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This article is about the location. For the chapter, see The Grey Havens.

The Grey Havens, known also as Mithlond, was an Elvish port city located on the Gulf of Lune in the Elven realm of Lindon in Middle-earth.

Description[]

After the tumult of the War of Wrath, MIthlond was the primary Elven settlement west of the Misty Mountains prior to the establishment of Eregion and Rivendell. Even after the death of Gil-galad and as the Elves dwindled in numbers yearly in the Third Age, the Grey Havens remained a major coastal town, and the sanctioned departure point of Elven ships to the Undying Lands and Aman.

Despite being a major port, by the late Third Age, the Grey Havens had sparse population, like Rivendell and northeastern Mirkwood.[2]

History[]

Second Age[]

The Grey Havens was founded at the beginning of the Second Age by the surviving Elves of Beleriand, those who chose to remain on Middle-earth after the wars against Morgoth.

It was frequently visited from the west by the Númenóreans, with Vëantur being the first to re-establish contact in SA 600 after the surviving Edain of Beleriand left for Númenor in SA 32. In SA 1700, Tar-Minastir sent great fleets from Númenor to the Havens, driving back the forces of Sauron that had been besieging them in the War of the Elves and Sauron.[3]

The+Grey+Havens

The Grey Havens, by Matt Stewart, as seen in the Middle-earth Collectible Card Game

After the War of the Last Alliance many of the Ñoldor and Sindar living in the Havens sailed for Valinor, leaving the city under the rule of Círdan.

Third Age[]

In TA 1000, the Istari arrived in Middle-earth, and it was here where Círdan gave Narya, the Elven Ring of Fire, to Gandalf.[4]

AlanLeeLOTRSketchbook20thegreyhavens02

Sketch of the Grey Havens from Alan Lee's The Lord of the Rings Sketchbook

During the War of the Ring, Galdor of the Havens was among the members of the Council of Elrond.[5]

After the defeat of Sauron and the coronation of Aragorn II Elessar, Gandalf, Galadriel, and Elrond left for Aman from the Grey Havens. The Ring-bearers Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins accompanied them.[6] Years later, Samwise Gamgee did likewise, himself being a Ring-bearer (although briefly).[7]

Fate[]

The Grey Havens still existed into the Fourth Age under Círdan, but its population declined along with the Elven presence in Middle-earth generally. It is unclear just what the fate of the Elves of Middle-earth was in the early Fourth Age and how long Círdan or his remaining folk dwelled at the Havens and continued to build the great ships that carried the Elves to the Blessed Realm.

Etymology[]

Mithlond means "Grey Haven(s)", from the Sindarin mith ("grey") and lond ("haven, harbour").[8]

Portrayal in adaptations[]

Mithlondwide

The Elvish city as depicted in the films

Film[]

In the film adaptation of The Return of the King, the Grey Havens makes an appearance in the last major scene. The port city is built on a large natural bay, and its design is quite different to that of Rivendell and Lothlórien, but it is still recognisably Elvish. Gandalf, Frodo, Bilbo, and the other hobbits arrive at the city and encounter the high Elves. Elrond, Celeborn, and Galadriel bid farewell to them and board the last ship. As Bilbo joins Elrond, Gandalf and Frodo then say their goodbyes to the remaining hobbits. The two of them board the ship and depart from Middle-earth, sailing for the Undying Lands.

Grey Havens 01

Video games[]

The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power[]

Season One[]

Unlike the more sedate version of the Third Age portrayed in the film adaptation of The Return of the King, the Grey Havens in The Rings of Power is ruled by Gil-galad as the foremost settlement of High Elves remaining in Middle-earth in the Second Age, and is capital city of the west coastal lands of Lindon. As glimpsed in episode one, "A Shadow of the Past", it is here that Elrond meets Galadriel after returning from her hunt of remnants of Sauron's forces in Middle-earth.

Translations[]

