Nenseldë the Wingild
Nenseldë, a Mermaid of the Wingildi and servant of Ulmo, Lord of Waters, was a spirit of profound beauty and grace. Counted among the Foam-Maidens who danced upon the waves and sang with the tides, Nenseldë stood apart for her solitary nature and wandering heart. Long ago, she departed from her sisters and the company of Uinen, choosing instead to roam the lonely bays of Belfalas, near the peninsula of Dol Amroth, where the sea whispers its eternal songs to the land. For a time, she also roamed the Ethir Sirion, the mouths of the River Sirion, where she befriended and likely saved the life of Eärendil the Mariner, a bond remembered in song and tale.
History[]
For a time, Nenseldë also roamed the Ethir Sirion, the great delta where the River Sirion met the sea. There, she is said to have befriended Eärendil, whose journeys stirred the wonder and love of many who dwelt in the waters. When Eärendil was shipwrecked by the treachery of Ossë, it is whispered that Nenseldë was among the mermaids who saved him from the grasp of the sea. In some tales, it is said that she gave him a gift—a cloak woven of enchanted threads, resistant to storm and wave, that would protect him in his future voyages. This cloak became a part of the legend of Vingilot, his star-bound vessel.
Thousands years later her wanderings among the lonely shores of Belfalas are said to have inspired the myths of the Sea-Ladies of Dol Amroth, whose songs are said to haunt the waves near the coast. Nenseldë herself, however, was seldom seen by mortals, appearing only in times of great need or to those she deemed worthy of her aid.
The fate of Nenseldë remains unknown. Some say she still lingers near Dol Amroth, her song faintly heard by sailors who brave the misty bays. Others claim she returned to the Wingildi, her wandering heart at last finding solace among her kin.
Names[]
- Gilmáwen
- Nenseldë
- Sea-Lady of Dol Amroth