Breaking Down ‘Of Beleriand and its Realms’ in The Silmarillion
A breakdown of Tolkien’s ‘Of Beleriand and its Realms’, Chapter 14 in The Silmarillion. As usual I share a mini summary with my thoughts, 10 tidbits and 5 quotes!
A Mini Summary and Some Personal Thoughts
Chapter 14 of the Silmarillion is known for being a tough one. When a chapter basically describes a map, it’s not going to be the easiest read. My best piece of advice is to read this chapter with a map of Beleriand in front of you – it makes such a difference! I love this one from Sirielle.Art.
There are some pretty beautiful descriptions in this chapter – Tolkien is so good at describing places and settings! I think it’s pretty amazing (though not surprising) that Tolkien imagined the land of Beleriand with such precise detail.
Let’s get into the tidbits!
Ten Tidbits About ‘Of Beleriand and its Realms’
In the North:
1. Melkor’s made his home the fortress Angband.
Melkor raised Red Engrin, the Iron Mountains, to fence in his previous home base, Utumno. Then behind those mountains he build another fortress to live in, which he called Angband.
In the West:
2. Fingolfin and Fingon ruled Hithlum, the Land of Mist.
It was separated from the rest of Beleriand by Ered Lómin the Echoing Mountains, and Red Within, the Shadowy Mountains.
- Fingolfin’s people lived in Mithrim around the shores of the great lake.
- Fingon was assigned to look after Dor-lómin, to the west of the mountains of Mithrim.
- The chief fortress was Eithel Sirion.
3. Turgon ruled Nevrast.
Nevrast, the realm of Turgon, son of Fingolfin, was located west of For-lómin, beyond the Echoing Mountains. It was called the Hither Shores in Sindarin, bounded by the sea and Ered Lómin.
4. Finrod ruled Nargothrond, and Círdan ruled Brithombar and Eglarest.
Between Dorthonion and the Shadowy Mountain flowed the River Sirion. Finrod held the Pass of Sirion and upon the isle of Tol Sirion he built a mighty watch-tower Minas Tirith. After Nargothrond was made, he passed this fortress to his brother, Orodreth.
Finrod was overlord over all the Elves of Beleriand between Sirion and the sea, ‘save only in the Falas’. Círdan was lord over the Sindar elves there who loved ships. Brithombar and Eglarest were built.
In the East:
5. Angrod and Aegnor ruled Dorthonion.
Dorthonion, south of Ard-galen with great pine forests, was ruled by Angrod and Aegnor, the sons of Finarfin.
6. Dimbar was where the eagles lived.
7. Melian and Thingol ruled Doriath.
Lord Thingol and Melian the Maia ruled over Doriath, including: the Forest of Neldoreth, the Caves of Menegroth, Nivrim the West March, and Aelin-uial the Twilight Meres in the south-west where lay great pools and marshes.
8. The sons of Fëanor dwelt in the March of Maedhros.
This included Lothlann, led by Maedhros and Maglor, and Himring.
9. Caranthir ruled Thargelion, the Land beyond Gelion.
But all the great land between Gelion and the mountains, and between Rerir and the River Ascar, was called by the Noldor Thargelion, which signifies the Land beyond Gelion, or Dor Caranthir, the Land of Caranthir; and it was here that the Noldor first met the Dwarves. But Thargelion was before called by the Grey-elves Talath Rhúnen, the East Vale.
In the South:
10. The Green-elves dwelt in Ossiriand.
In Ossiriand dwelt the Green-elves, in the protection of their rivers; for after Sirion Ulmo loved Gelion above all the waters of the western world. The woodcraft of the Elves of Ossiriand was such that a stranger might pass through their land from end to end and see none of them. They were clad in green in spring and summer, and the sound of their singing could be heard even across the waters of Gelion; wherefore the Noldor named that country Lindon, the land of music, and the mountains beyond they named Ered Lindon, for they first saw them from Ossiriand.
5 Fav Quotes from ‘Of Beleriand and its Realms’
Before the gates of Angband filth and desolation spread southward for many miles over the wide plain of Ard-galen; but after the coming of the Sun rich grass arose there, and while Angband was besieged and its gates shut there were green things even among the pits and broken rocks before the doors of hell.
It was a hollow land, surrounded by mountains and great coast-cliffs higher than the plains behind, and no river flowed thence; and there was a great mere in the midst of Nevrast, with no certain shores, being encircled by wide marshes. Linaewen was the name of that mere, because of the multitude of birds that dwelt there, of such as love tall reeds and shallow pools.
It was a hollow land, surrounded by mountains and great coast-cliffs higher than the plains behind, and no river flowed thence; and there was a great mere in the midst of Nevrast, with no certain shores, being encircled by wide marshes. Linaewen was the name of that mere, because of the multitude of birds that dwelt there, of such as love tall reeds and shallow pools.
It was a hollow land, surrounded by mountains and great coast-cliffs higher than the plains behind, and no river flowed thence; and there was a great mere in the midst of Nevrast, with no certain shores, being encircled by wide marshes. Linaewen was the name of that mere, because of the multitude of birds that dwelt there, of such as love tall reeds and shallow pools.
They were clad in green in spring and summer, and the sound of their singing could be heard even across the waters of Gelion; wherefore the Noldor named that country Lindon, the land of music, and the mountains beyond they named Ered Lindon, for they first saw them from Ossiriand.
Further Study
I love listening to podcasts to gain more insights and thoughts on Tolkien’s works. Here a couple I listened to about this chapter:
The Silmarillion Second Breakfast Book Club
That’s Chapter 14, ‘Of Beleriand and its Realms’! If you’ve missed any previous posts on The Silmarillion in our Second Breakfast Book Club, then check out the Reading Schedule. You can find updates on future chapters there as well. Next up, Chapter 15!