Alqualondë, also known as the Haven of the Swans or simply the Haven, was the chief city of the Falmari Elves on the shores of Aman.
Description[]
The location of Alqualondë
This city was north and east of Tirion, between the Calacirya and Araman in northern Eldamar.[2]
It was built in a natural harbor made of rock on the eastern shores of Aman. Other than the great harbor it also housed the Tower of Olwë. The city was decorated with pearls which the Teleri found in the seas, and jewels which they obtained from the Ñoldor. Until the Kinslaying, the city was one of the most peaceful and tranquil places in all of Aman- truly synonymous with elven bliss. It was always alive with song from the fair voices of the Teleri, and after Valinor became silent with the death of the Two Trees, the only good sounds that could still be heard were coming from this fair coastal haven.[3]
The city was walled, and the entrance to the harbor had an arch of "living stone".[4]
History[]
The Teleri under Olwë crossed the Sea and initially settled on Tol Eressëa. However, after being drawn by the light, the Teleri abandoned Eressëa. In YT 1161, the construction of Alqualondë began by the Teleri, and the Ñoldor under Finwë assisted them, strengthening their friendship.[1]
Alqualondë's swan-ships depicted by Roger Garland
In YT 1495, Fëanor, son of Finwë, rebelled against the Valar and led his household into exile. Accompanied by the the House of Fingolfin and House of Finarfin, they came upon Alqualondë, and Fëanor demanded the swan-ships of the Falmari. Olwë refused, thus the Kinslaying at Alqualondë commenced, and Fëanor and his seven sons stole the ships and killed many of the Falmari.[5]
In the last years of the First Age, Earendil and Elwing arrived in the Havens, and Elwing was befriended by the Teleri who listened to her tales of griefs in Beleriand.[6]
Etymology[]
Alqualondë means "Haven of the Swans"[7] from the Quenya words alqua ("swan") and londë ("land-locked haven").[8] It should be pronounced al-quah-LON-day.
Earlier versions of the legendarium[]
The first mentions in J.R.R. Tolkien's writings of Alqaluntë and the Kinslaying are given in the seventh chapter of The Book of Lost Tales Part One.
In other texts, the year of the founding of Alqualondë was written as Valian Year 2111[9], which was likely changed, as the Teleri ultimately are said to arrive during the Years of the Trees. Elsewhere, it is told that Arakáno, youngest son of Fingolfin, died in the first Kinslaying. This was later corrected by Christopher Tolkien, who made it instead that Arakáno died in the Battle of the Lammoth.[10]
| Places in the Undying Lands (Aman and Tol Eressëa) | ||
| Places and regions of the Valar | Valinor • Ezellohar • Gardens of Lòrien • Halls of Mandos • Halls of Nienna • House of Tulkas • Ilmarin • Máhanaxar • Pastures of Yavanna • Wells of Varda • Woods of Oromë • Plain of Valinor • Two Trees of Valinor | |
| Other regions | Eldamar • Alalvinórëυ • Araman • Avathar • Enchanted Isles • Haerast • Oiomúrë • Sindanórië • Galathilion • Tol Withernonυ | |
| Mountains and passes | Pelóri • Taniquetil • Hyarmentir • Túna • Calacirya • Caves of the Forgotten | |
| Bodies of water | Afros • Bay of Eldamar • Gruirυ • Híri • Lórellin • Shadowy Seas • Sirnúmen | |
| Cities and strongholds | Váli-màr • Alqualondë • Avallónë • Formenos • Kôrtirion • Tavrobelρ • Tirion • Lumbiυ | |
| Houses and towers | Cottage of Lost Playρ • House of the Hundred Chimneysρ Pre-canon • Mindon Eldaliéva • Tower of Avallónë • Tower of Tavrobelρ • Tram Nybolρ | |
| ρ Pre-canon, υ Canonicity unclear. | ||
Translations[]
| Foreign Language | Translated name |
| Arabic | الكوالوندي |
| Armenian | Ալկվալոնդե |
| Belarusian Cyrillic | Альквалондэ |
| Bengali | আলকুলদে |
| Bulgarian Cyrillic | Алкуалонде |
| Chinese (Hong Kong) | 澳闊隆迪 |
| Danish | Alqualondë (Svanehavnen) |
| Georgian | ალქუალონდე |
| Greek | Άλκουαλόντε |
| Gujarati | આલ્કલોંડ |
| Hebrew | אלקולונדה |
| Hindi | अल्क़ुअलोन्द्ऐ |
| Hungarian | Hattyúk Kikötője |
| Japanese | アルクァロンデ |
| Kannada | ಆಲ್ಕಲಾಂಡ್ |
| Kazakh | Алқұалонде (Cyrillic) Alqualonde (Latin) |
| Korean | 알쿠알론데 |
| Kyrgyz Cyrillic | Алqуалондэ |
| Macedonian Cyrillic | Алqуалонде |
| Marathi | आल्क्लॉंड |
| Mongolian Cyrillic | Алqуалондэ |
| Nepalese | आल्क़ुअलोन्दे |
| Persian | آلکوالونده |
| Punjabi | ਅਲਕਲੋਂਡ |
| Russian | Альквалондэ |
| Sinhalese | ඇල්කලෝන්ඩ් |
| Serbian | Алквалонде (Cyrillic) Alkvalonde (Latin) |
| Tajik Cyrillic | Алқуалонде |
| Tamil | அழகுஅலண்டே |
| Telugu | అలుక్కుల్లోనుండి |
| Thai | อัลควาลอนเด |
| Ukrainian Cyrillic | Альквалонде |
| Urdu | القولوندی |
| Yiddish | אַלקוואַלאָנדע |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The History of Middle-earth, Vol. X: Morgoth's Ring, The Annals of Aman
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter V: "Of Eldamar and the Princes of the Eldalië"
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, The First Age, The Elder Days, "The Flight of the Ñoldor"
- ↑ The Atlas of Middle-earth, The First Age, The Elder Days, "Valinor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter IX: "Of the Flight of the Ñoldor"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Quenta Silmarillion, Chapter XXIV: "Of the Voyage of Eärendil and the War of Wrath"
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Index of Names
- ↑ The Silmarillion, Appendix: Elements in Quenya and Sindarin names
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. V: The Lost Road and Other Writings, Part Two: "Valinor and Middle-earth before The Lord of the Rings"
- ↑ The History of Middle-earth, Vol. XII: The Peoples of Middle-earth, chapter XI: "The Shibboleth of Fëanor", Notes