Lindon was the capital of the High Elves in Middle-earth.
Description[]
Lindon was located in the region known as Eriador. The mountain range Ered Luin bordered Lindon to the east, and the western border was coastal. Lindon included two regions known as Forlindon and Harlindon,[2] and was also the location of the Grey Havens.[3]
History[]
Lindon was built in the forest alongside the firth of the River Lhûn, and borders the sea,[4] created to integrate elegantly with the nature that surrounded it.[5] High King Gil-galad ruled the Elves from Lindon.[1]
Galadriel and her company returned from their Age-long pursuit of Sauron and his Orcs. They were welcomed happily and told the war was finally over, and they were sail home to Valinor where they would finally rest. The High King blessed them with a ceremony. After, Galadriel visited her brother Finrod's memorial, a portrait carved in a tree, where she mused to Elrond over the likeness of one fallen preserved upon a living thing. She thought she would be at rest there one day. She departed with her company for Valinor, but at the last moment, leapt overboard to continue her hunt. Back on land, Gil-galad and the Elves watched as a comet shot across the sky. Gil-galad picked up a leaf from the Great Tree and turned it over to see darkness spread across it as voices whispered in Black Speech.[1]
Elrond was reassigned to Lord Celebrimbor to aid him in a special task[1] which took him to the nearby settlement of Eregion. He then crafted an alliance with the Dwarves of Khazad-dûm in which they would help Celebrimbor create a forge.[6] Gil-galad requested the alliance between the Khazad and Noldor be celebrated back in Lindon, so Elrond extended the invitation to Prince Durin IV.[7]
Prince Durin and Elrond traveled from Khazad-dûm to Lindon where they sat for dinner with Gil-galad, Celebrimbor, and other Elves. Elrond led a toast to the union between the Khazad and Noldor. Gil-galad commended Durin for Khazad-dûm being so active despite it being the quietest of the Dwarven kingdoms. He inquired about the invigoration of the people, though Durin turned the question back to the King, as the Lindon had shipped off its warriors and expanded its cities recently. Durin began to accuse the Elves of taking weeks to decide on anything, but Elrond intervened to remind his Elven peers of the years of their differences in the perception of time. Tensions remained high and Durin inquired about the table they dined on. He claimed the stone only grew at certain depths. The Dwarves viewed each deposit as sacred and reserved its use for the most sacred of purposes - monuments or tombs, to their honored dead. Gil-galad apologized for their sacrilege and would send it home with Durin so it could be treated with proper respect. Durin was glad their was still honor among the Elves. Celebrimbor led another toast to the union of their peoples.[8]
After dinner, Gil-galad confronted Elrond about lying, though Elrond believed the king had lied to him. He went to the Dwarves with a proposal of a friendship, but Gil-galad sought something else. The King commanded Elrond to recount The Song of the Roots of Hithaeglir. After the recounting, Elrond realized Durin was right about Gil-galad's intentions, and the King took that as an admittance of the Ore's discovery. Gil-galad brought him to the Great Tree so he could witness its decay. Gil-galad had hoped that if he sent Galadriel away the could bring an end to the last vestiges of war and arrest the decay, but the decline has only quickened. The blight of the tree was an outer manifestation of an inner reality, that the light of the Eldar, their light, was fading. Only a precious few knew of their decay. Gil-galad asked again if the Ore had been found, but Elrond valued the oath he swore to Durin as he believed their souls were bound by such things. He wouldn't risk that on the basis of mere hope. Gil-galad reminded him that hope was never mere, even when it was meager. If the Elves abandoned Middle-earth, the armies of darkness would march over the Earth and be the end of all peoples. He suggested Elrond find a reason to break his oath.[8]
Later, Celebrimbor apologized to Elrond for not telling him of the Great Tree's decay earlier. He begged the High King to allow Elrond into their confidence sooner, but Gil-galad refused. Elrond confirmed with Celebrimbor that the mithril was their only salvation. Celebrimbor tested it under and duress and nothing diminished its light. If they could procure vast quantities quickly, they could saturate every last Elf in the light of the Valar once more and save their race. Elrond felt torn between his oath to his friend, or saving his people. Celebrimbor was there the night Elrond's father, a mortal man, set sail to convince the very Gods to come to war in their air. He heard Elrond's mother plead with his father to not go and implore why it must be him. His father had said it was because he was the only one who could do it.[8]
After King Durin refused to allow the mining of mithril, Elrond returned to Lindon to tell Gil-galad there wouldn't be a Lindon much longer.[9]
Appearances[]
- Season One
- "A Shadow of the Past" (First appearance)
- "Adrift" (Mentioned only)
- "The Great Wave" (Mentioned only)
- "Partings"
- "Udûn" (Mentioned only)
- "Alloyed"
- Season Two
Gallery[]
