Gil-galad: Difference between revisions

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m (→‎Second Age: Added internal link)
(Gave preference to the version included in the published Silmarillion, instead of the version in Tolkien's later notes.)
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| language=[[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]]
| language=[[Quenya]] and [[Sindarin]]
| birth=c. {{FA|450}}
| birth=c. {{FA|450}}
| birthlocation=Presumably [[Nargothrond]]
| birthlocation=Unknown
| rule={{FA|510}} - {{SA|3441}}
| rule={{FA|510}} - {{SA|3441}}
| death={{SA|3441}}
| death={{SA|3441}}
| deathlocation=[[Siege of Barad-dûr]]
| deathlocation=[[Siege of Barad-dûr]]
| age=c. 3581
| age=c. 3581
| house=[[House of Finarfin]]
| house=[[House of Fingolfin]]
| parentage=[[Orodreth]]
| parentage=[[Fingon]]
| siblings=[[Finduilas]]
| siblings=none
| spouse=
| spouse=
| children=
| children=
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{{Pronounce|Ereinion Gil-galad.mp3|Ardamir}}
{{Pronounce|Ereinion Gil-galad.mp3|Ardamir}}
<center>{{quote|Gil-galad was an Elven-king<br>Of him the harpers sadly sing<br>The last whose realm was fair and free<br>Between the Mountains and the Sea.|From [[The Fall of Gil-galad]], as translated by [[Bilbo Baggins]]}}</center>
<center>{{quote|Gil-galad was an Elven-king<br>Of him the harpers sadly sing<br>The last whose realm was fair and free<br>Between the Mountains and the Sea.|From [[The Fall of Gil-galad]], as translated by [[Bilbo Baggins]]}}</center>
'''Ereinion Gil-galad''' ([[Sindarin|S]], pron. {{IPA|[eˈreɪnjon ˈɡilɡalad]}}) was the sixth and last [[High King of the Noldor]]. He is the son of [[Orodreth]] (in the Silmarillion he is the son of [[Fingon]]), who was in turn the son of [[Angrod]] of [[Finarfin]]'s house.
'''Ereinion Gil-galad''' ([[Sindarin|S]], pron. {{IPA|[eˈreɪnjon ˈɡilɡalad]}}) was the sixth and last [[High King of the Noldor]]. In the published Silmarillion he is the son of [[Fingon]].
 
Gil-galad was a descendant of the Noldor, [[Teleri]] and [[Vanyar]], for his great-grandmother [[Eärwen]], married with Finarfin, is the daughter of Olwë of the Teleri and his Great-Great-grandmother [[Indis]], married with Finwe, is of the Vanyar. Nonetheless, he is counted among the Noldor.


== History ==
== History ==
===First Age===
===First Age===
The exact date and place of Gil-galad's birth is not given. His father Orodreth dwelt at [[Minas Tirith (Beleriand)|Minas Tirith]] upon [[Tol Sirion]], so he might either been born there or his granduncle's [[Finrod Felagund]] underground fortress [[Nargothrond]].
The exact date and place of Gil-galad's birth is not given.


He was still a child at the time of the [[Dagor Bragollach]] when [[Morgoth]] broke the [[Siege of Angband]] and his grandfather [[Angrod]] was killed. As a result his father sent him (and his mother<ref name="Ruin">{{WJ|Ruin}}</ref>) to [[Círdan]] at the [[Havens of the Falas]] for safekeeping.<ref>{{S|Fingolfin}}</ref> After the fall of Minas Tirith, the [[Pass of Sirion]] was open to Morgoth's hosts although they were still kept at bay by the still mighty realm of [[Hithlum]] and also the power of Nargothrond. Hithlum was destroyed after the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]] and thus there was now power left that could withstand the enemies and the ports at the Falas were besieged and captured. Yet Círdan, Gil-galad and many other Elves could flee from death on ship and etablished a refuge upon the [[Isle of Balar]] and a small haven at the [[Mouths of Sirion]].<ref>{{S|Fifth}}</ref>
He was still a child at the time of the [[Dagor Bragollach]] when [[Morgoth]] broke the [[Siege of Angband]]. As a result his father sent him (and his mother<ref name="Ruin">{{WJ|Ruin}}</ref>) to [[Círdan]] at the [[Havens of the Falas]] for safekeeping.<ref>{{S|Fingolfin}}</ref> After the fall of Minas Tirith, the [[Pass of Sirion]] was open to Morgoth's hosts although they were still kept at bay by the still mighty realm of [[Hithlum]] and also the power of Nargothrond. Hithlum was destroyed after the [[Nirnaeth Arnoediad]] and thus there was now power left that could withstand the enemies and the ports at the Falas were besieged and captured. Yet Círdan, Gil-galad and many other Elves could flee from death on ship and etablished a refuge upon the [[Isle of Balar]] and a small haven at the [[Mouths of Sirion]].<ref>{{S|Fifth}}</ref>


