Gong of the Children

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The Gong of the Children or Gong of Littleheart was a musical instrument according to the early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.

History[edit | edit source]

It was owned by Littleheart, who rang it to awake the Sleeper in the Tower of Pearl during Eärendel's travel to the West. Later, Littleheart was the Gong-warden at the Cottage of Lost Play. The Gong was located outside the Hall of Play Regained, and it rang once each time the people at the house were summoned for meal, while it sounded thrice each time it was the hour of tale-telling at the Room of the Log Fire. When its sweet sound was heard, it followed the sound the laughters and pattering of feet around the house.[1]

Other names[edit | edit source]

It is also named Tombo,[1] which is just Qenya for "gong".[2] Its Gnomish cognate seemed to be simply To.[3]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, "I. The Cottage of Lost Play", p. 15
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part One, Appendix: Names in the Lost Tales – Part I, entry "Tombo"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Sí Qente Feanor and Other Elvish Writings", in Parma Eldalamberon XV (edited by Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, Patrick H. Wynne, and Bill Welden), p. 7