"J.R.R. Tolkien - The History of Middle-Earth - 00" - читать интересную книгу автора (Tolkien J.R.R)

they brought the Eldar to Aman.

Within the Bay of Eldamar the Valar set the isle Tol Eress├лa (the Lonely Isle). There were
apparently forests and gardens in Eldamar since the Teleri were able to find wood to build their
ships. At least one mountain rose up in the midst of the isle, and its western shore was the region
where flowers first bloomed (and probably where the Teleri dwelt until they learned to build
ships).

Tol Eress├лa was originally used as a ferry by the Valar to bring the Elves to Aman. None of the
Noldor and Vanyar stayed there, but the Teleri lived on the isle for a long time before they
learned to build ships and spread to the shores of Eldamar. Some Teleri may have continued to
live on the isle throughout the Years of the Trees.

After the First Age the Exiles and the Sindar who went to Aman settled in Tol Eress├лa, where
they may have built several cities (Tavrobel and Kortirion are mentioned in early stories


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describing Tol Eress├лa). The city of Avallon├л, built on the eastern shores of Tol Eress├лa, was the
chief haven of the Eldar of Middle-earth and it was from here that their ships sailed to Numenor.

The Noldor are said to have dwelt in Tirion and in the hills and mountains "within sound of the
western sea," but they also spread northward through the western hills of the Pelori (within
Valinor) because F├лanor built Formenos in the far northern mountains.
A road ran east from Tuna toward the sea, and apparently turned northward along the coast to
Alqualond├л. Another road ran west into Valinor toward Valimar.

Although the Noldor and Teleri remained for the most part in Eldamar or the nearby lands, the
Vanyar migrated into Valinor. Tolkien wrote "they forsook the city of Tirion upon Tuna, and
dwelt thereafter upon the mountains of Manw├л, or about the plains and woods of Valinor."

Ingw├л's house was in fact located on the western slopes of Taniquetil, overlooking the plain of
Valimar and the city. Finw├л, in order to visit with Ingw├л, had to pass into Valinor and climb the
mountain from the west, following only paths and no road.

Alqualond├л was built in a natural harbor along the northern shore of the Bay of Eldamar. The
Swan-ships of the Teleri sailed through a great stone arch to enter or exit the harbor. The city
itself was built of stone but was adorned with pearls and in the Years of the Trees was lit by
many lanterns. For some reason the city had walls when F├лanor attacked it. Perhaps the "walls"
were built atop a natural ridge of stone surrounding all or part of the harbor (and of which the
great arch would have been a part).

Eldamar appears to have extended far to the north of Alqualond├л, but THE SILMARILLION
does not indicate whether these lands were inhabited before the Noldor went into exile. After the
Noldor took the ships of the Falmari they traveled north for some length of time (a period of
years, measured in Years of the Sun) before they left Eldamar.