In the Nirnaeth Arnoediad [[Fingon]], High King of the Noldor, was slain, and the crown passed to his brother [[Turgon]] in Gondolin. When Gondolin was lost, Gil-galad received the Kingship of the Noldor, as his father had been killed in [[Battle of Tumhalad]] some years before and Turgon did not have a male descendant .<ref>{{S|Gondolin}}</ref> He and Círdan maintained the refuge upon Balar and the small port at the Sirion estuary until the [[War of Wrath]] and the end of the First Age.
In the Nirnaeth Arnoediad [[Fingon]], High King of the Noldor, was slain, and the crown passed to his brother [[Turgon]] in Gondolin. When Gondolin was lost, Gil-galad received the Kingship of the Noldor.<ref>{{S|Gondolin}}</ref> He and Círdan maintained the refuge upon Balar and the small port at the Sirion estuary until the [[War of Wrath]] and the end of the First Age.


===Second Age===
===Second Age===
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== Other Versions of the Legendarium ==
== Other Versions of the Legendarium ==
Originally in early versions of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', Gil-galad was the son of [[Finrod|Finrod Felagund]]. In the ''[[Grey Annals]]'', however, Felagund had no son, leaving his wife in [[Tirion]] at the [[Flight of the Noldor]]. Later writings, specifically the ''[[Shibboleth of Fëanor]]'', presents the fact that Gil-galad was the son of Orodreth, who was in fact the son of Angrod. In other early versions he was of the [[House of Fëanor]].


In the published ''[[The Silmarillion|Silmarillion]]'' and ''[[Aldarion and Erendis: The Mariner's Wife|The Mariner's Wife]]'' Gil-galad is said to have been the son of [[Fingon]]. However, [[Christopher Tolkien]] later admitted that it was a rushed choice, and that Gil-galad was Orodreth's son in the original manuscripts written by his father.
Gil-galad was originally, and briefly, conceived as a descendant of [[Fëanor]].
 
Later, and through the writing of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', he was considered a son of [[Finrod Felagund]], until Tolkien decided that Felagund was unmarried and childless.
 
A marginal note by Tolkien from around this time (the late 1950s) suggested that Gil-galad might be the son of [[Fingon]]. This suggestion was taken up by Tolkien's son and literary executor [[Christopher Tolkien]] in the published version of ''[[The Silmarillion]]'', which states that Gil-galad is the son of [[Fingon]]. [[Christopher Tolkien|Christopher]] later stated in ''[[The Peoples of Middle-earth]]'' that this decision to make Gil-galad a son of Fingon was an editorial mistake on his part, and did not represent his father's conception of the character.  He suggested that it would have been better to have left Gil-galad's parentage obscure.
 
Tolkien's final decision for Gil-galad's parentage appears to have been that he was a son of [[Orodreth]], who was at the same time changed from being a son of [[Finarfin]] to a son of [[Angrod]].<ref>The Shibboleth of Fëanor (History of Middle Earth vol.XII)</ref>  This conception, however, was never incorporated into the written stories of ''The Silmarillion'', and aspects of it — notably the downgrading of Orodreth into a son of Angrod — would have required considerable reworking of the existing text.


