House of the Harp
House of the Harp | |
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Noble House | |
General Information | |
Other names | Folk of the Harp Host of the Harp |
Leader | Salgant |
Locations | Gondolin |
Destroyed | Completely Fall of Gondolin |
- "On these men of the Harp unbidden fell with great eagerness and utterly redeemed the cravenhood of their lord."
- ― The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "The Fall of Gondolin"
The House of the Harp was one of the Twelve Houses of the Gondothlim, according to the early version of the Legendarium in The Book of the Lost Tales.
History
They were led by Salgant. Its people were brave warriors, and were dight with tassels of silver and of gold, and a harp of silver shone in their blazonry upon a field of black, though Salgant bore one of gold.[1]:173
Their lord Salgant was allied with Meglin, who had betrayed Gondolin to Melko. When the Fall of Gondolin began, Meglin gave Salgant the task of delaying the folk of the Wing while he assaulted Tuor's house and lead them into the deadliest of the fight. However, their terrified lord rode from battle, and this folk didn't help the folk of the Mole as planned.[1]:177
Later in the battle, there was a terrible fight in the Great Market at the east of the city, between Orcs led by Balrogs and the house of the Golden Flower led by Glorfindel. Knowing this by messengers, Turgon sent the men of the Harp in their aid, but Salgant concealed this from them and sent them to the Lesser Market at the south part, where he lived. They fretted thereat, and brake from their lord to come before the king's hall right in the moment that Glorfindel and his folk were chased by a press of foemen. There they redeemed the treason of their lord, as with their wrath they drove the enemy back into the market. But they were leaderless, and many of them were trapped, burned to death or poisoned by the breath of a dragon.[1]:182-183
Other names
Their Gnomish name was Thlim Salum, while in Qenya they were simply known as Salmar.[2]
In a later prose fragment, the Noldorin name Tumglin is given to a "folk of the Harp", but this is a Mannish house unrelated with Gondolin.[3]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "III. The Fall of Gondolin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Alphabet of Rúmil & Early Noldorin Fragments", in Parma Eldalamberon XIII (edited by Carl F. Hostetter, Christopher Gilson, Arden R. Smith, Patrick H. Wynne, and Bill Welden), p. 104
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "I. Prose Fragments Following the Lost Tales: (i) [Turlin and the exiles of Gondolin]", pp. 4-5
Twelve houses of the Gondothlim |
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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) |