List of rivers of Beleriand

Beleriand, a location from J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, contains many rivers. Most are described below.

A

;Adurant: The sixth and most southerly tributary of Gelion, the others being Ascar, Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor and Duilwen. It was the last of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.

:The name means "double stream" in Ilkorin, referring to a parting of the river about the isle of Tol Galen, and many more along its path due to its slow current.

;Aros: The southern river of Doriath and northern tributary of Sirion. It rose in the northern lands around Himring and met Sirion in the south-west at Aelin-uial. It formed the southern border of the Kingdom of Doriath.

;Ascar: A river in Ossiriand. The name means "rushing, impetuous". It was the northern-most tributary of Gelion, and the second river of Ossiriand. After the Sack of Doriath by Dwarves, Beren Erchamion fought and killed the looters there. Doriath's treasure was lost in Ascar, and it was renamed "Rathlóriel" ('Goldenbed').

B

;Brithon: A minor river of the Falas. Its name is North Sindarin, probably meaning "pebbly".

;Brilthor: A tributary of Gelion. It was the fifth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.

C

;Celebros: A tributary of Taeglin that flowed past Brethil forest. Glaurung was slain by Túrin near where this river met Taeglin, and Nienor Níniel committed suicide by jumping in it.

;Celon: Flowed by Nan Elmoth in East Beleriand. It met up with the river Aros later in its course, eventually flowing into Sirion.

D

;Duilwen: A tributary of Gelion. It was the sixth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.

E

;Esgalduin: The main river of Doriath. Doriathrin for "River under Veil", the Esgalduin flowed from the hills of Dorthonion through Doriath past the caves of Menegroth, finally meeting up with the River Sirion.

:The Esgalduin had two unnamed upper branches of its own in Ered Gorgoroth. One ran along the border between Dor Dínen and Nan Dungortheb, and the other ran west for about 20 miles from the mountains into Nan Dungortheb and further south-east until merging with the first.

G

;Gelion: The principal river of East Beleriand. Its two sources were the Hill of Himring, via the Little Gelion, and the Ered Luin, via the Greater Gelion. It then passed south, dividing Estolad to the west from Thargelion to the east, then was crossed by the old dwarf-road at Sarn Athrad ("Ford of Stones"). It then passed into Ossiriand, the Land of Seven Rivers, where it was fed by rivers Ascar, Thalos, Legolin, Brilthor, Duilwen, and Adurant, all rising in the Ered Luin.

:Gelion then passed by Tuar-im-Duinath (the Forest between the Rivers) and emptied into the Great Sea Belegaer.

:Late in his life, Tolkien apparently decided to change the name "Gelion", as it did not fit the pattern of Sindarin. The possible replacements he recorded were "Gelduin", "Gevilon", "Gevelon", "Duin Daer", and "Duin Dhaer".ME-ref|The War of the Jewels|pp. 191, 336]

;Ginglith: A tributary of Narog. It had its wells in the woods of Núath, under the near the Ered Wethrin in northern West Beleriand. After passing by the lands of Tumhalad it met the Narog about 50 Númenórean miles north of Nargothrond.

;Glithui: A northern tributary to Taeglin.

L

;Legolin: A tributary of Gelion. It was the fourth from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand.

;Lithir: A tributary of Sirion that joined it just to the south of the Pass of Sirion. The sources of Lithir were in Ered Wethrin.

M

;Malduin: A northern tributary to Taeglin.

;Mindeb: A northern tributary of Sirion. It began in the Ered Gorgoroth near the Pass of Anach, and was met by an unnamed tributary coming from the Crissaegrim. It formed the boundary between Dimbar and Nan Durgotheb.

:It formed the western border of the forest of Neldoreth in Doriath and was part of the Girdle of Melian. It is mentioned in Quenta Silmarillion chapter 14.

N

;Narog: The chief river of West Beleriand. The Narog rose from the Pools of Ivrin in the Ered Wethrin, flowed south and then southeast, flowing through a gorge in a series of rapids where it crossed the hills of the Andram or Long Wall, finally meeting Sirion in the Land of Willows Nan-tathren, not far above the Mouths of Sirion. Narog's tributaries were the Ginglith in the north and the Ringwil in the Taur-en-Faroth.

:Into its western bank, just south of where Ringwil rushed into Narog, was carved the city of Nargothrond, stronghold of Finrod Felagund.

:During his time in Nargothrond, Túrin Turambar persuaded Orodreth to build a bridge over Narog. He did, but it resulted in the downfall of Nargothrond as it provided a way for the dragon Glaurung to reach the city.

;Nen Lalaith: A stream of Dor-lómin that rose near Amon Darthir in Ered Wethrin and ran past Húrin's house.

;Nenning: A river of the Falas. Its wells were in the hills lying north-west in West Beleriand south of the Ered Wethrin, near the Woods of Núath. It ran to the bay of Eglarest where it met the sea Belegaer.

R

;Rathlóriel: "See Ascar."

;Ringwil: A tributary of Narog. It began in the hills about Nargothrond, and flowed north of the hidden city.

:Where it met the Narog a secret door was built, which was used by Lúthien to escape from Nargothrond when Celegorm and Curufin held her prisoner.

;Rivil: A tributary of Sirion. It began in Dorthonion, and then flowed north-west until it met with Sirion in the Fens of Serech.

:The river is mentioned twice in "The Silmarillion". The first mention is in the chapter concerning Beren and Lúthien. Rivil's Well was where a camp was made by the Orcs that had killed Barahir, father of Beren. Beren attacked them there, taking back the Ring of Barahir before escaping again.

:The second mention is in the chapter concerning the Nírnaeth Arnoediad, where the valiant retreat of Húrin and Huor is described thus: "...foot by foot they withdrew, until they came behind the Fen of Serech, and had the stream of Rivil before them. There they stood and gave way no more."

;Sirion: The principal river of Beleriand. See main article.

T

;Taeglin: A tributary of Sirion. It rose in the southern reaches of the Ered Wethrin, ran generally southeast, receiving the waters of Glithui and Malduin, then passed along the southern margin of the Forest of Brethil, where it ran through a gorge named "Cabed-en-Aras" and then received the Celebros. The Taeglin then ran eastward into Sirion at the borders of Doriath.

:An important ford on the river was the Crossings of Teiglin, near the western border of Brethil. A road ran through it from Nargothrond to Minas Tirith. Minor tributaries were Celebros and Malduin. The river's banks near Celebros was the scene of the encounter between Túrin Turambar and the dragon Glaurung.

:In the published "Silmarillion" and early writings, the river was called Teiglin. As revealed in "The History of Middle-earth", the rivername should actually have been spelt "Taeglin". This was a relatively late change which was not adopted by Christopher Tolkien for the published "Silmarillion".

;Thalos: A tributary of Gelion. It was the third from the north of the seven rivers that defined Ossiriand. Thalos sprang from the Ered Luin and at its springs Finrod met the first Men to enter Beleriand.

References and notes

Most of the information can be found in "The Silmarillion" throughout, particularly chapter 14 "Of Beleriand and Its Realms". Some information comes from "Unfinished Tales" and "The History of Middle-earth" series.