Aelin-uial
| Aelin-uial | |
|---|---|
| Marshes | |
 | |
| "Finrod and Turgon at the Meres of Twilight" by Peter Xavier Price | |
| General Information | |
| Pronunciation | eye-lin-oo-i-al |
| Other names | Umboth Muilin (S) Meres of Twilight |
| Location | Meeting of Aros and Sirion |
| Type | Marshes |
| Description | Marshy mazes of creeks and lakes |
| People and History | |
| Inhabitants | Iathrim |
| Events | Dreams of Turgon and Finrod |
| Gallery | Images of Aelin-uial |
Aelin-uial, or the Meres of Twilight, was a marshy confluence of the river Aros into Sirion, south of Doriath.
Location[edit | edit source]
The Aelin-uial was the maze of lakes and fens formed where the river Aros met the Sirion, before it fell beneath the Andram.[1] These were lands heavy with enchantment from the Girdle of Melian guarding Doriath to the north of the Aelin-uial, and also from the power of Ulmo the Vala, which was very strong in this area.[2]
At the southernmost end of the Aelin-uial, the waters of Sirion met once more at the Falls of Sirion.[1]
History[edit | edit source]
The Aelin-uial was under the control of Doriath. Thingol's Marchwardens kept secret ferries among the reeds, which they could use to cross in between Sirion's eastern and western banks unseen by anyone.[3]
It was here that Turgon and Finrod slept and Ulmo put into their dreams the idea of building their hidden strongholds located at Gondolin and Nargothrond.[4] It was also in the meres that the Elves who guarded the western marches of Doriath found Húrin, whom they then brought before King Thingol.[5]
Near north of here, Morwen stopped in her travel to Nargothrond, and Mablung and his men showed themselves to her, as they had been following her in secret by order of Thingol. She refused the offer of coming back to Doriath and accepted them as escort in her travel. Then Mablung lead her to the Pools and took the hidden rafts used by the messengers between Doriath and Nargothrond, and they crossed the Aelin-uial in the white mists of the night.[6]
Etymology[edit | edit source]
Aelin-uial is a Sindarin name, composed of aelin "meres", plural of ael + uial "twilight".
A variant name used by Tolkien was Umboth Muilin (also spelt Umboth-muilin and Umboth-Muilin), which translates to "Pools of Twilight".[7] Helge Fauskanger has noted that the Noldorin name Oelinuial ("Pools of Twilight"; variant forms Elinuial and Eilinuial[8]), of the Etymologies, became Aelin-uial in the published Silmarillion.[9]
Yet another, early form, was the Gnomish name Hithliniath ("Pools of Mist"; which was amended to Umboth Muilin, itself amended to Aelinuial).[10]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Map of Beleriand and the Lands to the North"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beleriand and its Realms"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of Túrin Turambar"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Return of the Noldor"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Silmarillion, "Quenta Silmarillion: Of the Ruin of Doriath"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The Children of Húrin, "The Journey of Morwen and Niënor to Nargothrond"
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The History of Middle-earth Index, pp. 451-2
- ↑ David Salo, "AE and OE (message 2028)" at Elfling
- ↑ Helge Fauskanger, "Index to the Etymologies - Explanation" at Ardalambion (accessed 18 September 2011)
- ↑ J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien (ed.), The War of the Jewels, "Part Two. The Later Quenta Silmarillion: Of Beleriand its Realms (Chapter 11)", p. 194 (§111)
