Gwindor son of Guilin was a lord of Nargothrond. His brother Gelmir had been captured in the Dagor Bragollach, and when the hosts gathered for the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, Morgoth's captains brought Gelmir before the western army and slew him cruelly in its sight. Gwindor, maddened, charged with his company, and the whole host of the West was drawn into battle before its time.1
He was taken alive in the rout and set to labour in the mines of Angband. Years later he escaped, and was found lost and broken in the forest of Taur-nu-Fuin by Beleg Cuthalion, who was tracking the Orcs that had taken Túrin. Gwindor was with Beleg when they rescued Túrin, and saw Túrin, waking in the dark, kill Beleg in error.1,2
Gwindor led the grief-stricken Túrin to the pools of Ivrin, where his sorrow found release, and then to Nargothrond. There Finduilas, whom Gwindor loved, came to love Túrin instead. Gwindor bore it, but he would not hide Túrin's name, and he told her whose son Túrin was and why she should fear for him.2
He spoke against Túrin's counsel of open war, and was not heeded. In the Battle of Tumhalad he was mortally wounded. Túrin carried him out of the fight, and as he died Gwindor bade him save Finduilas, for she alone stood between Túrin and his doom.2
Sources
Citations name the chapter rather than the page, so they work in any edition. The colour of each note shows what kind of source it is.
- Edited posthumously The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales and Tolkien's late writings on the Elder Days, assembled by Christopher Tolkien from his father's papers.
- Edited posthumously The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, ch. 20, “Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad”
- Edited posthumously The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, ch. 21, “Of Túrin Turambar”