Gil-galad: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 09:50, 19 August 2011

"Who told you, and who sent you?" — Gandalf
This article or section needs more/new/more-detailed sources to conform to a higher standard and to provide proof for claims made.
Gil-galad
Noldo
File:Soni - Gil-galad at the Last Alliance.jpg
Biographical Information
Other namesArtanáro/Rodnor (Q/S, fn),
Ereinion (S, epessë)
TitlesHigh King of the Noldor
AffiliationLast Alliance
LanguageQuenya and Sindarin
Birthc. F.A. 450
Presumably Nargothrond
RuleF.A. 510 - S.A. 3441
DeathS.A. 3441 (aged c. 3581)
Siege of Barad-dûr
Family
HouseHouse of Finarfin
ParentageOrodreth
SiblingsFinduilas
Physical Description
GenderMale
WeaponryAeglos
GalleryImages of Gil-galad
"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 (S, pron. [eˈreɪnjon ˈɡilɡalad]) was the sixth and last High King of the Noldor. He was the son of Orodreth (in the Silmarillion he is the son of Fingon), 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. Gil-galad was a descendant of the Noldor, Teleri and Vanyar. Teleri from his great-grandmother Eärwen who was the daughter of Olwë and Vanyarin from his Great-Great-grandmother Indis. Nonetheless, he was counted among the Noldor.

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. Once Eregion fell to Sauron, Gil-Galad received the Elven Rings Narya and Vilya, while the third ring, Nenya was given to Galadriel. He would later give Narya to Cirdan and after his death Vilya passed to Elrond.

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[source?], and Gil-galad became the last King of the Noldor in Middle-earth.

Gil-galad's weapon was the spear Aeglos.

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. In the published Silmarillion and The Mariner's Wife Gil-galad is said to have been the son of Fingon. However, Christopher Tolkien later admitted that it was a rushed choice, and that Gil-galad was Orodreth's son in the original manuscripts written by his father.

Etymology

Gil-galad is a Sindarin name, meaning "Star of bright light". The name consists of the elements gil ("star") + galad ("radiance").[1]

Gil-galad was his mother-name, and it was his preferred name in his youth. His father-name was Rodnor (pron. [ˈrodnor]), or in Quenya, Artanáro (pron. [ˌartaˈnaːro]).

As High King of the Noldor, his epessë was Ereinion, "Scion of Kings" (from erain = "kings" and ion = "son").

Portrayals in adaptations

2001: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:

In the prologue, Gil-galad can be seen holding one of the three Elven rings. Later, he is seen wielding his spear Aeglos in the Battle of the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. His death is not shown, and he does not take down Sauron. He is played by Mark Ferguson.

Genealogy

 
 
 
 
 
 
Finarfin
 
Eärwen
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Finrod
 
Angrod
 
Eldalótë
 
Aegnor
 
Galadriel
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Orodreth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GIL-GALAD
 
 
 
Finduilas
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


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

See Also

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Notes and Translations", in The Road Goes Ever On (J.R.R. Tolkien, Donald Swann), p. 73