Pengolodh

Pengolodh is also known as Pengolod. This character was a Noldor Loremaster who lived in Gondolin. The Lhammas and other language writings from Middle-earth supposedly existed in ancient times.

Pengolodh's mother was a Sindarin, and his father was a Noldorin lord. Nevrast was his place of birth. The oldest tales say that during the Fall of Gondolin, he was among the lords of the city. He ruled the Tower of Snow and the Twin Folk of the Pillar. He was also among the Lambengolmor. They called him the Sage of the Noldor. From Rumil and Feanor, he became the next greatest Loremaster. He stood tallest of all the Elves of Gondolin. Pengolod was able to get away from the city with the surviving Idril and Tuor's company. He went as far as the Mouths of Sirion following them. His name ceases mention, but because the Annals of Beleriand and Annals of Aman, where he edited Rumil's work, are among his works, it is thought that he lingered a while in Lindon from the end of the War of Wrath, giving Dunedain time to copy his compositions. Most of his compositions were done in the Mouths of Sirion. From the witness of Doriath refugees, in possible efforts of preserving documents written in Cirth, he made extracts and copies of them.

This is the Age that succeeded in the First Age. During this time, he settled in Lindon in the Noldorin kingdom called Gil-galad. He was among countable elves that were allowed into Khazad-dum. He probably learned the Khuzdul language from here. He left Middle-earth for Tol Eressea as the War of the Elves [1] was taking place, where they went up against Sauron. That was the time after Eregion had been defeated. He is among the Loremasters that left Middle-earth last. At Tol Eressea, he lived in Tavrobel, also known as Tathrobel village. It is from this village that centuries later, AElfwine would hear and speak with him.

This is around the time AElfwine discovered Tol Eressea in 900 A.D. It is either that he heard stories from Pengolod's mouth, or that he read his compositions, which included Pengolod's collections from Elvin and human authors. AElfwine is thought to have translated these works. Rumil's and Dirhavel's writings are among Pengolodh's collections.

Pengolodh is only seen in The History of Middle-earth. Here, he is mentioned as the author of numerous compositions. His works include the Annals of Beleriand. This was later polished by Tolkien when he was also working on The Silmarillion. This is also where Christopher Tolkien derived the essential information he needed for the publication of The Silmarillion. The essays Tolkien did later that dealt with linguism are identified as being among some of Pengolodh's works. A good one is the "Quendi and Eldar" [2] essay, Tolkien's early writings informed that when Pengolod moved to Tol Eressea, Gilfano was the character that acted as the one taking the chronicles for the Annals of Beleriand formerly, was transformed to the same persona in Tolkien's mind.

Pengolodh or by association, AElfwine narrates most of what was published in Silmarillion. The writings were either by Pengolod as the narrator, or by him mentoring AElfwine, or through AElfwine's translations of Pengolod's works. When the final version was done, Christopher Tolkien had taken away references to either of them. Christopher Tolkien points out that in the final work of Akallabeth, that his father wrote, concerning The Peoples of Middle-earth, the story is done in Pengolodh's voice. Originally, Pengolodh addressed it to AElfwine. Christopher confesses that when he removed the direct address made to AElfwine featured in the original text written by his father, the composition lost the attachment it had to Eldarin lore. He admits to having been too vigilant to the extent of altering the ending, a step he should probably not have taken. He points out that there are traces of AElfwine's character that he left in the last paragraph that is found in the published work of The Silmarillion, of Akallabeth. The phrases are 'straight road' and 'future mariners.'

The name Pengolodh has adapted many spellings over time. They include Pengolop, Pengolod, Pengoloth, and Pengoloo. The end of the word depends on the most adaptive pronunciation. Pengolodh was a Sindarized version of the Quenya one being, Quendingoldo.

The translations are available in many languages, including Hebrew, Arabic, various Indian languages, among others. All these languages are those that have maintained their authenticity since ancient history.

1. ^War of the Elves and Sauron.
2. ^"Quendi and Eldar".