Gilfanon

From Tolkien Gateway
"...It is a long tale..." — Aragorn
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This article is about an elf from Tavrobel. For the elf of Alqaluntë, see Gilfanon.
Gilfanon
Gnome
Biographical Information
Other namesAilios (earlier name)
LocationTavrobel
Physical Description
GenderMale
"Now there happened that night to be present a guest both at their board and at their tale telling, and his name was Gilfanon"
The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "The Tale of the Sun and Moon"

Gilfanon a·Davrobel was one of the oldest Elves on Tol Eressëa. It was he who told Eriol the tale of the Sun and the Moon in the Cottage of Lost Play.[1]:174 ff

Gilfanon lived in the House of the Hundred Chimneys in Tavrobel.[1]:175

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

His earlier name was Ailios, that was mostly amended in the manuscript of the Tale of the Sun and Moon,[2] but remains in the (earlier) tales given in The Book of Lost Tales Part Two.[3]

According to an outline, Gilfanon bids Eriol to write down all the tales that he has heard in Tol Eressëa before drinking limpë.[4] Christopher explains that this and all the details about Gilfanon (like being one of the Noldoli) match with Pengolodh, so Gilfanon would be his literary origin.[5]

In a prose fragment following the Lost Tales, there is a Gilfanon mentioned as an Elf of Alqaluntë, but Christopher is certain that he cannot be the Gilfanon of Tavrobel, so probably Tolkien had changed his name.[6]

References