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Maeglin is one of the antagonists of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Silmarillion. He was an Elf in the First Age of Middle-Earth, the son of Eöl, who betrayed his family to the Dark Lord Morgoth.
Biography[]
Background[]
Maeglin lived in the city of Gondolin, one of the last surviving Elvish cities of Middle-earth, in the country of Beleriand to the North. Maeglin and his mother had fled to Gondolin to escape Eöl, his abusive father. When Eöl entered the city and demanded his son back, his wife sought aid from her brother, King Turgon, but Eöl broke through the king's defenses and killed her before being defeated and taken prisoner. The Elves of Gondolin executed Eöl by throwing him off a precipice. Eöl cursed Maeglin before he died, foretelling that he would die on the same rock.
Being Turgon's nephew, Maeglin became a prince of the realm and one of Turgon's chief counsellors. Nevertheless, Turgon saw that Maeglin was arrogant and power-hungry, much like his father, and so denied him access to his greatest secrets. What Turgon did not know, however, was that Maeglin desired his daughter Idril, despite the fact that they were first cousins; Idril did not return his affections, and in fact disliked him. Idril later married the human warrior Tuor, with whom she had a son, Eärendil. Maeglin was consumed with jealousy, and dreamed of killing Tuor and making Idril his bride, by force if necessary.
Orchestrating the Downfall of Gondolin[]
One day, Maeglin went into the mountains against his uncle's orders, and was captured by Orcs, who took him to Morgoth. The Dark Lord interrogated him for Gondolin's location and how to attack. Maeglin resisted at first, but eventually decided to betray Gondolin when Morgoth promised him riches, the crown of Gondolin, and Idril's hand in marriage. Maeglin spent the next seven years as Morgoth's spy, secretly providing him with information about the city's weaknesses.
Finally, Morgoth attacked Gondolin with an army of Orcs, Balrogs, dragons and other monsters, and Maeglin openly joined them. In the resulting battle, Gondolin was destroyed. Maeglin kidnapped Idril and tried to murder Eärendil, but Tuor dueled him on the rock where Eöl died and threw him from the wall. Maeglin struck the slope thrice before falling into the fire and dying on the slopes - thus fulfilling his father's curse.