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the mysterious glorfindel

Now, another question, same problem-since i can't get the hold of many of the Tolkien's books (except, of course, LOTR) i was wondering could anyone help me with the info on Glorfindel. I mean his first life, as much as possible, especially his death, and, maybe if there's some, of his life in Gondolin!!!

Very big question! Very vague question. Several of the books discuss Glorfindel... from BoLT2 all the way to PoME.

This is the inherent flaw in Tolkien's work. You will not find anything about Glorfindel's life in Gondolin, save for what he did near the end of his life. There are writings about his origins during the essay that definitively asserts that Glorfindel of Gondolin and Glorfindel of Rivendell were in fact the same Elf. But those writings are very general, so there is a large gulf of knowledge about Glorfindel that is never known.

In PoME, we know that Glorfindel was born in Aman. He is Noldor, even though he is blond, which means that he must be a descendant of Finwe and Indis, as that is the only place where blond hair entered into the Noldor line. In MR, we find out that Finwe and Indis had three daughters in addition to their three sons, so the blanket assumption that Glorfindel must be descended from Finarfin is not necessarily true, as there were three other lines he could have drawn heritage from.

Glorfindel was part of the Flight of the Noldor, and as such, was present at the Kinslaying of Alqualonde. It is inconsistent with his character to believe that he stood idly by and witnessed the killing without taking part on one side or the other. Especially considering that his king and kin (Turgon is mentioned as being kin to Glorfindel, which further supports Glorfindel being of the line of Finwe) charged into the fray with sword drawn and banner waving. However, that Glorfindel only took part in the slaying of the Teleri under duress and at the defense of his king does not alter his part in the battle nor remove his guilt.

We know that Glorfindel was among the host of Fingolfin that were abandoned by Feanor on the Helcaraxe (a host that included Turgon, Ecthelion, Galadriel, Fingon, etc). He settled with Turgon in Nevrast until the completion of Gondolin, and then he migrated there with the rest of Turgon's host.

This is where the first gap in our knowledge comes. We know virtually nothing about Glorfindel's actions during the time between the Return of the Noldor and the Fall of Gondolin, save for his physical location. This is about a 500+ year gap of time. We know, for instance, that Glorfindel was the Chief of the House of the Golden Flower, which was one of twelve noble houses in Gondolin. However, we do not know if he was always the chief, if it was an earned honor or an inherited title, or for how long he held the position or what its duties entailed. We do, however, know the description of his uniform -- he had a rayed sun on his shield and "he bore a mantel so broidered in threads of gold that it was diapered with celandine as a field in spring; and his arms were damasked with cunning gold" (for all the good that does us... LOL). We know also that Glorfindel and Ecthelion were in command of the right and left flanks of Turgon's retreating army during the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. But, we know nothing of any other deeds he may have performed during that battle.

And then we hear nothing of him until the Fall of Gondolin. The bulk of the writings on this are found in The Book of Lost Tales 2, which I highly recommend if you are really wanting to delve into that aspect of the histories.

We can surmise that Glorfindel and Ecthelion were great friends by the way they are rarely mentioned separate from the other. (And even though this is a post about Glorfindel, I have to give props to Ecthelion because he and his house killed more Orcs than all the Elves in all the battles in all the history of the Elves, not to mention, he himself killed three Balrogs plus Gothmog, their lord.) Glorfindel's part in the Fall of Gondolin, while less spectacular, was no less important. Here it is.

Glorfindel and his House had been trying to reach the Gates of the city through the marketplace to ambush the invading hosts when they themselves were ambushed. They fought for hours until a fire-drake burst through the lines and overwhelmed them. "Glorfindel cut his way out very hardly and with few men," according to BoLT2, just before the marketplace was engulfed in flames, taking the rest of the House of the Golden Flower.

Now, Turgon had tried to send the House of the Harp to aid Glorfindel, but the Chief of that House concealed that order from his men and led them to the lesser market in order to save his own hide. But once Glorfindel led his few remaining men into the Square, the men of the Harp forsook their chief and ran to Glorfindel's aid. (Now, this led ultimately to the doom of the House of the Harp, but they were able to drive back Glorfindel's pursuers into the market.)

Glorfindel and Tuor then cleared the King's Square, pulled their men back from all the gates, and barred them all, save for the entrance from the South, since more troops were still coming from that direction. All the survivors pulled together in that space for their last stand. The forces of Melkor, which included seven dragons, a swarm of Orcs, and Balrogs led by Gothmog, eventually broke through into the Square from the North, through the Alley of Roses.