== Etymology ==
== Etymology ==
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{{seq-head
{{seq-head
| race=noldor
| race=noldor
| house=[[Finarfin|House of Finarfin]]
| house=[[Fingolfin|House of Fingolfin]]
| born=c. {{FA|450}}
| born=c. {{FA|450}}
| died={{SA|3441}}
| died={{SA|3441}}
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{{references}}
{{references}}
[[Category:Characters in The Silmarillion]]
[[Category:Characters in The Silmarillion]]
[[Category:House of Fingolfin]]
[[Category:House of Finarfin]]
[[Category:House of Finarfin]]
[[Category:House of Olwë]]
[[Category:amilessi]]
[[Category:amilessi]]
[[Category:Sindarin names]]
[[Category:Sindarin names]]

Revision as of 00:14, 4 April 2013

Gil-galad
Noldo
Soni Alcorn-Hender - Gil-galad at the Last Alliance.jpg
Biographical Information
Other namesArtanáro/Rodnor (Q/S, fn),
Ereinion (S, epessë)
TitlesHigh King of the Noldor
LocationHavens of Sirion; Lindon
AffiliationLast Alliance
LanguageQuenya and Sindarin
Birthc. F.A. 450
Unknown
RuleF.A. 510 - S.A. 3441
DeathS.A. 3441 (aged c. 3581)
Siege of Barad-dûr
Family
HouseHouse of Fingolfin
ParentageFingon
Siblingsnone
Physical Description
GenderMale
WeaponryAeglos
GalleryImages of Gil-galad
"Gil-galad was an Elven-king
Of him the harpers sadly sing
The last whose realm was fair and free
Between the Mountains and the Sea.
"
― From The Fall of Gil-galad, as translated by Bilbo Baggins

Ereinion Gil-galad (S, pron. [eˈreɪnjon ˈɡilɡalad]) was the sixth and last High King of the Noldor. In the published Silmarillion he is the son of Fingon.

History

First Age

The exact date and place of Gil-galad's birth is not given.

He was still a child at the time of the Dagor Bragollach when Morgoth broke the Siege of Angband. As a result his father sent him (and his mother[1]) to Círdan at the Havens of the Falas for safekeeping.[2] After the fall of Minas Tirith, the Pass of Sirion was open to Morgoth's hosts although they were still kept at bay by the still mighty realm of Hithlum and also the power of Nargothrond. Hithlum was destroyed after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad and thus there was now power left that could withstand the enemies and the ports at the Falas were besieged and captured. Yet Círdan, Gil-galad and many other Elves could flee from death on ship and etablished a refuge upon the Isle of Balar and a small haven at the Mouths of Sirion.[3]

In the Nirnaeth Arnoediad Fingon, High King of the Noldor, was slain, and the crown passed to his brother Turgon in Gondolin. When Gondolin was lost, Gil-galad received the Kingship of the Noldor.[4] He and Círdan maintained the refuge upon Balar and the small port at the Sirion estuary until the War of Wrath and the end of the First Age.

Second Age

After the destruction of Beleriand during the War of Wrath, Gil-galad founded a kingdom in Lindon in the far northwest of Middle-earth, roughly between the Blue Mountains and the Great Sea around the Gulf of Lhûn and the havens Forlond, Harlond and Mithlond were founded.[5] Many Elves, both Sindar and Noldor joined him. But soon there was again unrest among the Noldor, and many of them left Lindon and led by Celebrimbor founded the realm of Eregion, probably also stirred up by the finding of Mithril in Khazad-dûm. Also some Sindar and many of the Nandor did not wish to live with the Noldor, who had done them great evil, and migrated eastwards to Lothlórien or Greenwood the Great.

When Prince Aldarion of Númenor came to Middle-earth, they established friendship with the Elves. In S.A. 882 Gil-galad gave him a letter for his father, the King of Númenor, Tar-Meneldur. He warned him that a new shadow was arisen in the East and beseeched him for aid.[6]

Gil-galad by Lelia.

