Littleheart

Littleheart, also known as Ilverin and the Gong-warden, was an Elf of Tol Eressëa in the earliest version of J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium.

Biography

Much of Littleheart's early life is untold, save only that he was the son of Bronweg, and obtained his name due to "the youth and wonder of his heart". He was known to be ancient beyond count, being either fifty or ten thousand years of age.

Sometime near the end of the First Age, Littleheart gained possession of the gong, Tombo. During the Third Kinslaying in YS 534, Littleheart was among one of the only survivors.

Later, he accompanied Eärendil's final voyage on Vingilot in seeking for Kôrtirion. While traversing the Shadowy Seas, Littleheart rang his gong to wake up the Sleeper in the Tower of Pearl on Tol Withernon, the westernmost of the Twilit Isles.

Sometime after reaching Kôrtirion, Littleheart became the official Gong-warden of Tombo outside the Hall of Play Regained, and was "given the hammer of his gong" by Vairë. His tasks included summoning the children for meals in the Cottage of Lost Play and signaling the time for tale-telling in the Room of the Log Fire. Littleheart considered this to be the best part of the day since he liked the "sweet noise that Tombo made when struck thrice."

Sometime during the Seventh Age, a man named Ælfwine sailed the Straight Road to Tol Eressëa and stayed at the Cottage of Lost Play. Littleheart served as a guide alongside Rúmil for a time to Ælfwine. At the Cottage of Lost Play, he narrated the story of Tuor and the Fall of Gondolin.

It was once said by Gilfanon that Littleheart was the only one still alive who had seen the Necklace of the Dwarves, but the time that this occurred is untold.

Etymology

Before Ilverin was the final version of his birthname, this character's earlier names were Infiniol, Elfriniol, Elfriniel, Ilfrith, Elfrith, and (in the earliest tales) Ilfrin, which had replaced Elwenildo.

References