Glorfindel of Gondolin, the golden-haired legend who fought a Balrog to save his people. He was the Eldarin lord of Gondolin and one of the captains of Turgon. Glorfindel commanded the left flank of the retreat of the Gondolindrim during the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. When Gondolin fell, Glorfindel accompanied Tuor, Idril, and the other survivors in their escape, but when the company was ambushed in Cirith Thoronath, he fought with the Balrog who led the enemy. Both fell to their deaths. Since Glorfindel was golden-haired, he was most likely of the house of Finarfin. He was chief of the House of the Golden Flower.
That is Glorfindel as he was known in The Silmarillion. He is mentioned again in The Fellowship of the Ring as an Elf of Imladris who rescues Frodo from the Nazgûl with his white steed, Asfaloth. Whether Glorfindel of Gondolin was the same as the Glorfindel who saved Frodo is uncertain. Many people, fans in particular, think that Glorfindel of Imladris is actually the reincarnation of the powerful lord of Gondolin, sent back by the Valar to complete his ‘mission’ in Middle-earth, much like Gandalf the Grey being sent back as Gandalf the White.
There are many similarities between the Glorfindel in The Silmarillion and The Fellowship of the Ring. For instance, they are both of the House of Finarfin and have important roles that could possibly be interchangeable. Meaning, the work Glorfindel of Imladris does is similar in design to what Glorfindel of Gondolin would have done. They were both superb fighters and rode a white horse.
Of course, reading too, too much fanfiction on the reincarnation of a hero may be getting to my head. Maybe not. Tolkien isn’t around to tell anyone if Glorfindel was sent back or not, so we just have to formulate our own ideas, crazy as it sounds.
by Salkiethia
One response to “Character analysis of Glorfindel”
In either the War of the Jewels, Morgoth’s Ring, or The Peoples of Middle Earth, I don’t remember which at the moment, Tolkien wrote an essay discussing whether or not Glorfindel of Gondolin and Glorfindel of Rivendel were indeed one and the same. He came to the conclusion that they were, and that Glorfindel must have returned to Middle Earth sometime before the fall of Numenor and the changing of the world. Though he also mentioned that that hadn’t been his intention when he first put the character in the Fellowship of the Ring.