Lindon: Difference between revisions

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After their leader Denethor was killed in an [[Orcs|Orc]]-raid the Green-elves chose no more leaders, and many of them removed to [[Doriath]].<ref>{{LR|Quenta}}, p. 263 (§114)</ref><ref>{{S|10}}</ref>
After their leader Denethor was killed in an [[Orcs|Orc]]-raid the Green-elves chose no more leaders, and many of them removed to [[Doriath]].<ref>{{LR|Quenta}}, p. 263 (§114)</ref><ref>{{S|10}}</ref>


Lindon was the only part of Beleriand that survived the [[War of Wrath]], the rest of the land having been broken or submerged by the tumults.<ref name=PMII78>{{PM|II}}, p. 78</ref> However, [[Belegaer]] the Great Sea broke through the mountain chain at the former riverbed of [[Ascar]], creating the [[Gulf of Lhûn]].
Lindon was the only part of Beleriand that survived the [[War of Wrath]], the rest of the land having been broken or submerged by the tumults.<ref name=PMII78>{{PM|II}}, p. 78</ref> However, [[Belegaer]] the Great Sea broke through the mountain chain at the former riverbed of [[Ascar]], creating the [[Gulf of Lhûn]].{{fact}}


===The Second Age: Kingdom of Gil-galad===
===The Second Age: Kingdom of Gil-galad===
Line 58: Line 58:
===The Third Age: Rule of Círdan===
===The Third Age: Rule of Círdan===


After the War of the Last Alliance, most of the Ñoldor finally departed for [[Valinor]], and Lindon became depopulated, now ruled by Gil-galad's lieutenant, the [[Sindar]]in elf [[Círdan]] the Shipwright, who kept building ships for the departing Elves.
After the War of the Last Alliance, most of the Ñoldor finally departed for [[Valinor]], and Lindon became depopulated, now ruled by Gil-galad's lieutenant, the [[Sindar]]in elf [[Círdan]] the Shipwright,{{fact}} who kept building ships for the departing Elves.


==Names and Etymology==
==Names and Etymology==

Revision as of 19:57, 19 October 2010

"...It is a long tale..." — Aragorn
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Lindon
Ted Nasmith - Elves in the Woody End.jpg
General information
LocationWest of the Ered Luin (Easternmost Beleriand before the Second Age)
GalleryImages of Lindon

Lindon was an Elvish realm west of the Ered Luin (Blue Mountains). During the Second and Third Ages, Lindon was the westernmost land of the continent of Middle-earth. The Gulf of Lune divided the realm into Forlindon (North Lindon) and Harlindon (South Lindon).

History

Ossiriand and the Coming of the Nandor

File:Ossiriandmap.jpg
Map of Ossiriand

In the Elder Days, a green, forested and little peopled region in easternmost Beleriand at the western feet of the Blue Mountains was named Ossiriand ("Land of Seven Rivers") by the Sindar. Ossiriand was so named because the River Gelion and its tributaries watered the lands.[1][2][3] The Seven Rivers were, from north to south:[3]

  1. River Gelion
  2. River Ascar or Rathlóriel
  3. River Thalos
  4. River Legolin
  5. River Brilthor
  6. River Duilwen
  7. River Adurant, with Tol Galen

North of Ossiriand lay the land of Thargelion, and south of the river Adurant later lay Dor Firn-i-Chuinar. Along the northern shore of the Ascar ran the Dwarf-Road to Nogrod.

In the early First Age before the rise of the Moon,[4] a part of the Telerin Elven people called Nandor entered Ossiriand under their leader Denethor, and were given permission by Thingol to settle the lands.[3][5] These Nandor became known as the Green-elves, and they named their country Lindon (after their clan-name Lindi).[1]

After their leader Denethor was killed in an Orc-raid the Green-elves chose no more leaders, and many of them removed to Doriath.[6][7]

Lindon was the only part of Beleriand that survived the War of Wrath, the rest of the land having been broken or submerged by the tumults.[8] However, Belegaer the Great Sea broke through the mountain chain at the former riverbed of Ascar, creating the Gulf of Lhûn.[source?]

