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Lindon (Middle-earth)
Encyclopedia
Lindon is the land beyond the Ered Luin, the Blue Mountains, in the northwest of Middle-earth
in the fictional universe
of J. R. R. Tolkien
. It is the westernmost land of the continent. The Gulf of Lune divides it into Forlindon (North Lindon) and Harlindon (South Lindon). Mithlond or the Grey Havens stood near the mouth of the River Lhûn at the gulf's eastern end.
Lindon is notable in Tolkien's works in that it serves as a narrative plot device as the final point of transition from the mortal changing world of Middle-earth to the unchanged Arda
of the past.
during the First Age
, lying between the Ered Luin and the river Gelion.
The Seven Rivers were, from north to south:
Along the northern shore of the Ascar ran the Dwarf-road to Nogrod. North of Ossiriand lay the land of Thargelion, and south of the river Adurant later lay the Land of the Dead that Live, where Lúthien
and Beren
lived their second lives.
Ossiriand was a green and forested land, and it was not populated by the Sindar
. In the early First Age before the rise of the Moon, a part of the Teleri
n Elven
people called Nandor entered Ossiriand under their leader Denethor, and were given permission by Thingol
to settle the lands. After them the land was often renamed Lindon, for The Singers, after the old clan-name of the Telerin which the Nandor still used in their tongue. They became known as the Laiquendi
, or Green Elves. After their leader Denethor was killed in an Orc
-raid they chose no more leaders, and many of them removed to Doriath
.
At the drowning of Beleriand in the War of Wrath
, only parts of Ossiriand and Thargelion survived, along with what became the islands of Tol Fuin and Himling. Belegaer
the Great Sea broke through the mountain chain at the eastern boundary of Beleriand to create the Gulf of Lhûn. In the Second Age
and Third Age
the surviving portion of Ossiriand and Thargelion became part of Lindon, where Gil-galad
and Círdan
ruled.
of Beleriand relocated to Lindon at the beginning of the Second Age
, where they were ruled by Gil-galad
. The Noldor
mainly dwelt in the northern section of Forlindon, while the Sindar
and surviving Laiquendi were in the southern section of Harlindon. Together they built Mithlond, the Grey Havens, on the eastern end of the Gulf of Lhûn along the banks of the River Lhûn in its deep firth; and many Elves sailed from there to Valinor
. Círdan
the Shipwright was the master of the Havens since its founding; Galdor of the Havens, his messenger, was among Mithlond's known inhabitants. The general map of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings
shows other anchorages farther west in the Gulf of Lhûn: Harlond ("south-haven") and Forlond ("north-haven") on the southern and northern shores, respectively.
Lindon was one of the two Noldorin Kingdoms during the Second Age, the other being Eregion
, or Hollin. Because of its cultural and spiritual importance to the Elves, Mithlond in time became the primary Elvish settlement west of the Misty Mountains
prior to the establishment of Eregion and, later, of Imladris
. Even after the death of Gil-galad, as the Elves dwindled in numbers by the year, Mithlond remained a focal point of the history of the northern part of Middle-earth.
During the War of the Elves and Sauron, Sauron attempted to invade and conquer the Havens in order to gain the Three Elven Rings
but was halted and defeated at the Lhûn by Gil-galad with the timely arrival of the great Númenórean armament of Tar-Minastir. The Second Age ended with the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. The Last Alliance was the final great military effort of the Elves and they raised their largest army since the First Age for the war. Gil-galad was killed by Sauron
during the war. The Elves of Lindon suffered severe losses in the war and afterwards most of the surviving Noldor departed for Valinor and much of Lindon became depopulated.
Lindon was ruled by Gil-galad's ally, the Sindar
in elf Círdan
the Shipwright, master of Mithlond. Círdan's task was to build ships for the Elves departing Middle-earth to sail to the West. By the end of the Third Age, the majority of Lindon's population resided in or around the harbour of the Grey Havens, while the rest settled along the shores of the Gulf of Lune. Lindon was one of the few populated areas of northwestern Middle-earth that remained untouched by the War of the Ring
. Sauron never achieved the strength and reach he had in the Second Age and he was unable to make a direct assault, even though the realm was a strategically important location populated by his enemies.
During the Fourth Age
, it was one of the last Elven havens as the remaining Elves of Rivendell
and Lothlórien left Middle-earth. In the beginning of the first century, Fourth Age, it experienced a population growth as migrants from the east came to Mithlond. Not all Elves left Middle-earth immediately, many of the migrants made long-term temporary settlements.
