Summary
Fingolfin’s daughter Aredhel Ar-Feiniel went with her brother Turgon to Gondolin, but as the years passed she chafed at the confinement. Turgon was very reluctant to allow her to leave, as much of Gondolin’s security depended on its secrecy, but she eventually convinced him. He gave her leave to visit their brother Fingon, but she rejected his authority to tell her what to do or where to go when she was not in his kingdom, and instead went to visit the sons of Fëanor who had been her friends in Valinor. On the way her and her escorts were separated during an attack by the spawn of Ungoliant, and they thought her lost. But she survived, and made her way to the lands of the Sons of Fëanor.
Still chafing at any confinement, Aredhel was riding in the forests near Doriath and became ensnared in the edges of the Girdle of Melian. In that region lived Eöl, a Sindarin Elf. He wasn’t comfortable in Doriath, and avoided Elven company for the most part. He was a great friend of the Dwarves, and learned much of smith-work from them, and absolutely hated the Noldor, blaming them for the troubles in Beleriand. But he saw Aredhel, and desired her, and welcomed her into his home, and took her (not unwillingly) for his wife.
Eventually she bore a son, Maeglin, who physically resembled the Noldor but in heart and temperament was more like his father. Yet despite his father’s disdain for the Noldor, Maeglin was always asking his mother for stories of the great princes and realms of the Noldor, and especially of his uncle Turgon, who had no heir. But Eöl forbade Maeglin and Aredhel to visit Gondolin, or to leave his dark forest. But they left anyway when Eöl was visiting the Dwarves, and when he returned he immediately set off to follow their trail.
Aredhel and Maeglin reached Gondolin, where they were welcomed joyfully by Turgon (who had thought his sister dead). And Turgon was delighted to meet his nephew Maeglin, and impressed by him as well. Yet soon after their arrival the guards at the hidden entrance to Gondolin sent word that they had caught a strange Elf, and had left him alive because he claimed to be Aredhel’s husband.
Turgon offered him welcome as a kinsman, but Eöl rejected both the courtesy and Turgon’s authority to forbid Eöl’s leaving Gondolin. Turgon sternly told him that his choices were to remain or die; Eöl said that he chose death for himself and also for his son, and threw a javelin he had hidden at Maeglin. Aredhel leapt in front of it and took a seemingly minor wound, but there was poison on the javelin, and she died soon afterwards. Turgon ordered Eöl cast off the walls of Gondolin, and he did so, but with his last words he cursed his son.
Maeglin prospered in Gondolin, praised by all and high in Turgon’s favor. Yet he also lusted for Idril Celebrindal, Turgon’s daughter, and Maeglin’s cousin. The Elves didn’t marry kin that close, and indeed it had never been a question before because no one had wanted to. Idril knew of Maeglin’s desire, and she alone didn’t trust him. Over time, as Maeglin grew in standing, his love for Idril turned to darkness.
Commentary
I like Aredhel, and wish we got to see more of her. The Sil, like most of Tolkien’s works, has a distinct dearth of women, but those who are present - we haven’t really met any of them but Galadriel yet, first time readers, in case you were wondering - generally are characters of depth and personality (Arwen being the major exception). Aredhel fits right in with that crowd, with her rejection of Turgon having any authority over her outside of his own kingdom of Gondolin.
Eöl is also interesting, even if I don’t like him much. (No one likes him much, outside of the Dwarves.) He’s about the only Elf that’s not a Noldor or Legolas that is friendly with the Dwarves. He’s the only real Elven craftsman we know of outside of the Noldor. In general, it’s rather ironic how much Eöl dislikes the Noldor given how much he has in common with them. He’s also got the distinction of being the first Elf to get executed in Arda, and possibly the only one (not going to swear to that, but I can’t think of anyone else that happens to). I found it very interesting that Eöl kept talking about himself and his people as the Teleri, rather than the Sindar. There’s a distinct hierarchy of Elves, with High Elves > Grey Elves > Dark Elves. Eöl himself, as he is known as the Dark Elf, kind of gets a demotion with that name; by referring to himself as one of the Teleri, one of the High Elves, rather than as a Sindar, it kind of balances that, maybe? I dunno. I have no doubt it was deliberate on Tolkien’s part, cause he’s Tolkien, but I’m not really sure what to make of it. Thoughts?
Maeglin we’ll be seeing more of, naturally - the foreshadowing there wasn’t exactly subtle. Trouble’s a’ brewing. Idril will be more of a character later as well.
Next week, we’ll finally get the Coming of Men into the West.
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