Tumladen
Tumladen, the "Valley of Smoothness", was the name for the hidden valley within the Encircling Mountains where the Elven city of Gondolin was built during the First Age.[1]:163
Description
- "...Then Tuor and his companion fared over the plain that was of a marvellous level, broken but here and there by boulders round and smooth which lay amid a sward, or by pools in rocky beds. Many fair pathways lay across that plain..."
- ― The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "The Fall of Gondolin"
The valley was hidden between the mountain range of the Echoriad, with the Crissaegrim in the south. The only entry to the valley was Orfalch Echor, the pass formed by the Dry River.[2] In the middle of the green plain there was the rocky height of Amon Gwareth, and upon it the city of Gondolin.[3]
It is not clear the size of the perimeter formed by the mountains, but in the earliest text it is said that Tuor and Voronwë had to walk a day's light march to reach Amon Gwareth.[1]:158
History
In ancient days, the valley was a great lake between the mountains, but was emptied through the Dry River.[2] In F.A. 53 Turgon, a lord of the exiled Noldor, discovered Tumladen under the divine guidance of the Vala Ulmo, Lord of Waters.[4] There he began to build the city of Gondolin in the top of Amon Gwareth, and after fifty years of work he moved there from Nevrast with all his people.[2]
During the Quest of the Silmaril, Beren and Lúthien could see the valley while being carried by Eagles. Tears fell from Lúthien's eyes into the plain, and from them a fountain sprang to life: the Fountain of Tinúviel, or Eithel Nínui.[5]
During the Fall of Gondolin in F.A. 510, the valley was covered with mists due the fume of the burning and the steam of the fountains in the flame of the dragons. This allowed the survivors to escape from the slaughter through the plain without being noticed and reach the mountains.[3]
Etymology
The name comes from the Sindarin elements tum ("deep valley")[6] and laden ("open, cleared").[7]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Book of Lost Tales Part Two, "III. The Fall of Gondolin"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Noldor in Beleriand"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, VI. Quenta Silmarillion", p. 301
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", entry tum
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", p. 368, entry "LAT-"