At this point, Turgon surrenders his crown to Tuor, and goes off and has a good die at the top of the White Tower. The new King, Tuor, realizes that discretion can be the better part of valor, and calls a retreat. He gathered all the remaining warriors and put them as a barrier around the women and children, and made for the South Pass and the secret passage Idril had constructed. Glorfindel and the remnants of his House sat at the rear of the phalanx and took their heaviest casualties there.

Led by Legolas Greenleaf of the House of the Tree (no, I did not make that up, and no, he is NOT the son of Thranduil), they made for the secret passage, and through that, to the Cristhorn -- the Cleft of Eagles. Beyond the Cristhorn lay the Cirith Thoronath, a mile-long pass so narrow that they had to progress in single-file. When the first of the host emerged from the far end of the pass, and Glorfindel and his men were just entering, the Orcs sprung from hiding and assaulted them from all sides, throwing rocks down from the high cliffs above the pass.

Thorndor, King of the Eagles, awoke at the clamor, and led his eagles in an assault again those Orcs on the high cliffs. This was enough aid to allow the Elves to beat back those other Orcs at the front and rear. Just when the battle seemed won, a great Balrog leapt over Glorfindel and his men, and landed on the cliff face above the women and children.

Glorfindel, being extremely pissed off, scaled the cliffs and beat the Balrog back. Pretty much everything stopped at that point, and all eyes turned to watch, but the exchange was over before anyone could get to him. Glorfindel drove the Balrog back toward the cliff edge, severing the beast's whip arm at the elbow. They grappled and fell to the ground at the top of the craggy tor. "Then Glorfindel's left hand sought a dirk, and this he thrust up that it pierced the Balrog's belly nigh his own face (for that demon was double his stature); and it shrieked, and fell backwards from the rock, and falling clutched Glorfindel's yellow locks beneath his cap, and those twain fell into the abyss."

Thorndor flew down and retrieved Glorfindel's body, and Tuor had a great cairn built over it after the host passed through the Cirith Thoronath. The Eagles guarded that grave until the end of Beleriand, where golden flowers bloomed at all times.

So ends Glorfindel of Gondolin. Of the return of Glorfindel, little is truly said for certain. We know that he spent some time in the Halls of Mandos being "purged of his guilt" in the rebellion of the Noldor. However, at the end of that time, he was reborn into Aman and allowed to dwell again in the Blessed Realm with those Noldor who had not rebelled. While he was still of the Eldar, it is stated that at this time, he was nearly equal to the Maiar in power because of his self-sacrifice. (I mention this in particular because this was not true of most reborn Elves -- only Glorfindel is ever mentioned to have been this powerful.)

According to PoME: "We may then best suppose that Glorfindel returned during the Second Age, before the 'shadow' fell on Numenor, and while the Numenorians were welcome by the Eldar as powerful allies. His return must have been for the purpose of strengthening Gil-galad and Elrond, when the growing evil of the intentions of Sauron were at last perceived by them. It might, therefore, have been as early as Second Age 1200, when Sauron came in person to Lindon, and attempted to deceive Gil-galad, but was rejected and dismissed. But it may have been, perhaps more probably, as late as c. 1600, The Year of Dread, when Barad-dur was completed and the One Ring forged, and Celebrimbor at last became aware of the trap into which he had fallen."

We know also that in Third Age 1975, Glorfindel was in Rivendell and he was part of the Elven host that took on Angmar in the Battle Fornost. :) Glorfindel was there the day the three hosts came down on Angmar.

"At the same time a force under Glorfindel the Elf-lord came up out of Rivendell. The so utterly was Angmar defeated that not a Man nor an Orc of that realm remained West of the mountains..." Witch-King headed Earnur, Earnur's horse fled with Earnur on it, Witch-King laughed and Glorfindel... "Then the Witch-King laughed, and none that heard it ever forgot the horror of that cry. But Glorfindel rode up to them on his white horse, and in the midst of his laughter the Witch-King turned to flight and passed into the shadows. For night came down on the battlefield, and he was lost, and none saw wither he went. Earnur now rode back, but Glorfindel, looking into the gathering dark, said 'Do not pursue him! He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of Man will he fall.'" pg. 1026-1027, Appendix A, Section IV, "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"

And then Glorfindel disappears again until he shows up to rescue Frodo from the Nazgul, and then nothing more until he appears at Arwen's wedding.


