It was a famous hidden city of the First Age. Founded by one of the great leader’s of the elves,
it would long stand as the last great threat to the dark lord Morgoth. So long as it stood,
Morgoth would know fear, and ever would Morgoth seek its destruction.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the History of Gondolin.
In the northern lands of Beleriand, there lay a round valley called Tumladen, which
is surrounded by the Echoriad or Encircling Mountains. In the earliest days of Arda,
this valley was a great lake, but was emptied into the river Sirion,
leaving behind a green plain. The passage from which the lake drained
created what would be the only entrance into the valley - the secret path of Orfalch Echor.
This unique geological feature would go undiscovered for quite some time. Finally,
in the year 53 of the First Age, the elf lord Turgon would discover Tumladen with the guidance
of the vala Ulmo - the lord of waters. Three years prior, Ulmo had appeared to Turgon and
his cousin Finrod separately in dreams, guiding them to found secret realms. Finrod would found
the realm of Nargothrond. Upon seeing the valley of Tumladen, and a great hill in its
center - the hill of Amon Gwareth, Turgon would plan the construction of his own hidden city.
Turgon returns to his home in Nevrast to begin planning his city, though he would not move
toward this goal until 11 years later. In the aftermath of the Dagor Aglareb - a battle where
the elves defeat Morgoth, Turgon begins to feel an unquiet in his heart and taking his most skilled
craftsmen, he goes to the hidden valley and the construction begins. They build the city upon Amon
Gwareth in remembrance of the elven city of Tirion in Valinor, which was likewise built upon a hill.
Turgon would mostly continue to dwell in Nevrast over the next 52 years as
his city is constructed. The construction itself protected by companies of elves,
but also the power of Ulmo. Finally, in 116 FA, the city is completed,
and Turgon gives it the name Ondolindë meaning “Rock of the Music of Water” in honor of its
fountains. However, it is more commonly known by its Sindarin name: Gondolin, the “Hidden Rock”.
Before he leaves Nevrast, Turgon is visited once more by Ulmo, who says:
‘Now thou shalt go at last to Gondolin, Turgon; and I will maintain my power in the Vale of
Sirion, and in all the waters therein, so that none shall mark thy going, nor shall
any find there the hidden entrance against thy will. Longest of all the realms of the Eldalië
shall Gondolin stand against Melkor. But love not too well the work of thy hands and the devices of
thy heart; and remember that the true hope of the Noldor lieth in the West and cometh from the Sea.’
Thus it may come to pass that the curse of the Noldor shall find thee too ere the end,
and treason awake within thy walls. Then they shall be in peril of fire. But if
this peril draweth nigh indeed, then even from Nevrast one shall come to warn thee..
Turgon’s people would leave Nevrast and enter the valley secretly in separate companies rather than
as a large group. Even after their arrival, the people of Gondolin would continue work
on the city, until it was said to rival even Tirion itself in its greatness and beauty.
It is known for its high, white walls and the king’s great tower. Within Turgon’s
court there stood two trees made by the king himself. They are called Glingal and Belthil,
and are made in the image, and in remembrance of, the two trees of Valinor. The elves would
have a great friendship with the eagles of Manwe, who lived in the encircling mountains.
Thanks to the Siege of Angband which came after the Dagor Aglareb, Gondolin was able to grow in
peace for 200 years. However, in 316 FA, Turgon’s sister Aredhel grew tired of her
life within the valley and chose to leave the city against her brother’s wishes. They would
not hear of Aredhel for over 80 years, causing the city to fall into a sorrow.
Aredhel, however, would return in the year 400 FA. With her was her son Maeglin, for they had
fled from his father Eol the Dark Elf. Turgon welcomes them home to Gondolin and Maeglin is
enamored with the city after his life in the small forest of Nan Elmoth. However, Eol would
follow his wife and son to Gondolin and, captured near the entrance, he is taken to the king. After
Turgon explains that no visitor of Gondolin is allowed to leave, Eol refuses and claims to choose
death for both himself and his son as he throws a poisoned dart at Maeglin. However, Aredhel shields
her son. And having been struck by the dart, she would fall ill from the poison and die.
