This article is about J.R.R. Tolkien's fictional Elf-king. For the later Steward of Gondor of the same name, see Turgon (Steward). For the commune in France, see Turgon, Charente

Turgon, Charente

Turgon is a commune in the Charente department in southwestern France.-Population:...

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In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien

J. R. R. Tolkien

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...

, Turgon "the Wise" is an Elven

Elf (Middle-earth)

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...

 king of the Noldor

Noldor

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...

, second son of Fingolfin

Fingolfin

Fingolfin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, appearing in The Silmarillion.-Internal history:He was a High King of the Noldor in Beleriand, second eldest son of Finwë, full brother of Finarfin, and half-brother of Fëanor, who was the eldest of Finwë's sons. His mother was...

, brother to Fingon

Fingon

Fingon is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is introduced in The Silmarillion.-Character overview:...

, Aredhel

Aredhel

Aredhel Ar-Feiniel is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien.She is called Ar-Feiniel, the White Lady of the Noldor. She is the daughter of Fingolfin and Anairë, sister of Fingon, Turgon and Argon, and mother of Maeglin...

 and Argon

Argon (Middle-earth)

In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Argon was the fourth child of Fingolfin, High King of the Noldor in Beleriand.His mother was Anairë, and his brothers were Fingon, and Turgon. He had an older sister, Aredhel....

, and ruler of the hidden city of Gondolin.
His name is a Sindarin

Sindarin

Sindarin is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Sindarin is one of the many languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called the Eledhrim or Edhellim in Sindarin....

ised form of his Quenya

Quenya

Quenya is a fictional language devised by J. R. R. Tolkien, and used in his Secondary world, often called Middle-earth.Quenya is one of the many Elvish languages spoken by the immortal Elves, called Quendi in Quenya. The tongue actually called Quenya was in origin the speech of two clans of Elves...

 name Turukáno, which probably means something like "valiant lord".

Although Turgon was originally against the departure of the Noldor from Aman

Aman

-External links:*...

, he eventually did set out on the journey. After Fëanor

Fëanor

Fëanor is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium who plays an important part in The Silmarillion. He was the eldest son of Finwë, the High King of the Noldor, and his first wife Míriel Serindë...

 and his sons departed using the only ships, he took his people across the dangerous Helcaraxë with his father Fingolfin. He lost his wife Elenwë in the crossing and settled at Vinyamar in Nevrast. There he became lord of a mingled people, both Noldor and Sindar

Sindar

In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin...

.

While he was journeying with his cousin Finrod Felagund

Finrod Felagund

Finrod Felagund is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. He appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian and the Grey Annals, as well as other material....

 along Sirion, Ulmo

Ulmo

Ulmo is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He first appears in The Silmarillion as a god or Vala of the Elven pantheon. Ulmo is a title, which means He who pours. He is also known as King of the Sea and Lord of Waters...

 sent both of them a dream to look for a hidden place where they could be safe from the power of Morgoth

Morgoth

Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...

. In the following year Ulmo appeared directly to Turgon and guided him to the vale of Tumladen

Tumladen

In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, Tumladen is a Sindarin place-name meaning "level vale", which can refer to:* Tumladen , a valley in which Gondolin was built, in The Silmarillion...

 in the Encircling Mountains, to which Turgon later secretly moved, taking with him a third of the original followers of Fingolfin and many of the Sindar, deserting Nevrast, and building the city of Gondolin. The disappearance of so many of their brethren led many Elves to search for the "Hidden Kingdom" of Turgon.

Turgon and his people remained isolated in Gondolin for many years, and he had a daughter, Idril Celebrindal

Idril

Idril Celebrindal is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in one of his chief works of literature, The Silmarillion, published posthumously by Christopher Tolkien.-Character Overview:...

, who married Tuor

Tuor

Tuor is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is the grandfather of Elrond Half-elven and one of the most renowned ancestors of the Men of Númenor and of the King of the Reunited Kingdom Aragorn Elessar...

 after the man

Man (Middle-earth)

The race of Men in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth books, such as The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, refers to humanity and does not denote gender...

 was guided to the secret entrance by dreams from Ulmo. Tuor's coming had long been prophesied by Ulmo, who had instructed Turgon to leave a suit of armour in Nevrast for a future messenger, which turned out to be Tuor. Tuor's warning of doom was ultimately rejected by Turgon, who trusted still in the secrecy of his kingdom, and the vigilance of his allies, the Eagles, who prevented any spies of Morgoth from finding it.

Turgon re-emerged with his host during the Nírnaeth Arnoediad

Nirnaeth Arnoediad

In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium of Middle-earth, the Nírnaeth Arnoediad or Unnumbered Tears was the climactic Fifth Battle in the Wars of Beleriand.-The Fifth Battle as told in The Silmarillion:...

, and although the battle was still lost, his intervention prevented the rout from completely destroying the armies of the Noldor and their allies.

Turgon died defending Gondolin when it was betrayed by his nephew Maeglin

Maeglin

Maeglin or Meglin is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Silmarillion.He was an Elf, the son of Eöl the Dark Elf and Aredhel daughter of Fingolfin. He lived in the First Age of Middle-earth, and was a lord of Gondolin...

, who desired Idril, and sacked by the hosts of Morgoth

Morgoth

Morgoth Bauglir is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth legendarium. He is the main antagonist of The Silmarillion, figures in The Children of Húrin, and is mentioned briefly in The Lord of the Rings.Melkor was the most powerful of the Ainur, but turned to darkness and became...

.