	Disclaimer This site contains content of an adult nature, both in written and graphical versions. If you are under the age of consent in your city, state, country, or province, please click here and exit the site. Site Map home lotr fanfiction elvish rants inspiration artwork links Section Links Canon vs AU/Non-Canon Children and Music The Civil War Debunking Evil!Thranduil Elven Haircolor 101 Elvish Names 101 Elvish Names Continued Elven Population Elven Rebirth Fanon, Part One Free Speech Independence Day Bullshit Musings On The Movie "Supersize Me" The Mysterious Glorfindel Nazi Germany Symbols and Words Voting Rights Act Who Is Gildor Inglorion? Why Gay Christian Is Not An Oxymoron		Essays the mysterious glorfindel Now, another question, same problem-since i can't get the hold of many of the Tolkien's books (except, of course, LOTR) i was wondering could anyone help me with the info on Glorfindel. I mean his first life, as much as possible, especially his death, and, maybe if there's some, of his life in Gondolin!!! Very big question! Very vague question. Several of the books discuss Glorfindel... from BoLT2 all the way to PoME. This is the inherent flaw in Tolkien's work. You will not find anything about Glorfindel's life in Gondolin, save for what he did near the end of his life. There are writings about his origins during the essay that definitively asserts that Glorfindel of Gondolin and Glorfindel of Rivendell were in fact the same Elf. But those writings are very general, so there is a large gulf of knowledge about Glorfindel that is never known. In PoME, we know that Glorfindel was born in Aman. He is Noldor, even though he is blond, which means that he must be a descendant of Finwe and Indis, as that is the only place where blond hair entered into the Noldor line. In MR, we find out that Finwe and Indis had three daughters in addition to their three sons, so the blanket assumption that Glorfindel must be descended from Finarfin is not necessarily true, as there were three other lines he could have drawn heritage from. Glorfindel was part of the Flight of the Noldor, and as such, was present at the Kinslaying of Alqualonde. It is inconsistent with his character to believe that he stood idly by and witnessed the killing without taking part on one side or the other. Especially considering that his king and kin (Turgon is mentioned as being kin to Glorfindel, which further supports Glorfindel being of the line of Finwe) charged into the fray with sword drawn and banner waving. However, that Glorfindel only took part in the slaying of the Teleri under duress and at the defense of his king does not alter his part in the battle nor remove his guilt. We know that Glorfindel was among the host of Fingolfin that were abandoned by Feanor on the Helcaraxe (a host that included Turgon, Ecthelion, Galadriel, Fingon, etc). He settled with Turgon in Nevrast until the completion of Gondolin, and then he migrated there with the rest of Turgon's host. This is where the first gap in our knowledge comes. We know virtually nothing about Glorfindel's actions during the time between the Return of the Noldor and the Fall of Gondolin, save for his physical location. This is about a 500+ year gap of time. We know, for instance, that Glorfindel was the Chief of the House of the Golden Flower, which was one of twelve noble houses in Gondolin. However, we do not know if he was always the chief, if it was an earned honor or an inherited title, or for how long he held the position or what its duties entailed. We do, however, know the description of his uniform -- he had a rayed sun on his shield and "he bore a mantel so broidered in threads of gold that it was diapered with celandine as a field in spring; and his arms were damasked with cunning gold" (for all the good that does us... LOL). We know also that Glorfindel and Ecthelion were in command of the right and left flanks of Turgon's retreating army during the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. But, we know nothing of any other deeds he may have performed during that battle. And then we hear nothing of him until the Fall of Gondolin. The bulk of the writings on this are found in The Book of Lost Tales 2, which I highly recommend if you are really wanting to delve into that aspect of the histories. We can surmise that Glorfindel and Ecthelion were great friends by the way they are rarely mentioned separate from the other. (And even though this is a post about Glorfindel, I have to give props to Ecthelion because he and his house killed more Orcs than all the Elves in all the battles in all the history of the Elves, not to mention, he himself killed three Balrogs plus Gothmog, their lord.) Glorfindel's part in the Fall of Gondolin, while less spectacular, was no less important. Here it is. Glorfindel and his House had been trying to reach the Gates of the city through the marketplace to ambush the invading hosts when they themselves were ambushed. They fought for hours until a fire-drake burst through the lines and overwhelmed them. "Glorfindel cut his way out very hardly and with few men," according to BoLT2, just before the marketplace was engulfed in flames, taking the rest of the House of the Golden Flower. Now, Turgon had tried to send the House of the Harp to aid Glorfindel, but the Chief of that House concealed that order from his men and led them to the lesser market in order to save his own hide. But once Glorfindel led his few remaining men into the Square, the men of the Harp forsook their chief and ran to Glorfindel's aid. (Now, this