He’s one of the most powerful elves to ever walk Middle-earth.
So powerful that his addition alone would have given away the secrecy of the Fellowship of the Ring.
Today on Nerd of the Rings, we cover the life and travels of Glorfindel.
While Glorfindel plays a sizable role in The Fellowship of the Ring, we must first go back
much further to discover his origins.
He is born in the lands of Valinor sometime during the Years of the Trees.
We know that he follows the Noldor in their exile from the Blessed Realm.
While he is among those who are reluctant to leave, he ultimately leaves with the rest
of the Noldor due to his allegiance to Turgon.
We also know that like those in Galadriel’s family, he did not take part in the kinslaying
of the Teleri at Alqualonde.
For the majority of the First Age, we don’t have any details about Glorfindel.
Presumably, due to his allegiance to Turgon, he followed the future High King as he established
the hidden city of Gondolin.
In the Book of Lost Tales Part Two, it says that as one of the great elves of the city,
Glorfindel is appointed the Lord of the House of the Golden Flower - one of the twelve houses of Gondolin.
Glorfindel follows Turgon as he makes a surprise appearance at the Nirnaeth Arnoediad in an
attempt to aid the men and elves fighting Morgoth’s forces.
When the battle goes downhill, Turgon’s army retreats to the Pass of Sirion as Glorfindel
and Ecthelion guard their flanks.
With the brave sacrifice of the men led by Hurin, the elves would escape and Gondolin
would remain hidden from Morgoth.
Decades later, Morgoth learns the location of Gondolin and unleashes his forces of orcs,
balrogs, and dragons upon the city.
In the chaos, Glorfindel makes his way out of the city through the mountain pass with a group of refugees.
As they reach the Cirith Thoronath, they are ambushed by a group of orcs - and a balrog.
The eagles of the mountains come to their aid, attacking the orcs.
As the survivors of Gondolin escape, Glorfindel remains behind - standing between his kin
and the monstrous balrog.
He fights the demon of shadow and flame upon the pinnacle of a rock and both fall into
the abyss below to their doom.
Thorondor, the lord of the Great Eagles of the First Age, retrieves Glorfindel’s body
and a cairn is raised in his honor.
This Cairn would be covered by yellow flowers and remain for the following 77 years until
Beleriand is lost to the sea.
As for his spirit, it would travel to the Halls of Mandos, where the souls of the elves
would wait long years to be reembodied by the Valar.
However, because of the noble life he led and his sacrificial death, he is re-embodied after a short time.
As it turns out, his sacrifice at Gondolin saved the lives of Tuor and Idril - the grandparents
of Elrond and Elros.
Glorfindel was already an elf of great power - having formerly lived in valinor and beheld
the light of the two trees.
In his new reincarnated form, his power is enhanced even further, making him one of the
most powerful elves in existence.
To give you a sense of how powerful Glorfindel becomes in his new form, the maiar that he
dwells with in Valinor - including Gandalf - come to regard him as an equal to themselves.
As the Second Age rolls on, a dark malice begins to grow in Middle-earth - Sauron, the
lieutenant of Morgoth has begun to plan his moves against the men, elves, and dwarves of Middle-earth.
Manwe, the lord of the Valar, decides to send an emissary to the elves of Eriador and in
the year 1600, the very year Sauron creates the One Ring, Glorfindel arrives in Middle-earth.
In the same year, the Blue Wizards arrive in Middle-earth as well.
While their mission lies in the East, Glorfindel’s is to remain in the West.
He aids the elves of Lindon - namely Gil-galad and Elrond - in their war with Sauron.
We actually know very little of his deeds during the remainder of the Second Age.
His duty was to aid the elves, so it is entirely possible he took part in the War with Sauron
in Eriador as well as the War of the Last Alliance.
It’s worth noting that, in a manner similar to Gandalf, he doesn’t typically show his immense power openly.
After Sauron is defeated in a battle with Gil-galad and Elendil, Glorfindel would remain
in Eriador - specifically in Rivendell.
1400 years later, the Witch-king has built up the kingdom of Angmar and begins to wage
war on the mannish kingdom of Arnor.
This conflict comes to a climactic end in 1975.
The Witch-king has prepared his final assault to destroy Arthedain - the last remaining remnant of Arnor.
As a large force arrives from Gondor, led by the future king Earnur, they attack the
armies of Angmar in the Battle of Fornost.
