in it as well, adding bright shine when it caught the light just right. His face was half hidden behind his hair, and Amina would later find it hard to remember his features, except for the intensity of his eyes, shining brighter even than his brother's, as if there was a roaring fire trapped inside them.
Had absolutely no spoons to deal with all the details, but here is an illustration for a something else i am working on.
(He isn't the main figure of that story, but he is the main figure of the painting, so i thought it fitting for the week anyways-)
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