May 28, 2003

For Lilly, the Grey Havens and Valinor
Niphredil

Lilly, the Grey Havens (Mithlond in Sindarin) is the name of the Elvish town and harbour on the river Lhun. The river empties into the Gulf of Lhun. You can find it on map 1 at the end of all of the LOTR books. It is from here that the elves sail West to the Undying Lands of which Valinor is a part.

The Undying Lands refers as a whole to the island of Aman. The Island is split into two realms, Eldamar (the eastern shore and lands) that is the ancient home of the elves, and Valinor, the land of the Valar (The Powers of the World). A line of mountains raised by the Valar separates the two realms.

Frodo and Bilbo left Middle-earth to travel to the Undying Lands two years after Frodo returned to the Shire (1420 by Shire Reckoning). In 1482, after the death of Rose, Sam followed. Apparently Frodo, Bilbo and Sam were welcomed in the Undying Lands because they had all been Ring-bearers (although Sam only had the Ring for a short time).

Aragorn died in 1541 (Shire Reckoning). At this time, Legolas (who had been living in Ithilien) builds a ship to sail West and takes Gimli with him (the only dwarf ever to be allowed to travel West). It is thought that Galadriel’s influence was what enabled him to do so.