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In the fiction of J. R. R. Tolkien,
Beleriand was the region of northwestern Middle-earth during the
First Age. Originally, the name belonged only to the area around
the Bay of Balar, but in time the name was applied to the entire
land. The element Beler/Balar is believed to refer to the Maia
Ossë, who often dwelt at the shores of Balar.
Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.
To the west and south it had a long shore with the Great Sea Belegaer,
to the north were the highland regions of Hithlum, Dorthonion and
the hills of Himring, to the east the Ered Luin (Blue Mountains) reached
nearly to the sea. The land of Nevrast in the northwest was sometimes
considered part of Beleriand.
The River Sirion, the chief river of Beleriand, running
north to south, divided it into West Beleriand and East Beleriand.
Crossing it east to west was a series of hills and a sudden drop in
elevation known as Andram, the Long Wall. (The river sank into the
ground at the Fens of Sirion, and reemerged below the Andram at the
Gates of Sirion.) To the east of the Long Wall, was the River Gelion
and its six tributaries draining the Ered Luin, in an area known as
Ossiriand or the Land of Seven Rivers. The River Brethin and the River
Nenning were the two lesser rivers of the western land of Falas.
In the year 583 of the First Age, Beleriand was mostly
destroyed by the War of Wrath of the Valar against Morgoth. Only a
small section of East Beleriand remained, and was known as Lindon.
(There is however, some evidence that other parts of it still remained
into the Second Age but were completely destroyed with the downfall
of Númenor.)
In addition, fulfilling a prophecy, the graves of Túrin
Turambar and Morwen survived as the island Tol Morwen. Likewise part
of Dorthonion became Tol Fuin, and the Hill of Himring became the
island of Himling. All of these together were known as the Western
Isles.
Regions and kingdoms of Beleriand:
Arvernien
Forest of Brethil
Dimbar
Doriath
Estolad
Falas
Himlad
Nan-tathren (Land of Willows)
Talath Dirnen (Guarded Plain)
Taur-en-Faroth (Forest of the Hunters)
Taur-im-Duinath
Thargelion
Ossiriand or Lindon
Cities of Beleriand:
Belegost
Brithombar
Eglarest
Gondolin
Himring
Menegroth
Nargothrond
Nogrod
Vinyamar
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