A Hobbit's Tale

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+ Ladros : A highland region to the northeast of Dorthonion. It was held by the House of Bëor, but lost to Morgoth in the Dagor Bragollach.

+ Laiquendi : Another name for the Green-Elves.

+ Lake Helevorn : A lake in the northeast of Beleriand where Caranthir had his capital.

+ Lammoth : Also called "Great Echo". It was a shoreland region in the North, between the Ered Lómin and the Sea, north of the Firth of Drengist. To that region Melkor and Ungoliant came after they had fled from Valinor. Ungoliant asked Melkor to give her the Silmarils and when Melkor refused to do so she jumped upon him. Melkor released a cry and from that time on the echo of this cry was always heard in that region. That gave the region its name.

+ Lamp of the Valar : The two lamps Illuin and Ormal were made by the Valar just after they had started to live in Middle-Earth. The lamps were made by Aulë but were soon destroyed by Melkor.

+ Land of Willows : At the point where the rivers Sirion and Narog met there laid a flowered land, filled with willow trees. This land was called Nan-tathren, the Land of Willows, and it was said to be one of the most beautiful places of Middle-Earth.

+ Laurelin : It was the Golden Tree and the younger one of the Two Trees of Valinor.

+ Lay of Leithian : A long elvish lay that told the story of Beren and Lúthien (see below). It was said to be the second longest lay, the longest being the Narn i Hîn Húrin which told the story of Túrin and Nienor. In the "Lord of the Rings" the lay is told to the Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin by Aragorn. Tolkien never completed the lay, that's why Aragorn told the Hobbits that it's end was lost during the history. "Leithian" is translated "Release from Bondage".

+ Legolas : See Legolas on our characters page.

+ Legolin : The third of the six tributaries of the Gelion, the others being the Acar, the Thalos, the Brilthor, the Duilwen and the Adurant. It came from the Blue Mountains and laid between the Thalos and the Brilthor. The name Legolin means "free-running".

+ Lindon : The name of Ossiriand after Beleriand had been destroyed. It was the kingdom of Gil-Galad and Círdan, many Noldor and Sindar lived there. The Elves of Lindon took part in the Last Alliance of Men and Elves against Sauron but during the War of the Ring Lindon only kept his harbours open for the ships that drove into the West and never returned.

+ Lómion : Another name for Maeglin, it means "Child of the Twilight".

+ Lonely Isle : Another name for Tol Eressëa.

+ Long Wall : Another name for the Andram.

+ Lórien : Lórien had two different meanings :

Lórien was the name of the Gardens in Valinor. In these Gardens the souls from the Immortal took a rest from time to time. The Valar Irmo lived there with his wife Este. Irmo himself was also called Lórien. One of Irmo's advisers was the Maia Olórin (Gandalf.)

Lórien was also the name of the woodland between the Andúin and the Celebrant. There lived the Galadhrim, who were Silvan Elves, descended from the Noldor. In the Third Age the Elves were ruled by Galadriel and Celeborn and before them, Amroth had been the Lord of Lórien. Galadriel had choosen the name "Lórien" in memory of the Gardens of Valinor. Lórien was founded in the First Age and it's maintown was called Caras Galadhon. Lórien's older name was Lórinand, which means "Valley of Gold", the Noldor called it Laurelindórenan and also Lothlórien. All these names include a reference to the golden Mallorn trees, which grew in Lórien.

+ Losgar : In Losgar, which laid at the mouth of the Firth of Drengist, Fëanor and his people landed after they had left Valinor at the beginning of the First Age. Fëanor gave the order to burn the ships with which he and his people had arrived in Losgar so that Fingolfin was forced to march with his people across the deadly Helcaraxë.

+ Lothlann : A plain in the northeast of Beleriand which laid beyond the March of Maedhros.

+ Lúthien Tinúviel : Lúthien was the daughter of Thingol and Melian and said to be the fairest Elf who has ever lived. In the woods of Doriath she met Beren and wanted to become his wife. But her father Thingol didn't want his daughter to marry a mortal human. Therefore he set Beren the task to recover a Silmaril from Melkor's iron crown. If he would be successfull he would be allowed to marry Lúthien. Beren left Doriath, but was captured by Sauron. When Lúthien heard this, she left Doriath against the will of her father to rescue Beren. With the help of the hound Huan she rescued Beren and together they passed the gates of Angband, Melkor's fortress. There Melian wove a spell which made Melkor and his court fall alseep, so that Beren was able to cut a Silmaril of Melkor's iron crown. But when they returned to the gates of Angband they were attacked by the wolf Carcharoth who guared the gates and who didn't fall alseep. To protect them, Beren held up the Silmaril, but the wolf bit off his hand and with it the jewel. But the Silmaril was blessed by Varda and the wolf's innards were burned. The wolf ran away with the Silmaril. Later Beren hunted the wolf again and killed it. He recovered the Silmaril but was also wounded mortally. He died and soon after also Lúthien died, wasted of grief. Their two spirits came to the Halls of Mandos, where Lúthien sang a song of such a beauty that Mandos offered her to become mortal and return to Middle-Earth together with Beren. She agreed and Lúthien and Beren retunred to Middle-Earth, now both mortal.