The Witch-king’s forces retreat north toward Angmar.
As his forces are utterly defeated, the Witch-King himself enters the fray, attacking Prince Earnur himself.
As Earnur’s horse - terrified by the Lord of the Nazgul, flees beyond his control - the
Witch-king laughs, mocking the prince of Gondor.
However, at that very moment, Glorfindel arrives with a host from Rivendell and the Witch-king,
in mid-laugh, stops and flees out of fear of Glorfindel.
As Earnur returns, he wishes to pursue the Witch-King, but Glorfindel stops him, saying:
A prophecy that would be fulfilled centuries later in the battle of Pelennor Fields.
At this point, we should address a common debate regarding Glorfindel.
While some may believe the Glorfindel of First Age Gondolin and the Glorfindel in the Second
The next we hear of Glorfindel comes in the pages of The Lord of the Rings.
He presumably continues to live in Rivendell, from which is sent out by Elrond to search
for Frodo Baggins.
Glorfindel is hands-down the best person for this job, as he has no fear of the Ringwraiths.
In fact, it is the ringwraiths who fear him.
As I mentioned in my video on the nazgul, they exist in the Unseen world - and Glorfindel
has a powerful presence in both the Seen and Unseen - again, much like characters like Gandalf.
In case the power of Glorfindel was not apparent at this point, it should also be noted that
as Glorfindel is out searching for Frodo, he encounters five ringwraiths all at once
and they flee before him.
By comparison - it was only four ringwraiths who felt confident enough
to pursue Gandalf after the attack on Weathertop.
In the end, Glorfindel does find the ringbearer as Strider is leading
a recently stabbed Frodo to Rivendell.
Despite being tremendously powerful, Glorfindel cannot heal Frodo...
Briefly Strider told of the attack on their camp under Weathertop, and of the deadly knife.
He drew out the hilt, which he had kept, and handed it to the Elf.
Glorfindel shuddered as he took it, but he looked intently at it.
He searched the wound on Frodo's shoulder with his fingers, and his face grew graver,
as if what he learned disquieted him.
But Frodo felt the chill lessen in his side and arm; a little warmth crept down from his
shoulder to his hand, and the pain grew easier.
The dusk of evening seemed to grow lighter about him, as if a cloud had been withdrawn.
He saw his friends' faces more clearly again, and a measure of new hope and strength returned.
Glorfindel sends Frodo ahead on his horse, Asfaloth.
Later, at the Ford of Bruinen, Frodo is confronted by the nazgul.
With his last failing senses Frodo heard cries, and it seemed to him that he saw, beyond the
Riders that hesitated on the shore, a shining figure of white light; and behind it ran small
shadowy forms waving flames, that flared red in the grey mist that was falling over the world.
Glorfindel knows in this moment that the waters of the river will be unleashed upon the intruding
Nazgul and takes the opportunity to reveal his true power to the Ringwraiths - driving
them - willing or not - into the River, where they are swept away by the water.
As Frodo is himself being pulled into the Unseen, he sees Glorfindel in his true form
as a white figure that shines and does not grow dim.
He and Aragorn take Frodo from the Ford to Rivendell, where he is saved from becoming a wraith himself.
As for Glorfindel, he would attend the Council of Elrond, where he plays an active role in
the debate of what to do with the One Ring.
Among the ideas Glorfindel puts forth are to give the ring to Tom Bombadil
or to cast it into the depths of the sea.
Gandalf notes that Bombadil cares so little for such things that he would be likely to misplace the ring.
And that should they cast the ring to the sea, it would eventually resurface on land.
Elrond considers adding Glorfindel to the Fellowship of the Ring, but his immense power
would be of little use - and likely a big giveaway - for a mission relying on secrecy.
We are once again left in the dark as to what Glorfindel does during the War of the Ring.
The next we hear from him is when he accompanies Elrond’s company as they travel from Rivendell
to Minas Tirith, attending the wedding of King Elessar and Elrond’s daughter Arwen.
While we can’t say for certain, it is highly likely that Glorfindel would sail into the
West - possibly on the very ship that carries the ringbearers from the lands of Middle-earth
to the shores of Valinor.
Glorfindel travels once again to the land of his birth, the land of his rebirth, and
the land where one of the greatest elves to ever live would finally rest.
Glorfindel is one of the greatest heroes in all of Middle-earth.
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