The Encyclopedia of Arda - Warden of the Great Gate (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 The Great Gate of Gondolin stood approximately I 472 - I 5101 Location The Great Gate stood at the eastern end of the Orfalch Echor, where it issued onto the plain of Tumladen Race Elves Culture Noldor or Sindar2 Settlements The Warden watched the way that led to the city of Gondolin Important peaks The Great Gate lay at the feet of the Encircling Mountains, on the inner side of their ring Passes The Warden commanded the guard who watched the eastern end of the pass of the Orfalch Echor Title of Ecthelion of the Fountain, and perhaps others Indexes: Alphabetical: G Alphabetical: W Elves About this entry: Updated 14 September 2024 Updates planned: 1 Chief of the guardians of Gondolin Years of the Trees First Age I Second Age II Third Age III Fourth Age IV A title of Ecthelion of the Fountain, who held ultimate authority over the Orfalch Echor, the entranceway to the Hidden City of Gondolin. In his charge was the last and greatest of the Seven Gates of Gondolin, the mighty Gate of Steel. It was in his role as Warden that Ecthelion granted Tuor entrance to the Hidden City. Notes 1 The dates given here relate to the approximate time when the Gate of Steel guarded the inner end of the Orfalch Echor. That gate was made by Maeglin after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, so could not have dated from earlier than I 472, and thus there would have been no Warden before that date. It is quite possible, however, that the Gate of Steel replaced an earlier Great Gate in the same location, and so the role of Warden of the Great Gate might have dated back to a much earlier time, presumably to I 116 when Gondolin was originally settled. To complicate matters further, at some point after the Nirnaeth, Turgon ordered that the Hidden Way into the Orfalch should be blocked. This must have been after I 495, when Tuor and Voronwë found their way into the city, but it must also have been earlier than I 510, the date of the city's fall. After this, given that there would be no way for a traveller to possibly reach the Great Gate through the Orfalch, there would seem to have been no further need for a Warden of the Great Gate. 2 Gondolin was founded by Turgon of the Noldor, and many of his people dwelt there, but they were also joined by many of the Sindar from their former home of Nevrast. Thus the Warden of the Great Gate might in principle have come from either people. Even if we take the only named Warden, Ecthelion, it remains somewhat unclear which people he belonged to. Circumstantially, it seems to be implied that he was one of the Noldor, but this is never stated unequivocally. See also... Elemmakil, Gate of Steel, Seventh Gate, The Fountain Indexes: Alphabetical: G Alphabetical: W Elves About this entry: Updated 14 September 2024 Updates planned: 1 For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2008, 2024. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.Take the FREE myDISCprofile personality test to discover your core personality and your ideal job.

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 The Great Gate of Gondolin stood approximately I 472 - I 5101 Location The Great Gate stood at the eastern end of the Orfalch Echor, where it issued onto the plain of Tumladen Race Elves Culture Noldor or Sindar2 Settlements The Warden watched the way that led to the city of Gondolin Important peaks The Great Gate lay at the feet of the Encircling Mountains, on the inner side of their ring Passes The Warden commanded the guard who watched the eastern end of the pass of the Orfalch Echor Title of Ecthelion of the Fountain, and perhaps others Indexes: Alphabetical: G Alphabetical: W Elves About this entry: Updated 14 September 2024 Updates planned: 1 Chief of the guardians of Gondolin

Years of the Trees First Age I Second Age II Third Age III Fourth Age IV A title of Ecthelion of the Fountain, who held ultimate authority over the Orfalch Echor, the entranceway to the Hidden City of Gondolin. In his charge was the last and greatest of the Seven Gates of Gondolin, the mighty Gate of Steel. It was in his role as Warden that Ecthelion granted Tuor entrance to the Hidden City. Notes 1 The dates given here relate to the approximate time when the Gate of Steel guarded the inner end of the Orfalch Echor. That gate was made by Maeglin after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, so could not have dated from earlier than I 472, and thus there would have been no Warden before that date. It is quite possible, however, that the Gate of Steel replaced an earlier Great Gate in the same location, and so the role of Warden of the Great Gate might have dated back to a much earlier time, presumably to I 116 when Gondolin was originally settled. To complicate matters further, at some point after the Nirnaeth, Turgon ordered that the Hidden Way into the Orfalch should be blocked. This must have been after I 495, when Tuor and Voronwë found their way into the city, but it must also have been earlier than I 510, the date of the city's fall. After this, given that there would be no way for a traveller to possibly reach the Great Gate through the Orfalch, there would seem to have been no further need for a Warden of the Great Gate. 2 Gondolin was founded by Turgon of the Noldor, and many of his people dwelt there, but they were also joined by many of the Sindar from their former home of Nevrast. Thus the Warden of the Great Gate might in principle have come from either people. Even if we take the only named Warden, Ecthelion, it remains somewhat unclear which people he belonged to. Circumstantially, it seems to be implied that he was one of the Noldor, but this is never stated unequivocally. See also... Elemmakil, Gate of Steel, Seventh Gate, The Fountain Indexes: Alphabetical: G Alphabetical: W Elves About this entry: Updated 14 September 2024 Updates planned: 1 For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 2008, 2024. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.Take the FREE myDISCprofile personality test to discover your core personality and your ideal job.