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Revision as of 17:40, 15 April 2004 by Frecklefoot (talk | contribs) (tense)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Ereinion Gil-galad is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth.
An Elf of the house of Finarfin, Gil-galad was named High King of the Noldor in Beleriand after the fall of the city of Gondolin and the death of the last High King, Turgon. Gil-galad's father was Orodreth, son of Aegnor son of Finarfin, and his mother was a Sindarin Elf. His sister was Finduilas.
His father-name was Artanáro (in Quenya, the Sindarized form was Rodnor), but he was best known by his mother name Gil-galad (gleam of the stars) and his epessë (honourary) titles Ereinion (scion of Kings).
At the fall of Nargothrond Gil-galad, still a youth in the eyes of the Elves, stayed behind when the company of Nargothrond set out to fight Glaurung. He managed to escape the sack of the city although his sister was captured, and fled to the refuge at the Mouths of Sirion or possibly on the Isle of Balar. After the death of Turgon the High Kingship of the Noldor passed to him as the last surviving male member of the House of Finarfin. (His great-aunt Galadriel was still alive, but women could not inherit the rule).
During the Second Age, Gil-galad's realm was in Lindon, and he enjoyed the friendship of the human kingdom of Númenor while it was still faithful, and was an ally of the Númenórean kingdoms in exile (Gondor and Arnor). He formed the Last Alliance against the evil Sauron with his friend Elendil, High King of the men of Dúnedain in exile; he was slain, along with Elendil, in battle with Sauron at the end of the Second Age.
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Preceded by: Turgon |
High Kings of the Noldor |
Succeeded by: Finarfin |
His spear was named Aiglos or Aeglos, meaning "snow-point" (aeg: sharp, pointed; los: snow).
In the published Silmarillion, Gil-galad was the son of Fingon, but Christopher Tolkien later stated in The Peoples of Middle-earth that making Gil-galad Fingon's son was a mistake, and his father was actually Orodreth. Gil-galad's name in Aldarion and Erendis in the Unfinished Tales was also changed by CRRT in order to keep consistency with the published Silmarillion.
In the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy by Peter Jackson, Gil-galad briefly appears in the first movie, although his role seems downplayed.