led ultimately to the doom of the House of the Harp, but they were able to drive back Glorfindel's pursuers into the market.) Glorfindel and Tuor then cleared the King's Square, pulled their men back from all the gates, and barred them all, save for the entrance from the South, since more troops were still coming from that direction. All the survivors pulled together in that space for their last stand. The forces of Melkor, which included seven dragons, a swarm of Orcs, and Balrogs led by Gothmog, eventually broke through into the Square from the North, through the Alley of Roses. At this point, Turgon surrenders his crown to Tuor, and goes off and has a good die at the top of the White Tower. The new King, Tuor, realizes that discretion can be the better part of valor, and calls a retreat. He gathered all the remaining warriors and put them as a barrier around the women and children, and made for the South Pass and the secret passage Idril had constructed. Glorfindel and the remnants of his House sat at the rear of the phalanx and took their heaviest casualties there. Led by Legolas Greenleaf of the House of the Tree (no, I did not make that up, and no, he is NOT the son of Thranduil), they made for the secret passage, and through that, to the Cristhorn -- the Cleft of Eagles. Beyond the Cristhorn lay the Cirith Thoronath, a mile-long pass so narrow that they had to progress in single-file. When the first of the host emerged from the far end of the pass, and Glorfindel and his men were just entering, the Orcs sprung from hiding and assaulted them from all sides, throwing rocks down from the high cliffs above the pass. Thorndor, King of the Eagles, awoke at the clamor, and led his eagles in an assault again those Orcs on the high cliffs. This was enough aid to allow the Elves to beat back those other Orcs at the front and rear. Just when the battle seemed won, a great Balrog leapt over Glorfindel and his men, and landed on the cliff face above the women and children. Glorfindel, being extremely pissed off, scaled the cliffs and beat the Balrog back. Pretty much everything stopped at that point, and all eyes turned to watch, but the exchange was over before anyone could get to him. Glorfindel drove the Balrog back toward the cliff edge, severing the beast's whip arm at the elbow. They grappled and fell to the ground at the top of the craggy tor. "Then Glorfindel's left hand sought a dirk, and this he thrust up that it pierced the Balrog's belly nigh his own face (for that demon was double his stature); and it shrieked, and fell backwards from the rock, and falling clutched Glorfindel's yellow locks beneath his cap, and those twain fell into the abyss." Thorndor flew down and retrieved Glorfindel's body, and Tuor had a great cairn built over it after the host passed through the Cirith Thoronath. The Eagles guarded that grave until the end of Beleriand, where golden flowers bloomed at all times. So ends Glorfindel of Gondolin. Of the return of Glorfindel, little is truly said for certain. We know that he spent some time in the Halls of Mandos being "purged of his guilt" in the rebellion of the Noldor. However, at the end of that time, he was reborn into Aman and allowed to dwell again in the Blessed Realm with those Noldor who had not rebelled. While he was still of the Eldar, it is stated that at this time, he was nearly equal to the Maiar in power because of his self-sacrifice. (I mention this in particular because this was not true of most reborn Elves -- only Glorfindel is ever mentioned to have been this powerful.) According to PoME: "We may then best suppose that Glorfindel returned during the Second Age, before the 'shadow' fell on Numenor, and while the Numenorians were welcome by the Eldar as powerful allies. His return must have been for the purpose of strengthening Gil-galad and Elrond, when the growing evil of the intentions of Sauron were at last perceived by them. It might, therefore, have been as early as Second Age 1200, when Sauron came in person to Lindon, and attempted to deceive Gil-galad, but was rejected and dismissed. But it may have been, perhaps more probably, as late as c. 1600, The Year of Dread, when Barad-dur was completed and the One Ring forged, and Celebrimbor at last became aware of the trap into which he had fallen." We know also that in Third Age 1975, Glorfindel was in Rivendell and he was part of the Elven host that took on Angmar in the Battle Fornost. :) Glorfindel was there the day the three hosts came down on Angmar. "At the same time a force under Glorfindel the Elf-lord came up out of Rivendell. The so utterly was Angmar defeated that not a Man nor an Orc of that realm remained West of the mountains..." Witch-King headed Earnur, Earnur's horse fled with Earnur on it, Witch-King laughed and Glorfindel... "Then the Witch-King laughed, and none that heard it ever forgot the horror of that cry. But Glorfindel rode up to them on his white horse, and in the midst of his laughter the Witch-King turned to flight and passed into the shadows. For night came down on the battlefield, and he was lost, and none saw wither he went. Earnur now rode back, but Glorfindel, looking into the gathering dark, said 'Do not pursue him! He will not return to this land. Far off yet is his doom, and not by the hand of Man will he fall.'" pg. 1026-1027, Appendix A, Section IV, "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion" And then Glorfindel disappears again until he shows up to rescue Frodo from the Nazgul, and then nothing more until he appears at Arwen's wedding.