When did J. R. R. Tolkien write the first draft of The Fall of Gondolin introducing Glorfindel?
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote the first draft of The Fall of Gondolin between 1916 and 1917, introducing a character named Glorfindel at that time.
J. R. R. Tolkien wrote the first draft of The Fall of Gondolin between 1916 and 1917, introducing a character named Glorfindel at that time.
Glorfindel fought a Balrog to its death during an ambush while escaping with Tuor and Idril through the Encircling Mountains above the city. His body was recovered by the great eagle Thorondor and buried under a stone cairn where yellow flowers grew.
Christopher Tolkien eventually decided that both characters should be one and the same person as Tolkien's ideas evolved over decades regarding reincarnation and the fate of Elves. This decision allowed the original Glorfindel who died fighting a Balrog to return to Middle-earth on a mission similar to that of the Istari.
Peter Jackson transferred Glorfindel rescue function to Arwen who took Frodo to the Ford and summoned floodwaters to disperse the Nazgûl. The core story of rescuing Frodo remained central but shifted hands across different interpretations of Tolkien work.
Glorfindel appears as a non-player character in the 2002 video game The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring voiced by Steve Staley. The 2006 real-time strategy game The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth II featured him with silver-blond hair while riding Asfaloth as one of the playable hero units of the Elvish faction.