Now
news came to
Hithlum that
Dorthonion was
lost and the sons of
Finarfin overthrown, and that the sons of
Fëanor were
driven from their
lands. Then
Fingolfin beheld... the utter
ruinof the Noldor, and the defeat beyond redress of all their houses; and filled with wrath and despair he mounted upon
Rochallor his great horse and rode forth alone, and none might restrain him. He passed over
Dor-nu-Fauglith like a wind amid the dust, and all that beheld his onset fled in amaze, thinking that Oromë himself was come: for a great madness of rage was upon him, so that his eyes shone like the eyes of the Valar. Thus he came alone to Angband's gates, and he sounded his horn, and smote once more upon the brazen doors, and challenged
Morgoth to come forth to single combat. And Morgoth came.
That was the last time in those wars that he passed the doors of his stronghold, and it is said that he took not the challenge willingly; for... alone of the
Valar he knew fear. But he could not now deny the challenge before the face of his captains; for... Fingolfin named Morgoth craven.... Therefore Morgoth... issued forth clad in black armour; and he stood before the
King like a tower,
iron-crowned, and his vast shield, sable unblazoned, cast a shadow over him like a stormcloud. But Fingolfin gleamed beneath it as a star; for his mail was overlaid with silver, and his blue shield was set with crystals; and he drew his sword
Ringil, that glittered like ice.
Then Morgoth hurled aloft
Grond, the Hammer of the Underworld, and swung it down like a bolt of thunder. But Fingolfin sprang aside, and Grond rent a mighty pit in the earth.... Many times Morgoth essayed to smite him, and each time Fingolfin leaped away...; and he wounded Morgoth with seven wounds, and seven times Morgoth gave a cry of anguish, whereat the hosts of
Angband fell upon their faces in dismay, and the cries echoed in the Northlands.
But at the last the King grew weary, and Morgoth bore down his shield upon him. Thrice he was crushed to his knees, and thrice arose again and bore up his broken shield and stricken helm. But the earth was all... pitted about him, and he stumbled and fell backward before the feet of Morgoth; and Morgoth set his left foot upon his neck.... Yet with his last and desperate stroke Fingolfin hewed the foot with Ringil, and the blood gushed forth black and smoking and filled the pits of Grond.
Thus
died Fingolfin, High King of the Noldor, most proud and valiant of the Elven-kings of old. The
Orcs made no boast of that duel at the gate; neither do the
Elves sing of it, for their sorrow is too deep. Yet the tale of it is remembered still, for
Thorondor King of
Eagles brought the tidings to
Gondolin, and to
Hithlum afar off. And Morgoth took the body of the Elven-king and broke it, and would cast it to his wolves; but Thorondor came hasting from his eyrie among the peaks of the
Crissaegrim, and he stooped upon Morgoth and marred his face. The rushing of the wings of Thorondor was like the noise of the winds of
Manwë, and he seized the body in his mighty talons, and soaring suddenly above the darts of the Orcs he bore the King away. And he laid him upon a mountain-top that looked from the north upon the hidden valley of Gondolin; and
Turgon coming built a high cairn over his father. No Orc dared ever after to pass over the mound of Fingolfin or draw nigh his tomb, until the
doom of Gondolin was come and treachery was born among his
kin. Morgoth went ever halt of one foot after that day, and the pain of his wounds could not be healed; and in his face was the scar that Thorondor made.
Great was the lamentation in Hithlum when the fall of Fingolfin became known....
The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Ch 18, Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin
Re: Tolkien General Discussion II
Originally Posted by Elanor Gamgee
Tolkien discussed Elven telepathy (and telepathy in general) rather thoroughly in an essay called Osanwe-kenta ("Discussion of the communication of thought" in plain old English) published in Vinyar Tengwar #39, July 1998. I believe that Christopher Tolkien mentions this essay in his notes in HoME XI (should be notes to Quendi and Eldar but I can as well be mistaken); mind-reading is also discussed in the Myths Transformed, HoME X. Unfortunately, I don't have a copy of Osanwe (though I'd love to) but basically the arguments boil down to the following:
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Wow, that's an impressive effort invested in this, and his talent is undeniable.
