Tol Eressëa

Tol Eressëa was a green and beautiful island lying near the shores of Aman and within the Bay of Eldamar, inhabited largely by Noldo Elves; it was, usually, the first land sighted by ships sailing to the Undying Lands.

Lands and Cultivation[]

Tol Eressea lay within the sheltered arm of Eldamar's bay, its shores touched by constant sea-winds and western rains. The isle stretched near one hundred and eighty leagues from east to west, and almost one hundred from north to south. Clay-rich hills, river-deltas, and coastal flats formed a patchwork of varied lands.

Northwest Moors and Inland Woods[]

In the island's northwest lay peat-filled moors scarred by shallow pools and rush-choked hollows. Beyond these wet heaths rose belts of mixed oak and alder woods, whose timber served for planking and charcoal. Small clearings at the forest's edge yielded wild berries and mushrooms, and worn paths led shepherds and gatherers into the stands.

Central Elmlands (Alalminórë)[]

Alalminórë took its name from the great elm forests that clothed the rolling hills about a chain of deep lakes. Rich river-earth here bore barley, oats, and clover in their turn, while shore-reeds were cut for thatch and basket-work. Fishing filled the table, and elm-trunks gave shipwrights strong, bending timber.

Heath of the Sky-Roof Mountains[]

In the northeast, the Heath of the Sky-Roof Mountains rose to great heights, their bare ridges and heath-covered tablelands wind-scoured and cold. Thin earth in sheltered valleys bore hardy grasses and heather, grazed each summer by mountain sheep. Miners delved here for surface veins of silver and copper, and mountain springs turned small forges.

Fladweth Amrog ("Nomad's Green")[]

East-central Fladweth Amrog was pasture-rich lowland cut by rolling ridges. Green meadows of ryegrass and clover lay between shallow streams, and nomadic herders drove flocks of sheep and goats in the wheel of seasons. Grass-halls rose for a time for wool-sorting and cheese-making ere the flocks moved on.

Evadrien ("Iron Coast")[]

Along the eastern shore, Evadrien's jagged cliffs and uplands yielded veins of iron ore and magnetite. Smelting settlements clustered where fresh springs met the sea, and blacksmiths forged anchors, nails, and tools. Coastal wharves served small cargo vessels bearing iron wares.

Long Meadows[]

Southeast of Alalminórë, the Long Meadows stretched as broad river-plains laced by slow streams. These flood-lands bore hay meadows and flax fields, harvested each midsummer. Wind-driven channels kept the land from drowning, and common barns stored the summer's fodder.

West-Central Dry Valley[]

A rain-shadowed valley lay west of Alalminórë, its earth thinner and prone to summer drought. Hardy grains—bitter barley and arid rye—grew beside drought-hardy herbs. Wells tapped the limestone depths for what few garden-plots there were.

Southwest Green Hills and Lawns[]

The southwest held gentle green hills and pastoral lawns where scattered farmsteads raised sheep, goats, and small herds of cattle. Walled fields of barley and pulses lay amid hedgerows, and beehives dotted orchard copses of apple and cherry.

Dorwinion ("Southern Vineyards")[]

In the far south lay Dorwinion, whose warm slopes caught the southern sun and mild sea-currents. Terraces of vines climbed the clay-stone hillsides, yielding strong wines prized across the Isle. Small olive plots, mulberry groves, and fig trees bordered the villa-style estates, while stone presses and cisterns nestled in sun-warmed coves.

Other Names[]

Albion
For Faidwen
The Island Ferry
Leithian
the Lonely Island
Luthany
Lúthien
se uncútha holm

Regions[]

Afros Vales Alalminórë Avon Blackwater Brook of Glass For Faedwen Dor Uswen Dorwinion Dry Valley Eastern Horn Eastern Strands Eldaros Englad Englador Engriol Erenol Evadrien Fairy Coast Falasse Númea Fladweth Amrog Forlorn Islets Forwaith Fragrant Plain Gar Lossion Great Lake Green Hills Green Lawn Green Meadows Glittering sand Green rill Gruir Vales Gruir Heath of the Sky-roof Hill of Kôr Ingilnore Inland Forests Inwinórë Iron Cliffs Iverin Kiris Iluqingatelda Kúne Malle Long Meadows Marshlands Path of Hazel Plain of Green Pómelaire River Gliding Shadow Mere Sky-roof Mountains Swan Lakes Taurosse Teamalle Teld Quing Ilon Tol Thúle Tram Nybol Valley of Avallóne Western Coast Western Reefs White Shore Whitered Heath Woody Plain Tol Withernon Yarë River

