Elves of Lindon

From Tolkien Gateway
Elves of Lindon
People
Liz Danforth - Elves of Lindon.jpg
Elves of Lindon by Liz Danforth
General Information
Other namesEldar of Lindon
OriginsSurvivors of the destruction of Beleriand in the War of Wrath
LocationsLindon
AffiliationLast Alliance of Elves and Men, Host of the West, White Council
RivalriesSauron
LanguagesWestron, Sindarin, Quenya, Nandorin
MembersCirdan, Gil-galad, Galdor
Physical Description
LifespanImmortal

The Elves of Lindon were those Elves who dwelt in Lindon in the west of Middle-earth, between the Blue Mountains and the Great Sea.

History[edit | edit source]

Rule of Gil-galad[edit | edit source]

In S.A. 1,[1] the Elves built the Grey Havens in the newly-formed Gulf of Lune where the Eldar sailed the Straight Road, but most of them were unwilling at first to forsake the lands they fought in and preferred to linger there.[2] This was the foundation of Lindon and its people.[1] Among those that remained were Círdan the Shipwright, Celeborn of Doriath, Galadriel, Elrond, and Celebrimbor.[3] Gil-galad was the last heir of the kings of the Noldor in exile, and acknowledged as High King of the Elves of the West and so, he was their king.[2][1]

In the beginning of the Second Age, most of the Noldor that remained in Middle-earth dwelt in Lindon but,[1] many Teleri, survivors of Doriath and Ossiriand, left Lindon before S.A. 1000 to establish realms among the Silvan Elves.[4] Galadriel and Celeborn brought many Noldor, Sindar, and Green-elves[5] out of Lindon into Eriador to dwell there for some time.[5] Many of the Noldor in Lindon lead by Celebrimbor established the realm of Eregion in S.A. 750 near the West-gate of Khazad-Dûm due to the recent discovery of mithril in Khazad-Dûm.[1]

A fair being calling himself Annatar, an emissary of the Valar, came seeking entrance. Gil-galad and Master Elrond sensed that he was not what he seemed, and denied him. Messengers were sent from Lindon with warnings; but they were unheeded, and Annatar was received gladly, mostly in Eregion. However, Gil-galad and Elrond were proven correct, as Annatar was indeed Sauron and later, there was war in Eriador.[2] Elrond led the Elves of Lindon in battle to defend Eregion. With them, and other Elves who fled the destruction of Eregion, he established Imladris in S.A. 1697.[1] In the Dark Years, Sauron had conquered most of the Westlands, but in S.A. 1700 Tar-Minastir sent a fleet to Lindon, aiding the Elves of Lindon to drive Sauron out of Eriador.[1][2] After those events, the Elves of Lindon were diminished and did not extend their realm east of the Blue Mountains anymore.[6]

When Ar-Pharazôn captured Sauron and took him to Númenor, the Westlands found peace, and Gil-galad was free to extend his power and influence so that the Elves of Lindon controlled most of the Westlands, even to the borders of Greenwood the Great, until the Downfall of Númenor, when Sauron returned to Middle-earth.[2]

At the end of the Age, Gil-galad joined the Last Alliance and led the Elves of Lindon to the War of the Last Alliance. Some of the Silvan Elves felt hostility towards the Noldor of Lindon, and did not cooperate, suffering heavy losses.[4]

Decline[edit | edit source]

Northern Waste by Angelo Montanini

After the fall of Gil-galad (during the time of the Kings of Arnor), there was still a remnant of his people, the Noldor, who dwelt at the Grey Havens of further inland in Lindon, who, aside from Rivendell, were most of the remaining Noldor of Middle-earth.[7][2] The Elves of Lindon would often wander into Eriador but they mostly dwelt by the sea building the elven-ships in which many Eldar would depart to Valinor.[2] Cirdan remained the Lord of the Havens and ruled the Elves of Lindon.[7][2]

During the Third Age, the Elves of Lindon under Cirdan supported Arnor in the Angmar War. They assisted Arveleg I and Cardolan drive off the Hill-men from the Weather Hills. Later, with Círdan's help, Arveleg's young son, Araphor, drove Angmar's armies from Fornost and the North Downs. Combining forces with Rivendell, and the Galadhrim who joined them from beyond the Misty Mountains, they subdued Angmar for some time.[7] They also assisted King Araval in a coalition with Rivendell, in another battle against Angmar in T.A. 1851.[8] In T.A. 1975, Elves from Lindon brought a ship to Forochel to rescue Arvedui Last-king. The crew endured a perilous journey, but Arvedui rashly attempted to return that winter, and all aboard perished. The next year, the Elves of Lindon joined the Host of the West, and Cirdan led them to victory in the Battle of Fornost.[7][9]

In the later Third Age some Elves from Lindon could be seen traversing the Shire, especially during Spring and Autumn. It was some of the few occasions that Hobbits could see Elves.[10] During the War of the Ring, Galdor was sent to Rivendell on an errand for Círdan and he represented the Elves of Lindon at the Council of Elrond.[11]

The Last Ship, carrying Círdan and Celeborn, sailed at some unknown date after Fo.A. 171.[12][13]

Population[edit | edit source]

The original Elves of Lindon in the Elder Days, were Laiquendi, the Green-elves of Ossiriand. Even after the Elder Days passed, after they were joined by other Elves of Beleriand, the Laiquendi remained; some of them removed to Eriador[5] and others went to Rhovanion to live among the Silvan Elves.[2]

Gil-galad's people were mainly Noldor[14] (especially from Gondolin, but also from the Houses of Finarfin and Fëanor); early in the Second Age, most of the Noldor that remained in Middle-earth lived in Lindon.[1] During this time, the few Exiles that remained lived in Lindon.[15] Even in the Third Age, the Elves of Lindon consisted most of the Noldor that still lingered in Middle-earth.[7]

The Elves of Harlindon, the people of Lindon south of the Gulf of Lhûn, were mostly Sindar, ruled by Celeborn for some time.[1][16] Before the building of the Barad-dûr, many Sindar, survivors of Doriath uneasy living among the Noldor of Gil-galad, went to east to establish realms among the Silvan Elves.[4][1][2] Some of these Sindar also removed to the shores of Lake Nenuial.[5]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B, "The Second Age"
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Appendix B: The Sindarin Princes of the Silvan Elves"
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", "Concerning Galadriel and Celeborn"
  6. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "X. Of Dwarves and Men", "Notes", Note 75
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Eriador, Arnor, and the Heirs of Isildur"
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "VII. The Heirs of Elendil", pp. 195, 209-210
  9. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "Gondor and the Heirs of Anárion"
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "Three is Company"
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, "The Council of Elrond"
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, "Prologue"
  13. J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, Appendix A, "The Númenorean Kings", "The Tale of Aragorn and Arwen"
  14. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "X. Of Dwarves and Men", "Notes", Note 65
  15. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Peoples of Middle-earth, "II. The Appendix on Languages"
  16. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), Unfinished Tales, "The History of Galadriel and Celeborn", Note 2