Nimloth (elf of Doriath)

(See also Nimloth, the White Tree of Númenor)

Nimloth (died First Age 507) was an elf-maid of Doriath, the daughter of Galathil¹, and was of the royal line of the Kingdom of Doriath.

In First Age 497 she wedded Dior, King Thingol's heir, and for a time lived with him by the Lanthir Lamath waterfall at the base of the Blue Mountains. There she gave birth to Elwing, Eluréd, and Elurín. In 504, after the murder of King Thingol, she returned to Doriath with her husband and became Queen of Doriath. Their reign was short-lived, however, as the Sons of Fëanor assaulted Menegroth and slew both her and Dior. This was the Second Kinslaying. Her youngest children, Eluréd and Elurín, where left in the forest to die by the servants of Celegorm. Elwing, however, escaped to the Havens of Sirion. Years later she would wed Eärendil the Mariner and together they would gain aid from Valinor.

Genealogy

                        ____________
                       |            |
            Melian = Thingol       Elmo
                   |                |
                   |           _____|_____
                   |          |           |
                   |          |           | 
                   |       Galadhon    Celeborn2 = Galadriel
                   |          |
                   |          |
        Beren = Lúthien    Galathil1
              |               |
              |               |
           Dior Eluchíl = NIMLOTH
                        |
                ________|________
               |        |        |
               |        |        |
 Eärendil = Elwing   Eluréd   Elurín
          |
      ____|____
     |         |
     |         |
  Elrond    Elros

See Also

• Royal Sindarin/Teleri Relations

Notes

1. Nimloth ancestry is difficult to reconcile with the established legendarium. She was definitely the daughter of Galathil, but after that her parentage becomes uncertain. In Unfinished Tales, Tolkien attempted to reconcile the ancestry of Celeborn, Lord of Lórien, and the husband of Galadriel. One of his theories was that Celeborn was a descendant of Elmo, younger brother of Thingol, and thus of the royal family of Doriath. This would also make him a kinsman of Nimloth. However, Tolkien never decided whether this ancestry would become definitive.
2. This origin for Celeborn, Lord of Lórien, was never finalized by J.R.R. Tolkien and should be considered suspect. See the Celeborn entry for more details.