Hithlum

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General information
LocationNorth-western Beleriand, within the Ered Wethrin
CapitalBarad Eithel
RegionsDor-lómin, Mithrim
People
PopulationElves of Mithrim, Noldor, House of Hador
LanguageQuenya and Sindarin
GovernanceFingolfin, Fingon
History
Noldor arriveY.T. 1497
Fingolfin becomes High KingF.A. 5
Noldor defeatedF.A. 472
GalleryImages of Hithlum
General information
CapitalBarad Eithel
GalleryImages of

Hithlum (S, pron. [ˈhiθlum]) was a region north of Beleriand near the Helcaraxë.

Description

Hithlum was separated from Beleriand proper by the Ered Wethrin mountain chain, and was named after the sea mists which formed there at times.[1] The Ered Wethrin ("Mountains of Shadow") formed the southern and eastern wall, and had only a few passes; as such they formed a natural defensive line. The western wall was formed by the Ered Lómin or "Echoing Mountains", which curved north-westward to Helcaraxë. The land of Lammoth lay west of the Ered Wethrin and was not part of Beleriand or Hithlum, and the land of Nevrast was separated from Hithlum by the southern part of the Ered Lómin.[2] Hithlum was cold and rainy, but quite fertile.[1]

Hithlum was subdivided in Mithrim, where the High Kings of the Noldor had their halls,[1] and Dor-lómin, which later became a fief of the House of Hador.[3]

History

Hithlum was populated by the Elves of Mithrim who were Sindar. The Ñoldor entered Hithlum via the Firth of Drengist and first camped at the shores of Lake Mithrim. The land was covered by mists and vapours from the Thangorodrim, and thus they named it Hísilómë or Land of Mist.[1] Thingol gave leave to the Noldor to settle it and was ruled by Fingolfin and Fingon from its northern lands.[4]

Later in the First Age, Hithlum was continually under attack by Morgoth, but its natural defenses, fortified by fortresses such as Barad Eithel, proved impassable.[2] Almost a century after the Dagor Aglareb, a small number of Orcs came from the Firth of Drengist from the west, but once they were spotted, Fingon pushed them back into the sea.[4]

During the following peaceful years, Fingolfin welcomed to his service the folk of the House of Hador to whom he gave some lands.[5] The mountains protected Hithlum during the Dagor Bragollach, after which Edain of the First House came from Dorthonion as refugees and joined those of Hador.[6]

Seven years after the Dagor Bragollach, Morgoth sent a great force against Hithlum, attacking the passes of the Ered Wethrin. Galdor died defending the Eithel Sirion; in a second attempt the Falathrim sailed up the Firth of Drengist, then assisted Fingon by striking the unsuspecting orcs from the west.[6]

Hithlum eventually was lost after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad. The Hadorians were scattered, killed, or enslaved, the Noldor who could not flee in time were enslaved in Morgoth's mines. Morgoth gave the Swarthy Men the lands of Hithlum as a reward, but actually they were trapped there.[7]

Hithlum was completely destroyed during the War of Wrath.[8]

Etymology

Hithlum is a North Sindarin word,[9] meaning "Mist-shadow" (hith + lum), a translation from Quenya Hísilómë (pron. [ˌhisiˈloːme], stem Hisilómi-).[10] Its classical Sindarin name is said to be Hithlũ.[9] In the days of Túrin the region was called Aryador in the language of Men.[11]

Tolkien initially marked the word as Noldorin; its second element was cognate to Quenya lumbe.[12]

Hithlum
Helcaraxë Angband
Lammoth WindRose3.pngAnfauglith, Dorthonion
Nevrast Nargothrond Doriath

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beleriand and its Realms"
  2. 2.0 2.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Map of Beleriand and the Lands to the North"
  3. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Coming of Men into the West"
  4. 4.0 4.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
  5. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Men"
  6. 6.0 6.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin"
  7. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Fifth Battle: Nirnaeth Arnoediad"
  8. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
  9. 9.0 9.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson) p. 133
  10. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Index of Names", Hísilómë
  11. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lays of Beleriand, "I. The Lay of the Children of Húrin: I. Túrin's Fostering"
  12. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Three: "The Etymologies", entry LUM- p. 370