Gothmog
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- For Gothmog, the lieutenant of Minas Morgul, see Gothmog (Third Age).
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional universe of Middle-earth, Gothmog was the Lord of the Balrogs and the High-Captain of Angband, one of the chief servants of the Dark Lord Morgoth with a rank equal to that of Sauron. Gothmog was particularly visible in the six battles fought by Melkor's evil forces against the elves—he often led the hordes of Balrogs, Orcs, and Dragons as Morgoth's field commander. While Sauron is widely considered to be Morgoth's second in command, Gothmog was clearly Morgoth's champion in arms as his armies dealt the Noldor their most crushing defeats on the battlefields of Beleriand. He carried a black axe and fought in the Dagor-nuin-Giliath, where he mortally wounded Fëanor. He killed two Kings of the Noldor: Fëanor in the Dagor-nuin-Giliath, and Fingon in the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. In that same battle, he captured Húrin of Dor-lómin, who had slain his personal guard of Trolls, and brought him to Angband. He also led the assault on Gondolin, and there slew, and was slain by, Ecthelion of the Fountain, a Noldorin Elf-lord.
In the earliest version of his mythology (The Book of Lost Tales), Tolkien describes Kosomot, the original version of Gothmog, as a son of Morgoth and the ogress Fluithuin, but the idea of the children of Valar was abandoned in later writings. Kosomet, however, is often considered his Quenya name.
In one of Tolkien's early Middle-earth writings, Lay of the Children of Húrin, "Lungothrin, Lord of Balrogs" is mentioned. It is not, however, certain if it was another name for Gothmog, or it simply meant "a Balrog lord." According to Christopher Tolkien, the latter is more probable, as the name Gothmog was mentioned in the earliest Middle-earth writings, as well as the final version of Tolkien's mythology.
The name was later reused by Tolkien in The Return of the King as the lieutenant of Minas Morgul under Sauron; see Gothmog (Third Age).
| Ainur from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium | |
|---|---|
| Ainulindalë (Music of the Ainur) | |
| Lords of the Valar: | Manwë | Ulmo | Aulë | Oromë | Námo (Mandos) | Irmo (Lórien) | Tulkas |
| Queens of the Valar (The Valier): | Varda | Yavanna | Nienna | Estë | Vairë | Vána | Nessa |
| The Enemy: | Morgoth (a.k.a. Melkor) |
| Maiar: | Eönwë | Ilmarë | Ossë | Uinen | Salmar | Sauron | Melian | Arien | Tilion | Gothmog Curumo (Saruman) | Olórin (Gandalf) | Aiwendil (Radagast) | Alatar and Pallando | Durin's Bane |
