The Encyclopedia of Arda - River Siril (original) (raw)

Indexes: Alphabetical: S Rivers and Lakes About this entry: Updated 20 November 2017 This entry is complete

The major river of the island of Númenor The main river of Númenor, and indeed one of only two rivers on the island of any significance. Siril rose in Noirinan, the Valley of the Tombs on the southern side of Númenor's tall central peak of the Meneltarma. From there it flowed southwards, passing through the western fringes of Arandor, the Kingsland, before running on across the inland plains of the Mittalmar. As it passed through the southern parts of the Mittalmar, the stream of Siril began to slow, and its course became more winding. After crossing the Mittalmar's southern border, the river's wandering course formed the boundary between the two great southern promontories of the isle of Númenor, the Hyarnustar and the Hyarrostar. As it approached the Sea on Númenor's southern coast, Siril began to break into numerous separate streams, creating an extensive marshland around its mouths as it formed a complex delta. Through the marshes of Siril's mouths lay the scattered villages of a people who lived by fishing. The largest of these was a shoreland township named Nindamos, on the coasts to the east of Siril's delta some hundred and fifty miles southwards from the river's springs under the Meneltarma. Notes 1 In The Etymologies (in volume V of The History of Middle-earth) siril is given as the Quenya word for 'rivulet'. Númenor's River Siril was clearly more than a simple rivulet (though still a relatively minor river compared to, say, the Anduin) hence the translation 'river' above. An alternative derivation might be from sîr ril 'glittering river', but Tolkien nowhere hints at such a connection. Indexes: Alphabetical: S Rivers and Lakes About this entry: Updated 20 November 2017 This entry is complete For acknowledgements and references, see the Disclaimer & Bibliography page. Original content © copyright Mark Fisher 1998, 2001, 2010, 2017. All rights reserved. For conditions of reuse, see the Site FAQ. Website services kindly sponsored by myDISCprofile, the free online personality test.Explore the benefits of using a personality profile to discover yourself and make the most of your career.