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{{disambig-two|a lord of Gondolin|[[Ruling Steward]] of [[Gondor]]|[[Egalmoth (Steward of Gondor)]]}}
{{infobox character
| people-duplicated=[[Noldor|Noldo]]
| name=Egalmoth
| image=NimwenHabareth - Egalmoth.png
| caption="Egalmoth" by [[:Category:Images by NimwenHabareth|NimwenHabareth]]
| people=[[Gnomes|Gnome]]
| pronun=
| othernames=
| titles=
| position=Lord of the [[house of the Heavenly Arch]]
| location=[[Gondolin]]
| affiliation=
| language=
| birth=
| birthlocation=
| rule=
| death=
| deathlocation=[[Mouths of Sirion]]
| age=
| notablefor=
| house=[[House of the Heavenly Arch]]
| parentage=
| siblings=
| spouse=
| children=
| gender=Male
| height=
| hair=
| eyes=
| clothing=Blue mantle with crystal stars
| weapons=Curved sword, bow
| steed=
}}
'''Egalmoth''' was a [[Gnome]]-lord of [[Gondolin]] according to the early version of the [[legendarium]] in ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]''.

==History==
He was the leader of the [[folk of the Heavenly Arch]]. He wore a blue mantle upon which stars were embroidered in crystal, and his sword was bent (none of the other Noldoli carried curved swords). However, he trusted more to his [[Bows|bow]], for he could shoot further than anyone of his folk.<ref name=Gondolin>{{LT2|III}}</ref>{{rp|173}}

When the [[Fall of Gondolin]] began, a great part of his folk was in the walls of the northern gate, where the main attack happened.<ref name=Gondolin/>{{rp|176}} However, he was in the south part of the city, in charge of the engines on the wall. When the enemy entered into the streets, he saw that they could not keep fighting in the battlements. Therefore, Egalmoth gathered some men of his house and [[House of the Swallow|of the Swallow]] and casted away his bow. While marching among the streets, they defeated every band of enemies they encountered, rescuing and leading the captives. Finally they reached the [[Square of the King]], where they met with the survivors of all the other [[twelve houses of the Gondothlim|houses]]. In the Square, Egalmoth helped Tuor with the defence of the barricades, but they were sundered and he could not help Tuor when [[Gothmog (balrog)|Gothmog lord of Balrogs]] came forth.<ref name=Gondolin/>{{rp|183}}

During that sally in the Square, Egalmoth was hurt, but he could survive with the rest of the [[exiles of Gondolin]].<ref name=Gondolin/>{{rp|195}} He dwelt in the [[Mouths of Sirion|mouth of Sirion]], but he later died there in the [[Third Kinslaying]] when the [[sons of Fëanor]] came for the [[Silmaril]].<ref>{{LT2|IIIn}}, p. 215</ref>

==Etymology==
''Egalmoth'' is [[Gnomish]] for "Broadshoulder", and its [[Qenya]] form is '''''Aikaldamor'''''.<ref>{{LT2|Appendix}}, entry "Egalmoth"</ref>

In the ''[[Name-list to The Fall of Gondolin]]'', the following definition is provided:
''"Egalmoth is a great name, yet none know clearly its meaning - some have said its bearer was so named in that he was worth a thousand elves (but Rumil says nay) and others that it signifies the mighty shoulders of that Gnome, and so saith Rumil, but perchance it was woven of a secret tongue of the Gondothlim, yet was he lord of the house of the Heavenly Arch, and got even out of the burning of Gondolin, and dwelt after at the mouth of Sirion, but was slain in a dire battle there when Melko seized Elwing."''<ref>{{PE|15}}</ref>{{rp|23}} The "thousand" is from the [[Gnomish]] word '''moth''', which had a definition of ''"moth(in), mothwen 1000. probably = flock. [<< 'moth 1000. mothwen (same.)' Cf. I 270 Uin, II 338 Egalmoth.]"''<ref>{{PE|11}}</ref>{{rp|58}}

When [[Tolkien]] developed [[Sindarin]], ''Egalmoth'' became an obsolete name, but he had already used it for a [[Egalmoth (Steward of Gondor)|steward of Gondor]] in a published work and the name sounded good, so he retained it in later versions as an archaic form. The proper Sindarin name would be '''''Ægamloth''''', which means "Pointed helm-crest", from ''[[aeg]]'' ("point") + ''[[amloth]]'' ("uprising flower, implying a crest on a helmet").<ref name=Maeglin>{{WJ|Maeglin}}</ref>{{rp|318}}

== Other versions of the legendarium ==
=== ''[[The Book of Lost Tales]]'' ===
In an outline of the last Lost Tale, Tolkien considered that Egalmoth and [[Galdor (elf of Gondolin)|Galdor]] led the Noldoli back to Valinor.<ref>{{LT2|VI}}, pp. 278-9</ref>

=== ''[[The War of the Jewels]]'' ===
Egalmoth does not appear again in any later texts of the [[legendarium]], except in one concerning [[Aredhel]]'s escort. While writing the story of [[Maeglin]] in [[1951]], [[Tolkien]] named him as one of the escorts King [[Turgon]] sent to accompany Aredhel on her way out of the [[Hidden City]] to her brother [[Fingon]], along with [[Glorfindel]] and [[Ecthelion]].<ref name=Maeglin/>{{rp|318}} However, he realized that these three lords were too mighty to come back to Gondolin after losing Aredhel, so he decided that they should not be the escort.<ref name=Maeglin/>{{rp|328}} Therefore, [[Christopher Tolkien]] kept this decision for his edition of ''[[The Silmarillion]]''.

=== A note from ''[[The Nature of Middle-earth]]'' ===
In a very late note dated c. 1972-3, Tolkien seemed to imply that Egalmoth and [[Ecthelion]] were of royal lineage, since some [[Steward of Gondor|Ruling Stewards]] of [[Gondor]] were named after "''renowned heroes in the '''royal lines of old'''''".<ref>{{NM|P2v}}, footnote, p. 189</ref>

{{references}}
{{HousesofGondolin}} 
[[Category:Characters in The Book of Lost Tales]]
[[Category:First Age characters]]
[[Category:Gnomes]]
[[Category:Gnomish names]]
[[Category:Gondolindrim]]
[[Category:Noldor]]
[[de:Egalmoth (Hauptmann von Gondolin)]]
[[fr:encyclo:personnages:elfes:noldor:egalmoth]]
[[fi:Egalmoth (Gondolin)]]