The Encyclopedia of Arda - Ecthelion of the Fountain (original) (raw)

ALPHABETICAL RACES PLACES MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE INTERACTIVE SHARE User guide Latest entries FAQ and e-mail Disclaimer and bibliography Awards Old and rare words Lexicon of names Excyclopedia of Arda Movie-goer's Guides: • The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King The Hobbit Viewer's Companions: • An Unexpected Journey • The Desolation of Smaug • The Battle of the Five Armies Tolkien links Book news Latest Chronicle Calendar Old and rare words Lexicon of names Links Random
Dates Slain in the Fall of Gondolin in I 510 Race Elves Division Presumably Noldor, though this is nowhere stated explicitly Culture Gondolindrim Pronunciation ekthe'lion Meaning From ecthel, meaning either 'fountain' or 'spear-point'1 Titles Lord of the Fountains, Warden of the Great Gate Indexes: Alphabetical: E Elves About this entry: Updated 8 December 2002 Updates planned: 3 Slayer of the Lord of Balrogs Years of the Trees First Age I Second Age II Third Age III Fourth Age IV A lord of Gondolin, famed as the slayer of Gothmog Lord of Balrogs in the Fall of that city. Notes 1 There are two explicit explanations of Ecthelion's name given by Tolkien in material reproduced within the volumes of The History of Middle-earth. Both derive the name from the Elvish ecthel, but in one case (in volume II) that word is interpreted 'fountain', whereas in the other (in volume V) it is defined as 'spear-point', with a quite different etymology. It seems certain that 'fountain' was the earlier interpretation, and given that Ecthelion is consistently referred to as 'Ecthelion of the Fountain', it hardly seems plausible that the original definition simply slipped Tolkien's mind. Rather, at least as far as the limited evidence suggests, it does appear that the later 'spear-point' interpretation was a deliberate change, or at least intended as a secondary meaning that happened to coincide with the first. See also... Balrogs, Belthil, Elemmakil, Gate of Steel, Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs, Lord of the Fountains, Maiar, Place of the Fountain, Seven Gates of Gondolin, Seventh Gate, ‘The Fall of Gondolin’, The Fountain, Warden of the Great Gate Indexes: Alphabetical: E Elves About this entry: Updated 8 December 2002 Updates planned: 3 For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001-2002. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Axiom Discovery aptitude and skill testing.Personality is one part of understanding a candidate's suitability, but aptitudes and skills are also key.

The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien

ALPHABETICAL RACES PLACES MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE INTERACTIVE

SHARE User guide Latest entries FAQ and e-mail Disclaimer and bibliography Awards Old and rare words Lexicon of names Excyclopedia of Arda Movie-goer's Guides: • The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King The Hobbit Viewer's Companions: • An Unexpected Journey • The Desolation of Smaug • The Battle of the Five Armies Tolkien links Book news Latest Chronicle Calendar Old and rare words Lexicon of names Links Random

Dates Slain in the Fall of Gondolin in I 510 Race Elves Division Presumably Noldor, though this is nowhere stated explicitly Culture Gondolindrim Pronunciation ekthe'lion Meaning From ecthel, meaning either 'fountain' or 'spear-point'1 Titles Lord of the Fountains, Warden of the Great Gate Indexes: Alphabetical: E Elves About this entry: Updated 8 December 2002 Updates planned: 3 Slayer of the Lord of Balrogs

Years of the Trees First Age I Second Age II Third Age III Fourth Age IV A lord of Gondolin, famed as the slayer of Gothmog Lord of Balrogs in the Fall of that city. Notes 1 There are two explicit explanations of Ecthelion's name given by Tolkien in material reproduced within the volumes of The History of Middle-earth. Both derive the name from the Elvish ecthel, but in one case (in volume II) that word is interpreted 'fountain', whereas in the other (in volume V) it is defined as 'spear-point', with a quite different etymology. It seems certain that 'fountain' was the earlier interpretation, and given that Ecthelion is consistently referred to as 'Ecthelion of the Fountain', it hardly seems plausible that the original definition simply slipped Tolkien's mind. Rather, at least as far as the limited evidence suggests, it does appear that the later 'spear-point' interpretation was a deliberate change, or at least intended as a secondary meaning that happened to coincide with the first. See also... Balrogs, Belthil, Elemmakil, Gate of Steel, Gothmog, Lord of Balrogs, Lord of the Fountains, Maiar, Place of the Fountain, Seven Gates of Gondolin, Seventh Gate, ‘The Fall of Gondolin’, The Fountain, Warden of the Great Gate Indexes: Alphabetical: E Elves About this entry: Updated 8 December 2002 Updates planned: 3 For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001-2002. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Axiom Discovery aptitude and skill testing.Personality is one part of understanding a candidate's suitability, but aptitudes and skills are also key.