In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Ereinion Gil-galad was the son of Orodreth, son of Angrod son of Finarfin, and his mother was a Sindarin Elf. His sister was Finduilas.

His father-name in Quenya was Artanáro, Sindarinized to Rodnor, but he was best known by his mother name Gil-galad ("Star of Radiance") and his epessë (honorary title) Ereinion, meaning "Scion of Kings".

Gil-galad was the last of the High Kings of the Ñoldor-in-Exile in Middle-earth. An Elf of the house of Finarfin, he was named High King of the Ñoldor-in-Exile in Beleriand after the fall of the city of Gondolin and the death of the last High King, Turgon.

Gil-galad managed to escape the sack of the city, Nargothrond, although his sister was captured, and he fled to safety, probably reaching the Mouths of Sirion and then moving to the Isle of Balar. After the death of Turgon, the High Kingship of the Ñoldor-in-Exile passed to Gil-galad as the last surviving male member of the House of Finarfin. (His great-aunt Galadriel was still alive, but as she was the younger sister of his grandfather Angrod, his claim had precedence.)

After the War of Wrath and the end of the First Age, Gil-galad founded a realm in the coastal region of Lindon along the shores of Belegaer, the Great Sea. At its height, his realm extended eastward as far as the Misty Mountains, though most of the Eldar remained in Lindon and in Elrond's refuge of Rivendell. During most of the Second Age, Gil-galad enjoyed the friendship of the Númenóreans. A great Númenórean force helped him to repulse an onslaught by Sauron after the forging of the One Ring.

After the Downfall of Númenor and the establishment by the Elendili of the Dúnadan kingdoms in exile, Gil-galad formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men with Elendil, High King of the Dúnedain-in-Exile, against the Dark Lord Sauron, who had survived the destruction of Númenor and returned to his land of Mordor. The armies of Elves and Men, victorious after the Battle of Dagorlad, laid siege to Sauron in Mordor. During the siege, however, both Gil-galad and Elendil were slain.

His spear was named Aiglos or Aeglos, meaning "snow-point" or "snow-thorn" or more commonly "icicle" (aeg: sharp, pointed; los: snow) because when orcs saw his spear, they would recognize it by its reputation to bring a cold death to them.

Other versions of the legendarium

• The Silmarillion, which was published after Tolkien's death, stated that Gil-galad was the son of Fingon, but Christopher Tolkien later said in The Peoples of Middle-earth that this was a mistake. Gil-galad's name in the chapter "Aldarion and Erendis" in the Unfinished Tales was also changed by Christopher Tolkien in order to keep consistency with the published Silmarillion. In fact, Tolkien repeatedly changed his mind on the matter, and the ascription of Gil-galad to the House of Finarfin was his latest, but not necessarily ultimate, decision.

Trivia

• In the Lord of the Rings film trilogy by Peter Jackson, Gil-galad appears very briefly in The Fellowship of the Ring (film) during the opening prologue sequence. He is never mentioned by name in any of the films, although he is mentioned in the behind the scenes documentaries included with the Extended Edition DVD of The Fellowship of the Ring (film).

See also

• House of Finwë

External Links

• Gil-Galad at The Thain's Book

High Elves | Fictional kings | Characters in The Silmarillion

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