Silm thoughts - “Of Maeglin”
I never knew quite what to think of Eöl and Aredhel. On the one hand, it’s never explicitly said Aredhel wanted to marry Eöl so that’s a clear red flag in my opinion. On the other, it’s really hard for me to imagine Aredhel doing anything against her will. And if you think about it, they are very similar in some ways. Both of them desire freedom, Aredhel from Gondolin and Eöl from Doriath. I think, if Eöl hadn’t been so keen on keeping her from her relatives, they would have been fine. She left because Nan Elmoth had become a cage, exactly like Gondolin had. Eöl should have seen that coming, really. He knew her mind. But it seems he didn’t know her all that much.
“It is not said that Aredhel was wholly unwilling”... there’s too much evasiveness there. I think elves don’t want to admit their race could be capable of rape.
In most cases among the Noldor, first comes the Father-name, and later in life the Mother would give their child a name based on their appearance or character trait. I think it’s interesting how things are reversed here. Aredhel is the one who gives her son his first name, and Eöl is the one who waits and gives Maeglin a name based on a character trait.