The Fall of Gondolin – Ulmo orders Tuor to warn Gondolin
Tuor followed the swans to the Belegaer and became the first person to ever reach the Great Sea. Tuor developed a special emotion or desire called the ‘Sea Longing’ where Tuor intimately developed a passion towards the ocean.
Turgon found a sword, armor and shiled with a swan symbol on it that was a gift by the Valar Ulmo. Ulmo ordered Tuor to find the secret elf kingdom of Gondolin and warn Turgon that Gondolin is in great danger. Ulmo would let Tuor meet an elf named Voronwe from Gondolin as a guide.
Voronwe was an elf that had set sail to Valinor by Turgon but Voronwe was shipwrecked as the Doom of Mandos forbade any Noldor elf to ask for aid nor set foot into Valinor.
After hearing the stories of Tuor, Voronwe would guide Tuor to Gondolin. At this point, the Kingdom of Nargothrond has perished by the dragon Glaurung.
The Fall of Gondolin – Turin and Tuor crosses by and Tuor’s arrival at Gondolin and Ecthelion
While Voronwe and Tuor journeyed to Gondolin, they’ve passed by Lake Irvin, Tuor has saw his cousin Turin heading to Dor-Lomin as Turin was cursed by the gaze of Galurung for a moment. This marked the different paths that Tuor and Turin would take.
Voronwe and Tuor endured a long adventure during the winter and finally reached the secret gates of Gondolin. They were caught by the wardens of the gates of Gondolin and brought to Ecthelion of the Fountain the warden of the gates of Gondolin.
Ecthelion noticed the signs of the Valar Ulmo and allowed entrance of Voronwe and Tuor into Gondolin. Tuor rushed to Turgon the king of Gondolin and the king of the Noldor elves and warned Turgon of Ulmo’s words that the Doom of Mandos is upon.
However, Turgon was confident of the confidentiality of the location of Gondolin and didn’t take the words of Tuor sent by the Valar Ulmo. Maeglin was one of those that strongly advised Turgon to ignore Ulmo’s warning and insisted that Gondolin was safe from Morgoth.
Idril, the daughter of Turgon, however took the messages of Ulmo seriously and would later start the construction of the secret passage of Gondolin
The Fall of Gondolin – Tuor’s settlement of Gondolin & Hurin’s curse and omen on Gondolin
Turgon welcomed Tuor as Tuor was a member of the House of Hador that long served Fingolfin who was the father of Turgon. Also, Tuor’s father Huor was one of the Edain warriors along with Hurin that defended the retreat for Turgon and the forces of Gondolin during Nirnaeth Aronediad.
Tuor was welcomed and greeted at Gondolin and while Gondolin was in peace as its location wasn’t revealed to Morgoth. However, while Tuor settled at Gondolin, the dragon Glaurung was killed by Turin while Turin killed himself after knowing the truth that his wife Nienor was actually Turin’s sister.
Morgoth released Hurin after Hurin had to witness every moment of the tragedy of his children. Hurin would trace Gondolin and would shout to Turgon to permit entrance into Gondolin but Turgon refused at first because Turgon wanted to keep the location of Gondolin in secrecy.
However, Hurin who was furious that Turgon betrayed him while Hurin had to not only risk his life so Turgon could retreat during Nirnaeth Aronediad but also had to witness every single scene of his children Turin and Nienor’s tragedy.
Hurin cursed the fate of Gondolin which alerted Morgoth of the approximate location of Gondolin. Thingol the king of Doriath was murdered by the dwarves over their greed and conflict over the Silmaril with the Nauglamir and Melian left for Valinor because of her grief of the loss of Thingol. Doriath. The fate of Gondolin also started to be swept into the tides of tragedy.
The Fall of Gondolin – Tuor and Idril’s marriage, the second love between the elves and men, Jealousy of Maeglin
Idril was the daughter of Turgon and the cousin of Maeglin. Maeglin was the son of Turgon’s sister Aredhel and the Avari elf Eol. Eol and Maeglin’s dispute accidentally killed Aredhel long before while Eol was executed by Turgon.
Maeglin has been residing in Gondolin since then and even participated in Nirnaeht Arnoediad. However, Maeglin secretly loved Idril from the moment he saw his cousin Idril and he even longed for the next king Gondolin as the son of Aredhel, Turgon’s sister.
However, Idril fell in love with Tuor while Tuor also loved Idril. Eventually Turgon allowed Tuor to marry his daughter Idril as Tuor was the son of his lifesaver and as Tuor was a messenger from the Valar Ulmo. Tuor and Idril became the second union of men and elf after Beren and Luthien in the Legendarium history.
While Tuor and Idril married under the blessings of Gondolin, Maeglin was furious at this marriage and held wrath against Tuor. Maeglin not only lost his love Idril but he was also pushed off from the heir of the crown of Gondolin because of Tuor and Idril’s marriage.
The Fall of Gondolin – Birth of Earendil and Elwing
Tuor and Idril had a child son named Earendil that means ‘sea-friend’. Tuor named his son Earendil, the sea friend, as he had a sea-longing after his first encounter of the Belegaer Sea. In Doriath, Dior and Nimloth’s daughter Elwing was born before the Battle in the Thousand Caves.
Even after Morgoth found the approximate location of the kingdom of Gondolin thanks to the shouts and curses of Hurin, Morgoth still couldn’t find Gondolin so Gondolin remained in peace. However, Doriath perished after Melian’s Girdle was withdrawn when Melian left for Valinor for her grief of the loss of Thingol.
Doriath suffered from the Battle in the Thousand Caves and the frenzy of the House of Feanor that committed the Second Kinslaying of the elves to take the Silmaril from Dior’s hands.
Elwing was the only elf that escaped from Dior, the king of Doriath’s family. Elwing held the Silmaril and took refuge at the river mouth of the Sirion River. Later on, after the Fall of Gondolin, Earendil will meet with Elwing at the Havens of Sirion(river mouth of Sirion) and marry her.
The Fall of Gondolin – Maeglin’s frequent outing of Gondolin and capture of Maeglin
Maeglin would rebel against Tuor and even Turgon. Despite Turgon’s strict order to remain in the kingdom of Gondolin where it was hidden in the Vale of Tumladen by the Encircled Mountains, Maeglin would disobey and wander outside of Gondolin in search of precious metals.
However, the scouts of Morgoth that were patrolling the areas where Hurin would screech at Turgon noticed an Maeglin wandering the region. One day, when Maeglin secretly wandered off from Gondolin trying to mine jewels, he was caught by the orcs of Morgoth and Maeglin was captured by Gondolin.
