[ Daily Tolkien ] A Tolkien Virgin: Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin

Tolkien Online ^ | March 07, 2000 | Mark-Edmond

[JameRetief]

A Tolkien Virgin: Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin
by Mark-Edmond

The Journey Continues

This is a neat chapter. Not neat as in nice or nifty, but neat as in clean and tidy. By the end, all the major strongholds of the Noldor are destroyed and their remnants (Nargothrond being without a remnant) living by the sea. Tuor and his Elven wife Idril Celebrindal (Turgon's daughter) and their son Earendil even meet up with the remnant of Doriath in Arvernian. Then we have Tuor rumored that after his death he was sundered from the fate of Men and numbered with the Noldor. So of the first Elven-Man union the Elf (Luthien) spends the afterlife as a Man, and of the second Elven-Man union the Man spends the afterlife as an Elf. In the end it all seemed very neat.

Tolkien sure knows how to build your hopes up and dash them, I must add. When Tuor comes to Gondolin with the warning from Ulmo, and Turgon remembers Ulmo's words from long ago not to love or trust too well the works of his hands etc, for a moment it seemed like Turgon was going to be reasonable. I keep forgetting that that's not possible in this story. It's all about fate controling everything and justice running its full course. Although with one chapter left in the Silmarillion-propper there seems like an awful lot that has to happen for the Silmarillion to be tied up neatly. We have four sons of Feanor left, two Silmarils in Morgoth's posession, and all of Beleriand to sink beneath the ocean...well maybe that part happens in the Akallabeth that comes after, but that aside it's still a lot to happen in one chapter.

I'm anxious to see how it all "ends." I suspect the oath of Feanor will run its course (as will the curse of the Noldor), the Vala will be glorified and gain posession of the Silmarils. If Tolkien's foreshadowing isn't entirely misleading, I suspect that Earendil will sail to Valinor and plead the case of the Elves before Manwe; then Manwe--moved to pity--will sink Beleriand in order to destroy Morgoth's minions or something like that.

I sure hope its good. I hope it makes me go, "gee, that really was worth the trip through all that devastation, destruction, and death," but I suspect that no ending could be that good.

Author: Mark-Edmond
Published on: March 07, 2000

The next Tolkien Virgin article covers: The Silmarillion: Of the Voyage of Earendil and the War of Wrath

[JameRetief]

The Daily Tolkien articles by various authors	The Tolkien Virgin articles by Mark-Edmond
ARTICLES 01-10	ARTICLES 01-10
ARTICLES 11-20	ARTICLES 11-20
ARTICLES 21-30	21) Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad
ARTICLES 31-40	22) Of Turin Turambar
ARTICLES 41-50	23) Of the Ruin of Doriath
51) And Now for the Other Love Story	24) Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin
52) Kryptic Tales of Middle-earth
53) The People of Eriador in the later Third Age
54) The Wild, Wild, Wood-elf West
55) The Middle-earth Mysteries
56) Relations Between the Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor
57) Resurrecting Dale, City of A Thousand Untold Stories
58) The Historic Baranduin
59) Kingship in the Westlands of Middle-Earth
60) The Captains Crazy of Middle-earth

[JameRetief]

Your Tolkien Virgin Ping!

Read along with a Tolkien Virgin as he discovers and comments on the history of Middle Earth as he reads it for the first time.  These articles start with The Silmarillion, journeys through The Hobbit, and finishes with the epic Lord Of The Rings.  At the pace of 2 articles per week (Mondays and Fridays) the articles will wrap up about the same time that the final movie of the Lord Of The Rings story is released. 

If anyone would like for me to ping them directly when I post the Tolkien Virgin articles or my Daily Tolkien articles let me know. I hope that you enjoy them!

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

I have a feeling he's going to be disappointed in the last chapter.

[ecurbh]

Ring Ping!!

[Mudboy Slim]

Turin Turambar ROCKS...MUD