Foreign Language Translated name
Afrikaans Gryse Hawens
Albanian Strehë Gri
Arabic رمادي الملاذات
Armenian Գրեյ Հավենս
Basque Gris Paradisuetan
Belarusian Cyrillic Шэрыя Гавані
Bengali ধূসর স্বর্গ ?
Bosnian Sive luke
Bulgarian Cyrillic Сивите убежища
Cambodian ជម្រកប្រផេះ
Catalan Rades Grises
Chinese (Mainland) 灰港
Chinese (Taiwan) 灰港岸
Chinese (Hong Kong) 灰海岸
Cornish Harbers Glas ?
Croatian Siva Utočišta
Czech Šedé Přístavy
Danish Gråhavne
Dutch De Grijze Havens
Esperanto Grizaj Havenoj
Estonian Hallid Sadamad
Filipino Abong Kanlungan
Finnish Harmaat Satamat
French Les Havres Gris
Galician Portos Grises
Georgian ნაცრისფერი თავშესაფრები
German Die Grauen Anfurten
Greek Γκρι Λιμάνια
Gujarati ગ્રેય હ વેન્સ
Haitian Creole Refij Gri ?
Hawaiian Oho Naawamaikai
Hebrew נמלים האפורים
Hindi ग्रे वाले देश
Hungarian Szürkerév
Icelandic Grá Griðastaðir
Irish Gaelic Tearmainn Liath
Italian Porti Grigi
Japanese グレーヘブンス
Kannada ಗ್ರೇ ಹ್ಯಾವೆನ್ಸ್
Kazakh Сұр баспана (Cyrillic) Sur baspana (Latin)
Korean 회색 항구
Kurdish Behiştên Gewr (Kurmanji)
Kyrgyz Cyrillic Грэй Hавэнс
Latvian Pelēks Paradīzes
Lithuanian Pilkuosius uostus
Luxembourgish Groen Steieroasen
Macedonian Cyrillic Греy Хавенс
Maltese Rifuġji Griż
Maori Hina Kokoru
Marathi राखाडी आश्रयस्थाने
Mongolian Cyrillic саарал хоргодох
Norwegian Gråhavnene
Pashto خړ پټنځایونو
Persian بنادر خاکستری
Polish Szara Przystań
Portuguese Portos Cinzentos
Punjabi ਸਲੇਟੀ ਸਵਰਗ ?
Romanian Limanurile Cenușii
Russian Митлонд
Samoan Lanu efuefu Ava Matagofie
Scottish Gaelic Glas Chalaidhean
Serbian Греи Хавенс (Cyrillic) Grei Havens (Latin)
Shona Vachena Pakanaka
Sinhalese අලු ක්ෂේමභූමි
Slovak Šedé Prístavy
Slovenian Sivi Oaz
Somalian Meelo Cirro
Swedish Grå hamnarna
Tajik Cyrillic Греy Ҳавенс
Tamil சாம்பல் புகலிடங்களை
Telugu గ్రే హావెన్స్
Thai เฮเวนส์สีเทา
Turkish Gri Limanlar
Turkmen Çal Halas ?
Ukrainian Cyrillic сірі Гавані
Urdu گرے پناہ گاہیں
Uzbek Кулранг Бандаргоҳлар (Cyrillic) Kulrang Bandargohlar (Latin)
Vietnamese Nơi trú ẩn màu xám
Welsh Hafanau Llwyd
Yiddish גריי האַווענס
Places of Middle-earth and Arda

Middle-earth Locations:

Provinces/Regions:

Arnor | Dunland | Ettenmoors | Forochel | Forodwaith | Gondor | Harad | Ithilien | Khand | Lindon | Minhiriath | Mordor | Rhovanion | Rhûn | Rivendell | Rohan | The Shire

Forests & Mountains:

Amon Dîn | Amon Hen | Amon Lhaw | Caradhras | Emyn Muil | Erebor | Fangorn Forest | High Pass | Iron Hills | Lórien | Mirkwood | Mount Doom | Mount Gundabad | Old Forest | Orod-na-Thôn | Tower Hills | Weathertop Hill

City/Fortifications:

Angband | Barad-dûr | Bree | Caras Galadhon | Dol Guldur | Fornost Erain | Hornburg | Isengard | Minas Morgul | Minas Tirith | Last Homely House | Tower of Amon Sûl | Tower of Orthanc | Osgiliath | Umbar | Utumno

Miscellaneous:

Argonath | Astulat | Buckland | Cair Andros | Dagorlad | Dead Marshes | Enedwaith | Fords of Isen | Gap of Rohan | Grey Havens

The rest of Arda:

Aman | Burnt Land of the Sun | Dark Land | Empty Lands | Neldoreth | New lands | Númenor | Tol Eressëa

References[]

  1. The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Second Age"
  2. The Atlas of Middle-earth, Thematic Maps, "Population"
  3. The Atlas of Middle-earth, The Second Age, "Voyages of the Númenóreans"
  4. The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "The Third Age"
  5. The Lord of the Rings, The Fellowship of the Ring, Book Two, Chapter II: "The Council of Elrond"
  6. The Lord of the Rings, The Return of the King, Book Six, Chapter IX: "The Grey Havens"
  7. The Lord of the Rings, Appendix B: The Tale of Years (Chronology of the Westlands), "Later Events concerning the Members of the Fellowship of the Ring"
  8. Parma Eldalamberon, Words, Phrases and Passages in Various Tongues in The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
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