House of the Hammer of Wrath

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House of the Hammer of Wrath
Noble House
Rondador - House of the Hammer of Wrath.png
General Information
Other namesFolk of the Hammer of Wrath
LeaderRog
LocationsGondolin
DestroyedCompletely
Fall of Gondolin
Physical Description
RaceNoldoli
WeaponryHammer and mace
"And they won the greatest glory of all those fair houses in that struggle against doom."
The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "The Fall of Gondolin"

The house of the Hammer of Wrath was one of the twelve houses of the Gondothlim, the kindreds of the Elven city of Gondolin. Their story is recounted in an early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.

History[edit | edit source]

House of the Hammer by Thomas Rouillar

Their lord was Rog, and they were much recruited by Noldoli that escaped from Melko's mines, who nursed a deep hatred for him and his Balrogs. They were great smiths and craftsmen, and revered Aulë more than any other Ainu. In battle they carried great maces like hammers, and heavy shields, for they had strong arms. Their device was the Stricken Anvil, and a hammer that smote sparks about it; this was set upon their shields in red, gold, and black iron.[1]:174

When Melko sent his armies to attack the city, the balrog Gothmog led them to the northern gate, where the houses of the Hammer and of the Tree were positioned. When the enemies opened a breach, both folks descended upon them.[1]:176 But later a great number of Balrogs and Iron Dragons climbed into the city, and Rog encouraged his people in a great voice:

Thereupon he lifted his mace, and its handle was long; and he made a way before him by the wrath of his onset even unto the fallen gate: but all the people of the Stricken Anvil ran behind him like a wedge, and sparks came from their eyes for the fury of their rage.

The Noldoli still sing how their charge slew a great number of the serpents and Balrogs, being the first of Elves and Men alike to slay a Balrog. Gothmog counterattacked by cutting off their withdrawal to the city, but Rog realized this and knew they were lost, so he kept up the attack. Therefore, the house harried their front enemies until they reached Tumladin. There a fire-drake was loosed upon them, but they kept fighting, until all of them perished, "and it is yet sung that each man of the Hammer of Wrath took the lives of seven foemen to pay for his own.[1]:178-9

Other names[edit | edit source]

They were called Thlim Gothodrum in Gnomish and Kosartami in Qenya.[2]

References

Twelve houses of the Gondothlim
King (leader: Turgon) · Wing (Tuor) · Mole (Meglin) · Swallow (Duilin) · Heavenly Arch (Egalmoth) · Pillar (Penlod) · Tower of Snow (Penlod) · Tree (Galdor) · Golden Flower (Glorfindel) · Fountain (Ecthelion) · Harp (Salgant) · Hammer of Wrath (Rog)