Chapter 18 Chapter XIV. Beleriand and Its Domains

What is recorded here is what the land looked like when the Noldor returned to the northwest region of Middle-earth in ancient times; it also describes the Battle of Agreb—that is, the third battle that took place in Beleriand— After that, the areas divided by the Eldar kings and the situation of their alliance with each other. Melkor had in past years erected in the north of the world one of the Inglin Mountains, the Iron Mountains, as a barrier to his stronghold of Utamo; Above, a huge curve stretches from east to west.As the mountains of Inglin stretched to the west, they bent north again, and Melkor built another fortress behind the high mountains, against any attack that might come from Valinor.As mentioned before, when he returned to Middle-earth, he decided to settle in the countless caves of Angband, the "Iron Prison"; There was therefore no trouble in destroying Angband in its entirety, nor was there time to search every cavern in its depths.Melkor dug a great tunnel under the mountains of Inglin, with an exit on the south side of the mountains; at the exit he built a strong gate.Above and behind this gate, to the mountains, he piled three eternally rumbling Angolodrome mountains, made from the ashes and slag of his underground furnaces, and the countless tunnels he dug. The resulting waste soil is piled up.They towered into the sky, black and desolate, barren; and from their summits constantly billowed black, foul-smelling smoke that polluted the northern sky.Before the gates of Angband the filthy waste spread for many miles to the south, and covered the broad plain of Ardgaran; In all the years when Angband was sieged and the gates shut, green sprouts sprouted even from the cracks in the stones before the gates of hell.

To the west of Ungorodrome was Sithromme, "Land of the Mists," as the Noldor called it in their tongue, for when they first encamped there, Morgoth sent great clouds upon that land; and the Sindar who dwelt in those districts called it Hithlon in the Sindarin language.In the years when Angband was still under siege, Heathlon was a fair country, though the air was bitter and the winters were very cold.To the west of Heathlon stands the Lumin Mountains, the "Mountains of Echoes" extending southward to the sea; to the east and south of Heathlon are the mountains of Weslin, which make a sharp turn, the "Mountains of Shadows". "Crossed the Plain of Ardgaran and the Vale of Sirion.

Fingolfin and his son Fingon ruled Hithlon, and most of the people who followed Fingolfin settled on the shores of the great lake in the region of Mithrim; west of the mountains.But their main stronghold stood by the Fountain of Sirion on the east side of the Weslin Mountains, so that they could watch over the plain of Ardgaran; , because the grass of the Ardgar blue prairie is rich and juicy.Many of these horses were stallions from Valinor, and they were brought to Rothgar by ship, and Maedhros sent some to Fingolfin as compensation for his loss. To the west of Dor-lomin, beyond the Mountains of Echo, and south of the Firth of Drengist, deep inland, was Nefrest, which means "this side of the coast" in the Sindarin.The name at first referred to all the coasts south of the Gulf, but later came to refer only to the coast between Dingist and Mount Talas.For many years this district had been the domain of Turgon the Wise, son of Fingolfin, facing the sea and backed by the Lumin Mountains, the low hills of the Wetherings rising westward from Lake Aveline. Stretching to the sea, Mount Talas rises, forming a high headland.To some, Neferest belongs more to Beleriand than to Heathlon, for it is a flatter region, dampened by the wind from the sea, and blocked by the mountains behind it. the cold wind that blows down Hithlon from the north.Inferrest is a sunken basin, surrounded by mountains, and the cliffs and coasts of the sea are higher than the plains behind, and no river flows through it; The lake is surrounded by a wide swamp, without a definite shore.The name of the lake was Linnawin, because there were many birds of every kind that loved tall reeds and shallow pools, and built their nests there.When the Noldor came to this land, many Gray Elves dwelt near the coast of Nefrest, especially around Mount Taras to the south-west; for in old days Ulmo and Osh Go there often.All the land of Nefrest honored Turgon as their king, and therefore the fusion of the Noldor and the Sindar was quickest in this land.The palace where Turgon lived was located at the foot of Mount Talas by the sea, and he named it Vanyama.

To the south of Ardgaran was a great high-land called Dortsonian, stretching from east to west for sixty leagues; and the high-lands were covered with great pine forests, especially on the west and north sides.Rising from the gentle plain of Ardgaran to the desolate highlands, at the foot of the bare ledges whose tops rise above the Weslins, are many small lakes and pools; It is a terrible cliff with a sudden and steep drop.Angrod and Aegnor sons of Finarfin watched all the plain of Ardgaran from the northern slopes of Dorthornion, and they were under their brother King Finrod of Nargothrond; There were not many people, on the one hand because of the barren land, and on the other hand the majestic highland behind them, which made them believe that Morgoth would not easily want to cross this natural fortress.

