Highlights
- Gondolin, an Elven city in Middle-earth, was built out of stone with high walls, unlike what fans of the movies would expect from Elves.
- The city remained hidden from prying eyes, including the dark lord Morgoth, and lived in peace for two hundred years with the protection of the Eagles of Thorondor.
- Gondolin’s downfall came when the city’s secrets were revealed, leading to an attack by Morgoth’s army and the ultimate destruction of the White City.
The Lord of the Rings is an expansive world with many different people, cultures, and cities. One of the most impactful historical events from the lore of LOTR involves the great White City, Gondolin. It was an Elven city like no other in Middle-earth. In fact, it barely resembles anything fans of the movies would expect from Elves. Instead of crafting the city out of trees or hiding it in a forest, the founders of Gondolin crafted it out of stone with high walls that cast long shadows in the middle of a valley surrounded by taller mountains.
The great Elven city existed during the First Age, long before the events of the movies, and fell before LOTR’s Second Age. While it’s possible to hear about this once great city in The Rings of Power, it’s better to read about it in Tolkien’s books. Tolkien briefly described the city of Gondolin along with its history and major players in The Silmarillion. Its entire existence is further expanded on in The Fall of Gondolin, a novel length account of the White City.
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The History of Gondolin
Built in the northern reaches of Middle-earth, Gondolin, meaning “Hidden Rock” in Sindarin, was a great Elven city created by the Elven King Turgon. The only city greater than Gondolin was Tirion, an Elven city in Valinor, but Gondolin brilliantly rivaled Tirion’s glory. Even with its great white walls and prominent Tower of the King, the city remained hidden from prying eyes. Even the dark lord Morgoth knew not where the city rested, which feared him.
The city rested in the Valley of Tumladen which had once been a lake with an island at its center. The Encircling Mountains surrounded the lake and when it dried, only one entrance to the valley existed. This became known as the secret path of Orfalch Echor. The people of Gondolin lived peacefully for two hundred years while events farther north kept Morgoth busy. The dark lord was not oblivious to Gondolin’s existence, though.
|
Type |
Elven City |
|---|---|
|
Location |
Valley of Tumladen |
|
Inhabitants |
Ñoldor & Sindar |
|
Founded |
First Age 116 |
|
Fall |
First Age 510 |
Gondolin kept its secrets well by forging an alliance with the wise Eagles of Thorondor and preventing visitors from leaving. The Eagle of Thorondor protected the Encircling Mountains from trespassers while Turgon’s law prevented bad actors from revealing their location. However, when a case of cabin fever overcame Turgon’s sister Aredhel, that all changed. She grew tired of life confined within the city walls and decided to venture out to the surrounding lands of Beleriand, much to Turgon’s dismay.
During Aredhel’s absence, she entered a relationship with the elf Eöl, who bore the nickname “the Dark Elf.” This was not because he bore any resemblance to R.A. Salvatore’s Drizzt Do’Urden, but because he was not as pure of heart as other Elves. In fact, Aredhel’s relationship with Eöl wasn’t entirely consensual as Eöl used enchantments to lure her to him and influence her decision to remain with him. 80 years later, an opportunity presented itself for Aredhel to return to Gondolin along with her son Maeglin. Unfortunately, Eöl learned of their escape and followed the duo.
Maeglin immediately fell in love with the great city of stone and Turgon welcomed him and his sister. The King was not as welcoming toward Eöl who found his way into the city walls. When Eöl forbade his son from staying and wanted to leave with him, Turgon refused to allow anyone to leave. Eöl attempted to kill his own son with a poisoned javelin, but instead killed Aredhel and solidified his own execution at the hands of the Gondolindrim.
Maeglin remained, not sharing in his father’s darkness at the time, and soon became one of its great lords. As The Silmarillion said:
Thus it was in Gondolin; and amid all the bliss of that realm, while its glory lasted, a dark seed of evil was sown.
What Happened to Gondolin?
Strife found its way into Gondolin’s borders by the year F.A. 458. First, Thorondor, the Eagle Lord, brought two Men, Húrin and Huor, to Turgon after they were cut off from the rest of their army. The King allowed them to stay in Gondolin for a year upon which time Turgon bent his law about visitors and granted them permission to leave. Húrin and Huor promised never to reveal Gondolin’s location and stayed true to their word.
However, after torture and release from Morgoth and his servants, Húrin returned to the Encircling Mountains in hopes that Turgon would give him refuge. Húrin found no way through the mountains and no path as Turgon sealed at seven gates that led to Gondolin. According to The Silmarillion in “Of the Ruin of Doriath,” Húrin shouted out:
Turgon, Turgon, remember the Fen of Serech! O Turgon, will you not hear in your hidden halls?
Morgoth’s spies witnessed this cry for help and relayed it back to the dark lord, giving him a rough idea of Gondolin’s general location. While he increased his army’s presence around the Encircling Mountains, the people of Gondolin were oblivious to their presence. If not for Maeglin, Morgoth might never have discovered the Elven City or perhaps escape would have been more likely.
Maeglin disobeyed Turgon’s laws that prohibited anyone from leaving the city’s limits and ventured too far outside its walls. Captured by orcs, Morgoth tortured Maeglin until he surrendered Gondolin’s exact location. With the promise of power and the King’s daughter’s hand in marriage, Maeglin gave Morgoth exactly what he wanted. However, Morgoth waited a year before sacking Gondolin.
As the people of Gondolin prepared for a festival that celebrated the rising sun, Morgoth sent an army of balrogs, dragons, orcs, and wolves through the Encircling Mountains highest peak. Instead of a sunrise in the east, the Gondolindrim witnessed fire and shadow rise from the north. Meanwhile, Maeglin attacked from within the city’s walls. Gondolin’s betrayer attempted to steal away Idril and her son, but Tuor, Idril’s husband, slew Maeglin and rescued as many citizens as he could before the city fell. Tuor, Idril, and other survivors watched the White City burn from the northern plains in the distance.
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is one of the most iconic names in entertainment. The franchise started with novels from J. R. R. Tolkien before being adapted onto the big screen by Peter Jackson in one of the most critically-acclaimed film trilogies of all time. There have also been numerous The Lord of the Rings video games of varying quality.
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