Gates of Summer

From Tolkien Gateway
The printable version is no longer supported and may have rendering errors. Please update your browser bookmarks and please use the default browser print function instead.
Alystraea - Tarnin Austa, Gondolin.png
Gates of Summer
Event
Other namesTarnin Austa, Andonavestan
LocationGondolin
ParticipantsGondolindrim
GalleryImages of Gates of Summer

The Gates of Summer was a great feast held in Gondolin when the Gondolindrim sang as the Sun rose.

It was upon the morning of this feast that Morgoth's armies attacked the city, beginning the infamous Fall of Gondolin.[1][2]

Other versions of the legendarium

In early versions of the legendarium, more details are provided about the feast: Tarnin Austa (meaning "Gates of Summer" in Gnomish, the first version of later Sindarin) was held on the eve of the first day of summer. It was custom to begin a solemn ceremony at midnight, continuing it until dawn of Tarnin Austa. The Gondothlim did not speak from midnight to daybreak, but upon the rising of the Sun they would burst into ancient songs, with choirs standing upon the eastern wall. At that time the city was filled with silver lamps, and lights of jewelled colours hung on the branches of the new-leaved trees.[3]

In the early 1920s as Tolkien continued to evolve his ideas of Gnomish phonology, vocabulary, and plural-formation, he changed the name of the festival to Ternin Awest[4]:153 (or Ennyn Awest) in the Noldorin Word-lists, with the festival's Qenya name being Andonavestan.[4]:143 In his c. 1923 Noldorin Dictionary, Tolkien further emended Ternin to Teirn,[4]:160 reflecting his next conception for pluralizing tarn ("gate").[4]:153

References

Realm of Gondolin
Ondolindë · Hidden City · City of Seven Names
Outside locations Amon Gwared · Anghabar · Echoriad (Crissaegrim · Eithel Nínui · Fingolfin's cairn) · Seven Gates of Gondolin (Gate of Wood · Gate of Stone · Gate of Bronze · Gate of Writhen Iron · Gate of Silver · Gate of Gold · Gate of Steel) · Orfalch Echor · Tumladen
Inside locations Alley of Roses · Arch of Inwë · Caragdûr · Fountains of the South · Gar Ainion · Great Market · Lesser Market · Idril's secret way · Place of the Fountain · Place of the Well · Road of Arches · Road of Pomps · Tower of the King · Way of Running Waters
Objects Anguirel · Axe of Tuor · Crown of the Hidden Kingdom · Elfstone · Glamdring · Glingal and Belthil · Orcrist · Sting
Houses House of the King · House of the Wing · House of the Mole · House of the Swallow · House of the Heavenly Arch · House of the Pillar · House of the Tower of Snow · House of the Tree · House of the Golden Flower · House of the Fountain · House of the Harp · House of the Hammer of Wrath
People Aranwë · Aredhel · Dark Guard · Duilin · Eärendil · Ecthelion · Egalmoth · Elemmakil · Elenwë · Enerdhil · Eöl · Exiles of Gondolin · Galdor · Glorfindel · Huor · Húrin · Hendor · Idril · Legolas · Maeglin · Meleth · Pengolodh · Penlod · Rog · Salgant · Tuor · Turgon · Ulmo · Voronwë · Warden of the Great Gate
Events Fall of Gondolin · Gates of Summer · Nirnaeth Arnoediad · Ulmo's warning · Wanderings of Húrin
Main texts Lost Tale of The Fall of Gondolin (1916-20) · The Lay of the Fall of Gondolin (c. 1920) · Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin (1950) · Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin (1977) · The Fall of Gondolin (2018)