He is one of the most isolated elves in Tolkien’s works. Through his friendship with the dwarves,
he would become a great craftsman and when he discovers a fallen meteorite, he would forge
two of the most famous swords of the First Age. But his tale would end in self-wrought tragedy.
Today, on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the life of Eol, the Dark Elf.
Eol is born sometime prior to the Year of the Trees 1497,
but unlike so many elves we’ve covered in previous videos,
Eol is born in the lands of Beleriand. He is related to Thingol, the king of Doriath. Eol
is among the Sindar, one of the clans of the elves who did not journey to Valinor in the early days.
After Morgoth returns to Middle-earth, Queen Melian, who was one of the higher beings known as
the maiar, creates a protective barrier around the realm of Doriath known as the Girdle of Melian.
Eöl is “restless and ill at ease in Doriath” and when the Girdle is formed, he leaves to dwell
in the dark forest east of Doriath called Nan Elmoth, which is believed to translate “Valley
of Star-dusk. This dark forest suited him, for he loved the night and twilight under the stars
before the creation of the Sun. For in the days of the Two Trees, Valinor was the only land that
saw their light. Among his fellow elves, Eol did not care for the Noldor, for he blamed them for
Morgoth’s return to Beleriand. The Noldor arriving also marked the beginning of the days of the Sun.
Eol is known the Dark elf, and a common question is why he is given this title. While one simple
reason is that he is among the Moriquendi, which literally translates to “Elves of Darkness”, which
encompasses all who did not travel to Valinor, it’s notable that Eol is referred to as THE dark
elf. Instead, his title seems to come from his dislike of the light of the Sun as is stated in
the Silmarillion: "But now the trees of Nan Elmoth were the tallest and darkest in all Beleriand,
and there the sun never came; and there Eöl dwelt, who was named the Dark Elf.
There he lived in deep shadow, loving the night and the twilight under the stars."
During his days in Nan Elmoth, Eol befriends the Dwarves of Nogrod and Belegost in the
Blue Mountains. Of the two roads the dwarves would take in their travels to East Beleriand,
the northern route brings them close to Nan Elmoth. Eol would even be a guest in the
halls of the dwarves, where he would develop a great skill in metalwork and the dwarves
would learn news of the elven realms from him. This was very unique in the First Age,
as Celebrimbor’s father Curufin is one of the only other elves we know to gain dwarven friendship.
One day, Eol would come across a meteorite that fell from heaven as a blazing star.
From the metal of this meteorite, Eol would forge two swords - Anglachel and Anguirel - the
latter he would keep for himself, the former he begrudgingly gives to Thingol as payment
for living in Nan Elmoth. These swords were famed for their black blades, the fact that
they could cleave all earth-delved iron, and the fact that they are apparently sentient. For later,
Melian would declare that Anglachel possessed the malice of it’s maker, and throughout the
tale of Turin Turambar, we are told it has emotions and even speaks to its wielder.
In addition to these black swords, Eol also invented a jet-black metal known
as Galvorn. It was as hard as the steel of the dwarves, yet so malleable that
he could make it thin and supple. Still, it would be resistant to all blades and darts.
Over 300 years after moving to Nan Elmoth, an inadvertent visitor would come to Eol’s
woods. Aredhel, the sister of King Turgon of Gondolin, had been visiting the lands
of the Sons of Feanor in Himlad. While waiting for the return of her cousins,
she would take short trips to pass the time. On one such trip, she wanders into the dark forest.
And it came to pass that he saw Aredhel Ar-Feiniel as she strayed among the tall trees near the
borders of Nan Elmoth, a gleam of white in the dim land. Very fair she seemed to him,
and he desired her; and he set his enchantments about her so that she could not find the ways out,
but drew ever nearer to his dwelling in the depths of the wood. There were his smithy,
and his dim halls, and such servants as he had, silent and secret as their master. And
when Aredhel, weary with wandering, came at last to his doors, he revealed himself;
and he welcomed her, and led her into his house. And there she remained;
for Eöl took her to wife, and it was long ere any of her kin heard of her again.
