Beleriand: Difference between revisions

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In the ''[[The Book of Lost Tales Part 1|The Book of Lost Tales]]'', there is also the [[Quenya]] name "[[Valariandë]]".
In the ''[[The Book of Lost Tales Part 1|The Book of Lost Tales]]'', there is also the [[Quenya]] name "[[Valariandë]]".
==Location==
The map of Beleriand as published in the first ''Silmarillion'', shows only a portion of the region, with no common reference points to the well-known [[Westlands]] maps of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'', other than the [[Blue Mountains]].
[[Karen Wynn Fonstad]] faced the problem when she attempted to make a world-map of [[Arda]]. She found a solution by combining an early map for the ''LotR''<ref>{{HM|TI}}, "First Map" p. 302</ref> and an early map for the Silmarillion<ref>{{LR|Quenta}}, "Second 'Silmarillion' Map" pp. 408-411</ref>, aligning [[Tol Fuin]] with [[Taur-nu-Fuin]] and [[Himling]] with [[Himring]]. The rest of the outline was filled with the [[File:Arda001.gif|only world-map]] by Tolkien<ref>{{SM|Ambar}}</ref>. She continued the course of [[Gelion]] and brought the coast near that of [[Belfalas]], extended the southwestern tip to emphasize the Bay of Balar, and assumed that area as forested.


==Other versions of the legendarium==
==Other versions of the legendarium==

Revision as of 18:45, 22 October 2010

"...It is a long tale..." — Aragorn
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Map of Beleriand by John Howe
"Beleriand, Beleriand / borders of the faëry land."
Lay of Leithian

Beleriand (S, pron. [beˈlerjand]) was the region of 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. The element Beler/Balar is believed to refer to the Maia Ossë, who often dwelt at the shores of Balar.

Geography

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 (Blue Mountains) 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 Brithon and the River Nenning were the two lesser rivers of the western land of Falas.

In F.A. 583, Beleriand was mostly destroyed and submerged by the War of Wrath of the Valar against Morgoth. Only a small section of East Beleriand remained, and was known as Lindon. (There is however, some evidence[source?] that other parts of it still remained into the Second Age but were completely destroyed with the downfall of Númenor.)

In addition, fulfilling a prophecy, the graves of Túrin Turambar and Morwen survived as the island Tol Morwen. Likewise 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.

Regions and kingdoms of Beleriand:

Cities of Beleriand:

Etymology

Beleriand translates to "The Country of Balar" with the ending -ian(d) for places and countries. The OS form could have been *Balariande (a slid to e because of the following i).

In the The Book of Lost Tales, there is also the Quenya name "Valariandë".

Location

The map of Beleriand as published in the first Silmarillion, shows only a portion of the region, with no common reference points to the well-known Westlands maps of The Lord of the Rings, other than the Blue Mountains.

Karen Wynn Fonstad faced the problem when she attempted to make a world-map of Arda. She found a solution by combining an early map for the LotR[1] and an early map for the Silmarillion[2], aligning Tol Fuin with Taur-nu-Fuin and Himling with Himring. The rest of the outline was filled with the only world-map by Tolkien[3]. She continued the course of Gelion and brought the coast near that of Belfalas, extended the southwestern tip to emphasize the Bay of Balar, and assumed that area as forested.

Other versions of the legendarium

Beleriand had many different names in Tolkien's early writings, as found in The History of Middle-earth: Broceliand, Broseliand, Golodhinand, Noldórinan, Geleriand, Bladorinand, Belaurien, Arsiriand, Lassiriand, Ossiriand (the latter was later used as a name for another realm).

Inspiration

The early names Broceliand/Broseliand affirms that Tolkien was inspired by the legendary forest of Brocéliande.

See Also

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Treason of Isengard, "First Map" p. 302
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, "Part Two: Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings, VI. Quenta Silmarillion", "Second 'Silmarillion' Map" pp. 408-411
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Shaping of Middle-earth, "V. The Ambarkanta"