Gil-galad: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 18:19, 10 November 2006

Template:Royalty infobox

"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 (First AgeSecond Age 3441) was the sixth and last High King of the Noldor. He was the son of Orodreth, who was in turn the son of Angrod of Finarfin's house. Gil-galad was born in Beleriand late in the First Age, and was still a child at the time of the Dagor Bragollach where his grandfather Angrod was killed; therefore his father sent him to Círdan at the Havens of the Falas for safekeeping when Morgoth broke the Siege of Angband in that battle.

History

Fingon fell in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, and the crown passed to Turgon in Gondolin. When Gondolin was lost, Gil-galad received the Kingship of the Noldor, as his father had been killed in Nargothrond. He dwelt with the Exiles of the city at the Mouths of Sirion during the remainder of the First 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, between the Blue Mountains and the Great Sea. There he and his people prospered, until Sauron returned; he came first to Lindon in the form of Annatar, the "Lord of Gifts", but Gil-galad and Elrond rejected him. Soon after, the One Ring was forged, and War of the Elves and Sauron began.

After the Downfall of Númenor, Elendil and his sons came to Middle-earth and formed an alliance with Gil-galad, the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. They marched on Mordor and besieged Sauron's Dark Tower. Sauron was defeated, but Gil-galad met his death in that war. According to the laws of succession, Elrond should have become the next High King of the Noldor, but he refused the crown, and Gil-galad became the last King of the Noldor in Middle-earth.

Gil-galad's weapon was the spear Aeglos.

Etymology

Gil-galad was his mother-name, meaning "Star of Radiance" in Sindarin (from gîl = "star" and galad = "radiance"). It was his preferred name in his youth. His father-name was Rodnor. As High King of the Noldor, his epessë was Ereinion, "Scion of Kings" (from erain = "kings" and ion = "scion").

Genealogy

              Finarfin
                   |
   ----------------|-------------
   |               |            |           
   |               |            |           
  Fingon        Turgon      Aredhel      
      |
      |
      |
      |
 Gil-galad
                 
                 
                 
                 
             

Preceded by:
Turgon
6th High King of the Noldor
I 510 – II 3441
Followed by:
none (abandoned)

Other Versions of the Legendarium

Originally in The Silmarillion, Gil-galad was the son of 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.

Portrayals in the Movies

Gil-galad can be seen briefly during the prologue in Peter Jackson's The Fellowship of the Ring. He was portrayed by Mark Ferguson.

See Also