Fifty shades of Grey elves

(click to enlarge the picture)

The Grey Elves of Beleriand (Atlas of Beleriand - Map 2)

This map shows the settlements of the Teleri (plural form of Teler) who remained in Beleriand. The Teleri was divided in two tribes : Sindar and Laiquendi. Sindar (plural form of Sinda) is an elfic word meaning Grey Elves and Laiquendi means the Green Elves. Their territories are obviously depicted in grey and green respectively.

The Sindar were in Beleriand before the arrival of the Ñoldor, and Elwë Thingol was considered as their High King. Some Sindar dwelled in Mithrim [1] and probably in Nevrast [2]. Then, they left Nevrast when Turgon decided to move for the hidden city of Gondolin.


Doriath was enclosed in a magical barrier, the Girdle of Melian, which protected the kingdom of Thingol up to his death. This kingdom covered by forests was divided in several parts : Brethil, Region, Neldoreth, Nivrim, Arthórien and Brethil [4]. After the First Battle, some Nandor from Ossiriand settled in Arthórien [5], including the elf Ithilbor, father of the famous Saeros killed by Túrin Turambar.

Eöl is called the Dark Elve and he lived alone in the shadows of the forest of Nan Elmoth. After the tragic death of Eöl and his wife Aredhel in Gondolin, Nan Elmoth came back probably to Doriath.

Lenwë, Elwë (Thingol) and Nōwë (most known as Círdan [3]) were the lord elves who drove the clan elves from Cuiviénen, the Water of Awakening.


***

About the Atlas of Beleriand

This Atlas is a serie of ten maps (and more !) concerning geography, history and geopolitics of Beleriand, which is a territory of  the famous Legendarium of J.R.R. Tolkien, including the Silmarillion.

This map was firstly created to illustrate an essay (in french) dedicated to explore the geopolitics in Beleriand published on the website JRRVF (many thanks to Cedric for his support).This map was firstly released on Deviantart.

***

Technical details

In these maps, two free fonts are used : Franklin Gothic Medium and Cardo by David J. Perry.

***

Bibliography and references

[1] HoMe XI pp378,410
[2] Silmarillion XV p117, HoMe XI p45

"Then Ulmo returned to the sea, and Turgon sent forth all his people, even to a third part of the Noldor of Fingolfin's following, and a yet greater host of the Sindar"

[3] HoMe XII p392
[4] Silmarillion XII p135

"Now Brethil was claimed as part of his realm by King Thingol, though it was not within the Girdle of Melian, and he would have denied it to Haleth"

[5] HoMe XI 112