House of the Heavenly Arch

The House of the Heavenly Arch was one of the twelve houses of the Gondothlim, according to the early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.
== History ==
Their leader was Egalmoth. They were a folk of "unaccounted wealth", and were arrayed in many bright colours, for the "heavenly arch" referred to a rainbow. Their arms were set with jewels that flamed in the light over the sky. Every shield of that battalion was of the blue of the heavens and its boss a jewel built of seven gems: rubies, amethysts, sapphires, emeralds, chrysoprases, topazes, and amber. An opal of great size was set in each of their helms. They were great swordsmen, but they also had the best archers along with the folk of the Swallow, so they were positioned in the broad places of the walls.:173
During the Fall of Gondolin, Gothmog gathered his armies in the northern gate and knocked it down. The folks of the Arch and the Swallow defended the walls in the northern part, pouring rains of arrows over the hosts of Orcs, helping the houses that fought below.:176-177 When the gate was lost, many goblins held a great part of the walls, so many elves of both folks were thrust to doom. Then the House of the Fountain arrived to help, but a great gap was opened in the western wall, and bands of the Arch and the Swallow battled amid the wreck against the coming enemies.:179-180 Slowly the battle in that part of the city was lost and they retreated towards the Square of the Folkwell, where the guard of the Arch, the Swallow and others was scattered and gathered together, forming a good battalion. Led by Tuor, they marched to the Square of the King, where they met their lord Egalmoth. He had been in charge of the engines of the wall in the south part of the city, and when he saw they had to fight in the streets, he had taken some men of the Arch and of the Swallow and marched to the Square, rescuing captives and wandering men in the way.:182-183
Probably many of them survived as exiles, as it is said that their lord dwelt after in the Mouths of Sirion.