Berelach
Berelach | |
---|---|
Gondorian | |
Biographical Information | |
Location | Harlond, Pen-arduin, Pelargir |
Affiliation | King's Ships |
Language | Westron |
Birth | Early Fourth Age |
Family | |
Parentage | Borlas and an unnamed woman |
Siblings | Unnamed elder sister[1] |
Physical Description | |
Gender | Male |
- "Peace makes things slack"
- ― Berelach, in The Peoples of Middle-earth, "The New Shadow"
Berelach was the son of Borlas of Pen-arduin,[1] and the grandson of Beregond.[2]
History[edit | edit source]
Berelach was the youngest child and only son of Borlas. During his youth, he was a friend of Saelon.[2]
Berelach served in the King's Ships, and for several years he was stationed at Harlond. He sometimes visited his father at Pen-arduin to ease his grief and loneliness, often accompanied by Saelon.
During the year Fo.A. 217, his visits became short and not very often, as he had been given a high command, and thus spent many of his days at sea. But even when he was on land, his duty often kept him within Pelargir.[1]
When Berelach had last visited his father before leaving again in April, he told him of a recent incident in which a few Shipmen and a small vessel of the Fleet had disappeared. Berelach makes the assumption that the shipmen must have left without leave on some task of their own and drowned. Berelach reasons that the shipmen were unskilled and deserved their fate, serving as evidence that the King's Ships have too few skilled sailers and that fish are more profitable.[2]
Later that year, Borlas quoted Berelach's tale to Saelon, only for Saelon to contradict Berelach by saying that the Shipmen were skilled sons of fishermen and that there had been no storms along the coast for a long time,[2] though it was unknown whether it was Berelach or Saelon who spoke the truth of the tale.
Etymology[edit | edit source]
The name Berelach is in Sindarin, however its meaning is unclear. According to Paul Strack, the name might contain the element lach ("leaping flame").[3]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
Other versions of the legendarium[edit | edit source]
In the first manuscript of the story (Manuscript A), Berelach's name was originally written as Berthil, before being changed to Bergil,[5] and then finally to Berelach, the current form (Manuscript B and ‘’Manuscript C).
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XVI. The New Shadow", note 14, p. 421
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XVI. The New Shadow", pp. 416-7
- ↑ Paul Strack, "S. Berelach m.", Eldamo - An Elvish Lexicon (accessed 3 October 2022)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, "Minas Tirith"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "XVI. The New Shadow", note 15, p. 421