Settlements and Places of Interest[]

Andúnë Angol Arch of Thrushes Avallónë Belerion Bridge of Tathrobel Brithonín Celbaros Cliff-eaves Cottage of Lost Play Cottage of the Children Eldos Erendol Estirin Glooming caves Gondobar Guidhlin Harbour of the Lights of many Hues House of Elms House of the Hundred Chimneys House of Memory Korin Korin of Meril-i-Turinqi Koromas Kortirion Mindon Gwar Narrowthrode Ros Silent Towers Silvalelya Swanhaven Taruhtarna Tatya Túna Tathrobel Taxóra Tirin

Inhabitants[]

Ailios Aranwë Arminas of the Falas Ausir Eltas Elwen of Tol Eresseä Eriol Evromord Galdor Gelmir Gilfanon Guilin of Nargothrond Heorrenda Ilfrin Ingwion Legolas of Gondolin Lindo son of Valwë Meril-i-Turinqi Naimi Pengolodh Quennar i Onótimo Rúmil of Tirion Salmar Timpinen Tulkastor Vairë of Tol Eressëa Valwë Veanne Voronwë Aranwion

Groups[]

Wise of Eressëa

Peoples[]

Ainur: Skyfolk Merfolk Nandini Nermir Orossi Tavari

Elves: Falmari Noldor Sindar Vanyar

Creatures[]

Bats Beetles Blackbird Butterflies Chequered Fish Cormorants Crows Dolphins Doves Eider-Ducks Elven-Birds Elven Horses Falcons Fishes Ghost-moths Golden Bees Great Eagles Great Glow-worms Great Gulls Great Swans Gunnets Mice Nightingales Noble Hounds Peacocks Petrels Pigeons Puffins Rock-doves Roe Deer Sea mews Shells Thrushes Whales Whitebirds

Plants[]

Apple-tree Bellflower Blue Nemophila Cress Elanor Elms Elvish Harebell Fir Golden Creepers Golden Asphodels Gwingyrn Hazel-tree Hollyhocks Houseleek Jacinth Lairelosse Larkspur Lavaralda Laurinque Lissuin Mallorn Maples Marigold Moss Mustard Nessamelda Great Oaks Oiolaire Phlox Pines Pinks plumed thistle plumed Weed Poplar Poppies Red Creepers Red Daisies Redthorn Reeds Sorrel súriquessë Taniquelasse Vardarianna White Lilac White Trees Willows Wine Yavannamire Yellow Daisy Yews

Notes[]

In the "Book of Lost Tales" J. R. R. Tolkien speculated that Iverin, the eastern part of Tol Eressea eventually broke off the main Island and later became Ireland (and possibly Great Britain). This indicates that Tol Eressea must have a considerable size, maybe comparable to New Guinea, Borneo or Sumatra. He later abandoned the concept and had Aelfwine return to Britain after his visit on Tol Eressëa, making them two entirely different islands. Some later Fan-on Authors however have revived or built up on the older idea, for example Author Jeff J. Erwin, writer of the Lindon Gazetteer, used the name Iverin for a part of Lindon suggesting that a part of Lindon later became Ireland and some of the lands east of Lindon, including the Shire, became the british isles. This was taken in consideration for the placing of toponyms on the new map. Placenames corresponding to toponyms of southwestern Britain generally were placed in southeastern Eresseä to suggest a possible ancient connection between the two landmasses.

Most maps show Tol Eressëa as lying on the girdle of Arda, however, taking into mind that Tolkien envisioned the climate of Tol Eressëa as similar to the british isles, this position seems unlikely. If the Bay of Eldamar lay on the equator, it must have been a far larger bay than widely depicted and Tol Eressëa must have been located in it's northern reaches rather than directly in the tropical zones.

The employed map is for the greatest part based on Professor Tolkiens raw sketches published in The Shaping of Middle-Earth although several other maps and interpretations found on the internet were drawn from as inspiration as well.

Most of the eressëan placenames stem from Tolkiens earliest works and still are in early Quenya and Goldogrin and probably abandoned or putdated forms which do not represent the canonical elvish of Tolkiens published works, the Lord of the Rings or the Hobbit. If these are to be kept instead of replaced by proper Sindarin and later Quenya they are probably best treated as rather peculiar local dialect forms, possibly from the languages of the Virtinoldor.

References[]

merp.com wiki

Editorial Note: This entry contains speculative or fan-based material — such as fanon, fanfiction, or theory constructs — that may not be directly supported by canonical texts. Interpretations offered here are part of the NNCA’s speculative corpus and should not be mistaken for primary Tolkien sources.