Between Dorthornion and the Shadow Mountains was a narrow vale, with steep sides and pine-clad walls; and in this vale was green and green, and the River Sirion ran through it, and hurried on to Beleriand.Finrod held fast to the passage of Sirion, and he built a strong and tall watchtower on the isle of Sirion in the river—Minas Tirith; but after Nargothrond was established, he set This fortress was garrisoned by his brother Orocles. The vast and bright Beleriand lay on the east and west banks of the great river Sirion, so famous in the songs; which rose from the springs of Sirion, and walked along the edge of the plain of Ardgaran before reaching the pass between the mountains, passing through The Sirion River behind the passage has become very plentiful because of the streams flowing down from the mountains on both sides.From this the river ran a hundred and thirty leagues southward, gathering the waters of its many tributaries, and reaching with mighty force its many outlets, strewn with sandbars, into the Bay of Balar.On the way the Sirion River flows from north to south, it first passes through the Bethir Forest in Sibelland on the right, which is located between the Sirion River and the Teiglin River, and then comes to the Teiglin River and Narog The land of Nargothrond between the rivers.The Narog rose from Lake Avelin south of Dor-Lumim, and after flowing about eighty leagues away, in the Vale of Tathren, called the Land of the Weeping Willows, emptied into the Sirion.In the south of Tasren Valley is a large grassland with a variety of flowers, where a few residents live; further down near the mouth of the Sirion River, it is full of swamps and reed islands. , inhabited by no other living beings.

Nargothrond also included the great region west of the Narog as far as the Nenninger, which empties into the sea at Yglarest; In this whole area, except Falas, the king of all elves.In the region of Falas still lived those Sindar who liked to build ships, and Cirdan the shipbuilder was their king; With the help of the Noldor, the harbors were also rebuilt.Within the great walls they built, towns flourished, and the ports had wharves and breakwaters of stone.On the headland to the west of Yglarest, Finrod built Ningresta, which watched over the western seas, though this proved to be a mischief, for Morgoth never considered building ships or launching naval battle.All his minions are afraid of water, and will never go near the sea unless absolutely necessary.Some people of Nargothrond built new ships with the help of the harbor elves, and sailed further to explore the island of Balal, considering building the last refuge on that island. If evil really comes, They have to escape; however, their destiny is not to stay there forever.

Thus far, though Finrod was the smallest of the Noldor kings, yet the largest in dominion, the order of succession to the kingship of the Noldor was: Fingolfin, Fingon, Maedhros, and then Finrod Ferrod. La Gang.Fingolfin was supreme king of all the Noldor, and after him came Fingon; though their domain was Hethlon in the north, yet their people were the strongest and bravest, and they were the most feared opponents of the Orcs. , is the most hated enemy of Morgoth. On the left of Sirion was East Beleriand, about a hundred leagues at its widest point from Sirion to Gillian to the border of Osirion; Beneath the peaks of Crethar Green, where the Eagles dwelt, there was nothingness, and that region was full of horrors, for on one side was the wall of defense that Melian had raised for the northern borders of Doriath with her power, and on the other was The sheer cliffs of Gorgoroth, the "Mountain of Terror" descending steeply from the Dorthornian Highlands.As mentioned earlier, after Angolian escaped from the Balrog's whip, he came to live there for a while, and filled the valley with her suffocating darkness. The offspring of the land weaved their wicked webs about; and the trickles that flowed from the mountains of Gorgoroth were polluted, and whoever tasted the waters of that place would fill their hearts with a gloom of madness and despair.Wherefore all creatures shunned it, and the Noldor did not take that way unless the situation was urgent, and they walked as near to the borders of Doriath as possible, and as far as possible from the haunted hills.That old way was made long ago, before Morgoth returned to Middle-earth; and if any man walks through it, and goes eastward toward the Isgorduin, he will come to the place where Angband was besieged, The old stone bridge still standing.Then he would pass through the Dordini, the "Land of Silence," and cross Elosiach (meaning "Ford of the Eros") to the northern borders of Beleriand, where the sons of Feanor lived .

To the south was the fortified forest of Doriath, the dwelling of Thingol the Hidden King, and no one could enter Doriath except with his consent.The smaller part on the north was the forest of Nidoreth, bounded by the river Isgorduin which flowed east and south, and this dark river turned westward as it approached the central region of the land; Between the rivers Duin and Eros lies the wider and denser Forest of Region.And this cave-house of Menegroth was on the south bank where the Isgorduin turned westward to Sirion; Except for a narrow woodland and the Shimmering Marshes, the rest of the country is east of the River Sirion.The narrow woodland which the inhabitants of Doriath called the Neferin, the "Western Boundary," and in which grew many tall oaks, was included in the Circle of Melian, so that Her reverence for Ulmo, her beloved Sirion, would be partly contained entirely under Thingol's sphere of influence.

The Eros flowed into the Sirion from the southwestern side of Doriath, and on both sides of that valley were many great pools and marshes, which blocked the course of the Sirion, and divided the great river into several streams.These regions were called the Arynjo, the "Marshes of Shimmer," for they were shrouded in mist all year round, and the spell of Doriath covered them.The whole northern part of Beleriand was a sloping land sloping to the south, but here it was a plain, so that the flow of the Sirion almost stopped here.But the ground south of Arynyool drops suddenly, and the valley of the Sirion is divided from this waterfall; Yglarest stretched eastward to Mount Ereb, and beyond was the Gillien.Through these hills the Narog River cuts a deep gorge, swift but without waterfalls, and on the west bank of the river rises the highland Pharos forest.Finrod built Nargothrond on the west side of the gorge, where the short and swift Linwell stream fell from the Pharos Forest to the Narog.About twenty-five leagues east of the valley of Naronthrond, the Sirion River falls in a cascade from the northern plateau after passing through the swamp, and then suddenly plunges into the ground, and the whole river falls into the water of the waterfall. The large underground river channel that was blasted out by the force continued to emerge again three miles to the south, mixed with loud noises and mist of water, and penetrated the stones at the foot of the mountain into an arch, so this place is called "West River". Ryan's Gate".