While the conditions of Aredhel’s coming to Eol’s home were of his doing, it is said that Aredhel
was not wholly unwilling, nor was her early life in Nan Elmoth hateful for many years. In 320 FA,
they have a son named who at the age of 12 is given the name Maeglin by his father,
which means “Sharp Glance”. In secret, Aredhel gave him the name Lómion,
in the forbidden tongue of the Noldor meaning “Child of the Twilight”.
For the next 80 years, she was restricted by Eol. While she was free to go where she pleased,
she was restricted in that she could not visit any of her kin. In her longing for her home, she would
tell Maeglin stories about his uncle’s great city of Gondolin and of the Noldor. When Maeglin tells
his father he wishes to visit Gondolin, Eol scorns his son. Thus one summer’s eve in the year 400
FA, Eol traveled to a feast with the dwarves of Nogrod. With his father gone,
Maeglin tells his mother that they should leave and make for the hidden city.
Eol returns home to find his wife and son gone. He gives chase and on his way,
he is met by servants of Curufin. He is taken before the son of Feanor, who insults Eol saying
that wedding a daughter of the Noldor without gift or leave does not make him their kin.
And this counsel I add: return now to your dwelling in the darkness of Nan Elmoth; for
my heart warns me that if you now pursue those who love you no more, never will you return thither.’
Eol pursues his wife and son with great haste and he would spot them
at the Ford of Brithiach. Realizing that Aredhel was returning to Gondolin,
Eol follows them in secret finding his way to the gates of Gondolin itself where he
is captured and taken before the king. Turgon greets Eol warmly as a kinsman,
though under the law of the hidden city, he reveals that Eol must dwell there ever after.
But Eöl withdrew his hand. ‘I acknowledge not your law,’ he said. ‘No right have you or any of your
kin in this land to seize realms or to set bounds, either here or there. This is the land of the
Teleri, to which you bring war and all unquiet, dealing ever proudly and unjustly. I care nothing
for your secrets and I came not to spy upon you, but to claim my own: my wife and my son. Yet if
in Aredhel your sister you have some claim, then let her remain; let the bird go back to the cage,
where soon she will sicken again, as she sickened before. But not so Maeglin. My son you shall not
withhold from me. Come, Maeglin son of Eöl! Your father commands you. Leave the house of
his enemies and the slayers of his kin, or be accursed!’ But Maeglin answered nothing.
Then Turgon sat in his high seat holding his staff of doom, and in a stern voice spoke:
‘I will not debate with you, Dark Elf. By the swords of the Noldor alone are
your sunless woods defended. Your freedom to wander there wild you owe to my kin;
and but for them long since you would have laboured in thraldom in the pits of Angband.
And here I am King; and whether you will it or will it not, my doom is law. This choice
only is given to you: to abide here, or to die here; and so also for your son.’
After a long, silent pause, Eol springs into action, declaring he will take the second
choice for he and his son, and pulling a javelin hidden beneath his cloak, he throws it at Maeglin.
But Aredhel jumps in front of her son, and the dart smote her in the shoulder. And though none
knew it, the tip of the javelin was poisoned and in the night Aredhel fell ill and died.
Thus when the captured Eol was brought before the king the following day,
he found no mercy. Eol is taken to the Caragdûr, a precipice of black rock upon the north side of
Gondolin. As they stood atop the walls of the city, Maeglin stood by and was silent.
Then Eol cursed his own son saying, ‘So you forsake your father and his kin, ill-gotten
son! Here shall you fail of all your hopes, and here may you yet die the same death as I.’
With that, they cast Eol over the Caragdûr, and falling to his death,
the life of Eol the dark elf was ended. The life of his son would also be one of ill deeds,
including betraying his kin to the dark lord Morgoth. But his tale is told elsewhere…
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