Did Maedhros kill Laughter?

[Nerwen]

Originally Posted by Loslote

What about the geese? They, quite simply, acted like the infamous snake and persuaded Lalaith to stomple that butterfly. Very obvious once you think about it.

Of course! It must have happened something like this:

Lalaith: Ooo. Butterfwy pwetty!

[From either side, the narrow, beaked head and long serpentine of a goose thrusts into her field of vision.]

Goose 1 (hissing): Sssstomp it, Lalaith...
Goose 2 (hissing): Yesss! You know you want to....

And the rest, sadly, is history.

Originally Posted by Loslote

Actually, there's another question. Why has Wilwa not sworn undying hatred towards Lalaith? She stompled a butterfly!

Maybe she doesn't know? Someone needs to tell her, quick!

Originally Posted by Eomer of the Rohirrim

But Mnemo, your point about Turin's delirium and unreliability is fascinating. This Lalaith character could, feasibly, turn up anywhere. Any other mysteries in Tolkien's works, where she could fit in?

I can think of one. It's a long story, though:

Túrin's parents did indeed lie to him about his sister's death– not because she was a Warg, but because they didn't want him to know they had sold her to pay the doctor's bill.

They didn't have much choice. The mysterious traveller who happened to pass through Dor-lómin just when the plague was at its height offered to heal both their deathly ill children– but at a price: their daughter. [Dramatic chords!] Faced with the loss of both their offspring, Morwen and Húrin reluctantly agreed, despite their misgivings about the stranger's motives, and their doubts of his claim that all he wanted was a dear little girl to keep him company.

Little did they know justified their fears really were. This stranger was none other than... Sauron the Necromancer. [More dramatic chords!] By his dark sorcery the hapless Lalaith was transformed from an innocent child into a small but terrifying undead being– a kind of proto-Nazgûl, in fact. She served her black master faithfully for millenia, eventually becoming the Lieutenant of Morgul in the Third Age

Oh yes, didn't I mention that Sauron re-named his new servant after his old pal and colleague, the Lord of Balrogs? Well, I mean, "Lalaith" clearly wouldn't do, would it?

There you go: identity of Gothmog II solved once and for all!

NB: Note that Tolkien never once specifies Gothmog's gender! Trying to tell us something?