Thorondor

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Thorondor
Eagle
John Howe - Thorondor.jpg
"Thorondor" by John Howe
Biographical Information
Other namesSorontar (Q)
TitlesKing of Eagles
King Thorondor[1]
Lord of Eagles[2]
LocationTaniquetil
Thangorodrim
Crissaegrim
AffiliationManwë
LanguageQuenya, Sindarin
Notable forHelping Fingon rescue Maedhros
Wounding Morgoth
Rescuing Beren and Lúthien
Rescuing the survivors of the Fall of Gondolin
Family
ChildrenUnnamed; ancestor of Gwaihir and Landroval
Physical Description
GenderMale
WingspanThirty fathoms[3][4] (180 feet/55 meters)
WeaponryBeak, claws
GalleryImages of Thorondor

Thorondor, the King of Eagles, was the greatest of the Eagles of Manwë. It is said that Thorondor had a wingspan of thirty fathoms.[3][4]

History[edit | edit source]

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.[3]

After that, Thorondor and the rest of the Eagles settled in the Crissaegrim.[5] 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.[6]

He and two of his vassals, Gwaihir and Landroval,[7] rescued Beren and Lúthien when Angband was aroused.[8] When Gondolin fell, Thorondor rescued the survivors.[9]

During the War of Wrath, Thorondor and Eärendil led the Eagles in battle with the Dragons, and may have fought with Ancalagon the Black.[10]

Thorondor is not mentioned after the War of Wrath, but his descendants played part in some events of the Third Age.[11]

Etymology[edit | edit source]

Thorondor is Sindarin for "King of Eagles", being the combination of thoron ("eagle") + taur, -dor ("king"). The Quenya cognate is Sorontar.[12]

Genealogy[edit | edit source]

 
 
THORONDOR
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Gwaihir
 
Landroval

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

"...It is a long tale..." — Aragorn
This article or section needs expansion and/or modification. Please help the wiki by expanding it.

In the earlier versions of the legendarium, the character was called Sorontur in Qenya, from the root SORO ("eagle") + tur ("king"). The Gnomish cognates were Thorndor and Throndor.[13]

A discarded Qenya name was Ramandur/Ramandor ("Shouter").[14]

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "Of Tuor and his Coming to Gondolin", p. 48
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin"
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
  4. 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "III. The Quenta: [Section] 8", pp. 102-3 (also p. 173)
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part One. The Grey Annals" p. 68
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beren and Lúthien"
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin"
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "The Field of Cormallen", p. 948
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entry soron
  13. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I, entry "Sorontur"
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I, entries Makar, Ramandur


Named Eagles
Thorondor · Gwaihir · Landroval · Meneldor