In J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth legendarium, the House of Bëor (pronounced [ˈbɛɔr]) were the family of Men who ruled over the eldest of the Three Houses of the Edain that had allied with the Elves in the First Age.
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The First House of Men, called the House or Folk of Bëor, was the smallest of the Three, having at the time of their coming to Beleriand "no more than two thousand full-grown men; and they were poor and ill-equipped, but they were inured to hardship and toilsome journeys carrying great loads, for they had no beasts of burden."[1] Most of the Folk of Bëor had brown hair with grey eyes, and some of them were swarthy in skin. They were taller than the Folk of Haleth, but still less in height than the House of Hador. The Bëorians were "steadfast in endurance of hardship and sorrow, slow to tears and to laughter; their fortitude needed no hope to sustain it."[1] They were akin to the Folk of Hador and spoke a closely related language, though its knowledge was mostly lost later.
The future Folk of Bëor were originally a single people with the future House of Hador, and they journeyed together from the East of Middle-earth after rejecting servitude to the Dark Lord (Morgoth). They became separated on the way and for a time dwelt on opposite shores of the Sea of Rhûn, the Lesser Folk (Bëorians) in the hills to the south-west and the Greater Folk (Marachians) in the woods to the north-east. Afterwards both people went on westward, crossing the Misty Mountains and Eriador, where many of the both people remained throughout later ages; and of them the Breelanders were descended.[1]
The Lesser Folk, now led by Bëor the Old, were the first to cross the Blue Mountains and descend into the woods of Ossiriand in the Eastern Beleriand in the Year of the Sun 310.[2] There they were found and befriended by the Elf-lord Finrod Felagund. But the local Green Elves were troubled by the intrusion, so Finrod led the Folk of Bëor to the wide and empty plains ruled aforetime by Amras, and these were now called Estolad, the Encampment. Soon they were accompanied there by the newcome Folk of Marach.
Soon the Edain began to remove from Estolad again, for the Kings of the Noldor sent word that any who wished could come to dwell among their people. The majority of the People of Bëor, being allies of the House of Finrod and Finarfin, journeyed northwards to Dorthonion, entering the service of Angrod and Aegnor. But some repented of their coming to Beleriand, having founded themselves entangled in the wars with Morgoth from whom they had fled. So after a council and assembly in Y.S. 369 Bereg, a great-grandson of Bëor, led a thousand of his people southwards, "and they passed out of songs of those days."[2] And many men still remained in Estolad until the Ruin of Beleriand; but most of the House of Bëor forsook that land by Y.S. 380, and in Y.S. 410 the province of Ladros in Dorthonion was officially granted to their lord Boromir.
But the Edain lived there in peace only less than half a century, for in the Battle of Sudden Flame Morgoth broke the Siege of Angband, and many of the Folk of Bëor, including their lord Bregolas, were slain. Most of their people fled from Dorthonion, mingling with the House of Hador in Dor-lómin or the Folk of Haleth in Brethil. Barahir brother of Bregolas still contested his land for five years, until he with his remaining companions were betrayed and slain, except the renowned Beren Camlost.
Thereafter the House of Bëor ceased to exist as an independent people, and in following years most fled to the Mouths of Sirion and the Isle of Balar or forsook Beleriand and wandered in the wild lands. Those who remained moved after the War of Wrath to Númenor, surviving there as independent communities for a long time. They had already ceased to speak and forgotten their own tongue, and now used Sindarin rather than Adûnaic. It is also noted that the descendants of the Bëorians had a relatively lesser lifespan compared with other Númenóreans.
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Bëor1 |
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Baran2 |
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Belen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Boron3 |
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Baranor |
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Beldir | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Boromir4 |
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Belegor |
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Bereg |
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Belemir |
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Adanel | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bregor5 |
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Andreth |
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Beril |
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Beren | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bregil |
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Hirwen |
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Bregolas6 |
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Gilwen |
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Barahir7 |
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Emeldir | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Bereth |
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Baragund |
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Belegund |
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Beren Erchamion |
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Lúthien Tinúviel |
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Húrin |
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Morwen |
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Rían |
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Huor |
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Dior |
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Nimloth | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Brandir |
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Túrin | Lalaith | Nienor |
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Tuor |
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Idril |
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Eärendil |
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Elwing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Elros |
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Elrond | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Of other Edain of the First House are known only the companions of Barahir: Arthad, Dairuin, Dagnir, Gildor, Gorlim the unhappy, Hathaldir the young, Radhruin, Ragnor, and Urthel. They made their lair by the Tarn Aeluin and fought with the forces of Morgoth, but were betrayed by Gorlim and slain; see Barahir. Also are recorded the names of Gorlim's father, Angrim, and of his wife Eilinel. She was slain by Orcs during the Battle of Sudden Flame, and a phantom of her likeness was used by Sauron to capture Gorlim.
In early versions of the histories Tolkien stated that the names of the descendants of Bëor were given in Sindarin, and proposed the following meanings (for the members present at that stage): Bëor 'follower, vassal', Bregolas 'fierceness', Barahir 'fiery lord', Baragund 'fiery prince', Belegund 'great prince', Beren 'bold', and also Boromir 'steadfast jewel',[7] though the last was rather the name of Bór's son. Later, however, Tolkien would write that these names were given in their own language with unknown significance.[8] Only the meaning of Bëor was preserved, but now it came from the tongue of the Folk.
Some of the women from the House of Bëor have Sindarin names even in later sources: Morwen 'black maiden', Rían 'crown-gifted', Emeldir 'man-hearted', Hirwen 'lordly maiden', Gilwen 'star maiden', and possibly also Andreth.[9]
In early writings of J. R. R. Tolkien the Edain first appeared in Beleriand not long before the Dagor Bragollach, and their leader Bëor was the father of Bregolas and Barahir, not their great-great-great-grandfather.[10] The Folk of Bëor was also stated to be related to and share the common language with the Men of Brethil rather than with the House of Hador.[2]
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