Around the year 1000 of the Second Age, Sauron tried to make contact with the Elves under the name Annatar, the "Lord of Gifts". But Gil-galad and Círdan did not trust him and rejected his proposals. Sauron though, was welcomed in Eregion and the Rings of Power were forged.[5] Around S.A. 1600 Sauron had forged the One Ring, and in 1695 he invaded Eriador, the War of the Elves and Sauron began.[7] Celebrimbor had rescued the Three Rings of the Elves in time, sending Narya and Vilya to Gil-galad, while the third ring Nenya was given to Galadriel.[8]

Sauron conquered Eregion quickly and the forces from Lindon that Gil-galad had sent under command of Elrond came too late and were too small and fled far north, where Elrond etablished the stronghold of Imladris.[8]

The war lasted on, until a great fleet of the Númenóreans arrived at Lindon. With united forces, Sauron's army was driven back and defeated near Sarnford and withdrew to Tharbad were he was reinforced. But the Númenórean's Admiral Tar-Minastir had send a fleet up river Gwathló and Sauron's army was attacked in the rear and utterly defeated.[8] After this war, the Elves were not further troubled by Sauron for a long time. During this time, Gil-galad passed the rings Narya and Vilya to Círdan and Elrond.[8]

After the Downfall of Númenor, Elendil and his sons came to Middle-earth and founded the realms of Gondor in the south and Arnor in the north. Gondor was soon attacked by Sauron and Elendil's son Isildur had to flee, and sailed north to his father, where the Last Alliance of Elves and Men was formed with Gil-galad.

It took several years for the Allies to gather their forces but ultimately they marched on Mordor and defeated a great army in the Battle of Dagorlad. They broke through Cirith Gorgor and besieged Sauron's Dark Tower.

When the siege had lasted seven years, it became so pressing that Sauron himself sallied forth. By his power the siege was broken and his army advanced to the slopes of Orodruin. There he was engaged by Elendil and Gil-galad in single combat. Both Gil-galad and Elendil were killed by Sauron's hands. Gil-galad was the last High King of Noldor.

Gil-galad's weapon was the spear Aeglos.

Other Versions of the Legendarium

Gil-galad was originally, and briefly, conceived as a descendant of Fëanor.

Later, and through the writing of The Lord of the Rings, he was considered a son of Finrod Felagund, until Tolkien decided that Felagund was unmarried and childless.

A marginal note by Tolkien from around this time (the late 1950s) suggested that Gil-galad might be the son of Fingon. This suggestion was taken up by Tolkien's son and literary executor Christopher Tolkien in the published version of The Silmarillion, which states that Gil-galad is the son of Fingon. Christopher later stated in The Peoples of Middle-earth that this decision to make Gil-galad a son of Fingon was an editorial mistake on his part, and did not represent his father's conception of the character. He suggested that it would have been better to have left Gil-galad's parentage obscure.

Tolkien's final decision for Gil-galad's parentage appears to have been that he was a son of Orodreth, who was at the same time changed from being a son of Finarfin to a son of Angrod.[9] This conception, however, was never incorporated into the written stories of The Silmarillion, and aspects of it — notably the downgrading of Orodreth into a son of Angrod — would have required considerable reworking of the existing text.

Etymology

Gil-galad is a Sindarin name, meaning "Star of bright light". The name consists of the elements gil ("star") + galad ("radiance")[10]. According to a note this name was given to him because of the brightness of his eyes [1].

Gil-galad was his mother-name, and it was his preferred name in his youth. His father-name was Rodnor (pron. [ˈrodnor]), or in Quenya, Artanáro (pron. [ˌartaˈnaːro]).

As High King of the Noldor, his epessë was Ereinion, "Scion of Kings" (from erain = "kings" and ion = "son").

Genealogy

 
 
 
 
 
 
Finarfin
 
Eärwen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finrod
 
Angrod
 
Eldalótë
 
Aegnor
 
Galadriel
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Orodreth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GIL-GALAD
 
 
 
Finduilas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Gil-galad
House of Fingolfin
Born: c. F.A. 450 Died: S.A. 3441
Preceded by:
Turgon
6th High King of the Noldor
F.A. 510 - S.A. 3441
None
Abandoned


Portrayals in adaptations

2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:

In the prologue, Gil-galad can be seen holding one of the three Elven rings. Later, he is seen wielding his spear Aeglos in the Battle of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. His death is not shown, and he does not take down Sauron. He is played by Mark Ferguson.


See Also

References