Legolas - Concept and Creation

Concept and Creation

The name Legolas Greenleaf first appeared in The Fall of Gondolin, one of the "Lost Tales", circa 1917. The character, who guides some survivors of the sack of the city to safety, is mentioned only once and is unrelated to the character discussed above. As the Lost Tales were the first versions of what would become Tolkien's "Middle-earth" writings, and by the time The Lord of the Rings was written much had changed, this in all likelihood is not the same elf, and he was not included in the published Silmarillion.

The Legolas of Gondolin, whom Tolkien would likely have renamed, has a different etymology. His name (Laiqalassë in its pure form) comes from the primitive Quenya (Qenya) words laica, green, and lassë, leaf. The names are very similar, but the characters were different: Legolas of Gondolin was possibly a Noldorin Exile, of the House (kindred) of the Tree. However, the published Silmarillion, in describing Turgon's founding of Gondolin, states that Turgon took with him up to a third of the people under Fingolfin, but an even larger number of the Sindar. Thus, whether Legolas of Gondolin was of Noldorin or Sindarin descent is debatable.