Aside from Elves, Gandalf
, Bilbo Baggins
and Frodo Baggins
also went to Valinor from the Grey Havens, and a family tradition held that Samwise Gamgee
, having been himself a Ring-bearer, albeit briefly, did likewise, in the year 1484 of the Shire Reckoning, Fourth Age 61.
It was also told in the Red Book of Westmarch
, that after Aragorn
's death Legolas
built a grey ship and left Middle-earth to go to Valinor, and that Gimli
went with him.
Círdan stayed in Mithlond into the Fourth Age until as he said, "the last ship sails" and the remaining Eldar passed into the West
. A small Elven community may have remained for quite some time. It is unclear just what the fate of the Elves of Middle-earth was in the early Fourth Age or how long Círdan and his remaining folk dwelled at the Havens and continued to build the great ships that carried the Elves to the Undying Lands.
Middle-earth
Middle-earth is the fictional setting of the majority of author J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings take place entirely in Middle-earth, as does much of The Silmarillion and Unfinished Tales....
in the fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
of J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
. It is the westernmost land of the continent. The Gulf of Lune divides it into Forlindon (North Lindon) and Harlindon (South Lindon). Mithlond or the Grey Havens stood near the mouth of the River Lhûn at the gulf's eastern end.
Lindon is notable in Tolkien's works in that it serves as a narrative plot device as the final point of transition from the mortal changing world of Middle-earth to the unchanged Arda
Arda
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Arda is the name given to the Earth in a period of prehistory, wherein the places mentioned in The Lord of the Rings and related material once existed...
of the past.
First Age
The land Ossiriand, or Land of Seven Rivers, was the most eastern region of BeleriandBeleriand
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional legendarium, Beleriand was a region in northwestern Middle-earth during the First Age. Events in Beleriand are described chiefly in his work The Silmarillion, which tells the story of the early ages of Middle-earth in a style similar to the epic hero tales of Nordic...
during the First Age
First Age
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, the First Age, or First Age of the Children of Ilúvatar is the heroic period in which most of Tolkien's early legends are set...
, lying between the Ered Luin and the river Gelion.
The Seven Rivers were, from north to south:
- River Gelion
- River Ascar or Rathlóriel
- River Thalos
- River Legolin
- River Brilthor
- River Duilwen
- River Adurant
Along the northern shore of the Ascar ran the Dwarf-road to Nogrod. North of Ossiriand lay the land of Thargelion, and south of the river Adurant later lay the Land of the Dead that Live, where Lúthien
Lúthien
Lúthien Tinúviel is a fictional character in the fantasy-world Middle-earth of the English author J. R. R. Tolkien. She appears in The Silmarillion, the epic poem The Lay of Leithian, The Lord of the Rings and the Grey Annals, as well as in other material.-Character overview:Lúthien is a Telerin ...
and Beren
Beren
Beren is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion. Huan spoke to him.-Character overview:...
lived their second lives.
Ossiriand was a green and forested land, and it was not populated by the Sindar
Sindar
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin...
. In the early First Age before the rise of the Moon, a part of the Teleri
Teleri
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Teleri, Those who come last in Quenya were the third of the Elf clans who came to Aman...
n Elven
Elf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
people called Nandor entered Ossiriand under their leader Denethor, and were given permission by Thingol
Thingol
Elu Thingol is a fictional character in J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He appears in The Silmarillion, The Lays of Beleriand and Children of Húrin as well as in numerous stories in the many volumes of The History of Middle-earth...
to settle the lands. After them the land was often renamed Lindon, for The Singers, after the old clan-name of the Telerin which the Nandor still used in their tongue. They became known as the Laiquendi
Laiquendi
In the fictional works of J. R. R. Tolkien the Laiquendi are an ethnic group of Elves, so named because their attire was often green.-History and origin:...
, or Green Elves. After their leader Denethor was killed in an Orc
Orc (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy writings, Orcs or Orks are a race of creatures who are used as soldiers and henchmen by both the greater and lesser villains of The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings — Morgoth, Sauron and Saruman...
-raid they chose no more leaders, and many of them removed to Doriath
Doriath
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional Middle-earth, Doriath is the realm of the Sindar, the Grey Elves of King Thingol in Beleriand. Along with the other great forests of Tolkien's legendarium such as Mirkwood, Fangorn and Lothlórien it serves as the central stage in the theatre of its time, the First Age...
.
At the drowning of Beleriand in the War of Wrath
War of Wrath
The War of Wrath, or the Great Battle, is a key plot development in J.R.R. Tolkien's legendarium, portraying the final war against Morgoth at the end of the First Age....
