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Gorbelgod

"I see what I see. And if they be not birds, what are they? Very great must they be, greater than the Swans of Gorbelgod, of which legends tell. And lo! I see another that comes behind, but less clearly, for its wings are black."
—Tal-Elmar to Hazad in The Peoples of Middle-earth, Tal-Elmar

Gorbelgod was an enigmatic term referring to an untold location where a legendary type of Swans was said to dwell. They were mentioned in some unknown legends that Tal-Elmar had heard in Middle-earth.[1]

History

During one spring morning, Tal-Elmar and his father, Hazad, sat on the top of the Moot-hill above Agar to watch the waves of a great bight of the sea. While Hazad's eyes were dim with age, Tal-Elmar was able to see looked to him like three strange birds sitting ontop of the sea, made white beneath the Sun. To this, Hazad claimed that the sun must be in his eye. While Tal-Elmar pointed out that the sun was behind them rather than in front of them, he speculates that, whether or not they were birds or something entirely different, they must be of a greater size than the legendary Swans of Gorbelgod. Hazad was proven right immediately afterwards when the fourth bird that follows the three in sight ends up having black wings. Yet, Hazad became troubled by this, believing that it was an ill-omen which he interpreted as a warning that the dangerous Go-hilleg were coming to Middle-earth with their dreaded black sailed Ship of the Dark.[1]

Etymology

Gorbelgod is a word of an unknown language, though it includes elements such as the word gor ("dread, terror, fear, horror"[2])[3] in Sindarin, the word bêl ("steep, sheer"[4])[5] from a pre-Númenórean[6] language derived from Sindarin,[7] and the word god from an unknown language.

In other versions

In a note to the text, Christopher Tolkien mentioned that in an earlier version of the story, his father had originally used the name Dur nor-Belgoth, but later corrected it to Gorbelgod.[1] This name also contains elements from the Sindarin language, including dûr ("dark, gloomy, hellish"[8]),[9] nor- ("run of animals or men"[10]),[11] and a variation of the root Gos ("dread"[12]).[13] The early name also contains the word bêl ("steep, sheer"[4]),[5] a pre-Númenórean[6] word derived from Sindarin.[7]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Peoples of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, XVII: "Tal-Elmar", pgs. 426-7, 437 (note 6)
  2. ↑ Parma Eldalamberon 17, "Words, Phrases, and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", pg. 172
  3. ↑ "gor" on eldamo.org
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Lord of the Rings: A Reader's Companion, "Unfinished index of The Lord of the Rings", pg. 18
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "bel" on eldamo.org
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 The Adventures of Tom Bombadil and Other Verses from the Red Book, "Preface"
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Vinyar Tengwar, Number 42, "The Rivers and Beacon-hills of Gondor", pgs. 15-6
  8. ↑ Parma Eldalamberon 17, "Words, Phrases, and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", pgs. 31, 85, 152
  9. ↑ "dûr" on eldamo.org
  10. ↑ Parma Eldalamberon 17, "Words, Phrases, and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", pg. 168
  11. ↑ "nor-" on eldamo.org
  12. ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", entry "GOS"
  13. ↑ "gos" on eldamo.org