Egalmoth: Difference between revisions

From Tolkien Gateway
m (Added Houses template)
m (British English: replaced "defense" with "defence". The term "defense" was inserted almost seven months ago.)
Line 37: Line 37:
He was the leader of the [[Folk of the Heavenly Arch]]. He wore a blue mantle upon which stars were embroidered in crystal, and his sword was bent (none of the other Noldoli carried curved swords). However, he trusted more to his bow, for he could further than anyone of his folk.<ref name=Gondolin>{{LT2|III}}</ref>{{rp|173}}
He was the leader of the [[Folk of the Heavenly Arch]]. He wore a blue mantle upon which stars were embroidered in crystal, and his sword was bent (none of the other Noldoli carried curved swords). However, he trusted more to his bow, for he could further than anyone of his folk.<ref name=Gondolin>{{LT2|III}}</ref>{{rp|173}}


When the [[Fall of Gondolin]] began, a great part of his folk was in the walls of the [[North Gate of Gondolin|northern gate]], where the main attack happened.<ref name=Gondolin></ref>{{rp|176}} But he was in the south part of the city, in charge of the engines on the wall. But when the enemy entered into the streets, he saw that they couldn't keep fighting in the battlements. Therefore, Egalmoth gathered some men of his house and [[House of the Swallow|of the Swallow]] and casted away his bow. While marching among the streets, they defeated every band of enemies they encountered, rescuing and leading the captives. Finally they reached the [[Square of the King]], where they met with the survivors of all the other [[Twelve Houses of the Gondothlim|houses]]. In the Square, Egalmoth helped Tuor with the defense of the barricades, but they were sundered and he couldn't help Tuor when [[Gothmog (balrog)|Gothmog lord of Balrogs]] came forth.<ref name=Gondolin></ref>{{rp|183}}
When the [[Fall of Gondolin]] began, a great part of his folk was in the walls of the [[North Gate of Gondolin|northern gate]], where the main attack happened.<ref name=Gondolin></ref>{{rp|176}} But he was in the south part of the city, in charge of the engines on the wall. But when the enemy entered into the streets, he saw that they couldn't keep fighting in the battlements. Therefore, Egalmoth gathered some men of his house and [[House of the Swallow|of the Swallow]] and casted away his bow. While marching among the streets, they defeated every band of enemies they encountered, rescuing and leading the captives. Finally they reached the [[Square of the King]], where they met with the survivors of all the other [[Twelve Houses of the Gondothlim|houses]]. In the Square, Egalmoth helped Tuor with the defence of the barricades, but they were sundered and he couldn't help Tuor when [[Gothmog (balrog)|Gothmog lord of Balrogs]] came forth.<ref name=Gondolin></ref>{{rp|183}}


During that sally in the Square, Egalmoth was hurt, but he could survive with the rest of the [[exiles of Gondolin]].<ref name=Gondolin></ref>{{rp|195}} He dwelt in the [[Mouths of Sirion|mouth of Sirion]], but he later died there in a dire battle when Melko seized [[Elwing]].<ref>{{LT2|IIIn}}, p. 215</ref>
During that sally in the Square, Egalmoth was hurt, but he could survive with the rest of the [[exiles of Gondolin]].<ref name=Gondolin></ref>{{rp|195}} He dwelt in the [[Mouths of Sirion|mouth of Sirion]], but he later died there in a dire battle when Melko seized [[Elwing]].<ref>{{LT2|IIIn}}, p. 215</ref>

Revision as of 15:49, 31 January 2021

This article is about a lord of Gondolin. For the Ruling Steward of Gondor, see Egalmoth (Steward of Gondor).

Template:Gnomes infobox Egalmoth was a Gnome-lord of Gondolin according to the early version of the Legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.

History

He was the leader of the Folk of the Heavenly Arch. He wore a blue mantle upon which stars were embroidered in crystal, and his sword was bent (none of the other Noldoli carried curved swords). However, he trusted more to his bow, for he could further than anyone of his folk.[1]:173

When the Fall of Gondolin began, a great part of his folk was in the walls of the northern gate, where the main attack happened.[1]:176 But he was in the south part of the city, in charge of the engines on the wall. But when the enemy entered into the streets, he saw that they couldn't keep fighting in the battlements. Therefore, Egalmoth gathered some men of his house and of the Swallow and casted away his bow. While marching among the streets, they defeated every band of enemies they encountered, rescuing and leading the captives. Finally they reached the Square of the King, where they met with the survivors of all the other houses. In the Square, Egalmoth helped Tuor with the defence of the barricades, but they were sundered and he couldn't help Tuor when Gothmog lord of Balrogs came forth.[1]:183

During that sally in the Square, Egalmoth was hurt, but he could survive with the rest of the exiles of Gondolin.[1]:195 He dwelt in the mouth of Sirion, but he later died there in a dire battle when Melko seized Elwing.[2]

Etymology

Egalmoth is Gnomish for "Broadshoulder", and its Qenya form is Aikaldamor.[3]

When Tolkien developed Sindarin, Egalmoth became an obsolete name, but he had already used it for a steward of Gondor in a published work and the name sounded good, so he retained it in later versions as an archaic form. The proper Sindarin name would be Ægamloth, which means "Pointed helm-crest", from aeg ("point") + amloth ("uprising flower, implying a crest on a helmet").[4]:318

Other versions of the legendarium

In an outline of the last Lost Tale, Tolkien considered that Egalmoth and Galdor led the Noldoli back to Valinor.[5]

Egalmoth doesn't appear again in any later texts of the Legendarium, except in one concerning Aredhel's escort. While writing the story of Maeglin in 1951, Tolkien named him as one of the escorts King Turgon sent to accompany Aredhel on her way out of the Hidden City to her brother Fingon, along with Glorfindel and Ecthelion.[4]:318 However, he realized that these three lords were too mighty to come back to Gondolin after losing Aredhel, so he decided that they shouldn't be the escort.[4]:328 Therefore, Christopher Tolkien kept this decision for his edition of The Silmarillion.

Additionally, in the unfinished sequel to The Lord of the Rings (The New Shadow), the character of Saelon was originally named Egalmoth (changed from Almoth) in the early manuscripts of the story.[6]

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)