Falas

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Falas
Region
General Information
LocationWest Beleriand
TypeRegion
RegionsDominion of Círdan
People and History
InhabitantsElves
EventsFirst Battle of Beleriand
GalleryImages of Falas

The Falas was an area on the west coast of Beleriand, south of Nevrast. The River Brithon and the River Nenning ran into the sea here. Sindarin Elves ruled by Círdan dwelt here, and built the havens of Brithombar and Eglarest. In F.A. 65, Finrod built the tower of Barad Nimras ("White Horn Tower") on a cape of the Falas between Brithombar and Eglarest, to watch for attacks from the sea by Morgoth.

The Falas only occasionally enters into the events of the First Age; in the First Battle of Beleriand, Morgoth's host overran the Falas and besieged the two havens, but lifted the siege in order to join in the Second Battle. The Havens of the Falas were finally destroyed in F.A. 473, and Círdan's people fled to the Mouths of Sirion and the Isle of Balar.

Etymology

The word falas means "surfline, sea-shore" in Sindarin,[1] deriving from the root PHAL ("foam").[2]

Cognates

References

  1. J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin Names", falas
  2. J.R.R. Tolkien, "Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings", in Parma Eldalamberon XVII (edited by Christopher Gilson), p. 62