Thorondor
| Thorondor | |
|---|---|
| Eagle | |
 | |
| "Thorondor" by John Howe | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Other names | Sorontar (Q) |
| Titles | Lord of the Eagles, King of Eagles |
| Location | Taniquetil Thangorodrim Crissaegrim |
| Affiliation | Manwë |
| Language | Quenya, Sindarin |
| Notable for | helping Fingon rescue Maedhros; wounding Morgoth; rescuing Beren and Lúthien; rescuing the survivors of the Fall of Gondolin |
| Family | |
| Children | Unnamed; ancestor of Gwaihir and Landroval |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender | Male |
| Wingspan | thirty fathoms[1] (180 feet/55 meters) |
| Weaponry | Beak, claws |
| Gallery | Images of Thorondor |
Thorondor, the Lord of the Eagles, was the greatest of the Eagles of Manwë king of the Valar. It is said that Thorondor had a wingspan of thirty fathoms.[1]
Contents |
[edit] History
Thorondor was sent by Manwë to watch over the Noldor after they arrived in Beleriand. The Eldar first encountered him when he helped Fingon rescue Maedhros from imprisonment from Thangorodrim.[2]
After that, Thorondor and the rest of the Eagles settled in the Crissaegrim.[3] When Gondolin was built, Thorondor became the ever vigilant guardian of the city. He rescued Fingolfin's body from defilement after Morgoth killed him, giving the Dark Lord a scar on his face.[4]
He and two of his vassals, Gwaihir and Landroval,[5] rescued Beren and Lúthien when Angband was aroused.[6] When Gondolin fell, Thorondor rescued the survivors.[7]
During the War of Wrath, Thorondor and Eärendil led the Eagles in battle with the Dragons, and may have fought with Ancalagon the Black.[8]
Thorondor is not mentioned after the War of Wrath,[note 1] but his descendants played part in some events of the Third Age.
[edit] Genealogy
| THORONDOR | |||||||||||||||||||
| Father of Gwaihir | |||||||||||||||||||
| Gwaihir | Landroval | ||||||||||||||||||
[edit] Etymology
The name contains thoron "eagle" and taur, -dor "king". The Quenya cognate is Sorontar.
In earlier versions of the legendarium he was called Sorontur (from the root SORO "eagle" and tur "king"), Thorndor and Throndor (Gnomish, compare thorn "eagle" and thrond "eagle nest, pinnacle"), and Thorntor (Ilkorin).[9]
[edit] See also
Notes
- ↑ Fans have suggested that Thorondor perhaps returned to Valinor. Cf Thorondor at LotRPlaza.com.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: [Section] 8", pp. 102-3 (also p. 173)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals" p. 68
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I (see "Sorontur" on p. 266 and "Meril-i-Turinqi")
| Named Eagles | |
| Thorondor · Gwaihir · Landroval · Meneldor | |