For this evil deed, Eol is taken to the top of the walls of the city,
where he yells to Maeglin “here may you yet die the same death as I” - and with
those final words, Eol is cast from the high wall to his death. For his part,
Turgon welcomes his sister’s son into his realm, where Maeglin would grow to become a
lord of Gondolin. But it is said that amid all the bliss of that realm, a dark seed of evil was sown.
The Siege of Angband, which had kept peace in the north of Beleriand for many long years, would be
broken in 455 FA with the Battle of Sudden Flame. While Gondolin would not take part in any of the
ensuing conflicts, the conflicts would set into motion Gondolin’s future participation against the
dark lord. As the men of Brethil come under attack by orcs in 458 FA, the brothers Hurin and Huor are
cut off from their people and become lost near the feet of the Crissaegrim. Spotting the men,
the lord of the great eagles Thorondor rescues them and brings them to Gondolin.
At the behest of Ulmo, Turgon would welcome them into the city,
where they would live for nearly a year. Despite his proclamation that no one should leave,
Turgon allows the brothers to do so after they swear to never reveal the
location. While they are true to their word, other Men were able to deduce that perhaps
the brothers had indeed been in the hidden city, thus a rumor would eventually come to
Morgoth’s servants that the mortal brothers would indeed know the location of Gondolin.
Gondolin receives a brief mention in the Tale of Beren and Luthien,
as 7 years after Hurin and Huor are allowed to leave, the eagles would rescue Beren and Luthien
after their Quest of the Silmaril. As Beren is gravely wounded, Luthien sees far below
a white light amidst a green jewel. However, she wept for her beloved: But it is said in
song that her tears falling from on high as she passed came like silver raindrops on the plain,
and there a fountain sprang to life: the Fountain of Tinúviel, Eithel Nínui, most healing water
Thus this great city known for its fountains would see a new fountain arise upon the plain of
Tumladen - the Fountain of Tinuviel, whose waters would have healing powers so long as it lasted.
In 472 FA, Gondolin would finally enter into the Battles of Beleriand. While his brother,
the High King Fingon would ally with the sons of Feanor and others to make war upon Morgoth,
Turgon would make his own preparations in secret. Unlooked for, Turgon arrives at the battle with
10,000 soldiers of the Gondolindrim. The battle would ultimately be a disaster for the alliance,
but thanks to the brothers Hurin and Huor and their people, the elves of Gondolin would
escape the battle. The only mannish survivor is Hurin, who is captured by Morgoth. The dark lord,
having a great fear of Turgon, had a strong desire to discover and destroy Gondolin. However,
despite his torment, Hurin would not reveal the location of the hidden city.
After Maeglin returns from the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, he constructs the Gate of Steel - the last of the
Seven Gates of Gondolin. These great gates were spaced along the entry road from the
secret entrance to the city of Gondolin itself. The first is the Gate of Wood, placed at the end
of the secret passage. The second gate in the ravine is the Gate of Stone, half a league from
the Gate of Wood. It had two stone towers with a wall between. The third is the Gate of Bronze,
which had three towers, was roofed and clad in bright copper. It also featured many red lamps
which cause the copper and bronze to shine like fire. It’s company of guards is larger than those
preceding it and they carried red-bladed axes while wearing mail which “glowed like dull fire”.
The fourth gate is the Gate of Writhen Iron, which has four towers and spans the highest point of the
canyon. Between the two middle towers was an image of Thorondor himself. The Gate of Silver is fifth,
made of a wall of white marble with a silver door. Above the gate is an image of the White Tree of
Telperion - the silver of the Two Trees. Behind the gate was stationed 200 archers in silver mail
and white-crested helms. The Gate of Gold is the Sixth, and last of Turgon’s original gates. There
are six orbs at the top of its wall, while in the center there is a pyramid with an image of
Laurelin - the golden of the Two Trees. Beyond its gate lay 300 archers in gilded mail bearing
longbows. Finally, Maeglin’s Gate of Steel, which is like a great steel fence across the Orfalch
Echor. It has seven needle-like pillars of steel and between them are seven cross-bars of steel,
with 49 vertical rods. High above the central pillar is an image of the helm of Turgon,
who is now High King of the Noldor. Stationed at this final gate is a host of the army of Gondolin,
with representatives of each of the guards of the six gates before it.
