On Glorfindel

The recent discussion of Glorfindel's inclusion in the Council of Elrond but not in the Fellowship had me yearning to do a little research about this oft-forgotten character. So I did.

Glorfindel was born sometime during the Years of the Trees in Valinor - though an exact date is not known. He was a Noldor Elf in the host of Turgon, sometimes described as one of Turgon's chief lieutenants or as one of his noble lords. Though he followed Turgon and the Noldor to his last, Glorfindel did not participate in the Kinslaying in Alqualonde and the character next appeared during The Fall of Gondolin. The narrative for this story was the first part of The Book of Lost Tales to be written, and there were many different outlines of the event from Tolkien's early days. Regardless, Glorfindel appeared in all outlines as a noble lord or chief who fought in Gondolin's defense during Morgoth's siege. He, along with Tuor, Idril, and other survivors was able to escape through the mountains above Gondolin but was attacked by enemy troops. Glorfindel dueled the oncoming enemies and singlehandedly killed a Balrog in the attack but was also killed himself. Tolkien's final drafts stated the Elf-lord was buried under a mound of stones set by Thorondor, the eagle.

After his death, it is said that Glorfindel's spirit passed to the Halls of Mandos, but the Valar sent him back to Arda for reasons that are never made clear. Tolkien states in some of his later letters that Glorfindel was sent back on a similar mission as the Istari, but it is unclear why he is brought back to life as the same Elf as opposed to being reincarnated into a different body. 

Years later he is said to have fought at the Battle of Fornost in the Third Age. His appearance and legacy scared the Witch King of Angmar off the battlefield, but Glorfindel did not pursue and kill him. When questioned, Glorfindel tells his comrades that the Witch King shall never fall to a man's hand, leaving them confused. He later comes into the narrative as a major player in the Fellowship of the Ring, guiding Frodo safely to Rivendell and participating in the Council of Elrond. 

As we briefly discussed in class, Glorfindel was originally supposed to be the Elven representative for the Fellowship. The original lineup for the nine was actually quite different from the final lineup, comprising of Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Gandalf, Trotter (AKA Strider, AKA Aragorn), Glorfindel, and Durin son of Balin (later Gimli son of Gloin), and eventually Boromir. Legolas replaced Glorfindel in final versions as Tolkien feared Glorfindel's prestige and nobility would distract from Aragorn's prodigal son character arc and his kingly traits. Legolas had not existed in Tolkien's mythology prior to the last few drafts (although a character sharing the same name appeared exactly one time in one of his very early drafts of The Fall of Gondolin. He was a sentry, and little else is known about him).

So there you have it. The abridged version of Glorfindel's history, compiled from the Appendices of LotR, The Book of Lost Tales, and Tolkien's letters. I found it all very interesting, and I hope my fellow Hobbits will think so as well. 

-Varda*