Mountains of Turgon

Turgon son of Fingolfin was one of the leaders of the Noldor, and he joined the greater part of his people when they followed Fëanor back from Aman into Middle-earth. At first he settled in the seaward land of Nevrast, but the Vala Ulmo sent him a vision that guided him to a range of mountains. These mountains seemed to form an impenetrable massif of towering peaks to the west of Dorthonion, but Turgon found a secret way that led beneath them, and so emerged to discover that they formed an encircling ring around a wide green plain.

That circle of mountains became known in Elvish as the Echoriath, the Encircling Mountains. In ancient times they had surrounded a lake, but this lake had long ago drained away to leave the empty plain of Tumladen. The Hidden Way through the mountains that Turgon had found was the path of an ancient river, long since run dry. In the midst of the plain was a hill, and upon that hill of Amon Gwareth, Turgon set about raising a city. After more than fifty years of secret building, the Hidden City of Gondolin was completed, and Turgon brought the entire people of his former realm of Nevrast to dwell there.

Concealed behind the Mountains of Turgon, the city of Gondolin prospered for nearly four centuries. Neither friend nor foe knew where Turgon's people had gone from their old home in Nevrast, and few ever entered or left the city. Across the way that led through the mountains - the ravine of the Orfalch Echor - Turgon caused Seven Gates to be raised, each with its own guard of Elves to protect the secret of the Hidden City.

For much of Gondolin's history, the Noldor beyond the mountains held Morgoth within the Siege of Angband, but in I 455 Morgoth broke through that Siege in the Dagor Bragollach, the Battle of Sudden Flame. In the aftermath of that battle, Turgon's father Fingolfin was slain by Morgoth himself, and his body was carried by the Eagle Thorondor into the peaks of the Echoriath. There Turgon later came and raised a cairn over his father's body.

As the Wars of Beleriand began to turn against the Elves, the Eagles abandoned their eyries in Thangorodrim above Angband, and they settled instead among the Mountains of Turgon. They remained firm allies of Turgon and his people, watching the lands about for spies of the Dark Lord and protecting the skies above the Hidden City.

When the Elves gathered for a final assault against Morgoth, Turgon decided that the time had come to reveal himself, and led an army out of Gondolin to join the forces massing against Angband. That battle ended in the disaster of the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, but Turgon was able to lead many of his people back to their city, which remained concealed. Some years later, a messenger arrived from Turgon's old land of Nevrast, a Man named Tuor sent by the Vala Ulmo, to warn Turgon that the time had come to leave the safety of his concealing mountains. Turgon could not bring himself to abandon Gondolin, but in fear of the Vala's warnings, he caused the way through the Encircling Mountains to be closed.

For all the watchfulness and caution of Turgon and his people, Ulmo was proved right in his warning. Through treachery, Morgoth located the Hidden City, and attacked from the north, where the Encircling Mountains reached the greatest heights. The forces of the Dark Lord overwhelmed the defenders, so that only a handful were able to escape through the dangerous pass of Cirith Thoronath that ran through the northern mountains. After the Fall of Gondolin, the Mountains of Turgon still encircled the plain, but all that they concealed were the ruins of a once-great city of the Elves.