That dividing hill was called Anderan, meaning "The Long Wall," and rose from Nargothrond to Randall in East Beleriand.However, after coming to the east, Anderan became much gentler, so the Gillian River Valley slopes steadily to the south. There are neither waterfalls nor rapids in the entire Gillian River, but its flow is faster than the Sirion River. many.Between Randall and Gillien stood Ereb, a single great mountain of great extent and gentle slope, which, as it stood alone on the plain, seemed larger than it really was.The Nando elves who lived in Ossirian, their leader died on Mount Ereb; when the half-orcs went south with arms for the first time, destroying the peaceful years under Beleriand's starlight, he obeyed Thingol's call and led the army to fight against the demons. Goth; and the elves defeated the enemy in that war.Afterwards Maedhros was garrisoned on this hill.But south of Anderan, between Sirion and Gilion, is a tangled and vast forest, into which no one but an occasional wandering few Dark Elves enter; For "Duinnas Forest"

Gilliam is a great river, and has two headwaters from two sources; the Little Gilliam from the Cymlin Mountains, and the Great Gilliam from the Ryle Mountains.The two rivers, the great and the small, meet to form the Gilion, and after forty leagues to the south, other tributaries begin to join; Twice as long as the Sirion; and the waters of the Sirion come from Hithlon and Dorthothion, and in these two regions there is more rain than in the east.Six tributaries of the Gillian River originate in the Rone Mountains: the Aska River (which was later renamed Las Laurel), the Chalos, the Ligolin, the Belso, the Tour the River Wen, and the Adurante. , these rivers are very turbulent because they descend directly from the mountains.Between the Gillian and the Ron Mountains, and from the Aska in the north to the Adurante in the south, was this verdant country called Ossirian, "the Land of the Seven Rivers."The southernmost river, the Adurante, splits in two halfway through and then joins again, and the area surrounded by the river is called Isla Garland, the "green island".Beren and Lucien lived on this island after returning from Hades. Under the protection of these rivers dwelt the Green Elves in Osirion; for after Sirion the River Ulmo Agilion surpassed all the waters of the Westlands.The survival technique of the elves of Ossirian in the forest is such that any stranger who enters the area is completely out of sight of them from beginning to end.They wore green garments in spring and summer, and their song was heard after they had crossed the Gillian; so the Noldor called that country Lindon, "Land of Music," and would look eastward from Ossirian The mountains ahead are named Linton Ranges. The open borders of Beleriand to the east of Dorthornion were the easiest to attack, and none of the hills there were high enough to defend the Gillian Vale from the north.The sons of Feanor and many of the people dwelt in that district, the line of Maedhros and its rear, lest Morgoth should raid East Beleriand from there; On the plains of Rothland to the east of Ardgalan, the main Sega of Maedhros is on the perpetually cold Cymlin; There are no trees.Between Cymlin and Dothionian there is a narrow passage, the western part of which is extremely steep. the pass.Celegorm and Culufin were fortified in Eglon, and all over Simlad, even in the south, between the Eros from Dorthonian and the Kron, a tributary from the Cymlin Mountains, heavily armed. The area between the Great and the Great and the Small Gillian Rivers was defended by Maglor, and all the mountains fell down at a certain point here, where the orcs entered East Beleriand before the third battle. The place.Wherefore the Noldor sent many cavalry upon the plain; and Caranthir and his people garrisoned in the east from the mountains to the Gap of Maglor.Mount Rile, with many of the lower hills around it, extends westward from Linton, the main range; South facing is wide open.Lake Helenforn, deep and black, and by the lake Caranthir dwelt; It is called Sagirian, which means "the area beyond the Gillian River", or "Dor Caran Hill", which means "the land of Caran Hill", that is, in this area, Nor The elves met the dwarves for the first time.But Sagirion was once called by the Gray Elves the Plains of Lunin, "the Vale to the East." Therefore, under the leadership of Maedhros, the sons of Feanor became the kings of East Beleriand, but at that time most of their people lived in the northern region, and they only came to the forest and green land in the south when they were hunting.And Anrod and Andres, the youngest sons of Feanor, dwelt in the south, and they seldom went to the north while Angband was still under siege.There are other elf kings who run in this area from time to time, and even travel long distances to come here, because the land is wide and beautiful.The one who came here most often was Finrod Ferragon. He loved traveling and roaming very much. He even went deep into Ossirian and made friends with the local green elves.But none of the Noldor crossed the Lindon Mountains to the East while their kingdom existed; and what happened in the East was not reported to Beleriand till much later.