The Book of Lost Tales - J. R. Tolkien [135]
(For these last statements about Eärendel see pp. 264–5. The statement that Eärendel was ‘the only being that is half of the kindred of the Eldalië and half of Men’ is very notable. Presumably this was written when Beren was an Elf, not a Man (see p. 139); Dior son of Beren and Tinúviel appears in the Tale of the Nauglafring, but there Beren is an Elf, and Dior is not Half-elven. In the tale of The Fall of Gondolin itself it is said, but in a later replacement passage (p. 164 and note 22), that Tuor was the first but not the last to wed ‘a daughter of Elfinesse’. On the extraordinary statement in the Tale of Turambar that Tamar Lamefoot was Half-elven see p. 130.)
Ecthelion ‘was that lord of the house of the Fountain, who had the fairest voice and was most skilled in musics of all the Gondothlim. He won renown for ever by his slaying of Gothmog son of Melko, whereby Tuor was saved from death but Ecthelion was drowned with his foe in the king’s fountain.’
Egalmoth was ‘lord of the house of the Heavenly Arch, and got even out of the burning of Gondolin, and dwelt after at the mouth of Sirion, but was slain in a dire battle there when Melko seized Elwing’.
(See p. 258.)
Galdor ‘was that valiant Gnome who led the men of the Tree in many a charge and yet won out of Gondolin and even the onslaught of Melko upon the dwellers at Sirion’s mouth and went back to the ruins with Eärendel. He dwelleth yet in Tol Eressëa (said Elfriniel), and still do some of his folk name themselves Nos Galdon, for Galdon is a tree, and thereto Galdor’s name akin.’ The last phrase was emended to read: ‘Nos nan Alwen, for Alwen is a Tree.’
(For Galdor’s return to the ruins of Gondolin with Eärendel see p. 258.)
Glingol ‘meaneth “singing-gold” (’tis said), and this name was that which the Gondothlim had for that other of the two unfading trees in the king’s square which bore golden bloom. It also was a shoot from the trees of Valinor (see rather where Elfrith has spoken of Bansil), but of Lindeloktë (which is “singing-cluster”) or Laurelin [emended from Lindelaurë] (which is “singing-gold”) which lit all Valinor with golden light for half the 24 hours.’
(For the name Lindeloktë see I.22, 258 (entry Lindelos).)
Glorfindel ‘led the Golden Flower and was the best beloved of the Gondothlim, save it be Ecthelion, but who shall choose. Yet he was hapless and fell slaying a Balrog in the great fight in Cristhorn. His name meaneth Goldtress for his hair was golden, and the name of his house in Noldorissa Los’lóriol’ (emended from Los Glóriol).
Gondolin ‘meaneth stone of song (whereby figuratively the Gnomes meant stone that was carven and wrought to great beauty), and this was the name most usual of the Seven Names they gave to their city of secret refuge from Melko in those days before the release.’
Gothmog ‘was a son of Melko and the ogress Fluithuin and his name is Strife-and-hatred, and he was Captain of the Balrogs and lord of Melko’s hosts ere fair Ecthelion slew him at the taking of Gondolin. The Eldar named him Kosmoko or Kosomok(o), but ’tis a name that fitteth their tongue no way and has an ill sound even in our own rougher speech, said Elfrith [emended from Elfriniel].’
(In a list of names of the Valar associated with the tale of The Coming of the Valar (I.93) it is said that Melko had a son ‘by Ulbandi’ called Kosomot; the early ‘Qenya’ dictionary gives Kosomoko = Gnomish Gothmog, I.258. In the tale Gothmog is called the ‘marshal’ of the hosts of Melko (p. 184).)
In the later development of the legends Gothmog was the slayer of Fëanor, and in the Battle of Unnumbered Tears it was he who slew Fingon and captured Húrin (The Silmarillion pp. 107, 193, 195). He is not of course called later ‘son of Melkor