Nevrast

From Tolkien Gateway
Nevrast
Christopher Tolkien - Nevrast.jpg
General information
LocationWest Beleriand, south-west of Hithlum
CapitalVinyamar
People
PopulationNoldor/Sindarin Elves
LanguageQuenya
GovernanceTurgon
History
FoundedAfter Y.T. 1497
AbandonedF.A. 116
Followed byGondolin
GalleryImages of Nevrast

The land of Nevrast lay on the coast of the Great Sea in Middle-earth in the First Age. The name meant Hither Shore in Sindarin as opposed to the Distant Shore of Aman, and the name was originally applied to all the shores of Beleriand. Some people considered the land of Nevrast to be part of Beleriand, while others considered it part of Hithlum.[1]

Nevrast was sheltered by mountains that separated it from Hithlum proper, so its weather was more like the lands of West Beleriand than the lands to its northeast. It received ample rains from the sea which drained into the great mere of Linaewen in the midst of the land, for Nevrast was enclosed by mountains with no outward flowing rivers.[2]

History[edit | edit source]

Nevrast was the first part of Beleriand the Noldor settled, but it had been previously inhabited by Sindar. Nevrast's population was soon very mixed, far more so than any other region of Beleriand.

Nevrast was the centre of an Elven kingdom of Turgon for about a century until ca. F.A. 116, when the people began their trek to Gondolin.[3] Turgon's capital (and it seems the only city of Nevrast) was Vinyamar.[2] The land was not permanently inhabited after that, and indeed was utterly abandoned until Tuor came there, guided by Ulmo.[4]

Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]

An early, rejected form of the name Nevrast was Nivrost ("West Vale" or "West-dales").[5][6][7]

See also[edit | edit source]

References

Nevrast
Helcaraxe Lammoth Hithlum
Belegaer WindRose3.pngDoriath
Falas Nargothrond