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Dates
Destroyed at the end of the First Age
Location
A part of the Encircling Mountains, south of Gondolin
Passes
Orfalch Echor
Pronunciation
criss/eye/'grim (/eye/ represents the sound of the English word 'eye')
Meaning
Usually interpreted 'abode of eagles'1
Other Names
Part of the Echoriath, the Encircling Mountains

Indexes:

About this entry:

  • Updated 16 April 2000
  • This entry is complete

Crissaegrim

The Abode of Eagles

The Crissaegrim

The sheer-sided peaks to the south of the concealed city of Gondolin; in their heights were the eyries of Thorondor and his Eagles.

From the peaks of the Crissaegrim, the Eagles guarded Gondolin from outsiders, and more than once they swept down from those inaccessible heights to play a part in the history of Middle-earth. It was from these mountains that Thorondor swooped to attack Morgoth himself after the Fall of Fingolfin, and to rescue Fingolfin's body from Morgoth's Wolves.


Notes

1

'Abode of Eagles' doesn't appear to be a literal translation: the Elvish roots used in Crissaegrim are difficult to render into English. Literally, the term seems to mean something like 'host of clefts and peaks': that is, a region with many deep ravines and towering precipices.

See also...

Anach, Encircling Mountains, Gondolin, Hidden City, High Seat of Vinyamar, Huor, King of Eagles, Pass of Sirion, River Mindeb, Thorondor

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