House of the Mole
| House of the Mole | |
|---|---|
| Noble House | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Other names | Folk of the Mole |
| Leader | Meglin |
| Locations | Gondolin |
| Affiliation | Melko House of the Harp |
| Rivalries | House of the Wing |
| Destroyed | Completely Fall of Gondolin |
| Physical Description | |
| Race | Noldoli |
| Weaponry | Two-handed axes |
- "He found a press of the Mole-folk about his door, and these were the grimmest and least good-hearted of folk that Meglin might get in that city."
- ― The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "The Fall of Gondolin"
The House of the Mole 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 founded and led by Meglin. They bore black armour, without any emblem or design, but their round caps of steel were covered with moleskin. Most of its folk were quarrymen and ore delvers. In battle they wielded two-handed axes like mattocks.[1]:165,172
Their lord Meglin had previously betrayed Turgon and Gondolin, allying with Melko. He knew of Idril's secret way and thought it led to the Way of Escape, so before the battle he sent in secret some of his men to Melko to set a guard about the outer side of that Way.[1]:177
When the Fall of Gondolin began at the northern gate, Meglin led his folk to Tuor's house at the south of the city. There he tried to kill Eärendel, but Tuor soon arrived with his folk of the Wing. But a press of the Mole-folk was in front of the house, and these were the grimmest Noldoli that Meglin could get, doing nothing to stop their lord. Then the folk of the Wing attacked and the folk of the Mole was stricken asunder, so Tuor ran upon Meglin and killed him. Loyal to their lord, those from the House of the Mole turned upon his killer, but though they were numerous, they could not stand against the folk of the Wing and Tuor's wrath. The fight ended when all of them were "smitten and driven to fly into what dark holes they might, or flung from the walls".[1]:177-178
Other names
Their Gnomish name was Thlim Doldrin, while in Qenya they were simply known as Noldarer.[2]
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
| 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) |
