Kortirion

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This article is about the city. For the poem, see Kortirion among the Trees.
Kortirion
City
Lady Elleth - Kortirion.png
"Kortirion" by Lady Elleth
General Information
Other namesMindon-Gwar (Gnomish), Koromas
LocationAlalminórë, Tol Eressëa
TypeCity
People and History
InhabitantsElves
EventsArrival of Eriol/Ælfwine
GalleryImages of Kortirion

Kortirion was a city in Valinor on a hill and a tall grey tower.

When the Elves came to Tol Eressea, they built the town of Koromas in Alalminórë. Ingil the son of Inwe built a tall grey tower on Kôr. Because Koromas resembled their ancient dwelling with the tower, it was also named Kortirion.[1]

Kortirion was associated with Hengest and came to be known in the tongue of the English as Warwick.[2]

In the published Silmarillion, the Valinorean city became Tirion upon Túna.

Etymology

In the etymology of Tolkien's earliest languages, the name of the hill of Kôr refers to its roundness. It is derived from Primitive Elvish name Guord from which came Qenya Qora and Gnomish Gwar. The Gnomish name of Kortirion was Mindon-Gwar. Both Qenya and Gnomish names mean "Tower of Kôr".[2]

Christopher Tolkien notes that his father intended to relate the Gnomish form gwar- with the first element of Warwick (Welsh: Caergwar), suggesting it to be Elvish in origin.[2]

Other names

The city was also called Koromas, meaning "the Resting of the Exiles of Kôr".[1]

References