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Maeglin
Turgon is the son of Fingolfin and the ruler of the elven city Gondolin. The Vala Ulmo inspires him to secretly build Gondolin in the mountains and hide his people from Melkor. Though Turgon is strict about whom he permits to enter and leave Gondolin, he allows Húrin and Aredhel to leave despite their knowledge of Gondolin’s location. Tuor leads the armies of Gondolin out of hiding to participate in the fifth battle of the Wars of Beleriand, but their loss forces him to retreat back to the city. Though Ulmo warns Turgon against attachment to his creations and possessions, Turgon grows proud of Gondolin and refuses to flee when Tuor advises it. As one of the Noldor elves who departed Valinor with Fëanor, Turgon is caught in the Doom of the Noldor; because of it, treachery will destroy him. His pride leads to the deaths of many of his people when his nephew Maeglin gives Melkor the location of the city in exchange for Turgon’s daughter Idril. Turgon is killed defending the city during Melkor’s attack, and Gondolin is destroyed.
Turgon Quotes in The Silmarillion
The The Silmarillion quotes below are all either spoken by Turgon or refer to Turgon. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Chapter 20 Quotes
Thus was the treachery of Uldor redressed; and of all the deeds of war that the fathers of Men wrought in behalf of the Eldar, the last stand of the Men of Dor-lómin is most renowned.
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Last of all Húrin stood alone. Then he cast aside his shield, and wielded an axe two-handed; and it is sung that the axe smoked in the black blood of the troll-guard of Gothmog until it withered, and each time that he slew Húrin cried: ‘Aurë entuluva! Day shall come again!’
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Chapter 23 Quotes
Then Turgon pondered long the counsel of Ulmo, and there came into his mind the words that were spoken to him in Vinyamar: ‘Love not too well the work of thy hands and the devices of thy heart; and remember that the true hope of the Noldor lieth in the West, and cometh from the Sea.’ But Turgon was become proud, and Gondolin as beautiful as a memory of Elven Tirion, and he trusted still in his secret and impregnable strength, though even a Vala should gainsay it; and after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad the people of that city desired never again to mingle in the woes of Elves and Men without, nor to return through dread and danger into the West.
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Turgon Character Timeline in The Silmarillion
The timeline below shows where the character Turgon appears in The Silmarillion. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 5. Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië
...Caranthir, Curufin, Amrod, and Amras. Fingolfin’s children are Fingon, the future king of the Noldor, Turgon, the future lord of Gondolin, and Aredhel the White. Finarfin’s children are Finrod, Orodreth, Angrod,...
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Chapter 9. Of the Flight of the Noldor
Fingolfin and Turgon speak against Fëanor, nearly leading to a fight, but Finarfin calms them down. Galadriel longs...
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Chapter 13. Of the Return of the Noldor
Thirty peaceful years after the first sunrise, Turgon and Finrod, traveling together, receive a vision from Ulmo urging them to prepare for Morgoth’s...
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Chapter 14. Of Beleriand and its Realms
...of Fingolfin’s Noldor live there in Mithrim. Fingon has control of the southwest, called Dor-lómin. Turgon rules Nevrast, west of Dor-lómin. Angrod and Aegnor rule a piece of highland as vassals...
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Chapter 15. Of the Noldor in Beleriand
Turgon finds the hidden valley in the mountains and secretly constructs a citadel called Gondolin, the...
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If Gondolin does fall, Ulmo predicts that someone will come from Nevrast to warn Turgon, and that person will bring hope to elves and men. He instructs Turgon to leave...
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Chapter 16. Of Maeglin
Aredhel accompanies Turgon to Gondolin but, after two hundred years, wants to leave. Turgon eventually allows her, though...
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...prefers his mother, who tells him stories of her family. Maeglin wants to discover where Turgon lives and meet the Noldor, but Eöl forbids it, and the trust between them is...
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...them, catching up in time to see them pass through the gates into Gondolin, where Turgon welcomes them. The guards capture Ëol and bring him to Turgon.
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Turgon greets Eöl and tells him that he’s free to live in Gondolin but can’t ever...
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Though Turgon’s daughter Idril mistrusts him, Maeglin is loved by the people of Gondolin. When Turgon finally...
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Chapter 18. Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin
They remain with Turgon for a year, and Húrin learns about elf-lore and kingship. They request to leave and...
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Turgon doesn’t believe it’s time yet to march to war and reveal Gondolin but builds ships...
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Chapter 20. Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad
...the attack, Maedhros’s forces are delayed by the treachery of a man named Ulfang, but Turgon leads Gondolin’s army to join the siege. Morgoth knows the elves’ plan and sends orcs...
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...of the men of Brethil are killed, and the armies of Hithlum are surrounded until Turgon arrives with reinforcements. Maedhros and his army finally arrive to attack the enemy from the...
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Gothmog attacks the western battlefront and drives Turgon and Húrin to the east. Fingon faces him alone until another Balrog attacks him from...
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Turgon and Húrin hold the pass of Sirion together until Húrin, believing he’s about to die,...
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Morgoth is troubled by the idea that Turgon (now technically the High King of the Noldor) escaped him. When he seeks information from...
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Chapter 22. Of the Ruin of Doriath
...leave Angband. He wanders near Gondolin, where the great eagles spot him, and Thorondor tells Turgon that he’s nearby. Turgon assumes that Húrin has finally surrendered and become Morgoth’s servant, then...
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Chapter 23. Of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin
...Ulmo chooses Tuor to carry out his plans. Tuor travels through a tunnel built by Turgon’s people towards the sea, unnoticed by Morgoth.
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Reaching Nevrast, Tuor falls in love with the sea. He finds Turgon’s abandoned home and takes the sword and armor that Ulmo commanded Turgon to leave for...
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Tuor meets with Turgon and delivers Ulmo’s warning that the curse of Mandos is almost complete. Ulmo urges him...
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Tuor remains in Gondolin and falls in love with Idril, and Turgon allows them to marry. Maeglin hates Tuor, since he wants to marry Idril and become...
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While outside the city against Turgon’s orders, Maeglin is captured by orcs and tortured into revealing Gondolin’s location and weaknesses to...
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...the River Sirion to the sea and join Elwing and the refugees from Doriath. With Turgon’s death, Gil-galad is named High King of the Noldor. Círdan’s mariners also join the people...
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