Everything about Sindar totally explained
» Edhel redirects here. See Éðel for the Anglo-Saxon term.
In the works of
J. R. R. Tolkien, the fictional
Sindar (meaning
Grey People, singular
Sinda, although the latter term wasn't generally used by Tolkien) are
Elves of
Telerin descent. They are also known as the
Grey Elves. Their language is
Sindarin. The King of
Doriath, Elu
Thingol was the King of the Sindar.
The Sindar were happy in Middle-earth, but once the desire for the Sea was aroused in them, they couldn't be content until they sailed to
Eldamar. Although less learned and powerful than the Calaquendi and less interested in crafts than the Noldor, they were extremely gifted in music, and their voices were very fair.
The Sindar are "grey" perhaps because they were not
Elves of the Light, never having actually set foot in
Valinor, but neither were they
Avari, since they did accept the invitation and set out on the journey (and therefore were technically counted among the
Eldar). They are sometimes referred to as
Elves of the Twilight. The term
grey may also refer to Elu
Thingol's grey cloak. The term
Sindar is actually not Sindarin in origin: it's the
Quenya name devised by the
Noldorin exiles. It may also be related to
Lindar, the Telerin name for themselves. The name that the Sindar used for themselves was simply
Edhil ("Elves", singular
Edhel). When the Teleri left for Aman, they called themselves the
Eglath, the Forsaken Ones.
The Teleri were the greatest host of the Eldar. They had two kings, the brothers
Elwë Singollo (or Elu
Thingol as he was later known in the Sindarin tongue) and
Olwë. When the Teleri reached
Beleriand during the
Great Journey from
Cuiviénen, Thingol went wandering in the forests as was his wont. In the forest of
Nan Elmoth he met
Melian, one of the
Maiar. They fell in love, and with Melian, Thingol stood spellbound in Nan Elmoth for several years.
In the meantime, Olwë and many of the Teleri couldn't delay longer, and went to
Aman without Elwë and his following. Elwë's followers stayed in Beleriand, to search for their king. At long last he awoke from the spell and set up a kingdom in the midst of Beleriand:
Eglador (Land of the Forsaken, or Land of the Elves. The etymology isn't clear.). The
Dwarves of
Nogrod and
Belegost in the
Ered Luin (Blue Mountains) were contracted to aid in the building of the city of
Menegroth (the Thousand Caves).
Other Teleri also stayed behind: these were the friends of
Ossë the Maia, who had fallen in love with the shores of
Middle-earth, and didn't wish to depart. Their leader was
Círdan, and they established cities at
Eglarest and
Brithombar. They were known as the
Falathrim, or Elves of the
Falas (Shore). They were not part of the realm of Eglador, but still took Thingol as their King.
Yet other stray bands of Teleri settled in
Nevrast and
Hithlum to the north of Eglador, although these didn't form any realms.
The Teleri of Eglador, the northlands (Mithrim), and the Falas were collectively known as the Sindar, or Grey Elves, in later days, because they developed a civilization all its own, which almost equalled that of the
Calaquendi or Light Elves of
Valinor.
A last group of Teleri in Beleriand were the
Laiquendi or Green Elves: they were descended from the
Nandor, which had split from the Great Journey before the
Hithaeglir (Misty Mountains), and gone south along the Great River (
Anduin). A part of them, under
Denethor son of
Dan, crossed the Blue Mountains eventually, and settled in
Ossiriand, or as it was later known
Lindon (land of the singers). They remained a people apart for long, although many of them removed to Thingol's realm after Denethor was killed.
Just before the arrival of the Noldorin exiles, the Dark Lord
Morgoth returned to his old stronghold of
Angband, and his activities increased. Thingol had Melian use her magic to create a girdle of bewilderment around Eglador, so that nobody could enter without the king's permission. Ever after it was known as
Doriath (Land of the Fence). Thingol remained High King of the Sindar and nominal Overlord of Beleriand, although especially the Noldor following of the sons of
Fëanor usually ignored his commands.
The language of the Sindar diverged from common Telerin over the long ages they were sundered from their kin, and became known as
Sindarin. By the time the Noldor arrived in Beleriand, the languages had become mutually unintelligible, but the Noldor were quick to learn it. In the Second and Third Age,
Sindarin became known as the Noble Tongue, and became the
Elvish tongue used in daily speech throughout
Middle-earth (helped by the decree of Thingol, who forbade the use of the Noldorin language in his realm). It was also adopted for daily use by the
Númenóreans, and remained somewhat in use in the Realms in Exile of
Gondor and
Arnor.
Sindarin eventually replaced Noldorin
Quenya as the language used by the Noldor in
Beleriand, even in predominantly Noldorin settlements, with the exception of
Gondolin, where Turgon revived Quenya. Elsewhere, Quenya survived as a language of knowledge, taking the same role as Latin today.
The
Peredhil,
Elrond and
Elros, were partially of Sindarin Elven descent, as their mother
Elwing was the daughter of
Dior, the son of
Lúthien, the daughter of
Thingol and
Melian.
See also: The Silmarillion
Further Information
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