, only parts of Ossiriand and Thargelion survived, along with what became the islands of Tol Fuin and Himling. Belegaer
Belegaer
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Belegaer, the Great Sea or the Sundering Seas, is the sea of Arda that is west of Middle-earth....
the Great Sea broke through the mountain chain at the eastern boundary of Beleriand to create the Gulf of Lhûn. In the Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
and Third Age
Third Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
the surviving portion of Ossiriand and Thargelion became part of Lindon, where Gil-galad
Gil-galad
Ereinion Gil-galad is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, and featured in The Silmarillion.- Character overview :...
and Círdan
Círdan
Círdan the Shipwright is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. He was a Telerin Elf, a great mariner and shipwright, and lord of the Falas during much of the First Age. He was the bearer of the Great Ring Narya, which he in turn gave to Gandalf.He had a beard, which was rare for...
ruled.
Second Age
Many of the ElvesElf (Middle-earth)
In J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, Elves are one of the races that inhabit a fictional Earth, often called Middle-earth, and set in the remote past. They appear in The Hobbit and in The Lord of the Rings, but their complex history is described more fully in The Silmarillion...
of Beleriand relocated to Lindon at the beginning of the Second Age
Second Age
The Second Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. Tolkien intended for the history of Middle-earth to be considered fictionally as a precursor to the history of the real Earth....
, where they were ruled by Gil-galad
Gil-galad
Ereinion Gil-galad is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium. He is mentioned in The Lord of the Rings, and featured in The Silmarillion.- Character overview :...
. The Noldor
Noldor
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the Noldor are Elves of the Second Clan who migrated to Valinor and lived in Eldamar. The Noldor are called Golodhrim or Gódhellim in Sindarin, and Goldoi by Teleri of Tol Eressëa. The singular form of the Quenya noun is Noldo and the adjective is Noldorin...
mainly dwelt in the northern section of Forlindon, while the Sindar
Sindar
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin...
and surviving Laiquendi were in the southern section of Harlindon. Together they built Mithlond, the Grey Havens, on the eastern end of the Gulf of Lhûn along the banks of the River Lhûn in its deep firth; and many Elves sailed from there to Valinor
Valinor
Valinor is a fictional location in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, the realm of the Valar in Aman. It was also known as the Undying Lands, along with Tol Eressëa and the outliers of Aman. This is something of a misnomer; only immortal beings were allowed to reside there, but the land itself,...
. Círdan
Círdan
Círdan the Shipwright is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. He was a Telerin Elf, a great mariner and shipwright, and lord of the Falas during much of the First Age. He was the bearer of the Great Ring Narya, which he in turn gave to Gandalf.He had a beard, which was rare for...
the Shipwright was the master of the Havens since its founding; Galdor of the Havens, his messenger, was among Mithlond's known inhabitants. The general map of Middle-earth in The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
shows other anchorages farther west in the Gulf of Lhûn: Harlond ("south-haven") and Forlond ("north-haven") on the southern and northern shores, respectively.
Lindon was one of the two Noldorin Kingdoms during the Second Age, the other being Eregion
Eregion
In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien, Eregion or Hollin was a kingdom of the Noldorin Elves in Eriador during the Second Age, located near the West Gate of Moria under the shadow of the Hithaeglir . Its capital was Ost-in-Edhil...
, or Hollin. Because of its cultural and spiritual importance to the Elves, Mithlond in time became the primary Elvish settlement west of the Misty Mountains
Misty Mountains
In J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy world of Middle-earth, the Misty Mountains is a mountain range, running for 795 miles from north to south, between Eriador and the valley of the Great River, Anduin, and...
prior to the establishment of Eregion and, later, of Imladris
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
. Even after the death of Gil-galad, as the Elves dwindled in numbers by the year, Mithlond remained a focal point of the history of the northern part of Middle-earth.
During the War of the Elves and Sauron, Sauron attempted to invade and conquer the Havens in order to gain the Three Elven Rings
Three Rings
In Tolkien's legendarium, the Three Rings are magical artifacts forged by the Elves of Eregion. After the One Ring, they are the most powerful of the twenty Rings of Power....
but was halted and defeated at the Lhûn by Gil-galad with the timely arrival of the great Númenórean armament of Tar-Minastir. The Second Age ended with the Last Alliance of Elves and Men. The Last Alliance was the final great military effort of the Elves and they raised their largest army since the First Age for the war. Gil-galad was killed by Sauron
Sauron
Sauron is the primary antagonist and titular character of the epic fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.In the same work, he is revealed to be the same character as "the Necromancer" from Tolkien's earlier novel The Hobbit...
during the war. The Elves of Lindon suffered severe losses in the war and afterwards most of the surviving Noldor departed for Valinor and much of Lindon became depopulated.
