Beleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Originally, the name belonged only to the area around the Bay of Balar, but in time, the name was applied to the entire land. Beleriand was originally inhabited by Elves, and later also by Men. It is notable as the place which is the overall stage on which the major characters of the theatre of the First Age of Middle-earth play in numerous books and stories such as The Silmarillion,[1] The Lays of Beleriand, The Children of Húrin,[2] The Book of Lost Tales[3] and the other numerous volumes of the History of Middle-earth.
To the west and south it had a long shore with the Great Sea Belegaer, to the north were the highland regions of Hithlum, Dorthonion and the hills of Himring, to the east the Ered Luin reached nearly to the sea. The land of Nevrast in the northwest was sometimes considered part of Beleriand.
The River Sirion, the chief river of Beleriand, running north to south, divided it into West Beleriand and East Beleriand. Crossing it east to west was a series of hills and a sudden drop in elevation known as Andram, the Long Wall. (The river sank into the ground at the Fens of Sirion, and reemerged below the Andram at the Gates of Sirion). To the east of the Long Wall, was the River Gelion and its six tributaries draining the Ered Luin, in an area known as Ossiriand, or the Land of Seven Rivers. The River Brethin and the River Nenning were the two lesser rivers of the western land of Falas.
In Y.S. 583, Beleriand was mostly destroyed in the War of Wrath by the Valar against Morgoth. Only a small section of East Beleriand remained, and was known as Lindon, in the Northwest of Middle-Earth of the Second and Third Age. Evidence shows that other parts of East Beleriand survived into the Second Age, but were completely destroyed with Númenor.Template:ME-fact One reference to a part that was not destroyed was made in the Silmarillion to the places of death of Túrin Turambar, Morwen and Nienor Níniel.
In addition, fulfilling a prophecy, the graves of Túrin Turambar and Morwen survived as the island Tol Morwen. Likewise, a part of Dorthonion became Tol Fuin, and the Hill of Himring became the island of Himling. All of these together were known as the Western Isles.
with vertical exaggeration
illustration by Tom Loback
Realms of Beleriand:
- Amon Ereb (founded Y.S. c. 1)
- Arvernien (founded Y.S. c. 511)
- Doriath (f.k.a. Eglador; Y.T. 1152)
- East Beleriand (founded Y.S. c. 1)
- Gondolin (founded Y.S. c. 104)
- Hithlum (founded Y.S. c. 1)
- March of Maedhros (founded Y.S. c. 1)
- Estolad (founded Y.S. c. 310)
- Nargothrond (founded Y.S. c. 50)
- Ossiriand (l.k.a. Lindon; founded Y.T. 1350)
- Pass of Aglon (founded Y.S. c. 1)
Concept and creation
Beleriand had many different names in Tolkien's early writings:Template:ME-fact
- Broceliand, Broseliand (borrowed from medieval romance)
- Golodhinand, Noldórinan ("valley of the Noldor")
- Geleriand
- Bladorinand
- Belaurien
- Arsiriand
- Lassiriand
- Ossiriand (later used as a name for the easternmost part of Beleriand).
References
- ^ New York Times Book Review, The Silmarillion, The World of Tolkien by John Gardner, October 23,1977
- ^ The Guardian, Book Review, John Crace, The Children of Húrin by JRR Tolkien, April 4, 2007.
- ^ New York Times Book Review, The Book of Lost Tales, Language and Prehistory of the Elves By Barbara Tritel, May 24, 1984
External links
- Parma Endorion: Essays on Middle-earth (3rd edition) by Michael Martinez