House of the Golden Flower

The House of the Golden Flower was one of the Twelve Houses of the Gondothlim, according to the early version of the legendarium in The Book of Lost Tales.
== History ==
Glorfindel was the chief of this house, and their device was that of a rayed sun, that they bare upon their shields. Their vestments and arms are not described, but it is said that their lord wore a mantle with celandines embroidered with golden threads, and his arms were damascened with gold.:173
When the Fall of Gondolin began, Gothmog led Melko's armies to the northern gate, which was soon knocked down.:176 Meanwhile, the strength of the Golden Flower was in the Great Market, on the east part of the city, and at some moment they decided to march to the fight about the gate. They marched there by a circuitous way with the idea of surprising the foe upon his left flank, but instead they were ambushed by a host of Orcs led by Balrogs. For hours they fought, until a fire-drake came and overwhelmed them, and they had cut their way out very hardly, as the dragon began to burn all the market.:182
But Glorfindel had previously sent messengers to King Turgon with urgency, so the house of the Harp was sent to their aid. However, Salgant, the lord of this house, betrayed his men, sending them to the Lesser Market at the south part. The men of the Harp fretted thereat, and broke from their lord to come before the king's hall right in the moment that Glorfindel and his folk were chased by a press of foemen. The men of the Harp saved them, droving the enemy back into the market, but there they were trapped, burned to death or poisoned by the breath of the dragon.:182-183
Thus Glorfindel and the last of his men, along with all the remaining houses, barricaded themselves in the Square of the King. After Turgon proclaimed the fall of the city and ordered the survivors to follow Tuor, Glorfindel held the rear for those who retreated towards Idril's secret way, and many more of the Golden Flower fell there.:186
Further on, while crossing Cristhorn, Glorfindel was with the men behind the Exiles.:192 But the rearguard was attacked by a band of Orcs and a Balrog, and there happened the duel between Glorfindel and the Balrog, in which both fell into the abyss. After recovering the body of Glorfindel, Tuor let rise a cairn for him.:194-195