Third Age and the Passing of the Elves
In the Third AgeThird Age
The Third Age is a time period from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth fantasy writings. The history of Middle-earth is to be taken fictionally as a history of the real Earth....
Lindon was ruled by Gil-galad's ally, the Sindar
Sindar
In the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional Sindar are Elves of Telerin descent. They are also known as the Grey Elves. Their language is Sindarin...
in elf Círdan
Círdan
Círdan the Shipwright is a fictional character created by J. R. R. Tolkien. He was a Telerin Elf, a great mariner and shipwright, and lord of the Falas during much of the First Age. He was the bearer of the Great Ring Narya, which he in turn gave to Gandalf.He had a beard, which was rare for...
the Shipwright, master of Mithlond. Círdan's task was to build ships for the Elves departing Middle-earth to sail to the West. By the end of the Third Age, the majority of Lindon's population resided in or around the harbour of the Grey Havens, while the rest settled along the shores of the Gulf of Lune. Lindon was one of the few populated areas of northwestern Middle-earth that remained untouched by the War of the Ring
War of the Ring
In the fictional high fantasy-world of J. R. R. Tolkien, the War of the Ring was fought between Sauron and the free peoples of Middle-earth for control of the One Ring and dominion over the continent. The War of the Ring took place at the end of the Third Age. Together with the Quest of Mount Doom,...
. Sauron never achieved the strength and reach he had in the Second Age and he was unable to make a direct assault, even though the realm was a strategically important location populated by his enemies.
During the Fourth Age
Fourth Age
In the fictional world of middle earth "'the fourth age'" and the ages that preceded it, are time periods from J. R. R. Tolkien's universe of Middle-earth, described in his fantasy writings...
, it was one of the last Elven havens as the remaining Elves of Rivendell
Rivendell
Rivendell is an Elven outpost in Middle-earth, a fictional realm created by J. R. R. Tolkien. It was established and ruled by Elrond in the Second Age of Middle-earth...
and Lothlórien left Middle-earth. In the beginning of the first century, Fourth Age, it experienced a population growth as migrants from the east came to Mithlond. Not all Elves left Middle-earth immediately, many of the migrants made long-term temporary settlements.
Aside from Elves, Gandalf
Gandalf
Gandalf is a character in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. In these stories, Gandalf appears as a wizard, member and later the head of the order known as the Istari, as well as leader of the Fellowship of the Ring and the army of the West...
, Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins
Bilbo Baggins is the protagonist and titular character of The Hobbit and a supporting character in The Lord of the Rings, two of the most well-known of J. R. R...
and Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins
Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium.He is the main protagonist of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. He was a hobbit of the Shire who inherited Sauron's Ring from Bilbo Baggins and undertook the quest to destroy it in the fires of Mount Doom...
also went to Valinor from the Grey Havens, and a family tradition held that Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee
Samwise Gamgee, later known as Samwise Gardner and commonly as Sam, is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. Samwise is one of the chief characters in Tolkien's novel The Lord of the Rings, in which he fills an archetypical role as the sidekick of the protagonist, Frodo...
, having been himself a Ring-bearer, albeit briefly, did likewise, in the year 1484 of the Shire Reckoning, Fourth Age 61.
It was also told in the Red Book of Westmarch
Red Book of Westmarch
The Red Book of Westmarch is a fictional manuscript written by hobbits, a conceit of author J. R. R...
, that after Aragorn
Aragorn
Aragorn II is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, one of the main protagonists of The Lord of the Rings. He is first introduced by the name Strider, which the hobbits continue to call him...
's death Legolas
Legolas
Legolas is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. He is an Elf of the Woodland Realm and one of nine members of the Fellowship of the Ring.- Literature :...
built a grey ship and left Middle-earth to go to Valinor, and that Gimli
Gimli (Middle-earth)
Gimli is a fictional character from J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, featured in The Lord of the Rings. A Dwarf warrior, he is the son of Glóin ....
went with him.
Círdan stayed in Mithlond into the Fourth Age until as he said, "the last ship sails" and the remaining Eldar passed into the West
Aman
-External links:*...
. A small Elven community may have remained for quite some time. It is unclear just what the fate of the Elves of Middle-earth was in the early Fourth Age or how long Círdan and his remaining folk dwelled at the Havens and continued to build the great ships that carried the Elves to the Undying Lands.
External links
- Beyond the Grey Havens: Lord of the Rings Fanatics Library
- 'Into The West' performed by Annie Lennox. This song refers to Frodo's journey ending and his leaving for Valinor. It won an Oscar in 2003.
- Lindon at the Encyclopedia of Arda