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by Daereth
Laiquendi
The Quenya word to mean ‘green elves’. The Laiquendi were descendants
of the Teleri who settled down in Ossiriand and lived there from then
on. The Laiquendi rarely left their forests, and they were known for
their uncanny ability to blend into the green of the woods and to move
with stealth. The light longbow was the favorite (if not the only) weapon
used by the Laiquendi, who were, as it seems, not at all belligerent.
They were known to take part only in one battle during the First Age,
and that was when the Elves took revenge on the dwarves who had plundered
Menegroth.
Lalaith
The daughter of Hurin and Morwen and sister to Turin Turambar who died
in childhood. Her name means ‘Laughter’.
Lambengolmori
A collective name used when referring to the order of Elvish lore-masters
created by Feanor when still in Valinor. Later, the word might have
been extended to mean ‘wise person’ and even ‘bard’, since bards were
known for their wisdom. The term was applied exclusively to elves.
Laurelin
The Golden Tree of Valinor. Of its appearance it is said:
“… the other bore leaves of a young green like the new-opened beech,
their edges were of glittering gold. Flowers swung upon her branches
in clusters of yellow flame, formed each to a glowing horn that spilled
a golden rain upon the ground; and from the blossom of that tree came
forth warmth and a great light”
The other names for Laurelin were Malinalda and Culurien.
Even though both the Trees were slain by Melkor, their light lived
on, and from a fruit borne by Laurelin came what people would later
name the Sun.
Legolas
Legolas of Mirkwood was the son of Thranduil King of the Green-elves.
In the year 3018 of the Third Age he was sent to Rivendell to the Council
of Elrond as a representative of the Elves of Mirkwood. There he volunteered
to join the Fellowship of the Ring and accompanied Frodo until the breaking
of the Fellowship at Parth Galen, where Boromir was slain and Merry
and Pippin were made captive by the Uruk-hai.
Together with Aragorn and Gimli Legolas pursued them to the borders
of Rohan. Then he took part in defense of Helm’s Deep against Saruman’s
Uruk-hai, and rode with the Riders of Rohan to the Battle of the Pelennor
Fields. Afterwards, he fought valiantly in the Battle of Cormallen in
the united army of Rohan and Gondor. After the War of the Ring was over
and Sauron finally overthrown, Legolas remained for a while in Middle-earth.
Together with Gimli, now his closest friend and sidekick, he journeyed
across Mirkwood and to the Glittering Caves of Aglarond. Legolas and
Gimli were, in fact, the last surviving members of the Fellowship in
Middle-earth when they finally built a ship and sailed westwards to
Valinor. Thus in the year 120 of the Fourth Age, “an end was come in
Middle-earth of the Fellowship of the Ring”.
Lenwe
The leader of the Elves from the host of the Teleri who refused to
cross the Misty Mountains on the westward journey from Cuivienen, father
of Denethor.
Lindar
The Quenya word to mean ‘the singing ones’. A self-given name of the
Teleri.
Lindorie
Mother of Queen Inzilbeth of Numenor.
Lorgan
Chief of the Easterling Men in Hithlum after the Nirnaeth Arnoediad,
by whom Tuor was enslaved.
Lorien
Lorien is one of the Feanturi, masters of spirits, and the brother
of Mandos. He is the herdsman of dreams and his home, the Gardens of
Lorien in Valinor, is where all draw hope and refreshment. The fair
woods of Lothlorien received the same name were said to bear a sweet
resemblance to its Valinorean namesake.
His spouse is Este, the healer among the Valar.
Lossoth
A northern people who dwelt at the Bay of Forochel in Middle-earth.
Luthien Tinuviel
An Elf, daughter of Thingol King of Doriath and Melian the Maia, the
most beautiful of the Children of Iluvatar. Luthien was born in the
forest of Neldoreth, and she lived under the protection of her people
in Menegroth until Beren wandered into the kingdom in year 465 of the
First Age. They met and fell in love, yet such an unequal alliance met
with the stern disapproval of Thingol the King. Beren then offered to
bring a Silmaril to Thingol in return for the hand of his daughter in
marriage.
And so Beren left, and Luthien stayed. However, she managed to escape
her guards and to follow Beren on his quest. However, on her way she
was captured by the sons of Feanor, and Celegorm, who started by wanting
to help her, fell in love with Luthien as well, and locked her up in
his palace, which she only fled with the help of Huan the Hound. Luthien
and Huan then headed for Tol-in-Gaurhoth, the fortress which was in
Sauron’s keeping, and they defeated Sauron and threw down the walls
of the prison, and freed Beren. Their quest took them to Angband, and
they succeeded in reclaiming the Silmaril, which, however, cost Beren
his right hand – and the Jewel was lost as well. It was again won back
when Beren hunted down the wolf Carharoth, who had bitten off the hand
that held the Stone, but he suffered grievous wounds and was on the
verge of dying. When Luthien saw her beloved was not going to last,
she alone journeyed to Mandos and begged the Valar to spare Beren and
let him live. In return, she would forsake her Elven immortality and,
too, become a mortal. And the Valar agreed. Beren and Luthien journeyed
south to Tol Galen and dwelt there until the end of their days.
This is how Beren and Luthien met:
“it is told in the Lay of Leithian that Beren came stumbling into
Doriath grey and bowed as if with many years of woe, so great had been
the torment of the road. But wandering in the summer in the woods of
Neldoreth he came upon Luthien, daughter of Thingol and Melian, at a
time of evening under moonrise, as she danced upon the unfading grass
in the glades beside Esgalduin. Then all memory of his pain departed
from him, and he fell into an enchantment; for Luthien was the most
beautiful of the Children of Iluvatar. Blue was her raiment as the unclouded
heaven, but her eyes were grey as the starlit evening; her mantle was
sewn with golden flowers, but her hair was dark as the shadows of twilight.
As the light upon the leaves of trees, as the voice of the clear waters,
as the stars above the mists of the world, such was her glory and her
loveliness; and in her face was a shining light.”
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