Q: Where Do Elves Live in Middle-earth?
ANSWER: The Elves of Middle-earth live in nearly as many diverse environments as the Men, although by the end of the Third Age — when the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings occur — most remaining Elves dwell in the great forests of northwestern Middle-earth.
The westernmost Elven land is Lindon, which lies beyond the western borders of the Shire. The only cities specifically said to have any Elves dwelling in them are the Grey Havens, two port towns situated on either side of the mouth of the Lune river, which flowed into the Gulf of Lhun. In the Second Age, and perhaps throughout part of the Third Age, at least two other cities — Forlond and Harlond — were also home to Elves of Lindon.
Elrond’s home in Rivendell (Imladris) is the last major enclave of High Elves in Eriador. By the time of The Lord of the Rings it appears that most of the Elves living in or near Imladris have already left Middle-earth. One group, led by Gildor Inglorion, make occasional pilgrimages from their home in or near Imladris (according to The Road Goes Ever On) to Lindon to look in the palantir that Elendil had placed in the high tower Elostirion, from which one could see (and perhaps communicate with) Tol Eressëa.
While traveling across Eriador Gildor’s folk comprised one of the Wandering Companies, about the nature of which Tolkien said very little. The texts imply there may have been other Wandering Companies, perhaps passing two and fro on pilgrimages or missions between Lindon and Imladris.
The next most important Elven land was Lothlorien (aka Lorien), which lay near the southern end of the Misty Mountains by the river Anduin. The majority of the Elves there were East-elves, or Wood-elves, descended from the Nandor and Avari of the First Age. Some Sindar and Noldor had settled among these Elves throughout the Second Age.
At the time of the War of the Ring the Elves of Lorien lived in two or more cities, although only Caras Galadhon is named or revealed (it is said to be the “chief” of the cities of the Galadhrim). It is conceivable that Cerin Amroth marks the location of an earlier city whose folk had long since fled Lorien. Cerin Amroth marks the place where Amroth, former King of Lorien, dwelt in the early part of the Third Age.
Across the Anduin in northern Mirkwood Thranduil ruled over a much larger population of Wood-elves, almost none of whom had any connection with the Sindar. These Wood-elves were more rustic than the Elves of Lorien and Tolkien does not mention any cities, although Thranduil lives in a vast underground fortress. Bilbo visits an elf village beside the forest river, so presumably Thranduil’s folk lived scattered throughout the forest in many villages, and perhaps a few “estates”.
The only other land where Elves are said to dwell at the time of the War of the Ring is Dorwinion, with whose people Thranduil’s folk enjoyed a robust trade. Dorwinion, if it truly was an Elven land, seems to be the easternmost of the Elf-realms of the Third Age.
The southernmost Elven land would have been the haven of Edhellond in Gondor, which was abandoned by Third Age year 1981. After the War of the Ring Legolas led some of the Elves of northern Mirkwood to Ithilien, where they dwelt until Aragorn’s death. Legolas then built a ship and sailed over Sea; Tolkien does not say if all of Legolas’ folk went with him.
Celeborn, lord of Lothlorien after Amroth’s departure, led most of Lorien’s people across the Anduin after the War of the Ring and established the Kingdom of East Lorien. He only dwelt there a few years before departing for Rivendell, where he joined his grandsons Elladan and Elrohir early in the Fourth Age. When Arwen, by this time a mortal woman, left Gondor to end her days alone, she returned to Lorien. The narrative suggests there were few if any Elves left in that land.
This article is featured in the Middle-earth Blog Hot Zone.See Also
What Happened to the Elves Who Remained in the East?
Who Were the Rivendell Elves Living with Elrond?
The Eldar Get Their Game On (Middle-earth Unplugged)
The Wild, Wild Wood-Elf West (Classic Essay)
Life In An Elven Fishing Town (Classic Essay)
# # #
Have you read our other Tolkien and Middle-earth Questions and Answers articles?
Even the word “towel” seems to have quite a long etymological history. As a philologist Tolkien may have appreciated the ancientness of these words.
