Encyclopedia of Arda: Hidden King

Title given to King Elu Thingol, whose realm of Doriath lay hidden behind the Girdle of Melian, and of Turgon the King of Gondolin.

Elu Thingol	Thingol's woodland kingdom was not truly hidden, as it filled the central regions of Beleriand, but after the First Battle of the Wars of Beleriand, the forests of Doriath were fenced by the Girdle of Melian. The power of the Girdle held back those that Thingol or Melian did not wish to enter their realm, and so King Thingol was hidden from his enemies.
Turgon	Turgon son of Fingolfin was a Hidden King in the truest sense of the word. Guided by Ulmo, Turgon found the secret valley of Tumladen deep within the Encircling Mountains, and there he built his city of Gondolin. Turgon brought his people from Nevrast to dwell in the Hidden City, and there they remained undiscovered for most of the First Age.

For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page.

Hidden King