The Encyclopedia of Arda - Swans (original) (raw)

ALPHABETICAL RACES PLACES MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE INTERACTIVE SHARE User guide Latest entries FAQ and e-mail Disclaimer and bibliography Awards Old and rare words Lexicon of names Excyclopedia of Arda Movie-goer's Guides: • The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King The Hobbit Viewer's Companions: • An Unexpected Journey • The Desolation of Smaug • The Battle of the Five Armies Tolkien links Book news Latest Chronicle Calendar Old and rare words Lexicon of names Links Random
Location Found throughout Middle-earth, and also noted to exist in Aman Species Several different species of the genus _Cygnus_1 Meaning Probably derived from an ancient root swen, 'to sing, make a sound'2 Indexes: Alphabetical: S Animals and Plants About this entry: Updated 12 May 2013 Updates planned: 1 The fenlands of Swanfleet. In the far distance, the Misty Mountains can be seen. An important bird in the tales of the Elder Days. The Teleri seem to have especially revered swans, naming their city Alqualondë (the Swanhaven), and building their ships in swan-form. Notes 1 When Tolkien refers to swans, he would most likely have had in mind the so-called mute swan (Cygnus olor), which is by far the most common variety in the British Isles. We're also told of black swans to be found in the more southerly reaches of Anduin, but these are extremely unlikely to be modern black swans (Cygnus atratus) which are native to Australia. Rather, the black colour in this case is apparently intended to indicated the encroaching power of the Dark Lord. 2 Swan is a very ancient word and, seems to mean essentially 'singing bird', a curious derivation given that swans are among the least melodious of all birds. The name is perhaps related to the fanciful legend of the 'swan song', a beautiful song said to be made by a swan as it dies. See also... Bay of Elvenhome, Eärrámë, Eärwen, Eldar of Eressëa, Elvet-isle, Geese, Haven of the Swans, Kingfishers, Living Creatures, Maiar of the Sea, Nîn-in-Eilph, Prince of Dol Amroth, Sea-elves, Silver Swan, Swan-knights, [See the full list...]Swan-ships, Swanfleet, Swanhaven, Telumendil, The Ship and the Silver Swan, Tom Bombadil, Waterlands of the Swans Indexes: Alphabetical: S Animals and Plants About this entry: Updated 12 May 2013 Updates planned: 1 For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001, 2013. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.Discus provides a host of free and unlimited features to help manage your DISC assessments.

The Encyclopedia of Arda - an interactive guide to the world of J.R.R. Tolkien

ALPHABETICAL RACES PLACES MISCELLANEOUS REFERENCE INTERACTIVE

SHARE User guide Latest entries FAQ and e-mail Disclaimer and bibliography Awards Old and rare words Lexicon of names Excyclopedia of Arda Movie-goer's Guides: • The Fellowship of the Ring • The Two Towers • The Return of the King The Hobbit Viewer's Companions: • An Unexpected Journey • The Desolation of Smaug • The Battle of the Five Armies Tolkien links Book news Latest Chronicle Calendar Old and rare words Lexicon of names Links Random

Location Found throughout Middle-earth, and also noted to exist in Aman Species Several different species of the genus _Cygnus_1 Meaning Probably derived from an ancient root swen, 'to sing, make a sound'2 Indexes: Alphabetical: S Animals and Plants About this entry: Updated 12 May 2013 Updates planned: 1

The fenlands of Swanfleet. In the far distance, the Misty Mountains can be seen. An important bird in the tales of the Elder Days. The Teleri seem to have especially revered swans, naming their city Alqualondë (the Swanhaven), and building their ships in swan-form. Notes 1 When Tolkien refers to swans, he would most likely have had in mind the so-called mute swan (Cygnus olor), which is by far the most common variety in the British Isles. We're also told of black swans to be found in the more southerly reaches of Anduin, but these are extremely unlikely to be modern black swans (Cygnus atratus) which are native to Australia. Rather, the black colour in this case is apparently intended to indicated the encroaching power of the Dark Lord. 2 Swan is a very ancient word and, seems to mean essentially 'singing bird', a curious derivation given that swans are among the least melodious of all birds. The name is perhaps related to the fanciful legend of the 'swan song', a beautiful song said to be made by a swan as it dies. See also... Bay of Elvenhome, Eärrámë, Eärwen, Eldar of Eressëa, Elvet-isle, Geese, Haven of the Swans, Kingfishers, Living Creatures, Maiar of the Sea, Nîn-in-Eilph, Prince of Dol Amroth, Sea-elves, Silver Swan, Swan-knights, [See the full list...]Swan-ships, Swanfleet, Swanhaven, Telumendil, The Ship and the Silver Swan, Tom Bombadil, Waterlands of the Swans Indexes: Alphabetical: S Animals and Plants About this entry: Updated 12 May 2013 Updates planned: 1 For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001, 2013. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by Discus from Axiom Software Ltd.Discus provides a host of free and unlimited features to help manage your DISC assessments.