The Second Age: Kingdom of Gil-galad

Gil-galad founded the Kingdom of Lindon and the Havens (Mithlond, and possibly also Harlond and Forlond) in S.A. 1.[9] Many of the surviving Elves of drowned Beleriand, especially the exiled Noldor, relocated to Lindon at the beginning of the Second Age, where they were ruled by Gil-galad.[8]

The Noldor mainly dwelt in Forlindon, and the Sindar (and surviving Green-elves[source?]) in Harlindon (a fief under the rule of Celeborn).[10][11] Together, they built Mithlond (the Grey Havens) on the Gulf, and many Elves left from there to Valinor. Lindon was one of the two Noldorin Kingdoms during the Second Age (the other being Eregion), until Gil-galad was killed by Sauron during the War of the Last Alliance.

In the tumult following the Downfall of Númenor, Lindon suffered great loss as "the sea rode in upon the land", and therefore had shrunk when the Third Age began.[12]

The Third Age: Rule of Círdan

After the War of the Last Alliance, most of the Ñoldor finally departed for Valinor, and Lindon became depopulated, now ruled by Gil-galad's lieutenant, the Sindarin elf Círdan the Shipwright,[source?] who kept building ships for the departing Elves.

Names and Etymology

  • Etymology:[13] lin- + ?

Lindon (Q, pron. [ˈlindon]) means "land of music",[14] or "Land of the singers".[15] It has been suggested that the name literally means "lofty song".[16]

Lindon was derived from Nandorin(?) *Lindānā. The Sindar and Noldor adopted the name Lindon; the former also called the country Dor Lindon, and the latter Lindóne (or Lindónë[17]).[1]

Other Versions of the Legendarium

In early versions of the The Lord of the Rings Appendices, Gil-galad is said to have founded Lindon in S.A. 10.[18]

Portrayals in Adaptations

Middle-earth Role Playing:

A supplement on Lindon was never released by ICE, although there were such plans,[19] and Jeff J. Erwin and Oliver Schick were commissioned to write supplements on Lindon and Mithlond, respectively (both supplements were nearly finished at the time ICE lost their license from Tolkien Enterprises).[20] However, scattered information on Lindon and its prominent individuals can be found in several supplements.[21][22][23][24]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Four. Quendi and Eldar: C. The Clan-names, with notes on other names for divisions of the Eldar", p. 385
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Two. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beleriand its Realms (Chapter 11)", p. 195
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "The Grey Annals": §1350, p. 13
  4. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Three. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: (I) The First Phase: 3. Of the Coming of the Elves", p. 164 (§29)
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Morgoth's Ring, "Part Two. The Annals of Aman: Fourth section of the Annals of Aman", p. 93 (§86)
  6. 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", p. 263 (§114)
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Sindar"
  8. 8.0 8.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "II. The Appendix on Languages", p. 78
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age"
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "Of Dwarves and Men", p. 328 (Note 65)
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", (Introduction & Note 2)
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VI. The Tale of Years of the Second Age", p. 183
  13. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names"
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beleriand and its Realms"
  15. The translation "Land of the singers", conceived to be a name in the Ossiriandic tongue, has been suggested by David Salo, Arden Smith, Patrick Wynne, et al. (linguistic contribution to MERP: Arnor, The Land)
  16. Jeff J. Erwin (ca. 1997/98), MERP: Lindon [unpublished manuscript]
  17. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The History of Middle-earth Index
  18. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VI. The Tale of Years of the Second Age", pp. 168, 173
  19. John Crowdis (1990), Rogues of the Borderlands (#8014), p. 15
  20. Oliver Schick, Mailing list message of 9 Oct 2007, at Yahoo groups Fan modules
  21. John Crowdis (1990), Rogues of the Borderlands (#8014), pp. 3-4, 10-11, 14-15
  22. Mark Rabuck (1992), Northwestern Middle-earth Gazetteer (#4002), pp. 16, 44-46
  23. Wesley J. Frank, et al. (1996), Arnor: The People (#2022), pp. 61, 148
  24. Wesley J. Frank, et al. (1997), Arnor: The Land (#2023), pp. 68-69
Remnants of Drowned Beleriand
 Isles:  Himring · Tol Fuin · Tol Morwen
Mainland:  Lindon