Life in an Elven Fishing Town

Mithlond would have to be the only place in Middle-earth which would seem like a classic English village. "But what about the Shire?" people clamor, nodding their heads to each in knowing fashion. "We have him, this time!" Yes, the Shire's quaint little villages were clearly modelled on Warwickshire villages, but they lacked something which Mithlond possessed: the equivalent of a church. Americans who grew up in small towns know immediately what the presence of a church in any town or village means: it is the heart of the community. Forget the town square, the village green, old Jeb's friendly bar, or the school. That church is the heart and soul of the community. People are baptized there, lectured there, gossiped about there (but not by the preacher if they are discreet), get married there, suffer through the shame of divorce there, grieve over their losses there, socialize there, and ultimately are bid farewell there. Now, Mithlond was a pair of cities, not really a village. But in Lindon's heyday, during the years of Gil-galad's reign (the entire Second Age), the most important city of Lindon was probably Forlond. Mithlond was Cirdan's turf. The mariners of Brithombar and Eglarest were his people, and as many of them as he could fit onto the ships survived the fall of their ancient cities in western Beleriand. It is almost certain that most of the Falathrim settled in Mithlond in the Second Age. Harlindon was probably settled by surviving Sindar from Doriath, Nargothrond, and Hithlum (and the Green-elves of Ossiriand). Hithlum was the first Elven realm to weave those enchanted grey cloaks which eventually were given by Elves of Lorien to the Fellowship of the Ring. Lorien was originally founded by Sindar who settled among the Silvan Elves in the Vales of Anduin. And the Sindar who migrated to the east in the Second Age seem to have come from Harlindon. Forlindon was probably settled by remnants of Noldor from Nargothrond and Hithlum, the Feanorians, and Sindar from Gondolin. Most of the mixed Noldor-Sindar families probably also settled in Forlindon. The Noldor and Sindar who founded Eregion probably came from Forlindon. These tribal distinctions are not entirely necessary. The survivors of Gondolin and Doriath, for example, mingled in Arvernien and many Elves and Men joined them through the years prior to the third Kinslaying. And, of course, a large part of the population died in the Kinslaying. So, eventually, most of the surviving free Eldar ended up on the isle of Balar with Gil-galad and Cirdan. But we know virtually nothing of how Balar was settled. Some people assume there was one great haven where all the Elves lived together, but I think it more likely that each group went off and lived on its own. There may have been a chief haven, a place where the most important people lived. But each new wave of refugees could have settled in a different region of Balar.

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