Gate of Steel

From Tolkien Gateway
Gate of Steel
Gate
David Greset - Seventh Gate of Gondolin.jpg
"Seventh Gate of Gondolin" by David Greset
Other namesGreat Gate, Last Gate, Seventh Gate
LocationOrfalch Echor
AppearanceA mighty fence of steel with seven wide beams, flanked by towers
CreatorMaeglin
5th century, First Age

The Gate of Steel, also known as the Great Gate, was the seventh of the Seven Gates of Gondolin.

History[edit | edit source]

The Gate of Steel was the last gate both in order of entering and construction, having being built by Maeglin some centuries after the other six as an ultimate defence after the disaster of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. Though all but impassable to an enemy, the Gate ultimately failed to prevent the Fall of Gondolin.

The gate was like a great steel fence across the Orfalch Echor. The fence had seven great needle-like pillars of steel and between these pillars there were seven cross-bars of steel and forty-nine vertical rods with heads like broad blades of spears. In the centre, above the midmost pillar, was raised a mighty image of the king-helm of Turgon, the Crown of the Hidden Kingdom, set about with diamonds. When Elemmakil struck the gate, rather than opening, the current Warden of the Great Gate, Ecthelion, rode from the north tower on a white horse with an esquire and a company of riders from both towers. The gate opened inward on either side of the pillar of the Crown. This gate followed the Gate of Gold, and when Tuor and Voronwë went through, they came to a high sward that looked over Tumladen. A host of the army of Gondolin were stationed on either side. The host consisted of representatives from each of the guards of the Seven Gates, likely including members of Elemmakil's own Dark Guard. The captains and chieftains of each Guard sat upon white and gray horses. As Tuor stood before them in the livery of Nevrast, they gazed upon him since many of them were with Turgon when he first set his armor upon the High Seat of Vinyamar.[1]

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)