Dol Amroth

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The name Amroth refers to more than one character, item or concept. For a list of other meanings, see Amroth (disambiguation).
Dol Amroth
Promontory, castle, and city
Jan Pospisil - Dol Amroth.jpg
General Information
LocationBelfalas
TypePromontory, castle, and city
RegionsGondor
Reunited Kingdom
InhabitantsMen
GalleryImages of Dol Amroth

Dol Amroth was a promontory situated on a peninsula in Gondor facing the Bay of Belfalas.

The emblem of the Prince of Dol Amroth was a silver-upon-blue banner, bearing a ship with a swan-prow upon the sea.[1]

Description

Its northern shore defined part of Cobas Haven, the small bay into which the Morthond River flowed.[2] Upon the headland the Princes of Dol Amroth established a castle and thus Dol Amroth referred to this stronghold and to the neighboring port-city, the chief city of the fief of Belfalas.[3] Within the walls of the city was the Sea-ward Tower or Tirith Aear, [4] which had a bell that was rung for the benefit of mariners.[5]

History

Elven refugees from Beleriand[6] settled the area and established an Elven settlement about 50 miles north of the promontory, at Edhellond[7]

During the Second Age, a Numenorean family of the Faithful settled near the Elves. Elendil who was of their king, gave them title to rule the fief of Belfalas. They built their stronghold upon the promontory.

According to one story, Galadriel and Celeborn dwelt among the Elves of Dol Amroth.[8] When the Elvish king Amroth was lost at sea in T.A. 1981 the last of these Elves left the realm[9] which from then on became a realm of Men.

It was from the name of this king that Dol Amroth (the "Hill of Amroth") took its name. The first Prince of Dol Amroth was Galador, the son of Imrazôr, who according to legend married the Elven-lady Mithrellas.[10]

Being a coastal city, Dol Amroth was subject to occasional attacks by the Corsairs of Umbar. The fifteenth prince was slain in battle against these sea raiders in T.A. 2746.[11]

In all there were twenty-one Princes of Dol Amroth before the twenty-second, Imrahil, led a company of knights and a contingent of 700 men from the city to Minas Tirith during the War of the Ring.[3]

Population

The first settlers of the area were Sindar from Beleriand until Faithful from Numenor came to the promonitory. The last Elves left in TA 1981.

The people of Dol Amroth were tall, grey-eyed, and dark-haired.[3] They were famous as the most skillful harp players in all of Gondor, who played at the coronation of Aragorn.[12] The inhabitants of Dol Amroth and in the lands nearby were some of the few people of Gondor who spoke Sindarin on a daily basis.[13]


References