Gondolin

[dawn_felagund]

As the people of the Noldor forge new alliances and settle in new realms, many nonetheless long for what was left behind. Compelled by his longing and the command of Ulmo, Turgon begins to set the first plans for the realm of Gondolin.

But Turgon remembered the city set upon a hill, Tirion the fair with its tower and tree, and he found not what he sought, but returned to Nevrast, and sat in peace in Vinyamar by the shores of the sea. And in the next year Ulmo himself appeared to him, and bade him go forth again alone into the Vale of Sirion; and Turgon went forth, and by the guidance of Ulmo he discovered the hidden vale of Tumladen in the Encircling Mountains, in the midst of which there was a hill of stone. Of this he spoke to none as yet, but returned once more to Nevrast, and there began in his secret counsels to devise the plan of a city after the manner of Tirion upon Túna, for which his heart yearned in exile.

Comments

[tehta.livejournal.com]

I think I must have missed an explanatory post somewhere. What's with all the random Tolkien quotes in the Guild? Are they part of some game or challenge? How does it work?

[rhapsody11.livejournal.com]

the quotes are part of this month's Back to ME: see the newsletter:

http://community.livejournal.com/silwritersguild/81827.html#cutid2

[tehta.livejournal.com]

Ah, thanks! I can't believe I missed that. I think I got too distracted by Melian...

[trekqueen.livejournal.com]

mmmm I always get a longing warm fuzzy feeling when I read this part because I really feel bad for Turgon as a bit of a tragic character. First, he feels loyalty to his family and father so he follows them to the East, then loses his beloved wife and almost also loses his only daughter. Then he shows up in the Hither Shores and sets about making a great city but he still yearns for Valinor that he now cannot go back to... Meanwhile he and his cousin go out to enjoy themselves for a while romping in the countryside and he gets the message for his purpose in life in the East and how important it is to the great scheme of things so he better not muck it up. Makes his big city like that of the home he misses so far away and lives happily for a while until his sister gets antsy and pesters him to go run away in the countryside, which ends up getting her kidnapped and stuck with a psychotic husband then bears his equally strange son. Then his beloved sister gets herself killed by maniac husband when she finally manages to come home. Then the son goes and gets a hard-on for Turgon's daughter who then ends up marrying a man (which he probably knows is going to be tragic for her in its own right). Then of course his nephew screws them all over for his lust obsession and gets the city destroyed and Turgon dies.

But at least he was part of the lineage of the Peredhil that ended up becoming so influential in Middle-Earth and its history.

[heartofoshun.livejournal.com]

I am generally a very sympathetic person, but for some reason, Turgon gets on my last nerve. Probably because I tend to compare him to his brother and I find Fingon so much more inspiring/heroic. I like Finrod better too.

[trekqueen.livejournal.com]

heh I could see that with Fingon... the guy stayed by his father's side and became high king when he died... then was out there in the front constantly battling Morgoth's minions that were always on their border... and died tragically much like his father did but against the greatest of all Balrogs. Turgon went in his tower where he got himself killed... rather interesting comparisons really.

[ithilwen.livejournal.com]

One wonders whether things wouldn't have ended up differently if Ulmo had switched tings around and lead Turgon to Nargothrond and Finrod to Gondolin. I can't see Turgon becoming as dangerously enraptured with a hole in the gorund, no matter how pretty it might have been!