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Dates
Destroyed at the end of the First Age
Location
At the western end of Dorthonion, surrounding and concealing the city of Gondolin
Race
Elves
Divisions
Noldor and Sindar
Culture
Gondolindrim
Settlements
Gondolin stood on the plain of Tumladen within the Echoriath; the mine of Anghabar was within the mountains themselves
Source
At one time a lake had formed within the mountains, and a river had flowed southwestward out of the lake, but during historical times both lake and river were dry, and the surviving riverbed is known only as the Dry River
Important peaks
The peaks in the southern part of the range were known as the Crissaegrim
Passes
Cirith Thoronath, Orfalch Echor
Pronunciation
echo'ree-ath ('ch' as in Scots 'Loch')
Meaning
Translated as the 'Encircling Mountains'1
Other names
The Encircling Mountains, The Mountains of Turgon

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 21 July 2018
  • Updates planned: 1

Echoriath

The Encircling Mountains

Map of the Echoriath

The great circular range of mountains, filled with the eyries of Eagles, that surrounded and protected the Hidden City of Gondolin for most of the First Age.


Notes

1

The Elvish name Echoriath is universally translated as the 'Encircling Mountains', but this isn't quite the literal meaning of the name. Echor refers to something that surrounds or encloses, and iâth is a fence or boundary (as in Doriath, 'land of the fence'). So, the word Echoriath literally means the 'encircling fence' of mountains that concealed Gondolin from the outside world. The alternative form Echoriad is also recorded in some non-canonical sources.

See also...

Anghabar, Dark Gate, Eagles’ Cleft, Eagles of the Crissaegrim, Encircling Mountains, Gate of Steel, Gates of Summer, Guarded Gate, Hidden City, Hidden Way, Mountains of Turgon, Narrow Land, Outer Gate of Gondolin, Pass of Sirion, Seven Gates of Gondolin

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 21 July 2018
  • Updates planned: 1

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1997-2000, 2018. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

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Echoriath

The Encircling Mountains

Dates
Destroyed at the end of the First Age
Location
At the western end of Dorthonion, surrounding and concealing the city of Gondolin
Race
Elves
Divisions
Noldor and Sindar
Culture
Gondolindrim
Settlements
Gondolin stood on the plain of Tumladen within the Echoriath; the mine of Anghabar was within the mountains themselves
Source
At one time a lake had formed within the mountains, and a river had flowed southwestward out of the lake, but during historical times both lake and river were dry, and the surviving riverbed is known only as the Dry River
Important peaks
The peaks in the southern part of the range were known as the Crissaegrim
Passes
Cirith Thoronath, Orfalch Echor
Pronunciation
echo'ree-ath ('ch' as in Scots 'Loch')
Meaning
Translated as the 'Encircling Mountains'1
Other names
The Encircling Mountains, The Mountains of Turgon

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 21 July 2018
  • Updates planned: 1

Echoriath

The Encircling Mountains

Map of the Echoriath

The great circular range of mountains, filled with the eyries of Eagles, that surrounded and protected the Hidden City of Gondolin for most of the First Age.


Notes

1

The Elvish name Echoriath is universally translated as the 'Encircling Mountains', but this isn't quite the literal meaning of the name. Echor refers to something that surrounds or encloses, and iâth is a fence or boundary (as in Doriath, 'land of the fence'). So, the word Echoriath literally means the 'encircling fence' of mountains that concealed Gondolin from the outside world. The alternative form Echoriad is also recorded in some non-canonical sources.

See also...

Anghabar, Dark Gate, Eagles’ Cleft, Eagles of the Crissaegrim, Encircling Mountains, Gate of Steel, Gates of Summer, Guarded Gate, Hidden City, Hidden Way, Mountains of Turgon, Narrow Land, Outer Gate of Gondolin, Pass of Sirion, Seven Gates of Gondolin

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 21 July 2018
  • Updates planned: 1

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1997-2000, 2018. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ.

Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.
Branding of the DISC personality test and candidate portals is a standard part of Discus.