With Morgoth’s conquest of the north marching on, a warning would come to Turgon to avoid
disaster for Gondolin. As he had promised, Ulmo sent a messenger with a warning to the king,
thus the man Tuor comes to Gondolin wearing Turgon’s own armor he had left behind in
Vinyamar. However, in his pride and love of his city, Turgon ignores the warning. For his part,
Turgon welcomes Tuor to live in his city, and Tuor would come to fall in love with
and marry the king’s daughter Idril. Together they would have a son: Earendil.
Though he had ignored Ulmo’s warning, Turgon did remember
Ulmo’s warning from centuries earlier, and came to fear treason. He orders the Seven
Gates to be closed and forbids anyone from leaving the city.
However, Morgoth’s first clue as to Gondolin’s location would come from outside the city. When
the dark lord finally releases Hurin from captivity in 500 FA, and the following year,
Hurin comes to the encircling mountains. With the Orfalch Echor closed,
and rescue from Turgon denied him, Hurin cries out: "Turgon, Turgon,
remember the Fen of Serech! O Turgon, will you not hear in your hidden halls?"
Thus, thanks to his spies watching Hurin, Morgoth learns the general area in which
Gondolin lays. In the coming years, Turgon would learn of the falls of
Nargothrond and Doriath from Thorondor, yet still would not leave his city.
Morgoth’s servants would search for many years in vain for the city,
thanks in large part to the protection of the eagles. Within the city itself, many of its
residents went on not realizing the peril near them - save Idril, who felt dark forebodings
upon her heart. In her wisdom, she orders the construction of a secret escape tunnel from the
city. Only a few people were told about this - and Maeglin was specifically not to be informed.
For Maeglin would greatly covet the heart of his cousin and harbor a hatred toward the man Tuor who
had won it. In 509 FA, disobeying his uncle’s orders, he goes searching for ore outside the
city and is captured by orcs and taken to Angband. Unlike Hurin before him, Maeglin fears Morgoth’s
torment, and agrees to betray Gondolin’s location in exchange for Idril and lordship of the city.
He leaves Angband freely and says nothing to his uncle, awaiting Morgoth’s attack.
The very next year, Morgoth is ready with both forces and knowledge - sending an army of balrogs,
orcs, wolves, and dragons to Gondolin’s secret location. They cross the northern mountains and
lay siege to the city. Turgon himself would fall in the battle. The elf lord Echthelion would fight
Gothmog, the lord of balrogs and ensure their mutual destruction, and Maeglin would attempt to
kill the seven year-old Earendil and take Idril by force. However, Tuor intervenes, saving his
family and causing Maeglin to fall from the wall to his death - fulfilling the curse of his father.
Tuor and Idril gather as many survivors as possible,
taking them to Idril’s secret path. Amidst their escape, they are ambushed by a company
of orcs and a balrog. While the great eagles attack the orcs, the elf Glorfindel fights
the balrog alone so the refugees could make their escape. Like Echthelion and Gothmog,
Glorfindel and his enemy are both killed as they plunge into the abyss below.
Thus falls the great city of Gondolin. It’s great fountains, including the fountain of Tinuviel,
are destroyed in the ruin, and the greatest city of elves ever to be is no more. While Morgoth’s
long-coveted deed is complete, the escape of Earendil would lead to his sailing to the West,
convincing the valar to intervene and bring about Morgoth’s own downfall.
While the wondrous city of Gondolin would lay in ruin and pass to legend,
it would be remembered far into the Third Age, over 6000 years after its fall. In 2941 TA,
Thorin’s Company would discover three blades of Gondolin in a troll hoard - among them the
dagger later known as Sting, the sword Orcrist, and the sword of Turgon himself - Glamdring.
The realm would be mentioned three times in the pages of The Lord of the Rings:
at his council in Rivendell, Elrond tells of his father
Earendil, who was born in the great realm. Gimli would sing the Song of Durin,
telling of the ancient days of Khazad-dum, which existed even in the days of Gondolin. And finally,
by Galadriel, as she tells of her time crossing into Eriador and fighting the long defeat.
While many great realms of the elves would come both before and after,
arguably none were so marvelous as the hidden city of Gondolin. Now, in Tolkien’s
earlier writings, he laid out 12 houses of Gondolin, each with different symbols,
and actions during the Fall. We’ll cover those in a later video where we dive deep
into battle the Fall of Gondolin, so make sure you hit subscribe so you don’t miss it.
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