| Four days after Eriol leaves the Cottage of Lost Play, to travel to Tavrobel, this story of the Fall of Gondolin is told by old Ilfiniol (who is named 'Littleheart').<br><br>Like in the tale of Beren and Tinúviel told by the character Vëannë, and the tale of Turambar told by Eltas, "Gnomes" is the term for the people of Middle-earth who later in Tolkien's mythology would be the Noldor Elves. Thus, all Gnome characters mentioned in this early tale of Gondolin are in finality Elven characters. Gnomish would become Sindarin.<br><br>The first section of Ilfiniol's narration tells of Tuor's nomadic wanderings in Dor-lómin and Mithrim and along the beaches and rivers of Beleriand, and of his encounter with the Vala Ulmo, which preceded his seeking of the hidden city of Gondolin. Tuor ventures there with Voronwë (the father of the storyteller), learns the seven names of Gondolin, is let in and greeted by the King, Turgon, and imparts to Turgon his tidings of the motives of Melkor.<br><br>Following these things in the tale comes the ruining of Gondolin's security by Maeglin, and the subsequent invasion of a massive army from Angband. The Houses of the Gondolindrim are mustered, all seven of which are described in particularly vivid detail, to prepare for battle. The massive resulting onslaught of Gondolin throughout its streets is described in full, featuring the many feats of Tuor, some of whose orc-victims are even named, and of Ecthelion of the Fountain, and of Glorfindel. The latter two both duel Balrogs, among whom is Gothmog, the lord of the Balrogs and leader of the foe, whom Ecthelion slays and is slain by in the end. The deaths of the Elf-lords of each House are told of, as are the attack strategies of Gothmog and his army, the flight to safety of young Eärendil, Tuor's son, and the actions of Thorondor (who in this tale was named Thornhoth), the Lord of the Eagles. Penlod, Egalmoth, Rog, and Duilin are House-captains of Gondolin who are not mentioned in the final account of the Fall in The Silmarilliion.<br><br>Ilfiniol's narrative ends with the Exiles of Gondolin, who had fled, settling in the land of the Mouths of Sirion, at which they named themselves anew the Lothlim, which meant ‘the people of the flower’, because of new sorrow that would lie behind the name of "the Gondothlim".
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