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Originally Posted by Estelyn Telcontar
Betrayal is the other cause of Gondolin's downfall - Maeglin's jealousy drives him to divulge the city's location to Morgoth. He's an interesting character - what do you think of him and the role he played?
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On this point I think the story was altered by JRRT in that it was the mighty Hurin who unwittingly divulged the location of Gondolin. The story as imagined in the 1930s went:
Húrin element
'...Húrin was released by Morgoth, for Morgoth thought still to use him...' (and after bringing the treasure to Thingol)
'Yet Thingol would not take the hoard, and long he bore with Húrin; but Húrin scorned him, and wandered forth in quest of Morwen his wife, but it is not said that he found her ever upon the earth; and some have said that he cast himself at last into the western sea, and so ended the mightiest of the warriors of mortal Men.' The Quenta
betrayal of Gondolin
'Meglin was no weakling or craven, but the torment wherewith he was threatened cowed his soul, and he purchased his life and feedom by revealing unto Morgoth the place of Gondolin and the ways whereby it might be found and assailed. Great indeed was the joy of Morgoth...' The Quenta
Or, from the Later Annals of Beleriand: (300)
'Húrin brought the gold to Thingol in Doriath, but he departed thence again with bitter words, and of his fate and the fate of Morwen thereafter no sure tiding were ever heard.'
306 'Meglin was taken in the hills, and he betrayed Gondolin to Morgoth.'
Compare to the later material.
Húrin element
'Yet there were ears that heard the words that Húrin spoke, and report of all came soon to the Dark Throne in the north; and Morgoth smiled, for he knew now clearly in what region Turgon dwelt, though because of the eagles no spy of his could yet come within sight of the land behind the Encircling Mountains. This was the first evil that the freedom of Húrin achieved.' The Wanderings of Húrin
betrayal of Gondolin
'Later when captured and Maeglin wished to buy his release with treachery, Morgoth must answer laughing, saying: Stale news will buy nothing. I know this already, I am not so easily blinded! So Maeglin was obliged to offer more -- to undermine resistance in Gondolin.' [a further note of almost exact wording adds]
'and to compass the death of Tuor and Earendil if he could. If he did he would be allowed to retain Idril (said Morgoth).' Note 30 The Wanderings of Húrin
To my mind the story appears to change fairly notably. In the Gondolin section for instance, compare that Morgoth's joy was great at Meglin's news -- with the later reaction that he now laughs at Maeglin, and the reader can easily assume it's because location news is stale news, thanks to Húrin (noting Morgoth smiled upon hearing the news concerning Húrin).
Interestingly, in the early long prose Fall of Gondolin (The Book of Lost Tales) the spies see Gondolin from afar,
'but into the plain they could not win for the vigilance of its guardians and the difficulty of those mountains. Indeed the Gondothlim were mighty archers...'
But Melko would like to know as much as possible about the city he would attack, not simply location. Enter Meglin. Later Melko withdrew his spies:
'for every path and corner of the mountains was now known to him', but Meglin had supplied needed information as well:
'and Meglin told them of all the fashion of that plain and city, of its walls and their height and thickness, and the valour of its gates; of the host of men at arms (...) and the countless hoard of weapons (...) of the engines of war.' And still Meglin said that Morgoth could not avail against Gondolin, and he counselled Melko how to do so.
Granted the spies themselves discovered more about the mountains, but that doesn't appear to be Meglin's doing in any case.
In the end Maeglin was still to betray Gondolin of course, but I think perhaps it was to be more like his role from
The Book of Lost Tales, given the introduction of 'the Hurin element'.
Note on the 1977 Silmarillion
It might be added that the published Silmarillion contains a combination of texts, and still includes the early description from the Qenta -- except that Christopher Tolkien added the word 'very' to imply he revealed the 'very' place of Gondolin, or that is, more specific information about Gondolin.
CJRT appears to realize that the reader of
The Fall of Gondolin will already naturally think that Húrin has revealed the whereabouts of Gondolin, so if Maeglin is also to do so (if he includes the much earlier Qenta description, as he did), it must be the very location -- and the reader naturally comes to the conclusion that Húrin's part was too general -- a conclusion I agree with, based on an interpretation of the 1977 Silmarillion however.
I have no problem with combining these two descriptions in this way, but I don't think even CJRT would argue that this was
necessarily intended by his father.