Gondolin

From the One Wiki to Rule Them All, the Lord of the Rings Encyclopedia.

Place in Arda Tuor overlooking Gondolin
Name	Gondolin (Hidden Rock)
Other Names	Loth (Blossem)Ondolindë (The Rock of the Music of the Water) Gar Thurion (Secret Place) Gondobar (City of Stone) Gondothlimbar (City of the Dwellers in Stone) Gwarestrin (Tower of the Guard)
Description	Hidden kingdom-city of Turgon
Constructed By	The Ñoldor of Turgon
Realm	Vale of Tumladen {{{place_sub_realm}}}
Lord	Turgon
Type	Fortified Hidden City
Lifespan	First Age

Gondolin was a hidden city of the elves located in Middle-earth in the Beleriand. It was founded by Turgon the Wise, a Ñoldorin lord of the First Age. Its name is Sindarin for Hidden Rock.

[edit] History

City of Gondolin.

As recounted in The Silmarillion, the Vala Ulmo, the Lord of Waters, revealed the location of the Vale of Tumladen to the Ñoldorin Lord Turgon in a dream. Under this divine guidance, Turgon travelled from his kingdom in Nevrast and found the vale. Within the Echoriath, the Encircling Mountains, just west of Dorthonion and east of the River Sirion, lay a round level plain with sheer walls on all sides and a ravine and tunnel leading out to the southwest known as the Hidden Way. In the middle of the vale there was a steep hill which was called Amon Gwareth, the "Hill of Watching". There Turgon decided to found a great city that would be protected by the mountains and hidden from the Dark Lord Morgoth.

Turgon and his people built Gondolin in secret. After it was completed, he took with him to dwell in the hidden city his entire people in Nevrast — almost a third of the Ñoldor — as well as nearly three quarters of the northern Sindar. He originally named the city Ondolindë, which is Quenya for "The Rock of the Music of Water" after the springs of Amon Gwareth. The name was later changed to its Sindarin form.

Troops of Morgoth on their way to attack Gondolin.

The city stood for nearly 400 years until it was betrayed to Morgoth by Maeglin, Turgon's nephew, and sacked by the army of Morgoth the Dark Lord.

[edit] Specifications

The Hidden Way was protected by seven gates, all constantly guarded; the first of wood, then stone, bronze, iron, silver, gold, and steel. The seven names of Gondolin are told to Tuor: "Gondobar am I called and Gondothlimbar, City of Stone and City of the Dwellers in Stone; Gondolin the Stone of Song and Gwarestrin am I named, the Tower of the Guard, Gar Thurion or the Secret Place."

[edit] Houses

Gondolin was divided into twelve Houses, all of which had their own leaders. At the time of the Fall of Gondolin, these were:

House	Leader	Emblems	Notes
White Wing	Tuor	Swan-wing upon a blue field	The bodyguard of Tuor, and the smallest house.
Mole	Maeglin	Sable attire, mole on a sable field	Comprised of miners loyal to Maeglin.
Swallow	Duilin	Fan of purple feathers	Gondolin's best archers.
Heavenly Arch	Egalmoth		A very wealthy house; comprised the other part of Gondolin's archers.
Pillar and the Tower of Snow	Penlod		Not much known about them. Their commander was slain during the Fall of Gondolin; he was a great writer of the Eldar.
Tree	Galdor	Tree upon green	Wielded clubs and slings.
Golden Flower	Glorfindel	Golden flower upon green field
Fountain	Ecthelion		The guard of the fountains, primarily those of the king. Warriors of this house defended the seventh gate of Gondolin. Loved silver and diamond, and marched into battle to the playing of flutes.
Harp	Salgant	Silver harp on sable field	House of musicians. However, their leader was a coward.
Hammer of Wrath	Rôg	Black hammer and anvil on a red field	The largest and most valiant house. They were comprised of those blacksmiths that were not under Maeglin, as well as escaped thralls of Morgoth. They perished to the last elf during the Fall of Gondolin.
House of the King	King Turgon	A star, the moon, and the red heart of Finwë Nolemë	Comprised of the King's family and bodyguard.

[edit] Other people of interest from the city

Aredhel - Princess of Gondolin and sister of Turgon
Elemmakil - Captain of the Guard of the Outer Gate^[1]
Enerdhil - A possibly mythical jewel-smith of the city^[2]
Voronwë - Mariner that accompanied Tuor to the city

[edit] Gallery

Tuor overlooking Gondolin.

Troops of Morgoth on their way to attack Gondolin.

The Fall of Gondolin.