Chapter 8 Chapter Four Thingol and Melian

Melian was a Maia, of the Valar race.She dwelt in the Gardens of Lórien, and among the Maia of her kind was none more beautiful, nor wiser, nor could she sing more enchanting songs.It is said that when Melian sings in Lórien when the hour of soft light comes, all the Valar lay down their work, and the birds of Valinor forget to laugh, and the hundred bells of Volmar fall silent, and even The fountains, too, were silent.The nightingales were always with her, and she taught them to sing; she loved the deep shadows cast by the towering trees.She was a close relative of Yavanna before the creation of the universe.When Kundi awoke by the lake of Kuweinen, she set out from Valinor, and went to "the place", where the song of her and the birds filled the silence of Middle-earth before the dawn.

Now, as has been said, the Teleri rested for a long time in East Beleriand beyond Sirion, and their journey drew near to its end; and the forests of that land were called Nidoris and Region afterward, and through these great forests Elwe the leader of the Teleri used to go to find his friend Finwë where the Noldor dwelt.Once, as he was walking alone through the forest of Elmoth Valley under the starlight, he suddenly heard the singing of a nightingale.Then a spell fell upon him, and he stopped still, and over the dim sound of nightingales in the distance he heard Melian's voice, and its song filled him with wonder and longing.He therefore forgot all about his people and all that he had in mind to do, and followed the birds through the shadows of the trees, deep into the forest of Elmoth, till he lost his way.Descending, at last, he came to a glade open to the sky, where Melianne stood; and he came out of the darkness to look at her, and the light of Aman shone in her face.

She said nothing; and Elway, full of love, came up to her, took her hand, and fell in love with her at once.So they stood thus silently for many years; and the days passed, and before they spoke a word, the trees of the forest of Elmoth grew taller and thicker, and the stars of the sky above them changed places many times . Therefore, the people of the Teleri tribe never found Elwe, and as it was later recorded, Owe took up the task of leading the Teleri tribe to move westward and left this land.In all the long days of Herwy Singolo never crossed the sea to Valinor; nor did Melian return to her native land while the kingdom he and Melian had founded existed.For Melian, who was with Iluvatar before the foundation of the world, descended from her a bloodline that united Elves and Men.Afterwards Elwy became a famous king over all the Eldar who dwelt in Beleriand; It was the Gray Mantle King, whom the Sindarin called Elu Thingol.Melian was his queen, wiser than all the children of Middle-earth; and their hidden palace in Doriath was called Menegroth, the Palace of the Thousand Caves.Melian lent great power to Thingol, who was a mighty leader among the Eldar; he alone, of all the Sindar, saw the days when the Two Trees were in full bloom. .Therefore, though he was the king of the Umanyar Elves, he was not of the Morikundi, but of the Light Elves, the Mighty One of Middle-earth.Thingol and Melian's love gave the world a child of Iluvatar who was unprecedented and beautiful.