[sindohte]

Discussion on the chapter - Of the Noldor in Beleriand will officially begin on Monday 8/23.

Sindohte will begin the discussion of this chapter.

Anyone wandering by this thread should feel free to raise questions or make comments.

Please try to keep the comments on this thread strictly related to discussion of the Silm.

[sindohte]

Turgon with a little bit of help from Ulmo finds the location where he will later build the hidden city of Gondolin. It looks to be a good location because it is a valley ringed on all sides by mountains and the only living creatures that went to and fro from this valley were the great eagles of Thorondor. The only way to access this valley, which was called Tumladen was to go through an underground tunnel beneath the mountains.

Turgon then returns home to Nevrast, where he had been living at that time. Now most Elves would be blabbing to all of their friends about the wonderful place they had found and how they wanted to build a city that would honor the memory of Tirion. However Turgon has a brain in his head and doesn't tell a soul. When he finally does reveal his plans, it is only in secret to a hand selected group of his people. They travel in secret to the hidden valley and work for 250 years on this project.

When the city is finally done, Turgon has to name it. And since this is Tolkien after all, the city has multiple names It was called Ondolinde in the speech of the Elves who had lived in Valinor; the Rock of the Music of Water, because the Elven craftsmen had built fountains in the city; and then we have the name that we all know it by - Gondolin, the Hidden Rock.

Turgon then gathers his people and Ulmo then gives what seems to be the standard warning of the Valar - "Enjoy the work of your two hands, but don't get too cocky because bad things will happen and you will suffer and die!" Ulmo also gives Turgon a friendly reminder that the curse of the Noldor will come knocking at his door as well. However Ulmo does leave one small shred of hope by instructing Turgon to leave a helmet, chain mail, and a sword within his home in Gondolin so that in the future when a messenger comes from Nevrast to warn about trouble, this armor will serve as a sign that he is the true messenger.

Although Turgon might have built his city in secret, when he left for Gondolin he took one-third of the Noldor who had followed Fingolfin and even more Sindar Elves. While people definitely noticed such a large company of Elves departing, the magic of Ulmo hid their destination so that no one ever knew that they went to Gondolin. Once they reached their hidden city, the new residents remained there for over three hundred years until the Year of Lamentation. And as a memorial to what had been lost in Valinor, Turgon recreated his own version of the Two Trees - Glingal (in memory of Laurelin, the golden tree) and Belthil (in memory of Telperion, the silver tree).

Of course Turgon has a beautiful daughter, blah blah blah. Her name is Idril. We of course know that Tolkien is setting things up to turn out very badly. The Tolkien recipe for disaster - hidden city, beautiful girl, curse of the Noldor.

Meanwhile Finrod is busy in Nargothrond, while Galadriel is in Doriath with Melian. Our wise Maia knows that Galadriel is hiding something about the circumstances about why the Noldor came over into Arda, but the future wife of Celeborn refuses to spill the beans. Melian talks with Thingol about her concerns, talks about the Silmarils and warns him to be wary of the sons of Feanor. Unfortunately for Doriath, Thingol doesn't seem to be too alarmed by what his wife has to say. He uses the reasoning that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Uhh Thingol, you are about to make a very bad mistake. There is that pesky little Feanorian oath.

Morgoth is busy spreading lies among the Sindar about the Noldor. Cirdan sends a messenger to Thingol to share with him what the rumors are. Finarfin's sons come to see Thingol so that they can visit with Galadriel. Thingol confronts Finrod and tells him that he has heard rumors about "all the evil deeds of the Noldor." Then Angrod speaks up and talks about the kinslaying of Alqualonde. Thingol tells the sons of Finarfin to leave, but says they can return later when he is not as angry.

Thingol then utters a royal decree that Quenya, the language introduced to his lands by the Noldor, is no longer to be spoken. The Sindar followed their king's decree and soon the only time Quenya was used was among the lords of the Noldor in private. Yet it is is noted that Quenya was still considered to be a "language of lore."

The chapter ends with the completion of Nargothrond. King Finrod does not have a wife and Galadriel who either hasn't acquired her mindreading abilities yet or who forgot her manners, asks Finrod why he isn't married. And yet again we have foreshadowing of future evil doings as Finrod declares "An oath I too shall swear, and must be free to fulfil it, and go into darkness. Nor shall anything of my realm endure that a son should inherit." Tolkien then adds what could be considered a little blurb that the one Finrod loved was Amaire of the Vanyar, but she did not follow him to his new home. Ahh, the sweet angst. I love it!!!

[Anna]

I really like your summaries!

[Elentari]

Might I humbly point out that Artanis asking Finrod why he had not married at that point was a teeny wee hypocrite?

Blast it. I`m turning into some cynical bitch.

[sindohte]

Nah, you're not being a cynical bitch Elentari. I thought the same thing myself

Anna - I am humbly pleased that you like my summaries. A little bit of levity is always a good thing when it comes to the Silm imho.

As I read back over my summary, it become obvious that this was a pivotal chapter. Tolkien was nicely setting up his chess pieces - we have the cities of Gondolin, Doriath, and Nargothrond. All very lovely cities built over centuries by Noldor and Sindar Elves. Each city would have to be considered a jewel of Elvendom at the height of its power. In the subsequent chapters we get to watch how everything is brought tumbling down around their ears due to the curse of the Noldor, the oath of Feanor, lust, and greed.

[inglor]

Oh and don't forget the House of Hurin:

Turin: Nargothrond
Hurin: takes the Nauglamir to Thingol> dwarves sack Doriath
Hurin: gives Morgoth a hint as to Gondolin's location> Maeglin's capture and subsequent treason.

Maybe we can blame it all on Finrod... should have let the Green Elves deal with them

Inglor

[Elentari]

well pointed.