Rivers of Beleriand

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Beleriand, a location from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, contains many rivers. Most are described below.

See also: Rivers of Middle-earth and Rivers of Gondor


Directory: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

[edit] A

  • Adurant was a tributary of Gelion.
It was the last of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
The name means Doublestream in Sindarin, referring to a parting of the river about the isle of Tol Galen.
  • Aelin-uial was a marshy confluence of Aros in Sirion
The Sindarin name translates as Meres of Twilight. This area had a strong connection to Ulmo, who was able to send visions to both Finrod and Turgon bidding them to seek a place where a stronghold hidden from the eyes of Morgoth could be established.
Later, when Húrin slew Mîm in the ruins of Nargothrond, he was intercepted in this area by Elves of Doriath and brought before Thingol, bearing the Nauglamír.
  • Aros was a northern tributary of Sirion.
It rose in the northern lands around Himring and met Sirion at Aelin-uial. It formed the southern border of the Kingdom of Doriath.
It connected the Esgalduin on the west and Aros on the east. Besides providing the only pass between Himlad and Dor Dínen, the crossing was part of an ancient road running from Vinyamar to Ered Luin.
It was the northern-most tributary of Gelion, and the second river of Ossiriand. After the Sack of Doriath by Dwarves, Beren Erchamion fought and killed the looters there. Doriath's treasure was lost in Ascar, and it was renamed Rathlóriel ('Goldenbed').

[edit] B

  • Brithon was a minor river of the Falas
Its name was Northern Sindarin, probably meaning "pebbly".
  • Brilthor was a tributary of Gelion.
It was the fifth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.

[edit] C

  • Celebros was a tributary of Taeglin that flowed past Brethil forest.
Glaurung was slain by Túrin near where this river met Taeglin, and Nienor Níniel committed suicide by jumping in it.
It met up with the river Aros later in its course, eventually flowing into Sirion.

[edit] D

  • Duilwen was a tributary of Gelion.
It was the sixth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.

[edit] E

  • Esgalduin was the main river of Doriath.
Sindarin for Enchanted River, the Esgalduin flowed from the hills of Dorthonion through Doriath past the caves of Menegroth, finally meeting up with the River Sirion.
The Esgalduin had two unnamed upper branches of its own in Ered Gorgoroth. One ran along the border between Dor Dínen and Nan Dungortheb, and the other ran west for about 20 miles from the mountains into Nan Dungortheb and further south-east until merging with the first.

[edit] G

Its two sources were the Hill of Himring, via the Little Gelion, and the Ered Luin, via the Greater Gelion. It then passed south, dividing Estolad to the west from Thargelion to the east, then was crossed by the old dwarf-road at Sarn Athrad ("Ford of Stones"). It then passed into Ossiriand, the Land of Seven Rivers, where it was fed by rivers Ascar, Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor, Duilwen, and Adurant, all rising in the Ered Luin.
Gelion then passed by Tuar-im-Duinath (the Forest between the Rivers) and emptied into the Great Sea Belegaer.
Late in his life, Tolkien apparently decided to change the name "Gelion", as it did not fit the pattern of Sindarin. The possible replacements he recorded were "Gelduin", "Gevilon", "Gevelon", "Duin Daer", and "Duin Dhaer".[1]
  • Ginglith was a tributary of Narog.
It had its wells in the woods of Núath, under the near the Ered Wethrin in northern West Beleriand. After passing by the lands of Tumhalad it met the Narog about 50 Númenórean miles north of Nargothrond.
  • Glithui was a northern tributary to Taeglin.

[edit] L

  • Legolin was a tributary of Gelion.
It was the fourth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.

[edit] M

  • Malduin was a northern tributary to Taeglin.
  • Mindeb was a northern tributary of Sirion.
It began in the Ered Gorgoroth near the Pass of Anarch, and was met by an unnamed tributary coming from the Crissaegrim. It formed the boundary between Dimbar and Nan Durgotheb.
It formed the western border of the forest of Neldoreth in Doriath and was part of the Girdle of Melian.
It is mentioned in Quenta Silmarillion chapter 14.

[edit] N

  • Narog was the chief river of West Beleriand.
The Narog rose from the Pools of Ivrin in the Ered Wethrin, flowed south and then southeast, flowing through a gorge in a series of rapids where it crossed the hills of the Andram or Long Wall, finally meeting Sirion in the Land of Willows Nan-tathren, not far above the Mouths of Sirion. Narog's tributaries were the Ginglith in the north and the Ringwil in the Taur-en-Faroth.
Into its western bank, just south of where Ringwil rushed into Narog, was carved the city of Nargothrond, stronghold of Finrod Felagund.
During his time in Nargothrond, Túrin Turambar persuaded Orodreth to build a bridge over Narog. He did, but it resulted in the downfall of Nargothrond as it provided a way for the dragon Glaurung to reach the city.
  • Nenning was a river of the Falas
Its wells were in the hills lying north-west in West Beleriand south of the Ered Wethrin, near the Woods of Núath. It ran to the bay of Eglarest where it met the sea Belegaer.

[edit] R

  • Ringwil was a tributary of Narog.
It began in the hills about Nargothrond, and flowed north of the hidden city.
Where it met the Narog a secret door was built, which was used by Lúthien to escape from Nargothrond when Celegorm and Curufin held her prisoner.
  • Rivil was a tributary of Sirion.
It began in Dorthonion, and then flowed north-west until it met with Sirion in the Fens of Serech.
The river is mentioned twice in The Silmarillion. The first mention is in the chapter concerning Beren and Lúthien. Rivil's Well was where a camp was made by the Orcs that had killed Barahir, father of Beren. Beren attacked them there, taking back the Ring of Barahir before escaping again.
The second mention is in the chapter concerning the Nirnaeth Arnoediad, where the valiant retreat of Húrin and Huor is described thus: "...foot by foot they withdrew, until they came behind the Fen of Serech, and had the stream of Rivil before them.
There they stood and gave way no more."

[edit] S

  • Sirion was the principal river of Beleriand.
Main article: River Sirion
  • The Taeglin was a tributary of Sirion.
It rose in the southern reaches of the Ered Wethrin, ran generally southeast, receiving the waters of Glithui and Malduin, then passed along the southern margin of the Forest of Brethil, where it ran through a gorge named Cabed-en-Aras and then received the Celebros. The Taeglin then ran eastward into Sirion at the borders of Doriath.
An important for on the river was the Crossings of Teiglin, near the western border of Brethil. A road ran through it from Nargothrond to Minas Tirith.
Minor tributaries were Celebros and Malduin.
The river's banks near Celebros was the scene of the encounter between Túrin Turambar and the dragon Glaurung.
In the published Silmarillion and early writings, the river was called Teiglin. As revealed in The History of Middle-earth, the rivername should actually have been spelt Taeglin. This was a relatively late change which was not adopted by Christopher Tolkien for the published Silmarillion.

[edit] T

  • Thalos was a tributary of Gelion.
It was the third from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.
Thalos sprang from the Ered Luin and at its springs Finrod met the first Men to enter Beleriand.

[edit] References and notes

Most of the information can be found in The Silmarillion throughout, particularly chapter 14 Of Beleriand and Its Realms. Some information comes from Unfinished Tales and The History of Middle-earth series.

  1. ^ J. R. R. Tolkien (1994). Christopher Tolkien (ed.): The War of the Jewels. Boston & New York: Houghton Mifflin, pp. 191, 336. ISBN 0-395-71041-3.
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