But the watch of the great Eagles was now redoubled, and they marked Húrin well, far below, forlorn in the fading light; and straightway Thorondor himself, since the tidings seemed great, brought word to Turgon. But Turgon said: ‘Does Morgoth sleep? You were mistaken.’
‘Not so,’ said Thorondor. ‘If the Eagles of Manwë were wont to err thus, then long ago, lord, your hiding would have been in vain.’
‘Then your words bode ill,’ said Turgon; ‘for they can bear but one meaning. Even Húrin Thalion has surrendered to the will of Morgoth. My heart is shut.’
But when Thorondor was gone, Turgon sat long in thought, and he was troubled, remembering the deeds of Húrin of Dor-lómin; and he opened his heart, and sent to the Eagles to seek for Húrin, and to bring him if they might to Gondolin. But it was too late, and they never saw him again in light or in shadow. For Húrin stood in despair before the silent cliffs of the Echoriath, and the westering sun, piercing the clouds, stained his white hair with red.
Then he cried aloud in the wilderness, heedless of any ears, and he cursed the pitiless land; and standing at last upon a high rock he looked towards Gondolin and called in a great voice: ‘Turgon, Turgon, remember the Fen of Serech! O Turgon, will you not hear in your hidden halls?’ But there was no sound save the wind in the dry grasses. ‘Even so they hissed in Serech at the sunset,’ he said; and as he spoke the sun went behind the Mountains of Shadow, and a darkness fell about him, and the wind ceased, and there was silence in the waste.
–J.R.R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion, “Of the Ruin of Doriath”
TheCrissaegrim were a mountain range, forming a part of the southern Echoriath, the Encircling MountainsofGondolin, and were inaccessible from the ground. However they were home to the great Eagles, and from here Thorondor, Lord of the Eagles, watched for spies in the vale of the River Sirion. Indeed, the Eagles were the chief source of information to Turgon and the Gondolindrim.
Crissaegrim is a Sindarin name that includes the root kris-. meaning “Cleft Mountain Peaks”. It is usually referred to as the “Abode of Eagles”.
It was from the Crissaegrim that Thorondor espied HúrinandHuor when they were lost in Dimbar. The Lord of the Eagles sent two great birds to carry the men above the Crissaegrim into Tumladen, when King Turgon of Gondolin welcomed them.
“Now the thought of Morgoth dwelt ever upon Turgon; for Turgon had escaped him, of all his foes that one whom he most desired to take or to destroy. And that thought troubled him, and marred his victory, for Turgon of the mighty house of Fingolfin was now by right King of all the Noldor; and Morgoth feared and hated the house of Fingolfin, because they had the friendship of Ulmo his foe, and because of the wounds that Fingolfin gave him with his sword. And most of all his kin Morgoth feared Turgon; for of old in Valinor his eye had lighted upon him, and whenever he drew near a shadow had fallen on his spirit, foreboding that in some time that yet lay hidden, from Turgon ruin should come to him.”
8. Rog - Strength 9. Galdor - Justice 10. Salgant - Wheel of Fortune 11. Penlod - The World 12. Idril and Tuor - Lovers 13. Voronwe - The Hermit 14. Earendil - The Star
1. Turgon - The Tower 2. Maeglin - The Magician 3. Glorfindel - The Sun 4. Ecthelion - The Moon 5. Duilin - Temperance 6. Egalmoth - Judgement 7. Gondolin - Back of the Cards
