Beleriand
In
J. R. R. Tolkien's
legendarium,
Beleriand was a region in northwestern
Middle-earth during the
First Age. Originally, the name belonged only to the area around the
Bay of Balar, but in time, the name was applied to the entire land. Beleriand was originally inhabited by
Elves, and later also by
Men.
To the west and south it had a long shore with the Great Sea
Belegaer, to the north were the highland regions of
Hithlum,
Dorthonion and the hills of
Himring, to the east the
Ered Luin reached nearly to the sea. The land of
Nevrast in the northwest was sometimes considered part of Beleriand.
The
River Sirion, the chief river of Beleriand, running north to south, divided it into
West Beleriand and
East Beleriand. Crossing it east to west was a series of hills and a sudden drop in elevation known as Andram, the Long Wall. (The river sank into the ground at the Fens of Sirion, and reemerged below the Andram at the Gates of Sirion). To the east of the Long Wall, was the
River Gelion and its six tributaries draining the Ered Luin, in an area known as Ossiriand, or the Land of Seven Rivers. The River Brethin and the River Nenning were the two lesser rivers of the western land of Falas.
In , Beleriand was mostly destroyed in the
War of Wrath by the
Valar against
Morgoth. Only a small section of East Beleriand remained, and was known as
Lindon. Evidence shows that other parts of East Beleriand survived into the
Second Age, but were completely destroyed with
Númenor.
In addition, fulfilling a prophecy, the graves of
Túrin Turambar and
Morwen survived as the island
Tol Morwen. Likewise, a part of
Dorthonion became
Tol Fuin, and the
Hill of Himring became the island of Himling. All of these together were known as the
Western Isles.
Realms of Beleriand:
*
Amon Ereb (founded )*
Arvernien (founded )*
Angband (founded )*
Doriath (f.k.a. Eglador; )*
East Beleriand (founded )**
Himlad (founded )**
Thargelion (founded )**
Maglor's Gap (founded )*
Gondolin (founded )*
Hithlum (founded )**
Dor-lómin (founded )**
Nevrast (founded )*
March of Maedhros (founded )**
Estolad (founded )*
Nargothrond (founded )*
Ossiriand (l.k.a. Lindon; founded )*
Pass of Aglon (founded )*Beleriand had many different names in Tolkien's early writings:
** Broceliand, Broseliand (borrowed from medieval romance)
** Golodhinand, Noldórinan ("valley of the Gnomes")
** Geleriand
** Bladorinand
** Belaurien
** Arsiriand
** Lassiriand
** Ossiriand (later used as a name for the easternmost part of Beleriand).
*The element
Beler/
Balar is believed to refer to the
Maia Ossë, who often dwelt at the shores of Balar.
*
Parma Endorion: Essays on Middle-earth (3rd edition) by Michael Martinez
